by Jane Henry
He looked at her sternly. “I will absolutely be around,” he told her. “But you might wish I weren’t, Norita, if you tell me you’re going to dress in something I won’t find appropriate.”
Her mouth dropped open. “But… really? That’s not fair,” she argued. “You don’t get to say—”
“Oh, baby, you don’t get how this works,” he informed her, his eyes trapping hers. “I’m your daddy.” The words sent a thrill up his spine. “Therefore, I get a say in anything that impacts your health, safety, and well-being… for a start. We’ll build from there. But in the meantime,” he continued, settling her against him, when is this Field Day Fundraiser?”
She still seemed nonplussed by his earlier statements, and he almost chuckled. “Er, a week from tomorrow? It’s at Memorial Field in Cambridge.”
A week from tomorrow. He suddenly realized just how drastically different his life would look in another week and, since this was turning out to be a morning of revelations, he allowed himself to imagine a scenario where he could escort her to the damn fundraiser… to all her future fundraisers… and assault any man who dared to look at the curves her dress showed off.
“So, I guess I’ll be spending the whole next week finalizing every single detail,” Nora had continued, apparently not recognizing the direction of his thoughts. “But that’s okay, because Centered is… well, it saved me, in a way. You know what it was like for me and Tess growing up. I mean, probably better than anyone.” She gave him a wry smile.
Diego linked his fingers through hers. “You were always so strong, mi vida.”
“Eh. I was snarky,” she corrected with a smirk. “Snarky’s not strong. Not always. This… us… what we did last night? I don’t think I would have been able to do that a few years back. I was too scared of being dependent to give up control.”
“And now you’re not?” he laughed. “It’s easy as pie for you?”
“Oh, no, I’m still scared to death,” she admitted. “Scared of this, scared of us, scared of… you, being undercover, and whatever the fuck that means. I have no idea what I’m doing. But… but now I’m strong enough to try, I think.”
“It’s not something I have a lot of experience with, either, Norita,” he admitted. “I’ve been to The Club, and the circle we run in is pretty open about the type of relationship they all have. But this? Having a girl of my own, being her daddy? It’s new for me too. Trust me, baby. Trust us, and we’ll make it work,” he vowed, running his hand over her hair. And then he fell silent, taking in the quiet stillness of the morning that surrounded them, as a new purpose cemented itself in his mind. He’d protect her and this new thing that was growing between them, no matter the cost.
Chapter 4
Nora listened to Diego’s low murmur on the phone in the other room. Frowning, she glanced at her phone. Three phone calls in the matter of five minutes? On a Sunday morning?
What exactly was she getting into with Diego Santiago?
Who was it that demanded his attention on the other end of the line? She was smart enough to know that Camila had fallen victim to Diego’s crew, but to what extent? She could easily surmise a few things, though. First, whatever undercover shit he did involved young girls. Second, it was dangerous enough that he’d seen red when she came near the men he worked with. Third, Diego was in danger, and if she was going to be anywhere near him… she was, too.
Why didn’t she feel afraid, then? Maybe it was because their imminent danger had a surreal quality about it, making it too hard to grasp the reality of their situation. Maybe it was because she’d realized that he was the good guy she’d always hoped he was, and not the scary asshole he pretended to be. Or maybe… maybe it was because she truly did trust him to protect her, to take care of her in whatever way necessary.
Her ass still stung from the punishing smack of his palm. God… he’d spanked her. She shifted on the chair at the kitchen table, squirming at the memory of being face-down over his lap, his strong grip holding her in place as he spanked her again and again…
Her heart thumped a crazy beat in her chest and she clenched her thighs together. She’d hated showering last night, washing evidence of his claiming off of her. God, that had been the sexiest fucking thing she’d ever done, and her mind replayed every delicious detail. Every other guy she’d been with had been a nice, proper gentleman who made her big sister Tessa proud. She’d dated good men who carried condoms in their wallets and played the rules: kiss first, up it to second base after dinner involving wine, fondle a bit after established trust, no sex until the time was right. They would tell her she was pretty, and buy her flowers, and then they’d have missionary sex with the lights off. Diego had done none of those things. He’d taken her across his knee in punishment, made her climax, then claimed her with his own pleasure.
She closed her eyes, cradling her head in her hands as she remembered the way Diego’s eyes heated, fixed on hers, daring her to move as he came on her naked skin, the tortured way he’d finally given into ecstasy.
“Nora.” His deep, commanding voice from the doorway made her jump. He smiled grimly. “Scared so easily, baby? You were deep in thought.” He crossed the room and took her hand. “So small,” he said, so softly it was almost as if to himself. “She places her hand in mine just like this.” One hand went over the other, and both his hands engulfed hers as he brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them, the prickles of his whiskers contrasting with the warmth and tenderness of his mouth. Arousal pooled in her belly, desire threading through her limbs at the feel of his lips against her hand, her heart warming to his gentle touch.
She’d lost all control.
He lifted her to her feet, before circling his arm around her waist and drawing her closer to him. “Let’s go, before I lose my mind and do something drastic.” His mouth came to her ear, his low drawl making her shiver. “Like eat you for breakfast instead.”
Aw, fuck. Her eyes fluttered closed as her knees wobbled.
“Stop teasing me,” she muttered in a breathy protest. “I need you to… do something serious, and stop messing with my mind. I can’t handle it.”
Chuckling, he placed one hand on her jaw and tilted her face upward, his mouth meeting hers in a kiss that was at once strong, possessive, and heated. He held her against his warm, strong body as he kissed her, slowly, softly, then more intensely, a moan escaping from deep within her at the taste of his kiss before he pulled away and shook his head. “I need to go,” he said hoarsely.
“Fuck no,” she moaned, earning her a sharp slap to the ass. Her pussy pulsed, her breath hitched, and she swallowed against rising arousal.
“I don’t like hearing those words come out of your pretty mouth,” he said. “Little girls ought to watch their language.”
She grinned against his chest. “Yeah, Daddy? So if I say fuck or shit or motherfucking whore, what are you gonna do about it?” In all the years she’d known him, they’d never been able to joke like this, to tease. He’d always held himself aloof and watched her from a distance, and she’d never admitted to herself just how deeply her feelings for him ran.
“You know what I’ll do about it, you little brat,” he whispered up against her ear. “I’ll wash your mouth out with soap and send you to bed without dinner.”
She laughed out loud as he teased her, his fingers threading through her hair and trailing along her scalp before resting on her neck. He pulled her against his chest, her body flush with his, and she felt his rock hard erection pressed against her belly. She swallowed. He enjoyed this game as much as she did.
“A soapy mouth is so sexy, Daddy,” she said with a laugh, and he pulled her even closer.
His mouth up against her ear, his breath traveled along the back of her neck as he whispered. “No, baby. I’m just teasing you. I wouldn’t punish you with childish consequences. I’d pull you over my knee, pull your panties to your ankles, and spank your bare ass.” She moaned. “And if you pushed it, I’d take my belt to
you.”
Her thighs clenched and her heart stuttered as he continued. “Or maybe I’d bend you over the back of the couch and strip you,” he said. “Then I’d whip your ass and teach you to mind your daddy.”
Oh, fuck. She was gonna come if he kept this up. Her clit pulsed, her heart was stuttering in her chest, her breath coming in little gasps. He pushed his hand between her legs, a firm touch that instantly claimed what was his, raking up her skirt and threading along the silken strip of fabric between her legs.
“Is that what you want, Nora?” he whispered, fingering her over her panties. A moan escaped her lips as her forehead fell to his chest. “Are you a naughty little girl? Do you get off on imagining Daddy spanking you with his belt? Do you, baby?” The tempo of his strokes increased and she began to grind against his hand, willing him not to stop. “If I took off your panties, would I find you wet for me, baby? Hmm?”
Oh, God, oh please, she silently begged, needing to feel him, needing to find release against him. Slowly, his fingers gripped the edge of her panties and pushed them away before dipping lower.
“God, baby, you’re soaked,” he said with a dark chuckle. “So primed for me. That a girl,” he said as his fingers stroked her clit expertly. She was going to come standing up against him in his kitchen. She buried her face against him as he fingered her, his words making her desire mount with every breath. “Good girl,” he said. “That’s it, baby. What a beautiful, naughty little girl you are. You ought to have your ass whipped and your pussy fucked every single goddamned day.” He chuckled again. She was completely under his control, as he stroked her. She was going to lose control, right on the cusp when his voice dropped, commanding now. “Come on Daddy’s fingers, baby.”
And with that, she lost control, writhing against his hand as he stroked her to climax, her pulse racing, moaning low, her gasps unbidden with her face still buried in his chest as he braced her with one hand behind her back. Finally, he removed his fingers and pulled her up against his chest. “Does a man good to see a girl come like that,” he said softly. She hid her face, enjoying his warmth and strength. He smelled so good, felt so strong.
“God, baby, I want you to sit on my face,” he said, stroking his hands through her hair. “I’d love to spend all day doing wicked things to you until your voice was hoarse from screaming my name.” She swallowed, needing him to stop and needing him to continue. “But I have to go now. You’ll stay here, and I won’t take too long.”
Wait a minute.
“Um… Diego?” she said, pulling her head off his chest and looking up at his dark eyes that had grown more tender now, and not quite as guarded. He brushed a piece of hair off over her forehead and tucked it behind her ear.
“Yeah, baby?”
“I… I’m not going with you? I’m staying here? I don’t want to stay here alone. I have things to do,” she protested, hating the idea of him leaving her here like this. She had a job to do, damn it, people who were depending on her. And if she were honest, she hated the idea of his leaving her. The very idea left her bereft.
His lips thinned and his eyes shuttered again, losing the softer edge she’d seen just seconds before. He was no longer her daddy but Padre, the man who commanded the insidious ring of criminals. “Yeah, Nora,” he said with a sigh, releasing her. “Slay’s man is outside. He’ll watch you while I attend to… business,” he said, his eyes flitting away from hers as his voice faltered. He released her, and her heart sank to her toes.
“Oh,” she said in a little voice. “God, Diego, if Slay’s man is outside, does that mean Tess…”
If her sister knew she’d spent the night with Diego… if any of them knew… they’d have questions even she didn’t have the answer to.
He shook his head. “Only Slay and his guy know you’re here, honey. Nobody else even knows I own this place. And I’ll be back within the hour. Today, I’m spending time with you. It’s supposed to be my day off.” He raked a hand through his hair, making it stand up on end. “But I have shit to take care of after the calls I made this morning. When I’m done, I’ll pick you up and we’ll get some food in town before I take you to work.” He paused, and a glimmer of hope shone once again in his eyes. “It’s been a long time since I’ve done normal things, Nora. I want that. I’m done with the lies and secrecy I’ve had to wallow in, and I can’t wait until we can put all that behind us and move on. But today? I want you to tell me what’s going on with you. We’ll talk, and eat, and get to know each other a bit more.” His lips quirked at the edges and he once again tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “Yeah?”
She reached out to touch his hand, sliding her palm against his. “Yeah,” she whispered, wanting to heal him of the torture that lingered in his eyes. Deep down in her very soul she wanted to make him happy, so she did the one thing she knew that would make him smile. She’d give that to him. Holding his hand against hers, she whispered, “I’d like that, Daddy.”
He blinked, then grinned, pulled her over to him and gave her a final parting kiss before pulling away. “Okay, honey.” He let her go and took her hand, leading her into the living room. “Let’s get you situated.”
As she nestled back on the sofa, her gaze wandered about the room. The windows were simply dressed with light green curtains that fluttered in the breeze. October in New England occasionally welcomed warm weather. Though the evenings frequently brought the chilly air, today was pleasantly warm. To the left of the curtains, a fireplace flanked one wall, directly across from where they sat on the sofa. Along the mantle sat framed prints, five in all. She squinted, trying to see them, as he rummaged around, getting his phone and wallet.
“Who are all those people on the mantle?” she asked.
“Those are pictures of my family,” he said. “I have three brothers and a sister.”
“Wow. Your mama had five kids?” she asked, but he shook his head.
“No. She had six, baby. But my other brother, Armando, died when we were teenagers.” A chill came over her, and her heart twisted in her chest.
“God. That’s terrible.” Her voice broke and a lump rose in her throat. She wanted to cry for Diego, for his mama who’d had to bury her child. But she would stay strong for him.
“No more talk of this, Nora. I need to go. I’ll take care of moving your car and bring you your things later, but in the meantime you do not leave here.”
She wanted to ask more. She wanted to know what made him tick, what he needed to see happen with his investigation, what had happened to his brother, but the tone of his voice brooked no argument. “I’ll be back. You stay here and entertain yourself. There’s TV, and you can use my old laptop. Surf the web or whatever, but under no circumstances do you tell anyone where you are.” His gaze sobered as he lifted a finger and pointed it at her. “Do you understand me?” And just like that, her mind had her over his knee as he spanked her.
“Yes, Daddy,” she said. He grinned. And then he was gone.
Nora tapped her foot while she surfed the web on his laptop. She paid a few bills, and then checked her email, tossing out junk mail, and sifting through until she found a few from work. The top one from Gretchen Liu, an investigative reporter who was close friends with Elena, concerned her.
“Hey, Nora. Can you send me the contact info for those women Centered helped last year? Alice sent it to me last week, but I think something’s wrong. I tried to contact a few of them, and it seems that all of their numbers have either changed or they weren’t right. I haven’t been able to get in touch with a single one of them.”
Nora frowned. As part of the big fundraiser Centered was planning, they’d hoped to have some testimonies from former clients, those who were willing to speak of the changes they’d made since coming to Centered. Centered had helped countless women get on their feet after tragedy or struggles, thanks in no small part to the generosity of Centered’s largest benefactor, Diana Conseulos, who’d become a sort of mentor to Nora. Diana herself had helpe
d their recent clients relocate to Miami and get new jobs. It was not uncommon for clients to move, and they didn’t often stay in touch, but some did. It was weird that Gretchen couldn’t get in touch with any of these women. Nora responded to the email and promised Gretchen she’d get back to her soon, then stood up and stretched.
She walked over to the window and pulled the edge of the filmy light green curtain back. There, right below her window, sat the large black car with the shadow of a driver in it: Slay’s guy, the one Diego had likely called twelve times since he’d left.
She hadn’t disobeyed him. She was right where she said she’d be.
But when he came back, she’d maybe push that envelope.
What had he said about taking his belt to her? God. She leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes, fingers traveling under the edge of her skirt, between her legs to tease her clit. She bit her lip and stroked herself, imagining Diego coming into the house, his dark eyes furious. Somehow, it was hotter when he was pissed off. He’d never lose control with her. This she knew. But that look he got when he was angry...
She closed her eyes and snuggled down on his sofa, imagining him coming into the room, his dark brown eyes furious, that look that he gave somewhere between passion and fury. He’d come into the room, storm up to her, and grab her with those powerful hands of his. She’d struggle, but he was so much stronger. He’d pull her bodily over his knee, and then—
The door to the house opened and her hands flew out of her panties, smoothing down her skirt, as she heard the door slam. She looked around her, her heart thumping madly in her chest. Was it Diego? Who else would walk in the house and slam the door?
“Norita,” came Diego’s low voice, thickened with his Spanish accent. “What are you doing?” She folded her hands on her lap, attempting to do her very best to plaster a look of innocence on her face.
