Daddy Morebucks (10 page)

He turned the radio on and flipped around until they agreed upon a channel. Marley sat back and took in the sights. Had she seen these parts of Dallas? So much of her experience was foreign to him.

He pulled the car into the huge parking lot at Northpark Center. Recently renovated, the mall had a fresh new vibe.

Inside, they were greeted by massive works of art that rose up in the center of each section. A red metal object as high as the second floor towered over them. Stores of all kinds lined each side of the main walkway. Marley stood with her mouth open.

James asked, “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. We don’t have malls like this in Abilene.” She grinned.

“Gotcha.” He took her hand and led her into a store dedicated to sunglasses.

“Sunglasses?” she asked.

“Yes, I’m tired of watching you squint when we go outdoors. You have to take better care of your eyes. Let’s find some you like.”

Twenty minutes later, they exited the store with Marley wearing a pair of designer sunglasses. “What’s next?” she asked.

He looked at his watch. “We actually have an appointment at Neiman Marcus in about thirty minutes.”

“An appointment? Why would we need an appointment?”

“It’s with a personal shopper. I contacted her in advance with your sizes. She’s pre-selected things she thinks you might like.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You’re serious?”

“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be? I don’t know what to buy for you. I thought professional help might be in order.”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, tapping her toe on the floor. “What about me? Why can’t I shop for myself? Are you afraid I won’t pick out the right thing?”

Wow. Sometimes women could be so difficult. He’d tried to do something for her and now she was offended. Great. “No, Marley. It’s nothing like that. You can pick out whatever you want. I just thought it would be helpful. If it’s not, you don’t have to buy anything. Please, let’s have a nice time.” He let go an exasperated sigh.

Marley stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “Sorry, Daddy. Thank you for the sunglasses. I’m just not used to anybody doing things for me. Please forgive me.”

“Of course,” he said, taking her hand.

They strolled along, window shopping, until she paused in front of a lingerie store. With a wicked grin she asked, “Can we stop in here? I do need some things, Daddy.”

How could he say no? His dick stiffened at the picture in his head of Marley wearing the items on display in the window. “Sure.”

He followed her inside like a puppy on a leash. There was nowhere to sit so he trailed along behind her, hoping to prevent himself from drooling.

Occasionally she’d ask his opinion as she sashayed by the tables of pretty panties and bras. He nodded and smiled, overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices. Bras in an endless array of colors lined the walls. Alluring teddies in various animal prints spilled out of an open armoire. Marabou slippers teetered atop a cascade of silky chemises, calling out for him to touch them. After making sure no one was looking, he reached out and stroked the turquoise feathers, vowing to get a pair of those for Marley. The things he could do with those feathers…

Hmm. Where was she? Marley had disappeared the moment he’d turned away. He searched each room for her and was about to give up when a perky salesgirl approached him. “Sir, are you looking for the girl with the black hair? She’s in the dressing room. She asked me to come get you.”

“Thanks.” He followed her to a hallway, each side lined with pink and black doors. “Marley?” He called, clueless as to which door she was behind and terrified at the prospect of walking in on a stranger. Pulling at his collar, he began to perspire. Was it super hot in here or was it just him?

“Yes, Daddy?” Her voice lilted over a dressing room door near the end of the hallway. Part of him wished he could shut her little mouth for calling him that here. The other part was proud of her, wanting her to shout to everyone they saw that she was his little girl and he was her daddy.

“Marley! Where are you?” he hissed.

She opened the door and traipsed into the hallway wearing nothing but a bra and panties. The skimpy underwear was red plaid, trimmed with white eyelet. She twirled around, showing off for him. “Do you like it, Daddy?”

She was a vision. Her beauty squeezed him deep in his heart.

Jolted back to reality, he answered, “Yes. You look incredible.” He shooed her back into the dressing room. “But you don’t need to show the whole world.”

“I don’t?” she asked, playing with his collar.

“No, you don’t. Now be a good girl and stay in here. This is only for me to see.” He pointed two fingers at her.

“Yes, Daddy. I’ll be good.” She turned her back and removed her clothing. She wore a white thong underneath, but was naked other than that. He tried to look away, but glanced into the mirror instead where he got a view of her from the front.
Hmm. I could get used to this
.

She tried on a variety of things. Everything got a thumbs-up except a stretch lace bodysuit he thought made her look cheap.

It took monumental restraint not to slam her up against the wall and take her right there in the dressing room, but he summoned all his willpower and refrained. They were sure to have hidden cameras and the last thing he needed was a scandal. Instead he took mental pictures of her in the skimpy lingerie. Later he could call them up when he needed a Marley fix.

Checking his watch, he noticed they were about to be late for their appointment. He hurried her along, taking her finds to the cash register while she got dressed. He laid on the counter a pair of emerald green ruffled rhumba panties, a black bra, black panties with a heart cut out in the ass (his favorite), a frilly short black nightgown, a red ruffled bra and panty set dotted with black hearts, and the plaid bra and panties.

At the last minute, Marley rushed to the counter, out of breath, with more in her hand. “Can I get these too, Daddy? Pretty please?” She held up a see-through lavender babydoll nightie and a couple of beige bras.

“You most certainly can, but we need to hurry. I hate being late.”

She hugged his arm tight. “Thank you,” she whispered.

The salesgirl was nonplused by her referring to him as Daddy, but she did step up the pace folding their purchases and finished ringing them up in record time. He relaxed his shoulders.

“Anything else, Mr. LeBlanc?” she asked.

“No, thank you.”

Marley had grabbed one of the shopping bags when they headed into the mall.

“Here, give me that,” he commanded.

“Why? I can carry things.”

“I know you
can
, but I want to do it for you. Now don’t argue with me.”

She reluctantly handed the bag back to him. “But now I have nothing to carry. And you have all those bags. It makes me feel useless.” She frowned.

“Doll, you are anything but useless. Do you have any idea how hot you got me back there?”

She shook her head.

“I’ll have wet dreams all week.” He gave her ass a quick slap.

She giggled. “Daddy!”

He smiled at her. “Let me spoil you today. Okay?”

Beaming, she drawled, “Okaaaay.”

Looking down at her tiny little handbag, he made a mental note to get her a new one at Neiman’s.

His hands were full of bags, but she unwrapped his pinky finger and circled her dainty little hand around it.

She gazed into his eyes with an intimacy foreign to him. A warm breeze of happiness blew through him. He knew he was infatuated with her, but this was something more…

When they arrived at Neiman’s, they took the elevator to the top floor where they met Beverly, their personal shopper for the day.

Beverly wore a smart navy blue suit with high heels that clicked when she walked. “Hi, Mr. LeBlanc. I’m glad you could come in today. I believe we may have met before. I’m a friend of Sloane’s.” She extended her hand.

“Nice to see you.” He shook her hand. “This is Marley Middlebrooks.”

Marley greeted Beverly with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. Mr. LeBlanc called in your sizes and I’ve set aside several things, but you tell me what you think. Let me know if we’re on the right track.”

Marley nodded. “Okay.”

Beverly showed them to a massive private dressing room with a chaise lounge, a sofa, and table. There were several full-length mirrors placed specifically to show off a person from every angle.

“Make yourself comfortable, and I’ll be right back,” she said, disappearing behind a swath of curtains.

The moment she was out of site, Marley asked, “Who’s Sloane?”

Was she jealous? He smiled at the possibility. “A friend of mine. We went to school together. She’s a clothing designer, I guess she knows Beverly.” He shrugged.

“Oh. Where did you go to school?” She laced her fingers with his, caressing his hand with hers.

“UT—Austin. How about you?” As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he wished he could take them back. He already knew the answer to that. But it was such a knee-jerk reaction in his world. Like when someone asks how you’re doing and you automatically say, “Fine. How’re you?”

She laughed, but there was no mirth in her eyes. “Abilene High School.”

He clasped her hand. “That’s something I want to talk with you about later. Maybe over dinner.”

Her eyes lit up. “Dinner! You
are
spoiling me today. Where are we having dinner?”

“We’ll see.” He loved how excited she got about things he took for granted, like going out to dinner. Her childlike enthusiasm was enchanting.

A hefty rack of clothes pushed through the curtains. Beverly followed behind, steering the colorful vehicle.

“Oh my!” Marley exclaimed.

“You can start by looking through these. Tell me what you like and what you don’t. Let me know if there are any special occasion items you need. Mr. LeBlanc said you mostly needed everyday wear so that’s what I’ve brought out first. Now, what can I get you to drink? Bottled water, champagne, a Coke?” Beverly asked.

A devious grin spread across Marley’s face. She turned to him, pursing her lips adorably. “Daddy, can I please have some champagne?”

“Yes, but no more than two glasses.” He held a finger up, warning her. “You know the rules.”

Enthusiasm bubbled from her lips. “Yes, Daddy, I know.” Marley hopped up and began rifling through the clothes. “Wow! Look at this, Daddy; wouldn’t it look cute on me?”

“Yeah, doll. That is cute. And Beverly, I’ll have some water, please.” The situation was getting too girly for him. That looked like a colossal amount of clothes for her to go through… Maybe he’d send her shopping alone next time, or with a girlfriend.

While Marley oohed and aahed and tried on countless dresses and sweaters, James checked his portfolio, his email, and finally the Dallas Vipers sports news on his phone.

James was a huge football fan, and his buddy, Natron Dakers, was the star wide receiver on the team. The Vipers needed to win only one more game to make it to the playoffs.

He lifted his gaze to see Marley dressed in a short gray sweater dress topped with a zebra print scarf, gray leg warmers, and sexy black knee-high boots.
She looks great, but I’d rather see her in only the boots.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“Love it, especially the boots.”

She scrunched her shoulders happily and turned back to Beverly. “I think I need more things like this. Things I’d wear every day. I don’t really need anything fancy, do I, Daddy?”

“No,” he replied absentmindedly, then changed his mind. “Now that I think of it, maybe a ball gown and a cocktail dress, Beverly.” There would be occasions coming up where she would need to be dressed up.

“A ball gown?” Marley’s eyes grew big as saucers.

“Yes. I go to charity events on occasion. I’d like you to come with me.”

“I’ve got just the dress,” Beverly told Marley.

The University of Texas fight song jangled in his hand. Saved by the phone. He excused himself. The girls didn’t even notice his exit.

It was his friend Charles. “Hey, J, what’s goin’ on?”

Charles had recently returned from Iraq. He and his girlfriend Kimberly were engaged and they had asked James to be the best man in the wedding. Charles hadn’t said much about the wedding yet, but James expected the planning would begin in full force after the holidays. “Not much. What’s up?”

“Sloane texted Kimberly that you were at Neiman’s shopping with a new girlfriend. She wants me to get the scoop.”

“Already? I’ve only been here an hour.” The gossip pipeline flowed remarkably fast. Guess there wasn’t much you could keep private in this town. Not that he’d want to. Marley wasn’t a dirty little secret, he was proud of her. He’d want to show her off to his friends. Just maybe not so soon…

Charles laughed. “I know, right? Kimberly wants to meet her. Do you think she would get along with the other girls?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“Okay, will you give her Kimberly’s number? The girls are having lunch next week and she and Sloane are dying to meet her.”

“Gotcha. I will pass that along.” They spoke for a few more minutes about work and the Vipers before they hung up.

James poked his head back into the dressing room. Marley viewed herself from all angles in a khaki trench coat with ruffles at the bottom, her face plastered with pure delight. His chest tightened. He wanted to see her happy like this always.

He closed the curtain back and called Milton, who complained he wasn’t at the office.

James considered cutting their day short and going in to work for a couple of hours, then brushed aside the idea. When was the last time he’d taken the day off? It had been ages. Maybe for some dental surgery last year. It felt strange not being at the office, but he was looking forward to spending the rest of the day with Marley.

The next time he checked on her, Marley stood in front of the mirror in a flowing floor-length gown with a portrait collar. Billows of red surrounded her, like flames licking the air. She was stunning.

“That one for sure,” he said to Beverly. Marley beamed.