1.9

                                    

                                          
Jerome heads straight back to the cottage after they're finished, declining to ride with everyone back to the penthouse for breakfast. This will likely result in more flack from Galavan, but Jerome couldn't care less. A higher power calls him away. Calls him home. 
                          
His beautiful princess, sleeping rosy cheeked in his bed. He's watching her sleep again, her perfect form loose and soft. The thought comes to him, unbidden. How would she look in the pale light of death?
                          
It's like a floodgate has opened, and Jerome finds himself disgustingly haunted by the idea of what she would look like if she were dead. Peaceful, like she was sleeping, like now, but colder, and rigid. 
                          
Or what would her blood feel like running down his palms? How would it look covering her body? It would be so easy. I could do it right now...
                          
Jerome steps closer, scenarios still running through his head. Her screams as I kill her, her voice pleading for mercy...
                          
She exhales, a silent puff of air that snaps him back to attention. Her voice... she doesn't have a voice...
                          
How would her voice sound? Soft like a bell, or loud and bright? It would certainly be the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. 
                          
The quick turnaround has his mind reeling, taking several steps back away from Daisy. Had he really been pondering killing his only shot at companionship? At a family? Or at least a semblance of one. 
                          
I need a minute away, or I may do something drastic, something I'd regret. Jerome casts a cautious look at his princess. But I told her I'd be back in the morning. There's no telling how she'll panic if I'm not here, if I leave her again so soon. 
                          
But I need to get this out of my system, compartmentalize, something.
                          
Determined, Jerome turns and exits the room. 
                          
•••
                          
The sound of something sizzling in a pan wakes Daisy up from her peaceful sleep. Next to assault her senses is the pleasant scent of bacon, which causes her nose to twitch and her mouth to water. Shaking off her slumber, Daisy sits up in the bed and looks around, noticing the bright natural light streaming in the room's only window. The house's only window really. 
                          
She spends a very brief time gazing at the outside world before she realizes that the sounds of cooking must be coming from Daddy, and excitedly leaps out of the bed. 
                          
Her little feet padding on the hardwood alert Jerome to her arrival, and he turns to greet her with a big grin. 
                          
"Good morning princess! Did you sleep well?" He asks her brightly. "I told you I'd be back before you woke up, didn't I?"
                          
Daisy nods enthusiastically and goes to take a seat at the kitchen table. Besides the bacon currently frying, Jerome has a plate of pancakes and some scrambled eggs. 
                          
"Dig in, babygirl. It's about time we get you on a regular eating schedule," he says, handing her a plate. "No more going hungry. Not on Daddy's watch."
                          
Daisy blushes at both the reminder of when she didn't eat and the name itself, though not protesting either. She grabs a couple of pancakes for herself and puts them on the plate. 
                          
Seeing that she's about to eat them dry, Jerome steps in with a bottle of syrup. "Have you never put syrup on your pancakes, princess?"
                          
At the shake of her head, a mischievous grin grows on his face. "Well, then we better make up for lost time."
                          
With that, the ginger pops the cap on the syrup and begins liberally pouring it all over her two pancakes, drowning them in the liquid sugar. Daisy's eyes widen at the sheer amount of syrup he's given her, and she's hesitant to take a bite. Rolling his eyes, Jerome takes her fork and cuts off a piece of pancake, holding it before her shut mouth expectantly. 
                          
"Open up, babygirl," he coaxes. "Come on, have I steered you wrong before?"
                          
Remembering their last dalliances with food, Daisy can't be sure if she's scared or excited to try it again. However, she shakes off the silly feeling and drops her jaw, unintentionally locking eyes with him as he guides the fork into her mouth. 
                          
The taste is surprisingly good considering how much syrup was on it. Daisy has to try and stop her face from showing her enjoyment so the situation doesn't spiral into another lusty altercation. 
                          
But it's like her daddy doesn't need to hear a moan to know she would make one if she could, that she loved the food. A smirk stretches across Jerome's face as he watches the pleasure register in hers. I'm gonna have to teach her not to try and hide her pleasure from Daddy. 
                          
A loud pop from the bacon calls him back to the stove, flipping pieces and removing them before they burn. His distraction allows her to eat on her own, quickly shoveling food into her mouth before he can come back and tempt her again. All the while she's desperately hoping that he won't turn around and see her like this. I probably look terribly unattractive. 
                          
Jerome can hear her chomping noisily behind him and has to hold in a chuckle, not wanting to embarrass her when she's clearly struggling with her feelings for him. I want to make her blush in the best way possible, not like that. 
                          
He waits until he hears her stop chewing before trying to turn around and give her some bacon. She must think that because she can't speak, I can't hear any noise coming from her mouth. 
                          
At receiving the bacon, Daisy smiles shyly and takes a nibble for his benefit. Her eyes open wide in shock at the newfound delicacy, and she anxiously looks between Jerome and the bacon before taking another small bite. 
                          
Jerome can see that she's struggling to control herself and turns around again 'to clean the stove'. The instant he turns his back he hears Daisy start scarfing down her bacon, and a small scuffle would indicate that she took more from the bacon plate and is devouring that too. 
                          
He feels pride swell in his gut (and his groin) that she so clearly enjoys the food he made for her. Some primal instinct deep inside him is satisfied at having provided so well for his 'mate' and now desires to procreate with her. 
                          
Not today, buddy, Jerome tells himself. Puppies. Kittens. Bunny rabbits. Cute, fluffy creatures, he talks himself down. 
                          
Sure enough, he deflates enough for it not to be noticeable to someone as naive as Daisy. We'll have plenty of time for all that later. We're not quite to the endgame yet. 
—————————————————————
A/N
So I'm very sorry for my absence. Though I was very busy and uninspired, I shouldn't have left this book hanging so long without explanation, and for that I apologize. Finals are over now and I should have some time over break to catch myself back up and get ahead on writing. I hope to avoid this reoccurring in the future but make no promises. Sorry I'm the worst but I love you!
Gingy