Page 36 of Ruin Me, Daddy

Part of the reason he’d taken off on his ‘sabbatical’ had been to get over Silver, sure. But he was man enough to admit it was just as much about avoiding the inevitable confrontation with Ace. His best friend. The man he considered a brother.

The man whose girl he’d been in love with for half his goddamn life.

And now, the man whose girl he’d fucked in front of a room full of people.

Roulette had been bad enough. But at least then he could have honestly said he hadn’t fucked her. That it had just been a scene, nothing more.

Now, he couldn’t say that. He’d lost what little hope he had of convincing Ace not to go completely nuclear when he finally came clean.

And he did need to come clean, sooner rather than later. It was just the right fucking thing to do.

The right thing. Yeah, because he’d obviously been so concerned about ‘the right thing’ when he’d been balls-deep inside Silver not even an hour ago. Disgusted with himself, he tossed the rag into the sink and stalked out to the back deck. The ocean breeze soothed the churning in his stomach somewhat, but it did nothing to quell the burning self-hatred.

It didn’t matter that Ace had been a shit boyfriend and an even shittier Dom. He was still Ice’s best friend, and he deserved the truth. No matter what it cost him.

And he knew deep in his bones, it was going to cost him everything.

“Ice?”

Closing his eyes, he ignored the sound of the woman he loved calling his name. He needed a minute, just a minute to tame the chaotic tumble of emotions in his chest before he said or did something he couldn’t take back.

“Hey.” Her hand came to rest on his back, soft and small and comforting.

Comfort he knew he didn’t deserve.

“You okay?” she asked, her voice unusually quiet.

“Yes.” No. Everything was the exact fucking opposite of ‘okay’.

He felt her tense a moment before her hand slid away and she cleared her throat. When he looked down at her, his heart leapt at the sight of her with the ocean at her back, the breeze tugging at the curls she’d once again piled on top of her head as she stared up at him with those serious eyes.

One dark eyebrow raised in a perfect mimicry of a look he knew he’d given her a hundred times over the course of their friendship. “If I lied to your face like that, you’d wash my mouth out.”

Because she wasn’t wrong, he forced himself to nod instead of brushing her off the way he was tempted to. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Worry shimmered in those brown depths as she reached up to cup his cheek. Everything in him ached at that simple touch. It wasn’t fair, to have her so close, to have all his wildest dreams finally within reach—and still a million miles away. “Tell me what’s wrong, Daddy.”

If he’d known how much of a sucker he’d be for hearing her call him Daddy, he never would have allowed it. But a sucker he was, apparently, because he couldn’t resist her. Not when she was looking at him with worry in her eyes and calling him Daddy in that smoky voice he loved so fucking much. “Ace texted you.”

Like a turtle retreating into his shell, she pulled away. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. And he felt the loss as keenly as if he’d cut off his own arm. “Probably wondering if I’ve talked to you yet.”

“You haven’t told them we’re coming home?”

“No. I’ve been… distracted.”

There was something she wasn’t telling him. She was nibbling at her bottom lip, a sure sign she was worried, or nervous.

Or hiding something.

But what right did he have to demand anything from her, nevermind the truth when he’d been keeping so much from her, from everyone? “You should let them know we’re heading home as soon as we can schedule a flight.”

“I should.” Tilting her head back, she smiled up at him, and though it was strained around the edges, it was still full of mischief. “Or we could stay a little longer. Just a few more days, Ice. It’s so peaceful here.”

God, how he wanted that. Wanted whatever time he could get with her. But that was the coward’s way out, and he’d been cowardly enough as it was. “We can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because we have responsibilities, Silver. We can’t just hole up here and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist.”

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