7. Jenson
7
Jenson
“Fuuuuck!” I roar once the sound of the slammed front door resonates through the entire house.
The entire time I sat with her at the table and watched her lap up my spaghetti, all I could think about were her lips. Her full, red, soft lips. I needed them on me more than I needed my next breath and the state of my blue balls after a day of having her front and centre of all my thoughts meant I allowed my cock to take the lead and I acted like an arsehole.
It had been so long since I felt a woman beneath my fingers that the pull to her was too much. I dropped to my knees in front of her, practically begging her to return my kiss like the desperate fucker that I am.
Her lips were everything I’d been imagining all day. The second their warmth pressed against mine, I lost all control. My tongue impatiently pushed inside so I could taste her. I explored every inch of her mouth, her movement matching my own as her hands started to wander, but it was all too soon that I allowed reality back in and pulled back from her.
Kissing her was wrong, even her being here on a Thursday night was wrong. Much like my sister, she should be out with friends, spending time trying to find a nice guy her own age to spend time with, not the lonely and pathetic guy next door.
Grabbing the plates from the table I throw them into the sink. Their crash and shatter as they hit the ceramic settles something inside of me, but it only lasts a few seconds before I need more. Swiping my notebook and some of the utensils I’d left littering the counter, I watch them all hit the floor to a chorus clattering.
Scrubbing my hand down my face, I place my other against the counter and hang my head in shame. It’s only made worse when I hear something behind me.
“Is everything okay, Daddy?”
“Fuck,” I whisper, trying to school my features before I turn around and face my daughter.
“Of course, sweetheart. Everything’s fine. Go on back to bed.”
“But I heard a loud crash. Where’s Leah?” she asks, looking around with her brows pulled together in concern.
“She had to go home.” Disappointment tugs at my stomach knowing she had to leave because of me.
“Oh.” The sadness that covers her little face guts me. It might have only been a day, but it seems it’s not just me that’s a little taken with our new neighbour.
“Come on, let’s go and tuck you back in.”
It only takes minutes for her to doze off again, leaving me alone with my fucked-up thoughts once more.
When I need to escape my reality, my fucked-up world, I cook. So once I’m confident that Amelia is asleep again, I shut the kitchen door, power up my wireless speaker and set to work. Those vegetables Leah brought around have inspired me and there’s no time like the present.
* * *
I feel like a fucking zombie the next morning when a happy and smiling Amelia comes bounding into my room. I eventually crashed sometime after four am once the fridge and almost all the counter in the kitchen was covered in freshly made dishes and sauces.
“Isn’t it a bit early?” I groan when she hops up into bed with me.
My body immediately tenses knowing that I’ve woken with a raging hard on after my dream about the kiss between Leah and I continuing further than the kitchen table.
“It’s almost seven, Daddy. Aunt Kaylie will be here soon and you’ll be late for work.”
Christ, what has my life become? I’ve got a six-year-old chastising me for going to bed late.
“Why don’t you go and put the TV on? I’ll be down to make breakfast in a few minutes.” The throbbing of my cock tells me that I’m in no state to follow her right now.
She hops off the bed and runs towards the door, giving me hope for a few minutes of peace to do what I need to do but at the last minute she turns her smiling face to me.
“Pancakes?”
“I said it was beans on toast this morning.” I try to keep my voice strong, but I have a hard time fighting her when she looks at me like that.
“But pancakes are my favourite.”
“I know, baby. Go and put that TV on and we’ll see.”
The sound of her little feet hitting the stairs fills my ears. I hear the sound of the TV and then lower my hand and set about relieving myself of the tension that is burning hot through me.
* * *
“Please, don’t tell me you made her pancakes again?” my sister groans when she appears and finds my frying pan still hot on the hob. I really didn’t have it in me to argue with a child this morning so I took the easiest option. “Are you okay, you look exhausted?” She changes tack when I turn and she gets a look at my tired face.
“Yeah, I was just up late working.”
“Are you sure you can afford to have this weekend off?”
“Of course. Nothing is going to stop me giving you some time to yourself.”
She looks conflicted. I know she wants to have a life of her own but being here with us and her pretending to be a mum to Amelia is much easier for her.
“Okay,” she concedes. “Any instructions for today?”
“Nope, just the usual. Not too much TV and no shit food.”
Her eyebrow raises as she looks past me to the half-eaten pancake sitting on a plate. “Riiight.”
Grabbing a load of stuff from the counter, we repeat yesterday’s routine as she holds the front door open for me followed by the boot of my car. But unlike yesterday, Leah doesn’t appear. In fact, I see no movement at all from inside her house. Something inside me aches knowing that I hurt her last night. Kaylie looks between me and Leah’s house suspiciously, but she doesn’t ask.
“Thank you. I promise I won’t be late.”
“No rush.” She waves me off and rushes back inside when Amelia shouts.
Glancing back at Leah’s, I grab one of the tubs and quickly jog up her path to place it on her doorstep. It might not be much, but I feel better knowing I’ve made the first move to apologise for last night, even if I took the pussy way out and dropped it and ran.
* * *
“Morning, boss man.” Scott, one of my waiters, sings when I step through the door. He’s busy setting up service ready for the doors to open for breakfast in a few short minutes. “Looks like you might have got lucky last night. Anyone you need to introduce me to?”
The thought of allowing Leah to meet notorious ladies man Scott sends a shiver racing down my spine. I can’t deny that she’d probably be better off with him though. They’re a similar age without any ties that come with kids. Knowing both of them, I actually think they’d probably hit it off which is even more reason not to mention her right now. I might be all kinds of wrong for my hot next-door neighbour but I’m a selfish arsehole and I want her for myself.
“Nah, just working.”
“And you didn’t do enough of that all day here yesterday? You need to let your hair down, Boss. All work, no play—”
“Yeah, yeah,” I cut him off knowing exactly where he’s going. “You about ready? We’ve got quite a few breakfast reservations this morning?”
“Ready and waiting.” Scott salutes me and I chuckle at his ridiculousness as I make my way to the kitchen and then my office.
It’s late afternoon when I finally give up and head for home. My body aches and my eyes sting with my need for sleep, plus I need to let Kaylie go so she can get started on her weekend.
“Daddy,” Amelia squeals when she hears me come through the front door. “You’re early.” The smile on her face melts my heart and reminds me of another reason I told my sister I’d sort out the weekend off. I’ve been working too hard and need some quality time with my girl.
“I thought maybe we could go swimming?”
“Yessss,” she squeals and immediately turns and runs up the stairs to get ready.
“You’re free,” I say, walking into the kitchen to find my sister handwashing the dishes I’ve left littering the counters last night. “We’ve got a dishwasher you know?”
“I know. I just prefer doing it by hand.”
“Whatever you say. So what are the plans for the weekend?”
“I’ve no idea. I just said yes to a couple of offers from my colleagues at work to go out.” She winces with uncertainty.
“Just try to enjoy yourself, Kay.”
“I’ll do my best.” She turns and dries her hands on a towel before collecting her bag from the sideboard in the hall. “Just promise you’ll call me if you need me.”
“Sure,” I lie. I’ve no intention of ruining her weekend.
* * *
Shutting everything else in my life down, I focus on my little girl and the quality time we so desperately need.
We end up in the swimming pool long after our allotted time and when we eventually emerge our skin is covered in wrinkles but seeing the smile on Amelia’s face makes it all worth it.
We stop off at a pub on the way home and fill our empty bellies with burgers and ice cream. By the time we’re pulling onto our driveway later that night Amelia can hardly keep her eyes open.
“Straight up to bed for you,” I say, turning the engine off and looking in the rear-view mirror. Her response is a yawn, telling me she agrees.
She slowly climbs out and drags her tired legs towards the front door. I tell myself not to do it, but right at the last minute my eyes flick over to Leah’s house. My stomach lurches in excitement when I spot some movement in one of the bedroom windows. Was she watching us?
Shaking the crazy thoughts from my head, I push the key into our lock and we both step inside. I screwed up last night. She hates me and rightly so after I made her out to be nothing more than a child when I know in reality that she’s so much more than that. If her body isn’t evidence enough, then the way she kissed with such confidence and passion surely was.
My cock stirs once again as I think back to our short but incredible kiss. My muscles ache for me to go over there and apologise properly but Amelia needs to be my priority. I’m too good a dad, or at least I hope I am, to put her to bed and immediately run next door to have some fun of my own.
Knowing I’ve got the weekend off means I allow myself to just chill out on the sofa watching some kind of war film on the TV. I don’t pay all that much attention to it but being able to forget about the restaurant for just a few hours is a huge relief. So much so that the next thing I know, it’s gone midnight and I’m having to drag my sleep-heavy body from the sofa and up to bed.