Page 12 of Off Limits

“Upstairs, right now,” says Jean-Luc, in a murderously cold voice. “Both of you.”

He turns and heads up the stairs without another word and I get up to follow him without looking back.

“Dad,” I plead as I climb the stairs after him. “I’m sorry.”

He ignores me, stalking up the staircase to the first floor and striding across the living room floor.

I can’t remember the last time I was so mortified. My rib cage is imploding, suffocating my lungs. My stepdad just caught me giving a blowjob. I’m mortified for myself, mortified for Kye, even mortified for Jean-Luc. I’m mortified that I was caught in a lie in the worst way—not only because Kye did come over, but because I’d also sworn that nothing would happen. Shame is coming at me from every direction.

Jean-Luc turns to wait for us at the entrance hallway. Behind me, Kye’s footsteps are rapid and surprisingly light.

“Time to go, son,” says Jean-Luc, folding his arms over his chest as Kye scurries past him and picks up his shoes.

“Right. Yes. I’m really sorry, again, sir,” he gushes. “I’ll, um, I’ll call you, Dani.”

He swings the door open and waves to me weakly before letting it close behind him with a solid, perfectly-weighted click. Jean-Luc’s eyes shift to me.

He wasn’t even this mad when I took the Jaguar out without asking when I was sixteen. His nostrils flare, and his chest heaves under the weight of his arms.

“Dad, I’m sorry!” Tears are threatening.

His eyes widen, blazing furiously. “How dare you?” he bites out, unfolding his arms and pointing a finger at me. “I was very clear that he was not to come over, Danica, and I come home to find you…to find you—”

“It just…kind of happened!” Everything I say sounds whiny and plaintive, but I feel frantic. This could be the worst thing I’ve ever done. What if Jean-Luc is so disgusted with me he can never forgive me? What if he kicks me out of his house? Where will I go then?

He takes a step towards me and his face is so thunderous I instinctively step back, feeling my heel hit the wall behind me. “Just kind of happened?” His face is right up in mine. “Was it just an accident, then? You fell to your knees?”

I blink, my breath coming quickly. I’m not sure what to say, and I’ve never seen him so angry.

It’s scary.

A muscle in his jaw jumps as he glares at me, his breath coming as quickly as mine; I can feel it in front of my face.

He places a hand against the wall, leaning closer. “Do you think I want to see that?”

“No, Daddy,” I shake my head. It’s been so long since Jean-Luc was mad at me it’s evoking something childlike in me. Daddy.

“Do you know how that makes me feel?”

I shake my head again. His body is so close I can feel the heat coming off it, the sheer size and power of him overwhelming me as he closes off the space around me, and all I can think is that he’s so much bigger than Kye.

Bigger than Kye, probably, everywhere.

I flush hotly at the thought.

He doesn’t say anything and I keep my gaze lowered, afraid to look him in the eye. I’m excruciatingly conscious of his chest rising and falling, and the familiar and soapy smell of him. For a split second, I wonder how I would feel if I walked in on him in the same situation. If I walked into a room to find some woman on her knees in front of him?

Then I wonder, would he pump himself hard and thoughtlessly into her mouth until she felt like she was barely participating, or would it be slow and erotic with him?

That I would even wonder about that is so shameful, on top of everything that’s already happened tonight, that my cheeks burn as heat crawls up my neck.

As if he can sense my shifting discomfort, Jean-Luc pulls away, dropping his arm. Cooler air seems to pass between us.

“Go to your room. You’re grounded.”

“Dad!” I can’t hide my outrage. I broke his rules, and I shocked him with my behaviour, but I’m not a child anymore. My eyes dart upwards to his. “I’m going to be eighteen next week!”

“I don’t care how old you’re going to be, you better get up to that room right now, Danica. I don’t want to see you for the rest of the night.”

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