Page 25 of Daddy's Reluctant Queen

The car finally stops at the curb before the steps leading up to the door. “Sir,” Titus’s driver says, “we should have a word?—”

“We will. Not now.” And with that, Titus opens the door and gets out of the car. A second later, my door opens.

He leads me up the stairs to the door and lets me in. As I walk over the threshold, I note little spots of blood on the concrete. The woman Adam shot. Titus said something about her being his housekeeper. He must have been walking her out for the night.

“Your brother is a fairly good shot,” he says to me as we walk into the foyer. “Or a very bad one. I don’t imagine he was aiming for my housekeeper, was he?”

He looks down at me, expecting an answer. I’m too tired to stonewall him. “No.”

He smirks and the action lights up his eyes, even in the dusty amber glow of this area. “Of course not. Come on. Let’s get you settled.”

We walk through the living room. Leather couches, glass coffee table —modern as all hell, just like I thought when I glimpsed itthrough the window. Only now, I have the added sense of smell. The room kind of smells like him in a leather jacket.

“There are rules that I expect you to follow,” he says as we walk up the stairs to the second floor. “First, you will stay in your room at all times… unless, of course, I say you can leave it. Don’t worry, it’s not as oppressive as the warehouse. You’ll have everything you need at hand. And anything that you don’t have, all you have to do is ask for it.”

The second floor reminds me a little of one of those old motels. There’s one large hallway with doors on either side and near the end, it branches off into other hallways that lead to other rooms. The decor is… clean. Off-white carpet, beige and gold wallpaper. This is a house that’s well taken care of.

“The one thing you will not do is wander these halls unescorted,” he says as we turn the corner and walk down a short hallway that ends with a door. He pauses at the door, resting his hand on the knob. “Once you are in your room and I leave it, you will be locked in. Do you understand?”

I nod.

“Speak, Sofia.”

“Yes, um, Daddy.”

He tilts his head slightly. “When we’re not engaged in your training, you’ll call me ‘Sir’.”

“Yes, Sir.”

He gives a short nod of satisfaction, then opens the door.

The bedroom is less of a bedroom and more of a small apartment. It’shuge. In the center of the room is a queen-or king-sized bed with a thick, black comforter over it. The bedframe is made from heavy wood and has intricate carvings around the small posts at the headboard and around the legs.

There’s a matching dresser across from the bed and two night stands. On the left of the bed is a large window with heavy curtains blocking out the light, a mirror that takes up half the wall and not so coincidentally has the bed in its reflection. On the other side of the bed are a small couch and table and a television facing the little arrangement. A bookcase stands adjacent to the couch, filled with books, of course…

And a door that’s half open. I can see from here that it’s a bathroom with what looks like a monstrous jacuzzi.

Standing at the doorway on this soft carpet, I can’t wait to take my shoes off and walk through it. I can feel its plushness through the soles of my shoes. Honestly, for being the fuck toy of a Pakhan, this is more than I expected.

“You will be given three meals a day,” he says. “You will eat breakfast and lunch in this room, but I expect you to join me for dinner. After tonight, that is.” He walks over to the mirror wall and presses it. A door opens to reveal a room with empty shelves and hangers. “I’ll send in someone to take your dress size. I want you dressed properly for dinner.”

“Properly? What does that mean?” His eyes harden slightly. “Sir, I mean. What does that mean,Sir?”

“Semi-formal,” he says. He walks across the room to the bathroom. “As far as hygiene, you will shower daily.”

I scoff and he whips his head around to me. “Sorry, I just… I’m not a child. I know how to wash myself.”

“Did I ask for commentary from you?” He doesn’t make a move toward me, but the way he’s looking around at me, his gold eyes darkening, it sends a chill up my spine.

I shake my head. “No, Sir.”

He narrows his eyes slightly. “We’ll work on curbing that mouth of yours. As I was saying, you’ll maintain appropriate hygiene and your hair…” His eyes observe my hair, darting around my head as if he’s touching every strand. “Keep it long. In fact, I’d like to see it braided in a single braid for our next lesson.”

I hold back another scoff. He thinks of sex as ‘lessons’ and ‘training’. That’s a trip.

“And your nails,” he says, looking down at my hands. “Grow them out. I’ll have someone come in to help you maintain them. I like them long and sharpened to a manageable point. If you have any questions, ask them.”

Questions? Ha! He’s making this whole thing feel like a business meeting. “What about fresh air? I guess I’m not allowed to go to the mall or the park or anything like that. What about just taking a walk around the property?”