“Aleki!” Caleb barked.
“Don’t you drop her!” Wolfe snapped.
Aleki grinned and winked down at her. “Bunch of old worrywarts.” But he carefully set her down, then brushed his hand over her arm. “Is it hurting?”
“No. As long as I don’t move it suddenly or try to raise it up too high, it’s fine.”
“See. She’s tougher than you think, aren’t you?”
“Yep. Just look at these guns.”
She held up her good arm, flexing the bicep muscle.
Caleb grinned and came to sit next to her on the sofa.
“Hmm, not sure I’d call those guns. They’re more like . . .”
“Water pistols,” Aleki teased.
She glared at him, sniffing in mock-outrage. “I’m not talking to you. You smacked my bottom.”
“And a cute bottom it is.” He sat on the other side to her and leaned in, his breath tickling her ear. Her heart raced. “And wasn’t it good to get your first spanking over and done with?”
Wait. Was that what the teasing had been about? Had he noticed how nervous she was during their talk about what her limits were and what the consequences were for breaking the rules? Things like standing in the corner or writing lines were bad enough. But the idea of being over one of their laps had made her shift around on her seat in worry.
And he’d seen it. And taken care of it. And she hadn’t been embarrassed at all.
Mind you, a punishment spanking wasn’t going to be like that.
“Don’t think I won’t get revenge for that,” she warned him.
“Bring it.” His eyes danced.
Oh. It was so on.
“All right, everyone,” Caleb said in a voice that called for their instant attention. “We’re having family night.”
“What’s family night?” she asked Aleki as Caleb stood and moved in front of them. Wolfe sat on the coffee table. He grabbed her foot, inspecting it. Obian had been just before dinner and told her that it was fine to walk on her foot for short periods but if it started to swell again or hurt badly that she was to get off it.
It had just given Wolfe an excuse to follow her around, watching her obsessively.
“I don’t know,” Aleki replied. “Wolfe, man, she hasn’t been walking on it.”
“Just checking.” Wolfe sat on the armchair and looked up at Caleb. “Family night?”
“Yep. Family nights are for all of us together.”
Oh. She’d never done that with her own family. It sounded sweet.
&
nbsp; “What will we do?” she asked.
Caleb turned to her. “Anything you want to do, jelly bean. But tonight, I thought we’d watch a movie. Your pick.”
She smiled evilly. “My pick, huh?”
Wolfe groaned. “Please don’t tell me we have to watch a romantic comedy.”