Page 139 of The Man Upstairs

The risk of losing Rosie was there for me in vivid colour as I saw the looks she was getting from men around the room, but she was so caught up in our little crowd that she hadn’t the slightest idea how much of a playground she was in, or how much attention was rife around her. The same was true of Lola.

They were oblivious as they walked off to the bathroom together.

“Thanks again,” Peter said when they were gone. “This is fucking awesome. Beats the shit out of being back at home.”

Yes, it did.Home. The place I’d come to know as home, but wasn’t. I wasn’t suited to Crenham, and neither was Rosie – this trip had already affirmed that to me. Rosie didn’t realise it yet. And maybe she wouldn’t want to. Not with her mother estranged.

If only Beverly could see just how highly I held her daughter on the pedestal of the divine, I was sure Rosie could find out. Bridges needed to be built, and quickly – for Beverly’s sake as well as Rosie’s.

Luckily, a man always has his means. I just hoped my efforts would be worthy enough.

I watched Rosie reappear from the bathroom with Lola, arm in arm as they leant into each other and chatted.

“We’re lucky guys,” Peter said.

“Indeed we are.”

All thoughts of Beverly disappeared when Rosie reached me. The Lilith in her was sparkling, heady. Her body turned right into mine as she leant in for another kiss, and yet again, I was done for. I wanted to tear her gorgeous dress off her and get to the perfect pale flesh underneath. My cock was already hard at the thought of her skin being marked fresh as mine.

“Another dance?” Lola asked her as soon as our lips parted, keen to interrupt us.

We’d already had enoughget a roomthis evening.

Rosie looked at me as though she needed my permission, but of course she didn’t. My angel was free to explore her own heights and pursue her own joys.

“You don’t need my permission, sweetheart,” I told her, and gestured to the dancefloor. “Enjoy. Have fun. Relax. Party all night, if you want to.”

“Thanks,” she said, her joy radiating so obviously, making her even more beautiful.

I shook my head at that, taking hold of her chin so her eyes were on mine.

“You don’t need to thank me. I’ll never hold you back.”

“Thanks again, then,” she giggled, and there was the Eve in her again, shining through. My beautiful, innocent girl. “You coming?” she asked both me and Peter, but we shook our heads, clearly having the same thoughts.

We wanted to watch our girls dancing, soaking in their full beauty from afar.

There was something else running through my veins though, along with the joy at watching my angel fly with her own wings. Another paradox that was new to me.

I despised my jealousy and possessiveness when it came to Rosie, yet I wanted to taunt it. I wanted to drive the beast so insane that I’d pin her down and mark her body as mine beyond all reason. I wanted the passion to explode, out of control, and I knew that seeing her there, dancing in front of the horny guys wanting her pussy, would add filthy fuel to the flames that were already burning up inside me.

“Hey, dreamer.” Peter was tugging my arm, offering me what looked like a triple whisky.

“It was my round,” I said.

“You’ve paid for enough, mate. I’ll get the drinks tonight.”

I took the glass, and glanced over to the girls. One guy, not much older than Rosie, was dancing behind her, his eyes on her ass as she swayed her hips.

I saw myself punching him. Knocking him out.

I saw myself putting Rosie over my knee and spanking that beautiful ass until she screamed for mercy.

“Cheers,” I said and downed the whisky in one long gulp.

“Fucking hell, mate,” Peter said. “Same again?”

I handed him the glass. “Yes,” I said, better judgement cast aside, my demons rising through the flames.