Page 6 of Lion's Little Scamp

“That’s okay. Eat as much as you can. If you finish it all, we’ll see about getting dessert to take home with us. Do you like cookies, cake or pie best?”

Irish shrugged instead of answering that she had no preference because she rarely had the opportunity to eat dessert. Instead, she focused on the food in front of her. This plate held several slices of ham, a big pile of mashed potatoes with brown gravy covering them, and a pile of green beans. Unsure where to start, she decided to eat the meat first.

The first bite had her moaning in appreciation for the salty meat that tasted almost as good as it had smelled earlier. She wasn’t sure what the cook had done to it, but it was moist and tender and oh so delicious.

When a deep moan sounded across the table, Irish looked at the man and saw he was enjoying his food as well.

“So good,” he grinned and winked at her.

“Yes, it is,” was the only response she could come up with.

“Well, eat up. Afterwards, we’ll go home, get you cleaned up and settled for the night, and talk about your rules and what will be expected of you over the next thirty days.”

“Yes, sir,” Irish responded without hesitation.

Rules. She liked rules. She liked knowing boundaries and expectations up front. The few foster families she had lived with had rules, but they were not written down anywhere, and it was assumed that she would know them. The problem was the rules from one family might not be the same as the rules for the next one. But she never knew that until she started breaking them.

Knowing what was to come, Irish focused on her dinner and tried not to spend too much time staring at Harrigan Jones, her hot and sexy guardian. How would she get through the next thirty days without falling for this big, beautiful, golden man who was so nice to her?

Watching Irish accept the plate of food he offered filled Harrigan with a primitive sense of satisfaction. As her mate, it was now his responsibility to provide for her, care for her, protect her. Giving her food was the most basic way of showing a mate’s care.

She started taking small bites, hesitating between them, as if she expected someone to snatch the food away. Once she realized no one would take the plate away, she relaxed and ate quickly.

Once she finished everything on her plate, she eyed the plate of cold food she had chosen.

“Are you still hungry, little one?”

She shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“Drink your milk. Then, if you’re still hungry, we’ll get you some dessert. If not, we’ll take something home with us for later.”

Without a nod, Irish chugged down the rest of her milk. She covered her mouth when a burp escaped as she set her glass down.

“Excuse me,” she whispered through her fingers.

Harrigan chuckled. “You’re excused, scamp. Now, are you full? Or do you want something more to eat?”

“I’m full. I think. Thank you.” Irish dropped her hands to her lap and leaned back.

Harrigan finished the last few bites of his own meal and decided he was finished as well. Piling their trays together, he showed Irish where the dirty dishes went so the staff could wash them. He then led her out of the building. A worn backpack and a bag of institute-issued clothing waited in a pile on the porch.

“Is this everything?”

“Yes. I’ve been traveling pretty light lately,” Irish admitted.

When she moved to pick her things up, Harrigan stepped in front of her and did it himself. “Daddy will carry them, little scamp.”

He froze, watching the young woman warily as he waited for her reaction. He had not intentionally meant to use that name before they had a chance to talk over the rules and realities of Bratburg and its residents.

Until he had a chance to tell her she was his mate. And that he wanted to be Daddy to her Little girl.

Irish surprised him by staring up at him with wide eyes. “You know, don’t you?”

“Know what?”

“You know that I’m a Little,” she whispered, dropping her gaze to the porch floor as she wrapped her arms around her middle in a protective gesture.

Harrigan could see she was uncomfortable with the way this conversation had turned, so decided to shelve it until they were home, alone.

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