Page 12 of Daddy's Oath
Ace laughed just before taking another shot. He missed this one. “It was Athena who switched those drinks. She would have had that guy on the ropes whether we were there or not. We’re tough, boys, but I think in this instance, the Guard wasn’t needed.”
The others laughed.
No one disputed Ace’s assessment, either.
Before anyone could add anything, the excited, giggling voice of a Little filled the air.
“Daddy! You’re home!”
Ace turned around to see Iris running into the room, her pigtails swaying with her swift movements.
“Whoa there,” Jack said. “Slow down, babygirl. You know you are not allowed to run in the house. That’s an outside activity.”
The Little just giggled some more. Her diaper crinkled loudly as she jumped on Jack and wrapped her legs around his waist.
Her short black skirt pulled up, revealing her padded bottom, as she gave her Daddy kisses.
He staggered back but managed to stay on his feet.
Ace watched with a smile. But inside, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.
He was happy for his friend. Truly. He longed to experience that same love and intimacy, though.
What was it like having your own babygirl to hold and care for? Would he ever know? Was she out there somewhere?
“Daddy, I want you to play with me! I have the Uno cards already out,” Iris pleaded.
“Honey, me and the guys need to chat,” Jack countered.
“Debrief about the op?” Iris asked.
Jack’s eyes twinkled as he chuckled. “You’ve been listening to me.”
She giggled. “I always listen to Daddy.”
The scene made Ace’s heart happy. But that longing deep in his core intensified, too.
Damn. He longed for a cutie of his own.
Suddenly, Ace needed some fresh air. Walking to the wall where the pool cues went, he put his back with the others and said, “Hey, we all know how the thing at the beach went down. And if we have concerns, we can talk about it later. But if you ask me, Athena had that wrapped up. We were all secondary.” He turned and looked at Jack. “Go play cards with that sweetie of yours.”
The other Guard members agreed.
Iris seemed elated by the idea. Jack relented, gave her a kiss, and carried her out of the room.
“You don’t want to finish the game?” Isaiah asked Ace.
“We can later. Or you can give in now. You know I’ll win.”
Isaiah huffed but didn’t argue. He’d never once beaten Ace at pool. Ace was proud of that fact.
Ace went to the bar, opened the mini fridge beneath it, and grabbed a bottle of beer. The cold glass felt good against his palm. He carried it to the patio and sat down. It was a pleasant evening and normally he would have been in heaven.
For some reason tonight, though, he was preoccupied with the desire for a babygirl. That wasn’t uncommon, but normally he could shove it from his mind and enjoy his time with the guys or just sitting out on that patio. But tonight, it was different.
His desire was nearly all-consuming. Perhaps it was the fear he had. A fear that had been dogging him for days. He couldn’t put his finger on it, either. Where was it coming from? Did it stem from something that had happened?
Perhaps it was just born of the knowledge he had, as a member of the Daddy Guard, of how many Littles out there needed help.
