Page 20 of Koa’s Little Girl (Soldier Daddies #8)

K oa pulled into his driveway with a smile.

He had time to take a shower and whip up some dinner before his little girl arrived home from her shift.

Giana had needed four days at home to recover from her illness.

While she’d rebelled against his insistence that she be fever-free for twenty-four hours as Zale had required, Giana had texted her appreciation today that she hadn’t passed it along to her staff when three firefighters had called in sick after another returned too quickly.

The illness was rampant this year, as Zale had reported.

It had taken a couple of weeks for them to settle comfortably into each other’s schedules. Thank goodness, they both understood that work could have emergencies. Their career requirements fit well together. Either of them could be called to duty at a moment’s notice.

He’d always looked forward to the next time they’d get to see each other.

Giana had adapted well to shrugging off her responsibilities from work when she walked through the front door.

It helped that he made a point of greeting her with a kiss and a cuddle before taking her to her new nursery to strip off her adult clothes.

Dressed in cute, comfortable clothing like a swishy dress or leggings and a T-shirt, Giana normally didn’t fret over job worries.

Sometimes, she needed extra attention to flip that switch from ‘responsible for everything’ to ‘little girl’ mode.

A red bottom was usually his last resort when she got stuck in work mode.

Thank goodness changing clothes, hugging her stuffies, and her daddy’s affection usually did the trick to help Giana shrug off her work concerns.

Those sweet interventions saved her from too many spankings.

Koa showered and pulled on a pair of shorts. He had pulled out the ingredients for a Greek salad he’d planned for dinner with chicken when a knock sounded on the door.

“Did you forget your key, Flame?” he called as he walked to the door. Funny. She didn’t answer him.

“The door is open,” he said as he twisted the knob.

“Good to know. Should I just walk in next time?” his neighbor three houses down asked.

“Oh. Hi, Sharon. Let me go get a shirt. I was expecting Giana.”

“No need on my behalf. I’ll be glad to check out the scenery.”

“I’ll get a shirt. One minute, please.”

Koa hadn’t liked Sharon the first time they’d met. Her husband was an officer on base, but as a pilot, he traveled a lot. His wife flirted with everyone. He suspected Sharon’s activities weren’t limited only to talking while her husband flew.

Koa jogged to his bedroom and grabbed a T-shirt. He stopped in the hall to pull it on before reappearing at the entrance where she could see. To his surprise when he reached the open family room and kitchen area, Sharon stood inside with the door closed.

When he stopped in his tracks to look at her incredulously, Sharon said, “It was getting hot out there. I didn’t think you’d mind?”

“Sorry, Sharon. I think it’s better if we step outside.”

Koa didn’t wait for her to answer, but brushed by her to grab the doorknob. Sharon stepped forward into his path and crumpled dramatically to the floor when he couldn’t avoid brushing against her.

“Ouch! I’ve turned my ankle. Could I have some ice, please? I think I’m supposed to put it up, aren’t I?” she asked with a grimace, clutching her left foot.

“Let’s get you back to your house, and you can take it easy for the rest of the night,” Koa suggested, wishing to get her out of his house as soon as possible.

Koa lifted her to her feet and left her standing by the couch as he opened the door. Sharon took one limping step and shook her head. “I can’t do it. I’ll take a seat and rest my ankle for a bit. I’m sure it will be fine in a few minutes.”

Trying to think quickly, Koa searched for a way to transport her a few houses down the street. He didn’t have a wheelchair to push her in. Getting her into the truck would take as much time as walking down the street.

Mentally shaking her head, he offered, “If you’ll allow me, I’ll carry you back to your house.”

“If you don’t mind putting those big muscles to use…” Her voice trailed off.

The last thing Koa wanted to do was get close to her, much less touch Sharon. Trying to keep his face from revealing his true feelings toward her, Koa pasted a smile on his face. He scooped Sharon off her feet and walked out the door. Crap!

“Hi?” Giana appeared exhausted and totally shocked to see him carrying another woman.

“Hi, neighbor. Just borrowing Koa’s brute strength. I’ll send him home soon.” Sharon ran her fingers over Koa’s bulging biceps. “Maybe?”

“Keep him,” Giana told the flirtatious woman.

She circled around them and headed into the house as Koa said, “Giana, she hurt her…” The door crashing closed behind Giana interrupted his explanation.

“Oops! She seemed angry. Trouble in paradise?” Sharon asked, looking too pleased.

“I’ll get you to your porch, then you’re on your own,” Koa told Sharon, walking as fast as possible.

“Whoa! Slow down. You’re jarring my ankle.” Sharon lifted her right foot as if to remind him she was wounded.

Koa stopped and set Sharon on her feet in the middle of the sidewalk. “It’s your right foot now? That’s telling. You supposedly hurt your left foot when you entered my house without permission. Make your own way home. Don’t bother me again.” He turned and immediately ran back to his house.

“Koa! I hurt myself at your home. I could sue you. At least get me home,” Sharon shouted after him.

Koa ignored her and raced up his driveway. Sharon definitely knew how to put on a show for the neighbors. As he got to the front door, it opened, and Giana stepped out with her work uniforms clutched in one hand and a plastic bag in the other. He was sure it contained her stuffies.

“Giana, she faked an injury, and carrying her was the only way I could get her out of here,” Koa explained.

“I wondered how long it would take until you were tired of playing Daddy.”

Her expression broke his heart. He had to get her to listen to him. Koa stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. Instantly, Giana struggled. She was in amazing physical shape and a handful to control, but Koa wouldn’t let her go.

Picking her off the ground, he hauled her kicking and yelling into his house. He slammed the door closed with his elbow and set her feet on the floor. “Stop and listen. I’ll let you leave in a few minutes if you still want to.”

“You’re damn right I want to leave. Probably every housewife in the neighborhood is calling the police right now.” Giana glared at him.

“I got home and took a shower. Like I usually do, I put on shorts and started dinner. Sharon came here for some reason. I still don’t know why.”

“Looks like she got swept off her feet by your charm.” Giana spat the words at him.

“When I answered the door, she leered at my chest, making me very uncomfortable. I didn’t want to encourage her, so I excused myself to get a shirt. When I came back, she had waltzed inside.”

“You didn’t want to encourage her?”

He bristled at her tone. “I did not invite her attention, nor have I given her any indication in the year that I’ve lived here that I was interested in her.”

“Right. So how did she end up in your arms?” Giana crossed her own over her chest.

“She faked falling and then pretended to have damaged her ankle.”

“And how do you know she made her injury up?”

“I left her standing in the middle of the sidewalk when she forgot which side she’d supposedly hurt—first it was her left ankle and then her right.” Koa fumed. He’d never decked a woman and would never do so, but Sharon had earned a lot of bad karma through this farce.

“You really don’t want her?”

“Not a chance in hell that I would ever touch that woman—even if my life hinged on it. And I’m not tired of playing Daddy. That’s who I am.” Koa held Giana’s gaze with his. He needed to know she understood.

Giana dropped the hangers in her hand and hugged her stuffies closer. “I really screwed this up, didn’t I?”

“No. That bitch screwed this up. She’s not happy in her marriage, so she had to make sure everyone else is as miserable as she is,” Koa said bluntly. He stepped forward and pulled Giana close. He squeezed her until she squeaked.

“Are you going to spank me?”

“For getting upset?” he asked, taking a step back to study her face. “I’m glad you cared enough about us to get upset.”

“I should have listened to you.”

“Yes, you should have. And I should have checked the peephole and never answered that door. I’m putting in a ring camera tomorrow after training.”

“Surely, she’ll never come back,” Giana said.

“Her type never stops. I’d talk to her husband when he returns, but I don’t think that will make a difference.”

A sound made him stop and look around. “Do you hear music?”

“Oh! That’s my phone.”

Giana fumbled to pull it out of her back pocket. “Hello?”

“Someone broke into my apartment?” she asked a few seconds later and then finally, “I’ll be right there.”

After disconnecting from the call, Giana explained, “That was my apartment complex. My neighbors reported that someone vandalized my apartment. The police need me to come and tell them if anything is missing.”

Her hands shook slightly as her gaze darted around. He knew her brain whirled around in her head. “I’ll drive.”

“You’ll come with me?”

“You’d have to shackle me somewhere in the house to keep me here,” he assured her. “Let me grab my keys.”

She was already out the door when he caught up with her. “My truck,” Koa said, steering her to the passenger seat.

He drove quickly but safely. Koa didn’t make small talk. He reached for her hand and held it, stopping the twisting movement in her lap. Giana immediately wrapped her other hand around his as well. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze.

“We’ll deal with whatever has happened.”

She nodded and stared out the window as she clung to him.