Finding Teagan

by R J Gray

"That's not what I meant," Teagan said.

  "You are wondering if I am going to spank you, aren't you, darlin'? I should take you over my knee, bare your butt, and paddle that ass good for putting yourself in danger," Luca said.

  "You can't just spank me, Luca. I'm not your girlfriend, and I believe that in these types of situations, you have to get permission, right?" Her voice lifted in pitch with the last word.

  Luca was willing to bet that she was yanking on her hair but didn't want to take his eyes off the dark road to check. "No, darlin', I'm not going to spank you tonight." He pulled the car down his long driveway, clicked the garage door opener and entered. When Teagan went to open her car door, Luca leaned across her, putting his hand over hers. "I'll open it."

  "I'm quite capable of opening my own car door," she retorted.

  "I said, I'll open it." Luca internally celebrated the small win when Teagan fell back in her seat with a huff. He opened her door and helped her out.

  Luca walked her into his house. "You can sleep in one of my spare rooms tonight. I'll take you to get your car tomorrow."

  "Thank you, Luca! You have really saved me." Teagan smiled warmly at him. Luca growled deep in his throat, walking toward her. She backed up until she was flush against the wall. Leaning in, he put one hand on either side of her head, essentially locking her in.

  "You need me, Teagan. You proved that tonight. You need me to keep a close eye on that adorable behind of yours. But you are right, you aren't mine. Listen to me now, darlin'. I'm not going to spank you tonight because you haven't given me permission yet. But I'm done playing these games with you. I am giving you forty-eight hours to decide what you want. If you want me, I am all in. I've made it perfectly clear how much I want you. But if you can look me in the eyes when this week is up and tell me that you don't want to give us a try, I'll back down like a gentleman."

  "And if—" Teagan's whispered words sent hot air against his cheek.

  "And if you don't, I will take you in my arms, hold you tight, and spend the night kissing you deeply right before I spank the ever-loving sass right out of that behind."

  Luca watched her reaction carefully. He noticed the hitch in her breath, the hardening of her nipples under her shirt, and the telltale red blush crawling up her cheeks. He knew she wanted him sexually. That wasn't good enough for him; he wanted her to want all of him. He'd take what he could get for now.

  He brought his hand from next to her head to behind her neck and pulled her to him, kissing her firmly. As he pressed his lips tightly against hers, Luca probed at her closed lips with his tongue, happy when she opened to him. He increased the pressure, kissing her with every ounce of dominance he possessed. He breathed in her spicy-sweet smell, a light mixture of vanilla and cinnamon, fall scents. His heart beat faster and faster as the kiss deepened, and he knew he had found the one, his girl.

  He broke the kiss while he still had the self-discipline to do so. He wouldn't have sex with her tonight, not until she made her mind up. He wouldn't muddle the waters of her decision with their sexual attraction. He needed more than sex. He needed her heart, her soul and her submission. The sex would be there, and there was no doubt it would be amazing. Luca stepped back from Teagan and looked at her.

  Her eyes were clouded with arousal, her lips swollen from his kiss. She was trembling. He took her by the arm and pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her, surrounding her in his strength. She was the strongest woman he had ever met and yet she had a need to submit, to surrender, to let go of some of the weight she carried every day. He longed for the day when she would realize that and let him carry some of her burden. Once she stopped trembling, Luca pulled back and, taking her hand, guided her down the hallway to the room next to his. Opening the door, he motioned her through.

  "How many sick days do you have?"

  "What?" She seemed genuinely confused by his question.

  "It's probably going to take some time tomorrow to go get your car and wait for it to warm up after being in the freezing temperatures. If you have any extra days off, you might want to use them."

  "Oh, I have a lot of days off. I've only taken one sick day in four years."

  "Okay, so here is the plan, you are already in your pajamas. I'm going to tuck you into bed. In the morning, since you have your go bag, you can take a hot shower, and we will get the car situation taken care of."

  "You really don't have to tuck me in," Teagan started. Luca scowled at her.

  "I know I don't have to, darlin'. I want to, and you want me to, even if you don't want to admit it." Teagan's loud sigh was the only answer.

  "The bathroom is through there. Go brush your teeth and wash your face, then come back." Teagan's face spoke volumes about her internal conflict. She opened her mouth and closed it multiple times. She looked at him, then at the door, and then back at him.

  "Go on, darlin', I'm waiting. We are both exhausted." He took her arm gently and turned her toward the bathroom. Bringing his hand back, he gave her a motivational swat to get her moving.

  "You booped me again! I have to tell the girls," Teagan exclaimed before her giggles turned into all out laughter.

  "You can text your sisters and let them know that you were booped twice in one night tomorrow, once your phone is charged. It might be a third time if you don't get your cute fanny in the bathroom like I told you to do."

  "Okay, okay. I'm going." Her laughter trailed behind her. Luca walked around and set her bag on the floor next to the closet. He would normally open it and remove the clothes and hang them up, but he didn't want to invade her privacy without her permission to do so. The heavy quilt that his grandmother had made him covered the queen-sized bed. He pulled it back just as Teagan returned to the room.

  "All ready for bed-d-d-d," she stuttered. Daddy. She was about to call him Daddy. His heart swelled. Her eyes were wide, like a deer in headlights. The Freudian slip had shocked her. Ignoring it, although he badly wanted to address it, her comfort was more important.

  "In you go then, darlin'." He held the blanket up for her. Once in the bed, he tucked the blanket around her. "Warm enough?"

  "Yes," Teagan answered. "So warm, and these pillows are fantastic."

  "Good. If you need anything, my room is right next door. Sleep well. We have a lot to do in the morning." He leaned over and laid a soft, chaste kiss on her forehead before sneaking out of the room and turning off the light.

  Luca walked the five steps to his room, closed the door and headed into the bathroom. When he flipped the hot water on, steam started to fill the room. He stripped his shirt off and reached to unbuckle his belt. Turned on was an understatement; his erection poked and throbbed against the restraint of his underwear. Tonight, had not gone as planned. He had planned to come home and relax in front of the fireplace after a long day at work with a glass of whiskey. Rescuing his girl from a series of messes caused by nothing less than irresponsibility wasn't part of that plan.

  His girl.

  His.

  When did he start thinking of Teagan as his? Never in his life had Luca rushed into anything. He was the leader for a reason. Calm under pressure, plans for every situation that could arise, and a firm unwavering resolve was what he was known for. It made him a damn good dominant, too.

  Falling for a woman this fast was not within his character. He wondered if this was what his grandma had meant when she'd said 'when you find the right one, you will know.' He knew. Teagan was the right one. But, God did she drive him nuts. Pulling his pants and underwear down over his hips, he stepped out and into the water, thinking of the kiss against the wall.

  He closed his eyes and saw her before him, her hazel eyes frosted over with lust. He imagined what he would have done if they had already been together—removing her shirt and freeing her perfect, handful sized breasts, bending to nip at her nipples. Luca stroked his cock as the water coursed over his body and allowed himself to give in to the fantasy. He bent Teagan over the couch, pounding into her
from behind, her hot, welted ass brushing against the hair of his thighs.

  "When Daddy's girl is bad, she doesn't get to orgasm," he muttered out loud, increasing the speed of his hand until falling against the back wall of the shower, his orgasm bursting from the tip of his penis.

  Damn.

  Normally, after orgasming, there was a sense of satiation. He wasn't sated. Not one little bit. If anything, he was more frustrated. The real thing was on the other side of his bedroom wall, and he was jerking off in the shower. He wanted more than his hand and a fantasy. He wanted her.

  Chapter 7

  Sunlight streaming through the now opened curtains had Teagan waking with a start. Eyes closed against the offending light, she breathed in the smells of coffee and bacon. Bacon? She had programmed her coffeepot to go off the same time every day but did not have a self-frying bacon skillet. Now, that was a fantastic idea. "I should market that. I'd be rich."

  "Market what?" a deep voice said from the doorway, causing Teagan to shoot up and into a defense position. Luca. The events from the night before came back to her. Luca. Her car. Luca. Fuck. Luca.

  "Luca," she whispered in his general direction.

  "Yes, darlin', who were you expecting?" Taking a pull of his coffee, he smiled at her.

  "That smells so good."

  "I have a lot of it in the kitchen, along with bacon. Everyone loves bacon," he said confidently.

  "It sure smells good. What time is it?"

  "Just after eight. I came in a few minutes ago and opened your curtains."

  "Eight? That is nuts! I never sleep past six thirty, I didn't think I was capable—"

  "Why don't you call in to work and then come to the kitchen? You can shower after breakfast." He phrased it as a question, but Teagan got the notion that it was very much an order. Looking around for her phone, she remembered how it had died last night.

  "Looking for this?" Luca handed the phone to her.

  When she looked down at the screen, she saw a bunch of missed texts from her sisters, two missed calls from work and a fully charged battery.

  "Thanks."

  "See you in the kitchen in five." The call to work was quick. Teagan was reliable, so no one ever questioned her when she took a day off. Scanning the texts from her sisters, she bit back a chuckle.

  OMG! You spent the night at Luca's? We need all the deets. Now! Ro was the first text. She assumed Luca must have told Octavius.

  Immediately. Details. Let me live vicariously through you. How was the sex? Teagan rolled her eyes at Evie's addition to the conversation.

  First, you two are a bunch of Nosey Nellies. Second, there was no sex. Third, Luca is waiting for me. He made me breakfast. Dinner tonight, at my place. I'll order takeout and catch you up. She had no intention on actually catching her sisters up. She needed to talk to them about her plan to help Evie escape but couldn't text that.

  First, we are your identical triplets. We shared a womb. We have no secrets. Second, dinner sounds good, Ro responded.

  "Teagan, breakfast is ready," Luca called from the other room. She quickly stuffed her phone in her yoga pants pocket and scurried into the kitchen, briefly wondering at her compliance.

  "Wow!" Teagan exclaimed at the spread on the table. Bacon, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit and buttered toast were piled high onto two plates. Orange juice and mugs of coffee were at both seats.

  "Shall we?" Luca motioned her to one seat and pulled her chair out.

  "You know, I am quite capable of opening my own doors, pulling my own chairs out and the like."

  "As I told you last night, I am quite aware of how capable you are, Teagan. In fact, your boss was bragging on you last night at the event. I do it because I want to. I do it because Daddies take care of their little girls. It is one way that I do that."

  "Wait, you spoke to my boss about me?" Teagan had felt her cheeks heat with the mention of Daddies and sidestepped right over that topic.

  "Yes. Lieutenant Downy bragged on you for a few minutes last night."

  "You know, I'm not hungry after all. I think I will just go change my clothes and call an Uber; you've been enough help for one day. I hate to take up any more of your time." Her words were polite, but the tone held bite. Teagan pushed her chair back from the table and stood, intent to head into the bedroom and do just that.

  "Sit down." The order, it was nothing else, came firmly from the man across from her.

  "No." Teagan mustered up every bit of courage she had. Had she been looking at him, she might not have been so brave.

  "Teagan Anne, you will sit down right now and eat your breakfast. A breakfast that I got up early and went to the store in the freezing cold and came back and prepared for you. You are scared; I get that. But I'm not going to allow you to push me away and run off like you are used to doing. Sit. Now."

  "I'm not a dog." She raised her face to his and noticed the set of his jaw and the touching of his eyebrows.

  "Are you impolite? Rude?"

  "What? No! Of course, not!"

  "Then sit down and eat with me."

  When he softened his tone a bit, Teagan complied. "Fine. I will eat. Then I am calling for a ride and getting out of here."

  "Why?"

  "Why, what?"

  "Why are you suddenly in a hurry to leave?"

  "I have things to do, Luca."

  "Try again, Teagan Anne, and this time, don't lie to me."

  "I'm pissed at you. There. Are you happy?"

  "Happy that my beautiful girl is using ugly words again? No. But it's a start. Now, why are you angry with me?"

  "I'm not yours," Teagan said, swallowing several gulps of coffee, ignoring the burn as it travelled down her throat.

  "You will be."

  "God. You are so confident."

  "Only when I am certain about things. By the way, Teagan, I don't believe in spanking you for things you have done before we were together. I'm giving you notice, though. Anything you do after eight tomorrow night, unless you've given me a clear no, is punishable. Understand me?"

  "Don't count on it," Teagan snarled as she bit into her bacon, chewing quickly. She wanted breakfast over and to be away from Luca. She needed to think. The man was driving her insane. Her blood was boiling at his high handedness. She realized that most women would be thrilled to have a hot breakfast cooked for them, and that part was super sweet. She would have been honored if he hadn't overstepped.

  "I do count on it. Now, without throwing a tantrum or using bad language, please let me know what I did that made you so angry."

  She didn't know it was possible for her to get even more flustered than she already was. "I don't throw tantrums," she yelled.

  "Lower your voice."

  "Oh my God! You are insufferable."

  "No, darlin'. You aren't used to someone holding you accountable to the high standard that you and I both know you can obtain. Now. I will ask again. Why are you angry?"

  "I'm angry because you overstepped your bounds! How dare you talk to my boss about me! That makes me look so unprofessional! How am I supposed to look him in the eyes again? And you told my sisters that I spent the night here! That wasn't any of their business. You had no right! No right at all."

  "That will be the last time you tell me that I don't have a right to do something. When I am your Daddy, your well being becomes my biggest responsibility. There is nothing that won't be my business." Luca started to talk but was interrupted by Teagan's growl and half rise from her chair.

  "Teagan Anne, if you get out of the chair, mine or not, I am going to put you over my knee and spank that bottom until you can listen to what I am saying."

  "What?"

  "You heard me. Sit down." They stared each other down for a few seconds. When Luca went to stand, Teagan sat quickly. "Good choice. Now, you've lodged some unsubstantiated accusations my way, and you will find that once I answer them, had you not jumped to conclusions and used mature, respectful communication skills—something we will wor
k on together—that you don't have a case for your anger at all."

  "Now you are saying my feelings aren't valid. Really?"

  "Teagan. Hush for a second and listen. You rushed your feelings. If I had done what you are accusing, sure, you would be valid to be angry. How many times have you run into someone and started talking about mutual acquaintances or friends? Like, if I run into one of Oct's friends and I mention I work at S.E.A.L., they might say, 'my friend Octavius works there too; do you know him?' And then I reply, 'I do know Oct. He's a great guy.' That was how our conversation went. Oct said to Lieutenant Downy, 'one of my wife's sisters works in that department; do you know her?' Downy told us how wonderful you are. I never asked a single question."

  "You didn't?"

  "No. Neither did Oct. He mentioned that you are his sister-in-law, and Downy did the rest. Once we opened the conversation, he was more than willing to talk," Luca said.

  "You should be in a meeting with him. Sometimes, it's hard to get him to stop talking or get back onto topic," Teagan said, laughing uncomfortably.

  "I can see that. As for your sisters, I didn't tell them anything. Ro texted last night, worried about your safety. You were already asleep, and your phone was dead. I told her that you were safe and I was sure you would text her once your phone was charged. When I called Oct to let him know I wasn't coming to work, I told him I was taking you to your car after I fed you breakfast. He either assumed you slept here, or Ro did a Ro and jumped to conclusions and got it out of you by writing a statement and waiting to see how you reacted."

  "Oh."

  "If you were mine, we'd be having a nice long conversation right now with you over my knee. I would bare your butt and spank your behind a nice red color, while lecturing you on the importance of open communication. I would impress upon you that mature women don't jump to conclusions and accuse their Daddies of doing bad things. Instead, they respectfully ask them what happened and listen to their words. I don't understand why you want to automatically make me out to be a bad guy all the time. Now, darlin', is there anything you have to say for yourself?"