Undercurrents Ch. 02

Todd abandoned work for the day. Suddenly, his investment deal seemed no more important than a board game. He stayed in his office, feet on the desk, his gaze directed out towards the tree line of the property, seeing nothing in particular. He had weathered a crisis that could have been the downfall of his family life; of his family, really. But instead of condemning or recoiling from him, his daughter had looked deeper than he could have expected, and seen him in his complexity: a man with passions who allowed those passions to co-mingle with an unshakeable love for his only child. Sitting there, he thought: she saw that. It amazed him, and it elevated his estimation of Jessie as a person.

He felt a lightness in his being, a burgeoning sense of possibilities. And it wasn't because his biotech stock had spiked. Something finer and more enduring. He berated himself as he sat there, thinking of how he had objectified his daughter, practically made her into a porn figure for his enjoyment. But this had all changed.

Todd went to the kitchen for a cool drink and found his wife, Trish, unpacking groceries.

He went to her and put his arms around her.

"Nice time at the gym?" he asked.

"The usual. How's the project coming?"

"Ah, I'm taking the day off. We're still waiting for contract bids, anyway. And the county needs to approve the rezoning."

"I thought that was a sure thing." Trish said as she folded the paper bags.

"Pretty much. But it has to go through committees. It'll be next spring, earliest." Todd said, spinning a bell pepper on the countertop.

"What do you say we all go to Girards for dinner tomorrow?" he said. "The three of us. We haven't been there in some time. Remember that halibut with rock shrimp? What do you think?"

"Sure. If we can get in."

"It's the middle of the week, and we've always run up a big bill there. Can't hurt to try."

"Go ahead. Work your charm on them. Jessie might want to have Bernard come, too."

"The more the merrier. I'll ask her." Todd said, pleased to be arranging a family outing. Normally, that was Trish's domain.

He found Jessie out by the pool. She was reading a novel, stretched out on a chaise longue. His approach was from behind her, and as he came near he found himself looking at her tanned legs, crossed at the ankles. He thought, well, there they are, and how can I not see them. No big deal. He came to her side and she looked up from her book. She closed it and laid it beside her.

"Hi, Daddy." she said. "Are you okay?"

"Sure, honey. Thanks for asking." he said.

"Pull up a chair. It's gorgeous out here, isn't it?"

Standing beside her, Todd could smell coconut tanning lotion and the fragrance of her hair. His eyes moved down to where her bikini bottoms enveloped the subtle mound at the juncture of her thighs. He began talking about the dinner date, but another voice whispered inside him as he did - 'if you move closer, you might smell that, too. There it is, baking in the sun...'

"Yeah, tomorrow." he heard himself say. "See if Bernard wants to come. A double date, you might say."

"I think he's busy, Dad. But the three of us, that would be cool."

Todd detected a note of ire at the mention of Bernard, Jessie's boyfriend.

"Call him. See if he can break away." Todd said, knowing he was fishing.

"Just the three of us would be nice, okay Daddy?" Jessie said, and gave him a look as if to say - let's drop it.

" Alright, honey." Todd said, remembering that had Jessie been out walking in nature with Bernard that morning, as he'd supposed she would be, none of the earlier events would have happened.

The best Todd could get was a reservation for the next week, but, really, what was the hurry? Musing at his desk, he realized that the gourmet dinner would be, unbeknownst to the others, a celebration of his reconciling with Jessie. Or, he thought further, his brow knitting at the prospect, was he going on a date with Jessie, and Trish would be there to give it legitimacy? He told himself he was reading too much into a simple outing, but he remembered, too, the flashes of desire, the small voice in his head, when he spoke to Jessie at the pool. This isn't over, he thought. It just isn't. Shit.

He held his head in his hands and tried to erase the thoughts, but there was an indelibility to them, a fatefulness.

Todd sat across from the television in shorts and T shirt. The big game was on and the din of a fevered crowd poured from the speakers.

He moved to the edge of the sofa "That's it! That's it! Okay! First down and then some!" Todd enthused loudly. "I'll drink to that!" he declared, and took a long swig from his beer.

He put his feet up on the ottoman and reached for the chips.

"Hi, Daddy." he heard Jessie say as she entered the room.

"Hey, Jess. We're on an ass-kicking roll here, sweetie. Corrigan just ran for thirty yards."

"Great." Jessie rejoined, not showing much interest, and walking towards him with slow, careful steps.

"Daddy, I've got such a headache. I mean, I've practically overdosed on Motrin." she said, sitting down beside him and moving her head from side to side. "Fuck! It hurts!"

Todd was taken aback by her choice of words and felt she must really be hurting.

"And my neck! It feels like there are steel cables there instead of muscles. Maybe a hot water bottle would help. I don't know. Shit!"

Todd saw tears drop from her eyes onto the carpet.

"Could you rub my neck a bit, Daddy? If I could just relax that."

"Hey, come to poppa! Geez, Jess, I'm so sorry you're in pain. Have you had one like this before? I didn't know you even got headaches, or whatever this is."

Jessie moved up to the edge of the sofa, her back to her father.

"Never like this."

"Let's see here." Todd said, gently touching his daughter's neck. He probed with some pressure, feeling the tension under his fingers. "Let me know if it's too much, okay?"

"Okay."

Todd pressed with his thumbs from her shoulders up to the base of her skull."

"It's really tender, Daddy. But it feels great. You can press harder. Jesus! It feels so good!"

Todd had played football in college, and knew something about massage, having received them after games. He worked across the muscle fibers with his thumbs.

"Mmmmmm. Oh, wow! That is so good, Daddy!" Jessie moaned, and Todd was happy that he could relieve his daughter's anguish. He kept at it, using different strokes.

"Lean your head back a bit, Jess." he instructed, and with that he was able to go deeper.

"God! You're a magician, Daddy. Mmmmmmmm. Don't stop."

Jessie's skin was showing a pink glow where Todd was rubbing it, and in the midst of his satisfaction in helping Jessie, he discovered, with a start, that her sighs and declarations of relief were turning him on!

"How's that, honey?" he asked, withdrawing his hands.

"Absolutely fantastic! Whew! It's still tight, though. Could you do a bit more? Please?"

Todd tried to focus on Jessie's pain, but his pleasure intruded each time. He felt drawn, as he kneaded her neck, to bend down and kiss the soft curve where it joined her shoulder.

"That's enough for now, honey." he said suddenly, and sat back and away from her on the sofa.

Jessie sat back as well, releasing a deep, satisfied sigh.

"Thank you so much, Daddy! What happened? Did your thumbs give out?" she asked, a quizzical tone in her voice. She looked at him and clearly saw his agitation.

"What's going on, Daddy?"

"Yeah. My thumbs. I can do some more later, if you like. Anyway, I'm glad I could help." he said, and turned his attention to the game for which he now had not the slightest interest. He sat dejectedly and stared at the screen.

"Are you okay?" Jessie inquired, a look of concern on her face.

"I just want to watch the game, alright?!" he snapped.

"Sorry, Daddy." Jessie said. "It really helped .I'm so grateful... I was going nuts."

"I'm glad it did, Jess. I'm sorry I got snippy. I guess I'm kind of edgy today."

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, and she noticed the contour of his penis under his shorts. What had drawn her attention to it was that it had moved.

She sat back and watched the game with him. Neither of them really noticed what was going on on the field.

A commercial came on, and Jessie spoke.

"Daddy? Remember what I said that time in your office? About love being right no matter what form it takes? I...I... well, I just want to say that to you again, that's all. I meant it."

Jessie held her hands in her lap, her eyes downcast.

Todd hit the mute button on the remote, and they sat in silence. What could he say that was that honest? That he was aching to go to bed with her?

"you are so wonderfully attractive, Jessie. I can't imagine any man being around you and not wanting you." Fuck! What was he doing?!

Jessie could sense her father's discomfort in saying this.

"That's very flattering, Daddy. You know. I like being attractive to men. Men I admire and respect, that is. I'm not interested in drooling adolescents. They're around every corner. And some are in their thirties. Believe me."

Todd looked at Jessie with a timid smile. "Thanks, Jess."

"You're in the first group, Dad. I'm really proud that a guy like you could...you know...desire me." Jessie said, feeling color rising up her neck into her face. She didn't try to hide it. Todd let his head rest on the back of the sofa, and let out a weary sigh.

"I don't know, Jess. I have to tell you that this situation is just beating me up. I want to be a good father. That's the bottom line. But, Jesus Christ, I just can't control this." Todd's head rolled side to side in agitation.

"I mean, I'm beginning to wish I didn't have a...a...you know what."

Todd's distress brought Jessie to his side. Seeing the suffering in his face, a surge of guilt gripped her. She knew, of course, that she was beautiful. Men gawking at her was commonplace enough; something she barely noticed anymore. But here was a good man, someone who had sacrificed so much for her. And he was in pain because he wanted her as a woman. She rested her head on his shoulder and stroked his back.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Please." she implored in an attempt to soothe him.

"you're a man, Daddy. What's to be done? And as for wishing you didn't have a penis, I mean, where would I be if you didn't?" she said, trying to inject a bit of lightness into the sober atmosphere.

Hearing his daughter say 'penis' sent an erotic charge through Todd's body, and he writhed slowly, his hands covering his groin. Jessie slid off the sofa and knelt before her father.

"I can't take much more of you being in pain like this, Daddy." she moaned, bringing her forehead to rest on his knee. Todd impulsively pushed her away and, as he did, she saw clearly the outline of his erection. Now Todd didn't know where to put his hands. Jessie took them in hers and kissed them.

"You're a good father, Daddy. And I'm glad you have a cock! And I'm so happy that you love me!" Jessie said, her voice breaking.

"Oh, sweetie!" Todd cried, squeezing her hands.

Jessie let her cheek rest on Todd's warm leg, and looked to where his shorts revealed his excited state. She let go of his hands and, with one simple motion, brought her face to rest in his lap. She could feel the immediate reaction of Todd's stiffened member through the cloth. Todd's back arched, and he pulled his daughter's face firmly into his groin. Then, relaxing his hold, he pushed her away. He was breathing audibly.

"Take a walk or something, Jessie. Please, honey. Look, it's so beautiful outside."

I prefer being right here with you, Daddy, if that's okay." she replied. With that, she slid her slender hand up the leg of Todd's shorts, stroking the heated flesh there, feeling with pleasure his coarse blond hairs.

"Mmmmm, Daddy. I think It's much nicer in here. I'm with a wonderful man, and I am going to help him feel happy. And that is just what he deserves."

Before Todd had time to think, Jessie shifted herself forward and kissed Todd's penis through his shorts.

"Mmmmm. It's warm."

"Jess..."

"Shhhh. Don't worry, Daddy. This is love. Don't push it away."

She lifted Todd's shirt and planted a kiss on his firm abdomen. Unbuttoning the top of his shorts, she looked up at Todd with a bit of mischief in her eyes.

"Don't forget my part in this, Daddy. I got pretty hot listening in on you and Mom. To be honest, I was getting mad at Mom that night for being the one with you. I was telling myself how I could please you better. I was imagining myself in that bed being...you know..." Jessie looked into Todd's eyes. "Being fucked by you, Daddy." Jessie hung her head for a second, a bit embarrassed by the depth of this revelation.

Todd felt his moral angst melt away in the sweet moment of his daughter's confession. Plus, he was just so damned weary of jacking off to her!

Jessie raised up, still on her knees, and pulled on Todd's zipper. The confined cock sprang out like a jack-in-the-box.

"Whew! Surprise, surprise! No undies!" Jess exclaimed, marveling at the liberated organ as it swayed delightedly before her. This brought a nervous chuckle from Todd.

"Hey, hey!!" Jessie chirped. "What's your name?" She pulled the swollen shaft upright and gave it an appreciative once-over. Todd closed his eyes, but then opened them. The picture of his fully-erect cock in the same frame as his daughter's pretty face was overwhelmingly erotic. He reached out and stroked her hair.

"Damn, Daddy. No wonder Mom was so hot that night. It's really quite impressive!"

"Well," Todd said, his voice quivering with excitement, "a man never minds hearing something like that."

Todd felt no loss of libido, given that his dream was being realized, but he felt awkward

as well. It was just too bizarre to have his cock waving in Jessie's face right in their living room. Jessie sensed this.

"Mom's at that azalea thing, right? I'm sorry, Daddy, but we have to talk about her. We have to not let her be hurt."

Right." Todd said, feeling somewhat more at ease with the situation. Jessie reached for his scrotum and fingered it lightly. Todd breathed deeply and stroked Jessie's forearm. "Well, you know she's competing in it. She'll be there until they close it up - after eight." he said.

"In that case, I'm going to get more comfortable, as they say." With that, Jessie stood, went to the window, and closed the blinds. As Todd watched, she slipped out of her blouse, then unhooked her bra. Her smooth white breasts moved freely, wonderfully contrasted with her tanned shoulders and belly. Her nipples were smooth and pink.

Todd's jaw nearly dropped. He knew that Jessie had a lovely pair of teats, judging from the way they shaped her clothing, but to see them in their naked, unconfined state was electrifying.

"Jessie, you are so, so..."

"You like, Daddy?" Jess said teasingly, placing her hands on her knees and engaging Todd's eyes. She swayed lightly from side-to-side, her breasts falling in with the rhythm.

"Enjoy yourself, Daddy. All men like to look." She walked seductively over to the sofa, straddled Todd, and moved her teats back and forth in front of him. She let the nipples graze his face a couple of times. "Oooooh. Your whiskers feel good!" she exclaimed, and gave him a loud smacking kiss on his cheek.

"That's the kind of kiss I would give you when you used to tucked me into bed. Remember?"

Todd gave himself over to his ardor and pressed his face fully between the milky-white breasts. He felt the warmth and smelled the sweet fragrance of her flesh. Jessie, for her part began to grind slowly against Todd's erection.

"These shorts can't be comfortable against your skin." she said, and rose to her feet. "I say we get rid of them."

Standing a few feet in front of Todd, she unzipped her shorts, hooked her thumbs into the binding, and pulled them to her ankles. She nonchalantly folded them as Todd drank in the sight of her labia pressing up against the front of the thong. Jessie turned her back to him, and for the first time since he'd helped her change into her bathing suit at the beach years ago, he saw her full, soft ass. Todd stood up, his penis tilted up like a bottle rocket.

"Jessie, Jessie." he muttered, nearly tripping over his shorts as he approached her. He flung them aside with his foot and pulled Jessie to him in a tight embrace.

"Alright, Daddy. It's going to be alright, isn't it?"

"Baby, it is so alright right now. Jesus. You are a stunning woman. I'm so proud of you."

Jessie pulled Todd's shirt over his head and tossed it onto the sofa. Todd stayed in shape, and Jessie sighed delightedly as she rested her face against his firm chest.

"Well, this is our time to get to know each other, Daddy." Jess said, running her fingers down Todd's broad back. She placed her lips on his and they kissed deeply. Todd was rock-hard up against her panties. Jessie carefully guided the swelled member to lodge between her legs. Todd reveled at the warm embrace of her thighs. She reached behind her and located the turgid head. She stroked it with a fingertip. "Let's go up to my room, Daddy." she said, kissing his neck. Todd picked Jessie up in his strong arms and carried her up the stairs.