Chapter 58
58
“Right, let’s get you into the bath,” Reuben said after he’d fed her.
“Okay, Daddy.” She patted his cheek. “You’re so good to me.”
“I’m glad you think so.” He laid her down on the bed. “Stay right there while I fill the bath.”
“Sure thing.”
Yeah, she wasn’t doing that. She really wanted to play with her clay. Now that she had some food in her belly, she was feeling a lot better.
Well, a bit better.
Sitting up, she got off the bed and grabbed Colin. She walked over to where her clay was and pulled it out of the drawer. Then she sat at her desk to play.
“And just what do you think you are doing, Little Blossom?” Reuben asked a few minutes later.
She startled and looked over at him. “Daddy! You scared me.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, baby. Were you not expecting me to come back in so quickly? Is that why you decided to get out of bed and start playing when I specifically told you to stay.”
She bit her lip. “Um. Yes?”
“I think that someone needs some time in the corner.”
Faith gasped. “Oh, Daddy. I think you’re being a bit hard on yourself.”
“I’m not the one going into the corner, brat.” Walking over, he held out his hand.
She took it and he helped her up. “Daddy, I think you’re being rather mean to me.”
“Do you? Were you naughty and disobeyed me?”
“Well, I wouldn’t put it quite like that. I just . . . I got bored. I felt abandoned. You took sooo long.”
“It was a whole four minutes,” he said dryly.
Picking up the chair that she’d been sitting on, he carried it to the corner and pointed at it.
She stomped over with a pout.
“Watch the attitude, Little Blossom. Or you’ll be getting your bottom warmed.”
Uh-oh.
She gave him a bright smile. “Sorry, Daddy.”
“Sit. And I want you to think about how you should’ve obeyed Daddy.”
Sitting, she sighed. This was so boring.
Reuben stood and watched her. Damn, she was cute.
Although being hungover seemed to make her a bit brattier. Not that he cared. Just gave him an excuse to put her in the corner. Or over his knee.
Moving into the bathroom, he turned the taps off and checked the water temperature. Perfect. He’d added bubblebath and some purple bath color. The bubblebath even had butterflies in it that would dissolve.
“Come here, baby,” he called out as he walked back into the playroom.
She stood, and he opened his arms. She flung herself at him. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to be naughty.”
Ahh. There was his sweet Little Blossom.
“It’s okay, Little Blossom. I know you’re a bit out of sorts at the moment. Let’s get you into the bath. I have a surprise for you.”
He stripped her naked, then he led her into the bathroom.
“Daddy, the bath is purple! And the bubbles have butterflies.” She clapped her hands in excitement. “This is so pretty!”
“Glad you like it, Little Blossom.” He lifted her into the bath. She splashed around in excitement.
“Look what else I have for you.” Reaching into the cupboard under the sink, he drew out a basket of bath toys. There was a duck, a boat, a dolphin, and a seal.
She started playing with the toys as he grabbed a cloth and washed her carefully.
He loved touching her like this. Taking care of her. Seeing to everything she needed.
It filled something inside him to know that she relied on him for everything. To be clean, to be fed, and dressed.
To be happy.
“Daddy, you look very serious.”
“Just thinking how lucky I am.”
“Oh yeah?” she said.
“Yep.” He looked up at her. Right as she squirted some purple bath water into his face using the seal.
He gaped as she started to laugh.
Oh, someone was so naughty.
Grinning, he started tickling her until she screamed for mercy.
“Stop, Daddy! Stop!”
“What do you say?” he asked, stilling.
“I say I’m gonna pee if you keep going!”
“Not the right words.” He started tickling her again. She ended up splashing him way more with her kicking that she had with the toy.
He stopped again. “What do you say?”
“Sorry, Daddy.”
“Sorry, wonderful, handsome, gorgeous Daddy,” he said.
Sorry, wonderful, handsome, gorgeous Daddy,” she repeated.
Leaning in, he kissed her. “That’s better.”
“Um, Daddy?” Faith fidgeted as she sat next to Reuben on the sofa in the small living room.
“Yes, baby?” He was frowning down at his laptop screen.
“Are you gonna spank me?”
He set his laptop to one side and turned to her. “Spank you? For not telling me that you were living in the basement? Or for not eating all of the food I left? Or drinking all your water? Or for getting off the bed when I told you to stay put?”
“Daddy, no! Not for those things.” She twisted her fingers together. “For being so hungover that I couldn’t go to work today.”
“Hmm. Do you think you deserve a spanking for being too hungover to go into work today?”
Darn it.
She hated when he turned her own words around on her.
“I, um . . . yes.”
“Why?”
“Because it was irresponsible! I already had yesterday off. I didn’t deserve today off as well.”
To her surprise, his face softened, and he held out his hand to her. “Baby, come here.”
Taking his hand, she let him guide her over his lap so she was straddling him.
He lightly massaged her shoulders, his thumbs resting on her collarbones. “You went through something scary with that asshole. And then your best friend, who should have had your back, proved that she doesn’t deserve you. I understand that she’s gone through something terrible and I’m trying to make allowances. But I am never going to be okay with someone hurting you.”
No, she knew he wouldn’t be.
And she loved that, having someone so fully on her side. Her family always supported her. But they likely wouldn’t kill for her.
Reuben would.
That was scary and amazing all at the same time.
“I think she’s lost and scared.”
“And I think you are too kind and caring for your own good. But don’t worry. I won’t let anyone take advantage of you.”
She smirked. “Even you, Daddy?”
“Oh no. I intend to take full advantage of you.” He gave her a heated look.
Giggling, she hugged him, then sat back. “Thank you, Daddy. I still feel bad, though. Like I’ve let you down. It’s making my tummy sore. Although that could be the tequila still.”
“I tell you what, if your tummy is still feeling that way tomorrow, we’ll take care of it. At work.”
Her eyes widened. “You can’t punish me at work.”
“Of course I can,” he replied with a wicked look. “You didn’t turn up to work. Therefore, you deserve to be punished at work.”
She gulped heavily. That wasn’t something she wanted.
Right?
Oh, like you haven’t fantasized about him putting you over your desk, raising the bottom of your dress, and fucking you.
This isn’t much different.
“And I will expect you to tell me the truth if your stomach is still feeling yuck.” He gave her a stern look.
“Yes, Daddy. I, um . . . I have something else to talk to you about.”
“I’m all ears.”
“You remember Charlie?” she asked.
He frowned slightly. “The Little boy from A Little Bit of Fun?”
“Yes.” She should have known that Reuben would remember. He had a mind like a steel trap. “I gave him my number and he texted me yesterday afternoon while I was with Cat.”
“I don’t like the idea of you giving your phone number to men I don’t know.”
Faith chewed her lip. “It’s just . . . he was so sad and lonely, Daddy, and he needs a friend. A Little friend. I’m allowed a Little friend, right?”
He was scowling. “I want to say no, but I know that’s the wrong answer.”
“Good boy, Daddy. You can learn.” She patted his chest.
“I am the Daddy here.”
“Of course you are.” But there was nothing like a bit of positive reinforcement to let a Daddy know when he was making a good decision, right?
“I’m going to need to look into him.”
“Cat already did.”
“Cat did? Sorry, but I can’t really trust any research that Cat did,” he told her.
“Well, she got Nighthawk to do it for her.”
“Nighthawk?”
“Yeah. Good news! Charlie is all clean.”
Okay. He still didn’t seem very happy about that.
“Daddy? Are you going to say anything?” she asked.
“First of all. From now on, if you give your number out to strangers, I want to know.”
That seemed like overkill. Everyone asked for your number nowadays.
“Second, if you want someone looked into, I will arrange it.”
“You don’t trust Nighthawk?”
“Alejandro trusts him, and he knows what he’s doing,” he said reluctantly. “But I prefer to be in control. I’ll talk to him about Charlie. However, I don’t want you meeting him alone. Not the first time, at least.”
“Daddy, not everyone is out to hurt me.”
“After what happened with Eric, I’m not taking chances.” There was a firm look on his face.
Well, she couldn’t argue that. She’d never thought Eric would hit Cammie. Or come after her like he had.
Anxiety threatened to take hold and she pushed it aside. She didn’t want to think about Eric and what had happened.
“Okay. But you won’t intimidate him, will you? I don’t want to scare him off.”
“If I’m happy with the background check and what I learn, I won’t chase him off. As long as this is just about friendship?”
“Daddy, I can be friends with a man without being interested in him. Because the only man I am interested in is you.”
“And that’s how it better stay.”