“Of course. Do you like to read, Baby girl?”
She stared at him, clearly in disbelief. “More than anything.”
“Then we’ll get you all the books you want. Paper or on an e-reader, or both.”
He loved the way she searched his face. Her breathing was heavy, and she swallowed several times. “You’re for real?”
He chuckled. “For real, Molly.” It was time to introduce her to her surroundings. Though she’d glanced out the window and toward the door, he didn’t think it had registered in her head yet what else was in the room.
Gavin turned her around in his arms so she was facing outward between his legs. He wrapped his arms around her middle and held her back against his chest. “This room is yours.”
After a heartbeat, her breath hitched. “Mine? This looks like a room for a child.”
He kissed her neck, lingering so he could inhale her scent over and over. “Alpha Protectors take our role as mates very seriously. You will be coddled, pampered, and spoiled for as long as we live.”
She scanned the room slowly before settling her sights on the one piece of furniture that was sure to make her tremble. “That’s a crib.”
He kissed her neck again. “Yes. It will keep you safe when you nap.”
“I won’t sleep with you?”
“You will always sleep with me at night, Little one. That crib is for naps. When I put you down in the afternoon, the four sides will ensure your safety.”
She twisted her head to look at him directly over her shoulder. “From what? Falling out of bed?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve never fallen out of bed.”
“And you never will. When you’re in your crib, you will stay on your bottom at all times. I don’t want you standing inside the enclosure for any reason. If I catch you trying to climb over the side, I will spank your bottom.”
Her cheeks turned pink. After a heartbeat, she jerked her gaze back to the room and homed in on the changing table. “Gavin…” she murmured.
He could feel her heart rate picking up. It was totally expected. The next few days would be filled with revelations she knew nothing about. “You will learn to submit to me deeply,Little one. At times, I will take care of you in every way. I know it’s difficult to fathom, but soon you’ll crave my dominance.”
“You want me to wear diapers?” she whispered.
“Sometimes. Don’t panic, Baby girl. Trust me. When you’re ready, you’ll want to wear them. Diapers help Little girls feel deeply nurtured.”
She shuddered in his arms.
He could sense her nerves, but she wasn’t running. She remained in his arms. Small victories.
Chapter Three
Molly was too stunned to argue. She couldn’t wrap her head around Gavin’s plans for her. It was hard to process anything in this room because she was still hung up on the huge revelation that she would not be cooking for him tonight or any other night.
The relief she felt over that was tremendous, but the odd role reversal shocked her. Her entire life she’d been told she needed to prepare to service her mate. That’s how things were in the valley. Apparently not in the mountains.
This room…
It was impossible to grasp what his expectations were. The thought of wearing a diaper or napping in a crib was impossible to internalize. “Gavin…” she muttered again.
“The mates of Alpha Protectors call their Dominants Daddy.”
She flinched.Daddy?
“It’s a term of endearment among my people, Baby girl.”
