Page 98 of Bet On Me, Daddy

All questions to be answered once it no longer felt like her brain was too big for her skull.

“Just an hour. I just need an hour to close my eyes and then I’ll get up and make dinner.”

She woke to the sound of someone pounding at her front door, each heavy knock joining with the pounding in her head to rattle her senses as she forced herself from the bed.

“I’m coming, I’m coming! Hold your fucking horses.”

Yanking the door open, she blinked blearily up at Beckett. A panicked, worried-looking Beckett, rather than the furious one she’d expected to go toe to toe with once she’d gathered the courage to actually text him back. “Oh. Hi.”

Beckett blinked, then blinked again. “‘Oh. Hi.’ That’s all you have to say for yourself, little girl? I’ve been trying to reach you all fucking day! I’ve been worried sick about you!”

Maybe it was manipulative. She’d worry about that later. But her eyes immediately filled with tears at his scolding and she sniffled, the sound pitiful even in her own ears. “I don’t feel so good.”

“Oh, baby. Come here.” Stepping forward, he bent and scooped her up into his arms, kicking the door shut behind her before carrying her back to her room. “What’s wrong? Are you still feeling sniffly?”

Relief flooded her, and it was a good thing he was holding her because she wasn’t sure her own legs would be up to the task. Daddy was here, and he’d make everything better.

Except, she didn’twanthim to make it all better. Didn’t want to rely on him to take care of her, even when she felt a bit like she might be dying.

But even as that logical part of her brain tried to remind her of all the reasons this was dangerous ground, she found herself wrapping her arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. “Uh-huh. And my head still hurts.”

And her throat. And her chest.

Fuck.

“Poor baby.” Settling on the edge of her bed with her still cradled in his arms, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’re a little warm. Do you have a thermometer?”

“No.”

She felt as much as heard him sigh. “All right. Have you eaten dinner yet?”

“No.”

“Do you have soup here, or do you want me to order you something?”

“I dunno.” She didn’t want to have to decide. She just wanted to curl up in his arms and not have to worry about anything.

“Okay, baby. Daddy will take care of it. Why don’t you change into some comfy pjs and I’ll figure out dinner.”

Common sense, and a little bit of shame crept up inside her, crowding out the relief of having him there. “You don’t have to do that. I’m not that sick.”

Beckett raised an eyebrow, and everything inside her quaked. “If you’re not that sick, then we need to have a talk about you ghosting me all day with no explanation.”

Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place. “Um, no thank you.”

“Then I suggest you stop arguing with me, Ruby Red. Because the next time you say you’re ‘not that sick’, I’m going to take you at your word and put you right over my knee. Understood?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Good girl.” He pressed another gentle, sweet kiss to her forehead. “Go change, and then it’s right back to bed with you, little girl.”

She still felt a little guilty as she changed and climbed back into her bed. It was wrong, letting him play Daddy like this when she had no intention of letting their relationship grow intoanything more. Especially if, as Cordelia and the others seemed to think, he was in love with her.

But that was a problem for healthy Ruby. For now, Daddy was here, and everything was okay.

Everything was fine.

Really.

---