Page 82 of Unexpected Lovers (Work Husband)

Chapter 4

Though he’d done his best to make sure I had all the comforts of home, it was odd waking up in a strange bed, and as I rolled over, my butt was still a bit sore from the spanking I’d earned for not observing his insane bedtime rule. But before I could yawn, his voice boomed from the hallway.

“Did you have a restful night?”

“I had to sleep on my tummy,” I admitted, rolling over to avoid his eyes, which were probably sparkling.

“Well, that will happen when you brazenly disregard my rules. But today we’ll begin with a clean slate, my darling little one and it’s a beautiful, sunny morning. So, would you like your Daddy to prepare breakfast while we make plans for the day, or would you prefer to dine in a restaurant?”

My lips instantly curved upward. “What’s on the menu here?”

“I certainly could prepare anything you desire, but my specialty is pancakes.”

“With butter and real maple syrup?”

“Yep.”

“And you want to spend the day with me? As in, all day?”

“It’s something you’ve always wanted to do with your Daddy, isn’t it?”

As my eyes peered downward at the quilted duvet, I absentmindedly picked at a loose thread. “I guess.”

“Well, I’m available to spend the whole week with my young lady. So, why don’t you make a quick stop in the bathroom, and then we’ll meet in the kitchen for breakfast.”

It was still difficult to believe he cleared his work calendar just to train me. Gazing into his hazel eyes, I searched for the truth. “What’s really in this for you?”

His smile was warm and sincere. “Not everyone in this world has an ulterior motive, kiddo. So why don’t you think about some things you’d like to do, and I’ll try to make your wishes come true.”

“Hmm. You’re starting to sound like my own personal genie in a bottle.”

John’s chuckle was soft as he crossed his arms. “If you obey my rules, the rewards will be sweet. But when you disobey your Daddy…”

“I know, I know,” I mumbled, rolling out of bed. “I remember what happens.”

“You already felt the sting of my hand, but the next time you’re naughty, my discipline will be a bit more severe.”

For the second time that morning, my wide eyes connected with his.

“You’ll feel the kiss of my belt on your bare behind.”

John took the empty breakfast plate from me as I licked my lips. “Those pancakes were delicious. Where did you learn to be such a good cook?”

“After my wife passed, I needed a hobby. So, I turned to all the cooking shows on television for ideas and the internet for recipes.”

My sigh was heavy as I looked into his warm, expressive eyes. “I’m glad we’re going to spend the day getting to know each other better, but what should we do?”

“It’s obvious we both have a lot of personal history to share, so why don’t we talk while I show you around Austin?”

“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed, gathering items to return to the fridge.

“Thanks for your help, young lady. But I’d rather you get dressed while I clean up the kitchen.”

In silent agreement, I walked to the doorway and then pivoted to face him. “Don’t you think it would be a good idea to tell me where we’re going, so I’d know how to dress?”

“If you like to shop, we have a great shopping district…”

My hand flew to my rapidly beating heart. “Are you kidding?”