by Claire Adams
“Aw, that’s sweet.” She gave me a smile that told me she appreciated what I’d said.
“I am happier than I’ve been in such a long time, and I owe it all to you and Nell,” she said. Her smile warmed my heart.
“I think the last month has been really good for Nell, too. Having you in her life, it somehow—I’ve seen her change. In a good way,” I told her.
“I’m glad to hear that. Because Nell has changed me, too. I enjoy every moment I spend with both of you,” Rachel said.
Nell had taken quite a liking to Rachel right away. But over the last month, I’d seen her get closer to Rachel in a way that she’d never even been to me. She would tell Rachel things that she wouldn’t tell me, and at first, it kind of bothered me, but when I thought about it, I realized it was because she didn’t have a mom. She needed someone that she could vent to. She needed someone that she could talk to, and she finally had that in Rachel.
I kissed Rachel’s head, “I’m serious. You’ve been so amazing and her and me; thank you.”
I still couldn’t believe she was mine. We’d been together for just about a month now, and we’d been spending so much time together at work and in our personal lives; I really felt like I couldn’t picture my life without her. I’ve never been more thankful for an employee that I was for her. Because she wasn’t just an employee. She had started out that way, and if she wouldn’t have, I would’ve never been able to experience the best thing that’s ever happened to me besides my daughter.
“You’re welcome. But I owe all things to you. You changed me. You helped pull me out of a really dark place,” she said.
I kissed her until the phone started ringing. She walked over and answered it, sitting at her desk. I studied her while she talked on the phone. She spoke with such ease and confidence, you wouldn’t think that Rachel ever had a moment of insecurity.
Since I’d hired Rachel, my profits had skyrocketed, and I’d increased my client intake. I was doing two shows a week now, and I owed it all to Rachel. I watched as she took notes during the call. The way she was talking, I could tell the customer was looking to pick up a piece of art they had purchased the previous weekend. They had never been here, so must have either made the purchase over the phone, or had someone else come in and buy it for them. She gave them the directions flawlessly. I never met anybody who could give direction so well. I usually just talked people into turning at another adjacent building with the red flag outside. Or, if you reach the giant oak tree, you’ve gone too far, and you should turn back and look for the Dunkin’ Donuts. But Rachel explained it to where people understood it without having to point out landmarks. Everything she did was amazing, and I was head over heels in love.
She got off the phone, and I asked her if it was a customer looking to pick up something. She told me that it was and I gave her another kiss.
“Listen, Rachel. I was thinking I could take you and Nell out to dinner tonight,” I said.
Rachel’s face lit up, “I’d love that.she said.
I felt relief flooded through me. I don’t know why, but I still felt nervous when I asked her questions. She still gave me butterflies. After that, I went upstairs into my office, then sat down and did some work for the morning before had to leave to go pick up Nell.
When Nell got in the car, I could tell there was something wrong right away.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” I asked her.
She didn’t respond.
“Nell? Are you alright?” I asked her, again.
She didn’t answer me. She just stared out the window, which only made me wonder what was wrong even more. I had no idea what was going on in her mind, and I didn’t know if something it happened at school or not. I would’ve liked for her to tell me so I could fix the problem. I wanted her to talk to me, to lean on me. I wanted her to feel like she needed me. But I wondered if maybe I wasn’t the person to talk to.
“Nell, what’s wrong? You know you can talk to me,” I said to her.
Nell just nodded her head. She didn’t say anything else, and I was beginning to really worry. But, I decided the best thing to do for now was to take her mind off of it.
“We are going to dinner with Rachel tonight after work,” I told her.
I watch the rearview mirror as her face lit up. “Really?” she asked.
“Yes, really,” I said with a laugh.
“I’m so excited,” Nell said.
I could tell that she really was excited, and for the first time since she got in the car, she genuinely looked happy. I wanted to know what was bothering her, and I was glad that she was happy. Even if it was only going to make her happy for a little while.
The rest the day went by fast, and the three of us went out to dinner. Nell seemed to be more upbeat at dinner. She ate all of her food and chit-chatted away. I was happy to see that she was so happy and excited. It made me feel a lot better, but I knew that something was still bothering her from school. I needed to figure out, but I knew she didn’t really want to talk to me.
“Is your spaghetti good?” I asked Nell, as she put a large forkful into her mouth.
She smiled and nodded her head as she slurped up the stray noodles.
“Don’t do that,” I said. I hated when she did that, especially in public. Pasta sauce would get everywhere, plus, it was kind of gross.
“Okay, Daddy,” she said, then turned her attention to Rachel. “Can you spend the night with us tonight?”
Rachel looked at me first for confirmation, and I nodded my head.
“Of course, if that’s what you want,” Rachel said.
“You know I like it when you spend the night,” I said, with a wink and a laugh.
She lightly hit me on the arm, “Oh, you’re horrible,” she laughed. “Not the place or company.” She was still smiling though, which told me she liked my flirting and didn’t actually mean that she wanted me to stop.
“What? I’m only speaking the truth,” I said.
She rolled her eyes, just as the waiter approached our table to take everyone’s plates.
“Is anyone up for dessert?” I asked them.
“Me!” both of the girls said, at exactly the same time, making me laugh.
“Do you like chocolate?” Nell asked Rachel.
Rachel smiled broadly, just as a large slice of chocolate cake came out to our table. “Yes, I do,” she said with a laugh. The waiter set the slice of chocolate cake down in front of us. Rachel and Nell were both practically drooling.
The three of us picked up our spoons, put them into the cake, and took a big bite. Then we all stared at each other in disbelief. It was the best damn cake I had ever tasted.
“Wow. This is so good,” Rachel said, sticking her spoon back into the cake for another bite. Nell quickly followed suit, and I did the same, figuring that if I waited too long, the girls would eat the entire thing.
After we finished the last few bites of the cake, I think the three of us may have been fuller than ever before.
“My tummy hurts,” Nell said, as we were getting into the car.
“Mine too,” I said, and rubbed my belly. We both turned and looked at Rachel who then repeated the same thing.
“Me three.”
The three of us laughed, and I drove on toward our home. By the time we got back to our house, it was time for Nell to go to bed. But she didn’t want me to put her to bed; she asked if Rachel could do it.
Rachel looked at me as if asking if it was okay. I nodded my assent, then I got down to Nell’s level.
“Good night, sweetheart. Have sweet dreams. I love you,” I said to her.
Good night, Daddy. You too. I love you, too,” she said back to me.
I gave her a big kiss and a hug.
“I’ll be right back,” Rachel said to me, and then let Nell grab her hand and lead her off to her room.
I tried not to let it bother me that Nell wanted Rachel to put her to bed, but I held on to the hope that maybe Nell would tell
Rachel what was bothering her. At least then she’d be able to tell somebody how she felt. I didn’t want her to hold her emotions all the time; it just wasn’t healthy. If her outlet was talking to Rachel, then I was more than happy, even if I never found out what was going on with her today. At least somebody I was close to would know what was going on with my daughter, and I held onto the comfort in that.
Chapter Thirty
Rachel
I followed Nell into her room, admittedly a little shocked that she wanted me to put her to bed instead of her dad. I hoped I hadn’t overstepped, and didn’t want James to think I was interfering. While I wasn’t Nell’s parent, I was still flattered that she wanted me to put her to bed.
She dragged me down the hallway and into her room. Then walked over to her books and picked up one of her favorites. She handed it to me to read.
“Will you please read that to me?” she asked.
I nodded my head, “Sure thing, sweetheart.”
After I had read her the book, Nell looked a little tired, or maybe even sad. I sat next to her on the bed rubbed her little head. “Nell, are you okay?” I asked her.
I hadn’t been around for that long, but I could still tell when she was upset about something.
“Sweetie, you can tell me. If there’s something bothering you, the best thing to do is tell someone you trust,” I said, in my most gentle voice. I wanted her to know that I could help her out if she needed it. If something was really bothering her, I could be a good listener and help her figure out what the problem might be.
She shrugged, and I didn’t want to say anymore. I didn’t want to pressure her; I knew that pushing a kid to talk too hard could shut them down completely, and they’d never open up to you. At least, that’s what I’d heard from my friends who are parents.
“Well, I’m going to leave now. I’ll let you get your rest,” I said and stood up.
“Wait,” her little voice said.
I paused and didn’t get up from the bed. I just looked down at her. “Yes?”
“I do want to talk to you,” she said.
I nodded my head to let her know that it was okay to start talking now.
“Kids are mean,” she simply stated.
“What you mean?” I asked her.
“There are some kids at school, they-they make fun of me,” she said, and a few tears started to roll down her face. She sat up and wrapped her arms around me.
“I’m so sorry, Nell. What is it that they are saying to you?” I asked, beginning to worry. I had been bullied in junior high school myself, so I knew what it was like. It didn’t feel good at all.
“They say that my mom isn’t around because I’m weird,” she said, her tears falling more quickly now.
I was beside myself, and couldn’t believe that somebody would tease her about not having a mother. It made me really upset, but I didn’t want to show her that.
“Aw, Nell. I’m so sorry. You know what? Don’t listen to them. If they say anything else, you just need to stick up for yourself, okay? They’ll leave you alone if you stick up for yourself,” I said.
“Are you sure, Rachel?” she asked me.
I nodded my head. “Yes, I’m sure. Bullies are really just cowards. They’re teasing you because they’re upset about something in their own lives. So, try not to take it too personally. If you stick up for yourself, they should leave you alone.” I felt confident in my response. But I also hoped I wasn’t overstepping. This was a little girl who needed somebody to talk to. Somebody besides her dad. Sometimes children had an easier time talking to someone that wasn’t their parent.
“Thanks for talking to me, Rachel,” Nell said.
I leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Anytime, kid. You get some good rest now, okay?”
She nodded her head, rolled over, and within a few minutes, I could tell that she was falling asleep. I snuck out of her room and quietly walked down the hallway to the living room.
“What was all that about?” James asked.
I shrugged, “Just some girl stuff. Nothing to worry about,” I said to him. I didn’t want to worry him about what was going on, and I felt like I’d handled it. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, really.
“Now that Nell is asleep, we can retire to the bedroom,” James said with a sexy smile.
I laughed and let him lead me down the hall.
Once we got in there, he grabbed me and started kissing me aggressively. It was hot, and we started undressing each other while we were kissing. I unbuttoned his pants, while he did mine, then he paused and removed each of our shirts. It was sexy and simple: just what I liked.
His lips met mine once again, then moved down and started kissing my neck down my breasts. He took one into his mouth and sucked on my nipple, then he did it to the other one. It felt so good when he played like this; it was a feeling that I couldn’t quite describe. Like a shot of pleasure went straight to my pussy.
His mouth trailed down my stomach towards my panties, which I still had on, but he moved them off me slowly and then he pushed me back on the bed. I was now fully naked on the bed, and he got between my legs, and he pressed his mouth to my clit, moving his tongue up and down, in a quick rhythm.
“Oh, wow, you’re really good with your tongue,” I said to him. I placed my hands on his head and my fingers in his hair. He licked me harder and faster, flicking his tongue back-and-forth quickly across the tip of my clit. He moved it around in different ways to keep the pleasure going. I loved everything he was doing with his tongue.
I felt him take a finger and slide it inside of me while his tongue continued to work around my clit. Everything he did was like magic. Each and every single way he touched me felt new and exciting. He really knew what he was doing in bed.
A second finger slid into me, adding pressure. I could tell I was really wet by the way his fingers slid in and out so easily. He wiggled his fingers, dragging them against the walls of my pussy and hitting that special spot that drove me wild. My body uncontrollably jerked every time he did it. It was an intense bolt of pleasure.
I felt myself starting to get close. I grabbed the sheets with both of my hands, gripping hard and prepared myself for an orgasm. My body tensed and then all at once everything began to relax as pleasure swept through my body. I threw my head back and let the feelings overtake me. I didn’t feel anything else or to think about anything else. All I was focused on with the pure pleasure that was rushing through my body at that moment.
As I started to come down, he sat up.
“Was that good?” he asked.
I nodded my head and bit my lip. “Mmm-hmm.”
He pulled his boxers off and got on the bed after I scooted back to give him room. Spreading my legs, he placed one on each of his shoulders. I felt his thick, hard cock pressing into my pussy.
“You want it?” he asked, teasing me.
I nodded my head.
“Let me hear you beg me for it,” he said.
“Please, fuck me,” I said to him in my sexiest voice. I wanted him to know that I was really turned on and despite having an orgasm already, I just really wanted to get fucked. The longer he waited, the more I needed to feel his cock shoved inside of me. I was growing desperate and wanted to feel him so bad.
“How do you want me to fuck you?” he asked.
“Hard and fast,” I said, without hesitation.
He bit his lip and groaned, then before I knew it, he had shoved himself inside me. Gripping my ankles, he started thrusting his cock in and out of my pussy. Stretching it as he fucked it.
“Oh, fuck that feels so good,” I moaned.
He was deep inside of me now, and I could feel him hitting the back of my pussy with each thrust. Each time he did that, I felt a small jab of pain. It wasn’t anything bad and just made the pleasure more intense. His cock was so big, there was no way to avoid the unique pain and pleasure combination. I liked it a lot and knew it would leave me sore for a couple of days afterward.
Soreness would remind me of what we had done, and turn me on at the same time. I liked the reminders.
“Your pussy is so wet,” he said, looking down at me with an intense look in his eyes.
I bit my lip, “Only for you.”
“Damn right,” he said and continued to thrust his cock in and out of me. He paused and moved both of my legs to one shoulder, and I could feel my pussy grip onto his cock even tighter.
He sucked air in through his teeth and begin to fuck me harder and harder. I could feel myself getting closer and closer to the edge again. I was getting close to the spot that drove me absolutely wild. The spot right before I actually came when everything felt more intense.
Then he stopped.
“Why did you stop?” I asked him, confused.
“I was about to cum; I don’t want it to be over yet,” he said, breathing hard.
“I was about to cum, too,” I said, giving him a sad face.
“I know,” he said and leaned down to kiss me. Then he put my legs down and said, “I want you on top. Reverse cowgirl.”
I nodded my head as he laid down next to me, and I got up and positioned myself so that I was straddling him but facing away. My legs were spread and bent and I slowly lowered myself down onto him. I could feel him holding his cock up, and he pressed into my hole. He began to slide in, and I had to reach down and spread my pussy a bit for him. He was almost too big for this position.
But then I felt it. I felt him begin to slide into me and finally he was all the way inside.
I sucked air in through my teeth. “Holy shit. You’re so deep inside of me.” I moaned.
“Mm-hmm,” he moaned in response.
I began to bounce on him. His cock sliding in and out of me, gently and with ease. He hit the back of my pussy, and when I leaned forward a bit, I could feel him hit my g-spot. I reached down and placed a hand between my legs and began to rub my clit. I knew I was going to go fast this time.
I felt him place his hands on my hips and he helped to bounce me up and down. I was relieved to get help because my legs were starting to get tired. I didn’t want them to give out while we were fucking hard like this.
