Page 25 of Hayes

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.