Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 141255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 706(@200wpm)___ 565(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 706(@200wpm)___ 565(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
“Hey? You look a million miles away,” Dare whispered into my ear.
“Sorry. I was. I’m okay.”
“Gone to a good place?”
“Yes. A very good place. Dinner was good.” I hadn’t let myself think about my dad much, but being here around a real family, it sort of made me feel like it was okay to think back.
“Yeah, I’m stuffed,” he said, putting his hand on his stomach. I reached over and rubbed his belly. He smiled at me and tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear. His smile told me he was pleased with me.
“Dessert is coming,” Luc announced.
“Need help?” Tia asked.
“Nope, stay there. We’ve got this under control,” Sarah called back.
“Welcome home Tommy and Tia!” Luc called out bringing out a massive white cake. It was huge and it had been painted with icing in the image of Tommy and Tia holding one another, Tia in an off-the-shoulder ruffled wedding dress, Tommy dressed in a white tux. They both looked gorgeous and in love.
“That’s beautiful,” I breathed, dreamily.
Sarah announced, “And I have gifts for them.” She thrust a silver bag at Tia with white handles and purple tissue paper sticking out of it. Oh no. That bag again.
I felt Dare’s hand land on my leg and his fingertips dug in almost painfully. “Keep your cool,” he growled into my ear and his other palm landed softly on the back of my neck, massaging, fingering my collar.
I took a few slow breaths while Tia dug into the bag. That jewelry store really needed to change their signature wrap for the sake of my sanity.
She pulled out a silver baby rattle and it was engraved with the name Ferrano.
Tia rolled her eyes and put it on the table. Sarah beamed at her. Then Sarah handed Tommy a gift bag that was black with red handles, red tissue paper sticking out.
He opened it and let out a hearty laugh. There was a black pair of handcuffs with red frills around them and a bottle of wine in the bag as well as a blue plastic ice cream scoop.
“Get her drunk, cuff her to the bed, and knock that Chiquita up!” Sarah shouted.
The room burst into laughter.
“I was gonna put in a box of ice cream to help things along but it woulda melted,” Sarah added with a cheeky shrug. Tommy let out another burst of laughter. Tia went beet red in the face.
“Oh, what’s this?” Luc asked.
“Never mind!” Tia glared at Sarah. Tommy kept laughing.
“No parents around to bug you two for grandbabies so I’m taking that job and I’ll be the granny. Okay?” Sarah looked on the verge of tears. “I love all-a-you like you’re my own kids. So there.”
The room hushed.
“You’re not old enough to be a grandmother,” Dare broke the quiet.
“You’re too sexy to be a grandmother,” Eddy added.
Sarah snickered and wiped the tears away.
“You are way too stingy with the sugar to be a granny!” Tia threw in and everyone including Sarah laughed.
“Stepping out for a smoke, Angelbaby,” Dare said to me. “Get me some cake.” He kissed me on the mouth and softly whispered, “Good job. Keep being my good girl.” And then he backed away.
My heart tingled in a happy way.
He walked over to the other side of the large table and whispered something to Tommy who grabbed the two empty gift bags and followed Dare out of the room, carrying them with him. I was glad to not have to stare at that bag for the rest of the evening.
“Thanks, man.” He handed me the empty gift bags. I put the black and red one on the counter but stuffed the silver one with the purple paper into the trash bag, “Fuck. I bought her a gift in a bag like that and she had a panic attack. Reminded her of something bad.” He followed me out to the back yard where I lit a cigarette.
“Good that she held it together tonight. No?”
“Yeah, it’s good but it’s only because I had to threaten her before we got here.”
“Threaten her?”
I explained to Tommy about the report I’d gotten with instructions on how to manage her, how they offered the same for Lisa. Then I explained how Lisa pulled some dominatrix shit in my apartment when Angel had her meltdown, and then I told my brother that I had to assume the “Master” role to try to help her.
He completely agreed that it sounded like a logical way to handle things. I told him about her needing to be held down, about wanting to be spanked. He joked that it didn’t sound too taxing to have to use it to my advantage in the bedroom.
“I know you’d be all over that, man, and I won’t lie; some of the shit we’ve gotten up to so far has been fuck-hot. But I’ve gotta handle her with care. I want this girl. I want her whole. Not a shell of a person, you know?”