Page 96 of Daddy's Naughty List

She nodded, even though she looked like she was anything but okay. She was a trooper. He couldn’t allow himself to picture the things she must have endured in the short life that enabled her to hold herself together.

After straightening her seatbelt, he pulled out of the parking lot, hopefully inthe opposite direction from the Russians. Luckily, this wasn’t his first trip to Vegas, so he knew his way around. He took the back streets to a motel on the east side of the city that would give The Getaway Motel back in Darling a run for its money. He pulled in and parked in the back.

His first order of business was to get a room and get her inside. Chances were slim Egoradov’s men would check out this skeevy motel, much less spot the truck behind it. Taking her to the front office would be a bigger risk. As striking as she was, the men he’d seen working the front desk would be able to give a description of her.

He didn’t trust her alone in the truck, but hopefully, the last hour had made an impression on her. “I’m going to get us a room. I want you back on the floorboard so no one will see you. Do not, under any circumstances, get out of this truck. Understand?”

She nodded, but the gears whirring behind her eyes had him bracing for her response.

“I understand, but what if the truck catches on fire?”

Oh, this Little girl had no idea who she was testing. He counted to ten which did nothing but waste ten seconds of the precious time they had to get into a room. His rope was longer than most, but he was at the end of it. “Then I suggest you take a minute to ask yourself whether that fire is hotter than the fire I will light in your bottom if you get out of this car when I’ve told you not to. Am I clear?”

Eyes wide, she shook her head. “I didn't… I mean, I wasn't trying to… I mean…" She lowered her gaze to her knees, but not before he caught the tremble of that lower lip again. "Yes, sir."

Her voice had that same lilting quality most Littles had. He studied her closely. He hadn't spent that much time with her, so he couldn't know for certain, but he’d be willing to bet she was teetering very close to her Little headspace.

Damn if those words didn’t head straight for his heart. Unfortunately, they got hung up around his cock and stayed there. He had the all-consuming need to hear her say, “Yes, Daddy,” instead.

What in all that was holy had happened to his self-control? He never had runaway thoughts. He’d learned a long time ago that control was vital in his life. The effect she had on him was dangerous.

Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he reminded himself he couldn't risk her getting out of this car and getting caught, so he kept his tone stern. “Get down and stay out of sight. I won’t be gone long, but you do not want to test me on this.”

She nodded again without looking up. Good, he’d nipped her smart mouth in the bud. Why did that disappoint him?

Turning to the office, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was doing as he’d told her. All he could see was the empty car. Since he hadn’t heard a car door open while his back was turned, he took that to mean she’d finally gotten the message.

He was in charge, and now that she realized it, it would be smooth sailing the rest of the way back to Darling.

Chapter Two

Bliss

Don’t look. Don’t look. Don’t look.

Bliss’s heart thundered so hard against her chest she wouldn’t be surprised if lightning shot out of her butt. The man who’d rescued her practically foamed at the mouth every time he looked at her. She didn’t dare let him catch her doing something else he thought was wrong.

But scrunching down on the floor like this made her muscles cramp, shooting streaks of pain down her right thigh. When was the last time she’d had anything to drink? Nothing came to mind. Maybe all those Daddies in the books talking about water were on to something.

A second cramp ripped through her thigh so hard she had to bite her lip to hold back a scream. Her resolution to follow Connor’s unreasonable demands flew right out the window above her head.

She shot to her feet, leaning over and gripping the back of the seat. Sliding her feet back, she did her best to stretch out the knotted muscles, but nothing worked. There wasn’t enough room in the cab of the truck for her to get a good stretch. She should just sit still. Connor would be back soon.

The muscles in her leg knotted up and shuddered with each stab of pain. Tears stung her eyes, and she gave up trying to hold them at bay. How stupid was it, after everything she’d been through the past week, to cry over a muscle cramp? But… owie!

Desperate times called for desperate measures. If she stood up straight for a second, she could stretch out and be done with it. No one could expect her to suffer like this. It was against the Geneva Convention. It was against something, anyway. No suffering allowed.

Besides, Connor would never even know. She would be out and back within seconds. She could do this. Could she do this? She had to!

Scanning the parking lot, she saw no one. Ready, set, go. Creaking open the door, she slipped out, turning to place her hands on the seat. She lowered her forehead to the seat and pushed her butt in the air, stretching her hamstrings. Once her muscles loosened, she spent time on her quads.

She scanned the parking lot again. Still vacant, as long as she didn’t count the dog foraging in the dumpster and two squirrels scuffling next to the drain across the lot. There was no one behind the hotel except her. She was in no danger of being snatched.

If there was anyone she needed to worry about, it was Connor. He’d threatened to spank her! Her eyes stayed glued to the place Connor had disappeared. Her pulse beat at Mach 99.

The last thing she needed was him rounding the corner and catching her outside the truck. Superstar trackers like him probably never got leg cramps.

As a matter of fact, he didn’t seem thrown by anything that had happened the whole day except maybe losing his precious gun safe. Yeah. He rescued people all the time, but he needed to remember thatthis was her first time being sold to an angry Russian crime boss. Sue her if she made a few mistakes.

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