“Good girl.” A quick glance at the clock made him wince. “You should be in bed. I’ll text you a link to the worksheet. Take your time with it, and we’ll go over it together on Saturday.”
“This feels a lot like homework.”
“Yeah, I guess it is. Know what happens to naughty girls who don’t do their homework?”
“They get spanked?”
“Nah. They have to write lines. ‘I will do what my Sir tells me to do’ a hundred times.”
“Ew. I’d rather have the spanking.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. She was so damn cute. “That’s kind of the point, kitten. Get yourself to bed and call me if you have any questions.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Fuck, baby. You’re killing me here. Sleep tight.”
“You too, sir.”
Tossing the phone on the coffee table beside him, he hit play to resume the game. But he knew before the next pitch was thrown it was a lost cause. All he could think about was getting his hands on a Kit’s ample curves and working his way down her list of “yes” kinks.
Chapter 6
Katherine
“Dad! You here?” Arms laden with grocery bags, Kit pushed through the front door of her childhood home and headed for the kitchen.
“In the living room!”
Grinning at the predictability that was her father on game day, she dropped the groceries on the kitchen table, grabbed a bag of sour cream and onion chips, and headed for the sound of his voice.
And there he was, perched in his favorite chair, wearing his favorite black and orange jersey. It was how she always pictured him in her mind. With everything they’d been through, the ups and downs, the loss and pain, it was soothing to know some things never changed.
Like his favorite baseball-watching snack. “Here,” she said, tossing him the bag before dropping into the chair beside him.
“Thanks, pumpkin.” He shot her a grin and ripped open the bag. “How’s work?”
“Work is good.” It was the perfect opening, but she still hesitated before stepping through. “Landed a pretty big client the other day.”
Dad snorted, but she caught the way his mouth tilted up at the corner despite his derision. “Another one of those D.C. assholes?”
“Well, he lives in D.C., but he’s not a politician.” Although he might consider Austin an asshole if he’d heard the conversation they’d had two nights ago. Or if he’d had a chance to read over the ‘homework’ Austin had assigned her. She’d had to Google half of the list, and half ofthoseshe’d quickly written off as no way, no how.
But that other half… sweet Jesus. Her trusty vibrator had gotten a hell of a workout by the time she’d finished her ‘assignment’.
“Yeah? Who is it? Anybody I’d know?”
The questions jerked her back to the present and she said a little prayer of thanks that dear, sweet ole dad couldn’t read her mind. He’d probably have a heart attack right there on the living room floor. “Probably. Austin Barrick.”
“The shortstop for the Hawks? That Austin Barrick?”
“The one and only.” Reaching into her purse, she pulled out the ball Austin had signed for him after their impromptu date. And even though she knew they weren’t destined for some grand love story, her heart did a quick jerk in her chest at the awe that filled her father’s face when she tossed him the souvenir. It was a simple act of kindness, one that had taken Austin all of thirty seconds, but obviously meant the world to her dad.
In turn, it meant the world to her.
Why did he have to be so damn sweet? She might have been able to resist the good looks and the boyish charm—even those hints of dominance he’d let trickle through. But she was helpless against the kindness which seemed to underscore his entire personality.
“This is incredible. You’re incredible, pumpkin.”