Just One Kiss, Please Daddy

Chapter 9

Livia’s POV

I stare at the chocolate in my hand. Of course it happens to be a Hershey’s Kiss.

Ford releases me, watching me expectantly.

After everything that happened and the shame that still burns at the back of my throat, I’m not sure if I have it in me to eat this. Much less try to keep it down.

“Come on.” Ford leans in. Now his face is looming above mine, covering everything in my vision. It’s those eyes again. “Show me, Livia.”

I open my mouth to tell him that I feel better now and I don’t want to eat, he places both of his hands on either side of me. The sheet scrunches around his hand. I could feel the mattress sinking from the weight he’s putting on it. His cologne emanates from him lightly, warmed by his skin.

I’m caged in his arms, and I have nowhere else to look. Nothing else to breathe.

“Do it for me,” he murmurs, his voice deliciously low in his throat.

“Sir,” I whisper. “Ford….”

His lips part. His face draws ever closer.

But before he can speak, the door opens and in comes Nadine.

I’ve never been more relieved to see her in my life.

Ford slowly turns around, breaking free from me and letting out an exasperated sigh.

“Livia!” Nadine exclaims, ignoring her father and rushing to hug me. “I was so worried about you! I thought that….”

“You thought I would never wake up and only true love’s kiss will bring me to life?” I joke.

But Nadine doesn’t laugh. “That wasn’t funny, Livia. We were really worried about you. I felt that you were off all day but I thought it was just because we had tests and you always overwork yourself to get good grades. I didn’t know it was something deeper!”

“It’s nothing deep, I promise,” I say. “Did I miss anything? What about you and Aid—”

“You mean First Aid class?” Nadine interjects shrilly. “It’s going well.”

I frown. Is she hiding things about Aiden?

Does she not want her father to know?

Because I would think that he knows everything. They seem to be too close for Nadine to be hiding something.

I glance at Ford, only to find that I’m the one he’s watching with close attention. His eyes are sweeping up and down my body.

Is he checking my bruises?

Or is he checking me out?

It’s surely the former.

“Anyway, enough about that.” Nadine’s eyes are perpetually wide and shocked now. “You didn’t miss anything. You will be good to go to school in no time. Right, Dad?”

Ford just watches me. “That depends very much on Livia’s habits. If she eats, then she will be back to school good as new, but if she doesn’t, then she might need to stay with me for a little longer.”

“I’m really okay,” I say quickly, scrambling to change the topic. I turn to Nadine, hoping she will fill up the empty noise. “Anyway, your dad told me that you were the one who called him and brought me here. Where did you go earlier?”

“A classmate just went to ask something about the group project,” Nadine says. “It’s serious stuff.”

God, Nadine can be so transparent sometimes.

Now it occurs to me that she spent some time with Aidan while waiting for me to wake up.

“So.” Nadine looks at Ford with a big fake smile. “Now that Livia is okay, maybe we can all have some dinner? I’m starving, and I’m sure she needs some sustenance.”

“That is very true.” Ford folds his arms over his chest and keeps staring at me. “What do you want, Livia? The next meal is on you. My treat, so just come up with anything you want. No budget.”

Those are the words I never heard in my life.

I look down at my feet. I don’t even know what to say. I’m trying to think of something that I want to eat, but nothing comes to mind.

I still feel sick to my stomach.

“Nothing?” Ford prompts. “Oh, Livia. You’re one of us now. You can’t go around always being this shy. I forbid it. Now tell me what restaurant you want to try, or else we’ll both be here all night.”

He looks at me sternly. He means business now.

“Maybe steak,” I say in a soft voice. “I’m not… I’m not usually a fan. But Nadine is. She’s been wanting to try their steak forever. The place’s name is Larry’s, and it’s very close here. Maybe we can walk.”

Ford watches me for a couple more moments, like he’s expecting me to change my mind. But at last, he cracks a smile. “Okay, sure. To Larry’s it is. And make sure you eat, okay?”

“Okay,” I murmur.

“Go and get the car ready,” he tells Nadine, who obeys immediately. “We’re going to use my car. No walking for you, Livia.”

I try to move on the bed to get off, but the IV snags. “How much longer do I need to keep this?”

“Until the drops are drained,” he informs me. “No worries. It will only be about two minutes. In the meantime, you need to eat something. Just to keep your blood sugar levels normal while we head to the restaurant. I’m not taking no for an answer right now, so you need to agree.”

“But….” I start to say.

But to my surprise, Ford unpacks a small Kiss again, coming over to me with the chocolate pinched between his fingers.

“Open your mouth, Livia.”

Those four words are all its takes for my mind to wander to that dream. That dirty dream that had me touching myself.

Heat prickles up in my skin. My thighs clench involuntarily, hiding the growing warmth in between. But when I press my legs together, something even more annoying happens.

Wetness flows between my folds.

I say nothing. I can’t come up with anything. But as I start to try, Ford suddenly grabs my face and forces my mouth to open. The gesture is not so gentle now. I can feel his fingertips on my cheek as he makes me face him.

Then, Ford slips the chocolate between my lips.

My mouth falls open involuntarily. My tongue sweeps over his finger. The taste of his skin floods my tastebuds, more delicious than any chocolate. The Kiss starts to melt on my tongue, but I can still taste him as he pulls away.

“There’s a good girl,” Ford murmurs, stepping back from me as though to admire his work. “You’re getting better at doing what I say.”

With that, he licks the melted chocolate off his fingers, his tongue darting to taste the same spot I licked like he wanted to taste me.