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When we reached the apartment, we sat down together at the kitchen table, and I did my homework as she did hers. It was a sad testament to how much that exclusive school piled on a child when I finished mine before she was done.
As she predicted, dinner was just about ready by the time she finished homework, and Margot served us right there at the table. Apparently, she wasn’t bothering with the dining room, and I couldn’t blame her.
It was soon obvious Ben wouldn’t be joining us, and I pushed back my disappointment—disappointment on Elle’s behalf, of course.
Finally, a little while after dinner, I coaxed Elle into going for a swim. She told me there was an infinity pool on the top of the building, but we opted to use the smaller pool off one of the balconies that belonged just to the Hudsons. Gradually, I got her to unwind, and she even giggled by the time I dragged her from the water an hour later.
A quick glance at the clock confirmed it was almost her bedtime. “What’s your routine?”
She wiped she was drying her hair on the towel, so it took her a moment to answer. “Routine for what?”
“Bedtime.”
“I brush my teeth, take a bath, go to bed.”
“What about a story?”
She looked scandalized. “Lindsay! I’m seven years old, not a baby. I don’t need a story before bed, you know.”
I held up my hands. “Sorry. I just assumed your Dad read to you at night. We don’t have to read a baby book. Maybe we could read something more grown up together. I think I have Anne of Green Gables on my tablet. We could try a chapter before you go to sleep?”
Elle shook her head. “I’m tired, but thank you for the offer.”
Watching her go into the apartment left me feeling unsatisfied. She needed so much more than she’d been getting, but I wasn’t certain how to approach that, or make her realize it. I’d just have to give her time and space and hope she would soon be more receptive to my overtures.
THE REST of the week continued pretty much on the same path, though I did make a little progress with her. She was opening up more, and when I carefully suggested we read a story on Thursday night, she allowed me to read her a chapter of Harry Potter. I was afraid it might be a little too adult for her, but she seemed fine, even interested.
By Friday, the week’s activity had caught up with me as well, and I was holding back a yawn as I settled into the chair beside her bed to read our second chapter of Harry Potter. I made it halfway through the chapter before looking up to see she was asleep. After marking the page on my tablet, I shut it down and sat there for little while, just watching her sleep. She looked so peaceful like that, and far more like a little girl. Her personality seemed like she was an adult trapped in a child’s body. I recognized the signs of someone who’d been forced to grow up too quickly, having been through it myself. I was determined that Elle wouldn’t lose her entire childhood, that she would have a chance to be a kid again. It might take a while, but I was confident I could chip through her layers of resistance, even if it was just one chapter here or there, along with time where she was the sole focus of my attention.
I guess I was sleepier than I thought, because I jerked away awake suddenly and realized I must’ve dozed off in the chair. It was sinfully comfortable, and I briefly considered the idea of just staying there, but forced myself to get up when I looked at the clock and saw it was after midnight.
Once I was on my feet, I was feeling more awake, and I slipped quietly from her room. As I moved down the hall, I litera
lly ran into Ben. I grunted at the impact and forced myself to take a step back instead of leaning closer.
My eyes widened at the sight of him. He was in a tuxedo, and his hair was combed back, giving him an even more sophisticated appearance than he usually had. He looked gorgeous enough that I could’ve eaten him up right then, and I was almost surprised that drool didn’t leak down my chin.
He gave me a distant smile. “I was just coming to check on Elle.”
I nodded awkwardly. “I must’ve fallen asleep after reading to her. She’s out like a light.”
He smiled, looking pleased. “In that case, I don’t want to disturb her. I have some work to finish up, then I think I’m off to bed.”
“Me too.” I scurried away from him as quickly as I could, desperate to resist the temptation to touch him. He would no doubt be shocked and scandalized if I had, and I would have died from embarrassment.
Once in my room, I set aside the tablet and quickly undressed. It was warm in my room, or I was just overheated, so I lay down without the covers. I didn’t bother with clothing either, though I didn’t admit to myself why to start with.
I closed my eyes and tried to focus on sleep, but I was too keyed up. Either I got enough rest from my little nap in Elle’s room, or perhaps the sight of Ben had just driven me mad with lust. Either way, I couldn’t sleep.
With my eyes closed, my hands began to wander over my skin, starting with my breasts as I gently twisted my nipples. Still cupping one breast, I let my other hand slide lower to slip between my legs. My pussy was already slick with need, and I caressed my clit with confident strokes. I knew it wouldn’t take much to get off quickly. As I climaxed, panting and shuddering, I whispered his name.
CHAPTER 7
BEN
I tried to focus on the few details I needed to wrap up for the day and check the markets before going to bed, but my thoughts kept wandering. It had been a long night at the fundraiser, which had followed a long day. Claudia, a vivacious redhead who’d been my date for the evening, kept rubbing against me. I had every intention of accepting her clear invitation until we got to the end of the evening. When it came time to go into her apartment, I found my lack of interest impossible to overcome, and I’d sent her inside with a noncommittal, “Next time…” The fury in her eyes said everything. It was obvious I’d blown my chance with her, but somehow I didn’t care.
Now, I was sitting in my office chair with a raging hard-on that had nothing to do with Claudia and her barely-there black dress. Instead, thoughts of Lindsay consumed me. How was it that she was more appealing in her yoga pants and the sweatshirt that slipped off her shoulder than Claudia was in a tight dress and perfect makeup?
