My mouth opened and closed in blatant shock. This wasn’t possible. I would have seen the signs. I know how to read people. I know how to gauge what their feeling from their body language alone.
This man had outplayed me.
I felt like I should have been angry, but I couldn’t bring myself to be. For some insane reason, his admission comforted me. It made me feel safer and even more secure than ever before.
“You knew about the family the whole time,” I whispered.
“I did.”
“I didn’t run away from you to hurt you. I only ran the second time to keep the both of us safe. Once they realized that I’ve been compromised, they will come to kill us both. I wanted you to live even if I had to die. That’s all I wanted,” I exclaimed fearfully. I wanted him to understand. I was desperate for him to know that I hadn’t done it to hurt him. I’d only done it to save him because I loved him.
“I know, little girl. Daddy isn’t upset with you,” he whispered, and he pulled my body flush against his. He surrounded me with those strong arms and words no longer carried any meaning. He said everything with the way he held me, and his fingers clutched at me so tightly that it felt like he was almost afraid to let me go. Like he would refuse to let me go even if I pulled away.
“You’re so strong, little girl, and that makes me so proud of you,” he whispered, and he pressed his lips to the back of my head with a soft kiss.
And just like that, my heart melted into a puddle and every last wall I’d put up to protect myself from love crumbled away into dust. He’d broken his way inside me, and I knew from then on that I would never be the same.
For a while, he just held me as the car drove along the roads of Lisbon, and I listened to the gentle beat of his heart against my ear. I closed my eyes and relished the safety of his arms surrounding me. I was lost in just the feeling of me and him for a long time and when the car finally pulled to a stop, I opened my eyes almost as if I were coming out of a fog.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“At my Lisbon house,” he answered.
“How many houses do you have?”
“Honestly, I stopped keeping count once I bought my tenth one,” he replied with a smirk.
“Very cocky, Daddy,” I muttered, unable to stop myself from laughing a little at his admission.
“Very sassy, little girl,” he chuckled darkly, and my pussy clenched down hard in response. His tone had dropped several decibels and at once, I knew it was no longer time for light conversation.
“Did you forget what’s going to happen when we go inside?”
A nervous cry fell from my lips. I hadn’t, but my nerves had faded at least for a little while.
“No, Daddy,” I whimpered.
I sat there next to him, feeling tense and scattered and uncertain and the moment his hands brushed gently against my shoulders, I felt settled once again.
Safe.
I felt like I could breathe when he touched me. It was as if his touch allowed me to be myself for the very first time in my life and that was something so incredibly wonderful that I embraced it with all of my heart.
“Everything is going to be okay. Daddy will take care of you no matter what,” he said in my ear, his voice unwavering. “You know that, don’t you, little girl?”
“Yes, Daddy,” I whispered softly. And I did. I did know that.
I drew in a deep shaky breath and the scent of grapes practically slapped me in the face. I looked out the window for the first time since we’d arrived and sighed against him.
Of course. He owned a vineyard estate too.
“Your vineyard, I take it?”
“One of a few,” he replied.
“A few,” I answered flatly in an attempt to hide my amusement and he simply chuckled.
I shook my head. There would never be a time when I wouldn’t remember just how much I’d underestimated this man from the start.
“Come on. Let’s go inside. We have something to deal with, don’t we, little girl?”
I dropped my gaze and chewed my lip. I don’t know how he did it, but with just a few simple words he could make me feel small and naughty and needy for his hands on my naked skin.
“Yes, Daddy,” I whispered.
The driver came around and opened the door for us. With my hands a bit firmly on my dress, I climbed out of the car carefully enough to make sure that I didn’t show the man what was beneath my skirt. I was sure that my pussy would be visible if my dress fell just the wrong way and a heated blush crept over my cheeks at the thought. I didn’t want him to see what was between my thighs.
Dean followed behind me and he placed his hand on the center of my back. He gently prodded me forward and I pressed my hands against my stomach. I didn’t know what to do with them, finally nervously wringing them in front of me in an effort to comfort myself.
The house was crafted from brilliantly white stucco. Each window was framed with a border of rust-hued bricks that gave the mansion a homey feel. The red metal roof was bright under the light of the setting sun in a way that was classically beautiful. The landscaping was also impeccably kept with well-trimmed bushes and
