Of course, Joel’s eyes were on her.And not in a critical way.She soaked up his attention, although she knew she shouldn’t get used to it.She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.“Thank you so much for taking me here!”
His hand slid down her back and patted her bottom.“Anything for my baby girl,” he said.
Warmth flooded her chest.
He led her upstairs to the luxury suite he had booked.“What part did you like best?”he asked.
“I loved it all.They were so talented.And the music!”She stopped gushing, realizing how silly she sounded.“I know, I’m a dork.I can’t help it—I love live performances.I should’ve been on Broadway, but I don’t sing.”
Joel took off his shoes and unbuttoned his shirt.
She kicked off her heels and started to pull out one of the bands around her pigtail.
“Don’t—” he said.“Leave those in.I want to fuck you with the pigtails.”
She shivered, loving it when he sounded so base.No one had ever spoken to her that way before.She rewrapped the band and pulled on her hair to lift the pigtail high on her head.She turned her head from side to side, whipping the pigtails around.
“I’ve wanted to see that show for years, but Bev always rolled her eyes and made fun of me, so I never went.”
Joel stopped on his way to the bathroom with his cosmetic case.He looked at her thoughtfully and opened his mouth, then shut it and continued onto the bathroom.
“What?”she demanded, following him in.
He didn’t look at her as he took his sonic toothbrush out of the bag and applied a thick line of toothpaste along the bristles.
“What were you going to say?”
He turned slowly, pursing his lips.
“What?”
“Do you need Bev’s approval to go?”
All her giddy excitement evaporated; anger seared like a hot curling iron.She put her hands on her hips.“No,” she snapped.“All I’m saying is that no one would ever go with me before.I was trying tothank you.”Her voice snarled in the same tone he had spanked her for using with him earlier.Her bottom clenched at the memory, but she held her ground, glaring at him.
His face remained impassive as he regarded her little snit.
Her heart jumped erratically in her chest, defensive anger and a vague panic tangling around each other.Was he being her daddy right now, or just Joel?Had she just offended him for real?
“Do you like being a victim?”he asked.
She flinched, his words cutting her.Wanting to inflict the same pain, she drew back her palm and slapped him across the face.
When he turned away, she went cold and her knees buckled.
What had she done?Had she crossed a line?And the real question that had her blood pressure building: would he break up with her over it?
He turned away soshe wouldn’t see his surprise, his eyes smarting from the sting.He drew a deep breath to calm the instinctual anger that flared with any physical attack.
“Joel?”She sounded lost.No, terrified.The fact that she’d called him “Joel” instead of “Daddy,” told him how much she feared he’d reject her for this.
His irritation drained.He’d hurt her feelings and she’d lashed out.He shouldn’t have pushed her so far.He turned back.“That was very naughty,” he said evenly.“Would you like Daddy to slap you across the face?”
She searched his face.“Yes?”she offered.
The unexpected answer give him a pang in his chest.
Marissa was watching him with wide eyes.He opened his arms.“Come here, baby girl.”
