Page 42 of Daddy's Naughty List

“No, it’s not you. I just?—”

“You just… what?”

Susan lowered her chin until she couldn’t see his face. “I feel like I’m taking advantage of you. I should have looked at the weather, or?—”

Shaking his head, he laughed softly. “Nobody can truly predict mountain weather, Susan, but I’m not going to make you stay if you truly want to go.” He stood, then went to the mudroom for his coat. “But if I’m going to drive through the storm, I need you to tell me the truth about why you want to leave.”

“I don’t want to go!” she shouted, hot tears welling in her eyes. “I want to stay and be with my Daddy forever, but I can’t because you’re too good and I’m not?—”

“Shh, baby.” He swept her off her feet and carried her back to the couch. “It’s okay.”

“No, it isn’t. I don’t want to make you do something you don’t want to. You said just the weekend, and I don’t want to be someone you feel forced to take care of.”

“Hmm.” He rocked her gently, then handed her a tissue from a box on the table. “What would you say if I told you I didn’t mention the storm because I wanted you to be stuck with me?”

“I—” She blinked and scrubbed the wetness from her face. “What?”

“I could have taken you home yesterday and missed the storm entirely, but I’m a selfish old bastard and want you all to myself for as long as you let me keep you.”

“Walt, that’s…” She chewed on her lower lip, wishing she could believe, but knowing she shouldn’t. “I don’t know.”

“What would you say if I told you I prayed for at least a foot of Christmas snow so we could make a snowman and snow angels, then have hot chocolate with marshmallows before I take you back to bed and fuck you until the weather clears?”

“Really?” She got to her knees and straddled his lap, needing to see his face. He gazed at her steadily, with no indecision in his gorgeous blue eyes. “You want me to stay?”

“As long as I can convince you to, babygirl.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “But I won’t force you. If you want to go home, I’ll take you.”

“But the storm!” She squirmed free and went to the window. “It’s too dangerous.”

He joined her, but didn’t touch her. “Baby, if you need me to, I’d drive through hell to make you happy. This little snow is nothing.”

“Do you really want me to stay?” she asked, wanting to believe him, but needing to be sure.

He smiled and kissed the sweet spot under her ear. “That was my Christmas wish, but if it’s not yours, I’ll take you home.”

Fresh tears burned her sinuses, but she smiled. “Daddy, I do have a gift for you.”

“You’re all the gift I need.”

“Be right back!”

He tried to catch her in a hug, but she escaped and dashed up the stairs. After rummaging through her suitcase, she found her bucket list, including the last page containing the thing she most wanted.

Susan met him at the bottom of the stairs and gazed up into his perfect face as she laid her list in his hands. “I’m giving you my wishes, Daddy.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” The pages fell to the floor, and he lifted her into his arms. “I don’t know what to say.”

“I don’t want to leave. I wished…” She swallowed hard and cleared her throat. “I asked Santa for you to be my Daddy.”

“I asked for you to be my babygirl,” he murmured into her hair.

She took a big, full breath, the tightness in her chest easing. “I should call Kendra to let her know I won’t be in tomorrow.”

“Later.” He wrapped a long arm around her waist and escorted her up the stairs. “Much later.”

Chapter Sixteen

Walt

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