by Cara Dee
“Um, we’re…I mean…”
I bring her hand to my lips and kiss the top of it softly. “You can ask me anything.” Tilting my head in her direction, I see that she looks anxious. “Tell me, Gem.”
She exhales shakily. “We’re—we’re really in this t-together now, right?”
“What do you mean?” I frown. “Of course we are.”
“Okay. I’m sorry—I just needed to hear it again.”
“Oh, baby. Don’t apologize for something like that. It’s you and me now. I promise. I’ll take care of everything.”
“Okay,” she says again, breathing out in relief. The smile she gives me is so damn beautiful. “Thank you.”
I shake my head. “Don’t thank me. Tell me you want the same.”
“I do,” she replies quickly. Scooting a bit closer, she rests her head on my shoulder. I kiss her hair. “You’re all I want, Dean.”
I feel warm, relieved, and happy. “You’re all I want, too, Gemma,” I whisper. “I’m not letting you go.”
She hugs my bicep.
The rest of the ride home is silent.
My phone flickers to life every now and then with a new voice mail from Tina, but I don’t care right now.
I’ll deal with it when I get back to the house.
*
“I think I’m gonna call Mom,” Gemma says as we remove our jackets and shoes. “It’s probably best she hears about this from us rather than…”
“Reading about it in the papers,” I finish, agreeing with her. “All right—you go call Lily, and I’ll…” I sigh, definitely not looking forward to what I need to do. “I’ll call Tina.” With the truth pretty much out in the open, there’s no way I can avoid this conversation—even if I have to have it over the phone. “I’ll be in my office.” I touch her cheek, hating the pinch of nervousness and fear in her eyes. “You’re more than welcome to listen in, you know. I’m not keeping anything from you.”
She gives me a small smile. “I trust you. I’m just afraid something’s gonna get in the way. Like, in our way.” She ducks her head. “I’m sorry—I’m being stupid.”
“Hey.” I gently grab her chin. “You’re anything but stupid. Don’t say something like that about yourself ever again. Are we clear on that?”
“Okay,” she whispers.
“Good girl.” I kiss her on the forehead. “I happen to think the world of you. And I’m always right.” I give her a wink to lighten the tension, and I’m happy to see it work.
In the end, Gemma tells me to go ahead. She goes to her bedroom to inform Lily, and I find myself sitting behind my desk staring at my phone.
Get it over with.
It doesn’t take long before she picks up.
“Is it true?” she grits out.
I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. There’s no reason to play stupid. However, I don’t know how far Tina is willing to go to…I don’t know, destroy me? Regardless, I don’t want her to be sitting on the other side of the line recording this or something.
“We’ll talk when I get back to LA,” I reply. “I will tell you everything then.”
She laughs bitterly. “My own daughter, Dean! You’ve betrayed me with my daughter!”
I narrow my eyes, instantly suspicious. I can’t even remember the last time she could stomach referring to Gem as her daughter. Not to mention the fact that I’ve told her we’re no longer a couple.
“I beg your pardon?” I answer slowly. “The last Christmas you spent time with your daughter, you told her—to her face—that it was difficult to be near her. Is that the daughter you’re talking about? The girl you gave away for your aunt and uncle to adopt?”
“What’re you talking about?” She pretends to be offended. “She’s still my family!”
I blanch at her words, and I can’t fucking believe the audacity.
“Furthermore,” I go on, “you know very well we’re not together anymore, Tina. I’ve told you repeatedly.”
“I don’t understand what I’ve done, Dean.” She puts on a grand performance, not even listening to me. “My daughter. My own fucking fiancé! Tell me—what have I done to deserve this?”
I shake my head at her, fearing she’d take things too far and now having it confirmed. She can’t be alone wherever she is. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have to lie now.
“You know what, Tina?” I’ve made up my mind. “You can come to my office tomorrow at two o’clock. My publicist and my lawyer will be there. I suggest you bring yours. Oh, and your beloved daughter is joining us, too.”
I hang up the phone just as Gem enters the room with a sheepish smile on her face.
“Mom wants to talk to you.” She holds up her phone.
I chuckle tiredly and wave her forward. “No problem, baby. I’ll talk to her.”
Walking over, she asks, “Did you already talk to Tina?”
“Yeah.” I blow out a breath. “She’s up to something. We’ll find out more tomorrow. But I don’t want you to worry, all right?” She hands me the phone.
“I believe you.” She sits down in the chair across from me and points at the phone. “Talk to her. She’s um…angry?” She chews on her lip. “I think she’s worried about me.”
That makes sense. Before this month, we were all worried about Gem. Well, at least a few of us, and I’m sure Lily’s concerned now, too, even though she’s fond of me.
I raise the phone to my ear. “Hello, Lily. How are you this fine evening?” Or late night.
Gem giggles behind her hand, looking so adorable.
“Save the crap,” Lily huffs. “Dean Gauthier, please tell me Gemma was lying or trying to be funny. You know, I asked you to get close to her, get her to understand that she’s not alone, that she has a family who loves her—not get into her pants!”
Knowing that behind Lily’s anger she’s a very sweet and genuine woman, I go with the truth. “Gemma has become everything to me, Lily. This isn’t some random fling, and I’m not out to hurt anyone.” Gem’s gaze softens, and dare I say, it becomes tender? “I certainly didn’t expect this to happen. I didn’t seek her out thinking I could, as you so eloquently put it, get into her pants. I care for her—more than I’m willing to admit to you over the phone.”
“Oh.” I think I’ve stumped Lily. “Wait. Are you yanking my chain, Dean?”
I chuckle incredulously. “I assure you, I’m not yanking anything.”
She harrumphs. “Well.” Huff, huff. “Shit. You’re really serious about her? She deserves the best, you know.”
I can only smile. Lily’s being protective, and that’s something I’m glad for.
“I’m very serious,” I vow honestly. “I know we’re facing hell when we get back home tomorrow, but we will deal with it all—together.”
Lily’s significantly calmer, and she promises us we have her support. She does scold me, as if I’m a child, stating we couldn’t have chosen a more complicated situation, but admits that it’s nice to see I’ve traded up. Yeah, she’s all fire. Not that Gem and I chose this.
With all that out of the way for now, we spend an hour packing up whatever we’ll need for our trip, and I wake up Patrick once more to make sure everything is set for tomorrow. He emails me the flight information, and then, with a “fuck you” in his voice, he wishes me a good night.
I have the best assistant. Perhaps I should remind him who lets him stay in fancy suites around the globe, lets him travel first class, and who gives him a paycheck every month that’s twice as large as most with his position.
I set the alarm for seven AM, much to my girl’s devastation.
“So early,” she whines and snuggles into my embrace. I snicker and tighten my hold on her. “I wish we could go later.” I’m a little shocked and more than a little turned on when she actually starts to suck on her thumb.
“My delectable little girl.” I slip my leg over hers, settling so her pussy is pressing against my thigh. “You can sleep on the plane. I will wake you up when it’s
time to go.” I kiss her cheek. “Can Daddy get a kiss?”
She beams at me, releases her thumb, and plants a good one on my lips. Groaning quietly, I part my lips to taste her. Our tongues tease and rile us up. Unfortunately, we really do need to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.
“Sleep, baby girl.” I kiss her a final time and gently brush my thumb over a nipple. She whimpers and arches into me. “If you’re a good girl and promise to eat all your veggies tomorrow, you can taste my cock before we go. But you have to promise me to behave first.”
“Ungh, you’re teasing me, Daddy,” she complains, pouting again.
I nip at her jaw. “That didn’t sound like a promise to me.” To tease her further, I trail my hand lower, under her pink cotton panties, and I cup her pussy. “Are you going to be Daddy’s good girl?”
“Yes!” She tries to kick off the covers, but I stop her. Then I resume fingering her slowly, softly, making sure not to neglect her little clit. “Oh God. Please—I want you now.” She claws at me, trying to get closer. “I promise, Daddy—I promise to be your good girl, but…but, but…”
I tsk her. “Not now. I said tomorrow morning.”
Realizing I’m not budging, she whines in protest and sticks her thumb in her mouth again.
I keep two fingers buried inside of her and lazily, absently, circle her clit with the pad of my thumb.
“That’s it, sweetheart,” I say softly and kiss her temple. “Sleep now.”
*
The next morning, I wake up with my little girl’s mouth on my cock.
I groan and rub my eyes from sleep.
One glance at the clock tells me we have about forty minutes before the alarm goes off.
“Do you like it, Daddy?”
I chuckle drowsily, though the sound morphs into a moan when she sucks me in again. “Understatement.” I thread my fingers through her hair and push her down gently. “Fuck.” She starts playing with my balls, which I fucking love. But then she continues down, all while sucking greedily on my cock. “Jesus, Gem!” My eyes fly open, and I prop myself up on my elbows. In all honesty, what she’s doing right now leaves me a little conflicted, except…Christ, it feels fucking amazing. “Oh God.” She teases my ass with a finger. Lightly, softly. I had no idea it would feel so good.
“Do you want me to stop?” she asks nervously.
I shake my head quickly. “Keep going.” I swallow. “Play with Daddy’s ass.”
She sucks in a breath at that.
I keep watching hungrily as she sucks on my cock and rubs a finger against my ass.
One of the reasons I’m more convinced than ever we’re perfect for each other—we love exploring new things.
“Fuck, that’s amazing,” I groan. Bending my knees, I pull up my legs a little and spread them wider. And when she asks if she can push one finger inside, I’m quick to reach for the lube on the nightstand. While there’s not a chance in hell dildos are making their way up there, the thought of my little girl fingering me is incredibly sexy. “Sit up,” I instruct her. “I want to see all of you when I come.”
She obeys and kneels between my legs, even putting some distance between her knees so that I can see her wet pussy properly.
Yet, it’s not enough. Now that I’m almost going crazy with lust, I need more. “Actually, I want you to turn around so Daddy can kiss you between the legs while you please him.”
Her eyes flash with excitement and desire. She does as told, immediately scrambling into position. Then, after coating her finger in lube, she returns to teasing my ass, her head bobbing up and down on my cock.
“Fuck…” I knead her pert ass roughly, spreading the cheeks. Next, I tilt my head to reach her wettest spot. I eat her out like I’m a starving man and suck on her little clit, my tongue flicking over it.
When she slowly pushes a finger inside my ass, my head lolls back as pleasure shoots through me, accompanied by a slight, yet sharp sting. This has got to be one of the hottest things I’ve ever done. Not to mention the pleasure. I can’t get over it. I hiss, my hips meeting her movements.
“Daddy, I need to come,” she whines as I gently pinch her clit.
“Soon—oh, fuck.” I growl. She applies more pressure with her finger. Tiny bursts of fire cause my abs to tense, and whenever she rolls my balls in her hand, my thighs clench, too. By now, she’s so fucking horny that clear drops of delicious arousal trickle down her thigh. I’m quick to get it all. “God—that’s it, baby, suck me harder.”
She hums around my cock and gently strokes me from the inside, and it’s getting increasingly difficult to breathe. Slapping her pussy once, twice, I nip carefully on her clit before sucking on it.
“Jesus Christ!” I screw my eyes shut. She has obviously found a spot inside me that makes me want to explode. “Keep going. Faster—” I groan loudly, my orgasm crashing down. “Daddy’s gonna come.”
Only a second later, the first rope of come hits the back of her throat. With two fingers buried inside of her, I twist them to where she loves them the most and moan against her soaked flesh.
A second and a third release follow, and I can’t fucking breathe. My back arches, and it feels like my body’s on fire, the sensations coming at me from different directions. As she rubs a specific spot a little firmer inside my ass, a fourth stream of come seeps out of my cock.
“Fuck!” I gasp, collapsing against the pillows. I try to regain my breath, which isn’t easy when she starts lapping at me like she’s some little kitten. Between hums and giggles of delight, she returns to sit between my legs, and she licks me clean. “What’re you doing, baby?”
“I like your cock, Daddy. Can I kiss it some more?”
I wave a hand, too drained to do much else. “Be my guest.”
Though, I have to stop her a few moments later when she gets too excited. I need more recovery time at my age, and I know she hasn’t come yet.
“Come here, sweetheart,” I murmur. She needs to have her orgasm, and I’m more than happy to give it to her. “Sit on my face.”
She squeals.
Fuck, she’s too cute for words.
Our morning in bed continues with my feasting on my little girl’s pussy, and it’s not until she’s climaxed twice, we’re showered, and ready to eat breakfast that today’s reality comes crashing down on me.
We’re leaving Utah in just an hour.
*
As soon as we get off the plane, I see I have five texts from Patrick.
I’ve sent a car for you. It should be Jimmy. —P.L.
Heads up: there are probably paps all over. —P.L.
You’re in all the tabloids today. —P.L.
I’ve ordered a late lunch to Conference Room 1. —P.L.
I figured you wouldn’t want to stay at home, so I booked your regular suite at Oceanside. —P.L.
That is why he’s my assistant.
Tucking Gemma close, I usher her through LAX and warn her quietly about the possibility of paparazzi being here already.
“We’re staying at my hotel in Santa Monica tonight, too,” I tell her. “After the meeting, I’m just going to drive over to the house to get some personal belongings, and then I’ll meet you at Oceanside, okay?”
“Okay,” she replies nervously. “Will Tina be at the house when you’re there, too?”
“No.” I’ll make sure she isn’t around.
Our conversation comes to an abrupt stop when we go through the exit and photographers swarm us. My heart starts racing, and I steel myself for anything.
“Gauthier!” one of them shouts, while another yells, “Gemma—over here! Is it true that you’re involved with your stepdad?”
Not giving a flying fuck about these pictures, I pull Gemma impossibly closer and try to shield her as we make our way through the crowd. Somewhere behind all these vultures, I can hear Jimmy calling my name.
“Back the fuck off,” I snap at a reporter.
As if they ever listened to that.<
br />
“Dean! Did you and Gemma get married at the Sundance Festival?”
“Gemma! Is it true that you’re pregnant?”
“How long have you been hiding your relationship?”
“Does this mean there won’t be a wedding, Gauthier?”
At last, we reach the car, and Jimmy is quick to close the door behind us as soon as we’re in.
“Jesus Christ!” I groan.
“Welcome to LA,” Gem deadpans.
I release a heavy breath and wrap an arm around her shoulders. “You said it.” I kiss her temple. “But we’re in this together, yeah?”
“Definitely,” she says and scoots closer. “I’d go to hell and back for you, Dean.” Her eyes show an intensity I’ve never seen before. “I want you to know that.”
I smile, happy beyond words, and murmur my agreement. Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it.
Chapter 13
Gemma Delaney
The elevator ride up to Dean’s office is long and silent, but he has reassured me enough to be comfortable. Granted, I’m fucking nervous. A lot is at stake. This is Dean, not some immature guy I’ve dated in the past. Dean.
He’s the one I adore, need, crave, and trust. My Daddy.
Once a man I used to view as an uncle or even older brother, one who was pretty much as anatomically nondescript as a Ken doll in my mind, and then I saw him in his house in Utah… God, it’s almost impossible to describe.
I guess four years of distance created a barrier between our past and our future. We’re changed people. But unlike Dean, I didn’t really have anything to lose when I realized how crazy attracted I was to him. So, instead of being careful, I threw caution to the wind and fell in love.
“Are you all right, dear?”
I nod, letting him usher me down a hall surrounded by offices. It’s been years since I was here, though I think I remember we’ll pass a cubicle area before we get to the conference rooms.
“If it gets to be too much,” he murmurs, “I want you to think of a time where everything was perfect.”
I smile up at him, curious. “That would be with you.”
He presses a kiss to the top of my head. “Even better.”
Soon, a man in his late twenties approaches us. He’s impeccably dressed in a black suit. Which reminds me that Dean and I are hardly dressed for a business meeting. I mean, shit, I’m wearing jeans and Dean’s Dartmouth hoodie, and Dean’s also in jeans and a fitted black pullover.
