“So what is up between you and Ellie?” Alice asked, her leg propped up on my knee. “Are you dating or what?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “We haven’t even had a real date yet.”

“That’s your own fault,” Alice said. “I’ve offered to let Luna stay over multiple times.”

“I know, but I’ve been working. And you know I hate the idea of leaving Luna with you all day and all night. I don’t want her to think—”

“Luna is never going to think you don’t love her or that you’re not coming back for her, Luke,” Alice said. “You know that. You’re just using it as an excuse. Why?”

“It’s not an excuse,” I insisted, although I knew that she could see right through me no matter what I said.

“It is,” she said. “Why are you so afraid to go out with Ellie?”

“I’m afraid to let Ellie get too close. After what happened with Maria…” my voice trailed off as I thought about it. I’d fallen in love with Maria and though she’d given me the greatest gift of my life in the form of Luna, in every other way she’d failed both of us.

“Ellie is nothing like Maria,” Alice pointed out, and I smiled just thinking about how true that was. Ellie was everything Maria wasn’t—sweet, kind, and funny.

“You’re right,” I said. “But that just means she doesn’t deserve to have to deal with someone like me.”

“You need to give yourself a break. You made a mistake with Maria—”

“Luna was not a mistake,” I said, my voice coming out sharper than I’d intended it to.

“I know,” she said, her voice gentle. “I mean, you fell for the wrong person. It happens to everybody. But now you get a chance to fall for the right one.”

“Maybe,” I said, though I knew that every word she spoke was true. “So Luna could stay with you tonight?”

“Yes,” Alice said. “Please. Go get laid.”

I laughed, ruffling her hair. I stood up, going into Alice’s spare room, which she’d set up as a playroom just for Luna. I knelt down on the carpet in front of my daughter, who was playing quietly with her Barbies on the floor.

“Baby,” I said, smiling when she looked up at me, her big blue eyes full of adoration. “Do you want to spend the night with Alice tonight?”

“Yeah!” said Luna brightly, standing up and throwing her arms around Alice. “Like a slumber party?”

“We can have a slumber party,” Alice said, picking Luna up and holding her on her hip. “We can stay up late and watch scary movies your dad won’t let you watch.”

“Hey, now,” I warned, though I knew that Alice was joking.

Luna gave me a hug and a kiss goodbye as I told them goodnight and left, feeling my heart flutter in my chest just thinking about seeing Ellie on my own, the things I could finally do to her. By the time I got home, I almost ran up the stairs to her apartment. I knocked on the door, wishing I’d thought to bring her flowers.

“Hi,” she said brightly when she answered the door, looking adorable in a pair of oversized sweatpants and a t-shirt that didn’t quite cover her entire midriff. I wanted to take her into the bedroom then and there, but I knew that wasn’t why Alice had wanted to take Luna for the night. Now was my chance to take Ellie out on a real date, and I was going to take it.

“Hi,” I said, leaning in immediately to kiss her pretty lips.

She smiled at me. “Where’s Luna?”

“I left her with Alice for the night. I was hoping that you’d go out with me.”

“Tonight?” she asked. For a moment, I grew nervous. I hadn’t even considered she might have other plans.

“If you can’t—”

“No, I can,” she insisted. “I want to. Can you give me an hour? I can’t exactly go out like this.”

“I think you look sexy,” I said to her. “I wouldn’t mind taking you out like that.”

She laughed, shooing me away. “I’ll see you in an hour.”

“Fine,” I said, but didn’t let her close the door before giving me one last kiss.

I went into my apartment and got into the shower, thinking about Ellie and how perfect I wanted this night to be. Luckily, I’d been able to pull a few strings in the car on the way home and had managed to reserve a rooftop table at a local restaurant a friend of mine owned. I’d asked him to set it up like a picnic, complete with a blanket and a bottle of champagne. I only hoped that Ellie would like it; it was the sort of thing that Maria would turn her nose up at while insisting we go inside and find a civilized table. I knew Ellie wasn’t like that, but I was anxious to make everything perfect for her.

She was waiting in the hallway when I came outside, wearing a pale-yellow sundress that made her look bright and beautiful. I took her face in my hands and kissed her before we made our way downstairs to the car.

“Do you even have a plan for this sudden outing?” she asked me. “Or are we just going to wing it?”

“Oh, I definitely have a plan for you, Ellie,” I said, glancing over at her as we drove in the direction of the restaurant.

“And what exactly does that entail?” she asked.

I smiled at her but didn’t reply just yet—I only gave her a look that promised more. At a certain point in the night, I wanted to have her on the very edge of her arousal, desperate for my cock and unable to think about anything else. For now, I wanted to talk to her, wanted to take the opportunity to let her show me herself.

We got to the restaurant and I got out of the car, going around to open the passenger door for her. She raised her eyebrows and when she stood up she kissed me, and I led her inside and toward the back of the restaurant.

“Where are we going?” she asked as we passed through the kitchen to the staircase that was hidden behind the giant walk-in freezer. I held her hand as I led her up the stairs and onto the roof, where everything was set up facing the sunset. She followed me over to the blanket set up and we sat down next to each other. She looked around in wonder, taking in the view of the sunset and the skyline. I took the opportunity to watch her; she looked happy and radiant in the evening glow.

“What do you think?” I asked her as I opened the basket where the food had been packed for us. I pulled it out and then poured us each a glass of champagne. She lifted it to her lips and sipped it with a smile on her face.

“I think it’s beautiful,” she said. “I didn’t even know this place existed.”

“My friend owns it. He set us up with the roof. I don’t think anybody is going to be up here to bother us anytime soon.”

“No?” she asked, grinning at me. “So it’s just us?”

“Does that make you nervous?”

“A little,” she said, a sly expression on her face. “It depends on your intentions.”

“I intend to show you a good time,” I said simply.

“And how are you going to do that?”

“First, we’re going to eat,” I said. “And then you’ll find out.”

“Okay,” she said. “That’s fair. So why did you choose tonight to finally leave Luna with Alice?”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” I said to her. “About the things we can do now that we’re alone.”

“Sex,” she said, her voice even but reluctant. “You want to have sex.”

“Yes,” I told her. “Later. Not right now. But I don’t want you to have to muffle your laughter anymore than I want you to cover your mouth when you moan.”

She smiled. “What a line,” she said.

I laughed, leaning in to kiss her. “I just want to spend time with you,” I said to her. “We could literally sit here and do nothing and I would be happy.”

“You’d be frustrated,” she said, her grin becoming wicked. “That might be fun.”

“As if you could hold out,” I said. “If I remember correctly, the last time we were together you were begging for it and promising to be quiet.”

She blushed when she remembered, and I almost regretted saying anything. The look on her face combined with the memory of that evening made my cock grow instantly hard. I’d been on the verge of taking her but had stopped, and she’d been frustrated and desperate to continue.

“Why did you want to be an actor?” she asked, changing the subject in a way I knew was meant to tease me. It would come back up later, lace itself in and out of our conversation until the need to touch each other grew overwhelming.

“I always liked it,” I said to her. “I was in theatre in high school. It was just something I took to naturally.”

“Are you any good at it?”

I laughed. “I think so.”

“I know you are,” she said. “The cover turned out amazing.”

“I’m glad I could help.”

We were leaning close to each other, neither of us eating. The food had gone untouched but we were sipping the champagne. I turned my face to hers, taking her mouth in a soft kiss.

“You are radiant,” I said to her, and it was true. She was somehow even more beautiful than the sunset and twice as hard to look away from. She blushed again, as she always did when I complimented her. I had a feeling that it wasn’t something she was used to.

“Can I ask you a question?”

She looked at me and nodded.

“There are some things you said you’d never done before,” I said. “Were they things you weren’t interested in trying?”

“Um, I guess,” she said. “Nobody has ever really made me want to—to do those things. Not before you.”

“But you do want to do them with me?” I hated the thought that I might be pressuring her into things she wasn’t ready for, even if she did seem to enjoy them.

“Yes,” she said softly, kissing me again. She wrapped her arms around my neck, the food forgotten as our mouths moved together. She shifted so her body was pressing against mine on the blanket, nearly on top of me already.

“You like it when I lick your pussy, angel?” I asked her. “That was something new we tried.”

“Yes, I like it,” she said as I nuzzled her neck, pulling her fully onto my lap so she was straddling my hips, our chests pressed together.

“I think it’s time to try something new tonight,” I said to her. “What do you think?”

“What do you have in mind?”

I kissed her again, tasting her mouth as I lifted her dress above her hips. It was then that I realized she wasn’t wearing any panties underneath, but was bare and wet already. I raised my eyebrows at her when I noticed and she gave me a sly little smile.

“And here I thought you were a good girl, Ellie Waters,” I said to her. “No panties?”

“I had a feeling they would be coming off anyway.”

“You were right. But I think we should wait—”

“No,” she protested. “Please don’t make me wait anymore.”

I gave a soft growl and kissed her again, beginning to stroke her pussy with the tips of my fingers as our mouths moved together. She reached to unfasten my pants, freeing my cock from its confines. She gave me a shy look when she saw it, her hand barely able to wrap around the whole thing.

“What is it, angel?” I asked her, stroking her cheek.

“It’s so—it’s so big,” she said.

Just hearing those words coming from her mouth almost made me groan. The look on her face, so innocent and sweet, was enough to make me lose my mind. I took my cock in my hand and rubbed the head of it against her clit, making her moan and whimper when I touched the sensitive bud.

“Just go slow,” I told her in a soft voice, lifting her hips so I could aim my cock into her entrance. I pushed inside of her, feeling how tight she was, helping her lower her hips in an agonizingly slow motion that felt like heaven. I was positive she couldn’t take the whole thing until she sank down on top of me, taking my cock all the way into her perfect pussy.

She started to rock tentatively back and forth on my lap, moving in deliberate strokes, testing a rhythm. I watched her face as she started to get a feel for what she was doing and what felt good to her, watched her eyes roll back when she found a spot that felt just right.

“That’s a good girl,” I said to her. “You’re doing so good, baby.”

She moaned, this time not bothering to cover her mouth. I loved it and didn’t care if anybody heard us. This time I was going to hear every sound she made. Being inside of her was the sexiest thing I’d ever experienced and was worth every moment of the wait. I put my hands on her hips to speed them up when I knew she could handle it, eager to feel her clenching my cock. I was ready to make her come at least once, to start her off soaking wet and ready for the rest of the night.

“Does this feel good?” she asked, bouncing her hips against mine, her arms wrapped around my neck. I nodded, taking her mouth in a kiss as I lifted my hips to meet with hers. Each time I was buried deep inside of her I felt like I was at risk of coming, but I was holding myself back so I could make it last as long as possible. I never wanted her to stop writhing on my lap, especially when she lost control of her hips and started bucking against me as she came with a whimper. She tried to slow down but I wouldn’t let her, instead continuing to move her hips quickly as I thrust inside of her.

“I’m going to come again,” she whimpered. “I don’t know—I don’t know if I can take it.”

“You can, baby,” I said, reaching down to rub her clit. “You will. Over and over.”

She bit her lip, closing her eyes as another orgasm washed over her. I had to pull out or I’d come just from the feeling of her pussy clenching and tightening around me.

“I want to taste you,” I said to her, laying back and pulling her down with me. She raised an eyebrow as I put my hand on her hips, pulling her body up so that her pussy was positioned right above my face.

“Lucas, I’ve never—” she protested, trying to squirm away from me as I lowered her down onto my mouth and began to lick her pussy in slow, luxurious strokes. I lifted her slightly so that I could speak.

“I want you to ride my face,” I said to her. “Make yourself come again.”

“God,” she breathed as I lowered her back onto my mouth. I started sucking her clit, wrapping my lips around it and flicking it with my tongue. Then I stuck it out, licking at her until she started grinding on my face. Her movements were reluctant at first, and she was trying her hardest to hold herself up, afraid to lower herself onto my mouth. I pulled her down all the way, started moving her hips in my hands so that her clit slid over my tongue.

She stopped worrying then and settled down, moving her hips back and forth against my mouth. She started to pant, moaning loudly, and tried to lift herself off me to get away from the overwhelming pleasure. I held her firmly and continued to taste her until she shuddered and came all over my mouth, drenching my chin with her juices. I lapped at her eagerly, cleaning her thighs and the outer lips of her pussy before I flipped her over onto her back.

“Now I get to fuck you,” I said to her, climbing over her. I slid my cock into her in a smooth movement, not wasting any time. I needed to be inside of her, to fill her. I started to rock my hips against hers, draping her legs over my arms to hold her legs far apart. I looked down to watch my cock riding in and out of her pussy, still surprised it even fit. But it did fit, and perfectly. It was like she was made for me.

“I’ve wanted to do this since the moment I met you in the hallway,” I said to her, riding her slowly in and out.

“Really?” she asked, a look of surprise mingling with the pleasure on her face.

“Oh, yes,” I said, remembering the night I’d met her, how I hadn’t been able to get her out of my head. Even at first glance, I’d known she was meant for me. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it, baby. Not for one minute.”

“It’s so good,” she whimpered, breathing against my lips. “So fucking good.”

I nodded in response, grinding against her. She lifted her hips in time with mine, holding my eye as we moved in a natural rhythm together. She looked so perfect, her lips parted, her face flushed pink as she rocked with me. I knew then that I was in love with her, with her sweetness and her body and her mind. I buried myself deep inside of her, grinding against the back of her pussy, desperate to be as close to her as possible. She came all over my cock in a gush of warmth, crying out as I released inside of her, too overwhelmed with pleasure to hold back anymore.

Once we had caught our breath, she sat up and took a sip of her champagne again. I smiled at her, kissing her lips, tasting the sweetness there.

“Do you feel better?” I asked her.

“I’m hungry,” she said, grinning at me as she began to eat. I sat up next to her and kissed her cheek, unable to take my eyes off her. She was glowing, beautiful, and though the sun had gone down, the moon illuminated her gorgeous skin.

“You really are perfect,” I said.

She gave me a small smile. “Thank you.”

When we were finished eating, we left the restaurant, avoiding making eye contact with any of the other customers. I knew that we looked guilty as we passed by holding hands but it was the last thing I cared about. Everything we’d done had been worth it.

We got back home and went into my apartment, sitting down on the couch. Something was nagging at me, something I’d remembered on the way home. There was an email sitting in my inbox from Maria I’d avoided reading before seeing Ellie, knowing whatever it contained could very well spoil the perfect mood. I tried to keep my worries from my face but Ellie looked at me with concern when she noticed I was clearly anxious about something.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, taking one of my hands between both of hers. She kissed my knuckles and I had to smile despite the way I was feeling. Ellie was absolutely the sweetest person I’d ever met, and just that simple gesture of comfort was enough to make the love swell within me so that it was almost overpowering. I resisted the urge to tell her how I felt.

“I’ve had an email from Maria,” I said to her, knowing that I couldn’t hide the truth about that.

“What did it say?” she asked, then looked shy. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I haven’t read it yet,” I told her. “I was too nervous.”

“Read it,” she said. “While I’m here. I can make you feel better.”

I nodded. She had a good point. Whatever I had to face in the email, I knew I’d feel better with Ellie by my side. I picked up my phone, swallowing as I opened the email and read through it. I felt a lump form in my throat, growing thicker and hotter with every word that I read.

“What is it?” she asked, frowning at the look on my face.

“Maria wants custody of Luna,” I said, my voice flat. The words felt almost painful coming out of my throat.

“What?” Ellie asked, her face screwing up in anger. “After everything she’s done?”

“Yeah,” I said, closing my eyes. I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to calm my heart. I couldn’t even bear to think about losing Luna, especially knowing that she would go to Maria, who didn’t even love her at all. Losing Luna would be worse than losing my own life. “I need to call my lawyer.”

“Do it,” she said quickly. “Do you want me to leave?”

I nodded. It was something that I needed to deal with alone.

“I’ll come over when I’m done,” I said.

“Okay,” she said, leaning forward to kiss me. She touched my cheek, stroking it with her thumb. “It’s going to be okay, Lucas. You’re a wonderful father.”

“Thank you,” I said, though I didn’t quite believe her about the first part. I knew how the courts could be in custody cases—the mother almost always won out. Unless there was a way for me to prove that Maria didn’t feel the way about Luna that she should, it would be her word against mine.

I picked up the phone and dialed my lawyer, a man named Jim I knew from high school. I knew he would be more than willing to help me—Jim had been there when Luna was born and had been the best man at my wedding. He knew how hard I worked to be a good father to Luna, especially compared to the way her mother treated her.

He picked up the phone, his voice sounding friendly when he answered. “Hey, man,” he said. “How’s it going?”

“Maria is threatening to take Luna away,” I told him. There was a pause on the other end of the line.

“Fuck her,” he said, his voice sounding sharp. “There’s no way she’s going to be able to take Luna away from you, Lucas.”

“She has more money than me,” I said to him. “And she’s her mother.”

“She’s barely her mother,” Jim said. “Anybody would vouch for that.”

“I hope so,” I said. The fear and worry ate at me so much it was almost hard to bear. “Thanks, Jim. I’ll call you if I hear anything else.”

“No problem. Call me anytime,” he said, then hung up. I got up and went over to Ellie’s, knocking on her door. When she answered, she was completely naked, and I got to drink in her entire body for the first time.

“Hi,” I said, my throat dry as I took in her body.

“Thought you could use a distraction,” she said, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing her body to mine. I lifted her up, shutting the door behind us as I carried her to her bedroom. I spent the rest of the night making her come until we fell asleep, trying not to think about the trouble with Maria and the worry about losing the most important thing in the world to me.

In the morning, I got up early to pick up Luna, excited and eager to see my daughter. I left Ellie sleeping with a kiss on the forehead—we’d been up late the night before and we hadn’t exactly been resting.

There was an envelope inside my apartment, as if somebody had slid it under the door. I picked it up to see Maria’s lawyer’s name on the front. A shiver of cold dread ran through me as I opened the envelope to read the letter inside. I felt panic well up as I read the words on the page, felt my eyes sting with unshed tears of frustration. I went back over to Ellie’s and knocked on the door. When she saw the look on my face, she took me by the hand and pulled me into the apartment.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Tell me.”

I handed her the letter. “Maria filed for sole custody of Luna. She—the whole thing is filled with lies. She said we live in the slums, that I leave Luna at home in the apartment by herself.”

“Oh, Lucas,” she said, her eyes filled with sympathy. “You can fight this. Everybody knows that’s not true.”

“Maria has so much money,” I said, running my hand through my hair. “She has a killer lawyer. I have no idea what to do.”

“Listen, you know the book?” she said. “It’s doing great. I’ve had so many requests to book you it’s crazy. You’ll get the money.”

Surprise ran through me, briefly interrupting my worry. “Really?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said seriously. “So don’t worry about a lawyer.”

“Okay,” I said. The thought did comfort me somewhat, knowing that I would be able to pay Jim what he was worth. And having the extra money would help in the courts—I would be much better off in a custody battle if I had money in my bank account to actually support Luna as well as Maria would be able to. “I’m going to go pick up Luna. I’ll see you later.”

“Okay,” she said, leaning in to kiss me. “Come over later.”

“I will,” I promised her, then got up and headed out to pick up Luna, doing my best to fight the feelings of rage and despair inside of me.