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.

angel, he is

want him to

own, I nodded, "I would

my lap and then I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the few toys

then held

as I knew what was in

"Wear this.

lucky

her grey

and closed her fingers back around the black stone that had half of its piece back somewhere in

"It's yours.

should keep it to

my hand then slammed the shining black rock in my palm and

and I'm loaning it to

give it back to

losing battle when

and said,

I want you to go back

on the bed but didn't lie down, 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

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

she held out her palm in a silent demand as

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

as the thread wasn't too long and the broken rock came to settle on

who would

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

makes you look the

as she

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

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

clapped my cheeks between her palms and brought my face closer

as she

will always be the best,

said, "So are you,

her nose and in return she kissed the

"I love you."

love you too,

and

and I said, "Now, go

down and I tugged the blanket over

down, I

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

replied "Good night,

made my way toward the bedroom door

"Yes, baby?"

boy be my

and I swallowed the knot in

be back

nod and her grey eyes closed as she turned away and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, Closing the door, I let out a

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

time, my mother would interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father in the light that

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

never knew that he had impregnated

knew I was pregnant when he threatened me and told

know even now that he has a

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

by me had festered for so long that whenever his eyes landed on me they were resentful,

phone, I knew it even before I opened the

prepared

there in

Don't wear any panties."

naked so I

way toward my mother's bedroom to check up on her before I turned toward the

I decided to wait for him downstairs because I didn't

if I

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

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

take notice of me when I