Dirty Laundry

by Lauren Landish

  But Carsen has loved having our undivided attention, giving a fashion show-worthy walk and twirl with each dress she’s tried on. It’s helped us relax, the giggles taking us over more than once, and making the conversations with Sarah more comfortable as Carsen changes into another possible dress selection.

  “I think it looks great, Carsen . . . but I’m not sure it’s my favorite,” I admit. “What about the black one?”

  “No way, that looked so old lady,” Carsen replies, making me wince inside. I thought it looked beautiful and classic, but then again, to Carsen, twenty-one is middle aged. “What about the red one?”

  “NO!” Sarah and I say simultaneously, making me grin. Sarah smirks too and explains. “Honey, I know you want to look grown up, but that’s just not something a twelve-year-old should be wearing. What about the blue one?”

  “I think that’s my favorite style, but I like it in green better,” Carson says. She looks at us both and we give her double thumbs up, all in agreement on her choice.

  With the dress decided on, we move on to accessory shopping. “So, are you looking forward to the dance?” I ask.

  “Well . . .” Carsen says before blushing. “I think Max will be there. I hope he asks me to dance.”

  “Max?” I ask, catching Sarah’s shrug out of the corner of my eye. “A boy from school? Does your Dad know about this Max?”

  “Of course not!” Carsen says. “Daddy would freak out if he knew Max gave me a card for my birthday. He said I’m cute. And he’s like, the cutest guy in my class. And it’s not like Dad can come to the dance and do the whole intimidating dad thing anyway.” She raises a finger to her lips, “Ssssh, it’s a secret.”

  I smile. “Who’s a secret? Your dad or Max?” Carsen smirks, and I can read her answer all over her face. “Ah, so both of them are top secret.”

  Sarah smiles, but shows that she’s heard every word. “I’d just like to point out, you shouldn’t use your dad’s desire for secrecy against him, you know?”

  Carsen nods, trying not to look guilty. “I know. I know that if everyone knew, we couldn't do stuff like this . . . walk the mall and shop. Unless the big scary guys came with us.”

  I’m struck by how mature Carsen really is because most kids would be shouting about their famous dad all over Instagram and demanding special treatment. Hell, I know some adult children who act that way. I’ve written stories about some of them. Instead, Carsen is chill, understands the risks of fame, and seems content to be exactly who she is, secrets and all.

  Accessory shopping is quick and easy. Carsen might be on the budding cusp of womanhood but her tastes are simple and elegant. A thin necklace and set of earrings later, and we decide on an afternoon snack at the food court.

  I’m about halfway through my ice cream cone when I get a prickle on the back of my neck. Wiping my mouth with a napkin, I glance around discretely.

  “You okay?” Sarah asks, sipping a Coke. “You look like you’ve seen the boogeyman.”

  “No . . . but I do feel like I’m being watched,” I reply. Across the food court, I see why. Francesca is sitting near one of the pillars, a wide, floppy hat on her head but still, I know her too well to be put off by a simple hat. “Shhh-oot.” I manage to correct myself. “We should go.”

  “What’s wrong?” Carsen asks, instantly on alert.

  “My co-worker,” I reply, giving Sarah a pointed look.

  Sarah catches my meaning. “Alright, honey. Grab your stuff and we’ll go shoe shopping somewhere else.”

  Carsen doesn’t dilly-dally, but Francesca seems to be faster. Just as I’m grabbing my purse, she comes over, a big, fake smile on her face. “Elise, it’s so good to see you again!”

  I glower, annoyed at her intrusion . . . again. “Francesca, figured you’d still be at the office today. Cut out early?”

  Francesca laughs, an obviously fake tinkle like a bell. “Oh, I’m just out shopping for a gown for the premiere next weekend. Thought I might treat myself, you know. I was just grabbing a half-caff frappe when I saw you out with . . . sorry, I don’t remember your names.”

  “Sarah and Car,” I answer, praying I can keep this short and not have to give Francesca any more information than I have to. She might cut corners to get ahead, but she’s got good instincts.

  Shit, I should have used fake names. At least Francesca will likely assume Carsen is Sarah's daughter.

  “So, what’s got you out?” Francesca asks, her eyes clicking from bag to bag on the table like she’s taking mental notes. Fuck my life, she probably is.

  “Just out for some girl time with my friends,” I reply. “Listen, I’d love to stay and chat, but we really need to roll.”

  As we walk away, Carsen doesn’t seem to realize the significance, but Sarah gives me a worried glance. “Is everything okay?” she asks quietly while we close the trunk of her car and Carsen’s getting into her seat. “Should I tell Keith?”

  “No . . . no, I don’t think he needs to worry,” I answer softly. I give her a nod, attempting to convey that I think we’re clear and that I understand how important this is . . . to Carsen, to Keith, to Sarah, and now, to me. There’s a wiggle in the back of my mind that finds it odd that I’ve seen Francesca twice recently, considering we never run into each other, but I let it go considering the place is popular and is near some of the busiest streets in town. Francesca could have been legit dosing on caffeine and shopping, just like us. “I’ll handle it.”

  “Okay,” Sarah says, her voice still a little tense. She’s probably kicking herself as much as I am for coming to a popular shopping center.

  I should’ve had a better plan for that. Hell, I can do disguises that’ll fool people all the time . . . yet I forgot to even come up with some fake names for Sarah and Carsen, a cover story, anything. I do it all the time when I’m working a story, but it hadn’t occurred to me to do it for a simple shopping trip.

  That’s a mistake I won’t make again.

  “Listen, Sarah?” I ask as we’re still outside the car. “I promise, I’ll handle this. I’ll do my best to keep Carsen and Keith safe.”

  Sarah studies me for a moment, then nods. “I hope so. I believe you.”

  Chapter 21

  Keith

  For the past a week and a half, it feels like a new routine has established itself in my life. I wake up, make sure Carsen’s good for school before Sarah drops her off, then grab a workout before spending a few hours putting together tunes. That little ditty in my head keeps developing, and as I work on it, I’m more and more convinced it can be a good song . . . maybe even my best.

  Sometime during the day, Elise either calls or comes over to talk about this and that for articles, showing me rough drafts on what she’s got. More often than not, she stays for dinner, and on those nights, the whole evening is a heady mix of professional and personal as we talk about music and tours and then roll into deep late-night conversations about everything and nothing. One night, she’ll hang with Carsen and we’ll be all about what’s on TV. The next, Elise and I damn-near have ripped the headboard off my bed as we fucked ourselves into a near coma just from an intense quickie before Carsen got home from school.

  It’s been amazing to watch how Carsen, Sarah, and Elise have bonded so quickly and easily, although I’m even further outnumbered now, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I’d worried so much for so long, assuming that I’d be alone until Carsen was grown, turning off that part of my heart, my soul.

  But Elise makes it possible to have a connection with my daughter and still have a safe haven where Carsen knows she’s my priority. That takes a special woman, and I’m glad that it’s Elise.

  We haven’t retraced those steps we were taking in the parking lot, saying how we feel. We haven’t had a night alone to address those feelings the way I want to. But looking over at her, I smile.

  She’s at home in my house, washing up the dinner dishes from our date night-slash-interview and loading the dishwashe
r the way I like. It’s a small thing, really, just a nuance of daily life, but the simple fact that she’s comfortable doing it here, in my home, makes all the difference.

  It resonates deep inside me, a fiery ball of joy singing out at her presence in my life, completing a puzzle at my core that I didn’t even know was missing a piece. I feel solid with her here, and I need her to know that.

  Standing in the doorway with my arms crossed over my chest, I watch for one more second before I interrupt her, “Elise.” There’s already gravel and heat in my voice, but I can’t and don’t want to control it.

  She looks over at me, a question in her eyes. “Keith?”

  “Leave the dishes for later. I need you now. Come with me.” I can see the moment of hesitation on her face, the way she weighs whether she should sass me back, but she must sense the weight in my words. I’m glad. I don’t want to punish her tonight. I want to love her, fuck her, be inside her body so deep she feels my imprint there forever more.

  Tonight, I don’t just want her body. I want her soul and her heart. It’s only fair because she has mine.

  I press off the doorframe, turning to walk down the hall, feeling her presence behind me as she follows me to the bedroom. As soon as she passes the threshold, I turn, closing the door behind her.

  Her eyes track me, her breath already shallow and fast as I slip my shirt over my head and toss it to the floor. I stand in front of her, and I can feel her gaze as she traces the tattoos along my chest and arms. “Strip for me, Elise. I want you naked.”

  She doesn’t rush to do as I command. Instead, she takes advantage, knowing her own power even as she submits to what I want. Slowly, she slips the straps of her dress off her shoulders, looking up at me through the fringe of her lashes, a flirtatious faux-innocence on her face as she holds it to her chest.

  With a dramatic flair, she lets go and it drops to the floor, puddled at her feet in a whoosh. She steps out, kicking it out of the way and standing before me in her bra and panties.

  I take a mental snapshot. “So fucking beautiful, Elise. Take it all off. Show me everything.”

  She reaches to unclasp her bra and slips her panties down her legs. She stands still, hands at her sides, confident in herself as she should be. She’s a work of art and I’m a lucky fucker to get to see her this way. No falsity, no pretense, just bare and exposed and vulnerable.

  It’s a gift she’s bestowing on me and I know it. I walk around her, memorizing her full beauty, trailing a finger along her arm, across the back of her shoulders, around to her collarbone, down between her cleavage, and along her hips.

  “Michelangelo himself could not have created a creature more beautiful than you,” I murmur as I trace my finger across her stomach, dipping into her shallow belly button and continuing across to the other side.

  She is virtually vibrating with need by the time I stand in front of her again. I undo my belt, dropping my jeans and then my boxer briefs to stand nude in front of her too, letting her see me just as bare, just as vulnerable. “Keith . . .”

  My cock is rock-hard, straining to get closer to Elise as I hold back, needing to do this right, wanting more than just the gift of her body. I take a half step back and speak from the depths of my soul.

  “Elise, there’s nothing to hide behind right now,” I reply softly, my voice intense with emotion that fuels every syllable. “Just you and me, naked physically and emotionally. I told you before that I felt it too, but that I wanted to be able to claim you, mark you as mine when I said it.”

  Her eyes, which had been roving over my form, are now locked on mine, her lips parted in anticipation. “I didn’t think this was ever going to happen to me, but you came in and crashed my world in more ways than one. You challenge me, you make me wish for things I never thought I would. Elise . . . I love you.”

  I can see the glitter of tears in the corners of her eyes, but she doesn’t let them fall. Instead, she takes a deep breath and puts her hands behind her back, not only offering herself to me but making her look even more beautiful. “I didn’t see this coming either . . . any of it. I want more with you, with Carsen, than I have any right to want. I love you too, Keith.”

  It feels like vows, like we’re making promises beyond this moment, the gravity of the situation pulling us together. I close the distance between us, wrapping my arms around Elise and taking her wrists in my hand as our lips meet in a passionate kiss, sealing our words with our actions.

  Our tongues tangle, the fire burning hotter, brighter as we press against each other, moans and skin melding into one being.

  “Take me, Keith,” Elise begs breathlessly when our lips part. “Claim me, mark me as yours.”

  My whole body starts to tremble at her request, knowing this is more than we’ve done before, physically, emotionally and spiritually, because she is giving herself up to me all the way to her soul, the way I am hers.

  Turning, I lead her over to the bed, still keeping my hands on her wrists, as if by encircling them I’m closing the circle that’s between us, forging our bond stronger even though I don’t have to ‘command’ her at all. “I need to worship you. Every inch of your fucking delicious body is mine. Lie down.”

  I release her and she lies down, her arms and legs splayed out like she’s making a snow angel in the white sheets, and it gives me a dirty idea.

  Stepping into the closet, I grab a few of my rarely used ties and make my way over to her. Slowly, methodically, I tie her to the bedposts, forcing her to spread even wider, her body open and available.

  “You okay?” I ask, running a finger down one silk tie to her wrist, tracing her skin all the way to the inside of her elbow. “Not too tight?”

  Elise smiles, but she’s writhing, trying but unable to get more contact between us. “No, I need you. Fuck, Keith . . .”

  “No, my love,” I rumble, leaning down and kissing her lips softly. “Not fucking. Loving.”

  Elise mewls as our lips brush against each other so softly that only the electricity between us guarantees that we’re actually making contact. “Mmm . . .” I murmur against her skin as I kiss down her neck to nibble at the hollow of her throat. “You look fucking stunning like this, all tied up for me, your eyes just as open as your long legs are. Is this what you want, Elise?”

  “Oh, God, yes. Yes,” Elise groans as I lick her collarbones. I perch on the edge of the bed, wanting to touch her but knowing if I do, I’ll abandon all self-control, and I don’t want that.

  “Your body . . . so sexy and smooth,” I purr before running my tongue over her skin between her breasts, nibbling on the soft skin. I kiss over, watching Elise’s eyes as I grow closer and closer to her nipple. I can feel the stiff pink nub drag over my throat and chin before I take it between my lips, sucking hard before biting down just enough to make Elise arch her back, moaning in pleasure.

  “Keith . . . yes.”

  “Sex with you is like nothing I’ve ever had,” I add, kissing down her body. I finally climb onto the bed between her stretched out legs, running my palms up her inner thighs as I look at the soft, delectable lips of her pussy. “You’re smooth all over . . . and delicious.”

  “If you—” Elise tries to say, but her words are cut off as I lean down, covering her pussy with my mouth and kissing it lovingly, tracing my tongue from base to clit while my lips caress hers. Elise’s breath catches, her words dissolving into a long, guttural moan that’s deeper than I’ve ever heard her make before.

  Guided by her sounds, I make love to her body with my mouth and tongue, sucking on her pussy lips before stroking her clit with my tongue in quick, soft little flicks that have Elise arching her back and trying to press her pussy against my mouth.

  “Oh, God . . . I’m so going to make you come when you untie me,” Elise groans, showing me her strength and sassiness. It’s what I love and what makes her so special. She can take all I have and not wilt but come back wanting more. I nip at her thigh for her comment though, knowing that
even though it’s meant to be punishing, it only fuels her higher.

  But all of my focus is on her as I lower my mouth again and devour her. I’m unrelenting, cupping her ass and lifting her to my eager tongue as I stroke and suck on her clit, my ears listening for the moment when she’s about to come. “That’s it, Elise. Let me hear what you like. Tell me.”

  Elise’s breathing deepens, her chest heaving as she grunts out. “Keith . . . lick me, suck me . . . please . . .” before she’s lost for words, one keening cry escaping with her air. She’s almost vibrating on the bed as I lap at her clit, and I know the moment’s here. Raising my head, I look into her beautiful eyes. “I love you.”

  Elise’s breathing deepens, her chest heaving as she starts to quiver, almost vibrating on the bed as I lap at her clit, and I know the moment’s here. Raising my head, I look into her beautiful eyes. “I love you.”

  Elise’s answer is torn from her lips as I bite down lightly on her clit, ripping the orgasm from her body in a tidal wave that makes her throw her head back, screaming in pleasure as she covers my face in her delectable juices. I suck, taking everything she has, letting her ride it out slowly until she’s limp, unable to even look down at me as I raise up from between her legs.

  I come around, kneeling over her and tapping her cheek with my cock. “Open for me, Elise. Suck my cock down that amazing throat of yours. I’m gonna fuck your face, baby. Can you take it like this?”

  She opens wide, her tongue poking out to lick at my tip as she nods. Slipping into the wet warmth of her mouth, we both moan at the sensation. “You like that? You like my thick cock in your sweet mouth while you’re tied down at my mercy?”

  Elise nods again, hollowing her cheeks and sucking hard. Her eyes tell me everything I need to know as she uses what little range of motion she has to bob up and down on my cock, getting it wet and throbbing for her.