She bit her lip. He wouldn’t be pleased if he knew. But it was her turn to take care of him so she’d be making the decisions. Nervousness strummed inside her but she knew it was the right thing to do.
“Give me the key, Macca,” she said quietly as they reached the car.
“What?” He stared down at her.
“The keys, honey,” she said gently. The endearment just rolled off her tongue but it felt right.
He blinked then handed them over without argument. Yet another sign that he wasn’t up to taking care of himself right now. He was the type of guy that liked to be in control, including doing the driving. But he relinquished that control without a murmur.
She got him situated in the passenger seat, and grabbing the seat belt, she leaned over him to put it in. But he was so large that she lost her footing and fell against him.
“Oh shit, sorry.”
“Gigi? What are you doing?”
She stood up, blushing. She pushed her dark hair back behind her ears. “Sorry, I was trying to put your seat belt on but I slipped.”
He gave her a strange look. “I can do that.”
“Sure.” Flustered, she closed the door and moved around to the driver’s seat. She adjusted the seat and checked the mirrors. Slow and steady, Gigi. Don’t do anything to bring attention to yourself.
“You okay?” he asked her.
All right, she didn’t want him asking too many questions. Get yourself together, Gigi. She smiled at him. “Just been a while since I drove. I’m fine.”
She started up the car and carefully backed out of the spot. She might have taken a bit longer to get out than he would have, but he didn’t comment. They drove home in silence and when they parked the car, he just sat there, staring up at the beautiful house. She wondered what would happen to it now. She guessed it would get sold. That thought made her heart ache. Penny loved this old house.
“Come on,” she said to him gently. “I’ll make you some dinner.”
“I’m not hungry,” he told her. But he followed her out of the car and up to the house. He moved out towards the back porch and she hastily made them some cheese toasties. It wasn’t much, but he didn’t seem like he was hungry and neither was she if she was honest.
She put the plate of toasties on the outdoor table along with a pitcher of apple juice. Macca was standing at the edge of the porch, looking at the ocean glistening below.
“Honey, dinner is ready.”
“I’m not hungry.”
She bit her lip. She had no idea how to get him to sit and eat. He wouldn’t let her get away without eating if their roles were reversed. It was up to her to help him now.
She walked over to stand next to him. “Such a beautiful view.”
“I’ve missed it being away all these years,” he admitted.
“Please come sit. Try to eat. I made cheese toasties.”
“Cheese toasties?” He looked confused for a moment then his gaze cleared. “Grilled cheese. Been a while since I’ve heard them called toasties.”
She managed to tug him over to the table and got him to sit. She picked up one half of the toastie and blew on it before putting it on his plate.
“What did you just do?”
She startled at the question, spilling the juice she’d been trying to pour. “Oh, I’m pouring you some juice?” Was that so weird?
“Did you just blow on my grilled cheese?”
“Um, yes?”
His lips twitched. “Don’t think anyone has done that since I was a toddler.”
“Oh. . .ah. . .” Shoot. She was such a dork.
“You’re not a dork,” he told her, reaching over to squeeze her hand. “Thank you.”
Her breath whooshed out as he took a few bites. At least she hadn’t made a complete idiot of herself. And she’d gotten him to eat most of a sandwich. She ate hers quickly then cleaned up. She gave in to her instinct and gave him a gentle kiss on the top of his forehead as she took everything inside.
Her mind searched for things to do to make him feel better. She wandered out onto the porch to find him back at his spot by the railing. Self-doubt filled her. Maybe he wanted to be on his own. Maybe she was just annoying him. She shuffled from foot to foot. He could always tell her to go away. Sure, it would hurt. A lot. But she’d give him whatever he needed right now.
“Um, Macca?” It felt a little weird to call him that now. He was Daddy in her mind. Totally and utterly.
“Yeah?” He glanced down at her.
“I ran you a bath.”
He blinked. “A bath?”
“Yes, a bath,” she repeated.
“I haven’t taken a bath in years.”
“I thought. . .you’re always taking care of me. I want to look after you right now.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know. I want to. Unless it’s what you don’t want,” she added quickly. “I can leave you alone if that’s what you’d rather.”
He shook his head. “No, I guess I could use some looking after right now.”
Good. Her tension eased as she led him inside and towards the bathroom. She’d added bubbles to the bath and even lit a few scented candles she’d found.
She came to a stop then turned to him and with fingers that shook, started tugging at the bottom of his t-shirt. He was too tall for her to pull it off him and he had to help her whisk it over his head. She stared at all that delicious skin on display, barely resisting the urge to run her tongue over every groove, every inch of his chest, to suck on his gorgeous nipples until he moaned.
Not the time, Gigi. She felt ashamed of herself. Penny had just died. She shouldn’t be thinking about sex at a time like this. It was only because he was so gorgeous.
No, it was more than that. He was more than a pretty face and a muscular body. He was Macca. He was her Daddy. Her soul. And she loved him.
Oh. Shit.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“What? Yes. Sorry. Away with the fairies.”
“You’re shaking,” he pointed out.
“Am I?”
“Are you feeling all right?” Concern filled his voice. Oh, she couldn’t have that. She was supposed to be taking care of him. Not the other way around.
“I’m fine.”
“Meds?”
She placed her finger against his lips. “Honey, I’m okay. Let me just take care of you, all right?”
She reached for his shorts, dragging them down his legs. He obliged her by stepping out. Then she stood and grasped hold of his underwear. She gently eased his boxers over his cock, keeping her gaze averted.
“You can look,” he said with some amusement. “I don’t bite.”
Heat filled her cheeks and she found herself sneaking a peek. He was large and long. She didn’t have much to compare him to but her previous boyfriend had in no way been this big.
“Like what you see, baby?” he murmured.
Yes.
“I’m glad,” he told her in a husky voice.
Oh shit. She’d said that out loud. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that she was not here to ogle him. She was supposed to be helping him.
“Can you hop in the bath?” she asked him.
He climbed in without a word, lying against the back of the tub. “This is actually quite nice.”
The lines on his forehead started to ease and she moved in behind him to massage his shoulders.
“Jesus, baby, if I knew you could do this, I would have had you massaging me every night,” he teased.
“After your bath, I’ll give you a back massage,” she offered.
“That sounds perfect.”
She smiled and moved back around to the side of the bath grabbing a washcloth. She squirted some of his shower gel, which smelled like the ocean, onto the washcloth. She kept her movements slow and gentle, trying not to show how touching him affected her.
She ran the cloth down his chest, peeking up at his face. He had his eyes clo
sed. This bath really had been a good idea. Pleased with herself, she continued to wash him, avoiding his cock for the moment. She washed his arms next. Then shuffled around so she could do his feet and legs. When she was finished with the rest of his body, she ran the cloth gently over his semi-erect shaft. Holy hell. He let out a small groan as his cock hardened.
“Baby,” he muttered. Then he reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Stop.”
She froze. “I-I’m sorry. I should have asked first. I d-didn’t mean to.”
You idiot, Gigi.
He opened his eyes and pinned her with his gaze. Then he sat up and drew her close to the bath, leaning over to give her several sharp smacks to her bottom. She yelped in shock.
He leaned back in the bath, giving her a stern look. “You are not an idiot. And you don’t have to ask before touching me. I just want to make sure this is what you truly desire. You don’t ever have to touch me unless it’s what you want. Understand?”
“I do,” she said, feeling breathless. “If it’s what you want.”
“Jesus, baby. I’ve wanted you since I pretty much first saw you.”
He had? Then why hadn’t he taken her? She pushed that thought away. Right now, she had other things to think about. She placed the washcloth on the side of the bath as she used her fingers to tease his nipple. She ran her finger over then around the tight nub.
“Yes, baby. Just like that.”
She grasped hold of his cock with her other hand, running it up and down the shaft in gentle but sure strokes.
“Yes. Feels so good.” His eyes were closed, his head thrown back. She moved her hand faster and leaned in to suck his nipple into her mouth.
“Fuck! Christ!”
She thought he was growing closer as his breathing sped up. She lightly cupped his balls.
“Oh fuck, baby. Move your hand up and down my dick again. Yes, that’s it. Fuck, that feels so good.”
A low groan filled the room and then he thrust his hips up, the water sloshing around the bath as he found his release. She gentled her hold on him, running her hand lightly up and down the shaft before pulling back. When she looked up at him, he was staring at her, his eyes warm with pleasure and satisfaction.
“Thank you, baby girl.”
Happiness filled her. And she leaned in to kiss him lightly. “The pleasure was mine. Come on, let’s get you dry and I’ll give you that massage I promised you.”
He groaned. “You’re spoiling me.”
He deserved it. And if she could ease his sadness just a little bit, she’d be happy. He stood and let her dry him off, watching her with a hint of wonder in his gaze. She quickly grabbed a dry towel and the massage oil from the cabinet. Then she led him to his bedroom. She laid down the towel on the bed and he climbed onto it, lying on his front. She stood at the side of the bed and squirted the oil onto her hands, warming it before she dug into his tight muscles. Standing meant she could put more power into her hands, but it made it harder for her to reach his other side.
“Do you mind if I straddle your hips?” she asked him. “I’ll try not to rest too much of my weight on you.”
“Baby, you weigh nothing. Straddle away.”
She climbed over him, felt the heat of him against her pussy even through the material of her shorts and panties.
Calm, Gigi.
She moved her hands over his smooth skin, digging into the knots she found, delighting in his pleased sounds. After a while, he had completely relaxed and she realized that he’d fallen asleep. Hm, she hadn’t expected that. Pleased with herself, she climbed off and took a moment to stare at that truly delicious bare ass.
Really. It was wrong for one person to be so freaking gorgeous.
Then, feeling like it wasn’t right to stare at him when he was asleep, she grabbed a light blanket from the wardrobe and placed it over his body. She left the room quietly to clean up the bathroom, take her meds, and lock up the house.
Exhaustion tugged at her. Her entire body ached. Stress and the long, emotional day were going to play havoc on her body. She quickly slid on one of Macca’s t-shirts, needing the comfort tonight. She pulled back the covers on her side, and climbed in. Now she wished he hadn’t fallen asleep. She really needed to feel him close. She closed her eyes. Images of Penny filled her head. Tears dripped down her face.
A quiet sob escaped.
Penny was gone.
The wonderful woman who’d saved her would never gift her with that gentle, knowing smile. Would never give her another kind word. Or piece of advice. Or tell her a story about the protective, kind, fearless warrior lying next to her.
Another sob. Shit. She had to get up before she woke him. She pushed the covers up and sat. An arm wrapped around her waist and she let out a startled cry.
“Stay,” a rough voice demanded. Then he rose and drew the covers back, climbing in before tucking her in close to him.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” She could hear the tears in her voice. Shit. She was supposed to be staying strong for him. “I’ll just get up and—”
“You’re not going anywhere,” he told her in a gruff voice.
“But—”
He rolled onto his back and settled her on his chest, wrapping the blankets around them both before clasping hold of her ass. He even pushed one hand under her panties to cup her bottom cheek.
He placed his other hand on the back of her head, keeping her in place before placing a kiss on the top of her head. “It’s okay, baby. Let it out.”
“I. . .I. . .” She shook from the sobs that were building up inside her. “I can’t.”
“Why not? I can feel you shaking.”
“I’m supposed to be taking care of you, not the other way around!”
“You did take care of me. Nobody has looked after me so well since I was a child. It’s my turn to look after you.”
“But you always do that!” she protested. “You’re hurting. I should be doing this for you.”
“What? Lying with me on your chest and your hand on my butt? Hm, actually I could be down with that.”
“Macca!” She whacked her hand against his chest.
“What do you call me?” he growled.
“Daddy.” Something eased inside her. He was back with her.
“That’s right. And Daddy says that he wants to do this for you, right now. And before you keep arguing and end up with a red bottom, you should know that taking care of you is what makes me happy. It’s what makes me complete. So give me this, yeah? Give me your tears, sweet pea. Someone needs to cry for her.”
She relaxed into his chest at his words, her tears came free and easy. A sob wracked her body.
“That’s it, baby girl. Let it all out.”
She completely let go, crying like her heart was breaking. Which it was. And somehow, it felt like she was crying for the both of them as he held her, sometimes murmuring softly to her but never trying to quieten her.
Exhaustion came over her in a wave. Macca shifted around and she let out a small protest, not wanting him to let her go.
“Sh, baby. Just getting you a tissue.” He held it up to her face. She was too exhausted to try and take it from him as he wiped her face.
He threw the tissues away and moved his hands back into place. “Good girl. Now sleep.”
She didn’t need to be told twice.
18
When she woke, she was alone. She lay there, listening to the birds outside. She turned to look at the clock.
Whoa, it was ten already. She’d slept for hours. She moaned slightly as she rolled to the side of the bed. Her joints were aching. She felt her forehead. Didn’t feel like she had a fever so that was good. Her poor body had been through the ringer lately. The last thing she needed was another flare-up and ending up in hospital again. She got to her feet and stumbled into the bathroom, brushing her teeth and splashing some water on her face.
She stared at herself in the mirror. Still too pale and thin. Her eye
s were puffy from her crying session last night and she let the sadness wash over her. She’d known this was coming but that didn’t make it any easier to process.
Penny was gone.
But her grandson was here and he needed her.
Finally, she made her way out of the bathroom and went in search of Macca. She found him in his grandmother’s study. He had a large chest open and was pulling things out.
“Morning,” she called out.
He glanced up at her, studying her face. “Hey.”
“Sorry I slept so late,” she told him, walking forward. “What are you looking at?”
“Some old photo albums that Nan had.”
“Yeah? Are there any from when you were a baby?” she asked with interest. She carefully sat on the floor, hoping he didn’t notice how slowly she moved.
She should have known better. “You feeling all right, baby girl?”
“Yes,” she said quickly. No way did she want his attention on her. This was about him. He set down the album he’d been looking at and gave her a firm look.
“Want to think about that answer?”
She sighed. “Am I ever going to be able to hide anything from you?”
“No,” he replied. “And the best idea would be to never try. Wouldn’t it?”
“I’m just a bit achy this morning,” she admitted. “Think I probably slept too long in one position. Can’t believe I slept in that late.”
“You obviously needed the rest. You didn’t get your nap yesterday.”
Great. More ammunition for him when he insisted that she nap.
“Can I see one of the albums?” she asked to distract him.
He handed over a pale blue one that was obviously a baby album. “Here. You’ll like this one.”
She opened the first page and started to giggle at the baby she spotted in the first photo. His face was screwed up and red, he was obviously wailing. “This is you?”
He blushed. “Um yes. Grandma always said that I came into the world screaming my lungs out, letting everyone know I was displeased with my new accommodations.”
She went through the photos. “You were such a cute baby.”
Warrior Daddy Page 17