Daddy's Little Princess (Daddy 2)

She inhaled sharply and immediately lowered her gaze to her lap. “I’m sorry.”

“Gage, can you pick her up?” Darian asked. “We need to clean the wounds and put Band-Aids on them.”

Brylee’s eyes widened in fear. “No, it will hurt.”

Gage scooped her up into his arms and smiled when she screeched at the abrupt move.

“I’ll be there with you,” Gage promised. “And I know Darian will be very careful.”

With her arms around his neck, Brylee looked up at Gage in wonder as the group walked into the kitchen.

“Ella, will you grab the first-aid kit for us?” Darian asked.

Ella looked up from the vegetables she was cutting. “Oh, no. Poor girl,” she said as she rushed into the pantry.

Gage sat in one of the kitchen chairs, set Brylee sideways in his lap, and hugged her to him. He pressed her head against his chest when she whimpered. He slid his hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her.

He glanced down to see Darian carefully wipe away the dirt and blood from her scraped knees.

“Do you want, Barbie Band-Aids or princess ones?” Darian asked.

“Barbie,” Brylee said.

Gage looked down at the face pressed to his chest and smiled. Her eyes were scrunched shut, but no tears, and her little hands fisted his shirt in their tight grip.

“All done,” Darian told both girls. He finally pulled his attention to Larkin and held out a hand.

Gage watched Larkin drop down in Darian’s lap.

Darian nuzzled her forehead. “She’s just fine, baby girl. No need to worry.”

Larkin nodded and tilted her head back.

Gage watched Darian tenderly kiss her lips before lifting his head. “Gage, can you bring Brylee into the office?”

Once they were there, Darian closed the door behind them, sat in a chair beside the sofa, and then pulled Larkin into his lap.

Gage sat with Brylee in his lap and tightened his grip on her when she tried to get up. “You’re fine where you are, princess.”

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” his friend asked.

Larkin and Brylee glanced at each other and stiffened.

“Larkin, right now,” Darian said.

Her shoulders fell, and she sighed. “We were running.”

“Around the pool?” Darian asked and lifted an eyebrow.

“Yes, sir,” Larkin said.

“Is there a rule about running around the pool, baby girl?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“What do you think I should do?”

Larkin cleared her throat. “Punish me,” she whispered.