Daddy’s Little Pet

ROBERT

“You look so beautiful.”

The words tumbled out of my mouth unbidden when I walked into Renee’s dressing room and took in her appearance for tonight’s party.

I’d just finished the security briefing for tonight’s event with Cade’s team and mine. I had a few minutes to kill before the party began, and what better way to spend them than with my woman?

“So, so beautiful,” I mumbled again, my eyes taking in the gorgeous sight.

She stood in front of the full-length mirror, wearing a low-cut black gown that hugged her curves and made her look like a goddess.

A beautiful sterling silver necklace glistened around her neck, and the matching earrings added to the grandeur of her attire. Her hair was fashioned in a sleek updo and pinned up with a delicate ivory hair comb that complemented her jewelry. At the same time, the makeup artist behind her worked to polish her already gorgeous face.

“Thank you for the compliment, Robert.” She smiled sheepishly. “I’m glad you approve.”

I didn’t utter another word. I just stood by the doorway, watching her intently, and a blush rose on her cheeks as our gazes met in the mirror’s reflection.

She blinked rapidly, averting her gaze, and the action made me grin. I stepped forward.

“Will you please give us the room?” I asked the makeup artist without letting my gaze stray from Renee. Her eyebrows furrowed in question.

“What are you doing?” She mouthed, adding in a louder tone. “She’s not finished yet. I’m not finished…”

“But you are.” I cut in with a smirk and glanced at the makeup artist, who nodded and hurriedly left. “Now, where was I…” I trailed off as the door clicked shut, then crossed the room to stand squarely behind her.

One hand cradled her waist, and the other crept around the back of her neck, fingertips barely stroking her skin in what I hoped was a delicate caress.

I leaned down to give her the sweetest kiss on an exposed shoulder.

She shivered, sucking in an unsteady breath.

“God, you smell amazing.” I let loose a soft, seductive sigh. “And you are stunning. Perfect. Like a piece of God’s purest and best work in creation. Damn!”

“Rob…” Her voice was breathless. “Stop…”

“I can’t…” I interrupted with a hiss and kissed her shoulder again. “I can’t wait for everything to be over. I miss you. So damn much.”

“But I’m here.”

“Silly girl,” I scoffed. “Of course you are. What I mean is…” I paused, grasping her waist tightly. “I miss fucking you.”

“Robert!” She gaped, her cheeks blazing, but that did not stop me from continuing

.

“I’ve missed the feeling of your skin against mine. The sound of your sweet moans in my ears. Every little whimper of pleasure. Every single exhale you make as I push deep into you. And…” I ran my lips across her neck and shoulder, dropping little kisses. “Fuck!”

“Please stop.” She giggled and tried to pull away. “You’re going to ruin my dress and makeup.”

“The beautician should be able to fix it in a jiffy.”

“You must be joking.” A frown marred her beautiful features. “The party starts in a few minutes, and you are not dressed. Besides, this event is not your typical housewarming celebration. It’s…”

“I know what it is. I know.” I released her from my hold and took a step back. I raked my fingers through my hair in frustration. “I just wanted to forget about the chaos and enjoy myself for a moment. I just wanted to be with you.”

Slowly, Renee turned to face me.

Her expression softened, and she brought her palm to my cheek, gently stroking it. “I understand. But this is only for today. After tonight, things will return to normal, right?”

My lips curved upward. “Right.”

“Good.” She smiled, although the look in her eyes quickly betrayed her true feelings.

She was scared. Terrified, even if her body language was anything to go by. And I knew why.

“Nothing bad will happen tonight, Renee,” I spoke firmly. “The party is going to go well. It will be amazing.”

“It’s just…” She bit her lip. “I can’t help feeling nervous. I’ve been hoping everything will be fine, but…”

“But what?”

“I have a strong feeling in my gut that it will not be. Your hasty plan with Cade… the party… it could all go…”

“Nothing will go wrong.”

“Oh, Robert.”

“Sincerely, Renee. I’ll say it a hundred times if I have to. You have nothing to be concerned about.” I took a deep breath. “The security brief for tonight has been completed, and it is thorough. Cade’s men are on the lookout for Amanda. My guards will ensure the safety of the guests and house staff. As for you, Harry will not leave your side.”

“Hmm…”

“There’s also an arrest warrant out on the she-devil, so…”

“She-devil?” Renee giggled, obviously amused by my choice of words. “Now that’s a funny word.”

“It fits her personality perfectly.” I shrugged. “Anyway, if she sees through this ruse and decides not to attend the party but does something else like leave the city or country… she’ll be apprehended. I have eyes everywhere.”

“Okay. That’s reassuring.” She sighed and turned back, facing the mirror. “My mom called.”

“Oh.”

“She’s sorry she couldn’t attend the party, but she sends her regards.” Another sigh escaped her lips. “She prayed for you, Robert. For me, too. For everyone involved in tonight’s event.”

“That was kind of her,” I said quietly.

“Yeah.” She nodded, a little smile spreading across her face. “Did you know that ever since I told her about the murder case, she’s been vouching for your innocence? She didn’t believe what they said you did.”

“Did she?”

“Yes.” Renee giggled. “And for the record, my mama’s instincts are always correct. Always.”

“Hm,” I smirked and pulled her close to me again. “When Mama calls next, you tell her I love her and appreciate her faith in me.”

“Or when she visits, you tell her yourself.” Renee mused, and I nodded in agreement.

Silence fell between us after that. Then, slowly, Renee took my hands and placed them on her stomach. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, relaxing under my touch.

When she opened her eyes, she spoke. Although the words were barely audible, I could hear them.

“I plan on having a great time, no matter what happens. What about you?”

A lopsided grin appeared on my face. “Of course, I intend to enjoy it. Renee, it’s our housewarming party. It’s the first step toward making us a family.”

Her whole face lit up. “A family.”

“Yeah. Isn’t that right?”

“Hm. It is.” She hummed. “It has always been right. Right from that night in Aspen…” Her brown eyes twinkled with delight. “Or was it when you bought this house? You made your commitment… this dream… you made it clear to me. And, while I may not have said it out loud, I wanted this. I’ve been committed, too.”

Her words sent a warm feeling through my chest. They rang true, and waves of affection coursed through me. My smile broadened, and my heart swelled with pride and love for her.

She continued. “So, I’m going to have fun. Because tonight, I’ve found my home. My family. My place by your side.” She met my gaze in the mirror’s reflection. “This is the beginning of our future, Robert. And I can’t wait!”

“I can’t wait, either.” I kissed her hair tenderly. “God, I love you.”

“I love you more.” She inhaled softly. “How many minutes before the party starts?”

I looked at my watch, squinting slightly as the numbers danced around me.

“Thirty, forty minutes. Why?”

“Well, you need to get ready and…”

“And I want to spend ten more minutes with you.”

“Robert!” She admonished me, but I just tightened my hold around her.

“I’m a man. I don’t need to do much. I’ll be done dressing in twenty.”

“But-”

“But just ten minutes. With you,” I cut in and began drawing circles on her tummy. “Can you give me that?”

“Fine.” She chuckled and melted further into me. “Ten minutes.”

“Thank you, my girl…”

~~

“…now, I give you our host, Mr. Clarke.” The MC made a loud announcement over the speaker system, eliciting a big cheer and applause.

“Are you coming with me?” I whispered in Renee’s ear, gently kissing her cheek. She shook her head and muttered.

“No. Go on ahead.”

“Okay.” I kissed her one final time before turning away and walking confidently to the center of the room.

Before I began my address, I looked across the vast room, taking in the lively atmosphere.

The party was in full swing when Renee and I arrived in the lavishly adorned mansion’s ballroom moments ago. Music blared, food and drink flowed, and laughter echoed. The guests mingled happily. Many were my business associates, and I introduced Renee to them one by one.

Even though this was an impromptu event, my invitees consistently showed up. I was immensely grateful.

This was good publicity. It wasn’t only appropriate for drawing Amanda out, but it was also beneficial to my company’s reputation, which had suffered significantly since the murder scandal began. It’d make for a memorable experience to remember in the future.

Clearing my throat, I looked around and began to speak. “Good evening, everyone. Thank you for honoring my invitation. It means so much to me and my lovely girlfriend.” An applause erupted from both sides of the room, and I lifted my glass to Renee, who blushed slightly.

I continued, briefly describing the love tale confined within the building’s walls and why the house was my first purchase in Orlando. This narrative made Renee blush even more. Then, I got to discuss what had happened in the previous weeks. The murder case. The tedious investigation process. And most importantly, I talked about the culprit in custody.

Approving hoots broke out, and I grinned. The audience grew silent once more as I continued.

“Lest I forget, I’d like to thank Cade Stone, who personally…” I trailed off, scouring the crowd for my best friend, but he was nowhere to be seen.

At first, I suspected Amanda had arrived, and he was monitoring that. But then I remembered that I would have been notified if she had arrived.

Shaking my head, I chuckled and made a crappy joke about Cade’s disappearance. I spoke some more before concluding with a vote of thanks. “Thank you all for coming again. I hope that the Clarke name will only grow from here on out. No more scandals. No more allegations. I pray that we never experience another catastrophe like this again.”

“Amen to that!” someone yelled, and there was a final round of applause.

“Cheers to new beginnings.” I intoned loudly and raised my glass, as did everyone else.

“Cheers!”

Clinks and applause filled the air. I walked away from the ballroom center, quickly finished my drink, and looked around for Cade.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Where was-?

“Mr. Clarke?” A guard called, and I swiftly turned to face him.

“Where’s Cade?”

“I… I have no idea, sir.”

“Any news yet on the Amanda situation?”

“No. Not really. I wanted to let you know that-”

“Robert.” A voice interrupted the guard, and I looked behind to see a disheveled-looking Cade walking toward us with hurried steps.

“Cade, where the hell were you? I’ve-”

“I just got a call,” He spoke abruptly, cutting my words short. “They have her.”

“Wh… what?” I blanched. “Who?!”

“The cops. They have Amanda. We have to leave now.”