Page 38 of Daddy Devious

Or at least, while I try to work. My attention drifts constantly to the sweet little bundle sleeping next to my desk. But I do manage to put out a couple fires and check a few major items off my to-do list before she stirs.

“Shhh.” Bending down, I scoop her out of the playpen, letting her wrap herself around me the way she seems to prefer before carrying her over to the couch. “Daddy’s right here, little one. Did you enjoy your nap?”

“No.” Her voice is sulky, and she lets out a low whine when she shifts on my lap. “Hurts.”

“I know. You were so very brave for Daddy today, little one. I think you deserve a treat. How would you feel about some ice cream?”

“Ice cream?” That seems to perk her up and she sits up straight, a hint of a smile teasing at her lips. “What kinda ice cream?”

“Let’s go see what Chef has for us.”

Rising from the couch, I carry her to the kitchen. Dinner prep hasn’t yet begun, so the space is empty, save for the two of us. I open the freezer, making a show of scanning the contents as if I haven’t painstakingly stocked every inch of this kitchen with her favorite foods.

“Let’s see… we could go for the classics, and just have vanilla ice cream with hot fudge. Or there’s mint chocolate chip. And… is that butter pecan I spy?”

Victoria twists around to peek inside the freezer. “I want… one scoop of each!”

Although there’s a part of me that wants to indulge her, I don’t want her to get too used to being spoiled. It’s bad enough Catharina ignored every single attempt I made to curb her spending today. “One scoop of one flavor, Victoria.”

“ButDaddy,” she whines, pouting up at me, clearly hoping it will have the same effect on me it had on her Auntie Cat.

And, god help me, it nearly does. “You can choose one flavor or you can go without.”

“Butter pecan,” she says with a sigh, looking so sad I can’t help but press a kiss to her adorable button nose.

“You don’t want to ruin your dinner, little one. Chef has something delicious up his sleeve again tonight.”

“Not more delicious than ice cream,” she grumbles as I place her in the highchair at the end of the island.

“You might have a point there. But Little girls need more than just ice cream to grow big and strong.”

“Why do I need to be big and strong when I have you?”

It’s a fair point, and one that makes my heart constrict in my chest. Perhaps all my planning won’t be for naught. “How about, because I’m the Daddy and Little girls who don’t listen to their Daddies go to bed with sore bottoms and no ice cream?”

“Oh. That’s a really good reason.”

“That’s what I thought.”

I make us each a small bowl, her of the butter pecan she requested, me of the mint chocolate chip. And it delights me to no end that she doesn’t fuss at all when I insist on feeding her every last bite of her treat.

“Daddy?” she asks, her voice soft and timid as I rinse our bowls in the sink.

“Yes, little one?”

“Did you know butter pecan and mint chocolate chip were my favorites?”

The lie would be easy. But really, I see no point in it. She’s here, with me, and no way to escape even if the truth upsets her. “Yes.”

“How?”

“I know everything about you, Victoria Rose.”

“Buthow?” Her voice has changed now, losing the high, little girl quality it had before.

I don’t like it.

“Because it’s my job to know everything about you.” With the bowls clean, I wet a washcloth to wipe her face.

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