Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 29741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
When the twins had moved out, she’d felt so lonely. Without a purpose. She didn’t have a proper job. She just did some website work for Ink and a couple of other businesses that their friends owned. But it wasn’t really something that took a lot of time or that she was truly interested in.
That was the problem.
She didn’t know what she wanted to do.
Not that she was using Zippy to fill a hole or anything. Betsy had thought long and hard before asking Ink how he felt about fostering. There were so many kids that needed good foster homes and she wanted to help.
But sometimes, she wished she had more direction . . . that she felt like she was contributing more to society or at least doing something helpful.
“Brown eyes?” Ink murmured. “Are you all right? We don’t have to go in if you don’t want to.”
Her eyes widened. “What? Yes, of course I do. I just . . . I’m not really dressed for a visit to a Little store.”
“I don’t think it matters what you wear,” he told her gently.
Appearances aren’t everything, Betsy.
“I don’t really need anything, though. We just moved all of my stuff over to the new house. I have plenty of things in my room. Toys, clothes, furniture. What more could I need?”
“There’s still room in the those cupboards and the closet. Plus, Daddy says you need more. And what Daddy says goes.” Ink nodded firmly as though that was that.
Betsy rolled her eyes at him.
“Did you just roll your eyes at me, Little girl?”
Uh-oh.
2
“Um. I’m sure that wasn’t me.”
“No? Then who was it?”
“Naughty Betsy,” she told him.
More of that knot inside her unraveled. Between shifting houses and getting ready to have a foster child, Betsy realized that she’d had barely any Little time.
Perhaps that’s why she felt like such a mess at the moment. On edge. Worried.
“Naughty Betsy, huh?”
“Uh-huh.” She nodded emphatically. “Naughty Betsy. I can’t be held accountable for her actions, Daddy.”
“You can’t? How am I going to discipline naughty Betsy, then?”
“I don’t know, Daddy. But I heard she really, really hates ice cream. So maybe you should buy some ice cream and make me eat it. That would really show naughty Betsy.”
“But if you can’t be held accountable for her actions, then surely you can’t eat the ice cream for her. That wouldn’t be fair to you, would it?”
Shoot. She bit her lip. Trust Ink to find a loophole.
He was just too smart for her bottom’s own good.
“Um. Well. I think I could take her punishment.” She sighed. “I mean, if I really had to.”
“Well, that’s very good of you. So you can do the five minutes corner time she’s owed.”
She gasped. “But, Daddy! What about the ice cream? Weren’t you going to punish her with ice cream? Naughty Betsy hates ice cream and loves corner time.”
“I’ve never heard of a Little who loves corner time. That sounds suspicious. Would you be lying to me, Button?”
“Me, Daddy?” She put her hand on her chest and gave him an earnest look. “I would never lie. I’m Good Girl Betsy. I can see how you’d get us confused seeing as we look very alike. But I am a good girl who does not deserve corner time.”
“You’re adorable, is what you are.” He booped her nose. “But you’re not getting ice cream and you are getting corner time for rolling your eyes at Daddy.”
Darn it.
So not fair.
Her bottom lip dropped. Then it wobbled.
“And put that away, little girl.” He tapped her lip. “Wait there while I come around and get you.”
Sheesh.
She felt like rolling her eyes again at him. She always waited for him to open her door. Whether she was Big or Little.
That was the rule.
But she decided rolling her eyes would likely just get her ten minutes in the corner. And since they were about to go shopping for new toys . . . yeah, she didn’t want to waste any time.
Betsy watched him walk around the front of the truck. Lord, he was gorgeous. Tall and muscular with blond hair and all of those tattoos . . . yep. She was a lucky girl.
Ink opened her door and gave her a funny look. “Everything all right, Brown eyes?”
“Yes, just admiring how sexy you are.”
“Well, admire as much as you like.” He winked at her as he undid her seatbelt.
Heat filled her and she pressed her legs together. Then she realized she couldn’t remember the last time they’d had sex.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered as he lifted her out of the truck.
“Sorry for what?”
“I feel like I haven’t been a very good girlfriend, urgh, fiancée.” She was still getting used to that considering he’d just proposed to her over the weekend. “I mean, we haven’t even had sex in weeks.”
“Hey.” He cupped her face. “Our relationship is not all about sex and you do not have to apologize to me. You have not been a bad fiancée. Things have been busy. Not saying it’s an excuse. But we’re both in this relationship and perhaps we just need some time to get things back on track, okay?”