Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Seth was a good guy. He would look after her . . . but that didn’t mean that a shaft of jealousy didn’t go through Ethan at the thought. Plus, he wasn’t even sure if Seth was a Daddy Dom.
Obviously Rhodes knew this happened, since it didn’t seem like this was a one-off thing. Why hadn’t he said anything to Ethan, though?
Shit. Cate is waiting for you to say something.
“But even though you are a big girl, you aren’t old enough to make your own food.”
She sighed. “Okay.”
“Would you like to come to the kitchen while I make you some food?”
He really didn’t know how far to take this. It didn’t feel right to Daddy her when she wasn’t able to give consent. He wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. And would she remember this tomorrow?
But what else could he do? Let her get food herself while she was like this?
You could call Rhodes.
What could Rhodes do, though? He could come back here. But that would take a while and Ethan would still have to feed her. Take care of her.
So perhaps it was better to not contact Rhodes.
Except he was being selfish, wasn’t he?
Because all he wanted was to take care of her.
“I wants ice cream!” She flung her hands up in the air.
God. She was so different from adult Cate. That Cate was guarded and careful. This Cate was completely open.
And vulnerable.
No. He had to do what was right for her. And that was contacting her brother to let him know what was happening.
“Ice cream! Ice cream!” she chanted.
Yeah, he didn’t think ice cream at two in the morning was a good idea.
“Ice cream in the middle of the night? Not happening, Little Catie-pie.”
She stared at him, her mouth open.
Uh-oh. Had he broken her with his refusal to get her ice cream?
“My name isn’t Catie-pie.”
“It should be. Like cutie-pie but Catie.”
“Oooh, but you don’t want to eat me, right?” She eyed him suspiciously.
Well, he wouldn’t say that, exactly.
But he couldn’t go there right now.
“Not in the way you think,” he said to her.
Fuck. Maybe it would be better if she didn’t remember this tomorrow? He didn’t want to get fired.
“No ice cream? That seems mean.” Her bottom lip dropped out and he nearly moaned at the sight.
This was wrong. It was so wrong to look at her delectable mouth and imagine what he could do with it.
Especially when she had regressed like this. He had to get himself together and take care of her.
First things first. Get dressed. Text her brother. Feed her.
“Does Rhodes let you have ice cream in the middle of the night?” he queried.
Hopefully, it wasn’t a mistake to talk about her brother. He didn’t want her to get upset that Rhodes wasn’t here.
“Rhoddy is a good brother. He lets me do whatever I like.”
Ethan wondered how often this happened. And whether she always woke Rhodes up. Mind you, if she always screamed like that, then there was no way he’d be able to sleep through it.
“Does he? Well, I’m not as easygoing as your brother. I don’t want you to end up with cavities or a sore tummy.”
“I don’t gets sore tummies.”
“Don’t you?” he asked.
She patted her tummy. “Cast-iron. I can eats as much ice cream as I like.”
“What about cavities? If you get a hole in your tooth you’d have to go to the dentist.”
As he spoke, he quickly sent a text off to Rhodes. Not that he’d likely be awake. He sent a message to Seth as well. Although he didn’t tell Seth anything that was going on.
He had to protect Cate’s privacy.
And you want to keep this to yourself.
That too.
“I’m not scared of no dentist. He won’t get me.” Despite the bravado, she hugged Lady tight and stared around. As though she was expecting a dentist to jump out and grab her.
“Well, there’s also the fact that you didn’t eat any dinner. Little girls who don’t eat dinner can’t have dessert.”
Fuck.
He was enjoying this far too much.
And part of him still thought it was wrong. She hadn’t agreed to let him Daddy her.
Suddenly, his phone started ringing.
Rhodes.
Thank fuck.
Standing, he looked down at Cate. “I need you to stay here, Catie-pie, while I go get dressed. Can you promise to stay?”
“I don’t like being on my own.”
“All right. I’ll just be in the hallway, watching you. You can see me. Okay?”
“Okay,” she replied as his phone stopped ringing, before it started again.
“That’s my good girl,” he told her before turning away and heading out of the room.
12
Ethan positioned himself so he could still see into her room as he answered the phone.
“Rhodes?”
“What happened?” Rhodes snapped. “What’s wrong with Cate?”
“I wouldn’t say there is anything wrong with her exactly.”
“Ethan, I didn’t take you for someone who beat around the bush. Fucking tell me,” Rhodes demanded.