Page 18 of Daddy's Laws

“Son of a bitch,” she muttered, ignoring the glare from a woman with a gaggle of kids around her.

Turning around, she stomped back to their spot and gathered her things before stomping the rest of the way back to the house. To his credit, Bryant didn’t so much as raise an eyebrow at her entrance.

“How do you feel about cheese and crackers, princess?”

God, it shouldn’t get under her skin the way it did when he called her that. Shouldn’t make her all soft and gooey, make her want things she had no business wanting.

Because it did make her feel all of that and more, she turned her nose up at his offer. “I’m going to take a shower and get dressed.”

“All right. Where are you headed?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him it wasn’t any of his business, until she remembered the rules she’d agreed to that made it his business. “I don’t know. Out.”

“Okay. Let me know when you plan to be home and make sure your phone is charged.”

She waited for more, but he turned away and continued working on his snack, or whatever it was he was putting together. “That’s it?”

“Yes.”

With a huff of frustration, she stormed over to him, jabbing her finger into his chest. “What kind of game are you playing here, Monroe?”

“No games.” Lifting his head, he gave her a small smile. “Those are the rules you agreed to. It would be unfair for me to expect more from you right now.”

“When have you ever cared about fair?”

“Since I realized how much I want you.”

The confession knocked her back a full step, panic clawing at her chest. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do, princess. And if I were your Daddy, you absolutely wouldn’t be going out alone without telling me where you’d be. You wouldn’t have made it past breakfast without getting that adorable little bottom of yours spanked and possibly fucked good and proper.”

Heat pulsed low in her core, nearly making her whimper. It had been far too long since she’d had a man in her bed, if she was letting Bryant get to her this way.

“Well.” She forced a smile, deliberately made it a little mean. “I guess it’s a good thing you’re not my Daddy, then.”

“I guess it is,” he returned with such measured calmness, she nearly screamed.

Turning on her heel, she fled the kitchen and headed straight for her bathroom, where her shower head got yet another work out.

* * *

Bryant waitedfor the sound of running water before slamming his fist against the granite countertop. The flash of pain soothed the part of him wanting to chase after her, to take, to claim her as his own.

Little brat was under his skin.

It wasn’t all bad, though, if her hasty exit from the kitchen was anything to judge by. The idea that maybe he was getting to her the way she’d gotten to him made him grin.

Liv had been right. He would be bored with a sweet, obedient submissive inside a week. It grated, a bit, to have someone else understand him more deeply than he seemed to understand himself, but he truly did relish the challenge of taming a brat like Shannon.

As if she somehow knew he’d been thinking about her, his phone rang and Liv’s face popped up on the screen. Picking up his plate, he grabbed the phone and headed for the small office off the living room. “Hey, brat. What’s up?”

“Bryant.”

The serious tone, lacking any of her usual playfulness, had alarm bells ringing in the back of his mind. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong, really.” But he could hear the hesitation in her voice, like she was getting ready to confess to some grave sin. “I have a favor to ask.”

“For you? Anything.”

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