Page 25

The hint of panic in her voice, combined with the fact that she’s called me Daddy without prompting, cracks my resolve and I hold up a hand to halt Maxwell, who narrows his eyes at me.
Ignoring him for the time being, I turn to Juliet. “If you apologize right now, Uncle Max won’t spank you. But there will be consequences when we return home. Those are your choices, Juliet.”
It’s fascinating to watch the struggle play out on her face. For someone who grew up in a household and a social circle wheremasking your emotions is a skill taught from birth, Juliet has never been able to hide hers very well. At least, not from me. I watch as anger, worry, defiance, and a jumble of other feelings dance in her eyes.
Eventually, her shoulders slump forward. “Sorry,” she mumbles, so quietly I can barely hear her.
“ApologizetoVictoria, loud enough so she can hear you, please.”
With a dramatic sigh, Juliet looks over at Tori, who is clinging to Cat as she watches the scene unfold with wide eyes. “I’m sorry I said our dresses were ugly. They’re just… not really my style.”
“Oh, but you look so pretty!” Tori gushes excitedly. “Like a real princess. Doesn’t she look like a princess, Auntie Cat?”
“She does.” Cat’s agreement is delivered with an approving smile. “Perhaps you and Juliet can have a playdate sometime soon and you can show her your princess dresses. We could have a princess tea party.”
Squealing with excitement, Tori claps her hands together. “Please, oh please, ohplease, Uncle Jasper! Could we?”
I glance over at Maxwell, who does not look at all mollified by Juliet’s apology and I bite back a sigh. Of all the people on the island, Juliet had to piss off the one man with enough power to make my life miserable onandoff the island. “That’s up to your Daddy, sweetheart.”
“Daddy, can we please have a tea party, please?”
Maxwell’s expression changes in a fingersnap, the indulgent smile he usually wears whenever Tori is around making a reappearance. “We’ll see, little one. Let’s give Juliet a few days to get settled in before we start making plans.”
Bottom lip puffed out into a pout, Tori sighs. “Okay, Daddy.”
“There’s my good girl. We need to get going now. Daddy needs to get back home for a big meeting.”
“Youalwayshave a big meeting,” Tori whines as Cat passes her back to Maxwell.
“I know, little one. And you’re being so patient today. Daddy is very proud of you.”
Their conversation fades as they leave the shop. The moment the door shuts behind them, Juliet crosses her arms and glares up at me. “You wouldn’t really let him spank me.”
It’s delivered as a statement of fact rather than a question, and my palm physically itches to connect with her bottom. But we have an appointment to get to after lunch, so teaching my naughty girl a lesson in manners will have to wait until we get home.
For now, however, I am happy to disabuse her of whatever notions she has that she has any say over what happens to her on this island. Capturing her chin in my hand, I force her head back, a dark sort of satisfaction swelling inside me when her eyes go wide.
“Let me make something crystal clear, right now. From the moment you stepped onto that plane, you became my Little girl. Which means your body is mine to do with as I please. You have no say over who bathes you, dresses you, feeds you, or punishes you. If I want to strap you to a table and let every one of your Uncles fuck your pretty little pussy, there is nothing you could do to stop me. So to answer your question, yes, I would absolutely let your Uncle Max spank you. I would let your Auntie Cat spank you. Hell, I would let Alex, the owner of this cafe spank you if I thought it was necessary to teach you a lesson.” Gripping her face tighter, I lean down, my voice dropping to a growl. “Iownyou, Juliet Blackwood. The sooner you come to terms with that, the happier we both will be.”
Juliet
“You don’t own me.”
My protest is meant to sound defiant. Confident. Instead, it comes out as little more than a scared whisper, adding humiliation to the fear and anger churning in my gut.
Jasper smiles. At least, that’s what the curving of his lips should be called. But there’s no warmth, no cheer in the gesture at all. There is only a cruelness that nearly stops my heart.
“Oh, but I do, Juliet. You made your choices, and they led you to me. Now the only choices you have are obey or be punished. Because naughty Little girls like you who can’t be trusted to do the right thing lose their right to make their own decisions.”
“That’s not how the world works, Jasper!” My voice has regained some of its strength, but I still don’t sound nearly as confident as I would like. Ifeeleven less confident. “You can’t just claim you own someone. There’s laws against that kind of thing.”
“My sweet little sister. Haven’t you realized yet that unlike you, I am not beholden to anything as pedestrian as laws? The only law here is my word.”
Cold settles in my stomach, making me vaguely nauseous. “There has to besomeoneyou answer to.”
“Maxwell would be the closest thing to a king we have here on the island. If you’d like to ask him for mercy, be my guest.”
Great. The one person who might have been able to help me, and I’ve already pissed him off.