Page 9 of Cowboy Daddies

After putting Rose to bed, Grady stood in the kitchen, glancing at the clock every few minutes. He forced himself to take a seat at the table and wait. It was ten minutes after eight, and just when he’d decided to go look for her, the back door inched open.

Her cheeks were flushed, probably from running to the house. The first thing she did was look at the wall clock. Grady waited, arms crossed, expression stern.

“I, um… lost track of time,” she said quickly. “I was just checking on Rose’s pony and⁠—”

“Back to the barn. Now.” He pointed at the door. He cut her off before she added lying to the list of rules she had broken. Not that he had the right to give her any rules at all. Half of him hoped she’d tell him to go fuck himself. But of course, she didn’t.

Her eyes widened. “Wait, you were serious about the whole consequences thing?”

“Dead serious. We need to have a talk.” Maybe by the time they reached the barn, he’d figure out what to say. Oh, he knew what he ought to say. He just wasn’t sure if he’d say it.

Sage swallowed hard enough for him to hear. Her nerves were evident, but there was something else in her eyes. Was that possibly excitement? It took all he could do to stifle a groan.

She followed him out to the barn without saying another word. Inside, the lights were low. The scent of hay and leather wrapped around them. Grady led her to the wide wooden bench against the wall.

“Sit down.” Grady paced back and forth, waiting for her to comply.

Sage’s cheeks pinkened as she sat down. “Am I getting consequences now?”

He narrowed his eyes and glared at her. “I wouldn’t be so eager for consequences if I were you. You’ll get some soon enough, but not tonight. There are a few things I want to get straight first.”

Was it his imagination, or had the excitement he’d seen before dimmed? Disappointment was the last thing she should feel. Something she would learn soon enough.

He refused to think about why she might be disappointed. He no longer doubted she was Little. It was evident in her every action and expression. But there was no way she’d ever had a Daddy.

Truth was, no one had been across his knee since he’d lost his wife, and the ease with which Sage submitted to him gave him pause. Not that she didn’t deserve a sound walloping.

Reaching down, he pulled her to her feet.

“Is this about the curfew?”

“We’ll get to that. First, were you expecting a spanking?”

She hunched her shoulders. “Maybe?”

“Exactly, we’re going to have a conversation about you putting yourself in a situation that would have you going over the knee of a man that you barely know. How do you know I wouldn’t hurt you? Come to think of it, you shouldn’t have even come out to the barn by yourself with me. Did no one teach you anything about personal safety when you were growing up?”

Yes, he knew his accusation made no sense. He’d been the one to put her in the situation. But at the moment, all he could see was her giving in just as easily to someone else, and that thought bothered him more than it should.

Unable to trust himself, he took a step back, crossing his arms in case his hands took a mind of their own and decided to smack her curvy bottom.

“Well, I kind of thought that’s what the whole screening process that the Haven Agency put us both through was for. If you weren’t a decent person, they wouldn’t have sent me. Particularly since the position requires me to stay in your home with you. That should mean you’re safe.” With eyes as wide open and guilty as any Little he’d ever seen, she nibbled her bottom lip and waited for his reaction.

As if he had the right to react. His conscience had an annoying habit of tapping him on the shoulder, reminding him she wasn’t his. Grady ignored her comment and focused on the heart of the matter. “Speaking of safety, don’t you think I might have a reason for the curfew I gave you?”

Sage scowled. “It was only a few minutes, Dad… I mean, boss.”

Never in his life had he wanted to spank someone so badly. Either that or kiss her senseless. Not to mention the other things he wanted to do to her just as much.

Sage was supposed to live in his house for the next three months.

Three. Fucking. Months.

He was never going to survive.

Chapter Four

On the other side of a scarred wooden table in the Broken Bridle Saloon, Sage’s friend Fiera Sharpe sat, smiling. Sage returned the smile, practically bouncing in her seat while trying very hard to look like a professional homeschool nanny. Now was not the time to look like a Little who was two seconds away from vibrating out of her seat with excitement.