headboard, and pulled her against my chest, rocking her in my arms. “I know all about nightmares.” My fingers threaded through her light-blonde locks. “But this is the thing—nightmares aren’t real.”
She peered up at me with her electric-blue eyes, eyes that were Natalie’s. The rest of the Briskens held dominant brown ones.
“But, Becky … they seemed so real.”
I pulled her closer and cupped her cheek. “They always do, honey.” I knew this statement on a personal level, more than anyone. “When I was younger, you know what I did when I was scared?”
Her curious eyes met mine. “What?”
“I hid under the bed.”
“Why?”
“Because I felt like the monsters wouldn’t get me there.”
When my mother had come home drunk, I’d hide, so she wouldn’t find me and yell at me. Under the bed was my regular hiding spot. It eventually became my comfort place.
I adjusted myself, so I was lying on the bed with her right beside me. “Why don’t you sleep? I’ll stay right here.” I pushed her hair away from her face and tucked an escaping strand behind her ear.
Both her hands lay under her cheek, and when she peered up at me, I could see Natalie in her. I’d obviously never met Natalie, but the house was filled with her pictures. In the main dining room, in the girls’ rooms.
She must have been a good person, maybe even feisty and stubborn at times. But no doubt, she was kind and full of love. I knew this because her children and Charles exuded those qualities, and she must have had a hand in that.
“Mary?” Charles peered in her room. His eyes widened, taking me in as I lay on Mary’s bed. “Her door was open.”
“Daddy, I had a nightmare.” She wiggled her fingers, her arm outstretched.
When he walked toward the bed and squeezed Mary’s outstretched hand, she tugged him toward the other side of the bed. “Sleep here, Daddy.”
When I inched away, getting ready to scoot off, Mary snuggled against my chest. “No, you too.”
“Mary.” My face was heating again as discomfort washed through me. “Your dad is here.”
“No. You. Too.” She peered up at her father. “Daddy, please. Sleep here.” Her voice was sweet, soft, sad from the nightmare.
The bed dipped when he lay on the other side, Mary now sandwiched between us.
My breathing accelerated, and I didn’t know what to do. Should I leave? But I didn’t want Mary to start crying again.
“Mary?” I whispered.
“Shh,” she said, all snuggled against my chest, her eyes pressed closed. “I’m sleeping.”
Charles laughed softly at her bossiness until she took his hand and wrapped it fully around her waist, his fingertips brushing against my waist.
“Closer, Daddy. I want to be in a bubble.”
Bubble of love.
He complied and moved closer, his hand fully on my hip. His touch was light, but I felt his touch everywhere. Pure heat rushed through me. It was so wrong, given that Mary was between us, yet I couldn’t stop my body from reacting.
I swallowed and counted the glow-in-the-dark stars on her ceiling. I could count a thousand sheep backward and forward or do breathing techniques, but I knew it would all be for nothing because there was no sleep happening tonight.
But I had been wrong.
The next morning, I awoke, drool down the side of my face. And alarmingly, I was in Charles’s arms, lying on his chest, still in Mary’s bed, sans Mary.
Goodness gracious, great balls of Zeus.
Because Charles’s erection was massive and pushing against my stomach.
My nipples pebbled against my thin white tank top and pushed against his chest. I hadn’t really noticed how thin it was when the only light in the room last night was Mary’s princess night-light.
I lifted my head, and with one hand, I swiped the dried drool from my mouth. On his shirt, I’d formed a small pool large enough for twenty ants to party in.
Gross.
I pushed my head off of his chest, and the slight movement had his one arm snaking along my lower back, locking me against him. I cringed. Now what? I’d rather not wake him, morning wood and embarrassing situation and all.
I tried again, slowly lifting my chest off of him. His sleepy eyes fluttered open before flying open. His eyes flew to my cleavage squished together at the position I was in, and instantly, his dick hardened even more.
I thought he was already hard. Good Lord!
I swallowed, and our eyes both moved to the tip of his dick peeking out from his boxers, wanting to make