Protecting His Brat

by Sorcha Black

  “You should probably stop watching now,” I suggested, crossing my arms over my chest, but enjoying how shocked and enthralled she seemed.

  “Someone needs to tell him it’s never going to fit.”

  “He’ll make it fit.”

  She squirmed where she was sitting. The girl on the video gasped, and Aberdeen watched the dominant onscreen push his cock mercilessly into his submissive’s ass. I’d watched the video more than once when I’d been home last, but watching her watch it was far hotter. When the dominant slapped the sub’s face, Aberdeen blinked rapidly and held her own cheek.

  “Oh, Daddy, I don’t think she likes it.” She bit her lip. Her toes were curling and uncurling. “Is that what you’re going to do to me?”

  “We’ll see.”

  She tore her pretty gaze from the screen and met my eyes. “Does it always hurt?”

  “I’ve never had it done to me, so I couldn’t tell you for sure. Some people like it better than anything.”

  Her attention was back on the screen. “He must like hurting her. Look how big that thing is. It’s as big as yours, and he didn’t take his time.”

  My dick was already hard, just from watching her reactions.

  She watched in silence for a few minutes, pressing her thighs together and squirming subtly, probably thinking I couldn’t tell how aroused she was. Her nipples poked at the fabric of her T-shirt. Unable to resist, I slid my hand up her shirt and traced her nipple through her thin bra. She groaned and thrust her breast into my hand but kept watching the screen.

  “Look at her mouth—the way she’s grimacing,” she said, awed. “And her toes. It really hurts or her toes wouldn’t be all clenched like that.”

  “Do you like watching him hurt her?” I pulled my hand out of her shirt, even though she grumbled an objection.

  “I refuse to answer that on the grounds that I may incriminate myself.”

  “You can trust me with information, even if you can’t trust me to keep my hands to myself.”

  “If I didn’t trust you at least a little, would I have let you bring me to your sex lair?”

  “How is this a sex lair? There’s nothing even remotely kinky in this room other than us and a bag of kink equipment in the closet.”

  “It’s a sex lair because I’ve only been here for a little while, and you’ve already lured me into your bed.”

  “Lured you? You kicked off your shoes and hopped into my bed the first chance you got.”

  She shrugged and gestured at me. “Who wouldn’t?”

  My mouth twisted as I watched the dominant pound into the squealing girl, my dick hard and far too aware of the bundle of trouble in my bed. I picked her up, positioned her between my legs, and leaned her back against my chest. She snuggled in as though it was the most natural thing in the world, and I liked it far too much.

  “Is it my imagination or does she look a bit like me? She’s prettier, though.”

  It had taken her long enough to notice.

  The resemblance was what had drawn me to the video in the first place, but she didn’t compare to the real Aberdeen. Not to me, anyway.

  “Miss Kincaid,” I said, feigning shock. “Why would I be watching a video of someone punishing a girl who looked like you?”

  “Because you want me as much as I want you?” she asked, smirking.

  “You discovered my weaknesses and exploited them. I was helpless. You were relentless and very cruel.” I kissed the top of her head. “She’s nowhere near as pretty as you, by the way.”

  She squirmed against my hard-on, smiling her brattiest smile. The little minx was proud of herself, which was nice to see for once, even if it was at the expense of my self-respect. I never should have laid a hand on her, no matter how much she’d pushed me…but having had her once, I was hardly going to stop now. It was going to be shitty for both of us when this bond between us had to be severed.

  “Is this what you were thinking about when I made you come to the museum with me a couple of weeks ago? You were giving me a weird look.”

  “Well…”

  “Tell me.”

  “The museum, yes. The last time we went to the bookstore. Several times when we’ve been at Starbucks.”

  She looked up at me with startled eyes. “Really? What about when we do self-defense training in the mornings?”

  “Those classes have always been your very transparent excuse to get me sweaty and rub against me, brat.”

  Her gasp of feigned shock was adorable. “I would never!”

  “I had no idea you were going to be so much trouble the first day I met you.” I heaved a put-upon sigh. “All I do is knit and play with my stuffed animals, Mr. Köhler,” I said in a babyish tone that sounded nothing like her actual voice. “I’m completely harmless. I would never dream of rubbing up against you like a kitten in heat while you’re trying to do your job.”

  She swatted my chest indignantly and turned back to the screen, dismissing me but making sure to wiggle around to ‘get comfortable’ between my legs.

  “Do you want to watch a movie instead?” I asked, closing my eyes. I couldn’t seem to stop myself from mentally replacing the people in the scene with her and me as the visual kept going in my mind.

  “This is a movie. After this one, I want to see more. If you’re refusing to have sex with me while I’m here, I’ll get my education from porn like any other self-respecting person. I sort of missed that stage. I think it’s made me a bit weird in the bedroom department.”

  “You think you’re kinky because you’ve been repressed?”

  “Makes sense, right? If I’d been allowed to date in high school…”

  “What’s my excuse for being kinky then?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe you’re ancient and bored of missionary?”

  “I’m barely over thirty, you infant.”

  “Finally, you’re seeing my point. Ten years isn’t twenty.”

  “It might as well be.”

  “Only because you have the personality of a grumpy old man.”

  I set the laptop aside on the desk and turned her facedown over my thighs.

  “No, Daddy! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it,” she playfully objected, her body shaking with laughter. When I yanked down her leggings and gave her a few good swats, she squealed and kicked, but pouted at me when I pulled her pants up again.

  She pushed herself up, her curls soft around her face, and looked up at me with an adoration that was terrifying. I didn’t deserve puppy-dog eyes from her.

  She would tire of me soon enough.

  “I’ve always been into kink,” I told her as though there’d been no interruption to our conversation. “I used to tie the neighbor girls to trees when I was a kid. We said we were playing knights and princesses, but there were no knights. I was always the villain.”

  “And did they hate it?”

  “What do you think?” I asked, moving her onto my lap and cuddling her there. I hadn’t gotten the chance to do any aftercare with her, but she seemed to be coping okay. It was such a strange feeling knowing that I’d been her first. Hopefully it hadn’t been too terrible for her.

  She snuggled against me. “You probably made them kinky, you know. They probably make their husbands tie them to trees now.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe they remember me as some weird ugly kid they used to play weird ugly games with.”

  She slid her fingers under the edge of my T-shirt and touched my stomach again. The feel of her gentle fingers on my bare skin sent a buzz of awareness through me.

  “You’re gorgeous. And Daddy? My panties are all wet now,” she whispered.

  Ugh. Brat.

  “That little spanking scared you so much you peed yourself?” I asked, trying to defuse the tension that had crackled back to life between us just when I thought I’d gotten myself under control.

  She gave a shocked laugh then angled her head back and sat up straighter to kiss me. I moved my head away.

  �
�You always make my panties wet, but I think your special daddy juice is still leaking out of me.”

  “Special daddy juice? Seriously?”

  Her laugh got brattier. “What?”

  “You’re awful.”

  “I guess you didn’t cure my awfulness.”

  “I don’t think any amount of dicking down is going to fix your brattiness, little miss.”

  “I mean—you can’t know for sure after just one dose,” she pointed out. “Don’t give up yet. I believe in you.”

  The grin on my face was only encouraging her to keep it up, but I loved seeing her like this—silly, and free from her mother’s oppressive influence.

  No more sex, Blue. Don’t let her turn this into an excuse to have loud, kinky sex for the next few days.

  “Sex!” she demanded in a cute and petulant voice.

  “No. You’re sore. You need a shower, and then it’s time for a nap. Neither of us slept last night.”

  She pouted at me, but there was a speculative look in her eye. “Will you give me a bath, Daddy?”

  “I don’t even own bubble bath,” I replied halfheartedly. She hadn’t denied being sore and tired, and I felt like a monster for dragging her around instead of coddling her after last night. There hadn’t been a choice, but still.

  “I don’t need bubble bath. You could come and hang out.”

  “I guess I could.”

  “And wash my back?”

  I hesitated, sensing a trap. “Okay.”

  “And clean up the mess you made…down there.”

  I tsked. “I gave you a present, and you’re wasting it all.”

  “I can’t exactly keep it in!” she said, wrinkling her nose.

  “Clench harder.”

  “That’s not how this works!”

  “Mind over matter, Trouble. If you keep wasting it, I’ll have to punish you.”

  Her eyes widened with excitement. “Promise?”

  I sighed. “I’ll have to find punishments you don’t like.”

  “So hot.” She maneuvered herself around in my arms until she was self-consciously straddling my lap. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and she planted a shy kiss on my closed lips. “Do you promise to make me cry?” She wriggled, finding my hard cock with her pussy, the layers of cloth between us not shielding me from how hot she was. I grabbed her ass and rubbed her harder against my shaft then let her deepen the kiss with her inept, adorable enthusiasm.

  Okay, fine—some kissing, then a bath, then a nap. I was ashamed to be looking forward to all of it.

  I shouldn’t be encouraging her.

  * * *

  When I woke hours later, Aberdeen was curled into a little bundle of cute against my chest. I’d managed to mostly keep my hands to myself during the bathing process, even though she’d done everything in her considerable power to convince me I was off duty.

  I slid away from her toward the edge of the bed, and she followed me sleepily, voicing a mumbled complaint. It was hard to believe she wasn’t used to sharing a bed, considering all the cuddling she did, even in her sleep. How long had she been touch starved? Probably most of her life.

  Not wanting to wake her, I went to the bathroom in the hallway to take a piss. I was sore from some of the punches the intruders had landed, but it was hardly the worst damage I’d ever taken. The whole situation had felt odd. They hadn’t hidden their faces, and they hadn’t seemed that zealous about getting Aberdeen out of the house. Maybe they’d just been sent as a more serious scare tactic than a letter?

  As I made my way back to my bedroom, Ariel stepped out of his room and gave me a meaningful jerk of the head to indicate I should follow him into his room. I supposed he did deserve an explanation.

  “You’ve run away with your client?” he asked, looking at me as though I’d lost my mind. “Please tell me I’m wrong because I’m expecting the cops to show up here looking for her any minute.”

  I should have known none of this would fool him. It had been a stupid, transparent ruse, at best.

  “Someone was trying to kidnap her last night. I’m keeping her safe. The police and her mother know she’s with me.”

  “But not where.”

  “No, not where.”

  “And I presume the mother has no idea her sweet little daughter calls you daddy?”

  “She’s almost twenty-two.”

  “She’s your client.”

  Part of me agreed with him, but I also wanted to defend myself. I had tried not to let this happen, but it was almost like there’d been no avoiding it. The attraction between us had been impossible to ignore…or was I making excuses for my bad behavior?

  I didn’t say anything. I’d let myself be seduced as though I wasn’t a grown man with my own mind.

  “We don’t get to let our feelings run away with us.”

  “It’s fine when it’s you hooking up with my girlfriend, but I’m supposed to be taking the moral high ground when it comes to not getting involved with a single woman?” I asked casually.

  He snorted. “If you had made an effort to call Zoe once in a while when you were working, she never would have strayed with me. Besides, that situation has nothing to do with this one. This girl is your client—hell, she’s not even your client. She is the person your client is paying you to protect. You should have protected her from you.”

  Yeah, I was well aware.

  “I can keep her safe and let her get me out of her system at the same time. The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.”

  “It’s damned unprofessional. From what I couldn’t help but overhear, this isn’t a casual thing for her. You need to end things before she falls any deeper in love with you or there’s going to be a shitstorm of trouble at the end of this.”

  “I’m aware our relationship will have to be temporary, but I can’t end things with her now, and I won’t. I’m not going to abandon her. Nobody gives a shit about her except me and a few other staff members in that house. She deserves to have control over a situation for once in her fucking life.”

  Ariel ran a hand through his artfully mussed blond hair, his mouth twisted in a helpless grimace. “If you want to act like an unprofessional asshole, I guess that’s none of my business.”

  “You’re damn right, it’s none of your business.”

  “God forbid I care what happens to you.”

  “You know, Ariel—maybe it would be easier to believe that was your motive if you hadn’t nailed Zoe.”

  “Oh please, Mr. High and Mighty, you did the same to me. You really want to lie and tell me you were in love with Zoe? You barely knew her.”

  “Yeah, I did the same thing to you, but we were seventeen then. It’s a bit different when you’re thirty.” The fact that Zoe and I hadn’t even slept together in a year because I didn’t fucking trust her wasn’t the point. It was the principle of the thing.

  “You may think so, but I was in love with Charlotte. We were engaged.”

  Oh, for fuck’s sake. This again?

  “It’s been almost fourteen years,” I said. This wasn’t the time to rehash old bullshit. I was still spinning from last night’s attack, and all I could think about was Aberdeen and keeping her safe, and how I couldn’t fail her like I had Violet. “If you don’t want to get past it, and I can’t trust you, then maybe it’s better if I don’t live here anymore.” I threw the statement out like I had a dozen times before.

  Ariel picked up the bottle of beer that was on his dresser and took a swig of it. “Maybe you’re right.”

  What the hell?

  It was like a slap. Where was this coming from? We had talked about the Charlotte situation on and off for years, but then the whole subject had died. I’d thought things were settled, but apparently he’d never forgiven me for it and didn’t plan to.

  “I’ve told you before…I’m sorry I did that to you—sorry I let a girl come between us because of fucking beer and stupid hormones.”

  “Oh, you’re not going to blame he
r this time?”

  “I shouldn’t have slept with her either way.”

  “So, you’re still saying she’s the one who initiated?”

  God, he’d put her up on such a pedestal. Why was he still clinging to me being the instigator? As irritated as I was about him fucking Zoe, I knew damned well he never would have gone out of his way to seduce her. Why was it so hard for him to give me the same benefit of the doubt?

  I shook my head at him. “I love you, man, but I’m going to go. I’ll come back for my shit when I find a new place.”

  As I stalked from the room, I forced myself not to look back at him. It was like cutting out my own fucking heart. Ellis would find me when he got back to town, but there was no knowing if I’d ever hear from Ariel again. He was a stubborn son of a bitch.

  When I got back to my room, Aberdeen was sitting up in bed, looking small and confused.

  “Are we leaving?” she asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “He doesn’t like me being here?”

  I sighed. “It’s complicated, but it’s not about you, little girl. Not really. We have some shitty history.”

  “You slept with his girlfriend.”

  “Yeah, and he slept with mine. I was seventeen when I did it to him, though.”

  She struggled out of bed as though my sheets were determined to trap her there on my behalf.

  It was hard to ignore the fact that she was naked, especially when she made a point of stretching and showing herself off. She did the same before every ballet workout, but it was even more interesting to watch without a petal pink leotard to impede my view.

  She padded over and arched against me, wrapping her arms around my neck. She put her head against my chest and I melted. I cradled her there, so fragile in my arms, and exhaled some of the tension that was still singing through me.

  “I would never do that to you.”

  “Thank you, brat.”

  “I’m sorry you and Ariel are fighting. It sort of is my fault.”

  “It was a long time coming, apparently, and absolutely not your fault. You can hardly be blamed when the original offense happened when you were…” I did the mental calculation.