Things are strained at home, although I’m not sure why.

I know my mother doesn’t know about me and Connor. Maybe it’s just stress from convincing granddad to give her the company, or maybe it’s just normal job stress, but she’s been even more high strung than usual.

I was slow to notice it, which makes me feel guilty. I’ve been so wrapped up in what’s happening between me and Connor that I’ve been blind to how my mother feels. But that night, when my mother comes home, I make a point to go see her.

She’s in her room, like she is more and more often lately, drinking a glass of wine and relaxing in her bed. Her reading glasses are on and she has a book open in her lap. I knock lightly on the door and peek my head in.

“Hey,” I say.

“Hey yourself.” She shuts the book as I walk into the room.

“How are you?” I ask. I sit down at the end of the bed.

She shrugs. “Stressed. Tired. So about average.”

I smile. “Sounds about right.”

“How are you getting along? How have things been here with Connor?”

I pause for a second. “Good,” I say, “going great. He’s a nice guy.”

“Glad you two are getting along.” She gives me a searching look that makes me think she knows something, but of course she doesn’t. There’s no way.

“Where is he, anyway?” I ask her.

She shrugs. “Downstairs, I think.”

“Oh.” I look away for a second. “You’ve been working a lot.”

“I have,” she agrees. “It’s a busy time of the year. You know that.”

“I know,” I say. “But still. Are you... okay?”

She smiles softly. “If you’re worried about me, don’t be. I’m fine. I’m the mom, remember?”

“I know you are. I can still worry.”

“Well, stop. I’m okay. Things are just really hectic right now. Your granddad isn’t doing too great.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I want to go see him soon.”

“Okay, you will. But I do need a favor from you.”

I pause, head cocked. “What’s that?”

“I’d like it if you’d stay put for a little while.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“I know you’ve been applying to jobs. Looking for things to do. But I’d like it if you put that stuff on hold, at least for a little while.”

My frown deepens. “You know I need to start moving on,” I say.

“I know, honey. And you will. It’s just a bad time.”

“Why?” I ask her.

“Everything I just said. And because I say so.”

I can sense a slight hint of anger behind her words, and I know I won’t get anywhere arguing with her right now. When she gets stubborn, her mind set on something, there’s no changing it.

“I don’t understand,” I say honestly. “I’m just looking for a job.”

“Stay home, sweetie.”

“Are you... grounding me?”

She shakes her head. “There’s just a lot going on. I don’t want to have to worry about you, too.”

“I don’t get it. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Her face changes so suddenly that it physically surprises me. Before, she looked slightly annoyed but still smiling. Suddenly though, she gets angry.

“Sydney,” she says. “Stop being a child. I’m telling you to stay home and lounge around the pool. Is that so hard?”

Her tone is harsh and completely takes me by surprise. I stare at her, shocked and not sure what to say.

“Did you hear me?” she snaps. “You’re just staring at me.”

“I heard you,” I say softly, standing. “Okay. I’ll stay home.”

“Thank you.” She’s short and abrupt.

I turn and leave her room, done talking to her. I head into my own room and softly shut the door behind me.

I sit cross-legged at my desk and idly open my computer, but I can’t concentrate on Facebook.

My mother doesn’t yell at me like that. She’s always supportive and kind and patient with me, even when I don’t really deserve it. I don’t understand why she just snapped, but there must be a reason. Part of me wants to fight her and give her hell, but I’m trying not to be a child.

And I can see the stress in her eyes. It’s pretty obvious to me that something is going on, something more than I know about. Maybe this thing with my uncle is way worse than I realize.

If she’s asking me to stay home for my own protection, that probably means that she’s worried about what my uncle might do to me. That seems totally crazy. I know Uncle Evan is trying to get control of the company from her, and he’s going after her, but I can’t imagine he’d get violent. I’ve known him my whole life. I know his children and his wife. We used to have Christmases together, all in one house. But now apparently he’s dangerous to me, so much so that my mother is genuinely afraid.

I don’t know what to think or feel. It’s confusing, way too confusing.

I go across the hall and brush my teeth and get ready for bed. Once I’m back in my room, I shut off the light and climb under the covers.

But sleep doesn’t come. I lie in bed, tossing and turning for a few hours, trying to get to sleep, but it’s impossible. I glance at the clock and it’s suddenly one in the morning, but I have no clue how it got so late.

I’m staring at the ceiling, trying to count sheep, when I hear a noise outside my bedroom door. A sudden jolt of fear hits me, hard and deep. I clutch my comforter, not sure what to do.

My door slowly creaks open. I want to scream, but I’m totally paralyzed. A figure enters the door, framed by the weak hall light, and it slips into my room.

The door shuts behind him. I sit up, staring, as the shape comes closer.

“You’re awake.”

I let out a breath. It’s Connor, smirking at me in the darkness. “You scared me.”

“Good.” He stops at the foot of my bed. He’s wearing a simple white t-shirt and a pair of gray boxer briefs and nothing else.

“What are you doing in here?” I ask him, keeping quiet.

“I wanted to see you.”

I bite my lip. “What for?”

“We left something unfinished earlier.”

I feel a thrill run through my body. “My mom is just down the hall.”

“I know.” He smirks and slowly pulls my covers off my body. “Are you afraid?”

“Maybe,” I say.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m your Daddy now. I’ll keep you safe, baby.”

He finishes pulling off my comforter and drops it on the ground. I’m wearing only an old shirt and a pair of boy short panties. He gets onto the bed and slowly moves up toward me, pinning me back down with his hands, holding my wrists onto the bed.

“Please,” I gasp, feeling his hard cock between my legs. “We shouldn’t.”

“What are you so afraid of?” he whispers in my ear. “I’ll take care of you.”

“I know,” I groan as he kisses my neck. “But if my mom catches us... “

“You’ll be quiet,” he says.

“I don’t know.”

“Let me see.” He releases my right wrist and I feel his hand press down the front of my panties. I gasp as his fingers find my slick pussy. “That’s what I thought. Dripping wet. And here you are, pretending like you don’t want this.”

“Asshole,” I say, but he just grins at me and presses my wrist back down. He holds me there, pressing his cock against my pussy, before kissing me hard.

I kiss him back, not able to stop myself. I know we shouldn’t, I know I shouldn’t do this and add to my mom’s stress. If we get caught, she’ll lose it, I just know it. But I can’t stop, don’t want to stop.

I lose myself in his kiss, loving his taste and how easily he pins me down and controls me. He releases my wrist again and slowly moves down my body, teasing my breasts through my thin cotton shirt before slipping under my panties and finding my slick pussy.

This time, he doesn’t stop. He strokes my spot with his fingers, sliding them around my clit before pressing them inside of me. I gasp into his kiss and moan. He pulls back and smirks, looking at me.

“Be quiet,” he says. “You need to be very quiet if you’re going to let me make you come again. Can you do that?”

“I’ll try,” I whisper.

“Good girl.” He kisses my neck, my collarbone, my breasts. He teases my nipples with his tongue and teeth as his fingers pump into my pussy, sliding in and out. “Am I going to have to cover your mouth?”

I’m not sure how to answer, because I can’t think. It feels so fucking good, having him on top of me like this, fucking my pussy with his fingers. “I don’t know,” I gasp.

“Fuck, girl,” he says, moving off me. He slides his boxer briefs off, revealing his hard cock. “Come here.”

I lean over him, hands on his chest, and kiss him deep. He takes my hair in his hands, pulling me back, making me gasp. I reach down and find his hard cock, and slowly stroke him.

He’s big, really big, much bigger than I’ve seen before. He grunts softly. “You’re too fucking loud,” he says. “But I know what’s going to make you quiet.” He reaches over and grabs my hips, pulling me toward him and turning me. I gasp as he makes me straddle his face, placing my mouth down by his cock.

I gasp as his tongue finds my pussy. “Suck that cock,” he says. “You can’t be too loud while you gag on my big dick.”

I moan but I do as I’m told. I take the base of his cock in one hand and slowly slide him into my mouth. He’s huge and barely fits, but I force him in there, gagging slightly and moaning softly as he tongues my little pussy.

I start to suck his cock as he licks my clit, tongue sliding down along my pussy, eating my every inch. It feels so fucking good and drives me wild to have his cock in my mouth as he licks my pussy.

I slide him down deep, taking as much as I can, making him grunt. I feel his fingers press deep inside of my pussy as he starts fucking me like that as I suck his cock faster, getting deeper.

“Fuck, I love this tight little cunt,” he says. “You’re dripping for me, you know that, baby? You want to scream, but you can’t with this big cock down your fucking throat.” He pushes his hips up, thrusting his cock deeper into my mouth.

I gag but I hold him there, overwhelmed by the pleasure. My pussy feels so fucking good, and I love having his cock in my mouth. It’s an amazing sensation as I gag and yet feel so much pleasure. It only heightens the intensity as he keeps working me, thrusting into my throat, fucking my mouth while his fingers fuck my pussy.

“Shit, girl,” he grunts. “I want to come down that pretty fucking throat. You’re driving me insane. I didn’t know you were such a slut for cock.”

I pull back, gasping in air. “I’m not,” I moan.

He slaps my ass, hard. I gasp, surprised. “Don’t argue with me,” he says. “Call me fucking Daddy.”

“Yes, Daddy,” I moan, taking his cock into my mouth again and sucking him harder.

“That’s right, fuck, I love this tight ass and perfect cunt.” He tongues me, sliding in and out. “Delicious, goddamn.”

Suddenly, he pushes me off him and to the side. I sit back and look at him as he gets onto his knees. He reaches out and takes me by the hair, turning me around, getting me on all fours, face toward the pillow. He pushes my mouth down into it as he spreads my legs wide.

I feel his cock pressing up against my pussy, ready to thrust inside of me. He leans over me, mouth against m ear. “I’m going to fuck you and I’m not going to be nice,” he says. “You can moan and scream all you want into that pillow. And when you come, you better thank your Daddy. Understand?”

I nod my head once and he kisses me gently on the lips before pressing my face into the pillow.

I grip the sheets as he slides himself inside of me. I gasp as the pain hits me at first, surprising in its intensity. But it’s mixed with pleasure as he reaches around my hip and slowly rubs my clit. He eases himself deep inside of me, filling my pussy, as he works my clit.

Slowly he pulls back then thrusts hard into me. I moan, gasping at the pleasure and the pain as he starts thrusting, slow but hard at first. He’s easing me into it, I can tell, but he can barely hold himself back.

I don’t want him to ease me into anything. I buck my hips back and lift my face from the pillow, looking over my shoulder at him. For a brief second, our eyes meet.

“Fuck me, Daddy,” I say softly.

I hear his groan as he grabs my hair and shoves my face back into the pillow.

He doesn’t hold back anymore. He rocks his cock into my pussy, fucking me like a hurricane, like a perfect nightmare. He rips into my cunt, body slamming into my ass, and I’m filled with absolute pleasure. I scream out and moan into the pillow, hands gripping the headboard. His fist remains in my hair, though he’s not pressing my face down anymore, I want it there.

I ride my hips back along his length, working my back He lets me do the work for a second as he reaches around with his other hand to work my clit. He releases my hair and thrusts hard into me as he slaps my ass at the same time. I gasp as he does it again, and I know he’s leaving nice red palm prints on my ass.

I want more. I rock my hips back, using my leverage to fuck him, and he grunts his approval.

“That’s right, baby girl, ride that fucking fat cock,” he growls at me, pulling my hair again. He grabs my breasts rough and tease my nipples as he fucks me, cock ripping into my tight cunt.

I don’t know how we’re not waking up the whole house, but I don’t care. All I can think about is getting fucked by his thick cock and how incredible it feels.

Totally out of my mind, he suddenly pulls himself out, grabs my hips, and turns me around onto my back. He spreads my legs wide and slams his cock back inside of me, barely missing a beat.

He puts his big, rough hand over my mouth as he grinds his cock inside of me. I grab onto his back, fingers digging into his skin as he fucks my tight pussy harder, filling me up. My pussy clenches down and I bite his hand, making him grunt, but he doesn’t stop. It only makes him fuck me harder, rougher.

I start to roll my hips, rubbing my clit against him as he fucks me rough. We get into a rhythm and I’m losing it, absolutely losing it. I have to bite down on his hand again just to keep from screaming my head off. He grunts and I know it hurts him, but I can’t stop it. I dig my fingers into his back as he fucks me faster and deeper. Sweat drips down our bodies and I don’t know how much longer I can take it.

“Come for me,” he says, sensing how close I am. “Go ahead, girl. Come on this cock. I’m going to fill your pretty mouth when you’re done.”

My orgasm comes clean and fast, ripping through me. He keeps my mouth covered as I moan into his palm. He doesn’t let up as he fucks me though, pushing me further and further into my orgasm, overwhelming my mind, pushing me deep into pleasure.

It’s incredible, and I don’t know how I haven’t felt this way before, but I haven’t. Connor got me where nobody else could ever get me, and I know I need more, I know I’m already addicted, falling deeper.

When my orgasm passes, he moves his hand and pulls his cock from inside of me. He moves around me and grabs my hair, pressing his cock between my lips. I take him and start working his shaft, sucking his cock, taking him deep into my mouth. He fucks my face like that, grunting, sweating, and I know he’s close.

“Fuck,” he groans, and I taste his cum fill my mouth. I don’t stop, I just keep sucking him, swallowing every single drop as he fills my mouth and throat. I’m amazed and impressed as he finishes, and together we collapse onto my bed.

He wraps his arms around me and we lay there, panting and sweating, totally spent and exhausted. “Shit,” he says softly. “That was louder than I wanted.”

“It could have been worse.” I sigh and nuzzle up against him, but suddenly notice that he’s bleeding. “Shit, Connor. I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell me?”

He looks down at his hand and laughs. “Oh. I didn’t notice.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.” He shrugs. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m sorry. I won’t do that again.”

He shrugs and kisses me gently. “Learning curve. Next time, don’t bite so hard.”

I smile and nuzzle up against him again, enjoying his arms wrapped around me.

I didn’t even know it was possible to feel this good. For the first time in my life, I don’t want to be somewhere else. I don’t know why, but it’s perfect, right here in his arms. I never knew I could even feel this way, but it’s the truth. I can’t run from it or deny it.

Eventually, though, he stirs and slowly gets up. “I have to go,” he says. “I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

He kisses me gently again. “See you tomorrow.” I watch as he dresses and then slips out of my room again like a ghost.

I lie back down, spinning from pleasure and exertion. I feel so good, and I’m suddenly so tired that I drift off to sleep in no time.