Page 60 of Saving Sophia

She stared up at me, resisting the sleepy relaxation taking her. “Are you coming back?”

“I’m going for a quick shower before bed.” A shower that would involve me jerking off hard to the image of her body writhing and squeezing my hand between her legs.

“Okay,” she mumbled and closed her eyes.

“Good night, baby.”

“Good night … Daddy.”

I sucked in a breath at the word coming from her mouth, soft and half-asleep. My dick throbbed, making the shower even more imperative, but at the same time, an unnamed need settled inside me. A sense of contentment with this sweet girl falling asleep in my bed. Everything about her cried out for nurturing and love. And everything in me wanted to give her just that.

18

SOPHIA

Murmuring voices and the sounds of movement downstairs pulled me from sleep. I blinked, scrunching my eyes closed against the morning light. I stretched my legs, reaching my arms over my head. I was in his bed. Alone.

The memory of him still lingered. Wrapped around me, holding me close. He came back, just like he said he would, fresh from a shower in another pair of black boxers, his hair damp and still perfectly tousled. I hadn’t been quite asleep, so he tucked me in with Ruthie, read a chapter of A Ruthless Choice, then slept next to me all night, holding me, shifting with my movements, with no expectations beyond a few nuzzles to my neck. No whips, no chains. Nothing scary or embarrassing. Just him taking care of me.

Part of me had wished for more. Amber Jade pouted about when we would move past cuddling and get to the good stuff. Although she was very pleased with him touching me in all the right places last night.

Good night … Daddy.

I said those words. And I wasn’t embarrassed. I was excited. I felt … special. Treasured. It felt as easy as taking a deep cleansing breath.

“System still uses VCR’s for fuck’s sake.” A deep, angry, growly voice floated up to the open loft bedroom from the kitchen below.

Griff, the scary brother. I sat up in bed, straining to hear.

Kitchen noises muffled Ethan’s response. Cabinets opened and closed and something metallic kept clanging against something else.

“—could follow her here.” Griff’s admonishment was sharp.

I flinched. Oh no. Griff was talking about me. I brought all this trouble right to their doorstep. I tugged the top blanket around me and crept to the stairs at the edge of the landing so I could hear a little better.

“Whatever it is, she’s really scared.” Ethan’s concern made a bubble rise in my tummy, both warm and painful at the same time. “Did Hayden tell you?—”

I missed the rest thanks to more shuffling and the coffee pot’s cheerful gurgle.

I slid down another step.

Something sounded like a mug sliding across the counter as Griff sighed. “It’s going to be bad.”

A spoon stirring, the fridge opening.

I risked going down another step.

“You need to—” The fridge slammed shut so I missed Griff’s suggestion. The sound of a fork whipping eggs in a bowl made it indistinct. I only caught the end.

“—brat in need of a hard spanking if you ask me. Then she might start taking this seriously.”

Ugh. The criticism stung, but it also rang true. How had I thought I could run away up here and not tell anyone that a hardened criminal wanted me dead? Why hadn’t I told the police? How could I have been so stupid?

I pulled up my feet, the need to get away driving me back up the stairs. Twisting around on the step and standing up at the same time tweaked my balance. I tripped on a trailing corner of the blanket and fell upward, grabbing the railing and managing to hoist myself ungracefully back to the top step.

Noisily.

I stood, heart pounding, hands clutching the blanket around my naked body, frozen, listening to the sudden silence coming from the kitchen.

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