I turned nineteen in late January, not long after I went back to school. Dad promised to celebrate the occasion the next time I was home for a weekend, but Gabe insisted on taking me out to dinner on my birthday.

He'd made reservations at a restaurant I'd never heard of, and the moment we stepped inside, I understood why it was unfamiliar to me. The place was ostentatious, with a formal dress code. Wearing my finest dress, I still felt as if I didn't belong there. Gabe, on the other hand, wore a suit which made him look elegant and distinguished. 

At our table, we drank from real crystal goblets. Glancing at the indecipherable selections the menu offered, I asked Gabe to order for me. In the candlelight, he smiled, attempting to put me at ease.

"Don't let the atmosphere intimidate you," he said in a voice only I could hear. "The food is absolutely fantastic."

I moved my chair closer to his so I could reach for his hand. "Thank you for celebrating my birthday with me, Gabe." Though the restaurant wasn't all that busy on a weeknight, I made sure to keep my affectionate gesture hidden beneath the tablecloth.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Giving my fingers a squeeze, he added, "It's a privilege to be in the company of such a beautiful young woman."

I beamed at his compliment. Tonight, I'd worn a bit more makeup, and my hair was swept back from my face to reveal the diamond earrings he'd given me at Christmas. 

My meal was indeed delicious, and I made a point to savor every bite. During dinner, Gabe asked me how classes were going, and if I'd been doing any socializing. His questions were innocent enough, but I sensed he was trying to learn more about my life when he and I weren't together. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part.

"I haven't been to any wild parties, if that's what you're asking." I studied him with a fondness I made no effort to hide. "I've been spending my weekends with you."

"Is your roommate still curious about where you're sneaking off to every Saturday?" 

"Very." I rolled my eyes in exasperation. "Andrea says she needs to meet the mystery guy in my life, because things seem to be getting serious fast."

Gabe looked up from his plate, his expression one of curiosity. "And what about you, Opal? Do you think we're getting serious?"

I struggled to choose the right response. Though I yearned to admit my feelings for Gabe, part of me feared he wouldn't reciprocate them. Still, I didn't want to act as if our relationship was nothing more than a fling. 

Finally, I settled for the words he'd spoken the night we first had sex. "You yourself said it's more than just fucking." 

I could tell by the way his gaze softened that my answer pleased him. 

It was almost nine by the time we left the restaurant. Already, Gabe and I had decided I would spend the night at his house. Before walking me to his car, he drew me close. The building's lights cast a harsh illumination over us. 

"Will you kiss me right here?" he murmured, his stare taking on a heat I instantly recognized. "Where we might be seen?"

Without hesitation, I said, "Of course I will." Then I wove my fingers through his hair and guided his mouth to mine.

Gabe moaned at my insistent tongue, and as the kiss deepened, his hands slipped into my coat. 

"I'm dying to be inside you," he said. Growing bolder, I dared to feel just how eager he was for me. His eyes widened when I stroked him through his pants, but his sly grin made it clear he enjoyed my audacity. "Let's get you home, dirty girl."

During the short drive to Gabe's house, he often had his hand up my dress and between my thighs. I moaned, writhing in the seat while his fingers stimulated my clit. He kept his stare fixed on the road, but that knowing smile never left his lips. 

By the time we stepped into his living room, I was dripping and beyond ready to fuck. My fingers were clumsy at his tie, so I left the job of loosening it to him and instead focused on his belt.

To my surprise, Gabe seized my hands. "Patience, baby."

"Why?" I looked up at him in confusion.

Wordlessly, he led me to the bedroom. At least we were heading in the right direction, I told myself. As he turned on the lamp, I worked at the zipper of my dress.

It was then that I noticed the painting I'd given him. It now hung on the wall; the shadows of those apples were deepened by the room's soft light. 

"What happened to the piece you painted?" I asked, for the new painting had taken its place. I looked around in search of brilliant red.

Gabe retrieved a gift box from a nearby chair. It was tied with a large red bow. "It's yours now," he told me with a soft smile.

My eyes widened. "Really?!" I'd never made a secret of how much I loved that painting, and when I now opened the box to gaze upon Gabe's art, I felt a rush of intense pleasure, as if I were seeing it for the first time. "Are you sure, Gabe?" My voice was suddenly thick with emotion.

"Of course."

"It's so beautiful," I murmured. "Thank you." Meeting his eyes again, I blinked back tears. "I'll hang it above my bed in my dorm room. And every time I see it, I'll think of you."

Extending a hand, he stroked my cheek. "Take a look at what else is in the box."

My pulse quickened as I carefully lifted the painting. Nestled in the folds of tissue paper which had cradled the frame was a check for five thousand dollars. The sight of all those zeroes made me shriek.

"Absolutely not!" I protested with a fierce shake of my head. "I'm not taking your money."

Gabe lifted an eyebrow. "Don't disappoint me. I want you to have it for your birthday."

"I can't." My tone pleaded with him to be reasonable. "You're already so generous, and accepting this would make me feel like I'm taking advantage."

He took the box from my hands and set it aside. When he stood before me again, I let him help me out of my dress.

"There's something you need to understand, Opal: money is freedom. The more you have, the more options will be available to you."

"But—"

His kiss silenced me. "I heard you mention over Christmas that you plan to look for a job." He unhooked my bra and took a moment to swirl his tongue over my nipple before continuing. "I want you to enjoy your first year of college without having to worry about making money."

I promised myself he and I could discuss this later, when I wasn't so aroused that I had trouble thinking straight. In no time at all, he'd stripped us both naked, and I joined him in the bed.

Tonight, his caresses were different. As he sat with his legs stretched out before him, and I straddled his thighs, I felt his hard cock nestled between us. Yet he seemed in no hurry to fuck. Closing my eyes, I reveled in the kisses he planted on my neck. 

His lips traveled lower, and I leaned back, with his hands supporting me. I moaned when he suckled my right nipple, and then my left. This was not our typical leadup to a fervent fuck. This foreplay delivered no pain, only pleasure.

This, I realized, was lovemaking.

I began rocking against him, betraying my lust. Burying my fingers in his hair, I lifted his head and gazed into his eyes. His expression was tender to the point of vulnerability.

Trembling in his arms, I whispered, "I love you."

Then I held my breath, waiting for his response. I swore I wouldn't be disappointed if he couldn't yet say the same to me. 

Gabe's smile was pained. Smoothing a dark curl back from my face, he said, "You only love the idea of us, Opal. Don't mistake that illusion for reality."

Instantly, I recoiled from his words. I felt as if he'd taken my trust, my very heart, and crushed it in his palm. Tears threatened to spill, but I'd be damned if I wept in front of him.

Escaping his embrace, I practically leapt from the bed. When he tried to stop me, I managed to evade his grasp. "Leave me alone," I growled, gathering up my clothes.

"Opal—"

"No!" Straightening up, I whirled around to face him, with my dress pressed against the front of my body. "Tonight, you asked me how I felt about our relationship. You wanted me to confess my love for you. And when I did..." My voice broke, and my face crumpled, but I somehow didn't burst into tears. "You treated me like a goddamn child."

Gabe climbed from the bed, and I took several steps toward the door. The pain I felt was powerful enough to steal my breath. Maybe he was right to treat me like a child, for I was possessed by the sudden urge to wound him as deeply as he'd wounded me.

"You know what?" I called over my shoulder as I strode from the room. "You're right—it's just girlish infatuation on my part."

"Would you wait a damn minute?" There was a distinctive edge to his voice.

I didn't expect him to follow me. I planned to get dressed in the bathroom, with a locked door between us. But before I shut him out, I delivered one last jab.

"It's ridiculous to think I could love you," I went on in that same breezy tone. "After all, you're way too old for me."

I had no chance to retreat to the bathroom, for he was on me in an instant. I gasped at his painful grip on my arm. He spun me around with such force that I dropped the clothes I was carrying.

"You think you can say bullshit like that and just walk away?" he demanded.

Though his eyes were dark with fury, a glance downward let me know he was still fully erect. If anything, he was harder than ever. I didn't struggle or insist he let me go. Shame was bitter in my throat as I realized I wanted him this way. Hadn't I always secretly feared he would allow me to leave his life as quickly as I'd entered it?

Now, I understood he was willing to fight in order to keep me. 

I let him drag me back down the hall and throw me on the bed. When I tried to flip over on my back, he was quick to stop me. 

"Get on your hands and knees," he ordered in a dangerously low voice.

Facing away from him, I hurried to do as he said. He knelt on the bed behind me, his hands tight on my hips.

"Put your head down, and place your hands behind you." Gabe sounded a little more in control now, but I didn't make him wait. The position was awkward, even degrading; it caused my cheeks to burn in humiliation. 

"Don't you dare move," he warned.

Then he slid inside me. 

I tried not to give him the satisfaction of hearing me moan. Pressing my lips together, I managed only muffled whimpers. 

Once Gabe was buried deep within my pussy, he grabbed my wrists. I cried out as he drew me upward. Now, my head was lifted from the bed, and loose strands of hair fell around my face.

Gabe held me fast, using my body for leverage. With my arms wrenched behind me, I should have been shouting for him to stop. 

But I didn't want him to stop. Already, I was shamefully wet.

He began slamming into me. The power of his thrusts would have sent me flying forward if I weren't caught in his grasp. Our bodies made an obscene slapping sound each time they connected. I heard his heavy breaths, punctuated by satisfied grunts.

"You think I'm too old for you now?" Gabe taunted. 

It was as if I'd forgotten how to form sentences; opening my mouth, I strove to speak but could only groan.

"Answer me!" he snarled. All the while, his rutting continued. 

"I... don't think that," I choked out. "I've never thought that." This fuck would leave me raw, sore for days, yet I was ready to beg if he paused for even a moment. 

Gabe's ruthless pounding made my tits swing wildly about, and I could no longer subdue my wails. The pre-orgasmic tension ratcheted up within me until it threatened to inundate my entire body.

Sensing I was close, Gabe let out a mocking laugh. "You think anyone else can make you come so easily?"

Desperately, I shook my head. "No!" The word escaped me like a sob.

Releasing my wrists, Gabe took hold of my shoulders. I let him pull me upright until I was kneeling as well, with him still inside my cunt. He placed a hand on my throat. The slightest pressure from his fingers made my muscles clench around his cock.

"Who do you belong to?" he murmured, his lips close to my ear.

"I'm yours." My blood was hot, humming beneath my skin. Tilting my head back, I allowed Gabe to see my smile. I wanted to be taken exactly like this. I wanted him to possess me.

Was this how he showed his love? I wondered. Over the years, he'd allowed everyone else to slip out of his life, even his own daughter.

But not me.

Cupping my breast, Gabe gave my nipple a pinch while I was impaled on his cock. He grew wild, abandoning all restraint, and my spasms did nothing to hinder his thrusts. My climax drew a series of low screams from my throat; Gabe had to hold me while I shuddered. 

"You want my cum?" he said through clenched teeth.

I nodded, still writhing in his embrace.

"Beg for it. Beg me to come inside you, Opal."

His demand didn't repulse me the way it once would have. By that point, my pride was almost nonexistent, and I'd begun to enjoy the taste of shame.

"Please come inside me!" I said in a quavering voice. "Please, Gabe, fill my pussy!"

My subjugation sent him over the edge. His cock twitched within me, then pulsed fiercely. My cunt was exquisitely sensitive after that brutal fuck, and I could easily feel Gabe's seed gushing forth. He made a guttural sound while giving me every drop of his cum.

Afterward, his anger seemed to evaporate. He was gentle in withdrawing, and in laying me down on the bed. Still shaking, I welcomed the comforting weight of his body on mine.

His kiss was equally tender. "I'm sorry if I hurt you," he whispered.

I figured he was referring to the rough sex rather than what he'd said before. Gazing up at him, I searched for the right words. "I... I wanted it."

Gabe appeared troubled by my answer. Easing off of me, he lay at my side and stared up at the ceiling. "I honestly never believed we'd reach this point, Opal. I assumed you would lose interest long before now."

"I thought you would!" 

He turned toward me, wearing a bemused smile. "Why on earth would you think that?"

"Because..." Again, I found myself floundering. "I'm sure you've been with lots of sexier, more sophisticated women, and they couldn't keep your attention."

"It wasn't like that," he insisted. "Besides, I've never met anyone like you. You're... true. You let me see all the good, and all the bad, within you." Drawing me into his arms, he lowered his lips to my hair. "But I know you'll meet someone, probably sooner rather than later. Someone younger." He gave that word a barbed emphasis. "A man you can introduce to your father, when the time comes."

"I don't want someone else." I hated how petulant I sounded. 

Gabe released a heavy sigh. "You'll grow tired of hiding. All the lies will start wearing on you. We have to be realistic." Placing a finger under my chin, he tilted my head upward so I had to meet his eyes. "That's all I meant before. I wasn't trying to treat you like a child."

"But I acted like one, lashing out the way I did." I took his hand in mine. "I don't want to lose you."

"Opal, I'm not going anywhere." Though he smiled, I noticed the sadness etching into his features. "I just need you to realize that when you decide to move on from this—from us—I won't be angry or bitter."

I wanted to shut the entire conversation down. I didn't want him considering a life without me in it. "Only minutes ago, I said I belong to you," I murmured. "And I meant it, Gabe. Now stop trying to push me away."

His smile widened; I wasn't sure I'd ever seen him look sheepish before, but he did now. I felt a warped satisfaction at catching him out. 

"Fair enough," Gabe replied. I closed my eyes when he cupped my sex in his warm palm, as if to comfort the ache lingering there. "I'll take you at your word, sweetheart."