“Well, what about sitting on our laps?” Aleki asked. “I don’t think she needs to sit on a chair or the floor when we all have perfectly good laps.”
She rolled her eyes then let out a yelp as Aleki picked her up, setting her on his thighs. “Did you just roll your eyes, baby girl?” he said with a growl. “That’s naughty behavior. I ought to punish you for that. Ten swats, I think.”
“No!” she cried out with a laugh as he carefully placed her face down over his lap. “Aleki! Stop!”
“Be careful!” Wolfe barked. “Remember her arm.”
“It’s not her arm that’s going to get hurt,” Aleki replied. “Rolling your eyes is a serious offense and worthy of great punishment.”
“Caleb!” she cried out.
“Caleb? Is that what you should call me if you want my help?” Caleb asked.
Ooh. That rat.
“Daddy, please!”
His smile made her heart race. She did love pleasing him. But calling him Daddy wasn’t just about making him happy. It felt right. Today in the playroom, he’d spent over an hour with her, they’d moved from coloring to crafting.
Aleki had brought in this plate with cut up finger food and ranch dressing. Which Wolfe had actually approved of. Then they’d all sat there together and eaten with her.
It was the happiest she could remember being in a long time. And she hadn’t worried once.
She wanted more of that.
So yeah, it wasn’t just about pleasing them. It was about her too. It was kind of weird to be thinking about her needs when she’d spent so long caring about everyone else.
“Save me!”
“Nobody can save you from me!” Aleki said and then let out a huge fake, evil laugh. Then he peppered her bottom with quick slaps which barely stung.
“Noooo! Daddyyyy! Wolfieeee! Save me!” She started giggling.
“Don’t be calling for them! They won’t save you! You’re mine now, princess.” Aleki turned her over then stood with her in his arms. “To the living room!”
The living room? He carried her over and held her above the couch.
“Aleki!” Caleb barked.
“Don’t you drop her!” Wolfe snapped.
Aleki grinned and winked down at her. “Bunch of old worrywarts.” But he carefully set her down, then brushed his hand over her arm. “Is it hurting?”
“No. As long as I don’t move it suddenly or try to raise it up too high, it’s fine.”
“See. She’s tougher than you think, aren’t you?”
“Yep. Just look at these guns.”
She held up her good arm, flexing the bicep muscle.
Caleb grinned and came to sit next to her on the sofa.
“Hmm, not sure I’d call those guns. They’re more like . . .”
“Water pistols,” Aleki teased.
She glared at him, sniffing in mock-outrage. “I’m not talking to you. You smacked my bottom.”
“And a cute bottom it is.” He sat on the other side to her and leaned in, his breath tickling her ear. Her heart raced. “And wasn’t it good to get your first spanking over and done with?”
Wait. Was that what the teasing had been about? Had he noticed how nervous she was during their talk about what her limits were and what the consequences were for breaking the rules? Things like standing in the corner or writing lines were bad enough. But the idea of being over one of their laps had made her shift around on her seat in worry.
And he’d seen it. And taken care of it. And she hadn’t been embarrassed at all.
Mind you, a punishment spanking wasn’t going to be like that.
“Don’t think I won’t get revenge for that,” she warned him.
“Bring it.” His eyes danced.
Oh. It was so on.
“All right, everyone,” Caleb said in a voice that called for their instant attention. “We’re having family night.”
“What’s family night?” she asked Aleki as Caleb stood and moved in front of them. Wolfe sat on the coffee table. He grabbed her foot, inspecting it. Obian had been just before dinner and told her that it was fine to walk on her foot for short periods but if it started to swell again or hurt badly that she was to get off it.
It had just given Wolfe an excuse to follow her around, watching her obsessively.
“I don’t know,” Aleki replied. “Wolfe, man, she hasn’t been walking on it.”
“Just checking.” Wolfe sat on the armchair and looked up at Caleb. “Family night?”
“Yep. Family nights are for all of us together.”
Oh. She’d never done that with her own family. It sounded sweet.
“What will we do?” she asked.
Caleb turned to her. “Anything you want to do, jelly bean. But tonight, I thought we’d watch a movie. Your pick.”
She smiled evilly. “My pick, huh?”
Wolfe groaned. “Please don’t tell me we have to watch a romantic comedy.”
Aleki grinned. “Not our girl. If something isn’t getting blown up, she’s not happy.”
He had that right.
“I’ll set the air-conditioning on low and get a blanket for us,” Caleb stated, moving to the thermostat.
Aleki jumped up. “I’ll get some popcorn.”
“And a protein drink,” Wolfe yelled after him.
She pouted. “I don’t need a protein drink.”
“You’re having one,” Wolfe told her.
“I’m full from dinner.”
“You barely ate dinner.”
She sighed and shook her head at him. “You’re terrible to argue with.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t argue with me.”
She snorted. “Nice try. I don’t argue with you and you’ll become a complete dictator.”
“Princess, I already am.” With someone else, that statement might have been said teasingly. But he was deadly serious.
The ass.
She let out a sigh but took the protein drink when Aleki handed it to her with a wink. It had a straw and a little umbrella.
“Ooh, cute, an umbrella.”
“You can pretend it’s a cocktail,” he told her, settling in next to her with popcorn on his lap. Caleb returned with the blanket, settling in next to her and placing it over the three of them. Wolfe grabbed the remote and sat on the armchair. She kind of wished he would join them on the sofa, but she knew he liked his space.
“Can I have some popcorn?”
“After your drink,” Wolfe said.
She pouted. “Stop being so mean.”
He turned and pointed at her. “Drink. Or I’ll put it in the baby bottle and feed it to you.”
She blushed bright red and squirmed as the memory of the last time she was fed came back to her. Why did she want that? She felt equally embarrassed and intrigued.
“Hmm, I think she might enjoy that,” Aleki murmured. She turned to look at him. His face had warmed. Softened.
“Is that so?” Wolfe asked, eyeing her.
She decided it might be in her best interests to just drink the darn drink.
Damn them all.
At the end of the movie, the bad guys had been obliterated and she’d had enough high-speed car chases to feed her addiction for a while.