Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 141428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
She slowed her breathing down, aware that she was shaking and that she was growing cold due to the sweat drying on her skin.
Eww. Gross.
She still couldn’t remember the dream, but it had obviously been a bad one.
“That’s it. Good girl. You’re doing so well.”
Urgh, she really, really liked being praised.
All she was doing was breathing, though. It really wasn’t that big of a deal.
For some reason, he lifted her up and then he sat down on the bed with her in his lap.
His arms came around her and he held her tight, careful not to brush against her sore arm.
“There you are, baby. It’s all right. You’re okay. I have you.”
She closed her eyes for a long moment, just taking in the moment. The feeling of him holding her, keeping her safe.
“You’re all right. Daddy has you.”
Be my Daddy forever. Please.
She bit back the words. She had no right to ask that of him.
“Can you tell me what the nightmare was about?” he asked.
“I don’t . . . I don’t really remember. I guess it was probably about the other night.”
He rocked her back and forth and she pressed her good cheek against his chest as she brought her thumb to her mouth and sucked.
“Poor baby. That’s it. Take your comfort.”
Sometimes, she sucked her thumb to comfort herself. But she hoped no one came in.
“Don’t worry. I have you.”
Devi wasn’t sure how long they sat there, but if she hadn’t had to pee, she’d have been happy to sit there all afternoon.
Knowing she wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer, she started wriggling on his lap. She didn’t think about removing her thumb and telling him what she wanted.
She just thought that he should know.
“Does my baby girl need to go pee?”
Strangely, she shook her head. Huh? What was wrong with her? She did need to pee. Really badly.
So why did you shake your head?
“I think you do. You should tell Daddy if you need to go potty,” he murmured.
Potty? She didn’t potty! She was a big girl.
Devi huffed out a breath and sucked on her thumb harder.
“Do you need to go potty?”
That was just too much. She took her thumb from her mouth. “It’s not potty, Daddy. Big girls go toilet.”
“I don’t think my girl is as big a girl as she thinks she is. I think she might be a baby.”
Rude.
But she didn’t protest, she merely put her thumb back in her mouth as she allowed him to carry her to the bathroom.
Yes. Allowed.
And then she allowed him to pull down her pants and panties and put her on the toilet.
Just like she allowed him to clean her up. It was all with her permission. When he tried to carry her back into the bedroom without washing her hands, she pointed at the sink.
“No. You’re not going over there,” he told her.
He couldn’t keep all mirrors from her.
“You’re so incredibly beautiful. I just . . . I don’t want you hurting.” He carried her back into the room and then washed her hands with a cloth. “Understand?”
She nodded. She guessed there was plenty of time for her to look at her face.
“I do need to talk to you, though.” Sitting on the bed, he faced her, his expression serious.
Her stomach twisted into a knot. She didn’t like the sound of that conversation. Actually, she thought she might just avoid it all together.
Her brain wasn’t ready to handle anything else. Being in Little headspace was freaking bliss. It meant that Hayes had to do all the worrying, while she got to just . . . be.
Okay, so it was a nice thought, but she couldn’t live forever in Little headspace.
“Not ready to come back, huh? Well, I suppose this could wait . . .”
A knock on the door interrupted him and he sighed as he glanced over.
“Or maybe not.” There was real regret in his face as he looked at her. “I’m sorry, baby girl. I promise, once this is all fixed up and all of this crap is over with that you can be Little for as long as you want. All right?”
She slid her thumb from her mouth with a nod. “It’s okay.”
Leaning forward, he brushed his lips against her forehead. Her heart skipped a beat. For a moment she’d thought that he might kiss her on the lips.
Silly girl.
He got off the bed and opened the door. Kent walked in with an attractive, younger guy who was dressed in a crisp white shirt and black pressed pants. His hair was perfectly combed and he was clean-shaven.
Who was he?
“Devi, this is Liam. I might have mentioned him before, I think,” Hayes said.
She would have replied . . . except she’d just spotted what Liam was holding in his hand.
Her backpack.
“What . . . what are you doing with my backpack?” she asked in a hoarse whisper.