Page 8 of Daddy's Claim

“But I don’t like other people driving my car.”

“Princess, I have a feeling you’re going to have to get used to a lot of things you don’t like. Please get in the car.”

“Or what? You’ll spank me, again?”

“If that’s the only way I can convince you to do as you’re told, yes.”

So this was what I had to look forward to as the newest member of the DeCosta family? A life of being ordered around and beaten if I refused to obey?

It was too much. The tears I’d been unsuccessfully fighting since my father’s announcement came on again with a vengeance, bursting out of me on a loud, hitching sob.

“Shit.” The panic in Michael’s voice would have been hilarious if my entire world hadn’t just crumbled beneath my feet.

Picking me up, he gently placed me in the SUV and climbed in after me. When the door closed behind us, he plucked me up off the bench seat and cradled me in his arms. Unlike after my spanking, I was too exhausted to fight his embrace, and I simply dropped my head to his shoulder as I wept.

“I’m sorry.”

The apology shocked me into silence, drying my tears almost instantly. “W-what?”

“I’m an ass.” His lips twisted in a wry smile. “I’m not usually this much of an ass, though. Guess I’m used to people falling in line, but that’s no way to treat a wife. So, I’m sorry for being an ass.”

Lifting my head from his shoulder, I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you sorry for spanking me?”

“Not in the least. You deserved every swat, and probably more. And I won’t hesitate to do it again if I think you need it.”

“I hate this,” I admitted quietly, dropping my head back down to his shoulder and closing my eyes, as though that single act could block out the waves of misery washing over me.

“Yeah. I know.”

Somehow, the simple acknowledgement of my feelings soothed some of the ache in my chest, and I let myself draw on the comfort he offered. Just until the rest of his family joined us, I told myself.

It wasn’t as long as I would have liked before the door to the SUV opened, and Adele climbed in, twisting around in her seat to study us. She gave Michael a disbelieving look. “Tell me youare not falling for these… oh, what is the word. Alligator tears. I did not take you for such an easy mark, Mikey.”

Before Michael could respond, Cole took his seat beside his wife, hiked her skirt up to expose the creamy flesh of her thighs, and gave each leg a crisp, loud swat.

“That was unbelievably rude, Adele,” he lectured over his wife’s indignant squeals. “Apologize.”

“Apologies,” Adele muttered before turning to face the front of the vehicle. From my vantage point, I could see the red coloring Adele’s face.

At least I wasn’t the only one being humiliated today. The knowledge gave me a grim kind of satisfaction.

Cole turned, an apologetic smile fixed in place. “I apologize for my wife’s behavior. She and I will be having a much longer discussion when we get home about how to welcome new members into this family.”

“Cole! Shutup.”

The air in the car seemed to freeze around us as Cole’s attention shifted to the woman beside him. “Excuse me, little girl? Did you just tell me to shut up?”

How Adele didn’t simply break at the implied threat in his voice, I couldn’t fathom. Hell, it wasn’t even aimed at me and I was tempted to beg him for forgiveness.

Adele, however, simply crossed her arms and turned her head to stare out the window.

The rest of the ride was made in stony, uncomfortable silence. But when we pulled through the gates of the DeCosta estate, I couldn’t quite contain my gasp of excitement.

“Oh, Cole, your house is stunning!” Papa had been here plenty of times, but it was my first time seeing it in person. It was even more sprawling than the house I’d grown up in, which was saying something.

“It’s your house now, too, Nora. I actually just convinced Mikey to move in with us for a few weeks to work on beefing up our security,” he explained when I turned to stare at him. “I think you’ll be much more comfortable here than Mikey’s cramped apartment. Though we may have to consider building some additional housing on the estate if we’re going to keep adding to the household.” The last was said with an affectionate chuckle that clearly implied he would be perfectly happy keeping his family close by.

It hadn’t even crossed my mind that we would be sharing a house with anyone, never mind a whole other couple and who knew how much staff. But when the house was the size of a small castle, it was probably easy to stay out from under each other.