We all jump in our chairs when Sterling drops his fork on his plate and the sound echoes through the dining room. “Of course, there’s nothing wrong with her hips, right Rosemary? I know that’s not what you meant by that comment.”
She looks from Sterling, to me, then to my father before looking back at Sterling. “No, that’s not what I meant at all. Kat, is a very pretty girl.” Her smile is forced but I accept it just the same. “Very pretty.”
“No, Katarina was a pretty girl, she’s now a very pretty woman.”
My face is on fire, and my sisters are staring at me like I’m about to sprout a second head. Clearing my throat, changing the subject I ask Angela about school. Being all gung-ho to head back to Columbia she starts rambling—not that I’m paying a lick of attention to what she’s saying. The hand on my thigh is distracting, as is the weight of his gaze I feel upon my skin.
“Kat, what time is your interview tomorrow?”
I swallow the last of my milk harshly, when Sterling’s fingers grip me tighter. Not sure if he’s upset or just trying to get my full attention. “Three-thirty.”
“Not that I want to push you, honey, but I think it’s time that you held a job for longer than a couple months. Either work or—”
“Ronnie—”
“No Rosemary, she needs to decide what she’s going to do.” Leaning closer he continues, “either you get this job, hold it or you go to school. Your mother and I want to see you succeed and right now you’re floating…but, just barely.”
“Ron come on—”
“Mind your business, Sterling.”
Ouch.
I glance up and watch as that muscle ticks in his jaw. I’d only ever seen that from Sterling once before. He’s pissed.
“She’s barely floating. Hell, if I’ll sit by and watch my daughter sink.”
“Dad, she’ll figure it out. It took me awhile to decide what I wanted to go to school for. Izzy too.”
“No! She can’t be babied her whole life. I won’t do it.” This time when he looks at me I don’t recognize my own father. He’s cold, and not mad but instead sad. “You’ve got to grow up, Katarina. Nobody’s going to want to take care of you for the rest of your life. Nobody.”
Hating the tears that slowly begin to fall from the corners of my eyes, I say nothing. Not responding with the apology that’s on the tip of my tongue, nor fleeing like my head tells me to. Embarrassment has me frozen. I’ve heard these things before, but never in front of my sisters and never, ever in front of Sterling.
Big fingers pinch my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Don’t cry, Kitten. What he said? It’s just not true—”
“Yes. Yes, it is. And you’re best to mind your own business, Sterling.”
Once again we all jump in our chairs when Sterling’s hands hit the table so hard our plates bounce against the mahogany table. My empty glass tipping over where a thin line of milk runs from it.
“I’m going to tell you this once and one time only. Katarina is my business.” When my father stands tossing his napkin onto his plate, Sterling jerks to stand too, towering over my father by several inches. “I’d planned to come talk to you man-to-man, but we can do it this way too.” Finding myself pulled gently from the table, I feel safe and protected instantly. “I’ll be the man to take care of her. I want to. I intend to.” Smiling at me his face softens and my heart melts. “I’m going to.”
“The fuck you will!”
“I will.” Sterling pulls me behind him stopping in the doorway of the dining room. Bringing my hand to his mouth Sterling kisses my knuckles so gently that it almost hurts. “Yes, I’ll take full responsibility for her if she’ll have me?” With tears in my eyes I bite my lip and nod. Honestly, I’m confused at what’s happening, but I like the way my tummy tingles when he looks at me so I’m going with it. “I’ll admit this is happening much faster than I planned. Actually, no it isn’t. We’ve been headed this way the last couple years, but I’ve never acted on it before last night—”
“What the fuck are you talking about last night you sick fucker?” Sterling stands in front of me when my father takes a step towards us. “Did you touch my baby?”
Silence.
“Answer me, asshole! Did you touch my baby?” My father yells again.
“Baby? You don’t have a baby anymore, right Ronnie?”
My mother grabs him by the arm when he all but throws one of the dining chairs across the room. “Ronald stop this!”
“He didn’t touch me!” I scream at them both before dropping my volume so low they could barely hear me. “I touched him.”
That seems to incense my father even more.
“He knows how old you are, Kat!”
“And, I know how old he is.” I reply.
“Don’t do this Ron. I understand how this might look, but I swear—”
“No you don’t know. You don’t have any children, you don’t understand shit!”
That was a low blow.
“You’re too fucking old for her!” he said as he hugged my mother whose tears had begun to fall.
I don’t want to see them hurt, but I’m not willing to give Sterling up when we’ve barely begun. “I love him.” Falls from my mouth without a second thought. A mutual gasp sounds in the room. I think of taking it back, pretending that’s not what I meant, but I don’t. Looking up at Sterling I mouth my apology.
“No, don’t be sorry, Kitten. Please, don’t be.”
I see my father’s fist fly forward, and Sterling moves back before lunging forward and landing his fist across my father’s cheek. The emotion I’d been trying desperately to hold breaks free, and a sob comes deep from my gut.
“Dammit Ron!” Sterling shouted. “You’re either with us on this or you’re not.” Sterling pushed my dad back into his seat. “I promise I’ll take care of her.”
“Kat…”
Shaking my head I do the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I walk away from my mother. Not even sure if her tears are for me or for my father or for her breakfast being ruined. Right now I just can’t deal with any of it.
“Don’t contact her until you can accept this…” motioning between our bodies. “Until you can accept us.”
I give a little wave to my sisters who are both still seated at the table with tears streaming down their cheeks as Sterling drags me out the door. Once again I’m unsure of what their tears are for? Me, my father, or the words Sterling professed without hesitation.
Chapter Seven
Sterling
I know she’s fighting back tears, and I don’t know how to fix this right now. Everything she’s known her entire life has come to a head. All I can hope is that she won’t blame me in the end. I can deal with most anything, but Katarina’s resentment is not one of those things.
We stopped and picked up a few things for her since I’d taken her from her home without any of her belongings. Nothing happened the way it should have—not that I had anything figured out yet, but it wouldn’t have been that shit storm that just happened.
I’d kissed her forehead when I’d buckled her in my truck and she teared up once more. Her tears felt like molten lava on my chest. The pain so strong it weakened my knees. All I can do now is…everything. Prove to her that I’d meant every single word I’d said.
Walking hand in hand to the elevator a rush came over me, one that contained a bit of guilt as well as an euphoric feeling I wanted to dwell in. It’s only been weeks since Sarah moved out, and here I was moving another woman in. Probably should feel wrong but I don’t—it doesn’t. Katarina is right where she should be…with me.
“I’ll run a bath for you, Kitten—”
“I don’t want to take a bath.” Her voice sharp.
I’d be lying if I hadn’t thought about her being here, seeing her spread across my bed, in the dim light over my rainfall shower head, curled up with a book on my sofa. Katarina had already been in every square inch of my home even though she’d just walked t
hrough the door. Although prior she had only been a blurry figure never in focus. And now? Well, now everything but her is a out of focus, Katarina is the only clear thing in view.
“Something to drink?”
“I don’t want anything to drink.” Once again her voice is far from the light practically musical tone that is Katarina.
Fear that she’d blame me hit me hard, and I considered taking her back to her parents, apologizing for words said, for thinking I could finally have what I’d wanted for so long—even if I hadn’t allowed myself to give the blurry figure a name. But…I just can’t. Probably a selfish bastard but they say when you know, you know. I know. She’s the one for me and despite our age difference, the fact she’s my best friends daughter—youngest daughter at that, I still intend to keep her. With me. Where she belongs.
“Have you changed your mind, Sterling?”
Not knowing what she meant I stared, waiting for her to go on.
“Have you?”
“Changed my mind on what?”
Her hands fidget, picking at the sparkling nail polish on her fingertips, and I notice the way she rocks from one foot to the other. My Kitten’s unsure, scared even.
“A-about me…”
What?
My jaw dropped when I realize she’s serious. The stupid, stupid girl thought a few harsh words from her parents would stop my feelings for her? Of course she would, because all I had done was drag her from the only home, only family she’s ever known, pick her up a few essentials and drag her back to my lair. We hadn’t talked about what had happened nor had I explained that I fully intend on fixing everything—including my friendship with Ron, her father. Jesus I hadn’t even told her how ecstatic I was that she was here, finally here…where she belonged. I truly believe that. No, I hadn’t done shit and all because I was scared senseless and didn’t know what to do with myself let alone her.
I knew what I wanted to do with her, but those things would only frighten her away.
A risk I’m not willing to take.
“Kitten, come here.” When she doesn’t budge I won’t lie it upsets me that she didn’t do as I said. “I won’t ask you again.” My voice deep and far sterner than she’s heard from me before. I’m not about to admit that it’s because I’m trying to speak around the lump in my throat.
When she’s in front of me I pull her onto my lap. The thought pops in my head that Katarina is the only woman who’s ever sat on my lap on this sofa. I can only imagine how many first she’ll be for me and I can’t wait to start experiencing them all.
Running my thumb along her bottom lip I fight a grin. “As sexy as this pouty lip is I don’t like it aimed my way.” Pulling gently my breath comes harder when the pink flesh bounces back into place leaving the pad of my finger damp. “Why on earth would you think I’ve changed my mind?”
Big blue eyes swimming in unshed tears meet my green ones. “You haven’t even…” her voice trails off so lightly I don’t even hear what she says.
“What is it, Kitten?”
With a forefinger I lift her chin since she’s dropped it nearly to her chest.
“You haven’t even…kissed me.”
She’s right, I hadn’t.
“Not because I don’t want to because I do—”
“Why then?”
Taking a deep breath I exhale before telling her the God’s honest truth. “Because, I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“Too many things to list, but mostly that you’ll regret coming with me, resent what our relationship—our brand new relationship has done to your family, and…”
“And?” she asks.
My eyes glance back and forth between hers looking for the sign—any sign that she’s ready to hear what I’m about to say. “And, that once I kiss you I won’t be able to stop. Kitten, you don’t even know how long and how hard I’ve been thinking of making you mine, taking your body like nobody ever has. Claiming you. That’s what I would be doing you know that right?”
Biting that plump lip I was just playing with she nods.
“Does that scare you? I don’t want to frighten you.”
When she turns placing her hands on my chest I know damn well she can feel my heart practically thumping through my ribcage.
“You don’t frighten me, Sterling. Never.” A slight blush pinkens her cheeks before she continues, “the thought of you not doing those things scare me.”
My cock twitches beneath her backside and the little minx smiles before straddling my lap. One knee on either side of my hips, her warm sex positioned directly on the bulge contained not so comfortably within my jeans.
“You don’t scare me.” Wiggle. “What’s happening between us doesn’t scare me.” Wiggle. “The need I feel between my thighs doesn’t scare me.” Wiggle. “The size of your penis does kinda scare me.” Wiggle.
Smacking her ass the loud laugh that comes from me is deep and feels damn good. I’m relieved that Katarina is feeling everything I am.
“Kitten, if you’re going to have him inside of you? You have to be able to call him something other than a penis.”
“Thingy?” she giggles and I notice how all the right things jiggle with each laugh. “Weenie?”
“Katarina! You will not call my cock a weenie.” I slap her ass again and get as lost in the whimper coming from her as I am in the way her cheeks bounce on my thighs. Her hips rock so gently I’m unsure if she even realizes that she’s doing it. “Say cock.”
She shakes her head, yet I notice the pressure increases on that very part of my anatomy. My Kitten likes the word even if she doesn’t want to say it.
“You’ve had your hand on my cock. You stroked my cock until I came all over your hand and my cock.” Exaggerating the very word I want to hear from her lips. Raising up I meet her little thrusts and watch as her eyelids lower and her lips part. “Sweetheart, you’re riding my cock right now and like a fucking pony.” Reaching behind me I yank my shirt over my head so I can feel her fingernails without the barrier. “Cock—say cock.”
A feminine whimper falls from her mouth, and her speed increases.
“Mmm…goddamn I can feel the heat from your pussy on my cock.” What I don’t say is how her thick thighs feel like fucking heaven squeezing me tight, or how every time her tits hit me in the chin I wonder what it would be like to fuck her there too. Hell yes. “You don’t want my cock?” I tease.
“I do. I do.” She pants.
“Say it then. Say I want your cock…daddy.” I’m as shocked by my words as she is.
Never have I wanted a woman to call me that.
Never.
I want her to.
Chapter Eight
Sterling
Her hips stop rocking and her entire body stiffens, instantly I regret my words. “Look Kitten, I didn’t mean—I shouldn’t have…”
“You just told me to call you daddy.”
The way she says it sounds more like she’s reassuring herself than actually asking me. “It just came out—”
“You d-don’t want me to call you d-daddy?”
My dick twitches beneath her just at the breathless almost uncertain way she says it. Of course I should tell her no, that it was just a joke, that I don’t want her to call me anything but my given name but…I don’t. No, if this is going to work between us it can’t start with me being dishonest out of the gate. “I do.”
“You do?” she asks again.
Promising to pray later I ask for the favor in advance before I take one last deep breath, I confess the truth. “Yes, I do want you to call me daddy.” When she doesn’t look disgusted I continue. “First, I want you to know I don’t mean daddy like your father, I mean daddy…the man who wants to take care of you, give you everything I can, love you with everything I have.”
Her eyes are big and so blue I feel the possibility of drowning in their depths. There’s an innocence beneath those long lashes that makes me feel guilty for even considering to touc
h, to taint. Because I will, I’m not nearly as pure as she deserves, but I’ll spend my life proving her my worth.
“What I’m saying is I don’t want you to lose your sweetness, that carefree attitude that I adore.” She bestows a shy smile as I push another unruly strand of hair out of her eyes. “Yet, I want to be the man you can always count on, rely on. Me, I’ll be the man to guide you…discipline you.”
“Discipline?”
Of course that’s the one word she focuses on.
I nod. “When—if the time comes, yes discipline.” Her cheeks pinken once more. “Does that scare you, Kitten?”
We Love Kink - Erotic Romance Anthology #1 Page 27