Her name is Ainsley.
The week drags on like molasses, but Friday provides me with enough invigoration to make it through the day. Everything is finalized for my weekend with Ainsley, and I asked her three times for confirmation that her mother was aware she wasn’t coming home. I don’t miss the irony in the fact I’m having to ask my date if her mom knows she won’t be home, but I allow myself to ignore it. I feel like I have something special with Ainsley, and if I keep dwelling on the reasons we can’t be together, I’ll never get out of my own way so it can happen.
I get to my apartment with plenty of time to spare. While I’m looking forward to spending as much time as possible here with Ainsley, I also have some other things planned. An actual date, for starters. That got skipped entirely, and when I made dinner for her, we ran into other issues along the way. I want this weekend to be romantic. I want to sweep Ainsley off her feet. She’s hinted enough that I’m aware of what she wants to do when we get here. I want that too. I want us to have enough time to form a genuine connection along the way.
I’ve been married before, so I’m aware of how complicated a relationship can be. There are stumbles, hurt feelings, and things to work through. The fire that burns behind closed doors isn’t enough to make it last forever, especially if that’s all you have. Sadly, my best friend’s relationship with my daughter is a better example of a good relationship than the one I had with my ex-wife. Those are mistakes I don’t want to make again.
Preventing those mistakes begins with a foundation that we can build our relationship on. It can’t be grounded in a fantasy. Those are fine if they are what Ainsley needs, but I have needs too. Needs that go beyond the fire, needs that go beyond the things that we share in the bedroom. I hope she can see that. Hell, I hope she needs it too.
There’s so much life for both of us to live if we just embrace it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ainsley
From the lowest of lows to the highest of highs. All in a matter of a week. I was facing the very real possibility of being homeless, and I deserved to be, but now my life is on a completely different path. I’m counting my days until I start college again. My mom couldn’t be happier for me right now. Kicking me out is the last thing on her mind since I’m finally showing signs of doing something with my life.
She didn’t even give me grief when I told her I would be away for the weekend. I didn’t share everything, and she didn’t ask. She was glad that I told her up front. I never realized it could be this easy to get along with her. She has always wanted the best for me, and I fought her at every turn until she put her foot down.
I’ll have to remember that if I’m ever blessed with a child who acts like me. Chances are, it’ll be my penance for putting her through hell.
Now I’m on my way to see Lawson. He told me to wear something nice, so I did. My mom probably knows I’m going out on a date. She has to. I’d never leave the house looking like this unless I had somebody to impress. If she got that far, then she probably realizes what else is going to happen, considering that I left with an overnight bag.
Thank god she didn’t give me the talk, but I would have listened if she did. I’m learning to respect her a lot more than I have in the past.
My entire body is buzzing with excitement when I make it to the city and park in front of Lawson’s apartment building. I can’t wait to see him again. I gather my things and make my way to his floor. I barely get a chance to knock before he opens the door.
“Wow!” My eyes get wide when I see him standing in front of me in a suit. “You look fancy!”
“You look gorgeous.” He pulls me into his arms and presses his lips to mine.
An explosive kiss. The perfect way to officially begin our weekend together. I drop my bag by the door and melt into his arms. This is where I belong. The rest of the world can fade away for a little while, and we can exist in the part we carve out for ourselves.
I’m out of breath and gasping for air when our lips finally part. My head is spinning. My body is buzzing with even more excitement than I had when I pulled into the parking lot.
“Such a shame that we’re just going to have to take this off.” I run my fingers along his tie.
“We have a while before we get to that part.” He laughs and pushes my bag into the apartment with his foot. “Come on, we have reservations.”
“Really?” I raise an eyebrow. “Alright.”
I was kind of hoping we would go straight to the bedroom, but I can wait a little longer. Lawson certainly does look sexy in his suit. Downright delicious. He’ll look better when he takes it off, and my dress is in a crumpled heap on his bedroom floor.
We hold hands until we make it to the elevator, and I beg for another kiss before it reaches the bottom floor. I’ve missed having his hands on my skin. It feels so good.
“Alright, come along now.” Lawson steps out of the elevator before the doors close on us again.
“If they close, we have to go back to your apartment.” I lean against him as we make our way through the lobby.
“We’ll make it back there. Don’t worry.” He nods.
Lawson holds the door for me when we leave his apartment building and opens my door when we make it to his car. He’s certainly gentlemanly. Not bad for a guy who had a permanent scowl on his face the night we met.
He takes me to a fancy restaurant. I feel horribly underdressed, but he makes me feel beautiful. I fill him in on everything I haven’t told him over the phone. There really isn’t much. I carried most of the conversations, or dominated them, I suppose. We seem to be on equal ground at the restaurant, sharing stories, trading playful jabs, and it feels like the sexual tension is building by the second.
“Are we going back to your apartment now?” I look over at him while we wait for his vehicle to be brought to the curb by valet.
“Not yet. I have more in store for you tonight than just dinner.” He chuckles and takes his keys from the valet.
“Well, I was kind of hoping you did…” I give him a playful nudge.
“I don’t mean that.” He opens the door and motions for me to sit.
Yes, I have a one-track mind right now. I can’t help it. He introduced me to a world I never expected to experience outside of the fantasies in my head. Now I just want to live there. I appreciate the effort, I really do, but I don’t need it. I’m putty in his hands, and he doesn’t have to impress me to get me out of this dress. He doesn’t even have to ask.
“Where are we going now?” I look over at him once he is in the car.
“Well, I believe we talked about dancing last weekend.” He winks at me.
“I told you I had never really tried it.” My eyes get wide. “Seriously, the closest I’ve come is shuffling around on the dance floor at school dances.”
“That’s why we’re going to take a class.” He leans forward and cranks up the car.
He’s serious. We joked about that, but I didn’t expect it to actually happen. Apparently he enjoyed it a lot when he was younger, before work and real life started to consume all of his time. It’s hard to imagine him dancing. I guess I won’t have to imagine it much longer.
He pulls the car to a stop in front of a studio. I glance at the sign and over at him.
“Ballet?” I laugh. “Not the kind of dancing I had in mind.”
“It’s a ballet studio, but that’s not we’re learning.” He turns off the car.
Lawson leads me into the studio, and I realize it isn’t a normal class. We have the floor to ourselves. It’s a private dance class. That’s better than tripping over my own two feet in front of strangers, but I don’t really want to do it in front of Lawson either.
“Okay, who’s ready to learn a little ballroom dancing?” The instructor is an overly happy, overly excited man who sashays his hips and waves his hands as he walks into the room.
“I’m a little rusty.” Lawson smiles and then motions to me. “She’s never tried it.”
“Well then, let’s start with the basics.” He stops in front of me and turns me toward Lawson. “Just follow his lead.”
“Okay…” I nervously look up at Lawson who looks like he’s enjoying this way too much.
I feel like a klutz as I try to learn some basic steps. Lawson isn’t rusty. He looks like a pro who should be teaching the class himself. He leads me through the American Waltz, and I do my best to follow along under the guidance of our teacher, who corrects me a few times while I stumble through it. Amazingly, after about thirty minutes, I seem to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing. We’re moving in slow motion, but it sticks when the pace picks up.
We’re dancing. Our bodies move in harmony. Lawson spins me. He pulls me close. I feel sexy. It isn't a dance that anyone from my generation would appreciate, but it’s fun. It’s fluid. It’s so fucking romantic my heart feels like it might explode in my chest. I wasn’t really serious when I said we should take a dance class, but by the time it’s over, I’m happy that we did it.
“I had a lot of fun.” I turn to him as soon as we get to the car. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad.” He pulls me close. “I had fun too.”
Our lips meet. A reminder that this date is not going to end just because we’ve done everything he had planned. I still feel like I’m being twirled, moving in perfect rhythm with Lawson, matching him step-for-step. I’m sure I’m a lot more graceful in my mind than I was on the dance floor, but it doesn’t change how I feel.
I don’t have to ask if we’re going back to his place now. It’s obvious. His hands move down to my hips. He keeps my body pressed against his. By the time our lips part, he can’t open the door fast enough.
We don’t say much on the ride back. I tease him with a few gentle touches. I dare to go a little further, but he almost swerves the car when I get close to his cock. He’s on fire like I am. We barely make it to the elevator before the desire consumes us, and we start making out. It’s hot and heavy. We’re both on fire. Teasing. Touching. Begging for what is going to happen when we get back to his apartment.
“I have a surprise for you.” I lift up until my lips are against his ear. “Wait for me in the bedroom, Daddy.”
He sighs. His eyes cloud over. It isn’t the response I was expecting.
“Is everything okay?” I take a step back as the elevator comes to a stop on his floor.
“Of course.” He nods. “We had a wonderful night.”
“Not as wonderful as we’re going to have.” I bite down on my bottom lip and grin.
“The bedroom?” He raises an eyebrow.
“Yep.” I lock my hand with his, and we walk to his apartment.
Lawson kisses me one more time before he departs for the bedroom. As soon as he closes the door, I grab my bag and remove my dress.
I’m so happy. I was extremely excited to see him and would have been perfectly fine if we went straight to the bedroom, but I don’t have a single complaint about our date. Lawson definitely has the romance thing nailed down. He almost made me swoon before we made it back to his apartment. Now it’s time for us to enjoy the rest of our weekend, and I don’t know if we’ll even make it out of bed before I have to leave on Sunday.
My life feels like it’s headed in the best direction possible. My mom isn’t going to kick me out of the house. We’ve begun to repair our relationship. I’m going back to school when the spring semester starts. I have a guy who sets my body on fire and seems like he’s willing to do anything for me. I’m not sure how things could get any better.
Well, they’re definitely going to get better when I walk into the bedroom. If Lawson thought the cheerleader outfit was out of dress code, he’s going to have an awful lot to say about what I’m wearing tonight. I’m not sure what I’ll be in trouble for, but I’m sure this will be a big part of it. I wish we had taken the time to lay it out a little bit beforehand, but that would have ruined the surprise.
We’ll have to improvise.
We’re both really good at that.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lawson
The bedroom. It was no secret we were going to end up here before the end of the night. I probably want to be here more than Ainsley does, but I wanted to take her on a date first. It was a lot of fun. Ainsley is gorgeous, whether she’s twirling on a dance floor or waking up in the morning. For a brief moment, I thought we were going to come back to my apartment and simply make love. No fantasies. Just the two of us, savoring what the evening gave us. I’m still excited for her to come through the door, but I would have been happy regardless.
I have to come to terms with her needs. I can’t keep getting caught off-guard with this. It isn't the end of the world. I’m sure we’ll reach a point where this isn’t needed every time we end up in the bedroom. If we build a good foundation, we can both stand on it and nurture it over time. She hasn’t been down the relationship road far enough to see what can happen if you don’t. She hasn’t felt the pain that comes with watching that foundation crumble because you neglected it. I hope she never does.
I sit on the edge of the bed and wait on Ainsley. It’s taking her a while. I’m sure her surprise will be worth it, whatever it is. The door opens before I realize she’s on the other side of it, once again catching me off-guard with her soft footsteps.
“You wanted to see me, Warden Brooks?” Ainsley pokes her head in and smiles, then pushes the door open.
Ainsley is dressed in an orange convict costume; well, it’s more like a sexy version of a prisoner costume with an orange top that hangs right below her tits and shorts that cut around the curve of her ass. She looks really fucking good in it, I can’t deny that.
“Warden Brooks, huh?” I manage to take my eyes off her curves long enough to drink in her smile.
“I guess it was only a matter of time before I got caught with all this contraband.” She moves closer to me, and I see she has a brown bag in her hand. I didn’t even notice it at first.
“Let’s see what we have here…” I take the bag from her and open it.
I struggle not to laugh. It’s contraband in a prison, sure, but it’s a pack of cigarettes, a toothbrush, a pill bottle that she took from my medicine cabinet, and a pair of handcuffs.
“I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to be wearing these.” I dump the bag out on my bed and pick up the handcuffs.
“Oops, I must have taken them off on the way here.” Her lips spread into a devious grin, and she presents her wrists to me.
I was looking forward to our time together, outside of a fantasy, but this one isn’t too bad. I see where it’s coming from. She got arrested not long before we met. Hell, she almost got arrested the night we met. I spared her from a trip to the police station in handcuffs that she wouldn’t have been able to slip out of as easily as these.
“We’ll rectify that.” I grab her wrist, slap on a cuff, and spin her around so that I can handcuff her hands behind her back.
“Am I going to get punished for all of that contraband, Warden Brooks?” She turns back to face me after the handcuffs are secured.
“What do you think?” I run my hands along her curves and salivate over the thought of removing her costume.
“Yeah, I figured that was the case.” She looks down and smiles. “I’ve heard what happens to prisoners who get in trouble with you.”
“Then this won’t be a surprise, will it?” I carefully guide her across my knee, which is a little more difficult than normal with the handcuffs.
Okay, this is fun. I’ll admit it. We have all weekend for it to just be us, so if she needs this fantasy to get things started, I’ll go along with it. She’s obviously put some thought into it and went to the trouble of getting this costume. I wonder if she even realizes how fucking good she looks in a dress, but I can’t deny that this is tempting as hell.
I trace the curve of her hips, down to the line where her shorts press against her thighs. The outfit leaves very little to the imagination
, but she’s no stranger to that considering what she wore to the Halloween party. She squirms on my knee in anticipation of what is coming, which makes my dick throb in my pants. I slowly pull my hand away and prepare to give her what she wants.
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
“I’m sorry, Warden Brooks…” She whines and lets out a soft little whimper.
“You’re going to be really sorry when I get done with you.” I firm up my tone and suppress my smile.
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
“Ow…” She squirms on my knee.
“Let me guess, that toothbrush was going to be a shank, wasn’t it? You were planning to spend a lot more time in my prison, weren’t you?” I stop for a moment to wait for a response.
“Yes, sir.” She looks over her shoulder and pouts.
“That’s what I thought.” I nod.
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
“Time for these to come down.” I grab her shorts and begin peeling them off her ass.
“No, please!” She feigns protest.
It doesn’t take much effort to get them down. She wiggles her hips to help me. As soon as I get them halfway past the curve of her ass, I realize she’s wearing a pair of panties with something written on them. Not the first time. I slide them further to fully reveal it.
“Jailbird?” I can’t help but laugh. “Pretty sure these aren’t standard issue with your jumpsuit.”
“No, sir.” My laugh makes it hard for her to keep a straight face as well.
“They’ll be coming down soon enough.” I raise my hand in the air.
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
“Ow…” She whines. “I was afraid of that.”
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
“Now seems like a pretty good time.” I reach for her panties and pull them down.
Don't Call Me Daddy (Once Upon a Daddy) Page 14
