Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 47381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 237(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 237(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
“That’s not fair. I haven’t told you what it is yet, so you don’t know whether it’s dumb or not.”
“It’s not. And you shouldn’t be calling anything you feel or say dumb. Tell. Me.”
“I was just wishing you were using the baby bottle. See? Dumb.”
“Four.”
“Brand!” she cried. “You can’t keep adding on punishments.”
“Sure I can.” He pointed at himself. “Me, Daddy”—his finger turned to point at her—“You, Little.”
She rolled her eyes at him as a wave of tiredness hit her. He eyed her for a long moment. “What is it?”
“Just tired.”
“Back to bed, then.” He picked her up in his arms.
“No! I need that bath. Please.” She was feeling so gross. Nurse Beverly had helped sponge her off, which had been rather humiliating. But she still didn’t feel clean. “Please.”
“All right. Bath. Then I’ll help you reach Little headspace.” He frowned. “Hopefully.”
She’d never heard him sound unsure before. It reminded her that this was new for him, too. Although he seemed to be catching on awfully quick.
Moving back to the bathroom, he set her down on her feet and started to strip her off. He undid the buttons on her pajama top, pulling it off. She couldn’t stop herself from covering her boobs with her arm.
He didn’t say anything though, just crouching to pull down her pajama bottoms and panties.
Great. Now his face was eye level with her pussy. Thank god she’d had everything waxed before coming to the Ranch.
“Hold on to my shoulders,” he ordered. “Right foot. Now, left.”
Jolie wasn’t sure whether she should be grateful for how matter-of-fact he was acting about stripping her naked.
Or upset.
Because he didn’t even look like he was sneaking a peek. Did he not want to see her?
Jolie, stop it.
You don’t want him to look at you. You’re not exactly in top form. There is no way he’d be attracted to your germ-ridden body right now, anyway.
Unfortunately, her pep talk didn’t really work, and she found herself sniffling.
She was so unattractive right now. Gross.
“Bumblebee? What’s wrong?” He stood and attempted to get her to look at him.
“Nothing. I’m going to get in now.” She turned to the bath, but she moved too fast, and the room started to spin. Days of little food were catching up on her.
“Whoa. Be careful.” He grasped hold of her, keeping her steady. “Easy, baby.”
“S-sorry.”
“This is why I didn’t want you doing this alone. You’re dizzy and not well. You need help.”
Somehow, that made her feel worse.
She tipped her face forward, a tear dripping off her cheek and landing on his forearm.
“Baby? What is it? Do you want to go back to bed?”
“I want to be less gross and disgusting and sick, so you won’t avoid looking at me.”
There was silence behind her.
“Sorry. Ignore me. I’m just feeling sorry for myself. I hate being sick.”
“Don’t think anyone likes it, Bumblebee.”
Yeah, but not everyone had the guy of their dreams taking care of them and probably realizing that he had signed on for more than he’d anticipated.
“I bet this wasn’t how you were imagining things would go when you chased after me, huh?”
“No, it’s not,” he agreed. “In a way, it’s better.”
“Me being sick is better?” she gasped.
“I didn’t mean that. But it does mean I get to take care of you. To show you that I can do that. That you can trust me to do that.”
Okay, she guessed she understood that.
“Spending time with you, looking after you, is never something I will regret, Bumblebee.”
She sagged as the tension left her. “Oh. I just, I wish I felt attractive right now.” That was hard for her to tell him, and she hoped he didn’t try to fob her off with platitudes or what he thought she wanted to hear.
“I can understand that. This is new. And scary. And you want to put your best foot forward. I feel the same.”
Okay. He got it.
“A normal relationship might start with attraction, dates, getting to know one another, but don’t forget we’ve spent months together. And while we might not have been in a relationship, we did get to know each other.”
He was right.
Maybe they hadn’t known they were going to become interested in one another, but she did know him.
Well, as much as he’d let her.
“There’s still a lot to find out.”
“I know. But that’s the exciting part, isn’t it?”
“And when that part is over?” she asked.
“Then we move on to the next. It’s like having a child.”
Huh?
“You need to enjoy your child at every age,” he said. “Every stage. It’s the same with a relationship. From the initial, exciting getting-to-know-you stage. To when we’re old and gray, sitting on rocking chairs on our front porch.”
“You plan on owning a rocking chair?” she asked in surprise.
“Nah. I plan to be that crotchety old bastard still making music when I’m eighty-three.”
Now, that she could see.