AllFreeNovel
Share Us
After a while, he slowly lifts himself off of me. I watch as he stands and dresses. It’s strange and wonderful to watch him dress in sweatpants and a t-shirt with a baseball team logo on it. Even three months later, I have a hard time imagining him in anything other than denim and leather with a skullcap helmet and a Ridge Devils patch on his shoulder.
I get a sudden image of him in a suit with his mustache and beard trimmed and his hair combed, wearing polished leather shoes, and driving a sedan to his nine-to-five office job before coming home and telling me all about his day trading stocks or managing investment portfolios. The image of him leading a normal life with me and the baby girl I am already dangerously close to thinking of as my daughter is powerful, and I have to sit and dress myself to give my mind something to focus on other than this fantasy.
“You want pizza for dinner?” he asks me.
His question snaps me out of my funk and I say, “Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever said no to that question?”
He chuckles and says, “You know, believe it or not, I know a few people who absolutely can’t stand pizza.”
“What?” I say, staring at him in shock. “You’re joking, right?”
He lifts his hand and says, “Swear on God. My brother Dale can’t even stand the smell. Says it reminds him of rotting meat.”
“What? That’s not true. He’s lying to you.”
“Maybe,” he says, “All I know is that if he’s starving and pizza’s the only thing available, he’ll go hungry.”
I shake my head, “No offense, but I’m pretty sure your brother is an alien.”
He laughs loudly at that, and I feel the warmth spread through my body from head to toe.
“I’ve never heard you laugh like that before,” I say, smiling at him.
He blushes bright red and looks so adorable, I giggle and throw my arms around him, kissing him all over his face until he laughs again and pushes me gently away.
“All right,” he says, “Let me order the pizza before you smother me.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. “Smother you? I’d be lucky to escape with my life if you ever wanted to smother me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he says in a hurt voice.
“It means you’re a big, scary, dangerous man,” I say, slipping my arms around him again, “And if I don’t do everything you say, you might hurt me.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” he says in an injured tone.
I smile and lift myself up to my tiptoes, kissing him softly. “Hey,” I whisper. “Guess what?”
“What?” he asks.
“I’m joking, silly,” I say. “Oh my Gosh, is your brother as gullible as you, or is that only reserved for the pizza lovers in your family?”
Before I know it, I’m on my back on the bed, gasping as Chip stares down at me with a smile that is as dangerous as it is playful. “I think you have an attitude, little girl.”
“Yeah, Daddy?” I say, my breath quickening as he slides my sweats and panties off of me.
“I think so,” he says again, “I think you need someone to teach you a lesson.”
“Teach me, Daddy,” I breathe, my heart beginning to pound in my chest.
In the end, I’m the one who has to order the pizza and neither of us bothers to dress except that Daddy puts on a robe when the pizza arrives, and he has to answer the door.
We eat and talk and laugh and watch tv and take turns taking care of Gillian and when we put Gillian to bed and fall asleep in each other’s arms, I’m almost able to convince myself that the future I imagine with Chip isn’t a fantasy and we could actually have a normal life together.
CHAPTER SIX
Chip
“So, who is this girl?” Guardian asks, setting his beer down and turning on his bar stool to stare frankly at me.
