Page 147 of Daddy, Sir

That made her smile, a smile that had always melted me, all pouty lips and dazzling white teeth pushed up against red-painted lips. “I’m sure you’d still be just fine, but thanks for saying that.”

I barely managed to hold back a snort remembering my pre-military self. I’d been lost, a mess, a little cuss. Boot camp had changed all that, and in some ways, that’s why I’d wanted to sign up for this. A sort of ‘Daddy’s Boot Camp’.

“I wouldn’t have,” I countered. “Trust me. We all need a little help from time to time.”

Lola looked sad; the expression on her face was one I couldn’t describe. “Is that why you wanted to do this? To help?”

It was part of it, and a part I shouldn’t feel bad about. Wanting to help wasn’t a bad thing, and yet from the expression on her face, I knew that would be the wrong answer. “I wanted to do it because I was moved by your story, and because we all deserve a second chance. And because”—I grabbed her hand—“I’ve always wanted to get to know you better, and this new Lola I see in front of me? I want to get to know her even more. I was so intrigued I couldn’t ignore my desires any longer.”

She smiled, then frowned and pulled her hand away. “I’ve always been intrigued by you, too. And I’m wondering if that’s a reason not to do this.”

“Sex is off the table,” I assured her. “It’s not an expectation. I just want to get to know you, and yes, I want to help you.” I raised my eyebrows and made them dance, earning a smile before I continued. “How about we just go through the negotiation and expectations, and then, if you want, you can decide it won’t work.”

Lola still looked hesitant, but she smiled and nodded. “Yes. Okay. Let’s do that.”

Chapter Two

Lola

My therapist is going to kill me.

That was the thought running through my brain on high speed while I walked around Zeke’s condo, following as he gave me the tour of my new home, trying hard to ignore the way his muscles rippled in his shoulders as he pointed out different features. My home for the next thirty days, because that had been his one condition. I had to commit fully, and he wanted to be available to control any and all aspects of my life.

It was so different from the arrangement I’d envisioned that it terrified me. But with my history, I fully understood why he wanted it this way. He’d given me safewords—the usual stoplight system—and promised I could use them for anything at any time. If there was ever a situation I had an issue with or didn’t understand, I just had to say yellow or red, and we’d stop and talk it out. I was familiar with the system in conjunction with actual scenes, but Zeke said I could use it if I didn’t like what he served me for breakfast. That he wanted to be in total control, but I had to let him know if there was anything I wasuncomfortable with in any way, no matter how minor. That had helped. But still, this was crazy.

It kind of felt good crazy, though. The owners of the Penthouse had come out after we finished talking, and assured me they had my back, and that if Zeke did anything untoward, they’d have his job. I knew he’d been with them since the start, and they wouldn’t say that lightly, so it helped. It also helped when they all gave me a hug and wished me well. I didn’t deserve that. I didn’t deserve any of this, really. But here I was, ready to prove a tiger can change its stripes, and we don’t have to be a product of our upbringing.

Zeke’s house was like a mausoleum. Not a speck of dust to be seen, and everything in its place. Just being in a place that tidy was making me nervous. It was nice, but not showy, big, but not huge. It wasn’t quite a bachelor pad, but it wasn’t exactly homey, either. For someone who loved to be surrounded by chaos and knickknacks and things that made me smile, this was going to be a huge adjustment. After we toured the main living areas and he showed me the backyard, which was also meticulously kept, we stood awkwardly in a hallway as he pointed to doors.

“That there at the end of the hall is my room. Don’t ever enter without knocking. Rule number one.”

The fact that the first rule was more about him than me was surprising, but I just nodded. Some people took their privacy very seriously, and I never planned to go in his room, anyway. Sex was off the table, after all. Which I might be starting to regret a teeny bit. But was that just the old me talking inside my head, or…?

Don’t even think about it.

“I mean it.” Zeke grabbed my wrist. “It’s very important. No matter what, especially if you hear yelling, do not come in without knocking and waiting for an answer.”

Okay, that was weird. It was starting to give horror movie vibes and a pit was sinking to the bottom of my stomach.

Zeke must have realized how it sounded because he grimaced. “I have PTSD episodes sometimes at night. I don’t want you getting… hurt.”

My eyes went wide and my heart broke a little. So many men who served our country suffered, for various reasons. “I won’t come in without knocking,” I vowed.

Or ever,I added silently.

With that promise obtained, Zeke turned abruptly and pointed to a door at the opposite end of the hall, two doors down. “This is your room. I’ll give you thirty minutes to get settled in while I make us some lunch. Unpack. Make yourself at home. The drawers and closet are all ready for you, and you have your own bathroom. This is your space and I will respect your space just as I’ve asked you to respect mine. However, rule number two… Keep it tidy. I’ll see you in the kitchen in thirty minutes.”

He shut the door behind him before I could respond, which was probably good because I couldn’t hold back the roll of my eyes. Keep it tidy? He really was taking this “Daddy” thing seriously, wasn’t he? I guess I really shouldn’t have been surprised. Zeke was a pretty serious guy by nature. Then again, it was his home, and I’d disclosed that I was kind of a scattered person when he pitched this “30-Day Daddy” thing to me. Plus, if I thought hard enough about it, I liked the rule, and I wanted more just like it. I wasn’t ready to delve into why a rule like that was more comforting than constricting, so I hefted my suitcase onto the bed and unzipped it.

I really wouldn’t have minded living out of the suitcase, but Zeke specifically said to unpack, and I wasn’t really ready to test his edicts. To be honest, I was still a little nervous. I’d noticed the way his muscles were bursting through his tight t-shirt. No doubt his spankings would not feel like love taps.

Thirty minutes sounded like a short amount of time when he’d said it, but as I finished putting everything away, I glanced at the clock and noted I still had ten minutes to spare. I didn’t want to rush Zeke if he needed more time to make lunch, so I took a minute to explore my new room and the ensuite. It was sparse, but roomy, and the bathroom had a stand-up shower and separate deep soaker tub that I would definitely be using the first chance I got. My apartment didn’t have a tub, let alone a tub that looked like it could fit three of me. I made a mental note to order some bath goodies. If I was going to be living in luxury for the next thirty days, I may as well take advantage.

Actually, I had time. I could order the stuff before lunch was finished and maybe have it in time to take a bath before bed. Snagging my phone, I hopped on my favorite shopping app and picked a few things to be delivered to Zeke’s. I even splurged for the express option. After my order I started clicking away on my emails, then made my way to my favorite social media outlet. I lost myself in the latest gossip until a hard knock on the door startled me so badly, I almost fell off the side of the bed.

“Yes?” I asked, my voice laced with the frustration I was feeling at being scared out of my wits.

“You’re late,” Zeke’s deep voice growled from the other side of the door.

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