Matthew squeezed her. “What’s wrong, baby girl?”
Jilly shook her head.
“No hiding things from Daddy. Remember? Do you want to go back over my knee?”
“I’m scared,” Jilly admitted. “Lily and me, we’re a package deal.”
“Of course! And she’s adorable. I fell in love with her today.”
“But what happens when she’s not adorable? She’s not, always. She can be a brat. She’s got an attitude on her sometimes, she can be a real miss sassy-pants. She can get into mischief and be naughty. She’s not always going to be on her best behaviour. She’s going to get sick. She might throw up on you, and in your car. She makes a mess. She spills juice on the floor and sometimes traipses mud through the carpet. She even throws tantrums, especially when she doesn’t want to eat her vegetables.”
“Why would any of that bother me?” Matthew asked.
“Does it not?”
Matthew shook his head. “No, it doesn’t. Not at all. She sounds like a perfectly normal little girl. Look, messes can be cleaned up. We will take care of her when she’s sick. I’m not worried about vomit or mud or spilled juice. And I have a good growly voice when it’s needed. Our little princess and I will get on just fine.”
His words set Jilly’s mind at ease somewhat, but still, there was that little niggling fear still lingering inside of her, that he would up and leave when it got hard, that he would leave her when she needed him most. She wanted to just hope for the best, but she couldn’t. She had to know. She couldn’t bear it if Matthew left her like Cameron did. She took a deep breath and forced out the words she didn’t want to voice. “But what will happen if you decide you don’t want her anymore, when you see that side of her? What will happen to us? I mean, her own father decided he didn’t want her. What makes you think you will? Because it’s easy to say the right thing now, when she’s tucked up in bed asleep. It’s much harder to keep your temper in check when she’s being defiant and naughty.”
Jilly froze as Matthew’s hands clenched into fists for a moment then relaxed around her. She heard him take a deep breath. Felt the breeze on her neck as he exhaled against her. Then he cupped her face in his hands and made her look up at him before he spoke. Anger still flashed in his eyes. “I will never decide I don’t want her. I will never hurt you and Lily the way that mongrel did, I promise,” Matthew growled softly. “Nor do I expect perfection from Lily. She’s a child, and I expect her to be one. I know she will misbehave from time to time and I will love her regardless. Just like I will love you, no matter what.”
“But how do you know?” Jilly cringed at the desperation in her voice.
“That’s something you’re just going to have to trust me on, baby girl. I like a challenge. I just took on one of the toughest cases of the year. Do you think I shy away from difficulty? We’ll work out the hard parts together.”
“Thank you.” She knew, right then, that he was telling the truth.
“You don’t need to thank me, baby girl. You just need to believe me.”
“I do believe you.”
“Good girl.”
He dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead and she relaxed completely, leaning against him, savouring his strength. And he was strong, she knew. Not just physically, but mentally. He wasn’t weak like Cameron was. He didn’t run at the first sign of trouble. If he did, he wouldn’t be here now, her rational voice pointed out. She could trust him.
She slipped her hand inside his t-shirt and ran her fingers along his abs and across his muscular chest. “Take me to bed, Daddy,” she whispered.
In one swift movement he stood up, lifting her in his arms as easily as if she were a doll. “Take me to your bedroom, little girl.”
Giggling, she wrapped her arms around his neck and directed him to her bedroom. It felt so right, him being here with her.
He laid her gently down on her bed and straddled her, smothering her in kisses. He eased her clothes off her, sliding her shirt up her arms and off over her head, unfastening her bra and slipping that off too.
“Not fair,” she protested. “You still have clothes on!”
Matthew caught her eye and chuckled. “That’s easily rectified. But first...” He leaned down and took her nipple in his mouth, rolling his tongue around the hard nub, kissing down the side of her breast. His hand played with her other breast, tweaking the nipple, stroking, caressing, his magician’s touch sending waves of pleasure through her.
“More.” She arched her back and moaned and he obliged, coaxing whimpers from her as he expertly sucked, kissed, licked, and stroked.
Slowly, he trailed his hand down her belly, his long fingers reaching lower and lower until they reached the apex of her thighs. He followed his fingers with his mouth, kissing his way down her torso, one hand fondling her breasts, the other delving deep inside her most private of places, leaving her breathless and panting, squirming with desire.
“I want you,” she begged. “I want to feel you inside me.”
Matthew shifted, positioning himself between her legs, licking her pussy, focusing his attention on her swollen clit, sucking her pussy lips into his mouth, kissing her, tasting her.
“Come for me, baby girl,” he commanded, and she did, crying out as he ripped the orgasm from her, her whole body shaking as the earth shattered and her vision blurred and she rode the wave of pleasure as it crested again and again, as he flicked her
