“Baby, you’re shaking. It was the wrong thing to do?”
She reached for the piece of ear and held it to her nose, rubbing it back and forth. “No, Kent, it’s perfect. You are perfect.” She sniffled, rubbing away her tears. “I just can’t believe how perfect for me you are.”
He kissed her softly. “Only as perfect as you are for me, sweet girl.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Abby sat in the fort she’d built with Charlie and Ellie. Charlie and Clint had a huge dining table and it had taken four blankets to cover it, as well as a lot of cushions. They’d snuck in some bags of sweets and chocolate and were gorging themselves. She had Boss Hog and her Bun-bun ear. Charlie had her favorite toy, Inky. Ellie had her teddy.
“Oh man, we’re almost out of the snacks. Dare you to sneak into the kitchen and get some chips,” Charlie said to her.
“Oh no, Clint nearly caught me last time,” she replied. “Your turn. It’s your house. He’s your daddy.”
“And he’s standing just a few feet away from you,” Clint said dryly, making all three girls cry out in surprise.
He pulled up the edge of a blanket and sunlight shone through. Clint sighed. “Just how much junk have the three of you had? Christ, Bear is gonna kill me.”
It still amazed Abby how at ease Charlie and Ellie were with their Little sides, but they both told her that it had taken a while and they weren’t always comfortable around other people. But then Clint wasn’t just another person.
“It’s a mess in here,” he grumbled.
“Daddy is a grumbly bear today,” Charlie told them in a not-so-quiet whisper, making Abby and Ellie laugh.
It was hard to believe she’d only been here a month. She now couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, as though this was the place she was meant to be. With people who accepted her for who she was. Little and sub. She’d put her house up for sale. There was no point in keeping it and surprisingly she wasn’t as sad as she thought she would be to say goodbye to it.
Kent had left three days ago for a business trip. She hated not having him around. The only saving grace was that he’d arranged for her to come stay with Clint and Charlie.
For years, she’d lived alone and it seemed she now couldn’t even do three nights without Kent. She’d felt slightly silly having to come stay with Clint and Charlie, but they’d totally opened their house to her. Charlie had kept her occupied with games and movies and baking while Clint made sure she went to bed on time and didn’t get too sad.
Kent was due back in the morning, though and she couldn’t wait to see him. She’d just enrolled in an online course in creative writing which started in a few weeks. Kent still didn’t want her leaving Sanctuary without someone with her. They hadn’t heard a thing from Bartolli or her brother, but he wasn’t letting down his guard.
She heard some deep voices coming from the down the hall. Her heart raced. She knew that voice. She stood without thinking and banged her head on the table.
“Owie! Ouch, owie!”
“Oh, Abby, are you okay?” Ellie asked. “Do you want me to kiss it better?”
Tears flooded her eyes and her head throbbed. Partially from the pain, but mostly because she wanted to rush to see if that really was Kent.
“I’m okay, thanks.” She crawled out from under the table just as he entered the dining room. Happiness filled her. He entered the kitchen and everything was right in her world.
“Abby! What’s wrong?” he rushed forward, concern on his face.
She felt silly as tears dripped down her face. Ellie ran to Bear who had walked in behind Kent.
“Ellie,” he said in a low voice. “You were supposed to be home half an hour ago.”
“Sorry, Daddy. We were having so much fun. Abby banged her head, though. She needs a magic kiss.”
“Oh, sweet girl, where did you hurt your head?” Kent asked her.
“It’s okay,” she whispered even as she pointed out her boo-boo.
He kissed her head gently. “There, all better with Daddy’s magic kisses.”
She nodded. Then she threw herself into his arms. “I’m so happy you’re home.”
“Oh, baby. I’m happy too.” he rocked her gently. “I missed you. I didn’t like being away from my girl.”
“I didn’t like it either.” Then she felt like she was being selfish. “But I’m okay. Clint and Charlie took care of me.” She sat back to give him a smile.
Kent raised his eyebrow. “Did they? Just how much sugar have you been eating?” He glared at his brother, who shrugged.
“It kept them happy.”
“You are the biggest softie,” Kent told him. He glanced behind to where Charlie was standing by the fort they’d made. “You built a fort? Are you all right?”
“What do you mean is she all right?” Clint asked.
“She usually builds forts when she’s stressed and wants to hide,” Kent explained.
Clint frowned. “Abby?”
“I’m all right. We just wanted a fort to play in.”
Both men stared down at her.
“And maybe I was getting a bit stressed about things. I was missing you and worrying about Max,” she told Kent. She hadn’t heard from Max again. She was worried about him. But she’d also heard nothing from Bartolli’s goon. She knew Kent had put the word out that she was under his protection. Warmth filled her at the thought of the way he took care of her.
He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “I missed you so much that I think I’m going to have to take you with me next time.”
“You think that’s wise?” Clint asked. “We still don’t know where her brother is or what Bartolli is going to do.”
“If I take her with me, then I’ll also bring someone to watch over her when I’m not around.”
“Not Bain,” she said hastily.
He grinned. “You don’t want Bain as your babysitter?”
“He makes a terrible manny,” she commented.
“I dare you to call him that to his face,” Kent told her.
Her eyes widened. “I value my life.” She sighed. “I just wish I knew when all this would end.”
“I know. Me too,” Kent told her. “In the meantime, I’ll keep you safe.”
“And you are always welcome to stay with us when Kent’s away as well,” Clint told her.
“We might have to have a talk about sugar consumption,” Kent grumbled.
“Jesus, all I get around here is complaints,” Clint moaned.
Kent placed her on her feet. “Come on, baby. Let’s go home.”
She sighed. Home. With Kent.
That sounded absolutely perfect.
Epilogue
“Daddy!” Abby rushed towards the door as Kent came through into the hotel room. She jumped and he caught her as she wrapped her legs and arms around him.
“Somebody is pleased to see me,” Kent said warmly.
“Probably just happy I’m no longer in charge,” Bain said dryly as he stood and stretched, putting down the book he’d been reading.
Kent raised an eyebrow as he set her down? “Problems?”
She wrinkled her nose and glared at Bain. “The manny is being an old grump as usual.”
Bain made a low, rumbly noise.
“Now, baby, you know the manny doesn’t like being called grumpy.”
“I hate you both,” Bain told them. “She’s mad at me because she opened the hotel door without my permission and I sent her to her room for half an hour.”
“You did what?” Kent growled down at her.
“It was room service. I ordered it.” She bit her thumbnail. “Sorry.”
“More of an apology than I got,” Bain said.
Kent rested his hands on her shoulders. “You know these rules aren’t because Bain or I want to be mean. They’re to keep you safe.”
“I know, I just forgot. I’m sorry.”
“Not just me you owe an apology to, is it?” Kent said sternly.
>
She turned to the large, grumpy man. “Sorry, Bain.”
The big man nodded.
“Bain, can you give us a while?” Kent asked.
She got a shiver of trepidation at his tone. The big man just walked into his room without another word. They had a suite with a living room and two bedrooms with attached bathrooms. Kent led her over to a sofa.
“Sit down, baby.” He sounded worried. Concerned.
She sat with an inelegant plop. “What is it? Is something wrong? Is it Max?”
He crouched in front of her. “Corbin found him. I’m so sorry, baby. There’s no easy way to say this...”
“He’s dead, isn’t he?”
Kent nodded. “Yes, sweet girl. He’s in a morgue in Seattle. They must have found him somehow. I’m so sorry.”
“Oh God. Oh God.” Numbness filled her. “How long has he been dead? What happened to him?”
“His body was found out by Beaver Lake. It had been dumped there.”
She placed her hand over her mouth. “I feel ill.”
He hastily stood and picked her up and raced her to the bathroom where she lost the burger she’d ordered from room service earlier. Kent held her gently, kept her hair back for her and when she was finished, he wiped her face gently with a wet cloth and handed her a toothbrush.
She leaned weakly against him. “How did he die?”
“I’m not telling you that, sweetheart,” he told her as he picked her up. This time, he carried her into the bedroom and laid her on her side of the bed. Then he lay next to her, curling his body around her back and holding her.
“Please. I need to know. Please, Kent.”
He sighed. “Gunshot wounds. Several of them.”
She sobbed in a breath. Then another one. Then her body started to shake. “I k-know he was a-awful. But he was s-still my brother.”
“I know he was.”
“He d-didn’t deserve t-that.”
“No, baby. He didn’t. It’s all right. Cry it out.”
Tears rushed down her cheeks. “He w-was the s-sweetest kid. I don’t know w-where things went wrong.”
“You know it wasn’t your fault, right? None of this was your fault.”
“But m-maybe I should h-have given him m-money when he called.”
“Oh, baby. You can’t think like that. You can’t predict the future. Max brought this all on himself. It wasn’t your fault. Please, don’t think that. We offered to help him and he threatened me, remember?”
“I know. You’re right.”
“You just let it all out, baby. I’ve got you. I’m here. I’m here. I’m never letting you go.”
She cried until it felt like she was empty. Her tears dried up and her sobs faded. Kent rolled her so she was facing him. He reached back to grab a tissue from the box on the bedside table.
“Blow.” He held the tissue up for her.
She blew her nose and he wiped her face. Then he kissed her lightly on the lips.
“So does he just get away with it? Bartolli?” she asked.
Kent sighed. “I’m gonna keep in touch with the detectives in charge of the case, but Bartolli is smart. He wouldn’t leave any evidence. I’ll do my best to make him pay, no matter what the cops find.”
“No, don’t,” she said hastily.
He stiffened. “What?”
“I don’t want you going up against him, risking yourself. Max is gone. He’s never coming back, no matter what. I think we should just leave it alone. Please, Kent.”
“Okay, baby.”
“What now?” she croaked. She felt so drained. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t move. Max was dead.
“You let me take care of that. I’ll arrange to have his body released. Do you want a funeral back home?”
“I-I don’t know. I guess.”
“It will be okay, baby.” He held her tight. “I’m here.”
“Don’t ever let me go,” she whispered. “Losing Max is hard. But losing you, it would devastate me.”
“Never,” he swore fiercely. “You will never lose me. I know I can be overbearing and overprotective and demanding but I will always be here for you. I love you, sweet girl. Now and always.”
“Now and always.”
Excerpt from Mastered by Malone
Mia took a step and stood on the hem of her pants. She immediately dropped the linen, trying to grab for the railing to keep herself from falling, but her fingertips slid off the wooden banister as she flung forward. She tensed, letting out a cry of alarm as she waited for her body to hit the stairs. But instead of slamming against wood, she came up against a hard chest. The person who caught her, let out an oomph as they braced themselves against the banister to keep them both from flying.
She took in a shaky breath. Then another one. She didn’t want to look up. She knew it wasn’t West or Jaret or Tanner who’d caught her.
She knew it was him and she did not want to look up.
He just held her against his chest for a long moment. Her feet weren’t even touching the ground, they just dangled in the air. She had the crazy thought that she could just snuggle in against him as though they were cuddling.
Then he set her down. Disappointment hit her hard.
Stupid.
She took a step back. “Sorry about that. Thanks for catching me.” She tried to move around him, but he grabbed hold of her shoulders, holding her there. “Umm, Malone? You okay?”
Why wasn’t he saying anything? She risked a look up into his face, saw how tense his jaw was. He was glaring down at her. Was he mad?
“Uh, is there something wrong?”
“Something wrong?” he repeated.
“Yes, is there something wrong?”
Silence.
“You’re...um...acting odd. Did I hurt you?”
“Hurt me?”
Why was he repeating everything she said? “Did I hurt you? When I fell against you.”
“Did you hurt me? Hurt me? Fuck.” He stared down at her. Then he moved one hand to cup the side of her face, wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her in to kiss her.
And, oh, boy, what a kiss it was. Her body sizzled from the tip of her toes all the way up to her hair. He didn’t just kiss her, he possessed her. He took complete control and all she could do was hang on for the ride.
When he drew back, she couldn’t help but make a small sound of protest. She wanted more. Needed it. But instead of kissing her again, he swung her into his arms, one under her legs, the other around her back, and he turned, carrying her downstairs.
“What are you doing?” she asked. She wrapped her arms around his neck, terrified he was going to drop her. But he didn’t even show a hint of strain as he carried her straight into his office and then set her down on the leather sofa that lay in front of the fireplace. He started to pace back and forth, and she just sat there for a moment, watching him, taking him in.
Her lips still tingled, and her clit throbbed. Damn, if that’s what it felt like to kiss him, what would it be like to take things further? To have him touch her, taste her, take her?
She cleared her throat. She got that he was angry. She just wasn’t sure why. She inched her way forward on the sofa, ready to stand. He must’ve seen her movements because he turned around and pointed a finger at her.
“Stay.”
She ground her teeth together. She wasn’t a damn dog. Her heart was still racing from her near miss. And that kiss. What the heck did that kiss mean? She had no idea. All she knew was that right now, the last thing she wanted or needed was an Alec Malone lecture.
“Thanks for catching me,” she said. “But I need to go tidy up the mess I made. I’ve got to get the sheets in the wash. And I’m gonna be late getting dinner started if I don’t get a move on.”
He moved closer, his hands on his hips as he loomed over her. “You fell down the stairs.”
“Yes, well, I just tripped. I’m sure I would have been all right. Sure, I might have had a couple of bruise
s—”
“You tripped halfway down the stairs,” he interrupted her. “You could have broken a leg or an arm or hit your head or anything. This has to end.”
“What has to end?” she asked.
“This habit you have of getting yourself into trouble,” he snapped back at her. “Why the hell were you trying to carry your weight in linen down the stairs? You couldn’t see anything. You didn’t even see me coming up the stairs.”
“I thought I could get it all down in one go. And I tripped because my pants keep slipping down. And I don’t make it a habit of getting into trouble, you know. Do you think I wanted to fall? Do you think I want all these things happen to me?”
How could he go from kissing her to scolding her like a naughty teenager caught out after curfew?
He blew out a deep breath. “You need to take more care. No more carrying heavy things down the stairs. Got it?”
“This a new rule, is it?”
His jaw was tense as he glared down at her. “Yes. Another rule. And why are you even doing the washing? Your job is to cook. It’s not to clean my grandmother’s lamp. It’s not to hang out the washing. It’s not to wash all the linen. It’s to cook. And it’s to do as I tell you. I am in charge of your safety and I will get you to that damn trial in one piece, even if no one told me the biggest risk to you would be you.”
She looked up at him for a moment. All right, so obviously that kiss hadn’t meant much to him. Certainly it didn’t mean he cared about her.
She stood. Not her home. Not her family. She needed to remember that. “Fine. Sorry for overstepping my bounds. I’ll get out of your way.”
She got to the door when he called out to her.
“Yes?” She turned back to look at him. Maybe he was going to apologize for being a jerk. Miracles did happen, right?
“Your pants are slipping because you’ve lost weight. You need to eat more. You need clothes that fit better.”
“Is that it? Nothing else you want to add that you find lacking about me? Maybe my hair? Or my makeup?”
Daddy's Sweet Girl (Montana Daddies, #3) Page 24
