Page 33 of Honey Bun
She glanced down at my hard-on, which was obvious through my pants, and pouted. “I want all of you.”
Me too.I kissed her forehead. Despite how painful my cock was, I let her go. “Maddie, you deserve better than a coat closet.”
She tugged at her dress, her face red. “I don’t mind.”
She deserved to be treated like a princess. I took her hands as I tried to get myself under control. “I do. You’ve been hurt, and I won’t be part of that.”
I helped her straighten her dress and necklace so that she looked untouched. She was mine, and I needed to see all of her without the threat that someone might want their coat. Her face went white except for the bloom of her cheeks, which were still flushed.
She glanced at her watch and released a heavy sigh. “I have to go. I promised the sitter I’d be home by now.”
“I know. I’ve got this covered. You did a great job pulling the party together.”
She flushed again, and I knew that she hadn’t received many compliments in her life. I hoped to change that for her.
I wasn’t sure if denying us our needs was the best choice, but I let her go. “I’ll see you soon, where we’ll be alone and uninterrupted.”
She waved at me and ducked out of the room. Alone, I settled my body and fixed my tie. This was my party, and I needed to make sure my guests were happy. Then I would show Maddie that she meant the world to me.
Chapter Ten
Madeleine
The night before, I’d given Arman carte blanche to do anything he wanted to me. My heart stammered, and I cringed at the memory. He’d been wonderful, but I remembered that sex hurt. That was why I used to want it to be fast.
When Bob had hit me, we’d been behind closed doors, and I’d never felt so lost. Arman was his opposite, and maybe that was why I ached with passion and agony. I massaged my forehead and left my room. Sex with Bob had left me in tears. That was the only fact I knew.
I was heading to the coffee maker when Aurora popped her head out of her room, already wearing her uniform. “Dad called last night.”
My heart raced. The custody arrangement wasn’t settled, but for a few weeks, I’d put him out of my mind entirely. “He did?”
She passed me and headed to the cereal. “It’s the first time I’ve heard from him.”
Right.This wasn’t about me. Though her calmness rocketed through me, I brushed her back to keep her calm in case she was upset. “Are you okay?”
She shrugged as if she wasn’t hurt. “Yeah. He was surprised I was in Manhattan and asked for you.”
Adrenaline rocked me. I headed to the coffee. It wasn’t like he would show up and destroy my life, but if he hurt our daughter, I would never forgive myself. I filled the pitcher with water. “Well, Jeff said his lawyer told him to sign over custody.”
I added my pod and hit Start. Aurora handed me the now practically empty cereal box. “He and his lawyer asked me what I wanted, and I said I want to be here with you every day. So, how was the party?”
Nothing fazed her, but I felt tense. His lawyers should not be speaking to my underage daughter without me. My shoulders were stiff. Once my coffee finished percolating, I sat down at the table and decided we needed to disappear. I would keep her safe that way, and besides, I doubted I could give Arman what he wanted.
“Good. I’m thinking it’s time to find another job and stop working for Arman.”
She stopped eating and tilted her head. “Did you two have a fight?”
I paused. The previous night, he’d been wonderful, and I’d done nothing but smooth out his work since I arrived. “Why do you ask that? He’s just my friend and my boss now.”
She finished her cereal and put her spoon down as if she was the adult. “I see the way you look at each other. It’s obvious, Mom, that you’re into him. And for the record, he’s been great, and I didn’t correct my teacher the day she thought he was my dad. I wish he was.”
My heart twisted. I’d pretended for weeks that the dream I’d always wanted in my life had come true. And if Arman was Aurora’s father, I’d be thrilled. However, I needed to stop her from having unrealistic expectations.
I should probably leave here and protect us both.
A knock at the door shook me, and I jumped. For a moment, I thought Bob had arrived to burst apart my idyllic life. Or steal my daughter.
I stood like a sentinel. “Were you expecting anyone?”
