Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 18319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 92(@200wpm)___ 73(@250wpm)___ 61(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 18319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 92(@200wpm)___ 73(@250wpm)___ 61(@300wpm)
Marco’s eyes met mine, and he tipped his chin in the direction of the bedroom door, his face suddenly serious and stony.
My brain took a few minutes to puzzle out his suddenly tense demeanor, and my brow furrowed as I carefully pulled away from Ashlyn’s sleeping form and got to my feet. I followed Marco out of the room, both of us pulling on sweats before heading to the kitchen.
“What’s up?” I asked when he grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge, his jaw carved from granite.
“She was upset because she saw her father today,” he explained, and I remembered her distress when I’d asked what she’d done to earn a spanking from Marco. “She told him about our relationship—all three of us together. He rejected her.”
I spat a curse. “I didn’t realize she hadn’t told him.” Regret pricked at my heart. “I should’ve asked.”
“Me too,” Marco rumbled. “And I didn’t stay with her today when she finally told him. I left her to deal with his judgmental bullshit all by herself.” He rubbed a big hand over the center of his chest and took a gulp of beer.
“So, why did you spank her?” I still didn’t understand how she’d earned her punishment, even if I did know that she’d probably been acting out because she needed the release of submission.
He gnashed his teeth. “I told her that I wasn’t angry with her for not telling her father about me sooner. She wasn’t listening.”
I nodded my understanding. Ashlyn must be deeply upset if she’d sought two punishments today. Our control provided her with stability and comforted her when she was anxious. I would always gladly give her what she needed, but I hated that she was in pain because of her bastard father’s rejection.
“We’ll talk to him,” I announced. “All three of us. We owe it to Ashlyn to do this together. If he still doesn’t accept our relationship, then we’ll deal with it as a family. We have to at least try. For her.”
Marco’s jaw ticked, but he gave me a short jerk of his head in agreement. “You’ll have to do most of the talking. I don’t want to fuck this up by telling that judgmental asshole what I really think of him.”
Ashlyn’s father had caused her so much pain with his exacting standards for her. My fingers tightened around my beer bottle with my own rush of frustrated aggression.
No, we couldn’t fuck this up. We would give her dad one last chance to prove that he deserved to be in her life.
“We’ll call him tomorrow,” I declared. “Once we talk to Ashlyn.”
“Agreed.”
If my angel was too hurt to face her father again so soon, we wouldn’t push her. But I knew she valued their relationship, strained as it was. If she wanted him at our wedding, we’d have to convince him of our love.
And I had no problem showing my love for Ashlyn, for my family. The three of us belonged to each other, and we would be together forever, no matter what her father said.
Chapter Four
ASHLYN
My stomach was in knots, and I couldn’t quite meet my father’s eyes. Guilt twisted my insides along with anxiety; I hated that I couldn’t simply be proud to show him our home. Instead, I was fighting down nausea as my stomach roiled. I didn’t think I could handle another rejection. Only my men’s strong, steady presence at my sides kept me from bursting into tears.
They had seated themselves on our massive couch on either side of me, creating a united front to face my dad where he sat in the brown leather armchair across from us.
“I’m glad I could see you while I’m in town,” he said, and surprise finally drew my eyes to his. “I don’t like how we left things yesterday.”
I hadn’t expected him to say anything like that, and the slight strain in his voice confused me further. I’d braced myself for his censure, not this…hurt?
Despite the shine over his eyes, his gaze narrowed slightly as he took in the way Marco and Joseph hemmed me in.
I tilted my chin in defiance of his disapproval and took my men’s hands in both of mine, twining our fingers together in a clear demonstration of unity.
“Thanks for coming, Dad.” My voice barely quavered with the intensity of my emotions. Marco’s hand squeezed mine, a silent promise of his pride at my show of strength. “I don’t like how we left things either,” I admitted. “But I need you to know that I love both Joseph and Marco. We’re getting married in two months in Sorrento. I want you to be there, but I…” I swallowed down the lump that formed in my throat. “I will understand if you don’t want to.”
“Of course I want to be at my daughter’s wedding,” he bit out, somewhere between offended and angry. His blue eyes flashed when they surveyed Joseph. “How did this even happen? I thought you were with Joseph. How long have you been keeping this from me? You’re engaged, and I didn’t even know. I’m your father.”