Authors: Kasey Millstead
“When are you going to kiss me?” I ask, then immediately blush afterwards.
“You want me to kiss you, Cassi?” he asks, his voice deep and low, sounding utterly delicious.
“Yes. I mean, uh, if you want to.”
He doesn’t reply. Instead, he leans in, closes his eyes, and then his lips touch mine.
Sparks ignite in my body sending shockwaves crashing throughout my system. His tongue traces the seam of my lips until I part them, and he slides inside. I moan as I taste him, my own tongue coming out to stroke his. The stubble on his face prickles my palm as I cup his jaw, pulling him into my body as passion and lust consume me, overtaking every rational thought in my mind. The only thing I can concentrate on is how right this feels.
“Brock,” I whisper, sucking his bottom lip between my teeth.
His hands span my waist, dipping beneath the fabric pooled around my lower back. I ache for him to move lower, but he tenderly teases the heated flesh right above my ass.
Kissing the edge of my mouth softly, Brock pulls back.
“I need to go,” he states, sounding pained.
“What? Why?” My brow furrows in confusion.
“I need to go before things get out of hand,” he clarifies.
“But, why? I don’t understand.”
“We’re doing things right, this time, Cassi. I want nothing more than to flip you over and fuck you into this couch. But, I won’t. Not tonight.”
“Oh.” My eyes dart down and I catch a glimpse at his erection straining against his pants. Without meaning to, I lick my lips, causing him to growl. He stands abruptly, tugging me with him so I collide into his chest. His hardness presses against my stomach, and I wish I were taller so it was hitting me directly where I need it.
“I’ll call you tomorrow night. I’ve got a couple of late meetings, so I won’t make it over before Elody’s bedtime.”
“Okay.”
“I had a great time tonight, Cassi. I can’t wait until the time comes when I can finish the night inside of you.”
Yes, please.
“Me, either,” I surprise myself by saying.
“Goodnight.” He kisses me again, deeply, but all too quickly for my liking. Stroking his thumb across my cheek, he turns and leaves. “Lock the door.”
“I will.”
“’Night, sweetheart.”
Be still, my heart
.
“’Night.”
I lock the door and then turn, leaning my back against it. Clasping my hands together, I bring them to my chest and swoon like a giddy teenager. A ridiculous smile threatens to split my gums, but it just won’t disappear.
And, I don’t want it to.
NOW
The next week passes quickly, and before we know it, the night of the circus is upon us. Elody is practically glowing both from excitement and utter joy at having her father in her life. Ever since she met Brock, she has had a smile on her face that can’t be contained. It is a joy to witness.
“Hold on, honey,” I tell Elody as she clutches her little hands around Brock’s neck. He supports her knees as he piggybacks her across the park and to the ticket booth of the circus.
“Darla! Look at me!” Elody cries when she spots her best friend. Darla comes running over with Renee not too far behind.
“Darla, this is my daddy!” Elody says, giddy with excitement.
“Hi,” Darla replies shyly.
“Renee, Darla, this is Brock. Brock, these are our friends, Darla and Renee,” I say, introducing everyone.
“Brock’s my daddy,” Elody tells Renee, causing us all to laugh.
“Let’s get our tickets and go inside,” I say. “Do you guys want to sit with us?” I ask, then I turn to Brock to make sure it is okay. He gives me a gentle nod and smile, so I turn back to Renee.
“Sure. If you all don’t mind?”
“Of course not.”
We pay for our tickets and then purchase some snacks – sodas, popcorn, and donuts – before going inside the big tent and finding our seats.
“I’m so excited,” Elody and Darla both say.
“Okay, girls, take a seat.” We get them seated and hand out their snacks and drinks before turning our attention to the ring.
“I haven’t been to the circus in
years,
” Renee says.
“I’ve never been,” I counter.
“Never?” She gapes.
“Nope.” I shake my head to emphasize my point. “Never.”
“Wow. Girl, you’ve been missing out!”
“Ladies and Gentlemen, boy and girls, welcome to Gerard Brothers Circus.” We all cheer as the sound of the Ringmaster’s voice fills the tent. “Sit down in your chairs, and prepare to be amazed.”
For the next two hours we are entertained with trapeze artists, clowns, dancing ponies, baby zebras doing tricks, poodles walking on planks, and gymnasts bouncing around. The girls are enraptured, utterly enthralled.
The Ringmaster closes the show and we all stand to leave. On the way out, we stop by the souvenir stand and let the girls buy a small toy each.
“It was so nice to meet you, Brock. I hope we’ll be seeing you more often,” Renee says.
“It was great to meet you, too, Renee. You’ll definitely be seeing more of me.” He gives her a smile, which she returns. Then she gives me a hug.
“I’m happy for you. I need to hear the full story,” she whispers into my ear.
“One day,” I say through a grin.
The girls say their goodbyes and then we head off to our respective cars.
“That was the best night, ever,” Elody mumbles, climbing into her bed once we get home.
I’m beginning to think every night she spends with dad is the best night ever. The thing is, I happen to agree with her.
Wholeheartedly.
NOW
BROCK
The last few weeks I’ve spent getting to know my daughter and reconnecting with Cassi have been unbelievable. The best of my life. For the first time in my working life, I am eager to leave the office before dark each day. Those nights where I have meetings that run late and I can’t make it over to Cassi’s, are the nights where I spend up to an hour on the phone talking to my five-year-old little girl. I know all about Barbies and mermaids and ponies – all things I thought I would never give a shit about.
“Mr. Mason, James Sandron is here for your three o’clock meeting.” My thoughts are interrupted at the sound of my secretary’s voice.
“Thank you, Prue. Send him in.”
Five minutes later, James walks into my office.
“Brock, good to see you,” the older gentleman greets me. He holds his hand out and I grip him in a firm shake.
“You too, James. Take a seat.”
We spend the next twenty minutes ironing out details for a business venture we’re collaborating on. After Sandron leaves, I have a ten minute window before my next meeting. I quickly gather all the paperwork I need and head down to the boardroom.
My employees are already in the room, seated and waiting for me.
“Afternoon, everyone,” I greet as I walk to the head of the table.
Taking my seat, I deftly organize my paperwork and pull out the file I require first.
“Barney, what’s the update on the O’Connell project?” I ask my team supervisor.
“I received a fax this morning. Our offer was accepted and we can move forward with obtaining permits for demolition.”
“Excellent. Susan, do you have an update from the Chandler project?”
“I visited the site this morning. It all looks good. There was a suspected gas line rupture, but that was given the all clear, so it is all systems go on my end.”
“Perfect. Well, for once, everything seems to be on track.”
“Mr. Mason, the vendors are stalling on the warehouse purchase,” Susan informs me.
Spoke too soon.
“Right, well, tell them they either accept our offer or we will find another warehouse. There’s another one for sale on the next block over. Simpson’s, I believe it’s called. Look into the details of that beforehand. I won’t be dicked around by them when there are other buildings suitable for our needs.”
“Yes, sir.”
We go through some other facts and figures and I’m glad when the meeting finally comes to a close and I can go and see my girls.
My girls.
Feels good to say that.
THEN
BROCK
I’ve been away for five days on a school trip and I’m glad to be home. I haven’t stopped thinking about Cassidy since I left, and I can’t wait to see her again. She consumes my every thought, and no matter how hard I try to erase her from my mind, thoughts of her stick there like glue. Her scent clings to my skin, no matter how many showers I take.
When I arrive to the house, I see both Celia’s and my father’s vehicles are gone, so I make my way inside to see if my sister, Madeline, is home from college for the weekend. Hopefully she’s not. Cassidy should be home from school by now, and if no one else is home, that means we’ve got the place to ourselves and I can finally have my way with her in the hot tub like I’ve been wanting to do for the last few months.
There’s no one downstairs, so I take the stairs three at a time until I reach the landing. Madeline’s room is first down the hall, so I give a quick knock before poking my head in the door.
Empty.
Fuck yeah.
My cock stiffens in anticipation. When I reach Cassidy’s bedroom door, I pause for a moment to calm myself. I knock twice and then open the door.
“Cassidy? You here?”
Empty.
What the fuck?
I walk through her room and check her bathroom. Empty as well.
Where the hell is she?
Her open closet door catches my eye and I see a bunch of clothes missing. My curiosity piqued, I search the rest of her room more closely and I see a lot of her personal belongings are gone.
What’s going on here?
Pulling out my cell, I bring up her number and hit the call button. Instead of hearing her sweet voice, I get a generic message telling me the number has been disconnected.
A door closes downstairs, and thinking it is Cassidy, I bound down the stairs until I reach the bottom.
I find Celia in the kitchen, fixing herself a drink.
“Hey, Celia.” I don’t mind my new stepmother. She keeps out of my way, mostly, which is good for me. I don’t need a mother figure. She makes my dad happy, though, and for that I’m grateful. My mom died seven years ago, and as the years went by, I didn’t think my father would ever remarry. Until Celia.
“Good afternoon, Brock. How was your trip?”
“Good thanks. Have you seen Cassidy?”
A strange looks comes over her face and it has a cold chill snaking through my body.
“Cassidy is no longer part of the family. She chose her path.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Cassidy left, Brock. I would appreciate it if you forgot all about her. She made her decision and we must respect her wishes.”
Feeling stunned, I walk out of the room with my mind spinning.
She left?
Why the hell would she just
leave
? With absolutely no word about it. It doesn’t make any sense. Anger consumes me and when I see my father coming into the house, I immediately rush toward him.
“Where is Cassidy?”
“Now, son, calm down,” he says, trying to placate me. “It’s none of your business.”
“None of my business?” I thunder. “Where is she?”
“It was her choice to make, not ours. If she wants to contact you in the future, she will. But, for now, please refrain from speaking about her, it only upsets Celia.” His tone is firm, unyielding.
I storm off, unhappy. But, with no other options, I have to leave it be, and hope I will see her around town one day soon. When I do lay my eyes on her beautiful body again, I’ll drag her into the closest room and fuck her until we both can’t breathe. Then, she can explain why the fuck she left without an explanation.
NOW
CASSI
“I got an email from the television studio today,” Brock tells me. I finish chewing my bite of sandwich and swallow before I reply.
“Oh, yeah? What did they say?”
“They just informed me that our episode will be aired in eight weeks’ time. Apparently because the scenes we filmed doesn’t fit with their
program ideal
they won’t be including us in the regular schedule.”
“Wow.” I fight back a laugh. “I guess because it’s all about finding love, and our filming day didn’t exactly end well…I can see where they’re coming from.”
“Turned out for the best though,” he agrees.
“So, what, is it like a bloopers special that they’re going to be putting us on?” I bark out a laugh.
“Probably.” He chuckles and pulls me into his embrace.
I relax back onto his chest and close my eyes.
“Do you have plans tonight?” he asks.
“Not really. Elody will want to make me a cake this afternoon. You’re welcome to come by, of course. It’ll be chocolate.”
“As tempting as that sounds, I’ve got a better idea.” His warm breath tickles my neck as he speaks directly against my ear.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. I’ll come by, pick you girls up, and take you to the movies. We’ll see the new Tinkerbell one that Elody’s been raving about. Then, when we get back, she’ll be content and happy, so she’ll go to sleep quickly and then I can give you your present,” he says suggestively.
Mmm, yes please!
I nod my head, unable to wipe the smile off my face. We sit in silence for a while, until I check my watch and notice I have to be back at work in five minutes.
“I better get back,” I sigh.
He helps me up and walks with me back across to the hospital. He gives me a quick, wet, deep kiss, which ends too soon, and touches his finger to my nose.
“I’ll pick Elody up from daycare at four. We’ll meet you at your house when you’re done at work.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay. See you then. Oh! You’ll need a key.” I quickly take my spare key off my chain and hand it to him.
“See you later, sweetheart.”
*~*
I can hear them giggling before I even reach the house. A smile stretches across my face as I come to a stop at my front door.
Should I knock, or just walk right in?
I decide to knock, in case they’re still busy.
“Come in,” I hear Elody sing-song.
I turn the knob and walk in, gasping when I see the display before me.
“Surprise!” Elody squeals.
“Oh, my gosh, this is amazing.” I crouch down and catch Elody as she barrels into me.
“Happy birthday, Momma,” she says, planting a bit, wet kiss on my cheek.
“Thank you, baby. Did you do all this?” I say, gesturing to the balloons filling the living room.
She nods her head. “Daddy did too,” she states proudly.
I stand and she rushes off into the kitchen. Brock walks over to me and I wind my arms around his waist.
“Thank you so much. You didn’t have to do all this.”
“Of course we did. Now, come on. There’s more.”
“More?” I gape.
He winks at me and takes my hand, leading me into the kitchen.
Elody is standing behind the counter, an enormous grin full of pride lighting up her face. There in front of her is a delicious looking chocolate cake, decorated with colorful confetti and birthday candles. Between her open hands, resting on the counter is a birthday present, wrapped in bright paper.
“We got you a present and made a cake,” Elody shouts. “It’s chocolate.” She jumps up and down, giggling.
“Thank you both. I’m so happy.”
“Open it! Open it!” She thrusts the gift at me.
“Okay. I wonder what it is?” I give the box a shake. Carefully, I peel back the paper to reveal a cream colored box held together with chocolate brown ribbon. I undo the ribbon and take the lid off the box. Inside is a gorgeous gold necklace with a half heart pendant. ‘MOT / DAUG’ is inscribed on it.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathe.
“Look, look!” Elody cries, tearing my attention from the gift. She tugs the top of her dress down slightly and reaches in to pull out the other half of the heart. ‘HER / HTER’ is written on hers.
“We match,” she states.
“Yes, we do.” I smile, tears clouding my vision. “Help me put it on, please?” I ask Brock.
He comes behind me, his fingers skimming the skin of my neck as he fastens the chain for me. Leaning in, he places a soft kiss beneath my ear.
“All done,” he whispers huskily.
My palm clutches the necklace, treasuring it. “I love it. Thank you both. So much.”
“Let’s have cake.”
“What about dinner?” I ask.
“Aww,” Elody pouts.
“Supper first, then cake,” Brock tells her.
“Go wash up,” I say.
When she leaves the room, I walk over to Brock, go up on the balls of my feet, and press my lips to his.
“Thank you.”
He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me into him. “Kiss me again.”
I kiss him again, deeper this time. He lets me take the lead, and I take full advantage. My tongue slides inside his mouth, seeking out his own. I suck on his bottom lip, loving the way his fingers flex and dig into my skin. My hands go to his hair and I thread my fingers through it, tugging him impossibly closer to me.
“Elody’s coming,” Brock murmurs against my lips. I quickly pull back and move to the other side of the kitchen.
“What are we having for supper?” she asks, bounding into the room.
“Pizza?” I suggest.
“Sounds good. I’ll order,” Brock offers.
While we’re waiting for the pizza to be delivered, I put on a load of washing, tidy up a little, and get Elody’s and my clothes ready for tomorrow morning.
“Pizza’s here,” Brock calls.
As soon as I reach the living room, the smell of melted cheese and spicy sausage hits my nostrils and my mouth waters.
I take out some plates while Brock sets the boxes down on the table. He dishes up Elody’s dinner and hands it to her while I pour us all a drink each. Then, we sit down together as a family, and eat.
It’s the best birthday meal I’ve ever had.
After we’ve finished pizza, we climb in Brock’s car and drive to the theatre. The Tinkerbell movie isn’t my first choice of movies to watch on my birthday, but having Brock’s solid thigh pressed up against mine, his arm around my shoulder, his fingers expertly but delicately skating across my arm…now
that
is an awesome way to watch a movie.