Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
ANDREW
Slap, slap, slap, goes the hand on my cheek. “Daddy.”
I drag my eyes open, messed-up blond hair, big blue eyes, with Binky the pink pacifier pinned to her teddy bear pajamas. “Boo.” She giggles as she holds her hands over her eyes. “Ah…. Boo!”
“Good morning, Birdy.” I inhale deeply and pull her in for a hug and she lies across my chest as we try to wake up. “Why do you wake up so early, bubba?” I whisper into her hair.
She waves Binky at me. “Yogi.”
Morning snuggles are my favorite start to the day. “Shh,” Kaia grumbles from her grumpy side of the bed. “I’m still sleeping.”
“Come on, bubba.” I scoop Birdy up out of the oversized king bed that we seem to all sleep on less than 5 percent of. “Let’s go and get your yogurt and let sissy sleep.”
I used to fight myself over letting them sleep in my bed, thinking that I was doing them long-term damage and needlessly spoiling them.
But I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not hurting anyone and if it makes their night just a little easier then I don’t care, and if I’m being brutally honest, it makes my nights easier too.
I walk out into the kitchen and turn the coffee machine on, I put Birdy into her highchair, get her cup of milk, her yogurt and oatmeal and put it onto her tray.
“Hey,” Sally says as she walks out and looks into the fridge. “Do we have any eggs?”
“Morning.” I stand at the counter in my boxer shorts, still half asleep as I wait for my coffee. “No, I haven’t been shopping yet.” I drag my hand down my face. “It’s on my list of to-do’s today.”
She looks me over. “You look like shit.”
“Thanks,” I mutter dryly as I sip my coffee.
I had a long hard night in the shower on a date with my right hand. I look her over. “Why do you look like that?”
She looks down at herself. “Like what?”
“Like all perky and shit.” She’s wearing matching maroon workout gear, but it’s kind of sexy with a cutout hole in the back and over one shoulder. Her hair is in a high ponytail and she has makeup on.
“Because I am perky and shit.” She widens her eyes. “Thanks for noticing before now by the way.”
“Is that outfit new?”
“Maybe.”
“I thought you were broke?”
“I am broke, but this outfit is an investment in your future.”
“An investment in my future? How do you work that out?”
“Morning, bubba.” She bends and kisses Birdy’s forehead. “Well, I wear it to the gym, I attract the love of my life and he whisks me off and marries me and then I don’t have to live in my brother’s basement and eat all his eggs.”
“That’s an excellent plan.” I hold my coffee cup up to her in a cheers symbol as I take a seat at the dining table. “Buy it in a few colors.”
She looks down at herself. “Do I look okay?”
I smile over at her, she has no idea how wonderful she is. “He doesn’t stand a chance.”
She hunches her shoulders up in excitement. “Good.” She kisses my forehead. “I’m going.”
“Are you okay for tonight?” I ask. “I’ve got to work again.”
“Yeah.” She fills her water bottle.
“I won’t be late.”
“It’s okay.” She gives me a soft smile. “Take your time. I live here for free in exchange for babysitting the girls, that’s the deal, remember?”
“I know.” I sigh. “I just hate that you have to stay home every night.”
“It’s only four nights a week and you’re always home by nine.” She picks her backpack up and slings it over her shoulder.
“I know but if it ever bothers you….”
“How could hanging out with the coolest little girls in the world ever bother me?” She kisses Birdy. “Bye, baby. You have a good day.”
Birdy ignores her as she shovels in another spoonful of yogurt.
“Say goodbye to Sal,” I prompt her.
She angrily waves her spoon in the air, annoyed at the interruption to food.
“Bye.” She heads out the door.
“Behave at the gym,” I call after her.
I hear her car start and I smile over at my little Birdy, she has oatmeal and yogurt all over her face and now in her hair. “Is that yummy?”
She nods in an overexaggerated way.
“Dad,” A voice calls from the bedroom.
“Sissy’s awake.” I walk into the bedroom to see Kaia glaring at me, she holds her arms up in the air and I smile as I sit down onto the bed beside her. “Good morning, baby.”
“Hmm,” she grumbles as she wraps her arms around my neck.
“Do you want some breakfast?”
“No.”
“Do you want a shower?”
“No.”
I smile into her hair, every morning is the same, she wakes in a bad mood and defrosts a little every hour. Come lunchtime she’ll be as sweet as pie.
“Guess what day it is.”
“What day?”
“It’s Wednesday.”
Her mouth falls open. “It’s Wednesday ballet day.”
“Uh-huh.” I poke her little stomach. “And Miss Vanessa is coming today and Charlie is going to be there and then we can go to the park afterward.”
She bites her lip to hide her smile. “Can I wear two buns?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Can I wear my glitter gel?”
“Hmm.” I scrunch up my nose. “Probably not today. Next time.” That shit gets all over everything, I even had it on my fucking balls last week.
“If you want two buns in your hair we need to get you some breakfast. How about some porridge?”
“Hmm.” She looks at me flatly. “Not hungry.”
Kaia isn’t a real eater; I have to dance around to try and entice her every meal.
“How about some pancakes with sprinkles?” I widen my eyes. “It’s your favorite.”
“Okay.” She huffs as she flicks the blankets back. “I want three pancakes.”
“What do you say?” I wait for her to use her manners.
“With sprinkles.”
I tap her little nose. “Please, Dad.”
She shrugs and skips out to see Birdy and as I begin to make the bed I hear her in the distance. “Morning, bubba.”
MABEL
With my hands leaning on the bathroom counter I stare at my reflection in the mirror. “This is fine.” I brush my hair and pull it up into a high ponytail. “Everything is fine.” I pinch my cheeks to pinken them up. “I’m just being overly dramatic.”
I hear muffled voices from downstairs and close my eyes, he’s here.
“Set up in here again, Mr. Watson, and she will be right down.”
“Thank you,” I hear him reply.
I drain my glass of wine and fill it again, never thought I’d need Dutch courage to have a massage in my own home, but here I am. I take a gulp of wine and go and empty my bladder as I overthink everything, maybe I should cancel?
I mean, the smart thing would be to get a new masseur, fire him on the spot because nothing good can come from being attracted to an off-limits toy boy.
Bad, bad, bad…. Just like the dreams I had of him last night, only they weren’t dreams, they were outright fantasies.
“You’re overreacting.” I rush back out into the bathroom, tip my head back and finish my fourth glass of wine, this man has me more nervous than I have been in years. I brush my teeth in a rush, this little Mrs. Robinson acting is bad enough without smelling like a raging alcoholic as well.
My eyes hold the woman’s in the mirror and I inhale deeply to calm myself down. “This is completely fine.”
Retying the sash on my cream silk robe, I make my way down the stairs, Andrew has the massage table set up by the window and is rolling a towel as he looks over the view.
He’s wearing white cotton scrubs tonight, and as he moves I can see the muscles in his shoulders contract underneath his shirt.
His pants have a drawstring and hang perfectly off his chiseled behind.
Fuck. Ing. Hell.
Every woman with a pulse is attracted to this man, I bet he fights them off.
I make my way down the stairs, he glances up and our eyes lock and like a sonic boom I can feel the sexual energy radiating out of him. It’s as if there’s an invisible rope pulling me toward him, drawing me closer and enticing me to find out more.
I’ve heard of this phenomenon, feeling people’s auras from across the room. Never experienced it for myself though. Can’t say that I’m a fan of feeling this out of control.
“Hello, Miss Harrington.” He nods, his eyes search mine before he snaps them away, and if I’m not mistaken he seems flustered or embarrassed or perhaps it’s just wishful thinking on my behalf.
“Hello, Mr. Watson.” I force a smile.
“Please, call me Andrew,” he reminds me.
“Okay, Andrew, how do you want me?” I shake my head, horrified at what just came out of my mouth. “I mean where do you want me.”
“I know what you meant.” He smirks and taps the bed. “I’ll leave the room while you undress, take everything off except your panties and lie face down.”
I nod as I hear my heartbeat in my ears.
How do you want me….
That’s going to haunt me for the rest of my life, what kind of person asks the masseur how he wants them? That’s it, this is the last time he comes. This is a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen.
He leaves the room and I tear off my robe and throw it over the chair before diving onto the bed. I shuffle around to get into place. “Come in,” I weakly call.
I hear him reenter the room. “I hope you don’t mind, I took my shoes off. I like to feel my surroundings and it makes it a more organic experience for me.”
Huh?
Organic experience?
“Sure,” I squeak, I scrunch my eyes shut at how high pitch my voice sounded.
For the love of god, just do the massage and leave.
I hear the oil squirt into his hand and I hold my breath as I wait for his hands to touch my skin.
“How did you feel last night?” he asks, his voice is deep and husky.
Aroused.
“Okay,” I push out.
“Looser?”
Oh, you have no idea.
“Yes.” If I keep my answers blunt maybe he’ll stop talking, the sound of his voice is like a hotline to my clitoris.
“Where would you like my focus?”
You don’t even want to know.
“I’ll leave it to you,” I reply, distracted by where my wayward thoughts are taking me.
His large hands glide up my calf muscle and my eyes flutter…. So help me god.
“How was your day?” he asks as his hands glide up my thighs and then circle around toward my groin.
“Good.” I feel goose bumps scatter up my spine. “How was yours?” I breathe.
“I was a bit tired, actually, I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Why didn’t you sleep well?” I ask.
“I had a lot on my mind.” His hands circle around my upper thigh and my sex clenches in appreciation.
Well that makes two of us, I dreamed of your oiled-up hands doing unspeakable things to me all night long. Yes I know, I’m way too old for you and this is just perverted.
His hands circle around my inner up thigh and I hear his breath catch in his throat.
The sound sends a wave of arousal through me.
My. God.
For half an hour his magical hands glide over my skin, with every stroke of his fingers I feel the loss of a little more control. As his pressure deepens the world begins to disappear, a slow pulse begins to throb between my legs.
Every time his hands reach my thigh I get a vision of him pulling my panties to the side and feeling me there, rubbing the oil in…making me….
My body clenches at the thought.
This is bad. So bad because it’s all I can do not to moan out loud.
What the hell is it about this man?
“I’m just getting some more oil,” he whispers, he turns and I briefly lift my head to see a giant tent in his pants and I snap my face back into the hole before he sees, what the hell?
He’s hard.