Page 27 of Daddy, Sir

Chapter Two

Daniel

He kept pace with Sadie’s quick strides and followed her to a red crew-cab pickup, resisting the urge to help her when she boosted herself into the front seat.

“I just have some paperwork for you to fill out, and I’ll need to see a driver’s license or ID card.” She handed him a clipboard and pen, then jumped down. “Payday is every Friday, and you can go to the urgent care clinic for a drug test.”

“Sounds good.” He filled out the forms and returned the clipboard along with his driver’s license, which showed his mother’s address.

“Great.” She strode to the bed and opened a toolbox, then tossed him a hard hat, a vest, and a pair of work gloves. “We’ll get you set up for health insurance if you stick around for a full month., but you’ll be covered for workers’ comp starting today. Sound fair?”

“I don’t need insurance.” When she arched a brow, he hesitated, then added, “I’ve actually got another job lined up with the airport, but I can give you two weeks.”

“If you make it three, I’ll give you a bonus,” she countered. “And if you already had a drug screen, we can skip it.”

“Just did it yesterday, but I’m afraid I can’t give you the extra week.”

“Fair enough. When we finish here, we’re scheduled to renovate The Majestic on old Route 66. I’d appreciate it if you could give us a few days there.”

“Sure. No problem.” He frowned and cocked his head. “Wait. Didn’t that place shut down years ago?”

“Yeah. Do you remember it?”

He smiled fondly and nodded. “My mom used to take my sister and me there for breakfast on the weekends. It was cool.”

“They had the best milkshakes too.” She started walking back to the construction site. “It’s been purchased by some ex-military guys who want to turn it into a resort.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I think they’re planning to call it Club Apocalypse or something.” She hurried to an open supply trailer and grabbed a bucket, a trowel, and a stucco tool. “They call themselves the Four Horsemen, so I guess it fits.”

“Excuse me?” Daniel stuck a finger in his ear, wondering if he’d heard her right. “Mark, Ryan, Jake, and Sean?”

She looked at him curiously, letting him see that her eyes were light amber brown. “You know them?”

“I haven’t seen them in years, but yes.”

“Huh.” A pink flush rose in her face, darkening the freckles sprayed across her cheekbones. “Well, in the interest of full disclosure, they’re opening a BDSM resort. We’re only doing the basics to get them up to code and ready for interiors, but I feel like you should know that before you agree to the work.”

He took the bucket and tools she passed him. “Just out of curiosity, what do you think about it?”

She shrugged and pulled a bag of what looked like cement from the trailer. “It’s all good with me. I make it a point not to yuck anyone’s yum. Heck, maybe I’ll visit after they open. They tell me Jake is a pretty good cook and he’s reopening the diner.”

“That’s the rumor I heard. People used to say he made MRE rations into five-star meals.”

“Sounds like you know them pretty well.” She led him to a garden hose and showed him how to mix the pale pink cement. “Did you serve together?”

“No. We had… mutual interests.”

“Ah.” She blushed again, then seemed to shake herself.

Interesting. Maybe she wasn’t as nonchalant about the idea of a bondage club as she pretended to be. Instead of daydreaming about what she’d look like strapped to a spanking bench, he focused on the job he’d signed on for.

Not that he was complaining. He’d wanted to do the work on his own house and relished the chance to learn from a professional. Hell, he didn’t even need the paycheck.

For a moment, he considered telling her the truth, but didn’t want her to treat him like he was her boss or some bullshit like that. Then again, he didn’t really want her to treat him like an employee either.

“Okay, then. Anyway, this is what we’re using to patch the stucco covering the original adobe.”

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