Page 13 of Lumberjack DADDY
It’s not lost on me that this is the first time he’s made small talk with me. The first time he’s expressed any sort of curiosity about me. I can tell by the hesitance in his voice that Eli is not much for small talk, or for conversing at all, really. But he’s trying. Which is sweet.
“I finally ended a really bad relationship,” I tell him. “I came out here to get away from it all and to kind of… find myself again.”
“And have you? Found yourself?”
“I think I’m getting there, yeah.”
“That’s good,” he says. “What’s with the pictures?”
“I’m a photographer. Or, I’m trying to be,” I tell him. “Part of finding myself is finding the joy in my art and my life again. I’m trying to remember how to love myself again. It’s something my ex took from me.”
“He didn’t take it from you,” he says as he takes a sip of his wine. “You gave it to him.”
Part of me is offended by that. But he didn’t say it unkindly. It was a simple statement, and it sounds like there’s some bit of wisdom he’s trying to impart. It piques my curiosity.
“What do you mean I gave it to him?”
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this life, it’s that we’re only responsible for ourselves,” he says. “And nobody can make us feel any way we don’t already feel deep down. If your ex made you feel insecure or bad about yourself, it’s because somewhere inside you, you thought he was right. You gave him that power.”
There’s a small piece of me that wants to argue with him. That wants to be offended. But I take a beat and sip my wine instead. I really think about what he’s saying. It’s not because he’s twice my age that I give more credence to what he’s saying. Yes, he’s older and has more life experience than I do. But it’s not that. It’s because there’s another piece of me that hears the ring of truth in his words… as much as it galls me to admit.
“I guess I haven’t really thought of it like that before,” I admit.
He shrugs. “I mean, that’s just my opinion. Don’t take it as gospel or anything. It’s just something I’ve come to believe.”
“I think… I think it’s wise.”
A couple of moments pass in awkward silence, and Eli is looking everywhere but at me. There’s a palpable tension in the air between us that feels like anticipation. Expectation, maybe. But then he clears his throat and gets to his feet.
“The meal was excellent, Emery. Thank you,” he says.
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ll clear the table.”
“I’ll help,” I say and jump to my feet.
Working together, we clear the table and get everything into the kitchen. Eli nudges me out of the way so he can get to the sink to start washing them. I laugh and throw my hip into him. He doesn’t budge an inch, but he does laugh. And when our eyes meet, I feel like I just stuck my finger in a light socket. My skin tingles from head to foot, and a shudder runs through me.
As if we’re being drawn by some invisible force, the space between us narrows then vanishes. I slide my hands up his broad, hard chest as he leans down. And when our lips meet, fireworks explode behind my eyes, and my head spins. I’m lightheaded. But I lean into him, as our kiss deepens, his tongue like velvet against mine.
He pulls back suddenly, his eyes wide, his face etched with uncertainty. He looks like he’s about to say something. Like he’s about to end the moment. Gripping the front of his t-shirt, I don’t let him, kissing him even harder than before.
10
ELI
My head is spinning as Emery slides her tongue into my mouth. She steps forward, pressing her body to mine. Her round, full tits are pressed to my chest, and my hands are on her hips, and I savor her soft, feminine curves. That little voice in the back of my mind is screaming at me to stop. To pull away. It’s telling me that I shouldn’t be doing this and lists a thousand reasons this is a bad idea. And the fact that she is half my fucking age is the least of them.
But my body is not listening to my brain. It’s too busy reacting to her every touch. Where her hands touch my chest, they feel suddenly warm, like her fingertips are trailing fire across my skin. My cock is already stiff and ready for action, and I’m inundated by waves of desire for her that are threatening to sweep me away. My body doesn’t just want Emery Pierce.
It needs her.
With my brain screaming at me to stop, I press Emery against the counter behind her, our mouths locked together, tongues lashing one another. My hands roam her soft, nubile body, andmy cock grows impossibly hard as I cup her full, round breasts. A breathy moan passes her lips as I kiss her neck while slipping my hand beneath her shirt, circling her pert nipple with my thumb. My teeth graze her neck, and she groans.
My entire body stiffens when she slips her hand down and grabs my cock through my jeans. She squeezes and strokes me through the denim, setting my entire body ablaze. There are ten thousand reasons I should stop this right now. But there’s one reason I can’t. And Emery is gripping it tightly in her hand. The way she’s stroking me through my jeans is keeping me from thinking straight, let alone doing the right thing and putting a stop to this.
I slide my hand down the front of her yoga pants and slip it between her thighs, then under her panties. She gasps as I run my fingers along her swollen lips, wet and slick with her desire. She hesitates and turns her wide eyes to me, something I can’t quite interpret flashing through them. It’s almost like she wants to tell me something, but is afraid to.
