Page 17 of Zale's Little Girl
“There’s no problem, kitten. I’m glad I distracted you. How about if I put Toothie right over here on this pillow?” Zale suggested, gently tugging the stuffie from her hand.
As he placed the alligator safely away from them, he leaned back down to continue where he’d been interrupted. This time, her fingers traced the grooves of the muscles in his shoulders as he explored her mouth. Daringly, Pippa touched the tip of her tongue to his. His deep hum of enjoyment made her repeat the motion before tasting his lips and dipping into his warm mouth.
No morning breath here.Was there anything wrong with Zale?
“Stop thinking, kitten. Enjoy.”
Pippa gripped him tighter, wondering how he always knew so much about her before following his instructions. She abandoned herself to his kisses. He rewarded her with a fewmore sizzling kisses before tasting the sensitive cord of her neck. Stretching her head to the side to give him full access, Pippa shivered at the delicious sensation. The faint scratch of his morning whiskers added one more layer to the thrills he lavished on her.
She blinked up at him when he lifted his mouth from hers. The heat in his eyes pushed the fire building inside her to an urgent need. “Don’t stop.”
“If I don’t, we’re never going to leave this bed, kitten. We need to file a report at the police station,” he reminded her.
Instantly, her mind jumped back in time. She panicked like she was still zip tied to the door, going somewhere to what she knew in her gut would be terrifying. That helpless sensation reverberated inside her, making her blood run cold. She clung to his powerful form as fear stiffened her muscles and closed down her thoughts.
He held her pressed against him. She could hear the murmur of his deep voice but couldn’t concentrate on the words. He rocked her slightly back and forth as his hand stroked the hair from her face. Slowly, she emerged from her panicked state.
“There she is. You’re safe here, kitten. Can you talk to me? Tell me what’s going on in your brain.”
“I’m scared, Zale. I don’t want him to know I’m still around,” Pippa admitted.
“I know, little girl. I’m going with you. You’ll be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”
Tears filled Pippa’s eyes, blurring her view of his concerned face. Deep inside, she knew she could count on Zale. He was rock steady. His word was his vow.
“How am I ever going to pay you back for helping me?” she said, hating the weakness in her voice.
“There are some things no one needs to repay, kitten. Especially not to your daddy. I’d love to get my hands on him and give him a taste of the terror I know you experienced, but he’s not important to me. The justice system will deal with him. My focus is solely on you, Pippa.”
“I wouldn’t have met you without this happening,” she whispered.
“That’s something positive to hold on to while we deal with this last hurdle. What’s your favorite breakfast?”
Blinking up at him, she struggled to jump from the plan to make a police report to breakfast treats. “I-I like pancakes.”
“The big plate-sized ones or silver dollars?”
“Small ones,” she whispered. “Can I have one more kiss?”
“You can have as many kisses as you want.”
The exchange that followed made her almost forget their plans for the day.
“Sir, you can wait here while we interview Ms. Twinner,” the police officer told Zale.
“No. I mean, I need him with me,” Pippa insisted, squeezing Zale’s hand. There was no way she was going into another section of the police station without Zale. She’d trusted someone once.
“Officer, Pippa was abducted. She is understandably concerned about her well-being and needs support. She came in voluntarily to file a report to help prevent anything from happening to others. Should we leave and return with an attorney?” Zale asked in a firm but respectful tone.
The officer looked back and forth between them before nodding. “Alright, you can come. You’ll need to be quiet and not signal any instructions to Ms. Twinner.”
“I can absolutely do that.”
“Follow me.”
The next hour felt like it lasted a week to Pippa. She told her story and shared her physical injuries repeatedly. The officer took extensive notes before excusing himself.
