“Turn over,” he demanded, his voice soft. I obliged and flipped onto my stomach. He chuckled and slapped my ass once. “Not what I meant.” He pulled me on top of him and I look down at him with confusion. “Ride me.”

“Why are you whispering?” I would never admit it to him, but I always appreciated the gruff way he commanded me to please him.

“Because my niece is always a light sleeper at the wrong time.”

I looked at the door nervously and found it locked, but I still hesitated. “Do you think we should? She’s in the next room.”

His only response was to lick my naked hips enough to slip inside me slowly. I gasped at the feeling of being filled. “Then I guess it means you can’t scream.”

His red-brown eyes challenged me and like the wanton I was, accepted. Bracing my hands against his chest, I held his eyes as I lifted my hips. I took him by surprise when I slammed back down. The pleasure in his eyes was unmistakable, but he tightened his grip on my hips to keep me from repeating the move.

“Slowly.”

He guided me this time and we rocked together. Keeping quiet made the act feel forbidden and before long, I lost control again. I rode him hard and fast to a pleasure that took Dash a few moments to snap out of. He flipped me over on my back, taking over and punishing me with slow, deep strokes.

I quickly realized the benefits of making love to fucking. We were able to look into each other’s eyes and see more than just lust and the need to release. We were able to communicate. To say what we weren’t brave enough to say out loud.

“I missed you,” he whispered against my lips. He continued to move inside me slowly. The pace allowed me to feel every inch of him.

“Me too,” I found myself admitting. Maybe it was because for once there were no threats or accusations between us. Later, I might regret it but at this moment, I could only admit what beat in my heart. To avoid making any more mistakes, I took his lips and lost myself with him until we both came.

Quietly, of course.

No sooner had we caught our breath than a soft knock interrupted the silence we rested in with content. “Uncle Dash, I made a mistake.”

His body stiffened a second before he sprang into action. He snatched his black basketball shorts from the floor and hastily stepped inside them, hopping from one foot to the other.

I didn’t understand what the big deal was. Kids went in the bed all the time. He tossed me his shirt from last night and I slipped it on. Once I was decent, he snatched open the door and picked up a scared Ken. “Where is it, huh?”

“Bathroom.”

He then carried her to the bed and placed her beside me. She curled into my lap and watched her uncle leave with wide eyes. “I in trouble,” she told me and shook her head.

When I heard him curse and what sounded like water running, I got curious. I pecked Kennedy on top of the head and followed the string of curses into the spare bedroom. The room was smaller and held a smaller bathroom inside. I saw him inside fiddling with the toilet and walked in without paying particular attention to the floor. Water quickly rushed around my feet. “What the—”

The entire bathroom was flooded. Some of the water now traveled from the bathroom and into the carpeting in the bedroom.

“What happened?”

“Ken happened.” I moved closer to see what made the toilet overrun and was surprised to see the bottom end of a Barbie sticking out of the mouth inside the toilet. He stuck his hand inside the toilet and pulled the doll loose, but the water kept coming.

“I think you need a plumber,” I offered lamely. He shot me an impatient look and pushed past me.

“Stay with Ken. I forgot to put the gates up.” He disappeared inside his office, and I stood in the hallway long enough to hear him speaking on the phone, ordering a plumber.

I found Kennedy lying on her stomach looking content with the world around her. She was holding the TV remote and had turned the TV to Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles.

Her attention shifted when I entered the bedroom, and she assaulted me with her bright smile. “Willow, I made a swimming pool for Barbie.”

“So you did.”

It took half the Saturday to fix and clean the destruction Kennedy had caused. I dubbed it the Great Flood of Ken.

Dash did not share my amusement.

Sunday came but uncle and niece-bonding time had quickly turned into Dash preparing for the meeting that was taking him out of town tomorrow. Eventually, he left the apartment altogether, leaving Kennedy and me alone.

It didn’t take long for me to fall head over heels in love with the little tyrant. She had a devious mind and I constantly found myself suspicious of her whenever she would flash that signature grin but by Sunday night when it was time to return her to her parents, I found someone new to love.