She nodded. Holding her bunny tightly to her chest, Brooklyn slid off his lap and wrapped her fingers around his. Shefollowed him down the hallway and breathed a sigh of relief to see that the tub was only at the halfway mark. “We made it.”
“We did. Are you ready to make your toughest decision of the day?”
“Maybe?”
He winked at her to reassure her. “Bubble gum or lavender scented foam?”
“Lavender tonight,” she chose quickly.
“We’ll both sleep like bugs in a rug then. Good choice.” Caden picked up a purple plastic bottle and poured some of the fragrant mixture inside. Immediately, bubbles formed on the surface of the water.
“Quick! Let’s get you inside the tub before there’s no room for you.”
Immediately, Brooklyn set Fluffikins on the vanity where he could see well. In the rush to get her clothes off, she almost forgot to be self-conscious. Caden did that on purpose, she thought as he helped her step safely into the tub. After a slight sting of discomfort when her punished bottom touched the warm water, she settled down in the fluff with a sigh of relief and enjoyment.
“The water feels heavenly.”
“I’m glad, little girl.”
Caden lifted a basket from the floor and selected several toys for her to play with during her bath. “Here’s a mermaid and some floating flowers. Maybe a few seahorses and a squeezy clam?”
“Fun, Daddy!” She claimed the mermaid and swam her through the water as he lowered himself easily to kneel next to the tub.
Busying herself with playing, she watched out of the corner of her eye as he grabbed a big blue pouf of netting and pouredsome thick liquid soap on it to bathe her. When he stroked it the length of her spine, she sat up straight with a sigh of delight.
“That feels incredible.”
“Yay, Brookie. Thank you for letting Daddy know what you like.”
As his washing caresses continued, she relaxed. This was amazing. Pure pampering.
“Let me steal this arm for a minute,” he requested.
Her breath caught in her throat when the pouf brushed innocently along the sensitive side of her breast.
“You okay, Brookie?”
“Yes, Daddy.” She daringly added, “That felt good.”
“Let’s see if I can find other delicious spots. Daddies love having a quest. And soldier daddies are the best trackers out there.”
“Of all the daddies in the world?”
“Of course.”
One of their first conversations replayed in her mind. “You told me you dated the neighbor of one of your teammate’s Little.”
“Yes. A few months ago.”
“I didn’t think through what you said. Your teammate has a Little?”
“I have three teammates with Littles. You’ll get to meet them someday. We get together often.”
“And there are six of you on the team? That’s pretty wild odds that four of you are daddies,” she said.
“The other two are daddies, too. Max and Hank haven’t found their Littles yet. Well, that’s not true. Hank had a Little several years ago. She passed away.”
“That’s so sad.” Tears prickled against her eyelids.
