Caitlyn and the Alien Protector (Intergalactic Brides 7) (8 page)

“That was such a big girl,” Caitlyn said. “If you’re too scared to go potty by yourself, you just let me know and I’ll take you. Okay?”

Katy nodded.

Caitlyn picked her up and carried her to bed. Cosmir was in there waiting for them. Were those tears in his eyes?

“Ready for bed?” Cosmir asked.

Katy reached for him and Caitlyn relinquished her. She watched as Cosmir tucked Katy in and kissed her goodnight, then she went to tell the little girl goodnight. Cosmir fixed the baby gate across her doorway before turning off the light and then motioned for Caitlyn to go back to the living room.

“Is everything okay?” Caitlyn asked.

“That’s the first time she’s gone to the bathroom since she came here. She’s never asked me once and it never occurred to me that I needed to ask. She’s behind, isn’t she?”

“In some aspects, she’s behind. She should be talking a little more and she should be potty trained by now. But I’m not an expert on kids, that’s just from what I’ve observed from being around my friends’ kids, so she may be just fine. You should really make an appointment with a pediatrician. What if she hasn’t had her shots yet? Do you even know if her mother ever took her to a doctor?”

He shook his head.

“How could I have been so stupid to create a child with a woman like that?” he asked. “I don’t regret Katy because she’s wonderful, but why did her mother have to be so selfish? When I took her shopping that first night, she picked out one single toy at the store. It was like she was afraid to pick too many things. I had to wonder if she’d ever been in a toy store before. Had she had any toys at home? None came with her, not even a stuffed bear.”

“Cosmir, you can’t blame yourself. I’m guessing Katy wasn’t planned since you didn’t know about her until now.”

“No, she wasn’t. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want her. I’d have taken her the day she was born if someone had let me know about her.”

“You can’t change Katy’s past, but you can give her a bright future. You’re wonderful with her and it’s clear that she adores you. If she’s never had a lot of attention before, then she probably thinks this is heaven. She went from a mother who didn’t care to a father who loves her. And that’s all she really needs. Love.”

“What she needs is a mother. I always thought I would find a mate when the time was right, but what if it’s years before someone wants to be a part of our lives? Is that fair to Katy?”

Caitlyn ran her hand down his arm and laced their fingers together. “What’s not fair is saddling Katy with a mom who doesn’t love you. She doesn’t seem to mind that she doesn’t have a mother at the moment. Don’t run out and shop for a mother for her when she’s perfectly content right now.”

He sighed. “I’m just worried that I’m going to mess everything up. I know nothing about children. She deserves better.”

“One day at a time, Cosmir. Let’s start by calling the doctor tomorrow and getting her an appointment.”

“She’ll have to go the Terran station to see the doctor there. A human doctor won’t be able to help her. Our outward appearance may be similar to a human’s, but our insides are a bit different. And I’m not sure she needs all of the shots human children get, but the doctor at the Terran station will know what to do. He may even be able to reach out to the doctor where Katy was born and find out if she’s ever been seen before.”

“Then we’ll call tomorrow and set up an appointment for her. I’m sure I can find the place if I need to take her while you’re working. This is your two days ‘on’ rotation?”

He nodded.

“I don’t mind taking her to the doctor. And if you need any grocery shopping done or need more things for Katy, I can take care of that too. I don’t want you to worry about her while you’re at work, or worry that things aren’t being taken care of here at home.”

“I like that.” He smiled.

“Like what?”

“You called this home. It felt right.”

She had to admit that she felt the same way. His home was cozy and she could easily see herself spending a lot time here. How much work she’d get done was a slight concern, but she’d figure it out along the way. If she had to stay up late to work on editing projects and tackle the graphics while Katy napped, then that’s what she would do. And it wasn’t like she couldn’t carry her laptop from room to room. Just because Cosmir had offered her the desk, didn’t mean she had to work there all the time.

“You should probably get some rest,” he said. “It’s been a busy day and Katy is rather noisy in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Cosmir.” On impulse, she went up on tiptoe and brushed her lips against his cheek.

“Goodnight, Caitlyn,” he said softly.

Before she could do something stupid, she hurried back to her bedroom and got ready for bed. If she kept touching him, even innocently, she would be taking a lot of cold showers. The feel of his muscles under her fingertips had been enough to make her want to rip his shirt off and explore his body some more. Thankfully, she’d come to her senses before she could act on that impulse. How embarrassing would that have been?
Thanks for letting me live in your house. Mind if I molest you?
She snorted.

Of course, he
was
a man, so there was every chance he would have enjoyed it just as much as her.

Caitlyn’s skin felt like satin under his fingertips as his hands explored her body. Her delicate curves were on display as she sprawled across his massive bed. The pale blue satin sheets contrasted nicely with her ebony locks and pale skin. Rosy nipples just begged for his attention as her foot slid up and down against the sheets, teasing him with glimpses of the heaven between her legs.

His lips closed around a dusky peak, sucking on the bud and flicking it with his tongue. The weight of her breast in his hand was perfect as the soft mound molded to his palm. Cosmir settled over her, the force of his body pressing her tighter against the mattress as her legs spread and welcomed him. The head of his cock brushed against the damp curls at the junction of her thighs and he thrust against her, his cock sliding against her dewy lips.

He rubbed against her, teasing them both and driving their need higher. As his cock pressed into her, the wet heat of her pussy welcomed him. Cosmir groaned as he sank into her. Caitlyn’s nails clawed his back as she bared her throat to him and begged him for more
.

“Daddy!”

Cosmir bolted upright in bed and cursed.

“Daddy! I’m wet.”

As he tossed aside the covers, he realized that his body had thought his dream was very real. So real, he’d come all over his sheets. Cosmir stripped the bed, cleaned himself with the clean parts of the sheets, then pulled on a pair of sweat pants. Katy stood at the gate across her door and held her hands up to him.

Cosmir didn’t bother unlatching the gate and just stepped over. He helped Katy out of her pajamas, then cleaned her up with some wipes before putting on a fresh pull-up. Thankfully it hadn’t soaked through to her pajamas and the mess was minimal. Once she was dressed in shorts and a tee, he went to the kitchen to get her a cup of juice.

“Daddy is going to get ready. Play with your toys until I’m done and then we’ll have breakfast.” He handed her the cup and kissed the top of her head.

Cosmir went back to his room to gather some clothes for the day then went into the bathroom and shut the door. He put his clothes on the counter and started the shower. With a yawn, he waited for the water to warm before stepping under the spray and closing the glass door. The water beat down on him and he rubbed his hands up and down his face, trying to shake free of the images still in his mind from his very vivid dream.

His cock stirred with interest as the images of a very naked Caitlyn danced through his mind. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been with a woman, but he did know he’d never wanted any of them as much as he wanted Caitlyn. It wasn’t enough that she tempted him during the day, but now she was haunting his dreams at night too.

Cosmir poured a generous amount of shower gel in his palm and soaped his cock, using long, firm strokes. It felt good but not nearly as good as Caitlyn’s mouth would, or even her hands. He’d give anything to feel those small palms against his cock. He bent his knees a little and thrust against his hand, trying to imagine it was Caitlyn he was fucking.

With a hand braced on the wall, he stroked harder, faster. The sounds of his palm stroking his cock filled the shower and he imagined it was his body slapping against Caitlyn’s as he claimed her body and soul. He muffled his cry against his arm and he came, jets of cum spraying the shower wall. Cosmir willed his heart to slow and cleaned up the mess before finishing his shower.

He shut off the water, dried off, and dressed. When he left the bathroom, he tossed his sweats into his room and went to get Katy, who was patiently flipping through a board book in the middle of her floor. When she saw him, she toddled over and held up her hands. Cosmir lifted her over the gate and carried her to the kitchen, where he strapped her into her high chair and clipped the tray into place.

Cosmir scrambled the eggs in a skillet while Katy played, smacking her spoon against the edge of the tray. He’d popped the bacon in the microwave and the cinnamon toast was in the oven, the one thing he was certain his daughter would eat. He’d been able to coax her to eat a few bites of egg over the last few weeks -- often with it being spit back out -- but she didn’t seem to care for bacon or plain toast. He’d have to make a list of things she liked and didn’t like before he turned her care over to Caitlyn.

As he finished the eggs, adding a little pepper to them, he heard Caitlyn enter the kitchen… and made the mistake of looking her way. He damn near dropped the skillet as he took in her tousled hair, sleepy eyes, and skimpy pajamas. If he’d known that’s what she was sleeping in, he’d probably have been awake all night, trying to figure out how to get her out of them.

“Morning,” she said with a husky voice.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

She nodded and claimed a seat next to Katy as she yawned.

“Not a morning person?” he asked.

She cracked a smile. “Not until I’ve had at least one cup of coffee. Please tell me you have some.”

“I have one of those machines that makes it one cup at a time. I’d be happy to make you a cup. Just remind me before bed tonight to show you how it works so you can make some while I’m at work the next two days.”

“Thanks.”

Cosmir scraped the eggs into a bowl and placed it on the table, then put the bacon beside it before removing the toast from the oven. Once everything was ready, he brewed a cup of coffee for each of them then took a seat across from her on Katy’s other side.

“I wouldn’t have pictured you as the type to cook,” she said as she took a sip of coffee.

“It was one of the first things I learned to do. It was either cook for myself or eat out all the time. It made more sense to learn to cook. Buying food isn’t as expensive as ordering out for every meal. The cost of one dinner at a restaurant would feed me all day if I made my own food. Not that I’m hurting for money, but why throw it away if you don’t have to?”

“Makes sense.”

“I hope you like your eggs scrambled. Katy refuses to eat them any other way, and even scrambled it’s sometimes a chore to get her to take a few bites.”

Caitlyn smiled. “Scrambled is my second favorite, especially if you add some cheese to them.”

Cosmir studied her over his coffee cup. “What’s your first favorite?”

“Over easy. I like to break the yolks and dip my bacon in it.”

“I’ve never tried that, but it sounds interesting.”

Cosmir watched his daughter munch on a piece of toast, sugar and cinnamon dusting her face. She watched Caitlyn with a fascination he’d never seen on her face before and it made him wonder what she was thinking. Was she missing her mother? Did she think Caitlyn was a replacement mother? Or did she just find Caitlyn as beautiful as he did and was a bit awestruck?

“Are you calling the doctor today?” Caitlyn asked.

“I spoke with him this morning. Jerick said he would see you tomorrow at ten in the morning. You’ll want to leave a little early because of morning traffic. I tried to get something later, but he didn’t have anything available.”

“Did he know anything about Katy’s medical history?”

Cosmir shook his head. “She’s as much of a mystery to him as she is to us. He said that when Katy came through the station, he contacted the doctor from her home Terran station and was informed that Katy had never been seen there. He hadn’t even been present at her birth, so I’m guessing she was born in a human hospital. It’s a miracle she’s here with us. If anything had gone wrong, I’d have lost her before I even knew about her.”

“Well, I’ll make sure she’s on time for her appointment. Do you want me to call you when we’re heading home? I can tell you what the doctor said.”

“I’ll give you my cell number. Just send me a text to say you’re leaving and then I’ll find out in person how the appointment went.”

Katy finished her toast and reached for the plastic bowl of eggs that Cosmir had placed on her tray. With a giggle, she dipped her spoon in the yellow fluff and then flung it straight at Cosmir’s face. It slapped against his cheek before plopping onto the table. Katy chortled and banged her fists on the tray.

“Katy, what did daddy say about flinging food at the table?” he asked as he wiped his face. A glance at Caitlyn showed she was fighting hard not to laugh.

“Not to,” Katy said.

“That’s right. We don’t fling food, right? You should try the eggs. They’re really good.”

She shook her head adamantly. Caitlyn bit her lip and reached for Katy’s bowl. Without a word, she took it over to the kitchen counter before opening the fridge. Cosmir watched as she sprinkled some shredded cheese over the eggs, then came back to the table. Caitlyn took Katy’s spoon from her, scooped up a bite with the added cheese, and offered it to his precocious daughter.

Katy studied the spoon before opening her mouth and accepting the bite. Her eyes lit up as she opened her mouth for another spoonful. Caitlyn hadn’t even been with them one full day and already she’d accomplished something Cosmir had failed at repeatedly for weeks. It made him wonder what other tricks were up her sleeve when it came to Katy.