“My belly’s full,” Rowan announced with a hand swirling in small circles around her tummy.
“You can go,” I nodded while wiping sauce from the corner of her lip.
“And me too, Mommy?”
“Yes, are you done?”
“Yes, but I still want my drink. Don’t throw it away,” Ophelia called on the run, trying to beat Rowan.
I watched them run off while talking to Paxton like a normal conversation. “Watch, they both go straight for the rock wall, one hell-bent on beating the other one.” I sucked on my straw and turned to him when he didn’t respond. “What?”
“You think this isn’t real?”
I rolled my eyes and turned back to the girls, Ophelia hitting the rock wall two steps in front of Row. “Don’t make that something, Paxton.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll just toss it into the conversation with the girls and you can decode it, okay?”
Why I felt guilty for anything I directed at him was beyond me, it wasn’t like he didn’t deserve every single bit of it, but I did. “I’m sorry,” I said while slipping my left shoe off, a cheesy attempt to flirt. I ran my toes up the leg of his jeans with a tilted head and a crooked smile.
“Do you think I don’t love you, Gabriella? I do. I’m not the type to sugarcoat my feelings. I don’t say shit I don’t mean.”
“Paxton, don’t make a big deal about it. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Why did you tell me you have a dad in the car?”
I blinked my eyes a couple times as the thought entered my mind. “I don’t know. It was a quick vision of me driving down a highway with my mom and sister. I was mad at Gabby for saying we were bastards because we didn’t have a dad. My mom jerked the car to the side of the road and turned to both of us, telling us we did have a dad, but that was it. That’s all I saw.”
Paxton stared at me with a concentrated glare.
“What?” I finally had to ask.
“Gabby? Gabby said you were bastards?”
“Yeah…” I said with a little sarcasm. That’s what I said.
“So you’re not Gabby? You just said it yourself.”
“Oh, my God, Paxton. Will you stop with that already? We were little, like Ophelia’s age. I would have been Izabella then. Do you really believe that? Tell me the truth. Do you honestly believe that I am not the Gabriella you married?”
“I mean, I have times when I don’t, and times when I do. If you are, you’ve—”
“Gabriella! Where’s Rowan and Ophelia?”
I turned to catch Chance with open arms and an excited expression. I hugged her because I wanted to, not because I had to. I sort of loved her, just not her mommy and daddy. The conversation going on between her parents was obvious over her shoulder. Candace wanted to leave while Lane tried to be civil.
“Hi, baby. How are you?”
“Good, I lost my front tooth, see?”
“You did? Rowan did, too. Same one.”
Chance’s eyes grew wide with her opened mouth. “She did? I’m going to go see.”
I turned my attention back to the glare on Paxton’s face. “Get the girls,” he ordered.
My hands went into the air, defensively, stopping him right there. “Oh no, I’m not doing it. They just got in there. You go get them. I’m scared.”
Paxton couldn’t help it. He snickered a little, and so did I. Tension eased between us with a simple smile and a look. A look that I didn’t understand, and I was pretty sure he didn’t either. An understanding that neither of us understood.
“Can I bribe them with ice-cream?”
“And putt-putt golf?”
“Humph,” he grunted as the idea sunk in. “I like it, I haven’t golfed in ages. Let’s do it partner.”
My heart exploded with glitter again, and I didn’t understand that either. One little word had the same effect on me as making love. Partner.
Fortunately, the bribe worked. Paxton lured them away from their friend and the play-place, dangling the carrot in front of their noses. Suckers.
Neither Candace nor Lane acknowledged that we were even there. Not even a glance. The girls and I said goodbye to Chance, but that was it. I didn’t even look their way.
Ice cream and miniature golf was the icing on the cake. Paxton sucked at aiming the ball, and he sucked at being a loser even more. I found it comical as did our giggling girls. Rowan and Phi were even better than him. Of course he let us all win. Of course.
The sun was just about to disappear for the day as we made our way back to the cul-de-sac. A burnt red sky paved the way, ending a pretty good day. I turned to the girls when I heard the click, knowing exactly what it was. Rowan sat behind her dad, Ophelia was behind me, and their hands rested in the middle. Magic stones coming together with a click, click, click, over and over while they stared out the window, lost in their own little worlds.
Paxton pulled his hand from his pocket, placing his hand on the center console, black stone in hand.
Crap.
“It’s at home on the nightstand,” I confessed with an apologetic smile.
“You suck at magic stones, just so you know.”
I chuckled and placed my hand over his stone, loving the way his fingers wrapped around my hand.
I did however have to go upstairs after my stone once the girls were bathed and settled into Rowan’s bed for a story. There was no way I could go to the shower without charging it with power. What was I thinking? I had suggested they power up with their dad while I soaked in a tub of bubbles. That didn’t go over well, but I didn’t stay long. I was serious when I said I wanted to go soak in a hot tub of lavender. My head hurt, but not bad, just a dull ache, enough to make me not feel the best.
I finally left them both with kisses half way into the book Rowan was engaged in reading. She really was quite the reader. Paxton had to help her sound a couple of the bigger words, but for being six, she killed it. Made me extremely proud.
“Keep reading, I’ll be right back.”
I stopped in the hall, knowing that break was for me. “You okay?”
I did try to hide that surprised look?
“What? You look like you don’t feel good.”
I shook my head a little and kissed him. “You didn’t ask me if I was okay when I couldn’t even stand for five minutes. I have a little headache and you’re concerned?”
“It’s never going to be real if you keep holding on to this stuff, Gabriella.”
I almost said something smart, something about him kicking my crutches out from under me when I couldn’t walk on my own, but I didn’t. “Yeah, you’re not the one that has to let it all go. It’s hard. I’m fine. I just have a little headache. I’m going to go soak in a hot bubble bath for a little while. Go finish up with the girls.”
Paxton stared at me briefly while taking in a long breath of air. “Go upstairs.”
“I want my tub.”
“That’s not your tub anymore. Go upstairs.”
“Okay, but I don’t want to do the video tonight.”
“Why?”
“I just don’t. We’ve had a good day. I don’t want to ruin it.”
“Dad, are you coming?” Rowan called from her knees, peeking out to the hall from the foot of her bed.
“Go read with them, I’ll see you in a little bit.”
“I’m coming,” Paxton said as he took my hand. Of course the magic in our hands had to click, two stones coming together as one. One step forward and I was against the wall with a knee pressed right between my legs. Instant euphoric endorphins rushed my body quicker than lightening. “Do you believe in magic, Gabriella,” he asked in that damn husky rasp he used, usually when he was inside of me. His tongue slid between my lips while his knee pressed harder into my suddenly awake clit. Traitor.
“Jesus, God, Pax,” I exclaimed with my hands flat on his chest, trying like hell to get him off of me.
The same sexy words were spoken warmly to my throat. “Continue on,
Mrs. Pierce?”
I held in a moan when Paxton jerked my hair, forcing me to look up to him. “You better stop. I’m about to take my clothes off.
That cooled his attempt of being a dominant sex God long enough for me to get away from him. I sucked at playing games. I never won and just like always, I bit the hook, swallowing it whole. Dumb, dumb, fish.
Taking a bath in Paxton’s tub was going to take some getting used to. Not that it wasn’t nice, it was. It was just different. My body was used to the way mine fit. His was too long, and didn’t feel like it hugged me the way mine did. Or maybe I was just looking for every little thing I could find for this not to be real.
Real scared the hell out of me. What if it wasn’t real? Nonetheless, I soaked in the floral scent, relaxing just fine. The hot steam felt amazing on my body, but did little for the dull ache right behind my eyes.
I don’t know the exact time I stayed in the water, but it was long enough for my fingers to start wrinkling. I got out, wondering why Paxton hadn’t come up. It had to have been at least twenty-five minutes. I didn’t have those kids that went full force half the night. Neither one of them could make it past nine o’clock. Of course that was probably due to having Paxton as a father. Captain consistency.
I wrapped my head in a towel, cussing under my breath because I couldn’t find my favorite robe. The soft white one I’d just washed and hung on the back—I stopped looking and stopped cussing my husband when I remembered where it was. My guess was still on the hook, hanging on the back of the bathroom door. I slid on one of Paxton’s long t-shirts instead. Why he even had the shirt was beyond me. Something his guys got him for Christmas I presumed. I was sure he’d never worn the tacky blue shirt that said ‘I’m the boss’ in pink letters.
I stuck my head out from the railing, wondering where Paxton was when he still hadn’t come up. The light illuminating from his office explained why. I groaned while scrubbing my wet hair with the towel, and then descended the steps.
“What are you doing? I thought you were coming upstairs.”
Paxton looked over the frames of his glasses and smiled. “You think you’re the boss?”
I looked down at his shirt and smiled, too, almost forgetting that I had put it on. “Watcha doing?”
“Working, come here.”
“Why are you working on a Saturday night?”
Paxton shrugged and slid his chair back for me to sit. “I don’t know, I didn’t mean to be this long.”
I sat on his lap, pulled my knees to my chest, and looked at his screen. “Are you building that?” I questioned, seeing the pool on the screen.
“Yeah, and he wants a waterfall, guess how I’m doing it?”
“Recycled concrete and cement?”
“Yes, I love it. Best idea ever.”
“When are you going to build one for the girls?”
“You’re not wearing panties. I don’t know, maybe next month.”
“Didn’t think I needed them.”
“You don’t,” Paxton said with a kiss to my arm. His fingers ran back and forth over my inner thigh, close to my naked sex, but not touching me. Not quite. A soft touch to my lips now and then, but that was it.
“Let’s go to bed.”
“Mi sent you a message.”
I looked around, trying to remember where I had left my phone. “What did she say?”
“You left it on the island. She said hi, asked about the girls, and to check your email.”
“What’s in the email?”
“Nick, he doesn’t want you to hear this one, only me, and then I’m supposed to tell you from my side of things.”
“No, I don’t like that. We said we were doing this together. We’re watching it together.”
“I told him you would say that, he said to tell you that you’re going to get your turn, and you’re going to be happy you get to tell me your way.”
“No, Paxton. You won’t do that. You’ll tell me what you want me to hear, and then you’ll insist on watching it with me, or later.”
“You can’t watch it later. That’s why we have to log into this secret world of Nicks. I won’t, Gabriella. I swear.”
I closed my legs and dropped them over his, not liking it. I didn’t like it at all. “But why can’t I hear it with you? I mean I said it, that is me there telling Lane all my deep dark secrets. Not you.”
“I don’t know, but you’re the one who wanted to do this. Let’s just keep going. Go on up to bed. I’ll be up soon.”
“Are you going to watch it now?”
“Yes.”
“But now I want to have sex. Let’s do it first.”
Paxton stood with me, backed me against his desk, and pressed his hips into me. My legs wrapped around him all on their own, and the moan in his mouth was unforeseen. We made out with his hands touching me everywhere but where I needed, until he pulled away. He slid me back a little and opened my legs, placing my feet on each side, and pressing out on my knees.
“Sit there and behave for a minute. I’ve got to finish this up real quick.”
My endorphin injection suddenly ejected. The pitter patter I’d felt in my heart and the throb between my legs halted. “Seriously?”
“Yes. Isn’t that what you wanted? You wanted me to pay attention to your pussy? Right?”
“Well, I mean,” I started, ready to differentiate his version of that from mine.
Paxton stopped me from standing by coming to his feet again. “Don’t move, Gabriella. Stay right there, just like this. Got it, baby girl?” He questioned with words dripping sex appeal to my lips.
My heart picked up where it had left off while adrenaline rushed my veins, raging through my entire body. His teeth tugged lightly on my bottom lip, and then shoved into my mouth. The sudden jerk from a fistful of hair and his lips to my throat left me spinning in circles, wanting more. More that I didn’t get.
I whimpered, letting my legs fall open even more when Paxton sat back in his chair and ran a finger from my opening, to my throbbing little button, growing by the second. An instant wetness saturated me, and my body begged for more.
The smirk when he moved away from me was all too familiar. Only this time it sent a different kind of surge through me, excitement that I had never known before, or remembered anyway. Ten minutes I stayed right in front of him while he worked with a blueprint inches away from me. Our eyes locked here and there, his eyes dropped to my exposed sex, and twice he dipped a finger. I was going berserk.
“There, I like it,” he decided with a nod to his design as he came to his feet. One quick kiss and he pulled me to my feet. “Go upstairs, and get out of this shirt. I think I’ll take over the boss role. Okay?”
I nodded like a love sick school girl, unable to mutter a single word.
“That’s my girl,” he said with one crack to my ass.
That just intensified everything else going on in my body. I was ready to explode and he hadn’t even touched me yet. This was actually kind of perfect. We could have sex, he could go back downstairs and watch the stupid video, and I could sleep. Having the whole night to sleep on it made more sense anyway.
I tossed the shirt to the settee at the end of the bed and turned to the door closing. “No way. You’re joking,” I said as soon as I saw him. Those days were over. I wasn’t about to let him put that contraption on me.
“Lay down, Gabriella.”
“No, I thought we were going to have sex.”
“Oh, we are, but not yet. I have things to do first. Lay down.”
I stood naked in front of him, hands on hips while he strolled toward me. His lips met mine and just like the stupid little fish that I was, I sank my teeth right into the hook. Fuck. Paxton kissed me hard with fingers dancing between my legs, two of them tapping on my aching nub.
“Lay down,” he whispered again.
Of course I did. I laid right down and opened my legs at his direction. One leg went to the bed between my legs while two fingers
dipped deep inside me. Paxton came to my lips one more time with his, and then held mine closed with one finger. The finger still drenched from my juices. “Some things are meant to be tasted, some are meant to be savored. Suck it off,” he ordered in a whisper.
I sucked his finger, tasting myself, while the scent touched my nose. Paxton slid his finger in and out of my mouth a couple times before moving back to my crazy, crazy, sex. I’d never make it with a chastity belt. I’d go nuts.
The time it took for him to slide the device between my ass cheeks and cover me with the jail like device was longer than needed. His satisfaction was my torture. This would have definitely been one of those times I would have taken care of it myself.
“What if you’re mad at me when you come back? What if you hear something that makes you mean?”
“I’m not going to be mean. I will however take it out on you, and your drenched pussy, but don’t worry, my little Gabriella. I’ll let you come.”
I heard the click from the lock, and Paxton left me with that. That and a kiss, right after he almost called me his little slut. The sad thing was I didn’t care. He could call me anything he wanted, that’s how far down the rabbit hole I was. I couldn’t even think straight, and now I had to worry about what he was about to hear. Anxious energy enveloped my entire body while excitement swelled below the trap, keeping me from touching myself. Stupid, stupid, little fish.
Twelve
I laid there alone with a million and one thoughts, waiting for Paxton to come back, spank me, and do unthinkable things to me. Things that made my spine curl at his mercy. Twenty-six minutes to be exact. I knew the precise time because I stared at the stupid blue numbers, changing ever so slowly. One minute I anticipated what I knew would end in multiple orgasms, and the next, I worried about what Paxton had heard. Was it something that pissed him off, or me? For whatever reason, that’s the way I thought about it in my mind. One of us was going to have angry sex, and the other would do any and everything the other one said. Either way, it meant wild, wet sex. The kind where the claws and sharp teeth came out.
That’s not what I got at all. Paxton was quiet when he came in, a somber look that he couldn’t hide. I was the one to finally speak. He just strolled over to me, turned the dial, and freed me from the locked contraption.
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