Single (Single Dads Book 1) Page 14

  “Is that stew for all of us?” Leo asked as he followed me into the house.

  “No. Take your wet clothes out of the machine.”

  Leo peered into the washer and cursed, lifting the items out and putting them straight into the drier.

  “There, done. Now can I have some stew?”

  “No, it’s not for you and Eric. This is an Ash and Sean stew.”

  Leo snorted at that and made a dive, which I’d anticipated, straight for the oven. He tripped over my foot and ended up on the floor, laughing like an idiot and Cap standing with a paw on his chest.

  “Why is the television remote wedged under the refrigerator?” he asked and eased himself out from under Cap, who just wanted to play, then rolled over to extricate it.

  “Your guess is as good as mine. Probably got kicked under there.”

  The front door slammed open, and Eric, fresh from shift, stalked in, muttered hello, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and some Tylenol, patted Cap, stepped over Leo, and headed into the hall before turning one-eighty and heading back in.

  “What the hell are you doing on the floor?” he asked.

  Leo rested back on his elbows. “I thought it was obvious. I was hiding the remote under the refrigerator so you couldn’t watch any more Mountain Men episodes. Only Ash caught me hiding it and punched me out.”

  Eric blinked at Leo and then shook his head. “Children,” he muttered and left the kitchen.

  I held out a hand to help Leo stand, and at the same time, my phone vibrated with a text.

  “Ready now.” Leo reached it before me and read it out loud. “Looks like sexy neighbor is waiting for you.” He waggled his eyebrows, and I kind of wanted to punch the idiot for real. I didn’t have time for him. I put on oven gloves and lifted out the stew. The cornbread was already packed up and in the bag on my back, and within a minute of the text, I was heading next door.

  “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Leo said, his tone dripping with innuendo.

  So what if I had lube and condoms in the same backpack as the cornbread? That was no one’s business but mine and Ash’s. I ignored him and walked right through the open door of Ash’s house, Ash standing just inside, sexy and nervous all at the same time.

  “That smells good,” he said and closed the front door behind us, ushering me into the kitchen. He’d laid the silverware and plates on the table, and if I wasn’t mistaken, there was soft music playing from the living room.

  “Where’s Mia?” I asked as I placed the stew on a cutting board to save the surface. I shrugged the bag off and dropped it onto the nearest chair.

  “In her crib.” He shook the receiver for the monitor. “I can hear her on this, but I need to check on her. I’m not sure I will ever stop worrying about her. Sorry.”

  I couldn’t stop myself from kissing away the worry, and then the kissing became more, and dinner was forgotten. I don’t know who moved first. I think we were both as desperate for more, but it was Ash who began to tug me out of the kitchen.

  “Are we doing this?” he asked, breathless, “I don’t remember how to do sex.”

  “You’ll remember quick enough—“

  He shoved at me. “No, Darius said I wasn’t very good in bed and I need to warn you—“

  “Darius is an asshole—“

  “But—“

  “Shhh.” Right now, I was focused on one thing and one thing only. “When you kiss me I self-combust, believe me when I say I’m going to come in my pants if we don’t hurry up.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, really. We need this.” I pulled out the first thing in the backpack and held it up.

  “Cornbread?” Ash said, confused. “Uhm?”

  I glanced from him to what I was holding, and embarrassed I dug deeper and held up the condoms and lube. “Tada!”

  Ash huffed a laugh. “ have a supply after today’s visit to the pharmacy. I have it all, diapers, wipes, two new pacifiers, condoms, and lube.” He hooked a finger into my belt loop. “I have everything, upstairs, ready.”

  I couldn’t help myself. I buried my fingers in his hair and gripped hard, exposing his throat and kissing there, tasting every inch of skin I could find. He was doing the same back as we stumbled and kissed our way up the stairs. At one point, we almost fell right back down again, but he caught me, and laughing, we stopped at the top.

  “I can’t… not in there… are we okay to…?” He sounded so unsure, and after I got over the instant disappointment when he began with ”I can’t,” I hugged him close.

  “We don’t have to do anything,” I began, but he pressed a hand to my mouth.

  “I just meant, Mia is in there, and I don’t want to… not in that room…” Instead, he tugged me into another bedroom, the mirror of my room next door, and in one corner of the immaculate room was a single bed. Next to it was a small cabinet, and he wasn’t joking when he said he’d bought supplies for any event. He grabbed a handful of whatever was there, and then turned to face me, holding it all my way.

  I took everything he gave me and tossed it onto the mattress, then stalked him, kissing him down until we were both on the bed.

  The small bed.

  “Maybe the floor would be better?” I mused, but he wasn’t letting me move, gripping my ass with one hand and yanking me down by my hair with the other. He was demanding and bossy, and I loved every second of it. He was in charge of the kiss, and I was just along for the ride, and fuck, but the kisses were hot. He possessed me. He took everything he needed, and when both of his hands were on my ass, he pulled me down against him, and we were both hard. I had never been kissed and wanted as much as this minute right here. I wanted to move on to skin, but at the same time, I didn’t want to stop this delicious feeling of being on the edge of something magical. Anticipation was an aphrodisiac, and it was sending me wild.

  “Fuck, the way you kiss.”

  He frowned, “I’m sorry if I’m too…”

  “Give me more,” I said as he slipped his hands up and under my shirt, smoothing them over my back, scratching the skin, and he broke the kiss, but only enough to push me up so he could get to the buttons of my shirt. I don’t know what kind of shit Darius had thrown at him, but if I ever met the man I’d be explaining a few things about how hot Ash was.

  I needed to get more involved and swatted his hands away, scrambling off him and stripping the quickest way I knew how. I wasn’t watching him, but in my peripheral vision, I saw his clothes being discarded with just as much speed. He went to his knees on the bed, and I stepped into his arms, and we kissed some more. This time I could feel the warmth of his skin, the gentle touch of the hair on his chest as it rubbed my nipples, the sensation of cool air washing over us. Every one of my nerve endings was on fire, and I reached between us and circled his cock. He groaned into the kiss and bucked up into my gentle hold.

  “I need this,” he moaned and threaded his hands into my hair again. He loved to hold on. He clearly wanted to be active in us making love, and I wanted more than to have him writhing under me. The bed size was awkward. No way could two grown men get anything like purchase on it, and with a growl of frustration, I tugged him off the bed, and we stood and kissed.

  “We have to get a bigger bed in here,” I said, and for a second the kisses faltered, and he stepped back, his eyes widening. Was he scared of the thought that I wanted more than this? Did he not feel the same as I did? I had to ask him, but then he smiled.

  “I’ll order one tomorrow.”

  I kissed him then. I led the embrace. It was me telling him what to do, where to move, how to stand, and then I got all kinds of inspired.

  “Turn around,” I demanded, and he tripped over his jeans as he did what I’d told him, but I righted him before he fell ass over tail. With my front to his back, I nudged him to lean on the bed. Then I used my knee to widen his legs. Then I stood back and admired my new lover. He looked back at me, and his tongue darted out to wet his lips.


  “Get a move on,” he demanded, and I wasn’t going to argue. I suited up, then after slicking my fingers, I stretched him before kissing him awkwardly. He jacked himself, and I reached around with my free hand to pull and twist his nipples. He moaned into the kiss, and I pushed on his back until he was bent over the bed.

  “You’re so fucking sexy like this,” I muttered, smoothing my fingers over his balls, and he rocked, and I had to grip his hip to stop him. “Don’t move… fuck…” On my timetable, I pressed inside, let his body accept me, waited, and then finally I was there, and I stopped, reaching for his cock and knocking his hand away.

  He groaned but complied, and I pulled my cock out a little, waiting, then rocking back in.

  “Fuck,” he said on a breath.

  My thighs burned with this position, but every thrust into the tightness made my head spin, and I ignored the burn. I twisted my hand, jacked him in time to my moves, and thank God he was so vocal. I knew what he was feeling. Every. Single. Movement.

  “More,” he pleaded. “Harder,” he demanded.

  I angled my body, and he covered my hands with both of his, his breathing harsh. Only when he was really close did I release my hold on him.

  “Get yourself off,” I ordered, and fuck, he did exactly what I’d said.

  Forcing himself back on me, then forward into his hand. He was getting close. He told me so, and I was so close myself I had to let go. With a final thrust, I was rigid inside him, waves of orgasm taking every one of my breaths. He shouted his release and leaned back in my hold, twisting his neck for kisses, demanding we kiss as he came. When I was soft enough to pull out, after I’d wiped at his hands with my shirt, I tugged him to me, then fell back on the narrow bed, pulling him down, and we lay there, sticky and hot and completely sated.

  “I’ve never…” he began.

  I just held on tight. “Me neither.”

  Asher

  I took delivery of the double bed within forty-eight hours of Sean leaving. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was solid with a firm mattress, and there was plenty of room to spread out if we needed to.

  If I want to.

  He’d been at work nonstop since the hottest experience of my entire damn life. So there was no chance of a repeat of what had gone down on the smaller bed. That didn’t stop me getting myself off to thoughts of what he’d done, and I was kind of sore, so I was reminded. What I wanted right now was more of his incendiary kisses, and I wanted him to hold me down and fight me for control. Of course I’d give in, but God, I really wanted him bad.

  Then I wanted to talk to him as well. We’d talked, crammed together on the tiny bed, and he had all these stories about work. Not confidential stuff, but tales of midnight wheelchair races or betting on who had the most of a certain ailment in one night. He was interesting, funny, and he wanted to know about the things I did.

  That was a new one. What I hadn’t know about Darius’ career wasn’t worth mentioning, because he never shut up about it. But he’d never listened to me, never gave my career any attention.

  And why was I even thinking about Darius? Not only was I comparing him to Sean and finding him lacking, but I’d had two texts from him. One last night after Sean had left, which said, I’m in New York. Are you coming to see me? I answered by sending him a simple no. I was happy here with my new life, a daughter who I would die for, who owned my heart, and a man who was not just on fire in bed but was funny and interested in me. So yeah, my no might have been harsh, but he hadn’t sent me a whole string of emoticons or an x for a kiss. Not that I’d expected him to, and God knew how I’d handle it if he did. I’d have to call 911 to tell them he was suffering from brain trauma or something. In fact, no was a perfect and reasonable answer; I didn’t owe him anything.

  The other text had come in this morning. The message itself made no sense, and I could picture him as he wrote it, drunk, and probably on his own with his right hand for company. In summary, he wanted me, he needed me, and why wasn’t he enough for me? Why had I ruined everything by wanting a child after he’d changed his mind?

  I deleted the text and blocked his number, and I’d never felt so liberated. I switched to social media, and Brady’s messenger box was lit up green.

  Brady: Long time no hear

  Ash: Sorry, it’s been manic

  Brady: No worries. Wanna hear a funny story?

  Ash: Always

  Brady: Lucas ate an entire chocolate cake.

  Ash: Shit.

  Brady: Yep, lots of that. Plus puke. Everywhere. Word of advice, lock up all cake.

  Ash: I’m on it

  Brady: Good call

  Ash: I have that meetup today. Are you sure you can’t make it?

  Brady: …

  Brady: …

  Brady: I wish I could, but I can’t. I’m sorry to let you down.

  Ash: You didn’t let me down

  Brady: I have to go, ttyl

  Ash: Bye

  I packed for the expedition that was heading out to Nick’s place, for the forum get-together. As I walked out, I saw Sean walking from his car, yawning.

  He spotted me and headed straight over, swooping me into a kiss and then taking Mia from her seat and twirling her around.

  Looping and bobbing in a big circle and with such a huge grin on his face that I fell for him that little bit more. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but for me it was clearly through loving Mia.

  “We’re going out,” I explained when he looked down at the masses of stuff I had around me: bags, a box of tiny baby clothes to donate to the group, books for what they called a sanity exchange, along with a huge vanilla-frosted chocolate cake that was my food donation.

  “Are you sure you’re not moving out?” he quipped and then placed Mia into her seat and fastened her in, checking she was secure. She kicked her legs and waved her chubby hands, and he kissed her on the head again.

  Jeez, what this man is doing to my heart.

  “There’s a lot to think of when you have a baby,” I said.

  He pulled me close and kissed me. Right in the front yard, in full view of everyone, and I didn’t care at all. I wanted all the kisses and would hoard the feelings they created in me.

  Hot, complicated feelings that were less about sex in general and more specifically about Sean.

  “This is my first meeting of the Single Dads Together group.”

  He cradled my face. “Do you want me to go with the both of you? I could grab a shower.”

  I quirked a smile. “No offense, but you look like you need about eighteen hours sleep. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about. Also this is a single dads’ group, not a single-dad-plus-hot-doctor-I’m-sleeping-with club.” He winced a little, and I knew I’d fucked up with my throwaway joke. So I kissed away the frown. “I’ll see you when I get back.”

  We kissed one final time, and then he hugged me. “Drive safe. Have fun.”

  Nick lived in a double-fronted house, in a gated community full of other huge houses, all with high-end cars in their driveway. This was exclusive with a capital E, and my car might have been new, but the Hyundai was out of place with the proliferation of Porsches, interspersed with the odd Maserati.

  I whistled under my breath. “Jeez, Mia, what does this dude do for work?” I pulled the car onto the drive and killed the engine. Mia waved her fists at me and then examined her right hand as if it was the first time she’d seen it.

  “I don’t know anything about him or any of them,” I said and smoothed a finger over her hair. My other hand tightened on the steering wheel, and my knuckles whitened. Mia was in her prettiest little outfit, the tiniest pair of dungarees I’d ever seen and a pink top, courtesy of Siobhan. I’d assumed babies wore sleepers until they were old enough to walk, but what do I know?

  There was baby makeup out there apparently.

  Makeup.

  For babies.

  Yeah, not happening. I’d packed and repacked my bag, taking exactly
what I thought I’d need in the hope it didn’t look as if I was moving house, and it appeared to most that I was a master of the mess that babies created.

  When Sean had asked if I needed him, even coming off two shifts and a training day, I’d almost said yes, but that wasn’t the point of today. This was a single dads thing, and despite thinking all kinds of warm affectionate thoughts about Sean, he wasn’t my partner, and he wasn’t Mia’s dad.

  “I’ll be fine,” I muttered and got out of the car, opening the back door and unfastening the car seat. Mia’s eyes were wide open, and I pulled down the brim of her pink hat to shade her eyes, then hefted the bag, cake, and the car seat to the large oak front door. After ringing the bell, I waited for the moment that people began to see through me, to the shaky nervous mess beneath.

  A tall man opened the door, dark hair shot with gray at the temples. He had a wide smile and threw back the door with enthusiasm.

  “You must be Ash. Come in. Come in.”

  I stepped inside the huge place, ending up in a hallway that could have been a room in its own right, a wide staircase curving around it and an honest-to-God galleried walkway lined with books on the floor above.

  He held out a hand, then dropped it with a rueful shake of his head when he saw I had no free hand before relieving me of the cake box. “It was a year before I could ever shake hands again,” he said. “I’m Nick. Come through. The rest are already here.” I followed him through wide double doors and into a sitting room packed full of chairs, sofas, changing bags, babies, colorful toys, and in the middle of it, sitting on the floor, were a circle of men. They all looked up as I stepped in, and one of them stood and took my diaper bag off me.