Chapter 17
The walk did exactly what Colter said it would.
By the time we got back, the cold air had cleared my head and the dogs were blissed out and panting, tails wagging as they flopped onto the rug by the fire.
Finch had claimed the back of the couch, tail flicking lazily while Tofu perched on the armrest.
Colter toed off his boots and reached for my coat, hanging it up beside his. "Come here," he murmured, guiding me toward the kitchen. "Let's get you fed, before my little boy dies of starvation."
I laughed softly but didn't argue. Sitting on a stool while he cooked this time felt different.
The last time I was here I felt a bit on edge, but tonight I felt.
.. calmer. I watched him as he moved around the room with confidence.
His sleeves were rolled up, giving me plenty of sexy skin to ogle, as he hummed under his breath while he worked.
"Looks good," I said quietly, chin propped on my hand.
"It'll taste good too, even if it has veggies in it," he replied without looking up, the warmth in his tone making me smile wider. "Now drink up that glass of water, so I know you're hydrated properly after our walk."
"Yes, Daddy," I said before I could stop myself.
His knife paused when he looked up, a small smile spreading across his face. "Good boy," he praised, causing my cheeks to heat up, so I rushed to follow his order, bringing the glass of iced water to my lips, swallowing it all down.
The rest of dinner went by in a blur. He teased me about my veggies again, but this time I ate them without putting up a fight. It had a little to do with wanting to please him again, but mostly I just didn't have any fight in me.
After dinner, Colter herded me toward the couch with a pointed look. "Now you go sit, pick something to watch. I'll join you as soon as I'm finished cleaning up the kitchen."
"I can—"
He raised a brow, and I stopped mid-sentence.
"Right. Sit down, pick something to watch. Sir, yes, sir."
Instead of domming me, or reprimanding me for my sass, he smiled. "That's my boy."
I quickly settled on the couch, eyeing the mistletoe he'd told me about before grabbing the remote for the TV.
I'd finally settled on a rerun of one of my favourite cartoons by the time Colter sat down next to me.
He tugged me close, until I was tucked under his arm, head against his chest. I kept my eyes glued to the screen in front of me as Colter slowly stroked up and down my arm.
Soon my body grew heavy against him, my brain going all hazy and slow.
"Getting sleepy, baby?" he asked, fingers tracing lazy circles on my arm.
I hummed.
"Then, maybe it's time for us to get you in a bath so we can head to bed." His voice was so calm, so certain, that it didn't even cross my mind to argue with him. I just nodded against his chest, feeling too soft and sleepy to do anything else.
Daddy's hand slid down my arm, giving it a light squeeze before he stood. "Come on, little one. Let's get you cleaned up."
I followed him down the hall, rubbing at my eyes trying to wake myself up enough so I could be more present for what was going to happen next, but it was pointless.
I'd finally settled into little Jericho, and he wasn't ready to let go of his special time with his Daddy.
The bathroom light was soft and warm when he switched it on. Soon steam curled up as he started filling the tub. I stood there, right next to him, as he tested the water before adding a generous squeeze of bubble bath. The scent of vanilla and citrus filled the room.
When the first mountain of bubbles formed, he reached into a small basked under the sink and pulled out a handful of bright plastic shapes. Dinosaurs. Little ones in ridiculous colours.
I blinked at him, fighting a smile. "You have bath toys?"
He shrugged, looking a bit sheepish. "Every boy needs something to play with in the tub, and I was kind of hoping we'd get here at some point so I might have gotten a few things for my boy."
That broke the sleepy fog long enough for me to giggle and rush into his arms for a cuddle.
"Go on, baby," he said, brushing my hair off my forehead. "Get undressed. I'll grab you a towel."
By the time I stepped into the bath, the water was the perfect temperature. The bubbles came up to my chin, and I couldn't resist pushing a few of the dinosaurs through the foam. Within minutes I'd started a very serious battle between the herbivores and carnivores.
Colter came back in and crouched beside the tub, resting his arms on the side. "You having fun, buddy?"
I nodded, my voice coming out smaller than I meant it to. "The herbivores are winning."
He grinned, dipping his hand into the water to steal a bit of foam and drop it on top of my head like a crown. "Of course they are. Everyone knows they're the best."
The warmth, the bubbles, and the sweet Daddy all wrapped around me making me feel more safe than I ever have. When he started washing my body with a soaped up sponge I could barely keep my eyes open.
"Almost done, baby boy," he murmured, his voice a low rumble. "Then we'll get you into jammies and tucked up in bed."
I hummed again, the word 'kay' barely making it past my lips.
Before I knew it he was helping me out and had me wrapped in a fluffy towel. My legs felt too wobbly to stand. Daddy didn't seem to mind, though. He just chuckled softly and scooped me up like I weighed nothing. And I guess to a Daddy as big, and perfect as he was, I did.
I was only half awake as he dried me, dressed me and tucked me into bed with a soft kiss on the top of my head before promising to take the dogs out one last time.
Before I could even think to protest my eyes fell shut and I was completely lost to the world, quickly dreaming of Santa Daddies, dogs chasing cats around a Christmas tree, and a mistletoe bunch so big it almost looked like it could be a tree on its own.