Page 36 of Daddy's Naughty List

He took the bowl of eggs she offered and helped himself to the bacon. “Best of all, you made plenty for leftovers. We can toast them to go with supper.”

Nodding, she ate a piece of bacon. “That’s the best way to have them if they aren’t fresh out of the oven.”

Watching Walt enjoy her food was strangely pleasurable. He savored every bite, unlike Edward, who’d shoveled everything into his mouth and never once thanked her. Despite her protests, Walt even insisted on helping her clean up.

Logically, she knew his behavior was normal. It was perfectly ordinary for a man to help his woman tidy a kitchen after a meal—especially a man like Walt.

She straightened her shoulders and pushed aside all thought of Edward and his constant messes. Living with him had been like taking care of a particularly demanding toddler.

Walt was a man who could take care of himself, which made taking care of him especially nice. He didn’t want or need an unpaid maid.

Once the last plate was in the dishwasher, Walt rubbed his hands together and grinned. “Ready for a pony ride, baby?”

“More than!” She raced to the mudroom for her boots, hearing his laughter behind her.

After they bundled up, he led her outside and through a fringe of pines to a large paddock in front of a neatly kept clapboard barn. The weather was even behaving itself, with a brilliant azure sky dotted with puffy clouds. Although it was cold, it wasn’t frigid enough to be uncomfortable.

Two horses, one a tall black, and the other a lean gray with a concave face, watched them approach. In an adjoining pasture, a small herd of longhorn cows browsed the winter-browned grass, and chickens picked at leftover seeds.

“The black one is Ebony. He’ll be yours,” Walt said.

“And the pretty gray one?”

“That’s Bolt.” He led her into the barn and gave her a bucket full of brushes before grabbing tack for both horses. “He’s sweet as pie but used to be a barrel racer.”

“What does that mean?”

Walt grinned and escorted her back outside. “Means he gets a little full of himself and likes to run. Ebony doesn’t act up and is good for a beginner.”

He handed her a brush and showed her how to groom her horse. Ebony leaned into her touch, nickering softly as he nuzzled her shoulder.

“He likes you,” Walt murmured.

“Bet he’s like Charlie and Mittens,” she countered. “If I sit, is he going to try to take over my lap?”

“Well, it’s a very nice lap.” He looked her up and down, making her blush. “Now, time to learn how to saddle your horse.”

She watched avidly while he got Bolt ready, then helped her with Ebony. Once he was saddled, she petted her horse’s kind face. “I can’t wait to ride,” she whispered.

“I hope you enjoy it.” Walt positioned her at Ebony’s side and cupped his hands near her knee. “Put your left foot in my hands and grab the saddle horn. When I boost you up straighten your left knee and swing your right leg over the saddle.”

“Okay, Daddy.” She hopped a few times, giggling as she tried to make her body do what he wanted. Eventually, she got it and landed safely in the saddle.

“There you go!” He patted her thigh, then stepped away. “Now, take the reins. I’m going to teach you how to make him go where you want.”

Patiently, slowly, with almost too much praise, Walt worked with her until she managed to convince Ebony to lope in a wide circle around him. Feeling the wind on her face and Ebony’s powerful muscles moving under her was indescribable, and she couldn’t find the words for the sense of pure freedom and joy.

“Good girl!” he called. “Are you ready to get out of this paddock?”

“Yes! Please, Daddy!”

Despite her anticipation, she waited patiently for Walt to mount his horse, then followed him into the pasture. He kept to a walk, showing her the foothills surrounding his property, and she even saw a mother bobcat with a few half-grown cubs.

It was so quiet and peaceful, but she also loved just talking to Walt and learning about him. He was so much more than a sexy Daddy Dom, with a dry, understated sense of humor she loved, and a way of engaging her that made her want to open up.

Susan told him things she’d never told another living soul. They weren’t secrets or bad things; more like ephemeral wishes and hopes she used to have when she was a child. She even told him of the time she saw a trick-or-treat parade in Winslow during one of the few times the cult permitted her to go into town with her parents.

Of course, she’d already had the traditional Halloween fun at the Caroline, and a somewhat racier version at Club Apocalypse.

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