Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Daniel
“I’m a grown woman.” Sadie wiped her last few tears from her reddened cheeks as if she was angry at them, then ducked under his arm and strode toward housekeeping. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me.”
Prickly babygirl.
He hid a smile as he caught up and held the door for her. If anything, her mini meltdown entranced him even more, but it raised another question he wanted answered.
Why was she so resistant to accepting help?
“I know you don’t. But you didn’t answer my question.”
“What question was that?” She collected sheets and towels, then grabbed toiletries from one of the sample boxes and stuffed everything into a canvas laundry bag.
“When was the last time someone took care of you?”
“I’ve never needed it.”
“And you’re still not answering.” He blocked the exit, forcing her to stop. “I’m starting to wonder why.”
“Keep wondering.” She slipped past him and strode down the corridor to a service exit. “I need to get my overnight bag from my truck, then I’m going to bed.”
His palm itching with the need to spank her cute ass, he followed her. Whether she liked it or not, he wasn’t about to let her go outside without backup.
He caught up as she opened the door and wrapped his arm around her waist, then held up a hand to stall her protests. “I’ll walk you out.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“Sadie—”
“Daniel, I’m fine.” She wriggled free of his embrace and kept walking. “I can take care of myself.”
A horn blared as a black Corvette swerved through the parking lot, its headlights centered on Sadie. Without hesitation, he lunged and jerked her out of the way just before the car struck her. Hoping he hadn’t bruised her, he tightened his arms around her as the vehicle skidded sideways before coming to a stop.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She brushed his hands away and scowled as a woman climbed from the vehicle and stormed toward them. She might have been pretty, if not for the hateful twist of her lips as she glared at Sadie.
“What the fuck is this?” The woman thrust a piece of paper in Sadie’s face.
“Ah, Bethany,” Sadie murmured. “I see you found your eviction notice.”
“You can’t evict me. I’m your sister.”
Daniel wouldn’t have caught the family resemblance. Bethany shared Sadie’s coloring, but the similarities stopped there. Bethany was tall and thin enough to be gaunt and wore a red sequined party dress and heels. Her chestnut hair was swept into a complicated updo with curls framing her heavily made-up face.
“Your signature on the lease says I can evict you after ninety days of nonpayment. Considering it’s been almost five months, and you’ve ignored several notices already, I think I’ve been more than generous.”
“The fact that you made me sign that stupid lease tells me you’re still jealous of me.” Bethany sneered and crumpled the eviction notice into a ball before tossing it to the ground at Sadie’s feet.
“You can tell yourself whatever you want.” Shrugging, Sadie added, “It’s not our first rodeo where you owe me money. The lease just means I can send your account to collections this time.”
“It’s not like you’d actually do it. Mom and Dad would stop you.” Bethany tipped her nose into the air, obviously trying to intimidate Sadie. “It must kill you to know they love me more than they love you.”
Daniel didn’t miss the flicker of hurt in Sadie’s golden-brown eyes. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay silent. After promising Sadie he wouldn’t try to take her agency from her, he couldn’t interfere. Aside from that, she wasn’t a damsel in distress, and he doubted he’d appreciate him coming to her rescue.
“Yeah, it used to—when I was ten.” Sadie smiled faintly. “It must have killed you when I stopped caring after they wrote your name on my birthday cake and let you have my presents after yet another of your infantile little tantrums.”
For a split second, Bethany’s eyes hardened with anger, then she burst into tears. “Sadie, can’t you see I’m trying to help? Mom and Dad are going to be so mad at you. I’m just looking out for you.”
Bethany’s pathetic attempt at gaslighting gave him a pretty good idea why Sadie wouldn’t tell him when someone last took care of her. Worse, judging by the way Sadie sighed and rolled her eyes, it wasn’t the first time her sister pulled the stunt. Hell, her parents probably did it too.
Living in a war zone and making decisions that might cost men their lives wasn’t as hard as resisting his body’s demand to toss Sadie over his shoulder and get her away from the ugly situation.
“You’ve obviously mistaken me for one of your enablers.” Sadie’s eyes narrowed and she got in her sister’s face, then planted her hands on her hips. “First, I don’t give a shit if they’re angry. Second, the only person you care about helping is yourself. You have five days before I put your stuff on the curb and change the locks.”
“Mom and Dad won’t let you.”
“Honestly, it’s just adorable that you think I need their permission to get you out of my building.” Sadie’s pouty smile faded. “And I’m definitely not fucking with you. Count yourself lucky I haven’t called the sheriff yet.”
Bethany’s face twisted into an ugly snarl. “You stupid cunt!”
Daniel stilled at hearing the same slur that had been spray painted on his house, then caught Bethany’s wrist before her hand connected with Sadie’s face.
Nobody hit Sadie, and he didn’t give a fuck that it was her sister, or that he’d broken his promise.
“Bethany, you need to walk away now,” he murmured softly, stepping between them before releasing her wrist. “You’ve worn out your welcome.”
“Mmm.” As if seeing him for the first time, she looked him up and down, then dragged a long, red-painted fingernail down the center of his chest. “Who do we have here? Let’s ditch my loser of a sister and have some fun.”
Without bothering to hide his grimace of distaste, he stepped out of reach, taking Sadie with him. “I’m Sadie’s friend, and this conversation is over. Leave before the property owners call the cops.”
“I’m not going anywhere until Sadie stops this ridiculous eviction nonsense.”
“Honey…” He turned slightly to meet Sadie’s eyes and squeezed her hand gently. “File the eviction complaint and send her to collections. You don’t need to listen to her bullshit.”
“We’re sisters. I don’t owe her a dime. Sadie, if you don’t fix your problem, I’m telling Mom and Dad!”
Sadie cocked her head and was silent for several seconds while she gazed at him like she’d never seen him before. After shaking herself, she asked, “Where the hell did you even come from?”
Instead of replying to her odd question, he wrapped an arm around her waist and marched her to her truck. To his surprise, she didn’t protest, and the stiffness left her body when a stream of shouted epithets and a squeal of tires announced Bethany’s departure.
After getting her bag, she gave him a sheepish smile as she locked her truck. “Sorry about the drama.”
“I feel like we were in a live-action Reddit post.” He enfolded her in a giant hug and squeezed until she let out a breath and relaxed in his arms. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” She rested her forehead on his chest, letting him support her weight. “Am I the asshole for evicting my sister?”
“You aren’t the asshole. She is.” Keeping the thought to himself, he added her parents to the list.
“I’m really sorry she hit on you.”
“Ugh. I’m going to burn this shirt because she touched it.” He shuddered visibly, making her laugh. “I never want to hear you apologize for Bethany’s actions again, but you could make it up to me.”
“Oh?” She giggled and danced away but didn’t let go of his hand. “What can I do to make it all better?”
He tugged gently, pulling her close as her laughter faded. “Let me take care of you. Just for tonight, okay?”
With luck, she’d forgive his lie. He was done denying the urge to soothe all her hurts, and intended to make her crave his care for a lot more than one night.
“Daniel…” She hesitated, then lifted her chin. “I really appreciate you having my back with Bethany, but I don’t need anyone to take care of me.”
“I would never suggest you do.” He cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead. “But what if you want it?”
Sadie
Fucking Daniel.
He had the damned nerve to make her laugh about his reaction to Bethany’s disgusting proposition, then went even further when he didn’t make excuses to leave so he could chase after her sure-thing offer.
It had happened so often that Sadie stopped bringing dates to family gatherings a long time ago. Hell, she rarely showed up to begin with, and only for long enough to say hello to the extended family members she actually liked.
And he just had to play knight in shining armor to rescue her from Bethany’s slap and her crappy driving. Complaining about him stepping in, especially after he saved her from getting struck by a car, would have been asinine.
Her phone jangled with her mom’s ringtone, making her scowl as she pulled the device from her pocket and sent the call to voicemail.
“Who was that?” Daniel asked.
“My mother. She’s probably calling to guilt me into letting Bethany stay.” Knowing she’d have to listen to yet another lecture on why she should support her grown-ass sister, she stifled a heavy sigh. “Making Bethany sign a lease was smart, but I should have said no in the first place.”
“I’m getting the impression your parents don’t think contracts apply to Bethany.” To her surprise, he tugged the phone from her hand and turned it off before giving it back. Even more shockingly, she didn’t protest the autocratic gesture.
Fuck. If she wasn’t very careful, she’d let him make her soft.
“I mean, you’re not wrong.”
“Seriously, guilt is the last thing you should be feeling,” he muttered. “If I thought you wouldn’t bash me in the head with your sledgehammer, I’d order you to go no contact with her and your parents.”
Her laughter burst free, making her curse him again. How dare he say all the right things to make her want to give in? “You’re not the first to tell me that.”
“Why haven’t you?”
“I don’t know.” She contemplated the question and tried to sort her thoughts into order while they walked into the motel and made their way to the guest wing. “I guess I keep hoping they’ll change into reasonable humans, but I’m pretty sure that ship has long sailed.”
Daniel’s lips curved into an evil smile and his blue eyes glittered, making her hold back an involuntary shiver of trepidation mixed with lust. It was a Daddy Dom look of determination and control if she’d ever seen one, and she couldn’t help wondering what it would be like if she let herself be his babygirl.
“If you’re not ready to go no contact, delegate. Let Daddy Bear answer their calls.”
“Not sure that will work, but I appreciate the offer.”
“You doubt the all-powerful Daddy Bear?” He used a keycard to open the suite closest to the door leading to the pool and held it open for her before giving her the card.
Wondering what the hell was wrong with her, she laughed again and hated how it felt so good to know he was listening to everything she hadn’t told him. The Daddy Bear persona really did fit him.
He’d only gotten the one story about her tenth birthday party and still managed to piece together a picture of her life with a narcissist and the parents who enabled her.
Would it be so wrong to accept his offer? After a lifetime of wondering what it would be like to trust someone to care for her, she could let him show her. And so what if it didn’t last beyond one night? If she hated it, no harm, no foul, but she wouldn’t know for certain unless she tried.
After all, he’d already passed the not sleeping with Bethany test. Even better, she hadn’t warned him in advance, so his reaction was completely unprompted.
“I—”
“I have a question first.” Daniel put the towels in the bathroom, then unfolded sheets to make the bed. “Has your sister called you a c-word before tonight?”
She frowned at the non sequitur and helped him spread out the bottom sheet, duplicating his tight hospital corners. “I don’t think so, but I usually tune her out whenever she opens her mouth. Why do you ask?”
“Just curious.” He hesitated as he unfolded the top sheet. “When did you send that eviction notice?”
“I taped it to her door the day before yesterday. She has five more days before I file the complaint.” She stilled and blinked at him. “You don’t think she’s the one who vandalized your house, do you?”
“I don’t know.” He passed her a pillowcase. “With the way she keeps her nails, I could see her doing the spray paint, but I’m not seeing her bust down a brick retaining wall.”
And how had Bethany known where she was working in the first place? Her project schedule wasn’t exactly a state secret, but she didn’t share it with anyone who didn’t need to know.
When she didn’t immediately reply, he added, “She also knew about the eviction before the vandalism happened.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time she destroyed something I made.” She shoved a pillow into its case with more force than necessary. “Or just stole it.”
In fact, installing a lock on her bedroom door when she was twelve was the first construction-type project she’d ever done. Her parents pitched a fit, but it kept Bethany from ruining her stuff. She’d long suspected they only fussed because Bethany had a screaming meltdown when she couldn’t indulge in her favorite hobby.
Then again…
Frowning, she remembered the time Bethany lost her keys. Instead of asking the neighbors for the spare, she broke a sliding glass door with a rock. Maybe it wasn’t so difficult to imagine her taking down a retaining wall—especially when the mortar wasn’t completely cured.
“Bethany also tried to hit you with her car,” he reminded her. “She had to have seen you. We were under one of the floodlights.”
Christ. Why was she even still talking to those people?
She sighed and sat on the bed. Wishing his words didn’t ring with uncomfortable truths, she rested her elbows on her knees. “Maybe it wasn’t Jim, but he also called me a c-word.”
Or maybe she had two vandals. Bethany with the spray paint, and Jim with the retaining wall. Hiding a sigh, she wondered how many other people she’d pissed off recently.
“I’m not placing blame on either of them without evidence, but it caught my attention when she called you that.” Daniel sat next to her, and she didn’t fight when he pulled her into his lap for a cuddle that felt way too good. “I’ll do my best to abide by your wishes if you say no, but I need to keep you protected and safe. Will you let me?”
“Why do you want to?” She didn’t miss the caveat and had no doubt he’d step in to rescue her if he even suspected a threat, but she loved that he was willing to meet her halfway.
He smiled and traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “Because I like taking care of my babygirl—especially if she’s a strong badass like you. I want to see you melt under my touch and make you feel a hundred percent safe because you know I won’t let anything hurt you.”
Warmth blossomed in her chest, and she had to clear her throat before she could speak. “What makes you think I want to be your babygirl?”
“You’re blushing.” He held his gaze on her face and traced a gentle fingertip down her neck. “And your pulse just sped up. I think you like the idea more than you want to admit.”
Damn him again. It was like he had a direct line to her deepest, most private fantasies. “So, if I said yes, what would this relationship entail?”
“Lots of spankings to convince you to behave?” He chuckled when her lips parted with surprise. “If you like them, then it’s all the better. There is no one size fits all approach to power exchange relationships, so we need to communicate and experiment to see what works for us.”
“I…” Her pussy clenched and she bit back a needy whine. “Wow. Should I call you Daddy?”
His blue eyes darkened to indigo, and he leaned close to nip the tender skin under her ear as she felt a suspicious bulge grow against her hip. “Just thinking of you calling me Daddy makes my cock hard, Sadie, but I’m not going to force it if you’re not feeling it. All I want is your complete honesty. If you hate something, tell me.”
“You sound too good to be true,” she muttered.
“I’m not.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I just don’t like it when my partner isn’t on board with what we’re doing.”
“You won’t be my Daddy while I’m working. I won’t consent to anything that interferes in my business.”
“That’s a given, but if I see you in danger of being hurt, I won’t be able to stop myself from protecting you.” He smiled wryly and tapped her nose. “And don’t lie and tell me you haven’t done the same with your crew, Ms. Mama Bear.”
“Rude!”
“I watched you do it this morning, remember?” Laughing softly, he added, “And as a bonus, your crew will get a Mama Bear and a Daddy Bear looking after them.”
Yep. Daniel was too good to be true.
“Now you’re just fighting dirty.” She hesitated and swallowed hard, hoping things wouldn’t blow up in her face. “But I want to try.”
“There’s my very good girl.”
Her inner bad girl took over and she rubbed her hip against his thickening erection, making him hiss out a soft curse and set her on her feet.
“First, you’re going to get ready for bed.” He turned her to face the bathroom and swatted her butt, the sting sending dark pleasure into her core. “Then I’m going to tuck you in and stay with you until you fall asleep.”
“I have a better idea.” Facing him, she stepped into his arms. “Let’s mess up the bed we just made, Daddy.”