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M aggie was so bored.

And she was worried about Uncle Willy. It was all very well for Jack and Ian to say they’d take care of him. But they didn’t know what was wrong with him . . . and she couldn’t tell them.

Was she doing the wrong thing? What if something happened to her uncle while she was just lying in bed? What if he needed something and she wasn’t there to give it to him?

Well . . . she didn’t have to stay in bed. They weren’t the bosses of her.

Yeah, but you want them to be.

Shut up, silly inner voice, you know nothing. I am a strong, independent woman who doesn’t need a man. Or men. Even if they are super-hot.

You can be that and still submit to someone you trust. Let them take control to give you a break from . . . well, me to start with.

Urgh. She had to stop thinking about what it would be like to actually belong to Ian and Jack. Even for a small while.

With a sigh, she tried to concentrate on the television, but it wasn’t working. Nothing was distracting her.

What if Uncle Willy was confused? What if he needed her?

Would it really matter if she got up and did some yoga? Her hip wasn’t feeling that bad. Perhaps she could slip out of the bedroom, check on Uncle Willy, and then head up to the roof deck where her yoga mat was.

Surely swimming would be good for her hip too? Perhaps she should get into her bathing suit.

Actually, no. That seemed like too much effort.

After Jameson left, Jack had picked her up and carried her upstairs. Ian had followed with an ice pack. They were supposed to be coming back to run a bath for her. That had been over an hour ago.

They’ve forgotten you.

Moving to the side of the bed, she stood and tested her weight.

Pfft. That hardly hurt at all.

It was a three at worst.

Opening the door to the bedroom, she peeked out. Okay, she felt like some sort of clandestine spy . . . it was kind of fun.

What could her number be? Secret Agent 26. She giggled to herself.

Shoot.

Playing in the bouncy castle yesterday had made her Little side want to come out and play more.

She wanted Jack to be her fun Daddy. Ian to be her stern Daddy.

And Jameson . . . nope. She wasn’t going there.

He was not sexy Daddy. Or doctor Daddy.

Yum . . . medical roleplay. She loved reading books with medical play and watching those scenes at the club.

Walking carefully across the hall, she knocked on her uncle’s door and stepped in.

“Hello, dear. Are you all right?” Uncle Willy frowned. “The grouchy one said your hip was hurting you and that they would check in regularly on me until you were up and moving better.”

“They’re fussing over nothing. I’m fine. Are you all right? How is your headache?”

“Feeling much better. I think I’ll be up and moving around tomorrow. We need to get started on the pre-wedding photos.”

“They can wait, Uncle Willy.”

He watched her with shrewd eyes as she moved closer. “Fussing over nothing, hmm? You can’t kid a kidder, my dear. You’ve been doing too much.”

“Hardly. I am all good. Now, what do you need?”

“You’re worried about me because I had a fall. Only, I don’t remember what happened.”

She walked over and sat on the bed facing him. She lowered herself gingerly. Okay, maybe the more time she spent on her hip, the more painful it became.

“You don’t know why you got up during the night?” she asked.

“Perhaps I wanted a drink of water. I had been drinking with Isobelle and Frost, then I came home and went to bed. When I woke up, I was in the hospital.”

Crap.

She wanted to lecture him on drinking with the medication he was on. But it was too late now.

“Don’t give me that look, my dear. I know it was ill-advised.” He patted her hand. “Are you all right? Is looking after me becoming too much?”

“Never, Uncle Willy.” She took hold of his hand. “I love you. You’re one of my favorite people in the world. The only family who has ever accepted me. You took me in when I needed you most.”

“That’s what family is for. And you are never obligated to me. Understand? I want you to live your life and not be tied to an old chap.”

“I’m not,” she said fiercely. “And you’re not old.”

“You’re right. I’m not. I’m in the best years of my life.”

She grinned.

“Although your mother thinks differently.”

“Has she been texting you?” Maggie asked worriedly. She needed to text her mother back. She’d been putting it off and that never went well.

She reached for her hair to tug on it.

No, Maggie.

“Please, I blocked her ages ago.” He ran his hand through the air.

“You know how to block someone?” she asked, shocked.

“Not hard to work out how to hit delete.”

She giggled. “Oh my God! She told me that you stopped answering her texts. I thought you were just ignoring her.”

“Really, it’s the only way to deal with Heather,” he muttered. “Don’t let them get to you, dear. You’re bloody brilliant. Talented. Smart.”

Sure she was.

That’s why she was so lost.

“Thanks, Uncle Willy. I love you.”

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

“I love you too. But you need to start living. Give me some grandbabies.”

“Grandbabies?” she asked, drawing back.

“Well, you are the daughter I never had. Since your own parents are atrocious people, I thought I would claim you as mine.”

She sniffled. “I’d like that.”

They smiled at each other.

“Maggie!” a voice roared, making her jump.

Uncle Willy winced. “The grouchy one has a good set of lungs on him.”

“I don’t think that’s the grouchy one,” she whispered.

And that was concerning.

The door to Uncle Willy’s room swung open and Jack stepped inside.

“What are you doing?” Uncle Willy said sternly. “You cannot just storm in here, yelling for my niece.”

Jack just glared at them both. He pointed at her. “You aren’t supposed to get out of bed on your own.”

“What? My dear, do you want to explain?” Uncle Willy asked.

Well.

This was awkward.

“I wanted to check on Uncle Willy. And you guys left me for ages. What was I supposed to do?”

“It was twenty minutes! You lasted twenty minutes!” Ian said with exasperation as he walked into the room carrying a tray of food. “I was getting you both some lunch while Jack was doing a grounds check.”

Oh.

Only twenty minutes?

“It felt like longer,” she muttered.

“Is your hip that bad, dear?” Uncle Willy asked.

She sighed. Shoot. “It’s a tad sore.”

“She nearly collapsed in pain,” Ian said, carrying a tray over and setting it beside Uncle Willy’s bed. “Jameson came to check on her and said to keep off her feet for at least twenty-four hours.”

“Maggie,” Uncle Willy said reprovingly. “You went against doctor’s orders?”

“I just wanted to check on you. I didn’t walk that far. It’s not much further than the bathroom.”

Jack came over and scooped her up. “Well, now you’ve lost your bathroom privileges.”

Her cheeks went hot in embarrassment at his words.

“Jack, you can’t say things like that,” she whispered furiously as he carried her out of the room. “Uncle Willy might have heard.”

“So?”

Dear. Lord.

“My dear? Are you all right? Let her down!” Uncle Willy yelled out.

“Stop, Jack! Stop and turn around!”

To her surprise, he did stop and turn so she could see her uncle.

“I’m fine, Uncle Willy. The guys are just being overprotective.” She wondered if he’d keep protesting. Her uncle could be protective as well. “They’ll put me down if they’re upsetting you.”

“Not at all, dear. As long as they’re taking good care of you.”

Her mouth dropped open. What the heck?

“She has a tendency to put herself last, chaps,” he continued. “Make sure you treat her like a queen. Or you’ll answer to me.”

Right. That was kind of laughable, considering the size difference between Ian and Jack and her uncle. But Ian and Jack just nodded.

“We will,” Ian reassured him. “We’ll make sure she’s very well taken care of.”

Yeah. She didn’t like the look of determination in his eyes.

“It’s time she found someone who puts her first,” Uncle Willy said absentmindedly. “Now, all of you, shoo. I’m going to have some lunch and make some notes.”

“Uncle Willy, you shouldn’t be writing anything,” she protested. “I should stay with you and take notes.”

“Nonsense, you look a touch peaky, my dear. You should go have a cup of tea and a nap.”

Great. Now, her uncle was telling her she looked like crap too.

“I am seriously starting to think about putting a paper bag over my head,” she muttered. This was getting embarrassing.

“I’d be more worried about a cushion for your butt,” Jack told her as he carried her into her bedroom.

“Jack! You are not spanking me! And you need to watch what you say in front of Uncle Willy, he won’t understand your sense of humor.”

He laid her on the bed then stared down at her.

Okay. He didn’t look like he’d been joking.

The bedroom door closed behind Ian as he walked in.

“Ian, you want to scold her?”

She groaned. Not an Ian lecture. She didn’t have enough time in her life.

“No, I’ll let you have that privilege. I’m going to run her a bath, then go get her lunch.”

“If she wasn’t in pain from her hip, I’d be doing more than scolding her,” Jack replied.

“Amen, brother.” Ian patted Jack’s back on his way past. “Just hold onto those urges until she can walk without limping.”

“I think we should start a naughty girl diary,” Jack called out to Ian, who was in the bathroom.

“Good idea. I’ll find an empty notebook.”

“Don’t worry,” Jack said. “I already bought one with this in mind.”

“No! No, no, no! No naughty girl notebook. No warning me about spankings or scolding me or saying I’ve lost my bathroom privileges.”

Jack loomed over her and she lay back on the bed. He put his hands on the mattress on either side of her head. “If you want to get off this bed for any reason, you’ll call us. No more walking. You can’t be trusted.”

“That is so rude! I am very trustworthy! If there was a poll for the most trustworthy person, it would be me.”

“Yeah? Then how come we found you in your uncle’s room when you were told to stay put?”

“I’m not sure I like being told to stay put.”

“Tough,” Jack said.

She bit her lip, unsure.

“Remember don’t be scared of me,” Jack told her softly. “I’d never harm you, baby. But I have to take care of you. It’s like an itch under my skin that I can’t get rid of until I know you’re all right.”

That was a slightly weird analogy. And kind of touching.

“I’ll go get her food.” Jack walked out of the room as Ian returned.

She carefully sat up, letting Ian rearrange pillows behind her back.

“I messed up, didn’t I?” she mused.

“We want to put your needs first, Little Misfit. Even if that’s something you don’t seem to be able to do. If that means we need to get strict with you, we will.”

“Because I’m your charge while I’m here?” she asked.

“Oh, Little girl. It’s gone beyond that.”

It had? What was happening?

“If Jack didn’t care about you, then he wouldn’t scold you. He wouldn’t care if you climbed up onto the roof and started doing cartwheels. He’d probably laugh and join you. The fact you’re seeing this side of Jack means he cares. Which is both good and bad for you. Because when Jack is all in . . . he can get intense. In fact, I’ve never seen him like this with anyone but Jameson and me. And with us . . . well, he’s never threatened to take our toilet privileges.”

“Again, it’s not a privilege, it’s a right. And what does that mean?”

“It means that we’re hooking up a monitor to watch you when we can’t be in the room with you,” Ian replied as Jack walked back into the room with the food.

What the heck?

“It should arrive soon,” Ian said. “Along with a few other things we ordered.”

Wow. They worked quick.

“That’s quick delivery.”

“There are special services that we use,” Ian told her as Jack placed the tray on the bedside table. She felt a tad queasy as she looked at the sandwiches and fruit salad. Not that it looked yucky. She just didn’t feel like eating.

“And if you need to go to the bathroom, then you’re to call out to us,” Jack told her. “We’ll carry you back and forth.”

“We nurse will be here later to stay with your uncle so you don’t worry.”

“I’ll check the bath,” Ian said. “How long did you keep that ice on for?”

“Ages,” she told him as Jack moved a chair closer and sat. Then he picked up a napkin.

Oh, had he made himself lunch too?

But nope. He tucked the napkin into the front of her long-sleeved top.

Like she was a kid who needed a bib.

That wasn’t embarrassing or anything.

“I don’t spill my food that much,” she muttered.

Ian walked back into the bedroom. He raised an eyebrow, staring down at her from the end of the bed. “Little girls sometimes make a mess.”

Maggie could feel her cheeks heating again.

She really should protest. Tell them this was inappropriate and that she could take care of herself.

So why were none of those words coming out of my mouth?

Because it would be easier to let them take care of her in Little headspace. Because she wanted this. So badly that it kind of hurt.

It felt like she was touch-starved. Daddy-starved.

It was such a stupid idea, though.

“I don’t think I can do this.” Tears threatened and her stomach felt icky.

Because she wanted to give in. To show them her Little. To let them take over.

“Just let us take care of you,” Ian said huskily. “There are no expectations. No need to be anyone but who you want to be. Okay?”

She let out a deep breath. She could do that, right? “All right.”

“You will say no to anything you don’t want,” Jack added. “Unless it’s something that goes against doctor’s orders.”

“Doctor’s orders were that I’m allowed to go to the bathroom myself.”

“Fine,” Jack muttered as he set the tray down over her lap.

A sense of loss filled her. Did she want him to feed her?

Yeah, she did.

She picked at the sandwich. “I can’t just sit here all day, though. I’m going to go nuts.”

“That’s why we sent for a few things,” Ian told her. “First, eat. Then you’re having a bath. And then we’ll show you what we bought.”