“Do you like that?” he whispered against her flesh.
“Yes,” she said, half fearful he would stop.
“Good,” he whispered before engulfing her breast again with his mouth.
His suckling became harder. More intense. As the pace of his rubbing between her legs increased, her thighs fell open. She ground herself against his hand, desperately trying to get closer. Desperate for something she didn’t quite understand. She liked this. So far it hadn’t been the horror she’d feared. Though Joseph was close to two decades older than her, he was in remarkable condition. As he shifted her on the bed so that he was lying on top of her, they were pressed chest to chest. His lips covered hers.
There was no softness about his kiss. In fact he kissed her so greedily she feared he’d cause her to chip a tooth. Tentatively she placed her palms against his chest. Joseph stopped his kissing and looked down at her. His black eyes met hers before skimming down her body. He licked his lips as his eyes found her breasts.
“You’ve got a great pair of tits.”
Ava offered him a small smile. No words of thanks came from her lips. Instead she watched him as his eyes locked on the triangle between her thighs.
“Open your legs wider.”
She obeyed him. For a minute he didn’t move. He only stared. Ava wondered if he changed his mind. Then seemingly to mentally get a hold of himself, he leaned over her and reached for the bedside table. Ava watched as he ripped open a foiled packet. Condom. She’d never seen one up close and personal. Her eyes widened as he withdrew the condom. For the first time, fear crept up her belly white and hot.
Her nerves stretched taunt as Joseph eased his shorts over his waist and off his body. His cock stood stiff, pulsing and red looking. The bulbous head leaked. A whimper escaped her lips. Joseph’s eyes met hers.
“Don’t be scared.”
He slid the condom over himself until the full length of him was sheathed. Ava’s breath came in wild gasps as Joseph settled between her thighs. She could feel that part of him that was all man, pressing against her entrance.
“Just relax.”
She nodded her head and tried to do as he asked, but it was all but impossible. She closed her eyes as he took his pleasure and when he was done she breathed a sigh of relief. As he told her how sexy she was, Ava didn’t say a word. Instead she rolled over, her back to him. Her body screamed in pain as she moved. She wondered how long she would be sore. How long it would be before he decided to take her again. If her body would cry out in pain each time he did. Would she ever know pleasure?
“Ava? I ever catch you with another man I’ll kill the both of you. Ya got it?”
“Yes, Joseph.”
“Good. Then we shouldn’t have any problems. Now come here.”
Against her will, Ava scooted closer to Joseph, back still turned. His arms came around her waist pulling her closer. His chest pressed against her back. His manhood lay nestled almost in the cleft of her butt. She lay quietly captured in Joseph’s embrace. Soon, he was asleep, his snores filling the room. Ava allowed the tears she’d been battling to escape from her eyes.
This was what she’d signed up for. To allow a man old enough to be her father to use her body whenever he pleased. To lie beneath him whether she enjoyed it or not. Yes, this is what she’d chosen in an effort to save her father from certain death. But now, at this moment, she’d realized her sacrifice had been for naught. Instead of thanking her for saving his life by making a deal with Joseph, her father had disowned her. Called her a whore and told her that he never wanted to see her again.
Her tears fell harder now. Yes, all for nothing. But despite the way Roger had treated her, Ava wouldn’t go back on her word. She belonged to Joseph now and as long as she did, her father’s life was safe. And despite the lack of love Roger had shown to her, she would not abandon him to his death.
Ava was no coward like her father. She was now a woman with a strength she didn’t understand. So she wiped her tears and released a deep breath. This was her life now and she was going to make the most of it.
“Isn’t it cool, Mommy? Mommy?”
Ava snapped back to reality. Maia was standing in front of her holding up a structure she’d just built with her Legos.
“You did a good job on that, baby. What are you building?”
“A mansion.”
“A mansion? You’re going to need a lot more blocks to get it finished.”
“I’m going to work on it every day after school until it’s really big.”
“Good for you, baby. I can’t wait to see it when you finish,” Ava said, smiling at her daughter.
She ruffled Maia’s hair. After seeing the black sedan again, Ava had picked her daughter up from school early. She’d needed to be near her baby to make sure her little angel was okay. They’d gone out for ice cream before coming home and enjoying spending the afternoon together. Just being near her little girl helped put her mind at ease.
Maia leaned in and kissed her cheek. Ava pulled her daughter close and hugged her tight.
“Maia, dinner time. Mrs. Valdez made your favorite, chicken alfredo,” Natalie said, coming into the room smiling.
She sat her Lego structure down carefully on the floor and ran off towards the kitchen. Ava watched her go with a smile. That girl was Italian to the core. While most five-year-olds wanted chicken fingers and French fries, Maia wanted all the pasta she could eat. Chicken carbonara, shrimp alfredo, spaghetti… that little girl loved Italian food. Just like her father.
“Are you eating?” Natalie asked.
“I don’t have much of an appetite, but thank you.”
“Okay,” Natalie said, preparing to turn away.
“Natalie, would you come here for a minute?”
Natalie walked deeper into the room. Ava motioned for her to sit beside her on the couch. The girl’s eyes were wide. Am I really so mean that she expects me to fuss her out every time I want to talk? Maybe I need to lay off a bit.
“Is something wrong, Ms. Hill?”
“I really appreciate the way you’ve taken care of Maia. You came over here today when you could have had the afternoon off. And anybody who sees you and my girl together can tell that you love her and she loves you. So thank you. I couldn’t ask for a better person to look after my little girl.”
“It’s my pleasure, Ms. Hill. I love Maia just like she’s my little sister. Being away from my own family, it was easy to bond with her…and you.”
Ava’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Thank you, Natalie. I’m going to give you a raise.”
“Really?” Natalie’s eyes were wide.
“Yes. You deserve it. And there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Okay.”
“I know that you’ve been living in a dorm room and I’m sure that you’d prefer having a little bit more space and privacy. How would you like to move into the other guest house?”
“Really? You’d let me live here?”
“Of course. You’d have more privacy to study. No crazy roommates keeping up fuss and I can assure you the time you spend with Maia will be the same. No more extra time with her just because you’d be staying in the guest house. So what do you say?”