Page 78 of Bet On Me, Daddy

She braced for his annoyance at her for not simply obeying, and the relief that flooded her when approval flashed in his eyes nearly drove her to her knees. “Good girl for asking questions. You don’t have to call me Daddy if you don’t want to while we’re out. But if you’re a brat, as you tend to be, there will be consequences. And when I give you an instruction, I expect you to obey. Just like if we were at the club.”

“Okay. But you’re not expecting me to be on my best behavior because we’re in public? You’re not worried about me embarrassing you?”

Something flickered in the dark brown of his gaze, and she nearly took a step back from the ferocity of it. But then it was gone, as quickly as it came, and he nodded. “No, baby. I want you to be your same sassy, funny, amazing self. With the understanding that any misbehavior will result in a punishment. But I don’t want you to change who you are, in private or public. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir. I’m sorry if that’s an annoying question, but I needed to ask.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I’m proud of you for asking for clarification.” He hesitated, clearly weighing what he wanted to say next. “IfI ever get into another romantic relationship with someone, I will want—no, need—a certain level of control. It’s who I am, and I won’t ignore that part of myself again. Not even for someone I love. But I will never ask someone to give up their autonomy, to become a mindless robot for me.IfI was looking for a partner, that isn’t what I’d be looking for.”

The hurt beneath his words was practically screaming at her, begging her to dig deeper, to uncover those wounds and heal them. “If I ever get into another romantic relationship, I will need a lot of boundaries. I don’t mind rules, but I won’t be controlled. I won’t be trapped. Not again.”

Closing the short distance between them again, he cradled her face in his hands, dropping his forehead to hers. “One day, you’re going to tell me about him. And then I’m going to find him, and I’m going to rip his heart from his chest for what he did to you.”

“You don’t even know what he did to me.”

“I know he put that look in your eyes. The one that reminds me of an animal ready to run or fight for its life. And that alone is enough for me to know I want him ended.”

Those lines were becoming more and more blurred by the second. And it was becoming harder and harder to care. “He’s not the kind of man you fuck with, Beckett. I dare say he’s even richer than you. And he has some very powerful friends.”

“You let me worry about me, Ruby Red.” Still cupping her face, he nudged her head back to take her lips in a slow, sweet kiss that made her heart do a lovely little roll in her chest. “For tonight, it’s your call. We can go to dinner, just two regular people enjoying a meal together, and then we can go back to my place for the night.”

“Or?”

“Or, you can let me own you. Just for the night, Ruby. Just a little taste of what we’ve both been trying to pretend we don’t want.”

One night. One night of stepping outside the little box they’d built for themselves. The one she’d been so adamant they stay inside.

But they still had boundaries. They were just… expanding the box a bit. And really, what damage could one night do?

“All right. Just for tonight, I’m yours.”

CHAPTER 25

BECKETT

Dangerous ground.

He’d known when he’d stopped at the specialty shop on his way to her apartment he was treading on dangerous ground. And Ruby had confirmed it, in her way, when she’d safeworded.

But fuck, he was proud of her for reinforcing those boundaries, even if there was something inside him, something that had been clawing to get out since the day he laid eyes on her, that wanted nothing more than to lay claim to her in every possible way, boundaries be damned.

The fact that she’d been through whatever she’d been through and still had the courage to stand up to him left him a little bit in awe of her, if he was being honest.

“Put your hands on the sink for me, Ruby. And don’t move them, or Daddy will have to punish you.”

Watching her pupils expand at his words, he almost hoped she’d disobey him. She wanted to be punished, possibly even more than he wanted to punish her.

And he very much wanted to punish her.

“Yes, Sir,” she said instead, pulling away from him to turn and place her hands on the countertop.

Ignoring the stab of disappointment that she hadn’t pushed him, he met her gaze in the mirror. “Good girl. In a moment, I’m going to peel these jeans off your gorgeous bottom, and then I’m going to fill it with this. Any objections?”

She inhaled sharply as her gaze locked on the package he held up for her to see. “No, Sir.”

Setting the package on the counter where she could see it if she glanced down, which she immediately did, much to his amusement, he reached around her to pop open the button of her jeans. Every breath she took in shook a little as he slowly tugged the zipper down, and he didn’t bother to hold back a laugh when she whimpered. “Poor little Ruby Red.” Sliding a hand under the elastic waistband of her panties, he met her gaze in the mirror and grinned when his fingers slipped easily between her soaked lips. “Still so wet for Daddy. Do you want to come before I fill your pretty bottom with that plug?”

“If you want.” Her attempt at nonchalance was ruined somewhat by the moan she let out a second later when he circled her swollen clit with his fingertip.

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