Page 87 of Guardian Daddy

She took it and closed her eyes for a moment in appreciation. “That’s even better. Where have these been all my life?”

Ethan let out a quiet laugh. “I guess you just needed me to introduce you.”

“I guess so.” She yawned and tried to hide it behind her hand. “I apologize.”

He didn’t seem offended. “I’m worried about you.”

Surprise filled her at his words. “You are? Why?”

“You’re going to burn yourself out if you keep working this much. Hiding away. You’re already losing sleep and weight.”

There was a look in his eyes that she recognized. “You’re scolding me.”

“I am. But just lightly. Because I care about you.”

Cate mulled that over, thinking back to his words before as he fed her another tater tot with mayo.

“That’s something friends do for each other?”

Ethan nodded, then he turned to her. Picking up another piece of burger, he held it up to her mouth and she ate a bite.

“That’s what friends do,” he said.

Hmm. That might be so, but why did she feel sad about it?

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“Eat your burger.”

Oh. She realized he was still holding the piece of burger to her mouth again. “I’m not hungry anymore. Thank you.” She always tried to finish when she was still a bit hungry, not liking that overfull feeling.

“You ate barely anything,” he replied with a frown. “I want you to eat this piece of burger and two more tater tots.”

“But then I would be full.”

“And full isn’t good? Open.”

The command in his voice was impossible to brush off, so she opened her mouth. “Now chew.”

Cate found herself doing as she was told. Even eating the two tater tots.

“Such a good girl. You did so well.”

Why was she blushing? Her entire body grew warm at his words. She liked them. Did she have a praise kink?

Or maybe it was simply that she’d very rarely been praised since her parents died.

Ethan finished his own food and then started to wipe his fingers with a napkin. She reached into her handbag and drew out a small pack of wet wipes.

“Always amazes me what a woman can fit into her handbag.”

Ethan took the wipes, but instead of cleaning himself up, he touched her chin, turning her face to him before he started gently cleaning her face.

Amazement held her still for a long moment. Cate couldn’t remember the last time someone had taken care of her like this.

Rhodes had helped clean her up a few times as a child. And her parents, of course. But that was it . . . and not in years.

“Good girl. Hands, please.”

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