Page 5

Madison

My head isn’t pounding quite as badly, but it still hurts like a motherfucker. I take my time on the stairs, not wanting to fall. I’m still dizzy. When I step into the kitchen, I hesitate. The room smells of bacon, and for a moment, I fear I might heave another time.

Myles spots me and smirks yet again. It’s a look that makes me want to flip him off, but I’ve already done that, and I very much doubt he appreciated it. He nods toward the table. “Sit.”

I shuffle closer, finally lowering into the chair.

“Have some more juice.” He points toward the glass as he sets a plate of food in front of me. “Start with the toast. I promise you’ll be able to eat in a few minutes. You need the food in your system.”

My hand shakes as I drink the juice. I’m surprised that it goes down as easily as it does.

Myles sits across from me, his palms wrapped around his mug of coffee. He stares at me.

I squirm. I don’t like the look on his face. But also I do like it. It’s the look I fantasize about. The firm Dom glare. The one that says I was a naughty girl and he’s going to punish me.

My face heats, and I jerk my gaze to the toast. “You said you had a proposition for me. Let’s hear it.”

He leans forward, setting his elbows on the table. “I said I had an alternative solution to your problem, Madison.”

I hate that he keeps calling me that. He’s always called me Maddie. He knows I prefer it. But I don’t argue right now. It doesn’t seem wise. He has my life in his hands.

“Fine. Alternative solution . What is it?”

He rises from the table and returns a moment later to set a cup of tea next to my plate. Herbal. It’s my favorite flavor—peppermint vanilla.

I take a sip. It goes down nicely. I take another. “Thank you.”

“How many times have you gotten drunk like that, Madison?”

“Never.”

“Really?”

“Really.” I meet his gaze so he knows I’m not lying. “That was my first time. I swear. You really didn’t tell my dad yet?”

“No. But I didn’t like lying to him. I’m hoping you’re willing to accept my suggestion so that he doesn’t have to find out. Because you’re right, he would probably make you drop out of school and join him in Germany. Is that what you want, Madison?”

I shake my head, wincing because it hurts. “No.” I’m super leery about what he’s going to say next.

“I don’t like the location of your house. I don’t like that your car has been stolen twice. You also don’t have a car until we sort that out, and even if the police found it in mint condition this morning, I wouldn’t let you have it back. Were you planning to drive home last night?”

“No, Sir.”

He sucks in a breath.

I grit my teeth. Did I just call him Sir? Shit. Where did that come from? I’ve spent so much time imagining submitting to Myles that I just spoke to him as though he were my Dom.

I quickly add, “I was going to leave it there and get a rideshare. I promise.”

“Well, now you don’t have to worry about it because you’re grounded from driving. I took the fake ID from your purse, too. Forget about going to any bars.”

My eyes pop wide. “Grounded? Myles, I’m almost twenty-one. I’m not twelve.”

He lifts both brows. “ Almost twenty-one isn’t twenty-one. You shouldn’t have been in a bar for any reason. You’re underage. Obtaining a fake ID is illegal. If you had gotten behind the wheel of that car, you could have caused an accident and been killed or killed someone else.”

I roll my eyes. “I wasn’t going to drive.”

He leans forward. “Do you think now is a good time to talk back to me?”

“You’re not my father.” I rest back in my chair and cross my arms.

“Do you want to call him and see what he has to say about this?”

I sigh. “No.”

“No, what?”

I swallow as I hold his gaze. I can’t move or breathe.

My heart is going to pound out of my chest. I know exactly what he wants, and I’m going to give it to him, but he has no idea what it means to me.

I’m not using a lowercase S when I address him as Sir.

I’ve done my research. I’m well aware that Myles is a Dominant.

I’ve dreamed about him being my Dom for a long time.

When I call him Sir, I mean it in a totally different way than he’s thinking.

He waits, those damn brows still lifted.

I lick my dry lips. “No, Sir.”

“I didn’t think so. So, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to stay with me for the rest of the semester?—”

I gasp. “Stay here?” My voice rises.

“Yes. Here. After all, this is where I live, so by default, you’d be staying here.

I will drive you to school and pick you up.

You won’t go anywhere else for any reason.

You have permission to use the library and the cafeteria.

That’s it. I’ll put a tracker on your phone so I can check where you are at all times.

If you take it off or don’t check in with me regularly, the deal’s off.

If you sneak out or do anything I didn’t give you permission to do, the deal is off.

For the next month, your life is school and home. That’s it.”

I grab the edge of the table. “You can’t do that. Myles, my birthday is in a week. I have plans.”

“Not anymore, you don’t.”

“ Myles .” My head hurts from shouting, but I ignore it.

He narrows his gaze. “If I’m going to lie to your father for you, I want to make damn sure nothing like last night happens again.

Imagine if I let you off the hook and you go out to a bar again and some asshole roofies and rapes you, or you get killed in an accident.

Then what would I say to Hendrix? Huh? Oh, yeah, I picked her drunk ass up from a bar that night and didn’t tell you. Oops.”

I grab my head with both hands. This can’t be happening. It’s not just the fact that Myles is ruining my life. It’s worse than that. He’s dominating me, and it’s fucking hotter than hell. He has no idea that I have fantasies of him doing exactly this. Strict. Bossy. Demanding.

My panties are soaked. I’m squeezing my legs together, but it’s not helping. My nipples are hard. Thank God I’m wearing a sweater. I don’t even want to look down to make sure he can’t see the swollen tips.

And what’s wrong with me? Who lets their dad’s best friend take over their life and gets aroused from it?

I shove back from the table. I need to get out of this room.

I can’t face him right now, and it’s for a completely different reason than he thinks.

This could work in my favor. At least he has no knowledge of my private thoughts.

He can mistake my actions for those of a disgruntled girl who’s pissed off that she got caught misbehaving.

“Don’t you dare get out of that chair,” he demands.

I freeze. My breath catches in my lungs. The room is spinning. Not just from the hangover. That’s practically forgotten. I might come if I squeeze my thighs tight enough.

“Start with the toast, Madison,” he orders.

I don’t move. I can’t . I’m stuck, breathing heavily, staring at my plate, unable to meet his gaze. Part of me wants to ignore his demands and run back up the stairs. I want to know if he would really spank me. After all, he’s treating me like I’m twelve. Maybe he would.

What if he did? Would I come while he swatted my bottom? Probably.

Myles stands, rounds to my side of the table, pushes my chair in, and points at the toast. “Eat.”

Infuriating man.

He heads toward the sink and starts washing pans while I stare at his fantastic ass.

My gaze strays to the island. I’ve had hundreds of daydreams that involve that island.

Most of them include me naked and bent over it while he spanks me.

Some of them include me lying on top of the granite surface while he eats my pussy until I scream out my orgasm.

I whimper. I can’t stay here. This is a disaster. If he knew what my thoughts were… Considering how much of my time is spent daydreaming about Myles when I hardly see him, I can’t imagine how consumed I would be if I saw him every single day.

I shake my wandering thoughts from my head and pick up the toast. It really does get easier to eat with each nibble. Damn him for being right.

I’m able to move from the toast to the bacon and eggs, and before I know it, my plate is empty.

I down the rest of my tea, well aware that Myles is leaning against the counter, watching me.

“Do we have a deal?” he asks calmly when I’m finished.

“How did my things get here? Did you pack them last night?”

“Yes. No one else was home.”

“I’ll need more than that. Can we go back over and get more stuff?”

“Yes, as long as the stuff you’re planning to pack is approved by me.”

My breath hitches. “You’re going to watch me pack?”

“Absolutely.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so, Madison. Do you think you’re in a position to question me?”

“No, Sir.” Shit. I did it again. But he seems to like it when I call him Sir.

“Can I go out with my friends for my birthday?” I ask calmly, hoping he’ll relent on that.

“No.”

I sigh. That pisses me off. “It’s my twenty-first.”

“And I’m going to make sure you live to see your twenty-second.”

“You’re being overly dramatic.”

He shrugs. “Take it or leave it.”

“Are you going to tell me you never had a drop of alcohol before you were twenty-one?”

“Nope. I certainly did.”

“Then why the double standard?”

“Because I know I made horrible decisions that could have gotten me into trouble, and also, I was a boy. I know what boys your age are thinking.”

I roll my eyes. “They aren’t boys. They’re men, you know.” I don’t even believe that myself. They are boys. The only man I’m interested in is Myles. And that’s never going to happen.

I stand and pick up my dishes to take them to the dishwasher. “We’re going to revisit the topic of my birthday again,” I tell him.

“My answer won’t change. You’ll be wasting your breath.”

I put my plate, fork, and glass in the dishwasher and turn back to him, fuming. “What do you expect me to do? Sit around and watch eighties reruns with you on the most important night of my life?”

He chuckles. “If that’s what you want. I was thinking I could take you out to dinner, but if you prefer eighties reruns…”

I hesitate. “You’re going to take me out to dinner?”

“Of course. It’s your birthday. I’m not an ogre. I’ll even let you order a drink. What I won’t let you do is get shitfaced with your friends and make bad choices that could ruin your life.”

I cringe. “Trust me, I’m never drinking like that ever again.” Just the thought of alcohol makes bile rise in my throat.

Myles laughs. “Oh, sweetheart, that’s what they all say the morning after their first binge.”

“You’re really going to take me out?” I’m kind of liking this idea. I’d rather go on an adult date with Myles than go out with my friends any day of the week. The only problem is that I had planned on going to Edge on my birthday. I’ve never been there.

I’ve heard there’s no way in hell to get in with a fake ID, so I didn’t try.

I researched the club enough to know that it has three floors.

The first floor is a regular dance club.

The second floor is a members-only kink club.

I’m not a member, and I couldn’t afford the dues on my allowance, but my roommate Kelsey knows a guy with a membership. And he said he would get us in.

I’m not going to let go of that possibility yet. Maybe I can sweet-talk Myles into letting me go out after dinner. Or maybe I’ll be forced to give him the slip and sneak out later that night.

Myles is a member of Edge. So is my dad. But, obviously, my dad won’t be there that night, and I’m betting Myles has no intention of going out while he’s holding me hostage.

I’m going to hold out hope that I can make it happen and be an angel between now and then.

“Yes, Madison. I will take you out to dinner for your birthday.”

I offer Myles a smile. “I’d like that. Thank you. Can we go pick up some of my things now?”

“Why the hurry?” He gives me a crooked grin.

I blow out a breath. “I suspect you know why, but fine, I’ll admit it. I’m sure my roommates are sleeping, and I’d rather get in and out without having to talk to them.”

“You’re embarrassed to be seen with me?” he teases.

I cock out a hip and narrow my gaze. “Yes, old man. I’m embarrassed for my friends to find out that my Daddy has grounded me for the next month, and he’s going to supervise what I can pack.”

Miles grabs my chin and leans in close, steadying me.

“That’s the third time you’ve called me Daddy.

I’m sure you know I’m a Dominant, but I’m not a Daddy Dom, and I have no interest in being your Daddy or anyone else’s.

If you continue to sass me, I may decide to give you the naughty schoolgirl spanking with a ruler you crave, but it would be a scene, Madison, not a lifestyle choice.

I may be old enough to be your father, but I’m not your Daddy.

Be careful what you ask for, sweetheart.

You might bite off more than you can chew. ”

Myles releases his hold on me and walks out of the room.

I can’t breathe. I think I might die. I’m hoping a hole opens in the floor and swallows me.

I grab onto the edge of the counter as memories of last night rush in. Myles picked me up from the bar last night and drove me home in his sports car. And I—the stupid idiot that I am—told him my fantasies.

Please, kill me now.

I lean against the island and slide to the floor, pulling my knees in and setting my forehead on them. What the fuck have I done?

And why would Myles insist on me staying here after he heard all of that coming from my lips last night?

I have more questions than answers, but I’m too mortified to utter a single one.