Page 8 of Bound to the Daddy

I drum my fingers on the steering wheel as I sit in traffic. The numbers on the clock slip by in an ever-increasing amount… and still I don’t move. I want to scream, to pitch a fit, or hell have some road rage.

But I’m still better off than if I tried going all the way home to shower. Heat flushes my face as I curl my hands around the wheel, gripping it tightly, as arousal slithers back through my veins. I just got off. I shouldn’t need to go again.

… And yet.

Fuck. I should be thinking of Brody. Yeah. Closing my eyes, I picture his washboard abs, black hair, and piercing eyes. He’s certainly a fine specimen of an Alpha, even if he can be so clueless sometimes. Every time we do this song and dance, I keep telling myself that men mature slower than women.

Perhaps he just needs some more time to grow up. Groaning, I rest my head on the wheel. How much longer do I have to wait?

My breath comes out in a puff as tears burn my eyes. I already made the decision to leave… I just need to do it. Stick to my guns and just break it off. Glancing over at my phone, I worry my bottom lip with my teeth. Should I call him? Or do it in person?

Maybe I should give him one more chance. Thankfully, since he’s booked out for a bit, the space will be good. It will let me think, clear my head, and approach this with a calm, rational frame of mind. More importantly, it will keep me away from Daddy Rothsbourne.

I can’t believe I got myself off thinking about him. What the hell is wrong with me? It really just must be all that pent up horniness. Granted, I don’t want to examine anything else far too close.

With a flick of my wrist, I crank the music up and drum along with the beat, doing my best to ignore the check engine light as it glares at me with impending doom. Once I can get a little extra money, I can take care of it. I don’t need Brody, and I sure as hell don’t need Mr. Rothsbourne.

“Fired? What do you mean, fired?”I do my best to keep the hysteria out of my voice, but to no avail.

“I don’t know what to tell you. Call came from corporate. Apparently, it’s a performance issue? I don’t understand it at all, but they were very clear that you cannot finish out the day. I’m so sorry, Steph,” my manager shrugs.

“This just doesn’t make sense,” I wail, my hands going numb as tingles go up and down my arms.

“Did you do something really bad?” She looks around as she lowers her voice. “Like steal something?”

“How can you even ask that?” My tone rises with every word as hurt, anger, and panic laces my voice. “When have I ever done anything like that?”

Again, she shrugs, and the helpless gesture just makes me even more upset. “I really don’t know. I just know it’s almost impossible to get fired from this job. They need all the workers they can get.”

“Maybe it’s a clerical error, then?” I grasp onto that small thread of hope, but it’s soon dashed.

“If it came from HR, maybe. But the owner himself called. You will be escorted off the premises once you gather your things. An officer will watch to make sure you get everything.”

My eyes narrow. “You mean so I don’t steal anything?”

“Hey. I don’t make the rules.”

“Well, what am I going to do now? Can I collect unemployment? Something?”

This time, her lips thin into a sympathetic smile. “Pray you have someone in high places who can help you. A termination like this can follow you, making it harder to get another job. As for unemployment, your type of termination disqualifies you.”

My heart sinks as she eases me toward a burly man in a security uniform. They didn’t have to send an Alpha. What am I going to do, scream these people to death?

Tears slip down my nose and cheeks as he leads me to my cubicle. It’s not as if I dreamt of doing data entry for the rest of my life, but it paid the bills. Now, I don’t even have that. I’ll be lucky if I can even be a server now. What in the hell could I have done?

I never used the company computer for personal research. I never made personal phone calls while on the clock. Hell, I clocked out every time I left my desk, even if it was for a quick drink of water. I did everything right. How could this have happened?

Looking around my cubicle, I do my best to ignore the curious stares and ducked heads as I pack up my meager belongings. Whispers flit around the space, and it doesn’t take agenius to know they’re about me. As I leave, my boss comes back and hands me an envelope.

“HR went ahead and cut your last check now. This way, you don’t have to come back, and we don’t have to track you down. I’ll listen out for any openings, and I’ll do my best to put in a good word for you.”

“Thank you,” I manage to croak, shifting the box in my hand to grab the check.

If only I took the money offered to me earlier. But no. I wanted to do this on my own. It was certainly enough to get me by until I could find something else. Why didn’t I just take it?

With a heavy sigh, I wonder if he’ll let me take it now. Probably not. Forget fixing my car. Forget any sort of frivolous spending. At this point, I’m strapped.

Mr. Rothsbourne’s words tickle the back of my mind. Would it really be so bad to let him handle this for me? For a moment, I allow my mind to drift, feeling deep within myself what it would really mean to have someone else take care of me. Knowing him, he’d make it so I wouldn’t have a care in the world.

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