Page 19 of Use Me, Daddy

Maxim gave a curt nod. “Consider it handled. And about this auction, Aleksei—there’s a lot riding on it. Keep your ‘new asset’ in check.”

I gave a nod, but in the back of my mind, I couldn’t shake the image of her determined blue-gray eyes, her chin lifted in defiance. The last thing she’d want was to be kept ‘in check.’ But she’d fall in line.

I’d make her.

After a while longer, the five of us sipped through the rest of our drinks and finished talking through the logistics of a few more items of business before my brothers got up to leave.

Ivan, Sergei, and Nikolai headed out first. Maxim lingered, his eyes fixed on the last of his vodka as if turning something over in his mind. I could tell when he had something to say. So I waited. Maxim’s silences were often as weighted as his words.

After a moment, he motioned toward a quieter corner of the Iron Wolf, away from the prying eyes of the few remaining customers. I followed, curious. Maxim rarely pulled me aside for anything unrelated to business.

When we reached the back, he turned to me, his expression softer than usual.

“Aleksei,” he began, leaning against the wall, his scar catching the dim light. “So, this girl. She’s more than just an assistant, isn’t she?”

I tried to brush him off. “You’re reading too much into it, Maxim. She works for me, that’s all.”

He shook his head with a small, knowing smile. “I don’t think so. You’re good at hiding things, little brother, but I know the look. Hell, I had it myself.” His tone softened, and he glanced away for a moment, as if the memory was as vivid now as it had been years ago. “When I met Riley, I knew. I knew right then she was different. She wasn’t just another pretty face or a fling. She was… everything I didn’t know I needed.”

His expression grew more serious, that intelligent, calculating edge in his steel-blue eyes that could make anyone stand straighter. “But knowing she was special didn’t change the danger she was in. You remember what the Orlovs wanted to do. They knew she mattered to me. And I realized that if I didn’t claim her, if I didn’t protect her—fully—they’d hurt her. Quite possibly even kill her…”

He paused, letting that sink in. “You remember what happened. I married her,” he continued, his voice resolute. “I didn’t give myself the time to second-guess it. And I knew it was the right decision, not just for her, but for me. She’s the reason I have something real to come home to, a life beyond all this.”

He gestured around us, taking in the dark walls of the Iron Wolf and the world we’d carved out together. “She keeps me grounded, keeps me sharp. And she’s smart, smarter than I’ll ever be in some ways. Having her around made me a better man, a better leader. I’d have been a fool to let her go.”

Maxim had always been a fortress, someone who kept everyone at arm’s length. But ever since he’d met his girl, she’d changed him, given him something I’d never thought he needed: a reason to soften, to let down his guard.

“And what I’m telling you, Aleksei,” he continued, his voice now edged with authority, “is don’t be a fool if this girl means something to you. Don’t let some notion of ‘business’ keep you from seeing what’s right in front of you. She might be your assistant, or maybe she’s something more. Only you know. But don’t waste time if there’s something there. When you know, you know.”

I opened my mouth to deflect, to brush it off, but he held up a hand, cutting me off. “Look, I know our lives aren’t simple. We protect what’s ours, even if that means taking a risk and pulling them into this world. But don’t let your pride or caution stop you if you’ve found something real.”

He clapped a firm hand on my shoulder, his grip heavy, grounding. “Just think about it, little brother.”

I nodded, unsure what to say, his words lingering as he finally gave a quick nod and turned to leave. As his figure disappeared out the front door of the Iron Wolf, I leaned back and downed the rest of my vodka.

Fuck.

Maybe he was right.

That didn’t change the fact that with Amy, I’d need to be patient. She’d need more than just a firm hand to realize that the control she clung to so fiercely was something she could let go of, that she’d be safe with a man like me taking it.

With Amy, it wouldn’t be about conquering or forcing; it would be about guiding her, letting her feel the freedom that comes with surrendering to someone who knew her better than she knew herself. I’d need to watch her, to catch every tell, every flicker of uncertainty, and be ready to show her that she could trust me to lead.

But I knew patience alone wouldn’t be enough. Amy was strong-willed, guarded, and too proud to admit she wanted anything outside the walls she’d built for herself. I’d need to wear her down slowly, test her resolve, challenge her mind until she was as intrigued by the thought of surrendering to me as she was afraid of it.

This was a game that required skill, and Amy was a worthy opponent. In the end, I’d bring her to the point where she couldn’t deny what she wanted, what we both knew she needed.

She needed someone who could match her, someone who could push back, someone who could put her in her place.

And when that moment came, when she was ready to give in, I’d be there to catch her.

She’d be mine—but only when she was ready to be.

I thought about going home and stroking my cock to the thought of her, but I thought better of it. Sure, that would be enjoyable, but I was going to save my cum for that pretty little mouth.

And that tight little ass…

I couldn’t wait to go into work on Monday.

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