Page 263 of The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The Second Collection

He chuckles, warm and low. “That’s right, snuggleslut. Take it. Take all the snuggles.”

Even as I slide down into a sex-coma, that makes me laugh.

An hour and ten minutes later, he proves not only that he can wake me out of a sex-coma, but he can make me want to fuck again.

The good sex-chemicals have destroyed my ability to think. That’s the only excuse I have for not objecting, vociferously, when Mac wakes me before the freaking sunrise. The serotonin’s fucked my head so badly that I even give him a blow job before I go back to sleep. He wakes me again when he climbs into the shower after going for a morning run. Who goes running after the marathon sex we had last night? I’m not even sure I can make it to the bathroom and back on my noodle legs and he’s out running for hours in the chilly fall dawn? He’s a bigger masochist than I am.

That’s why I get up while he’s in the shower and make him a huge omelet, breakfast links, and toast. No other reason. Certainly not because I’m slightly giddy and so sore and blissfully used that I wince every time I move even while I’m grinning so hard my cheeks ache.

Definitely not any of that.

“When’s your next day off, girl?” Mac asks as we’re sitting at my tiny dining table. He’s drawn my bare feet into his lap and is casually rubbing them while demolishing his food.

“Fareena owes me because I’ve been covering for her while her babysitter’s been sick, so I could take a couple days off thisweek if you wanted. I’m not scheduled to be off again until Friday but then I’m off for four days.”

Four days that I was supposed to spend at Blunts because it’s the festival of the October Horse this weekend. All of the house subs work during the festivals and I look forward to this one all year. Although I don’t have much interest in becoming a pony girl full-time, I love pony play.

How weird is it that I don’t even feel a twinge of disappointment that I’ll be missing the festival because I’ll be spending time with Mac instead?

“I owe you a motorcycle ride,” Mac says, digging his thumb into my instep, which nearly makes me swoon off my chair. “Harry’s club in Jersey is doing a charity ride on Wednesday. If you can take the time off, it’ll be fun. Fall colors are starting. It’s an easy ride for your first time. And if you can squeeze me in, I’d like to get a start on the mermaid before we go.”

“I can do both, sir.”

Mac grunts in approval around his mouthful of eggs. After he swallows, he shoots me a funny glance and says, “Something I’d like to do on the weekend. If you’re up for it.”

I’m not sure if it’s a question, and I’m not sure how to answer. “What is it, sir?”

“My daughter can have visitors on Sunday. I’d like to take you to meet her.”

I have to scrape my jaw up off the table. I know how much his daughter means to him. And he wants to introduce me to her? “I, um, I’d love to meet her, sir.”

“I’ve been calling her every day and it sounds like she’s doing better, but she’s still in rough shape. I figure that won’t bother you but if it’ll be too upsetting to see her struggling with her demons, just say so.”

“No problem, sir. It’s not my first rodeo with addiction.”

“That’s my bold girl. Small wrinkle is that my ex-wife is also coming up to see Naomi on Sunday. I’d like to say we won’t bump into her but, knowing Amy, she’ll engineer it so we do. I doubt Amy’ll say much to you, but she’ll try to embarrass the hell out of me. Think you can endure if I need a manly cry on your shoulder after she’s ripped me a new one?”

His humor both makes me laugh and tears something in me, because I know he’s using it to deflect what must be very real pain. “I can, sir.”

“Amy’s mostly just a very unhappy person, Bren. Keep that in mind when you meet her.”

“Okay, sir, I will.” How did he survive twenty years of being married to a very unhappy person? Or was it their divorce that made her that way? I kind of want to meet her now just so I can get a feel for why things went wrong between them. “Before we go—doesn’t have to be right now—would you tell me why you split up?”

Mac swallows hard, his Adam’s apple working. “It’s not a very nice story, girl.”

“Won’t be the first I’ve heard, sir.”

He nods. “I forget, sometimes, looking at you, how much of the ugly side of life you’ve already experienced. Yes, I’ll tell you about it. Let’s do some of the fun stuff first so you don’t think being with me’s nothing but disappointment and dragon dildos.” He winks at me. “Then we’ll share some more painful personal history.”

“That’s a deal, sir. And I really want to see the dragon dildo.”

He cleaned it and tucked it away last night before I even got a glimpse and there was no sign of it this morning.

“No, the contents of my toy bag are off-limits to you, nosy girl. I like keeping you guessing about the pussy mangler, particularly since it still has a surprise or two for you.”

“Ohmigod, if that thing is a vibrator, you keep it away from me.”

Mac laughs. “It is but that’s not the surprise. Behave yourself or you’ll find out much sooner than your sore little kitty can handle.”