Total pages in book: 248
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
As if reading from the same script, someone called through the screen, “Knock, knock. Anyone home? Supper’s ready!”
“See?” I said.
Kate said, “I’ll get it!”
“Oh, I don’t think so, missy. You’ve already burned one dinner. I’m getting this one,” Luther countered.
“Race you!” Kate said and was off like the wind before my brother even made it to his feet.
Chapter Fourteen
Livvy
If you’d told me this morning that my entire life would change before night fell, I would have looked at you like you were the one with a concussion. I’d really hope that wasn’t the case, but I would definitely question your sanity at least a little bit. But I’d sure be happy to learn that you were spot on.
Dinner’s main course was a cheeseburger casserole made by Judith, who it turned out, was the admitting nurse at the hospital. It was delicious but what had me rubbing my belly and moaning was the chocolate-and-cherry ice-cream cake provided by Miss Eve. Though I supposed it was actually the second helping I’d decided I needed to have after Luther and Kate headed out to the dance.
“I feel like a beached whale!” I groaned as I leaned back against Lincoln’s chest. “Why did you let me eat so much?”
“Babygirl, I might be bigger than you, but if I’d attempted to take that spoon out of your hand, I’m pretty sure you’d not be the only one sporting a split chin. Not that you let your injury stop you.” He chuckled when I attempted a very poor swing at his head, missing by a mile. “And that makes four.”
I huffed and dropped my hand to return to rubbing my tummy. “What happens at four? I get an extra swat?”
“You could say that.”
It took me a moment to digest his words but when I did, I pushed up to twist around to look at him. “How come that sounds far more ominous than an extra swat warrants?”
“Maybe because extra swats earned in the same day don’t come with my hand attached to them,” Lincoln said.
How the same tummy could be so full of cake and ice cream and yet still find room to house a thousand butterflies taking flight, I wasn’t sure. All I knew was that it did. I battled whether or not I really wanted to know if that meant the paddle he’d teased about might actually exist while Lincoln just grinned. When he chuckled, I had a funny feeling he knew exactly where my thoughts had gone.
“Funny, I don’t remember you being so tricky.” I gave another huff.
“And yet I absolutely remember you never failing to test the boundaries, pixie,” he said in a tone that told me he was enjoying the fact that he wasn’t wrong.
I sank back against him again. “Fine, but I’m warning you, if you put me over your lap now I can’t be held responsible for any hurling that happens.”
His arms came around me to pull me even tighter to his chest. I had no explanation as how that didn’t upset my full stomach. Nor did I particularly care. I’d never felt safer or as happy in my life.
“Babygirl, what kind of Daddy would I be if I spanked you when you weren’t feeling well?”
I couldn’t have answered that question if my very life depended on it. Not the part about why I wouldn’t be spanked until I felt better. Only a truly evil person would inflict that on someone. It was the part about who would be doing the spanking that rendered me totally speechless.
Daddy.
I let the word hover over me and when I realized I wanted to grab it and wear it like a cloak, I smiled and found my answer. “A naughty Daddy.” I was rewarded when his chest moved beneath me. It was then that I understood he’d been holding his breath ever since uttering that magical word. I slid my hand down his arm until I found his hand and worked my fingers to twine around his. “My Daddy will wait until I’m not only feeling better, but will give me that bath he promised, tuck me into bed, tell me a story, and hold me until I fall asleep.”
He bent down and I shivered as his breath tickled the shell of my ear after he’d moved my hair aside. “And exactly where does that spanking fit in again?” He spoke each word softly into my ear before he took the lobe and gave it a gentle nip.
“Um, we could just skip over that part and get straight to the snuggling,” I suggested.
His chuckle sounded far more like a promise and my body betrayed me when my princess parts tingled even as my butt cheeks crawled.
“I think it’s better to begin as I plan on ending,” Lincoln said as he kissed the pulse point at the side of my throat.