Page 84 of Daddies' Little Troublemaker

A few days have passed since Evelyn’s call with the French guy. The San Esteban office building is going to be finished soon. I’m glad we have the VertaCorp job lined up. Caleb and I are finalizing things with the VertaCorp owners, two guys who started the grocery chain just ten years ago and built it into a business that not only profits the owners, but the folks who work there and the neighborhoods where they set up shop.

Eric Markess shakes my hand, and then his beefy partner, Cole Welsh, does the same. They each shake Caleb’s hand as well.

It’s done. We’re going to build this thing. Finally. It’s nearly nine p.m. and we’ve been discussing the finer details for hours, getting the details ready for our attorneys.

“Where’s a good place to get a drink around here?” Eric asks.

Caleb tilts his head, considering. He better not tell them about Low Vice—while I like these guys, that would be unprofessional, especially when we don’t know if they’re in the lifestyle or not.

To my relief, he says, “Abdul’s has a good selection, and they recently expanded into dinner. Best steak in San Esteban.”

The two men nod at each other. They have an ease about them that reminds me of Caleb and myself together—wordless communication, easy agreement, but they don’t take shit from each other, either.

“Sounds good,” Cole says. “You two want to join us?”

“Thanks, but count me out,” I say. I want to get back to Mark’s place, see if Evelyn is around. Caleb and I need to pin her down and discuss this whole Paris thing. I don’t think she should go, and neither does Caleb. But the three of us have been dancing around the topic like a bunch of idiots, and I’m ready to get to the bottom of the issue.

Evie always wears that key around her neck. It unlocks the house…but I want the key to her heart.

“I can’t tonight,” Caleb says. “But you two should also try Vice if you want a more active evening. It’s Wednesday so it won’t be as crowded.”

“It’s a club?” Eric looks skeptical, his short beard doing nothing to hide the grim line of his mouth.

“Don’t worry, it isn’t filled with twenty-year-olds,” I reassure him. “Caleb and I both go there sometimes.”

“Thanks,” Cole says. “We’ll check it out.”

Caleb and I take off. We shared a ride today, so I lean back in his fancy rental, wishing it had a little more leg room. I open my mouth a few times to bring up Evelyn, and feelings, but each time, I falter. How can I ask him what he’s feeling, when my own emotions are still jumbled? I know I want her. I need her. But I’m afraid to go all-in without knowing how she feels about the longevity of a relationship. Is this simply a kinky adventure for her, a quick interlude before she jets off to Paris? That’s how it is for most of the women I’ve been with, since Willow. Maybe it’s because I’ve been holding back, afraid to get too wrapped up in things like I was with her.

I like to think I’ve learned my lesson, that I won’t be such a dick. Being Dominant doesn’t mean being an asshole, and I know that now.

When Caleb and I get to Mark’s house, it’s ten p.m. and fully dark. It was a blistering summer day, though, and heat still rises up from the paved drive when I step out of the car.

Wordlessly, Caleb and I enter the house. All is quiet, the lights are off.

“Evie?” I call.

No answer. I peer into the living room and exhale when I see her. She’s lying on the couch, a half-empty glass of wine on the coffee table. And she’s wearing the goddamned sexiest little pajamas I’ve ever seen. Tiny, barely-there shorts and a matching tank top. The fabric is so sheer, I can see her pretty nipples through the top. When I stalk closer for a better look, I notice goosebumps on her skin—the air conditioner clicked on and she must be cold.

“She’s fucking adorable,” Caleb murmurs from behind me.

“But cold.” I grab a blanket from the ottoman that doubles as storage and tuck it around her.

It’s not enough. Even though she’s sleeping, I want to be close. When I sit on the couch next to her, those beautiful blue eyes flutter open.

“Hi, Daddy,” she murmurs sleepily.

“Hey, Trouble.”

“I wanted to stay up with you and Caleb, but I got too tired.”

“It’s okay, little girl, you can rest.”

“We’ll play tomorrow?” she asks, resting her head on my lap.

I stroke her hair and nod.

“Fuck yes, we will,” Caleb says. He sits on the other end of the couch and tucks the blanket around her legs, holding her feet against his lap.

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