Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
He made his way swiftly downstairs. Not because Kent was waiting for him but because he didn’t want to leave her too long. Giving Charlotte too much time to think could backfire on him.
“Hey, thought you’d forgotten about me,” Kent said dryly as he walked into the study.
Clint rolled his eyes. “Can you do me a favor?”
Kent crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back. “Depends on what it is. If you’re planning on going away for a week and leaving me in charge of both brats again…”
“Both? What did Eden do?”
Kent sighed. “Friday night she called me, asking me to pick her up in town, but Charlie had just had a nightmare and I’d only just gotten her back to sleep, so I wasn’t going to wake her up and drag her into town to get our sister.”
“You sent someone else?”
“I did. I sent Zeke.”
Clint groaned and wiped his hand over his face. “Why did you send Zeke?”
“Because I trust him. And he won’t let Eden get away with any bullshit.”
Clint eyed him. “She hates him.”
“I don’t know if it’s hate so much as something else.”
Clint held up his hand. “I don’t want to hear it. I have enough to deal with right now. Just do me a favor and take Eden out for dinner, will you? I want some time alone with Charlotte.”
“Don’t want anyone to hear her scream, huh?” Kent asked.
Clint shot him a quelling look. “Why didn’t you tell me she was having trouble sleeping?”
Kent raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t much you could do about it. We were managing.”
“She looks exhausted.”
“She missed you. We should have anticipated that there would be problems. I should have been keeping a closer eye on her to start. She’ll feel better now that you’re here.”
“How am I supposed to leave her again?” Clint ran his hand through his hair.
Kent frowned. “Because you know I’ll be on top of shit.”
“Yeah, but she’s not your responsibility.”
“I love her like a sister. The longer the two of you are together, the more secure she’ll feel. Don’t go too hard on her, huh?”
7
Charlie felt horrible. She hated that she’d let Clint down. She’d lied. She’d put herself at risk. And he was right. He always told her the truth. He always gave her every respect and she should do the same.
The bedroom door opened and she stiffened.
“Now that’s a sight to warm a man’s heart.” His voice had lost the note of tension from earlier. “Bet that’s a warm bottom too.”
“Can I move?” she asked.
“Yes, baby. Let me help you.” He helped her climb off the bed and caught her as she threw herself at him.
She clung tight to him. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t lie for any reason. Well, unless I’m trying to throw you a surprise party or something. Then I might have to lie. But otherwise I promise I won’t.”
“I believe you, baby girl,” he told her, rubbing his hand up and down her back soothingly. “I know you won’t. And how about I make things easy for you? Don’t ever throw me a surprise party.”
She let out a laugh. “You don’t like surprise parties?”
“Only surprise I’ve ever liked was when you walked into my life.”
“You didn’t like it to begin with! You thought I was going to be a man.”
“Well, that worked in my favor, didn’t it?”
He picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. She winced as he sat her down on the counter. While the cool counter was nice on her flaming skin, it still wasn’t that comfortable to sit. Especially with a plug up her ass.
He turned the taps on and added some bubble bath. Clint never worried that using bubble bath might not be considered manly. But then why would he? Clint was the most confident, sexy man she’d ever met. He stripped, throwing his clothes straight into the laundry hamper. His movements were economic. He wasn’t making a show of getting naked, but she found herself studying him hungrily anyway.
He was all muscle. Wide shoulders, thick biceps and those abs… yum. And he was hers. She needed to keep reminding herself of that. He was hers.
He turned back to her and cupped her face between his hands. “You’re doing too much thinking.”
She gave him a bit of a sad smile. “I always think too much.”
“Except when you’re in Little space. Want me to get your bath toys out?”
She nodded eagerly. “Yes, please, Daddy.”
He crouched and pulled the container of bath toys out of the cabinet, tipping the whole lot into the bath. She clapped in excitement. Then he tested the water temperature before turning off the taps.
He turned around and reached out to pick her up.
“Daddy, wait!” She held her hands out to stop him.
“What is it?”
“The plug.” She blushed as she clenched down around the foreign object lodged in her ass.