Page 75 of His Red Carnation

He was eerily calm, as if he’d rehearsed this or had been expecting it. When I relayed the message, he laughed quietly and shook his head. “I’ll handle it,” he said with a nod.

Sloane glanced at me, hesitation flickering in her eyes, before turning her focus back to Jake. “Why aren’t you jumping up and taking care of it then? Why are you so calm about this?” she demanded, her voice rising.

“Because she’s not a threat, Sloane!” Jake snapped.

“She’s threatening your family, Jake. How the fuck is she not a threat?” I shot back, my anger flaring as I stepped forward, refusing to let him dismiss it so easily.

He let out a heavy sigh. “I need you two to leave, alright? Let me sort this out,” he said, his calm demeanor slipping back into place.

Sloane scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief before spinning on her heels and heading for the door. I lingered for a moment, shooting Jake an angry glare, but I didn’t say a word. Instead, I turned and followed her out, the tension still simmering in my chest.

I followed her out of the west wing and back into the main house. She remained silent as she marched up the stairs, and I trailed behind, unable to shake the feeling that Jake was fucking lying—he seemed too calm.

“My dad is lying, I can tell,” Sloane said, as if reading my mind. “I’m gonna talk to my mom,” she added.

We made it to the hallway on the main floor, and I took her hand, squeezing it gently to stop her. She turned to me, her eyes wide and filled with fear. “Something bad is gonna happen, Callan. I have a really, really bad feeling,” she whispered, her voice cracking as tears welled up in her eyes.

“I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, baby,” I murmured, placing my hand gently on her cheek. I wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to take away the fear in her eyes, but I held back, knowing it wasn’t the right moment.

She nodded. “I know you won’t, Cal. But it’s not me I’m worried about—it’s my mom.”

33

Sloane

I didn’t know what my dad was hiding, but I knew he was hiding something. He was acting so strange—too calm, almost like he was trying to keep us from seeing the cracks. I needed to confide in Mom because she would know what to do—she always knew what to do. And if Dad was lying, she’d be the one to uncover the truth.

Callan and I found her in her private office on the second floor of the living quarters. The moment I barged in, she ended the call she was on and stood up quickly, the worry clear in her eyes.

“Sloane,” she said, her voice full of concern. “What’s wrong?”

Callan stepped forward, explaining the call with Sarah, but he paused and glanced at me, giving me the space to continue with how Dad had reacted. Mom’s expression said it all—she was furious.

“¿Qué coño?What could he possibly be hiding from me, especially something that Sarah knows and I don’t?” she asked, her frustration clear.

I shook my head and shrugged, unsure of what to say.

“¡A tomar por culo!” she muttered under her breath, storming toward the door. “You two stay here. I’m going to speak to your father, Sloane,y lo juro por Dios…” The door slammed behind her and I jumped, my nerves stretched to the breaking point.

Callan turned to me, placing his hands gently on my waist. I could see how much he wanted to comfort me, but we were both too frustrated, too on edge to find any relief in the moment.

“My dad wouldn’t…” I started, my voice trailing off as my thoughts spiraled toward the worst possibilities. “He wouldn’t have cheated on my mom with Sarah, right? That can’t be it.”

Callan’s eyes widened, and he shook his head slowly. “I don’t know, baby. But whatever it is, we’re all gonna get through it, okay?”

I couldn’t hold it back any longer—the lump in my throat gave way, and tears streamed down my face. Desperation took over as I grabbed Callan’s face, pressing my lips hard against his, seeking comfort in the only place that felt safe. He pressed his body against mine, pulling me close as his hands slid around my waist, but just as quickly, he pulled away. His eyes darkened, and his voice dropped to a deep, commanding tone.

“Down the hall. In the bathroom. I need to fuck you right now, Sloane,” he said, his words dripping with authority and raw desire as he took my hand and led me out the door.

He slammed the bathroom door behind us and quickly peeled down my sweats as he pressed his lips against mine. My shaky hands began to unzip his jeans before he took over and let his hard cock spring free. I couldn’t even let my underwear fall to the ground before Callan ripped them off and lifted me up frommy ass, walking me over to the counter as I wrapped my legs around him. He plunged his cock into me before he even set me down, and I gasped with relief as he filled me up, my mind going completely blank aside from the overwhelming pleasure.

“Fuck, baby,” Callan whispered in my ear before gently trailing kisses on my neck.

“Fuck me hard, Daddy. I need it,” I whispered back, clawing my nails on his back.

“Yeah, you need it? You need Daddy’s cock to make it all better?” he moaned out quietly, probably highly aware of how easily we could be heard.

I whimpered as he began to thrust harder, my body trembling under his intensity. I bit down on his shoulder, stifling my moans, trying to keep quiet. He let out a low grunt, his hips pounding against me, before he released me, pulling out and swiftly turning me around. He quickly plunged back into me, and I watched us in the mirror as he gripped my hips, his gaze fixed on the curve of my body before his eyes finally met mine in the reflection. A slow, wicked smile spread across his face as he reached for my hair, wrapping it tightly around his hand in a firm fist, pulling me even closer.

---