Page 6 of New Year, New Baby
Sofia shrugged, unperturbed by my rudeness as she stirred something over the stove.
“It’s your stepdaughter, Dr.Taggart,” she said.“Nova likes to bake, so I let her come into the kitchen to try her hand.She’s talented.”
I stare at Sofia.
“But who’s eating this stuff?”I bark.“There must be two dozen scones here!”
Sofia merely shrugged again.
“I do.Humberto does.Nova gives me some to take home for my grandchildren too, and we appreciate it so much.She also bakes for school events, and even brings some to the community refrigerator outside the Our Lady of Margarethe Church on the corner.You know them, right?Your daughter is such a nice girl,” Sofia adds.“So kind and loving, without a mean bone in her body.”
I merely stared at the scones some more, their crusty golden edges taunting me.My stepdaughter was making loads of baked goods forcharity?Hell, the last time I lifted a finger for charity was maybe never.Sure, I give a shit ton of money each year, but that’s different.Money is impersonal; baking shit for poor people to eat was the very definition of personal.
It was small incidents like this that made me realize I had a gem beneath my roof.I found out that Nova helps with the dishes sometimes, and also does her own laundry.She likes to jog in the early mornings, and sometimes lifts light weights in her room.Plus, she’s active at school and gets great grades.A letter came in the mail from La Salle announcing her nomination to the Honor Roll, and I was impressed.
But Nova’s subtly sexy too, without realizing it, and it’s these small things that have me raging like a beast.I went down to the laundry room one day to look for a spare tennis ball, and came upon some delicately folded lingerie on the dryer.Nova must have been in the middle of finishing laundry, and then gotten called to another task.Piles of fripperies were stacked on the white machine, and to my shame, I couldn’t resist.I lifted a pair of her pink panties to my nose, inhaling deeply of the sweet lace.They smelled innocent.The scent was heady, virginal, and flowery all at once, mixed with the musk of a developing woman.My hard-on was immediate.
Then, I began watching her.We shared meals on occasion, and I would find myself watching her pink lips as she spoke, entranced with that lovely pout.I’m a fucking douche for thinking like this.I’m a beast for lusting after the innocent brat in my house, who has no idea how subtly sexy she is.I’m fucked … as I slowly losing my mind.
* * *
Now,we’re sitting down to dinner together on Christmas Eve.It’s just the two of us in the formal dining room, with a delicious meal laid out before us.
“Daddy Hunter?”Nova laughed, interrupting my reverie.“Are you even listening?”
I startled back to consciousness, watching from the corner of my eye as her big breasts shook in her figure-hugging sweater dress.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” was my growl.“It’s been a long day and I was just thinking of the surgery I have later this week.”
Nova’s pretty features immediately went empathetic.She reached a small hand across the table, seizing my big one in her own.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Daddy,” she murmured.“It’s the woman from the Bronx, isn’t it?Who has such serious fibroids that she’s getting a hysterectomy.”
I nodded.
“Yes, it’s her,” I said in a low voice.“Thank you for remembering.But the operation should work out fine, so there’s no reason to be nervous.Plus, the patient’s already decided that she doesn’t want more children, so it’s okay.”
Nova squeezes my hand, her expression gentle.
“But it was tough getting to that point,” the teen girl murmurs.“She isn’t that old, right?Only twenty-eight?I remember you sent her to a counselor to talk it over with.”
“That’s right,” I growl.“But the patient has two children already, and she decided her family’s complete.The counselor says she’s secure in her decision.It’s all good.”
Nova shoots me another encouraging smile, her grace breathtaking.
“I’m glad,” she murmurs, before giving my hand another squeeze.“You’re such an amazing doctor, Hunter.But what about you?”she asks in the cutest way.“Do you want children?Of your own, I mean,” she says quickly, blushing.“Bio children.”
I try to look normal although to be honest, I’m starting to get aroused.Here I am, having a conversation about future children with a beautiful young woman.In a story book, the conversation would be held over a romantic, candlelit dinner as we discuss starting a family together.
Even crazier, the fact is that this dinnerisintimate and candlelit.It’s Christmas Even, so Sofia set out candles, and we’re eating her finest pork roast on delicate bone china.Nova looks gorgeous too.My stepdaughter’s in a fuzzy cream wrap dress which highlights her big bust, slim waist, and long legs.Her blonde hair is beautifully draped over one shoulder, and I desperately want to wrap it around a big fist before pulling her close for a deep kiss.
But I can’t do it because she’s my daughter.Maybe Nova and I aren’t related by blood, but I used to be married to her mom.
Stop this shit, my conscience warns.You are super fucked-up for going there.
Yet, I can’t resist the romance of the moment.Is it because it’s the holidays?The glow of the candlelight turning Nova’s skin luminous?There’s something intimate and personal about the moment, and I feel my attraction towards the alluring young woman build.I literally lean forward to capture Nova’s lips with my own, before catching myself.Then, I stop and jerk upright.
“Yes, I think I want kids,” I say in a wooden voice.“I can definitely see a family in my future.”
