Page 64 of Bet On Me, Daddy

“You wouldn’t owe us anything, silly. It’s what friends do.”

Friends. Right. She had rich, powerful friends who could give—and take away—anything they wanted.

How the hell had she gotten herself back into this position?

“Let’s table that conversation until Ruby here doesn’t look like she’s about to pass out,” Silver said with a quiet laugh, and if Ruby hadn’t already been half in love with her she would havefallen right then and there. “Back to Beckett. So he freaked out on you because he was worried about you working too much?”

Something in Silver’s tone told her Cordelia wasn’t the only one turning against her. “I guess. But like, I wouldn’t even be mad if he hadn’t gotten all bossy and demanding about it. We were very clear that when I’m working, he’s just Beckett. Not Daddy.”

Her friends all shared sidelong glances that spoke volumes. It was Lottie who finally spoke up with a sigh. “Look, I’m not saying he wasn’t wildly out of line, because he was. And we are one hundred percent on your side as far as the whole ‘this isn’t what we negotiated’ thing goes.”

“But?” Ruby prompted.

“But…” Reaching out to give Ruby’s arm a squeeze, Silver sent her a sympathetic smile. “We also understand his reaction. It’s obvious he cares about you, Ruby, whether you want him to or not. I’m not saying you owe him an apology, because you don’t, but maybe don’t betoohard on him when he finally gets his head out of his ass and realizes he crossed a line.”

“It’s not that I don’t want him to care about me. It’s just… complicated.”

“Have you considered telling him why it’s complicated?” Silver asked softly.

“No.” Because she’d been deliberately ignoring all the signs that the growing attraction between them was deeper than just the physical. For both of them. “But I guess I should.”

“Good.” From across the bar, Frankie glared at her. “Because you obviously like him. A lot. You should have told me that when we made our bet or whatever the fuck it was.”

“I have been doing a very good job of convincing myself I didn’t like him like that, thank you very much.”

“Almost as good of a job as Frankie has done convincing herself she doesn’t like Holden,” Ivy teased.

“Oh my god, not you, too. I do not want anything to do with that overbearing beast of a man!”

“Right, right.” A knowing smirk tugged at Silver’s lips. “Well, you’ve heard Ruby’s tale. Obviously the way to get Holden to back off is to stand your ground, let him know in no uncertain terms that you have not negotiated any kind of dynamic with him and that he needs to back the fuck off. Use your safeword if you have to. Holden, as overbearing as he may be, is a good Dom and a good man. If you really want him to leave you alone, that should do the trick. And if it doesn’t, just let Braden know and he’ll fix it.”

Throwing her hand up in the air, Frankie gave an exasperated huff. “I’vetriedto tell him that!”

“Have you?” It was Cordelia who spoke up now, her green eyes burning with a righteous anger that had Ruby swallowing hard—and it wasn’t even directed at her. “Because all I’ve seen is you baiting him. Putting yourself in the auction, flirting with other Doms but only when he’s around. Basically doing everything you can to get his attention and then pretending you don’t want it. So it’s time to ask yourself, Francesca, do you actually want him to leave you alone or are you just enjoying the chase?”

“I’m not… that’s not… you’re making it sound so much worse than it is,” Frankie mumbled, looking a bit like she wanted to disappear into the floor.

“Sorry not sorry, but it’s time for a little tough love.” Cordelia shrugged. “I’m all for being a girls’ girl, but I’m also a Domme and I know how I’d have felt if Ivy had given me the runaround like you’re giving Holden. You both deserve better, Frankie.”

“As do Beckett and Ruby,” Silver said, pinning Ruby with a look that would have done any Domme proud. “Every single one of you need to get your heads out of your collective asses and fucking communicate. I happen to be very fond of this friendgroup and I’m going to be pissed if it implodes. Am I making myself clear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Frankie and Ruby answered in unison, earning them a round of laughter from the rest of the group.

“All right. Now that the crisis has been handled, we need to get back to work.” Cordelia flashed Silver a wide, approving smile. “But any time you want to try out those Domme muscles, let me know. Ivy would love to help you practice.”

Tossing back her head, Silver let out a loud, smoky laugh. “I appreciate the offer, but for the time being I think my Domme side is reserved for when my friends need a kick in the ass.”

“Ah, well. More’s the pity. But the offer stands if you change your mind. Come on, blossom. Back to work.”

As her friends dispersed, Ruby shifted her attention to the few people gathered at the opposite end of the bar, patiently waiting on her to take their orders. Pushing Beckett Stone firmly to the back of her mind, she plastered a smile on her face.

And got to work.

CHAPTER 21

BECKETT

It took him less than half the ride home to realize he’d fucked up. But he was still feeling too damn raw to risk turning the car around and heading back to the club.

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