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She closed her eyes and nestled her skull against the headrest. A few moments later, she heard the gates open and felt the vehicle bounce over the tracks. They were almost home.
A wave of heat swept over her, making her full stomach lurch. “Daddy? I think I ate too much popcorn.”
Darius stopped the car immediately and raced around the hood of the car to unbuckle her seatbelt and draw her out of the car. He looked at her face and quickly helped her lean over the grass on the side of the curved drive. He gathered her hair in his hand and held her tresses away from her face as she struggled for control.
“Go away,” she mumbled, embarrassed to have him see her get sick.
“No.”
Before she could argue, the contents of her stomach rebelled. Darius gently supported Mara, taking care of her. When the last spasm ended, he wiped her mouth with a soft handkerchief. To her surprise, instantly she felt better.
“I’m so sorry.”
“You’re allowed to be sick, Little girl. Come on. Let’s get you inside.” Darius stopped and collected Sparkle before carrying Mara into the mansion. He tossed the keys to his chief of staff, who came to meet them.
“Would you put the car away for me, George?”
“Of course, sir. Would you like me to call the doctor?”
“No, thank you. Mara needs rest now. I’ve kept her out too late.”
“Not your fault,” Mara whispered. “I’m never eating popcorn again.” She was glad Darius hadn’t said anything about food. Just thinking the word popcorn made her slightly queasy again.
In a few minutes, he sat her on the vanity in the large bathroom. He gave her a small sip to drink as he turned on the water in the sink to warm. “Let Daddy do everything, Zoí mou.”
Moving carefully, he stripped off her clothes and sat her on a towel covering the granite vanity. He gently gave her a sponge bath. His kind treatment didn’t dally in her intimate spaces, but he thoroughly washed her nooks and crannies before dressing her in one of his soft T-shirts.
Mara felt so much better clean. She leaned against his hard frame supporting her and watched him put a scant amount of toothpaste on her brush. She reached for the toothbrush, but Darius moved it away from her grasp.
“Open your mouth, Little girl.”
“I can brush my own teeth,” she protested.
“Daddy’s job.”
She relented and allowed him to clean her teeth. Her embarrassment was quickly erased by the marvelous feeling. “Oh, that’s good,” she moaned as he erased the awful taste in her mouth with minty freshness.
Mara barely stayed awake to rinse the foam from her mouth. She closed her eyes as her Daddy carried her to bed and tucked her between the sheets with Sparkle. “Thank you.”
“Sleep, Zoí mou. I love you.”
“Love you.” She never saw him turn out the lights.
The next morning, Mara stumbled downstairs looking for Darius. She found him in his office, staring out the window. Wrapping her arms around him from behind, she squeezed herself to his spine.
“Good morning, Mara.” Darius turned in the circle of her arms to kiss her lips before studying her face. “You aren’t pale like last night. How are you?”
Her face heated with embarrassment. “Sorry about getting ill. You’re going to wish you had anyone else as your mate.”
“That’s completely untrue. You’re allowed to be sick, Little girl. Although Alaric may never get to babysit again.”
“That will be a fun conversation. How about if we keep this between you and me?”
“Alessia also suffered a tummy ache last night before going to bed. Titus had to change the sheets at three.”
“Oh, no. I’m so sorry for them.”
Mara, I am sorry for providing an environment where you became ill. Alaric's mental message drifted softly through her mind. The power behind the message, not the volume of his voice, made her jump.
