Page 153 of Her Daddies' Everything

“Umm, well, I think it’s obvious what I’m doing.” She smiled at him. “But now that you’re here, you can hand me things.”

“That’s not happening.”

She stuck her lower lip out. “Why not?”

“Because there is no way you’re standing on that ladder while I hand you stuff.”

“I’d hardly call it a ladder. More like a tall step-stool.”

“Immy, get down. Now.”

“You are so bossy,” she grumbled as she started moving down the steps. “It’s not attractive, you know.”

He reached up and grabbed her hips, lifting her the rest of the way. “You like it.”

“That’s a rather arrogant statement,” she said, even as she discreetly sniffed him.

God, he always smelled so good. She couldn’t really describe his scent. A little spicy, a bit woodsy. All masculine.

“You’re bossy and arrogant,” she told him, spinning and putting her hands on her hips.

“You’re just full of compliments today,” he told her.

“Those weren’t compliments!” She tapped her feet and pointed at him. “Arrogant and bossy are not good things to be.”

“Seems to be working out okay for me. Now, naughty and sassy, those are not good things to be. At least, for your butt.”

She gasped so hard that she nearly tripped over her own feet. “Are you saying I’m naughty and sassy?”

“Yep.”

“And that you’ll . . . you’ll . . .”

“Smack your butt? Yep. I’ll smack your butt if I see you climbing a ladder again.”

Tobias eyed her closely as he said that. She guessed he might be testing how she would react to that threat after the way she’d reacted the other week when he’d actually smacked her butt.

She tried not to think about her reaction. Things between them had been a bit strange since, but he hadn’t tried to spank her again.

And it wasn’t like she was scared of him, she’d been taken by surprise, so she just gave him a sassy look back.

“Huh. Rude. And, again, it’s not a ladder, it’s a step-stool.”

“Sweetness, it’s over four feet tall. It’s a ladder. What were you thinking?”

“That I wanted to get a head start on the Christmas decorations.”

“Cherry, Christmas isn’t for another eight weeks.”

“Actually, it’s seven weeks. Way past the time that the Christmas decorations should be up.”

“Don’t they go up in December?”

“No, no, no. I am not spending three days putting up Christmas decorations only to enjoy them for three weeks! I want to enjoy them for at least six. But now that you’re here, you can help.”

“Three days? Who spends three days putting up Christmas decorations?” he asked.

“Me! Because I’m not a Grinch. Which I’m starting to think you are. Oh, that reminds me. I need to get you Christmas pajamas.”

---