* * *
The soft hum of the tires against the pavement filled the silence between us, broken only by the occasional flick of the turn signal. I had one hand on the wheel, the other laced with Emma’s on the middle console. Streetlights passed in glowing streaks across her face, making her look both unreadable and exhausted.
Emma leaned her head against the window, watching the world blur past, her fingers tightening just slightly around mine.
“You’re quiet,” I murmured. “Is that a good quiet or a ‘why the hell did I sign up for this family’ quiet? Or a ‘my blood sugar is low and I didn’t tell you’ quiet?”
She smiled, followed by a small giggle. “I don’t know. A mix, maybe. My blood sugar is okay, though.”
I let out a low chuckle. Relief at her blood sugar. “Yeah. I get that.”
“It was a lot,” she sighed. “Not bad, just… different. I had Jake, but that was it. It was good to see what a normal family is.”
“That house holds a lot of memories. Good ones, sure, but… heavy ones, too. Between Tyler having cancer and Nick and his addiction. Sean and… whatever this is.”
Emma glanced at me. “You think he’s okay?”
“I think he’s falling for someone he’s not allowed to fall for, and she’s barely clinging to life in a hospital bed.” I sighed,shifting gears as I exited the highway. “And yeah, that’s hitting all of us a little too close to home.”
My thumb rubbed slow, steady circles on the back of her hand. Thankful she was here, she was real, and shewantedto be here with me.
* * *
The door slammed shut behind us with a click. She bent over to remove her shoes, but I barely gave her time to breathe before my hand was in her hair, tugging just enough to tilt her head back and claim her lips. Watching her all night in this sundress. The way it flared and showed off every fucking curve of her. Her breasts teased me all night, knowing all it would take is one push, and they would be out.
My tongue swept against hers. Pulling away, I peppered kisses down her jaw, her neck, her ear, and her collarbone. Every part of her was mine, and she needed to know that. She moaned into my mouth, pressing her body against mine.
“I’ve been dying to touch you all night,” I growled, my hand sliding down her back, grabbing her ass, and pulling her hard against my growing cock.
“Then don’t be gentle,” she taunted. “I don’t want you to be gentle. Not now, not ever. I don’t want you to make love to me. I want you to remind me why I call you Daddy.”
“Get your ass in the bedroom. Now.”
Her legs trembled as she backed up toward the room, tracking every movement. The second she passed the threshold, I was on her again, pushing her against the wall and ripping her sundress off. “You know what I think about when I watch you across a room?” I asked, pressing my forehead to hers. “How fucking good you look on your knees. How wet you get when I tell you you’re mine.”
She whimpered, her thighs clenching together.
“Say it.” I commanded. She knew what I needed to hear, demanded to hear.
“I’m yours,” she gasped.
“Damn right you are.” I dropped to my knees, yanking her panties down in one motion. Hooking her thigh over my shoulder, not even waiting before burying my face between her legs and finding her wet and needy for me. She gripped my hair with a gasp, hips bucking against my mouth. My grip bruised her hips while I licked her clit like I needed her to fall apart just to put her back together.
“Fuck, Connor,” she sobbed, already on the edge. “Please…”
I pulled away, my lips covered in her wetness. “You don’t cum yet,” I barked, my voice low and threatening. “Get on the bed. Hands and knees.” She knew better than to call me anything other thanDaddyin the bedroom.
She listened instantly, her breath coming in sharp pants as she crawled onto the mattress. I undressed slowly behind her, letting her hear the zipper and the soft thud of my belt hitting the floor. The bed dipped as I got behind her, reaching out to grip her hip.
“You trust me?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
“Then take everything I give you.”
I slammed into her in one thrust, and she cried out, her hands clutching the sheets. I set a brutal pace, one hand tangled in her hair, the other sliding up her spine as I fucked her like I was trying to erase every doubt she had ever felt.
“You think I’ll get tired of you?” I grunted in her ear, thrusting harder. “Never. You hear me?”
