Tempted by her Daddies: Chapter 11

What do you want?

Do you want to be the guy that spanks her, ties her up, fucks her, then leaves?

Are you just going to leave the aftercare to Salem and Roman?

Salem, he could see.

But before their chat yesterday, Alexei hadn’t been aware that Roman knew how to take care of anyone else.

Fuck.

What if she wasn’t a Little? They could have it wrong. And she might not even want to be with the three of them.

Are you hoping she’d choose just you?

Fuck, if he thought that then he’d probably take a chance and go for it.

Would you?

Even if it meant losing the only family you have?

Christ. What was wrong with him? He wouldn’t risk losing those two assholes. They annoyed him. They were far too fucking good for him.

Stick by the rules Salem. He was always doing everything for everyone else. He’d burn himself out if Alexei didn’t force him into doing something else every once in a while.

Then there was Roman. Too kind and generous. He’d totally be taken advantage of if Alexei wasn’t there.

Yeah, they needed him too.

But not as much as he needed them.

Sighing, he closed his eyes for a long moment.

This was getting him nowhere. The sharing part wasn’t the real issue. After he’d gotten over his initial rejection of the idea, he’d realized he could see it working. And that anything else wouldn’t work.

Provided Tamsyn wanted it too. Because three men wouldn’t be easy, even if they dedicated their lives to taking care of her.

However, for that to work, they had to be on the same page.

And was he?

Would she really want him as well? Alexei was rough around the edges. He’d grown up in hard conditions, with little love or affection. He hadn’t had a loving family like Salem. And while Roman hadn’t had much affection in his life, at least he had a sister who loved him.

Alexei had had no one.

Christ. Listen to him. Since when did he wallow on the past?

Looking to the future was the only way to move forward.

And the future?

Was filled with her.

With them.

But he didn’t know how to give her what she might need from him.

Does that mean you’re going to walk away without trying?

Leaving his bedroom, he headed downstairs. The house was quiet, and he wondered where everyone was.

Walking into the kitchen, he grabbed a beer. Then he headed into the living room. He needed a distraction. His head hurt.

He heard her before he saw her.

“Come on, cutie. You can’t be in here. I know . . . I know . . . but I just need to catch you!”

There was the sound of wings flapping and Tamsyn let out a frustrated noise as she stood across the room by a window. To his shock a bird flew straight at his head. Thank God it couldn’t get out into the rest of the house.

God knew how much it would cost to get bird poo off a Van Gogh.

“What the hell!” he said, setting his beer down as the small bird landed on the top of a windowsill. Right above an open window.

Why the hell didn’t it fly through it?

“Sorry!” Tamsyn said.

He glanced over to find her staring at him worriedly. Why was she so upset?

“Why are you apologizing? How did that bird get in here?” he asked.

“I, um, well . . .”

Hmm. Perhaps the bird hadn’t just flown in through an open window. It was kind of cold outside.

“Tamsyn,” he said firmly. “What’s going on?”

“He banged into the window,” she blurted out.

“Huh?” He glanced over at the windows. “They’re open, though.”

“Yes, but they weren’t before. I was doing some vacuuming in here and I heard a bang. And then I went out to investigate⁠—”

“Wait, you heard a bang, and you immediately went out to investigate?” he snapped angrily.

What was she thinking?

She had no idea about self-preservation.

“Um, yes. Why?”

“Why? Why didn’t you come and get me?”

“Over a bird crashing into a window?” she asked.

“Did you know that it was a bird crashing into the window that made the banging noise before you went outside?” he asked as he set down his beer and moved forward.

At the moment, the dumb bird was happy sitting on the top of the window and likely pooping all over it. But that was another worry for later.

Right now, he needed to make a few things clear to his girl.

“What if that banging had been something else?”

“Like what? A squirrel banging into the window?” she asked. “I mean, I probably would have still gone and helped the poor thing.”

Wait . . . what?

She would have gone and touched a damn squirrel?

“You can’t go around touching squirrels!” he told her.

“Why not?” she asked. “If it was hurt, why wouldn’t I help it?”

“Because it could have all sorts of diseases and parasites! Rabies, leprosy, salmonella, ringworm!”

“I don’t think it’s very likely it would have rabies or leprosy,” she told him. “And ringworm?”

“Yes. Do you want to be all itchy and scaly?”

She tilted her head to the side, studying him like he was a strange creature she’d never encountered before. He felt a bit out of sorts. He wasn’t really acting like himself.

And yet at the same time, this felt right.

“I don’t think anyone ever actually wants to be scaly and itchy, do they?” she asked.

He crossed his arms over his chest, giving her a firm look. “Well, that’s what could have happened, little girl, if you’d gone out and picked a squirrel up. Now, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“Well, I’m kind of wondering what’s going on right now,” she told him. “And I’m wondering if maybe I did go out and touch a squirrel and he gave me rabies and now I’m living an alternate reality where you lecture me about getting ringworm and call me little girl.”

Shit. He had called her little girl.

He hadn’t meant to do that. It must have been because he’d been thinking about yesterday’s conversation.

However, he didn’t want to start something he’d have to explain to her. Not before this weekend.

And not before he’d figured out what he wanted to do. Who he was to her and to himself.

So he took the only route he could see working and decided to ignore that part of their conversation.

“You are not living an alternate reality, unfortunately for you. Because in your actual reality, you put yourself in danger.”

“By touching a non-existent squirrel with non-existent diseases?”

“No, if that had happened you would be in a lot more trouble. For going outside without coming to get me.”

“I’m not allowed to go outside?” she asked, rubbing her head and giving him a confused look. “But Roman said I could.”

“Roman did not know that you heard a bang.”

“Which was a bird,” she told him with a note of exasperation in her voice.

Oh, his hand itched to give her another spanking.

The brat needed it. She needed a firm hand. But she also needed some fun. And caring.

What could he give her that the other two couldn’t? Salem could dish out discipline and aftercare easily.

Only . . . Salem was known to talk shit to death. And he might go easy on her when he should go hard.

Sometimes action was the way to go.

Sometimes a naughty sub just needed to be disciplined then and there, not given a five-page lecture and sent to the corner to think.

Hmm. He didn’t think that Tamsyn did well with thinking.

And sometimes a naughty Little just needed their Daddy to put them over their knee. Whether they were in the privacy of their own home or out in public.

Of course, the out in public part would only work in BDSM friendly places.

Or in a private area.

Was he really thinking this could work? That he could be a proper Daddy to her?

“Which could have been something else,” he told her, shaking himself back into the now.

“Like what?”

“A gunshot,” he informed her.

Now she would understand what she had done wrong and apologize accordingly.

Instead, she made a scoffing noise. “I know what a gunshot sounds like. That wasn’t a gunshot.”

“And how do you know what a gunshot sounds like?” he murmured.

“I’ve been to a shooting range before,” she replied.

“And that makes you an expert?” He walked forward and grabbed her chin, tilting her head back. She was so tiny compared to him that it was nearly ridiculous.

“What if it had been someone trying to break into the place?”

“But it wasn’t! It was a bird! Not a raging squirrel or a gunshot or a thief! A silly bird that is currently still in the house and likely pooping on antiques worth more than the GDP of some small countries.”

He smirked at that. Although part of him did wonder if she was right.

“All right, let’s take care of the bird. Then you’re going to promise to not go outside when you hear strange noises. Instead, you’re going to come find me.”

“The bird could have died by then.”

“Clearly not, since it’s currently pooping on a vase worth more than you and me combined.”

“What?” she squealed as she turned.

The bird flew off . . . toward the walls rather than the door.

“You! You need to leave! I brought you in here thinking you were injured! It’s not nice to fake being dead! You DCB!”

“DCB?” Alexei asked.

“Dumb Cute Bird.”

Hmm, he was still wondering what MGB stood for.

He was smiling until he realized that she was limping. What the hell?

“What did you do!” he demanded.

She spun and winced, wobbling.

Rushing to her, he picked her up in arms. Fuck, she was light. She should be eating more. Why wasn’t Salem demanding that she eat more?

After this weekend, Alexei would certainly be making sure she ate better. What would happen if she grew ill? There was nothing to sustain her.

“Um, Alexei, what are you doing?” she asked.

“How did you injure yourself?”

“Oh, that, it’s nothing. Could you set me down? I have to get that bird out before he poops on something else.”

“I will get the damn bird. You will sit down.” He set her on the sofa.

Where she promptly tried to get back up.

This girl definitely needed some discipline.

Salem wouldn’t discipline her until all the T’s were crossed and I’s were dotted.

Alexei didn’t restrain himself with such worries.

Sure, he’d never ignore a safeword, but she certainly hadn’t told him no the other day.

“What do you think you are doing?” he growled at her.

She bit her lip and glanced up at him, fluttering her eyelashes.

Oh, she was going to try and get out of this by giving him a cute look? Did she think that would work?

“Don’t even think about it, Malyshka,” he told her in a softer voice than he’d intended.

“What does that mean?” she asked.

Fuck. First Little girl and now Little one? Yeah, his mind was definitely stuck on a loop after that conversation yesterday.

But that didn’t mean it didn’t feel right to call her those things.

“Never you mind that. What you need to mind is me.” He pointed at himself.

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.

He wondered if she showed this sassy side in front of Roman and Salem. He was betting she didn’t. Salem liked submission. He liked to feel in control and needed.

And he bet that she wasn’t a brat with Roman because he likely gave her whatever she desired.

So the brat was for him.

That was fine. He could easily deal with this.

“I need to mind you?” she asked. “I don’t believe I read that in my contract.”

“Hmm. Then we need to rewrite the contract, don’t we?”

Was that a flare of heat in her eyes? He thought it was.

Placing his hands on the arms of the chair, he leaned over her. He watched her closely to make sure he wasn’t pushing too far. But she didn’t seem intimidated.

More curious.

Those wide eyes and her cute nose reminded him of a bunny.

“You’ll mind me, Bunny. When it comes to safety and health, especially.”

“Bunny?” She swallowed heavily. “Or what?”

“Or you’ll get yourself into trouble. More than you already are in. Unless you want to have your bottom heated again.”

She sucked in a breath.

Maybe she did.

“We can’t do that again. It’s not proper behavior. And Salem and Roman . . .”

“Don’t worry about them.”

She closed off, withdrawing back from him.

Shit. That was the wrong thing to say. She clearly didn’t want to forget about the other two men.

In fact, it seemed more proof that she would walk away if asked to choose between them.

“I meant do not worry about them being upset. They would want me to take care of you while in my charge.”

She scowled, folding her arms over her chest. There. That was better. He didn’t like seeing her closed off from him.

“I’m not in your charge.”

“That’s where you’re going wrong with your thinking, Bunny. You’re in my house; you’re under my charge. Because I am charged with protecting you.”

“You’re delusional.”

“Still in charge,” he sang. “Now, what is wrong with you?”

“Apparently lots of things since I seem to like that whole ‘I’m in charge thing,’” she muttered. Then she slapped her hand over her mouth. “Ididnotsaythat.”

He had to grin.

Sometimes she was just too cute.

He leaned closer, his mouth brushing her ear. “But you did say it. I heard it. And guess what? I can get bossier.”

With a groan, she sat back, and he straightened.

“Really?” she asked. “Is that possible?”

“It is. What did you do?”

“Well, I might have fallen off something,” she said vaguely.

“You fell off something?” he asked. “What the hell did you fall off?” He glanced around looking for a ladder or step stool.

Nothing there.

Which meant that she must have gotten onto a piece of furniture.

“I . . . well . . . I don’t think that matters.”

“Tamsyn,” he growled. “What did you fall off?”

She sighed. “You don’t need to get out the growly-bear voice.”

“I do need to get out the growly-bear voice,” he said to her. “Because you’re not doing what you’re told.”

“Perhaps I don’t think I should have to do what I’m told,” she replied. “I might be protesting doing what I’m told. Perhaps I’m a revolutionist.”

“Perhaps you’re a brat who is going to end up with a hot bottom.”

“That is also a possibility,” she said in a high-pitched voice.

“Becoming a stronger possibility with every moment that passes that you don’t tell me what happened.”

“We really should get the bird.”

He glared.

She melted.

“Fine. I climbed up on that table over there.”

Alexei looked to where she was pointing. At a wooden table that was resting against a wall. It was probably a hundred years old, at least, and had very fine legs. Even though she was slight, it could well have broken under her weight.

What the fuck was she thinking?

“You stood on that table?” He managed to hold back the roar in his voice.

Just.

“Yes, and now I’m thinking that might have been a silly idea.”

Finally, she was starting to see sense.

“That table is probably hugely expensive. Imagine if I’d broken it. I’d have to work until I was a hundred and ten to pay Roman back. I’m so sorry.”

She gave him a regretful look that actually appeared sincere.

“Do you really think that I’m worried about you breaking that ugly table?”

“Umm. You’re not?”

“You fell off it, Tamsyn!”

“Yeah, I know. I was there. My mistake was not taking my socks off first.”

“Your mistake was climbing up on it in the first place. Do you remember how I scolded you for using equipment in the gym?”

“Yeah. You were being unreasonable then, too.”

“I am not being unreasonable.”

Deep breaths.

“I am trying to keep you safe. Which appears to be a full-time job.”

She made a scoffing noise. “I can keep myself safe.”

“I don’t think you can. Since you just hurt yourself trying to get rid of a bird that never should have been allowed inside in the first place.”

Tamsyn bit her lip.

Good. She was beginning to understand how much trouble she was in.

“I am going to get rid of the damn bird. Then I want to know where you’ve hurt yourself.”

He straightened.

“Um, I don’t think you need to worry about the bird.”

“Of course I do. There’s too many expensive paintings and other shit in here.”

“Yes, but it flew out about five minutes ago.”

Thank fuck.

“Stay there.” He moved around and shut the windows and doors. Then he turned back to her. “Right. Time for a bit of a chat.”

Uh oh.

When she’d first met Alexei, she’d gotten the idea that he didn’t like her.

Basically, because he’d shut the door in her face and spent all of his time glaring at her.

Well, other than when he’d kissed her.

Now, she was wondering why she’d wanted to change that. At least when he hadn’t wanted her around, he’d kind of avoided her.

Which had been good for her. Since him paying attention to her seemed to lead to her getting into trouble. She ignored the voice in her head telling her that she could just try to stay out of trouble.

That didn’t sound like any fun.

And she was just trying to help the poor birdie. Whose poop she was going to be cleaning up for hours.

Awesome.

Maybe next time she would leave the darn thing to fend for itself.

No, you won’t.

Because you’re a huge softie.

Kind of went against how the rest of the world would view her. But it was just a helpless, tiny animal and she’d always had a thing for animals.

They had never let her down or hurt her.

And they’d never stared at her in disgust or anger.

“I’m really fine,” she told Alexei hastily. “It was only a small fall. I’ve had far worse.”

Like the time her job went horribly wrong, and she got shot. Although being shot hadn’t actually been the worst part of that job. Nope, the worst part had come later.

But she pushed that memory aside.

“A small fall? Far worse?” He swished his hand through the air. “Show me.”

“Alexei—”

“I am your employer. When you are here, I am responsible for you. Now show me.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re stubborn?”

He smiled.

Lord, the man was sexy when he smiled. It was hard to believe he could get more handsome, but he could.

“Yes. I had to be stubborn, or I wouldn’t have survived my childhood.”

She wanted to ask more about his childhood. To press him for information. She only knew the basics from her research. That he’d grown up in an orphanage in Russia.

However, she didn’t want him to ask her questions about her upbringing.

Oh, she had her cover story.

But it was becoming increasingly hard to lie to them. She didn’t know why.

Probably because you like them. They’re good guys.

Oh, and you’d love nothing more than to fuck them.

To be theirs.

Right.

Talk about a complete and utter pipe dream.

Even if the three of them wanted and were willing to share her, which she doubted . . . well, there was the whole lying to them about who she was.

Yeah.

That would be kind of a big damper on any sort of relationship.

And probably end up with her in jail.

Sooo . . .

A girl could still dream, right?

Only problem was that dreams died and when they did . . . well, she wasn’t sure her heart could survive that death.

You’re stronger than this, Tamsyn.

You are not going to be brought down by your feelings.

“I’m not going to blame you if I’m hurt,” she told him.

“Do I need to start stripping you off to find where you are hurt?” he asked as he crouched in front of her.

“Um, pretty sure as my employer you can’t do that,” she said in a high-pitched voice.

Had she ever used a voice like that before? What was wrong with her?

It was these guys. When she was around them her brain turned to mush. It was like her senses went into overload.

“Technically Roman is your employer. And what if I didn’t want to be just your employer anymore?” he whispered huskily.

She froze.

Had he just said what she thought he had?

That couldn’t be true, right? She must have imagined it. She’d been dreaming about what it would be like to mean something to this man. To have him touch her, kiss her, want her and somehow, she’d just imagined him saying that.

“Um, what did you say?” she asked.

“I said, show me where you’re hurt. Now.”

Right.

See? She’d totally imagined that.

Going insane, Tamsyn.

With a grumble, knowing that his stubborn ass wouldn’t let this go, she rolled up her tracksuit bottoms, showing him her ankle. “There, see? It’s fine.”

“We need to take off your shoe so I can get a proper look.”

To her shock, he carefully grabbed hold of her foot and started to slide her shoe off.

“Um, what are you doing?” she asked, trying to tug her foot out of his hold.

“Checking your foot for swelling.”

He drew off her sock as well.

“But my feet might stink!” she cried.

He sniffed a few times. “Ahh, is that what that smell is? I wondered.”

“Hey! My feet do not stink!”

At least, she hoped they didn’t.

“I wouldn’t be so sure.”

Rude.

“Well, if they do, you should pretend that they don’t,” she told him huffily. “That would be the gentlemanly thing to do.”

“I’m not sure why you think I’m a gentleman, Malyshka,” he murmured.

She was going to have to look up what that word meant. She spoke several different languages. But Russian wasn’t one of them.

“I don’t think I’ve ever done anything to give that impression.”

Well, she couldn’t disagree.

He started drawing off her other shoe.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Your ankle looks a bit swollen. I want to check what it looks like against your other foot.”

With a sigh, she watched as he compared her feet. Then he prodded at her ankle. Which was a bit sore, although she tried not to wince. However, she must have made some reaction, because he glanced up at her with a serious look.

“You’ve twisted it.”

“It’s fine. I just need to walk it out.”

She hoped.

She couldn’t afford to be injured. That wouldn’t be acceptable.

“It’s not fine,” he countered firmly. “It’s swollen and if you keep walking around on it, you’re likely going to make it worse.”

“I really think you’re overreacting.”

“Then perhaps you should stop thinking.”

Her mouth dropped open. He did not just say that! Although she wasn’t as offended as she thought she should be.

Actually, it would be kind of nice not to think for a while. To trust someone enough to let them do the hard yards for a while.

But that wasn’t going to happen.

She couldn’t let anyone take control like that.

Although she’d thought about it at Club Slade with Salem. It would be very easy to give into his calm dominance. To allow him to take the reins.

Okay. Whoa.

You need to stop thinking that way.

“Definitely swollen and tender. You need to elevate and ice it.”

Standing, he twisted her around so she was lying lengthwise down the sofa. Then he picked up a cushion to place under her foot.

And he put another one behind her back, pushing her slightly so she was lying down.

“Um, Alexei,” she said hesitantly. “Don’t you think this is overkill?”

“No. I will get you an ice pack.” He stomped toward the door, picking up his beer and taking a swig. “Oh, stay where you are. Do not move.”

She sighed. “I’ve got to clean up all the bird poop!”

“No, you don’t. Do you need anything?”

“A drink would be nice,” she replied. She rarely drank alcohol, but if she was ever going to start then today would be the day.

He returned a few minutes later.

With a juice box.

An actual juice box.

“Um, I was talking about an alcoholic drink,” she told him.

“I don’t think that would go well with your painkillers,” he replied as he fussed with the ice pack over her foot.

“What painkillers?”

“The ones I have for you.” He held up a bottle and rattled it.

Who knew he could turn into such a mother hen?

“Um, well, I don’t take painkillers,” she told him without thought.

“What? You don’t take painkillers? Are you allergic?”

“Um, no.” Shoot. That likely would have been the easiest excuse to use. Although it might have led to questions that she couldn’t answer with confidence. “I just don’t like them.”

“You don’t like painkillers?” he repeated.

“Well, it’s not that I don’t like them. It’s just . . . well, I . . . ”

Lord. How did she tell him this? It was embarrassing. She hadn’t been able to tell Roman the other day, instead she’d just hidden the pills in her pocket while his back was turned.

“What is it?”

“I just don’t like pills.”

There. She’d said it. This was ridiculous. A grown woman who couldn’t swallow pills.

Utterly humiliating.

“You don’t like pills,” he repeated, sounding dumbfounded.

“No. I have trouble swallowing them. My, uh, my parents didn’t often give me painkillers. They didn’t really believe in them.”

“They didn’t believe in them?”

“How long are you going to keep repeating what I say?” she asked.

“I suppose until what you say starts making sense,” he muttered. “What kind of parents wouldn’t give you painkillers?”

“They did. I think they just didn’t want me to get used to them or something,” she said.

Kind of a lie.

“And I never got used to swallowing pills, I guess. I just hate the feel of it going down my throat.”

“Shit. Didn’t you have any broken bones? Sprains? Muscle pain? What did you take? Liquid painkillers?”

“Um. Well, yes.” When she was given painkillers at all. And then sometimes, she was given pills and told that if the pain was bad enough then she’d just swallow them.

That hadn’t helped her pill phobia at all.

Yes, she was calling it a phobia.

She didn’t want to tell him that she’d suffered through a number of injuries without any sort of pain relief.

When her period had come, things had been brutal.

Thankfully, she’d trained so hard and lost so much weight that her periods had kind of disappeared anyway and when they did come, they were light and sporadic.

She hated to think what those years had done to her. It can’t have been healthy. She had an implant, but it hadn’t really helped make things more regular.

“I don’t think we have any liquid painkiller. I will send for some.”

Send for some? What did he mean?

“No, don’t do that,” she told him.

That seemed like it would take too long anyway. She intended to be up and moving in half an hour.

He shook out a pill onto his hand. “It is up to you, but I do not like seeing you in pain.”

That was kind of sweet.

She stared from the pill to him.

“If you cannot take it, then it doesn’t matter,” he told her. “We could try crushing it up and putting it in some yogurt.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Yuck. I’d still know it was there.”

“All right, that’s out, then. On to plan C.”

“You won’t send for liquid painkiller, right?” she asked to be sure.

“I’m sending for it whether you take the pill now or not.” He drew out his phone and typed something. “There. Done.”

“How could you do that so quickly?” she exclaimed, sitting up.

He pressed her so she lay back down. She rolled her eyes at him.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?” he grumbled.

“What? Who? Me?” She gave him an innocent look.

He grunted with a small laugh, and she found herself grinning.

“Brat. You can do that with me. I find your sassiness cute. I bet you’re not like that with Roman.”

No, she wasn’t.

She and Roman had a different sort of relationship. You might think it was more of a friendship if it wasn’t for how much she was attracted to him.

And she knew he was attracted to her as well. She’d caught sight of his erection as they’d read books together.

“But you don’t want to do that with Salem.”

Surprise filled her. “Really?”

Salem was always so calm and reasonable. The voice of reason in this household. It was easy to see that he was the glue that held these guys together.

He didn’t react without thought.

“He wouldn’t put up with that sort of sassiness. He likes obedience from his subs.”

Hmm. She could see that. But she wasn’t sure how good she was at being obedient.

Then again, she wasn’t in a relationship with Salem. She wasn’t his sub.

“I’m not his sub.”

“No, I guess you’re not. But maybe in the future you’ll remember what I said. Or not. Depends how much you like being spanked. Although I think he’s more into orgasm denial for a punishment. Might depend on the circumstances.”

She knew that he was speaking English, but it all sounded like jibberty-jabberty to her. Orgasm denial? Spankings? Circumstances? What the heck did that mean? What circumstances was he talking about?

“I don’t know what you are saying.”

“You will.”

Well. That didn’t sound ominous or anything.

“You aren’t drinking your juice.” He took it from her and opened it. It looked ridiculous in his large hand. Especially when he pulled off the straw and poked it into the box.

Then he passed it back. “Drink up.”

Bossy didn’t even begin to explain him. She didn’t know what he was. But there was bossy and then there was Alexei.

And he was completely unapologetic about it.

Moving to her foot, he fussed over it again.

“Alexei, my foot is all good, now,” she told him. “And I have so much to do. I’ve got to finish dusting in here. And now I have to clean up bird poop. Plus, I’ve got to do the vacuuming. I don’t have time to lie here and let you baby me.”

He froze for a second.

That was a strange reaction. What had she said wrong?

Oh, maybe it was the ‘baby her’ comment. Had that sounded rude?

Maybe you shouldn’t have used the word ‘baby.’

Yeah, that was likely it. She wasn’t being babied. That had been a silly thing to say.

Maybe it was a Freudian slip of the tongue because you want to be babied.

Wait. What?

Did she?

Sometimes she’d see Littles at clubs and wonder . . . then there were the women who lived in Escana. How often had she envied their lives?

But was it because they were Littles?

Or because they had lives that seemed magical?

They were happy.

Safe.

Well, as safe as their men could make them.

Their men and maybe in a small way, her . . . but then they didn’t know about the part she’d played, did they?

And they never would because that secret would have to die with her, or she’d be signing her death warrant.

Not that she really thought she’d live that long. She figured she’d get to thirty . . . tops.

Then she hoped she’d go out with a bang.

One could wish that would be the case. But the game she was playing wasn’t a safe one.

Alexei opened his mouth . . . to say what, exactly, she didn’t know. But just then the living room door swung open and would have banged into the wall if it wasn’t for the door stop.

Roman rushed in, looking flustered and carrying two large plastic bags. “What happened? What’s going on? Is she sick? Injured? Oh God. Did you break your leg?”

He came to a stop in front of the sofa, the bags dropping to the floor. Then his horrified gaze moved from her to Alexei. “Why didn’t you call an ambulance?”

“I haven’t broken my leg,” she said with exasperation as she sat up.

“Lie down,” both men told her.

Well, barked at her.

Not unusual for Alexei, but the last time that Roman had spoken to her like that had been . . . the last time she’d injured herself.

All right, then.

With a sigh, she laid down.

“You know, it’s my foot that I hurt, right? I don’t know why I have to lie down.”

But the two of them weren’t really paying any attention to her.

“She looks pale to me,” Roman said. “Do you think she’s pale?”

“She’s always pale,” Alexei answered. “I don’t think she eats enough.”

Wait. Was she always pale? She didn’t think she was, but she reached up and pinched her cheeks.

“Don’t do that!” Alexei reached out and drew her hands away from her cheeks. “No hurting yourself.”

“That’s not good. Do you think she’s tried to hurt herself before? She didn’t hurt her foot on purpose, did she?”

What the heck? Why would Roman ask that? Were the two of them losing their minds? This was a total overreaction.

“In a way she did,” Alexei replied.

What? Why would he say that?

“I did not!” she cried.

“I can get a private doctor here within minutes,” Roman said.

He could?

Holy heck.

That was nuts.

“It just seems like a small twist,” Alexei said grudgingly. “But perhaps she should get an x-ray.”

“No x-ray!” she said firmly. There was no way she could go on any records. “Not happening.”

“I bought every liquid painkiller that I could find.” Roman frowned. “But what is wrong with our painkiller?”

“She doesn’t like pills,” Alexei explained.

“But I gave her pills the other day,” Roman said.

“Um, yeah, I might not have taken them. Sorry.”

“Tut-tut. Very naughty,” Alexei told her.

“You should have told me,” Roman told her.

“I’m sorry,” she said with a wince.

Roman kneeled and grabbed the bags, pulling everything out and placing it on the coffee table. “I wasn’t certain exactly what was wrong, so I bought some other things too. Fever reducers, antihistamines, muscle relaxers, a heating pad, ice packs, nausea relief. Painkillers that are especially for, uh, period pain. This stuff is to help with constipation and this helps with diarrhea. Plus, some indigestion stuff. Oh, and some electrolyte drinks to help with the diarrhea and vomiting.”

“Who has got diarrhea and vomiting?” a deep voice asked from the doorway.

She didn’t need to look to know it was Salem. She couldn’t look. Because she was dying of freaking embarrassment.

Was Roman for real right now?

“Well? Who is ill?” Salem asked, walking into the room.

“No one!” she said quickly as Roman and Alexei both opened their mouths. “No one is ill. These two are just completely overreacting. All I did was try to help and what do I get? Lectured about going outside. Forced to lie down. And threatened with punishment and diarrhea medication. TIN!”

This is nuts!