Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 81930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
He hoped.
Chapter 15
Ten minutes later, he decided that it might not be such a good idea after all.
“What is this?” he asked, poking at the plate of food in disgust.
Both he and Isla had put on some pajamas before coming out to the living area of their suite where Eliot had set up the small dining table with their food.
“Those are vegetables,” Eliot explained, sounding amused.
“Vegetables? I didn’t order vegetables. Where are my dino nuggets and fries? Did they send the wrong order?”
“That’s the right order,” Eliot told him. “There are some dino nuggets under that cover.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” Marcus reached for the cover, but Eliot took hold of his hand.
A zing of warmth ran through him. Damn, those were some big hands.
“But you have to eat some veggies first.”
His mouth opened and closed. “I don’t eat veggies.”
“You do when they’re hidden,” Isla said.
He’d known she snuck veggies into his food, but out of sight, out of mind. These were definitely not out of sight.
On the plate were some cooked baby carrots, sautéed mushrooms, sweet potato mash, and steamed pumpkin.
Gag.
All right, so it all looked delicious. But seriously, who ate this crap? He looked over at Isla and Eliot’s plates, noting that they had the same. Along with a steak for Eliot.
“Can’t I have the dino nuggets first, then the veggies?”
“Nope. Veggies first. And I want to see a good amount eaten before you’re allowed the nuggets.” Eliot grimaced after saying that. “I apologize. I know you haven’t agreed to me being your Daddy, but my instincts are riding me hard.”
“Well, actually, we kind of talked about that,” Isla said shyly. She put her fork down, giving Eliot a nervous glance.
“Yeah, but I might have changed my mind now that I know you’re expecting me to eat veggies.” He sent the other man a look. “Or we could say yes, if you let us eat as much junk as we want and no veggies.”
“I don’t really like ultimatums, young man.”
Ooh. That was a strict voice, and he really did mean it. Marcus licked his lips.
Someone who wouldn’t let Marcus push his boundaries. Or at least, he would, but he wasn’t afraid to reinforce those lines. And he stood strong.
Marcus had to admit that he admired that. He liked to get his own way. He was used to it. But he also found it sexy as fuck that Eliot could be firm.
Hopefully, in more ways than one.
Calm. That isn’t what this is about. It’s about helping La-la.
Who had stopped eating.
He frowned. Eliot must have noticed as well because he tapped the side of her plate. “Keep eating, little one.”
“Oh. Right. Yes. It’s delicious. Thank you.” She gave Eliot a polite smile. But she still appeared worried.
About him. Shoot.
“All right, I’ll eat some veggies. And I haven’t really changed my mind.”
The tension left her shoulders, and she forked up some mushrooms. Good. She needed to eat.
“What was your decision?” Eliot asked. As if he couldn’t guess. He cut into his steak.
“We want to try this. With you. But we reserve the right to end things whenever we want. And we need to talk about limits first. And… and…” Drat. He wasn’t good at negotiating. He should get Cullen to do this part. Only, he didn’t want Cullen sticking his big, hairy nose into things.
“Would you like me to speak to your cousin about this?” Eliot asked, as though he could read his mind. “Have him negotiate for you?”
“No!” Marcus and Isla said together.
Eliot raised his eyebrows. “Is there something I should know?”
“Cullen is really protective. He’ll probably do a background check on you. Then threaten to dismember you if you hurt us. I mean, as soon as he finds out about us, he’s going to do that, anyway. But I don’t need him to negotiate for me.”
“And he’s my employer,” Isla added. “So that would be weird.”
“Former employer,” Marcus told her. “You’re fired, remember?”
“He fired you?” Eliot asked, looking affronted.
“No. Marcus did.”
Marcus grinned. “I sure did.”
* * *
Eliot looked from one to the other. He was having some problems following what was going on here. Marcus had fired her?
Also, every time he took his eyes off Isla, she stopped eating. And Marcus was pushing his food around rather than eating it.
Oh, these two were definitely going to keep him on his toes.
“Marcus, you need to eat more veggies if you want your nuggets. And Isla, keep eating or I’m going to have to help you,” he warned.
“By spanking me?”
It was hard to tell if she was worried or intrigued.
“I was going to feed you myself.”
“Oh.” Her eyes went round. “You were?”
“Yes.”
“You could always give her a bottle,” Marcus suggested with a grin. “She’d like that.”
Isla blushed, looking away.
“Marcus,” he warned. “I think maybe we should let Isla say what she likes or doesn’t like.”