Claimed By her Daddies by Laylah Roberts
13
Aric settled in beside her, handing her the protein drink. “Drink, Poppet. You heard the boss man. We don’t want you fading away. You need to keep up your strength.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she groaned but took the drink and started sipping it.
“I’ll look into other protein drinks and order some for you.”
“I don’t need them. I’ve just got a bit of a funny tummy since I managed to knock myself out. So embarrassing. Who does that, right?”
She expected Aric to laugh with her, when he didn’t she glanced over at him. “Everything okay?”
“Hmm.”
Why did she get the feeling he was keeping something from her? Before she could ask, Matek let out a small snore that had them both grinning at each other.
“You’re not really mad at me for what I just did, are you?” he asked, not looking away from the tablet he held in one hand.
“I know you meant well. But it could have backfired.”
He grimaced and glanced over at her. “Yeah, sometimes I don’t always think through things. I just wanted to help the big guy. He’s not the best communicator, but just because he’s big and silent doesn’t mean that he doesn’t feel stuff.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry I upset you. How is your head?”
“It’s fine.”
He gave her a skeptical look.
“Really,” she insisted. “I feel much better today. It’s been three days since I hurt myself. And Jameson said I only needed to stay quiet for a couple of days.”
“Hmm. No lying, remember?”
“So those are my rules? To communicate, not to lie or put myself down?” Somehow, she’d been expecting more.
He snorted. “Poppet, that’s just the start. In case you didn’t realize it already, rules and order are like Viagra to Kassim, they give him a hard-on.”
“Aric!” she protested quietly, not wanting to wake Matek, although he seemed to be sleeping deeply.
“Don’t worry, you won’t wake him. He hasn’t really slept since you were injured. He doesn’t sleep nearly enough anyway. It’s like he can’t settle for more than an hour or two. You’re good for him.”
“I don’t think it’s anything I’ve done.” But she couldn’t resist running her fingers through his thick, dark hair. He looked so peaceful when he slept. So young. Even though she knew he was eight years older than her own twenty-nine years. Kassim was ten years older. Tavi and Aric, six and four years.
“Don’t undersell yourself. It’s entirely down to you. You come into our lives and suddenly, he has focus. Matek didn’t have an anchor before you and we were all scared that one day he would just disappear. Now, you’re where you’re meant to be and suddenly, he’s sleeping. He’s more settled. Well, he’s also slightly crazier. I think you’ll have to work on getting him to understand that you might need space sometimes.”
“That’s why we came up with a safeword.”
“It’s for other things too,” he told her. “We need to all sit down and talk, but you can use it with anyone.”
“Do you guys ever go to BDSM clubs?” she asked curiously.
“Not often. We belong to one here. Matek just watches. Tavi and Kassim mostly used private rooms. I liked to hang out with the Littles. Usually I’m the fun playmate. Never the authority figure. With you, though, that side of me comes out. Do you like it?”
There was a note of vulnerability in his voice that was so unexpected she kind of melted inside.
“It surprised me. We’ve always been friends. Watched movies, goofed around. But yeah, I do like it. I seem to have a thing for authority figures.”
“Good. Because I seem to have a thing for a certain sassy redhead.”
She smiled at him.
Matek murmured something in his sleep and she ran her fingers through his thick hair. He instantly settled.
“You’re good for him. He doesn’t let people in beyond the three of us. Our parents raised him to believe his job was to stand between Kassim and danger.”
“What?”
“They’re good people, but they didn’t realize he would view himself as less important than Kassim. Now he thinks he has to protect all of us. It’s made him a little intense. Do you know that our walk-in-wardrobes double as panic rooms?”
“What? Seriously?”
“Yeah, the door is actually made of steel and lined in wood. When you go in, to your right there is a small red button that shuts and locks the door and an intercom that goes straight to security. Matek and Wolfe set them up.”
“Wow. That’s crazy.”
“He takes protecting us seriously. But we need to protect him too. I wanted him to see that you’re not like the other women who have tried to get close to us over the years. You don’t see him as someone to put up with in order to get to the rest of us. As the brainless brawn. You see him.”
“He’s not violent or dumb.”
Aric’s face softened. “Right, enough of that. It’s shopping time. Now, I’ve found some protein drinks. Flavor?”
“I really don’t need them.”
“Flavor?” he said more firmly.
“Chocolate.” Like that should even be a question.
“Good. And since it seems like you’re going to be fussy about taking your special drink, I’m going to order you a bottle. Drat, they don’t have Batman ones. That’s an oversight. There is a crocodile one, though.”
“A drink bottle?” she asked.
“A baby’s bottle.”
“I don’t need a baby bottle,” she told him, even as she felt intrigued at the idea. “I’m not that young in Little space.”
“How young are you usually?”
“Um, around four or five.”
“Have you ever gone younger?”
“Not exactly.” When she sucked her pacifier she felt younger, though, didn’t she? “Do you want me to be younger?”
“Not about what I want. You sounded younger before. With Matek. When you demanded he lift you.”
“Oh.” She chewed her lip. “Sometimes, when I’m anxious or feeling out of control of a situation, I slip into a younger headspace.”
“Good girl for telling me. What would you do if you were feeling anxious?”
“I have a pacifier. I’d probably put on my Batman onesie and watch something on TV with Cranky.”
“Is your pacifier in your bag? And your onesie?”
“Yeah, Vivi packed both for me.”
“Tell me if you want them. Now, a crocodile bottle?”
“Yes, okay.”
“Good, now that’s settled, it’s on to shop for monster vibrators.”
“Aric!”
He grinned at her. “All right, no monster vibrators. You’re going to need some warmer clothes for England. I’ll just grab enough for the first few days. The shops in town will deliver them quickly for us. Then we can go shopping.”
“I’m sure Vivi has something I can borrow.”
“You’re not wearing borrowed clothes.”
“It seems a waste to buy new clothes.” And she didn’t want to dig too much into her savings.
“You’re getting new clothes. Stop arguing.”
“All right, but you’ll have to grab my handbag for me. Do you know where it went?”
“Yeah, it’s in the other room. Why do you need your handbag?”
“For my credit card.”
He gave her a confused look.
“To pay for the shopping,” she explained.
“Yeah, that’s not happening,” he said, turning back to the tablet.
“Aric, you’re not paying for my clothes.”
“I totally am.”
“Aric!”
“Keep arguing, Poppet, and I’m putting in an entry in your notebook.”
“No way! That’s not fair.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You cannot punish me for arguing about wanting to pay my way.”
“Watch me.”
“It’s not against a rule.”
“I’ll make a new rule. Actually, we should put the rules in your notebook.” He got up and grabbed the notebook, which she was totally, one-hundred percent going to burn as soon as she got a chance.
Sitting with it on his lap, he pulled out the pen that was attached to the spine. “Let’s see. Pretty Pippa’s Rules. Must not argue when one of her men wants to buy her something.”
He wrote down the others then set the notebook aside and gave her a triumphant look.
“That is not a rule I accept,” she muttered.
“Too late, it’s in the book. You keep arguing and as soon as Jameson gives the all-clear, you’re going over my knee.”
“I’m talking to Kassim about this.”
“Kassim will agree that it’s our duty, as your men, to provide you with whatever you might need. And you know it.”
Drat. That sounded exactly like something that Kassim would agree with.
“Hmm, almost forgot to add. Will not play one of her men off against the other.” He wrote that in. “And will not touch herself without one of her men present.”
Oh drat. She’d hoped he might have forgotten those.
“Any more arguments?”
She gave him a mutinous look, not at all happy with his high-handedness.
“Pippa, look at me.”
She glanced up at him.
“We have plenty of money, more than we could spend in a lifetime.”
“I just don’t want you to think I’m with you for your money.”
He grinned. “I promise, none of us think that. We know you’re not. You wouldn’t be this hard to get if you were,” he muttered.
“Hey!” She whacked his arm with her hand, but she was smiling as she did it. Idiot.
“I like to shop, Poppet. And the others are boring to shop for. Last time I bought Matek a shirt that wasn’t black or navy blue, he threatened to strangle me with it. Let me buy you things. I want to buy pretty skirts and low-cut tops for you to wear around the house, sans panties, of course.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “And then some clothes that cover you from head to feet that even Kassim will approve of for when you’re out of the house.”
“I have to cover up from head to feet?”
“You do if you want to stop these Neanderthals from going all caveman when other men check you out.”
“Other men won’t check me out.”
“You’re gorgeous, Poppet, they’ll be checking you out. Unless we can cover you up completely. Don’t worry I won’t buy you too much.”
Somehow she didn’t believe him.
He tapped the tablet. “All right now, onto lingerie. What size bra do you wear?”
“You’re not buying me lingerie, Aric!”
“You know what, you’re right.”
Thank God for that.
“We’ll buy it in person. That way I get to see you trying it on.”
“That wasn’t what I meant.”
He just grinned down at her.
“Aric!”
“What’s the rule?” he warned.
She groaned.
“You’re a little flushed.” A large hand landed over her forehead. “You feel hot.”
“I’m not hot,” she grumbled.
“I might need to get the thermometer. Lucky we got that rectal one, huh?”
No. No, that was not lucky!
“No! If I’m hot, it’s because the two of you are like giant heating pads. Nobody needs to get the thermometer and no one is sticking anything up my butt.”
“Ever?” Aric asked.
“Yes.”
“That’s a shame.”
She licked her lips. “You want that?”
“Well, yeah, it’s hot.” He brushed her hair back. “But if it’s a limit, we’ll respect that.”
“I just, it seems . . . icky. I mean, Gary always wanted to and I refused to. Maybe that’s why he was bonking Margie behind my back.”
“He was fucking your friend behind your back because he was a jerk. Understand?”
“Yes, Aric,” she whispered, surprising herself.
“Good girl. So it’s possible you’d want to try it?”
“Yeah, it’s possible,” she said shyly.
“Now that we’ve settled the pressing question of anal sex, what else can I buy for your Little?”
With a sigh, she settled in. Seemed that the only thing arguing would get her was a red bottom, so she might as well give up.
* * *
At the knockon the door, Kassim called out for the person to enter. Why were there so many emails here? It seemed he owed Miss Jones a raise if she took care of even half of these messages. He looked up as his cousin, Ryiad walked in.
“Kassim? You wished to speak to me?” Ryiad asked.
“Please, sit. I just wished to go over a few things before we leave tomorrow. Well, provided that Pippa gets clearance from her physician.”
Riyad’s eyebrows rose. “You won’t go without your personal assistant?”
He eyed his cousin. He’d always liked Ryiad. He was a fair man. Conscientious. He’d been a bit of a playboy in his younger days, but he’d settled down a lot. He’d had to in order to keep his brothers under control.
“She’s more than just your personal assistant, isn’t she?” Ryiad observed.
“Is it that obvious?”
“No, I would say you’ve kept your affair with her well-hidden.”
“It’s not just an affair.”
Ryiad’s eyebrows rose. “You are serious about her?”
“Yes.”
“And your brothers?”
“Pippa will be ours. Our intended bride. But I would appreciate your discretion. We won’t announce this until we have eased her into the idea.”
“Of course, cousin. Now, let’s get down to business.”
