by Lexy Parker
That could be a good and bad thing. In my dream, I had barely survived the multiple orgasms. I wasn’t sure I could handle it in real life. I pulled my extra pillow against my body, holding it tight as I imagined it to be Philip. One day, maybe I’d get to lie in bed with him, wake up beside him, and make love before either of us was truly awake. I closed my eyes, hoping to fall back to sleep and find myself in the middle of another erotic dream. If I wasn’t careful, I would wake up truly dehydrated. Between the multiple orgasms and the alcohol, I was going to need a full gallon of water in the morning.
I grinned. I didn’t mind being dehydrated. It was a small price to pay for multiple orgasms that made me see stars.
Chapter 29
Philip
I was looking forward to seeing Jamie. After a lot of thought last night after I had gone to bed, I decided I would ask her today if she would be up for meeting Sadie. I knew she’d say yes, but I wanted to ask her in person so I could see the reaction on her face. That would tell me how she really felt about the idea. She was an expressive woman, and she wouldn’t be able to hide a look of fear or disinterest.
Considering she’d very eagerly gone along with me to look for the dress, I was fairly certain a meeting with Sadie would be welcomed. It was a huge step for me. I hadn’t told Sadie I was going to ask her, just in case things didn’t go well. I would spare my daughter the hurt and anger at being rejected. I, however, would certainly be feeling those emotions if Jamie were to shoot me down.
I pulled into my normal parking spot and headed for the back door. Jamie was just walking out with a bag of trash as I went to knock on it.
“Hi,” I said with a smile, studying her face and looking for any signs of a killer hangover.
“Hey, you startled me,” she said with a small laugh.
Her eyes were bright and clear, but I did detect some dark circles under her eyes, barely covered with makeup.
“You look good this morning,” I told her.
She laughed. “Thanks. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it at all.”
I laughed. “Did you follow through with the getting drunk thing?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t think I was until I went to bed. Then it became pretty clear I was most definitely drunk.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Those sneak attacks are the worst. Were you up late?” I knew she had said she was going to bed before I was.
She dumped the bag in the trash container and looked at me. I detected a blush. I wasn’t sure why she was embarrassed.
“I wasn’t technically up late, but I had a dream that woke me, and I couldn’t fall back to sleep right away,” she explained.
I followed her inside the shop, still waiting to steal my first kiss. “Was it a bad dream?” I asked her.
She slowly shook her head before stepping into my arms. “It was definitely not a bad dream.”
I looked into her blue eyes, not understanding what the problem was. “That’s a good thing, right?”
She grinned. “It was very good. You happened to be in the dream.”
It was then I understood. “I was, huh?” I asked in a husky voice, barely brushing my lips over hers. “What kind of dream was this?”
“It was very sensual, very erotic, and oh so very satisfying,” she replied.
I felt my cock jerk to life. I liked knowing I was the star of her dreams. “Did you orgasm?” I asked her.
She nodded, her hands running up my back. “Yes. Three times. Each time was better than the first.”
I groaned. “Don’t dream about it. You can have it anytime you want it.” I kissed her, grinding myself against her and pulling a small moan from her lips.
“I wish that were true,” she said on a sigh.
I leaned my forehead against hers, my arms around her waist. “So, I have a question to ask you,” I told her.
“Uh oh, that sounds serious.”
“I don’t know if it is or not, but Sadie really wants to meet you,” I said, watching her face and checking her physical response.
She didn’t stiffen up, and she didn’t look away. She looked me in the eyes. “Are you okay with that?” she asked.
I nodded. “I am.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
“Are you?” I asked.
She smiled. “I would absolutely love to meet your daughter.”
I believed her. “Okay, then. Now, how do we do this?”
She giggled. “I don’t know. I think that’s your decision. You know your daughter best. What will put her most at ease?”
I took a deep breath. “I take her to the park sometimes.”
She nodded. “We could do that.”
“That doesn’t sound like a lot of fun for all of us, and Sadie would get bored quickly.”
“I could pack a picnic,” she offered.
I smiled. “You don’t have to do that. I’m asking you to meet her. You don’t have to make a meal.”
“I don’t mind. It would be fun.”
I wrinkled my nose. “We could go to lunch, I suppose.”
“I have an idea,” she said, looking up at me.
“Name it. I’m open to suggestions.”
“There is a cookoff this weekend,” she said. “It’s in the park. Food trucks and some regular folks with their barbecues in tow compete for the best food. There’s usually live music and some other vendor booths, kind of a like a farmer’s market or a fair, I guess you could call it.”
“Really?” I asked, pleasantly surprised.
She laughed. “Really. It’s an annual thing, and it’s a big deal for Hope. People come from all over to check it out. It’s not supposed to be too cold. It’s a nice way to get out of the house after a long winter. Plus, they usually have activities for kids, like a bounce house and what not.”
“That sounds perfect. I love it. It’s a date.”
She grinned. “This is going to be fun. Thank you for asking me. I’m really looking forward to meeting her.”
I nodded. “She’s kind of smart for her age. I know other parents say that about their kids, but Sadie really is advanced. She tends to talk more like an adult than a seven-year-old. She’s like a sponge and absorbs everything that is said around her, and she tends to repeat it at the most inopportune times.”
Jamie giggled. “I think that’s all part of being a kid. They live to embarrass their parents, and then the parents get revenge when the kids are teenagers.”
I chuckled. “That sounds about right. I already have lots of material to use. By the way, she wanted me to thank you for picking out the dress. She truly loved it. It made her night, and she got so many compliments on it.”
“Aww, I’m so glad she liked it.”
“She did,” I said. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I’ve got a few extra minutes. Why don’t you tell me about this dream?”
She blushed again. “I don’t know. I think it borders on X-rated.”
“Then you have to tell me. I need to know what it is you dream about so I can make it happen.”
She looked away from me. I could see the flush on her cheeks and knew it had to be good. I grabbed her hand, pulling her away from the front window and back toward the workbench I had taken her on before.
“Philip, suffice it to say, you did things to my body that were very, very good,” she said.
I reached my hand up, turning her face to mine. “Uh uh. I want details. All of them. I want to know if you cried out, moaned, or screamed my name as you came.”
She closed her eyes, her lips parting as her breathing became more rapid. “All of the above.”
“Did I go down on you?” I asked. It had been a long time since I had talked to a woman so boldly. Hell, Tara wasn’t much for sexting or phone sex, even when I was thousands of miles away. Jamie was different. I sensed that wild side in her and wanted to bring it out. I liked watching her blush, knowing that while she was shy, she was just as bold as I was, given the right circumstances
.
“Yes,” she said, her eyes meeting mine again. “And it was amazing. Then, I went down on you, sucking you all the way into the back of my throat.”
I groaned, my dick hardening. “How?” I asked, unable to form all the words to complete the sentence.
“I rode you, hard and fast. You nearly bucked me off as you exploded inside me.” She ran her fingertip down my arm.
“Three times?” I mumbled.
She smiled. “Yes.”
“Fuck, I want you so bad right now,” I told her, already trying to figure out a way to squeeze a quickie into my schedule.
She leaned up on her toes and gave me a quick kiss. “Soon.”
I groaned. “I can’t wait for soon.”
She reached down and rubbed her hand against my hard dick stretching my jeans. “I really, really want to feel this inside me, but we don’t have time.”
I moaned, wanting to stomp my feet and pout. “I know. Soon. My god, it has to be soon, or I will explode.”
“I might have already, just a little,” she said with a coy smile.
I groaned again. “You’re killing me.”
“Wait until we’re alone,” she whispered close to my ear before grabbing the lobe between her teeth. “I’m going to ride you until you think you will die with pleasure.”
I stepped back. “I have to get out of here before I take you right here on this table again.”
She smiled. “That might not be so bad.”
I gave her a quick kiss, grabbed the box of deliveries, and headed for the door. When I turned back to take a last look, I found her watching me, sex in her eyes.
“Hey, I just remembered something I wanted to ask you about,” I said, keeping my distance.
“Oh, what’s that?” she asked, clearly thinking I was going to say something sexual.
“The delivery for Mrs. Baker yesterday, what was that about?” I asked her.
She shrugged a shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“Did you send her the flowers?” I asked.
She smiled. “Yes and no.”
“What does that even mean?”
“It means her husband was a very sweet man. He bought her roses for her birthday and their anniversary every year. When I took over the shop, he made it a point to come in and give me a list of his requirements. He wanted only the best for his wife and refused to deal with any other florist. Before he died, we had a long talk. He made me promise that she would get flowers every birthday and anniversary, even if he wasn’t here. He tried to give me a fat check to pay for the future deliveries, but I never cashed it. I found out he died a couple months after that. So, she is on my calendar. I am making sure I honor his request.” She said it as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
I couldn’t stop staring at her. She was an awesome woman in the truest sense of the word. “You’re amazing.”
“Thank you, but it really isn’t a big deal. I know it makes her happy.”
“That was the biggest arrangement out of all of them yesterday,” I pointed out.
She shrugged. “It’s what he always sent her. He wanted the biggest and the best.”
“I bet that bouquet would cost a pretty penny,” I said with a smile.
She giggled. “But I happen to know the owner of the shop, and she gives me a steep discount.”
I laughed, waved goodbye, and headed for my truck. I loved that she was humble about her generosity. I would bet that very few people knew it was her sending the flowers at her own expense. Her one little act of kindness brightened the world of not only Mrs. Baker, but the other residents who appreciated the gesture of love. It gave everyone hope that there was real love in the world.
I knew it certainly had inspired me. Jamie made me want to be a better person. I wasn’t sure what I could do to make someone’s day brighter, but I was certainly going to be paying a little more attention and looking for those opportunities.
Chapter 30
Jamie
I was nervous as hell, which seemed a little ridiculous considering I was meeting a little girl, not the Queen of England. I had changed outfits four times. I wanted to be warm and comfortable, but I also wanted to look nice. I had put on a skirt at first, but then thought about walking around the park and the uneven ground and changed my mind. There was also the chance we’d have to sit on the ground if all the picnic tables were being used.
With that in mind, I had gone for a pair of jeans and one of my sweaters. I always wore sweaters. Philip was going to think I owned nothing else. I flopped down on the bed and reached for my phone.
“I need help,” I mumbled when Dani picked up.
“Like you need me to help you at the shop, or you need me to take you to the hospital?” she asked in a dry tone.
“No, much more serious,” I whined. “I’m meeting Sadie today. We’re going to the cookoff. What do I wear?”
She sighed. “You should have told me earlier. The skinny jeans with the little jewels on the back pockets, your brown ankle boots, and the cream sweater with that white silk shirt underneath.”
I sighed with relief. “Thank you. That’s perfect. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
She laughed. “You’d dress like a ragamuffin.”
“Okay, I better get dressed. Hair up or down?”
“Down,” she said. “You want to be casual, but don’t forget your hair scrunchie. We all know how you eat, and you don’t want sauce in your hair.”
I laughed. “This is very true.”
“Call me when you get home, and tell me all about it. I want to know how the little monster is.” She laughed.
“I will,” I said. “Are you going out there?”
“Nope, I’m working at the gym. I’m doing two classes today.”
“Have fun,” I told her and hung up before diving into my closet to find the sweater.
I quickly dressed and checked myself out in the mirror. Of course, it was perfect. I’d be warm and comfortable and didn’t look like an evil stepmother. I checked the clock and realized I had to get my butt moving. I had agreed to meet them at the park. We didn’t want to meet at either of our houses, choosing to ease Sadie into the whole thing. In reality, we were both protecting ourselves as well. He’d been to my house once, but it had been brief and in the dark. A daytime visit was entirely different.
I headed out, nerves jumping in my stomach as I drove to the park. I found a spot and parked before texting Philip and letting him know I was there. He was already in the park. I headed to where he said he was, practicing what I would say to the little girl.
“Jamie!” I heard Philip call my name.
I spun around and saw him walking toward me. He was holding the hand of Curly Sue. It took me a second to realize Curly Sue didn’t look like that anymore and the little girl was Sadie.
“Hi,” I said with a smile, not kissing him like we usually did when we met.
“Jamie, this is my daughter, Sadie. Sadie, this is Jamie.”
Sadie was staring me up and down. I could feel her scrutinizing me and suddenly realized Philip had not been joking when he said she was very mature for her age. I felt like I was meeting Philip’s mother and not his daughter.
“Hi Sadie, it’s nice to meet you,” I said, sticking out my hand like an idiot.
Sadie grinned and shook my hand with her much smaller one. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, her tone friendly and very adult-like.
I squatted down, putting me at her eye level. “I absolutely love your hair, but most of all, I love this dress,” I told her, admiring the pretty blue dress that she was wearing with leggings underneath.
“My dad said I had to wear the leggings because it was still cold outside,” she explained. “I thought about wearing jeans, but I wanted to look nice for our first meeting.”
“You look very nice,” I told her.
“Thank you.”
I looked up at Philip, releasing the breath I felt like I’d been h
olding since he first asked me to meet her. It seemed to be okay. I didn’t get the sense she wanted to kill me or put frogs in my purse. That had to be a good thing.
“Shall we go in?” he asked.
I nodded. “Do you like tacos?” I asked Sadie. “I’m starving.”
She nodded. “Yes!”
“Good, there is a food truck here today that makes the best tacos,” I told her.
“Do they have fried chicken here?” she asked.
I laughed. “They most certainly do. Here in the south, fried chicken is as common as napkins on the table. We always have fried chicken.”
“My dad says fried chicken isn’t good for you,” Sadie said, looking up at her father defiantly.
My mouth dropped open, and I feigned horror. “What? That is crazy! Who can live without fried chicken?”
“Hey, I only said it wasn’t good for you,” Philip protested. “I didn’t say not to eat it.”
“It’s chicken,” I said. “How can it not be good?”
“See, Dad,” Sadie said, clearly happy to have someone on her side in their little war.
He shook his head. “Yeah, yeah. Wait until your arteries clog. Don’t come crying to me.”
We browsed the many options and settled on the forbidden fried chicken, tacos, and some corn on the cob on a stick. We were lucky enough to find one end of a picnic table to eat our meals at.
“This is so good,” Sadie exclaimed, diving into a chicken leg.
Philip, who was already chowing down on his own chicken leg, nodded his head. “It is.”
“Don’t forget, we have to vote for our favorite,” I told them.
“I want to try one of those bananas,” Sadie said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
I smiled at her impeccable manners. She may not have been the Queen of England, but she certainly had the manners of royalty.
“Sadie, you can have one dessert,” Philip advised.
“Dad, a banana is not a dessert,” she replied.
I chuckled, loving the way she so easily argued with him but doing it in a way that sounded so reasonable.