Born to Make You Smile

TWENTY-EIGHT

We stepped in the shower together, and the warm water coated our bodies.

His nimble fingers grazed my skin as he washed me. The sweet smell of his lavender and melon body wash infused my senses. Sensual and relaxing.

“Would you like me to wash your beautiful curls?” he asked, his voice soft.

I nodded, biting my lip. “Yes. Please.”

I moved under the water to wet my hair, then he added shampoo, massaging it into my scalp. I moaned with each stroke and caress. He rinsed, then added the conditioner, distributing it through my hair with his fingers, root to tip.

After we were cleansed and rinsed, he took a towel and rubbed me dry, then covered my body in lotion, focusing on my sore bum.

Once I was fully dried, I got back into my costume and retrieved the mop and bucket to clean his bedroom.

“A simple wipedown is sufficient,” he said as I started to clean. “You really don’t have to mop the floors…”

I bowed my head. “I take your orders seriously, Sir.”

While I took great pride in his orders, part of it was also my intense guilt. I wanted him to be pleased with me again. To forgive the fact that I’d lied to him about working at the club.

When the bedroom was clean, we snuggled together on the bed.

“Look. I’m really sorry about last night. About lying. I feel terrible,” I said, my head low.

He stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. “It’s all right, love. I’m hurt but not as upset anymore. I need to be able to trust you. When I saw you last night, it broke me in half.”

My throat narrowed, and my eyes watered. “I didn’t know how to tell you. I thought you’d judge me.”

“Well, to be fair, I may have at first. But…I also know you wouldn’t work at a place that compromises your character. Your morals. Who you are.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks, and he wiped them away with his hand.

“Oh. I can’t stand the sight of you like this.” He held me tight and kissed my tears away.

“From now on, promise me, no more secrets, okay?”

I nodded. “I promise.”

“Also, I must say, I really don’t like you working those late hours. It makes me extremely uncomfortable.”

“I know. They’re not great.”

He nuzzled against my cheek. “Perhaps I could drive you and pick you up. It’s only until the end of January, right?”

“What?” I shook my head. “No. I get off at two in the morning.”

“What about if I drop you off, then send a trusted car to go get you?”

“That’s so unnecessary.”

“Not in my eyes. I want to make sure you’re safe. The thought of any harm coming to you—it kills me. I won’t be able to sleep at night.”

We cuddled for another ten minutes, then he glanced at his watch. “It’s late already. I have to go get the girls. They’re still at my sister’s place. She had a little New Year’s soiree last night.”

“Did you want me to come with you?” I asked, nodding enthusiastically. I really wanted to see the girls. And I didn’t want to go back home yet.

“No, no.” He shook his head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. I think we should actually hold off on telling people about us. And it’s not because I’m ashamed of you or what you do at the club. It’s just that people don’t need another reason to shun us. That would only add fuel to the fire. Also, I think we need more time before we make things official and announce. We’re not ready.”

“Yes.” I nodded, trying to hide my defeat. Clearly, my actions and job at the club had set us back. “Okay. You’re right.”

"But we do have the day off tomorrow. The girls wanted to go skating at Nathan Phillips Square. They’re meeting some friends down there. Did you want to join us?”

“I’d love to,” I said with an excited smile. “I think I have skates stored away somewhere. I haven’t been in years.”

“Me neither. Hopefully, it comes back to us, like riding a bicycle.” He gazed at me, rubbing his thumb over my lips. “So how are you feeling after everything we did?”

“Good.” I sighed. “I’m tired, though. You did make me come, what was it, five times?”

“Not nearly enough.”

I bit my lip. “Did you enjoy it? You know, marking me. Did the reality live up to your fantasy?”

“Grace,” he murmured. “It was surreal. More than I imagined it would be. I’ve never come twice in a row like that before, at least not since I was a teenager. God, you’re incredible. You turn me on so much…I don’t want to go on about it, or I’ll want you all over again.”

I giggled.

“You bring out something in me,” he continued. “An animal. A beast. I hope I didn’t, you know, take things too far.”

I shook my head with a smile. “No way. I loved every single second.”

He wrapped his arms around me, squeezing my body tight. “Good. I’m so glad.”

***

When I crossed my front door, I was met with a distinct chill, as if I were still standing outside. Shit. What was going on with my furnace?

My skin prickled with worried goose bumps. I decided to leave Eddie a message, hoping, praying it was only a minor issue. The following day, he got back with me and said he’d come check out my furnace that afternoon. Thank God. I’d barely slept last night. I must have wrapped myself with every single spare blanket I had in the house.

In the late morning, the four of us arrived at Nathan Phillips Square. It was already busy, but most people sat on benches or at the vendors, enjoying a poutine or hot chocolate. Thankfully, the weather wasn’t as chilly as yesterday, so we wouldn’t turn into icicles as we skated.

As soon as my dull blades hit the ice, the muscle memory came back to me. I started to show off a bit while Gavin struggled.

“Wait up now. My skates are terrible,” he complained behind us, shuffling on the ice. He’d rented skates, and they didn’t have his size, so he had to go a bit smaller.

“Dad, keep up!” Charlotte said, rolling her eyes. “He’s so slow.”

I laughed. “Let me go help him.”

I turned back and held his arm to guide him along. We were doing well until he stumbled a bit. I gripped him tight to help stabilize him.

“I’ve got you,” I whispered.

“Yes. Thank God, you do,” he agreed with a smile.

“Dad. I think I see Paige and her sister,” Charlotte said, peering into the crowd.

Two blond girls around Charlotte’s and Mackenzie’s ages waved on the other side of the rink.

“Can we go skate with them?” Mackenzie asked. “Please?”

Gavin nodded. “Yes. But stay in the area. Don’t leave the square.”

“Yay!” Mackenzie cheered. “Thanks, Daddy. Bye, Grace!”

The two of them skated away rather quickly.

“Well. It starts.” He exhaled, his breath visible in the cold. “Seems they’d rather hang out with their friends than with us these days.”

I shrugged, also a bit disappointed but happy for the girls at the same time. “They’re at that age.”

We made our way around, holding each other a little closer now that the girls were occupied.

“See this is fun, isn’t it,” I said to him with a smile.

“It’s great. But is it time for hot cocoa yet? My feet are killing me.” Gavin groaned.

We sat on the bench together, hot chocolates in hand, our cheeks and noses red from the cold. I cuddled up close to him, and a pleasant warmth filled my body.

“You got so many more marshmallows than I did.” He peered into my cup, his eyebrows knit together.

“Maybe yours melted. Do you want some of mine?”

“No. It’s not about the marshmallows, it’s about principle. Fairness. I saw that extra spoonful that young man put in. You must have charmed him!” he teased, nudging me.

I shook my head with a hearty laugh. He was acting like such a child. “All I did was flash him a smile.”

“Well then, you can’t blame him. Your smile is absolutely mesmerizing.”

His words made me blush.

As we sipped our hot cocoa, we watched the families skate around, the young kids holding their parents’ hands. A pang hit my chest. I wondered if I’d ever have that opportunity. To have a family of my very own, to come here and skate with. I loved the girls dearly, but they were getting older, more independent. Deep down, I yearned for more. I looked over at Gavin and wished I could ask him about these things—if having more children was even a possibility. But part of me was so scared of the answer. That we were in two completely different phases of our lives.