Page 39 of Daddy's Claim
“Really.” Eyebrows winging up in surprise, Cole turned his attention on me. “Going soft already, cousin?”
“No. Maybe. Fuck, I don’t know.”
“Hmmm.” Rising from his chair, Cole crossed to the bar and pulled another tumbler from the cabinet before returning to his desk and pouring us each a generous glass. “What happened?”
More to give myself a moment to gather my thoughts than anything, I took a deep sip, savoring the burn as the scotch slid smooth and easy down my throat. “I thought about it. She not only lied to me, she put herself in danger in the process. I would have been completely justified in paddling her ass into next week.”
“Agreed. So why didn’t you?”
“I don’t really know. Seeing her on the dance floor, she just looked so… happy. And I hate that she doesn’t have that here. I want her to be happy, Cole.” Saying the words out loud felt like a confession, a deep unburdening of my soul. “Maybe that does make me soft, but fuck. I don’t want a wife I have to keep locked up like some wild animal. I want her towantto stay.”
“Of course, you do. You’re a good man, Mikey.”
“I don’t feel like a good man.” Closing my eyes, I let my head fall back. “I feel like an asshole.”
“Which is why you didn’t punish her.”
A smile tugged at my lips as the memory of our time at the club played through my mind. “Not in the most technical sense. I do think I got through to her, though.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah.” I lifted my head so I could watch his expression. “After her not-punishment, she was so sweet and snuggly. More like how I was expecting her to be all along. For a while there, I figured I wasn’t spanking her hard enough or long enough orsomething, but after tonight I wonder if I just wasn’t taking the wrong approach all along.”
“Entirely possible.” Cole lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Every woman is different. Adele responds to strict rules and harsh punishments. And since she and Nora are about as different as night and day, it makes sense they would have different needs. The big question is, what are you going to do about it?”
“What I want to do is whisk her away somewhere for a few weeks, just the two of us. Give us some time to really connect, I guess.”
“Hmmm.” Raising his glass to his lips, Cole polished off what was left of his scotch. “Well, I can’t give you weeks. But I could give you a few days.”
“What? No, I’m not leaving you with all this bullshit happening at the docks.”
“Relax, cousin, nobody said you were going anywhere. I meant you could stay here. Hole up in your room for a couple of days, have your meals sent up. Make love to your beautiful wife until she can’t walk straight.”
God, I wanted nothing more than to take him up on his offer. “I can’t. Not right now.”
“You can, and you will. The security systems are back online, and Adele is perfectly capable of monitoring them for a couple of days. If anything happens, I know where to find you.”
“Look, Cole, I really appreciate the offer—”
He cut me off with a look that reminded me so much of his father it left me speechless. Raphael DeCosta had taught his son well in the little time they’d had together before he’d gone to prison, it seemed.
“I obviously haven’t made myself clear. That wasn’t an offer, Michael, it was an order. You are going to take a minimum of three days off to spend with your blushing bride, and if she isanything but absolutelyglowingby the end of it, you’ll have me to answer to. Am I understood?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
That made him laugh, despite the glare he sent my way. “You always were a brat. Go enjoy your time off.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m going.” I downed the rest of my scotch and rose to leave. “Thanks, Cole. I, ah, appreciate it.”
“Before you go, we need to discuss Cesare.” Cole’s expression was carefully blank, as though he didn’t want to influence my decision. “How do you want to handle what happened tonight?”
“It’s not his fault. If anything, it’s mine for falling for Nora’s tricks.”
“I was hoping you’d say that. I’ll let him know.” Now Cole smiled, baring his teeth slightly. “In the morning. Let him fret a bit, and maybe he won’t wait so long to check in on his charge next time. We may also need a backup plan when it comes to your Nora. Whether you got through to her or not, I doubt this will be the last time she attempts an escape for one reason or another.”
“Yeah, I had the same thought. I’ll call in a few favors and see what I can do. Night, boss. I’ll see you in a few days.”
“Enjoy yourself, cousin.”