by Tara Lain
That worked so well it got him two fingers and then three, as all he could hear was the rasp of his own breath and murmurs and moans from Asher as he plunged those fingers again and again.
Then, super fast, Asher pushed Nate’s legs higher, the fingers came out, and bam, in went a condom-covered cock, though being able to get the rubber on one-handed suggested high levels of manual dexterity.
Oh my God. “Oh my God!” The sucking had been fantastic, but nothing, nothing could ever, ever be better than this. Burning, aching, throbbing pleasure.
Asher moaned, “Oh man, you took it all. So good. So damned good.” Tipping Nate’s legs so far back they nearly touched the bed over his head, Asher banged him mercilessly, hammering hard and deep and fantastically dirty. Beyond any wet dream Nate had ever conjured. Sweat ran down Nate’s chest, and the sound of his rasping breath mixed with the slap of Asher’s balls against Nate’s ass. Incredible. Amazing.
Then suddenly the pleasure peaked into a moment of critical mass—and before he could even try to get control, Nate exploded. A jolt of fire flamed from his balls into his cock, and a huge jet of semen shot from his penis right onto his own chin. He yelled and laughed at the same time as three more bursts followed the first, then ecstasy got real as beautiful Asher froze, his face a mask of passion, and his hips pounded, then stuttered, then stilled as his body shuddered in orgasm.
Oh yeah, a sight Nate wanted to save in his brain forever.
Asher held himself up on his straining forearms until Nate grabbed him and pulled him down so their sticky bodies squished together—in the best possible way.
Nate’s breath slowed and his eyelids drooped.
Asher nibbled along his jawline and blew in his ear so Nate giggled. Asher said, “Don’t fall asleep.”
“What?”
“Best not to fall asleep. You said you couldn’t stay long. I’m going to walk you home to your kid.”
For a second Nate felt abandoned. Like Asher wanted to throw him out. Then the opposite response flooded in. How easy would it be for a guy who just did a hookup to not give a shit about his kid or his timeline? And had he just said he was walking Nate home?
Nate touched one finger to Asher’s cheek. “One, thank you for remembering.” He added another finger. “Two. Thank you for caring. And three, you don’t really have to go out in the cold to take me home. That would be very sadistic on my part to drag you into the December night just because I have a curfew.” He gently caressed Asher’s cheek.
Asher smiled softly and placed his hand in a similar position on Nate’s face. He tapped one finger. “First, I never forget kids, and next, I do not intend to allow you to escape into the dark in your pumpkin chariot, dropping your glass sneaker behind you. No, sir. You can’t get away that easy.”
Weirdly, Nate felt heat behind his eyes and blinked. Maybe nose-to-nose as they were, Asher wouldn’t notice. He settled for dropping a kiss on Asher’s very pretty mouth.
Twenty minutes later, after a minimum of hanky-panky, they walked back down the steep steps from Asher’s apartment to the street. The cold slapped Nate’s face, and he shivered.
Asher wrapped a warm arm around Nate’s shoulders. “Which way?”
Nate pointed into the Railroad District, and they started walking, with Asher never dropping his arm. It felt funny, since Nate never did public displays of affection, but hell, when did he ever have the opportunity? Besides, it was dark and nearly eleven o’clock on a winter night when there were few tourists, so who was going to see him? And hell, why did he care? He snuggled closer, and Asher tightened his hold.
It only took five minutes of walking to come up to the front of Nate’s cottage.
Asher nodded, kind of approvingly. “Nice place. Good house and neighborhood for a kid.”
Really odd that a guy like him would care, but Nate didn’t know what a guy like Asher was. Nate said, “Thank you. It was wonderful.”
Asher held out a hand. “Phone, please.”
Nate handed over his phone, and Asher typed in numbers. “This is how you reach me. I’m pretty unstructured, so you can call me anytime.”
“I’m, uh—”
“Not. I know. You’ve got an office job and students and most of all a kid, so if you want to see me, just call.”
Wow. Lot o’pressure. “What if I’m not that kind of girl?”
Asher grinned. “You dropped the slipper. I picked it up. Your move, Cinderella.” He gently kissed Nate’s mouth. “Go take care of your daughter.”
He turned and strode away, perfect ass flexing.
Well, holy crap.
Nate hurried into the house. Marjorie dozed on the couch with the TV playing softly. Her eyelids flicked open when he walked into the living room. “Hey. Have fun?”
He tried to keep the sappy grin from his face. “Yeah. Sorry I’m so late. I ran into some friends.”
“No problem.” She stood, yawned, and grabbed her coat from the chair where she’d dropped it. He handed her a handful of bills, which included a substantial tip.
She glanced and frowned. “Hey, no need.”
“Please take it. I really appreciate you being able to come on such short notice.” Jokes about her arrival allowing him to come on short notice floated through his head, but he kept from laughing.
“Oh, one thing, Nate. Your ex called.”
“On the landline. Funny, she didn’t try my cell.” He glanced down and checked his messages in case he’d missed something.
Marjorie frowned again. “She asked if you were here. I didn’t feel comfortable telling her your schedule, so I said you’d run out to the store and I was staying with Delly for a couple minutes. She asked when you’d be back and I said anytime.” She shrugged. “That was the truth, right? You might have gone to the store, and I knew you’d be back at any old time you felt like.” She laughed at her own cleverness.
He joined in. “Thanks, Marjorie. I’ll keep watch while you go next door.” He walked her to the door and stood on the porch while she went home. Very low crime in Ashland, but hell, anybody could fall or lose their keys. As she went inside he waved, then leaned against the door. Having Raina know he was out made him antsy.
He stared at the spot on the sidewalk where he’d left Asher. Wait. Had he ever told Asher his kid was a daughter?
Chapter Five
DELLY TOOK a huge bite of her Mickey Mouse waffle she was only allowed to have on Sundays.
Nate gave her a glance. “Be sure you eat your eggs too. That thing has—”
She nodded and declared with her mouth full, “I know. Too much sugar.” A small cloud of waffle exploded from her lips. She clapped a hand over her mouth and giggled.
“And what do we need to balance the sugar?”
“Protein.”
“Yes, ma’am. Good girl.”
He picked up his own plate, took it to the sink, and started rinsing.
“Daddy?”
“Yes, dear.”
“Could I go see Ms. Ophelia again today?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Do you want to pick your wand?”
“Not necessarily. I just want to talk to her.”
“Oh.” He turned and leaned against the sink. “You done with your breakfast?”
She crammed one more forkful of waffle into her mouth, then nodded. He waved a hand at her egg plate, and she sighed loudly and took a bite. He nodded and grabbed her plate. “Okay, we can go see Ophelia, but you have to promise not to bother her, okay? If she has lots of customers, you can look around but not monopolize her time, deal?”
She cocked her head. “Monopolize?”
“That means trying to be the only one she can talk to instead of letting her serve her customers.”
She nodded very seriously. “I won’t be a monopolize.”
He grinned. “Close enough. Okay, go get dressed while I clean up.”
She hopped up like she’d been released from school, then stopped. “Did you go out last
night?”
Nate held his breath for a second, then said, “Yes, I did.”
She thought about it. “Did you have fun?”
“Yes, actually. I had a lot of fun.”
Her little chest expanded as she inhaled. “Good.” Stalwartly, she marched out of the kitchen.
He closed his mouth. She had just earned a very big trip to the Fairy Shop. He hurried to his room and pulled on jeans and a sweater. When he came out, she was standing by the front door. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from bursting out laughing. She’d put on red-and-white striped tights, blue Mary Janes, a plaid sweater, and a green skirt. On her head, she’d pulled a pink, tasseled beanie. Clearly Ophelia’s influence had been large in a short time. Moderating the look for school the next day might be a challenge, but for now— “Very creative.”
Coats in place, they headed toward Lithia Way and the Fairy Shop. As they drew closer, Nate’s eyes crept toward the back of the store where he knew the alley had to be tucked. Was there any chance he could take Delly to Asher’s? He let out a slow breath. Don’t get crazy. Asher’s size and general air of intimidation would scare a self-assured man. To Delly he might as well be Sasquatch.
As they got close, Delly let go of Nate’s hand and ran to the front door of the shop. He hurried to catch up, but by the time he got there, Delly was already inside. As he walked in, she was looking up at Ophelia, saying, “I’m not allowed to be a monopolize.”
Nate said, “No, you’re not allowed to monopolize Miss Ophelia.”
“Right. That.”
Ophelia, who was now wearing a brilliant yellow pinafore over a bright-blue full-sleeved blouse and apparently, purple corduroy pants underneath, said, “There’s no need to worry. If I need to speak with other people or help them out, I’ll just say so, okay?”
“Okay. That seems like a good idea.”
“Excellent. So would you like some hot chocolate? I happen to have made some today.”
“Yes, please.”
“How about your daddy?”
Delly gave him an appraising look. “He’s always thinking about sugar.”
“My, that’s a very wise thing to be thinking about. But I make my chocolate with just a touch of stevia, so no worries, okay?”
“Who’s Stevie?” She frowned in interest and definite jealousy of the kid who’d gotten to make the chocolate.
Ophelia walked to a counter in the center of the store, where a large pot sat on a warmer. She poured three cups and offered one to Delly, then to Nate. She picked up her own as she said, “Not Stevie, stevia. It’s something much sweeter than sugar, so you can use a tiny amount and not have to use sugar.”
“Can we get some, Daddy?”
He sipped his cocoa. “We can look for that at the CoOp.” In spite of himself, he glanced out the window.
Ophelia said, “So what brings you out today? Another pass at selecting your perfect wand?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Delly looked uneasily toward the cabinet where the wands lay.
“We have some new ones. Maybe one of those is yours.”
Delly gave her a skeptical look, like maybe having more to choose from just compounded the problem. “I wish it was like Harry Potter and the wand just picked me.” She sighed.
“Well, in a sense it does, but the owner has to recognize they’ve been chosen.”
“Same difference.” She frowned.
“Come on.” Ophelia waved an arm grandly, making all the fairies and dragons hanging from the ceiling dance and shimmer in the tiny lights. “Let me hold your cup, and you take another look. This cocoa’s a good elixir for inspiring change.”
Delly quickly downed the last of her chocolate—it was delicious—and handed the cup to Ophelia. Setting her jaw, she marched toward the case like she was assailing a fortress and stared in.
Nate said to Ophelia, “All of these little objects are so beautiful and individual. Where do you get them?”
“Every one is handmade by the Fairy Master.” She said it with mystery and reverence.
Delly turned with wide eyes. “Fairy Master?”
“Yes, of course. You couldn’t think that these magical creatures come from just anywhere.” Ophelia snagged a dangling fairy and brought it down for Delly to see. “Look at her eyes. They’re like tiny emeralds, her hair is made of midnight, and her skin is the shade of toffee. No other fairy is exactly like her.” She squatted, which made her almost exactly Delly’s height. “It’s the same with people. No two are alike. That’s why the wand is so important. Somewhere the Fairy Master has made a wand just for you.”
Delly swallowed visibly. “He did? What if he hasn’t made it yet?”
“Oh, he has. You wouldn’t have come here if your wand wasn’t calling.”
“Really?”
Nate crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. The so-called Fairy Master was probably a bunch of underpaid kids in China, but a little magic couldn’t hurt Delphine. Still, being manipulated through his kid to buy what was likely an expensive object kind of rubbed him the wrong way.
Suddenly Delly’s mouth opened in shock. “But if I don’t find my wand, it will be alone its whole wife.”
“Don’t worry.” Ophelia looked at Nate. “You’ll find it when the time is right.”
Nate felt the crease pop in between his brows. He’d started this as a way to get Delly having fun and interacting again, but now the whole choosing business was causing her more anxiety than it was relieving. “Maybe we should come back another time?”
“No! I want to try now.” She stared into the case, her hands in fists. Slowly, she circled it, gazing through the glass in all directions. When she got to the other side, she looked up at Nate, who was opposite her, his back to the windows. Her eyes shifted, stretched into huge circles of white around her dark irises, her mouth opened, and she shrieked, “Daddddddy!” She bumped into the case, rattling all its contents as she ran and jumped into Nate’s arms. The bell at the door rang, and Delly buried her face in Nate’s neck. “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy.”
Nate glanced toward the entrance where a huge silhouette of a man stood blocking the sunshine from outside.
Ophelia looked concerned at Delly’s outburst, but she turned toward the door. “Hi, Bob, how are you today?”
“Hi, Pheely. What’s wrong wid the kid?”
“Just startled. You want some hot chocolate?”
“Oh yeah. You know me. That’s what I come for.”
Ophelia walked to the central counter where the chocolate filled the room with warm, sweet scents, but the man, Bob, followed her, which brought him closer to Delly. She wriggled and whimpered, trying to get away.
Ophelia poured cocoa in a big mug and handed it to Bob, who wrapped his hands around it. Closer still, he wasn’t quite as big. In fact, while tall, he looked somewhat stooped. His clothes were dirty, and his sparse brown hair hung limply around his face. The coat he was wearing had holes in it and wouldn’t have kept him warm in summer, much less December. He looked at Nate and nodded. “Howdy. Sorry I scared the little girl.”
Nate smiled at him. “It’s not you. She just got scared a while back and hasn’t recovered.”
“Oh, sorry, kid.”
Ophelia marched forward with one of the smaller cups steaming full of cocoa. “Nonsense. Bob, this is Delphine. As her name implies, she is a person of great power, from which truth and creation spring. Her flower is the delphinium and her spirit animal, the dolphin. She may be startled, but she’s not afraid. Delphine, say hello to Bob, a seeker of wisdom and truth like yourself.”
As Ophelia had spoken, Delly’s head had turned more and more, until now she stared directly at Ophelia. Nate saw the moment the fire flashed in her dark-brown eyes. “Put me down, please.”
He almost laughed at the imperious command, but he set her on her feet. With a big inhale, she walked forward with her hand extended. “How do you do? I’m Delphine. I’m sorry I got startled.”
Bob looked
at her without a hint of amusement. “Well howdy.” He extended a hand Nate was glad to see was cleaner than his jeans and shook Delly’s. “I sure do like Pheely’s chocolate. Do you like it too?”
“Yes, I like it very much.” She accepted the cup from Ophelia. “I’m trying to find my wand, but who knew it would be so very hard?”
Bob pointed to the case. “One of them?”
“Yes.”
He peered in the case, his hands still clutching his mug. “Well now, I’d pick that brown and gold one there, but that don’t look much like you.” He chuckled. “Have you thought about that there pink one?” He pointed.
She followed his finger. “Yes, it’s very lovely. But I think it might be too girly for me.”
Nate turned on his heel, hurried to the counter where the chocolate was, and pressed a hand to his mouth to hide his laughter. He poured a little more into his cup. The buzz in his pocket startled him, and he pulled out the phone. Oh hell yeah. He clicked it on. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Asher’s voice shivered up Nate’s spine and buzzed in his ear. “What are you doing?”
“Shopping with my kid.”
“Christmas toys?”
“Something like that. Hey, how did you happen to know she’s a girl? I didn’t think I mentioned it.”
“Pronouns, I guess. I thought I remembered you saying she. So she’s a girl, right?”
“Uh, yes. What are you doing this crisp Sunday?”
“Working right now, but I could be not working later.”
Nate looked over at Delphine where she circled the case with Bob. Maybe, just maybe she’d made a breakthrough and he could invite Asher— An image of Asher flashed in his mind. Better not push my luck on one positive experience. “There’s a chance. I’ll have to see if my babysitter’s available.” He glanced at his phone. “Hey, wait a minute. I didn’t give you my number. Remember your big Cinderella exit?”
Asher chuckled so low and dirty it made Nate’s balls tingle. “I saw your number when you handed me the phone. I’ve got a very good memory for numbers.”
“Fraud!”
