Page 230
“With popcorn? And candy?”
They share another look and Mommy sighs. “One bowl of popcorn for all of us to share and you may have two pieces of candy.”
“Awww, that’s hardly any!” But when Mommy raises a brow, I immediately back down, my cheeks heating as I flash them a sheepish smile. “Um, I mean, thank you, Mommy.”
“Uh-huh. Come on, greedy girl, let’s get you all cleaned up. Your hair is a mess.”
“Gee, I wonder why,” I mumble, earning me a round of deep laughter from the two people kneeling beside the tub.
“Just wait, little one,” Daddy says in a low, growly voice that sends shivers up my spine. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
Maybe I really am more messed up than I realized, because I can’t wait to put that threat to the test.
Graham
Later that night, we close the door to the nursery behind us and make our way down the hall to our bedroom. The moment we step inside, Celeste is in my arms, her cheek pressed against my chest.
“I’m so worried about our baby, Graham.”
“Me too,” I confess, letting my cheek rest on the top of her head. “But like Maxwell said, sometimes Little girls just need time to settle in after a big change.”
“It’s more than that. A Mommy always knows.”
Before I can do anything more to assure her, my phone buzzes in my pocket. Annoyed at the interruption, I pull it free, but my aggravation fades when I see Maxwell’s name on the screen.
Tapping the button to put him on speaker, I hold the device between me and Celeste. “Max. Tell us you have some good news.”
“As a matter of fact, I do. I have a friend who just flew in this afternoon—on his own plane, don’t worry, I haven’t replaced you—and he’d like to speak with Kerry tomorrow. In fact, when I told him about the issues you’ve been having, he had a rather interesting suggestion.”
Glancing up, I catch my wife’s eye and see my own determination reflected there.
“We’re listening.”
Chapter Twelve
Kerry
Mommy and Daddy are acting weird.
It’s not only that they haven’t spanked me once all day, even after I refused to eat the fruit salad Mommy put on my plate at breakfast, they’re just acting really… different. They’ve both been extra sweet, doting on me all day, and generally treating me like I might shatter into a million pieces if they so much as look at me the wrong way.
I hate it.
I’m sitting in my nursery surrounded by my toys and contemplating if it’s worth the punishment to throw another tantrum when Daddy comes in and plucks me off the ground. “Time for a diaper change, little one. We have guests!”
“What kind of guests?” I ask as he lays me out on the changing table and presses on my abdomen.
“Well, your Uncle Max and Victoria for starters. And Miss Myra and Solene.”
My heart slams against my ribcage. “Solene hates me. She doesn’t wanna see me,” I whisper, trying to blink back the tears filling my eyes.
“Nobody hates you, angel.” Frowning down at me, Daddy presses harder on my bladder. “Is that what’s wrong? You’re still upset about what happened at Solene’s the other day?”
I shrug, because I can’t bring myself to lie but I also don’t have the courage to come clean. So instead, I squeeze my eyes shut and focus on using my diaper. It comes easier today, and I’m not sure what that really says about me or my new status as a babygirl.
To be honest, I’m not really sure of anything these days.
“Such a good girl,” Daddy murmurs as he wipes me clean. “If we didn’t have company, I’d eat your pretty little pussy until you screamed. But we do, so you’ll have to wait.”
