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)
She had put on a bright pink tutu skirt which would have looked cute with a plain white T-shirt and some white sneakers. But for some reason, she’d pulled another skirt on top of it. A short mini-skirt in orange. Then on her top half she wore a purple, silky shirt with a large collar and long sleeves.
Oh and she’d topped that off with a woollen, white vest.
The effect was . . . odd. It was bright and crazy and eclectic.
But if it was what she liked . . .
“You look gorgeous, Bunny,” he told her.
“I know.” She giggled and spun around, sending the tutu flying around her feet. There was a carefree look on her face. Something he didn’t think he’d seen in her before.
He sent a glance at the other two. Thankfully neither of them were looking at her in horror.
What did it matter what she wanted to wear? There were only the three of them to see her and if it made her feel good.
“I feel so good I want to go out! We could go for dinner.”
“Uh, actually I was going to make dinner. But we could set up the dining table with candles and a tablecloth,” Salem suggested hastily.
“Wait! Can we have a picnic outside instead?”
“A picnic outside?” Roman repeated, getting up to pull the drape back. It was already looking darker and colder out there. “I’m not sure it’s picnic weather.”
“Oh.” She visibly deflated and the three of them shared a hasty look. Roman’s face was filled with panic.
“Well, I’m sure we can rug up and go outside,” Salem said.
“Really?” A huge smile crossed her face. And he knew that it could be five below outside and they would still go outside to eat.
Just to keep that smile on her face.
“Oh, goody! My first picnic!”
“Your first picnic?” Alexei asked sharply.
“Huh? What?” she asked. Then she waved a hand in the air. “I meant our first picnic together. With Atlas! I don’t think he’s ever had a picnic before.”
“Who is Atlas?” Roman asked.
“This guy, of course! Isn’t he the cutest?” She hugged her toy puppy tight.
“Sure,” Roman said, scratching his head.
“As soon as I saw him I thought, that puppy looks cute,” he said.
“Come on, Atlas! Let’s get ready for our picnic!”
27
Tamsyn was a bit sad to take off her cute clothes. But Salem had insisted that she had to dress warm. Salem had dressed her in a mix of their clothes. One of Alexei’s coats went over the top and when she’d glanced into the mirror, she’d burst into laughter.
She looked like an abominable snowman.
But now that she was outside, sitting on a blanket on the ground, she was glad that Salem had gone so overboard with her clothes.
It really was freezing out here.
“My weather app says that it’s only six degrees,” Roman said, studying his phone. “I think that Tamsyn needs a blanket around her as well. And is that hat wool?”
“The hat is wool,” Salem said. “But I agree about the blanket.”
“I’m really fine. I’m warm.”
“I’ll go and get the blanket,” Roman said, jumping up.
She sighed and frowned at Salem. “Daddy, I don’t need a blanket.”
It was surprisingly easy to call him Daddy now. It just seemed to slip out.
“We don’t want you to get sick. I’ve forgotten the bread sticks. I’ll be back.” Salem disappeared, leaving her with Alexei.
“Those two have forgotten what the best source of heat is,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“Skin-to-skin.” Reaching out, he lifted her onto his lap. She squealed and very nearly elbowed him in the face, but she clawed back her instincts.
“Alexei!”
“Call me Papa,” he ordered. “You’re at ease calling Salem Daddy. And I’m Papa.”
She glanced up into his face. Roman had turned the outside lights on so she could sort of make out the expression on his face. And he appeared serious.
“All right, Papa.”
“Good.”
“There’s just a problem with your theory about skin-to-skin.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I don’t think you can get to any of my skin. I think it might take a month of unravelling to find my skin.”
He chuckled. “You might be right. But there is some skin free.” Turning her to face him, with her legs bent and straddling his hips, he rubbed his cheek against hers.
“That was nice, Papa,” she told him. “Do the other side, though.”
He rubbed her other cheek with his. Then he rubbed their noses together. Back and forth lightly.
“An Eskimo kiss,” he murmured.
Oh.
Then he fluttered his eyelashes against her cheek. “Butterfly kiss.”
That was so sweet.
He touched his lips ever so lightly against her eyes. She closed them as he got near and he kissed one, then the other.
“Angel kiss.”
Oh, she’d never even heard of that one. But she liked it a lot.
“Again.”
“What do you say? You have to use your manners.”
Opening her eyes, she gave him a disgruntled look. “You don’t use your manners.”