Page 34 of Reaching Little Robyn

“Okay, I’m following. So how did you, as you said, balance the scales?”

“Skeletons.”

She stared as if he’d spoken some foreign language. “Sorry, you just lost me. Did you say skeletons?”

“Yep. Plastic skeletons were easy enough to come by even on a meager allowance. AndBoneswas close enough toBondto get away with calling him Bones without getting in trouble for teasing my poor innocent little brother. We were part of the same crowd so I had plenty of help leaving bones all over the place, including his locker at school and his football helmet. I still remember me and a couple others were waiting at hisgirlfriend’s house when he went to pick her up for junior prom. While he was inside posing for the obligatory photos, we had access to Dad’s car Woody was driving. I’ll never forget hearing his girlfriend screech when he opened the door and an entire skeleton fell out onto her feet.”

Robyn slapped at him. “That was mean!”

“Hey, we dressed Bones in a tux and everything. Of course, there might have been a rather largewoodysticking out of his fly.”

Robyn burst out in giggles at the image while still shaking her head in an effort to show that she didn’t think that had been a nice thing to do. “That’s awful!”

“I know, but what can I say, kids will be kids. If it helps, I had to sleep with one eye open for a few weeks waiting for payback.”

“Did it come?”

“Nah, I think that was the beginning of our truce. But, like I said, by that time I was Rooster and he was Bones. Still are to this day.”

“I think I’d like him,” she said, sitting back against his chest. “You make a good nurse, Rooster.”

His smile lit his entire face. “Do you realize that’s the first time you’ve called me Rooster without a note of disdain?”

“I didn’t… I guess I did and I really am sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”

“It’s okay, little bird. I’m a big man. It takes more than that to hurt me.”

“Still, it makes me like those kids in school. I really am sorry.”

“I accept your apology.”

She sighed deeply. “It’s just too bad your parents’ favorite movie wasn’tBatman. Then you could have been Winston Bruce Wane.” She paused and frowned. “Though that’s not really much better. Maybe it should have been Clark Kent. That way you could be Super Daddy instead of Cock-a-doodle-doo Daddy.”

His laugh had her joining in. When she stopped giggling, he cupped her face between his hands. “Little bird, as long as there is a Daddy attached, I honestly don’t care what else you tack on to it.”

With that, he kissed her. Not on the top of her head or the tip of her nose. Not on her forehead or her cheek. His mouth settled over hers and when one hand slid behind her head to pull her even closer, Robyn no longer needed to consult with her friends about what they might think. She was a total goner.

CHAPTER 13

Winston

He was having the best day of his life. Not only because it appeared they’d had a breakthrough, but because he was simply in the same room, sharing the same space with a woman who made him feel complete.

“Now what?” he asked as he slid a tray of cinnamon buns into the oven.

“We wait,” Robyn said from her place on top of the island where she’d sat and supervised the making of breakfast fit for a king. Or in this case, an entire palace full of her guests. “You did good, Rooster.”

It wasn’t Daddy, not yet, but he’d take it. Wiping his hands on a towel, he caged her in much as he had the day before, but this time didn’t utter any rules. Those would also come later. For now, he bent to kiss her again. He’d been stealing kisses every chance he had and she’d only complained once and that was when he’d almost set the house on fire by leaving the dish towel too close to the flame on the stovetop.

Her arms rose to wrap around his neck and he slid a hand behind her back and pulled her closer. She tasted like coffee and caramel and smelled like the cinnamon and vanilla she’d used to make the crumble filling for the rolls she’d left rising. He felt like he could eat her up and that thought as well as the swirl of her tongue against his had his cock lifting in salute. His free hand moved to the back of her head to tangle his fingers in the black curls. He tightened his hold, tugging just the slightest bit and swallowed the low moan of pleasure she uttered. It made him wish to draw more sounds from her, but the sudden squeal wasn’t what he’d been aiming for.

“Mmmmmummph.”

The word, if that’s what it was, made no sense, nor did the fact she was pushing hard against his shoulders until he remembered she was injured.

He pulled back in an instant, his fingers pulling her hair in his haste to reach for her foot.

“Ouch!”

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