Page 9 of The Captain's Little Girl

The toilet was in a separate small area. Cricket slid the pocket door quickly across to give herself privacy and dropped to the seat. A whisper of footsteps on the tile alerted her that Mark had followed. It seemed so intimate to have him just on the other side of the thin barrier. She knew he could hear everything.

The sound of water made it easier for her to finish. Pushing the door back into place, Cricket walked to the handsome man who stood drying his face at the vanity. She washed her hands quickly and then leaned over to splash water on her eyelids and cheeks as well. His hand closed firmly around her upper arm to hold Cricket in place.

“Daddy’s job.”

Mark wet a washcloth in the warm water and carefully cleaned her face. Cricket loved having him take care of her. It underlined his feelings for her and his desire to be her daddy.

In a calm voice, he shared, “Daddy can help you when you potty as well. There should be no secrets or closed doors between us. We’ll talk about this and everything else after we eat. Okay?”

Cricket nodded as she felt her cheeks flush. She knew that the other little girls wore diapers at least sometimes. Was that something that Mark wanted her to do? Could she be brave enough to ask when they talked?

“Deep breath, baby girl. I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to.” Mark shook his head as if correcting himself before adding, “Unless it’s a punishment or something to do with your health—then I have veto power over your decisions.”

“And I have to do what you say?” she asked, trying to figure out the boundaries of the relationship.

“Yes, but we’ll figure all that out together, Cricket,” he promised. “For now, let’s go get something to eat.”

“First, I want to treat those scratches. I don’t want them to get infected.”

“Little girl, those are nothing.”

Cricket just looked at him. She wasn’t going to back down.

With a sigh, Mark opened the medicine cabinet and handed her a tube of antibiotic ointment. He allowed her to dab the thick mixture on all the major and minor scrapes covering his body without further argument. When she capped the container and handed it back, he said, “Thank you, Cricket. Are you ready for breakfast now?”

She nodded and allowed him to guide her into the kitchen. As they entered, Cricket stopped as a thought struck her. “Won’t all your food be spoiled?”

“The team’s little girls are very sweet. They have decided that their job is to clear out the refrigerator of anything that could go bad if we’re deployed for more than a few days. We’ll just have something that doesn’t require fresh food until I get to the grocery store.”

“Like what?” she asked, searching her mind for a nonperishable breakfast. Cereal was out because of milk. Eggs would go bad eventually.

“How about pancakes?”

“I love them, but don’t you need milk for that?” she asked.

“I have a complete mix that only requires water,” he said with a wink.

“Perfect! What can I do to help?”

“Take a seat at the table and talk to me. I’ll make my special pancakes.”

“I can’t do anything?”

“Daddy’s job,” Mark informed her with a definite tone.

As she took a seat, Mark walked confidently around the kitchen. From his ease in gathering supplies, Cricket knew that he cooked often. She had a feeling these would be the best pancakes ever. Cricket doubted that her daddy did anything poorly.

When that thought popped into her mind, she asked, “Are you good at everything?”

Mark paused and lifted one eyebrow quizzically before answering with one word. “Nope.”

“Like, what aren’t you good at? You know, besides answering questions?” she teased.

His slow wink made her laugh and she added, “No, you’re good at that.”

Stalking forward, Mark braced one hand on the tabletop and the other on the high back of her chair. Holding her gaze steady, he leaned forward to kiss her hard until she reached up to encircle his neck with her arms. When he leaned back slightly, Cricket’s lips chased his.

Damn! He knows how to kiss.

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