Page 17 of Filthy Business (Obsessive Age Gap #1)

Iris

I was ready to punch Connor in the face. He’d been hitting on me all night, but the unsolicited touch was my boiling point. Watching Daddy pound his face—punch after vicious punch—shoved everything from my past to the surface.

I’d never had a man protect me like that before.

I didn’t even realise I was crying until his friend passed Daddy a handkerchief.

“When did we get engaged?”

I sniffled, clinging to him tighter as he wiped my cheeks.

“Tonight. But you weren’t home, so I accepted on your behalf,”

he said, rocking me gently.

His friend snorted behind us.

“When he wakes up, tell him to see HR first thing on Monday regarding sexual harassment,”

he told the rest of my team.

They remained wide-eyed, but I heard the chorus of, “Yes, Mr Trenham.”

“Come on, baby. Sit at our table for a bit, and I’ll introduce you to the most annoying man in the world,”

he said, tugging me away.

I guess the cat was out of the bag—spectacularly. It was only a matter of time before the press got wind of it. I smiled into Daddy’s chest.

“Ignore him. I’m an utter delight,”

his friend said, straightening his tie.

Daddy sat me on his lap while his friend introduced himself.

I already knew who he was.

Eight years of stalking Daddy had paid off.

We’d be married soon.

***

Daddy opened the door to my apartment.

It didn’t feel like home without him. He visited, but the clock was always ticking, and every goodbye scraped a little deeper. He said I needed my own space, but I didn’t want space—I wanted him. I missed his hands on me, his mouth, his scent on the sheets. I missed him telling me I was his good girl. I missed the way he ruined me and held me after.

I stepped inside with Daddy behind me. When I turned around, he was on one knee, holding the largest, most vibrant yellow diamond glittering against the backdrop of black velvet.

“I stole your ring size from your jewellery box. Iris, I know it hasn’t been long, but will you do me the honour of becoming my wife? Let Daddy spoil you forever?”

I nodded because I couldn’t speak again.

He grabbed the ring and tossed the box somewhere. The ring was on my finger before I even heard the box skid to a stop.

Daddy sighed as he admired my ring, tilting it from one side to the other.

“I’m fucking so many babies inside you tonight,”

he murmured.

I chortled at the most romantic proposal ever.

Fucked up—just like us.

At least he’d stopped pretending to forget about using a condom.

“How about I patch your hand up first? God knows what you might’ve caught off that leech,”

I said as he stood.

“We need a marriage contract drawn up. I won’t survive if I don’t know where you are and who you’re with. I need you to be safe at all times, baby. I can’t lose you,”

he said, standing up.

I wiped a stray tear away.

“As long as you never change, Daddy, I will always be by your side,”

I whispered, feeling another tear slip free.

“Why would I change?”

he asked, slipping his arms around my waist, enveloping me in his warmth.

Because you don’t know who I am—or what I’m here to accomplish.

I shook my head.

I wasn’t supposed to fall for Daddy. He wasn’t supposed to be sweet and caring.

I was here to make them burn.

To ruin them the way they ruined me.

To take away what they took from me.

***

I sat on the kitchen stool, replaying tonight’s events while Daddy washed and dressed his injured hand.

“Are you sure you’re okay, sweetheart?”

Daddy’s soft voice pierced my thoughts.

“I was just thinking that Connor looks better now, but I feel bad that you got hurt,”

I said, staring at his hand.

“He’s lucky we were in a public place. I saw your reaction and—something just snapped inside of me.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and glanced down at the massive rock on my finger.

“We’re going to have to renegotiate the terms in our contract. I’ll email you a revised copy,”

he said, and my head snapped up.

“Don’t look at me like that. The terms are more favourable.”

I arched an eyebrow at his smile, but it was the filthy look in his eyes that made my insides clench.

“I’ll need to hire a solicitor,”

I said, slipping off my jacket.

His eyes dropped to my breasts.

“Sure,”

he said absent-mindedly.

“I’ve not had my period yet,”

I added, tugging off my dress.

His jaw dropped.

“You went out like that?!”

I rolled my eyes.

“It was under my dress,”

I said, twirling to give him a show of the black see-through bodysuit he bought me.

“That was for me. It’s in our current contract—”

“No. Under Clause 3.2, purchases state: business, leisure, and lingerie.”

“Well, that needs amending,”

he spluttered.

“Wait. Did you say you’ve not had your period yet?”

I giggled and ran for the bedroom.

“Don’t fucking run in those heels!”

he shouted, before chasing after me.

He lifted me into the air before I could reach my bedroom.

“You’ll need to move back in with me. I’m not having the mother of my child running around on fucking stilts like this. Bad girl,”

he said, carrying me to the bed.

Excuses.

But I couldn't wait to be back in his bed.