Page 29 of Rust
Isabelle’s Secret
Rust
Creamy cotton-puff clouds swirled in the sky as the desert sun began its downward descent. With seven o’clock only minutes away, I made one last sweep through the house, making sure the place was clean.
“You’re going to be on your best behavior for Isabelle, right, Minka?”
Minka peeked up at me from the comfort of her orthopedic memory foam dog bed*, her head askew. She looked like she were trying to say,Me? Papa, you’re the one I’m worried about.
*Yes, seriously. What can I say? Only the best for my spoiled brat.
I folded my arms and returned the sassy look to Minka. “Oh, don’t give me that look. Listen, I got this.”
And I was sure of it. Why? Because Isabelle was my best friend’s daughter and I was determined to keep things professional. Sure, there was that one night a week ago, when I had a moment of weakness in the shower. And yeah, if I were being perfectly honest, there were, er, a few more slip-ups since then…
But hey. I’d had aweekto get Isabelle out of my head. Yes, she was an absolute babe, but I was twice her age and, more importantly, she was my best friend’s daughter. Who, by the way, was already going through some serious shit at home and didn’t needmeadding any more problems to his life.
Besides, Johnny was right—Minka probably would benefit from a full-time dog sitter. And if the job was good for Isabelle’s schooling, then great. And if it made Johnny happy knowing that I could keep an eye on Isabelle, then everyone won.
AllI had to do was not fuck it all up by creeping on my best friend’s daughter. Easy enough, right?
Minka alertly lifted her head, something far-off having caught her attention. Half-a-minute later, I heard the same thing she did: the droning of an approaching car.
“That must be her,” I said.
The door bell rang, and Minka raced into action, yowling at the front door.
You got this,I told myself, even as my heart started to kick a giddy beat.
I opened the door and a week’s worth of resolve to be a good guy crumbled like a cheap facade, and my jaw nearly fell with it. Isabelle radiated natural beauty, her long hair tied up in a messy bun. Even when she was dressed casually, she had the power to steal my breath away.
Holy fuck.
“Isabelle, hi,” I said at last.
“Hi, Rust! How are you?” she asked.
She wore a cropped cami. Her round, perky tits defied gravity, and once again I found myself losing a battle not to look. She had the confidence to show her bare stomach, exposing a deliciously taut midriff. Her bellybutton was so friggin’ cute, I wanted to whisk her straight to my bedroom and nibble on that thing for hours, her ticklish giggles like music to my ears…
Okay, maybe I don’t got this after all.
“I’m good,” I croaked, forcing myself to keep my gaze above her neck. “Come on in.”
Minka excitedly bounded over to greet her new babysitter. Eager to make friends and receive pets, Minka greeted Isabelle with a happy howl.“AWOOO~OOOOOO~OOOOO!”
“Hi there! You must be Minka!” Isabelle bent over to give Minka pets. You could tell it was love at first sight between those two. “Ah!!! She’s so cute, I can’t stand it!”
I know exactly how you feel,I thought, stealing looks at Isabelle from behind. Her plump ass filled out a pair of short shorts, making them look like they’d been painted on her bottom. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her.
But Ihadto keep my eyes off her. For Johnny, if nothing else.
I shook my head and snapped out of it.Get it together.
Isabelle turned to me. “So she’s extremely talkative and affectionate. Anything else I should know about Minka?”
“Glad you asked, because she’s very particular.” In the foyer was a bureau where I kept my important documents. I opened the top drawer and pulled out a packet of printed papers. “I wrote a small novel on how to take care of her.”
Isabelle’s eyes lit and she cooed,awww.She immediately began leafing through the care packet, giggling here and there at the photos. “Oh my God. I absolutelylovethis.” But the part that she liked the most, I could tell, was the section titled “Minka’s Random Rules I’ve Discovered.” She read aloud the bulleted items that amused her, like: