Page 36 of Blade

“Oh sorry!” someone said as we collided.

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going,” I apologized. “Hey, you work at the donut shop!” I exclaimed, placing the woman.

“I do! I just started there,” she said with a smile. She pointed to the logo on her shirt. "My name is Ash."

“My D-boyfriend—” I corrected, “was trying to figure out where we recognized you from earlier at Rolling In Dough. Are you a client?”

“No, I just moved here, but my stepbrother works here,” she said, trying to help me figure out why she looked so familiar.

“Oh! Smoke?”

“Yeah.” She smiled again.

“That’s where Blade recognized you from! He has a picture of the two of you on his desk.”

“Really? That’s so sweet.”

“Anyway, welcome to Strickland. My name is Eliose. Smoke is in the breakroom. Straight back, there’s a sign on the door,” I directed, holding the door open for her.

“Thank you!”

***

Blade

“Eloise Tomerlin!” I yelled, putting the truck in park and hopping out.

She looked up with such an innocent grin on her face that I couldn’t be mad.

“Hi, Daddy!” she said, holding her bag of cans up proudly. “I found you some more cans.”

“Sweetie, why are you collecting cans for me?”

“Um, for your sculpture?”

My sculpture? Fuck!

“Eloise, Daddy did a very naughty thing and lied about needing cans for a sculpture.”

“Why? That’s an oddly specific lie.”

Laughing, I took the bag of cans and pulled her close. “I knew you collected cans all over town and I needed a reason to get close to you. And I wanted to help you.”

“What?” she asked, looking so surprised I laughed again.

“Honey, I cared about you from the very first day you walked in Daddies Ink. I knew the first day I laid eyes on you I had to do everything in my power to make you mine.”

Her pretty green eyes filled with tears and I prepared for the worst. I had lied to her, I could understand her hurt.

“That was really sweet. Wrong, but sweet.”

“I’m sorry. I promise not to lie to you about anything else, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy. I forgive you.”

Pressing a soft kiss to her lips, I walked her back to my truck and tossed the bag in the back.

“Let’s go home, yeah?”

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