Page 114 of Daddy, Sir

In the end it had nothing to do with whether it was right or not. When he heard she was coming home for the reunion, there’d been no conscious decision. He’d just known he was going to try to connect with her.

Finding her wedged in a window, with her a very shapely ass on display, was not what he’d expected from their first meeting.He’d tried to be respectful, of course, but when his hands settled on her hips something had clicked. And something else had hardened.

He’d had to adjust himself before he could get down to the business of helping her, otherwise it would have been too much of a distraction. Of course, that had all been before he’d had to plant his hands on her ass. There was no managing the distraction after that, and when she finally went through the window, he was glad for the wall between them to hide his obvious bulge.

Ten minutes alone with her, not even seeing her face, and he already felt like he was losing control.

And then she’d dashed cold water over him, when she refused to invite him in. He wasn’t, for one second, believing that her mom had told her ‘No boys in the house’ but even if she had, he hadn’t qualified as a ‘boy’ for a long time.

But he didn’t argue, because he’d already learned a few things. One, there was definitely chemistry between them, and he could tell she felt it too. Two, she was just as much of a brat as she’d always been. Three… well, he’d seen how she reacted to the trigger words.Daddy.Punishment.

He’d used them deliberately, and, if he wasn’t mistaken, she’d definitely shown an interest. Maybe she needed a Daddy to tame that brat in her, and if so, he wouldn’t mind giving the job a try. Either way, she was curious, and she’d show up for drinks, there wasn’t any doubt about that.

He wasn’t sure how this weekend would end, but if it wasn’t in bed together, he didn’t think he’d be able to handle the disappointment.

Chapter Six

The nerve of Oliver thinking she was going to show up for drinks, just because he would be there. So much ego. As if, after all these years, he could twitch his little finger, and she’d go running.

Not that he was wrong—but that wasn’t the point.

She was cranky and annoyed, so it didn’t help that when she rolled her suitcase into her bedroom, she discovered that it had been redone. All her things were gone. She stopped short in the doorway.

“Gee, Mom, thanks for the warning…” But of course her mother hadn’t known she was coming.

It was like getting kicked in the chest. She felt like her life had been erased, and on top of the shock of seeing Oliver again, it was too much. She sat down on the side of the bed and took a few minutes to work on her breathing as she looked around at the freshly painted walls.

She needed to be rational about it. After all, she only came home to visit once or twice a year, if that. Keeping a room just for her was silly, but why did it hurt so much to find everything gone? It was another blow to her confidence, and that wouldn’t do.

If she was going to repair the damage from the earlier meeting with Oliver, then she was going to have to push all of that upset aside. Luckily, she had plenty of time to get ready. A long hot shower was the first step to fixing her self-esteem.

When she left the house shortly before eight, she was feeling much better. Her makeup was perfect. The outfit made her feel like a star. It was, maybe, a little dressy for cocktails, but that was fine. The tight red number hugged every curve, and the heels that went with it were the very definition of ‘fuck me pumps’.

When she walked into the lounge, she drew eyes and reveled in the attention. But the blue eyes she looked for weren’t there. There was a sinking inside, a settling feeling, as her mood started to drop, but she cut that off immediately.

She tossed her hair back over her shoulder and headed to the bar to get a drink. As she waited for the bartender to notice her, she looked around the room, trying to match faces to memories. Sara Ann had been meeting people at the door and checking names off on her list, so they’d already exchanged hugs and greetings.

But inside there were very few people she recognized. It was a sea of strangers, with a vaguely familiar face here and there. Which was why she hadn’t intended to come in the first place.

“Hey, brat.” His breath tickled her ear as he whispered the words and then moved around in front, so she could see him. “Sorry I’m late. I had to move a couple of things around, since I hadn’t intended to be here tonight.”

She controlled her smile, flashing him just a little teeth so she didn’t seem too excited. “That’s fine. I saved you a seat.” She kicked the stool next to her with her foot. Her purse had been holding the space for him.

He looked around and then tilted his head. “Hmm, it’s a little chaotic over here. Why don’t we find some place a little quieter?”

That suited her. She shrugged and slid off the tall stool, snagging her drink with one hand and her purse with the other. He led them to a corner table and took a seat, with his back against the wall. Jamie took her time settling, so that he got a good look at her outfit and all her curves.

Try thinking of me as a little sister now.

“You look amazing,” he said, as she finally got comfortable.

“Thank you, Ollie.”

He winced at the nickname. “Been a long time since anyone called methat.”

She laughed. “I see you’re rocking the civilian look tonight. No fatigues?”

He looked down, as if he’d forgotten. “Oh, right. Regulations forbid drinking in Army uniform, and there’s no point in coming to something like this if you can’t have a few drinks.”

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