Page 82 of King of Temptation

The promise of junk food was enough to propel her forward. “When you say junk food, you don’t mean like one snack cake and then I have to eat gross health food the rest of the night, right? We’re talking about a proper girls’-night binge?

Both of her captors paused, twin expressions of horror on their faces. “Is that what he’s been doing to you?” Aria’s voice shot up to an indignant squawk. “Keeping you hostage without any junk food? That’s it, I’m calling the cops on him myself.”

“Now, now, let’s not overreact.” By contrast, Reagan’s tone was calm, collected in a way that sent a chill up Goldie’s spine. “I’m sure we can find a fitting punishment for him that doesn’t involve the police. Perhaps some bamboo under the fingernails.”

Aria gasped with what sounded suspiciously like excitement. “Oh! Lock him in a dark closet with nowhere to sit or lie down and play “It’s a Small World” on repeat!”

Allowing herself to be led into the kitchen, she stared at the two women who were happily discussing increasingly creative ways to torture their cousin. “He’s not that bad. The smoothies are actually pretty tasty, but don’t tell him I said that.”

“Too late, menace.” An arm snaked around her waist, yanking her back against a hard body. Chuckling softly, he nipped at her neck, a delicious little bite of pain that nearly made her whimper. “Maybe I should spank you for keeping secrets from your Daddy. Might help you behave yourself tonight.”

The thought of being spanked where his family could hear was both intoxicating and humiliating beyond measure. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”

Sliding a hand around her throat, he pulled her more fully against him. “Hmm, you sure about that?” The pressure on her throat increased, not enough to cut off her oxygen, but enough for her to be very sure that he could if he wanted to, giving her a yummy little zip of fear on top of the arousal and embarrassment coursing through her body. “You have been a very naughty girl lately, and god knows these two aren’t going to be a good influence.”

“Hear, hear!” Reagan cheered, holding up a glass of whiskey she’d procured from somewhere while Goldie had been distracted.

“I think I can manage to behave myself for one night.”

“Good girl. I’m going to Killian’s for a bit, which means Reagan—god help me—is in charge. If she gives you an order, you follow it, or you’ll answer to me. Understood?”

“I don’t need a babysitter, Brody.”

His answering growl seemed to reverberate through her entire body, but most pointedly her clit. “You need someone who can keep you safe without me here. Say ‘Yes, Daddy’, or I’ll call the whole thing off, send them home, and you can spend the rest of the night being reminded what it means to be Daddy’s good girl.”

She was painfully aware of the eyes on her, watching her with rabid curiosity, and she found herself torn between being his good girl and being the menace he’d named her. Both options came with their own special kind of humiliation, but ultimately it was the threat of losing out on her impromptu girls’ night that decided things.

“Yes, Daddy.”

“That’s my good girl.” Sliding his hand up to grip her chin, he forced her head back as he bent to claim her lips in a scorching kiss. “There’s cheesecake in the fridge, and I’m sure my cousins came prepared with plenty of stuff to rot your stomach. Try not to make yourself sick, and I’ll be back in a few hours.”

With another blazing-hot kiss, he released her and strode out of the kitchen, leaving her feeling dazed and more than a little turned on.

“Holy fuck, that was hot,” Aria whispered, her own eyes as glazed as Goldie’s felt. “Killian is so getting lucky when I get home.”

“How is that different from any other day?” Reagan asked, her tone dry.

Smirking, Aria tossed her hair over her shoulder, not looking the least bit chagrined. “Look, it’s your brother's fault for knocking me up. I can’t help that the hormones make me horny twenty-four-seven.”

“As much as I’d love to stand around talking about everyone’s sex life, I was told there’d be cheesecake.” Holding out her hands, Goldie flexed her fingers. “Gimme.”

“All right, brat, calm down.” But Reagan couldn’t hide her laughter as she made her way over to the fridge and opened it. “Oh, man, it’s from The Hollow Saint. They have the best cheesecake. Killian’s obsessed with their bread pudding, but I could live off this stuff. And Brody even got the blueberry compote to go with it!”

Something about the name and the logo tickled the back of Goldie’s mind. Her and Brody, snuggled in a booth while he pretended to not be furious with her for crashing his dinner date with the Italians.

She never had gotten her goddamn cheesecake that night.

Pressure bloomed in her chest as she watched Reagan lift the dessert from the box with all the care of a surgeon about to perform a transplant. “That sneaky bastard.”

Two sets of curious eyes swung her way, and she realized with a start she’d spoken out loud. Settling on a stool, Aria grinned and waggled his brows. “Cheesecake and tea. This is already the best girls’ night ever. Spill.”

“It’s nothing, like, earthshattering. Honestly I’m probably reading too much into it.”

Moving around Brody’s kitchen like she lived there, Reagan grabbed a knife and sliced into the cake. “Why don’t you tell us and let us decide if you’re reading too much into it?”

Well, if anyone knew Brody well enough to tell her if she was being ridiculous, it was the woman in front of her. “Remember the night he kidnapped me and called my dad to come get me?”

Aria and Reagan shared a look before returning their attention to Goldie. “As if we could forget Brody calling the cops on himself,” Aria said with a grin.