Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44411 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44411 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
At one point, he paused for a while to watch how focused she was, the way she held her pencil, the way she bit the corner of her bottom lip in concentration, and her sweet little tongue when it snaked out to wet her lips.
Somehow Elias managed to finish the pasta and get it on the table. He even added a salad. She wasn’t watching closely as he added a pink sippy cup filled with juice and dished up a serving of pasta and salad onto a matching pink plastic plate.
Elias learned something important about his mate while he cut up her spaghetti into bite-sized pieces—when she focused on something, she went into her head as if she were no longer on this planet. His girl had no idea he was sitting next to her or that dinner was ready.
Since it appeared she was almost done with her picture, he let her finish, watching with rapt interest as she turned the paper around to different angles and swapped out pencils without much of a glance as if she’d memorized the order the colors were in along the side of her tray.
Finally she set the last pencil down, sat up taller, and lifted her head. She looked startled as she met his gaze. A moment later, she glanced at the plates of food on the table.
She winced. “I’m sorry. I get lost when I’m doing art.”
He smiled. “Noted. I’ll remember that.”
“Did you try to talk to me?”
“No, Baby girl. I let you finish your picture.” He nodded toward it. “It’s stunning, by the way. I’m going to hang it on the refrigerator.”
She giggled. Damn, he loved that sound. “My parents stopped hanging up my art when I was about five.”
Elias frowned. “Well, Daddy is going to hang your art all over the house, starting with the fridge.” He rose, carefully lifting the picture, and carried it over to the refrigerator where he stuck it to the side with a small magnet. It was a simple coloring page, but it looked like a professional had done it.
She was beaming when he returned to her. “You really like it? Or are you just saying that because you have to?”
“I love it, Leah. I’m impressed. Looks like I should order more than just painting supplies tomorrow. You’ll have to help me pick some things out. I certainly don’t want to be accused of squelching your talent.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead before taking his seat next to her.
When he set her plate on her tray, followed by a chubby rubber-handled spork and her sippy cup, she giggled again. That was about the best reaction he could have hoped for. At least she hadn’t lifted the plate up and thrown it on the floor. That possibility had lingered in the edges of his mind.
“You take this babying thing very seriously,” she said.
He smiled. “I take caring for you very seriously.” While she was still mulling over the dishes she’d been given, Elias slid a large bib over her head and smoothed it down in front of her.
Leah glanced down, stared for a moment, and then rolled her eyes as she lifted her head.
“Be careful, Little one. You’re almost giving Daddy attitude.”
She sighed and picked up her spork. “You are so very over the top. The thing is that I’m really hungry, and this smells so good. Thank you for cooking for me. I’m not sure how I feel about the way you’re feeding me or the fact that you cut up my pasta and put a bib on me, but I’ll mull it over for a bit.”
He chuckled. “And then what, Little firecracker?”
She shrugged nonchalantly. “And then I’ll decide if I want to negotiate for you to give me credit for the fact that I’m twenty, not five.”
He scooted closer to the table and picked up his own fork. “I’ll warn you, Little one, there won’t be much negotiating. I’ll cut you some slack as you adjust to life in your new environment, but in the long run, what Daddy says goes.”
She grumbled as she took a bite, and then switched to moaning.
His dick jumped back to full attention. She had no idea how her noises affected him. Or maybe she did, because as she chewed, she lifted her gaze with a wicked grin and slowly inhaled.
The naughty Little imp could scent his arousal, too. It surely wasn’t as potent as hers, but she had still managed to pick it up.
He narrowed his gaze at her. “And another thing, naughty girl. I’m beyond aware of your age. When I coddle you and Daddy you, it has nothing to do with how old you are. It’s just my way of dominating you. You will eventually submit to me in every way because you won’t be able to help yourself. You’ll do so to please me. You’ll do it because the rewards will outweigh your trepidation.”