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“Now why don’t I believe you?”
“Because you’re always looking for a reason to get Daddy to spank me!”
It felt good to hear her calling James by his title again so easily. They’d gone through a rough patch a while back, but they seemed stronger than ever these days. “You figured me out, brat.”
Clearing his throat, he moved down the hall to the bedroom he’d claimed his first night at the house, positioning himself at the window where he could still see Shannon sitting on the beach. So far, she hadn’t so much as stuck a toe in the water, and he felt the knots in his shoulders loosen. Despite his threats, the last thing he wanted to do just then was punish her. “I, ah, need to talk to you. About Shannon.”
“Shay?” All traces of the bratty little girl vanished in an instant. “What about her? Is she hurt?”
“No. Well, not in the way you’re thinking. She had a nightmare this morning and I don’t know what to do.”
“What do you mean you don’t know what to do?” Her voice pitched higher, a sure sign she was getting herself worked up. “You Daddy the fuck out of her.”
“Language,” he admonished half-heartedly. He couldn’t really blame her just then for being upset, but he knew James wouldn’t be happy with her swearing like that, regardless.
“Sorry. But you know what I mean.”
“I do. Problem is, she won’t even let me touch her right now.”
“Well, I guess that does make cuddles kind of hard.”
“Just a little.” Pausing, he weighed his words, wondering just how much he could or should share. “And it’s not just the nightmare. The whole time we’ve been here, she’s been dropping these little comments that make me think something happened to her. Something big. Do you know anything about the men she’s dated in the past?”
“Not really. I know she dated a few guys in her twenties, even a couple daddies, but they always seemed really casual. She never seemed, like, heartbroken when any of them ended.”
“There’s something there, I know it, but she won’t talk to me about it. Just like she won’t talk about being attacked, or the nightmare, or anything that really fucking matters.”
“So make her.” There was a tone in her voice, as if he was the stupidest man alive, and it made his palm itch.
“How the hell am I supposed to make her talk to me, Liv? I can’t just spank it out of her.”
“Disagree, but if you don’t want to go that route, fine. You’re a big shot lawyer, Bryant. If you can’t Daddy the truth out of her, lawyer it out of her.”
“I just want her to trust me, Liv. Do you know what it’s like to love someone with everything you have and for them to act like it means nothing?”
“Wait. Did you just say you love her?”
Shit. So much for being careful with what he told her. “Yeah.”
“Have you toldheryou love her?”
“No.” Unease prickled at the back of his neck.
“I swear to god, you are the most stubborn fucking man I’ve ever known. And I don’t even care if you tattle on me for my language, it’s the truth. Maybe if she had any clue you loved her, and that this wasn’t just some summer fling for you, she might be willing to trust you. Did that ever occur to you?”
It hadn’t. Because he’d been too scared of her throwing his words back in his face to risk it. “Shit.”
“That’s what I figured. Go find her, tell her you love her, and then make her tell you what the hell is going on.”
“I’ll tell her if you tell your Daddy about all the naughty words you just used.”
“Dirty pool, Bryant.”
“You love it.”
“I do. Hey!” Her voice raised happily. “Maybe if you have another brat around to keep you occupied, you’ll stop finding reasons to spank me every time you come over!”
Love for her, different from what he felt for Shannon but just as strong, filled him as he laughed. “You know nobody could take your place, sweetheart.”
