Page 59 of Daddy Devious

“Good girl.” Stepping past the curtain, my eyes lock with Caleb’s. In his dark gaze I see the same relief I feel in my bones, and again I’m filled with gratitude that I’m surrounded by people who care so deeply for my Little girl. “Caleb, would you mind getting us a slice of cake to bring to the nursery? And a bottle of Cat’s milk.”

“Of course, sir.” When I pause beside him, he reaches out to brush a curl from Victoria’s tear-stained face. “You gave us quite a fright, little one,” he scolds softly.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right, now. Your Daddy will take care of everything.”

Mouthing “Thank you” over her head, I turn toward the stairs, carrying her up to her room. I try to put her down when we reach the bathroom, but she only clings to me more tightly, so I bite back a sigh as I juggle her in my arms so I can run her a nice hot bath.

It isn’t until the tub is full that she agrees to be released so that I can undress her and lower her into the hot water. Unlike our normal bathtime routine, she isn’t the playful, giggling Little girl I’m used to. The only sound she makes is the occasional sniffle as tears continue to stream down her cheeks.

When she’s all nice and clean again, I bundle her in a soft robe and carry her to the rocking chair. Beside the chair sits a table, with a large slice of Chef Maria’s famous seven-layer chocolate cake and a fresh bottle of milk on top. Settling with Victoria on my lap, I cradle her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before cutting her off a bite of cake.

“Eat, little one,” I urge gently, lifting it to her lips.

Obediently, she opens her mouth for the cake, a soft hum escaping as she chews the sweet treat.

In silence, I feed her half the cake, giving us both time to settle and myself time to figure out exactly how to approach the issue of her naughtiness.

Because there is no doubt she was very naughty. Not only did she earn herself a spanking from her Auntie Cat after a very public tantrum, she broke several of our rules, putting herself in danger in the process. A punishment is certainly in order, but before we get to that, there is one burning question I need answered.

Why?

Chapter Twenty-Four

Tori

It’s easy to forget how much trouble I’m in with how sweet Daddy’s being and the chocolate cake he’s feeding me bite by bite. I haven’t earned the treat, I know, but I can’t help but revel in the sensation of being coddled and pampered like this.

That feeling doesn’t last as long as I would like, however. When the cake is nearly half finished, Daddy places the fork down, his expression more serious than I’ve ever seen it as he stares down at me. “We need to talk about what happened today, Victoria Rose.”

Uh-oh. My full name. So apparently I’m not off the hook just yet. “Don’t wanna.”

“Whether you want to or not, we are discussing it. Starting with how you behaved during your outing with Auntie Cat.”

Swallowing hard, I force myself to nod. I knew there was no getting around this particular issue. Not after Auntie Cat had to paddle me in public because I threw a literal tantrum. “I’m really sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Daddy surprises me by laughing. “I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t. Tantrums are a normal part of life for Little girls, especially when they are feeling big feelings. And from what your Auntie Cat tells me, you were having some very big feelings today.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Can you tell me about them, little one?”

I don’t want to. It would be easier by far just to pretend it’s not happening and spend my last few days here in ignorant bliss.

But I’ve robbed myself of that option, and instinct tells me that if I refuse to talk to him now, all I’ll gain is a sore bottom before he forces me to talk anyway. So I drag in a deep breath and prepare to lay my heart at the feet of the one man capable of destroying it. “I don’t want to go back to New York.”

“Well, that’s very good news.”

“It is?” Confused, I blink up at him. “Why?”

“Because, little one, I have no intention of sending you back. I never did.”

“But the contract?—”

Again he surprises me by chuckling softly. “I’m afraid that contract was nothing more than a ruse to get you here, Victoria. I had hoped that once I had you on the island, you would love it so much you wouldn’t want to leave. Haven’t you noticed that everything about this place was designed with you in mind? From the clothes you wear to the food you eat, it’s all been carefully curated for one very special Little girl.”

It shouldn’t be romantic. In some saner part of my mind, I can see the red flags waving high and proud right in front of me.

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