Page 163 of Little Sunshine

“I wasn’t running from you. I was running to find you because I knew you’d make me feel safe. Happy one week, Daddy,” I whispered.

And then I burst into tears.

“Oh, sunshine,” he murmured, turning me in his hold to carry me to a chair. He sat and positioned me on his lap. One of his palms stroked up and down my back, but his other stayed wrapped in the rope at my hip. “I didn’t realize.”

I tried to laugh, but it mixed with my tears to sound like nonsense. “I know that’s not a real thing. But it’s been the best week of my entire life, and I wanted to show you that I appreciate it by surprising you with the ropes. But then I ruined it by making a scene. Again.”

“You didn’t ruin anything.”

“Maximo and Juliet are going to think I’m insane.”

“No, they’re going to be worried about you.” He dipped into my line of vision. “Just like I was.”

I inhaled deeply, not sure what to say. How to explain.

So I didn’t. “You have to go back to work.” He opened his mouth to argue, but I placed my thumb over it like he did to me.

And he bit me.

“If you don’t go back to work, I’m going to feel even worse. I’ll never be able to face Juliet again.” When he still didn’t look like he’d agree, I added, “And that means she’ll never be able to make me sexy dresses.”

He stared at me for a few stretching seconds. “I’ll get you settled upstairs first.”

“Can I just stay here? I, uh, don’t think I can go back out to the arena, but I don’t want to be that far from you.”

I got a brief glimpse of his tender expression before he kissed me.

When he pulled away, he asked, “Do you have your phone?”

I shook my head. “You and Juliet are the only people I talk to, and you’re both here.”

Wow.

That’s pitiful.

Ash didn’t look like he felt the same way. His smile was all arrogance and wickedness. He stood and sat me on the chair before taking his cell from his pocket and putting it on the desk next to us. Like his openness was nothing, he stated, “Passcode is 9407. If you need anything, text Marco. Don’t leave this office until I come get you.”

I nodded.

His hands went to the arms of the chair on either side of me as he dipped his face into mine. “You’re already going to be punished for getting out of the chair instead of asking Juliet or Maximo to message me. You don’t want to add to it. Got it?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

I watched him leave before scanning the office. There wasn’t much to it. If it really wasn’t Ash’s office, I hoped whoever used it didn’t return.

At least not until the smell of sex cleared out.

I guess a freak-out wasn’t a waste of this dress…

Ash

“You ready to tell me what happened?” I asked once we were settled in bed in the penthouse later that night.

At my question, Mila tried to wiggle deeper under the blanket. Since a good chunk of my weight was on her, I didn’t know where she thought she was going to go.

“We can start the punishment now,” I offered.

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