Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
“As you’re thinking about this, Aspen, make sure you consider anything you need from our relationship. There can be rules for daddies as well.”
“Like no spanking?” she blurted.
“I won’t take that off the table unless there’s been some trauma in your life that makes that inappropriate.”
She opened her mouth and then snapped it closed when he skeptically raised one eyebrow. “I’ll have to concentrate on my new job today,” she told him.
“Definitely. Eat some more cereal. You’ll need all the energy possible to wow them at work. I have to report for duty. I should get home tonight before you.”
Jerico leaned close and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Have a good day at work. They’re going to think you’re amazing, just like I do.”
As he stood, Aspen wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. Jerico noted the lines on her forehead. “Is something wrong?”
“Did you tell them to hire me?”
“The base?” From her worried look and tone, Jerico suspected this thought had rumbled around in her head for a while.
“Yes.”
He shook his head and reassured her, “I did not. I checked the paper to see if there were any on-base openings and circled the ad. You got the job totally on your own merits.”
This time, she kissed him. “Thank you. I’m very excited.”
“If I get kisses, I’m excited, too,” he teased.
She pressed another quick kiss on his lips before releasing him. “Go to work, Daddy. I’ll see you tonight and tell you all about my day.”
“Perfect.”
At the door, he remembered. “Hey! Saturday, the team is coming over for a barbecue.”
“Okay, Rexy and I can stay in my room. Or we could go hang out in the park if you’d rather.”
“I would not. The barbecue includes you, little girl. You’re part of my life now. My team accepts that I’m a Daddy Dom. I know that I am not the only one wired this way in my group.”
“Do they know I’m little?”
“They know I have a little girl. When they meet you, they will know you’re mine. I guarantee they won’t judge you. If anything, they’ll be jealous.”
“Of me?”
“Of our relationship. Don’t stress. It will all be okay. What do you love to eat at a barbecue?”
“Wings?” she suggested as a question.
“Definitely. I’ll make wings. Spicy?”
Her crinkled nose told him what she thought of that. “Maybe teriyaki or honey mustard?” he suggested instead.
“Mmm! I’d like to try honey mustard.”
“Have a good day, little girl.” Jerico paused at the door and plucked something from the key rack. “I forgot. Grab this pink key as you leave. I’ll leave it here for you.”
He was gone before she could thank him.
Jerico let Rexy outside to do his business before hitting the shower when he got home. Caden had worked them hard today, but he’d loved it. Everyone on the team knew that the better prepared they were, the better the next mission would be. It always took a while when a new member joined a team for everyone to get a handle on where that person would fit best.
Pulling on shorts, Jerico slung a T-shirt over his shoulder for later. He was still too hot to wear it now. In the kitchen, he checked the refrigerator. Salad? Fish?
The picture of the contents in her box of food popped into his mind. In a few minutes, he had macaroni boiling on the stove. She deserved to enjoy her favorite dish, made from scratch rather than a microwavable version. Jerico was mixing everything together when the front door opened.
“It smells so good in here!” she said, before hanging the key back on the rack. Leaning over, she pet the large dog who’d raced to press against her legs.
He smiled. “That’s yours, you know.”
“Rexy? I think he’s always been my dog.”
“I agree. I was talking about the key. It’s yours.”
He saw her eyes become shiny before she turned away. Immediately, he put the large spoon down and joined her. “Are you okay, little one?”
Still facing away from him, she nodded. He watched her wipe her cheeks before putting her hands on her hips. “I’m good.”
That quavering voice confirmed his belief that she was not. Rexy whimpered, trying to console her.
“Come here, Aspen,” he instructed, turning her around and pulling her into his arms. “What’s going on in your brain?”
“All day long, I kept thinking of what I wanted to remember to tell you. Funny things, weird things, and some just first day of work things. I kept telling myself not to read too much into last night. That this really wasn’t my home, and you weren’t really my da…”
Her voice disintegrated into sobs. Rexy jumped up to lean his weight against them. The huge dog wiggled his snout between them to slobber kisses on Aspen.
“Rexy, down. Good boy. I’ll take care of this. You go find your ball so you and Aspen can play.”