Page 31 of Small Town Daddy

Damn. Here it comes. The moment when she gently lets me down. It was fair enough. I knew that there was no way someone like her could be interested in someone like me.

I sighed. “I understand. Well, it’ll be hard, but I’m sure we can just be—”

“Do not eventhinkabout saying we can just be friends!” She insisted. “That’s not what I mean! I mean that I’ve been thinking about the age gap and . . . I kindareallylike it.”

“You do?” I sounded confused.

“Mmhmm. All the people I’ve been with always felt like little boys. Like they didn’t know themselves, or what they wanted from life. With you . . . you feel like a man.” She practically growled it.

“I’m glad.”

“And Marcus, I’m not looking for a father. But . . . I think Iamlooking for a Daddy Dom.”

A lusty, dirty look dawned on her face, as she bit her bottom lip. She looked so damn sexy it made me feel like a fucking animal.

“I’m looking for someone just like you, Lucy,” I said, my own voice lowering, becoming deep. “Someone to be myself with.” I moved a hand to the small of her back. “Someone to claim.”

Lucy's cheeks flushed slightly. "You make me feel things no-one has ever made before." She paused, biting her lower lip. "You make me feel like you own me. You make me feel like I want to call you—" she paused, leaned into my ear. “—Daddy.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. How long had it been since someone had seen me—really seen me? I swallowed hard, fighting the lump in my throat. Then I felt another lump, fast-growing and hard, as lust swirled around me.

I felt a surge of emotion, my heart pounding. "You have no idea how much that means to me," I whispered.

Without overthinking, I stood and stepped closer to her. Lucy rose to meet me, her green eyes wide and expectant. For a moment, we just looked at each other, the air between us electric.

I leaned in slowly, giving her time to pull away. But she didn't. Our lips met, and this kiss was different—deeper, more passionate. My arms wrapped around her waist as hers slid up to my shoulders. The world narrowed to just us, the soft hum of the store fading away.

Lucy's body melted against mine, fitting perfectly. I breathed in her scent—a mix of vanilla and something uniquely her. My fingers tangled in her wavy auburn hair as the kiss intensified.

The shrill trill of the store's bell jolted us back to reality. We pulled apart abruptly, both breathless and slightly disoriented. A gruff voice called out, "Hello? Anyone here?"

Lucy giggled softly, her cheeks flushed. I couldn't help but chuckle, running a hand through my hair.

"Duty calls," I said with a wink, trying to regain my composure. My body hummed with lingering desire.

She nodded, her eyes still shining. "We'll continue this later," she teased, her voice low and full of promise.

As I turned to greet the customer, my mind raced. What had I gotten myself into? And more importantly, how could I get back to it as soon as possible?

The afternoon dragged on, each minute an eternity. I couldn't keep my eyes off Lucy. Her graceful movements as she restocked shelves, her warm smile as she helped customers—she was captivating.

As the day wound down, I found myself lost in thought. What if Lucy was here every day? Her laughter filling the store, her quick mind coming up with new ideas.

"What if we set up a DIY corner?" Lucy's voice broke through my daydream. "You could host workshops, teach people basic home repair."

I grinned. "That's brilliant. We could even add a cozy seating area, make it more inviting."

Her eyes lit up. "Exactly! And with a new inventory system, we could streamline everything."

“New inventory system?” I asked.

“Oh for sure. I’ve been thinking about your stock system, and I know that we can do better.”

"I thought you wanted to be a writer, not a hardware store administrator," I said with a chuckle.

“No reason I can’t be both.” She grinned.

The rest of the day rushed past. We were busy—always were after I closed the shop for the day—and I was grateful to have Lucy’s help.

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