Daddy's Adorable Assassin (Daddy's Little Deviants)

COSMO

Asmallsqueakalerted me to the patio doors opening. I was sure I’d closed it half an hour ago after Daddy agreed I could go outside and play with the new dolls he’d bought me. I cracked an eye open, but I was too drunk on the sun to even turn my head to check who came outside.

“Babe.”

I smiled at Hunter’s sweet endearment. He always came up with a new one to call me, and they sounded so natural coming from his lips. With every one he uttered, I felt him becoming wrapped up in me more. He no longer fought it, and we lived together like any other couple, ate breakfast and dinner together, then made love and slept together.

The truth was that I’d needed Hunter to fall in love with me, but what I hadn’t realized was that I’d needed to fall in love with him more. Sure, I had moments of panic when I thought too hard about what Virgil had done and how betrayed I’d felt. But I had never been in love with Virgil, just dependent on him, and I dared not think about what would happen if Hunter did the same.

Hunter was no Virgil, though. Every day he tried to fix the damage of what Virgil had done to me, filling my head with lies and half truths.

“Sweetheart, you’ve been in the sun too long.” A shadow fell over me. I raised my head then and smiled.

“But it feels so good.”

“Did you use the sunblock like I told you to?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Good, but that’s enough. We don’t want you getting heatstroke. I made you a glass of lemonade. Please come inside.”

I was feeling too mellow to argue. The last two days with him had been bliss. There’d been no more fights, just such sweetness that left me craving more of Hunter.

With a sigh, I climbed to my feet. “Okay, Daddy. Just let me pick up my toys.”

Daddy had given me an old blanket, which I’d spread out on the lawn in the backyard and played with my toys on. Before I could bend, Hunter placed an arm around my waist and pulled me to him. He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine. A shiver ran down my spine despite the heat.

“It’s okay, but thanks for offering. You go inside, and I’ll pick up for you.”

“Gosh, Daddy. You’re the best.”

I stood on tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek, then tore inside the house. The A/C was heaven, cooling me down. In the kitchen, I found the lemonade Hunter had made for me sitting on the island. He’d even put a little umbrella straw in it. A grin stretched across my face. Hunter was so thoughtful. In the movie we’d been watching last night, a group of women were at a party, drinking margaritas. I hadn’t known what they were, but they’d looked delicious, and I’d asked Daddy to make me one. He’d said no, that I was too young to drink.

This morning he’d gone out to get me a pack of the little umbrella straws. My drink might not have any alcohol in it, but I didn’t care. I’d just wanted the umbrella, and Daddy had understood that.

I’d guzzled down half of the contents of the glass when Hunter walked into the kitchen.

He smiled. “Good?”

I fanned my face. “Just what I needed to cool down. I didn’t realize how hot I was.”

He cupped my face. “You keep this up, and before you know it, you’ll be getting a tan.”

“Mother, can I go play outside?”

“The sun’s too hot. Do you know what happens when you play in the sun? You get tanned, and what do you think will happen if you get darker? No one will love you anymore.”

“Cosmo?”

I blinked.

“What happened? You spaced out there on me.”

“Will you still want me if I’m not so pale anymore?”

“What?”

“Mother wanted me to have a pale complexion. She had these creams I had to apply to my body and face as part of my daily and nightly routine. I hated the smell of some of it, but she insisted it would help me look like the perfect doll.”