Page 39 of Rough Daddy
"Tessa?" I yell, walking toward the guest cabin. "Baby?”
I hear an engine roar to life, and turn to see her sitting in my truck. Her eyes are fixed forward, like if she doesn’t see me then I can’t see her either.
She's about to drive away. About to disappear from my life forever.
No fucking chance.
I reach the truck just as she throws it into reverse, and I slam my hand against the driver's door.
"You're not leaving like this."
She spins to face me through the open window, wheel gripped in her shaking hands. Her face is streaked with tears, her eyes wild with panic.
"I have to! I left you a note. I… It explains everything."
"I alreadyknoweverything. Your brother needs you. And you need me. You're upset, Tessa. You're not fucking driving like this.”
"Don't," she hisses, and I hate myself for not fixing this sooner. "Don't tempt me to stay, Beau, because that's all I want. But my brother comes first. He's my life. He can't survive without me."
"Stop trying to take on the world by yourself." She's right about a few things, but not about leaving without me. "You're going to get yourself killed out there."
"I’ll be fine, Beau. I’ve always been fine. I have Ethan and he has me, and that’s all either of us needs—"
"Like fuck." I grab the handle, wrenching the door open. "You think I'm letting you drive off into whatever shit is waiting for you? Alone?"
"It's either that or youdohurt me, Beau. Because that's the only way you're going to stop me." She scrambles over the seat to the passenger door.
I grab the keys from the ignition, shutting the truck down as she climbs out. She scrambles against the ground, feet kicking up dirt as she takes off down the driveway.
Fuck that. She’s mine, and she’s about to discover what that means.
She’s quick, but each of my strides covers four of hers. I catch up to her before she even hits the track that winds down the mountain, my thick arms wrapping around her middle and lifting her clean off the ground.
“No!” she screams, thrashing and kicking. “You don’t understand! Beau, I have to go to him. Heneedsme!”
“Wrong. He needsus. You and me, baby girl.” I kneel in the dirt, putting her across my knees and lifting her denim skirt. “And it looks like I need to remind you of a few rules.”
She’s still thrashing when the first smack lands on her ass. She cries out, tries to wriggle free, the little white sandals she has on falling to the ground.
“Enough!” I roar. All the fear about hurting her washes away, because she’s damn sure going to hurt herself.
“I’m not listening!” The little brat jabs her index fingers in her ears and squeezes her eyes shut.
“Okay. Not a problem. You’re not gonna listen? Well, you’ll damn sure feel—”
I flip her up into the air and spin her bratty ass around, pinning her face down onto the stone shelf of the outdoor oven where I baked her that fucking amazing sourdough bread that first night.
I force her thighs apart with my knee.
“Guess you’re gonna hurt me now!” She flings her head back and forth, throwing an elbow into my ribs.
I stuff one hand under her skirt, fingers prying the lace of her underwear off her ass, ripping them down her legs, then stuffing them into her mouth.
She spits them out as I fumble with the button of my jeans. When I’m finally free, I angle her ass up, keeping one hand flat between her shoulder blades.
“Big tough Daddy now, huh?” She wiggles her ass, but she’s not fighting. She’s putting up a little protest tantrum.
Well, I’m gonna fuck all that right out of her.
