Right. The daughter I have to play nice with.
A door opens somewhere behind me, followed by a quiet voice. “Hi.”
I turn to the timid sound. The moment I see our company, a jolt of heat shoots from my chest all the way down to my dick.
Thisis the daughter?
I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t this.
I’m staring at something from another world. The most delicate and beautiful creature who looks like she’s just stepped out of a fairy garden. She has the palest skin and ice-blond hairdraped by her waist in soft curls. A pink satin ribbon sits in her hair and she’s wearing a white lacy dress with a lilac knit cardigan.
The girl looks at me with the most mesmerizing blue eyes that make me forget how to talk. I didn’t realize I have a type, but I do and it’s this girl. I only hold her attention for a second at most before her gaze flicks away and drops to the ground. The slight smile she greeted me with vanishes and her hands clench by her sides.
“Dan.” There’s a warning in my father’s voice which brings me back to reality, alerting me that I’ve been staring in silence for far too long.
Somehow, I find it within me to speak in a casual manner. “Hey, Ally, nice to meet you.”
“You too. Hi, Josh.” Her voice is so quiet I barely hear it. She hugs my father, and I watch the interaction between the two, shocked at how comfortable they are with each other, like she’s his own daughter. I suppose he spends a lot of time here with Amabella and Ally, considering he’s never home.
“Would anyone like a drink?” Amabella asks.
“I’ll serve it,” Ally says in that quiet voice again, stuttering over her words. Her face turns a shade of pink, I have no clue why, and she pivots on her heels, heading to the kitchen.
“I’ll help you.” The words leave my mouth before I know what I’m saying.
I gave Dad my word I would be welcoming, but this has nothing to do with that promise. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I’mneverlike this with girls. I’m not sure if I want to fuck her or follow her around like a puppy dog, earning her love and affection. Both options. Maybe more so the latter.
My brothers would have the biggest laugh of their life if they saw me like this over a girl. They wouldn’t recognize me. I don’t recognize myself.
“It’s o-okay,” Ally stutters again. “You don’t need to help?—”
“Where are the glasses kept?”
Amabella smiles, looking between me and Ally with approval, then at my dad with a silent squee of excitement, like she’s pleased I’ve taken an interest in her daughter.
“Thanks, Dan,” Amabella says, leading my father outside by the hand. “Josh and I will be waiting on the balcony.”
Without another word, Ally busies herself in the kitchen, grabbing a jug of what looks like homemade lemonade from the fridge. Next, she opens an overhead cabinet where the glasses are stored. The majority of glasses must be in the dishwasher, because the cabinet is mostly empty other than a few glasses tucked at the back. Ally reaches up on her toes, her dress riding up her thighs as she struggles to reach.
I enjoy the sight for a few seconds, visualizing what she’d look like naked and in my bed. Not wanting to be caught staring, I step up beside her, reaching the glasses with ease. She’s so tiny, it’s adorable. This close, she smells like strawberries and candy and everything sweet.
Her cheeks form a rosy hue as she looks at my chest and the shortened distance I’ve placed between us. I make her nervous. I wonder how much this girl knows about me, being a Blackwood. If she’s seen the usual shit about me and my brothers online—the partying, girls, and alcohol—she’s probably already made her assumptions.
I hand her the glasses. She offers me a tight smile in return before silently pouring the lemonade. Whatever her assumptions are, I need to change her opinion of me.
I lean against the kitchen counter. “Nice shoes.” I’m only now realizing she’s wearing Converse, matching the lilac of her cardigan, the only thing that lets me know she’s from this world.
She looks down at her feet before muttering, “Is that a joke?”
“No.” I pause, muddled over her question and why she thinks I’m joking. “I like them and the contrast with your outfit.”
Ally presses her lips together, deep in thought, almost looking offended by my comment. She resumes pouring the drinks in silence.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“The girls at school tease me for how I dress. I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic.”
I fold my arms, laughing beneath my breath. “The girls at school are jealous. Trust me.”