CHAPTER SEVEN

SOLOMON

I finished my cigarette and tossed it before pulling up to Ari's school. I'd never been a big smoker but when I did light up, I didn't want her to see me do it.

And Natalie got me so fucking wound up last night, I wanted to smoke through an entire pack. Making moves on me wasn't entirely unexpected but I'd seen sex slaves do their thing before. They didn't usually seem so... into it. 

She wasn't just servicing me. 

She wanted to touch me. 

I felt the heat of desire from her lips and her fingers on my skin. Her nipple was a stiff little diamond under my thumb before I pulled away. If I had slid my hand down to the honey pot between her legs, I was sure she'd be overflowing. 

And fuck me, I wanted her too. Who wouldn't? With those wide innocent eyes, gorgeous lips and a body made for fucking, any man would be blind to not want her. All on top of the fact that she was staying at my house for an undetermined length of time. 

But I couldn't touch her. With everything she'd been through, it would be beyond fucked up to do that to a person. 

I’d never call myself a good man. But I sure as fuck was a better one than Antigua.

I was definitely bad enough to make all the soccer moms pant and drool when I came to pick up my kid. Ari didn't notice me smirking at a busty redhead when she yanked open my passenger door and leaped across the console at me. 

"Hi, Daddy!" she exclaimed while planting a wet, sloppy kiss on me.

"Hi, baby! How was school?" A grin spread across my face as my heart soared. I tried to cherish these moments when she was excited to see me. In a few short years, she'd be a teenager and hating my guts. 

"Okay. Boring."

"Put your seatbelt on," I instructed as I pulled away from the school. "Hey, Ari. A friend of Daddy's is going to be staying at our house for a few days. Is that okay with you?"

I could feel my daughter's eyes on me as she processed what I said. All day long I thought about how I would explain Natalie to her and hoped it wouldn't confuse her. I kept my hook ups discreet and never brought other women around her. At six years old, she didn't understand why other kids had mommies and she didn't, and that absolutely broke my heart. I couldn't even begin to explain that her mother gave her up without a second thought. 

"Okay. Boy friend or girl friend?" 

I chuckled but felt a tightening around my heart. "Girl friend. Her name is Natalie and she's very nice."

"Why's she staying at our house?" 

I took a deep breath. "She was in a bad place. Daddy and Netta are helping her go to a good place. She just needs some help."

"Does she like Barbie?"

"I don't know, baby. You'll have to ask her."

“I hope she does,” Ari said, pulling against her seatbelt. “You and Netta won’t play with me.”

“Hey, I love playing Barbie with you!” I protested.

“You’re bad at it,” she informed me matter-of-factly.

“Oh. Well maybe if you teach me I can get better.” 

 I’d never claim to be an amazing father or even a good one. I loved my daughter and did the best I could for her, but playing dolls with her never was my strong suit. I wished Ari had more women in her life to guide her where I couldn’t, but I had yet to find anyone that was worth it.

As we pulled up to the house, I was surprised to see no sign of Netta's car in the driveway. She was usually still over at this time. 

Ari burst through the front door like usual. I followed after her cautiously, not knowing what to expect. 

A pretty, no, gorgeous, Natalie greeted us wearing dark chino shorts and a slouchy sweater that draped off one shoulder. She looked a hundred times better than yesterday and even last night after her shower and wearing my clothes.

"Hi guys," she said, looking away with a shy smile from what appeared to be dusting the tops of my cabinets. 

She looked well-rested and more relaxed. I couldn't tell but she may have even been wearing a bit of makeup. 

"You look nice," I said as I set Ari's backpack down on the couch, holding it strategically in front of my crotch to hide the rising tent in my pants. 

"Thanks." A rosy blush rose in her cheeks as she smiled. "Netta has excellent taste. I wanted to help and be useful so I told her to go home early and I'd finish cleaning the house."

"You don't need to do anything," I mumbled distractedly, my eyes tracing the curving line from her ankle all the way up her bare leg to her perky ass. 

"I want to," she insisted, turning to face me squarely. "It's the least I can do for you letting me stay here."  

To keep myself from staring, I turned to Ari who had plonked down in front of the TV without a word.

"Araceli, don't be rude," I said in my stern Dad voice. "This is Natalie, my friend I told you about. Say hi."

"Hi," Ari greeted flatly, giving Natalie a cursory glance before returning to the TV. Kids and their damn attachment to screens. 

"Hi Araceli," Natalie said sweetly. "I really like your dollhouse. I saw it when I walked by your room." 

Forgetting all about the TV, Ari fixed her wide, excited gaze directly on Natalie. 

"You like dolls?" she asked. 

Natalie nodded. "I had a bunch when I was a kid. I haven't played with them in a long time though." 

"Do you want to play with me?" 

Natalie's eyes flicked up toward me in a silent question and I replied with a short nod. She looked back to Ari and grinned. 

"Sure, I'd love to!" 

"Ari, only an hour," I instructed as the girls bounded up the stairs. "Then homework." 

"Okay, Daddy!" 

I gave a slight eye roll to Natalie as she glanced over her shoulder following Ari up the stairs. My girl was being agreeable now but she wouldn't realize how fast an hour flew by and I'd have to tear her away from that dollhouse to get homework done.

Ari was the queen of my heart and my sole reason for living, but that damn kid inherited my stubbornness too. She was often the biggest pain in my ass but somehow a kiss, hug, or an "I love you, Daddy," made it all worth it. 

I took care of some business on my phone and laptop while the girls played and it was damn peaceful. I couldn't even remember the last time I had an uninterrupted hour with my girl at home. 

From Ari's room, I heard a wide range of voices, characters, and situations. Everything from knights rescuing princesses to finding buried treasure on deserted islands. Natalie played right along with her seamlessly. The realization made me uncomfortable. 

It dawned on me that I shouldn't let Ari get too attached to Natalie. In a few days, maybe a week at most, Natalie would be long gone and I could start planning my move to hit Antigua right where it hurt.

An hour later I rapped my knuckles on Ari's open bedroom door and said, "Hey. Homework time." 

She didn't seem to notice I was there and the scene laid out in front of me tugged at my heartstrings. 

Dolls and doll furniture were strewn all over her bedroom floor. Ari walked her doll from one item to another as Natalie watched on with rapt attention. 

"Detective Barbie is trying to find the missing candy box!" Ari proclaimed. “Sparky is sniffing for clues!”

"Ari, your dad's talking to you," Natalie prodded gently. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor in the middle of all the doll items, holding a toy dog that I assumed was Sparky. 

"But we just started playing!" 

Oh boy, here we go. 

"I said an hour. That's how long you've had," I said. "Your homework isn't gonna do itself, Ari."

"But I never get to play anymore!" 

Her little face scrunched up and started turning red. Until I interrupted, she was lost in her own Barbie world for the first time in months. It was so rare that she liked someone enough to bring into her playtime, and she brought Natalie in like it was the most natural thing. 

Again I felt a wave of guilt as I thought about the tantrums and heartache she'd have once Natalie was gone. 

"Hey, if it's okay with your dad," Natalie said gently with a quick glance up at me. "We'll play again before you go to bed. After your homework is done." 

Ari looked up at me hopefully with her lower lip stuck out. 

"Yes, that's fine," I sighed, eager to not battle with her tonight. "But homework now."

"Yay! Thanks, Daddy!" 

Ari quickly hugged my legs before bounding down the stairs to retrieve her homework from her backpack, leaving Natalie and me alone for the first time since last night.

"Thanks," I said, eager to fill the awkward silence. "I didn't want to be fighting with her all night." 

Natalie smiled tensely as she stood from the floor, her long legs straightening and making my dick twitch in my pants. 

"It's no problem. We were having fun. She's a great kid."

"You sound surprised." I couldn't help but smirk. 

She lifted one shoulder in a shrug, the bare one that her sweater fell off and exposed her graceful collarbone and curve in her neck. 

"I didn't expect you to be such a family guy, I guess." She licked her lips and her eyes darted around nervously. 

"She's all I got. It's just me and her," I replied. "And Netta, I guess. Although that woman's more like my mother."

Natalie revealed that smile again but it dropped from her lips quickly.

"Hey, listen." She wrung her hands nervously and lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry about last night. That was out of line. It won't happen again." 

"Don't worry about it," I said, turning to head back down the stairs. "It's water under the bridge. Coming down for dinner?"

Not waiting for her answer, I walked with heavy footsteps down the stairs. I didn't want her to read on my face that I wasn't sorry. And that I secretly hoped it would happen again.