Page 7 of Break Me, Daddy

Her expression serious, Dr. Winters stepped up beside the bed. “Thank you for telling me, Frankie. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you some hard questions now.”

Holden squeezed her shoulders, and some of the churning in Frankie’s stomach eased. “Okay.”

“Have you ever been diagnosed with an eating disorder?”

God. How the hell was she here again? Closing her eyes, she willed the tears back, swallowing hard to keep them from falling. “Yes.”

“Can you tell me what kind?”

“Anorexia, with a bulimia subtype. I restrict for a while and then I’ll go on these binge-purge episodes. I didn’t get to the binge portion of the program yet.”

Dr. Winters tapped the info into her tablet and offered up an encouraging smile. “You’re being so brave for me right now, Frankie. Just a few more questions. Have you ever sought treatment for your anorexia?”

“Yeah. Summer after my junior year of high school I went to rehab. It got a lot better after that, though my mom wasn’t happy about the twenty pounds I gained.”

Holden’s low growl was accompanied by Dr. Winters giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. Somehow, both gestures brought her an equal amount of comfort in different ways. Enough to chase away the tears burning against the back of her eyes, at least for now.

“Are you still in therapy, Frankie?” Dr. Winters asked softly, her voice free of any judgment or condemnation.

“No. I stopped a couple years ago. I thought I was better, but I guess not.”

“Honey, it’s not a matter of just ‘getting better’. And therapy is nothing to be ashamed of. I’m going to recommend you start again right away, both with your former therapist or someone else who specializes in eating disorders, and with Dr. Jen.”

Frowning, Frankie accepted the business card Dr. Winters held out to her. “Who’s Dr. Jen?”

A smile tugged at Dr. Winters’ lips. “She’s a kink-friendly therapist here in the city. In addition to getting help for your eating disorder, you may need someone to talk to about… other aspects of your current situation.” She sent a pointed look in Holden’s direction.

“Oh my god.” Humiliation seemed to heat Frankie’s entire body. “Youknow?”

“Like I said, I’ve known Holden for many years.” Leaning over, she tapped the card. “Give her a call. I think you’ll enjoy talking to her. In the meantime, my suggestion is to get plenty of rest, let your Daddy pamper you, and just take it one day at a time. You’re a strong woman, Francesca Legare. I have no doubt you can come out on top of this again.”

With another squeeze of Frankie’s hand, she glanced over at Holden. “Walk me out?”

Clearly torn, Holden hesitated. “I should stay.”

Frankie couldn’t resist the urge to roll her eyes at his overprotectiveness. “I’ll be fine. Really. Be a good boy and walk the nice doctor to her car.”

Leaning down, Holden whispered in her ear, his voice a low growl. “Keep it up, little siren, and you will lose orgasm privileges for the next week.”

Heat flared to life between her thighs, rushed to her face. “Sorry.”

“Mmhmm. I bet you are. Behave yourself while I walk Dr. Winters out, little girl.”

Yes, Daddy.Even though Dr. Winters apparently knew the nature of their relationship, she couldn’t quite bring herself to say the words out loud, so she simply nodded.

Holden pressed another kiss to the top of her head before stepping away to join Dr. Winters as they walked out of her room.

Leaning back against her pillows, Frankie once again stared up at the sterile white ceiling above her. And tried not to think of all the ways she was inevitably going to let Holden down. Just like she did everyone else in her life.

Chapter3

Holden

He waited until they were alone in the elevator to speak. “I’m assuming you didn’t actually need me to walk you out to your car.”

“You’ve always been very astute.” Turning to face him, her expression more serious than he could remember seeing it even when she’d been digging a bullet out of his shoulder, Dr. Winters—or Naomi, as she’d insisted he call her after that fateful night—laid a hand on his arm. “She’s going to need a lot of help and support to work through this.”

Even though he knew she was just doing her job, he bristled at the implication. “You think I can’t give her what she needs?”

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