Page 23 of Storm

“I can take care of myself, thank you very much,” she replied, lifting her chin in a stubborn challenge.

He couldn’t help but chuckle, his lips twitching. “Really, sunshine? What time did you go to bed last night? Or all week, for that matter? How about dinner? What did you eat other than nuggets and ranch?”

Her cheeks turned a fiery red, confirming everything he suspected. She shifted in her seat. “I didn’t say I was very good at it,” she admitted, her lips twitching with a reluctant smile.

Storm reached out, pinching her chin gently between his fingers. His dark gaze bore into hers as he spoke. “You’ve been doing just fine for a Little girl trying to do it all herself. But I can do it better, and I think you need that. Want that, even. I see how you watch the other Littles.”

Her eyes sparkled, and she swallowed thickly. “Maybe,” she murmured. “But I’m different from them.”

He leaned closer, resting his forehead against hers. “I know that, sunshine. It’s why I like you so much. I’m different, too. I’m grumpy, controlling, bossy, and I like to be alone more often than not. Except with you—I like being with you.”

A slow grin spread across her lips, lighting up her face in a way that made his heart stumble. “I like being with you, too.”

“Good,” he said, his voice softening. “So, what do you say, Little one? Would you like me to be your Daddy?”

When she hesitated, his heart felt like it had stopped in his chest. The silence stretched, each second an eternity, until finally, she nodded.

“Okay,” she said quietly. “Let’s try it.”

Relief and a fierce sense of possessiveness surged through him, so strong it nearly left him breathless. Brook had no idea just how much she meant to him already, but he’d make sure she knew. And he’d make sure he was the best damn Daddy possible for her.

EIGHT

BROOK

She couldn’t believe she’d agreed to it. The word "okay" had left her lips before she could fully process what it meant, and now her heart was racing and her mind spinning. What shocked her even more was that Storm hadasked. For a man so confident and commanding, he could have just told her how things would be, and yet, he hadn’t. His consideration made her chest ache in a way she didn’t entirely understand.

There was no denying the connection between them, an almost magnetic pull that had been there since the first time he’d walked into the real estate office. Even through his disapproving looks, she’d felt it between them. The way his dark eyes would narrow at her, the subtle clench of his jaw—it had sent a thrill through her that was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. Being near him was like standing too close to a fire, tempting and dangerous.

“What do we do now?” she asked, quiet but steady, even as her pulse hammered in her ears.

Storm’s smile was slow, deliberate, and devastatingly warm. His hand remained firm on her chin, his thumb brushing against her jaw, sending heat coursing through her. “Now,” he said, sounding steady and commanding, “you go inside, get ready forbed, and go to sleep. No reading, no playing,andno touching yourself.”

Her cheeks flared with so much heat she was sure they were glowing. If it were possible to spontaneously combust from sheer embarrassment, this would be the moment. She reacted instantly to his words in her core, flipping and twisting in ways she didn’t know it could. Her panties had been damp since the moment he swooped in at the accident scene and took control. Brook thought she’d known what it was like to be turned on, but this—this was an entirely new level. Storm had awakened something inside her that no one else had ever come close to touching.

“The blush on your cheeks tells me you might have been thinking about doing the last part, sunshine,” he teased, his voice dipping lower, velvet and steel all at once.

Damn.How did he read her so effortlessly? It was both maddening and thrilling.

“I was not,” she whispered, though her words lacked conviction.

He chuckled, the deep, rumble vibrating through her like a physical touch. He leaned in closer, his dark eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that stole her breath. “Just so you know, Little girls who lie to me get put over Daddy’s lap, their panties pulled down to their knees, and their adorable bottoms spanked. Do you want to make a trip across my lap tonight, baby?”

Oh. God.

Her thoughts scrambled. Did she? The answer was an overwhelming, contradictoryyes—and also a panicked,heck, no.

The idea of being spanked by Storm, with his enormous, powerful hands, was as thrilling as it was terrifying. She could already imagine the heat, the sting, the way his strength would make her feel small and safe all at once. But she also wanted to be able to sit comfortably at her desk tomorrow.

“No, thank you,” she managed to squeak, her voice barely above a whisper.

His chuckle was rich with amusement, his lips curling into a smirk that made her knees weak. “So polite,” he murmured, winking at her. “Using your manners to get out of a spanking, sunshine.”

Her heart fluttered wildly. This man was going to be the death of her, and she wasn’t sure if she cared one bit.

“I will be at your place in the morning to pick you up. Wear a thick coat, it’s going to be cold.”

She sighed, bummed that this moment was coming to an end. Spending time with Storm was addicting.

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