Page 25 of Tiger's Little Waif
She took another few seconds before she nodded. “Okay, Papa. Right now, my tummy’s hungry. Can we get supper now, please?”
Since his own stomach was poking at him, he nodded and kissed her lips. “Let’s get dressed and I’ll take care of your hair. Do you want room service, or would you rather go out and eat at a restaurant?”
Shaw bounced on her toes as she tapped her fingertips together in a silent clapping movement. “Room service, please, Papa.”
“Such a polite mate I have. Room service, it is.” Marshall smiled in approval. He’d be quite happy not to have to go out into the crowded streets again tonight, though there was a store in the next block he wanted them to visit tonight.
After drying them both off, he pulled on a pair of jeans and dressed Shaw in a tiger onesie he had ordered online for her. It had become her favorite off-duty outfit and he had to admit she was so cute wearing it.
Pulling out the room service menu, they sat together and decided instead of a meal, they would order the entire appetizer section of the menu. It was a half hour before the food arrived. By that time, he finished unpacking their bags into the dresser and Shaw used the remote to find a cartoon movie she wanted to watch and settled in front of it.
After welcoming the food delivery and signing the bill to the room with a good tip for the server, Marshall carried the tray to the coffee table in front of the sofa where Shaw lounged, whispering to her stuffed tiger.
Taking the remote, he turned down the volume and then waved at the tray. “What would you like to eat first?”
“Mac and cheese bites,” Shaw pointed as she giggled.
Marshall nodded and handed her one, then rearranged the food to empty one of the plates. He then piled several of each of the food choices on it before placing the plate on the coffee table in front of her.
“Why don’t you sit on the floor? That way you won’t drop or spill anything.”
Shaw did not argue, which was surprising. She just slipped off the couch to sit cross-legged on the floor. “This carpet is so soft,” she commented as she rubbed her hand over the fibers.
“Eat your dinner, waif. Then, if there’s time, we’re going on an adventure,” Marshall said as he set the tray with the remaining food on his lap.
“A ‘venture, Papa?”
“An adventure. But only if you eat all your dinner.”
Shaw looked at the plate and then looked over her shoulder at him. “I don’t know if I can eat everything. If I eat most of it can, we still go on a ‘venture?”
“Eat as much as you can and we’ll see,” Marshall said as he handed her a fork and a napkin.
Chapter Fourteen
Shaw stopped on the sidewalk and stared up at the door Marshall was pulling her towards. While she had not been sure what sort of an adventure he was taking her on, she certainly did not think their first stop would be a bright and colorful toy store.
“Papa?”
“Come on, waif. Let’s go shopping.”
Instead of allowing herself to be pulled along, she pulled him out of the flow of traffic. “But … but this isn’t the supply store.”
“Yes, it is. It’s a supply store for Little girls. I thought we could buy all the things your Little needs. We’ll take a few toys and things back to the hotel with us, and the rest will be shipped home.”
Shaw blinked, stunned at the excitement she heard in her Papa’s voice. “You want to go shopping? In a toy store?”
Marshall smiled as he leaned down so he could whisper in her ear. “I’ll be happy doing anything with my mate. Now come inside before I pull your pants down and spank you right here on the street.”
Since that was the last thing Shaw wanted, she hurried toward the doors. “Come on, let’s go shopping. Can I buy presents for the others?”
“After we shop for you, waif. And if we don’t get it done today, we can do it tomorrow afternoon.”
The reminder of what was going on tomorrow morning sent a shiver through Shaw, but she pushed the worries about Dan and what he wanted away. For right now, this evening, she had no worries except what gifts she would buy for her new friends back at Bratburg.
They wandered every aisle of the store, and Shaw was surprised by how many items she saw that she wanted. After the third aisle, she kept the hand that was not holding her Papa’s in her pocket because every time she touched something, it ended up in the cart Papa was pushing.
They only made it through half the store when the lights flickered before a voice announced the store closing in ten minutes.