Page 26 of Natasha
"I'm not a space invader, okay? I've had pancakes before." She stuck her tongue out at him.
Silas laughed. "Okay, so just a little like bubble boy then?"
"That's a bit more accurate." Her voice was thoughtful but sad.
Silas frowned at her tone and reached for her. "Hey." He put a hand on her knee and squeezed it gently, his fingers warm on her skin. "I was kidding, Tash."
"Tash? Where did that come from?" She looked up at him from where she'd been staring at her burrito.
He blushed, giving her a short nod. "Used to call you that in my head before I talked to you," he said quickly, shoving another bite of burrito in his mouth.
Natasha giggled. "What?" She turned to face him and inclined her head as she waited for him to stop chewing. "What do you mean, called me that in your head?"
Silas let out a deep breath through his nose and finally swallowed his mouthful of burrito. His cheeks were pink when he said, "Kind of hard to miss the beautiful ballet teacher. Wanted to talk to you a million times before I did, and it was easier to think of doing it if I had a nickname for you."
She raised an eyebrow. "But you knew my name was Natasha."
"Didn't seem like it fit." Silas took a sip of his coffee, his eyes moving over her slowly. "You just seem...warmer than a Natasha. Even when you didn't smile so much."
"My grandmother calls me Natalia," she said, taking another bite of her burrito with a barely repressed sigh of enjoyment.
"Natalia?"
"I don't like it much," she admitted. "But I like Tash. I've never had a nickname."
'Never?" Silas asked with another frown that Natasha didn't miss. She shook her head but said nothing else, opting for a sip of her coffee. Once again, Silas' company called her attention to things she'd never experienced, and she was thankful to be doing them now, for the first time, with him.
It was nice, Natasha thought with a smile and swung one sandaled foot in the air as she continued to eat.
"Would you like me to call you Tash?"
"Yes. I'd like that, Daddy."
At the term, Silas instantly sat up taller, a pleased look on his face. "I don't think you understand how happy it makes me hearing you call me that."
Natasha said nothing but nodded again, her eyes shyly meeting his. He leaned close to her, his hand on her leg once more, but this time, his fingers brushed against the thin material of her floral sundress. Her breath caught as he slid closer to her along the bench, fingers moving agonizingly and slowly up her leg. Natasha's gaze darted down to where Silas' fingers were now not just brushing her skin, but had entirely disappeared beneath the skirt of her sundress.
"Such a pretty dress," he said, voice low.
In spite of the warm sunshine, a shiver went through Natasha. "Thank you." Her body felt tense, eyes glued to Silas' hand while she waited for him to slip further up her thigh, but she fought back a sigh of disappointment when he withdrew his hand and pulled back.
His normally clear blue eyes had a slightly glassy look to them, and he gave a quick shake of his head. "You make me forget where I am, little girl." He rubbed at his temples and threw her a chagrined smile. "That wasn't my best Daddy behavior, now was it?"
"No, it wasn't." Natasha crossed her legs and said primly, "Because you stopped."
Silas leaned back and considered her for a moment, but Natasha didn't miss the sudden change in his breath. How it suddenly whooshed out his chest, or how his blue eyes had darkened, the pupils dilating. Setting his breakfast down, he moved close enough to her on the bench that their thighs touched.
He leaned his head down to whisper in her ear, "You want me to touch you, Tash?"
"Yes." She bit her lip. Her gaze darted to his hands, which were clasped in his lap. "So much."
"How much?" Silas asked, voice husky.
"More than I can stand it!" Natasha blurted out, her voice rising and catching the attention of a couple walking by. They looked curiously at them, but the pair on the bench ignored the attention. Silas slipped an arm around Natasha's shoulders; at his touch, she let out a sigh, tension visibly leaving her body, and she sagged against his side with a little moan.
"God, Tash. Do you know what you're doing to me? Trying to take it slow with you, baby girl," Silas bit out between clenched teeth. He turned and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply.
"Don't want slow," Natasha whined, her face against his chest. She raised a hand tentatively and touched his jaw.
