“Okay, Daddy.”
“Good girl.”
For the next hour, they wandered through the toy aisles. She’d pick out a Barbie and he’d add two more. She chose the smallest doll’s house and he swapped it for the biggest one in the shop, which was absolutely beautiful and also cost a freaking fortu
ne.
“Ooh, Daddy, what about this?” She picked up a stuffed unicorn that was almost as big as her. She hugged it tight.
Duke raised his eyebrow. “Not sure that thing will fit in the truck.”
“It will. Or we can have it delivered.”
“Oh, we can, can we?” He reached out and tweaked her nose. “That thing is bigger than you are.”
“He’s so cute. I think I’ll call him Sparkle Pony.”
Duke rolled his eyes, his lips twitching. “All right, but we’re taking a photo of that thing riding in his truck to send to Spike.”
She giggled at that. Somehow, Duke stuffed the giant unicorn on top of the rest of her toys. She had coloring books, crayons, playdough, Barbies, Legos and now a giant unicorn. She sighed happily. “Ooh, tea set.”
She took off in that direction. Duke pushed the cart behind her. “Don’t go too far from me,” he warned. She ignored him, rushing around the corner as she searched for a tea set. This was so much fun.
She found the tea sets and bent over to look at them. A sharp smack to her ass had her standing with a small yelp. She rubbed her ass.
“Daddy!”
She glanced around but there was no one in this aisle.
“Did I not just tell you to stay close by?” he drawled in a low voice. “And what did you immediately do?”
She stared up at him, biting her lower lip. Uh-oh.
“Sorry, Daddy. I’ll be good and stay close to you.”
He raised his eyebrow. “You better. I’d hate to have to take you out to the truck, pull you over my lap, draw down your pants and spank your bottom.”
He wouldn’t. Would he? She was fairly certain he wouldn’t.
But not enough to push him.
“From now on, you hold my hand or the shopping cart, understand?”
“Yes, Daddy. Sorry.”
He leaned over and kissed her gently. “Good girl. Now get that tea set.”
She smiled and picked up the tea set, handing it to him. By the time they were finished, the cart was overflowing. She didn’t even want to know what the total was, so she didn’t look as the woman rung it up.
“Some little girl is going to be very spoiled,” the woman said as she handed Duke the receipt.
“She deserves it,” he rumbled, sending Sunny a wink.
She smiled back at him. She held onto the side of the cart as they moved out into the parking lot, towards Spike’s borrowed truck. Duke took a photo of the unicorn sitting in the back seat with its head out the window.
Duke lifted her into the truck and did up her seat belt. But instead of driving her straight home, he drove a few blocks over and pulled into a garden center.
“What are we doing here?” she asked.