sp; “No, she said they were talking gibberish, and their screaming hurt her ears.”
All four men laughed because a few of them had said the same thing before.
“Would you like dessert now, or later?” Ella asked as she picked up a few plates.
“Could you bring it into the office with some coffee? We’re going to talk about business for a bit.”
Ella nodded and walked into the kitchen.
Darian picked up Larkin, carried her into the office, and sat on one side of a sofa. He cradled her against his chest.
“Why don’t you put her to bed?” Patrick asked.
“Because when she’s this tired, if she wakes up and I’m not there, it upsets her. She’s still getting used to everything.”
Noah handed Darian an after-dinner cocktail and sat in one of the chairs. They ate the dessert and talked about the few projects they had going.
“Where’s Gage?” Kaleb asked. “I thought he was going to try to come.”
“He wanted to, but by the time he’d get here, it would be really late. He’s over in Stratford looking over the building we’ve got going up there.”
“Is there a problem?” Patrick asked as he set his fork down on the plate.
“We’re not sure. He’s not pleased with the progress. He thinks the construction crew is dragging their feet to make more money.”
“Too bad we don’t pay them for the job and not hourly.”
Patrick agreed with Noah. “I know, but the last one we paid for by the project and not hourly, they hurried through and cut a few corners, and we had to do some of it again.”
Kaleb grunted. “I think we should just stick to Franklin Construction. They always do a good job for us.”
“Yes, but they don’t want to build far from home. They want to be home with their families every night,” Darian said.
Darian set his glass down when Larkin started to fidget. He pulled her tight against his chest with one arm, and his other hand slid under her skirt and cupped her bottom. “Shh, I’ve got you.”
She pried open her eyes and smiled sweetly up at him. “Thank you, daddy.”
Darian grinned and kissed her forehead. “Go back to sleep.”
Larkin rubbed her cheek against his shirt, hummed, and drifted off to sleep again.
Darian looked up to see different levels of envy in his friends. Those three in the room, plus Gage, had talked about their sexuality for years and had found out they had a lot in common when it came to what they looked for or needed in a relationship.
They were all alpha men and liked total control, something that was hard for most women.
Darian had been the first to find a relationship, and he knew it had to be difficult for the others to watch. He just hoped they’d find theirs someday soon.
Chapter Thirteen
The next morning, Larkin slipped down the stairs. She couldn’t remember what happened after dinner the night before. She woke for a bit once in the office and then when her daddy was undressing her. The drone of the men’s voices, especially her daddy’s, soothed her and made her feel safe.
She walked past the office toward the kitchen and heard some of the men talking. She stopped suddenly when she heard her name.
“After watching you with Larkin and all the talks we’ve had about finding littles for ourselves, I’m not sure I’m up for it,” Kaleb said.
Larkin pressed her ear against the door and cocked her head to be able to hear better.
“Why?” Patrick asked.