Page 8 of Daddy Crush (Silver Fox Daddy)

I hesitated, then told her exactly what it meant. My voice was low, intimate, and full of dark promise. “I like control and dominance in relationships, which is why when you sass me, I have the urge to discipline you.”

Clover gaped at me. She appeared hesitant, but there was also a shadow of understanding and something else I couldn’t quite place, a kind of eagerness that made my heart leap in expectation.

“Discipline me? Like I’m a child?” she asked.

I hesitated, unsure of how best to explain. “Not like a child, no,” I said carefully. “Spanking, rewards, and punishment are an integral part of any intimate relationship I’m in. It can be sexual, but it doesn’t always have to be.”

Clover’s eyes widened with understanding, and her cheeks blushed crimson. I felt my face heat, as well, wondering if she found my confession shocking or arousing. Perhaps both.

Suddenly, I was struck by an unexpected feeling. Looking out at the waves, with puffy white clouds just tinged pink with sunset frosting their tops, I realized it was hope that she’d accept me for who I was and wouldn’t judge me for the desires that lived within me.

“So…” Clover whispered, her voice barely audible over the sounds of other conversations in the room. “Do you want to dominate me?”

My heart beat faster as I answered truthfully. “Yes. Even though I know I shouldn’t. I’ve tried so many times since you came to stay, but I can’t get you out from under my skin.”

She sat back in her chair and regarded me silently, searching my face for some hint of an answer.

I tried to explain myself further, taking a deep breath and explaining honestly, “It means you would trust me enough to let me lead the way with making decisions about our relationship—both sexually and otherwise.”

She sat back in her chair and regarded me silently, considering my answer carefully before finally speaking once more. “Can I tell you something?” she asked softly, her eyes never leaving mine.

The server returned, filling our water glasses again and leaving behind the dessert menu. Clover’s smile had vanished, either from the sobering topic or because I’d disappointed her with my confession. And just thinking it was the latter shattered me.

Then she spoke with a quiet and desperate firmness. “Look, I’m no virgin.”

The statement, and the implication she’d been with other men, made me clench my jaw until my teeth hurt.

“Nor am I super sophisticated sexually. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t fantasized about being dominated ever since I stumbled across certain kinky romance books.”

Arousal seeped into my bones as she spoke.

“It sounds exciting. I’ve just never been with anyone confident enough to pull it off, you know? The whole domination thing.” Clover looked up at me with an expression I was powerless to resist. “I want to try this,” she said in a hushed voice.

My throat tightened, and my breath caught in my chest before I gave her a small smile in response. “With me?”

She nodded, and a sense of urgency drove me.

I wanted to hold on to her tightly, as if nothing else mattered but us, but I knew she deserved better than that, better than me.

A recovering alcoholic who was twice her age and wanted to be in charge all the time wasn’t someone good enough for her.

All the same, I had a feeling acknowledging the attraction between us out loud would make it impossible to keep my hands to myself when we got home.

5

DUKE

The drive from the restaurant home was nearly an hour long, and it gave us time to come to an agreement of sorts. Possibly the most wonderful sight I’d ever seen was when she’d +removed her heels and propped her bare feet up on the dash, revealing a long, irresistible swath of her thigh.

“Clover, I’m 100 percent against lying, but if we explore our attraction to one another, we might discover that it’s just temporary. Perhaps it’s best we keep it between us until we find out.”

“Agreed, there’s no reason to announce it to the world, and by that, I mean my dad. If it ends up being a fleeting fascination, that’s a risk I’m willing to take,” she said without hesitation. “Besides, I’m not worried about what other people might think. Most of the time, life seems like a club I know I’m not a member of anyway.”

I took a deep breath, searching for the words that would console her and make her feel safe. I wanted to tell her I understood what she was going through, and no matter how overwhelming it felt in the moment, we could make it through this together.

“How so?” I asked softly.

Clover paused for a moment before turning in her seat to face me. “It’s like, sometimes it seems there is a set of rules, telling people how to be, how to act, what to do. And I never got a copy.”

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