Page 8 of Use Me, Daddy

I was furious—furious that I was still thinking about it, furious at myself for responding. And even more furious at how much I wanted to walk back in there and kiss him again.

But I kept walking.

Tomorrow, I’d have to face him again. But tonight, I needed to figure out a way to shake it all off. Because I wasn’t about to let Aleksei Morozov get the best of me.

Not again.

CHAPTER 4

Amy

Back at my apartment, I kicked off my heels, tossed my bag onto the couch, and headed straight for the kitchen. A bottle of wine had been waiting on the counter for nearly a week now, and tonight, it had my name all over it.

I poured myself a generous glass, took a deep breath, and tried to shake off the memory of him, of the way he’d looked at me, so sure of himself, like he already knew how I’d react.

I took a sip of wine, letting it settle the adrenaline still thrumming in my veins. But instead of calming me down like I wanted it to, the warmth only reminded me of the way my skin had flushed under his touch. I closed my eyes, frustrated that I couldn’t just let it go.

It was just a kiss—an intense, over-the-top kiss from a man who clearly loved the idea of control. That should have been enough to make me laugh it off, or brush it off, or… well, something.

But I couldn’t deny how much I’denjoyedit.

The thought made me take another gulp, trying to drown the embarrassing realization. My body had reacted, and not just in some casual, half-interested way. It had responded like I’d been waiting for someone like Aleksei to walk into my life and push every button I didn’t know I had.

And that was a problem.

I wasn’t the kind of woman who just… let things like this happen. I wasn’t someone who’d let my boss grip my hair in his fist, pull me in for a kiss, and then walk away as if he knew exactly how rattled I’d be.

How angry I’d be…

But the truth was that going to HR wasn’t an option. Hell, there wasn’t even an HR. Aleksei was the boss, and I’d walked into that job knowing that he owned the gallery, that I answered to him. And now, if I raised an issue, what would that mean for me? For my reputation? Word spread fast in this world and it would kill my career before it even got its start.

I couldn’t do any of that.

I set down my glass, pacing the room, replaying the moment over and over again, and trying to shake off the confusing mix of attraction and rage that twisted through me.

I couldn’t deny that I wanted him. I could still feel his hand in my hair, the low, commanding tone in his voice, the promise that if I ever gave in, it would be on his terms.

And yet… what if I did?

What if I went back tomorrow and let him keep that hold over me? Could I handle him? Would he try to push me further?

Would he make me… call himDaddy?

My skin heated at the thought, part of me rebelling against the idea, the other part drawn in by the thrill of what he might do. There was something about his dominance that made me want to challenge him, but I didn’t know if I’d come out on top—or end up exactly where he wanted me.

I sighed, gripping the stem of the wineglass, trying to sort through the swirling thoughts in my head.

No. I had to stay strong.

Tomorrow, I’d go in. I’d hold my head high, get back to work, and pretend he hadn’t left me flustered, turned on, and second-guessing everything I thought I knew about myself. I’d pretend that the kiss never happened and that was that.

I took another long sip of wine, hoping it would dull the edge of everything I was feeling, but it only seemed to make the thoughts sharper, clearer. More arousing.

My mind kept drifting back to the gallery, to the way Aleksei had looked at me, like he knew exactly what he was doing, and exactly what kind of effect he was having on me.

“When you’re ready to beg for it…”

A shiver ran through me, the memory of his voice murmuring that line as his hand held me in place, firm yet oddly gentle, like he was just waiting to see what I’d do next. It had been overwhelming, all of it—his presence, his confidence, his quiet assurance that he was in control.

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