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Why the fuck did she look so tired?
“Ruin everything?” she asked. “What do you mean? Of course not.”
“Oh no, this shit isn’t going to fly.”
She startled as he reached out and cupped her face between his hands.
“Easy, darling girl. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I never thought you were.”
“I moved too fast, though, didn’t I? And then I left. Fuck. You’d think I’d know better. I should have stayed last night. Did you get any sleep?”
She snorted, sounding far more like herself. Relief filled him. Maybe he hadn’t completely messed this up.
“If you’d stayed, I doubt I would have gotten more sleep. At least I hope not,” she muttered.
His eyes widened with realization. “Oh, poor baby. Did I leave you wanting?”
She flicked her gaze up to his, then away. “I guess.”
“Uh-uh. I know you are good with your words, Shortcake. Use them, please.” He might have said please, but the command was there. He kept his tone stern. “Did I leave you wanting?”
“Yes.”
“Did you take care of that?”
Her eyes opened and closed. Fuck. He hated how tired she looked. Not only had he left her horny, it seemed, but he’d also left her with a lot to think about. More than she was likely ready for.
“Because I had to go to my room and jerk off. And believe me, it took an embarrassingly short amount of time for me to come.”
“You . . . what?” Her cheeks were bright red, but her gaze dropped to his dick. Which, yep, was hard and pressing against his jeans.
Horny asshole.
“You went back to your room and . . . and . . .”
“Jacked off thinking about you, my darling girl. About how much I wished I had pushed your legs apart and planted my face between them, eating you out until the taste of you was embedded on my tongue. That I had made you scream my name. That’s what I wished. But I didn’t want to go too fast. However, I think I failed since I pushed you in other ways you weren’t ready for, didn’t I?”
“I . . . I thought I was tougher than this.”
His poor girl.
“Hey, just because something throws you for a loop doesn’t mean that you’re not strong. It takes strength to admit when you need help. And there’s no shame in that.”
“I’ve always been on my own. Apart from, uh, Roo. He’s the only person that’s ever been there for me.”
He frowned. What about her family?
“Maybe we can change that. I could be there for you.”
He could sense her thinking. Had no doubt what was going through her head. Weighing the pros and cons of leaning on him.
“I don’t know . . . it might work out worse for me.”
“Or it might help you. You look exhausted, darling girl. And I don’t think it’s just from one restless night’s sleep. It looks like you’re tired from life. From what is probably years of stress and working too hard. And I’m worried that if you don’t let someone help you, that you’re going to get ill.”
Her gaze grew sharp. “I’m not your wife.” She flinched as she said that. “Sorry, that was a terrible thing to say.”
“I get why you said it. But believe me, when I look at you, I don’t see Jane. I promise. I just see someone I like who I want to help, and spend time with. And I hope she’d like the same. No expectations of anything else. But if you need me to help you unwind and relax, if you need me to take over for a while, help you find the headspace you want to be in, then I’m here.”
His offer was generous and terrifying all at once.
“No expectations?”
“None. If you want to just go out for a meal as friends, that’s all that will happen. You want more, you tell me. It’s in your hands, darling girl.”
Hmm. That might sound good. But sometimes she didn’t want it all to be in her hands.
“And if you want me to take over, then I can do that, too.”
She sucked in a breath. “Right.”
“But I will tell you . . . sometimes my, uh, Daddy Dom instincts take over. I’ll try to fight them down. But right now, what I really want to do is feed you and put you right back to bed for a nap.”
“And would you nap with me?”
A slow smile crossed his face. “If that’s what you wanted.”
“But would you want that too?”
“Oh, baby girl. I definitely would.” He leaned in slowly, obviously giving her time to protest or pull back. Then his lips met hers for the slowest, most sensuous kiss she’d ever experienced in her life.
By the time he drew back, her legs were shaking and her breath was coming in sharp pants.
“Step one,” he said. “Feed my girl. Come on, breakfast time.”
