Chapter 1

Ellie

The Dom was late again.

I was already in the farthest stall of the arena's lower-level women's restroom, skirt shoved up around my waist, panties yanked to the side, two fingers working slow, sticky circles over my clit. Outside, someone laughed, a toilet flushed, heels clicked past. Thin walls. Shitty choice of place. Classic him.

"Fucking genius," I muttered under my breath, pressing harder. "Leave me in a public bathroom for twenty minutes so I can listen to strangers piss while I get myself off. Real charming."

I was wetter than I wanted to admit. I should have stopped. I should have fixed my clothes and walked out. Instead I curled my middle finger against the front wall of my cunt and chased the exact pressure that always made my thighs shake.

And of course my head went straight to the wrong man.

My stepfather Victor under the stage lights. Black shirt soaked through with sweat, fabric glued to his chest so every muscle showed. That low, ruined voice rolling through the microphone, the way he sometimes said "baby girl" like the words already belonged to him. I had heard it from the wings a hundred times and every single time my pussy clenched so hard it hurt. Then Liam—just off to the side, guitar strapped tight, forearm flexing, thick veins standing out along the back of his hand while he played. Those hands. I had watched them too long. I had imagined them on me instead of steel strings more times than I could count.

I had been doing this for months: letting the Dom fuck me while I closed my eyes and replaced his face with Victor's. Same height. Same careless power. Same way of looking at a woman like he already owned the air she breathed. It was fucked up. It still worked better than anything real.

My fingers moved faster.The tip of my finger found that swollen spot inside and pressed. A sharp spark shot straight up my spine.I was dripping onto the floor now, the wet sound growing louder, more shameless. I was right on the edge, fully lost in the fantasy of Victor's voice telling me to take it, of Liam's rough hands spreading me open—when the stall door was yanked open so hard the lock snapped.

Victor Kane stood in the doorway.

Stage makeup still streaked under his eyes, shirt half-unbuttoned and damp with sweat, his black tie hanging loose and crooked around his neck. The smell of him—leather, smoke, and something darker—hit me like a physical blow. His gaze dropped straight to where my hand was buried between my legs. He didn't look surprised. He looked hungry. And furious.

I froze. My fingers were still inside my cunt. My skirt was still up. There was nowhere to hide.

"Ellie." His voice was low, almost soft. "Take your hand out."

I pulled free, face burning, juice shining on my fingers. Words tumbled out—excuses, denials, anything. He stepped into the stall, crowding me back against the cold tile, and the door swung shut behind him. The space suddenly felt tiny.

"Who were you waiting for?"

I swallowed. "No one."

He reached into the pocket of my discarded jacket, pulled out my phone, and unlocked it . A few quick taps. Then he held the screen up so I could see the contact labeled "Dom" disappear.

"Gone," he said. "You won't be needing him again."

The possessiveness in his voice should have pissed me off. Instead a fresh rush of wetness slid down my inner thigh. I hated how much I liked it.

"I've been… seeing him," I managed. "For scenes. I'm—"

"Say it."

I stared at the floor. "I'm a sub. I like being told what to do. I like control."

Victor's thumb came up and dragged slowly across my lower lip. He could probably taste how wet my mouth already was. His eyes never left mine.

"And just now," he murmured, "when your fingers were inside that pretty little cunt… who were you thinking about?"

The truth came out before I could stop it.

"You."

Something dark and satisfied flickered across his face. He leaned in until his mouth was almost against my ear, the heat of his body pinning me without quite touching.

"Good girl," he said, the words a low vibration against my skin. "Daddy's good girl. Tonight I'm going to take you home and teach you exactly what that means."

My knees nearly gave out. The unfinished pulse between my legs turned sharp, almost painful. All I wanted was for him to shove me back against the wall and finish what I had started. Instead he straightened, tugged my skirt down with one efficient motion, and closed his hand around my wrist.

"Come."

He pulled me out of the stall like I weighed nothing. The corridor was empty. His private car waited at the loading dock, engine running. He opened the rear door, guided me inside, and slid in after me. The door shut with a solid, final sound.

As the car pulled away I sat there with my thighs pressed tightly together, still soaked, still throbbing, every nerve lit up by the simple fact that Victor Kane had just deleted my Dom, claimed me with one word—Daddy—and was taking me somewhere private to make good on the promise.

I should have been terrified.

All I felt was a deep, trembling hunger that only grew worse with every mile.