Ellie was asleep in my lap, her face peaceful and gorgeous. She looked like an angel, ethereal, her long eyelashes fanned over her cheeks. She had a small smile on her face, one that told me that her dreams were filled with something pleasant. Just that look on her face and the feeling of her body touching mine was enough to make something flutter in my stomach. I couldn’t believe what I’d said to her—how I’d wondered aloud at why I hadn’t met her earlier. Ellie would be perfect for me if I wasn’t carrying so much baggage around.

I pushed the hair out of her face to look at her more closely, stroking her soft cheek with my finger. Her lips were parted, pretty and pink, and I found myself leaning down to try to kiss her. I couldn’t reach with her head in my lap, and I was about to pull back when she stirred, opening her eyes. They met mine right away and the look on her face was so pure, so full of desire I felt myself falling into her gaze. She lifted her face while I was distracted by looking at her, taking my lips in a kiss that was soft and tentative.

“Ellie,” I said softly as she sat up, sitting beside me. I brought my face to hers and kissed her again, then again, sucking on her bottom lip. I brought my hands to her cheeks, holding her close as her tongue slipped between my lips to explore my mouth. I sighed against her lips and tasted her as she drew even closer to me. Our kiss deepened, growing hotter while our mouths met over and over, unable to stay away from each other.

She shifted, straddling my lap on the couch as our mouths moved together. I put my hands on her waist, moving them lower, touching her hips and her ass. Her skirt was bunched up underneath her so most of her thighs were uncovered. I put my hands on them, touching her perfectly soft skin.

“I want you so bad,” she breathed, speaking against my lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything this bad.”

“God,” I said, my voice coming out hoarse. Her words only fueled me. I felt the exact same way, although I couldn’t bring myself to voice it as I kissed her in a way that was filthy and probably spoke for me. Her hips were grinding against my cock through the fabric of our clothes, and I almost felt like I could explode from that alone. Something about seeing her innocent little face so full of need made me crazy.

I unbuttoned her dress, starting at the neck, brushing my knuckles against her skin as I went. It unbuttoned to the waist, and when I was finished I parted the fabric so I could see her small, round breasts, perfect with their hard pink nipples. I wanted to suck on them, to fondle them in my hands. My mouth moved down to her neck, tasting her skin in hot, open-mouth kisses that made her whimper. She arched backward to give me access to her chest, presenting herself to me. I kissed her breasts the same way as her neck, teasing her until I finally came to her nipples. I took one into my mouth and sucked on it gently. My hands supported her back, held her as I flicked my tongue over the hard bud. She writhed against me.

“So fucking responsive,” I said. “You like this, angel?”

“Yes,” she said. I nipped at her breast, leaving a small red mark with my teeth before returning to toy with her nipple in my mouth. I shifted our bodies then so she was lying on the couch beneath me. She was moving too much to support her anymore, her breasts pressing against my chest. Though she was small, she wasn’t delicate. I moved down her body to take her other nipple into my mouth to tease it the same as I’d done with the other. I touched her thighs, brushing them up and down. A moan escaped her lips, a soft plea for me to touch her.

“You have to be quiet, Ellie,” I said to her. “Can you do that for me?”

She bit her lip, nodding. I continued to suck on her breast, my fingers exploring her thighs, getting closer to her pussy. When I finally touched it, her hips twitched underneath me. I stroked her through her panties, brushing my fingers over her lower lips. Her panties were soaking wet and clinging to her pussy which was swollen and needy, ready to be touched. My finger barely touched her clit and she moaned again, a helpless look on her pretty face. I couldn’t help but continue stroking her little pussy, loving her expression, the way she was giving herself to me. I kissed her, tasting her mouth.

“Daddy?” came Luna’s voice from the doorway.

I jumped away from Ellie, who quickly pulled her dress over her breasts and hips.

“Hi, baby,” I said, standing up. I still felt breathless but I pretended everything was normal for Luna’s sake. “What are you doing up?”

“I heard a noise,” Luna said, and I exchanged a glance with Ellie, who looked embarrassed and apologetic.

“Ellie was just having a bad dream is all,” I told Luna. “You know how sometimes you have bad dreams and you make noises in your sleep?”

“Yeah,” said Luna, rubbing her eyes with her fists. “Can we go home, Daddy? I want Mr. Grams.”

“Yes, baby,” I said. Mr. Grams was her teddy bear and she never slept without him. I looked over at Ellie, meeting her eye. There was a wild look in her gaze that made me hard all over again, and I had to look away from her as Luna and I left for the night. I told Ellie goodnight and she responded in a small voice, closing the door behind us as we crossed the hall to our apartment. Luna went straight to bed when we got inside, and part of me considered going back to Ellie’s. I knew I couldn’t leave my daughter in the apartment by herself, though, not even if I was just across the hall.

Thoughts of Ellie overwhelmed me as I lay in bed. I wanted her so bad it ached, but at the same time, I was terrified of the way she made me feel. I felt out of control with her. I’d felt a similar way with Maria, though Ellie seemed different. The feeling was different. Just as consuming but with more softness to it than my desire for Maria had had. Ellie was kind and smart and beautiful, but the longer I thought about her, the more a part of me told me to stay away. I was conflicted as I fell asleep, wondering exactly what I should do about the girl across the hallway who had captivated me more than I could ever imagine.