Page 28 of Daddy's Pursuit
Chapter Sixteen
“I have rules,” Jack announced as he buckled Iris into his SUV’s front passenger seat.
He let the statement hang in the air as he closed her door and walked around to his spot. Sliding behind the steering wheel and firing up the vehicle, he put his own seatbelt on and then continued.
“This one is very important, so listen up. You stay with me at all times. No wandering off by yourself. Got it?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I still can’t get over that little stunt you tried to pull the other night. Sleeping on the streets and all.”
He could tell, by the sound of her voice, that Iris was uncomfortable admitting what she said next.
“I’ve done it before.”
“That was before you met me,” he stated. “You won’t be doing it again.”
He pulled out of the drive and onto the palm-tree-lined street. It wasn’t dark yet, instead being that beautiful time of evening that only L.A. summers can deliver. Everything had a golden-and-pink hue, and the world looked shiny and friendly.
But he knew how the city was: beautiful but dangerous, if you went to the wrong places and got connected with the wrong people. Tragically, he saw it every day.
He’d be damned if his sweetie would fall victim to that.
Okay, so she didn’t know she washisyet. But that didn’t change the fact that she was. She’d figure it out soon enough. Until then, it was still his job to keep her safe.
If he had to be strict to do so, then so be it. It was what she needed.
“Rule number two,” he went on, “do whatever I say.”
He’d nearly said, “Do whateverDaddysays.” But he’d caught himself at the last moment. He had no qualms about the title. It wasn’t something he threw around loosely, either. It was a term reserved only for Iris. The other Littles called him Jack Daddy, but that was just the silly nickname they’d pinned to him. But when it came to simplyDaddy, only one Little would refer to him that way.
But he didn’t want to push Iris too quickly. She’d get there in her own time.
Thinking again about the rules, he continued, “That one kind of encompasses everything. But it’s important. If I make a rule, it’s for your own good. One of your jobs is to just be a good girl and obey. That way, you don’t have to worry about anything except having fun. And, as it turns out, that’s rule number three. Have fun.”
He didn’t want to take his eyes off the road for very long, so he only briefly looked over to try and gauge how Iris was handling all this.
Based on the peaceful, whimsical look on her face, she was taking it all just fine. In fact, he couldn’t swear to it, but it sure looked like there was a tear of happiness sliding from her left eye that matched the grin she wore.
Would she still feel that way when he finished the conversation?
It was time to find out.
“If you disobey, sweetie, it won’t be so fun. I can easily pull you aside somewhere private and take this belt off if that’s what I need to do. So stay close to me and follow the rules.”
He reached over and placed his hand on her knee, squeezing it gently to let her know that he was still the gentle, fun-loving guy who cared about her.
“Yes, Sir,” she said.
He was delighted when her hand found his and held it tightly.
This night was already shaping up to be wonderful.
The ice-cream shop wasn’t too busy, and the couple had plenty of privacy as they sat at a table along one of the walls.
Ever the cop, Jack sat where he could watch the front door. He also had a good view of most of the room. If any trouble sprang up, he’d be ready to protect Iris and everyone else in there.
He didn’t think that would be necessary, though. All seemed calm. Still, L.A. had taught him that things could change any second.
