Seductive Scientist Daddy by Scott Wylder

CHAPTER NINE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lily

The next morning, Evan tasked me with taking soil samples of the terrain surrounding the lake, while he took some samples of the water. It was peaceful work without a lot of talking. He felt distant, after last night. It had felt nice having him read to me. It had made me feel safe and secure. I had always loved story time in school, but I’d never had it growing up with my parents. It felt special; almost intimate with Evan. Knowing he did it with a girlfriend made it even more so.

It was interesting watching him as he talked about camping with his ex. For a split second, his expression darkened with lust. I wondered what memory spurred that on. Even more, I wondered how I could make him look at me in that way. But, that was out of the question. There was no way he would ever be interested in someone like me. He was way out of my league. I was just a college student, who was barely holding it together. He wouldn't want someone who wasn't even able to take care of herself.

By lunchtime, we had finished collecting all of the samples. Once they were stored and ready for transport, I turned to Evan. "What's next?" I asked.

"Lunch," he said, pulling out a box of mac 'n cheese and a pot to cook it in. "And water." He handed me a bottle of water. "Drink," he ordered.

I smiled slightly and obeyed. The cool, fresh water tasted nice after working so long. It was getting hot now and I had worked up a sweat. I longed to take a shower and change my clothes, but there was no use freshening up now. We’d brought baby wipes and dry shampoo to use to stay clean, but it would be a waste to use them when I would be getting dirty again in less than an hour. "I meant what's the next step with the lake?"

"We put up a boom barrier around the lake," he said. "That'll take a few days. It'll let us control the pollution to keep it from leaching further into the ecosystem. Then comes the fun part."

I grinned. "What's the fun part?"

He gestured into the supply trailer. In the back was a small canoe and what looked like two barrels. "We use these mini skimmers to collect the pollution. But, we get to canoe around the lake, while we do so."

I smiled and my stomach leaped in anticipation. I had never been canoeing before, but it sounded like fun. "I can't wait," I said.

He chuckled. "It's fun, but trust me, it'll be a workout. After a couple of days, you'll start to feel it."

I was already starting to feel it. I don't think I had ever spent so much time doing physical activity before; but, I wasn't about to tell him that.

We sat down at the campfire to make the mac 'n cheese. "Would you read more of A Wrinkle in Time to me?" I asked. My voice rose a little higher in pitch when I asked. As if I was a child.

He smiled at me. There was a look in his eye that I couldn't quite figure out. "Of course, Little One," he said.

Pleasure bloomed inside of me at him calling me that. It made me feel all small and cute. It also made me feel vulnerable, but I didn't mind being vulnerable to him. I knew he wouldn't hurt me.

Over lunch, he read a few chapters. The sound of his voice relaxed me, until I wasn't even focusing on the story anymore, just his voice. It was like sinking into a relaxing bath.

Once we had finished eating, we needed to get back to work, though. We spent the rest of the day setting up the boom barrier. It was heavy and labor-intensive. By the time night was falling, my arms felt dead, and we only had a small portion in place.

I flopped next to the campfire, exhausted. "I don't know how we're going to get that whole thing up by ourselves."

"Time and patience, Little One," he said as he handed me a plate with a cheeseburger on it, freshly cooked on the campfire. "If you need a break tomorrow, then that's fine. I don't want you hurting yourself."

"No, I'll be fine tomorrow. I just need to rest." I bit into the cheeseburger and groaned. Why did campfire smoke taste so good in food?

"Don't push yourself."

"I won't. I promise." I smiled up at him. "Thank you. For taking such good care of me."

He cleared his throat and looked away. "It's my job," he said. "You're my responsibility."

"I'm sorry. I know I must be a burden right now. It would have been a lot easier to do this with Ellen." Ellen was in much better shape than I was. She would have been able to help a lot more than I ever could have.

"You're not a burden," he said firmly. "Don't ever think that. Understand?"

I bit my lip. His tone made me feel shy. "Yes," I whispered. "I'm sorry."

He sighed. "No, Little One. It's okay. I'm not mad. But, I don't want you to feel bad. You've already helped so much on this trip. I don't ever want you to think you're a burden."

I nodded and gave him a small smile. He was so kind to me. Somehow I would have to pay him back for everything he had done for me.

That night, I crawled into my tent. The heat from the day had evaporated and there was a slight chill in the air. I shivered and curled up under my blanket, while hugging my stuffy as I tried to get to sleep.