Page 13 of Hayes (Alpha Daddies #7)

Chapter Eleven

The sound of Rylee giggling kept Hayes’s cock so hard he didn’t think it would ever go down.

After two rounds of sex, he’d settled her in the bathtub while he changed the sheets and started the washer.

If he had to change the sheets every time they fucked, he was going to be doing a lot of wash. It would be worth it, though.

When he stepped back into the bathroom, he found her playing with the toys he’d left her. Her giggling suddenly stopped. He hadn’t said a word when he’d set a yellow plastic basket on the edge of the tub and left her to explore.

He also hadn’t given her a full tub of water. He hadn’t been completely certain how alert she’d been after taking him into her body as soon as she’d awakened.

Hayes had put on a pair of loose cotton shorts to start the laundry, but there was no hiding his erection as he turned on the shower. While letting the water heat, he leaned against the vanity and watched his Little girl.

Fuck, she was precious. Her cheeks were pink, and she’d lowered her gaze. The doll she’d been playing with was now floating in the water. She’d released it, probably embarrassed.

The tips of her blond hair floated around her, making her look ethereal. She sat with her legs straight out in front of her, her thighs pressed together. Her breasts bobbed slightly, making him eager to suckle them, the rosy tips hard points from a combination of the air and her arousal.

“What’s her name?” he asked softly.

She slowly lifted her gaze, her bottom lip between her teeth. She was fucking adorable and all his for the rest of their lives.

Hayes shoved off the vanity, squatted down next to the tub, and lifted the doll out of the water. She looked just like her owner. That was intentional. He’d purchased her several dolls with long blond hair like Rylee’s.

He held her up and pretended to examine her. “She looks like a Brunhilda, I think.”

She giggled again. “That’s a horrible name, Daddy.”

He lifted a brow. “Did you come up with a better one? Or are you going to make me guess?”

She sighed. “Emmy,” she whispered.

“Emmy… I like it.”

“I had a doll like her when I was a child. Her name was Emmy.”

“What happened to the first Emmy?” he asked.

Rylee shrugged. “I got too old for her. I guess my mother gave my toys to another family.”

Hayes let out an exaggerated gasp. “Too old? You’re never too old for toys.”

She bit her lip again, blinking at him. Eventually, she released it and said, “I’m not a baby.”

He smiled and stroked her cheek. “Rylee, you’re definitely not a baby as far as age is concerned.

You’re clearly a woman. My woman. But you’re also my Baby girl.

Mine to protect. Mine to worship. Mine to pamper.

I know it seems strange right now, but you’ll learn to relax and enjoy life under my care.

Play with toys. Read books. Have playdates with your friends. ”

“My friends?”

“The other mates in the area. They’re anxious to meet you. When we’re ready to leave the house, we’ll set up a time when you can get together with them.”

“I have a question,” she said.

“What’s that, Little one?”

“My best friend is also marked. She’s sixty-seven days younger than me. Do you know who she will be mated to?”

Hayes smiled. “I might…” he teased as he rose and kissed her forehead.

“Daddy…” she whined.

He chuckled as he removed his shorts and stepped toward the shower. He would need to bathe both of them often to keep her overly sensitive nose from driving her batty.

She lowered her gaze to his erection and licked her pretty lips. It pleased him that he could so easily distract her. He took himself in hand as he answered her. “I know who Amber’s mate is, Little one. Don’t you worry.”

She gasped and jerked her gaze up to his. “You know her name?”

“Yep.”

“So you knew my name before yesterday, too?”

“I did. I knew a lot about you.”

“That’s not fair.” She pushed her lip out in a pout. “I didn’t know anything about you.”

He stepped into the shower. The only thing between them was the glass wall, so they could continue looking at each other while they talked.

“Sometimes Alpha Protectors prefer not to know much about their mates. We’re often in our teens when we find out our mate was born.

Twenty years is a long time to wait. It’s usually easier not to be too informed. ”

Hayes grabbed the shampoo, but he kept his gaze on his Little girl while he washed his hair.

She twisted to watch him. “But you knew about me?”

“I didn’t know everything about you, Little one. I knew who you were and what your name was. I sometimes watched you playing on the playground at school from a great distance so you wouldn’t see me.”

“How come I couldn’t see you?” his inquisitive Little girl asked.

He rinsed his hair and grabbed the body soap. “For one thing, your vision will be sharper now that you’ve shifted. But it will never be as sharp as mine. Alpha Protectors have far more visual acuity than even their mates.”

“Oh. Did Amber’s mate watch her?”

“Sometimes. Not as often as me.” Hayes rinsed off, turned off the shower, and stepped out.

As he grabbed a towel to dry off, he continued, “Don’t read anything into that fact, Baby girl.

Every Alpha copes with the waiting in their own way.

I preferred to learn some things about you so I could be better prepared when you arrived. ”

“What did you learn about me?”

He hung the towel up on the rack, not the slightest bit concerned about being completely naked in front of her. His nudity kept her slightly off-balance, and he liked that fact. Hell, her naked body affected him just as strongly.

He returned to her side, dropped a folded towel onto the floor, and kneeled next to her so he could wash her.

Even though she’d been in the bath for a while, she hadn’t gotten the top of her head wet or reached for the soap.

“I learned that a few years ago you decided yellow was your favorite color. I hope I got that right, and you didn’t start wearing yellow bows for some other reason. ”

She shook her head. “I love yellow. It’s sunny.”

“It is. Close your eyes so I don’t get soap and water in them.”

She squeezed her eyes closed, letting him pour water over her scalp, and kept her head tipped back so he could wash her hair.

“What else did you get me that’s yellow besides the bucket for the bath toys?”

“You’re about to find out, Little one. Did you notice the doors on the other side of the bedroom?”

“Yeah…”

“One of them is a closet. The other one is a special room just for you.”

She turned her head his direction as he slid his hand between her shoulder blades to help her lean back. “A room for me?” Her voice was filled with excitement, the lilt making him smile.

He lowered her head into the water to rinse off her hair before helping her sit back upright.

“Yes. I hate to admit it, but I’m not special.

All Alpha Protectors have special rooms for their Little girls.

A place you can relax and play. You’ll nap in there sometimes.

I’ve filled the closet with pretty clothes. ”

“So you weren’t planning to keep me naked forever?” she sassed.

He chuckled. “I hadn’t planned on it, but I will if you’re going to sass your Daddy.”

She pursed her lips and shook her head as if to indicate she would not be talking to him with such a naughty tone in the future.

Hayes covered a washcloth with body soap and went straight for her chest, running the terry cloth over her nipples far longer than necessary, not stopping until she was panting and her eyes were glazed.

“Will you tell me about the other women who are mated to your friends, Daddy?”

“Yes. But first, you need a bottle and a nap. You’ll need a lot of sleep for the next few days. Your transition took a toll on you. You’re going to feel very tired for a while.”

She lifted her hands to rub her eyes as if realizing what he was saying was true. Her entire body slumped a bit at the same time. She really was tired.

After hurrying to finish her bath, he lifted her out, wrapped her in a towel, and scooped her into his arms. She snuggled into his chest and sighed deeply, letting the weight of the world rest on his shoulders instead of her own.

This pleased him. Relying on him was as it should be.

Hayes carried her into the bedroom, lowered her onto the mattress, and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. He kissed her temple as he lifted her back into his arms.

A few minutes later, he had a fresh bottle in her mouth as he carried her back through the bedroom and finally opened the door to the nursery. Her eyes were narrow slits, but they widened as he padded across the room.

She came more awake when he settled in the rocking chair, and he didn’t reprimand her as she looked around, even though the nipple popped free from her lips.

“Oh…”

“See? Yellow. If you change your mind about the color, we’ll paint it a different color and order other accessories.”

“That’s a crib, Daddy,” she whispered.

“Yes. You’ll nap in the crib. It will keep you safe, so I won’t have to worry about you falling out of bed. No standing in the crib. Absolutely no climbing out of it.” He tapped her nose.

Her attention shifted to the changing table, but she didn’t say anything.

Instead, she leaned back in his arms and let him pop the nipple back in her mouth.

Her heart rate was elevated. This room made her slightly nervous.

That was expected. All new mates panicked a bit when they first saw their nurseries.

Even though he’d introduced her to most of what he would expect from her, seeing the room drove his preferences home. She needed some time to process.

Rylee closed her eyes. It seemed as though she was forcing herself to relax. Maybe she was. It was working. As soon as the bottle was empty, he swapped one nipple for another and held her pacifier in her mouth until she fell asleep.

He hated putting her down, but she needed good rest, and the best way to get that was alone in her crib. Reluctantly, Hayes put her down, diapered her, covered her with a soft blanket, and eased out of the yellow room.

He had a monitor on her, and he didn’t shut the door.

Grabbing his phone, he headed for the back deck to call his brother. He hadn’t shared enough information with Isaac last night when he’d called about the steaks. He needed to discuss his mate’s ability with the rest of the pack and see what everyone thought, starting with Isaac.