Chapter Sixteen
Jackson
My lips curled into a smile as I watched Lily from my front yard. She was in her backyard, across the field that separated our properties, and she was working on her little car in the later afternoon sun. I’d been caught up for the entirety of the last two days on business, and I’d only just returned….with a gift.
I sent her a text. I see you’re hard at work. Good girl. Sure that thing can be fixed, though?
I saw her wipe her brow and pull her cell out of her pocket a moment later. Christ, I wished she was sweating underneath me instead.
I think so. Just have to try connecting this new hose, she said.
I didn’t reply to that just yet. I was too busy contemplating what her life had been like for the last six years without her mother around, and with Craig barely around either. It wasn’t just the fact she’d had to deal with the stigma of her mother being a murderer; she’d had to deal with an almost complete lack of parenting, and she’d basically had to raise herself. Take care of herself. Fix her own damn car.
Again, I didn’t blame Craig for not being around as much as a father should. He must’ve had an awful time over the last few years trying to keep his business afloat all by himself, and that fateful day, he didn’t just lose his wife—he lost me, his best friend. The guy who’d always been there to support him and help him with all his issues. A pang of sorrow bit at my gut, and I tapped out a response to Lily, who I could now see huffing over the hood of her car. Seemingly, the new hose hadn’t worked.
I think it’s almost given up the ghost, I said. I might have something to help over here, though…
Oh yeah? ;)
I grinned at the little wink emoticon she’d put on her reply. Nothing like that, you dirty girl. Come over and I’ll show you.
She headed over the field a moment later, and I grinned as I took her outfit in up close. Her little shorts hugged her tight ass and thighs, and her pink tank top showed off her cleavage and trim waist.
“I wouldn’t let you out of the house in that get-up if I were your father,” I growled, pulling her close.
“You’re old enough to be,” she teased.
“You’re really on your way to earning yourself a spanking, little girl,” I said in a warning tone before pinching her ass hard. “Sooner rather than later if you keep this attitude up.”
She yelped, then grinned. “So what’s this thing that might help my car?” she asked.
My lips quirked into a devious smile, and I handed her a clicker from my set of keys. “Open the garage and you’ll see.”
A mystified expression playing on her pretty young features, she clicked the button and tapped her foot on the ground as she waited for my garage door to open. “You have some sort of mechanic workshop in here?” she asked.
“Not exactly.”
The door finished opening, and she looked inside before turning to me with a puzzled expression. “You got yourself a Buick Cascada?” she said, gesturing to the shiny new dark blue convertible parked in the garage. “That’s kinda…girly.”
“No,” I replied, taking a step closer to her and encircling her waist with my arms. “I got you a Cascada.”
Her eyes widened. “You did….for me?” she said, stumbling over her words. It was so fucking adorable; almost as if no one had ever bought her a gift before. She shook her head and went on. “Jackson, no. That’s far too expensive. I know these cars; they cost over thirty grand! I was just going to save up my internship money and get myself something cheap.”
“Cheap doesn’t last,” I said. “And you’re my little girl. I want to take care of you. Your car isn’t working, and I doubt it will again anytime soon. Besides, I can’t drive you around forever. Like this weekend for example; I’ve been away the whole time. This just made sense.”
“Jackson, I can’t,” she said softly. “It’s too much.”
“You know I do well at my job, so it’s fine,” I replied. “I won’t take no for an answer. You know that.”
“But my friends and father…they’ll all know something is going on between us if I suddenly have this brand new expensive ride.”
“You can tell your dad and friends that it’s just a work car provided by my company for now. And everyone at work will just think your daddy bought it for you. And I guess he did,” I said with a wink.
She hesitated for a moment, chewing on her lower lip. “Fine. I’ll accept on one condition.”
I arched a brow. “Oh, you think you’re in a position to be setting conditions, huh?”
“Yes.”
I relented. It was so fucking cute how she liked to pretend to be in control sometimes. “Go on, then.”
“I’ll accept it if you come to dinner tonight.”
“Is your dad home?” I asked, immediately concerned.
“Yes.”
“Lily, I—”
She held up a hand. “I think it would be good. He’s been asking about you lately. He knows how busy you’ve been keeping me at the office…well, allegedly the office. And you know, he’s the one who suggested I contact you to ask for an internship in the first place. I think he misses you, Jackson.”
“Your daddy misses your daddy, eh?”
She smiled. “Oh my god. You just made me get the worst image in my head….imagine if I called you daddy in front of him.”
I grinned back at her. “You really want me to come to dinner, baby girl?”
She nodded vehemently, her face a picture of hope. “Yes.”
“All right.”
Her face lit up even more, and I lightly smacked her on the ass. “Take your new car home. I’ll go shower and get ready.”
“Okay,” she said, beaming. “Come round at seven?”
“Sure. See you then.”
The next few hours dragged by unbelievably slowly. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to the dinner, because I knew how fucking awkward it would be to talk to Craig again after all these years, but I also knew how important it was to Lily. I had to go. I’d made a promise to my little girl, and men like me didn’t break promises. Lily had already experienced enough disappointment and sadness from older adults in her lifetime, so the last thing she needed was to be let down again.
I headed around to the Rubio house at five to seven with a bottle of Riesling in my hand. Craig had always enjoyed a nice white, so I hoped that would set us off on the right foot.
When I knocked, he answered the door, and for a second he looked like he’d seen a ghost. “Jackson,” he finally said, extending a hand and pasting on an awkward smile. “Er…Lily told me you’d be coming. I wasn’t sure if you actually would.”
“Of course,” I said. “Can’t say no to a home-cooked meal. Don’t exactly get many made for me these days.”
Craig’s smile faded, and I regretted saying those words instantly. It wasn’t what I meant at all, but it vaguely sounded as if I was rubbing it in that I no longer got meals made for me since his wife murdered my girlfriend, who used to love cooking.
“Because I’m always just so damn busy,” I hastily added to try and fix the gaffe. “Usually just get something quick and easy near the office or City Hall.”
“How is it working there, anyway, Mr. Big Council Man?” Craig asked, his face relaxing into an easy smile again.
And there it was. The ice had almost broken. He stepped aside for me to come in, and I handed him the bottle of wine before stepping into the dining room. The house hadn’t changed a bit since I was last here. The same photos and decorations hung on the walls; even the furniture was exactly the same. It was like stepping into a time warp, and for a second I almost expected to see Karen walk out of the kitchen with a pot roast.
Of course, it was Lily who stepped out instead, holding a big dish.
“I made a French thing,” she said proudly. “It’s a red wine, beef and mushroom stew.”
“Guess I brought the wrong type of wine to go with it, then,” I said.
Craig snorted. “Who cares?” he said. “I guess you were always a bit of a wine snob, though, eh?”
“And you were always kind of a dick,” I replied with a sardonic grin.
He was silent for a second, and then he began to chuckle. “You haven’t changed much,” he said. “Still got a sense of humor.”
“Likewise.”
His personality might be the same, but Craig had changed appearance-wise. It’d only been six years since we were in such close proximity, but he looked as if he’d aged about ten years or more. Grey hairs were beginning to set in around his temples, and his eyes had deeper crow’s feet around them than I remembered. He still seemed to be the same old Craig aside from that, though.
Lily looked nervous yet excited as she dished up our food, and Craig leaned across the table. “So you’ve been riding my daughter pretty hard, haven’t you?” he asked.
I almost dropped my cutlery. “What?”
“At work. Been keeping her busy as hell. She’s almost working as much as me these days. So many late nights; really burning the candle at both ends.”
Christ, I’d almost had a heart attack before I realized what he really meant. For a second I thought he was onto us, knew that I’d been fucking his daughter for the last month or so. Then again, we were doing a lot more than fucking. Lily meant something to me. Something special.
That didn’t mean now was the right time to tell Craig, though. Fuck no. He’d probably leap across the table and sock me right in the jaw.
“She’s a great intern,” I said. “Lots of work to do, and she does it well. Better than the other interns and even some of the permanent staff.”
Craig nodded. “I’ll bet. That’s my girl. Always worked hard, taken care of herself,” he said. “Guess her mother wasn’t exactly gonna do it,” he added softly.
I pressed my lips into a thin line that resembled a smile. We hadn’t discussed the elephant in the room—Karen—yet, and I wasn’t sure we were even going to tonight. But Craig’s comment had opened the door, and before I knew it, the floodgates had opened too. As we tucked into our food, he spoke up and apologized for the last few years, for everything that’d happened, for everything his wife did.
“It’s not your fault, Craig,” I said when it looked like he was nearly done. Half my dinner had already been demolished; he’d talked for that long. “Things were hard. It would’ve been pretty much impossible to maintain a friendship directly after what happened.”
“I guess. But we still live so close, and obviously I’ve seen you around, you know. I’ve always wanted to say something but I wimped out. Guess it’s a good thing we have Lily in common now.”
Oh, if only you knew the half of it, I thought. “Yeah, I suppose she’s brought us back together.”
“Cheers to that.”
We clinked our wine glasses together, and Lily began to clear up our used plates. “Dessert should almost be done,” she said. “I’ll go check.”
“Let me help,” I said, standing up and taking the plates and cutlery from her. “It’s heavy.”
I followed her into the kitchen and set the dirty dishes down on the counter. When I turned around, Lily was bending over in front of the oven to pull out some sort of apple pie or tart, judging by the smell. I stepped over to her and put my hands on her hips, and she gasped and nearly dropped the dishcloth she was holding as she jerked upwards.
“You better be ready for what comes next if I keep catching you bending over like this,” I growled softly near her ear.
“Careful,” she said with a nervous glance toward the kitchen entrance. “If dad comes in here…”
“He won’t,” I replied. “But don’t worry. I’ll let you get away with it just this once.”
She smiled and leaned back down to get the dessert dish out. “Tarte tatin,” she said as she put it down on the counter. “Dad’s favorite.”
“You’re a good daughter to your dad,” I said with a nod as she began to slice it up. “Making his favorite stuff.”
She shrugged. “I guess so. Although I hardly ever get to do it. He’s just never around. Honestly, sometimes I feel as if we’re more like roommates than family.”
“You know why, though.”
She nodded. “Of course. His business. He’s just trying to support us. But…” She bit her lip before going on. “Sometimes he honestly feels like a friendly stranger, more so than a dad. He’s been like that for years now. You know, I never even had a curfew when I was younger, like other teenagers did. I guess it’s nice to have someone around who acts more like a real daddy,” she said. “Someone who gives me rules…”
She arched a playful brow at me.
“You better stop talking like that or I’m going to pull your panties down and fuck you right here,” I growled.
“Maybe I want you to,” she replied breathily.
“Naughty girl.”
I grinned and took a plate of dessert out to Craig. If I stayed in that kitchen a second longer, I wouldn’t be able to resist bending Lily over the counter and slapping her ass till it was pink before fucking her senseless.
She joined me and her father at the table a moment later with our plates of apple tart, and I felt her foot sliding onto my ankle a moment later, dipping right under the leg of my pants as she slowly and tantalizingly moved it upwards. Jesus Christ…
She was being very naughty tonight, and she was definitely going to get a visit to my special toy room when dinner was over. She was practically begging for punishment.
“You heard about this so-called City Hall scandal thing?” Craig said, gesturing with a nod to an open newspaper on the far end of the table as he dipped his spoon into his dessert. “Was just reading about it earlier before you arrived. Figured you might know who it’s about, seeing as you work there.”
My eyebrows furrowed into a confused frown. “What is it?”
He reached over and grabbed the paper before sliding it over to me. “Just there,” he said, pointing to the local city gossip section. “Some blind item. No names, but apparently some source told them they’re certain that a high-up guy at City Hall is having some sort of inappropriate relationship with a young girl.”
Now I could’ve sworn I was actually having a heart attack. “I haven’t heard about it,” I said, keeping my voice calm as I lowered my eyes to the paper.
I didn’t dare look at Lily, but I knew she was thinking exactly what I was thinking. The blind item was about us. It had to be. It went on about how a certain handsome city councilor was allegedly sleeping with a teenager, but no names could be given till more proof was obtained.
“Hope it’s not you hanging out with one of those old bastards,” Craig joked, looking over at Lily. Her face was ashen, and she shook her head.
“Of course not, dad,” she said softly.
“Some of these pricks in politics you hear about….Christ, they’re pushing seventy and still going after eighteen or nineteen-year-olds,” he went on.
“Mm,” I said with a nod. At least I wasn’t seventy. Thirty-nine wasn’t even old. It was just old compared to Lily, that’s all.
“At least you always went for women your own age,” he said, nodding toward me across the table.
Guilt racked me. Sure, I’d dated women my own age in the past, but if he knew what I’d been doing to his daughter almost every night…fuck, he’d damn well murder me.
That thought made something else occur to me. Who the hell went to the gossip journalists for the city rag about Lily and me? Who the hell knew? We’d always been damn careful. We never touched each other in the campaign office during workdays, or even after hours. Not even in my private office with the door locked. I wasn’t exactly the best at remembering to lock the door, even when I thought I had, and all it would take was one person seeing us together for us to be toast. One person for my entire damn career to be over. The public wouldn’t exactly react well to a candidate in the US senator’s race being caught with a nineteen-year-old girl.
Perhaps it was just a rumor. After all, they said they had no hard proof. Yes, that had to be it, then. Just a silly rumor. Breathing slower now, I returned my attention to Craig and changed the subject to something completely different. I didn’t dare look at Lily again for the rest of the night, until it was time to leave.
“Lily, I’ll see you bright and early at the office tomorrow morning,” I said. “Thanks for dinner. It was wonderful.”
“Yes, it really was,” Craig said.
Lily gave me a questioning glance. “I thought you needed my help re-filing the cabinets in your home office after dinner so we can find those fundraising stats from last year,” she said. “Before the meeting with Bonn tomorrow.”
There was no such meeting, and I’d never asked Lily to help me with anything after dinner. She was just making an excuse to come home with me now. I couldn’t exactly say no, though, not when she looked so earnest and Craig looked so happy to see his daughter being so dedicated to her work.
“Right. I forgot about that. Craig, you don’t mind me stealing your little girl for an hour or so?”
“Course not. Gotta do what you gotta do,” he said, patting his stomach. “I’m so stuffed I might fall asleep right here. Have fun, kiddo.”
He stood up and hugged Lily before shaking my hand firmly, and I nodded at him. “It was good to see you, Craig. Maybe we can do this again soon.”
“Sure.”
I thought I detected a slight hint of frostiness in his voice despite his seemingly keen attitude to see me again, but I had no idea why. Maybe it was because of our previous topic of conversation—when he mentioned how I always dated women my own age, that surely brought up memories of Jenna all over again. The frostiness wasn’t aimed at me, it was aimed at that whole time period. All those difficult memories.
“Night,” I said before turning and stepping out of the house. Lily followed closely behind me, and I didn’t turn around to look at her just in case Craig was watching us from the back window to make sure his daughter got to my house safely.
When we were finally inside, I narrowed my eyes and stepped close to her. “You’ve been a very naughty girl tonight, Lily Rubio. Rubbing me with your foot under the table when your dad was right there, then making an excuse to come over when you know it might arouse suspicion. You know what happens to bad girls in this house.”
“Dad doesn’t suspect a thing,” she replied, pouting. “You heard him—he thinks that gossip piece was about some seventy-year-old councilman. And it probably is. I bet plenty of them have affairs with interns.”
I ignored her words for now. “Maybe this is my fault for not making all my rules clear at once,” I said, taking another dangerous step toward her. “That’s on me. But here’s my final one—I won’t tolerate being argued with. And it sounds like you’re arguing, Lily.”
“I’m not arguing!”
“Now you’re arguing about whether or not you’re arguing,” I said. “You’re treading on very thin ice, young lady.”
She pouted again. “I’m just saying, no one thinks it’s us. No one could. How could anyone know? You haven’t told anyone, and neither have I, aside from my therapist.”
My brows shot up. “You told your therapist about us?”
She brought her left hand to her mouth and nervously worried her lower lip with two fingers before replying. “Um…is that bad?”
“You silly, silly little girl,” I growled, rounding on her. “You’ve really done it now.”
“Done what?” she asked, voice trembling.
“You’ve broken the rules. Badly.”
I could see her trying to hide a little smile. I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder, and she squealed as I carried her upstairs. “You’ve been curious about this room for a while, baby girl,” I said, holding her safe with one arm as I reached into my pants pocket with the other. I retrieved a key, jiggled it in the lock of the door we’d stopped at, and then I kicked it open. “You’re about to find out what happens in here.”
“What is it?” Lily asked, her voice nervous yet tinged with excitement. “What’s in here?”
I smiled. “Welcome to my toy room.”