Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 146666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 587(@250wpm)___ 489(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 587(@250wpm)___ 489(@300wpm)
“Let me see.” She grabbed at his arm.
“Oh no. Only Daddies are allowed to look at the Daddy rule book. Come along, we have to get you a treat. Unless you want me to be thrown out of the League of Exemplary Daddies.”
“You just made that up!”
“Nope. I have the T-shirt and everything.”
“I want to see it.”
“I’m afraid you can only see it when you believe.” He winked at her.
They walked through the baby area, which both intrigued and terrified her. She didn’t think her Little went that young. Well, with the exception of maybe trying a pacifier. And a bottle. They seemed like they would be quite soothing.
They explored baby seats for the car, high chairs for eating, and even attachments for existing chairs that a big Little boy or girl could be strapped into.
“Hmm, these are interesting.” Hack studied the high chairs. “They might keep you sitting still long enough for me to feed you.”
She grabbed his hand and dragged him along. No need for him to get ideas.
The next area was filled with punishment implements. She tried to pull him through that area quickly. “Come on, I’ve seen the area I want to go to.”
“Oh, but this is interesting.” He picked up a leather paddle.
“Feel free to test anything you like the look of,” Bonnie called out as she strode past the area with a smile. “There’s a discipline room at the back. I didn’t want to put it in, but I got pressured into it.”
She noticed that Hack was using the tablet. He wasn’t putting that on a wishlist, was he?
“Let’s go,” Greer said urgently.
Finally, they made it to the toy area. Much safer. Her gaze went immediately to the soft toys.
“Go,” he said. “You can look at everything you like.”
“I’ll be quick.”
“Why would you want to be quick?” he asked.
“I’m sure you don’t want to spend much time here.”
“Then you’d be wrong,” he told her. “I’m not on the rotation for a couple of days. And I have nowhere I’d rather be than here with you. Now go.” Turning her, he gave her a very firm pat on the ass.
She glared back at him.
He just grinned.
Lord, he was terrible.
31
Hack glanced over at Greer.
She was uncharacteristically quiet as she sat in the passenger seat. In her arms, she held the large octopus stuffie she’d chosen.
He had a feeling it wasn’t her first choice. He’d kept seeing the way her gaze went to the Care Bears.
But she hadn’t chosen one and he wasn’t sure why.
“Where are we going?” she asked, growing tense as he headed a different way out of the parking lot of LittleLand.
“I need to go home for a bit. Is that all right?”
“Oh, of course. But wouldn’t it make sense to drop me off first?”
“I’m just getting some clothes for while I’m staying at Sav’s place. Can’t keep wearing the same things.” Luckily, he’d kept a spare T-shirt in his office at the clinic that he’d put on this morning.
“You still want to stay?”
“Pretty hard to be your guardian if I’m not living with you.”
“Even after I slept on you last night?”
“Especially because you slept on me last night.”
He waited for her response.
“You like having no sleep and a sore back?”
“I’m a doctor. I’m used to no sleep or sleeping in weird places. This time, I got to hug a very cute girl who smelled a lot better than a hospital room.”
She snorted. “Not sure if that’s a compliment or not.”
“What are you going to call your octopus?”
“My what? Oh. I’m not sure. Octopus?”
“Original.”
She gave him a faint smile.
He pulled up outside his place.
“This is your house?”
“Yep. You sound surprised.”
“It’s so cute.”
“I haven’t had time to make many changes to it. Wait there.”
He heard her sigh as he climbed out of the truck. Walking around, he lifted her down. He held her hand as he led her carefully to his place, unlocked the door, and turned off the alarm.
“Make yourself at home while I get some things.”
Guilt filled her as she looked around his house.
He had a perfectly good bed in this charming house. And instead, he was sleeping on a couch. Or sitting up in Ethan’s small bed with her on his lap.
So insist that he stays here rather than with you.
Problem was . . . she liked having him around. Well, more than that. She craved him. Couldn’t stop thinking about him.
The things he said . . . the way he talked to her . . . it seemed like he wanted to be with her.
How would that work when she was a mess of fear and insecurities and couldn’t imagine ever being with a man again?
As he drove her back to Aidan’s place, she was quiet, thinking over everything. It was well past lunchtime when they arrived.
Shoot. She should go grocery shopping. And do some work, so she could keep paying the bills.