Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
“Ooh, I like the sound of that. Because a princess gets whatever she wants.”
“I’m afraid that’s not the case.” He stood and moved around her so he could hold out his hands. She slid her hands into his and he lifted her to her feet.
“I think they do.”
He’d forgotten what this felt like. He’d had a relationship with a Little before Krystal, until she’d left the country. They hadn’t been in love, but he’d cared about her, enjoyed being with her. But with Phoebe he had the feeling that things could be very different. He’d already developed feelings for her in the short time he’d known her.
He lightly squeezed her hands. “Into bed, little girl.”
With a nod, she climbed into bed, and he drew the covers up, tucking her in. She rolled onto her side as he drew a chair over beside the bed.
“Now. Before you go to sleep we need to have a small chat about this glitter prank.”
“It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it.”
“You didn’t do it?” he repeated.
“Nope.”
“So you didn’t explode any glitter bombs.”
“Wellll,” she said.
“And before you answer, I should tell you that telling the truth is a big rule. So lying to me would result in a punishment.”
She sighed. “I was trying to say that I might have thrown a teensy bit of glitter, but you have to understand the peer pressure I was under.”
“Peer pressure?” he asked.
“Yes, I mean, if I’m given glitter and I don’t use it, then am I really a Little? It’s a whole Little thing. I don’t expect you to understand. But if you’re given glitter then it’s expected you will throw it… or glue it to something, I guess. But I didn’t have any glue and everyone else was throwing it around. Sooo that meant I had to as well. I don’t want to be a bad Little.”
“You could never be a bad Little,” he reassured her. “Being a bit sassy or naughty could never make you bad, understand?”
“Okay. I understand.”
“That’s my good girl. But you know there are consequences to every action, right?”
“I don’t like the word consequences,” she said. “It doesn’t sound very nice.”
“Well, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have any,” he told her solemnly. “What do you think Miss Price would make you do for taking part in the prank?”
“I think she might give me a cupcake!”
“Little girl,” he warned.
“I don’t know… timeout?”
“If you go into the preschool tomorrow that might be what you’re given to do. Unless you want to accept a punishment from me?”
“I can do that?”
“Hmm, you’re mine now so I will be giving you all of your punishments from now on. Unless you decide you no longer want that. However, you weren’t mine during this prank. So it’s up to you. Me or Miss Price or one of the other teachers, I guess.”
“Will you do it now?” she asked.
“In the morning.”
“Man, waiting sucks.”
“Sometimes it’s part of the punishment.”
“Well, that’s just evil,” she told him. “What would the punishment be if you gave it to me?”
He smiled. “It’s a mystery.”
“Nooo, I don’t like mysteries. Well, unless I’m reading one. A good murder mystery with a bit of romance thrown in is fun. The mystery of what punishment you’re getting isn’t fun.”
“What do you want to do, Little girl? I can take you to the Butterflies room after breakfast. Or you can be punished by me.”
“And then I have to go to the preschool?”
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. Would you like to spend the day with me instead?”
She nodded. “If that’s okay.”
“Sweetheart, there is nothing I would like more.”
She sat up and threw her arms around him, practically landing in his lap.
“And I want you to punish me. Well, I don’t want you to. But, you know, lesser of two evils and all that.”
“Something I’ve always wanted to hear,” he told her with fake seriousness. “That I am the lesser of two evils.”
“That’s me. I always try to be positive and give out compliments.” She gave him a toothy grin as he snorted.
“You’re going to keep an old man on his toes, aren’t you?”
“You’re not old.” She frowned at him. “You’re just… marinated.”
“Marinated?” What did that mean?
“Yeah, you’ve been marinating for a bit longer than other people. But now you’ve found me. Aren’t you lucky?”
Marinating wasn’t quite the description he would use but he did consider himself lucky. “Very lucky. Now, go to sleep.”
“Are you gonna sit here until I go to sleep?” she asked him, yawning.
“Yes.”
“Then you’re going to get a sore butt. Because I really don’t think I can go to sleep this early.”
“We’ll see.” Reaching out, he lightly massaged her scalp. Her eyes slowly closed. Not tired, huh?
“Oh, that’s nice. But I still don’t think that a princess should have a bedtime.”
“Unfortunately, this princess does.” Damn, she looked adorable when she pouted. He had to be strong and not give into her.