He could feel the tension radiating off her. “Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”

  “If I lose my job, I won’t be able to support myself,” she said.

  “That isn’t a problem. You’re already staying here. You have no real need for your apartment. That should free up enough of your funds until you find a new position.”

  “Then Bradley will hate me even more.”

  He was going to kill his son.

  Taking a calming breath, he lifted her chin, so she was looking at him. “This isn’t about Bradley. Or your mom. Or anyone else for that matter. I’ve told you before. I want you in my bed. Not occasionally. Every night.”

  She held his gaze. “What if you get sick of me or need your space?”

  Something pulled at his gut. She thought he’d get sick of her? “Sweetheart, I’ve yearned for you for two years. If I need some space, or you do, this house is huge. You can keep the other room if you want, so you have a space that’s your own.”

  Something flashed in her eyes. Guilt? Fear? Maybe a mixture of both.

  “Tell me.”

  “My mom. She—she agrees with Bradley.”

  It took him a moment to process what she was saying. “She thinks you’re after my money?”

  Ali pressed her lips together and closed her eyes. He gave her chin a gentle squeeze, letting her know it was okay. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be as bad as she thought it was.

  She didn’t open her eyes. “Mom thinks I’ve landed myself a sugar daddy.”

  He dropped his hand, and she opened her eyes to look at him, all her emotions clear on her face. Her mother was a piece of work. “What your mother, or Bradley, or anyone else thinks of our relationship doesn’t matter. What matters is how we feel about it.”

  She lowered her head to his lap. “I don’t know what to do.”

  He knew she wasn’t only talking about her mom now. She had an apartment she couldn’t stay in because of her neighbor, her boss made her job something she dreaded going to every day, she’d embarked on a new relationship dynamic with him only to have to deal with his son’s judgment, and now she was adding her mother to the mix. And that didn’t take into consideration she was also dealing with her menstrual cycle, something he’d learned way too much about raising a teenage daughter.

  Daniel ran a hand over her hair. “I want you to let it go tonight. Tomorrow morning, you are going to go into work and do the best you can. If your boss starts to harass you, I want you to call me immediately.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  They sat there for a while, him stroking her hair, letting go of all the stress the day had caused for both of them. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to what had to happen next, but it needed to be done.

  Raising her head, he waited for her gaze to meet his. “Remove all your clothing except your panties. You may leave those on.”

  Daniel rose from the bed, leaving her kneeling on the floor. He walked into his closet, and she knew what was coming. She’d screwed up today. After everything that had happened at work, she’d thought she could drop by her house, get the things she needed, and be back at his house in no time. Then, her mother showed up.

  Ali got to her feet and began removing her clothes. She knew the only reason he was allowing her to keep her panties on was because she’d told him she’d started her period. Otherwise, she had no doubt she would be naked.

  Folding her clothes and placing them on the floor a few feet away, she returned to stand beside the bed with her head bowed. He strolled out of the closet with wooden paddle in one hand and a ball gag in the other.

  She’d known discipline was coming. He’d spanked subs he’d played with at the club for less and they had no agreement outside of the designated play. She was his. His to pleasure and his to punish. But the ball gag...

  He placed both the paddle and the gag on the bed, then returned to where he’d been sitting before on the edge of the mattress. Her heart was going a mile a minute. Had her misstep warranted being gagged?

  “I brought the gag in case you wanted to use it to stay quiet,” he said, as if reading her mind. “The choice is yours.”

  She glanced at the gag and thought about what he’d said. This was not going to be a pleasure spanking. It would hurt and not in a good way. If she cried out, Bradley and her mom might hear her. The gag would muffle the sound.

  Even knowing this, she couldn’t do it.

  “Thank you for offering, Sir, but I would rather not be gagged.”

  He nodded. “Across my lap, then.”

  Over their short time playing together, he’d flogged her, poured hot wax on her, tied her up and teased her, but this was the first time he’d punished her.

  She placed her knees on the bed and lowered herself across his lap. Resting her head against the mattress, she fisted the covers, preparing herself.

  Daniel shifted, adjusting her where he wanted her. Then, he rested the paddle on her thighs. “Do you know why you’re being punished?”

  “Yes, Sir,” she mumbled against the blankets. “I didn’t call to let you know I was deviating from my schedule.”

  “The last time you kept things from me, I told you there’d be consequences if it happened again.”

  The memory of their conversation in the kitchen felt like ages ago. She’d told him about her boss, and he had in fact told her there would be consequences the next time she kept things from him. When she’d decided to run to her apartment after work, she hadn’t thought about calling him. She hadn’t thought it would be a big deal. In hindsight, she could see her error. “Yes, Sir. You did.”

  “I won’t make you count out loud tonight out of respect for our house guests.”

  It was something and she’d take it. “Thank you, Sir.”

  He brought the paddle to her ass. “You will take twenty hits of my paddle.”

  Tears were already beginning to sting her eyes and he hadn’t even done anything yet. She’d seen the relief in his eyes when he’d walked into her apartment. He’d gone to her work looking for her. She’d caused him distress. She would take his punishment, whatever it was. “Yes, Sir.”

  Her words hung in the air for a long moment, and then he lifted the paddle and brought it down hard on her backside. She pressed her lips together, trying to stay quiet as he landed another blow to her flesh.

  By the tenth hit, her ass was burning. She buried her face in the covers, biting the fabric as tears streamed down her face.

  Eventually, he stopped, his hand coming to rest on her hot cheeks.

  She didn’t move.

  He ran a hand over her head. “Allison, look at me.”

  Relaxing her jaw, she let the blanket fall from her mouth and opened her eyes to look at him. He swiped at the tears running down her face. “You did well.”

  She held his gaze for a long moment. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean...”

  Daniel continued to brush at the moisture on her cheeks. “Come here.”

  Rolling to her side, he helped her to sit up. The new position put pressure on her ass, reminding her of her punishment.

  He wrapped his arms around her, tucking her head beneath his chin. His lips grazed the top of her hair as he held her, letting her cry. It wasn’t only the physical pain she cried about, but also the weight of disappointing him. She should have called him, or at least sent a text.

  Her tears began to ebb and her breathing returned to normal, matching its rhythm to his. “Feeling better?” he asked.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He tilted her chin up and gave her a soft kiss. “Get yourself ready for bed. I’m going to make sure everything’s locked up for the night.”

  Ali nodded and got off his lap. Her backside was still burning, but she knew it would be. He hadn’t held back when he spanked her, and she would still feel it in the morning.

  She took her time in the bathroom washing her face, brushing her hair, and taking care of business. Remaining in only her panties, she headed back into the bedroom and crawled into bed.

  The sound of people talking drew her attention, but they were far enough away she couldn’t make out what they were saying or even who they were. She figured one had to be Daniel but was the other one Bradley? Or worse, her mother?

  The urge to throw on a robe and investigate was there, but she pushed that notion back where it came from. Daniel had told her to get ready for bed. And while he hadn’t specifically told her to wait for him in bed, it had been implied and she wasn’t about to disobey him again. Not only couldn’t her bottom take it, but neither could her heart.

  It felt like an hour before the bedroom door opened and Daniel walked through, although it was probably more like ten minutes. His gaze landed on her in his bed and from the look on his face, she knew she’d made the right decision.

  He strolled to the hamper and began removing his clothes. His back was to her, and she watched as his muscles flexed with each movement.

  When he turned around, he caught her staring. A small smile pulled at his lips. “Roll onto your stomach. I want to put some cream on your ass before bed.”

  Ali did as he requested, carefully getting into position.

  He moved one side of her panties out of the way and rubbed the cream into her backside, then did the same to the other side. She bit the inside of her cheek. Even though he wasn’t pressing hard, it was still tender.

  Returning the cream to the nightstand, he went into the bathroom. She stayed where she was while he was gone. Part of her didn’t want to move because every time she did, her sensitive bottom scraped against the sheets. The other part wanted to stay there to give the cream time to soak in. It wouldn’t do any good if she rubbed all of it off on the sheets.

  She was still in the same position when Daniel emerged from the en suite. He walked to his side of the bed, pulled the covers back, and lay down. “Come here.”

  Without hesitation, Ali moved closer to him, turning on her side so she could rest her head on his shoulder. He circled his arms around her, holding her tight. She could hear his heartbeat beneath her ear, and she let the steady beat relax her. “Good night, Sir.”

  He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Good night, sweetheart.”

  CHAPTER 26

  The sun wasn’t up yet when Daniel crawled out of bed the next morning. Ali was sleeping soundly, the covers tucked under her chin as high as they could go.

  After a few minutes in the bathroom, he slipped into his swim trunks and made his way out to the pool. The morning air was brisk, and he wasted no time tossing his towel onto one of the lounge chairs and diving into the water.

  One of the things Daniel loved most about swimming was how he could either push himself until his muscles ached and his lungs burned, or he could glide through the water and let his mind drift. This morning, he needed to blow off some steam, so he pushed himself hard. He didn’t stop until his lungs felt like they were going to burst out of his chest.

  Resting on the edge of the pool with his forearms pressing against the cool tile, he watched the sun rise over the back of his property. It was a new day, and he knew it was going to come with a new set of challenges. Ali’s boss needed to be dealt with. He’d cleared his calendar for the morning and was going to spend the time going through the folder Peter had sent him.

  Normally, he’d stay at the house to do that, but he feared that would be a bad idea. Ali’s mom was an unknown factor. He didn’t know enough about her to get a read on her next move, which meant he needed to be cautious.

  Zelda Foster thought her daughter had landed herself a sugar daddy. Something he didn’t think had the same negative connotation in Zelda’s mind as it did in Bradley’s. From what Ali had shared with him, her mother tended to bounce from man to man, returning to Ali only when each relationship came to an end.

  The French doors at the back of the house opened and he turned to see Bradley. His son had thrown on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and was carrying two cups of coffee.

  “You’re up early,” Daniel said.

  His son placed one mug down on the table and took a sip of the other. “I could say the same for you.”

  Daniel swam to the other side of the pool and hoisted himself up. He climbed out of the pool, water dripping from his limbs. “I’m always up this early.”

  Bradley waited until Daniel dried himself with the towel and picked up his coffee before he said anything more. “I overheard you talking to Ali’s mother last night.”

  Taking a drink of his coffee, Daniel waited to see what his son had to say. His conversation with Zelda Foster had been interesting to say the least.

  “I can’t believe she asked you how much you’re worth.”

  The sad part was he could believe it. She looked at him, at his house, and she saw dollar signs. And if he read her right, she wasn’t only seeing them for her daughter, but for herself as well.

  When he didn’t respond, Bradley ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up on end. He'd done that a lot growing up. Bradley was the most serious of his children and he often became frustrated when things weren’t going the way he thought they should. “I did some digging—”

  Daniel stopped with the mug halfway to his mouth. “The next words out of your mouth better not be, I did some digging on Ali.”

  A guilty look crossed his face.

  “Bradley.”

  “Look, I know you’re probably mad.”

  Daniel narrowed his eyes at his son. “Probably?”

  “Okay, I knew you’d be mad, but I was concerned. You’re my dad and—”

  “And I can think and act for myself. I’m not feeble and senile, yet.”

  “Dad, would you listen? Please?”

  “If you’re going to try and convince me again that Ali’s after my money, then you’re wasting your breath.”

  “No.” Bradley blew out a breath. “I mean, I still haven’t made up my mind about her yet, but I’m more concerned with her mom.”

  So was Daniel, but he didn’t say it.

  “Ali’s mom...she’s...well, she’s almost a ghost.”

  “A ghost?”

  Bradley rolled his eyes like he had when he was a kid. “A ghost. She has next to no work history. I can’t find any record of her buying a house or renting an apartment for the last twenty years, and her credit rating is zero.”

  Daniel processed that. No work history could mean two things. She was either working and getting paid under the table, or she was getting money by other means. He tried not to think what those other means might be.

  The woman he saw last night hadn’t looked strung out on drugs. In fact, aside from the drinking, she seemed well put together. Older than Ali, sure, but she took care of herself. Zelda Foster wasn’t living in back alleys and eating from a dumpster.

  “Who, at her age, has a zero credit rating and no work history.”

  Bradley said it as a statement, not a question, but Daniel answered it anyway. “I don’t know.”

  “I bet Ali does.”

  Daniel narrowed his eyes at his son. “Watch yourself.”

  Bradley blew out another breath. “She has to be getting money from somewhere.”

  He couldn’t disagree with that. Zelda Foster showed up on Ali’s doorstep every time one of her relationships du jour ended. It was possible she hitchhiked her way from wherever she was, but what about food?

  Glancing over his shoulder, he looked toward his bedroom where Ali was still sleeping. Did she know where her mother was getting her money, or had she learned long ago not to ask? Knowing Ali, he was betting on the latter.

  Daniel turned back to his son. “I’ll talk to Ali about it. For now, though, I want you to stay out of it. We have enough problems right now without adding to them.”

  “Did you look over the file?” his son asked, switching subjects without blinking.

  “No. Not yet.”

  Bradley nodded. “If you need any help...”

  “Thanks.”

  Slinging his wet towel over his shoulder, Daniel checked his watch. He needed to grab a shower and wake Ali. They had to pick up her car at her apartment this morning. “Are you going to be hanging around the house today?” he asked his son.

  “Yeah, I’ll be around.”

  “If you want something to do, keep an eye on Zelda and make sure she doesn’t get into anything. I need to head into the office and Ali has work.”

  His son relaxed his shoulders. “I can do that.”

  Nodding, Daniel turned to go, leaving his son to enjoy the rest of the sunrise on his own.

  Something soft brushed against the inside of Ali’s thighs. It worked its way higher, and then it was between her legs, brushing over her clit. She tried to press her legs together to ease the ache growing low in her belly, but there was an obstacle in her way.

  She groaned, irritated she couldn’t put pressure where she needed it most when the pressure on her clit increased. Her eyes flew open.

  Daniel stared down at his hand between her legs. She tried to reach for him but realized her arms were secured above her head.

  Arching her back, she gasped as he drove her higher toward her peak. She could feel her climax knocking on the door. How long had he been touching her before she’d woken up?

  He increased his speed, making her pussy pulse with pleasure. His eyes never left hers as he drove her higher with nothing but his fingers. The need to release so close she could taste it.

  “Do you want to come?”

  “Yes, Sir.” The words came out breathy. She sounded desperate and she was.

  He didn’t give her permission right away, making her wait. “Come.”

  With permission given, she let go, letting her body have what it desired. He gave her the pressure she needed to send her flying. A high-pitched whine pealed from deep in her throat as she rode the wave of her climax.

  Daniel didn’t remove his fingers until the last ripple of her orgasm dissipated, then he leaned down and captured her lips with his.

  As he continued to kiss her, she realized he was already dressed. She gazed up at him as he hovered over her, her arms still tied to the headboard.