Page 24 of Melt For Us, Daddy (Big Daddy Energy #4)

Ivy

B eep. Beep. Beep.

Without even opening her eyes, Ivy reached over to turn her alarm off. But instead of the cool glass of her phone screen, her fingers brushed over something much larger.

Opening one eye, she peeked at the nightstand, her stomach twisting as she pressed the button on the alarm clock Cordelia had managed to dig up the night before.

Still at the safe house. Still no idea when they might return home.

Squeezing her eyes shut again, Ivy burrowed deeper into the blankets and willed herself back to sleep.

“What are you doing, Ivy Mae?”

Uh-oh. She recognized that tone. Sweet, too sweet, as if the layer of sugar could somehow hide the deadly intent underneath. Normally, that tone alone would win Ivy’s immediate compliance.

But she was too busy feeling sorry for herself, thank you very much, to heed the implicit warning. “Sleeping.”

“What are you supposed to be doing?”

Getting up. Going to the bathroom. Washing my face. Brushing my teeth.

That was the routine, and Cordelia had been very clear last night that she was going to be setting up a new routine for Ivy and Jacob for the duration of their stay. Hence the bulky alarm clock with its annoying beeping.

But she didn’t want a new routine. She wanted her routine. In her home.

So she pulled the covers even tighter around her and ignored the question.

“Do you really want to start your day by disobeying your Daddy, Ivy Mae?”

Ugh. Cordelia knew how those “D” words hit. Disobey. Disrespect. Disappoint. Any one of them was guaranteed to make Ivy feel about three inches tall.

Which she imagined was the point.

“No, Daddy.”

“Then I suggest you get out of this bed right now, little girl.”

Groaning, Ivy threw off the covers and stomped to the bathroom. Where, much to her continued annoyance, the familiarity of her routine did make her feel a little better.

But just a little.

Maybe she’d sneak a brownie while she was making breakfast. A little hit of chocolate would help boost her mood.

When she stepped back into the bedroom, Cordelia was there, seated on the edge of the bed with Ivy's collar dangling from her hands.

And as she sank to her knees in front of her Daddy, something inside her shifted back into place.

Like a painting that had been hanging slightly crooked and was now level again.

“My sweet girl. Thank you for listening, even though you didn’t want to.”

The cool chain slid around Ivy's neck, an anchor that kept her grounded not just in her submission but in the knowledge that she had someone to care for her. To protect her, even from herself. “I’m sorry I was a brat about it.”

“Eyes on me.”

Slowly lifting her head, Ivy looked up into those impossibly green eyes, the knots in her stomach untwisting at the depth of the love she found shining there.

“I don’t care about any of that, baby. I care that you obeyed me, even though it was hard.

You make me so proud, every day, blossom.

And I know you’re going to continue making me proud, even when you don’t want to.

Even when it’s hard and you’re angry or sad.

But even if you don’t, even if you fight me or struggle, I will still be proud of you. Do you know why?”

“Why?”

Gripping Ivy’s chin between her fingers, Cordelia forced her head back. “Because I love you, Ivy Mae. And because you are mine . No matter how out of sorts you feel, no matter how hard it is to obey, you will always be mine. And that’s all that matters to me. Understood?”

Relief, warm and glowing, flooded her. “Yes, Daddy.”

“Good girl. Now, you’re going to go downstairs and make my coffee, make yourself a cup of tea, and then you’re going to begin breakfast. Whatever you feel like making. I’m going to see if Jacob is awake.”

She hated herself for the little stab of jealousy. “Okay.”

Instead of letting her go and sending her on her way, Cordelia’s grip on her chin tightened. “What’s wrong, baby?”

Nothing. The lie trembled on the tip of her tongue. But they’d both made a vow to be more honest, so she swallowed the lie and offered up the truth instead.

“I was sort of hoping we could have some time just for the two of us.”

To her surprise, Cordelia smiled. “Silly girl. Did you really think I would deprive myself of time with my babygirl? The hour after lunch and the two hours before bed are ours, and ours alone. We can watch a movie, read together, or I can bring you upstairs and make you come until you can’t think straight.

Whatever you want, blossom, for those three hours every day I am all yours. ”

More and more of her anxiety faded, replaced by the certainty that her Daddy had nothing but her best interests at heart. “Thank you, Daddy.”

“You’re welcome, blossom. Get dressed and I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Rising to her feet, she turned to do exactly that as Cordelia moved toward the door, then paused. “Oh, and Ivy?”

“Ma’am?”

Humor sparkled in those emerald eyes. “Brownies do not count as breakfast, little girl. You may have one with lunch but no sooner.”

Dammit.

Jacob

The knock on his door woke him. Well, he supposed it would be more accurate to say it interrupted his hundredth attempt to fall back asleep.

Cordelia had laid down the law the night before, telling him and Ivy both that in the morning she would have a schedule for them to follow to help give some structure to their days.

And the way she’d said it, so firm, like there was no room for argument, had kept him up all night, resisting the temptation to touch himself.

What would she do if he disobeyed? Would she punish him, the way she punished sweet, tiny Ivy? The thought of laying himself across her soft thighs for a spanking didn’t horrify him the way he knew it should. If anything, it had only made resisting the temptations of the flesh that much harder.

Now, lying in bed listening to her low, commanding voice through the door, he found himself yet again throbbing so hard he had to grit his teeth against the pain.

“Jacob? Are you awake?”

The answer needed to be yes. She’d given him an alarm clock the night before that Kestrel had unearthed from a box in the basement with explicit instructions on what time to set it for in the morning.

And yet, he was tempted to stay silent, just to see what happened.

But when she knocked again, this time more insistent, he knew he wouldn’t ignore her. He didn’t have the courage to defy her, no matter how eager certain parts of him were to learn what the consequences of such defiance might be. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. You have twenty minutes to get out of bed, get dressed, brush your teeth, and meet us downstairs. Ivy should have breakfast ready by then. Do not make me come back upstairs to get you.”

Or what? The question burned on his tongue, but he swallowed it back. “Yes, ma’am.”

Her footsteps faded down the hall and he sighed up at the ceiling.

Even if he did defy her, she probably wouldn’t punish him, at least not the way she punished Ivy.

She’d probably just look at him with disappointment shining in those green eyes.

And the prospect of that look had him throwing off the covers and climbing out of bed to get dressed for the day.

As promised, Ivy was finishing up breakfast when he walked into the kitchen. Humming softly to herself, a gentle smile curving her lips as she flitted about the spacious room, and for a moment all he could do was stare.

She was beautiful. Different from Cordelia, not just in looks but personality.

Softer, sweeter, but he’d gotten a couple glimpses at the fierce warrior beneath.

All of it called to him, beckoned him to come curl up in her lap even though the logistics of that would be laughable.

Still, just the sight of her was a comfort, one that made him ache much the same way Cordelia did, despite their differences.

What was wrong with him, that he was so attracted to not just one but two such worldly women? How had he fallen so far in such a short time?

But then Ivy turned, her soft gaze locking with his, and her smile widened. Just a fraction, small enough it might have even been his imagination, but that fraction was enough to have his heart tripping in his chest.

“Morning! I made pancakes and scrambled eggs. Feel free to help yourself.”

“Thanks. Can I help with anything?”

He definitely didn’t imagine her smile getting brighter that time. “That’s so sweet of you, but I’ve got it handled. I brewed some extra coffee in case you wanted some.”

“ With milk and sugar today.” Cordelia’s smoky voice wrapped around him, squeezing those parts of him he was so desperately trying to avoid thinking about as she slipped past him to wrap her arms around Ivy. “Mmm. Breakfast looks amazing, baby. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Your coffee is on the table.”

“Such a good girl. Did you make your tea yet?”

“No, Ma’am.”

“Breakfast is cooked, everyone can serve themselves. Make your tea and sit for a minute.”

“Oh, but?—”

“Ivy Mae.” The steel in those words had Jacob biting back a groan as his forbidden parts throbbed yet again.

Sighing heavily, Ivy nodded. “Yes, Daddy.”

“Good girl.”

Daddy. It was still so odd to hear a woman call another woman Daddy. But he couldn’t deny that there was something about Cordelia that just seemed to fit the term. Especially when she pinned him with that steely stare, one eyebrow raised. “Eat, Jacob. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us.”

“We do?”

“We do.” As she piled a plate with pancakes and a scoop of eggs, she nodded to the fridge.

“Yesterday we got to lie around and feel sorry for ourselves. But I know my Ivy does much better if she has a schedule to follow, and frankly, so do I. So we are going to have a little more structure to our days to help pass the time without being at each other’s throats. ”

Crossing to the fridge, he scanned the paper she’d pinned there with a magnet.

7:00-7:30am - Wake up, morning routine

7:30-8:00am - Ivy makes breakfast