Chapter 38
W e’ll have to change that.
She didn’t know what to say. And she couldn’t imagine meeting Daisy or any of the other Littles. What if they didn’t like her?
She took in a deep breath as he parked in front of a cabin. Surprisingly, there were lights on inside. She could make out a small porch in front. Devi had always loved the idea of a porch.
“What about Donovan?” she asked.
“He’s headed up the hill,” Hayes said. “Stay there. I’ll unlock the door and then come back to get you. I don’t want you walking. You might trip and hurt yourself.”
She wouldn’t trip! He seemed to think she was extremely clumsy. But he was gone before she could argue.
He rushed up to unlock the door. Then he came back and opened her door. She already had her seatbelt undone and could see him frowning.
“I can walk.”
“Already told you that you’re not,” he grumbled.
He picked her up with the blanket still around her and carried her into the cabin.
Oh, it was adorable. It was made fully of logs with a small porch out the front. They walked straight into a living room with an attached dining area and kitchen. There was a sofa that faced a log-burning fireplace that was actually lit.
“Someone lit the fire?”
“Probably Zeke or Kent.” He nodded at a door off the living room. “Bathroom is there. This is the bedroom.” He carried her into a bedroom with a large bed. “This is where you’ll sleep.” He set her down on the side of the bed.
Was there another bedroom? Where was he going to sleep?
“Where is your bedroom?” she asked as he slid off her shoes and then reached for her sling, helping her off with it.
Her arm made it difficult to undress and dress.
He took off her top, then stood her up to pull down her pants so she was left in just a singlet and panties. She hadn’t bothered with a bra today.
Devi yawned and realized he hadn’t answered. “Daddy? Where you sleeping?”
“I’m going to sleep on the couch. If you need me, you can call out. Let’s get your teeth brushed and you can go potty before bed.” He picked her up on his hip and carried her into the bathroom.
“No, you can’t sleep on the sofa!” she told him. “Devi will sleep on the sofa.”
“Absolutely not.” He set her on the toilet. “Go potty. Don’t move. I will go get your stuff so you can brush your teeth.”
Jeez.
She used the toilet and cleaned herself up before moving to the sink. Her heart sank as she looked at herself in the mirror. She’d caught glimpses before but Hayes usually moved her quickly away before she could really study her face. She reached for the bandage that was covering the sutures.
“What are you doing?” Hayes snapped.
Jumping, she banged her knee into the cupboard door in front of her. A cry of pain escaped.
“Fuck. Baby, be careful. Are you all right?” He picked her up, setting her on the counter. “Where does it hurt?”
“M-my knee,” she said, sniffling and pointing to her right knee.
“Poor baby. Need to surround you in bubble wrap, don’t I?”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re accident prone.”
“You gave me a fright! I don’t usually trip or hurt myself this much.” It was the effect he had on her.
“Right. Sure you don’t.” He set her toiletry bag on the counter. She’d never owned a toiletry bag before. This one was brand new. It was yellow with white clouds on it and she had no idea who had bought it for her.
Opening it up, he took out the toothbrush and put some toothpaste on it.
Then he held it to her mouth. “Open.”
“I can brush my teeth!” she protested. Although her eyes were drooping closed and she admitted that she was close to falling asleep.
“I have . . . my instincts are riding me hard and I have to do this.”
So she let him brush her teeth. Wasn’t like it was the first time, she guessed. Then he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, sitting her down.
He gave her some painkillers before tucking her into bed.
“Sorry, I’m so much . . . trouble,” she said tiredly.
“Stop that,” he replied. “You’re no trouble.”
Yeah. She was. But she was going to try and find ways to be less of a burden on him.
The blankets were pulled back and she grumbled until she felt a heating pad being placed on her tummy.
“Daddy, you can’t sleep on the sofa,” she mumbled.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Sleep with Devi. It okay. Devi won’t kick you. She don’t snore. Sleep with me.”
Hayes told himself that she didn’t know what she was saying.
But, fuck, it was all too tempting to sleep with her.
Shaking off that feeling, he got to work unpacking the car and putting her few belongings away with the other things he’d ordered for her.
He’d bought them online and had them sent here.
He put some things in the wash and checked the food supplies. Whoever had lit the fire seemed to have stocked up the fridge with essentials. It was the one thing he hadn’t liked about living here on Sanctuary, the way everyone stuck their nose into his private life.
But now he felt grateful.
Walking back into the bedroom, he checked on her. She was dead to the world.
Fuck it.
He wasn’t going to fit on that sofa and the bed was huge. He’d sleep with her. At least for tonight.
As he climbed into bed, she stirred. He froze. Fuck, maybe getting into bed with her was a bad idea.
“Stay,” she told him. “If you want, I can sleep on the sofa. Then you can have the bed. I don’t need the bed. I’m much smaller than you.”
He knew he shouldn’t do it. But damned if he could stop himself. As she continued to ramble on about how she should sleep on the sofa, not him, he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers.
Fuck.
Her lips were so soft and plump. Delicious.
“What . . . what was that?” she asked, opening her eyes.
“Go to sleep,” he growled.
“Okay.” She closed her eyes and drifted back off.
But it was a long time before Hayes could get to sleep thanks to his raging hard-on.