Page 14 of Daddy's Reckoning

“What are you doing here?” I kept my voice hard, and tried to convey an annoyance I wasn’t feeling.

As usual, nothing fazed Theo. His confidence was one of the things I loved about him. “Can I come in?” he asked, mirroring my stance, setting his feet wide apart.

“You never answered my question.” I was ready for a battle. Not because I wanted to fight him, but because I was already fighting to keep my walls up.

“Why do you think I’m here, little girl? Did you really think I was going to let a failing grade in biochem go by without notice?”

“I thought you’d text me my punishment,” I countered.

“Can’t really send a spanking through the phone lines, and as hard as I tried, I really couldn’t think of anything else appropriate. Especially since you’re on break now.”

Don’t let him in. Don’t let him in. Don’t let him in.

My body betrayed my brain as I slowly dropped my defensive stance and pushed open the screen door, stepping aside so he could enter.

He immediately invaded my space, making me feel like I couldn’t breathe as he leaned over to press a soft kiss against my cheek.

“I’ve missed you,” he said when he finally pulled away. “You look well.”

I held my breath as his gaze raked over my body. Once again, I prayed that the slight changes to my form weren’t yet noticeable. Instead of thinking about whether or not he would notice the soft pooch of my stomach or my chest size, I focused my attention on him.

He looked as delicious as always, and the stern glare he was sending in my direction sent a jolt of arousal to my pussy.

I shouldn’t have let him in. I couldn’t let him spank me. And yet, I wanted him to. I craved it. I needed it. And I knew his assessment of the situation was correct. There really wasn’t a better way to handle such an egregious offense.

I waited for him to say something else, but his gaze swept over the table and my abandoned breakfast.

“Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt your meal?”

“Well, it is my first day of actually being able to sleep in,” I deadpanned.

He had the good sense to offer up a chagrined smile. “Well, by all means, don’t let me keep you.” He pulled out my already pulled-out chair, then when I was seated, scooted it up to the table.

I felt like a jerk eating in front of him, but I was starving. “I made a whole frittata. There’s more in the kitchen if you want to grab a plate.”

He eyeballed it, gave a jerky nod, and disappeared into the kitchen, coming out with a plate and a tall glass of ice water. Every inch of my skin tingled as Theo sat down beside me.

It was all I could do to eat in silence next to him, my thoughts racing, ever aware of the baby inside me. The one he didn’t want.

Maybe I could change his mind…

I silenced the ridiculous notion the second it invaded my head, knowing very well that Theo was not a man who went around second-guessing his decisions.

I choked on a bite of the eggy concoction when he set down his fork, placed his hand on my bare thigh, and leaned in close to whisper. “How have you been feeling? Is there anything I can do? Anything you need, anything at all, all you have to do is ask.”

“I’m…uh… I’m fine, Theo. Really.” I took a deep breath and held it before exhaling. “Thank you for caring.”

He grabbed my hand and I swore my skin tingled from the electricity that jolted between us. I licked my lips for a moment before catching myself and jerking my hand back.

“I care about you, Erin. A lot.” Theo forged forward, not letting the lack of contact bother him. “I really wanted to be there for you through that. I wish you would have let me. You didn’t have to go through that on your own. It couldn’t have been easy.”

“It was fine,” I hissed. My body went cold as the lie left my lips. If I had actually done what he thought I’d done, I certainly would not have been fine, and would have needed his support.

This went beyond just hiding a pregnancy, I realized. I also had to pretend I’d had an abortion. I shouldn’t have let him in.

Forcing a smile when he looked at me quizzically before dropping the subject, I turned my attention back to my food, forcing it down as I was no longer hungry. Theo resumed eating, too, and we finished our breakfast in a tension-filled silence.

When we were done, Theo stood and took our dishes to the kitchen. Not knowing what else to do, I followed him and stood behind him. When he closed the dishwasher, and turned, I crossed my arms again.