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Sunrise had a tendency to shine a light on things, not only physically but metaphorically as well. Last night, tucked away in the safety and privacy of his club, laying claim to Charlotte had seemed not only like a good idea, but the only possible outcome.
Now, in the harsh light of day, Braden was faced with the reality of his situation. Not that he regretted what he’d done in the slightest, but there was one very large fly in the ointment. A fly by the name of Emmett Duvall.
It was one thing to keep a singular incident a secret, like when he’d spanked her for entering that damn auction. But he couldn’t and wouldn’t hide an entire relationship from his best friend.
Which was how he found himself ringing the doorbell at the Duvall home well before lunchtime, growing more and more irritated as he waited for Abigail to open the door.
Just as he was pulling his phone from his pocket to give Emmett a call to see if he was even home, it swung open, revealing a delightfully disheveled Charlotte glaring daggers at him. Her eyes widened slightly when she recognized him. “Mr. Elliott?”
Stepping over the threshold, he nudged her to the side and closed the door behind them. The urge to kiss her was like an itch under his skin, but that was a risk he couldn’t take until he’d spoken to Emmett. “Under the current circumstances, I think you should probably start calling me Braden, don’t you?”
Her nose wrinkled. “I like Daddy better. Calling you Braden just feels wrong.”
“I love hearing you call me Daddy, little one. But perhaps not in… polite company.”
“I’ve never really cared what ‘polite company’ thinks of me.”
He did, more than he should according to his brothers. And while he enjoyed letting her play the brat for him in private, he did have certain expectations for how his partner behaved in public. “Charlotte.”
There was just enough ‘Daddy’ in his tone to have a flush rising to her cheeks. “Fine. What are you doing here, Braden?”
“I came over to talk to your dad, but if my naughty girl needs her bottom warmed so she can remember how to speak to me, I’d be happy to make a detour to somewhere private, first.”
“Sorry. The doorbell woke me up and I’m cranky when I don’t get enough sleep.”
“Where’s Abigail? Does she have the day off?”
The flush on Charlotte’s cheeks darkened as she jerked a shoulder. “How the fuck should I know? I don’t keep track of her schedule.”
Lack of sleep made for a very cranky Lottie-bug, indeed. Braden tucked that bit of knowledge away as he sent her a stern look. “That’s two.”
“Two what?”
“Strikes. We get to three and you’ll be going back to bed with a very sore bottom.”
“That’s not fair!”
“It’s very fair. I’m giving you the opportunity to correct your behavior on your own before I correct it for you. I won’t always be so understanding, Charlotte.”
As he had the night before, he watched her, captivated by the open struggle to submit stamped all over her stunning face. Until she finally sighed, her shoulders slumping and her bottom lip pushing out into a pout. “Sorry, Daddy.”
“Good girl. Now, is your…” Referring to Emmet as her dad only served to highlight everything that was wrong with the situation they’d found themselves in. “Is Emmet home?”
“I think he’s in his office. You know where it is.”
Glancing around to ensure they weren’t seen, Braden slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “Thank you, little one.” He brushed an almost chaste kiss across her lips. “If you’re a good girl the rest of the day, I’ll have a surprise for you tonight.”
At the mention of a surprise, her eyes lit up. “What kind of surprise?”
“I guess you’ll have to be a good girl so you can see, now won’t you?”
This time when she sighed it was filled with drama, and he couldn’t help but laugh. Still pouting, but with her eyes now sparkling with mischief, she tilted her chin up, as if inviting him to come and taste. “I could be a very good girl for you if you wanted me to, Daddy.”
“Are you going to tell me why you signed up for the auction?”
Irritation and, if he wasn’t mistaken, a hint of sadness flickered across her face. “No.”
“Then I’ll have to settle for you being a good girl and not getting yourself into any trouble.” Leaning down, he pressed another kiss to her sulky mouth. “Be good, Charlotte. I have plans for you tonight, and you’ll enjoy them much more than you’d enjoy spending your evening with your nose in the corner and your bare bottom on display in my office while I work.”
