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

want him to

a thoughtful pause of my own, I nodded, "I would prefer it if he

she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the

held out a thick black macrame cord in her

painful pang as I knew what was in her small fist even before she opened her

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

her grey eyes

her fingers back around the black stone

"It's yours.

keep it

and picked up my hand then slammed the shining black rock in my palm and closed my fingers around

to me and I'm loaning it

back to

battle when I see

nodded and said,

to go back to

on the bed but didn't lie down, instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me

Did I tell you my five years old daughter was a freaking smartarse? The thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it on I'd have left it out in the apartment

in a silent demand as she moved on her knees so

her palm and she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers got busy as she tied the

she accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't too long and the broken rock

would just look in

now I only had smallest 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 didn't matter later when I had to

"See, this makes you look the

announced as she

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

my phone and focused on my daughter as I said with a pout, "I thought I

my cheeks between her palms and brought

grey eyes fierce as

will always be the

the tears away and said, "So are you,

kissed her nose and in return

"I love you."

you too,

back and

made a face and I

I tugged the blanket

I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will

"Soon."

"Good night,

picked my phone from the bedside drawer and made my way toward the bedroom door when her soft

"Yes, baby?"

boy be

suffered another scratch and I swallowed the knot in my throat as I said, "Go to sleep,

will be back

up to her shoulders, Closing the door, I let out a

I had to ignore her questions or make up a lie that I didn't

vaguely but always painting her father in the light that would leave room

thought that I was purposely keeping her away from

that he

pregnant when he threatened

now that he has

had gone to meet him to tell him the truth and if I had

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

I pulled myself straight and unlocked my phone, I knew it even before I opened the message icon that

I wasn't prepared

there in

Don't wear any panties."

dress already made me feel half naked so I wasn't going to obey his

bedroom to check up on her before I

he mentioned that he will be here soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs

if I

much as I could, until I understand what kind of man this Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the name of

one out in the corridor but it wasn't the case as I

cringed inwardly as people started to take notice of me when I came into the entrance