Daddy’s Forbidden Swim Lessons Novel – Chapter 1 Teach Me, Daddy Ava Lunchtime found me sitting across from my stepdad Liam, just kind of stabbing at my food while the words I wanted to say kept getting jammed in my throat. I’d been chewing on the idea since breakfast, but I still wasn’t totally sure whether I should actually ask him to teach me how to swim. The way I felt about him turned something as innocent as that question into pure guilt wrapped in heat. The night before he married my mom, I’d broken down crying and told him everything—how deep my feelings for him really ran. Liam had only sighed, fingers threading gently through my hair. “That’s not something I can answer,” he’d said, voice so soft it hurt. “Because tomorrow I’m going to be your dad.” Three years later and he never once treated me differently because of that confession. If anything, he spoiled me rotten, gave in to every little thing I wanted.
But we never crossed that line. Sometimes I wondered whether he’d forgotten what I said. Other times I prayed he still remembered every word. Truth was, he probably assumed I only saw him as a father figure now. I’d just buried the feelings deeper, that’s all. Every second spent with him still lit me up. My face would burn when he laughed. My thighs would squeeze together whenever his voice dropped into that low, velvety register. I knew the thoughts I had were wrong—sinful, even—but I couldn’t turn them off. That’s exactly why asking him for swimming lessons was such a terrible idea, I kept scolding myself. I didn’t want to be that girl, the one who invents excuses just to feel some guy’s arm brush hers—like the quarterback everyone drools over. But the swim test was next week. No way I had time to book a real instructor. Every option felt like a brick wall. For one stupid second I almost convinced myself failing gym wouldn’t actually ruin my life. Frustration finally boiled over.
I started sawing at my chicken like it owed me money. The knife screeched across the plate in the most annoying way possible. Maybe it was the noise, or maybe it was the pout I didn’t realize I was wearing, but Liam set his fork down and looked straight at me. “Something going on at school?” His voice alone was enough to put out the fire raging inside me. I froze. My face softened without permission. Liam had that effect—like he cast some kind of spell. Whenever he was in the room, everything felt safe. Like I could dump every single worry into his hands and he’d fix it perfectly. He always did. “Kinda…” I nodded, flicking my eyes up to meet his for half a second before dropping them back to my plate. “We’ve got gym finals next week. All the good events were already taken, so I’m stuck doing swimming…” “But you don’t know how to swim,” Emma cut in. “No kidding,” I muttered, dragging the knife across the chicken again like those extra seconds would magically give me courage.
When I finally looked up at Liam again, that warm blanket of safety wrapped around me. He’d helped me through algebra once. He’d taught me how to drive. This could be the same. Totally normal. Innocent. “So… Daddy,” I said, the word slipping out quiet and shaky, “would you teach me how to swim?” “Of course.” No hesitation. Not even a pause. “When do you want to start?” “After lunch?” “Your call, sweetheart.” After we finished eating I slipped back to my room and dug deep in the closet until I found the turquoise bikini I’d only worn once with friends at the lake. Under my bedroom light it looked way brighter than I remembered. I stepped into it, tied the strings behind my neck. The top tugged a little tight. The bottoms hugged every curve. Knowing I was about to stand in front of Liam wearing this made my stomach flip over. I adjusted the straps again. Turned sideways in the mirror. Would he think the color looked childish on me? Would he think my body wasn’t enough? Would he look away? I grabbed a big beach towel off the chair and wrapped it around myself, pulling the ends tight under my arms. Safer that way.
I cracked my door open and headed toward the backyard, gripping the towel like it might fly off any second. When I stepped outside the sun hit the pool in one perfect sheet of blue. Emma was already stretched out on a lounge chair, sunglasses on, one ankle crossed over the other. Liam stood by the shallow end, shirtless, wearing only dark swim trunks. I stared. Thick arms, sharp cuts down his stomach, broad shoulders that made my mouth go dry. I clutched the towel tighter, trying to keep my eyes on his face. They slid lower anyway.
The wet fabric of his trunks clung to his thighs, outlining the shape of his ass and… everything else underneath. Heat slammed into my cheeks before I could stop it. Emma pushed her sunglasses up and smirked. “All wrapped up like you’re heading into combat? Ava, baby, you look like you’re about to storm a castle, not hop in the pool.” I groaned internally and wished the ground would swallow me.