Page 61 of Don't Call Me Daddy
“Don’t you walk away from me when we’re in the middle of a conversation!” I grab her arm and spin her to face me.
“Stop telling me what to do. I’ll do what I please, when I please.”
Grabbing the top of the doorframe, I brace myself and lean in closer. “Listen to me, you little brat.”
She lets out the faintest of gasps, and I know I have her right where I want her. The push and pull of power hangs heavy as the space between us grows hot and charged. We’re like two magnets fighting to keep from colliding, and I have to physically brace myself against the doorframe to hold myself back.
Everything about Ivy Lane is maddening—from the way she fights with me about anything and everything just for the fun of it to the way her pulse kicks up when I push back. The way she looks at me with those warm honey eyes that are full of sunshine and curiosity, like I’m some kind of puzzle she wants to piece back together or a toy she can’t have.
As much as I’d love to give her what she wants, I can’t afford the distraction.
I know a handful when I see one, and I simply do not have the capacity to go there … no matter how much fun it would be.
I shake my head. I can’t let myself think like that right now.
“You’re not going camping in the fucking mountains. It’s too dangerous. That’s final.”
Her eyes scan me up and down, and my breathing is now ragged as something like white-hot rage seethes through me, fueled by a fear so intense that my stomach is tied up in knots.
“You know, for someone who hates being called Daddy, you sure do love acting like one …”
My body goes completely still, and the silence around us is deafening. “Let’s not do this tonight, Ivy. Please, I’m begging you not to start your shit …” I stare at her, my eyes pleading as a small ember of something that feels a lot like hope sparks in my chest.
She pops a hip, looking like she isn’t the least bit affected by my warning. “You could just go with me.” Her eyes trail down to my tented erection, and she gives me a coy smile. “You’re getting awfully worked up over … camping.” She presses a finger to my chest. “Or is it the power struggle that you enjoy so much?”
“You think I enjoy this? Constantly fighting with you? I’m exhausted in every sense of the word while it seems like it’s your life’s mission to annoy me. Is this all a fucking game to you?” I ask through gritted teeth.
She cocks her head to the side and shrugs. “I think you enjoy mygamesmore than you care to admit. The sooner we stop lying to ourselves, the sooner we can work some of this frustration out of our systems … and start having a little fun.”
Her words are like a wet blanket, pulling me back into the present moment and sobering me. I take a step back, putting some much-needed space between us.
She’s right; I can’t really tell her what she can’t do, but I do have the choice whether I join her. All this back-and-forth, mixed with the way she was just grinding on my lap, has my body all mixed up. Hot and cold. Aggravated and protective … and so fucking horny that I can hardly see straight.
It’s Ivy’s signature move, and fuck if I don’t love to hate it. Maybe I am a masochist after all.
“I hope I bought you some hiking boots on your shopping haul because you’re going to need them.”
“Really?” Her eyes light up, and a smile breaks across her face. “You’re seriously going to take me?”
I roll my eyes as I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Apparently, I have a hard time sayingnoto you. Trust me, I’m just as surprised as you are. I’ll take you camping, but you have to promise to listen to me. I don’t want you to get hurt, and the woods are dangerous … especially at night.” A cold chill works its way up my spine, and I shiver at the thought of it.
I can’t believe I’m doing this … but if anyone could get me to go camping in those woods, it’s this beautiful, spirited woman standing in front of me.
“Thank you, Leo,” she squeals, wrapping her arms around my midsection in a surprisingly tight grip. “This is going to be so much fun!”
I don’t know if Ivy and I have the same definition of the wordfun, but I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t admit that making her happy feels better than just about anything I’ve experienced in all my thirty-five years.
And that thought alone scares the shit out of me.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Ivy
“You took long enough,” Leo mutters as I slide into the car.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize we were in a hurry, Boss Daddy. Are we going to miss our appointment with nature?”
I slam the door a little harder than necessary, and he flinches with annoyance. I know it’s on the tip of his tongue to tell me to be more careful, but to my surprise, he just clenches his jaw shut.
