Page 120 of Melt For Us, Daddy
Staring down at her, he could only blink in response. Luckily, he was saved from needing to answer by Cordelia’s soft laughter.
“She doesn’t mean it literally, baby. Ruby is… well, they’re all huge fucking brats. You’ll get used to it eventually.” Stepping forward, she gave his hand a tug. “Come on, let’s find you a seat. You look like you’re ready to pass out from all this excitement.”
“Sorry.” To his surprise, Ruby did actually look rather apologetic. “I forget you’re not, um, used to all this.”
“All this?”
“Yeah. You know. Like, how normal people act and stuff.”
They’d reached the table by then, and the man they’d identified as Beckett snapped his head up, his eyes narrowing. “Ruby! That was incredibly rude. Apologize right now.”
“Sorry! Sorry! I wasn’t trying to be rude, I just—” She sighed and gave him a sheepish smile. “You know what, maybe I should just keep my mouth shut.”
Even though his feelings had been a little hurt by her comment, he couldn’t hold it against her when she looked so apologetic. “No, it’s okay. I knew what you meant. I didn’t exactly have a normal childhood.”
Relief flashed in her eyes. “Still, I’m sorry. I’ve just got a big ole case of foot-in- mouth disease tonight.”
“Foot-in-mouth disease?”
“I’ll explain later, baby,” Cordelia assured him, her own expression bright with amusement at his expense. “Sit, and we’ll order some food.”
At her less-than-gentle urging, he took a seat across from Braden and Lottie, both of whom were watching him with open curiosity. As was… pretty much everyone at the table, with the exception of his women and Holden. It made him feel a bit like something to be studied, the odd new addition to their group and he found himself missing the safe house more and more. All he wanted was to go home and bury himself in Cordelia’s soft curves while Ivy stroked his hair and told him what a good boy he was.
But this was important to his women, which meant it was important to him.
Even if he’d rather be literally anywhere else.
Chapter 40
Ivy
Poor Jacob. He looked about as comfortable as a deer who’d just wandered into a hunter’s camp.
As soon as he dropped down into the chair Cordelia pointed him to, Ivy slid onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “You okay?” she whispered.
“Yeah. Just a little overwhelmed.”
“Poor baby. If you need, all you have to do is say the word and we’ll go home.” As much as she’d missed all her friends and wanted nothing more than to catch up with them, her boy was more important.
“I’ll be okay, Ivy. But thanks.”
“Maybe we should get you something to drink. Loosen you up a bit.” She couldn’t help but giggle when his eyes widened with something akin to horror. “I’m just kidding. Daddy would have both our asses if I tried. No alcohol for us if there’s even a chance we’re going to play later.”
Now it was curiosity creeping into the pale gray. “Would she… you know. Punish us here? In front of all these people?”
Oh, my sweet, sweet boy. “She would absolutely punish me here, and has. But for you she’d probably wait until we got home, at least until you’re more comfortable with the public play aspect of things.”
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be comfortable with it.”
“And that’s okay, too.” She’d been looking forward to watching him writhe on a cross, but if it was a limit for him, they would respect that. “You don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for, baby.”
“Okay, so.” Lottie’s voice drew their attention to the end of the table. “Tell us everything. Holden was stingy as fuck with the details. Why were you at a safe house? Where’s Jacob’s father? Oh, and most importantly, how the fuck did this happen?”
She waved at Ivy sitting on Jacob’s lap, her expression full of a hungry curiosity that matched the other girls around the table. And the men, though they were doing a slightly better job at hiding it.
Reaching for the glass of water one of the other waitresses had brought them, Cordelia raised it to her lips, letting the silence stretch out between them.
A loud cry from the pit broke the silence and Jacob jumped, his head swiveling around to identify the source.
