All Chapters of DADDY'S LITTLE PLAYTHING : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Mark was avoiding me.I knew it the second I walked out of my room the next morning. The penthouse felt colder, quieter — like a space caught in limbo. His keys weren’t on the counter, his shoes weren’t by the door, and the usual half-empty coffee mug he left on the dining table was nowhere to be seen.I told myself I didn’t care. I didn’t care that he wouldn’t look at me when he finally came back that evening, his jaw tight and eyes fixed on the floor. I didn’t care that he stayed locked in his office most days, the door a silent, impenetrable wall between us.I didn’t care.Except I did.Every time I caught a glimpse of him, the weight of what we had done — what I had done — burned through me. The reckless, desperate need that had twisted us together, tangled us up in a way that neither of us could easily untangle.I told myself I could handle it. I could pretend it didn’t matter, that he didn’t matter. I could act as if I wasn’t waiting for him to corner me again, to press me again

I watched with dread as Mark charged from them, I knew what he was doing, he was barely giving them time to think. He slammed his fist into the face of one and ducked under the second’s punch before kicking his legs from under him.Then I watched in horror as the third pulled out a gun.“Mark!” I screamed and Mark turned, in time but not fast enough to move away. I watched in horror as he jerked from the impact of the bullet. Mark stumbled but before the man could shoot again, Mark punched him hard in the gullet, making him crumble to the floor.“Mark,” I cried, reaching for him.Mark's weight slumped heavily against me, his arm was draped across my shoulders like a lifeline. My heart was still pounding; each beat sounded like it was echoing the sound of those gunshots. He was bleeding and I watched in horror as blood seeped through his shirt. He had taken on three men and a bullet to the shoulder.All for me“Mark, please,” I whispered, my voice barely steady. “You have to help me ou

I woke up to the quiet, heavy air of the penthouse, my body sore from being curled up on the couch all night. My neck ached, and my back protested when I tried to straighten up. But it didn’t matter. The only thing that did was the man beside me, still breathing, still here.Mark was still asleep, his face pale and drawn. His shoulder was wrapped up in the bandages I'd clumsily put together last night, stained with dark patches of dried blood. Guilt gnawed at me again, sinking its claws deeper.I sat up carefully, trying not to jostle him. My legs were stiff, and I had to press my hands to my knees just to stand. My eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. It was almost noon. We’d been out of it for hours.Mark shifted slightly, a low groan escaping his throat. I froze, my breath catching. His eyes blinked open, unfocused at first, before they slowly found me."Hey," I whispered, my voice barely there."Hey," he croaked, his voice raspy and raw."How do you feel?" I asked, my hands twis

Mark was burning up.I noticed it the moment I woke up. His body, usually warm, was now too warm. His skin felt like fire against my fingertips, his face pale despite the heat radiating off him. His breathing was heavier than before, like his body was struggling to keep up.My stomach twisted.I sat up quickly, pressing my palm against his forehead. A fever. A bad one.“Mark?” I whispered, shaking him gently. “Hey, wake up.”He didn’t stir.My heart jumped into my throat.I shook him harder. “Mark, wake up.”This time, he groaned, his eyebrows pulling together like he was trying to fight his way out of sleep. His eyelids fluttered open, but his gaze was unfocused, like he wasn’t really seeing me.“Sage?” His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.I exhaled shakily. “Yeah, I’m here. You have a fever.”His head lolled to the side, his eyes slipping shut again. “M’fine,” he slurred.I almost laughed—except there was nothing funny about this. “You are so not fine,” I muttered, pushing

I woke up to the steady rise and fall of Mark’s chest beneath my cheek.For a second, I didn’t move. I just lay there, wrapped in the warmth of his body, feeling his arm draped over my waist, holding me close even in sleep. His breathing was deep and even, his fever finally subsided.Memories of Last night played in my head in flashes—his hands grabbing my waist, the feel of his mouth on mine, the way he whispered my name like it meant something.And then… I love you.My chest tightened.Had he really meant it? Or had it just slipped out in the heat of the moment? After we’d sex I wanted to believe it was real, but Mark wasn’t the type to say things like that easily. Maybe he hadn’t even realized what he was saying. Maybe it didn’t mean to him what it meant to me. I thought about all the maybes before I go I needed to know.Carefully, I lifted my head, glancing up at him. His face was peaceful, the usual sharp cynical edges softened by sleep. I took all my willpower not to trace the