by Celia Crown
The clearest dissonance in my head is that Daddy is a possessive man, and he let Mr. Stephan touch me. I can’t wrap my head around the reasoning and thought the process of Daddy in this circumstance.
Maybe he’s Daddy’s important business contractor, and they do a lot of business together, and maybe he doesn’t want to offend Mr. Stephan because it might lead to a business dispute.
It must be, I convince myself.
I don’t want to think about it, but the phantom throb of my butt from both Daddy and Mr. Stephan’s palms is a strong reminder.
I keep thinking of Mr. Stephan’s dark scent and the way he watches me as if I’m a prey ready to be devoured if I put my guard down for one bit. He can certainly pounce on me whether I want him or not, and it makes me wonder if Daddy would stop him.
Daddy looked pleased when I admitted that I wanted Mr. Stephan. It’s not the behavior of the possessive and overly protective man that I have been living with, and it’s the change that brings my heart smashing against my ribs.
It’s a breath of fresh air with the new discovery.
They do seem to know each other well; they seemed much closer than how normal acquaintances would act towards each other.
What a mystery!
Chapter Three
Pepper
When Mr. Stephan said soon, I thought he meant days or weeks and not the day after.
Technically, it’s the evening after.
Daddy said he has a gathering to go to, and I was to accompany him. I didn’t exactly have a say in it. If it was up to me, I wouldn’t have gone because socializing isn’t my thing. I would rather stay at home for the night and cuddle with him and listen to the strong thump of his heart while it lures me to sleep.
That’s the kind of night that I look forward to, not some gathering of rich people laughing and sipping on champagne.
The worst thing about this fundraiser is that I can’t even go near a sip of alcohol, and the food bar is off-limits. Daddy knows I’ll get occupied with the food and get a tummy ache when I eat too much. I have no self-control, but it’s a good way to avoid talking to people.
I know they have questions as to why Daddy, being a much older man, would have his arms around a girl probably too young for him.
For the record, I am not too young. I’m just not old enough to drink yet, and even if I am, his strict rules prohibit me from going near it.
I wonder what kind of drunk I would be: the angrily loud drunk or the emotional one. I’m most likely the giggling one since it suits me the best; I don’t have much to be angry about or be too emotional.
“You’re here,” Mr. Stephan steps closer, and I try really hard to not blend into Daddy’s side.
My dress is a short one. Daddy wants me to look like a doll for him, and I happily obliged. It’s not every day he lets me wear something this short outside of his mansion, and that is if he’s feeling generous.
This is a costumed dress that is form-fitting; the strapless top hugs my breasts and the little frilly puffiness at the bottom tickles my bare thighs. I have on a pair of little heels that boost up my frame, but I’m still a midget beside these two titans.
I feel exposed under their gaze; my arms are getting cold as I shyly wave at Mr. Stephan. My voice is stuck in my throat as his dashing beauty rivals Daddy’s in a sinister race that derails my heart.
Mr. Stephan bends his waist; the suit jacket stretches over his massive shoulders as his shadow covers the light from the chandelier above us. My breath hitches as he leans in closer. Daddy’s strong arm locks me to his side as Mr. Stephan’s lips touch my cheek.
I whimper at the scruffy sensation that scratched my skin. Heat pools in my tummy, and another sense of déjà vu runs through my body as my cheeks redden. As he fixes his posture, the chandelier beams the warmth of the light on my skin, and Mr. Stephan swipes the bottom of my lip with his thumb.
My lips are tinted with a lovely pink lip product that is waterproof and smudge-proof, so his finger doesn’t pick up any color.
He smiles, and I’m ready to melt to the ground if Daddy’s arm isn’t holding me up. I should be worried about his reaction to Mr. Stephan’s kiss, and it’s the same again. Daddy doesn’t look too bothered by it, and it’s worrying me; he should be knocking Mr. Stephan’s jaw loose already.
Any other person would be half dead on the ground with his fists bloodied, and it’s not the first time he took matters into his own hands when I’m made uncomfortable.
Maybe Daddy’s not doing anything because I actually like Mr. Stephan’s attention and his relationship with Daddy gives him a lot of leeway into what he can do.
Please don’t tell me he is some royalty from another country. I don’t want to offend him and get the capital punishment. I’m too young to be on death row, and I haven’t committed any crime yet.
Well, I don’t know what is considered a crime or not when it comes to royalty. I feel like if I look at him weird and he brings down Daddy’s hard-worked company, it’s not going to happen on my watch.
I’m going to be a big girl and protect his company. Anything Mr. Stephan wants me to do, I will do it, albeit reluctantly and not so unwillingly. Actually, I wouldn’t do anything Mr. Stephan asks me to; I have a boundary and that is Daddy’s commands.
He’s going to have to get through Daddy’s murderous temper first.
I’m afraid to see the end results because Mr. Stephan looks very capable too.
“The next shipment comes in exactly one week later,” Mr. Stephan’s voice brings me back to this dreadful gathering.
I have no idea what the purpose for it is, but it’s important enough for Daddy to come. I never come to these so today is a special day. He says that I have to be here for reasons that he wouldn’t say and I don’t push him either.
If the reason is important, he would have told me.
“What took them so long?” Daddy grunts as he slams the glass of champagne down on the round table.
My eyes go to the glass with small bubbles rising to the top. The gorgeous golden color is light and transparently beautiful. I want to run my tongue over that drink, and I can almost taste the yellow cream soda in my head. Champagne does have a similar look to cream soda, and I’m suddenly craving the carbonated sweet drink.
“Custom had problems with our paperwork; it took them weeks to verify the discrepancies and amount of sugar imported.” Mr. Stephan’s hand comes to my cheek and caresses the skin as my lashes flutter at the gentle touch.
What should I do? Do I tell him to stop? What if that offends him and then Daddy gets mad at me about it?
Do I let him touch, or does Daddy want me to stand up for myself?
Biting the inside of my cheek, I wish I could have the superpower to read minds, so I don’t always have these unnecessary anxieties and the need to plan my next step. It shouldn’t be this hard to read both of them, but it’s double the effort when they’re speaking in low voices so other people don’t hear.
“We’re losing money from it, and now, I have to push back the process even longer,” Daddy growls, squeezing my shoulder as Mr. Stephan’s warm hand slips into my curled hair.
The soft waves glide into his fingers. I silently thank myself for brushing out the curls before coming here. His fingers might have been stuck, and that would be embarrassing and quite excruciating too if he tries to casually pull his fingers free.
I really want to ask what he is doing because this isn’t proper behavior for someone who just met me. It doesn’t matter that I feel this insane attraction to him and that I want him to touch me more; it’s the fact that I’m Daddy’s and no one can change that.
“I found the problem to be the sugar company. They had misfiled the paperwork, and they had compensated for the losses in our potential sales during that period.” Mr. Stephan drops his hand to my neck and kneads the tender muscles there.
I let out an embarrassingly loud squeak of surprise that I used as cover for the moan that is
threatening to spill out. It’s not my fault that he found one of my weak spots; I have a sensitive body against touches, but some parts are a little more tender than the others.
He pushes his thumb against the bottom of my ear and tears bead at the corners of my eyes. I want to moan at the shivers playing with my clit as my toes curl in my heels. Mr. Stephan nudges the spot harder, and I practically liquefy into Daddy’s arm. It’s not possible to think straight when he’s determined to make my head blank.
“Mr. Anderson,” a voice behind us says.
It is never a good idea to look away from a predator, not even for one second because Mr. Stephan is a predator, and I’m his prey. I will not lose this battle of eye contact and be eaten by him.
The voice behind me is not going to be my demise since Mr. Stephan’s stance is stronger and more intimidating than mine. I can pretend that I’m a brave woman who doesn’t need a man to help me, but as his gaze narrows into a glare, that façade crumbles.
I’m back to being the little girl who needs her Daddy to face this big, bad man.
However, luck is not on my side.
The voice behind me asks “May I have a moment?” I’m sinking my hands into any parts of Daddy as he turns.
Mr. Stephan’s hand falls back to his side, and I can’t help but admire the nice watch on his wrist. It’s the same type of watch from the other day. The only difference is that the color and design are a little different; it’s more sophisticated and eye-catching with the flawless patterns.
Daddy ducks down and presses his lips against mine, muffling my protest as he whispers in my ear.
“Stay with Stephan and listen to everything he says.” Daddy kisses me one more time before moving out of my arms.
A noise of desperation spills out, and his warmth leaves me with a bitter bite of the cold gathering hall and the ambient voices of people.
Now, I’m left with a massive beast that’s about to devour me and I wouldn’t be able to do a thing about it. I should just accept my fate and be this man’s prey, but Daddy has taught me to always fight for what I want.
What I want the most is to not have Daddy be mad at me.
“Come,” he holds out his hand, and I take it.
I’m surprised that I didn’t hesitate for one moment as Mr. Stephan pulls me out of the gathering hall where people are still talking to each other. I had lost track of time after the first thirty minutes of watching Daddy socialize with people that I have never laid eyes on before.
Some of them are nice, and some of them hold a small amount of animosity towards him, and if I can pick up on it, then Daddy must feel it five times worse.
Mr. Stephan leads me to another room that is empty with no lights other than the white moon glaring down on the balcony. He takes the straightest route to the balcony, and somehow the thought of being tossed over the railing comes to me.
My feet dig into the ground, and I whimper at the horrifying thought. Being near Mr. Stephan does a lot to my body, and it’s getting worse by the moment because of being alone with him. I don’t know him well enough to make any judgment calls. Heck, I don’t even dare to make any judgment moves when it comes to Daddy, and I do know him.
“Don’t be scared,” he says, and it takes a lot to not flinch at the glint that is reflected from the moon.
I hesitantly step into the moonlight, and the height makes me nauseated. Mr. Stephan leans on the railing with his back while I’m inwardly chewing on my nails at the dangerous position. The risk of him falling increases rapidly as I tug on his hand to get him away from the hard material that makes up the balcony.
It looks sturdy, but I’m not taking any chances.
He lets me pull him away from the danger, but that means his chest is in my face now. I decide to be a good girl and take a step back to prevent my body from doing its bidding.
The bidding is to smell his cologne. I’m sure he’s wearing it because no one can smell this good just from showering. His scent is addicting; it’s a mix of seductive and dark with a spiral of my fracturing self-control.
He unbuttons his suit jacket, and my heart lurches up; the hand goes to loosen the tie with tugs that keeps me on my toes. Mr. Stephan unbuttons the two buttons from his white dress shirt, and black ink peeks through his tanned skin. I have this unfathomable desire to tear open his shirt and see what the tattoo designs are.
Would it be as daunting as Daddy’s?
I have to find out, but tactical planning is going to be hard when Mr. Stephan reads me just as well as Daddy.
The hair on my neck stands from the intensity of his stare that makes me nervous and slightly frightened.
“Princess,” his voice is clear, and it sends shivers down my spine.
He smells of dark wood and pure masculinity. It makes me feel dizzy when he steps close enough or me to feel the heat radiating off his strong body. His height exceeds me as the moonlight gets covered; his thick arms cage me as he threads his fingers through my hair.
“There’s no need to be nervous, princess. Daddy won’t hurt you,” he purrs, and my head explodes.
Shivers flare throughout my body as the rumbling in his chest bounces in my ears. I instantly become a pile of goo when he addressed himself in a way that deliberately pulled the little girl out from beneath the big girl façade.
“N-no…” I murmur.
It’s not fair for him to use that against me, and I have no idea how he knows that specific tone and word breaks my resistance. Only Daddy can do this to me, and I’m having a crisis. Mr. Stephan is basically Daddy’s twin in many ways, and it’s probably why he affects me this much.
“Max did mention you have a habit of lying,” the stretch of his lips makes my palms sweat.
My bottom lip juts out instinctively, “I don’t!”
I shrink under his stare, and the closeness between us seems rather unprofessional. I could have shifted backward if his hand doesn’t tighten on my hip when he feels the indication of me wanting to step away.
My hands slip up to his chest, and it doesn’t stop him from leaning into my palms; his other hand goes up to my neck.
I freeze with wide eyes when I feel the cool tip of his fingers trail up the length of the side of my sensitive flesh. His fingertip feels the edge of my collarbone while his eyes never leave me; Mr. Stephan makes me feel so small and fragile under him, and my natural submissiveness side seeps through the faint sound from my throat.
He asks, “Do you want to be my good girl?” His thumb swipes over my plump bottom lip.
Daddy says I should do everything Mr. Stephan says, but does that mean I have to answer him too? It doesn’t feel right to be anyone but Daddy’s good girl, though a part of me is desperate of Mr. Stephan to be my Daddy.
He presses lightly on the supple flesh and moves his thumb higher, using his crushed velvet authoritative tone to sink his influence over me.
“Lick.”
My small, pink tongue tips out and flickers again his thumb as an automatic bodily response to his voice. My breath gets caught, and I stare frighteningly up at him. I know the difference between Daddy’s tone to everyone and the tone he uses solely for me, but Mr. Stephan used the tone that got me obeying him as if he is my Daddy.
“You’re Max’s good little girl,” he chuckles throatily. The shine in his brown eyes brightens with amusement.
Mr. Stephan’s lip twitches as twisted delight flickers dimly in his dark eyes, “You’re also Daddy’s little princess, aren’t you? You’re mine too.”
The attraction is too strong, and I have always been a weak girl, so I nod with a sniff. It’s wrong, and I hate myself for being like this. I’m betraying Daddy by confirming what my deepest fear is. I don’t deserve him, and he’s going to leave me because I can’t be just Daddy’s little girl. I shouldn’t want to be Mr. Stephan’s little princess too.
I’m too greedy.
“Do you want to go home?”
My body shakes in horror as my mind sprints reg
arding the consequences of my actions, “Yeah.”
“We’ll go home,” Mr. Stephan affirms.
“We?” I tilt my head in confusion, bewilderment galloping in my head as the rhythm in my heart rises.
“Max didn’t tell you about me?”
I shake my head. The first time Daddy mentioned Mr. Stephan is after he left, so it’s technically nothing because I met him before he could tell me about this man. I have a firsthand experience of how threatening Mr. Stephan is; the man has characteristics that counter Daddy’s personality.
While Daddy is a temperamental ticking time-bomb, Mr. Stephan is a cold and calculated man that most likely has silent anger rather than explicit profanities.
He swears under his breath, “That bastard.”
“You can’t say that; it’s a bad word,” I said.
Daddy swears a lot, and if I attempt to try one of his bad words, he’s not going to touch me for one full day, and I have suffered that once. It was the worst thing ever. I couldn’t cuddle him at night, and I had to beg for his forgiveness for him to even stop glaring at me.
I cried too much that day. I can’t stand him being angry at me, and the disappointment strikes fear in me.
Mr. Stephan ignores my words as he growls. The timber hits a pitch that breathes fire on my tingling pussy.
“It’s my home too.”
What?
Chapter Four
Pepper
Coming home from that slow gathering, Daddy and Mr. Stephan went to the office room to discuss more things.
I didn’t want to bother them, and I have to get ready for bed too. My bedtime is close, and I want to let my body relax on the couch before Daddy’s booming voice yells at me for not going to bed.
My bedtime is non-negotiable. If sometimes things happen, I might go to sleep an hour or two later with Daddy forcing my body to sleep with whatever means necessary.
I go straight to the shower in my room, which is hardly used unless I want to steam in a bath while Daddy showers in the master bedroom. I figure that since they might talk a long time, I would help myself to a nice bath to relax my sore ankles.