5. Abby

Abby

I woke up feeling the coziest I'd ever felt in my life.

"Hmm," I sighed before my eyes opened slowly. My brain processed the view in front of me even slower. A wall of rippling muscle and smooth skin with a sprinkling of dark hair lay under my hand. A hand that was stroking one of many abs. My hand froze. A deep groan sounded around me. Deep and manly, it instantly made me wet. Or wetter. I glanced down and shut my eyes. My thigh was tossed over a very masculine, muscular, thick thigh.

And from the looks of it, I had been rubbing myself on it like a cat in heat.

"Morning, princess." Abel's voice was even deep when it was scratchy with sleep.

"Morning," I mumbled softly. The day and night before quickly came tumbling pack.

Going to the pool.

My first kiss. Which I was pretty sure was the World's Best Kiss known to man.

Lessons to live life wild and free.

Sneaking off with him to watch a movie and falling asleep midway through.

"Umm…" I breathed slowly. Abel's scent filled my lungs. "I'm sorry I passed out on you."

"You had a long day," he gently and sweetly reminded me. "You ready for another?"

"Oh, umm…"

"I told you I was picking you up in the morning," he reminded me, and I blinked.

"But, umm, we hung out yesterday." Why am I trying to get out of it?

"I wanna hang out with you today and tomorrow and the day after that?—"

"To teach me how to not be a scaredy cat? For wild living lessons?"

"Yes and no." My brows probably rose to my hairline. He sat up and pulled me into him like I was a comforter to place over his body. Easily and with grace, settling me on his lap. I'd dreamt of being on his lap, straddling him. For months.

"You sleep okay?" he asked with a warmth in his gaze that fed me through the inside out.

"Yeah, like a baby," I blurted out and felt the heat start to spread at the back of my neck.

" My baby," he muttered under his breath. For a moment, I wondered if he'd meant to say it out loud. I opened and then shut my mouth because he started to speak a little louder this time.

"You knocked out hard, beautiful girl. There was no waking you up. I carried you into the truck and tried, but you were out."

That shocked me. I'd been an especially light sleeper the last six months.

"I decided to bring you home because I wasn't sure how your sister would react to me carrying you in late at night," he explained. "You okay with that?"

"I mean, I don't mind it," I mumbled when everything inside of me was cheering and jumping for joy.

I decided to bring you home. His words replayed in my mind and did funny things inside of me. Home. His home. He'd brought me to what was obviously his personal sanctuary. I quickly scanned his bedroom. From how spacious and open it was, I assumed it was the master. I wondered if he lived alone or if he had roommates. I knew he was forty-two and grown, but people had roommates no matter their age. Sometimes just for the company.

His place was tidy. Sparse with dark wood furniture that had metal accents. It suited him. Warm and masculine. Strong but inviting. My eyes moved to his and then to the bedframe behind him. Dark wood with metal rods. A dirty image popped into my head.

Abel tying me to it.

Having his way with me.

"I'd pay serious money to know what you're thinking right now." The roughness in his voice made my sex ache and pulse.

"Why?" I squeaked and then cleared my throat. He might have chuckled, but he was enough of a gentleman to drop it.

"I like you, Abby. I've had my eye on you for a while."

"You have?" This still blew me away. He had admitted he'd watched me. I mean, he had been outside of my house in the middle of the night. But it didn't explain why. Abel wasn't the kind of man who would lack for attention from women. I'd seen the man walk into the coffee shop I liked to work remotely from when I needed a change of scenery. I'd watched how women of all ages turn and check him out. How some smiled and batted their eyelashes. I had also seen how he would give them a tight nod and keep going.

"I tried to leave you alone?—"

"Why?" I cut him off and winced. Talk about sounding needy. "I mean—" I shook my head. "I suck at this," I groaned, and by the way he stood still, I surprised the two of us when I leaned forward and rested my forehead against his muscular shoulder. "I mean… I'm just me and you're?—"

"Don't do that, pretty girl." His hand moved between us, then he gently tipped my head up to make me look at him. "I won't have you putting yourself down."

"I wasn't. I just mean…" I opened and shut my mouth and huffed. Actually huffed! Abel had been right. I was about to do that. "I just mean, you're you."

"Okay," he slowly drawled, and I sat up straighter, pointing at him.

"Oh, come on. Now is not the time to get all humble." I ignored the slight embarrassment that flooded through me at being so honest.

"What?" His grin broadened, but I didn't let him distract me. I was set on making a point.

"I mean… you look like you've been airbrushed! Or have a real-life filter set on you. Maybe both."

"Abby—"

"I didn't know the human body could have that many abs!" This made him laugh. Hard. His body shook below me, and the sight was one to behold. And just like that, I fell harder for the man.

Abel, the guy of my dreams, was found lacking when compared to the reality of him.

And all he'd had to do was laugh. The sound made me smile, and my heart want to do a triple somersault inside of my chest.

"You're fucking cute, baby girl."

"I mean, see, you're hot, and I'm okay."

"You fishing for compliments, Abby?" I shook my head.

"No, Abel. I know who I am. I might be inexperienced, but I am also twenty-seven."

"Just a baby."

"No. I'm not. I'm a grown-up. I've lived on my own for ten years. I left for college at seventeen. That was the craziest thing I'd ever done. Well, that and kissing you in the pool yesterday, but even that I was probably bad at it since it was my first and?—"

"How the hell is that possible?" he asked, and that's when I noticed that light easy attitude was gone. In its place was something a lot more intense. His blue eyes turned darker, hotter. "Don't get me wrong, princess. I like the idea of being your first kiss, your first everything."

First everything. My body felt like it was on fire. I shifted on his lap and froze when my center bumped into what felt like a very big, very thick bulge.

"I think you just felt how much I like the idea of that."

"Why did you try to stay away?" I asked, and I was seriously proud of myself. One kiss and an innocent sleepover with Abel seemed to work wonders.

"You're younger than me. By a lot."

"Only fifteen years."

"Only?" A brow rose, challenging me, but I wasn't going to take the bait. His age wasn't a problem with me, and by the hard ridge nestled against me, bumping my butt, I was going to assume he got over it.

"Was that it?" I pressed because I wasn't sure if he was telling the whole truth. Something flashed in his eyes, and I knew the moment he decided to share.

"I'd never lie to you. I like certain things."

"Okay," I slowly sounded, but when he didn't explain further, I asked. "What kind of things?"

I had an idea. I wasn't stupid. He called me princess. He'd made me call him daddy when we'd kissed. And I'd loved it. I might have been the oldest, most inexperienced virgin in Poppy Beach, but that didn't mean I didn't know things. I read. A lot. I loved my romance smutty. The dirtier the better. I loved a dirty-talking hero, and more than that, I was drawn to the kind of stories where the hero liked being called by a certain name. A name he'd already referred himself to. One that suits him as naturally as his blue eyes.

"Things I'm not sure you're ready for, but it's okay because I can be patient." I opened my mouth to tell him that I wasn't a blushing schoolgirl even though I probably seemed like it, when he leaned in closer and kissed the tip of my nose. "You get I like being called daddy. Not because it's taboo or some kind of kink but because it's who I am. I like being in charge. I like being protective and in control. Especially in the bedroom."

"So, this is something you've, umm… played around with." Played? Jesus, no wonder he thought I couldn't handle him talking clearly.

"Yes," he answered before I could correct my wording. Yes. He'd done the daddy thing in the past. I pressed my lips together. I didn't know why that made me feel like crying. It was his thing. I wasn't special. "But I need you to know it's never felt like what I feel when it comes to you, Abby."

"I bet you say that to all the girls." Jesus, who did I think I was? Some main character from a storybook? I was just another girl. One he was obviously attracted to but not special.

"Look at me, princess."

"Please don't call me that." God only knew how many women he had called that. How many nicknames he'd given out. I hated how jealous it made me feel. I wanted to be special to him.

"Don't! Don't do that," he scolded sternly. My eyes darted up to his. They locked instantly. How couldn't they? His blue eyes were beautiful pools I wanted to float in. Sink in and never come up for air from.

"One thing you gotta know about me, princess, is before I laid eyes on you about a year ago, I'd never been a man who wanted more."

"More?"

"Baby, I might have played and explored shit I liked, but it came without strings. There were never relationships or promises. Nothing more than a moment. And I know this is going to make me sound like a fucking douchebag or fuck boy, but—" I opened my mouth to speak, but he kept talking.

"It was never more than a release. Nothing like what I want with you. I never—" He swallowed hard, and I was mesmerized by the way his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, "I never thought I'd want what I want with you." Wow. Wow. My head spun with his words. He wanted more. With me.

"You just met me," the cynical side of me reminded him.

"No." He shook his head. "Don't give me that. You know me like I know you." A part of me wanted to deny it. To tell him he was crazy, hop off his lap, and hurry back home, where I knew I could hide away from everything and anything real.

But I knew I wasn't going to.

I couldn't lie to him.

We might have finally spoken to one another less than twenty-four hours ago, but I knew as much about him as I could without raising too much attention to my interest in him. I'd asked everyone. I'd looked him up online and on different social media platforms.

And that had been before my accident. After it and the dreams that followed, my crush on him seemed like it had tripled.

"I want you to be my princess, and I wanna be your daddy," he rasped. Daddy's, I mean Abel's hands stroked my back slowly up and down.

"I wanna be the man you count on. The one who has your back no matter what. The one who tells you how fucking brilliant you are until you believe it and then never stop. Because you are, Abby." Wow!

"I'm boring," I murmured. My hands tightened around his biceps like I was afraid I'd float off on a happy cloud from what he just said.

"No." He shook his head. His hand rose between us, and he used the side to caress my face with a touch so tender I couldn't help but lean into it. It made him slightly blurry, too, through my unshed tears.

"You're brave, so fucking brave. You just don't know it yet. You're beautiful and strong and kind. And you're funny, funnier than I think you give yourself credit for. As for shit you haven't experienced, I don't mind that one little iota because I gotta be honest with you, princess, I like being the one by your side or under you or above you when you're ready to explore."

"Such a guy thing to say."

"What? It's true. I'm not going to sugarcoat the fact I think it's sexy as fuck I got your first kiss."

"Abel—"

"And be ready to be rocked, babe, because I won't lie. If shit goes the way I want it to, which again, I'll be honest, and maybe you should brace, I'll work myself to the bone to make it happen. I'm more than looking forward to being the last first kiss you ever got, too."

"What?" My heart started to race. Abel Pe?a wanted to be my last first kiss? I didn't know why I wasn't even a little bit against that. I liked the idea of him being my one and only.

"It's true."

"But—"

"No buts." He winked, and just like that, I knew he was about to change the subject. "We gotta get up and get ready."

"For what?"

"You wanted lessons, remember?"

"Lessons," I repeated and looked around at the massive bed we were on. "Why would we have to leave? We're already in bed," I pointed out. His thick cock jerked against me like it was trying to get closer to me. We were both in pajamas made of thin, cool, breathable fabric. "Bedroom lessons," I found myself saying. A sound vibrated through him.

"You're going to kill me, princess," he groaned. "You wanted to face your fears, remember?"

"But what about…" My hips rolled on their own accord, and my lips parted at how good he felt below me.

He was so hard and long. And me? I was wet. Soaked through.

I wondered if he could feel it.

Abel's teeth mashed together like he was trying to bite back a groan. His big strong hands held on to my hips, his grip so firm I hoped he'd leave little bruise marks to remember the day.

Who hopes for bruises? Was I sick in the head for it?

"We will get to that," he strained and held me in place so I wouldn't wiggle around. "But I want you to get to know me first. Get more comfortable with me before we start fooling around."

"Why?" I pouted, very much unlike myself. It was like Abel had unlocked this version of me I had yet to meet.

One I liked.

She was outspoken and didn't overthink. She felt safe and comfortable around him to say whatever was on her mind.

"Because daddy said so." At his answer and the tone he'd spoken in, I shivered. He didn't miss it either. Not with the deep guttural sound that vibrated through his chest. One of his hands moved into my hair perfectly. Without pulling, he tugged at the ends, and my lips parted. "Be a good girl, and you'll get a special treat."

"What if I'm a bad girl?" I whispered, shocked the words had actually slipped past my lips.

"Then you get a different kind of treat." He winked.

Before I knew which way was up, he rolled us out of bed and walked me to his bathroom. Suddenly, nature called, and I went in alone. After flushing and washing my hands, I brushed my teeth with a toothbrush he'd given me. When I stepped out, I was surprised and a little disappointed to see him all dressed for the day. I wouldn't have minded him showing me the darker daddy side he'd mentioned instead of doing whatever he had planned.

He drove us to my place, where I lucked out and avoided him meeting Karol. I loved my sister, but she was everything I wasn't. Sometimes, with guys, it felt a little intimidating. I changed into shorts and a tank like he'd suggested and paired it with my high-top Chucks. There was something about the way Abel looked at me when I stepped out of my bedroom and into the living room that made me feel more than beautiful. It made me feel seen. Like there wasn't a detail he missed when he looked at me.

Quickly, we left and stopped to get breakfast burritos for the road. When we made it to our first stop, I hated the disappointment I felt. There was no way in a million years I'd have guessed where Abel would take me.

But a work site had not been it.