Page 10

CHAPTER 9

C aroline put down her fork with a sigh of delight. “I’m so full. You’re a phenomenal cook. That steak was perfect.”

“Would you like more mac and cheese?” he asked, holding out a spoonful to drop on her plate.

“No way. I’m stuffed. You eat it.” She grinned when he followed her suggestion and popped the serving spoon into his mouth to polish it off.

Dining with Wraith was completely low stress. He didn’t care how much she ate, and judging from tonight, the amount he consumed would always exceed hers. In a world where guys often expected women to eat dainty portions, it was a relief to relax and consume what she wanted. Best of all, Wraith had included healthy additions on the dinner menu, so it wasn’t like she was only dining on crap. She’d loaded up on salad and apple slices to balance out the more caloric steak and cheesy pasta.

“Mmm.” He hummed with delight as he chewed.

“The dishes are mine,” she announced, needing to do something to help.

“Not happening,” he mumbled before swallowing. “Why don’t you and Jam choose a book on the shelf in the nursery, and we can read that after I finish putting this away?”

“That’s not fair,” she protested.

“My goal isn’t to balance who does what around the house, Caroline. I want to take care of my Little girl.”

How could she argue with that? She loved how he made her fantasies of having a Daddy come true. Caroline wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming this. Wraith would frown on her hurting herself so she focused on his request. “Okay. Any preferences on the book?”

“Completely your choice. I picked out a bunch that sounded interesting. If you can’t settle on one, try the close your eyes and point method.” Wraith demonstrated by covering his eyes with a hand and moving his other back and forth in a row before pointing and grabbing that imaginary book.

“I’ll go find one now,” she said, pushing back from the table. After grabbing Jam and her blankie, Caroline dashed out of the kitchen.

She skidded to a slower pace when Wraith yelled, “No running in the house, Precious.”

“Okay, Daddy.”

Cuddling Jam close to her heart, Caroline kissed his head. “That’s my Jam,” she whispered and laughed at the joke she’d made, happy her monkey had liked that name too.

She turned on the lights in the nursery and headed for the shelves. Dropping to her knees, she carefully laid down her blankie before setting Jam on top and folding the soft material around him. The Devil Daddies logo looked perfect sitting on his tummy. A question popped into her mind to ask Wraith later.

“Daddy,” Caroline corrected herself aloud and smiled. That sounded really good.

Scanning the spines on the shelf, she took her time considering each volume. Her gaze kept returning to one. That had to be the right choice. So she chose a book she hadn’t heard of before based completely on a star at the top and a magic wand at the bottom. Caroline turned through a couple of pages and loved the illustrations scattered between sections of text.

“This is the one, Jam. I want to see what this is about.”

She collected Jam, the blankie, and the book to take to the family room. Once there, she announced, “I hope you like this story!” The sight of Wraith’s butt showcased in the kitchen as he leaned over the dishwasher made her mouth water. He glanced over his shoulder to catch her ogling him and lifted an eyebrow.

“Like what you see, Precious?”

“Mmmhmmm,” she answered, nodding enthusiastically.

“I hope you chose a short story,” he said, and she automatically understood he meant to ravish her as soon as they finished reading.

Sheepishly, she held up the thick book she had selected. “Oops?”

“I should let you digest your dinner before allowing you to do gymnastics.”

A mental picture flashed into her head of making love with Wraith, and her cheeks heated with excitement.

“I’d love to peek into your brain to see what’s going on in there, Little girl. I think we’ll read a few chapters tonight and then have an early bedtime. Jam looks tired.”

“Oh, he’s exhausted,” she assured him.

“Give me five more minutes, and I’ll be right there. Curl up on the couch and talk to me.”

“Okay, Daddy. What do you want to discuss?”

“Tell me about your writing,” he suggested.

“I created my first book three years ago. It did well. Not gangbusters like making the New York Times Bestseller list, but I earn more money than I’d dreamed possible. Adam….”

“That asshole’s name should never come out of your mouth again unless he’s an imminent danger to you, Little girl.”

Caroline swallowed hard at the animosity in his voice. “I’m sorry. There are things in my life that involve him. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Wraith slammed a hand down on the counter and then apologized when she jumped. “Sorry, Caroline. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I can’t imagine someone being stupid enough to let you go. All I can think of is how much I want to tear off his balls and feed them to him for treating you poorly. That man is an idiot.”

“He is,” she said with a smile, loving how he sprang to her defense.

“I’ll try not to react when I hear his name. I don’t want to scare you.”

“You didn’t. You’d never hurt me.”

“Your bottom is fair game,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

She squirmed on the couch as he stalked forward. “Maybe we could negotiate that?”

“Not happening. Keep going. Tell me what Adam, the idiot, said.”

“You’re going to refer to him like that every time now, aren’t you?” Caroline asked, laughing. It was amazing how Wraith’s protectiveness blunted the harm that Adam had done. Her ex-husband’s power to affect her dwindled as Wraith showed her how a positive relationship could be.

“Yes.” Wraith sat on the couch next to her and lifted Caroline onto his lap. “So, what did the idiot say?”

“He told me I was a one-hit wonder. And he was right. My second book didn’t do as well. Still okay but didn’t sell gangbusters. Same with the next stories. I switched categories of romance each time, searching for my groove. I think that was a terrible mistake. MC romance is super-hot right now. I loved writing my book. That might be the type of novel that will work for me.”

“Are you going to stick with MC?”

“I am. It’s fun to write, and I did a great job on it. We’ll see what my editor says.”

“I love a plan. That’s not why you came back, right? So you’d have material or research for your book?” Wraith watched her closely.

“I’m glad you asked. I don’t want that question repeating itself in your head.” She shook her head before continuing. “No. I can do research online. You aren’t my model for a bad biker dude. I wouldn’t share you with anyone inside a book or out of one. You’re all mine.”

He stared at her for several seconds. Caroline’s stomach flip-flopped inside her, and she clutched Jam a bit tighter. Please let him believe her.

Wraith wrapped his hand around the back of her head and drew Caroline’s face close to his. “Thank you, Little girl, for explaining.” He pressed his mouth to hers in a sweet kiss.

When he lifted his head, she closed the gap to plant a fiery smooch on his lips. Wraith responded immediately to her and swept his tongue into her mouth. She absolutely loved his taste—yummy dinner along with that flavor only Wraith had. He gave her butterflies in her tummy every time he was close.

When she sat back, he studied her for several long seconds before teasing, “Bad biker dude, huh?”

She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “You’re even better than that—bad, biker Daddy.”

“I can live with that.” He hugged her close before settling Caroline against his chest so his arms could wrap around her and hold the book. “Let’s see what you chose.”

Caroline leaned quickly to the side to pick up the book that had slid to the side during their distraction. “This one, Daddy. It looks good.”

“I’ve heard great reviews about it. Let’s see if we agree.”

Wraith pointed to different things on the cover and asked questions before opening her selection. He thumbed slowly through the pages, checking out the illustrations on the endpapers lining the inside of the cover and reading the author note. By the time he got to chapter one, she could hardly wait.

His deep, gravelly voice wrapped around her, whisking Caroline away from reality and into the world of dragons, sorcerers, and magic. She’d forgotten how special it was to have someone read to her. Wraith created voices for the main characters and added drama in his tone to add tension and suspense as the action unrolled. She loved every minute.

“No! Read another chapter, Daddy,” she protested as he marked their page with a piece of ribbon from the end table’s drawer.

“Tomorrow night, Precious. I like this book. What do you think of it?”

“It’s so good. That dragon is going to cause a lot of trouble. I’m afraid he’s going to eat the princess! We should read another chapter to keep her safe,” Caroline urged.

“I think I’m ready to channel my inner dragon,” Wraith shared.

“You’re going to eat a princess?” she asked. He gave her a single, knowing nod that made her review what she’d said. Her confusion evaporated. “Oh!”

“We’ll read more tomorrow,” he told her.

“Yes, Daddy.”

“I like the sound of that. Come on, Little girl. I need to get the grill’s smoke and the warehouse smell off me before we go to bed. Let’s go tuck Jam into the covers and take a shower.”

She scooted off his lap and waited for him to stand. Caroline was so flustered she forgot to pick up her stuffie and the blanket, but Wraith took care of both for her and tucked them under his arm. Holding her hand, he led the way to his bedroom.

“Settle Jam in bed and come into the bathroom. I’ll go turn the water on to heat.”

When he disappeared into the adjoining room, Caroline hurried to the far side of the bed. She guessed Wraith would want to sleep closest to the door. After placing Jam on her pillow, she stretched the blanket over him. Sure he would drift off in a minute, she eagerly walked into the bathroom.

Stopping in her tracks, Caroline spotted Wraith wearing nothing but his socks. He lifted one foot after another to strip those off before turning to face her. “One of us is seriously overdressed. Come here, Precious. Let me unwrap my package.”

Too much time had passed since she’d gotten to see Wraith naked. She devoured his chiseled muscles with her eyes as she approached him. “Do you like lift cars to exercise?”

“No, Little girl. I work hard, but I also love the gym.” He reached out to snag the hem of her shirt and lift it over her head as he continued to talk. “We have an extensive one here. I’d take you there, but you might decide to upgrade to someone else.”

“I can’t imagine that any of them are as ripped as you.”

“Ripped, huh?”

Wraith tossed her shirt into the hamper before running his fingers along her throat to brush over the swell of her full breasts. When she gasped, he said, “Funny, I prefer soft and curvy.”

Her heart beat faster as she celebrated his preferences. “I’ve got some curves,” she suggested.

“So I see. I think I need to check out the rest.” With a flick of his fingers, Wraith unfastened her bra and slid it from her body. He traced a line over her abdomen to her jeans and opened the fastener at the waistband before pulling the zipper down. He rubbed a small circle over her mound before sliding his hands inside her zipper, around her sides to cup her bottom. “Perfect curves.”

He lowered her jeans to the floor as he squatted in front of her. “Put your hand on my shoulder to balance yourself, Little girl. Lift this foot.” He tapped her toe. When she followed his directions, Wraith coached her through the other side. Her shoes, socks, and the heavy denim material flew toward the clothes hamper. Somehow, he tossed her sneakers next to it.

Her panties were next. She bit her bottom lip to hold back a moan of arousal as Wraith tugged those slowly down her legs. When he leaned forward to inhale her fragrance, slickness gushed from her to coat her inner thighs.

“Mmm,” he hummed next to her skin, and the vibration spread through her mound.

“Wraith, please,” she begged.

“I’m not rushing this, Precious. Step for Daddy,” he coached and removed the scrap of lace. He rose to his feet, brushing her body with his before standing back and gripping her waist hard as he scanned her curves with a hungry look.

Caroline stood proudly as his gaze ran over her. She wouldn’t allow any insecurities or self-doubt to sneak in when his expression told her how much he wanted her. He wrapped a powerful arm around her waist and hauled her to him to seize her mouth in a searing kiss. Eagerly, she rose to her tiptoes as she held on to his broad shoulders.

“I’m struggling to stay in control, Caroline. If you need me to ease up, tell me. Whenever. I’ll rein myself in,” he growled.

“I don’t think I want you to do that, Wraith.”

“Remember. I would hate to hurt you. Tell me if you’re uncomfortable or need something else.”

She nodded, understanding how close to the edge he was. His passion thrilled her that he was this into her, Caroline Sweets. “You can make love to me later, Wraith. Fuck me now.”

He didn’t hesitate. His arms tightened around her, hauling her toes from the floor. Wraith carried her into the shower stall, directly under the spray of warm water. He seemed to be everywhere as his hands roamed over her.

Living dangerously, Caroline nipped at his bottom lip, egging him on as she explored his hard frame. His response? Wraith tangled his fingers in her hair, yanking her head back to give him free access to her mouth and neck.

She shivered against him as her desire reached a feverish pitch. Stroking down his chest, she wrapped her fingers around his thick cock and squeezed. Wraith groaned and pulled her hands away.

“You’re going to make me come before I can get buried inside you. Help me clean up so we can get out of here. My condoms are in the bedroom,” he told her, his voice tense with sexual energy.

“I’m on birth control now, Wraith. It’s safe. You can come inside me,” she whispered, twirling her fingers over his bulky arms.

He stared at her hard for a second as he processed her words. Then, with a roar, he corralled her against the tile wall. She gasped at the feel of the chilly slate on her skin.

Bracing his hands on the surface behind her, he demanded, “Precious, tell me you’re okay.”

“The wall is cold. It will warm up, and I will be ecstatic as soon as you’re inside me.” Feeling sassy, Caroline winked.

“You’re going to kill me, Little girl.” He boosted her off the ground and demanded, “Wrap your legs around me.”

As he settled against her, he brushed his fingertips down her torso to her plump mound. He explored her pink folds, teasing and tantalizing her as he ensured she was ready to take him. Her arousal soared higher as she realized how he put her needs first. When she writhed against the wall, he placed himself to her opening and pressed into her tight channel.

The stretch was absolutely delicious. Caroline tilted her chin up to concentrate on the sensations of Wraith, claiming every bit of space inside her. His shaft brushed over all the sensitive spots along its path, making her eyes roll back in her head with delight.

“Eyes on me, Little girl.”

That steely demand brought her head up immediately. He locked gazes with her as he slid the last few challenging inches into her. “Damn, Caroline. You’re wrapped around me like hot velvet. Nothing feels better.”

“Move, Wraith. Push me over the edge. I need you.”

“Hold on, Precious.”

All the sensations swirled around her as he stroked in and out of her. One hand gripped her bottom tightly to support her as the other stroked over her curves. The warm spray of the water added extra stimulation as the steam wrapped around them.

Sliding her hands over Wraith’s slippery flesh, she explored his strength. Caroline pressed her mouth to his corded neck and drew a line to his collarbone with the tip of her tongue. Savoring his salty, masculine flavor, she trailed kisses over his chest. To tease him, she licked his beaded nipple. Wraith’s moan further clarified for her that his sensuality was boundless. Everything they enjoyed was acceptable, without limits. She smiled against his skin.

“You okay, Precious?” he asked.

“Better than okay. I missed you so much.”

“Never again, Little girl.”

His mouth took hers in a kiss that started hard and punishing before turning passionate and demanding. She tightened her legs around him and pulled Wraith’s hips close, pressing him deeper. Wraith immediately responded, stroking in and out of her velvety channel with skillful plunges. He ground his pelvis to hers, demanding a response.

Her entire world shrank to the expanse of his shower. Forgetting everything else, Caroline could only focus on the sensations building inside her from her devastatingly skilled lover. Her first orgasm crashed over her without warning, making her cry out. The sound echoed on the hard surfaces and faded into oblivion as he drove her toward another.

Each round of pleasure blended into the next until she was forced to beg, “Wraith, come. I can’t take any more.”

“One more, Precious. Join me,” he commanded as he increased the speed of his thrusts.

She nodded, wanting to please him. His hand, supporting her bottom, traced the cleft between her buttocks. Caroline had never played this intimately before. She held her breath as his finger drew close to her tightly clenched opening. Wraith wasn’t dissuaded by her attempt to keep him out. He pressed that fingertip, slick with her juices, to that nerve-rich ring of muscles.

That was the last sensation she needed to orgasm. Caroline clamped around his thick shaft, and his cock swelled inside her and coated her walls with hot fluid. When his movements slowed, Wraith rested his head on her shoulder as he recovered his strength.

“So good,” he whispered against her skin. It sounded like every ounce of his strength had evaporated.

“Let me down, Daddy.”

Nodding, he eased her feet back to the ground. Caroline reached for his bodywash and smoothed it over his torso, removing the last vestiges of his day so he could rest.

“Thank you, Precious,” he whispered as he ushered her out of the shower and dried their skin with soft, thirsty towels.

“Bed, Daddy.” Linking her fingers with his, she led him from the bathroom.

He paused for a second to turn on a nightlight near the bathroom entrance. She stared at him. How did he know she had nightmares in the pitch dark?

“I guarantee the only monster in here that eats Little girls is me,” he told her, making her giggle.

After a firm pat on her bottom, Wraith threw back the covers, taking care not to toss Jam from the bed, and urged Caroline into the crisp sheets before crawling in after her. He drew her close and pulled up the soft bedding before wrapping her in his arms and pressing a kiss on her forehead.

“Sweet dreams, Little girl.”

“Sweet dreams, Daddy.”