Chapter Six
Jackson
I stared after Lily with fascination and surprise as she hurtled back toward her house across the field. Jesus, I hadn’t been expecting that. Or that. What she just said… she definitely wasn’t the sweet, innocent young girl I originally pictured in my head when I saw her yesterday.
I shook my head and rubbed my eyes, trying to figure out if all of it had really just happened. If those words were real. Had Lily Rubio really just shown up on my doorstep, or was this some sort of strange hangover-induced morning hallucination?
I looked over at the field again, and I could still see Lily’s curvy little ass and legs carrying her body across the grass toward the Rubio house’s backyard. She didn’t look back, and within moments, she slipped through the gate and vanished into the house.
Okay, so it did really happen. She really had just been here.
I stepped inside, a thin smile on my lips as I played back the last few minutes in my head. Seeing Lily standing there on the threshold had certainly been a shock, but it was a damn nice shock. She was wearing little pink pajamas, and there was no way I missed the swell of her nipples under the flimsy fabric in the cool morning breeze. I could’ve sworn that I could see the faint outline of her pussy lips through the little pajama shorts as well, but as soon as the thought occurred to me, I’d snapped my eyes upwards to look at her face and figure out why she was here.
And then she told me.
I had to admit, I’d been a little disappointed that the only reason she’d come was to ask me for an internship. Of course, I hadn’t expected anything else. I hadn’t expected anything, really. But still, part of me wished she’d come for some other reason, and while she was here, my cock strained against my boxers the entire time, begging me to take her, regretting my decision to be a good man and leave her alone.
But I knew it couldn’t happen.
I had to turn her down for the internship, too. Having her work for me would likely stir up too much shit from the past, and I didn’t need the extra stress right now. Neither did she, by the looks of it. That outburst she came out with….said it all, really. She was still hung up on what her mother did. Badly.
Her words had touched me, though. I felt bad for her, I really did, and now I understood why she was so cut up. Maybe I was being a bit of an asshole by acting like I barely knew her and her father. But I couldn’t help her. I wasn’t the right one to do that. She’d realize that one day, find a boy her own age. A boy who’d love her and help her through all her issues. I was too old, too experienced. I knew some young girls with issues like her might crave an older man like me. An authority figure. But it wouldn’t last, and I wasn’t looking for a short-term thing with anyone. I wasn’t about that anymore. I’d done the whole frequent one night stands thing in my twenties, and I grew tired of it years and years ago.
Christ, why was I even thinking about this?
Entertaining the idea of any sort of relationship with little Lily Rubio was inappropriate. Hell, our entire exchange five minutes ago had been inappropriate. I hadn’t meant to betray my desires in such a way, but the way she called me ‘sir’ and mentioned how I’d once been ‘practically her daddy’ in a sense had driven me wild. Wild enough to open my mouth and say all that shit to her about needing to spank her if she didn’t get the hell off my property. And Christ, I would’ve done it, too.
The worst part was that she actually seemed to like hearing it. Or was that the best part?
My phone pinged on the counter, and I went to grab it, grateful for the distraction. It was Kaye. Last night was fun! Should do it again soon, she said.
I groaned, recalling the previous evening with my assistant. That was her idea of fun? We’d gone for a drink at a little hipster bar on the east side, and the whole night had honestly been quite boring aside from the acoustic band on stage there, which was surprisingly good. While I sipped my drinks, Kaye had talked about her cats the entire time, except for when she was talking about the senate campaign. All I’d wanted to do was relax and forget about work for a few hours, so hearing all that was a real downer.
See you at work on Monday, I replied, not wanting to lead her to believe there would be a repeat of the night. I was really starting to think that Jenna had been correct all those years ago—Kaye had a thing for me.
My thoughts returned to Lily again. Why was it always the ones we couldn’t have who affected us so much? Kaye would be an easy get. Likely interested in me already and close to my age. Lily, meanwhile, was half my age and the daughter of a psychotic killer. A killer who was still on the loose to this day. Hardly a good start to building a solid relationship with a woman. No, a girl. That’s what she was. A girl. Built like a woman but still in her teens. Still in college. Still living at home with her daddy.
Still a virgin, too, I was willing to bet. I could tell from the uncertainty in her eyes earlier, when they coasted over my body and lingered a little too long and curiously on my crotch. I was also willing to bet that her dad didn’t know how naughty she was despite her tender age. I bet he had no idea that she was capable of saying such filthy things like earlier, when she told me she wanted to be spanked.
I wondered how on earth she could be two utterly conflicting things at once—an innocent virgin yet simultaneously a naughty little brat. Truth be told, I had no idea—young women could be such a mystery—but I did know one thing. Naughty little girls like her needed to be punished, and….fuck it, I couldn’t control myself a second longer. I was at that point where my arousal controlled me; canceled out anything else in my mind. I couldn’t pretend to be good when it came to Lily. I wanted her, and I was damn well going to have her. Nice guy act be damned.
But I still had to remember she was young. So young. So sweet and untouched. I couldn’t just go and take her right now. I had to build it up; wait for the right moment.
I could start by giving her that internship.
I quickly showered and dressed, and then I headed over to the Rubio house. I knew Craig wasn’t home because his car wasn’t in the drive, so there was no chance of an awkward conversation with him. Lily’s little blue car was still parked there, though, so I knew she hadn’t gone anywhere. After knocking on the door twice and getting no answer, I wandered around to the side of the house, thinking she was probably in the living room and hadn’t heard the front door. All I had to do was tap on the window to get her attention.
Stopping dead in my tracks a few seconds later, I realized I’d remembered the layout of the house incorrectly. I wasn’t near the living room window right now…I was right outside Lily’s bedroom. I could see her through the faded lilac curtains, napping on top of her flowery white and purple duvet. Her eyes were closed and her bed was perpendicular to the window, so she didn’t see me. I was about to scoot back around to the front of the house, lest I get a reputation as a peeping tom if she woke up and spotted me, but then I squinted and realized what she was doing.
She wasn’t sleeping.
Her eyes were scrunched shut with pleasure, and her face was a gorgeous shade of pink. One hand was delving in her shorts, rubbing vigorously at her clit, and the other was up her shirt, pinching and twisting her nipples. I could see that she was struggling to keep her breathing under control. It was quick; she was practically panting. I wished I could hear it. Wished I could hear the little moans I imagined were spilling from her mouth in between shallow breaths.
She drew her bottom lip into her mouth with her teeth as her hand moved faster, and I smiled. She was even naughtier than I thought, touching herself like this like a little slut. So fuckable. Delectable. I longed to take her hand’s place between her legs, but that would have to wait.
I ducked down to a crouching position beneath her window, pulling out my cell phone. I had her number saved in my phone from yesterday. I couldn’t hear it ringing when I dialed—her window and walls must’ve been pretty damn thick—but she answered on the fourth ring, her voice breathy and her tone flustered.
“Uh….hello?”
“Hello, Lily. It’s Jackson Barker. You sound…breathless. Did I catch you exercising?” I said, a smirk crossing my face as I spoke.
If she happened to look out her window, or if she happened to have better hearing than me, I’d be done. She’d know I was right outside, watching her. Watching her touch herself. The thought gave me a thrill, and I grinned as I waited for her to reply.
“Jackson? I was…I was just doing some yoga.” Sure, honey. She sounded so guilty. Like she’d been caught red-handed, even though she had no idea anyone was actually watching her. One day, I’d have to teach her a thing or two about telling the truth. “I didn’t think I would hear from you ag—”
“I changed my mind,” I said smoothly. “About the internship. It’s yours.”
“Really?”
This time I actually heard her through the window, along with a dull thud, and I had a feeling she’d leapt to her feet with excitement. I moved away from the window, then stood up and stepped back around the side of the house, not wanting to be caught now.
“Yes. You start at my campaign office at eight on Monday. I’ll text you the address. Don’t be late.”
“I won’t. Jackson, thank you so much. I’m so sorry about the things I said earlier. I—”
“Forget about it. Water under the bridge. See you Monday, Lily.”
I hung up before she could reply again, hoping like hell that I hadn’t made the wrong decision. Then a stark memory of Lily touching herself flashed into my head, clear as day, and I knew I hadn’t. Nothing wrong could feel this right.
One way or another, I was going to make her my girl.
My little girl.