Page 25 of Daddy's Little Patient

“Would you like to shower, Baby, or lay down?”

“Oh, I think lay down. I’ll shower in the morning if that’s okay?” she asked.

“Of course. I’m tired myself, so I’ll come with you.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I mean, I don’t want to take you away from anything.”

He smiled. “You’re not.”

He led her down the hallway and into his bedroom. He felt her stiffen again, but she didn’t pull away from him.

“Let’s get your teeth brushed. Do you have to use the toilet?”

She nodded.

“All right, I’ll give you a little privacy this time, but in the future, we won’t have any secrets from each other.”

Her eyes widened. “You would watch me poop?”

He almost laughed when her voice got higher and louder with each word. “Yes.”

Raina shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. “No! I’m sorry, but I don’t want that, and I don’t want to watchyoupoop.”

He wrapped his arms around her and smiled. “All right. I won’t push it since you feel so strongly about it.”

She sighed and leaned against him. “Thank you, Da … Alex.”

His heart felt like it had stopped for a moment. He leaned away to see her face as his heart jerked in his chest. “Say it, Baby.”

Her shoulders and head dropped. “I was about to say Daddy, but I have no idea what you want, and now is not the time to start a relationship.”

“You’ll have to explain that later and I should probably point out we’ve already started one.”

Her mouth opened and closed a few times. “Wait. Listen. We’re both so busy. We can wait a little while for that.”

Alex shook his head. “No. It’s already happened, and I’m not letting you go.”

“But…”

“Enough, Raina. Use the bathroom. I’ll be waiting out here.”

He watched her walk into the bathroom and shut the door. Alex stood by the side of the bed and took his watch off. He was going through his phone messages when she walked out. She stood uncertain, looking from him to the door.

Alex held his hand out. “Come here, Baby.”

She walked to him and took his hand. She tensed for a moment when he led her around the bed to her side. Raina stood silently as he pulled the dress up and off her. He let his eyes wander.

“Woman, you are so beautiful. I’ll never get tired of looking at you.”

“Oh…”

“Lay down so I can see your side. I want to make sure everything is still okay,” Alex said.

He helped her onto the mattress, turned on the lamp, and pulled it closer to them on the nightstand. He gently ran his finger around the wound. “I’d like to put a bandage on overnight. It will pad your owie if you roll onto that side. Don’t move.”

He walked away, and when he returned with the supplies, she was exactly where she was when he left.

Alex ran a hand up and down her side. “You are such a good girl.”

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