Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 166103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 831(@200wpm)___ 664(@250wpm)___ 554(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 166103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 831(@200wpm)___ 664(@250wpm)___ 554(@300wpm)
“I know, I’m sorry, little darlin’. Are you upset with me?”
Upset with him? She drew back to look up at him in confusion. “Of course not, Daddy. I understand why you had to do it. I was naughty.”
“I just want you to be safe. If you’d panicked and fallen, you could have hurt yourself.”
She nodded, leaning into him. “It’s okay, Daddy. I understand.” She sucked in a deep breath. “I love you, Daddy Hux.”
“Oh, thank God,” he muttered. He drew her head back so he could kiss her lightly. “I love you too, little darlin’.”
She smiled up at him happily.
“You want to go play some more, little darlin’?”
“I’m a bit tired. Maybe after a rest.”
“All right. How about we go have something to eat?” He stood with her in his arms.
“Where’d that paddle come from? It’s nasty,” she said as he dressed her. Ouch. Having panties on only made the heat in her ass worse.
“I borrowed it from the cupboard.” After he finished dressing her, he opened the cupboard doors and put the paddle back. Her mouth dropped open as she took in the number of paddles, straps, and bondage equipment in the cupboard.
Holy. Heck.
“Come on. Let’s find some food.”
She let him lead her back out to the main room. “It’s nice that we’re here all alone, but you shouldn’t spend so much money on me.”
He grabbed the baby bag, then he took her hand again and led her to the cafeteria.
“I like spending money on you.”
“Yes, but, I just . . . I don’t want you to think I need or expect it. I don’t. I didn’t grow up with money. And everything in Jonathan’s house was his. Never mine. He never even paid me for the work I did.”
“Asshole. I hope he rots in prison. He deserves much, much worse for the way he treated you. He should have treasured you.” He led her to a table. It had one chair and a large, oversized highchair. After setting the bag down, he lifted her into the highchair.
“Ouch,” she complained as her bottom hit the chair. “Can I have a cushion?”
“Nope,” he said cheerfully. “Sitting on a hot bottom is part of the punishment.”
So. Mean.
He fastened the straps, then moved the tray into place before pulling containers out.
There was cut-up fruit, sandwiches, crackers, and cheese. Judd had gone all out.
“Did Judd not know there was a café here?” she asked.
“He did. He just likes you to eat what he prepares.” He put on her bib before sitting and picking up a grape. “Open.”
She let him feed her the grape and then half a sandwich.
“Daddy, can I have a drink?”
“I’ll get your water bottle.”
“Coffee?”
“Not yet. Not until you’ve eaten more.” He fed her a piece of melon. “I have plenty, you know.”
“Plenty what?” she asked, trying to redistribute her weight.
Her poor bottom.
“Money. I have plenty.”
“Oh. Okay.”
He handed her a water bottle with a dancing alpaca on it.
“Most people think that my father is wealthy. His family once was, but they lost it all in some bad business deals. My mom had a large inheritance. That’s probably why my dad married her. What he never expected was that she’d leave most of it to me. I didn’t find that out until I turned eighteen. I think that’s part of the reason he hated me so much.”
“Oh, Hux.” She wished she could hug him.
He fed her a piece of cheese, then offered a cracker.
“No thanks, I’m full. I’m so sorry. No father should ever treat their son like he treated you.”
“I know. If I ever have children, they’ll only ever know love. But it does mean that I can provide you with whatever you need and before you tell me again that you don’t need it, I know that. But it makes me feel good to take care of you. So please let me.”
“All right,” she whispered. “I’ve never had that before. Just as long as you know that all I really need is you and the other guys.”
“I know.” Leaning forward, he kissed her. Then he frowned. “There’s something else that I did. Something I shouldn’t have.”
“What is it?”
“I told Ester that I didn’t have any money. That I was estranged from my father, and he’d cut me off.”
Hux braced himself for her horror. For her to look at him like he was a terrible person.
Because he felt like an awful person.
“Why did you do that?”
“Because I was pretty sure that was the only reason she was with us. For my name and my money. It was . . . a test.”
“And she failed.”
“Yeah. She failed. Only . . . I didn’t think it through. I didn’t think about how the others would feel once she was gone.”
“They didn’t know?” she asked.
“No. I’ve never told them.”
“Hux, you did them a favor.”
“Well, yeah, obviously. Because otherwise we wouldn’t have you. And we’d be stuck with a gold-digging bitch. But I still feel bad . . . I should have done it differently.”