“What if I wasn’t?”

As we slow for a red light on Main Street, he glances at me. “What do you mean?”

“What if I was…your girlfriend.”

Running a hand through his light brown hair, he stammers. “Uh…” Perhaps I’m imagining it, but his chest seems to rise and fall quicker than it had been. “I don’t know what to say to that, Winter. It’s my fault I’ve caused some confusion, but what I said was right. I shouldn’t have done what I did to you. You’re too young and need to live life without some old man hanging on you.”

My fingers delve in between his on the steering wheel, then pull it back to me. “You’re not too old. What is it you think you’ll take away from me?”

He cups my hand and squeezes as he turns the corner into our neighborhood. “I work a lot and am gone. That’s not fair to you. Besides, Winter?”

When he pulls into the garage and parks, there’s such finality to his tone, and my heart races. “Yes?”

The engine shudders slightly when he turns it off and angles his body toward mine. “I want children and marriage. I’m in my forties now, baby. That means I’d have to get started on these things right away to enjoy any part of a kid’s life. You’re only eighteen. That’s… Let me love you like my goddaughter, the girl I knew as my best friend’s kid. The one I taught how to ski.”

Warmth soothes my cool cheek as he places his palm against it. “Can’t you do both?”

His eyes narrow slightly. “What do you mean?”

“Can’t you love me like your goddaughteranda wife?”

A deep, primal growl erupts from his chest, but he slides away from me like if he were to stay another moment, he’d kiss me again. “Go get changed. I made dinner, and then we’ll watch the movie.”

Up in my room, I slip into an oversized holiday T-shirt, a tiny thong, and thigh high cable-knit socks. Ben’s palm rubs his crotch when I enter the kitchen, and he slides my dinner plate toward me. While we eat and I inform him about my day, he sits back and listens to every word intensely. “Blaze, huh? And some other ski kids?”

A snort unleashes from my nose. “Notkids. We’re adults.”

“You’re right. That was insulting, I’m sorry.” But his face looks concerned.

He’s still lost in thought by the time we’ve startedChristmas in Connecticut,and I curl up beside him with a fuzzy blanket on the sofa. His arm wraps around me, but there’s no heat behind the action. After about ten minutes, I lay my head in his lap, and he straightens in his seat.

My fingers crawl to the waistband of his sweatpants and tug. “Baby! What are you doing?”

With as innocent a look as I can muster, I tell him flatly, “I want you to teach me how to suck your dick.”

As if passion rears up from his loins, his cock hardens to a steel rod that stabs me in the rib cage. His hands cup my face as he pulls it close to his. “Baby… You make medesperatefor you. Do you understand what you’re even doing to me? Why are you torturing me like this?”

Hooking my first digit inside the elastic, I pull it open, and his abs dip in response. “I just want to show you how grown I am. I’m not your little girl.”

His head falls back on the cushion for a moment as I slip my palm down to grip his hot cock. It’s thick and pulsing. When I stroke a thumb over the top, it’s wet. Groaning, he lifts his head once again. In a reverent whisper, he says, “What if I want you to be?”

“You want me to be your little girl while I suck you off, Daddy?”

The whites of his eyes disappear as he squeezes his lids shut for a moment. “Yes.” My smile is uncontrollable, and he helps as I scoot his pants down his hips. Brushing back my hair, he gathers it in one of his fists. “I want to take care of you like my little girl, and teach you things. I want to be your godfather…andyour daddy. Do you understand?”

Sticking my tongue out, I touch the tip of his dick, which leaks more fluid from the hole. It tastes salty. “Yes, Daddy. That’s exactly what I want. And what I need.”

“Ah, baby. Just like that. Kiss the tip of it like you do my lips.”

Leaning over, I place my mouth against the seeping head. The crown engorges to kiss me back. With a hiss, he says, “Yes. Now soften your tongue and swirl around the outside like a popsicle.”

More of that musky flavor surrounds my taste buds when I do. He holds the base for me so I can move my mouth around him.

“Baby? You want to suck your daddy’s dick?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Gripping my hair, he pulls me up to look at him. “Tell me, baby. I need to hear it from you. What do you want to do?”