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Gabriel (Shadowridge Guardians MC Book 5) 1st Edition Becca Jameson
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Embracing Joy (Blossom Ridge Book 5) Becca Jameson
Are youdaringenoughto ride witha club ofrough, growly, commandingmen? The protective Daddies ofthe Shadowridge Guardians Motorcycle Club will stop atnothingto ensure the safetyand protectionofeverythingthatbelongs to them: their Littles, their club, and their town. Throw insome sassy, naughty, mischievous womenwho won’thesitate to serve their fair shareofattitudeeveninthefaceofloomingdanger,andthisbrandnewMCRomanceseriesisreadytoignite!
ShadowridgeGuardiansMC
SteelebyPepperNorth
KadebyKateOliver
AtlasbyBeccaJameson
DocbyKateOliver
GabrielbyBeccaJameson
TalonbyPepperNorth
BearbyBeccaJameson
FaustbyPepperNorth
StormbyKateOliver
Gabriel
“Ladybug, you’re about to become intimatelyacquainted with mypalm…”
Eden’s life is fallingapart. Inresponse to sexual harassment fromunrulycustomers and her boss, she has quit her job and walkedoutofthediner.Aloneonthestreet,scaredoutofhermind,andfrantic,sheacceptshelpfromoneofthemembersof theShadowridgeGuardians
Edenrealizedhe was right She was glad he was still talkingto her The approachingmotorcycle mighthave scaredher otherwise.Sureenough,itwascomingintoviewfromherleft.
“I’mn-notl-little I’mtwenty-six,Sir”Shesuspectedthatwhenhecalledherlittlehewasn’treferringtosizeorage After all, she was aware that Carlee’s relationship with Atlas was a special kind of arrangement in which she called Atlas her Daddy,andhetookcareofherlikeaLittlegirl.
Before meeting Atlas, Eden hadn’t known such relationships existed, but fromthe moment she’d seen the two of them together,she’dfeltjealous She’dalsostartedreadingbooksandresearchingageplay She’dtoldherselfitwassoshecould betterunderstandherfriend,thatshe’dbeenintrigued,butthetruthwasshe’dlearnedmoreaboutherselfthananythingelse
Gabriel smiledather asheranhis fingers throughhisthickhair topull itbackfromhis face.Thedarkhair was several inches long and curly. In contrast, his beard was gray almost white. “Little girls come in all ages and sizes, Eden,” he informedher.
Shenoddedslowly,sniffling
“Let’sgetyousomeplacecomfortableandsafe,okay?”Heturnedtowardthesaddlebagagainandpulledoutahelmet This onewaspinkandsmallerthanhis.Itwasmadeforawoman.Liketheteddybear,shewonderedwhousuallyworethehelmet. “I’ven-neverb-beenonab-bike,”sheadmittedashepulledthehelmetoverherhead.
She shuffled slowlyforward, her heartracingnow for a new reason. The fear she’d beenfeelingbefore he arrived was beingreplacedbyanewfear Maybethatwasagoodthing
Whenhesloweddownandleanedthemtotherighttoturn,sheopenedhereyes.Her breathhitched.He hadn’ttakenher home.He’dbroughthertothemotorcycleclub. Duh. You didn’t give him your address, dork.
Gabriel parked,shutofftheengine,andremovedhis helmetbeforetwistinghis neckaroundtolookather.He wore that grinagain.“As muchas Ilove the feel ofyour arms around me, Little one, you’re goingto have to letgo ifyouwantto go inside.”
“Your suite?” Her voice squeaked. She didn’tknow this man. Notreally. What if he expected her to sleep withhimor somethingsincehe’dbeenkindenoughtopickherup?
Then she remembered that Carlee and Atlas had sent himto get her. Carlee would never send a bad man to help her. NeitherwouldAtlas.
She hadtokindofskiptokeepupwithhim,butwhenhe glancedback,he slowed.“I’msorry.Ihaven’ttakencare ofa Littlegirlforalongtime IforgetIneedtoslowmypace”
The manwas strokingher hair. He nodded toward Gabriel butdidn’tsaya word. Two other menwere sittingata table acrosstheroomplayingchess.TheyalsogaveGabrielapolitenod.
Everythingshe’dever thoughtaboutmotorcycle clubs wentoutthe window.Noone was havingsex.Itwas quiet. There wasnodebaucheryatall
Gabriel led her toward a hallway, where he finally stopped, unlocked a door, and opened it He held it wide for her “Ladiesfirst.”
Heuntiedit,pulleditover her head,andtosseditasidebeforepointingtowardthecouch.“Sit,Little one. I’ll getyoua drink Wouldyoulikejuice,milk,orwater?”
“Umm Doyouhaveapplejuice?”sheaskedtentatively She hadn’thadapple juice ina longtime Itsounded good She loweredontothecouchandsetthebearatherside,feelingkindofsillyholdingit.
Thosetwowordsdidsomethingtoher ShefeltdecidedlyLittler Am I Little? Justbecauseshelikedthewayitmadeher feeltoreadaboutitdidn’tmeanshewouldliketoactuallypracticeit.
“Feelbetter?”
“Yes,Sir,”shemurmured.Forsomereason,itfeltrightandnaturaltoaddresshimasSir. He seemed pleased because he smiled “Good Now, tell me whathappened Atlas said youwere workingat the diner tonight?”
“Uh-huh.” She nodded and thenlooked downather lap. She was wearingher nicestjeans and a white T-shirt. Nothing special.Marvdidn’trequirethewaitressestowearauniformaslongastheyworehisapronwhentheywereonshift. WhenshethoughtabouttellingGabrielwhathadhappened,shegroanedinside Shedidn’twanttotalkaboutit Shepursed herlips
Hereyeswidened “Idon’tthinkthatwasmybestcourseofaction Hejumpedupandstartedscreamingatme Hecalled me names I’ve never evenheard before Everycustomer inthe diner was staringatus ThenMarv came outfromthe back room.Hewasfuriousandstartedlecturingmeinfrontofeveryoneabouthowtotreatthecustomers.WhenItoldhimthatman hadtouchedme,hesaidtogrowup,andhecalledmeworsenamesthantheJesterguy.So,Iranoutofthediner.”Shedropped herface.
Shedidn’trespond Thatseemedpromising “Now, here’s what we’re going to do. You’ll stay here tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll go talk to Marv and find out who specificallywasinthedinerlastnight,and ” Shegaspedandshookherhead.“He’llbefurious.”Andthenshegroaned.“Oh,shit.Ileftmypursethere.MyIDisinit.” Heliftedahandandtappedherlips “Don’tcuss,Littlegirl Daddy’srules” Didsheshudder?Hewasprettyconfidentshedid Andhercheekspinkenedfurther “Yes,Sir,”shewhispered
“You’renottrouble,andneverrefertoyourselfassuchagain Iwouldn’ttakeyouhomeevenifIdidn’tbelieveinmyheart that you’re mine, Eden. It’s not safe. Those menaren’t good men. If they’re angry enough and I’mbetting they are they probablywentstraighttoyourapartmenttowatchforyoutoarrive.Ibetthey’retherenow.” Shegasped.“HowwouldtheyknowwhereIlive?”
He chuckled and slid his hand up to her neck, using a firm, exaggerated voice to try out a full reprimand “Eden Jane Zimbel…WhatdidIsayaboutrunningintheclubhouse?”
“Yep. It’s not much, but it’s all I need. The other roomis my office. I work fromhome. I need to be available at the compoundasoftenaspossiblebecauseI’malsotheclub’schaplain” “Oh.”
“Thekitchenissmall,”hecontinuedashepulledoutacleantowelandwashcloth,“butIeatmostofmymealsinthemain diningroomwiththe rest of the club members.” He turned toward her. “Atlas and Carlee have a suite like mine but don’t usuallyspendthenight Theycould,though,anytime” “Oh,”shesaidagain
“Goodgirl.”HehatedreleasinghertoleaveherstandingtherealonewhilehehurriedtohisdressertograbaT-shirt.He alsohatedleavingher aloneinthebathroom.He wouldmuchrather take her clothes offhimself,lower her intothe tub,and batheherlikeheintendedtodofortherestoftheirlives.
One night, though. Tomorrow night, he intended to getpastthis stage. He wouldn’thave sexwithher until she was fully readytocommittohim,buthemostcertainlywouldtake careofher ineverywaytomorrow,andthe daywouldendwitha bathandhishandsalloverhersweetbody.
“Need anything else, Little one?” he asked as he returned to set the shirt on top of the towel He also found a new toothbrushinoneofthedrawers.
That manwas a world-class asshole. He’d treated Carlee like scumwhenshe’d worked there. Apparently, the shitbag treatedallthewaitressesthesameway.Whatachauvinistpig.
GabrielwouldgetthenamesofthefourDevil’sJestersoutofMarvandthenmeetwithhisbrotherstofigureoutwhatto do One thingwas for sure Edenwouldn’t be safe until somethingwas done The Jesters weren’t the type of mento take kindlytobeingmadetolookfoolish,andGabriel’sLittlegirlhaddefinitelydoneexactlythat.
Edenwould need gentle guidance as she learned whatitmeantto be his Little girl. He suspected she was also goingto challengehimeverystepoftheway He’dseenhow she’dfidgetedwhenhe’dsuggestedspankingher TheLittlestinker was goingtoenjoyit
Heturnedtowardhisbed.He’dwashedthesheetsjustthatmorning.Hewonderedifshenormallysleptwithastuffie.The bear was the onlyone he had inhis room, buthe could getone fromthe supplyclosetifshe needed itto sleep. Maybe he shoulddothat…?Buthedidn’twanttoleaveher.So,no.
Edentried not to thinkabout what would happenwhenshe left the bathroom. It was strange havingthe door open, even slightly She keptworryinghe mightsee her throughthe crack,thoughshe wasn’tsure whyshe cared So whatifhe saw her?
After dryingoff,she quicklyhungupthe towel andpulledhis T-shirtover her head.Atleastshe was covered now. She wasn’treadyforhimtoseeherpaleskinorthescatteringoffreckles.She’dneverbeenfondofhercoloring,butshewasstuck withit.
Hechuckled.“Youwon’thavesecretsfromDaddy,Littleone.Iknowyou’retiredandstillshookupfromwhathappened thisevening,soIdidn’twanttoaddtoyourstressbyundressingyouandbathingyoutonight,butyoushouldknowIintendto takecareofall your needs,startingtomorrow”Heliftedabrow ashepulledthecoversover her andsatontheedgeofthe bed.
“No reason to be embarrassed, Little one Most Little girls have special stuffies Some have dozens of them I’msure there’s avarietyinthesupplyclosetinthehallwayifyoulikeacertaintype,or youcansnugglewithMr.Bear tonight.”He liftedthestuffedbearfromthepillownexttoherandhelditup.
Edencautiouslyreached outto take the bear before pullinghimunder the covers. He wasn’tSpot, buthe would do for tonight “Hisnamecan’tbeMr Bear,”sheinformedhimwithoutthinking “Oh?Whatshouldhebenamed?”
“HowdoyouknowIhavestuffedanimalsatmyapartment?”sheaskedskeptically “It’snottoomuchofastretch.Foronething,eventhoughyoumightnothaveoutwardlyrealizedyouwereLittle,Isuspect youhave tendencies that would’ve tipped me off no matter how or whenI’d met you. I bet youhave some toys youenjoy playingwith.”Heliftedhisbrowagain.
She gave hima small smile Everytime she started to feel bad, or tears welled up again, he said justthe rightthings to makehersmileagain HewasgoodatthisDaddyingbusiness
Eventhoughshe’d had a verytraumatic evening, one ofthe worst, she found herselffeelingsafer and more contentthan she’dfeltinaverylongtime Twothingsmadethatpossible One,nothingbadcouldpossiblyhappentoherfromhereinside theMCcompound.Andtwo,shedidnothavetogetuptomorrowmorningatthecrackofdawntobeatwork.
Gabriel hadn’tbeenkiddingaboutthe couch. The onlypositionhe could getcomfortable inwas onhis side. Justthe one side Hislegsweretoolongtostretchoutonhisback,andhisbodywastoobulkytofacethecushions Afterafewhours oftossing,hedraggedhisblankettothefloorandstretchedout
Lord knew he’d certainlyslept inworse conditions whenhe’d beenstationed overseas withthe Army. He’d had many uncomfortablenightsfarworsethanthisonewhenhe’dbeenincombatzones.
Thesunwasn’tupyetwhenhegave upafter afew hours ofsleep.The firstthinghe neededtodowas contacthis boss. Bensenwas theheadoftheVeterans PTSDHotlinewhereGabriel worked Gabriel was the scheduler,andhe didn’thave a shiftofhis owntoday, buthe nearlyalways made himselfavailable iftheyneeded him, and itwas apparentGabriel would needafewdaystogetthingssortedoutwithEden.
Kade passedGabriel the mugofcoffee he’djustpoured.“Youlooklike youcould use this. Who was the Little girl you cameinwithlastnight?”KadehadbeenonthesofawithhisLittle,Remi,watchingcartoons,buthe’dbeenkindenoughtodo nothingmorethannod
Steele ran a hand over his head “Shit I’ve heard the Devil’s Jesters have been hanging around more in Shadowridge lately They’vebeenspottedallovertheplace Ihopeyoumadeherstayherelastnight”
Gabriel sethismugonthecounter “IcoulduseabitofmuscletogotalktoMarvatthediner I’dlike todothatASAP Eden left her purse when she ran out She’ll need me to get it I’d also like to exchange a few choice words with that slimeball.”
Bear winced.“I’msorrytohear that.I’ll be happytomake the Little girl all the pancakes she caneatwhile yougoslay dragons Ifshe’snervous,I’llsetherupwithsomecartoonsandasippycupofchocolatemilkafterIfeedher I’veneverhada Littleturndownmychocolatemilk.”
“Perhapswecouldgostraightthereafterwehitthediner,”Kadesuggested “IdoubtEdenisgoingtogoforthat.EventhoughImadeitclearlastnightthatthisisherhomenow,I’mcertainshedidn’t believeme.She’sgoingtowakeupwantingtogohome.Isenseastrongneedtobeindependentinher.It’sgoingtotakesome cajoling to convince her that even Little girls, who are fully capable of being independent, need a Daddy to lean on sometimes”
She was precious withthatriotofcurls spread outonhis pillow and her creamywhite cheekbegginghimto kiss it. At some point, the covers had slid offher, and instead ofpullingthembackup, she’d tucked her entire legs up into his T-shirt. Onlyheradorablelittlefeetwerevisible.
He nearlystopped breathingas he stood over her, watchingher rhythmicallysuckher thumb Did she know she was a thumbsucker?
He had a lot to learn about this precious Little girl who’d popped into his life without warning. He was certainly unprepared HehadnothinginhissuiteforaLittle Thankgoodnessforthesupplycloset Hewouldneedtodosomeshopping laterthisafternoon
Heshookhishead.“Nobuts,Littlegirl.Ineedyoutoobeyme.You’renottoleavethiscompoundforanyreasonwithout me withyou Do youunderstand?” He hadn’t meant to sound so bossyand firmfirst thing this morning, but she obviously wasn’ttakingthissituationseriouslyenoughforhistaste.
“Your safetyis importantto me, Eden Veryimportant Butitwouldn’tmatter ifyou’d never metthe Devil’s Jesters last night Youmetme,too,andyou’remine,Littleone Minetoprotect Minetotakecareof Minetodisciplinewhenyoudon’t obeymysafetyrules.”
ThethoughtofGabriel seeingher nakedexcitedher for somereason Andthatembarrassedher She was still pondering thisdilemmawhenhegentlypulledherbetweenhislegsandhuggedherhipswithhisknees
She couldn’tkeep fromsmilingathimcallingher Ladybug. Itwas so sweet. She feltherselfsofteningunder his intense gaze Hisbrowswerefurrowed,buthislookwasoneofconcern
She grabbed his thighs to steadyherself. Theywere solid. He was so musclyand serious. Did those adjectives evengo together?“Uh,youwanttoseemenaked?”
Gabriel seemedprettyadamantthathe intendedtobe her Daddy,whichwas overwhelmingsince she’dmethimjustlast night.Ifsheweighedtheprosandcons,shethoughtlettinghimseehermightnotbeabadidea.Ifhedidn’tfindherattractive, shewouldseeitinhisreaction,whichwouldputaperiodattheendofthisoddlyrushedrelationshipsentence
He lifted his gaze to hers and thenjerked itdownto her body. For longseconds, he lethis gaze roamup and downher framebeforeswallowing.“Eden…”Hisvoicewashusky.
“Now,another thing. Besides the factthatIwon’ttolerate youthinkingor speakingill ofyourself, you’re dead wrong. I wastryinghardnottolooksoyouwouldn’tbeuncomfortablewithmedressingyouthismorning,butwhenyouhesitated,Ihad nochoice Youknockedthewindoutofmylungs You’rethemostbeautifulwomanI’veeverseteyeson Everyinchofyou MycockissohardrightnowI’mgoingtoneedacoldshowerbeforewecanheadtothekitchen.”
Shewasstunned.Werehis arms shaking?Was hebeingtruthful?Hedidn’tseemlikethesortofmanwhowouldlietoa woman. Plus, if he wanted to fib, he could have just said he thought she was fine or cute. He wouldn’t have needed an elaboratespeech
“Your skinisfuckingperfection Your pinklittlenipplesmakemymouthwater Your breasts are the exacthandful Ilook forwardtoworshippingwithmypalms andmytongue.Thatlittle dip ofyour tummybefore the flare ofyour hips makes me wanttocircleyourwaistandneverletyougo.Icannotwaittoflipyouoverandspankyourwhitebottom,soIcanwatchit turnpinkfrommypalm.”
“I guess most girls shave…downthere. I just…well, I meanno one… It’s beena while since… I wasn’t expecting…” Damn,itwashardtospitthatallout,plusitsoundedridiculousoutloud.Whywasshemakingexcusesforherpubichair? Hegaveheraslow smile.“Eden,Idonotcareonewayortheotheraboutthehaironyourpussy.Ifyoulikeitthatway, keepit Ifyouwanttoshaveit,that’sokay,too Ifyouwant me toshaveit,I’malsogoodwiththat It’syourchoice Theonly personyouneedtopleaseisyou Dowhatmakesyoufeelbestaboutyourself”
Thatwasstill abithardtofathom,eventhoughshesecretlyfeltlikehe’dbeensentbyGod.Itstill scaredher.This was happeningtoo fast “Whydo youknow how to braid hair so well then?” she asked as he finished the firstone and tookthe ladybugfromherhandtosecuretheend
“Oh.That’ssimple.TherearealotofLittlegirlsaroundhere,Ladybug.Itseemslikeanotheroneofmybrothersfindsthe perfectwomanforhimeverydamndaylately.SteelehasIvy.KadehasRemi.AtlashasCarlee.DochasHarper.It’s like an epidemic.”Hechuckled.“Sometimes,aLittlegirl’sDaddyisn’taroundwhensheneedsherhairdone.I’mgettingprettygood atit”
Shestaredathisreflectioninthemirrorashecontinued,handoverhand,makingtheperfectbraid Maybesheshouldfeel jealous thathedidthis toother men’s girlfriends,butinstead,shegotthesensetheywerelikeafamily.Gabriel was like an uncletothoseotherwomen.Shesuddenlylongedtobeamemberofthisclub nottheMCexactly,buttheDaddyclub.Could shereallybethislucky?
Thementionmadeherrememberthathewasgoingtoleave,andthereasonmadehernervous.Whatifsomethinghappened tohimbecause ofher? She lowered her gaze and twined her fingers together. “Ishould’ve just told them…” she murmured, mostlytoherself.
Hisbreathhitched,andhisfingersdugintoherbuttcheeksbeforeheseemedtorealizehewasholdinghertootightlyand loosened his hands “No Jesus Eden No What those men said was incredibly inappropriate, rude, distasteful, offensive, sexuallyharassing,andaboutadozenotherthings.Nooneshouldevertalktoawomanthatway.Besides,whatdoyouthink would’vehappenedifyou’dlaughedandpretendedlikeithadn’tbotheredyou?Whatifyou’dansweredtheirquestion?”
Her eyes wentwide “Gabriel, he’s goingto be furious I’ll never be able to leave this compound againifyougo over there.Mypurseisn’tworthit.I’lljustgetanew IDfromthestate.I’ll tell themIlostit.It’snotlikeIhadalotofcashor a creditcardoranything.It’sjustapurse.”
AsGabrielledhisLittlegirl andshewasmostdefinitelyhisLittlegirl outofthebathroom,hestoppedher.“Wehaven’t had time to go over any rules yet, Ladybug, but I’m going to give you one right now No running in the clubhouse, especiallynotinsockedfeet Gotit?”
“Yep. He was a medic in the Army. Now, he’s a medic for the local fire department in town. He takes care of minor boobooswhennaughtyLittlegirlsgethurt”
Gabrielstopped,remindinghimselfshewasnewtothelifestyleandtobeinghis.“Ladybug,allofmybrother’sgirlfriends areLittle There’snopretending Theydon’thide itinside the compound Anytime two or more ofthemare here, theyplay together,laughtogether,eattogether,andcausemischieftogether.Youwillfitrightin.Ipromise.”
Herprettygreeneyeswentwideagain “Youwouldn’tdare” Gabriel bentatthe waist, tucked his shoulder into her tummy, and lifted her rightoffthe floor. He keptone hand firmly acrossherbottomasshesquirmedandsquealed.“Putmedown!”
“You must be Eden,” Remi said, holding out a hand. The Little stinker was dressed in her usual goth style with dark eyeliner,blacklipstick,andablack-and-whitedresswithatutu,whichstuckoutallaroundher.
EdententativelyshookRemi’shand
“Carlee has talked aboutyou,” Remi continued “And myDaddysaid we could playtogether this morning Do youlike puzzles?”
Steele, Kade, and Talon were standing behind the girls drinking coffee. They had obviously been waiting for Gabriel, who’dtakenlongerthanhe’dexpectedtogetEdenreadytofaceeveryonethismorning
Bear was atthe stove, and the roomsmelled like bacon. He wiped his hands ona towel and seta huge palmontop of Eden’shead,causinghertotipherheadback.Hegrinnedather.“Welcometothefamily,Littleone.I’mBear.Ihopeyoulike pancakes”
Remi chuckled in a mischievous tone. “Don’t you worry. I’ll teach her how to put on black eyeliner and smokey eyeshadow.Afterthat,we’lltalkaboutwhattattoosshewantsandmaybeaboutpiercinghereyebrowsorperhapsherlip.”
Overwhelmedwastoomildatermforhow Edenfeltsittingatthistablesurroundedbystrangers.The womenwere super nice,andshecouldtelltheywerefun,butshefeltoutofbody
Somuchhadhappenedinthelasttenhours her headwas spinning Itwas alsoweirdthatthe twomeninthe roomwere waitingonthefourwomen,andyetnoneofthewomenbattedaneye.Itwascleartheywereusedtothistreatment.
Doc took drink orders and filled sippy cups with juice and milk while Bear dished up scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakesintobrightly-colored,compartmentedplasticplates.
“Girls ” Doc admonished in a deep voice “I can hear you, you know I’m standing right here How about you do somethingthatwon’tgetyouinto trouble this morning? Edenjustgothere lastnight. Idoubtshe’s readyto have her bottom spankedinfrontofeveryone.”
Edensqueezed her thighs together and clenched her butt cheeks. It seemed like all these people ever talked about was gettingspanked Apparently,itwasahugepartofthelifestyle,anditseemedthesewomenlikedthataspect ItwasmindbogglingbecauseEdenhadneverconsideredsuchaconceptbeforeGabrielhadthreatenedtospankherseveral times.Whenhe’ddoneso,she’dfoundherselffeelingcuriousandabitturnedon,butshehadnointerestingettingspankedby someoneotherthanGabriel.Thatwasforsure.
Ivyclappedher handstogether.“How aboutifwedoapuzzlethismorningsoEdendoesn’tgether bottomspanked,and thenwe canplotmischiefwhenthe Daddies are back ?” She lifted up a moderatelydifficultpuzzle covered withcolorful balloons
As she took her seat, she squirmed again. Gabriel had given her one swat while she’d been over his shoulder. It had startledher.Ithadalsoreverberatedthroughherbodyinanoddway. Hmmm.
The puzzle was half done when Edenlooked up to see Carlee running toward her. Eden pushed her chair back and raced aroundthetabletothrowherselfatherfriend Theyhuggedandrockedforseveralsecondsbeforereleasingeachother Itwasn’tthatEdenandCarleehadeverbeenbestfriends Itwasmorethatthey’dhadacommonhatredfortheirjobsatthe dinerandMarvinparticular.EdenhadbeensojealousthedayAtlashadcomeinandwaltzedCarleerightoutthedoorwithout lookingback.
Itwouldseemthatanother member oftheShadowridgeGuardianshadsteppeduptotheplatetoextricateawomanfrom thatdiner Gabrielwashersavior,butwashereallyherDaddy?
“Whatare youdoinghere?” she asked Carlee. “Ithoughtyouwere outoftownfor the weekend. Gabriel said he would haveyoucallmethismorning.”
Carlee shrugged “It’s okay We’ll do itagainanother time You’re more importantthana weekend away” She grabbed Eden’shandandledhertoasofainthecommonarea.“Tellmeeverything.”
“Okay,Babygirl. Textme ifyouneed anything. I’mgoingto head into townand grab a few things frommyoffice.” He kissedher Notaquickpeck,butnotafull-onmake-outsession,either Somethinginbetween Itwaspowerfulandpossessive andmadeEdenfidgetasshewatched.“Begood,”hemurmuredagainstCarlee’slips. “Iwill,Daddy,”shesaidbeforemovingtowardthehallway,stillgrippingEden’shand.She’dneverletgo. ThesuitetheyenteredwasacrossthehallfromGabriel’s.Thelayoutwasalmostidentical.CarleeledEdentothecouch andploppeddown “IhadtodoadoubletakewhenIsawyousittingatthetable You’re Little”Shegrinnedandbounceda bit Edenloweredtositbesideherfriend,glancingdownatherclothes.ThebraidswouldhavegivenCarleethatimpression. “Idon’tknow,”shemurmured.“Gabrieldidthis.”Shetuggedonherbraidsandthenpluckedhershirt. “Youlooksocute.Iloveit.”
WhenCarleecurledherlegsunderher,sodidEden,feelingcomfortableandmorerelaxedthanshehadallmorning “IheardaboutwhatMarvdidfromAtlas Iwon’tmake yourehashthatpart I’msorryaboutthose meanmenwho were
Carlee’seyeswentwide “Whatareyoutalkingabout?How couldhe not likeyou?You’re so cute andprettyand sweet andfun.Ibethefellforyourprettyhairandfrecklesthemomenthesawyou.IwishIhadthathair.”
Edengasped, and thenshe tugged onone of the braids. “This mess? Nobodywants this hair. I’ve spent my whole life wishingIhadbeenborninadifferentbody.”
“I’mcertainyouwouldnotbe sittinghere wearingthatadorable ladybugoutfitifhe didn’t.Andwhere is he now?” She liftedabrow.
EdenknewCarleewaswellawareofwhereGabrielwas.Shewastryingtomakeapoint.Edensighed.“Hewenttotalkto Marv Iwishhehadn’t”
Carlee smiled “These Daddies are fierce protectors, too They don’t take kindly to anyone being mean to any of their Littles.He’ddothesamethingformeoranyoneofus.Hell,he’ddoitforastrangerifsheneededhelp.”
Carlee narrowed her gaze “Youknow that’s nottrue He mayhave gone to get youbecause Atlas asked himto, but he wouldn’thavetuckedyouintohisbedanddressedyouthismorningifhewasn’tinterestedinyou”
“Don’t worry. We never do anything dangerous. Nor do we do anything that would cause permanent destruction to the property.Weinventsillythingsthatbreakminorrules.”
