Free What Happens After Dark by Jasmine Haynes

her orgasm filtering through her voice, and he climaxed across his abdomen.
    “Jesus,” she swore.
    “Christ,” he punctuated. Then he laughed. “Baby, you never cease to amaze me.”
    Her only answer was the puff of her breath as she calmed.
    “Do you feel better?” He had to know he’d done the right thing for her.
    “I feel sleepy.” Her voice had the dreamy quality of satiation and exhaustion.
    “That’s good.”
    “I was thinking too hard. Now I don’t have to think anymore.”
    Wasn’t that exactly what he’d hoped for, that his words would help her step off the merry-go-round of life and death so she could rest.
    “Sleep, baby. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He waited a beat; there was no sound but her breathing and he thought she’d already dropped off. He was just about to hit End.
    “Luke?”
    “Yeah, baby?”
    “Thank you. That helped.” She sighed, then there was the silence of dead air.
    He cleaned up in the bathroom, then stretched out on the bed once more. His body now sated, he felt a sense of power. He’d anticipated her and given her what she needed. He enjoyed the element of kink to it, got off on calling her a slut and imagining other men touching her. As long as he was in control, the one calling the shots, allowing only so much, then cutting the other guy off at the knees.
    His cell rang, and in the dark, his heart raced. She needed him for more. Perfect. “I’m here,” he said softly, waiting for her voice.
    “Dad?”
    Shit. He threw the covers over himself as if Keira could see, his sense of satisfaction disappearing in a flash like he’d been caught at something. And fuck if he hadn’t. It was kind of laughable. What if he’d opened the conversation with something dirty? Je sus. “What’s up, kiddo?”
    “I miss Billie. Even if he is a butthead,” she said softly.
    “Sweetie, you’ll be okay. You’re strong.” And Billie was a dickhead if he couldn’t accept Keira the way she was, perfect. He’d spent his entire fatherhood teaching her and Kyla not to take shit from anyone, to stand up for themselves. He was so damn proud of them both.
    He hung on the phone with Keira for the five-minute call. Until she blew him a good-bye kiss and told him he was wonderful for making her feel better.
    He’d been a great dad, but in his quest to give his daughters what they needed, he’d also ended up being a poor husband. He’d ignored Beth’s needs, never even figuring out what they were. As he laid the phone on his bedside table, it came to him that Bree was his second chance at getting it right. Sure, he enjoyed all the kinky stuff, the naughty punishments she craved, the dirty words, but now was his opportunity to take care of her, too. No way was he fucking that up.
     
     
    “DO YOU HAVE A MINUTE?”
    Erin started. Bree stood in her door. She was always so quiet that, despite the fact the desk faced the door, Erin hadn’t even noticed the shadow of Bree’s movement. It was unnerving the way the girl moved so silently. Like a wraith.
    She shook off the thought. “Sure, come in.”
    Bree closed the door. Unusual. Erin feared this meant Bree’s father hadn’t improved over the weekend.
    “I need to adjust my work hours,” Bree said as she sat in the chair opposite.
    She was striking, with long black hair and unblemished skin. At her height, she could have been a model. Today, she’d dressed in jeans, a white shirt, black vest, and a black jacket, a combination that came off as completely sophisticated on her. They didn’t have a dress code at DKG, except that one needed to at least look presentable, but Bree wasn’t generally the jeans type. Sometimes she dressed as if she were the auditor she’d started out as before she couldn’t take the lack of routine that came with moving from assignment to assignment.
    Erin had always felt there was more to Bree’s work history than that. She needed routine. Erin was sure that characteristic added to Bree’s