Page 5 of D*cked By Daddy

They’ve dug into her skin, leaving the sexiest crisscrossed marks up and down her arms. Her fingers move and stretch, and then once her arms are free, she takes a deep breath and slowly moves them above her head to work the blood back into them.

I massage her sore muscles and give her small kisses until she feels back to normal enough to cling onto me like a koala. Her leg wraps around my waist as we both lie on our sides, and her arms wrap around my chest. I play with her hair while she drifts off to sleep, her face tucked tightly into my chest.

Her little snores are the only sound I can hear other than the birds outside the french doors. The way we’re lying, I can look out and see the tops of the mountains and trees around us. This bedroom is the only one with an attached bathroom in the house, and it’s on the top floor, giving the best views from inside the room and outside on the screened-in porch.

The sun is starting to set, painting the sky a mixture of oranges and reds. I continue to play with Holly’s hair and tickle her back while she sleeps in my arms. I don’t think it gets much better than this. A beautiful woman in my bed with a stunning view. I can see myself doing this in retirement.

But that’s something we haven’t talked about. I’ve been putting it off, not wanting Holly to feel pressured to do something she isn’t interested in. And I don’t want to hold her back from dreams she may have of our future together.

What twenty-five-year-old wants to retire in the mountains with an old man?

When I wake up, it’s pitch-black in the room. I roll over and out of Nick’s arms, stretching my sore muscles, and start searching through the drawers for some comfy clothes. I check my phone and realize it’s not as late as I thought, only eight o’clock.

“Dinnertime?” Nick asks me from the bed.

“Definitely. I’m going to take a quick shower, and I’ll meet you downstairs.” I lean over him on the bed and give him a kiss.

“Pasta?”

“Mm, pasta,” I agree.

Nick put in a huge shower, big enough for a party of five, with three rain showerheads on the ceiling and jets coming out from the sides. I love being able to take a shower with him and not be pushed out of the water by his big body. But taking a shower in here alone?

Fuck, pure bliss.

I can get it scalding hot and have water hitting me from every angle. I just stand in it, letting the hot water relax me and my muscles that are still a bit achy from being tied up earlier. Once the hot water starts to run cold, I reluctantly turn off all the different showerheads and wrap up in one of the huge fluffy towels.

I dry off, braiding my hair over my shoulder, and then head downstairs dressed in my comfiest sweatpants and baggy T-shirt. The fire is still going, and Nick has cracked a couple of windows, so it feels perfect in here. And the entire place now smells like garlic, thanks to what Nick is cooking.

I love this cabin. There’s a huge part of me that loves the city since there’s so much to do at any time of day or night. You’re never going to be bored when you live in a city.

But when we’re here, it feels like home. It’s comfortable with all the upgrades Nick has made over the years, and you can’t beat the view. It’s quiet without the constant string of cars, sirens, and people chatting you get outside of our apartment.

“It smells amazing,” I tell him as I pull up a chair at the bar.

“Should be ready in about ten minutes.” He smiles and leans over the counter to kiss me.

Nick is also so happy here. He’s humming while he cooks and practically dancing from one side of the kitchen to the other.

“What was your long-term plan for this place?” I ask him. “I don’t think we’ve ever really talked about it.”

He turns around and leans back against the counter.

“I think I always planned to retire here, honestly. I love it up here, and at some point, I’m going to get too old to hear the bar under the apartment every night.” He smiles at me. “But that was before I met you. Now, I just want to be wherever you are.”

“Sweet talker,” I tease him. “I can see you retiring here. And I love it here, too. I’m just not sure when I would be ready to move out of the city.”

“We don’t have to do anything, sweet girl. And even if we did decide to move up here, we don’t have to do it anytime soon. I don’t know when I’ll be ready to give up the bar either.”

I can’t imagine him ever giving up the bar, to be honest. That bar is so much a part of him that I’m not sure what he looks like without it. We’d also be much further away from family, including his kids, who he tries to see as often as possible.

“Your wheels are turning,” he says, laughing at my thinking face and going back to making dinner. “This is something that we wouldn’t have to decide for years, baby girl. I don’t plan on getting rid of it…ever. Even if we decide to stay in the city for the rest of our lives.”

“I know, I know. I’m just thinking. Being an editor and working from home has its perks. I wouldn’t have to worry about that unless the internet decides to go out. And you know I love it up here, so I actually like the idea of spending my life with you up here. It’s quiet, lots of land, and I always go home feeling so much more relaxed.” I smile at him when he hands me a drink. “Were you going to retire up here all by yourself?”

He shrugs. “Yeah. I mean, I always wanted to get a dog. I used to have one when the kids were little, but he passed away when Charlotte was ten. And then since I’ve been single and alone ever since…I just didn’t think it would be nice to have a dog upstairs in that apartment alone all day.”

“We should get a dog!” The thought instantly brings me so much excitement I could burst. “I’ve wanted to rescue a dog for so long, but the ex didn’t want one.”

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