Page 164 of Double Daddies
She shakes her head. “No!”
I lean back in my chair and look at her. “Good.”
Her cheeks go red, and she looks back at Elijah and me. Is she thinking about what we did earlier? Playing everything she loved over and over in her head?
Adjusting myself, I stand and walk into the kitchen.
“You won’t eat?” I call out.
“I’m not hungry,” she replies. “I just. My stomach is all in knots, and I’m not hungry.”
“You haven’t eaten since this morning,” Elijah says.
“I know.” She sighs. “But I just can’t. I’m sorry.”
Grabbing a baby bottle, I fill it with a chocolate protein drink and place it in a bath of warm water before turning around, keeping it hidden behind me.
“Oh, little bit. No need to cry. We’re here for you,” Elijah gently says. “We’ll figure something out.”
“Why don’t you go sit on the couch? I’ll be there in a second to hold you in my lap,” I announce, not leaving any room for argument.
“Do I really have to go sit back on the couch?” she mumbles. “I don’t like the couch.”
“Tomorrow morning, Aiden is coming by to look at your feet. If he says you’re okay to walk, then we’ll take it slow.” Elijah cups her face. “We can sit on the couch or the bed.”
“Couch.” Her cheeks go red, and she looks at the couch.
I’ll never be able to look at it the same. I’ll always think of the little noises she made as Elijah teased her with his fingersand she was sucking me off. The way she hollowed her cheeks, greedily taking me in.
I clear my throat as Elijah picks Nora up, walking to the couch and placing her there.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” I tell them, turning around to get the bottle.
After pulling it out of the water bath, I tip it, placing a drop on the back of my hand and smiling. Perfect temperature. I walk into the room, covering the bottle with my hands.
“We haven’t talked about this. If you aren’t comfortable, you tell us.” I lock eyes with Nora. “Understand?”
She nods.
“Words, baby. I need words,” I remind her.
“Yes, Pa—” She cleared her throat. “Yes, Sir.”
I long to hear the word Papa come from her mouth. I want to be her Papa for the rest of her life, showering her with love and discipline, taking care of her, and more.
But I can be patient with her.
I sit on the couch, placing the bottle on the end table where she can’t see. Patting my lap, I look at her.
“Come lay on my lap, baby. Your head resting against my chest and arm and your body laying over mine,” I explain.
She carefully follows my instructions, and I can’t help but look down at her and stare. She’s gazing back up at me, looking nervous but also calm and relaxed. Reaching over with my free hand, I grab the bottle and show it to her.
Nora’s eyes go wide as she stares at the bottle before licking her lips. She scans the bottle, the curiosity flowing through them.
“If you want to try it, we can. If you don’t want to, I’ll put it in a sippy cup for you,” I gently say.
Deep down, I hope she takes it in the bottle so I can hold her and feed her. Her eyes look at Elijah before coming back to me.
