32. Don’t Dull Your Shine
“Hey, sunshine.”
Mila quickly put her iPad face down, her pretty blue eyes shooting to me as her cheeks grew pink.
Her embarrassment wasn’t from a dirty book—though she and Juliet went through those like lovesick Marco went through tissues.
Marco.
Cole.
Hell, Freddy, too.
Mila’s reaction was from the secret she had.
Or thought she had since the tracking software Cole had installed meant I could see everything she did on the iPad.
Including her interior design research.
In the two weeks since her mother’s death, Mila’s casual searches had grown into looking for courses to take. It was like she could finally allow herself to make plans without the fear of Veronica fucking shit up. So long as she left time for me, she could take any classes she wanted. I’d foot the bill so she could get a degree in pig Latin if it made her happy.
Not letting on that I knew what she was up to since I was waiting for her to tell me herself, I jerked my chin toward the door. “We’re going for a drive.”
She was up before I finished my sentence. “Should I get changed?”
I never had to worry I came on too strong for Mila. I didn’t try to hold back or give her time. I let her see exactly who I was.
And she loved it. Thrived on it. The more obsessive I was, the brighter she shined.
My nickname for her started off tongue-in-cheek at her distrust. But every day, it grew more fitting.
I scanned my giant hoodie that engulfed her. “You got something on under that?” When she lifted it, I saw she wore the tiniest shorts known to man. “Go get Daddy’s blue rope.”
But again, she was moving before I even finished the order.
When she returned and handed it to me, I ordered, “Tops off.”
She lifted the sweatshirt to reveal there was no plural because she didn’t wear a shirt or bra. My dick jerked, knowing her bare tits had been rubbing against my hoodie.
Folding the rope so it was doubled up, I wrapped it around her, positioning it above and below those perfect little tits. Her nipples pebbled, and I wanted to pull them into my mouth. But if I did that, we wouldn’t be going anywhere.
As I ran the rope up the center of her chest and over her shoulders—creating a harness that framed each tit—I was having trouble remembering why that would be a bad thing.
“Ready?” she prompted when I just stared at my work.
I grabbed her wrist and pressed her palm to my hard-on. “Oh, I’m fucking ready.”
With a soft, airy laugh, she grudgingly stepped away and pulled the top back on. “Where are we going?”
“Work errand to check out a property for Maximo.”
Sure enough, the fact I didn’t want to be away from her for that short trip made her smile up at me.
Or at least that was what I thought it was. Until she fluttered her lashes and asked, “Can we get a drink with the good ice for the ride?”
Since there wasn’t a lot I wouldn’t give her, I nodded.
And her smile grew.
After we were on the road—and she had her drink with the good ice—she asked, “Why is Maximo interested in other properties when his new build is nowhere close to being done?”
“It’s not that kind of property.”
“What is it?”
Since I’d stopped holding back, I told her the truth. “Maximo owns a variety of buildings. Some are used for underground boxing matches.”
“Juliet told me details about the fight last week.” She shuddered. “No, thank you.”
If the regular boxing match had scared Mila, the lawless kind held at the warehouses would terrify her. And since I’d rather cut off my left nut than upset her, those nights would be the times I happily left her while I worked.
Well, happily until I had come home to find her sleeping on the couch with our show auto-playing on the TV and an empty container of ice cream she’d eaten as her dinner on the table in front of her.
“And a couple of the buildings,” I continued, “are for when someone crosses him.”
“Got it. Say no more.” She might’ve been accepting of it, but that didn’t mean she wanted the specifics.
Which was fine by me since I didn’t want those images in her head.
Mia took a sip of her drink before fidgeting with the straw. “So, uh, I’ve been thinking about something.”
“Yeah?”
“After the whole AI-picture thing, I’ve been looking more into interior design. I think I’d like to take an intro course.”
“Go for it.”
“It’s online, too, so I can do it from wherever we are that day.”
We.
Christ, she kills me.
“Go for it,” I repeated.
“I just have a lot of ideas for functional designs, but if the time isn’t right?—”
“Camila.”
“Yes, Daddy?” she forced out even though I knew she wanted to keep justifying the decision until she eventually talked herself out of it.
“Sign up. You’ve got my credit card.”
Not that you ever use it.
She opened her mouth, and I shot her a warning look.
She closed it without promising me she’d pay me back. Though I knew she wanted to do that, too.
For the rest of the drive, she excitedly shared her plans. She let me in.
Fucking finally.
Pulling next to the only other car in the lot, I parked in front of a building in the middle of nowhere. We climbed out, and Mila scanned the area. “This isn’t what I was expecting.”
Just wait.
We headed inside where the selling real estate agent was already waiting. He introduced himself, looking curiously between Mila and me. He must’ve decided that a sale was a sale because he kept his thoughts to himself. “Due to the nature of this property, the seller insists I’m here for every showing. Will your agent also be joining us?”
“No.”
He waited for me to elaborate, and when I didn’t, he moved on. “I will hang back while you look around. I’m here if you have any questions.”
I put a hand to Mila’s back and steered her through a set of heavy doors that’d been propped open.
She leaned closer to whisper, “Nature of this property?”
I didn’t answer.
I didn’t need to.
The first room made it clear.
“Oh my God,” she hissed, turning her wild eyes from the room to me. “Is this…? Is it…?”
“A brothel?” I filled in. “Yes.”
Each of the four rooms at the front had a different theme and supplies left behind that I didn’t get close to, much less touch.
“Why even look at this place?” she asked. Her gaze shot back to me. “Maximo doesn’t run or uh…”
“Dabble in the oldest profession in the world? No.” The side of my mouth curved up as I gestured to the side. “There are hoses and a drainage system in every room.”
Mila turned a little green.
We moved to the back half of the building that was one massive space.
She pointed at the wooden trim that lined the painted concrete walls to make it look like a regular bedroom. “That would have to be removed throughout. Otherwise, it’ll absorb liquids.”
“So what did you folks say you’d be doing with the space?” the real estate agent suddenly asked as he crept behind us. Since I hadn’t heard his approach, he’d had to work to keep quiet in the echoing hall.
Should be careful. A nose can easily get broken if you shove it where it doesn’t belong.
Very easily.
I opened my mouth to feed him the same bullshit I always used about resort storage since the drop of Maximo’s name made people see dollar signs.
But Mila cut in like she was trying to cover for me. “I restore rugs.”
“You do what?” he asked.
“Have you not seen the videos online?” She played up the bubbly personality and giggled at him. “You’re in for a treat. They’re so satisfying. Better than the pimple-popping videos even.”
It worked like a motherfucking charm, and she had the nosy bastard eating out of her hand. “What all goes into it?”
I hope she can still bullshit now that she’s out of practice.
She could and did so flawlessly. “The hardest part is finding a worthwhile discarded rug. Most end up being cheap ones not worth the cost in soap. Garage sales are good, but estate sales can be goldmines. Once I have something, I work my magic to clean it. It can take a handful of rounds with my big industrial shampooer and squeegee to even see the pattern.” She pushed her lip out in the most fuckable pout I’d ever seen. “Our neighbor has started complaining about the noise and the smell, though.”
“That won’t be a worry here. There’s no one else around.” He scanned the room. “Privacy was obviously important to the seller.” At Mila’s random outburst of laughter, he didn’t look confused. He looked enamored by her.
I didn’t blame him.
Even if it made me want to test the hose system using his blood.
I must not have been hiding it well—mostly since I wasn’t trying—because he did a double take at my expression.
“I’ll leave you to finish looking around.” Without another word, he hauled ass down the hall—his echo sounding loud and clear that time.
I wrapped my arm around Mila’s chest from behind to feel the ropes under her clothes. “What was so funny?”
“If my story was true,” she whispered, “this place would’ve gone from polishing wood to cleaning carpets.”
I blinked down at the woman who wouldn’t even tell me she was hungry before.
Yet there we stood.
In a damn brothel while she made a dirty joke.
I threw my head back to laugh before pressing my still smiling mouth to her head. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
“Yes. Daily. But I love hearing it.”
For the first time in a while, I held back. If I said what I wanted, I would have to push Maximo to buy the place. Or I’d have to do it myself. Then I would end up fighting a hard-on at the memory every time I was there torturing some poor bastard.
The spirits of the dicks of yesteryear would be proud.
She was close.
But so was I, so I needed her to get there faster.
With Mila on her knees in front of me, I gripped the rope that was still bound around her and pulled harder. She let out a hiss as it tightened around her tits. I used it to rock her back and forth, my eyes glued at where I filled her from behind.
Every view I had of Mila was a view of heaven—my own personal one. But I couldn’t deny that watching my dick sink into her was one of my favorites. That, and her smile. And when she laughed. And when she shot me a shy look that was just for me. And…
Like I said, every view of Mila.
The more I stared, the more my control slipped, but she wasn’t there yet. She needed a push.
I gave it to her, saying what I’d held in earlier at the property showing.
“We’re getting married.”
Her body went tight.
Her pussy went tighter.
Another thread on my control snapped.
She tried to stop, but I didn’t let her. I curved my body over hers and put one hand to the mattress for leverage. My other snaked around her to grab the column of rope between her tits.
“Figure out what kind of wedding you want,” I told her. “Don’t care if it’s a massive party or we elope at a drive-thru chapel. Only requirement I have is that it happens this month.”
“It’s too fast.”
“Got it.” I tugged the rope to cut her leeway so she couldn’t move as I slid out slowly before gently easing in. Tormenting us both.
“No,” she cried, giving a frantic hip wiggle that nearly sent me over the edge. “That wasn’t too fast. The wedding. The wedding is too fast.”
“You got something specific in mind, I’ll make it happen. Not giving you more than a month, though,” I said firmly.
She inhaled, but it cut off when I surged forward. “It’s too soon for us to get married. We’ve only been together for like five minutes.”
I used my hold on the rope between her tits to move her on me harder.
To make her fuck herself with me as I met her thrust for thrust.
“Already know I’m going to marry you, Camila.” I clenched my jaw, grasping at every ounce of willpower I had. “And I already told you, there’s no going back. So what’s the point of waiting other than wasting time?” Pressure built. “Want you to have my last name.”
I slammed in hard enough to take her knees out from under her, but with my hold, she stayed where I put her.
Where I wanted her.
With me.
Always.
Biting her shoulder right near the rope, I lowered my voice to a rough whisper. “Then everyone will know you belong to me. That I’m your Daddy.”
Her head dropped as she exploded around me.
Thank.
Fuck.
Her tight pussy milked my cock for every drop of cum and greedily pulsed around me for more.
I’d give it to her.
For the rest of our lives.
When my brain had some blood back in it, I released the rope and gave her my weight until she was flat on her stomach. I kept my cock buried deep and reached into the bedside table to get what I’d stashed there. What I’d fully expected her to find long before then.
Pulling the ring out, I tossed the little box over my shoulder before sliding it onto her finger.
“When did you buy this?” she whispered.
I told her the truth. “Three days after you gave me you. I’d have bought it the very next day, but we spent that weekend together.” At the sight of my ring on her finger, my dick twitched. I nipped her shoulder again before brushing my lips over the spot. “You got one month, and then we’re getting married.”
“You’re supposed to ask me,” Mila choked out through her tears. I didn’t have to see the smile to know they were happy ones.
“No.”
“Fine. I accept anyway.”
I wrapped her silky hair around my hand and tilted her head back so I could kiss her. “You didn’t have a choice, sunshine.”