Page 12 of Daddy's Princess

“So, you’re just going to leave him without a word?”

I nod. I can tell Andre wants to say something. Probably to tell me not to be an asshole, but he just shakes his head and throws one of his big arms over my shoulders. “Come on, Cinderella, let’s get you home before you finish turning into a pumpkin.”

Even though it’s obviously late, the club is still filled with people. It feels like every eye is on me as Andre leads me to the exit. “Derrick is going to drive you home. No arguing,” he adds before I can protest. “You are to call me if you need anything.”

I give him a questioning look. He’s always protective of me. I can understand him wanting to see me home safely. This isn’t the first time he’s either driven me or had one of his employees drive me home. But the fervent way he demands I call him is different.

“Don’t I always?” I try to force a teasing smile, but I’m pretty sure it’s more grimace than smile.

“It’s been a long time since you’ve scened, Sugar. I’m not joking. Call me.”

Then it dawns on me. Andre’s worried about sub-drop. I’ve never experienced it, but a couple years ago, one of Bidden and Bound’s submissives tried to kill herself the day after an intense scene. It was discovered that she had an extreme case of sub-drop. Andre makes sure every submissive takes a class about the signs and symptoms of sub-drop. The dominants have to take a class too.

“I’m fine, Andre.” I give the big softy a hug. “I promise.”

He hugs me back, holding on a little tighter than usual. “I’m going to call you in the morning. You better answer.”

“Yes, sir.” He rolls his eyes at me. Sheesh, I wasn’t even trying to be sarcastic this time.

“You ready, kiddo?” Derrick asks.

“Yep. Let’s go.”

6

Oliver

I knowbefore I even open my eyes that she’s gone. I hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but the Siren’s call was impossible to resist while she was curled up against my chest so sweetly. Sure enough, Sugar is nowhere to be seen.

Fuck.I run my hands through my hair, tugging the strands in frustration. Why would she leave without saying anything? Surely, she felt the connection between us. With grim determination, I stride out of the room and go in search of the one man who might have answers for me—Andre. If Sugar thought she could sneak away and that I would accept it, she’s madly mistaken.

I’m not done with her—not by half. What she doesn’t understand, but soon will, is that she’s mine. I finally understand what my mom meant about knowing the minute she met my father that he was her one and only. I’ve always laughed her off as being a romantic. Romanticism is not something I’m prone to, but after one night with Sugar, I could be convinced that love-at-first-sight, soulmates, Cupid, and the Siren’s song are all very real things.

I find Andre at the bar with a bottle of scotch and two glasses. I take the empty barstool next to him. Wordlessly, he pours two healthy shots in the glasses and pushes one my way. I’ve known Andre for years, though we’ve never been particularly close, I respect the man and how he runs this club.

“Derrick drove her home,” he says before I can ask.

I feel something between relief that Sugar is safely home and blind jealousy that another man knows where she lives when I don’t even know her phone number. I pick up my glass and down the amber liquid in one swallow. Andre refills the glass the second it hits the bar top. I raise an eyebrow in question. Though we aren’t what I would call friends, he knows that I don’t often drink at the club, and when I do, it’s never more than one.

“Sugar is my friend.” Andre sounds defensive as if I would argue that point. It’s clear to anyone who watches them together that they have an unbreakable bond. “She’s special.”

“You say that as if you think I need convincing. For the record, I don’t.”

Andre nods, then downs his own shot. “It’s been a while since you’ve been at the club.”

There is an unspoken ‘why?’ in that statement. Does Andre want to know why I stopped coming? Why I’m here tonight? I decide to answer for both. “My mom has attempted to set me up with several very nice, very beautiful, painfully vanilla women.” I take a slow drink, savoring the smoky flavor this time. “She’s agreed to lay off if I stop living at the office and date.”

Andre’s lips tip up in amusement. “Glad I’m not the only one with a mom that meddles.” His smile disappears, and he levels a hard look at me. “Are you here just to find someone to get your mother off your back?”

I shake my head. “It might’ve started out that way, but things change.”

“In one night?” he asks skeptically.

“Apparently so.”

Andre tops off my glass and refills his own. “Sugar is very, very important to me.” The warning in his tone screams, ‘hurt her, and I’ll hurt you.’

“I just want the chance to get to know her. We have a… connection that deserves to be explored.”

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