He sighed. “All right. You should be back in bed.”
But she didn’t want to move.
“Can I watch the storm for a while, Sir?”
This time the Sir was more than just a title for her boss. She wondered if he could tell? But his gaze often heated when she called him that, so maybe she’d been calling him sir all along because she’d recognized him as her Dominant?
Oh Lord. She was going to make her head hurt if she started to think like that.
“All right, you may watch the storm for a short while, provided you eat and take your medication.”
“My tummy doesn’t feel like eating.”
“Okay. How about a protein drink?”
“All right. I think I could handle that.”
He rose and set her down where he’d been sitting. Then he grabbed the other chair and carried it to the window.
“Oh, I could have done that, Sir.” She got to her feet.
After putting it down, he turned to give her a firm look. “Do I look like I need your help, Miss Jones? Do I appear infirm? Do you think because I’m a prince that I can’t carry a chair?”
“Umm, no, Sir. That’s not what I think at all.” He was very nicely muscled. And she didn’t think she’d ever seen him look sexier, despite how tired he appeared to be. His dark hair was slightly mussed and his silver-gray eyes were warm with heat and desire.
He was the only one with those eyes. Aric and Tavi had gorgeous brown eyes while Matek’s were light blue.
“Good. Because the day I need you to carry something for me will never come.”
Wow, this caveman side of him was a really good look.
“Yes, Sir. I promise I won’t ask if you need help carrying anything in future.”
“See that you don’t. You may sit here.”
So bossy. But she didn’t argue, moving over to sit in front of the window just as lightning flashed in the distance. Oh, that was so pretty.
“Can I open the window?” she asked.
“No.”
Bummer. She pouted.
“I don’t want you to get a chill.”
That was sweet. “I won’t get a chill. I feel fine. I like to feel the breeze.”
He sighed. “All right. But you have to have a blanket over you.” A blanket was tucked around her and she smiled up at him.
“Thank you, Sir.”
“You are welcome.” He opened the window slightly before disappearing out of the room.
He wasn’t gone long, just a minute or so. Then a small table was placed next to her. On it was a pre-packaged protein drink with a straw and a bottle of water. He undid the bottle of water and held it to her.
“I’m going to get some of my work and bring it back in here. Will you be all right while I’m gone?”
She nodded. “The thunder is dying off. I’ll be fine.”
“All right. I want you to drink all of that protein drink and water then you will be going back to bed, understand?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good girl. I’ll also get your medication from the other room. Is there anything else you want?”
“Um, can you get me Cranky? My crocodile?”
“Of course. I’ll be back soon. Stay there.”
She wasn’t planning on going anywhere.
8
Kassim stepped back and studied her profile for a moment.
She was paler than he would have liked. She required more care. She gave the appearance that she could handle anything. But that wasn’t the case. And they needed to remember that she was still delicate, fragile.
He was glad that she felt comfortable enough to talk about her past, but he hated how her ex-fiancé treated her.
His brothers were all waiting in his office. As soon as he walked in, Matek stepped forward.
“I’ll go sit with her.”
“No, you won’t. You’ll leave her for a while.” Aric was sitting and Tavi was pacing back and forth, looking worried.
So he should be.
“I need to talk to her, Kassim. You don’t understand,” Tavi said. “Just give me a few moments.”
“No.”
“She’s not just yours,” Tavi shot at him.
“I know that,” he replied calmly. “But right now, the last thing she needs is the three of you storming in there and upsetting her. We’re supposed to be keeping her calm. And yet I find her storming down the hallway, near tears, over something you said.”
“It was stupid of me,” Tavi admitted. “I didn’t know it would upset her.”
“You didn’t think that talking about the noises she made when she orgasms in front of other people would upset her?”
“But it’s not like that,” Tavi said desperately. “You know it’s not like that.”
“We know that, but she didn’t, Tavi! What were you thinking?” His hands were clenched into fists. This wasn’t like him. He’d never reacted like this before.
But he’d never had anyone like Pippa in his life before. She was the first woman they had all wanted. Desired.
“You humiliated her.”
Tavi’s head went back. He looked like he’d been slapped.
“That wasn’t my intention,” he said.
“He didn’t mean it like that, Kassim,” Aric backed his brother up. That was the way it usually went. Matek supported him. Aric and Tavi stuck together.
Matek hadn’t moved from his stance by the door. His quiet brother needed watching. He was already obsessed. Although Pippa didn’t seem too concerned about Matek’s single-minded focus when it came to her.
“I know you didn’t mean to,” Kassim said, trying to calm himself. “And I know that you all think I’m old-fashioned for wanting to go slowly and maybe I was partially wrong. However, I think that you went too fast.”
Tavi actually nodded. “I know.”
Kassim let out a deep breath. “I have spoken to her of our feelings and our desire to make her our wife.”
“You did what?” Aric snapped, anger filling his face. “Without us?”
“Yes. She was upset. She didn’t know what was going on. She thought that Tavi was only interested in her for sex.”
“Damn it,” Tavi swore. “I fucked up. I never meant her to feel that way.”
“I know. I had to tell her what she means to us, what we want from her.”
“And what did she say?” Tavi asked.
They were all staring at him now, even Matek.
“At first she didn’t really believe it. She didn’t know why we would want her.”
“What the hell?” Tavi asked.
“She thinks we need someone who will fit in better with our lifestyle. Someone who isn’t clumsy or messy or a Little.”
“Wait, what? She said those words?” Aric asked.
“She doesn’t believe she’s worthy of us.” Tavi sat with a groan and put his elbows on his legs, leaning his face into his hands. “What have I done?”
Kassim sat in an armchair. Aric sat next to Tavi while Matek moved so he was leaning against the wall facing Kassim. This place was still a mess from Matek losing it earlier but he would worry about it later.
Generally he liked everything in its place. But there were more important things going on.
“Our girl isn’t as confident as she appears. It seems she has some insecurities that we need to work through. She pointed out that we hadn’t even dated, so how could I be sure we all wanted her.”
“Dates? She wants to date?” Aric asked. “We can do that, right?”
“After my meeting in London, we’ll take her to our country estate and start dating her.”
They all gave him looks of relief. Well, except Matek. He looked like he wanted to storm into the bedroom. But he was holding back, which was probably a miracle.
“I like this idea.” Aric grinned.
“Actual dates. No pinning her to the wall and fucking her and calling it a date,” Kassim warned.
“Wait, are you saying n
o sex?” Aric asked. “No orgasms? No fun play? No pretty little maid gets punished by the butler?”
“What is wrong with you?” Kassim asked him.
“A lot,” Aric said. “But I don’t know if I can stick to chaste kisses. I’m not made out of stone like you.”
Kassim ran a hand down his face. Why him? He wanted to tell them that no, they weren’t to touch her or tease her or sleep with her . . . but the fact was that he wasn’t made of stone.
“I’m not saying you can’t do any of that. Just make sure she knows how special she is to us. Her ex cheated on her for months with one of her supposed friends. And all their friends knew and didn’t tell her. Her ex told them lies about their sex life.”
“Fuck,” Tavi swore.
“Poor baby.” Aric grimaced.
“I’ll kill him,” Matek swore.
“I don’t think you need to do that,” Kassim warned, knowing with Matek it wasn’t an empty threat. “But we all need to be aware of her trust issues. As well as building up her confidence. Dating four men isn’t normal for her, we have to show her that not only is it possible but that she can thrive from our attention.”
“Wait,” Aric said, sitting up. “You said something about her being a Little. Did she . . . did she tell you that?”
“Yes, actually, she did. We didn’t talk about it much, she seemed to think it would be a deterrent.”
Satisfaction filled Aric’s face. “Well, she’s about to find out differently isn’t she.”
Yes, she would.
“About her attacker,” he said, watching as they all came to attention. He knew they were as eager as he was to find this bastard. “I think it’s likely to have something to do with us, which is why I want us flying out to England as soon as Jameson gives the all clear.”
They all nodded.
“I can’t see it being about Pippa,” Aric agreed. “There’s no reason for anyone to hurt her.”
“You’re all in agreement not to tell her what happened?” he asked. He didn’t need their agreement. Technically, he was the oldest and in charge. They always looked to him for leadership. But when it came to Pippa, they’d work better together as a unit if they were all onboard.
“She shouldn’t be stressed,” Tavi agreed. “And hopefully, it won’t take Caleb, Wolfe and Aleki long to discover who hurt her.”
Matek grunted with a nod.
“We can’t keep this from her forever,” Aric said. “She won’t appreciate being kept in the dark.”
“Our job is to protect her, from all things,” Kassim said. “Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.”
“Yes, but Pippa didn’t grow up here,” Aric told them. “She is used to her independence.”
He didn’t like it. It went against everything he believed in.
“We won’t speak to her of this until we are away from here,” he decided. “And she is feeling better. Once we get to London, we will be away from the threat. That is the most important thing. Then we will be able to spend time dating her.”
“We should have just stolen her in the first place,” Aric grumbled. “Would have made life easier. We could still do it. Maybe hide away on one of the islands where she wouldn’t be allowed to wear any clothing and we could make sure to apply sunscreen to her every two hours. All over.”
Kassim sighed. “I didn’t want to bride steal her because she isn’t from here. And she is my employee. It felt like taking advantage of her.”
Maybe if he didn’t have the responsibilities he had. If he hadn’t been scared about terrifying her, of pushing her away he would have done it.
“She would have been protected,” Aric said stubbornly.
Something he had failed to do. Keep her safe.
“Do it now,” Matek demanded.
“It isn’t a good time.”
His brothers all sent him hard looks. He got it. But he had his reasons. “She is injured and needs care. You don’t think the elders would consider that taking advantage if we stole her now?”
“Alpha team stole Vivi when she was barely out of hospital,” Aric pointed out.
Yes, but Alpha team weren’t them. They had to be above suspicion. In all things.
“I am worried if we announce her as our intended bride that it might put her in more danger from this person. To keep her safe, we need to find this person first.”
“Fine,” Aric said on a huff. “But one day I’m getting her naked on a beach.”
“I still need to talk to her,” Tavi said with a wince. “Explain that I didn’t mean to hurt her.”
“I know. But just give her a while to take everything in. I need her to rest and eat and keep quiet. When she’s ready to talk, I’ll let you know.”
“Fine, but I’m waiting in your sitting room,” Tavi said.
Matek nodded and followed with Aric.
Kassim sighed. It was going to be a long day.
9
So this was weird.
And that was saying something considering her life. But here she was, sitting in her boss’s bed, while he worked at the small seating area across the room.
“You don’t have to stay with me,” she told him.
“I know. You have told me several times.”
Whoops. She should probably be quiet and let the man work.
“I mean, if you’re worried that I’m going to rifle through your undies drawer, I promise I won’t.”
Um, did I really just say that?
“Well, I wasn’t worried about that before, but now . . .”
“Did you . . . was that a joke?”
He raised his gaze to hers. “You don’t think I can joke and tease?”
“Oh, well, no, of course not. I mean, I’m sure you could be a stand-up comedian if you wanted to.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he mused.
He’d brought her stuff back with him, including Cranky. Being able to brush her teeth and change her panties was freaking heaven. Although he’d insisted on carrying her to and from the bathroom. But now that her teeth were clean and drugs working their magic, well, she was bored.
And a bored Pippa wasn’t a good thing. Nope.
She needed her cartoons. And maybe a cupcake. Perhaps a coloring book.
But she still felt shy about showing her Little to Kassim.
“Maybe I should go back to my cottage, give you some privacy.” She really wanted her things around her.
Kassim studied her, putting his papers aside. Oh drat.
“I’m sorry,” she told him hastily. “I know I’m being a pain. I’ll shut up now.”
“You’re bored.”
“A teeny tiny bit. And kind of out of my comfort zone. I’ll be fine at home. My head hardly hurts.”
“What if you get light-headed when you try to move around?”
“I won’t move around.”
“And how are you planning to go to the bathroom?”
“If I don’t eat or drink I’ll be fine.”
“You’re not making a good argument for me letting you return home.”
“So you were thinking about it?” she asked.
“No.”
She pouted. Darn it. “I could go back to the room I was in before.” Then she could watch some TV without annoying him.
“What is it that you need?” he asked quietly.
“What?” She gave him a startled look.
Standing, he stretched.
Oh, holy hotness, Batman.
His button-down shirt was untucked, which was relaxed for Kassim. And when he reached up, he flashed her a hint of tanned, muscular stomach.
Yes, please.
Easy, girl.
Then he strode over to her. Well, prowled towards her. Sitting on the bed facing her, he placed his hands on either side of her body.
What was happening right now?
Well, she knew what was happening. The guy practically proposed to her and now . . . he was . . . shit. Would he kiss her again?
“I brushed my teeth,” she blurted out.
His eyebrows rose. “I know.”
Of course he knows that, you idiot.
“Oh, right. Yep.”
“Now, why would you be telling me that?” he wondered.
She was bright red. Damn it. She felt like an oversized tomato. So attractive. Then there was the fact she hadn’t had a shower today.
Yep, really attractive.
“Never mind,” she said, her voice embarrassingly high-pitched.
“Oh, but I do mind. I’d very much like to know why you thought it was so important to tell me that you had brushed your teeth.” He leaned his head in towards her. “Do you want me to kiss you, Miss Jones?”
Yikes. Why was it so sexy when he called her Miss Jones now?
“Um, maybe.”
“Only maybe? What can I do to make that a definite?”
“Nothing. You don’t have to do anything to make it a definite.” She closed her eyes. “I know I’m not very attractive at the moment—”
A low noise interrupted her and she opened her eyes to gape up at him.
“You are very lucky that you’re injured right now.”
“What? Why?”
“Because otherwise you’d be over my knee for that.”
Her mouth dropped open. What would it be like to be over his knee? She could see herself with her pants around her ankles, her ass bare as she kicked and squirmed and he’d scold her in that deep voice of his. Then afterward, he’d kiss it all better and give her the world’s most earth-shattering orgasm.
“Your breathing just grew faster, are you imagining yourself getting a spanking?”
“What? No! That would be weird. Okay, maybe, just a little bit.”
“Just a little bit? From your reaction, I’m guessing you like the idea.”
“M-maybe.”
Claimed by her Daddies Page 13