Page 26 of From the Shadows

“Excuse me?”

“The last person who will be spanking your ass is Christophe fucking Robicheaux, and don’t ever refer to him as ‘Daddy’ again.” Eddie rises to his full height. He towers over me and it’s in this moment I realize just how close we’re standing.

My shoulders tense as I drop my head back to maintain eye contact with him. Attitude is hard to project when the power balance has shifted so drastically. “And who should be spanking my ass like a good Daddy?”

“Someone who knows what you need,” he rumbles, his low voice pulling my nipples into tight hard buds.

He reaches down and adjusts the front of his trousers, but there is no hiding the way his thick, semi-hard cock stretches down his thigh. And the view when he stalks out of the room is enough to melt my damn brain. Broad shoulders, trim waist, and an ass that is perfectly encased in fine Italian wool.

Out of sight does not in fact equate to out of mind. With Eddie no longer holding my focus captive, I drop my gaze to the front of my tank top. I can’t meet with Christophe sporting lawyer-induced high beams. It’s just not right.

To make matters worse, it’s not just the boss man waiting in the kitchen for me, Teague is there as well. “You wanted to see me?”

Christophe stares pointedly in my eyes. “I need you to take care of flowers for me next week. Pretty, subtle but pops of bright red in each. Fourteen arrangements should be good—large, stately—but we’ll need a coordinating bouquet as well.”

“Two bouquets,” Teague adds. “Winnie’ll want Truie to have one too.”

“I do body removal with a side of landscaping.” I don’t even bother telling them about my dream of writing. But when I get nothing from either of them, I add, “Neither of those translate into floral arrangements. What’s this for?”

Not acknowledging that spicy little detail, Christophe hands me a credit card and says, “My wedding. Budget isn’t a thing. Make it beautiful and make it memorable.” Then he exits the kitchen, as Eddie joins us, redirecting him toward the front of the house. “We have to make this quick. Apparently, you have a childcare issue again.”

Their voices fade as the door to the office closes behind them.

I sag heavily against the countertop. “What just happened? Floral arrangements and bouquets? How the fuck do I⁠—”

“He and Winnie are locking things down before the baby’s born. He’s moving fast on this because he’s Christophe and he can, but this is a big deal for him. For both of them.” A smile stretches across Teague’s face, and his eyes go soft like he’s thinking about the very sweet, very timid Miss Cochonette.

“And you? Are you going to lock Truie down? Wife her up and treat her right?” Asking the family fixer how I, as the cleaner, managed to get assigned to flower duty is pointless. In this life, it doesn’t have to make sense, it just has to get done.

“I’ve done nothing but treat her right. I would lay my life down for her and you know it.” He scowls.

“I do.”

I have no illusions that he wouldn’t go fully feral on her behalf. That kind of devotion must be nice. Sadly, it’s not in my cards unless Eddie’s comment holds some kind of weight. But I strongly doubt it.

I push and flirt and yearn.

He tends to keep me at a distance instead of tied up and at his mercy the way I’d like to be.

“You have time to talk shop or do you need to make sure boss man and the gloomy boy behave?”

Teague chuckles. “I can give you a few minutes. What’s going on?”

I heave out a sigh and shift out of my slouch. “Things have been messier than usual on my end. It’s new. Different. Have methods changed? Anyone new on the demo crew?”

I don’t feel the tiniest bit better when Teague folds his arms over his chest and lowers his brows.

“No. Nothing’s changed at all.”

Chapter 11

Never

EDDIE

I can’t handle one more fucking crisis in my life. I’ve had a handful of days that bordered on normal. Just days, and now that’s gone to hell too.

“What do you mean I have a childcare issue? I have a fucking nanny. My daughter has a whole other parent.” I state the obvious, ignoring the fact that Amie is less than reliable, she’s become more of a liability when it comes to our—my—daughter.