Jane awoke to a warbling wren just outside her bedroom window. She lay with her ear against Thomas' heart, her hair draped over his chest and his arms wrapped around her. Half conscious, he rubbed his thumb back and forth against her arm, releasing a deep sigh.

The intimacy of the position should have bothered her. It really, really should've. To anyone else, they'd look like a normal, drowsy couple waking up late on a Saturday morning. But they weren't. Lately, Jane found she needed to remind herself that Thomas was using her. He didn't so much care about her as a person as he did punishing her as the mother of his child who had withheld his daughter for five years. But his embrace felt so good. His long arms held her with the perfect amount of squeeze. She was safe and secure without feeling smothered.

Jane rubbed her cheek against the crisp hair of his chest and closed her eyes, pretending for just a moment longer that they had a normal relationship. Just as she was about to rise, the door burst open and Alice ambled into their room with a squirming Clementine under her arm.

"Time to get up sleepyheads!"

Alice curiously took in the sight before her as Jane fought the blush rising in her cheeks and glanced at Thomas in a mild panic. His lids opened slowly, brows raising in surprise at Alice's presence.

"Thomas, how come you're hugging Mama?"

Jane delicately untangled herself from Thomas' arms and sat up. This was one of the conversations she'd been dreading. Jane specifically requested that he keep any acts of affection, or in his case proof of ownership, to the bedroom. She supposed the fact that they managed to avoid this scenario for as long as they did was a blessing.

Just as she started formulating a response, she stopped and looked at a sleepy Thomas. Alice had asked him the question, not her. This was a wonderful opportunity for him to practice his parenting skills. Surely, he could handle a little heat. She stared at him inquisitively, a saucy little smile painted on her lips. Jane was quite interested in how he was going to explain their sleeping arrangement to their daughter.

"Why were you hugging me, Thomas?"

While Thomas sputtered, Alice studied the couple for a few moments before setting the kitten on the bed and crawling on top of her mother, who had put a few inches between herself and Thomas. Jane grunted as Alice's knee collided with a vital organ in her abdomen in the process.

"How come?" she repeated.

Both girls looked at Thomas.

"I-I-Well—," he stuttered.

Alice rested the side of her face against Jane's chest and watched him expectantly while idly playing with the strap of Jane's cami.

"It's-Because we're friends, Alice."

"Oh." Alice nodded as if his explanation made sense. "Like kissing friends?"

He looked at Jane, his mouth open as if to speak. No sound came from him and Jane fought to subdue a smirk.

"Er, Jane?"

"Yes, I suppose Thomas and I are kissing friends." Jane sat up, causing Alice's body to slide down onto her lap. "That's why he was hugging me. And that's… that's why we sleep in the bed, Alice."

"Ooooh. Okay." The little girl scrutinized Thomas for a moment, her big eyes searching his face. "Thomas, do you love Mama?"

Oh, dear. How on earth were they supposed to explain how they felt about one another to a five-year-old? He certainly didn't love her, and she couldn't even articulate to herself what she felt for him. There was a degree of attraction. A significant degree of attraction. And she felt a certain amount of affection for him, otherwise she wouldn't let him touch her. How would Thomas explain their relationship, though? She glanced at the man next to her in bed and realized his cheeks were warm. She smiled internally at his discomfort. He deserved to squirm.

After faltering briefly, he spoke.

"Yes, Alice. I love her."

Very much to her surprise, Thomas looked Jane in the eye and hesitantly took her hand in his, kissing the back of it.

"Ew!" Alice squealed, covering her eyes and wriggling in Jane's lap.

Thomas chuckled and adjusted a pillow as he relaxed against the headboard. Jane couldn't help but smile.

"Is it gross when I kiss you, Alice?"

Alice's lips scrunched in thought. "No."

"Then why is it gross when Thomas kisses me?"

"Because he's a boy!"

Jane giggled and pressed a kiss to her daughter's cheek, "I like when he kisses me. Does that make it any different?"

Alice crossed her arms and shook her head. "No. It's icky. You guys are weird."

Both Jane and Thomas chuckled. She stroked Alice's hair from her face.

"Why don't you go downstairs and turn on cartoons. Thomas and I will be down in just a minute and he'll make us pancakes," she winked.

Alice squealed and clapped her hands, scooped up Clementine and zipped out of the room. Once she was gone, Jane turned and looked coldly at Thomas.

"Don't lie to her again."

His easy smile disappeared.

"I-What?"

"Don't tell her you love me when you don't."

"Well, Jane, I—."

She held up a hand and narrowed her eyes. "Enough. You don't love me Thomas. That I know. You wouldn't be forcing us to live with you if you did. I appreciate what you were trying to do because she wouldn't understand the truth of our arrangement, but don't you dare lie to her like that. You're a smart man. If you need to, twist the truth."

Thomas truly looked taken aback.

"Alright Jane. I'm sorry."

She nodded curtly and swung her legs over the side of the bed, grabbing a robe to go join Alice.

"Try changing the subject. Usually she won't notice," she offered. "That works well instead of just lying."

When she remembered what she'd promised her daughter, Jane's austere expression melted into a small smile.

"I wasn't joking about the pancakes. I bought everything you'll need. You're making breakfast," she tossed over her shoulder as she sauntered out of the room.

Thomas scrubbed his face with his hands and groaned once Jane was out of earshot. He'd been trying to protect their daughter, not deceive her. He felt for Jane, of that he was sure. But his feelings didn't overpower the need to have Alice. She was right. He didn't love her, not in a healthy way. Instead, he lusted after her and felt compelled to control her. With a sigh, he crawled out of bed and padded downstairs. He had no idea how to make pancakes.

Once the trio had cleaned up from Thomas' lumpy attempt at breakfast, Jane drove Alice to a friend's for a playdate. On the way home, she stopped and got a coffee, lingering in the shop and perusing the obscenely expensive artisan liquid receptacles for longer than necessary. Going home yet did not appeal to her. Things had gotten so messy so fast that morning. How was it that the subject of love had come up? Oh, her daughter had found her in bed in the arms of a man that the little girl barely registered as more than an interested host.

It was Jane's fault for forgetting to lock the door. Thomas had agreed to don clothing after having sex for Alice's sake in exchange for Jane securing the door. He desired privacy, especially when they were together. Jane hadn't had sex with anyone since being with Thomas before she knew she was pregnant, so she'd never had a reason to shut Alice out. She didn't like having a lock between herself and her daughter, what if she needed her mother but couldn't get to her? But Thomas sleeping not nude was important in case Alice had a bad dream and came to them, and, after all as he pointed out, it was just a lock. Easily undone with a quick twist of the wrist.

Wrapping her hand around her now-cool coffee cup, Jane got out of her car and trudged inside, hanging up her keys. The small house was silent and though Thomas' car was in the garage, that didn't mean he was home. Maybe he was out for a run. Caught up on all her assignments for once, Jane itched for a new book to read and found her way into his office. His house was stuffed full of books, but this portion of his library covered all three walls from ground to ceiling. The fiction section called to Jane and she padded into the room. She started when a soft snore drew her attention to the worn leather easy chair in the corner. Thomas sat with his legs sprawled and head tilted back, fast asleep. A small smile pulled at her mouth as she unfolded a blanket draped over the back of a loveseat and approached his sleeping form. Gingerly she lay it over him and tucked it in around his body so it didn't fall off. Satisfied, she returned to his books.

After several minutes, she made a selection and reached forward to pull the book from the shelf when a hand grasped her wrist and tugged. With a grunt, she toppled into Thomas's lap and immediately glared, only to be met with sleepy, but mischievous eyes.

"Hi."

He was being cute. Cute did not suit Thomas. He was too malicious a man to joke with. Her face remained stern and slowly his jovial expression disappeared. Jane landed sitting sidesaddle in his lap and he maneuvered her so that she straddled him. When she offered him no smile, he sighed and toyed with a piece of her hair.

"I'm sorry about this morning. I did not lie to Alice with the intention of fooling her, I simply wanted to shield her from the truth, which she is too young to learn about."

Jane eyed him cautiously before giving a brusque nod. "She is too young. Thank you for protecting her. I just hate lying to her. If a situation truly calls for deception, I try withholding the truth or changing the subject, like I mentioned. The only things we blatantly lie about are the existence of Santa and the Easter Bunny," she gave him a pointed look.

Thomas smirked and looked down, tracing his index finger along her pronounced collarbone.

"I understand. I can comply with that."

Jane swallowed hard when his finger dipped lower. He ran it back and forth between the neckline of her shirt and her skin, then dragged his hands down until they cupped her breasts.

Her breath hitched as he rubbed his thumbs against her nipples, immediately coaxing them into firm little buds.

"You're a good mother, Jane. You've raised her well."

Jane's brows rose in surprise. Of all the things she anticipated him saying, that was not one of them.

"Thank you, Thomas."

He nodded his head, but neglected to make eye contact. He was too focused on touching her. Jane bit the inside of her cheek, ignoring the goosebumps rising on her skin as his hands wandered about her chest.

Soon he grew impatient at her lack of exposed skin. Peeling Jane's shirt off over her head with little objection from her, he tossed it to the floor and fumbled behind her at the clasp of her bra. After several attempts, he unhooked the pesky garment and Jane let the straps slide off her shoulders. Greedily he pinched her nipples and rolled them between his fingers, the corner of his mouth twitching in pleasure as Jane tilted her head back and released a soft moan.

"You were right."

Her lids fluttered open as she raised a brow at him, sliding a hand around the back of his neck to keep herself steady.

"About what?"

As if not taking part in a conversation, Thomas lazily suckled one nipple between his lips, using his tongue to tease before switching to the other. After enjoying her involuntary reactions for several moments, he pulled away with a loud smack and glanced up at her.

"I do not love you, Jane. Not in a traditional sense." He used the flat of his tongue to lave against her firm bud. "You're likeable, polite. Intelligent. And most importantly, mother to my daughter. I could, I think. If you give it time."

Jane's eyes widened and her grip on his shoulder tightened. She disregarded his comment about love, which was far less important than the other part of what he said.

"Time? Ho-how long do you envision this arrangement lasting?"

Jane's immediate focus was on surviving the ordeal Thomas was putting her through, finishing school and taking care of Alice. She hadn't thought far into the future, but the way Thomas said time had her worried.

Laughing, his breath puffed against her wet nipple and she gasped, unintentionally pressing her chest at him.

"Until she's 18, Jane. Or until she's old enough to select one of us to live with."

Her hopeful face fell and she squeezed her eyes shut. Not asking would've been a better choice. She managed a dazed nod as she processed the prospect of Thomas forcing her to be with him for the next 13 years.

"Nothing to say, darling?"

Arguing with him would only bring out his worst, and she'd much rather deal with a smug Thomas under the impression he was getting his way than a vicious, threatened Thomas squeezing her tighter in his cruel grasp. Jane pursed her lips and shook her head.

"No, sir," she murmured.

Thomas moaned at the title, cupping her jaw and drawing her forward until their lips met. He hungrily sucked at her lower lip and Jane cursed as she felt a strangled squeak come from the back of her throat as he teased her. Such a noise wouldn't do. She'd grown far too accustomed to having sex with him. The fact that he could make such a horrific declaration one moment and for her to cooperate with his kisses the next was unacceptable. Intellectually she knew it was wrong and awful of her to participate, but the way he usurped her brain and the warmth he planted between her legs as he touched her was absolutely intoxicating and it so easily overwhelmed her that she couldn't say no. Coupled with the threat of his taking Alice away, she melted against him.

Interrupting her thoughts, Thomas pushed her off his lap and pulled at the button of her pants. With an internal sigh of resignation, she allowed herself to give in to his desires and brushed his hands away to unbutton them herself. He pulled at his own trousers and pushed them until they fell around his ankles as he freed his hardening cock. Jane shimmied out of her own, stepping out of them and kicking them aside. She waited for Thomas to slide to the floor, but instead he merely looked at her expectantly.

"Come, Jane."

Ignoring the insulting nature of the summons, she took a step towards him.

"Closer, Jane."

Her brows knit together as she made her way back into his lap with her knees on either side of his thighs. She looked to him with wide eyes, but when he offered no instruction, Jane lowered her gaze to her hands.

"Do you not know what to do? You look like a frightened doe."

He pumped his hand over his cock as she shook her head, her golden hair spilling over her shoulders. When he spoke, she could hear the damn smile in his voice.

"Oh, my little Jane. Still so innocent. Sit up on your knees. That's it. Now, sink down on my cock like a good girl."

Jane did as he requested, gasping as he filled her differently than when she was on her back or on all fours.

"Oh my God," she grit as her head fell back.

He was so deep that she fought to catch her breath. Panting, she ignored the sting of not being fully prepared for him and used the sensation to ground herself. Perhaps this time she could get him off without orgasming herself. She longed for anything that resembled control in their relationship. She settled on his lap, her ass resting on the tops of his thighs as she adjusted to his size. When she relaxed, he squeezed one hand around the side of her waist and the other at her hip and encouraged her to rock back and forth until she independently continued the motion. She was slow and her movements were less than fluid, but she grew more confident with each pump of her hips.

"Just like that," he hissed, lipping at her neck.

Jane thoroughly detested the fact that she got such a high off his approval, but she did. Deep inside she pulsed, and when he growled she knew he could feel it.

"Do you like when I praise you, darling girl?"

Obstinately she shook her head, concentrating on thrusting her hips and ending their coupling as quickly as possible. Jane gripped the back of the chair which enabled her to move her hips faster now that she had more leverage. Thomas grunted, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her hips as he pushed and pulled along with her.

"You like when I tell you you're doing a good job, Jane," he husked against her ear. "You like knowing you please me, which you do. Greatly," he accented his point with a thrust upward, causing Jane to cry out.

She stayed silent. If she opened her mouth, she was likely to either spit something scathing at him or beg him to help her move faster, neither of which were appropriate for a woman in her situation. But God, he felt good. She shifted in his lap and found a better position on her knees that enabled her to begin pumping her hips with vigor. Of their own volition, her hands migrated from the back of the chair to cup the back of his neck, holding onto him with a sense of desperation. He cursed as he watched her, looking her in the eye as she began losing control.

She fought the curling pleasure in her belly and tried to ignore the pulsations of her cunt, but as she thrust and rubbed herself against him she fell apart. He pulled her to him when her hips began stuttering, sealing his lips over hers with a growl as she came. She whimpered against his mouth, completely forgetting her objective of not orgasming as pleasure shot up her spine and through the rest of her body. His lips moved to her jaw and he nibbled as his fingers pressed into the skin of her hips, holding her still as he powerfully thrust up into her. Jane wrapped her arms around his shoulders, panting against his cheek as he found completion and flooded her hot pussy with his seed.

Jane shuddered as she unwrapped her arms from his body, sighing and brushing her fingers against the side of Thomas' face. Eyes still closed, his lips curved into a smile as her hand dropped to her side. The lazy expression looked so good on him, as if he were truly pleased. In that moment, she'd have given anything for their relationship to be normal. Seeing such a content expression on his face was heartbreaking. It wasn't one he wore often, except for in front of Alice. Everyone deserved a chance at being happy, including him. However, she and Alice were not forgoing their own happiness in lieu of his. She couldn't do this for 13 more years. Using the excuse that one of her fellow students needed aid, she'd gotten the number of a family friend who practiced family law from her parents earlier that morning. The idea of spending the rest of Alice's childhood in this perverted blackmailed sex scenario was unbearable. Jane and Alice were not staying under Thomas' thumb a minute longer than it took for this woman to get them out his house. She'd give the lawyer a call in the morning.