Protector Daddy by Taryn Quinn

TWENTY-FIVE

“So what’sMr. Wonderful doing for Christmas?” Mickey asked from our bench not far from the police station.

It was a rare warm late December afternoon with no new snow in sight and the remaining snow on the sidewalks melting into slushy piles. Everyone was out rushing around to get last minute shopping done since tomorrow was Christmas Eve.

Even the ducks seemed to be in an unaccustomed hurry, barely stopping by for some lunch hand-fed from me and Mickey. I’d skipped the afternoon story hour since I had company and my Kindle was dead.

Mav had better pony up my new one. He owed me. He could’ve at least made sure his courthouse ceremony was taped, for pity’s sake.

I had a right to cry over such things as his sister, dammit.

“Not sure,” I said vaguely, tossing grains at a passing duck who didn’t seem to care.

Even my prime rice and oats couldn’t lure the ducks.

“He hasn’t given you any hints?”

“Other than the oddly locked room he won’t let me into, no.” I shrugged and drained the rest of the baggie behind the bench on a rare patch of bare grass with no snow. “We’re too far from the lake. That’s where the real action is.”

“Not when you’re trying to peep the new hot cop. Have you seen all his tattoos? I want to play connect the dots with my tongue.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “You’re sitting this close to the police station to watch Jimmy? I don’t even think he’s on today. No, he’s not on,” I added after a quick flip through my hunger-addled memory banks.

We’d had sandwiches we’d made for ourselves from the bakery before we took our break, but I was craving home fries from The Rusty Spoon.

“Dammit. It’s not like I can sit here every day waiting for him to pass. You’ll have to give me his schedule.”

“Why?”

“Are you so domesticated you no longer remember the single girl hustle?” She shook her head. “You obviously don’t even notice the eye candy anymore. Christian probably does not have a single tattoo.”

“No, he does not. But his body is a work of art. When you have that many muscles, tattoos are just a distraction from the canvas.”

“Jimmy has tons of muscles too, you know.”

“You haven’t seen his naked though.”

Mickey let out a sound that resembled a snarl. “You know, you don’t have to brag.”

I snorted. “Brag, yeah, right. You would never go for someone like Christian. You would never want to gain weight on purpose.” I rubbed my belly as I now did on an almost hourly basis. “You would never enjoy wishing lunch was hourly. Hey, want to go to The Rusty Spoon?”

“We just ate?”

I sighed. “Fine. I’ll go by myself and drown my sorrows in home fries slathered in maple syrup.”

“That doesn’t sound good. Wait, what sorrows?” She grabbed my arm as I rose. “You’re glowing like a light bulb.”

“Am I?”

“You know you are. If you could market that stuff without the added kid, you’d be a millionaire.” She grinned up at me. “Tell Mickey what’s wrong. Does he only give you two Os a night now instead of three?”

“You are not funny.” I couldn’t help a small grin. “Nope, three is on the menu pretty regularly.”

“Showoff.” She gestured at the police station. “If this dude would cooperate, I could find out if once you go cop, you don’t stop, but the universe won’t cooperate with my potential sexual satisfaction.”

The door swung open and Christian appeared in the doorway, filling it so completely that my heart skipped, jumped, and did a cartwheel. My mood lifted right away, especially since I saw his eyes light up as if he’d seen something precious.

Me.

“Hi, baby.” He strode over to me without even noticing Mickey or passersby.

Hello, heat-seeking missile.

So what if he hadn’t mentioned Christmas at all? So what if I wanted to know what was going on in that locked room? I could be patient.

He gripped my elbows and lifted me up to his mouth, taking it with a possession I would never, ever get tired of. With those slow, sensual sweeps of his tongue, he reminded me how much he wanted me. Then he cupped my cheeks and stared into my eyes as if we were alone. “Did you eat enough?”

Mickey sighed loudly. “Hi, I’m Mickey. I’m a lovely, interesting woman. Nice to see you too, Loverboy.”

He turned his head and aimed a genuine grin at Mickey. “So you are. I looked out and saw you two here and thought it was my lucky day.”

“I was looking for Jimmy.” She pouted and crossed her legs, bouncing her top foot impatiently.

“He’s not working today.”

“I told her that. Not sure if she intends to just sit here until tomorrow.”

She shrugged. “It’s a nice day.”

“Tabitha wants you back at the bakery this afternoon,” I reminded her.

She sighed again and stood. “Damn taskmaster.” But she grinned as she inserted herself between me and Christian to give me an enthusiastic hug. “You’re lucky I love you two together.” She turned to give Christian a pointed look. “She’s been feeling woe. Better up it to four for the holiday season, Loverboy.”

She patted his cheek and took off down the street toward the bakery, swinging her hips in a way that caught the attention of more than one male as she passed.

“Four what?” Christian asked before closing his eyes. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

Before I could answer, he cupped my cheeks. “You’re feeling woe? Are you tired? Sick?”

“Nosy,” I admitted.

His brow furrowed. “Here I thought you just wanted more home fries.”

“I do! You know me so well already.” I hugged him tight. “We don’t need a long amount of time. Somehow we’re just right.”

He stroked a hand down my hair before looking at his watch. “Let’s go get some home fries and toast and then we’ll go home.”

“I have to go back to work.”

“Just take an extra hour or so and then after, I’ll drive you back.”

I frowned. “What kind of 4-orgasm quickie is that?”

He laughed. “Sorry, no orgasms on tap today. If you do something too much, it loses its specialness.”

I looked at him aghast as we crossed the street to the diner. “You’re not serious?”

He laughed again. “No. Just crunched for time and there’s something else I have to show you.”

I dipped my gaze to his pants. “I wouldn’t mind seeing that again.”

“Pretty sure you remember from last night.” He squeezed his hand as we reached the diner and held open the door. “After you.”

“Hey, Polly,” he called to the normally surly waitress as she bustled toward the door to seat us.

“Hey, yourself, Officer Studly.” She raised her brows when I slid her a glance. “What?”

I laughed. Secretly, I was kind of proud Christian’s reputation was changing a bit in this town. Looking was fine. “Nothing wrong with stating the obvious.”

Christian’s ears were on fire. He was the cutest man ever. “Can we get a booth with two orders of home fries and toast with syrup on the side on one?” He smiled tightly. “Tight on time.”

“We need to be home urgently,” I said with a touch of desperation as I clutched his arm.

It was his turn to slide me a glance.

Polly rolled her eyes and hustled us over to the last remaining booth. It was busy in the diner this time of day. Most times of day, truthfully.

As soon as she headed back to the kitchen, he leaned across the table to speak softly. “You love making me embarrassed, don’t you?”

“Who, me? No. Never.” I reached over to tweak his still warm ear and he grabbed my wrist to kiss it.

At the next table, a middle-aged woman turned to speak to us. “I don’t suppose you two have any tips.”

“On what?” I asked as Christian tried to disappear into the booth. Not that he could at his size. But he tried.

“Tips for spice in the bedroom. My Larry just isn’t interested anymore.”

Christian was about to melt onto the floor in a very large puddle. But his eyes shot darts.

I would likely pay for this in creatively orgasmic ways later. Lucky me.

“Crotchless panties,” I suggested though I didn’t even own any. I was naked too much to need them. “Surefire sex enhancer.”

The woman clapped. “Thank you. I owe you, Honey.”

She turned back to her lunch while Christian took the opportunity to squeeze my leg in warning from his lowered position.

I smiled innocently.

Our lunch—or mine part two—came out quickly and we ate rapid-fire before we hit the road back to his house. I was bouncing a little in my seat and Christian was still glowering at me, which only enhanced my delight.

He wasn’t really mad, but I didn’t mind if he acted that way at certain times.

“You’re a menace.”

“You love it.”

He only growled. Hmm, maybe we could just take the edge off…

“Thanks for lunch.”

“Uh-huh. Think you enjoyed it more than I expected.”

I reached over to cup the notable bulge in his pants. “Seems like you did too.”

“I can’t help my reaction to you. Especially when you’re looking for trouble. Think Mickey’s an influence on you.”

“She is. Your cock is too. I want it all the time.”

“Honey, we don’t have time.”

I sighed and kept stroking him. “You know, the second trimester is conventionally a woman’s horniest period.”

“You’re not in your second trimester yet.”

“Lucky you, right? Something to look forward to.”

“I never knew you read such interesting books. But now that I do, I understand much more.” He took his eyes off the road for a nanosecond to send me a heavy-lidded look that shot straight between my legs.

“You’ve been reading my books?”

“I didn’t intend to. But I got sucked in. Why do you think I woke you up twice this week?”

“Because you can’t bear to even be away from me when I’m unconscious?”

“Also sounds like a line from your books, but no. I needed to fuck you.”

“Oh,” I responded breathlessly. “I can respect that.” I twirled my hair around my finger as he finally reached the turn off from town to go toward his house.

The streets were packed today. Tourism didn’t stick to the warmer seasons in town anymore. We were open for business all year since the baby town lore had reached its peak in the news.

I rubbed my now briefly full stomach. I was living proof of that baby lore. And I couldn’t have been happier.

“I just bet you can.” His voice was thick with suppressed laughter.

“I told you I read steamy romance.”

“You did not lie.”

“What book did you read? Or books?”

He rattled off a slew of titles as my brows climbed higher and higher. “That many? How did you know what to read? My Kindle is dead.”

“I know. All I could do on it was stroke Harry’s abs.”

“Me too,” I said with some regret. Then my gaze sharpened on his profile. “So how did you get access to my books? You don’t know my phone passcode.”

He hesitated. “I borrowed Mav’s Kindle,” he said suddenly.

Something was very fishy here. “But you enjoyed my books?”

“Oh, yeah.” He rimmed his lower lip with his tongue. “You can’t imagine how much. I even learned some stuff.”

If my eyes had widened any more, I would’ve popped a blood vessel. “Really? Like what?”

“I always preferred show to tell.”

I swallowed and tried not to leap off the seat when he finally turned into his driveway. Patience, grasshopper. “Tabitha would let me be a little late getting back to work. I went in super early this morning.”

“Why would you need to be late?” The touch of innocence to his tone made me wiggle even harder.

“Because I need to change my panties now, you tease.”

He only laughed.

And he said I was a menace. Though I was almost sure he’d learned some of these tormenting ways from me.

He pulled his cruiser to a stop at the end of the driveway and I could hear Boomer barking up a storm from inside at the surprise midday visit. I was about to jump out when Christian opened his glovebox and withdrew something long and dark.

“Not so fast.”

I frowned at what he held. It looked like one of his ties. “What’s that?”

“Blindfold.”

My pulse started to trip. “You want me to put it on you?”

“Ha. Good one. Get out then turn around for me.”

I did as he asked as he rounded the hood in measured steps.

My clit pounded in time. This man. He’d been so incredible before. Christian on romance books was next level.

Maybe I’d have to try some of the more adventurous novels my online book club had recommended. We’d have lots of fun this winter.

Not that we hadn’t had tons of fun from the start. There was a reason Mickey was totally jealous of our sex life. I couldn’t even blame her.

Somehow I’d gotten way, way lucky.

He came up behind me and wrapped the blindfold around my head. “Too tight?” he rasped.

“No. It’s fine. Boomer may wonder what’s up though.”

“Let him wonder.” Loosely, he gripped my hands and redirected me toward the house, but not the front door. Instead, he aimed me to go up the side stairs that led around to the back.

I climbed slowly, feeling uncertain even though I knew this house well by now. Christian held onto me securely though, guiding me in his husky voice. Turning me on even more didn’t help my balance, but I made it to the door then inside with his help.

Books were miracles if this was going to lead me to somewhere good. And it basically had to.

Unless Asher’s podcast about “When Love Goes Wrong” came to fruition. Maybe I should just check.

“If you’re doing this to murder me, Mickey will instantly blame you, and my brothers will have your head.”

Christian’s laughter was deep and rich. “That’s a true statement about your brothers, but alas, no. Besides, Mickey’s now on my team.”

“What?” I whipped my head around but I still couldn’t see a damn thing. “What did you bribe her with?”

“Access to Jimmy.”

I gasped. “You set her up with a sex rendezvous?”

He laughed harder. “Um, no. Just agreed to text her when he went to lunch on his next work day.” He had to stop to take a breath because he was laughing too hard. “Do you have a secret stash of books? Maybe you should be a writer yourself because even your collection isn’t as good as the theories you come up with. Okay, I need to open this door and take off your blindfold.”

“Oh,” I said reverently. “The locked room will finally be revealed!”

“Yes. Nosy girl.” He kissed the side of my head. “Who I love to distraction.”

“Dammit, stop stalling.”

Still laughing, he untied the blindfold and opened the door so suddenly that I stumbled over the threshold and had to catch myself from falling.

And opened my eyes to a wonderland.

“Oh my God.” I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t speak. My gaze darted from one overstuffed swing to another, my eyes filling at the two smaller ones, size going down in graduated scale.

I moved forward to run my hand reverently over the largest swing, padded so thickly that just looking at it made me want to curl up and take a nap. And to read. I poked at the thick pink and purple and coral cushions and Harry fell out into my hands—not the real one, alas but my Kindle. And it wasn’t my broken Kindle, it was a brand new version of my poor departed one.

I gasped and flipped it open as new books flooded the screen until I was literally sobbing with happiness.

“Hey, hey, it’s not supposed to make you cry.” He turned me toward him and I blubbered helplessly, soaking his shirt while I mumbled my appreciation and random questions and clung to him and Harry as if they were my life rafts in a pink, purple, and coral storm.

“You didn’t see everything yet. Turn around.”

I turned and faced the wall and looked out of a window that hadn’t existed before now.

The painting took up most of the wall. Crescent Lake complete with ducks bobbing along the tranquil water filled my vision, just as if I was sitting by the lake to feed the ducks.

He’d given me my own lake to sit beside no matter the weather, all year long.

I couldn’t stop crying—until I saw the tiny blue alien waving from the corner, clutching a V in its bony hand. Then I started to laugh.

“What—” Christian came around to see what I was looking at and then he started to laugh too. “Fucking Van, going off-script as always.”

“You had Van do my painting. Though you hate her.”

“I don’t hate her,” he said resolutely. “I do not understand her, but I do not hate her.”

I grinned and threw myself in his arms. He didn’t falter or miss a step, just caught me as if he’d been doing it all his life. “You never miss a step. You’re always strong enough to hold me.”

He grinned down at me. “Baby, I was built to hold you.”

“And I was built to be held?” I sniffled and laughed. “See, I don’t have the catchy book lines. But I’m full of love for you. And appreciation. And I wanna rock your world like you’ve never, ever known.”

He brushed the tears off my cheeks with his thumbs. “I’m onboard for all of that.”

“Me too. Just I don’t know how to tell you the sizes are a little off.”

He reared back. “What? Which? It’s okay, you can tell me. Anything can be fixed.”

I turned toward the three swings and gestured wildly to the two smaller ones. “Those two are for Reagan and me, right? I don’t think we can fit. Just will take a little expansion to make it work—why are you laughing?”

“Honey, those are for the baby and Boomer.” He rested his hands on my shoulders and turned me back toward him. “This room is all yours. Your sanctuary. But I wanted you to have room for the dog and the baby if you wanted to have them in here too. If not, it can just be yours.”

“Oh.” The tears were leaking again as I shifted back to the biggest swing. “This one is mine?” I touched each one of the pillows in turn. “It’s so beautiful. The wicker design is so understated and the colors are just perfect. You’re perfect.” I wrapped my arms around his waist again. “I mean, not really but your flaws work with mine, which is all that matters.”

He growled against my hair. “What flaws?”

“None, honey.” I eased back to look up at him. “Absolutely none. But I do want one adjustment.”

He rolled his eyes heavenward. “Not the sex swing business again. Reading is dangerous.”

“Sex swing? No way.” I eyed my beautiful swing again speculatively. “We can use it for that too?”

“No. Not this one. We’d have to build another one. Later. In the future.”

I looked up at the ceiling and the massive clamps. “Nah, this one should even be able to hold you. Money-saving if it’s dual purpose.” I grabbed his hand. “Let’s try.”

“Wait. You said you had adjustments to make?”

“You care about that more than debauching me on this pristine swing?”

His lips twitched. “Talk fast. I will need extra time to have Lucky and Moose fix this on almost Christmas Eve when we break the damn thing from vigorous thrusting.”

Consolingly, I patted his chest. “They know us. I’m sure their design was built to accommodate such.”

“What adjustments?”

“You’re going to have to build two more swings. If I have a sanctuary, I want you and Reagan there too. You can sit in mine with me, but you know, with kids around, it requires pants.”

“Now she crushes my dreams.” He dragged me to him, crushing me in a hard hug before he swept me up into his arms. “Let’s start with our bed. It’s hard to get manual labor on holidays.”

I reached up to brush his newly longer hair out of his steely blue eyes. “As you wish, sir.”