Daddy’s Little Pet

ROBERT

“Mr. Clarke. Someone’s waiting for you in the office.”

As my secretary leaned over the table and whispered something into my ear, I looked up from the conference desk, trying my best not to scowl.

“And why are you telling me this? I said I didn’t want any interruptions or intrusions, right? I’m in the middle of a crucial conversation here.” I motioned to the board members seated dutifully, waiting for me to continue our discussion. “Any visitor is welcome to wait. I’ll take care of them after I finish here.”

But my secretary wasn’t paying attention. “The visitor appears adamant about seeing you right now.” She continued, her brow furrowed. “She is…”

“She?”

“Yes. The guest is a lady. A certain Miss Renee.”

Renee? Holy shit! What was she doing here? My lips twitched, and my eyes widened in surprise.

“Did you say, Miss Renee?” I asked, this time softly.

“Yes sir, that’s right,” my secretary replied with a nod.

“Oh… But it won’t be Miss Renee for long. Mrs. Clarke would be a better fit.” I mused aloud, grinning as I saw my secretary’s stunned expression.

“What… what… what should I say to her?” My secretary stuttered. “Should I call security to send her away and…?”

“No!” I snapped. “I’ll be right there.”

“Alright, sir.” She nodded, turning away, and I watched her leave.

As the door to the conference room closed behind her, I turned to face my board and cleared my throat, trying to remain professional despite the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins.

“Please excuse my secretary’s unannounced arrival, and I’d like to apologize for my sudden exit. I’ve just been informed of a critical matter requiring my immediate attention. This meeting will be adjourned, and we’ll reconvene at 10 a. m. tomorrow. Any objections?” I checked to see if anyone had any complaints, and when I didn’t get any, I added, “Good. Please excuse me, ladies and gentlemen.”

With a grateful bow, I rose from my chair and exited the conference room, going down the hallway toward my office.

My mind was buzzing with anticipation and excitement as I wondered why Renee had decided to stop by.

Was it because she missed me? Was she here to settle our differences or… and then it hit me.

She must have gotten the gift. That was the only logical reason for her visit, and the thought made me smile.

My feisty woman was probably here to kick up a fuss about it.

She’d warned me countless times that she didn’t want any more gifts, and I guess buying her the restaurant was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

I mean, it brought her to me, which was a significant achievement. It didn’t count for much because I knew she was here to raze down the whole building, but then… damn! I missed Renee so much, and all that mattered right now was seeing her face.

My steps quickened until; finally, I reached the entrance to my office, breathing heavily as the door flew open, and I skidded inside.

Instantly I spotted her. She stood by my desk, hands clasped tightly in front of her chest, shoulders straight back and tall, head held high, and a determined frown on her face.

The sight of her caused an unexpected jolt in my heart, and the soft smile on my face widened. Fuck!

I wondered how long it’d been since I’d seen her, and now more than ever, I wish I could reach out, pull her into an embrace, and kiss her senselessly. Damn!

The thought almost made me smile, but then I studied the dead expression on her face, and I discarded every lustful thought.

The corners of her mouth were tense, and her entire body exuded a chill that made me quiver.

Renee was angry. I could already feel the fire burning in her dark eyes as they met mine.

“Hello, baby girl-” I murmured lowly, taking slow, straightforward strides toward her.

She cut me off abruptly before I could finish. “What have you done?” I saw her left hand whip out something from her purse and slam it hard on my desk.

Papers rattled and scattered everywhere, a few falling off the desk’s edge, and I instinctively took a step back.

Ignoring the mess she’d made, she stepped toward me, focusing all her fury on me as her eyes narrowed to a slit.

“What. Have. You. Done?!” She asked; each word punctuated with each step she took.

“Whoa, Renee. Calm down.” I began in a conciliatory tone, raising both hands in a mock surrender gesture, but she wasn’t having it. “Oh, Robert, cut the crap. How can I relax after what you’ve done?”

“You should relax because this is the first time you’ve seen me in days, if not weeks, and I expected a better reception despite our grievances. I’ve missed your fiery personality, but please calm down so we can talk.”

“I called your line, and it went straight to voicemail. Were you ignoring my calls on purpose? Knowing that if you didn’t pick up, I would have to come here.”

“Why would I refuse your calls? I was in a heated conference meeting with my board members. That’s why I couldn’t pick up the phone. It’s ironic that I just ran out of that meeting because I wanted to see you.”

“Well, I didn’t come here for you.” She spoke up abruptly. “I came because I want you to explain what you mean by this!” She yelled, waving the documents in her hand in front of my face.

“Really?”

“Yes! I wouldn’t have to come, if you’d pick up my calls. Thanks to Nicole, she practically begged me to come here and talk this out.”

“I suppose I owe Nicole now, eh?” I remarked sarcastically, my grin widening. For a split second, Renee’s expression softened. But just barely. In a flash, the look vanished.

“I’m waiting, Robert. Explain.” She finished curtly, her eyes shooting daggers at me. Fuck if she didn’t look even more stunning.

A tense silence befell us, and I used the spare minutes to run my gaze over my woman.

I didn’t care if she was waiting for an explanation about why I’d bought her a restaurant or how she felt about the whole thing.

All that mattered was that she was right in front of me, just a few inches away. It would only take one move to bring her into my arms and hug her passionately-never letting her go.

We were so close yet far apart, but that wouldn’t stop me. It didn’t make me any less interested in Renee. It didn’t stop me from wanting her, from loving her.

“What’s the deal with your clothes?” I asked out of the blue, unable to stop myself from looking down at her attire.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re covered up with scarves and everything. I wouldn’t have recognized you if I hadn’t been told you were in my office.” I scoffed and watched her lips thin.

“How I dress is none of your business.”

I shrugged my shoulders, and my lips curled into a sly smile. “You’re dressed like this because of the paparazzi. You don’t want them to recognize you. I love seeing you like this, actually.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t want anyone to see what’s mine. Your body belongs to me. Only me.” My voice was low and deep. I noticed the pink dust on her cheeks before she averted her gaze.

Oh, I still affected her. Nice, nice!Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

“My body doesn’t belong to you.” She mumbled bitterly. I shook my head, amused by her refusal to acknowledge the truth.

I was tempted to tell her just how much of her body belonged to me. Hell, I wanted to show her.

Despite the brewing tension, and the spat we had going on, I knew I could make Renee quiver just by looking at her with the faintest hint of lust. I needed to use that. Use it to get her to relax and let me make amends for my past transgressions.

That’s why I took a step forward, hands stretching out but stopping when she cleared her throat. The sound made me freeze instantly.

“You still haven’t given me an explanation, Robert. I’m sick and tired of your laid-back demeanor and nonchalance. It irritates me.” She spat and I rolled my eyes at her pettiness.

“What kind of explanation do you want?”

“You sent me keys and a deed document this morning. I confirmed with Sally that the restaurant had been sold, and was it a coincidence that the new name had my initials? R. M? I don’t understand. Make me understand.”

“Oh, Renee. Isn’t it obvious?”

“What is?”

“Every explanation you need is written in the papers I gave you. The restaurant is my apology present to you. You were fired unwillingly, and it was my fault, so I’m trying to make amends. Can’t you see?”

“What the heck? Are you insane, Robert?”

“Insane? You mean insanely in love with you? Well, yes, I am, and I’ll foolishly admit it.”

“Oh, for God’s sake! I don’t need any more apology presents from you. I’ve stressed it a thousand times, but you keep sending me flowers, and trinkets, and now this… you freaking bought a restaurant! Like the entire building, and-”

“You mean your restaurant?” I interjected, a smug smile on my lips. “It’s yours, now, Renee. And it’ll be yours to use however you want.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Not at all. I finalized the deal last week. It may also be of interest to you that all your former coworkers have been laid off because the building is still being renovated. You could call them, explain the situation, and reassure them that their jobs are secure. Everything is in your hands now, baby girl.”

“Stop calling me that! I don’t want the restaurant, and I’m not signing the damned papers. I brought them here for you to stuff up your ass. I don’t want any-motherfucking-thing from you, Robert! I do not!”

“Well…what can I say? The former manager will be contacting you. You could learn a thing or two from her. You could learn from me, too. I’m here to assist you in any way I can. You can also get an apology from her for how she used to treat you. I hope you two can mend fences and collaborate amicably for the sake of your restaurant.”

When I finished talking, Renee opened her mouth to say something, but to my surprise, she burst out laughing.

It was a sour laugh. Tears welled up at the corners of her eyes and streamed down her cheeks in mock disbelief, or was it disgust? Well, I had no idea.

With each laugh that escaped her mouth, her face contorted and crumpled. She finally calmed down after several minutes of hysterical laughter and furious wiping at her teary cheeks. She managed to control herself, but the deranged humorous look never wholly left her eyes.

They still held anger in them. The same anger I could feel pulsing off her like electricity.

“You’re doing all of this…” She paused before continuing, “Because you want us back together, but I’ve told you, Robert, there’s no us anymore. What exactly don’t you understand? Or do you want me to elaborate?”

“Well, I’m deaf in part. I can’t understand a word you’re saying right now.” I replied with a mocking smirk.

“Do you think this a joke? There’s nothing funny about this. I’m being serious here. Stop grinning. Stop making that goofy smirk and just….”

I let her trail off as I began to move toward her, closing the gap between us until I was mere inches away.

This time, she didn’t take a step backward. Instead, her breath hitched, with her eyes darting down to my lips, and I laughed.

“Stop… damn it. Stop laughing!”

“I’m afraid I can’t, Renee. I’ve missed you. I’ve missed this. Your banter, the sound of your voice when you’re angry and you’re yelling at me, or when you beg me softly and….” I trailed off, realizing that I was already dangerously close enough to her face, our breathing mingled, and our noses almost touched.

I shivered as goosebumps appeared all over my body, and I felt her hot breath against my skin.

“Take a step back, Ro… Ro… Robert.” She muttered weakly under her breath. But for someone who didn’t want me invading her space, she remained rooted in place, her gaze fixed on my lips, and her lips slowly parted.

“I’m afraid I can’t stay back, Renee. I simply cannot. Whatever this is, I have to do it. I-”

“Please, Robert.”

“You may have given up on me, but I haven’t given up on you. On us. Never, ever, because…” I paused, inhaling sharply. “Because I love you so damn much. I don’t think I’ve ever loved anyone as much as I love you. I often wonder why I didn’t meet you sooner. Before Dylan. Before everything else. You came into my world and just rocked my universe. My life has no meaning without you in it, Renee. Damn!”

“Please, stop talking. This won’t change anything at all. So… st-stop it.” She stuttered, closing her eyes tight as she bit her trembling lips.

I ignored her pleas. “You’re everything to me, Renee. Everything important. You mean the whole world to me, and I don’t care what anyone says. We’ll never break, no matter what they think of us. They can try all they want, and they can hate and judge us, but it won’t change the fact that you’re my motherfucking soulmate. Renee, you’re mine. MINE, MINE, MINE!”

With my fierce declaration, I leaned in closer, and before she could protest, I sealed our lips, roughly pushing past her open lips and wrapping my arms around her waist as I drew her inexorably closer.

At first, she struggled, but then she slowly and gently yielded, allowing me to engulf her. Enveloping her in my embrace, I kissed her hungrily, as if my life depended on it.

Losing myself in this blissful moment, I focused solely on Renee. My girl.

Her plump lips and delectable taste- her scent surrounding me, filling my nostrils, invading my senses, and making me dizzy and intoxicated.

To my shock, after a few seconds, Renee wrapped her arms around my neck. She started to return the kiss with a passion neither of us had felt in a long time, and it felt like nothing in the world mattered.

It was as if the world had stopped altogether, and only Renee and I existed.

Only us. And nothing else. Nothing else at all…