‘And you must be Dan,’ her father said, Dan could detect a slight coldness to the older man’s tone but her father held his hand out for Dan to shake.
‘That’s right,’ Dan managed as he shook the proffered hand; Dan noticed that the man had a strong grip.
‘I’m Ron and this is Jean; we’re Chloe’s parents, pleased to meet you.’
‘Likewise, I’ve heard a lot about you both.’
‘Wish we could say the same,’ Ron replied and cast a quick glance at Chloe.
‘Now Ron,’ Jean said. ‘Hush up and let them in, unless you’d rather stand out here for all the neighbours to see.’
‘Come on daddy,’ Chloe laughed playfully, ‘Move out of the way and let us in.’ Ron smiled at his daughter and stepped to one side and ushered Dan and Chloe inside. Jean gave him a dirty look as she brought up the rear and Ron silently mouthed ‘okay, okay’. He closed the door and followed them down the hall.
Chloe led Dan in to a very smart lounge and sat down on one of the two sofas. She pulled Dan down next to her and then scooted close to him, her thigh touching his, her left hand gripping his right hand.
Ron and Jean sat on the sofa opposite them and Dan could feel all eyes rotate to him.
‘So, here we all are,’ Ron said.
Chloe laughed. ‘Oh daddy, do quit with the prison warden shtick, I know you’re happy to see me.’
Ron smiled at his daughter and relaxed a little.
Dan watched Ron and could see that the man adored his daughter. Dan took the older man in; he was tall and strong looking, and looking at his hands he could see that Ron had worked hard all his life; probably to give his wife and daughter all they could ever want.
Dan was struggling to think of something to say but it was Jean who cut through the silence.
‘I have to admit Chloe, we were both a little shocked when you said you’d be brining your boyfriend with you, we didn’t even know you were seeing someone.’
Chloe squeezed Dan’s hand, she could tell he was nervous and she tried her best to reassure Dan. She knew her parents would love him to bits soon enough.
‘Well mum, you’re always complaining I never bring any friends back to see you, so here we are.’
‘I take it you’re the friend Chloe was staying with when her flat went up in smoke?’ Ron said.
‘Uh, yes,’ Dan managed, and he had to admit that he had totally forgotten about the fire with everything that had happened and he felt bad at Chloe’s loss.
‘We were so worried.’ Jean said.
Dan didn’t know how to reply.
‘Oh mum, I’m fine, we’ll get it sorted soon enough, and I have insurance, lighten up a little.’ Chloe looked at her dad. ‘Really daddy I’m fine.’
Chloe coughed and then said, ‘The garden’s looking lovely.’
‘Yes,’ said Dan. ‘You have a lovely home.’
‘Thank you Dan, isn’t that nice of him to say Ron?’
Jean was also trying to lighten the mood in the room, as shocked as she was about Chloe’s sudden call and that she had a boyfriend Jean was pleased to hear from her daughter and could tell from the way that Chloe spoke and acted that she obviously loved this man a lot and she didn’t want the poor man to feel too uneasy.
Ron nodded his head. ‘Uh-huh,’ Ron cleared his throat. ‘So Dan, what do you do for a living?’
‘Daddy!’ Chloe cried.
‘Ron!’ Jean chided.
‘What? I’m only making conversation,’ Ron said smiling.
‘No Ron, you’re being an ass,’ Jean said, ‘Dan’s only now sat down, stop giving the man such a hard time.’
Ron looked suitably chastened and Dan could see where Chloe had gotten her fire from, and her good looks; Jean was still a good looking woman.
‘That’s okay,’ Dan said, ‘Sir I run an internet service providing security and other on-line applications for banks and other investment sectors.’
Chloe looked at Dan; she’d never asked what he did in the real world before all this crazy stuff. She supposed neither of them had really asked much about the other’s personal life; it hadn’t seemed all that important what with everything that had been going on.
‘Ooh,’ said Jean, ‘I bet that’s a very interesting career, I’m at a total loss when it comes to computers, aren’t I Ron?’
Ron nodded. ‘So does that pay well Dan?’
‘Daddy!’ Chloe cried disbelievingly.
‘What’d I do?’ Ron replied holding his hands up in the air as if ready to ward off an attack.
‘It’s okay Chloe, really,’ Dan said. He’d taken an instant liking To Ron; he liked the man’s straight talking, no bullshit manner. Dan could see that Ron cared for his daughter, and like any good father he was just checking her suitor’s ability to look after her. Dan liked everything about Chloe’s parents.
‘Yes Ron, it pays well.’
‘What are we talking; a good five figures a year?’
‘Ron!’ warned Jean but Dan could see she was as keen as Ron to find out. Chloe had gone bright red with embarrassment; a first as far as Dan could recollect.
‘It tends to be seven figures a year.’
A heavy silence fell over the room as this news sank in, even Chloe looked surprised but then again she had no way of knowing how much he earned, which reminded him yet again that they did need to talk about things when the moment was right.
‘My Lord!’ Jean exclaimed.
Ron laughed. ‘Well that would explain the Ferrari.’
‘Actually the Ferrari’s a friend’s; my car is in the garage.’ Dan didn’t want to mention that the car belonged to his brother; he didn’t want to try and explain Terry to Chloe’s parents.
‘Oh, what do you drive?’ Ron asked and Dan could feel the atmosphere ease a little, he also felt Chloe relax next to him and she put a reassuring hand on his knee.
‘Astin Martin Vanquish, up until recently that is; it’s broken down at the minute.’
Ron nodded his head, ‘Dan, that’s a nice car, I wanted one a couple of years ago when we had the money spare but Jean insisted on the Audi.’
Jean laughed and said, ‘It was an extravagance that we didn’t need.’
Dan saw his opportunity and jumped in. ‘You’re right Jean, I wanted the new Audi A12 at the time but the showroom didn’t have one in stock and the sales guy talked me in to the Martin; one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made; it’s been nothing but trouble, its spent more time over a mechanic’s pit than on the road.’
Jean smiled proudly and gave her husband a look that said “told you so”. Ron laughed.
‘Besides,’ Dan continued, ‘It drinks petrol like it’s going out of fashion.’
‘Bit of a guzzler?’ Ron asked.
‘Like you wouldn’t believe,’ Dan replied.
Dan glanced at Chloe (making sure not to look down her blouse) and saw that she was smiling stupidly at him.
‘What?’ Dan whispered.
‘Nothing baby,’ she whispered back.
Ron brushed at his trousers and stood up, ‘Say Dan, why don’t you give me a hand fetching some drinks, I have a nice Czech beer in the fridge.’
‘Sure,’ Dan replied and got to his feet. Dan followed the older man through to the kitchen; leaving mother and daughter to play catch up.
In the kitchen, which was modern in design Ron turned to Dan and said, ‘I’ve got to say this, so don’t take offense.’
Dan nodded; he’d been expecting something of the sort ever since he’d pulled in to the drive, the age difference for one. Dan took a deep breath and readied himself.
‘I know my little girl’s in love with you; I can see it in her eyes, same look she’d get as a kid when she got something that she cherished.’ Ron popped a couple of beers and handed one to Dan. ‘I’m not even gonna mention the age gap, it would be pointless, when Chloe wants something she tends to just go and get it and there’s not a thing on earth that’ll stop her, and I’m a prett
y good judge of character and I can see that you feel pretty much the same about her; am I right so far?’
Dan nodded and took a swig of the beer, it was cold and good.
‘That’s what I thought, so I’ll save us both a lot of time and pointless posturing and just get straight to the heart of the matter.’
‘Sounds good,’ Dan replied.
‘Well it’s simple really; you break her heart and I’ll break your face.’ Ron drank his beer and Dan nodded. It hadn’t been said in aggressive bravado; it was just the way Ron saw it and Dan liked that about the man.
Dan nodded, ‘I’d kill before I let Chloe get hurt.’
Ron appeared to study Dan closely for several seconds, mulling over what Dan had said and he saw in Dan’s eyes something he’d never seen before in any of the people he’d come into contact with, he just couldn’t figure out what that something was. Ron nodded, ‘Dan I do believe you’d do exactly that.’
Ron finished his bottle of beer in three large gulps and then belched in to his closed fist. He put the empty bottle down and offered that hand to Dan; they shook.
‘One other thing?’
‘What’s that?’
‘Quit with the sir crap, you can call me Ron.’
‘Okay.’
‘You want another beer?’ Ron asked as he helped himself to another cold one from the fridge.
Dan laughed, ‘I’m still good with this one.’
Ron nodded as he worked on making a couple of gin and tonics for the women and placed the glasses along with a four pack of beer on a tray and led the way back through to the lounge; as they entered the conversation in the room fell silent. Chloe was once again a deep red in the face and Jean didn’t know where to look.
Ron put the tray down on the table and looked at Dan, ‘Son, are your ears burning because I reckon these two have been talking about you?’
‘Daddy!’ Chloe cried and put her head in her hands.
That evening they were all sat down for dinner. Dan and Chloe sat next to each other with Ron and Jean at the top and bottom of the large mahogany dining table. The table was laid out with various platters of cooked meats and bowls of freshly cooked vegetables and a couple of bottles of red wine within arm’s reach. Dan was on his second helping and said quite honestly, ‘Jean, I have to tell you that this is the nicest meal I’ve had in a long time.’
‘Thank you Dan, it’s nice to cook for a family again, normally it’s just Ron and me and I don’t tend to bother doing much.’
‘Reminds me of Sunday lunches when I was a child.’ Chloe said.
‘Always a big thing in this house was Sunday lunch, what about you Dan?’ Ron asked.
‘Sorry?’ Dan said.
‘When you were growing up? Sunday roast and all that?’
Dan stiffened and Chloe noticed it even if her parents hadn’t, and she wondered what that was all about.
Dan shrugged, ‘Not really, mum was never much of a cook.’
Chloe could see how unsettled Dan was so she quickly changed the subject before her dad could continue down that road.
‘It’s great mum, but now I’m stuffed.’ Chloe refilled her wine glass and pushed her chair back slightly from the table and took a sip of wine.
‘You’ve got room for dessert though.’ Ron said.
Chloe laughed, ‘Always room for mum’s apple crumble.’
Dan watched Chloe drain her glass and refill it, he counted that it was her sixth and she looked a little tipsy, check that he thought; she was nearly drunk on the stuff. Dan finished the last of the food on his plate and sat back from the table, he moved his right hand under the table and squeezed Chloe’s left hand. She squeezed back and smiled at him. She knew she had drank too much but she’d been so nervous about today and how her parents would take to Dan that she had needed the confidence boost that the alcohol provided.
‘Ron, help with the dessert, would either of you like coffee?’ Jean said.
Dan nodded, ‘Yes please.’
Chloe held her wine glass up, ‘I’ll stick with the vino,’ and she giggled as her parents left the room after clearing the plates from the table.
Chloe turned to Dan and he saw straight down her blouse at the swell of her breasts and she caught him looking and giggled.
‘I can’t believe how quickly they’ve warmed to you.’
‘They’re good people.’
‘Sorry about dad, he can come on a bit strong.’
‘That’s fine; I’ve never seen you blush so much.’
Chloe took a sip of her wine, ‘I think I may be slightly sozzled.’
Dan laughed, ‘You think?’
Dan was feeling mischievous and ran his right hand under her skirt and along her stocking tops. Chloe slapped at his hand.
‘Behave,’ she said, she was smiling as she said it and went to move his hand away when the dining room door opened and her parents came back in. Chloe couldn’t move his hand now as it would be obvious to her parents what he was doing so she put her hands on the table and clamped her knees together. She smiled at Dan tightly as if to say “Ha, try that on for size”.
Jean served the crumble and Dan ate with his left hand, his right still under the table cloth playing with Chloe’s thighs.
‘This smells lovely mum.’
‘Thank you Chloe.’
Dan could see that Ron and Jean were focused on their food and he made small talk with them as his right hand moved up Chloe’s upper thigh and across the front of her lacy knickers. He pushed his hand gently but firmly downwards where her legs met her groin and after several seconds of Chloe struggling to keep her legs firmly shut they parted slightly and he ran his fingers across the sensitive area through the lacy material. Chloe shuddered and stifled a cough.
Jean looked up from her bowl and said, ‘Alright dear?’
Chloe nodded, ‘Yes, went down the wrong way.’ She reached for her wine and downed the glass in one.
‘This is lovely Jean,’ Dan said.
Ron nodded, ‘We have apple trees at the bottom of the garden, can’t beat home grown food.’
Dan agreed as his fingers rubbed at the lacy gusset of Chloe’s knickers, he could feel the wetness through the flimsy material. Chloe continued to struggle pushing her thighs together but he managed to slip his fingers in to the side of her knickers and his fingers slipped across her wet flesh. Chloe moaned and masked it by saying, ‘This really is scrumptious mum.’
‘Yes, isn’t it,’ Dan added and smiled as Chloe shot him a look. Chloe could not believe that this was the same Dan sat here with her, doing what he was doing, she could tell that her parents were oblivious as to what was going on under the table; how Dan managed to move his hand without moving his arm was a mystery. Guess it’s all in the wrist, she thought t herself with a small nervous smile.
His fingers rubbed against her enlarged clitoris and it must have been too much for her as she suddenly let her legs open and gave Dan’s hand full access. He pulled the material of her knickers completely to one side and slipped two fingers inside her. He pushed them deep in to her and used his thumb to tease her clitoris.
‘Really nice,’ said Dan and Chloe shot him another look but she was smiling as she bit her bottom.
Chloe was gripping her spoon tightly and Dan felt the moment she orgasmed and she pushed down on his fingers and clamped her legs together holding his fingers inside her.
Dan withdrew his fingers, and then quite casually removed his hand from between her legs. He wiped his hand on the napkin on his lap and then took a drink of wine. He finished his crumble and smiled as Chloe staggered to her feet. She braced herself against the table.
‘Whoops,’ she giggled, ‘I think I’ve had too much to drink.’
Jean looked at her daughter and said, ‘Gosh Chloe, you looked all flushed, perhaps you’ve had enough for one night?’
‘Yes,’ Dan said. ‘You do look rather unsteady.’
Chloe smirked at him, she knew as well as he di
d that it wasn’t just the alcohol that had made her legs weak. ‘I’ll be fine; I’m just going to freshen up.’
Chloe left the room and Ron said, ‘Jean, how about that coffee?’
Jean laughed, ‘Ron, you know where the kettle is.’
After coffee Dan and Chloe helped to clear the table and Chloe suggested that her parents turn in for the night, she could see that they were both shattered.
‘But the dishes.’
‘We can load the washer mum, go on up, both of you, we’ll probably watch tele for an hour and then go up ourselves.
Ron patted his wife’s ass playfully and said, ‘You heard the girl Jean, bed.’
‘Okay honey, I’ll put some fresh towels in your room Chloe, Ron finally finished the en-suite so there won’t be a queue for the shower in the morning.’
‘Thanks mum.’
Chloe gave her dad a kiss and Ron wished them goodnight. Jean loitered behind and said to Chloe, ‘You hold on to this one Chloe, I can tell he’s one of a kind.’
She gave Dan a peck on the cheek and hugged her daughter.
‘I intend to mum.’
‘Well I’ll wish you both a goodnight.’
They finished loading the washer, tidied the dining room (well Dan did most of it, Chloe just wobbled from side to side and giggled) and then went through to the small television room where they crashed on a sofa. Dan channel flicked until he found an old Adam Sandler movie.
Chloe kicked her shoes off and snuggled in to Dan, her legs folded up under her, she rested her head on his chest and he put his arm around her. He moved his hand down her blouse and pushed his fingers beneath the material of one of the bra cups and held her breast, the nipple hard against his palm.
‘This is nice,’ Chloe managed.
‘Yes it is.’
‘I think we definitely need to get my parents somewhere safe, after seeing them again, it would make me a whole lot happier.’ Chloe hiccupped. ‘There’s a chance that once we meet up with Terry and go forward with your plan that this brotherhood will come after us, what better way to destroy us than to hurt those we love.’
Dan was in agreement. ‘You’re right.’
Chloe nodded, ‘I’m always right, haven’t you learnt that yet?’
Rage Against The Machine: Special Edition (Dan & Chloe Book 1) Page 22