Reaching around, he stroked the place where they were joined, gathering her juices on his fingers. She whined when he didn't touch her clit, instead sliding his finger across her puckered little rosebud.
"One day, soon." He pushed his finger into her, ignoring her gasping protests. "I'm going to take you here. I'm going to fuck your pretty little bottom. Sometimes you'll enjoy it. But when you're naughty, it will be just for me."
"Daddy."
The single, gasped word nearly drove him over the edge. But he wasn't finished with her yet. Working a second finger into her bottom, he fucked her. Harder, faster, until he felt her tense around him.
"Come for me, baby. Come for Daddy."
She came screaming, clenching around his cock and his fingers, milking him as pleasure wracked her body.
It was more than he could stand. Loosening the grip on his control, he followed her, emptying himself into her as his own vision blurred at the edges. His knees buckled under him, and he might have fallen if he hadn't caught himself on the back of the couch.
"Jesus," he gasped, leaning against her for a moment, trying to catch his breath.
"Hmm," was Evie's only response.
Chuckling, he pressed a kiss between her shoulder blades before reluctantly pulling out of her. "I'll be back in a second. Stay here."
It took a few steps before his legs were steady under him again. He ducked into the half bath off the kitchen and washed his hands, then wet a hand towel before returning to Evie.
She was right where he'd left her, draped over the back of the couch. With a kiss for her welted bottom, he used the towel to wipe away the evidence of their lovemaking. When he was done, he returned the towel to the bathroom sink, making a mental note to toss it in the laundry later.
Returning to the living room once again, he helped her stand and step out of the heels before leading her around to the couch. He stretched out on the worn cushions, with her on top of him. For a long while they stayed just like that, with her cheek pressed against his bare chest as he ran his fingers through her hair.
"I love you."
The unexpected statement made him smile. He prayed he'd never take those words for granted. "I love you, too."
"No, you don't understand." Lifting her head, she propped her chin on his chest, her eyes suddenly serious. "I love you. I didn't know I could love anyone the way I love you. The way Ro loves Octavius and Teagan loves Luca. I remember thinking I didn't have that inside of me. I'm glad I was wrong."
"I always knew you had it in you,tesoro. But I'm glad you found it." It took more strength than he could imagine to walk away from the horror she'd experienced and give herself to another man, to trust him the way she did.
"Me too." Worry clouded her eyes. "Sometimes I'm afraid I'll go back to the person I used to be, and you won't want me anymore. You'll see how vain and shallow I really am, and you'll realize this was a huge mistake."
"Loving you could never be a mistake." He let his lips curve, let just a hint of wicked show in the smile. "And if you stray too far from the loving, kind woman I know you are, I have ways of bringing you back around."
A pretty blush stained her cheeks, but the worry disappeared from her eyes. "I suppose that's true."
"It is. I have no intention of letting you go, so you're stuck with me and my belt. Think you can live with that?"
When she smiled this time, it was with an innocent joy that humbled him. If he hadn't already been horizontal, that smile might have brought him to his knees.
"Yeah. I can live with that."
Epilogue
One month later…
"Mom? Are you here?" Opening the door to her mother's new townhome, Evie peeked up the stairs.
"In the kitchen."
The kitchen? Well, at least she'd gotten out of bed. Bolstered by that bit of good news, Evie headed for the cute little kitchen at the back of the house.
Her mother was seated at the breakfast nook, a stack of papers and a cup of coffee in front of her. For the first time in weeks, her hair and makeup were done. She looked like Evie had always remembered her, and the relief nearly knocked her to her knees.
"You look good today," Evie said.