Page 43 of Paper Flowers (Stonebrook #1)

“A bath sounds amazing. Your giant cock stretched me out so much, I know I’ll feel like you’re inside me for days. So a hot bath will help me.”

“You are doing wonders to my ego, Dayna.” I let out a laugh.

Throwing the blankets off of us, I lean back on my heels, I look down between us as I part her legs open.

I see my release dripping down her inner thighs, and push a finger full back into her.

She reaches for my hand and brings the finger that was just inside her to her mouth and sucks it clean.

Only my girl can make me this hard right after we just made love.

After our bath, I turned down the bed for us while Dayna was getting dressed. She walks out of the bathroom with my shirt on and a big smile on her face. God, she so fucking beautiful. She leans up on her tippy toes to kiss me. I wrap my arms around the small of her back.

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Luke.”

“Let’s go to bed.”

I’m up before my alarm and I can’t help but stare at Dayna as she’s sleeping. Her head is resting on my chest with her leg over my thigh. We went two more times and showered together before we finally went to sleep last night. I can’t get enough of her. I rub her back softly to wake her up.

“Good morning, Baby.” She smiles with her eyes still closed.

“Morning, love.”

“How am I supposed to get out of bed when I am so comfortable here?” She says as she stretches her body.

“Ouch! Oh god, I am so sore.” She nestles her face in my chest and lightly bites my shoulder.

Before she knows it, I’m on top of her. I nip at her lips, “You don’t know how good it feels to see you in my clothes.

” I say as I pinch her nipples through her shirt.

A high-pitched squeal escaped her mouth.

“Shh— you’re going to wake Sadie and then I won’t be able to take you in the shower with me. ”

“You need to keep your dick away from me for at least eight hours.”

“Well it’s a good thing, we will be at work. Now quietly, let’s take this to the shower.”

“No funny business Mr. Beckett.” Oh she plays dirty. I pull her out of bed, throw her over my shoulder and lead us to the bathroom. All while she giggles.

Dayna and I are downstairs in the kitchen and dressed for work. Sadie is getting dressed upstairs and should be down in a minute. I’m packing Sadie’s lunch pail with leftover meatloaf from last night. She can warm it up in my classroom before lunchtime.

Dayna is filling up two of my coffee travel mugs behind the kitchen counter. I love how she makes herself at home and gets what she needs. I look at her and I notice she’s nervous. I walk over to her and kiss her forehead, “You feeling okay, Love?”

“Yeah, I’m good. What can I do to help, what does Sadie eat for breakfast?” She says with a bit of uncertainty.

“She usually eats a peanut butter and banana sandwich with a glass of milk with extra ice.”

“I can make that.” She says with a smile and is already walking to the pantry.

“I’m reeeaady!” Sadie announces as she walks into the kitchen.

“Good morning, how are you feeling today Sadie Girl?” I ask her as Dayna places breakfast at the countertop in front of Sadie.

“Thank you!” She gives Dayna the sweetest smile and takes a bite.

“I feel better, Daddy. I have you and Dayna with me to help me with my sad tears.”

I glance at Dayna and she’s looking at Sadie with concerned eyes.

She walks over to her and stands next to her at the counter.

She takes her tiny hands into hers and holds them.

“Sadie, anytime you feel like you need me, all you have to do is go to my office and I am yours. I will stop what I am doing for you. If I happen to not be there, you ask Mrs. Emily to give me a call. I will drop everything to meet you anywhere. That is a promise.”

Sadie nods her head and gives Dayna a big wrap around hug.

“I love you, Dayna.” I see those whiskey-colored eyes gloss over.

She isn’t used to a love like this and she certainly isn’t taking this for granted.

“I love you too, Sadie. With everything I am.” She looks up to me and a tear falls.

I lean down and wipe it softly off the side of her face.

With the three of us in the truck ready for school, Sadie asks for the playlist she made the other day.

I plug my phone in and hit play taking a drink of my morning coffee.

The first song that fills the double cab is Cruel Summer By Taylor Swift.

Dayna and Sadie simultaneously let out a loud squeal and I nearly spilled my coffee over me.

“What? What’s wrong?” I ask looking at the rear-view mirror and then to the side of me.

“Nothing, I just like this song.” Dayna says with a slight shoulder shrug.

“Yeah me too, Daddy!” Sadie says as if it’s no big deal as well.

Dayna looks back at Sadie and they both laugh together and start singing loudly.

With our short drive to school, I start to tap the steering wheel along to the beat.

My girls are happy and I can’t think of a more perfect morning.

I reach over the center console and place my hand on Dayna’s thigh and rub my thumb along her dress pants.

She looks at me and mouths “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

We pull into the parking lot and Sadie spots Cara walking into the front office. “Come on you two, let’s get this day started.”

We get out of the truck and head inside to the front office.

Dayna is holding Sadie’s hand as I open the door for them.

Mrs. Emily gets up from her desk and begins to round the front counter to give Sadie a hug.

“Oh Little Sugar Bear, I am so happy to see you here today.” I link my fingers with Dayna’s.

When Mrs. Emily looks up at us and her eyes bounce between us.

She stands up with a questionable look and it’s as if she knows we slept together.

She nudges Dayna and winks. Oh yeah . She knows.

Dayna begins to blush. Nothing gets past Mrs. Emily.

“Have a good day today, Dayna.” I squeeze her hand three times then release her hand. She gets eye level with Sadie. “Remember what I said, if you need me, I’m yours.” She gives Sadie a kiss on her forehead and wishes her a great day.

I am a little on edge with the way things went yesterday but I am trying hard to put on a straight face for Sadie. Caleb walks out of his classroom to greet her. She’s usually the first one in class but Grace is waiting for her.

“Sadie! I’m glad you’re feeling better. Do you want to color with me?

” Grace asks my daughter. Sadie looks up at me with questioning eyes, “Go on, Sadie Girl. I’ll see you at your lunchtime to warm up your food.

I love you, princess.” She puts her things away and heads for the back table with the paper and crayons.

“How’s she doing, Luke? Everyone heard about it and it’s just unbelievable.” Caleb says as we’re standing by his door.

“With all things considered, I think she’s doing okay. She’s stronger than I could ever be. She knew what he was saying wasn’t true and knew she could go to Dayna.”

“So things with Dayna are going well?”

“Yeah, things are great between us but she feels terrible about what happened.”

“It’s not her fault. Dean is such an asshole.”

“Tell me about it. Hey— um. Keep an eye on her for me, call me if she needs anything.”

“You know I will Luke.”

I shake his hand and walk over to my classroom.

I have a meeting with Principal McKenna and Dean at nine.

I need to make sure my students have their worksheets ready for the temporary sub.

Some of my students trickle in and get their homework out.

Cara left a note saying the kids were well behaved and asked them to write out a few sentences on how to show kindness for their homework assignment last night.

Walking into the front office and Mrs. Emily is sipping on her morning coffee.

I say hello quietly and lean my hip against her desk with my hands in my pockets.

I glance at Dayna’s office to see her deep in concentration.

Her body stills as if she feels my eyes on her.

She looks up slowly with a knowingly grin. I wink at her.

“That girl is so smitten with you.” Mrs. Emily says as she’s typing away on her computer. Not even looking up at me. “The feeling is mutual, Mrs. Emily. That girl is everything.” I swear I hear her sigh. Her phone rings and she answers it. “Yes, he’s here. I’ll let him know.”

“McKenna is ready for you, Mr. Beckett.”

Before I walk towards Morgan’s office, I look at Dayna.

She has her hand over her heart and mouths, “I love you” I place my hand over my chest and mouth “I love you too.” I turn on my heels and head inside McKenna’s office.

Dean is seated at the far end of the office and McKenna is behind her desk.

“Good Morning, Mr. Beckett. Let’s begin. ”

I take my seat in front of her desk and surprisingly, I feel so relaxed. Dean doesn’t know what’s coming. “I want to start off and say how sorry I am for how things transpired yesterday.”

“I appreciate that apology, really. But what I’d really like is to hear it from him.

Since he had plenty to say to my six-year-old daughter yesterday.

I’m sure he won’t have any problem explaining himself now.

” I lean back in my chair, arms crossed, keeping my voice even.

But inside, my patience is hanging on by a thread.

I glance at him, waiting. He’s already sinking into his seat, eyes flicking between me and McKenna like he’s calculating his next move.

Like he thinks he can talk his way out of this.

“Go on,” I press, titling my head. “You had no problem speaking your mind to a little girl— let’s hear what you have to say now.”

“Luke, come on. I know what Sadie said, but that’s not what I was trying to convey to her. She mis-under?—”

“I’m going to stop you right there, Dean.” I hold up a hand, my patience wearing thin.

“You don’t get to sit here and undermine my daughter’s intelligence. She knows exactly what she heard, and there’s no room for questioning whether she ‘misunderstood.’” I lean forward slightly, my voice low and deliberate.

“You abused your position and took out your own frustrations on a six-year-old girl. A little girl who is grieving the loss of her mother and struggling with her fears of losing someone else. For what? To prove a point? To feel like you had control?” I shake my head in disgust.

“You don’t get to decide who her family is. That is not your place, and it never will be.”

“Luke— I know that.”

“No. I don’t think you do. I trusted you. My daughter trusted you.”

“I know I fucked up.”

“Do you? Because it seems like there’s a pattern here, Mr. Carter.” Principal McKenna speaks up.

“I spoke to you myself, I gave you the benefit of the doubt. Thought maybe you were having an off day when you spoke to Ms. Evans so unprofessionally.” She exhales sharply, folding her arms, her expression unreadable.

“I told you, your personal feelings have no place here and yet— here we are.” She said firmly.

“Dayna didn’t have to tell you when I showed her Sadie’s drawings. I was simply making an observation that she’s in a relationship with him .” He hikes a thumb my way with disgust.

Fuck.

He makes my blood boil. I am so close to losing my shit .

“I don’t appreciate the way you have spoken to either of my girls.”

“Your girls? ” Dean spits out.

“Yes, my girls. You don’t have to like it but you better get used to it because Dayna and I? We’re not going anywhere.”

I sit straight in my chair, my tone dropping just enough to make sure he hears me loud and clear.

“And since you brought it up, let me make this real damn clear— I’m going give her everything you threw away. Everything you didn’t want. I’m showing her what real love feels like, what it should have been.”

Dean lets out a scoff, rolling his eyes. But I see it— the tightness in his jaw, the flicker of something unreadable beneath his carefully practiced indifference. Good. That means he’s listening.

“If you ever so much as breath in Sadie or Dayna’s direction the wrong way, I’ll make sure you’ll never work at a school again. Leave my family alone or so help me god, I will kick your ass from here to fucking Tuesday!”

“Mr. Beckett...” McKenna says with a warning tone.

“My apologies, Mrs. McKenna.”

Dean just sits there with his arms crossed with a smug fucking look on his face as if he’s untouchable. That is exactly why I won’t waste another minute waiting for a half-ass excuse from him. I straighten my posture, exhaling slowly before I address Dean.

“After sitting here with you, I know you won’t apologize because in your mind you, you did nothing wrong. So I won’t waste another second of my time on you. I said what I needed to say. I have a class to get back to.

I turn to face Principal McKenna.

“Thank you for your time, Principal McKenna. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

My heart is hammering inside my chest, anger still simmering just beneath the surface, but the moment I step into the hallway, my focus shifts.

Dayna.

She’s standing in front of her desk, watching me, like she’s been holding her breath this entire time.

The second I reach her door, she closes the gap between us.

I barely have time to exhale before I’m breathing in her strawberry shampoo, warmth and familiarity.

I bury my face in the crook of her neck, my arms circling her, her grip around my waist is impossibly tight.

“I have to get back to class.” I whisper against her skin.

My voice is a little more rugged than I intended it to.

“But I just needed this right now, with you.” I don’t give her a chance to respond, as I step back, my fingers trailing over hers for just a second before I turn and walk towards my classroom.