I’d never have admitted it, but I was feeling every bit as much relief as I could clearly see on Angelina’s face.

I’d imagined this moment a hundred different ways in the last couple of weeks, ranging from terrified shrieks to outright rejection. Not every kid takes to every dog, or every person. It had all been a risk…

But my greatest relief was that I didn’t see Jimmy’s sour expression looking out of Violet’s face. She’d taken only after her lovely mother, except her hair was a dark, deep brown like mine. Everything about her was so gentle, so sweet…

She held onto the leash with a quiet focus I’d never seen in a child so young. And Miri seemed to know by instinct not to overwhelm the girl. They walked ahead of us, Mattie beside them… everyone pausing whenever Violet bent to examine a shell.

“She’s perfect,” I said, wrapping my arm around Angelina’s waist. “Like her mother.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” she said, looking down at the sand under our feet. “I should have, I know… I just never knew how to start…”

“Tell me what?” I asked, pulling me to a stop beside him. “That she’s beautiful and sweet… and uniquely herself? Why would I expect anything else? She’s your daughter…”

“She’s autistic…,” she said softly, meeting my eyes. “But she’s so much more than just that.”

“And you’re used to people seeing only that,” I finished for her. She relaxed against me and I could feel her legs were unsteady. “Angel… my beautiful, protective, lovely angel…

Did you think I couldn’t see below the surface?” I turned her in my arms so that she was resting against my chest, facing the ocean with me. The sky was unusually clear and the horizon extended for miles.

“The water’s smooth… quiet on the surface,” I said. The others had continued ahead, and I had her all to myself. “See only that, and you miss an entire universe underneath.

It looks still. Some days it barely moves except for the rhythm of the waves. But the part we see is just a fraction of what lies underneath. There’s a whole world living under that water, a thousand things we understand… and thousands more we’ve never dreamed of…

It’s the same for us, too, Angel.” I drew her to my chest and kissed her with all the need I could barely contain. By the time I pulled back, we were both unsteady. But she rewarded me with what I needed most. Her smile. And the happiness that shined in her eyes.

By the time we caught up with the others, Mattie was spreading a blanket and unpacking our lunch. Violet and Miri were sitting in the sand, and the little girl was running her fingers gently and methodically over the puppy’s back. And Angelina’s eyes were filled with tears.

It had been the perfect day.

And by the time the cake was cut, and the milk both spilled and cleaned up by the puppy, I’d had a chance to talk to Mattie. Her bright red hair and edgy makeup were an interesting counter to her level-headed self-assurance. She had agreed to my request instantly.

“She’s asleep,” Angelina said, closing the door softly behind her. “I tried to get her to let go of Miri… but she…”

“Let them be,” Mattie said, with a grin. “You worry too damned much. I’ll check in an hour or so and make sure they’re okay. As a mom, you’re officially off-duty for the night.”

“I want you to come with me, back up to the house,” I said, running my hand around her waist, letting it linger in the curves. “Mattie has agreed to stay with Violet for the night. And you can be back before she wakes up in the morning, if you like.” I leaned in closer and Mattie disappeared into the other room discreetly. “I have a gift for you, too…”

I ran my hands underneath the back of her sweater, feeling the softness of her skin under my hands, the tiny muscles working between her shoulder blades. The kiss started gently, seductively… but a split second later the simmering heat between us had ignited into a raging fire. I could feel there was a war going on inside her still, but it only seemed to make us burn even hotter. She was kissing me back, her hands pulling my shirt from my jeans to find straining muscle…

“There’s a part of the house I haven’t shown you yet,” I said darkly. “A room I built myself… not part of the original plans…” I unbuttoned her sweater as she watched me and leaned down to catch a hard, round mouthful of lace-covered nipple. The shudder that rocked her body made my cock surge with impatience. “It needs a woman’s touch… your touch…

Tell me you’ll come with me,” I demanded, kissing and kneading her luscious breasts. I dropped to my knees and unzipped her jeans, dipping my tongue into the open vee and catching the scent of her arousal. “So fucking help me, I will take you right here if I have to,” I threatened, sweeping her into my arms.

Come with me…”

Part of me was whispering just below consciousness, that I was pushing her, too soon, too fast.

But the last three weeks of having her so close… without being able to touch her, had pushed my patience to the wall. And the fact that she’d tested her own limits today and trusted me with the truth about Violet…

She was opening herself up to me. And instinct told me she was ripe for more. I opened the door to my bedroom and caught her in my arms.

“So where is this place I haven’t seen?” she asked, breathlessly. By the time we’d reached the top of the flagstone path, I’d managed to strip her to the waist. My own shirt and shoes had been left in the entryway. I turned her in my hands and let my greedy eyes take their fill. Her breasts were round and heavy, making her body look even more delicate in contrast. Her nipples were dark and large, beckoning…

“In time,” I answered. “Just not yet…

This is the right place to start,” I said, gesturing toward my bed with a lift of my jaw. “With satin sheets and heavy wooden shafts…” I watched her eyes widen and felt my heartbeat in my erection.

“Will you trust me?” I asked, running my fingers inside her open jeans and just under the silky elastic. She swallowed and nodded, unblinking. “Then strip for me,” I said, darkly. “I want you totally bare and completely vulnerable.” I sat down on the edge of the bed. It was old, dark wood, and the posts at each corner reached almost to the ceiling. It was massive, imposing. Truly the first place to start…

I watched her walk over near the window, where the fast fading light was a still a pale pink. She moved slowly, deliberately, turning her back to me as she slipped her jeans down. She leaned over to slip them over her feet, farther than necessary, and I wondered briefly who was really in charge… Her lacy thong bit into her ass, disappearing between sweet, round cheeks…

“Take them off,” I ordered harshly. “Let me see you…”

And she did. Without raising up. She stayed folded in half, spreading her legs and pushing them down until the thin straps were strained to the limits. Then she slipped one foot free and let them fall to the floor. She was displayed, and I could see her ready wetness shining on her swollen folds.

“Shameless,” I breathed, as my cock pounded, demanding its freedom. “Give me your hands.” She turned, twisting at the waist, and reached out.

“Only if you let me see you, too,” she breathed. Her tongue flickered over her lip. She smiled, her breasts rising and falling with her breath.

“Dirty, shameless girl, “I growled, accusingly. But I stripped anyway, and kicked the last of my clothes free. My cock leapt responsively. I could feel her eyes, stroking up and down my length… taking it all in.

“The same safe word works here,” I said, keeping her body at arm’s length. Even so, the head of my cock bobbed dangerously close to her belly. “No will stop anything you don’t want. But I fully intend to push you, Angel.” I felt my balls tighten and lift. “I’m going to tie you sweetheart…. push you right to the edge.” I took a step closer and felt a single shudder run through us both. My cock slipped wetly up her belly as I forced her back against the solid bedpost.

“You’re going to be begging for release before we take the next step…”

And I’d taken her to that edge I promised… so incredibly close that I’d felt gush after gush of slippery heat flood my fingers, my tongue. And every time her pussy had started to throb with the first spasms of climax, I’d backed off. Until, finally, I’d discovered every sensitive place, tasted every hidden depth.

And I knew it was time...