Page 7 of Daddy's Treat
What is it about this girl that makes me want to claim her? To make her mine and only mine. I get violent thoughts even considering someone else touching her. She’s so sweet and innocent. Anyone can see that. She deserves better than what I can offer her. On paper, I’m the perfect boyfriend material, but in reality, I’m a demanding, kinky dominant. Penny screams vanilla, and I’m as far from that as they come.
When we pull up to the sorority house and there are people all over the yard, on the porch, and from what I can see, crowded in the house itself. The music is set to ear-bleed. Everyone has red cups in their hands, and from the looks of it, several of them are already drunk. Including several of my players.
It makes me angry knowing that they will likely be hungover when they come to practice in the morning, so they won’t be playing at their best. We only have one game left, and if we don’t win, we won’t make it to the championships this year. A dozen or so extra drills should be adequate punishment for risking another championship win.
The thought of leaving Penny at this place sets my blood to boiling. Walt has his face pressed to the window taking in the sights. A girl leans over the railing of the porch and vomits into the bushes. Walt makes a gagging noise, and looks at me horrified.
“This is what drunk and dumb looks like,” I tell him.
Walt nods, looking a little green around the gills. “Why would anyone purposefully do that to themselves?”
“Stupidity.” It’s a simple enough answer.
“Does Penny really live here?” he asks, looking at Penny like he’s trying to figure out how she fits into the scene he just witnessed.
“Apparently so…”
I’m half tempted to drive away and take her back to my place. But that would be wrong. She’s been through a lot tonight and deserves the comfort of her own bed, not some guy kidnapping her for the night. I reach over and rub her shoulder gently.
“Shortcake, you’re home.”
“Candy corn cupcakes…” she murmurs as she blinks up at me in confusion. “Oh! I must’ve fallen asleep.” She sits straight up like a shot. “I’m so sorry! I’m normally not so rude. That was really rude. It was just so warm, and tonight was stressful, and I don’t do stress well, or scared. Scared is bad. Obviously, I mean, you saw me in all my glory.”
She’s talking so fast I don’t think she’s taken a single breath. Walt leans up from the backseat and whispers, “You’re doing it again.”
“Oops.” Penny covers her mouth with her hand like she needs to physically force herself to stop. It’s adorable. Everything about her is adorable. Which could be a huge problem for my resolve not to take advantage of her innocence. “Sorry,” she mumbles through her hand.
I can’t help but smile at her. I haven’t smiled so much in… I don’t even remember how long. I’m not a total grump, but I definitely lean toward stoic indifference where everyone besides Walt and his mom, Louise, is concerned. Penny draws them out of me like it’s her job.
Gently grabbing her wrist, I pull her hand away from her mouth. “It’s okay, shortcake. You don’t have to apologize. It’s been an… eventful evening for you.”
She snorts at that. “Eventful is one way of putting almost being mutilated by a killer clown.”
“You do know that was just a guy in a costume, right?” Walt asks.
Penny turns to face him, and totally deadpan says, “How do you know? Did you see him take it off? Never, ever trust a clown. Deceitful little boogers.”
Walt looks at me with an ‘is she for real’ expression on his face that has me full-on laughing. I really, really like this girl.
“You’re kinda weird,” Walt says it with a smile, so I know he’s just teasing because he realizes that she’s teasing him.
“You havenoidea,” she answers.
Penny looks out her window and sees the party for the first time. Her shoulders slump, and her whole demeanor changes. She looks defeated, and I hate it. Before I know what I’m doing, my hand is resting on her shoulder, and I’m turning her to face me.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh, I’m fine, really. I just hate parties. Always so many drunk guys thinking it’d be funny to…” she looks back toward Walt, who has lost interest in the grown-ups and is back to being engrossed in his phone, “try and do the h-u-m-p-t-y-d-a-n-c-e with the v-i-r-g-i-n nerd girl.”
It takes me a second to figure out what she’s spelling out and when I do, I’m livid. I look back toward the house and imagine myself as her. Five-foot nothing surrounded by a bunch of drunken frat guys and football players that could easily overpower her with minimal effort.
She needs someone to protect her, to keep her safe.
I want to be that someone.
She’s too damn precious to be unprotected in this world. My resolve to stay away crumbles, and a new plan forms. But first I need to try to talk her into letting me take her to a friend’s house.
“If you don’t want to stay here, we can take you somewhere else. Maybe a friend’s house?” I sound way too hopeful. Maybe a little pushy. Oh well.