Page 9

CHAPTER 8

W hen Wraith moved into the kitchen, Caroline checked out the room. The chair they’d sat in was obviously his favorite. Oversized and heavily padded, it had welcomed her like an old friend. Next to it sat a thick spy thriller on a handy end table with a lamp. She smiled at the thought of Wraith reading in a pool of light. He was definitely so much more than she’d expected from a biker.

Something was missing. She scanned the family room again. A bookshelf full of reading material stood against the far wall. Wait!

“You don’t have a TV?”

“Nope.”

“How do you watch movies?” she asked.

“I drive to the theatre and buy popcorn,” he answered.

“They do have the best popcorn. But what about for videos?”

“Do you have some favorite movies?”

“Sure. I think I’ve watched a few special ones forty times or more,” Caroline admitted.

“Then we make a blanket fort and watch on my laptop,” Wraith suggested.

“That would be fun.” She didn’t really care about keeping up with the news. It was always sad things, anyway. She checked out the room, debating whether she should roam through Wraith’s house alone. She had his permission. Wandering over to the bookshelf, she perused his books. Several looked interesting to devour on her own. Others she hoped he’d read to her. The thought of listening to that gravelly voice narrating a story sounded yummy.

When Wraith disappeared outside to start the grill, her curiosity made her dart down the hall. She stopped at the first door. An enormous hole pierced through the hollow door. Caroline peered through it to see a pink room inside.

Who did it belong to? And why had Wraith put his fist through the door? She turned the doorknob. Locked.

As she rattled it, a small piece of metal fell from the wooden head jam. Caroline bent to pick it up and discovered the metal device fit into the hole in the lock to open it. Before she could talk herself out of it, she pressed it into place, and the door clicked open.

Caroline couldn’t believe her eyes. Wraith had created a beautiful nursery for an adult Little girl. The walls were a soft pink with varying sizes of white hearts scattered here and there for decoration. The white wood of the furniture matched, giving the room additional charm.

She walked forward to run her hand over the railing of the oversized crib. Her fingers came away dusty. No one had been in here for a while. Or was it that he hadn’t dusted in the nursery for a few weeks? She focused back on the hole in the door. Caroline suspected when that had happened. Tears filled her eyes.

“I didn’t have time to replace the door, Little girl. You surprised me today.”

Caroline whirled around to stare at Wraith, who leaned against the doorframe. “You made this for your Little girl before you found her.”

“I did. I wanted to be ready when she appeared,” he said, moving forward to take her into his arms. “Don’t cry, Precious. Maybe we shouldn’t play in this space for a few days. Let me get it cleaned up and ready for you.”

“I love this room. It’s straight out of my fantasies. I don’t care that it’s dusty.”

“I hope you’ll love it for many years to come,” he told her softly.

“I know I’m not supposed to apologize anymore, but….”

“You weren’t ready. That’s okay. Better to run away and come back when you made up your mind—once—than to get involved in something you don’t want. Notice, I said once. My heart can’t take you leaving anymore, Caroline. Talk to me if doubts creep into your mind. Perhaps together, we can work out whatever is scaring you. Can you make me that promise, Little girl?”

Caroline nodded yes and stepped closer to Wraith to press her cheek to his broad chest. He smelled like charcoal and fire. Those scents reassured her that this was real, not one of the many dreams she’d woken up from and cried to discover she’d been asleep. Needing to say the words as well, she told him, “I promise, Daddy.”

She heard his quick inhale as she called him that name. She crossed her fingers, hoping it would please him.

“You are so special to me, Caroline. I swear to be the best Daddy in the world.”

“You don’t have to be that, just be my best Daddy,” she suggested.

“You’ve got it, Precious.”

A thought crossed her mind. “Don’t you have steaks outside?”

“I’m going to go put them on now. I saw you were in the nursery and wanted to explain.”

“I understand, Daddy.”

“Good girl. Go scope out the rest of the house. Maybe we can play in here after dinner.”

“I’d love that.”

He kissed her on the forehead before stepping away. When his footsteps faded on the thick carpet, Caroline forced herself to leave the adorable room for a few minutes to tour the rest of the cabin. The next doorway revealed a guest room with a desk and a computer. Maybe he’d let her type in here? Suddenly, she could see herself spending a lot of time in wooded seclusion.

Leaving that room on that positive thought, Caroline walked into the main bedroom. A massive bed stood in the middle. That had to be more than a king-size. The bedframe was heavy, dark wood with interesting metal decorations. She leaned over one side to see better and gasped. That wasn’t an embellishment. It was an iron loop.

An image of being tied on Wraith’s bed burst into her mind. She couldn’t imagine the pleasure he could subject her to if he bound her completely at his mercy. She shivered in anticipation.

Would he allow her to tie him up? Maybe if she was very, very good.

Forcing herself to turn away from that delectable fantasy, Caroline checked out the rest of the room. It was quite a comfortable space. Masculine and homey, with its dark wood and tan walls. She had a sudden flash of a pile of pink pillows scattered at the top of the bed. Grinning at the combination of his style and hers, Caroline realized she could see their relationship lasting far into the future. She’d never envisioned that with Adam.

She wrapped her arms around herself in a giant hug. To her delight, Wraith appeared like magic to embrace her from behind. Caroline treasured the sensation of his powerful arms encircling her. She leaned against his hard torso and asked, “How do you feel about pink pillows?”

“My interior design sense is tingling with excitement,” he answered drolly.

“I hoped you’d agree.”

“Did you check out the attached bathroom?”

“Why, do you have exciting features, like a bidet toilet seat?” Caroline teased.

“Now that’s on my to-buy list. Maybe if you’re a good girl, I’ll let you play with the jets.”

A shiver of anticipation ran through her. She had picked up quickly that when his voice lowered, she needed to pay attention. Something yummy was coming. “What is it really?”

“Go look.”

“Hey!” Caroline headed for the bathroom when he stepped back and popped her on the butt to jumpstart her. Wraith winked at her. That slow gesture did crazy things to her inside.

Damn, she’d missed him.

Walking into the bathroom, she noted a huge, clear shower. The image of seeing him through the steamy glass popped into her mind. Oh, yeah. Or it was big enough for two. Even better.

When she turned around, Caroline spotted the large soaking tub. “Four people could fit in that!”

“Only two will ever be in there. A Little girl needs a tub for bath time. I have some toys under the cabinet. Maybe you’d like a bath before bed?”

“I’m really dirty,” she rushed to tell him before realizing what she’d implied. Her cheeks heated, and she slapped her hands over her face to hide in embarrassment.

“Yeah, I’ve figured that out,” he growled.

Caroline peeked between her fingers to find him watching her closely. “Is that a good thing?” she whispered.

“The best. I need to get back to the grill or we’ll eat charcoal for dinner. Do you want to come hang out with me on the porch or would you rather play in your nursery?” he asked.

“Can I stop and get that purple monkey in the nursery? Adam threw out all my stuffies to hurt me. I haven’t been able to buy any more. I didn’t want to be disloyal to my old friends. But he’s already there, and maybe he needs some love?” she asked.

“He definitely does. And if I ever see that jerk ex-husband of yours at Inferno again, he won’t like the new shape of his nose.”

“He’s not important, Wraith. You’re bigger, stronger, and better for me.”

“Still,” Wraith grumbled as he turned to head for the front of the house. “Get your buddy and come sit on my lap. I need to hold you, Precious.”

His butt flexed enticingly as he walked in front of her down the hall, making her almost forget to detour into the nursery to pick up her new friend. Caroline sat on the carpet in front of the crib where she’d spotted the monkey.

“Hi. I’m Caroline. Could we be friends?”

The monkey studied her with big, black eyes. He seemed to consider her request. Caroline sweetened the deal.

“I’ll never let you get dusty, and I’ll give you hugs and kisses.”

I accept.

“You need a name. What do you think of Jam?”

A happy feeling filled her mind. Jam liked his name.

“I like it too. Want to sit on my Daddy’s lap with me?”

I’ve been waiting for you to come. Please give me a hug now.

Caroline rose to her knees and scooped Jam up in her hands. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him so tight. They were instantly the best of friends.

“Come on Jam. Let’s go hang with Daddy.”

Feeling happier than she ever remembered being, Caroline skipped down the hall and out the back door. The setting sun had robbed the air of some of its warmth. She was glad to snuggle into Wraith’s warmth as he enfolded her in his embrace. He fit around her as perfectly as she remembered. Exhaling a sigh of contentment, she laid her head on his shoulder.

“I’ve missed you so much,” she whispered.

His arms tightened around her in a gentle squeeze. “The Devils were considering voting me out. According to them, I’ve been a complete jerk.”

“I don’t think they said jerk,” she teased.

“You would be right. Introduce me to your new friend. Does he have a name?”

Feeling self conscious, Caroline showed him her stuffie. “This is Jam.”

“That is a perfect name!” he praised her. “Hi, Jam.”

After a pause, Wraith asked, “Why did you come now, Precious?”

“This is going to sound weird,” she warned.

“When I’m holding you, I can handle just about anything.”

“I never told you what I do for a living.” Caroline sat up slightly so she could watch his reaction. So much hinged on this. Would he understand why she hadn’t told him? “I’m an author. I write romance novels.”

“Fun. Do you have some published?”

“Yes. I have five already out there. They do well with readers, but I haven’t ever found my niche. The night we met, I was doing research for a new series.”

“Okay. That’s why you were on your phone so much. You were taking notes?”

“Exactly. Inferno seemed like a great place to get a handle on bikers.” She remembered the type of handle she’d gotten on one particular biker and got flustered. “I mean, understand how they operate and see an MC in action.”

His hand patted her bottom. “I understood that. So, how does that affect you deciding to come see me?”

“Yesterday, I finished my first MC romance. It forced me to focus on my feelings and figure out why I panicked. I cried so much as I wrote it. I poured my feelings into the book. It’s probably my best work yet.”

“Congratulations, Caroline.” He celebrated with her before prompting her. “And when you finished?”

“I knew my connection to you was more than infatuation or excitement about having a bad boy in my life. You could be a sacker at the grocery store, and I’d be sure you're mine.”

“So, you came to test out the attraction to see if it was real?”

She could hear the hesitation in his voice. “No. I came to beg you to give me a second chance. To see if we,” she waved a hand back and forth between them, “could repair this.”

Wraith sat quietly for several seconds. Caroline gave him time, dealing with the apprehension that built inside her with every moment that passed. “Thank you for explaining, Little girl. I’m proud of you. You were very brave.”

“Why didn’t you try to see me?”

“You were scared of me, Precious. If I’d appeared at your condo, how would you have reacted? With fear or with happiness?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“That’s why I didn’t show up at your door. I better get those steaks before they’re charcoal.” Wraith scooped her up as he stood and placed Caroline gently on the warm chair. He opened a storage chest and pulled out a wrapped package. Ripping the packaging away, he draped the soft gray fabric over her before he left the screened-in porch.

Squirming into a comfortable position in the cushions Wraith had warmed, Caroline pulled the throw up to her chin and snuggled the blanket close. She smoothed a hand over the plush material. She loved how it felt on her skin. After rubbing a handful against her cheek, she tucked it under her chin.

“You look as comfortable as a bug in a rug,” Wraith teased when he returned.

“I love this, Daddy.”

“I’m glad. Lucien gifts each of the Devil Daddies a blanket to give to their Little girl. If you run your hand down to the corner, you’ll find our logo printed there. It’s his way of welcoming you to our family.”

“You only get one? Do you want me to put this back in the bag?” she asked, realizing this was much more than a simple cover.

“It’s yours now, Little girl. I’ve given it to you.”

Incredibly touched, Caroline blinked away the moisture that gathered in her eyes. What had she ever done to deserve this man? “Thank you, Wraith.”

“You are very welcome. Now, I’m headed into the kitchen to grab a plate to pull the steaks off the grill. It’s getting chilly out here. Bring your blankie and Jam, and we’ll go inside.”

“Can I set the table?”

“Yes, Precious. You can set the table for me.”