Page 18 of Melt For Us, Daddy
“Thanks again for letting me borrow some clothes, Frankie.”
Stretched out on her bed, Frankie waved a hand. “Don’t mention it. I wouldn’t want to go home if I were you, either.”
Toward the end of their impromptu girls’ brunch at Silver’s house, Ivy had been faced with the problem of needing to go home and get ready for work. Cordelia was most likely at their apartment, waiting for her to return, and even though her friends had spent hours picking the problem apart and giving her advice, she wasn’t feeling steady enough for the showdown she knew was coming.
Frankie had immediately offered up her own wardrobe, since she and Ivy were a similar size, even if Ivy was a couple inches shorter. But Ivy had jumped at the chance to put off seeing Cordelia even just for another few hours. And, she had to admit as she twisted and turned in front of the full-length mirror in Frankie’s bedroom, her friend had some excellent clothes to choose from. She’d chosen a corset in a pale lavender that seemed to make her skin glow, and paired it with a short, white skirt that was sure to get her plenty of tips tonight.
“If you ever decide to get rid of some of this stuff, let me know so I can go shopping in your closet,” Ivy said, turning away from her reflection to grin at the redheaded beauty. “This set is gorgeous.”
“You can have it. I love that shade of purple but it doesn’t really love me back, unfortunately. And I’m sure Holden would love it if I gave some stuff away.”
“You sure? I can totally pay you for it.”
“Nah, don't worry about it. Half that stuff’s just collecting dust in the closet.”
“Well… thanks. I appreciate it.”
Frankie’s phone beeped twice, a second before the front door opened and closed, followed by the sound of Holden’s boots on the stairs.
“Hey, baby. I thought you’d still be at—oh.” Holden’s gaze landed on Ivy and he frowned. “Hello, Ivy. Frankie didn’t tell me you’d be here.”
There was a slight note of censure in his tone that had Ivy’s stomach flipping over. “Sorry. I had a, um, fashion emergency.”
“And I didn’t realize I had to get your permission to bring people over, Dad.”
Holden raised a brow, and again Ivy’s stomach did that familiar flip, even though she wasn’t the one in trouble.
“You don’t need my permission. But I would have appreciated a heads-up. I would do the same for you, before bringing someone to our home.”
The rebuke had twin spots of pink blossoming on Frankie’s cheeks. “Sorry. I should have told you. It was just kind of a spur of the moment thing. Because of… stuff.”
“I know.” Turning back to Ivy, his lips curved up in a sympathetic smile. “Cordelia told me about your fight. For what it’s worth, I think she realizes how badly she messed up. You should go home, let her explain before your shift. No sense being pissed at each other at the club.”
He had a point. One that she’d been arguing with herself about for hours. The last thing she wanted was a big blow-up at the club. And yet, the thought of going home left her feeling hollow inside. She offered up a weak smile and a nod for Holden, praying he wouldn’t push the issue.
“She’s not ready to talk to Cordelia yet. And I don’t blame her. Who the hell lies about having a husband?”
Thank god for Frankie.
“I don’t think it’s that straightforward, little siren.”
“Seems pretty straightforward to me. If I keep shit from you, I get my ass beat. I bet it’s the same for Ivy here. How come we can’t have secrets, but the Doms can?”
And that was the other half of the argument Ivy had been having with herself. And the point she kept circling back around to. The point that never failed to reignite her anger, just when she thought she had gotten it back under control.
“That’s between Cordelia and Ivy.”
Jumping up from her spot on the bed, Frankie planted her fists on her hips. “Oh, so you can tell Ivy to go home and make nice but I can’t tell her she’s totally justified in not wanting to? That’s bullshit, Holden.”
“That isn’t what I said, Francesca. And unless you want a sore bottom before we even leave for the club tonight, I suggest you watch your tone with me, little girl.”
“Seriously? Our friends are going through a whole shitstorm right now and you’re worried about my tone?”
Holden sighed and reached for the cuff of his dress shirt, popping open the buttons. “Ivy, would you mind giving us the room for a moment?”
“Um, yes, sir,” Ivy managed to squeak out before hurrying out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her. Curiosity got the better of her, however, and she stayed there in the hall, straining her ears to hear what came next.
Not that she had to strain at all. The sound of a palm meeting bare skin, followed by Frankie’s whining protests came through loud and clear.
