Page 20 of Seducing Daddy

“You don’t need to pay us back for anything. Mom loves helping people just as much as I do. Besides, you gave her an excuse to play poker and stay over with her friends without having to worry about feeding or driving home in the snow after dark.” I skid the back of my finger gently across the dusky-rose hue painting her cheekbones. “You’re a very warm-hearted person. Many people commented on that today.”

The wind whipped color onto her cheeks, which became further emphasized by her blush.

“What’s the matter? You’re the kind of woman who should be used to receiving compliments by now,” I ventured.

She removed her hair tie, and her long, caramel-tinted hair tumbled carelessly down her back in a motion that made me want to growl at her and pin her to the roughhewn wooden stall wall. “Let’s just say it’s been a long time since I’ve had any male attention that I didn’t object to.”

She nervously emitted a quick, high-pitched laugh and shook out her hands, which made me want to get to the bottom of whatever had her running scared. Her back pressed up against the stall wall, as if scanning the innocuous outbuilding for expected danger.

I lowered my voice to a whisper. “And me? Is my interest in you objectionable?”

Pensively, she looked out into the darkness beyond the tall double barn doors while Josie gave herself a scratch, rubbing against a wooden post. “Let’s just say, last time I gave my heart to someone, he didn’t know how to hold it.” She scuffed the scattered straw on the floor with her heel. “Only how to crush it.” She sighed, rolling her head on her neck. “None of that is your fault, and I don’t want to punish you because of him. I can tell when I’m doing it, but it’s like I can’t stop myself.”

She wasn’t telling me everything, but when I pulled her to me, my baby girl relaxed, sinking into my cushioning embrace. I’d figure out exactly why her former man had her running scared one day soon, and I’d protect her from it. Jolene was mine. God made her to please me. She was my gift, and one I wouldn’t take for granted.

“Will you promise me something?” I coaxed. Her forehead wrinkled, and she gnawed unconsciously at her bottom lip. “If you ever object to anything I do to you, would you be open to a secret code? So I’ll know when to stop.” I stroked her mouth with one finger, and she released her bite, saying nothing. “Okay, now try again, but this time, use your big girl words.”

The beginning of a smile tipped the corners of her mouth. “Santa Baby.” She had no idea how sensuous her voice sounded.

“Pardon?” I breathed.

“That’s the code,” she said, thrusting her chest out and tilting her head at me. “If I say it, you have to stop whatever you’re doing.”

The reappearance of her confidence reassured me. “So, if I scare you, or do something you don’t like, Santa baby is what you’ll say.”

She turned her face upwards, nodding, and leaned toward me, giving in as I moved my mouth over hers, devouring its softness.

I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the house, swinging her arm while walking. The plan: feed her well and then feast on her.

“Will you have supper with me, angel?” I asked. “My skills in the kitchen are minimal, but I can rustle up something for us.”

“I’m sure no matter how bad you are, you’re a better cook than me. I don’t spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Just tell me what to do,” she said in a silky voice.

We arrived at the front door, her kiss still singing in my veins. “You obviously don’t realize what that statement does to me,” I groaned.

She shrugged to hide her confusion.

“Let’s just say it’s a turn-on for me to tell you what to do. To demand your submission.” This was it, the moment of truth. She’d either be for it or retreat to the hills as far away from me as she could get.

Through the roaring din of silence, she breathed one word. “Oh.” Her mouth dropped open.

“Trust is a two-way street. You’ve got your hesitation about opening up to me. Maybe it will help a little if I share some things about myself.” I opened the door and pulled her off of the wide covered deck of my childhood ranch-style house, hung her coat, and switched on the lights. Without asking, I pulled her into the kitchen, with its expansive marble island, and drew out a stool for her to sit on. “Glass of wine?”

She still stared and said in a halting voice of disbelief, “Yes, please. Something tells me I’ll need it.”

I slid the generous pour of Chardonnay across the island to her, along with a cutting board, three carrots, and a peeler, remaining on the other side of the island, mindful not to crowd her. Gesturing with one hand, I indicated she should get to work. It would keep her occupied for the next, more delicate topic of our conversation.

“Maybe I’m an idiot for sharing this, but there’s no way we can move forward unless you know some things about me and decide for yourself if they’re for you. More than anything, I want to take us to the next step, but not without your full consent.”

She kept her eyes fixated on the carrot, putting some oomph into removing its flesh. “Are you secretly in a satanic cult or something?” Finally, a glint of her humor returned. That was a good sign.

“Nothing diabolical. More like teasing and tormenting you.” The peeler came to a standstill, mid-stroke. She dropped the carrot on the cutting board and stroked her arm.

My hands were trembling, and it was hard to find the words. I hated chopping onions and threw one into the food processor. They made me cry like a baby if I tried to cut them by hand. The sound of the motor spinning spiked the air, putting a stop to our exchange of words. When it was done, I turned towards her. “It’s a tendency. A certain leaning, if you will.”

She blew out a long breath and smiled. “Well, you certainly have my attention.”

I rinsed the onion juice off my hands and rubbed them on a kitchen towel, trying to ease the fluttering nausea in my stomach. “Baby girl, you’re not the only one with secrets. I haven’t been with a woman in this town in any setting that wasn’t formally arranged.” Using the chef’s knife, I hacked and sliced at the thawed chicken thighs before throwing them in to sauté with the veggies. “I can’t afford to share my proclivities with just anyone…”

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