Page 51 of Bet On Me, Daddy

Ugh.

“Frankie’s always been top of her class.” Lottie was practically beaming with pride for her best friend. “I swear there’s literally nothing she can’t do.”

“Find a dress that doesn’t make my ass look huge?”

The proud, beaming smile vanished from Lottie’s face at Frankie’s words, replaced by a worry so deep it made Ruby’s chest ache. “Don’t say that.”

“Sorry. Just having a day,” Frankie said with a wave of her hand. “You know how it is.”

“I know howyouare. Which is why I don’t like you talking like that.”

Okay, it might actually kill Ruby to not be able to voice her curiosity with such a loaded conversation happening right in front of her.

“I’m fine. Seriously.” Before Lottie could argue, Frankie shifted her focus back to Beckett. “So… you’re Daddy now, huh? When did that happen?”

The concern vanished from Lottie’s face at Frankie’s question, replaced with a bright-eyed excitement. “Oooh, yes! Tell us how that happened. We needallthe deets.”

“Are you putting your nose where it doesn’t belong again, Charlotte Ann?”

A pair of legs had appeared in front of Ruby. Braden, from the sound of his voice and the sheepish tone in Lottie’s when she responded. “Yes, Daddy. But you’d be asking too if you’d heard Beckett referring to himself as Ruby’s Daddy a minute ago.”

“Is that so?” To Lottie’s credit, there was indeed a hint of curiosity in Braden’s tone. “That is an interesting development. Is it safe to assume our Ruby is kneeling here in silence because she was a naughty girl today?”

“Yes.” Once more, Beckett ran his hand over Ruby’s hair, silently soothing her as she fought the urge to speak up and defend herself. “And yes, Ruby and I have an… arrangement. I’m her Daddy here in the club, but with the understanding we can both still scene with others if we so choose.”

Ruby swallowed hard against the sudden tightness in her throat. That was the agreement, and that was how they both wanted it. So there was no reason to feel hurt by him pointing it out to their friends.

“I see.” Braden’s words were heavy with meaning, but Ruby wasn’t sure exactly what that meaning was. “Well, I’m sure you have the situation well in hand.”

“I do.”

Okay, there was another whole conversation happening right in front of her, and it was all happening in subtext she didn’t understand. And again she couldn’t even ask anyone what the hell was going on because he’d revoked her right to speak.

Worst. Punishment.Ever.

Before the conversation could go much further, Silver and Ice appeared in her peripheral vision. Or at least, Silver’s boots and the floor-length dress with the slit up to her hip she favored appeared, along with a pair of leather-clad legs she assumed belonged to Ice.

“What’s this?” Silver’s tone was full of the same curiosity Ruby had heard in Braden’s voice, but with much more amusement. “Is Beckett finally flexing his Daddy muscles?”

“On a limited basis, yes.”

“Daddy in the sheets,” Lottie whispered loudly, followed by a wild giggle that said she was incredibly amused by her own joke. “Like friends with benefits I think, but the only benefit I’ve seen so far is Beckett getting to be a bossy ass?—”

“Charlotte Ann.”

A laugh escaped before Ruby thought to catch it, and she immediately pressed her lips together to try and smother the sound.

Too late.

Beckett’s hand came to rest on the back of her neck and he squeezed once in warning. “Quiet, Ruby Red.”

“Ooooh, is she not allowed to talk?” Sympathy wound its way around Silver’s voice as she wiggled into the booth beside Frankie. “Poor Ruby. Speech restrictionsucks.”

“I’ll keep that in mind the next time you’re feeling extra bratty,” Ice said with a grin, rounding the table to slide into the booth beside Beckett.

“No, thank you.”

God, this was embarrassing. Being punished so obviously and publicly was bad enough, but to have her friends discussing her punishment right in front of her just straight up sucked.

---