Page 67 of Tamed
A flush stole over her cheeks. “Is this yet another attempt to scare me?”
“No. I’m just telling you what to expect if you want more from me.”
She searched my face, as if what was written on it was in a language she didn’t understand. “You’re…. actually considering it?”
“This isn’t going to go away.” I lifted a hand and pushed one red curl behind her ear, letting my fingertips linger on her skin, letting her feel the crackle of our physical chemistry. “And I don’t want another scene like the one today in my office.”
She shivered at my touch. “I didn’t—”
“To be clear, I don’t blame you. It was my fault. I left you stewing all day and I shouldn’t have. Ten’s presence when you stormed into my office didn’t help either.” I forced myself to let my hand drop. “You weren’t expecting that, and it couldn’t have been easy to face him, not with me there, too. Not after what happened between us on Friday.”
Her mouth tightened. “No. It wasn’t.”
“No,” I agreed. “I don’t want you dodging your detail and fucking off God knows where either so if you think being with me will give you freedom, you’ll be mistaken.”
“If you think that’ll put me off, you’re wrong.”
“Really?” This time I took a step forward, closing what little distance remained between us and the sound of her sharp indrawn breath shouldn’t have given me so much satisfaction, but it did. “Because if you thought I was demanding on Friday night, that’s nothing to how demanding I’ll be once you’re mine.”
She swallowed, but didn’t back away, only staring at me as if all her Christmases had come at once, making it clear she hadn’t taken on board any of what I’d just told her. Because if she’dreallyunderstood, she’d be running past me and straight out the fucking door.
“I don’t care,” she said. “I’m already yours, I told you that.”
“You will care. When you realize that the cage I’ll put you in isn’t any kinder than your father’s, and that I won’t let you leave it.”
Her gaze wavered, as if some part of what I’d said had finally sunk in. Then it steadied, sparks of her stubborn, willful spirit flickering in her eyes. “We’ll see.” Her chin got that belligerent slant to it again. “One thing I know is that you sure do a hell of a lot of talking. Big scary Caleb telling me all about how bad he is and yet with no fucking action to back it up.” One red brow rose. “Or perhaps you’re stalling. Perhaps I’m the one who scares you.”
She’s not wrong.
But that thought didn’t making any sense, so I ignored it, smiling at her instead. “Keep telling yourself that.” I lifted my hands, pushing my fingers into the softness of hair and pulling her head back. “Last chance.”
She said nothing, green eyes full of fire.
So, I bent my head and took what was mine.
I devoured her, pushing my tongue deep into her sweet mouth, tasting her. Then I curled my fingers into fists, holding her hair in a punishing grip so she knew she was caught and that there was no getting away from me.
She went soft, melting against me like hot candle wax, and then she wriggled, trying to get closer, but I tightened my grip on her hair, tugging it hard in warning. She gasped and stopped moving.
“Keep still,” I growled against her lips. “You were a very bad girl today, Isabel, and that means you don’t get to have whatever you want. You also need to be taught a few lessons in thinking before you speak and how to manage that anger of yours.”
Her breath was coming fast and hard, her eyes dark with desire. “You said today was your fault, not mine.”
I twisted one of my hands, wrapping all those silky red curls around my wrist so her head was pulled back even further, making her gasp again. “I said it was partly mine. But you shouldn’t have said what you did to your father. You need to learn some respect, some control. You need to learn discipline.”
Her usual defiance glittered in her gaze. “I don’t believe I signed on for another dad, Caleb.”
I gave a soft laugh. “Bullshit. I think a daddy is exactly what you signed on for.”
Her eyes darkened even further, and her breath caught.
As I’d thought. She liked daddy kink but then that was no surprise. There’d been a reason she’d lit up like a fucking Christmas tree the moment I’d called myself daddy back in Arcadia. A reason she’d loved the spanking I’d given her and followed all my orders.
You’re really doing this too? You’re really fucking going there?
I wasn’t a good candidate for daddy kink. I was dominant in the bedroom and a few rules never went astray, but I wasn’t the nurturing, caregiving type, not for little girls wanting someone to take care of them.
But Isabel had always been different. Even as a kid she’d tapped into something protective in me. Something that made me feel as if I was capable of more than just violence and rage. It had never been sexual before — she’d been a kid after all — but it was definitely sexual now. And I couldn’t deny that I liked it.