CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED-TWO

VIOLET POV

I wake up on my own, and my heart does a little jump. A flip of panic at the thought he’s left me, that he doesn’t want me in the cold light of day.

I slip out of bed and grab my dressing gown, my feet quick on the stairs as I make my way down, and there he is, in the kitchen, and he’s cooking.

He’s already dressed, and he looks even more perfect in his suit this morning. His hair is slick and styled, and so dark that way that you can barely see the grey at his temples. His shirt is crisp and white, and he’s so careful as he fries up eggs.

“Morning sleepyhead,” he says, and he’s smiling. His smile makes my tummy flutter. “I was just about to wake you. Food’s up.”

He flips the eggs onto a plate, and grabs some toast from the toaster. Bacon, too. I smell bacon.

It’s the best smell in the world on a Monday morning.

I take a seat with a smile, say yet another thank you, and my fingers brush his as I take my plate from him. I feel it all the way up my arms.

“Are you all set for college?” he asks. “Anything else you need?”

He takes a seat opposite, tucks right into his eggs like I didn’t just call him Daddy last night. Like he didn’t sleep in my bed with his big, hard cock against my ass.

“I’m all set,” I say.

“Good.” His eyes are so dark on mine. “I think we should make a start on those ground rules.”

Rules.

I can handle rules.

I nod. “Ok.”

“I’ll be dropping you at college and picking you up at the end of the day. If there are any problems, you call me. If you’re going to be late, you call me. If you need anything, you call me.”

I nod. “Sure.”

“We eat dinner together every evening. You do your college work here. If you need help with it, you ask me.”

“Ok.”

His eyes don’t leave mine. “Do you have any obligations, Violet? Any jobs? Friends? Clubs you need to attend?”

I shake my head. “Just babysitting. Casually. Most weekends.” I pause. “And Maggie Connor. Sometimes I hang out with her.”

“There’s no more need for babysitting, Violet. You’ll have an allowance. It’s better you concentrate on your studying.”

I feel like I should argue, tell him he’s done too much already, but there’s something different about him this morning. Something so… authoritative.

I don’t want to argue with him, so I don’t.

And I like that I don’t.

I like how it feels to have rules.

To have someone who cares the way he does.

“Ok,” I say, and he smiles.

“Good girl.” He tips his head. “How are your eggs?”

I’ve barely noticed them. “Perfect,” I say, and it’s true. They’re just right. Just the right amount of runny.

I dip my toast in and they sure taste great.

Everything is great around Spencer.

He slides my phone across the table. “I’ve saved my number in your contacts. You’re on an unlimited plan.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll call you, at lunchtime. Just to check in on you.”

I can’t stop my goofy smile. “Thank you.”

“There’ll be other rules,” he tells me. “But they aren’t for now.”

I nod. “Ok.”

Ok. Everything really does feel ok.

Better than ok.

I feel all the words in my throat. Words about last night, about how good it felt to have him beside me. About how much I like him, how grateful I am, how he’s the best thing ever, and I really mean it.

But they don’t come out.

I just smile, like an idiot, and eat my breakfast.

He takes my plate when I’m done and loads it into the dishwasher with his.

“Get ready,” he says. “We leave in fifteen minutes. We can’t be late, Violet. I’m never late.” He fastens up his cufflinks and slips on his suit jacket from a hanger on the door, and I’m staring, gawping like a silly fool, until he raises an eyebrow.

“Chop-chop,” he says, but his eyes are sparkling. “You don’t want to try my patience, sweet thing.”

I don’t try his patience, not even a bit. But there’s a weird flutter between my legs at the thought.