by Lexy Parker
She wrinkled her nose. “I wish it wasn’t cold out. We could go for a walk.”
I smiled. “That would be nice, but it’s dark and cold and not a good time for a walk. Although I think it could be good for you to run off that sugar rush.”
She giggled. “I don’t have a sugar rush. This is a little bowl of ice cream.”
I nodded. “Well, I have a sugar rush.”
“No, you don’t!” She giggled.
“I sure do like that dress,” I told her for at least the fifth time.
She giggled. “I do too, and you look very handsome,” she said, using a word I knew she must have picked up from somewhere else. It wasn’t exactly a word I used.
“Thank you very much,” I said, straightening the black button-up shirt that I’d paired with a pair of black slacks. It was all very Johnny Cash, but I tended to favor black in general. My dress-up wardrobe was minimal, and it was either black or blue.
“I think I should tell your friend Jamie thank you for helping you find my dress,” she said nonchalantly.
I chuckled at her sneaky attempt to get an introduction. I had told her earlier about Jamie’s help with the dress and how hard we had both searched to find the right one. I’d felt guilty taking all the credit and confessed it had been Jamie that led me in the right direction and Jamie who’d dug into the packed clothing rack to find the dress.
“Maybe one day, I’ll let you tell her, but not today or tomorrow,” I said, knowing what she was angling for.
“Do you like her?” Sadie asked pointedly.
I shrugged a shoulder. “She’s nice. I do like her.”
“I want to meet her and see if I like her,” she said with a grin.
I grimaced. “I don’t know about that.”
“Why not? Is she mean?”
“No, I told you she is nice,” I reminded her. “She’s a very nice lady, and I think she would really like you.”
“Then how come I can’t meet her?”
I sighed, taking a bite of my ice cream. “I don’t think it’s time for that. Not yet. I barely know her.”
Sadie was looking at me with irritation and a bit of anger. “Daddy, if she’s going to be your girlfriend, I have to meet her. She can’t be your girlfriend if I don’t meet her.”
I laughed. “Oh, really?” I asked, raising my eyebrows, begging her to give me an explanation.
She nodded, placing one of her little hands on the table as she looked me in the eyes. “Yes. If you like her and you want to be her boyfriend, I have to make sure she’s nice. I saw it on TV. I don’t want a mean stepmom that sends me away to school or locks me in a room.” She spoke with complete seriousness.
I grimaced. “I really need to monitor your television more. What show is this?”
She shrugged. “All the princess movies. Please, I want to meet her. You seem happier. Uncle Clay said Jamie makes you happy. I want to meet her and see why.”
“Oh, he did, did he?” I asked, already planning to remind him about my talk with him before. Sadie was a little girl and did not need to be saddled with adult problems.
“Yes. So, when can I meet her? We can go to the park or maybe out for ice cream. That’s a good meeting place.” She nodded her head with authority.
I let out a long sigh. I knew my daughter well enough to know she wasn’t going to let it go. She could be very tenacious, a trait I normally admired except when it was being used on me. She would keep asking, more like demanding, until it happened. I was going to have to run it by Jamie, whether I was ready for it or not.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Let me see how her schedule looks.”
She gave me a look that said that wasn’t a good enough answer.
“I’ll talk to her tomorrow, okay?” I added.
Sadie grinned. “I already know what dress I’m going to wear when I meet her,” she declared.
I laughed. Sadie was all about the clothes. I was going to have to buy a bigger house just for her growing wardrobe.
“Sounds good. I will talk to Jamie tomorrow and see if she has some time this weekend.” Nerves danced in my stomach at the thought of the two of them meeting.
Hell, I didn’t even know if Jamie was interested in meeting Sadie. She might not be thinking anything long term. I had to think of it from her side of things. She was young and probably wasn’t interested in hanging out with a little girl. I guessed I would have my answer about where things were headed if she didn’t want to meet Sadie. I’d have to think long and hard if I wanted to invest any more time into Jamie.
Granted, the time I had invested thus far had been minimal, and the reward on my investment had been pretty spectacular, but I couldn’t think with my dick. I didn’t want to get involved with a woman who didn’t want anything to do with my daughter.
“You have that weird look again,” Sadie said, interrupting my thoughts.
I laughed. “Sorry, that weird look is me thinking. I’ll do my best not to do it again.”
She giggled, taking another bite of ice cream. I watched her eat. She was so happy. I had to believe she was well-adjusted and thriving. She’d been through so much in her short number of years on the earth, but despite it all, she was a happy, healthy little girl.
I remembered the therapists in the early days, giving me dire predictions about what Sadie would face as she grew up. So far, I had seen none of that. Of course, she’d been sad and cried sometimes, but she seemed to be taking it all in stride, looking forward and never looking back. I often wished I could do the same.
“I’m done,” she declared, pushing the small bowl away.
“Me too. Let’s get out of here. You need to brush your teeth and get some sleep. You’re going to be very tired in the morning.”
“I don’t mind. I had too much fun tonight.” She took my hand as we walked out of the ice cream shop.
“I had a lot of fun too,” I said. “Thanks for hanging out with me.”
She giggled, climbing into her seat and waiting for me to buckle her in. As I drove home, I kept glancing in the mirror, smiling at the little girl who owned my heart. Was there room for another in my life?
By the time we got home, Sadie was fading fast. The sugar coursing through her system was gone, and she was crashing hard.
She changed into her jammies, brushed her teeth, and eagerly crawled into her bed. I tucked her in, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead.
“Sleep good,” I whispered.
She wrapped her arms around my neck. “This was the best Valentine’s Day ever!”
I laughed. “I think so too. I’m glad you had a good time. I hope we can have many more dates like this in our future.”
She smiled, her eyes droopy with exhaustion. “Me too. Maybe next time, Jamie can come with us.”
I smiled and winked. “Maybe. We’ll see. Now get to sleep. I don’t want to hear a grumpy girl in the morning when I wake you up for school.”
“I won’t be grumpy,” she promised.
I walked to the door and turned off the light. Her little night light cast a soft glow over her figure, tucked under her pink princess blanket. Her curly brown hair fanned out on the pillow, and her long eyelashes rested against her cheeks. She was the most precious gift in the world. It was strange how much enjoyment I got out of watching her sleep. I remembered my mom telling me a long time ago how she loved watching me sleep. Back then, I had thought it was strange. I understood it now.
I walked into the living room, pulling my shirt out of the slacks I had worn for our date, and locked the door. I thought about texting Jamie, but she had said she was going to bed. I didn’t want to wake her. I headed for my own bed, stripping out of the dress clothes and pulling on my flannel pajama bottoms. It had been a long day, ending on a high note after starting out pretty damn good as well.
I laid in bed and thought about the woman at the nursing home. I wanted to ask Jamie about it but wasn’t sure she’d confess to being the woman’s bright light on wh
at could have been a dark day. I loved that she thought of others. It warmed my heart. She would be a good example for Sadie. I gave myself a mental shake. I was getting way ahead of myself.
Chapter 28
Jamie
I was more than a little buzzed as I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. I wasn’t completely wasted, but I had that floaty feeling. Thankfully, I didn’t have the spins. One more of Dani’s strong White Russians and I would have definitely been caught on a merry-go-round with no way of getting off until I sobered up.
I was smiling as I thought about Philip. He would probably be getting home and into bed. I realized I had never really gotten a good look at the man fully naked. The first time we’d had sex, it had been over and done in a hurry, and he left immediately after. I wanted to take my time studying his body, checking out the tats and getting to know all the little curves and scars. When I had seen him this morning, he was sporting a very sexy five o’clock shadow that gave him a bad boy look. I liked it. I wasn’t typically drawn to the bad boys, but Philip looked good with the facial hair.
I reached up and felt my cheek, remembering the burn I had after his smoldering kiss. It had stuck with me most of the day. Even now, I could still feel it lingering on my skin. I closed my eyes, letting my mind transport me back to the moment.
I heard my soft moan, remembering the way he had tasted like coffee, the scent of him filling my brain and igniting all my senses as I drifted off to sleep.
Philip’s hands caressed my bare skin as I lay on the silky sheets stretched across my bed. I opened my eyes, meeting his brilliant green gaze as he stared down at me with such reverence, it warmed me from the inside out. His callused fingers were rough, scraping over the sensitive skin on my ribcage as his hands slid down my body.
I closed my eyes, relishing in the feel of him. When I opened them again, he was nude. I smiled, reached up, and ran my hand over the smattering of black chest hair. The crinkly hairs under my palm made me shudder with desire. I wanted to feel his chest against my breasts, his chest hairs scraping over my super-sensitive nipples that were hard and begging to be touched.
“Your skin is like satin,” he whispered from above me.
“I want you to touch me all over,” I told him.
He nodded. “I plan on it. Every beautiful inch is mine to touch. I want to look at you. All of you.”
I gasped when his hand moved between my legs, pushing my legs wide. He was propped on his elbow beside me, looking down at my body, his hand palming me, infusing me with heat.
“Please,” I quietly begged for more.
He moved over me, sliding his body down my own, his mouth trailing kisses down my navel before planting his mouth where his hand had been between my legs. I moaned, pure ecstasy racing through my body, chased by passion so hot it burned my skin from the inside out.
He covered me with fiery hot kisses before sliding his tongue over my folds, finding my core. My fingers clenched in the bed sheets, holding on for dear life as he worked his tongue over my most intimate center. I couldn’t breathe. My body felt as if it were taut as a bow, ready to snap in two with a simple touch.
“You taste so good,” he whispered, his hot breath caressing me, taking me closer to the edge of orgasm.
“Please,” I whimpered, needing him to complete me.
“Shh, I’m taking my time. I want to give you so many orgasms you can’t think straight.” He slid one long, rough finger inside me as his teeth nibbled at the hard nub that held all the power.
I screamed in pleasure. “I can’t. Oh god. No. I can’t. Please, more!”
I sounded crazy. I felt crazed. My body was begging for more and demanding he not touch the extremely sensitive area that was sending shockwaves through my body with every lap of his tongue. His finger pressed inside, probing deeper, drawing out my pleasure.
“Damn girl, you are so wet, so sweet. Give me more.” His voice was raspy as he devoured me with his mouth.
My head thrashed back and forth on the bed as my body demanded more. I was so close. I just needed a little more.
“Don’t stop,” I gasped.
He dove in with serious gusto. His tongue pushed inside me as his finger worked over me. I couldn’t stop the response his mouth had on my body. It was an out-of-body experience that stole away all my control. My body belonged to him and what he was doing to it.
I screamed, my back arching as my arms splayed wide, gripping the sheet as I struggled to stay grounded. My body was floating up and away, his tongue still doing something absolutely magical between my legs. When the spasming finally slowed and I could feel myself drifting back to earth, I opened my eyes to find him looking at me.
He slowly wiped his mouth, a grin on his face. “My god, you’re an absolutely magnificent creature.”
I was embarrassed and happy at the same time. “I think it’s you who is magnificent. I’ve never experienced anything so intense in my life.”
He smiled. “That was nothing. I have so much more to offer.”
I gasped. “I might not survive any more.”
“You will,” he growled, dropping his mouth to mine, letting me taste what he had been feasting on.
I groaned in pleasure, suddenly very anxious to see what else he had to offer. My hand reached between us, finding his hard length and gripping tight.
“Me first,” I said, pulling away from his mouth and pushing him onto his back.
He looked up at me, desire in those pale green eyes. “Jamie, you don’t have to. I’m so close already.”
I smiled. “Good. I want to.”
I didn’t give him another chance to argue. I slid down his body, taking a moment to run my tongue over his hard chest before making my way down to his flat stomach. His abs were tight, telling me had worked out at least a little. I didn’t know when he had the time, and I didn’t care. I liked it. I moved my mouth to his steely shaft, lapping at the head before sliding my mouth over him.
His salty taste filled my senses as I slid down his shaft, gulping deep, taking him into my throat. I heard him groan, felt him tense up under me, and knew he was feeling good. I wanted to give him the same pleasure he gave me. I wanted him to feel as if his body was on another plane. I gave him all of me, sucking and slurping up and down his shaft until he jerked me forward, pulling me up his body.
“Not like that,” he commanded. “I want to be inside you.” He lifted me up and dropped me onto his swollen cock.
I cried out, the abrupt invasion of him pushing inside me sending me into a mini-orgasm. My hands clutched at his chest as I pushed up to a sitting position while straddling him. Little convulsions rocked my body.
“Oh god, you feel so good inside me,” I moaned, rolling my head between my shoulders, feeling my hair sweep over my back.
“Ride me,” he demanded, reaching up and grabbing one breast in his hand to fondle the nipple.
I nodded. “Okay,” I moaned out the word, still trying to gain control of the spasms rocketing through my body.
I felt as if I had been orgasming for several minutes, the fiery sensations jerking my body as I tried to regain control. I wanted to please him. I wanted to ride him until he was out of control too.
“Are you coming?” he asked, his hands dropping to my hips, stilling my disjointed movements.
I looked into his eyes and bit my lower lip. “A little,” I moaned.
“Holy fuck, you are. Again.”
I nodded, the little orgasm turning into a full-on, mind-melting experience. He ground his hips upward, pushing deeper inside me and triggering the full tsunami. My head dropped back, and my body bucked forward as I took him all the way inside, soaking him with another violent orgasm.
When I was able to talk and breathe again, I looked down at him. “Sorry, it’s just, I don’t know. You make me so hot.”
“Don’t be sorry. That was the hottest thing I’ve ever felt.”
I giggled. “You should feel it on this end.”
&
nbsp; “Fuck me, and make me come,” he ordered, completely serious.
I nodded, beginning a slow ride as I took control over my muscles still spasming from two powerful orgasms in a short amount of time. The slow rhythm felt so good. I watched as he squeezed his eyes closed, his nostrils flared, and his arms dropped to his sides, giving me full control. I picked up my speed, riding him hard and fast. My body slid over his in the oldest dance known to man, taking him higher and higher.
My own passion was reignited. I could feel my body primed and ready for another orgasm. I couldn’t. I would surely pass out if I had another one like that. I heard him groan, a sound of desperation. I rode harder, my hands on his chest for support.
“Oh god,” I cried out, feeling my body take that leap into another climax.
“Fuck!” he shouted, his hips arching into me.
His hands gripped my hips, holding me on him as he bucked and writhed under me. We were both shouting and cursing as we found our pleasure. I collapsed on top of him, my breasts pressed against his chest as I struggled to catch my breath. There was so much I wanted to say to him, but I couldn’t find the right words. My mouth felt dry. I couldn’t speak.
I jerked, hitting my hand on the edge of the nightstand and snapping myself out of the best dream ever.
“Oh man,” I moaned, wishing it had all been real.
My tongue had been stuck to the roof of my mouth. I realized the dream had that part right. The alcohol had left me with serious cotton mouth. I wanted to get up and get a drink of water, but I didn’t want to move. I wanted to cherish the afterglow of the best sex of my life—even if it had only been in a dream.
I felt tingly all over. I could feel the moisture between my legs and knew the orgasm had been real. Everything about the erotic dream had felt so real. I could still taste him and feel his hot skin against me. I wondered if it would be like that if we took the time to really explore one another’s bodies. I had a feeling it would be. In fact, I was almost sure it would be better. Dream sensations were good, but really touching him, tasting him, and feeling him inside me was so much better.
