Page 9 of Falling for Them (Cinderella’s Daddies #1)

She’s beautiful, bracketed by two men, their voices rising and falling with the melody. A pang of regret washes through me, that I’m not standing up there with her. But it’s too risky—I don’t want to ruin the one place where I can hide out and relax, unknown to everyone around me.

The guys have decent voices, but they’re not half as talented as the maid. When the song is over, they all step down even though the audience is asking for more.

Always leave them asking for more, that’s what my agent used to say. Wow, she’d be pissed to hear I’ve been hanging out in a karaoke bar and not even singing or drumming up interest for my old albums.

The two men with the maid try to talk her into sitting down with them, but I stand up again and catch her eye. I look pointedly toward the seat across from me in the booth.

I’m not asking her to join me, I’m telling her.

And she fucking comes over, her hips swaying in those jeans that are snug against her curves.

Once she’s seated across from me, I sit down, too.

“Can I buy you a drink?” I ask.

“I’d like some water,” she says. “And whatever you’re drinking.”

“Iced tea,” I say.

“Oh, never mind.” A little laugh—even her laugh sounds beautiful. “No caffeine for me, not this late, or I’ll never sleep.”

I don’t want her to sleep. I want her up all night, writhing on my cock.

She’s fucking Joel , Kingston said.

Like I care about Joel. This woman should be ours.

“You sounded good up there,” I say.

“Thanks.”

She doesn’t evade the compliment, but she doesn’t wholly embrace it, either. Praise makes her uncomfortable, which tells me she doesn’t get praised enough.

Joel doesn’t deserve her if he isn’t worshipping the damn ground she walks on.

“Where’s your boyfriend?” I ask.

“Working, probably.”

So they are dating, sounds like.

“Is it serious, between you two?” I ask.

“Yes.”

Fuck. I wonder if she’s cool with him hooking up with other women. There isn’t an easy way to ask that question. At least, not yet. I need to tread carefully with her to start.

I take a drink of my iced tea while I flag down a server. I ask the maid, “You think you’ll come back to the Kitty Cat?”

“Maybe.”

The server hurries over. “Miss,” he says, “I have several people that-a-way asking what they can buy you to drink.”

“I’m taking care of her,” I say, my voice lowering with command. “Order whatever you want…” Shit, I still don’t know her name.

“Ella,” she says, grinning at me.

“Ella,” I finish. Rolls off the tongue.

“Some water, and a hard cider, please,” she says.

“On it.” The server turns around and hustles to the bar.

Ella’s gaze is on my face. “And your name is…?”

“Sebastian. You can call me Sebastian, or Bash.” You can call me Daddy . But I don’t say that. It isn’t time for that…yet.

I reach across the table to take her hand in mine. Her fingers are cool and smooth, and I can’t resist rubbing my thumb over her knuckles.

Carefully, slowly, she pulls away from my grasp. “I said it’s serious, between me and my boyfriend.”

“He can’t possibly deserve you,” I say.

She arches an eyebrow. “And you could?”

Ooh, a little attitude. My cock starts to stiffen. “I would try harder than he does, that’s for damn certain.”

The server delivers Ella’s order and looks as if he wants to linger, but I give him a hard look and he steps away.

“You need a stage name if you’re going to keep singing here,” I tell her.

“I don’t know that I’m coming back,” she says.

“You should.” I look her over, then feel a smile growing on my face. “How about Cinderella?”

She smiles, and a dimple pops in her cheek. She’s so cute, it should be illegal.

“Cinderella, yeah,” she says. “That’ll work.”

“And I could call you princess ,” I say.

She shakes her head. “Cinderella was, first and foremost, a maid. That’s why it fits so well.”

“If you were mine, you’d be a queen. But I’d still call you princess .”

Her cheeks turn pink and she takes a sip of her cider. “Do you often flirt with women who aren’t single?”

“I make it a policy not to,” I say. “But this situation is different.”

She cocks an eyebrow and leans closer. Her button-up shirt is all done up, so I don’t even get a hint of cleavage. But I can’t help looking at the way her breasts push against the table.

“How is this situation different?” she asks.

She’s challenging me. I fucking love it.

“Come home with me and find out.” Shit, I didn’t mean to say that. I can see that I went too far. She’s already retreating. She sits back in the booth, gazing coolly around the lounge.

Fuck. Fuck . I don’t know how to take it down a notch. Kingston’s good for that. I push the women to their boundaries, he pulls them back. He corrupts them, then I punish them. It’s a good balance.

Ella pulls her phone from her purse and looks at it. “I should get going. Thank you for the cider.”

I have no choice but to let her go. Except—

“How are you getting home?”

“I’m walking. It isn’t far.”

“Let me drive you.”

“No, thanks.” She starts to walk away.

“Please,” I say. I don’t often plead with women for anything, but her safety is more important than my domination.

She hesitates, tempted by the offer.

“I’ll be a perfect gentleman,” I say.

“You won’t try to seduce me,” she says, her tone not giving me any room for argument.

“I won’t,” I say. “But if you ask for it, I’ll give it to you. Every inch, princess. As much as you want, for as long as you want it.”

Her lips part and I catch the sweet scent of cider as she exhales. Then she shakes her head slightly. “Stop that,” she says.

I nod. “Let’s go, princess.”

She doesn’t object to the nickname, which gives me all kinds of hope for later.