Page 19 of Slash
He rumbled low in his chest. “Yeah, you do. You just don’t let anybody see it.”
The words gutted her because they were true.
All those years with her ex, she’d learned to swallow pain, hide tears, put on a brave face for Kayleigh. Crying made her weak. Crying made her a target.
But in Slash’s arms, weakness didn’t feel like weakness.
It felt like relief. She let him cradle her until the sobs ceased and the room stopped spinning. She wiped her eyes on his shirt and took a deep breath. She shifted in Slash’s lap, every movement making her butt sting all over again.
He shifted her, reaching for a small duffel at the side of his bed. She blinked in surprise when he pulled out… a soft teddy bear.
Her lips parted. “Slash, is that?—”
“Daddy,” he corrected gently, tipping her chin up so she couldn’t hide. “And yeah. Every little needs a teddy bear.”
Her cheeks flamed. “I don’t… I mean, I’ve read about it, but I’ve never?—”
“Shh.” His thumb brushed her damp cheek. “No rules tonight. No pressure. Just you, me, and this bear. You sit right here on Daddy’s lap and hug him until you feel better. Understand?”
Her bottom still smarted from his palm, but her heart… her heart ached for this. For safety. For softness.
She nodded, voice small. “Yes, Daddy.”
As she hugged the bear, the weight in her chest loosened, her breaths evening out. Slash watched her quietly, one arm around her middle, thumb brushing lazy strokes over her ribs. The other hand rested heavy on her thigh, a constant reminder of his claim.
Minutes ticked by in silence until she whispered, “I don’t understand you.”
His scarred face softened just a fraction. “What’s to understand?”
“You’re… terrifying.” Her cheeks flushed. “But you’re also… this.” She gestured weakly to the teddy bear, the warmth of his chest under her cheek.
“Both can be true.” His voice was steady, unshakable. “Out there? I’m a fighter. An enforcer. A man who spills blood to keep this family safe. But with you, Nicole?” His big hand squeezed her thigh, firm and possessive. “I’ll be whatever you need. Daddy, protector, bastard who reddens your ass when you forget your rules.”
Her heart lurched at the wordyour.
Her Daddy.
Something hot curled deep inside her, warring with fear.
She whispered, “What if I can’t give you what you need?”
Slash’s gaze pinned her, intense and unflinching. “Baby girl, you already have. You just don’t know it yet.”
The bear slipped from her fingers. She trembled, not from fear this time, but from the devastating truth.
She wanted to believe him.
She wanted to be his.
Nicole woke to the sound of laughter.
For the first time in forever, she hadn’t dreamed of her ex. She hadn’t jolted awake with dread in her chest. Instead, she’d fallen asleep curled against Slash’s chest and he’d carried her back to her room. He was so respectful of her relationship with Kayleigh.
She blinked, confused when she realized the laughter wasn’t Kayleigh’s. It was rougher, older. It was men out in the clubhouse common room.
The club was awake.
Her stomach growled, and she padded out of her room, cheeks heating when she remembered last night. The spanking, the bear, his steady voice calling herbaby girl.
