A short while later, I stood in my bedroom, a towel wrapped low around my hips.
The hot shower had done little to wash away the weight pressing on my chest.
I sat on the edge of the large bed, the space beside me feeling vast and empty.
Kate was gone.
The reality of it finally crashed over me, a cold, suffocating wave.
She had been my foundation. My sounding board. The quiet force behind every success at Blackwood Intel Tech.
Now there was only silence.
Isabella was still so young. She couldn't fill this hollow space.
A soft knock pulled me from my thoughts.
"Dad?"
Chloe's head appeared in the doorway. Her blonde hair was impeccable, every strand in place. Her expression was calm, composed.
"Sorry to disturb you."
"No, it's fine. Come in."
She entered and sat beside me on the bed.
I put an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into me, her head resting against my damp skin. I smelled of soap and cedar.
"I thought we should talk," she said. "Now that we have a moment."
"I was just thinking about your mother," I said, my voice rough. "About how she raised you both, mostly on her own. I was always at the office. You're only twenty-one, Chloe, but you carry yourself with more grace than most women I know. I'm grateful you're here."
"That's why I came home, Dad. For you. We'll get through this. Together."
She placed a comforting hand on my leg, giving it a gentle squeeze.
A familiar warmth stirred in my groin. My body responded, a slow, involuntary thickening against my thigh.
I ignored it. Chloe wouldn't notice.
"Dad, we can be honest with each other, right? Completely honest?"
"Of course. What is it?"
"Well, since we're alone... I wanted to ask you about something. From earlier."
"Go ahead."
"I'll be direct. I know you prefer that." She took a breath. "I know you had sex with Isabella. In the woodshed. I could smell her... and that bucket of kindling didn't do much to hide the state you were in."
The crude words, spoken so coolly by my polished daughter, sent a jolt through me.
My cock, already half-awake, surged to full attention. It strained against the terrycloth towel, creating an obvious tent over my lap.
We both looked down.
We observed its progress with a strange, detached curiosity.
Then our eyes met. Our expressions were neutral, almost clinical.
"Isabella and I... we shared a traumatic experience. We sought comfort. It was mutual."
"Dad, you don't need to explain. Or apologize. I understand. Sex can be a powerful solace after loss."
Her ice-blue eyes dropped to the prominent bulge again.
"After a proper period of mourning, of course, you'll need to find a companion. Not a replacement for Mom. No one could do that. But someone to meet your... physical needs."
She paused, her gaze steady.
"As the eldest daughter, in Mom's absence, it falls to me to ensure your well-being. It's a duty. An ancient principle, actually. Biblical, even."
"Is that so?" I murmured, a faint smile touching my lips. "They teach you that at Harvard?"
In one smooth motion, Chloe lifted the towel from my lap.
I didn't stop her.
My erection sprang free, thick and heavy, pointing upward.
Chloe's eyes widened slightly. It was her first real-life view. The diagrams in her Human Sexuality seminars hadn't prepared her for this.
It was impressive. Substantial.
She reached out, her slender fingers encircling the base. Her cherry-red nails contrasted against the flushed, engorged flesh.
She applied pressure, squeezing gently. The head swelled further, becoming almost obscenely large.
She traced the prominent veins along the shaft with a fingertip. She explored the broad, smooth crown. It was nearly the size of her fist.
Could she even fit it in her mouth?
Gripping me firmly with both hands, she spat into her palm for lubrication. Then she began to slide her hands up and down my length.
She focused on the texture, the ridges, the heat.
Then she slid gracefully from the bed to her knees on the floor.
She took me into her mouth.
Her lips formed a tight seal around the head. Her tongue began to work, swirling, probing, caressing every sensitive inch.
I groaned. My hand came up to stroke her silky hair.
Chloe performed with focused, clinical precision. She was not seeking her own pleasure.
She was a student of reaction.
She noted which movements made me gasp. Which rhythms drew a deeper groan.
She coordinated her tongue, her lips, the pressure of her hands into a devastatingly efficient rhythm.
It was a symphony designed for a single purpose: my release.
I came quickly, powerfully.
My hips bucked off the bed. She held me firmly in her mouth, her lips locked tight.
She took every pulse, every hot jet, without spilling a drop.
She swallowed until I was completely spent, until my body went slack against the mattress.
"Oh, God," I breathed, collapsing back onto the bed. "That was... incredible."
"Do you feel better?" Chloe asked, rising to sit beside me. She smoothed her hair, a small, composed smile on her lips.
"Better? Sweetheart, that was a masterpiece. Where did you learn to do that?"
"I told you. I took advanced seminars."
My mind, cleared momentarily by the intense pleasure, began to race with new possibilities.
"I want you at Blackwood Intel Tech. As my right hand. What would you say to leaving college and coming to work for me? Full time."
"I think that would be a mutually beneficial arrangement," Chloe said without hesitation. "And I wouldn't have to leave school. I can finish my degree online."
"Then it's settled. Starting today, you're my executive liaison at BIT."
A knock sounded at the bedroom door.
"Sweetie, why don't you go freshen up," I said, standing and re-wrapping the towel around my waist. "I'll see who it is."
Chloe nodded and slipped into the adjoining bathroom.
I opened the door.
Benjamin stood there, impeccable as ever.
"Sir. The guests are assembled for the memorial luncheon. They await your presence."
"Very good. I'll be down shortly. Were the other matters handled?"
"Detective Foster has been... encouraged to pursue his inquiries elsewhere. Permanently. And as for young Mr. Winters, Miss Chloe's friend, he is currently... entertained. A group of local young ladies have invited him for poolside activities."
"Excellent. And Isabella?"
"Miss Isabella has rested and returned to the guest area. She asked after you, sir."
"Tell her, and the guests, that I will join them momentarily."