Cady frowns. “What do you mean?”
What I mean, is that if he spent less on hookers, he could pay his daughter more for the work she does, but I don’t know how to put that more delicately.
“I’ve seen him there a few times, having a night out with his… friend,” I say cautiously. “And while every man deserves to have a good time now and then, he does it regularly, using money that should be in your pocket and time he should spend giving you a break. It’s unfair that he’s created a narrative that makes you feel bad for wanting even a fraction of the freedom he enjoys. You shouldn’t be made to feel guilty for the things you want.”
“Why did you say it like that —friend?” she asks, sharp as a tack.
I take a deep breath. “It’s going to piss you off.”
She studies my face and then scrunches her nose. “It’s awoman? He tells me he’s out helping every other neighbor with their shit every other day, so he can go hang out with some secretgirlfriend?” She considers that a moment, and then closes her eyes, and the most compassionate, understanding fucking look comes over her face. “Does he think he’ll hurt my feelings? I know he must be lonely. It’s not like Mom can give him that kind of companionship. He doesn’t have tolieto me about it.”
I stare at her, wondering how she can be so fucking forgiving of such a turd of a man.
She looks at me, and her eyebrows plunge. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I wouldn’t call her a girlfriend so much as agirlfriend experience,” I say with a wince. It takes a moment while she thinks about what I’ve said, for the penny to drop — but when it does, it hits the ground hard.
“Hookers?” she splutters. “I have to accept a shitty allowance and stick to his tight-assed budgets — have to buy the cheap soap and the shitty shampoo and the no-frills fucking cornflakes, so he can prioritize his spending onhookers?” She stomps in a circle, punches the air, before stopping still and scrunching her face in disgust. “Ewww. I just pictured it. Get it out of my head.” She swats at the air and then at me as she growls at me through her teeth. “Why did you tell me that?”
“Because nobody else is going to, and you deserve to know, so please don’t shoot the messenger,” I plead, with my hands raised in defense. “It’s beautiful that you want to see the best in him, but he’s a lying asshole who is ruining your life, and he doesn’t deserve the loyalty you give him. I told you because I’m angry about that. I told you because I want better for you, and I want you to want better for yourself. He doesn’t think twice about having a good time or spending on himself, and neither should you. When was the last time you did somethingyouwanted to? Something just for you.”
She twists her pouty lips to one side, looks me over, and sighs. “Yesterday. When I rode your cock and climaxed so hard I saw stars.”
I snort softly. “I was there, and I was gunning for the same damned thing,” I remind her. “I’m asking what Cadence Malone would want just for herself if she didn’t feel too selfish to make it happen.”
She thinks about it, and after a while, her eyes light up. She swallows visibly, and I nod as I point at her guilty-looking face. “Yes. Whatever you’re thinking about right now. Something you want, that nobody lets you have. Today, you’re going to give it to yourself.”
Her eyebrows quirk. “But I don’t have that kind of…”
“I’ll give you the money.”
Her face flushes pink, and she shakes her head. “It will take me too long to pay you b?—”
“Cady, it’s not a loan, it’s a sharing of resources. I have plenty, you need some, I want to give it to you. You share your resources with me all the time, and this is no different.”
Her forehead wrinkles. “Whatresources? I don’t give you anything.”
“Wrong. You give me hope, happiness, and squishy feelings in my chest that let me know I’m not dead,” I explain with a grin.
Her frown deepens. “You give me those things too.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” I say, as said squishy feelings amplify and flutter around inside me. “But remember that I’ve been around for longer than you have. I’ve had time to accumulate wealth and knowledge, and I love to share both, so let me. I’ve already battled and overcome my demons, and it was a hell of a lot easier to do with good friends in my corner. I can be that for you.”
She looks at me intently, as if she intends to penetrate my soul. “Friends like Jason?”
I nod. “That man has literally saved my life more than once, and he’s not the only one, but he definitely taught me a thing or six about how to be strong and resilient. I had a shitty family too, but I was blessed with a damned good team of guys behind me. They caught me every time I fell, they patched me up, and they sent me back out to try again. It didn’t matter what I did, they loved me unconditionally.”
I stroke her cheek and sweep her hair away from her pretty face. “You haven’t had that, Cady. The love you’ve been shown has come with conditions, and you’ve been intentionally isolated by someone who benefits greatly from keeping you in the battered underdog position. Please know that you have a loyal and protective Cane Corso standing right here, with an abundance of big dog energy, who is ready to back you up any time you need to fight for what you want. All you need to do is give the command. You’re not alone anymore. I love you, without expectation, and I have been very clear about that. What I’m suggesting isn’t charity, it’s an investment, because I want to see you reach your potential. You’re worthy of help, I want to give it to you, and I have the means to do so, but it’s up to you if you want to accept what I’m offering.”
She doesn’t answer and still looks uncomfortable with the idea of taking money from me, so I raise my hands in surrender and shrug. “Whatever you want to do is fine but try to understand how much I would love to see you strut into that dance, looking confident and gorgeous. The men will all rush to hide their hard dicks while they’re wishing they had the balls to ask you out, and I’ll stand in the shadows — proud and erect —knowinghow fucking perfect you feel around my cock.”
Her lips twitch in a hint of a smile, and I kiss the top of her head. “And maybe I’ll be able to meet you out back for a covert quickie in the nearest haystack.”
She slaps my chest and sighs. “Thank you. For being you.”
“For being the lucky son of a bitch who gets to love you?” I kiss her again. “I wouldn’t want to be anybody else.”
I watchCady check the clock. She’s wriggling in her chair, so I know there’s a plug in her ass. She’ll be wetter than a mermaid’s back pocket, and I’m thirsty as fuck for her, chomping at the bit to play, but I’m also very aware that I need to have a serious chat with her today.
