Blackmailed For Love

I sat down on the sofa and opened the first box of the two in the soft overhead light coming from above the tv console.

I peeled the soft tissue that glimmered in the dim light and looked at the dark purple silk nestled in there.

With hesitant fingers I picked up the silken fabric, it unfurled in my hands as I let it drop down in front of me.

It was a sleeveless and a backless dress with a slit up to just below the waistline.

I would be half naked in this dress but still the thought of wearing it lit up a spark of anticipation deep inside my lower belly.

The other box had the same colored heels with red bottoms.

It took me twenty minutes to get ready as I didn't do much except to put Band-Aids on my nipples as the dress won't allow me to wear a bra and my nîpples poked through the fabric as if begging for attention and applied a natural shade of pink lip gloss.

I looked like a virgin trying to be a seductress.

I shook my head at my own thoughts as I stepped out of the bathroom, 1 faltered when my eyes met dark greys.

My daughter was sitting up in the bed and she was looking at me with wide eyes and a curious tilt of her head.

"Anna…"

"Mama, you look beautiful."

My heart squeezed with love at her words.

I walked to her, concentrating on not falling face first because of the heels I was wearing, it was safe to say I wasn't used to such type of footwear.

"What are you doing waking up? I thought you were asleep."

I said as I sat down on the bed beside her.

"I was."

She said with a silent Duh at the end.

I bit down on my bottom lip as my lips twitched, but she slipped closer to me and said, "I had a bad dream."

I cupped her cheek and pulled her on my lap, uncaring of the expensive silk.

Cradling her against my chest, I smoothed her dark hair back and asked, "Talk to me.

What did you dream about?"

"Someone was taking me away from you."

She replied, her voice small and a slight shaking entered in her voice.

My arms tightened around her.

And I said, "No one is going to take me away from you."

2 "Promise?"

I pressed a kiss on her head.

"Promise, my little angel."

She looked up at me and asked, "Where are you going?"

I didn't know the answer to that myself, but I replied, "Dinner."

Her brows lowered and her grey eyes turned inquisitive.

"But we had pizza."

I tapped her nose.

"Yes.

But I am meeting someone."

"A boy or a girl?"

For some reason I didn't lie to my daughter.

"A boy."

She made a thoughtful face and asked, "Is he your boyfriend?"

I shook my head.

he is

want

I nodded, "I would prefer it if he was

then I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was

for a bit and then held out a thick black macrame cord in

was in her small fist even before

"Wear this.

lucky

her grey

the black stone

"It's yours.

keep it to

slammed the shining black rock in my palm and closed my

to me and I'm

can give it back to me when you

a losing battle when

nodded and said,

you to

instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give it to me, I'll help you put it

daughter was a freaking smartarse? The thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it

out her palm in a silent demand as she moved on her knees so she was

I put the threaded rock in her palm and she swiped my

and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't too long

everyone who would just

broken part of it, the other half and the bigger part was left behind in the cottage on the Aaron estate when I accidentally dropped it while trying to pack all the things I could get my hands on which

makes you look the

daughter announced as she

her in a tight hug, just then I heard my phone pinging with an

on my daughter as I said with a pout, "I thought I was already

my cheeks between her palms and brought my face closer to

eyes fierce as she said, "You

will always be the best,

the tears away and said,

in return she kissed

"I love you."

love you too,

and

made a face and I said, "Now, go

and I tugged the blanket over

down, I kissed her

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will you

"Soon."

replied "Good

and made my way toward the bedroom

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be my new

My broken heart suffered another scratch and I swallowed the knot in my throat as I said, "Go

will be back

up to her shoulders, Closing the door, I let out a rough exhale and closed

my daughter had asked me about her father, I had to ignore her

always

thought that I was purposely keeping her away from her father which was in fact a truth

never knew that

was pregnant when he threatened me and told

even now that he

time I had gone to meet him to tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance to tell him the

now I didn't even know how he would react when the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that

I knew it even before I opened

I wasn't prepared

there in the next ten

Don't wear any panties."

half naked so

text and made my way toward my mother's bedroom to check up on her before

I decided to wait for him downstairs because I didn't want him anywhere near

if I can help

force a daughter from her mother in the name

wasn't the case as

people started to take notice of me when I came into the entrance hall near the