Page 51 of Babydoll

Reece is back and handing out the spoons before she can answer, but I can tell by the way Lulah squirms she’s rethinking the three chapters she told my niece she’d read.

Reece jumps into her chair and yanks the plastic lid off her pudding. “Your turn Lulah,” she urges and I shoot her a look. She just beams at me.

Lulah tugs the lid off pudding but freezes halfway as I get down on one knee. Her brow furrows. “What are you doing?”

“Open your pudding, Lulah!” Reece jumps in her chair.

Narrowing her eyes, she pulls the lid off and looks down. Her eyes widen and then her head snaps up to look at me.

“Lulah, will you marry me?”

“In a heartbeat, Grizz.” She throws her arms around my neck and slides off her chair to join me on my knees. “Yes, Jeff, yes.”

“Grandma, Grandpa, she said yes!”

Scooping Lulah up, I rise to a stand and spin her around. She squeals, wrapping her legs around my waist. Out of the corner of my eye I see my niece jumping up and down, reminding me I need to behave no matter how badly I want this woman pinned beneath me and squirming.

“Reece, if you can give us an hour upstairs alone, I’ll give you my pudding.”

Reece’s beams. “That’s a bargain, Uncle Jeff.”

“Go tell Grandma we’ll be back to start your bedtime routine in an hour.”

She rushes out of the room with more energy than I normally like to see at this time of the evening, but at the moment I couldn’t care less. As long as I get an hour with Lulah, I’ll spend three hours reading her into sleepy submission.

“Fiancée, would you like a tour of our apartment?” I ask, heading for the door to the upstairs.

“See you in an hour, Reece,” Lulah hollers and then leans in so close I can feel her breath on my ear. “Which room are we christening first?”

I lick my lips, stepping onto the landing and shutting the door with my foot.

“Lock it,” I demand, holding her hot gaze with mine.

“Yes, Daddy.” Her sultry voice hits me in the gut and she reaches behind me to twist the lock. “How soundproof is this apartment, Grizz? I have a feeling our celebration might get a little loud.”

My mouth slides up on one side and I shake my head. “Nah, babydoll, I know how to keep you quiet.”

Her lips purse as her brows rise. “Oh really?”

“Really.”

When we get to the top of the stairs, I take a right.

“Kitchenette. Living room.” I move through the room to another doorway that leads into the bathroom. “Bathroom.” I don’t stop even when she points to the huge tiled shower with the rainfall showerhead and dual shower panel.

“Remember that night, in the shower when I was nearly hypothermic?”

“Babydoll, I will never forget that night.”

She leans to my ear and I think she’s going to whisper something in my ear. Something I hope is dirty, but instead she sucks on my earlobe. Her moans, so close to my ear, set me on fire.

“I wanted you so badly that night in the shower.”

“Me too, and we’ll fuck the hell out of that shower another time.” She moves to kiss my neck, distracting me. “Maybe even later tonight, but right now, I have other plans for you.”

“Hm, I’m intrigued.”

Setting her down, I take her hand and lead her up the attic steps, kicking the bedroom door open as we get to the top. She gasps.

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