Library

20. Paisley

20

PAISLEY

" D addy, I'm fine. We're not canceling the party. We've been planning it for months; the venue is rented, and the caterers have been paid."

How is it possible to love someone this much but also want to hit them over the head with a cast iron skillet at the same time? I have a feeling this is how our relationship will always be. At the end of the day, though, my love for him outweighs everything else. At least, it has up until now.

He's kept me in bed since the incident with Chuck. I begrudgingly let him. I was hoping if I rested for two full days, he wouldn't have a fit about the party for the makeup company's launch tomorrow night. But here we are, toe to toe, with him trying to forbid me from attending or canceling the entire thing altogether.

"You're injured, Paisley. You need to be in bed. Not trying to impress a bunch of influencers. Your product speaks for itself."

Glaring up at him, I huff. "I have a scratch on my back that didn't even need stitches and a few bruises. I'm fine. And if I'm forced to stay in bed any longer, I might end up committing murder. Specifically of a big, gruff Irishman who's being a bossy meanie right now."

He raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms. I don't think he realizes how hot he looks when he's trying to be all overbearing like this. I kind of want to show him my tits just so he'll hate-fuck me while we're both irritated with each other.

"What did you just think about?" he asks, stepping forward. His pupils dilate.

I gulp. How does he do that? How does he read me so easily?

"What? Nothing. Daddy, we're having this party. It's important for the business, and it's not just my company. There are three other women involved, plus Judy Callahan. It would look terrible if we canceled."

He hesitates before he reaches for my hips. He's been treating me like I'm fragile for the past couple of days. I both love it and hate it. Seeing this softer side of Kieran is so intimate. It's something he only gives me. I miss him manhandling me, though.

"I'm not broken," I whisper. "Stop treating me like I'm broken."

I tilt my head back to look into his eyes. His face is pinched like he's in pain, so I reach up and run my thumb over the line between his eyebrows.

"I know you're not broken, Paisley. I could have fucking lost you, though. Who knows what that asshole would have done to you if you hadn't fought back. It fucking guts me to think about. You're my strong girl, but you're also my baby girl."

"And you're my Daddy. We can't cancel the party."

He sighs and leans down, resting his forehead against mine. "I know. But you're going to take it easy. No heavy drinking, no dancing, and if I tell you to sit down and take a break, you better obey, or I'll find an empty room and put you over my knee."

"Yes, Sir. You're the boss."

"Paisley Mae, don't fucking test me right now," he growls.

Sticking out my bottom lip, I bat my eyelashes. "But it's so fun testing you, Daddy. You get all grumbly, and your hand gets twitchy. It's one of my favorite things to do."

"That's it. I'm adding a tally to your spanking journal. You better brace yourself, Little one, because you're not going to sit for a week if you keep adding to your punishments."

"That's kind of what I'm hoping for," I say, giggling.

He lets out a string of curses, and I laugh harder. I don't think messing with him will ever get old.

" O h my God, we look so beautiful," Cali squeals.

Chloe nods, her face pale. "I can't believe this is actually happening. You guys, I'm going to cry."

My tummy flutters as I wrap my arms around my best friend, being careful not to mess up our hair or makeup. "Believe it. Your vision and passion brought all of this to life."

She sniffs and hugs me back. "I couldn't have done this without you three. You're not only my family, but you're my best friends. Creating this business with you has been the highlight of my life. We're going to do great things together."

The four of us dab at our eyes, nodding our agreement. It's been a chaotic couple of months since we started, and we've worked tirelessly to get everything going. Throughout it all, the four of us have gotten along and supported each other. We haven't had a single fight or disagreement. It's one of the best things I've ever experienced. True friendship.

"Fearless Beauty is going to be amazing," Scarlet says.

Cali beams and fiddles with her hair. "That's because we're amazing. No matter what happens, we are truly blessed. Not only do we have each other, but we have men who will torch the earth for us."

I blink back tears. It's hard to remember my life before Kieran entered it. From the moment I met him, everything changed, even though I didn't realize it right away. He would burn down the world for me without question. I never thought someone would love me so fiercely, but that man does. As much as I wish I still had my brother in my life, the Daniel I knew before the drugs, I'm at peace with it. The people who are meant to be in my life are the ones who choose to be here. They're the ones who matter. And that means everything to me.

"Shall we go shock the hell out of our men with these dresses?" Chloe asks.

My cheeks almost hurt; I smile so wide as I take another look in the mirror. "Yes."

The guys are waiting for us in the foyer when we make our way down the stairs. Grady, Ronan, and Patrick are with them. They're all dressed in black suits, looking like sexy devils in disguise.

Kieran's gaze roams over me, and a chill runs down my spine. What if he doesn't like my dress? I don't have to worry about that for long because before I reach the bottom step, he strides toward me, his eyes glittering with arousal.

"Jesus Fucking Christ, baby. You look…Fuck. You are the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on."

My cheeks heat, and my pussy clenches. I've never felt so sexy. The man praises me so easily, and he never makes me feel like I have to earn it.

"You look quite handsome yourself." I reach up and slide my hands around his neck. "I missed you."

He kisses me gently, then pulls back and stares down at me. "I want you wearing that lipstick when you suck my dick later."

I gasp, then let out a small moan. Oh, thank God, he's finally going to fuck me tonight. We haven't had sex since the day I was attacked. Three days is way too long to go without. "Okay."

Lowering his head so his mouth is near my ear, he nips gently. "I'm fucking your ass tonight too."

Oh God. The man is trying to make me a horny mess before we even get to the party. "Daddy," I murmur.

"Hm? You need Daddy to make you feel good, don't you, baby?"

"Yes, more than I need my next breath."

He chuckles and nips my ear again. "Soon, baby. First, we need to go party and celebrate Fearless Beauty. Then, I'm taking you home, to our house. You're moving in with me tomorrow."

I tilt my head back to look him in the eye. "You didn't say please."

"My fucking brat. Get used to it."

Letting out a sigh, I lift onto my tiptoes and press a kiss to his lips. "I already am. I'd love to move in with you."

His cock twitches against my tummy. At least I'm not the only one who's needy.

"This fucking silk dress. You look good in crimson, baby. It matches that sexy lipstick. You're keeping this on later while you're on your knees sucking me off. Understand?"

I giggle and kiss him again. "Yes, Daddy."

"Can you two stop eye-fucking each other so we can go? We're going to be late for our own party," Chloe says.

Kieran glares at his sister. "Your husband needs to spank your ass more, you know that?"

Bash laughs. "They all need their asses spanked more. I have a feeling these four will be running the entire mafia if we don't get control of them."

Cali snorts. "We already are, Bashie. You guys just aren't ready to accept the truth yet. But that's okay; we'll let you keep believing you're the ones in charge."

Declan swats Cali's ass and shakes his head. "Let's go before your mouth gets you into more trouble than you're ready to answer for."

As Kieran takes my hand and leads me out to the waiting limos, I'm grinning ear to ear. Life is so damn good.

" W ho is that woman over there pawing all over Kieran?" Cali whispers.

I swing around to find whomever she's talking about, and sure enough, there's a tall blonde laughing and touching his arm. She's one of the influencers at the party. I recognize her from her social media, but for the life of me, I can't remember her name. We have a hundred influencers here, all of them gorgeous.

My stomach twists, and I tighten my grip on my champagne glass as I watch the woman rest her hand on his chest. Kieran doesn't look happy, but then again, he always looks a bit grumpy. A lump forms in my throat. I've never been the jealous type, but when it comes to the man across the room, I'd hurt someone over him. And if that woman doesn't stop touching him, she might regret it.

Cali elbows me again. "You should go over there. Tell her to get the hell away from him."

Shaking my head, I take a long drink from my glass. "No. This is an important night for Chloe, and I'm not going to ruin it for her. If Kieran doesn't want her touching him, he'll tell her to stop. If he doesn't, well, I guess that's my sign that it was a bad idea to trust him."

Just saying the words out loud hurts my heart. Could I have been totally wrong about him? I was wrong about Jeremy. Maybe I've made a huge mistake, and everything I believe is just bullshit he was saying so he could sleep with me.

My eyes burn with tears, but I blink them away. I can't do this right now. The focus of tonight is Fearless Beauty.

Several people walk by, distracting me as they stop to talk to me briefly and introduce themselves. I don't remember any of their names, and I can't focus on anything they're saying because all I can think about is running and hiding so I can cry my eyes out in private.

Chloe strides toward me, her face pinched with anger. Scarlet is right on her heels.

"Who is that bitch over there touching my brother?" Chloe demands.

My shoulders drop, and I feel awful that my best friend is worried about this instead of the party.

Scarlet scans the room, her gaze settling on Kieran and the woman. "I'm pretty sure that's Olivia Jade. Does Kieran know her? He doesn't look happy."

I swallow, turn my attention to Kieran, and really look at him. Scarlet's right. He's pissed and uncomfortable.

Chloe gasps. "Olivia Jade? Fuck, how did I not see her name on the guest list? That's his ex. She's a horrible bitch of a woman."

Kieran meets my eyes, and I swear, he pleads for my help with just one look. The jealousy I was feeling a moment ago vanishes, replaced with pure venom. That woman hurt the man I love, and now she's here, touching him like he's hers? Fuck no.

"Chloe," I murmur. "I don't want to ruin your party."

My best friend swings her head toward me and laughs. "Oh, bestie, this is our party, and please, fucking ruin it if it means getting that witch away from Kieran. Besides, social media loves a little drama."

I glance at my three best friends. They're all nodding, nearly as pissed as I am. As graciously as possible, I cross the room, though I'm pretty sure everyone can tell I'm on a mission as they move out of my way.

Kieran's expression relaxes as soon as I approach and he takes a step to the side, opening his arms for me. Head held high, I move into his embrace and put my hands on the sides of his face to pull him down for a kiss.

"I didn't want to cause a scene," he says quietly when our lips part.

I smile and nod before I turn toward his ex. "Hi. We haven't met. I'm Paisley, Kieran's fiancée. Who are you, and why were you touching my man?"

The woman's mouth drops open for a second before she gathers her wits and forces a smile. Then, she has the nerve to stick her hand out to me.

"I'm Olivia. Kieran and I used to date. We were just catching up. It's interesting he didn't tell me about you," she says, her voice like nails on a chalkboard.

Ignoring her hand, I tilt my head slightly. "How could he possibly tell you about me when you were doing all the talking? I'm sure you're used to getting everything you want and all, but Kieran is mine. I actually love him, and I'll protect his heart for the rest of our lives. I'm the one he's going to come home to every night. So, let's get something straight. If you put your hands on him again, I'll slit your pretty little throat and watch you bleed out in front of all these people. ‘Kay?" I bat my eyelashes at her and grin. Her expression shifts from shock to fear in a matter of seconds.

Kieran's grip on my hips tightens until it's almost painful, but then he leans down and kisses my shoulder. It's tender and intimate, despite there being hundreds of people around. It's his way of acknowledging everything I just said. I just hope he knows I meant every single word of it.

"Security will escort you out, and you will no longer be associated with Fearless Beauty," Chloe says from behind Olivia. "And if you ever come near my brother again, I will be the one handing my future sister-in-law the knife."

Olivia gasps. It's so theatrical and fake that Chloe and I roll our eyes in unison. I give Olivia a finger wave as a couple of Declan's men nudge her away. She slaps at them like they're flies and not six-foot-something mafia men.

"Kieran, make them stop! I can't believe you're letting them treat me like this!" Olivia shouts.

Kieran raises his eyebrows, his arm tensing around me. I nuzzle in closer to him and rest my hand just over his heart.

"You can't believe it, huh? You know what I can't believe? That you would even approach me after the shit you did. You're a materialistic gold digger with no self-respect and no consideration for others. You're lucky I haven't destroyed your life piece by piece," he growls. "Now, get the fuck out of here so my woman can continue celebrating her accomplishments that she's worked her ass off for."

I grin up at him, my love for him growing even more. I've never had a hero in my life, but I do now. My man. My protector. My Daddy.

Comments

0 Comments
Best Newest

Contents
Settings
  • T
  • T
  • T
  • T
Font

Welcome to FullEpub

Create or log into your account to access terrific novels and protect your data

Don’t Have an account?
Click above to create an account.

lf you continue, you are agreeing to the
Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.