Chapter Three
Oh hell no. This girl was not going anywhere. She was in absolutely no condition. If she was so debilitated by her migraines, driving was a safety issue. Not to mention the idea of her going home to where there would be no one to look after her made him crazy. Especially because it was clear she felt guilty about being so sick and unable to be the kind of parent she liked to be.
He rested his hands on his hips and fixed her with a stern glare.
“You can’t drive, Devaney. I know you wouldn’t do anything that would put those boys in danger and I’m sure as hell not going to let you put yourself in danger. If you want to go home, I will drive you myself. You can collect your car later. But I’d really rather you not leave.”
“Why?”
She said it like it was an impossibility that someone would want her around and that got his hackles up. Who wouldn’t want her?
“Because you’re quite ill and I’d worry about you if you were at home with no one to care for you.”
Yeah, the boys would be there, but Logan probably had his head stuck in a game console when he wasn’t studying and while Chase was a sweet kid he was nine—and neither of them should be responsible for looking after their parent. He’d bet his Lexus Devaney would hate that too. It was one thing to have kids help around the house with chores, a completely different thing to ask them to manage the house while their parent was flat out.
“I’m—”
“If you say you’re fine, my head is going to explode and then my custodian Henry is going to be here late and there’s gonna be a whole lot of paperwork.”
Her pretty pink mouth pursed like she might laugh.
“I can’t impose like that. You’re a busy man and—”
“And I can cook dinner and do my laundry with you resting in my guest room as well as I can with you at home. Better because I can look in on you and make sure you’re doing as well as possible instead of overcooking my salmon because I’m distracted by wondering if you’re okay.”
She slid a shy, unsure glance his way as though she thought he might be messing with her. What the fuck had her husband done to make her think any small kindness was suspect?
Devaney Bishop had already awakened the daddy dom inside him and fuck if he wasn’t going to use it to get his way. If she really seemed uncomfortable then he’d order up a car service to take her and the boys home but until she raised a very firm objection he was going to work on the assumption that she was embarrassed and hated to ask for help. He knew a lot of strong women like that. And some of them? Wanted to kick ass in the outside world and be babied when they came home.
Right now, Devaney needed someone to look after her and he was going to be that person. That man. He would show her the meaning of being cared for and maybe she’d like it.
“It’s settled then. You’re staying here. I’ll call Mr. Bishop and have him come get the boys.”
When Devaney opened her mouth to protest he raised an eyebrow and that was all it took to quell her protest.
“Don’t argue with me, Devy. I know what’s best. Now go lie down and rest while I check in with the boys and get in touch with Mr. Bishop.”
She blinked at him, the urge to resist still rising inside her.Don’t fight me, baby,he wanted to tell her. Instead, he settled a hand on her waist and steered her back to the exam table and got her settled with a fresh cool washcloth on her forehead and a blanket pulled up to her chin. There, that was better.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he told her and smoothed a hand over her hair.
Yes, he was going to care for her as much as she’d allow and he’d chip away slowly and steadily at what she wouldn’t until he found bedrock. He suspected he had a long way to go.