She shakes her head and keeps her face down.
“Look at Daddy.”
“No, thanks. Can I get dressed now?”
“No. You can look me in the eye and listen to what I have to say.”
She sighs as she tips her head back. “What?” Her face is red. She’s embarrassed. And it’s my fault. I’ve made her feel unwanted, and that’s the last thing I want to do. Ever.
“So sassy…”
She rolls her eyes, not even catching herself and attempting to stop.
I chuckle. “You’d do just about anything to get me to spank you right now, wouldn’t you?”
She shrugs.
“I’ll be happy to spank you. I bet it will feel good after the stressful day you’ve had. Purge some of the pent-up feelings. But first, you’re going to listen to me.”
I maintain a grip on her face. Not forceful, just enough to keep her focused on me. “I know you were trying to initiate sex, and I didn’t handle it well. I should have explained myself instead of sending you away. I’m sorry.”
She shrugs. “It’s fine. I’ve been here for almost three days. You’re probably tired of me. I have a lot of shit going on. The skeletons in my closet are gigantic. I get it. It’s fine.”
“No, sweetheart. That’s not it at all. I’m not tired of you, and I never will be. Not ever. And I don’t care how much shit you have going on. I’m here to help manage every burden and ease your stress. It’s my job as your Daddy and as your man.”
“’K.”
I sigh. “Autumn…”
“Can I get dressed?”
“No. You can hear me out, naughty girl. Do you think I don’t want to make love to you?”
“Clearly you don’t.”
I shake my head. “Baby, that is not true. You rubbed your thigh against my cock. Was it limp?”
Her breath hitches.
“Was it?” There’s no way she failed to notice how fucking hard I am for her.
“No,” she murmurs.
“Do men who don’t want to have sex get a hard-on?”
“How would I know?” she whines.
“Well, they don’t. I want to take you to bed and show you how I’m going to worship you for the rest of your life so badly. And I will. But I don’t want your first time to be on the same day you found out a man you trusted to be a family friend murdered your father and has been spying on you.”
She shudders. “Spying?” Her voice rises as she lifts her head to look at me. “That’s an understatement. He’s been watching me fucking masturbate, Mace!” she shouts. “Do you know how that makes me feel?”
I stroke her cheeks with my thumbs. “No, Baby girl. I can’t know what you’re feeling because I’ve never been in your shoes, but I know it has to hurt, and it’s making you crazy every time you think about it. I know I’m fucking furious that someone violated your privacy. It makes me want to punch a hole in the wall that he’s seen you naked and I haven’t. The fucking asshole will pay, Autumn. I will see to it. In the meantime, I’m not taking you to bed when you’re hurting like this. When we make love for the first time, I want every single ounce of your attention on me and how good it feels to have me surrounding you.”
I pause because I want to say the right things, and I need to gather my thoughts better.
After taking another deep breath, I continue, “You are mine, Autumn. It’s forever.” I pull her against me and hold her close, squishing her in my huge hug.
She whimpers as she wraps her arms and legs around me. “Okay, Daddy.”
