Page 64 of Double Daddies
“In certain areas, yes, so until we have explained all the dangers, you are not to go outside the perimeters of the house or the beach area. Is that clear?”
She pressed her lips together. “As crystal.”
Drake’s dark frown deepened, transforming his handsome features into an intimidating mask. Gone was the gentle man who had held her through the night.
Rolling her eyes with deliberate insolence, she added with an elaborate sigh, “As crystal...Daddy.”
The title dripped with defiance, but Elle couldn’t shake the guilty knot in her stomach as Amanda nodded with approval. She was a businesswoman and an A-rated baker, yet here she stood, being scolded like an errant child. The contradiction made her head spin.
Chapter Eighteen
DD Estate, Dreamer’s Cove
Elle
The tension at breakfast was palpable, with Elle maintaining a frigid silence and refusing to meet either man’s gaze. She wasn’t halfway through her meal when Drake’s chair scraped against the floor as he stood abruptly.
“I have some emails to write. I suggest you address her sulking attitude while I’m gone, Damian. I don’t have the patience this morning, and I sure as hell don’t look forward to this kind of behavior every time we reprimand her.” His retreating footsteps were punctuated by a final warning. “Be sure to remind her that she should be grateful she can still sit since I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to spank her or whip her with a branch switch.”
“That’s not fair,” Elle protested lamely. Her chest ached as she watched him disappear, noticing how his entire posture radiated disappointment. After falling asleep in his arms last night, this distance was like a physical blow. She turned to Damian with misery painted like a Picasso over her face. “Younever said I’m not allowed to leave the house or go for walks or runs.”
Damian lounged in his chair. He was the picture of casual grace in white shorts and an open cotton shirt that displayed his ripped abdomen. Where Drake blazed with intensity, Damian exuded a steady calm that drew her in just as powerfully.
“You’re right, we didn’t,” he acknowledged gently. “But that doesn’t mean we didn’t get a fright to find you gone and reacted accordingly, Elle.”
“I might be fulfilling a role as your Little, but I’m not a helpless child. I am a grown woman, and if you expect me to turn into a mindless twit who only follows instructions and is never allowed to do anything other than be at your beck and call... then I’m afraid my fate is sealed... I will end up in jail because I’m not that kind of person... that kind of slave Little.”
Damian leaned forward. His eyes were intense despite his relaxed demeanor. “Elle, it’s your independence, assertiveness, and confidence that drew us to you in the first place, as much as that yearning deep in your eyes to be nurtured. That’s our goal… to protect and nurture you. We’ll never expect you to change the individual that you are, only to let free the deep desires hidden inside you. We’ll never ask you to stop being the independent woman you are, only to be our woman in the way we see you fulfilling our lives. We’ll never ask you to stop dreaming or reaching your goals, only that we are part of the big picture.”
Elle’s breath caught. “You’re... it sounds like you’re talking about the future... far beyond the three-month agreement this is supposed to be.”
“And if I were?” He watched her unblinkingly. “We’ve been preparing for this for years.” Shaking his head, he smiled wryly. “Did you honestly believe we just picked you because you vandalized our property?”
“To be honest, I have no idea why you chose me. I’m nothing but a broke baker and,”—she laughed cynically—“so far out of your league it’s laughable. I don’t suit your wealthy patrons or the exalted circles you move in. Bottom line, I am the worst fit you could ever have imagined... and I’m not even referring to being a loser as a Little.”
With a sob, she fled to the nursery, locking herself in the bathroom, not even wondering why there was a key in the door since they were adamant about taking care of her every need.
Under the warm spray of the shower, tears flowed freely. In a very short time, these two men had become inexplicably intertwined in her heart. They were so different, yet they functioned as one seamless unit. Where Drake blazed with intensity and demanded immediate compliance, Damian’s quiet authority drew willing submission. Drake’s touch set her ablaze, while Damian’s gentle commands made her melt.
They knew exactly when to trade roles, too—like just now. Drake had stepped away, knowing his fury would only fuel her defiance. Damian took over with his calm reasoning, speaking directly to her heart when she was most likely to listen. Yet last night, it had been Drake’s strong arms she had sought for comfort.
She pressed her forehead against the cool tiles. How had they become so essential to her existence? They weren’t two separate entities in her mind anymore but rather two halves of a whole that she craved with equal measure. The thought of choosing between them was impossible, like being asked to choose between breathing and her heartbeat. Both were vital, irreplaceable.
“Wait. Years?” Her mind snagged on Damian’s words. She had never met them before two weeks ago. Fear clawed at her throat before reason reasserted itself. They were respected businessmen, not kidnappers. They had their pick of willingwomen, so why force anyone, especially her? No, Damian must have said it to throw her off balance. That had to be it.
But even as she dismissed the notion, his words echoed in her mind, along with the undeniable truth that walking away from them would shatter her completely.
Since the day was warm, Elle put on a bright red bikini under white shorts and a t-shirt. The mirror reflected a woman trying to project confidence she didn’t feel. She had realized when she found more ‘grownup’ clothes that the Little look was reserved for the privacy of their property and that there was an entire selection for when they wandered to other islands.
After hiding in the nursery for hours, hunger finally drove her from her sanctuary.
Following deep male voices, she found them at the pool-side lattice where Chef Marco was setting out an array of grilled fish, fresh fruits, and crusty bread. The sight of her Daddies lounging in swimming trunks sent heat coursing through her veins. Water droplets traced tempting paths down their muscled chests, suggesting they had just emerged from the pool.
Wringing her hands, she approached with lowered eyes. “I’m sorry for my attitude this morning, Daddies. I guess I’m not Little material after all. I’m sorry you’ve wasted all the time and effort to bring me here.”
The silence stretched until Drake spoke in an unexpectedly gentle tone. “Sit down, baby girl. Your lunch is getting cold.”
She sank into a chair between them, biting back the questions burning on her tongue with difficulty. Damian selected morsels of grilled fish and mango.
