Jumping out of the car, Coco ran toward him and jumped into his open arms. He took a step back to absorb the impact as he caught her and squeezed her securely to his body. “I’m glad to see you.”
“Now that’s the kind of greeting I’d like to share every day, Little girl!” he said before kissing her hard. “How was work?”
“Good. I love the clinic. Sofia and Isabella are the absolute best.”
“Hooray! I’m glad you’re enjoying your time there. Are you ready to have some fun with Daddy?”
“Yes. I’ve got stuff in my car. Is it still okay to do some laundry?” she asked hesitantly.
“Of course. Let’s go get your things.” After one more kiss that made her head whirl, Roman set her feet down on the concrete. He followed her to her car and carried her laundry basket and backpack inside.
Setting her backpack on the huge kitchen island, he suggested, “Let’s get a load of clothes in the washer and then I’ll show you around.”
“Okay.” Coco trailed him into the large laundry room. Roman showed her where everything was before leaving her alone to put her clothes into the large washer. Grateful to have some privacy, Coco separated out her work clothes that she would need to deep clean and dumped everything else into the machine. She hadn’t considered how intimate it was to have someone else see her underwear and soiled clothes. With luck, she could hide her panties and bras at the bottom of the basket.
“Are you hungry, Coco?” Roman’s voice called from the kitchen, spurring her to return.
“Starving. I should have stopped to get something. Would you like a burger? I could run back out,” she suggested.
“That won’t happen. Let’s have a quick sandwich now, and we can have an early dinner tonight. I think I promised you I’d grill something outside.”
“I don’t want to be any trouble,” Coco said.
“I’m glad to have you here. Let me take care of you, Little girl.”
His expression reassured her she wasn’t imposing. “Okay,” she whispered.
“Good girl. Pull out one of those stools and sit down,” he instructed.
She smiled to herself as her body and mind responded to his praise. How could two words make her feel so amazing? Coco wanted to be his good girl. She took a seat and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Were you on your feet all day, Coco?”
“Yes. It feels good to sit down. I need to build up my endurance to stand for a long time. It’s quite a transition from being a student at a desk to the physicality of standing, squatting, bending, and twisting that comes with working at the clinic.”
“I bet.”
“What do you do?” Coco asked, realizing she’d never asked him questions.
“I own the mall,” he told her as he pulled out deli packages, mustard, mayo, lettuce, and pickles from the refrigerator.
“The mall?” she repeated in shock. The town had a huge mall on the east side. There had to be sixty businesses inside, including some well-known clothing and department stores. How rich was Roman?
“The last ten years have been tough on indoor shopping areas. I picked up the mall when it was almost empty of businesses with the intention of bringing it back to life.”
“There are many things happening there now. I’ve been to adoption events at the mall.”
“Yes, there’s a fashion show tonight.”
“Do you need to be there?” she asked.
“No. I have a manager and security details for that. You are my priority.”
His words resonated within her. When had anyone other than her parents put her first? Definitely not her friends. She was just one of their crowd. Coco doubted that the kids she’d hung out with in high school noticed that she wasn’t around. She had drifted away to complete her studies.
“Ham or roast beef?”
“Ham with mustard, please.”
