Kraken the Whip, page 8
She nudged her way in, washed her hands, and got to work. She supervised Liella a little as avocados were the next thing to fall under the plastic knife.
Chapter Seven
Making donuts with Liella while Jax went back for a conference call was a lot of fun. There was a lot of flour flying around, but when it came to tidying up, the little person on the step stool scrubbed carefully. The donuts and holes rose while they cleaned up, and when the donuts were fried, Liella waited eagerly for them to cool so they could dip them in glaze.
Penny looked at the excited and satisfied expression on Liella’s little face. She was delighted.
“Miss Penny, I didn’t know you could make donuts at home. Can we bring one to Daddy?”
“In a few minutes after we put the glaze away. We want to let the glaze get hard, so it isn’t so messy to eat.”
Liella looked at some of the holes. “Can we try those?”
“Of course. A chef always makes extra for testing.”
They each picked up a chocolate-glazed donut hole. They tapped them together and took a bite. The little girl was so excited. “Miss Penny, these taste so good! Can we make them tomorrow?”
“I think that we need to only make them every week or so. That way, they won’t become boring.” She got a plate and a stack of napkins, put a donut on the plate, and said, “You carry it, and I will knock on the office door.”
Liella carried it carefully, and Penny knocked on the door. Jax said, “Come in.”
Penny opened the door and let the little girl in with her prized offering.
She heard Jax exclaiming in excitement and Liella laughing with that infectious giggle. Penny went to sit down at the kitchen table, and she answered a few check-in texts from friends. She grinned when she got a text from her brother letting her know they were good to travel for Liella’s birthday party. The inflatable castle was confirmed, and Gen had provided links to the birthday girl’s favourite cake.
Penny chuckled, and a dark little head pushed under her elbow. “What are you doing?”
“Plotting and scheming, little one.”
“Do you have pictures of your family?”
“Oh, sure.” She flipped to the gallery, and Liella flicked through the pictures like a pro.
“So, Liella.”
“Uh-huh.”
“What do you want for your birthday?”
“A party.”
Penny grinned.
“What else do you want as a present?”
“For you to be my mom and maybe a baby brother.”
Penny felt that she had been whacked in the head with a rubber mallet. “What?”
“I want you to be my mom, and I want a baby brother.”
“Uh-huh. Why do you want me to be your mom?” Penny couldn’t stop herself.
“You are pretty. You always smell good. You are nice. Everybody in kindergarten wants you to be their mom, even when you worked at the school. The other moms even smile when you are around. They don’t smile for anybody.” Liella smiled. “Oh, and Daddy wants you to be my mom, too.”
“Ah. Do you know why?”
“He really likes you, too. He thinks you are funny and smart and said he would even share his office with you if you wanted to do schooling. Will you get to colour at school?”
Penny paused. “Maybe not, but I would put in a break for colouring. Should we do that now?”
“Yes. Can the donuts sit on the counter?”
“Yes. At this point, the glaze is acting like a food container. It is keeping it fresh. Is there anything else you want for your birthday?”
Liella looked up at her. “Nope.”
“Oh geez. I am going to get those crayons.” She set Liella on the floor with her phone.
“So, when can I call you Mom?”
Penny got the paper and crayons. “Um, I guess that is up to your dad? I think he would feel sad if he wasn’t your only parent. He’s been alone for a while.”
Liella climbed onto a chair and smiled. “He says he’s done being alone. He has me, so he isn’t alone, but I think he wants a grownup lady.”
“Um.” She started drawing an archway in a forest with leaves and branches, flowers came into play. When she realized what she was drawing, she crumpled it up and carried it to the garbage.
“You should recycle that.”
“No, some things need to be thrown away.” She sat down and drew a rose on the new paper.
“It was pretty.”
“It was silly.” Penny smiled. “Sometimes adults are silly.”
They drew for another half hour before Penny asked, “Liella, do you have a back yard?”
“Yeah.”
“Can you show it to me?”
“Sure. We have to put the crayons away though.”
“Of course.”
They tidied up and went for a walk outside in the back yard. Penny smiled. “I love swings.”
Liella ran to the smaller swing, and Penny sat on the larger. The beams above had been reinforced, and she smiled. “Your dad swings with you.”
“Not as much lately. He is busy.”
“Is it because I am here?”
The little girl looked surprised. “No, he is spending a lot of time with me now that you are here. I want you to stay.”
“Uh-huh. Why do you want me to be your mom?”
“I don’t have one, and you are better than the other moms at school.” Liella kicked her feet as she played.
“I had no idea there was a rating system.”
Liella nodded. “You are the best.”
Penny continued swinging, and Liella ran up to slip down the slide and then up again.
Jax came out of the house, and there was the remains of a donut on his mouth and cheek. “I was wondering where you were.”
Penny pushed off with her feet. “I like swings, and she likes climbing.”
He caught her swing and pulled her toward him while he bent down. She licked at the chocolate glaze and asked, “Two donut afternoon?”
Liella yelled, “Dad! I told Penny that I wanted her to be my mom for my birthday. When can I start calling her Mom?”
Jax blinked. “Ah. You will have to ask her.”
“She said to ask you because you are the dad and you might not want to share me.”
Penny blushed. It was always fun to be caught in her own words by a child. They were devious.
“Well, I think that you could call her that now if you like.”
Liella giggled and yelled. “Yay!”
She started going berserk on the play structure, and Jax looked to Penny and grinned. “Congratulations. You are Mom.”
“I barely felt a thing.”
“I will do better on that for the next time.”
Penny’s face was hot and going to stay that way. “Yeah, you can stop talking.”
Liella made a noise and jumped off the structure and into Jax’s arms. “So, how long until I get a brother?”
Penny rubbed her forehead. “A while.”
“It takes time, and I will need the help of Detective Thor, and we will need to wait until Penny is ready.”
“She has to get hot. That is what Hailey said at recess.” She nodded authoritatively. “And then the daddies have to cool her down, and when they leave the nest, she has started the baby. Hailey’s mom had two babies, but I just want one.”
Jax shrugged. “It might not be a boy. We might not get one right away, and then it will be a few months, and we have to try again.”
Liella sighed. “Okay. I will ask Hailey. She knows how long it goes.”
“It takes just about nine months when it works. That is how long I waited for you.”
“Oh, with the other lady. She didn’t like us.”
“No, she didn’t, but she went her way, and I got you. Where did you find out about her?”
“Auntie Gen told me when I asked her where I came from.”
Penny started to swing.
“Daddy, what is for dinner?”
“We are grilling today because Detective Thor is coming for dinner.”
“Oh. Corn?”
“Corn.”
Tiny little arms shot into the air.
Penny smiled. This was going to work. She just had to figure out where she wanted her career to take her next.
She continued to swing and then stopped and stretched. She kicked off her shoes and ran across the yard. She had expected Liella to run after her; she was not expecting to be scooped up and gently tackled to the grass.
Penny gasped, Jax’s eyes gleamed, and Liella giggled happily. “We caught you!”
“Uh, yeah. You did.” Penny looked at Jax. “Somehow I forgot something important.”
Liella laughed. “What did you forget?”
“That when facing daddies carrying little girls, don’t run.”
Jax’s eyes were gleaming with amusement. “Important thing to remember.”
“Yeah. Funny guy.”
He kissed her, and Liella giggled.
Penny lunged toward him, and the kiss deepened. He rolled to his back and Liella, got loose and giggled back to the play structure.
Penny lifted her head, but he threaded his hand through her hair and pulled her head back to his. They continued kissing, but then Penny heard a shriek, they parted, and she flashed her tentacle out to catch the falling Liella, pulling her across the yard into Penny’s arms. “Gotcha.”
Liella’s eyes filled with tears, and she clung to Penny’s neck. There were sobs and an explanation, but she was chasing a bug and went past the protective barrier.
Jax stroked the back of Liella’s head. He murmured to Penny, “I haven’t come up with a method to keep her in yet, but this is why she doesn’t play without me there. It was terrifying when she was three.”
Penny nodded. “You could put in some bark mulch for protection. It will make the landing a bit more springy.” She smirked. “It even comes in pink.”
Liella lifted her head. “Pink?”
“There you are. Scare over?”
“Yes.”
“Want to go swing?”
“Yes. Will you come with me?”
“Yes. And then I will tell you the tale of my cousin, Ven. She plays a sport called roller derby, and she can show you how to fall safely.”
“What’s that?”
“I will show you on my computer. Oh, shoot. My computer is at my house.”
Penny kept an arm around Liella and swung on the swing.
Liella frowned. “You aren’t staying here?”
“I... think so. Pretty sure.” She kissed Liella’s forehead. “I want to, but the older I get, the harder it is to keep starting over and over and over.”
Liella frowned. “But I thought you wanted to be my mom.”
“I do, punkin. But I am also saying that I might get confused or sad or upset. I have to fit all of my life into your life and your dad’s life, and now Detective Thor’s life. It’s a lot.”
She swung slowly back and forth, and Liella leaned against her chest. Jax met her gaze. “It’s that rough?”
“It’s pretty rough. I realized that when I was needing a quiet corner and didn’t have one. My old place I had a small deck with a bistro set. I would sit out there and just process things I had seen. I am in need of a place to process.”
He nodded and sent a text.
“Telling Detective Thor to do something?”
He nodded. “Yup. Looking for your computer. Your chargers. All the stuff that daily activities require.”
“Right. I also have a favourite coffee mug that looks like a kitten.” She didn’t, but it was going to be fun seeing what Thor came home with. Jax nodded and sent a message.
She kept her laughter in and rocked Liella slowly. She looked to Jax. “Does she still take naps?”
“Yes. Can you carry her?”
“Sure.”
Penny got up and walked across the yard to the back door and into the house. She felt the floor and remembered that she was covered in grass and her feet were bare.
She carried Liella up the stairs, and Jax led her to Liella’s bedroom, which was at the end of the hallway. Jax turned the bed down, got the little shoes off, and Penny settled Liella into place. They walked into the hall, and she exhaled when they were down the hallway. “It’s like you have done that before.”
He nodded and pinned her against the wall. “If circumstances hadn’t shoved us together, would you have even bothered to seek us out?”
She tightened her lips, and then she looked up at him. “No. You already have a child, so I am not necessary to provide one. I think that what drives me is to be needed and that isn’t really the situation here. I have needed you, and I am not a fan of that.” She grimaced.
“Go back to school. Change your career path to one you can do anywhere.” Jax leaned down. “But stay with us, please?”
She touched his cheek. “Part of me knows that I belong with you, but other parts are freaking out.”
“Do you think that your heat will make you feel... comfortable?” He asked with raised brows.
“No. I am doubting my ability to walk afterward, in fact.”
His smile was slight. “We will be careful. You aren’t an omega.”
“Oh. Yay. That is true. I am definitely not an omega.”
She checked the time, and it was nearing three. “When is Thor coming?”
“Knowing him, a moment after you let him in.” Jax smirked.
She blushed. “Funny.”
“He’s supposed to pick up a few things and then text when he’s on the way.”
She rolled her lips together. “He’s gonna be a while. You might want to tell him to give up on the mug.”
Jax smiled. “Let’s let him look for another half hour. I am curious as to what he will bring home.”
“He’s moving in, too?”
“Yeah, he will have the room across from ours. Your wardrobe is through the connecting door.”
She winced. “Is there a nest?”
“Yes, but Liella will go to stay with Gen next week.”
Penny exhaled in relief. “Oh, good.”
He cupped her jaw. “The idea is so that you have a place you can relax without fear or worry.”
“And so I can run for it.”
He nuzzled her cheek. “It would be a short exercise. There are very few things that are faster than a rutting alpha.”
She snorted. “I have seen the news reports. The guy on the pixelation sometimes is not fast enough. Alpha domestic issues always make the headlines.”
He chuckled. “Would you like to see the nest?”
“How long will Liella nap?”
“An hour.”
“Fine. Let’s go.”
She smiled, and he nodded. He took her hand, and they headed down to the main floor.
He walked to the pantry and swung a shelf aside, smiling at her surprise. “Keeping a breeding couple safe has always been paramount in my family.”
“Well, hiding behind the icing sugar would insure it, if it makes you peckish.”
He smiled, and they continued into the basement. “This is the secure path to the nest. There is another access point in the basement, also concealed. I thought this was more fun.”
She laughed, and they were in front of a blank wall. He pressed the door, and it swung inward.
She walked inside and looked at the comfy bed, benches, pillows, throws. It was designed to be soft and comforting. “Your parents were never upset by your lack of omega?”
“They have Liella to carry on the family name. They are very content with it.”
She smiled. “That’s good.”
She picked up some of the throws and folded them over her arms. “Liella would lose her mind playing down here.”
“Yeah, that isn’t going to happen. This is a no kiddo zone.”
Penny smiled. “Good to know. Do you know if she is an omega yet?”
“Definitely not. She’s pure beta.”
“Okay.” Penny walked over to the soft surface and sat down to roll over on it. It was super soft and bouncy. She exhaled and realized that she probably could physically relax in this space. Jax crouched near her feet.
“So, Penny, do you think you can be comfortable here?”
She ran her hands over the surfaces around her. “Yes. Pretty sure I can.”
His hand curled around her ankle and he tugged her toward him. “Pretty sure?”
“Pretty sure is all you get.”
He wrapped a hand around her hip and leaned in to kiss her. “I will take it.”
She smiled and kissed him then whispered, “How long until you tell Thorstein about the cat mug?”
He kissed her deeply, his tongue sliding along hers before he lifted his head. “Another twenty minutes.”
She laughed and kissed him, holding on as he teased her and slowly hypnotized her with kisses and caresses she would have killed for as a lonely teen.
Penny stroked his hip with her knee, and he paused mid-make-out to reach for his midsection. She knew the sound of his belt buckle, and the touch of his tentacles against her leg made her giggle. He had just gotten one of the tentacles under the elastic of her panties when she gasped. The next moment, he was inside her, and she arched up. He provided his own slick, so he went in easily.
“If you knew what watching you did to me, you wouldn’t be comfortable in a room with me.”
She arched and hissed. “Comfortable is not the word. Is there a support group for folks who have sex with tentacles?”
He chuckled. “Not that I have been able to find. On the plus side, if I use a topical numbing cream, I don’t even know it’s me.”
She paused, stared at him, and then laughed while the appendage inside her stroked rapidly over her g-spot until the laughter caught on a scream. Jax murmured to her and traced his lips over her cheeks and chin. Her body throbbed around him and hanging onto him was all she could think of.
She was breathing in short gasps because he hadn’t ceased moving inside her. When her body slowed, she shuddered. She looked into his dark eyes. “So, when you come, is ink involved because if it is, you are going to need special sheets.”
