Doctor Daddy’s Holiday Little by Scott Wylder
CHAPTER SIX
Gregory
As soon as I realized that Peyton was sick, my instincts took over, and I did everything I could in order to make sure she was going to get better. However, when I arrived with the extra blankets for her, she was fast asleep in bed, trembling from the cold as she slept rather peacefully. Even though my medical knowledge had made me work to treat her, I stood there in her room, staring at her, I couldn’t help the change in feelings that washed over me.
She was a beautiful woman, even when she was sick. Her long, brown hair splayed all around her head, and her tiny frame fit the bed perfectly. Realizing that someone needed to monitor her condition and make sure it didn't get worse, I resolved to be the one to do it. Looking around for a chair, I found that there were no chairs. The room was set up like a nursery with a nice collection of toys, books, and everything else a Little could dream of, but I could tell it was all second hand items. Nathan hadn't gone through the same lengths for Peyton as he had for Cynthia, which further confirmed everything he told me. Seeing that there was no room for me to comfortably monitor her condition, I decided to do the one thing that I could think of.
Wrapping her in extra blankets, I picked up Peyton and carried her to the guest bedroom just across the hall, where I was staying. She shivered a little as I walked, but she never once woke up, nor did she protest as I carried her away, so I kept going. Holding her in one arm, I threw back the covers and laid her down on the thick, warm sheets of the bed and covered her up. Once she was safely covered, I closed both bedroom doors and locked mine. After that, I made my way back over to the bed and looked around.
The guest bed was a king sized bed, but, like in Peyton's room, there were no chairs or anything else. Deciding I didn't need it, I made my way over to the guest bedroom to change into my pajamas bottoms and a fresh T-shirt. Once done, I made my way back to the bed and climbed in.
Much to my surprise, when I laid in bed next to her, making sure to keep my distance, Peyton rolled over and curled up against my side, almost making me wonder if she was awake the whole time. I frowned as I looked down at her, but she was fast asleep with no hint of actually being awake. Realizing I was overreacting, I turned my attention away from Peyton and towards the guest room TV, which was facing the bed. Taking this opportunity to distract myself, I turned on the evening news and settled in with a book.
"Who's there?" came the distraught and sleepy voice of Peyton as she started to sit up. I looked down at her and found that she was still curled up by my side, a look of confused unawareness on her face. Giving her a comforting smile, I patted her on the shoulder gently.
"It's just me," I told her, my heart thudding against my chest. "I brought you to my room so I could keep an eye on you." She muttered something as she wrapped an arm around me.
"Be my Daddy?" was all I understood from her mumble, and I got confused as I leaned forward.
"What was that?" I asked, and she gently smiled as she looked up at me.
"Will you be my Daddy?" she asked, barely audible at this point, and I paused, unsure if it was the fact that she was delirious from the fever or downright serious. If I said yes, and she didn't remember, it wouldn't be fair to hold her to it. If I said no, and she meant it, that would be a whole new awkward mess to deal with. Deciding that the best answer would be no answer at all, I helped cover her with the blankets that had fallen from her shoulders.
"Ask me again when you feel better," I instructed her. "Right now, you should rest." Despite being half asleep, she frowned at me.
"You won't leave me, will you?" she asked, and I shook my head.
"Of course not," I told her. "I'll stay right here and watch over you." Seeming to be satisfied with this answer, she smiled sleepily and laid her head back down, falling back asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
As soon as she was asleep, I took some time to process her question. Even though I hadn't answered it this time, I needed time to process it and come up with an answer before she asked me again. After all, I didn't want to seem rude when it came up again. Instead, I wanted to make sure I was ready.
Staring down at the woman beside me, I came to realize that it wasn't the fact that I wasn't attracted to her or her lifestyle that originally caused my hesitation as I had first suspected. In fact, it was the exact opposite. I was attracted to her, based on the way my heart continued to pound against my chest, as if it were trying to escape my chest. She looked peaceful and sweet as she slept beside me, and I couldn't help but want to hold her tiny frame close. The more I resisted, the harder it became to resist her. The fact of the matter was that I was slowly but surely falling in love with her, and there was no fighting it. It was at the moment that she held me close to her, radiating heat while she slept, I resolved that, when she was feeling better, I would ask her to be mine.
