Page 44 of Haden

“Yeah, but I never wear them. It’s too hot here.”

“For now, I want you to wear them when you’re working. I’m not sure yet if you’ll be in dangerous construction areas, but I never want your legs bare in situations where there are tools or nails or debris.”

“Okay.”

“And T-shirts?”

“I have a few. I prefer tank tops.”

“And I prefer your arms to be protected and for people to keep their eyes off your chest.”

“Okay…” She shuffles toward the chest of drawers to grab panties and a bra before heading to the closet. When she returns, she’s holding a pair of skinny jeans and a shirt that’s cut for a woman. Without looking directly at me, she dresses.

I’m fighting the urge to laugh and strip both the jeans and shirt back off her body. She might as well be naked dressed like that. Both items are form-fitting, so I can see every curve. But I’ll pick my battles. At least no one can see the lace of her bra, and a breeze won’t lift her skirt, exposing her thighs and panties.

When we’re both dressed, I grab her hand and lead her back into the bathroom. I saw the two boxes of feminine products on the floor next to the toilet. She’s prepared.

Without saying a word, I grab a pad, squat in front of her, and open her jeans.

She grabs my shoulders. “What are you doing?”

“Do you usually wait until you see blood to put a pad in?”

“Yes.”

“Well, now you’ll be prepared instead.” I tug her jeans and panties down to her knees, rip off the back of the pad, and fix it inside her panties before pulling everything back up, zipping, and buttoning.

“Fuck, you’re intense,” she murmurs. Her cheeks are adorably pink.

I stand and tap her nose. “One swat every night before bed for every cuss word you say outside of when we’re in bed.”

She pouts. “Fine. Are you going to let me pee by myself during the day, or do I need to let you know when my bladder is full so you can check my pad?”

“Such a sassy girl. One swat for every time you sass me, too. Now you’re up to two for tonight.”

She grins. “You say that like it’s a threat.”

I groan. “I’ve created a monster.”

“You said it.”

Chapter 16

Emilia

* * *

This is my first morning coming into the kitchen after spending the night naked in Haden’s bed, but like he said, it’s not a secret. As I enter the room, holding Haden’s hand, I find the Wilde wives sitting in the breakfast nook. They wiggle their brows at me, but no one pokes fun.

If they only knew just how unbelievably domineering Haden is. They’d all be red in the face.

There’s a spread of options on the island, and Haden fills my plate for me. He at least checks with me to find out what I want and doesn’t say a word about my selections, which leads me to believe he approves. I bet if I said I wanted pancakes with too much syrup and a Danish, he would balk.

Haden pulls out a chair for me at the breakfast nook, helps me get settled, and then leaves me to fix his own plate. None of the women are drinking coffee. They don’t anymore. Since getting pregnant, their bossy husbands don’t let them have caffeine, either. I’m still a virgin, and I’m not allowed to drink coffee.

“Are you pregnant already?” Melody asks in a low voice, pointing toward my juice.

Shaking my head, I sigh. “He likes to be proactive.”