“You don’t like vegetables?”
“God. No. I don’t get muscles like these from eating rabbit food.”
She shook her head.
“Of course Little girls have to eat their veggies to get all the nutrients they need.”
“Oh, so it’s one rule for you and another for me?” she teased as she opened cupboards and pulled out a frying pan, placing it on the small wooden stove. All of the play equipment like this had been especially built for this room and was made for big Littles.
“Most definitely.”
“There’s nothing wrong with vegetables. Daddy.” It was said hesitantly, but damn he liked hearing her call him that.
“For you. For me, I need meat. Well, potatoes are all right.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Okay. I’ll make you some steak. Does that sound good?”
He just grunted. She moved to the fridge. It wasn’t long until the tension started to ease from her shoulders. He sat at the small table and chairs. Thankfully no one else was in this corner of the room, or he didn’t think she would be so relaxed.
“Here you go, Daddy.” She plopped a plate down on the table in front of him. He scowled down at the fake meat, fries and broccoli.
“What is this?” He picked up the broccoli, watching as laughter filled her face.
“It’s broccoli.”
“What did I say about green stuff?”
“It’s good for you.”
He sniffed at it suspiciously while she grinned. “Daddy! Just try it.”
Pretending to nibble at it, he gave her a small nod. “Very well. But for everything you feed Daddy you have to eat twice as much.”
If only he could get her to eat some real food. She actually looked thinner than last week and he didn’t see how that was possible. He hoped like hell that she wasn’t starving herself.
“I like broccoli.”
“You like broccoli?” a light voice asked.
He turned, cursing silently as Betsy immediately shut down. Fuck.
Lara stood there, staring over at Betsy with a smile on her face. She scrunched up her nose. “Vegetables are yuck.”
“They’re good for you, Little one.” Lara’s Dom, Zac strolled over slowly. Ink took note of the way he stood several feet away. He knew it wasn’t for his or Lara’s benefit so he’d obviously seen Betsy’s discomfit at having other people close.
Shit. Just when he’d gotten her to partially relax.
“Lara, baby, how about we go play with something else?” Zac suggested after studying first Betsy then Ink.
Lara’s lower lip dropped. “But I wanted to play in the kitchen.”
“Lara,” Zac said warningly. “Just because you want something doesn’t mean you’re gonna get it. You know that, young lady.”
Her lower lip trembled.
“It...it’s okay,” Betsy said. Then her eyes grew wide as though she’d just realized she’d spoken out loud. “I mean…I…am I allowed to talk…I’m sorry…” She dropped the frying pan she’d been holding and it landed on her toes.
He braced himself for a cry of pain. A screech. That would have fucking hurt.