Jack had dozed after their post breakfast romp. Emma lay beside him for a while just looking at him, feeling sated both physically and, she just realized, emotionally as well. With his eyes closed, his rhythmic breathing, his white hair completely wild and his naked body splayed out over the bed he looked so peaceful. Emma could not help but just let her eyes wander over him and drink him in.
She rose from the bed as gently as she could so as not to disturb him. He did move a little but his breathing returned to the same steady pace in a moment. Silently, Emma blew him a kiss then turned away. She realized she had not seen the rest of the second floor and thought she would look about a bit. Emma had no other clothes than what she had worn to the office on Saturday morning, so she just padded around wearing Jack's shirt.
Further along the hall was another bathroom that obviously backed up to the one off the master bedroom. Then another, smaller bedroom with twin beds and a dresser. At the end of the hall she could see another bannister on her right, obviously the stairs leading to the third floor. Straight ahead was a solid wooden door, the same type and color as all the wood work and doors she had seen on the first and second floors. The door was partly open.
Quietly, she pushed the door open fully and stepped into the room. Floor to ceiling bookshelves lined three of the walls. The built in shelves were of a richer, darker color and different wood than the floors or woodwork in the rest of the house. Two oriental rugs covered the majority of the wood floor.
What captured Emma's attention was the bow front window. On the fourth wall a space about 8 or 9 feet wide was spanned by an arc about 4 feet or so deep at its apex. More than half of the arc contained a curved, glass window that had to be 5 feet square. On either side were much smaller, double hung windows with stained or painted glass. Looking through the huge window across the street Emma saw the bow fronts on each of the brownstones opposite. This small part of the room projected out over the front entrance, suspended like a pulpit above the sidewalk and street below.
The hardwood floor was not covered in the semi-circle of the bow. There was one worn leather arm chair, a small table with a coaster and a book, and a curved reading lamp over the chair. Emma felt something hard to describe flow through her. It felt like calm had just enveloped her, reassuring her that all was good. She smiled as she determined that she was imaging Jack sitting in his chair reading. It was that image that brought the feeling of serenity. How comforting it would be to be in this room with Jack ensconced in that chair?
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you get up."
Emma nearly jumped out of her skin, gasping in surprise. Jack's hands came to rest on her shoulders, warm and strong.
"I wasn't trying to surprise you. Sorry."
"It's OK," she smiled, moving up on tip toe to kiss him quickly. "I was exploring the rest of the floor. I wasn't snooping, really."
Jack just chuckled softly. "I know you weren't. Don't worry. What do you think of this room?"
"I love it!" Emma gushed. "By far it's my favorite room in the house. Well, second favorite," she added shyly.
"It's mine, too. I do use it as my home office." He pointed to the desk and chair in the corner. "It's where I spend most of my time. I read here, watch TV here and that couch has provided many restful hours of relaxation, which some people refer to as naps."
Without either of them realizing it, Emma had slowly backed her way toward Jack, and Jack had slowly drawn her in. Until they were now standing with Emma encircled by Jack's arms, his cheek resting beside her head soothed by her silky soft hair, their bodies joined from legs to shoulders.
"Jack," Emma began hesitantly, "I'm a little scared."
"Of me?" Jack started to pull away but Emma grabbed his arms and pulled them tighter around her.
"No, no, oh god no. I know I'm repeating myself but, I could really get used to this and... and I... well..."
"What? What's bothering you?" Jack asked calmly, his lips uttering the words into the tresses behind her neck.
"I'm afraid that that I'm falling very hard for you and that if this doesn't go anywhere or you need to be free as you were before it will be so hard for me." She fought back the tears that were trying to reach her eyes and throat.
Jack gently guided her to the window, she felt him disengage from her and sit in that armchair. He softly called her name, "Emma".
She turned to see him holding his arms out wide beckoning her to him. She sat on his lap and folded herself into him, feet drawn up from the floor, hands at her chest and her head on his shoulder. She felt him kiss her head so tenderly and his arms wrap around her once again.
"Oh my little girl. I didn't know just how much I wanted you, just how much I needed you until yesterday. If I had my way we'd be moving far too fast. I can't tell you how strongly I know I need you in my life. I'm only afraid that I'll smother you or overwhelm you and chase you away."
Her finger reached out and touched his chin. "You couldn't do that if you tried, Daddy." She spoke delicately, her eyes looking up hopefully at him.
He smiled a soft, warm, full smile. "Daddy needs his little girl as much or more than she needs him. What would be a Daddy's purpose without his little girl to love, protect and care for?"
"Jack, do you really mean that or are you just playing along?"
"I've been thinking about it and I think I like the idea of being a Daddy. I didn't think of using that term but I know I've felt like I want to protect you, care for and make things the best they can be for you. There is one, small, or perhaps not so small, wrinkle I'd like to throw in."
Emma felt her heart about to burst with happiness when Jack's statement about a small, or not so small, wrinkle staunched those feelings. Bravely she asked, "What is it?"
"How would you feel about me being, well 'in control' of you from time to time? I don't mean hurting you or doing things to you out of spite or meanness. I'm talking about telling you what to wear from time to time or teasing you or making you a little bit uncomfortable, you know pushing your envelope a little?"
Her happiness returned and was joined by its cousins, excitement and arousal. On hearing Jack's words her nipples stiffened and her nethers tingled. 'I'm terrible,' she thought to herself. 'A dozen years or more without sex and now this man is arousing me just by speaking dirty thoughts.'