Chapter 33
33
T he car rammed into the back of them and she screamed as their SUV spun.
They were going to be run off the road! They were about to get killed!
“Ethan!” she screamed.
“I’m here, baby. I’m here.”
“Ethan!”
The car struck again. The SUV flipped. Over and over it tumbled.
“Baby, wake up! Wake up!”
She stirred, finding herself lying upside down. Turning her head, she looked for Ethan.
“Ethan!”
He lay there, eyes open, staring at her.
Dead.
He was dead.
The sobs ripped her apart . . .
Alarm filled Ethan as he heard her scream. He sat up, looking around. Shit. They’d fallen asleep in the living room.
Cate thrashed around and he grabbed hold of her as terror raced through him. She sounded so scared as she screamed.
“Ethan!”
“Baby, you’re all right. I’m here. Everything is fine. I’m right here. Open your eyes. Cate, wake up!” he commanded.
She woke up with a gasp and looked around. Ethan waited to see if she knew where she was.
She was breathing heavily, shivers rocking her body.
He should have known that she’d have a nightmare tonight. After everything that happened, it had been kind of inevitable.
Was she going to slip into Little headspace now? Would she get upset at him being here?
A whimper escaped her, but it was slightly muffled, and he drew back to see that she had her thumb in her mouth.
He guessed that answered that question.
“Hey, Catie-pie, are you all right?” He winced after asking that.
Of course she’s not, you idiot!
She let out a small whimper that broke his heart.
“Oh, baby, come here. Come cuddle into Daddy.”
Don’t push too hard.
“Do you want to tell Daddy what you were dreaming about?”
She shuddered, and he tentatively wrapped his arms around her. When she just sighed and leaned into him, he tightened his hold.
“All right, we don’t have to talk about it. We don’t have to talk about anything. We can just be.”
She was different from the other night when she’d woken up almost cheerful. She’d been sassy and effervescent.
This Cate was a shell of that Cate and he didn’t like it.
“Do you want Daddy to take you to bed?” he asked.
Another shudder and a small whimper.
Fuck. He was making a mess of this. He’d take the reins tonight and if she grew upset with him, then he’d back off.
Maybe.
He hoped he could.
“Daddy is going to take you to bed. You and Lady need some proper sleep.”
She clasped her arms around neck tightly, as though she thought he was going to let her go.
Not happening, baby.
Not ever happening.
Standing, he held her cradled in his arms as he walked to the bedroom.
Shoot. She probably wanted to pee first. And brush her teeth. How much help did she need?
Yeah, there were a few questions he really should have asked her already.
But then things had been moving relatively fast and he hadn’t wanted to overwhelm her. The most important thing had been to get her to believe that he wanted her, that a relationship between them could work.
“Do you need to pee?” he asked.
She nodded.
He carried her into the bathroom, placing her down on the toilet seat.
“Can you take off your pants and panties yourself?” he asked.
She looked to him, then down to her pants as if she hadn’t realized she was wearing them. She still had Lady held tight in her arms.
Then she nodded. He let out a breath of relief. Not that he didn’t want to help her. Hell, he’d do everything for her if she let him.
Something else to discuss.
“Let me take Lady while you pee.”
She frowned.
“I’ll just put her right over here.” He pointed at the bathroom counter.
While she was peeing, he got her toothbrush ready. He found a spare one and hoped she wouldn’t mind him using it since he didn’t want to leave her long enough to go and get his own.
When the toilet flushed, he turned back to find her swaying on her feet.
Shit.
Leaping forward, he caught her up in his arms.
“Okay, Catie-Pie. No more walking for you.” She’d only gotten a few hours’ sleep and it wasn’t enough to replenish what she’d lost since Samantha had moved in.
He set her down on the counter, watching her closely to ensure that she had her balance. Then he raised her toothbrush up.
“Open your mouth.”
She wrinkled her nose and shook her head.
“Do you want to brush your teeth yourself?”
He made sure not to let his disappointment show on his face.
She shook her head again.
What could be wrong?
Hmm. “Open your mouth for the choo-choo train. Choo! Choo! Chugga-chugga!” He moved the toothbrush back, then bounced it toward her mouth.
For a moment, she just stared at him.
Wow. You made a dick of yourself, didn’t you?
But then she smiled, and he breathed out a sigh of relief. He wasn’t used to feeling all of this uncertainty. Maybe the reason he’d started to grow bored at the club was because he’d become complacent. There had been no real connection with anyone there. He’d been coasting along and not challenging himself.
Well, if he’d wanted a challenge, he sure had one.
And he couldn’t be fucking happier.
After he finished brushing her teeth, he handed her Lady, and brushed his own as she watched. She looked so sleepy, sitting there.
He wanted to bundle her up in his arms and keep her close all night.
“Come on, my baby, let’s get you into bed.”
Her thumb was back in her mouth as he picked her up. Her head settled against his chest and he couldn’t deny how good it felt to look after her like this. When he reached her bed, he set her down on the end of it.
“You okay sleeping in what you have on? Do you want to take the sweater off?” He reached for it, but she shied back, staring up at him with a small frown on her face.
“All right. I guess it will keep you nice and warm. Do you have a pacifier you sleep with?”
Her eyes widened, and she glanced to her closet, then shook her head.
“I think that means you have one, but you don’t sleep with it?” he guessed as he drew back her covers and settled her on her sheets. Then he drew the blankets over her. “There’s no shame in using a pacifier.”
She blinked up at him warily.
“Promise. I’ll get it for you, okay?”
She nodded slowly.
“That’s my good girl. You always have to let Daddy know if you need something. Otherwise how can I be the best Daddy in the world?”
He wasn’t sure if that was a smile or a grimace. But he’d take it.
Walking into the closet, he looked around. Where might a pacifier be?
He opened one drawer and spotted some really cute panties. Some had images of ladybugs on them. Others had polka dots or flowers. And there was a pair of thick panties, the kind that might be used as training pants. They had ruffles on the back.
The next drawer down held a set of ladybug pajamas. Those same ones she’d worn the other night. On top of them sat a pacifier.
Grabbing it, he walked back in to find her nearly asleep. After tucking her in tight, he slid her thumb from her mouth and replaced it with the pacifier. Then he turned off everything except her nightlight.
Should he leave?
The last thing she needed was to wake up and see him looming over her.
Only, she let out a small, distressed whimper as he stepped away.
Shit.
He hesitated for a moment until he saw the big armchair sitting in the corner of the room. Picking it up, he carried it over to the bed.
There was no way he was leaving her tonight.