Page 12 of His Precious Secret

My heart rate increases, and I quickly turn away.

“Yeah, like that.”

This is what Rick’s life has been like? Being hounded by photographers only to come home to an unfaithful wife? I used to think the rich and famous had it made, that their lives were always easy, but now I’m starting to realize that just because Rick has reached the top of the totem pole, that doesn’t mean he’s not lonely.

Well, not anymore. I’m here to please him now. I’ll do whatever I need to to make him happy. I’ll do what my mom couldn’t. I never knew why my father divorced her. She always told me it was because he was just a jerk, but I never bought that. Now, I wonder… Did she do the same thing to him that she did to Rick?

“Miss me?” Rick asks sarcastically as he returns with a bag.

“Sure, Dad,” I reply, rolling my eyes. We both want to laugh, but we keep straight faces until everything is rung up. It takes two men to help us carry the bags out to the car, and we even have to wedge one in between us because there’s no room in the trunk.

“I feel like a Barbie doll,” I tell him as we pull away. “Do you want me to play dress-up for you, Daddy?”

“Every day and every night,” he replies. “Speaking of which, I got a little something extra for you. Here, take a look.”

He hands me the black bag he returned with and I look inside to find a set of off-white lingerie with a pair of Louboutin heels.

“Oh my God…”

“Told them they were for my wife,” he chuckles. “Little do they know…”

Instead of going home, Rick takes me to an expensive restaurant with things on the menu I’ve never even heard of. It’s the best meal of my life by far. Just looking at him across the table from me makes me want to do things I never dreamed I’d be capable of, like get down on my knees under the table and service him…

But I can’t. I have to keep up this harmless stepdaughter role while we’re in public, and it’s killing me. By the time we get back in the car, my arousal is beginning to soak through my

yoga pants. Thank God they’re black and not the white ones I was thinking about wearing.

So this is it.

This is what it’s like to be in love. A love that should have never been, but is that really true? Rick and I would have felt the same about each other if we’d met under different circumstances. It’s only the fact that my stupid mom got there first that threw a monkey wrench into things. It’s not like we’re related-related. This isn’t Game of Thrones or anything like that. It’s just two people, undeniably in love.

When we get home, Mom’s taking a nap on the couch. I beg Rick to let me come up to his room and service him, but he tells me no. “It’s too risky. We have to wait, beautiful. Even if it kills me.”

“You don’t want me, Daddy?” I tease, feeling the ache between my legs that reminds me of last night.

“I want you more than anything, Taylor, and you know that. Waiting will only make it so much sweeter.”

That might be true, but it doesn’t make things any easier.

I turn to go, but Rick stops me. His rough hand closes around mine, and he pulls me close. “I love you, you know that?”

His words pound my chest, and I gasp for breath. His fierce blue eyes blaze, and I go weak in the knees. Somehow I knew it before he even said it, but I wasn’t prepared.

“I…I know, Daddy. And I…” My voice is barely a whisper. “I love you too.”

We kiss, and I quickly escape to my room before my mom shows up and ruins everything.

Later, I suffer through dinner, which thankfully my mom takes in the living room, then lie in my guest room until I’m sure that she’s asleep. Then I find the secret bag Rick gave me earlier and slip into the lingerie and heels.

When I look at myself in the mirror, I almost don’t recognize myself. I’m actually even a little bit nervous as I sneak my way up to his bedroom, but all that is swept away when I see the look on his face.

“Wow,” he says simply. “You are gorgeous.”

“You think so?” I whisper, twisting my leg, doing my best to look cute.

“It’s a fact. Now get over here, baby girl.”

7

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