Chapter 27
LIZA
After Daisie had gone to sleep, Darek and I had tried to maintain some semblance of normalcy. We cleaned up after our dinner of leftovers and talked about mundane things like tomorrow’s plans and what to make for breakfast.
But the tension between us was electric. I was hyper-aware of every time he looked at me. It always felt like he was touching me. Undressing me.
The sexual connection between us was undeniable.
I wondered if anyone else felt the sizzle in the air whenever we were within ten feet of each other.
Hell, maybe our chemistry bubbled out over twenty feet.
To me, it felt thick, like dragging your finger through honey.
I hoped it was just the two of us that felt it.
It would be a little embarrassing if others picked up on it.
“Come here,” he said, and that was all it took.
I crossed the kitchen to him, my heart already racing. The moment I was within reach, he pulled me against him, his mouth finding mine in a kiss that made my knees weak.
“I’ve been thinking about this all day,” he murmured against my lips. “Watching you in that dress, knowing I couldn’t touch you the way I wanted to.”
“Touch me now,” I whispered.
His hands slid down to cup my ass, lifting me onto the kitchen counter in one smooth motion. I gasped at the cold granite against the back of my thighs, but then his body was between my legs and I forgot about everything else.
He kissed me like he was starving for it, his tongue sliding against mine, his teeth nipping at my bottom lip. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer, feeling his erection pressing against me through his slacks.
“Fuck, Liza,” he groaned, his hands sliding up my thighs, pushing my dress up. “You’re driving me insane.”
“Good,” I breathed, working at the buttons of his shirt. I needed to feel his skin, needed to touch him.
He helped me, shrugging out of the shirt and tossing it aside. Then his hands were back on me, sliding my dress up and over my head until I was sitting on his kitchen counter in just my bra and panties.
“Beautiful,” he said, his eyes roaming over me. “So fucking beautiful.”
He unhooked my bra and tossed it aside. His mouth found my breast, his tongue circling my nipple before he sucked it into his mouth. I arched into him, my fingers tangling in his hair, holding him there.
“Darek,” I moaned, trying to keep my voice down. Daisie was asleep upstairs, and the last thing we needed was for her to come down and find us like this.
His hand slid between my legs, rubbing me through my panties. I was already soaked.
“So wet for me,” he murmured, his fingers hooking under the elastic and pulling my panties aside. He slid one finger inside me, then two. I bit my lip to keep from crying out.
“Please,” I whispered. “I need you.”
He pulled his fingers out, bringing them to his mouth and sucking them clean. The sight of it made heat pool low in my belly. So dirty. And hot at the same time.
“You taste so good,” he said. “I could eat you for hours.”
“Later,” I said, reaching for his belt. “Right now, I need you inside me.”
He helped me, unbuckling his belt and shoving his pants and boxers down. His cock sprang free, hard and ready. I reached for it, stroking him slowly.
He groaned, his head falling back. “Condom,” he managed. “In my wallet.”
I released him long enough for him to grab his wallet from his discarded pants, pulling out a condom and tearing it open with his teeth. He rolled it on quickly, then positioned himself at my entrance.
He pushed inside me in one smooth thrust, filling me completely. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding on as he started to move. The angle was perfect, hitting that spot inside me that made my vision blur.
“Fuck,” I breathed. “Yes. Right there.”
He gripped my hips, pulling me closer to the edge of the counter, thrusting deeper. The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the kitchen, along with our ragged breathing.
“You feel so good,” he groaned. “So tight around me.”
I could feel the pressure building already, that familiar tightening low in my belly. I felt like we had been involved in foreplay all day. It was sensual. Erotic. And so fucking good.
His hand slid between us. His thumb found my clit, rubbing in circles that had me seeing stars.
“Come for me,” he commanded. “I need to explode. I’m dying here. I promise I’m not done with you yet.”
His words pushed me over the edge. I buried my face against his shoulder to muffle my cry as I came, my body clenching around him. He thrust a few more times, then followed me over, groaning my name.
We stayed like that for a moment, both of us breathing hard, his head resting against my shoulder. His hands were on my thighs.
“Kitchen sex,” I said eventually. “Check that off the list.”
He laughed, pulling out of me carefully. “Bedroom next?”
“Absolutely.”
He helped me down from the counter. We gathered our discarded clothes and rushed upstairs to his bedroom in nothing but our birthday suits. If Daisie opened her bedroom door, she was going to get an eyeful.
Darek carefully closed and locked the door behind us. The moment we were alone, he was on me again, his mouth finding mine as he walked me backward toward the bed. We fell onto it together, a tangle of limbs and desperate touches.
This time was slower, more deliberate. He took his time exploring my body, kissing and touching every inch of me like he was memorizing it. I did the same to him, learning what made him gasp, what made him groan.
When he finally pushed inside me again, it felt different. More intimate. Like we were making love instead of just fucking.
I looked up at him, at the way he was watching me. I felt something deep in my very soul. Something terrifying and wonderful.
I was in love with him.
“Liza,” he breathed, his voice rough. “God, Liza.”
“I’m here,” I whispered. “I’m right here.”
We came together this time, both of us shuddering with the force of it. He collapsed beside me, pulling me against his chest and squeezing me so tightly it was difficult to breathe.
“Stay,” he murmured. “Don’t go back to your room.”
“I won’t.”
Despite the amazing orgasms, I could feel tension in him.
“What’s wrong?” I asked quietly.
He was silent for so long I thought he might not answer. “The custody hearing is Thursday.”
“I know.”
“I can’t stop thinking about it. About what happens if things don’t go our way.”
I propped myself up on my elbow so I could see his face. He looked vulnerable. Gone was the confident billionaire and the successful businessman. This was just a father, terrified of losing his child.
“Talk to me,” I said softly.
“I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose her, Liza.
” His voice cracked slightly. “She’s my whole life.
Everything I do, every decision I make, it’s all for her.
And the thought of some judge deciding I’m not fit to be her father and Sasha deserves custody after abandoning her for three years makes me crazy. ”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“You don’t know that. Nobody knows that.
The legal system is unpredictable, and Sasha’s lawyers are good, and that goddamn photo.
” He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes.
“Even if they give us joint custody, that would be a nightmare. Having to share her, send her back and forth like she’s a piece of property being divided up.
Knowing she’s with Sasha half the time and I can’t protect her, can’t be there if she needs me. ”
“Darek, don’t get ahead of yourself.”
“She wouldn’t even know what to do with herself if she wasn’t around,” he continued, the words pouring out now like he’d been holding them back for too long.
“She’s seven years old. She needs routine, stability, and consistency.
And Sasha—what does that woman even know about being a mother?
She ran away because she felt like it. Wrecked her little girl’s life selfishly because motherhood was too hard. ”
I stayed quiet and let him unload.
“And the worst part is, I won’t even be able to relax when Daisie’s with her.
I’ll spend the entire time terrified that Sasha will fuck up and my baby will be in danger.
Or maybe Sasha will realize that she doesn’t actually want to be a parent.
She’ll damage Daisie even more than she already has.
Or what if she’s still a bad parent? What if she leaves Daisie alone or doesn’t pay attention?
I don’t know where she lives. I don’t know if she has a pool or if she lives in a penthouse without bars on the windows. ”
“Stop.” I put my hand on his chest, feeling his heart racing beneath my palm. “You’re spiraling.”
“I know. I can’t help it.” He finally looked at me, and the fear in his eyes made my own heart ache.
“She’s everything to me. I wouldn’t even know what to do with myself if she wasn’t around.
Work? What’s the point if I don’t have her to come home to?
This house would just be empty space. My whole life would be empty. ”
I’d never fully understood what it meant to be a parent.
The all-consuming nature of that love. But watching Darek fall apart at the thought of losing Daisie, I finally got it.
This wasn’t just love. Fatherhood had rewired his entire existence.
He wasn’t a man who happened to have a child.
He was a father, and that was the core of his identity now.
“Listen to me,” I said, stroking his hair back from his forehead. “You’re not going to lose her.”
“You can’t promise that.”
“No, I can’t. But I can remind you of the facts. The home evaluation went perfectly. Anyone that has ever met you or her knows you are a damn good father.”
“But the photo.”
“It’s suspicious at best. Your lawyers are looking into it, right? And even if they can’t prove it was doctored, you have your own testimony about what actually happened. You have a spotless record as a father.”
He closed his eyes. “I’m terrified,” he admitted quietly.
“I haven’t been this scared ever. I would bungie jump.
Skydive. Hell, I would fight a fucking lion.
None of that scares me as much as the thought of losing my child.
I can’t explain it, but it feels like they’re threatening to cut off both my arms. She is as much a part of me as my arms.”
My heart ached for him. “You have to stay positive.”
“I’m trying. I remember a long time ago I heard someone say when they had their child, their heart started to live outside their body.
That’s what it feels like. Daisie is my whole heart walking around.
When I’m with her, I feel like I can protect her from just about anything.
When I say I would fight a lion, I’m not kidding.
I would fight ten of them to protect my daughter.
When she’s with Sasha, who is going to protect her? ”
“If that happens, you’ll get her a phone.
I’ve seen those tracking things parents can put in shoes or necklaces.
I know it’s not the same thing, but there will be safeguards.
No judge is just going to give Sasha custody.
She has to have a home study. You demand your lawyers get pictures and information. ”
He sighed. “I know. I just feel helpless.”
“But you’re a fighter. You’ll never stop fighting. Even if Thursday doesn’t go your way, that doesn’t mean you stop.”
“I’ll never stop.”
We settled back into the pillows, wrapped around each other. I felt the tension leaving his body as exhaustion took over. Unfortunately, I couldn’t sleep. My mind was spinning with various thoughts.
My feelings for him had deepened tonight in ways I hadn’t expected. It wasn’t just love anymore, though it was definitely that. It was something more profound. I felt a strong desire to protect him.
I’d never felt this way before. I never wanted to take someone’s pain and carry it for them.
I supposed that was what it meant to truly love someone. The fear and the vulnerability and the desperate need to make everything okay even when you had no power to do so.
I stroked his hair, watching him sleep, and made a silent promise. Whatever happened at the custody hearing, I would be there. I would support him, testify for him, do whatever was necessary to help him keep Daisie.