Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 166103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 831(@200wpm)___ 664(@250wpm)___ 554(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 166103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 831(@200wpm)___ 664(@250wpm)___ 554(@300wpm)
“You need to tell them. It . . . you can’t live with a secret like this.”
“And if they tell me to hit the road. If they hate me?”
“They won’t. How could anyone hate you?” She pushed at the tray in front of her. “Out. I want out. I want hugs.”
He smiled. “You’re adorable.” He undid the tray and straps, then lifted her out before sitting again with her straddling him, her arms around his neck. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to us. Our girl.”
“Yours.”
56
“Go get your workout clothes on,” Judd ordered, walking into the bedroom two days after she’d gone on her date alone with Hux.
“I . . . what?”
“Workout clothes. I want to show you something.”
Were they going for a run? She could really use one. She scrambled to put her workout clothes on, then she followed him as he led her downstairs.
Instead of taking her outside, they went through the garage to another room that she was surprised to see was a small gym.
“I didn’t know this was here,” she said as she started to stretch.
“Yeah. I thought we could do some training.”
“Training?” she asked.
“Self-defense training.”
“Oh. Really?”
“Yes, I . . .” He cleared his throat. “I want to protect you, so do the others. But if we’re ever not around, I also want to know you can protect yourself so that if anything ever happens . . .” he trailed off.
But she understood.
This was another way he wanted to take care of her. Judd might not always have the right words. In fact, he often had the wrong words. But he showed he cared with gestures. Like his cooking and the way he fussed over keeping them healthy. The other day Owen sneezed, and he’d nearly had him bundled up in bed with a honey lemon tea.
It had been pretty funny to watch.
“That would be great. Thank you.”
Forty minutes later, she wasn’t thinking that it was great.
He was torturing her. She lay back on the mat, panting heavily.
“No more. I can’t do any more.”
“We’ll practice again tomorrow.” He stood over her, looking down. She knew she must look a fright. And smell worse. But she couldn’t bring herself to care.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes. We have to practice every day. So you can fight off anyone who wishes you harm.”
“All right,” she agreed. “But I think you might have to carry me to the shower.”
“I can do that,” he said seriously. “But first I want you to punch me.”
“I’ve already tried doing that,” she told him. “You keep blocking me. It’s quite frustrating.”
“This time I’m not going to. I’m giving you a free shot to punch me. To make up for me hurting you the other day.”
“Judd, it was an accident.” She tried to stand, but he reached out and grasped her around her waist, lifting her onto her feet. He held onto her for a long moment before letting go and stepping back.
“One free hit.”
“It was my own fault. I shouldn’t have gotten between you both.”
“No, you should have. Hit me.”
“Judd! No!”
“If not for the other day, then consider it my punishment for believing Jonathan over you. For doubting you. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“All right. Okay. A punishment. I can do that.”
He braced himself.
And she stepped forward to hug him. “I have a different idea, though. Let’s shower and meet in the playroom.”
Judd thought he’d have been better off taking the hit.
“Just a bit more, Princess Judd,” she told him as she moved around in front of him.
Today, she’d picked out a bright pink tutu, long striped socks and a T-shirt with an alpaca on the front lying on a sun lounger drinking a cocktail.
Odd.
“Pucker up your lips, Princess!” she bossed.
Oh, she was such a brat. But this was his punishment. He eyed the bright pink lipstick that she picked up.
Who the hell had bought her all this make-up? Had to be Hux. He was going to kill him.
“Princess Daddy Judd, pucker up!”
“That’s a mouthful,” he muttered, even as his heart lightened as she called him Daddy.
“You’re right. I could shorten it to Princess DJ. That could be what I always call you. It has a nice ring to it.”
“Don’t even think about it, brat.”
“Then you better pucker up,” she sang.
“You need to be spanked more,” he told her, but he puckered his lips, closing his eyes as she applied the lipstick.
His face felt itchy from the make-up.
“Okay, Princess DJ, it’s time for your fashion parade!” she cried, clapping her hands.
His only saving grace was that the others weren’t here to see this.
“Get up. Let’s see you. Come to the mirror.”
He stood up and shuffled to the mirror. He couldn’t move his legs very far apart since he was also wearing a tutu. One that didn’t fit him. A bit like the T-shirt she’d forced on him that only came to part way down his stomach.