Total pages in book: 184
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
“Let’s check this.” He slid the thermometer from her bottom and she gave a sigh of relief. “Hmm. It’s a bit high. I’m going to give you some medication. But it’s going to go up your bottom. So let’s just leave you in that position.”
Medication up her bottom?
He had to be kidding her, right?
She really didn’t want anything more up her bottom. But then she felt him pushing something into her back hole. Admittedly, it was small. But then he pushed his finger inside her too.
“Just to make sure that you don’t push it back out,” Salem told her.
This was not cool.
Finally, he withdrew his finger. “Roman, can you put a pair of training pants on her and I’ll get something for her to sleep in after I wash my hands.”
Roman nodded and helped her lie on her back.
“You doing okay, darling girl?” he asked as he slid a pair of her training pants on. She glanced down, happy to see they were the strawberry ones.
Did he mean despite the kale and rod up the ass?
Yeah . . . she was actually pretty darn perfect.
“Here we are. The perfect onesie to nap in.” Salem held up a green onesie with a strawberry stitched on the dropseat.
With a frown, she removed her pacifier. “I don’t need a nap, Daddy.”
“You looked tired and pale to me. I think a nap is just what you need. Do you think you could make her up a bottle?” he asked Roman. “Use the protein powder you got for her.”
“Sure.” Roman disappeared out of the room.
“I don’t need a bottle or a nap, Daddy,” she complained.
“Well, your daddies say that you do.” He bopped her on the nose and then undid the strap, picking her up in his arms.
“Do you need to go potty?” Salem asked.
Sheesh, shouldn’t he have asked that before they got her dressed?
“No, Daddy.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “Sometimes little girls don’t realize that they need to go.”
“I don’t!”
“All right.”
Roman walked in, carrying a baby bottle with a chocolate protein drink in it. “Here you are.”
“Do you want to give it to her?” Salem asked him.
“Ahh, not this time.”
Salem nodded and sat with her on his lap in the rocking chair. She squirmed around.
“Can you pass a blanket? Sometimes she feels more settled with a blanket over her. Plus, she feels the cold.”
Well, England wasn’t the warmest place in the world. But he was right, she did feel more settled with a blanket over her and as Salem pressed the nipple of the bottle to her lips, that feeling deepened.
She sucked on the drink and held Atlas close. Her eyes drifted shut as she started to drift.
52
Alexei was fuming.
So angry that he could barely see straight. He just managed not to slam the front door as he stomped his way into the house.
After the debrief, he’d gone immediately to the boxing ring. He’d had to burn off some of this fury.
He couldn’t believe that bastard had gotten away from him again.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that he’d had three sparring sessions, the anger was still there.
It might have been better if the manager of the gym hadn’t cut him off and sent him home.
Bastard.
He strode toward the gym in the house. He should probably stop and get some food, some water. But he was too wound up.
They should have had Pinky this time.
Was Salem right? Had someone tipped Pinky off? But he couldn’t figure out who would have done that.
Surely no one on their team.
Entering the gym, he headed straight to the boxing bag. He didn’t care about gloves or the fact that he was still in his work-out gear which had grown damp and cold from sweat.
Nope.
He didn’t know how long he pounded on the bag. But his hands were feeling raw and throbbing in pain when he drew back. He was breathing heavily, sweat coating his skin.
“Wow. Do I want to know whose face you’re pounding on?” a soft voice asked from behind him.
No. She couldn’t be here.
He didn’t want her seeing him like this.
Taking several steps away, he turned and then slammed his hand into the wall. Bits of plasterboard as well as flecks of paint rained down on the floor.
“Alexei!” she cried out, running over to him.
He leaned his forehead against the wall. “Leave, Bunny.”
“Did you hurt yourself?” she asked, ignoring him. “Oh no, you’re bleeding.” She reached down to grab hold of him.
He drew his hand away, turning to her. “Stay away from me, Bunny. Go back upstairs. It’s safer there.”
“You won’t hurt me.”
Shit.
Of course he fucking wouldn’t. But that wasn’t the only reason that he wanted her to leave.
“I don’t want you to see me like this.”
“Would you leave me if I was in a bad way?” she demanded. “And before you answer, I know that you wouldn’t. And I want to be here for you, too. Please don’t deny me that.”