Daddy took my face in his hand and gently nuzzled my chin, his eyes still locked to mine. I could see him faintly in the moonlight, his sharp cheekbones and two-day-old scruff. His eyes shined with passion. Daddy was always extremely handsome, but right now he looked better than ever.
"I thought your mother was the most beautiful woman in the world. Watching you grow up, I realized I was wrong."
I furrowed my brow, not quite understanding. Daddy stared at me, still searching for the right words.
"Zoe," he said, finally, "you are more beautiful than she ever was."
A sudden urge to be closer to Daddy washed over me. Without even thinking I unbuckled my seat belt and crawled into his lap, my arms around his neck and my ass pinned to the steering wheel. I don't know what came over me. Thank God I didn't mash the car's horn.
Daddy seemed too surprised to move. I pulled his scruffy face down to mine and his lips brushed my own. My eyes closed as my head tilted, and my mouth parted slightly to accept Daddy's gentle kiss. His tongue caressed mine, dipping sweetly into my mouth. He tasted good.
Daddy was in control now. He held me more firmly than Richard ever had, his big, strong hands pulling me into his embrace. He cupped my round little ass, drawing me into his warm body, sending tingles down my spine and between my legs.
He drew his lips away from my mouth and nibbled playfully at my neck, and my back arched as my body rocked with his kisses. My dress was riding up my hips, my pelvis grinding into Daddy's lap. I moaned and he kissed me on the mouth again, harder this time, his mouth pushing against mine until it almost hurt. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before. I had never felt so sexy, so wanted by a man.
Daddy's suit pants tightened. I could feel his hard, growing bulge. It made me wet, thinking of Daddy's cock and wanting to be filled by him.
"Stop," Daddy said suddenly. He lifted me off the lap and set me in the passenger seat, my head against the window. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I was thinking about your mother, and you, and I let things get out of hand."
"Don't be sorry," I said. "I'm the one who kissed you."
"But I'm your father," he protested.
"STEP-father," I pointed out.
"That doesn't matter. I've raised you since you were a baby, and that makes you my daughter. Please, when we get home, just pretend like this never happened."
"Yes sir," I mumbled, crying for like the third time that night.
Truthfully, I would never forget our kiss. I didn't know how we would ever continue living under the same roof as if nothing had happened, as if there was no attraction between us. But when Daddy made a decision, that was the end of the discussion, and I knew not to question his judgment. It broke my heart, but I would do what he said.
We drove home in silence. It was the longest five-minute car ride of my life.
III.
I kicked off my heels, fell into bed and went to sleep without even bothering to take off my dress. What a messed-up night. I slept hard, too, having strange dreams, until I was awakened by the chirping of my phone. I groggily looked at the screen, amazed at the number of missed calls and text messages.
///
All from Richard.
He was waiting for me on the street in front of our house. A glance through my bedroom window revealed him just standing there, under a street lamp, watching my window. When he saw me he motioned for me to come down. I was conflicted. Even though he had treated me like a jerk, I couldn't deny that I had feelings for him. Even so, he had no excuse for the way he had behaved at the Kozy Kumfort.
Go away, I texted.
Please, he responded. Give me a minute to talk to you …
That's all I ask …
After that, if you want, I'll leave you alone forever …
His last text moved me a little. I wasn't sure if I wanted him to leave me alone forever. He was a jerk, but Daddy had rejected me and now I was alone. If I lost Richard, my romantic prospects would be in shambles.
You get 1 minute, I replied, then crept from my bedroom and down the stairs in my bare feet. I probably looked like a wreck, but Daddy might notice any lights being turned on. It was after 3 o'clock in the morning, but he was a light sleeper. I turned off the burglar alarm and turned the hinge of the front door, wincing at the sound of the door creaking open. Everything seemed louder in the still, dark quiet.
Richard saw the door open and began to rush from the street, up our long driveway. I motioned for him to stay back, but he ignored me and kept coming. In the faint city lights, his expression and body language told me he was beyond agitated. I should have turned and ran back through my front door, then and there, but I did not. I thought I could reason with him. He grabbed my shoulders in his surprisingly powerful, slender arms. His hands were shaking with rage, rocking my entire body like a rag doll.
"This was supposed to be our night," he said. "I had it all planned out. Then you had to ruin everything."
"Richard … "
"Shut up, you dumb little bitch!"
He was shaking uncontrollably, his clenched fingers digging into my shoulders. Terribly afraid, I tried to break free from his grasp, but he held on too tightly.
"You want to run away now?" he muttered. "Go ahead and try."
Richard let go of me with one of his hands and reared back to slap me hard across the face. His eyes were crazed with rage and he was shouting. His open palm swung down to strike. His hand was flying toward my face when its trajectory was broken by a much larger force. Daddy! Daddy grabbed Richard by the arm, then punched him in the jaw with his other fist. Richard tumbled backward, rolling across our lawn. He writhed on the ground for a moment and then looked up, realized what had happened, and stumbled in a daze toward his car.
Daddy scooped me in his arms and carried me back inside our house. The tender expression in his eyes soothed and calmed me as he carried me up the stairs, to my bedroom, where he lay me down and tucked me into bed.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," I said.
"My sweet little girl," he replied softly, his rough fingers running through my hair. "You have nothing to be sorry for."
Daddy pulled the covers up to my chin and kissed me on the forehead, then turned to leave.
"Daddy?" I asked as he was nearing the door. "Would you let me hug you for a while, the way I did when I was a young girl? Only until I fall asleep."
"Of course, sweetie," he replied.
Daddy slipped under the covers and I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in the hard contours of his chest. The heat of his sturdy body warmed me. We lay facing each other, my body snuggled into his, and he draped his arm over my body, pressing me into my bed. It felt so good, so natural, to cuddle with my daddy just like I was a little girl again. No Richards in the world could ever bother me as long as Daddy held me in his embrace.
Instead of helping me fall asleep, the closeness to Daddy excited me. I loved his manly scent, like aftershave and expensive leather. I could feel his warm breath and I realized his mouth was only inches from mine. It reminded me of our kiss in the car earlier that evening. It was wonderful while it lasted. Reliving the memory, I snuggled in closer to Daddy and was surprised to feel a firm and growing bump pushing into my tummy.
Lost in a fantasy of the things that bump could do to me, I didn't even realize that my body had begun to undulate in a rhythm of my own desire, grinding into his bump, enjoying the way it swelled against me. It was making me wet. My body seemed to change positions ever so slightly, allowing the hardness to rub against the sensitive place between my legs. My body moved against his firmness, letting it stroke the place that felt so good. I was entranced. All thoughts melted away as I focused on the pleasure.
///
Daddy groaned. He was obviously enjoying himself, too, his erect penis jammed against his ever-tightening suit pants.
"I want you, Daddy."
"It's wrong," he grimaced, fighting to hold in his desire.
"Nothing could be more right," I said. "You're the only man I ever wanted."
Overcome by passion, Daddy pulled my hair, drawing my face up to his. He kissed me firmly on the mouth, my lips parting to accept him. He strong hands groped my body, drawing up my dress so he could grab my ass and pull my tighter to him. I fumbled with the buttons of his crisp white shirt and he pulled my little dress up, over my head, exposing my body to the night. He tossed the dress aside and drank in the view of me lying beside him in the bed.