Chapter 34 - Building a Connection.

Later that Night…

Jason Adler…

We had finished dinner a little ago - Jeremy and Charleigh were currently in the kitchen doing the dishes while Dakota and I slumped down in the front room.

Charleigh - from the moment we had kissed and admitted our feelings for one another, we have been on this wild ride. Skirting the edges of taking this connection to the ultimate level. Claiming one another. I have to admit it that I haven't felt this excited about the prospect of sex with anyone else. I have never ever had the thought of sex being about claiming. However, that little fact didn't make it any less true.

When I finally slide my cock into her tight pussy - I will be claiming her as mine. And I will be giving myself to her as hers. Hell, just thinking about it has my cock hardening in my jeans and I have to discreetly turn my body into a position that my daughter won't be able to witness.

My daughter.

Charleigh's best friend. For most men that little fact would mean that Charleigh was completely off limits. And there was a part of me that had thought that way to begin with. I had tried to fight the feeling. I tried to deny what I was feeling. I tried to remind myself that she was off limits to me. I tried to make myself really believe that but, in the end, - I am just a man and denying myself the one thing that I have wanted my whole life just wasn't going to happen.

When I say the one thing that I have wanted my whole life - I mean an epic love. A love that defies the odds. A love that consumes me. And as much as I tried to deny it - the moment that I laid eyes on Charleigh; I just knew that she was the one for me.

Charleigh is the great love of my life. And I won't ever apologise for that. I can't. Not when I feel such intense emotions just from looking at her. I knew that she was disappointed when I said that I wanted to wait to have sex. And as much as she was disappointed, I knew that I was feeling that same disappointment in equal measures. However, I knew that if we gave into our feelings here - neither of us would be able to truly relax because we would always be worried that Dakota would either hear us or walk in on us. I didn't want that.

My daughter has had enough of her parents letting her down and disappointing her. I would not add to that. No matter how right it felt to be with her best friend. God, I am such an asshole. I am chasing her best friend. I am thinking about fucking the very brains out of her closest friend, the same brains that I admired so greatly. But I want her to come undone completely - I want her rendered speechless. I want her addicted to my cock as I am already addicted to her. I want her to stay.

Wait, what? I mean I have had the fleeting thought of her staying here. But this is more than that. I don't just want her to stay for my daughter's sake. I fear that I need her far more than even I was aware of up to this point.

Would she stay if I asked?

"So, what's going on with you dad?" Fuck, every time I hear this kid called me dad - my heart swells to epic proportions and all other thoughts vacate my head.

"Oh, you know, pumpkin - just working and relaxing,"

"That's the life!" She smiled.

"It sure is." Wrapping my arm around her shoulder, my eyes casting towards Charleigh where she and Jeremy were huddled together talking, an unwarranted and completely inappropriate swell of jealousy burst through my veins. I had to rip my eyes back to my daughter before I made a scene and inadvertently let the cat out of the bag, "what about you? How are you doing, pumpkin?"

"All good here,"

"You, enjoying working for Uncle Remy?"

"Yeah. He is a good boss, although a little grumpy before his third cup of coffee of the day," she smiled, her cheeks heating up under my gaze. I had suspected that she may have a crush on my best friend - it was obvious in the way that I caught her looking at him sometimes, but I tried to push that thought away, "and how are things with Gavin?"

"Gavin and I are friends, that is all we will ever be!" She explained. I can't lie and say that I am not happy about that little tid-bit of information.

"Oh?"

"You don't have to sound so happy about that, dad!" She laughed, elbowing me gently in protest.

"Sorry but I just think that he is a little old for you,"

"Oh dad, age is nothing but a number. When it comes to matters of the heart, age seldom makes much of a difference!"

"Is that so?" I chuckled, maybe, just maybe she might be ok with me dating her friend after-all if that was her true thoughts on age difference, "when did you get so smart?"

"I don't know about smart, but it seems like common sense to me. As long as you aren't hurting anyone, and everything is consensual then screw what anyone else thinks. You have to take your shot at happiness in this world because happiness won't just drop in your lap!"

To hear her talk, the knowledge that she had to grow up so quickly is never more evident in the way she processes facts, the way she views the world around her - she was far more mature than her years and I don't think that I could be more, proud of her if I tried. After all she had to face at the hands of Anna - there was no way anyone could have blamed her if she had gone the opposite way. A lesser human being would have given into the type of carnage that could be blamed on her upbringing.

"You know I am proud of you, right?"

"Thanks dad!"

Every. Damn. Time. The pride rises once again. I am so proud to call her my daughter. For all intents and purposes, she raised herself and she did an amazing job of it. I couldn't have asked for her to be more well-rounded as a person. I guess the only thing that makes me sad is that Charleigh said she hasn't had much chance to date.

Don't get me wrong - I do not like to think about my daughter's love-life but I also know that every kid should have had the chance to experiment when they were young. It is almost like a rite of passage. And I do fear that she might be a little naïve when it comes to men. I just don't want to see her be taken advantage of. She has had more than her fair share of that and if I can ensure she never feels that again; I will. In a heart-beat.

My eyes drift to the way she is absently rubbing the 'om' symbol tattoo that is on her wrist, it is an action that I have caught her doing more than with any other tattoo, "you meditate?" I asked, nodding to the tattoo.

"I do. I found that it was a great way to keep my head straight when things at home got bad!"

Slowly she was beginning to reveal more and more about the things that she faced with Anna. It was hard to hear most of the time, but I would always listen, it was the very least I could do. I mean, I have to accept some form of blame in regard to what she faced.

I should have chased after them.

I should have insisted that she come home with me.

I should have filed for full custody.

I have to accept that some of the blame falls at my feet. I have no excuse for the way I allowed things to play out. And that is a regret that I will take to the grave with me. No matter how much she tries to tell me that she doesn't blame me. I can't help the guilt that I feel. Or the shame.

Charleigh Smith…

Ever since Jason kissed me a few days ago; I feel like I have been walking around permanently aroused. Almost like I am teetering on the edge of an epic release - the type of release that can change the world. I have tried everything to dissipate the feeling but no matter how often I make myself cum, it's never quite enough. Never satisfying enough. Never fulfilling enough. Never mind numbing enough.

Just never enough. Period.

I can't help but wonder if he knows what he is doing to me. I can't imagine, it is that hard to read me - I feel like maybe all of the intense emotions I have inside me; for him, are as clear to read as the newspaper that he still insists on reading. That still makes me smile - Jason and his newspaper. Where most people these days prefer to read the news on their phones - Jason is old school. I asked him about it yesterday and he said that there is something relaxing and comforting about holding an actual newspaper in his hands that he simply doesn't feel when he tries to read it on his phone. I like that. I like that he is so set in his ways. It screams to the type of man he is.

My man.

Mine.

I feel that right down to my very bones. Maybe even deeper than that. Like my soul knows we have met our counter-part. I could almost, sag at the relief I feel. I guess a part of me always worried that I would never find 'him'. I have always believed that there is simply one person out there in the world for you and sometimes you are lucky enough to meet them and other times, people go through their entire lives not realising that type of love.

Of course, I have told Dakota what is happening. I still strongly believe that honesty is the best policy. So much conflict and hurt can be avoided if people just open up a little more. Although, I do understand Jason's reservations about being open with his daughter about this.

What if we don't work out? I mean I don't believe that to be true, but you can never be one hundred percent sure of how these things will go. A multitude of things could go wrong and then we would have upset Dakota for no reason. So, for his sake I haven't mentioned that I have already told her about us. And she has agreed not to say anything about knowing.

Now that is not the only thing that my best friend has divulged to me and as I look at Jeremy, his eyes casting across the room every few seconds, "how are things going with you and Miss. D?" I ask him, he whirls those intense blue eyes on me, "relax, I am not going to say anything to Papa Jay!"

"She told you?"

"She did. I think she just needed someone to confide in - I mean she is nervous-"

"Nervous?"

"Rem', she doesn't have a platter of experience, she is actually quite shy and self-conscious that she might not be enough for you," I explained the best I could.

With all that my best friend has been through, it is understandable that she is reserved and a little worried that her inexperience might be a turn off to the man she is falling for.

And she is falling for him, just as I am falling for her father. And each time that I have told her my concerns - she has vehemently expressed that her dad would be lucky to have me. I mean seriously, how lucky am I to have a friend like Dakota in the first place, let alone the way she has been nothing but supportive of my feelings for her dad. I mean you couldn't have faulted her if she was angry and forbade me from pursuing anything with him. If anything, she has encouraged me to follow my heart. So, yes, I will have her back and I will ensure that Jeremy knows the things that she is far too shy or embarrassed to confess to him.

"That's insane - she is everything I could ever want. If anything, I find her inexperience a fucking turn-on. Does she really think I could be unsatisfied with her?"

"She fears it, I would go as far as saying that it is her greatest fear!" Of course, I can't tell him about the fact that this attitude has been born from the way that Stuart has been harassing her at every fucking opportunity.

True to her word, she has come to me when every new text has come through on her phone. And true to my word, I have kept it to myself but how much longer can I continue to hold it in?

Jason has the right to know that his daughter is being sexually harassed by some predator asshole. The man she is actually sleeping with has the right to know that some man-child is stressing his girl out. They have the right to know, don't they? A part of me is terrified for my friend as I watch her slowly disappear into herself. The more texts that come through, the more she is retreating, and I know that both men in her life have caught onto something not being right with her. It wouldn't take a genius to figure that her entire posture changes whenever her phone chimes.

"I knew that she was a little self-conscious about it, but I didn't realise that - shit!" Jeremy growled as he ran his hand through his hair and began to pace in short little strides, glancing across to where she was sitting with her dad - laughing and enjoying just being with a parent who isn't complicated and difficult to deal with.

"You love her?" It hits me right there and then - seeing his instant concern for her.

"I-I- - please don't tell her!" He whirled back around to look at me, "it's too soon. I don't want to scare her off-"

"Did you just hear what I said?"

"Yeah, but this is a huge step, and we haven't really talked about how deeply we feel for one another yet," he objected and there was nothing that I could say to him that wouldn't result in me breaking my friend's confidence.

"Ok. I think you are wrong, but ok. Just don't hurt her, ok?"

"I would never. Char' this isn't just some fling to me, I wouldn't be risking my friendship with Jay over something fleeting," he expressed passionately, and I nodded my head, satisfied that he was as invested in this as Dakota was, "you gonna tell me what is happening with you and Mr. Jay?"

"What?"

"Come on now, I might be a male, but I am not stupid nor blind!" He chuckled, finally stopping his pacing and resting his elbows on the breakfast counter, looking into my eyes as I sat at the other side of it, "it is pretty obvious that something is going on with you guys-"

"How?"

"It's in the way you look at each other, the way you interact with one another. I mean, I don't think that 'Kota has picked up on it yet but-"

"She knows!" I sighed.

"She does?"

"Please, that girl is my best friend - there is no way that I was going to keep this from her. I told her the moment that I realised that I was crushing on him - I needed her blessing, so to speak, before I could even think about entertaining anything happening with him-"

"Then why the secrecy?"

"Jay doesn't know that I have already talked to her about it. And he doesn't want to upset her with something so new, he wants to wait until we are both sure of how we are feeling,"

I didn't exactly like keeping this from him, but I also know that he will understand that it wasn't something that I could have ever pursued without at least letting Dakota know about it before-hand. That is not the type of friendship that she and I share and it never will be. We have always been open and transparent with one another.

Anyway, it felt good to have this time to talk with the man that my best friend is in love with. Feeling him out for his emotions and feelings towards her - I feel like I have done my due-diligence and vetted him appropriately. I feel comfortable in giving her my honest opinion now when it comes to him and what they are sharing with one another.