Page 49 of Their Forever Daddy

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Embarrassment flooded her, heating the rest of her body to match the fire in her ass. “Oh, god. I’m so sorry.”

“For what?” The confusion on Jesse’s face only intensified. “Edie, what’s going on?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Because no matter what she told them, they were still leaving. Nothing she said would change that, so it seemed ridiculous to dump all her bullshit on them, just to what? Make them feel guilty about leaving her?

Jesus. How the fuck had she gotten herself into this situation again?

The arms around her tightened in clear warning. “It won’t take much to have you bare-bottomed over my lap again, little pixie, so I suggest you start talking.”

Said bottom clenched in response, reminding her of exactly how thoroughly she’d already been spanked. “I just… had a bad moment, is all. I’m fine now. Really.”

She couldn’t see Grant’s face since she still had her head tucked up under his chin, but she watched as Jesse’s eyes narrowed. “A bad moment? Edie, you full on freaked the fuck out and went racing for the front door. In my clothes. That’s more than just a ‘bad moment’.”

Temper welled up, fueled by humiliation and hurt. “Fine,” she snapped, shoving at Grant’s arms only to find them locked so tightly around her they didn’t even budge. “You were remembering our first time, and I was remembering our last. I was remembering waking up to an empty bed and a decade of heartbreak. Which is exactly what I’ll be waking up to again, when you two?—”

The words caught in her throat, trapped by tears she refused to shed.

“When we go back to California and leave you behind again?” Grant supplied, his voice gentle and soothing.

She shrugged, as much as she was able with her arms still trapped by his.

“Oh, Edie.” Rising up onto her knees, Jesse shuffled forward on the couch. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“I think we all got a bit caught up in the moment,” Grant said. “And I apologize for letting myself get swept up as well. Forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive. I’m a big girl.”

“Not saying you aren’t, little pixie. But as the Daddy here, I’m taking my share of the responsibility for letting the emotions of the moment take over.”

“Yes, because of course it’s the man’s job to be rational and logical.” Edie managed to pull away enough to glare at him. “And I am not a pixie, so stop calling me that.”

“Beg to differ, little pixie,” he said with an easy grin. “And that isn’t at all what I said. I’m Jesse’s Daddy. It was my job to ensure the scene didn’t get out of hand, which I failed at rather spectacularly. And now you’re hurting. So I’m apologizing, and what’s the polite thing to do when someone offers you an apology?”

Though she’d never identified as a Little, in that moment she felt exactly like a naughty Little girl being lectured by her Daddy. “Accept the apology,” she mumbled, dropping her gaze so she wouldn’t have to look in his too-knowing eyes.

“So do you accept my apology?”

“Yes, Sir. Even though you don’t need to apologize for anything.”

“Thank you. Now we can talk about what comes next.”

It was a wonder she could even breathe past the ache in her chest. “You both go back to California. I stay here. What’s there to talk about?”

“Well, for starters, neither Jesse nor myself need to get back immediately.”

Hope came alive inside her, another kind of pain altogether as she jerked her head up. “Really?”

Jesse grinned and nodded. “Really. So we can stick around, at least for a bit.”

And as quickly as it had come alive, that hope died a fast, painful death. “Which is just prolonging the inevitable.”

She watched as Jesse looked up at her Daddy, and they seemed to have some kind of silent discussion right over Edie’s head. Which might have pissed her off if she’d had any energy left for mad.

Jesse’s golden gaze returned to Edie’s face, excitement and worry warring in her eyes. “Edie… if I told you I wanted another chance with you, what would you say?”

Yes, yes. A million times, yes. “What are you talking about, Jesse?”

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