Page 66 of Daddy's Little Mama Bear

“I’m not smiling.”

“Bull.”

His eyebrow raised. “You’re trying to actively get rid of me like you always are. It ain’t going to work on me. I’m here to feed you, take care of both of you, and make chicken noodle soup for a snack and dinner. Need to make sure that both of you get fluids and food into your body.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“It’s okay to lean on people. You don’t have to be strong all the time. Let me step in for a couple of hours and help you out. Ease your worries so you can get things done and sleep a little. I bet little princess kept you up last night or did it start this morning?”

Janie sighed and sat down in one of the chairs. Eleanor was still in her arms, not going anywhere.

“She woke up a couple of times, but it wasn’t anything bad. I kept her in my bed after the second time. She’s been fussy and screaming all morning.” It was exhausting. This hadn’t happened in a while since Eleanor last had teethed, which had been a while. She didn’t want to go back to that time, but kids got sick and she was dealing with it.

“So, let me help you two,” Mac said. “I’ll watch over Ellie while you get an hour of work done and then you’re going to takea nap. Get some rest and not have to worry about anything for a little bit.”

It did sound nice to have help. She didn’t really want to work and leave Eleanor all alone with him, but an hour was doable. The nap part, she wasn’t going to agree with that. No matter how much he pushed her to take one.

“You can help, but I’m not taking a nap. Maybe I’ll trade it for working another hour.”

Mac shook his head. “That’s not how it works. I’m giving you an hour to work while I watch over Ellie and after that hour, you’re going to take that nap. Non-negotiable.”

She glared at him and stuck her tongue out. Janie didn’t want to take a nap. She didn’t need to. There was no point in taking one when she could work.

Sure, she was exhausted and hadn’t been sleeping well for a while. But that still didn’t mean she needed to take a nap. Just meant she needed to go to bed earlier than she wanted to.

“Eat,” Mac said. “You need to have food in your body. I’ll also be giving you water while you work. I want the whole bottle gone by the time the hour is up.”

Her face screwed up in disgust. She didn’t want to drink water.

“Soda,” she said.

“Nope,” Mac shook his head. “You said so yourself. You may be getting sick as well and you need water in your system. Not caffeine. Understand?”

She held Eleanor and stuffed her mouth with a piece of chicken. He couldn’t make her drink that water.

“And if I don’t?” she asked.

“You’ll get your bottom spanked,” he replied.

Her bottom clenched on the seat. She opened her mouth, ready to tell him he couldn’t do that.

“We’ve already established that I can and I will. You need to drink water so you stay healthy. If you don’t, you’ll get dehydrated and sick or worse.”

She rolled her eyes and looked down at Eleanor.

“That’s one,” Mac said.

Her head snapped up. “One what?”

“You rolled your eyes at me. Unacceptable. Do it again and it’ll go to two.”

She closed her eyes and tried so hard not to roll her eyes again. She had no doubt he would punish her for rolling her eyes.

“Lines is what you’ll be getting,” Daddy said.

Her whole body froze. Shit. She had just called him Daddy in her head. He wasn’t her Daddy. It was just Mac and that was all it could be.

“What were you just thinking?” Mac asked. “Your body has gone all stiff and your face has lost some color.”

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