“Babe, all couples go through dry patches. Just talk to the man, or I swear I’ll spank you myself.”
“Shay!” Olivia glanced around to see if anyone had heard Shannon’s threat. But all of the other patrons were glued to their phones and tablets. “You’re horrible, you know that?”
“I love you. And I’m not about to sit back and let my favorite couple implode because you’re both too stubborn to talk it out.”
Blowing out a breath, Olivia leaned back in her chair. “Fine. I’ll talk to him. But I’m crashing at your place if this all blows up in my face.”
* * *
Inside the house she’dshared with her husband for the last six years, Olivia stared at the closed door in front of her. There’d been a time when she’d spent some time in the room behind that door nearly every day. Whether it was waiting on her daddy to come punish her or just taking some time to decompress, this had been her safe place.
For the first time in weeks, she reached for the knob and turned. The door swung open, and her eyes filled at the sight of the familiar room. At her request, the walls had been painted a lovely pale green—her favorite color. The antique four-poster bed she’d picked out herself still stood against the middle of the far wall, with one lonely stuffed hippo sitting between the fluffy peach-colored pillows.
If anyone had poked their head into the room over the years, they would have seen a rather fussy, feminine spare room, but little more. She hadn’t wanted a nursery, or really even a playroom. What she’d wanted—and been given—was simply a space to unwind and be herself when life started to weigh too heavily on her.
Shaking off the memories, she crossed the room to the dark dresser and opened the top drawer. Simple cotton panties filled the space. She chose a pair in pale lavender, because purple was Daddy’s favorite.
“Not that he’ll notice,” she mumbled to herself, shutting the drawer with a snap before opening the one below it.
Closing her eyes, she fought back tears as a wave of misery washed over her. This whole thing was pointless. James hadn’t shown any interest in being her daddy for months. She was going to make a fool of herself, throwing herself at him this way.
But the image of him, his eyes flashing with anger and resolve, was burned into her brain. That afternoon, she’d caught a glimpse of the man she’d married. The one who could turn her knees to water and her mind to mush with just a look.
She wanted that man back. And if she had to humiliate herself to get him back, then that was exactly what she’d do.
Filled with a renewed resolve, she opened her eyes and plucked a pair of pajamas from the drawer. She carried the clothes through a door just to the right of her bed, to the adjoining guest bathroom. There, she quickly stripped and hopped in the shower. James would be home soon and she wanted to be ready for him.
Once she’d scrubbed off her makeup and run a razor over her legs, she stepped out of the shower and grabbed one of the large, fluffy towels she always kept on hand in the guest bathroom. She quickly finger-combed her curls before pulling the long chestnut locks into a ponytail high on her head. No pigtails for her. She’d tried them a couple of times, but never could get used to the way they looked on her. And Daddy was fond of the single ponytail. Heat crept up her neck to her cheeks when she thought of all the times he’d wrapped her ponytail around his hand before forcing his cock between her lips.
She pressed her thighs together against the ache her memories inspired. Though she and James still slept together regularly, it wasn’t the same. She longed to be forced to her knees, or onto her back, her body open and ready for his pleasure. And hers, if he allowed it, though she couldn’t deny the thrill it gave her when he denied her, when he used her body with little or no regard for her wants or needs.
She decided against even a hint of makeup, valiantly trying to ignore the wrinkles and dark circles under her eyes. James preferred her without makeup at home, and tonight was about pleasing her daddy, so maybe he would remember how much he loved playing his part.
The slamming of the front door made her jump. With a muttered curse, she dropped the towel and hurried into her panties and pajamas. Taking one last look at herself in the mirror, she took a deep, steadying breath and opened the door to the hall.
James stopped mid-stride in the middle of the hall and stared at her. His gorgeous blue eyes went wide, raking down her plump body and back up again. When their eyes met, she saw the hunger and the need swirling in his for just a moment before they went flat again.
Her heart trembled, on the verge of shattering. If he rejected her tonight, how could she face him again?
No, she couldn’t. She knew the answer in her bones. If he rejected her, if he turned his back on what she—they—so desperately needed, their marriage was over.
“Hi,” she said, deliberately keeping her voice soft and submissive. The wordDaddystuck in her throat, but she prayed it was implied clearly enough.
“What is this, Olivia?”
There was no softness in his voice, and she winced at the cold, hard tone. “I-I just... you said we needed to talk. I want to talk.” It was pretty lame, as far as explanations went, but she couldn’t seem to conjure up anything better.
Hope shimmered at the curiosity she saw flaring in his eyes. “Why the outfit?”
Olivia caught her bottom lip with her top teeth, a nervous habit she knew drove him wild in all the best ways. Lowering her head, she looked up at him through her lashes. “Can we talk in my room?”
James was studying her, his eyes searching her face for something. When he seemed to find it, he nodded once and gestured down the hall to her room. “Go wait for me on your bed. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
The careful hope she’d carried with her all afternoon was now a living thing inside of her. Olivia took off down the hall, slowing abruptly at her husband’s sharp admonishment of “No running!” But even his scolding couldn’t dim the happiness inside of her.
In her room, she hopped onto the bed, drumming her feet against the side while she waited. A few seconds passed and she realized she was too nervous to sit still. She hopped down again and began pacing the room.
“Olivia Jane.”