“Yes, Daddy.”
“Thank you for trusting me. I haven’t enjoyed a picnic so much in my life.”
She smiled up at him. “Me either, Daddy.”
“Now, close your eyes and I’ll stay with you until you go to sleep.”
Her eyes fluttered shut and her thumb crept into her mouth. Nope. Couldn’t have that. He walked over to the bag of stuff he’d bought her and drew out the pacifier. He’d already washed it. He slid her thumb from her mouth.
“No, Daddy,” she grumbled.
“Yes, little one. Try this.” He pressed the pacifier into her mouth. She screwed up her nose and spat it back out.
“Yuck, Daddy.”
“Daddy wants you to try this for him. Let yourself get used to it. No spitting it out.”
She sighed then opened her mouth. “Good girl. Go to sleep. Daddy is watching over you. That’s my little angel.”
16
“Yay! I won!”
She jumped to her feet and did a dance. Dominic and Bain just gave her indulgent smiles.
“Another game?” she asked, sitting down.
“Nope,” Bain replied as he and Dominic started packing up Candyland. It was her favorite. Although, she loved most board games. “It’s bedtime.”
“Bedtime? It’s early.”
“You need sleep.”
“You made me take a two-hour nap today.”
“You’re playing catch-up.”
“I had to take one yesterday as well,” she pointed out. After breakfast, she and Bain had joined Dominic in the gym and then she’d spent most of the day in Little space, playing in her bedroom, before Bain made her nap.
And she’d been an angel all day. She was proud of herself even though there had been a few times when she’d had to rein herself in. She didn’t want to be a bother or give him any cause to reject her.
“Bedtime,” he said firmly.
“But, Daddy,” she wheedled. Then she froze. Shit. Shit. Shit. It had just slipped out.
But it had slipped out in front of Dominic. Mortification filled her.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she muttered to Bain.
“Angel, it’s okay—”
She jumped up, her face burning.
What an idiot! What if Bain didn’t want Dominic to know that about them? What if she’d just horribly embarrassed him?
What would he do?
Would he decide she wasn’t worth the effort anymore?