Page 52 of Controlling Chloe

Kieran yanks open the door on Paisley’s side. “Where’s your house key?”

She turns and scowls at him before she wiggles out of the car and squeezes past his large frame. “None of your business,” she says.

Before my brother can shut the door and catch up to her, Paisley’s already slammed the front door.

Well, crap. I guess I’m on my own.

Kieran gets into the SUV and looks back at me, scowling. “I don’t like your friend.”

Yeah, well, the feeling is mutual from her. Not that I’m going to say that out loud.

18

BASH

By the time I drop Kieran off at his house and I pull into my garage, I’m no longer shaking with rage. I’m not mad at Chloe. Disappointed, yes. She didn’t want to bother me? Fuck that. After tonight, my stance on that will be crystal clear.

But that guy. That fucker who touched her? Put his hand around her wrist like she was a toy? Nope. The only reason I didn’t finish him off right then and there was because the bouncers at the club will hold him for me. It is our club after all. I’ll deal with him tomorrow. After I’ve dealt with my naughty Little girl. She’s going to learn a lesson tonight that she’ll never forget.

I help her out of the back seat, and neither of us says anything as we walk through the house. When we pass the kitchen, I pause.

“Are you hungry, baby?”

She won’t meet my eyes as she shakes her head. I go to the fridge and grab two bottles of water, then take her by the hand and lead her upstairs. Her fingers tremble in mine as I close the bedroom door behind us.

“Take your shoes off, go potty, and wash your hands. We’ll talk when you’re done,” I say, nudging her toward the bathroom.

When she closes the door, I let out a deep breath and lower myself into one of the armchairs. If Kieran and I hadn’t gotten to the club when we had, who knows how badly the girls could have been hurt. My chest hurts thinking about the possibilities. I had thought I wouldn’t need to put security on Chloe all the time yet, but I was wrong. Starting tomorrow, she’ll have guards with her no matter where she goes when I’m not with her.

The soft snick of the door opening brings me out of my dark thoughts as I look up at my girl. She’s wringing her fingers together, and she slowly shuffles toward me. Mascara streaks down her cheeks, and she looks like she’s going to burst into a fresh set of tears any second.

I spread my legs wider and hold out my arms. “Come here, Little one.”

A sob breaks free as she runs toward me and lunges onto my lap. “I’m so sorry, Daddy.”

Holding her tightly, I run my hand up and down her back, shushing her. It takes a few minutes, but her sobs finally subside, and we’re left listening to each other’s breathing.

“Chloe, I need you to understand that you are my world. The center of my entire universe. And I don’t care where I am, what I’m doing, or who I’m with; I want you to interrupt me. It doesn’t matter if you have a tiny fucking splinter in your toe, I still want you to interrupt me. My job as your man and your Daddy is to take care of you, and part of me taking care of you is giving you rules to keep you safe. When you break those rules, it puts you at risk, and baby girl, I won’t allow you to be at risk.”

She sniffles and nods. “I understand, Daddy.”

I lean back in the chair so I can look at her face. “I don’t think you do, baby. I love you, Chloe. It’s okay if you don’t love me yet. I’ve had a lot longer to fall for you. If anything ever happened to you, my heart would stop beating. I wouldn’t last a day without you now that I know what it’s like for you to be mine. I don’t care if you break every other rule I give you, but your safety rules, I need you to follow them to a T. It’s the only way I’ll be able to breathe when you’re not by my side.”

Her hand rests over my chest like she needs to feel my heart beating for her. “I promise to follow your rules, Daddy. It was stupid of me not to let you know. Paisley told me I could call and invite you to come with us, but I told her I didn’t want to bother you while you were working. I didn’t think about how it could be dangerous.”

“Baby, you are never bothering me. Not ever.”

She nods and sniffles. “Okay, Daddy.”

I let out a sigh. “I want you to go into the bathroom, grab the hairbrush I used last night, and bring it to me.”

Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t say anything as I help her off my lap. This is going to be a hard lesson for her, but it’s one she has to learn.

A few seconds later, she’s holding the brush out to me with a shaking hand.

“Since this is your first serious spanking, I’m mostly going to use my hand. If this happens again, though, it will be much harsher than the spanking you’re going to get tonight. Understand?”

“Yes, Daddy,” she whispers.

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