Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
She gasped and jerked her gaze up to his. “You know her name?”
“Yep.”
“So you knew my name before yesterday, too?”
“I did. I knew a lot about you.”
“That’s not fair.” She pushed her lip out in a pout. “I didn’t know anything about you.”
He stepped into the shower. The only thing between them was the glass wall, so they could continue looking at each other while they talked. “Sometimes Alpha Protectors prefer not to know much about their mates. We’re often in our teens when we find out our mate was born. Twenty years is a long time to wait. It’s usually easier not to be too informed.”
Hayes grabbed the shampoo, but he kept his gaze on his Little girl while he washed his hair.
She twisted to watch him. “But you knew about me?”
“I didn’t know everything about you, Little one. I knew who you were and what your name was. I sometimes watched you playing on the playground at school from a great distance so you wouldn’t see me.”
“How come I couldn’t see you?” his inquisitive Little girl asked.
He rinsed his hair and grabbed the body soap. “For one thing, your vision will be sharper now that you’ve shifted. But it will never be as sharp as mine. Alpha Protectors have far more visual acuity than even their mates.”
“Oh. Did Amber’s mate watch her?”
“Sometimes. Not as often as me.” Hayes rinsed off, turned off the shower, and stepped out. As he grabbed a towel to dry off, he continued, “Don’t read anything into that fact, Baby girl. Every Alpha copes with the waiting in their own way. I preferred to learn some things about you so I could be better prepared when you arrived.”
“What did you learn about me?”
He hung the towel up on the rack, not the slightest bit concerned about being completely naked in front of her. His nudity kept her slightly off-balance, and he liked that fact. Hell, her naked body affected him just as strongly.
He returned to her side, dropped a folded towel onto the floor, and kneeled next to her so he could wash her. Even though she’d been in the bath for a while, she hadn’t gotten the top of her head wet or reached for the soap. “I learned that a few years ago you decided yellow was your favorite color. I hope I got that right, and you didn’t start wearing yellow bows for some other reason.”
She shook her head. “I love yellow. It’s sunny.”
“It is. Close your eyes so I don’t get soap and water in them.”
She squeezed her eyes closed, letting him pour water over her scalp, and kept her head tipped back so he could wash her hair.
“What else did you get me that’s yellow besides the bucket for the bath toys?”
“You’re about to find out, Little one. Did you notice the doors on the other side of the bedroom?”
“Yeah…”
“One of them is a closet. The other one is a special room just for you.”
She turned her head his direction as he slid his hand between her shoulder blades to help her lean back. “A room for me?” Her voice was filled with excitement, the lilt making him smile.
He lowered her head into the water to rinse off her hair before helping her sit back upright. “Yes. I hate to admit it, but I’m not special. All Alpha Protectors have special rooms for their Little girls. A place you can relax and play. You’ll nap in there sometimes. I’ve filled the closet with pretty clothes.”
“So you weren’t planning to keep me naked forever?” she sassed.
He chuckled. “I hadn’t planned on it, but I will if you’re going to sass your Daddy.”
She pursed her lips and shook her head as if to indicate she would not be talking to him with such a naughty tone in the future.
Hayes covered a washcloth with body soap and went straight for her chest, running the terry cloth over her nipples far longer than necessary, not stopping until she was panting and her eyes were glazed.
“Will you tell me about the other women who are mated to your friends, Daddy?”
“Yes. But first, you need a bottle and a nap. You’ll need a lot of sleep for the next few days. Your transition took a toll on you. You’re going to feel very tired for a while.”
She lifted her hands to rub her eyes as if realizing what he was saying was true. Her entire body slumped a bit at the same time. She really was tired.
After hurrying to finish her bath, he lifted her out, wrapped her in a towel, and scooped her into his arms. She snuggled into his chest and sighed deeply, letting the weight of the world rest on his shoulders instead of her own.
This pleased him. Relying on him was as it should be.