Page 62 of Kneeling for Daddy
I laugh softly, the sound of the lake and the wind wrapping around me like a cocoon as his arms do the same. He pulls my back to his chest, and my hands rest instinctively over my stomach, tracing the faint curve of the life growing inside me. Tears well in my eyes. This moment. This view. This man… This life he is giving me. None of it is what I imagined when I walked into that courthouse a little over three months ago.
The girls—Madison and Eavan—appear beside me almost immediately, giggling softly, each carrying a small bag with fresh clothes and toiletries. They usher me toward a small cabin a few steps away from the water to help me freshen up. I let them,feeling a mix of giddy anticipation and nerves. I laugh softly to myself, realizing how excited I am to marry my husband.
Freshened up, dressed in something light and flowing, I step back outside. Nik’s hand wraps around mine immediately. The altar looks even more beautiful in the soft light of the setting sun. We approach it slowly. Candles flicker among the gentle arrangement of flowers, and my heart swells.
Enzo, Cillian, Madison, Eavan, and Alek are all standing around it, their eyes glinting with happiness and pride. The sight of them, the people I love most in this world, fills me with warmth and reassurance. I glance at Nik, and his hand tightens around mine. His jaw is set, his dark eyes softening only for me as he smiles at me like I am the most precious thing in his world.
We reach the altar. Nik turns to me, letting go of my hand for a moment, and my heart stutters. The ceremony is small, intimate. The officiating is unnecessary, but unlike last time, I hang on Nik’s every word. My husband’s gaze never leaves mine, his thumb stroking over the back of my hand gently as we vow ourselves to each other. Again.
“I… I mean it, Ani,” he says quietly, voice strong but tender. “This is you, me, and our life. Our child. Us. Forever.”
I can’t help the tremor in my voice, the catch in my throat, as I reach out to him. “I… I love you, Nik,” The words spill out before I can stop them. “Always.”
We seal it with a kiss, soft and intimate, lingering and full of promise. The five people we love most in the world watch—smiles bright and eyes shining with joy—and I realize this is all I need. His lips resting a breath from mine, his thumb caressing over my cheek. “You’re mine,” he tells me softly.
I smile, pressing my forehead against his. “I always have been,” I whisper back. “And I always will be.”
His lips brush against mine as his words vibrate over them. “Always, little pet. Always.”
We have spent the day celebrating with our family, finally retreating to our cabin as the sun begins to set. The faint lapping of the lake against the shore is the only sound beyond the soft rustle of the wind through the trees. I step inside and close the door, the click of the lock echoing in the small space.
The world outside feels impossibly far away—no guns and no one trying to take what’s mine. Just us. Just the silk curve of Ani stretched across the bed, candlelight licking over her skin as if the flames want what belongs to me.
I pause in the doorway for a long breath, soaking her in. She is wearing the robe I bought her this morning in town, soft white satin that clings to her shoulders and drapes open just enough to tease the lace hiding beneath. She’s a fucking vision—bare legs tucked under her, blonde curls cascading over her shoulders, and pouty pink lips begging to be kissed.
“Daddy,” she whispers softly, and I fucking love the way it sounds spilling over her lips. I stalk forward, unhurried, letting the floorboards creak under my weight.
When I reach the bed, I sink onto it beside her and run the back of my knuckles along her cheek. “I’ve wanted to get you in this cabin all fucking day. ”
Her lips curve, but there’s that flicker of defiance in her eyes that I’ve grown addicted to. “You make it sound like you were planning to lock me up here.”
“You say that like it isn’t exactly what I want,” I hum, pressing my lips against hers. I kiss her slow, careful, like she’s made of glass. I taste sparkling grape juice, strawberries, and Ani herself. She tilts her chin, opening to me, and I slide my hand into her hair—tugging just enough to make her breath catch.
The robe slips off her shoulder, and I follow the line of skin with my lips, dragging my teeth lightly over the delicate slope of her collarbone. She trembles, clutching at my shirt, and the sound she makes goes straight to my cock. Tightening her hold on me, she pulls back just enough to look at me. With her eyes blazing, she demands, “Don’t you dare fuck me like your wife.”
I bare my teeth in a smile, slow and predatory, fingers curling tight in her hair until her head tips back. My lips graze her ear when I answer in a gravelly whisper, “I wouldn’t fucking dream of it, little pet.”
Her breath shudders out, and her body melts. She wants this. Needs it. And fuck if I’m not going to give it to her.
My mouth trails lower, finding the lace edge of her bra. I bite down just hard enough to make her gasp. She arches into me, and I take advantage, easing her onto the mattress. The robe falls away completely, baring her to the hungry light.
“Mine,” I breathily groan, dragging my lips over her skin as my hand dusts down her stomach, stopping just above where she needs me most. “Say it.”
Ani’s lips part, her chest heaving. Defiance flickers once more in her eyes before it melts under the weight of my stare. “Yours.”
The fire pops in the fireplace, and I feel what little restraint I have snapping one thread at a time, making way for the raw hunger I’ve been holding back. I grip her wrists and pin them above her head, leaning over her so she feels the full weight of me holding her down. She squirms, testing the firmness of my hold, but there’s heat sparking in her eyes—she likes being at my mercy.
Brushing my lips over hers without kissing her, I playfully ask, “Do you know what happens to my little pet when she’s good?”
Her thighs shift restlessly, but her chin lifts in defiance. “You spoil her.”
“No.” I chuckle, dark and low. “I ruin her.”
My lips crash against hers, kissing her the way I have been craving all day. Hard. My tongue thrusts past her lips, and I devour her. She whimpers into my mouth, the sound vibrating through me, and I grind my hips down against hers, letting her feel exactly how hard I am for her already.
Her lace bra is nothing more than a scrap of fabric beneath my hands. I tear at it until it gives, her gasp breaking against my mouth. I drag my palms over the swell of her pert breasts, squeezing, teasing her nipples until she arches into my touch.
“Nik—”
