Page 26 of Daddy's Laws

“Well… I wouldn’t want to be wasteful.”

“I’ll let you know when it’s ready.” Leaning down, he brushed a kiss across her forehead and her traitorous damn heart went wild.

It was far too intimate for their arrangement. Needing some space, she stepped around him and dropped into one of the Adirondack chairs. A moment later, she heard the sound of the storm door sliding shut behind him.

For the first time since she’d stepped onto the back deck, she drew in an easy breath. The man was far too potent for her own good. Settling back into the chair, she picked at her fruit, munching quietly as she let the sound of the waves soothe her the way only the ocean could. There was something magical about the beach, and she didn’t understand people who said they preferred the mountains. A cabin in the woods was good for a short, romantic getaway, but nothing put her at ease like crashing waves and warm, gentle breezes.

All too soon, she heard him calling her name. She very nearly ignored him, but in the end decided not to step over the line from bratty straight into rude. And besides, maybe if she proved she could be a good girl, he would give her some relief from the persistent, throbbing need between her legs.

“Would you mind getting some plates and silverware, princess?”

After you bend me over the island and fuck me until we both forget our names, Sir.Biting back a groan at her errant thoughts, she nodded. “Sure.”

Once she had both place settings set, he placed a cup of coffee in front of each one. “Medium roast with a splash of cream, right?”

The fact that he knew her coffee order shouldn’t have her ready to melt into a puddle at his feet. Steeling herself against her wayward emotions, she picked up her mug and sipped. “Close enough.”

A twitch of his lips told her he saw right through her forced nonchalance, but he didn’t comment.

“I forgot to ask, how was your time out yesterday?” he asked when they’d both settled in with their breakfast.

“Good. I drove down to the end of the Boardwalk.” Giving him a sideways glance, she watched his face as she continued. “I rode The Slingshot.”

Even if he ended up paddling her ass, it would be worth it for the way his jaw dropped at her casual pronouncement. But instead of anger, she was met with a joyful kind of eagerness. “You did? How was it? Was it fun?”

Forcing herself not to show her surprise, she nodded. “It was. I rode with this other girl who was there by herself.”

“I’ve been wanting to do that for years. We should go again sometime this week. My treat.”

“Seriously?”

His grin was so openly boyish it took ten years off him. “Yeah. Usually when I’m out this way, I’m working, so I don’t have a lot of time to do all the tourist trap stuff. And I always tell myself I’m going to make time for it, but I never have.”

“I thought… never mind.”

“Uh uh, none of that. You start a thought, you finish it, little girl.”

“I’m not a little girl,” she snapped, stabbing at her waffle.

“Really? Because you’re acting like a little girl on the verge of a tantrum and I’m not exactly sure why.”

She wasn’t really sure, either, and it just annoyed her even more. “I guess I thought you’d be pissed.”

“Pissed that you went out and had fun?” he asked, his voice full of confusion.

“Yes. No. The whole not putting myself in danger thing, I guess.”

“Were you in danger?”

“No, but I thought you might see it that way.”

“Shannon. Look at me, please.”

She rolled her eyes but forced her gaze up to meet his. “What?”

“I’m not looking to control every little thing you do while you’re here. You want to go out and have fun, then go. Riding an attraction that’s been engineered and tested for safety is perfectly acceptable. Staying under water until you’re ready to pass out and almost drowning yourself, is not. See the difference?”

“Yeah.” Warmth blossomed in her chest as she smiled at him. “Thanks. It actually means a lot that you’re not mad.”

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