Page 6 of Until Daddy

He sounded pleased, but she hadn’t given him his release. He made no move to request one, either, just holding her and letting her find herself again.

So comfortable, so at home she felt, snuggling into his arms. Reality finally started to sink in, though, and she realized she needed to get home. She had an early shift, she had to get away before this comfort and this level of intimacy she was feeling started to make her want things that just weren’t possible.

She needed to get away from Jamison. As far away as possible.

Chapter 2

The lights in the main dungeon dimmed as the spotlights illuminated the stage. The evening’s main event would start at any moment—a bondage demonstration. In his office, Jamison Croft, one of the owners of Dark Lace, leaned back in his chair and watched his screen.

He searched the crowd, knowing he’d find her. She’d be there. It was demonstration night. She had shown up a handful of times since their playtime at the Mistletoe Madness dungeon party over a week ago. Each time he saw her, she pressed herself into a crowd, either watching one of the intense scenes in the room or inching closer to the room they’d played in before she’d practically run from the nursery.

The nursery. How he hated that name. He’d begged the board to change it to something—anything—else but he’d been outvoted. A small room off the main dungeon that held a variety of age-play equipment. Everything from changing tables to toddler beds, and even one corner devoted to middles.

Carissa didn’t play by those labels, though. One of the many reasons he’d felt so drawn to her that night.

That damn night. It had started out just fine. They’d met, they’d talked, they’d laughed, and then they’d played. Nothing serious. A short spanking. Just a taste of what they’d both wanted. She hadn’t played coy, and when he’d walked her over to the nursery, she’d been more than willing to enter. He had noticed that about her, too, the innocent way she’d glanced over at the age-play room.

As for what went wrong after the spanking, he had no fucking clue. He’d asked for her number and she’d given it freely. Then nothing. Not a single response to any message or voicemail in over a week. He didn’t play that way. When he scened with a sub, he damn well wanted to be sure they were okay the next day. He had been clear on that subject. Her ignoring him denied them both the aftercare necessary to round off a good session. Hell, it denied him his peace of mind.

“Okay, now you’re just stalking her.” Damien’s voice jolted Jamison from his thoughts.

“I am not.” He turned away from the computer screen.

Damien laughed and kicked the door to the office closed. “Right. Except I can see her right there on your screen. The same chick you’ve been watching for the past week.”

Jamison ignored Damien with a grunt of annoyance. “Where you coming in to get some work done? Maybe go through that massive pile of applications on your desk, or did you just want to check out the security footage with me?” Jamison pointed to the messiest of the three desks in the small office. The other offices were being used for storage, so the three business partners had agreed to share space for the time being.

Damien shook his head. “Would your bruised ego feel better if I told you she’s asked about you?”

Jamison wouldn’t admit it, but it would. “Has she?” His brows rose a little but he controlled his reaction, hiding the twist of his stomach at the idea of her looking for him.

“Yeah. Steven told me she asked if you were here the last three times she’s come. And when he said no, she looked a hell of a lot more disappointed than relieved.”

“I’ve been here every time—” Jamison caught himself before he revealed too much excitement.

But it was too late. Damien laughed. “He didn’t know you knew her.”

“He could have told me.” Jamison turned back to the screen. Bingo. There she was, hiding in the back of the group but peering intently over a shorter girl’s shoulder. Bondage wasn’t her thing, from what she’d told him. What had her so enthralled?

He moved his gaze to the corner of the screen, where a spanking was taking place. An obvious daddy and his little girl were in the middle of a punishment. The girl’s pigtails swung across the floor as she squirmed over her daddy’s lap, while his open palm struck her bare bottom over and over again. The fierceness of his scowl and his narrowed eyes explained plenty. That little girl had landed herself in some trouble. An avid spectator, Carissa’s eyes were wide and the tip of her tongue rested on her upper lip.

Maybe he’d spank her for being nosy. He smiled as he imagined it and then his mouth curved down.

If she returned his fucking calls.

“Why don’t you just go out there and talk to her?” Damien asked as he picked up a small stack of applications from his desk. “If she won’t return your call, just go out there and force her to confront you.”

Jamison ignored the suggestion. “I don’t have it bad for anyone.” He shot his partner a quick look of irritation before his eyes were back on Carissa. “What, are you in high school?” Jamison watched Carissa’s reaction to the spanking being dished out while he berated his friend. When he wasn’t handling the background checks for new members and employees of Dark Lace, Damien worked on the Chicago Police force.

“Here’s what I see.” Damien dropped the papers on his desk and strode over to Jamison’s, leaning across to jab a finger at the monitor. “That girl has you twisting in the wind. If you want to talk to her, go talk to her. Tell her what bullshit it’s been, her ignoring you. If she wasn’t interested, she could open her damn mouth and say so. Or at least tap a few fucking words into her iPhone.”

Damien was right, Jamison knew it, and the urge to barge out onto the dungeon floor and have that conversation with her burned hotter with the encouragement. Yet, he still didn’t move.

“Girls fucking hate it when guys do this shit to them, yet here she is pulling the same crap.” Damien slapped Jamison on the back and went back to his desk. “Or, you know, just keep staring at her through the security cameras like a creep. Whatever floats your boat.” He flashed Jamison a white toothed grin, grabbed the pile of papers from his desk and headed toward the door. “I’m gonna run through these on my break tonight. I have a late shift at the precinct.”

“It’s not creepy,” Jamison muttered, but he clicked off the program and opened up his email. “Have a good shift.”

“See you tomorrow. Maybe you’ll have your spine back. I’ve never seen you pussyfoot around so much with a girl before.”

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