Author Next Door: A Single Dad Romance

by Casey, Nicole

  “Sandy,” he muttered under his breath. “What are you doing here?”

  “Sandy?” I echoed in disbelief. “You mean she’s your–”

  “Not very bright, are you?” she snorted.

  “Don’t talk to her that way,” Chuck snapped.

  “I had no idea you liked them so young, Chucky. How did you manage to convince her to come along tonight? Don’t tell me you paid her. I wouldn’t be surprised if you did just to show me up.”

  Chuck stepped in front of me, blocking me from his ex-wife’s view. “Enough,” he growled. “Leave Lara out of this. What the hell are you even doing here? I thought you were back on the east coast.”

  Sandy clicked her tongue, indignant. “I’m on vacation,” she answered simply.

  “On Carl’s dime, I bet. I’m surprised he could afford your expensive tastes. God knows you nearly drove me into bankruptcy.”

  “None of your business, Chucky.”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  Sandy leaned to the side to look me in the eye. She crinkled her nose, forcing an obviously fake polite smile. “Take notes, honey. He doesn’t like being called Chucky.”

  “I don’t know where you get off talking to us like this. You’re the one who cheated on me with my agent. I’m surprised you have the audacity to show up to a place like this.”

  Sandy placed a hand on her hip and shook her head. “Would you relax? I just wanted to say hello to my ex-husband and his call girl. That’s what she is, right? No way you have any game left to score a little thing like her.”

  I couldn’t describe the anger that overtook me. The sounds of the party faded into the background, replaced by a high-pitched screeching in my ears. My pulse quickened, heart pounding so fiercely in my chest that I thought it was seconds away from exploding. Who did this woman think she was? I couldn’t tell if I was angry because she’d called me a whore, or because she was being needlessly nasty to Chuck. Probably both, and the combined anger was practically seething out of my pores in the form of heat. I instinctively slipped my hand into Chuck’s and dragged him away, tugging at his arm. Sandy made some sort of snide comment under her breath, but we were already yards away before she managed to finish her sentence.

  We kept walking, exiting the banquet hall in a hurry. I didn’t slow down until we were safely outside, well out of range of Sandy’s malicious comments.

  “Are you okay?” asked Chuck, words exasperated. “I’m so sorry about that. I feel like I’ve ruined your night.”

  “You didn’t ruin anything, Chuck. It was all her. Please don’t apologize.”

  Chuck sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. “Well, that was one hell of a way to end the night, huh? I’m sorry that she soured the mood.”

  I shook my head and took a step forward, leaning into his open arms. A chilly evening breeze brushed past us, giving me the perfect excuse to get close. Chuck wrapped me into a hug, locking his fingers behind me, arms circling my waist. The stars were twinkling up above, but the silver glow of the moon was hidden behind a blanket of grey clouds.

  “Looks like it’s about to rain,” I whispered, studying the coolness of Chuck’s eyes. He’d been particularly interested in my lips all evening, and I couldn’t help but feel the tiniest bit smug. “Maybe we should head home.”

  “I like the sound of that,” he hummed.

  I bit my lower lip and sighed, “Maybe, if you want, we can have a little party of our own.”

  “Is this an exclusive event?”

  “Mhm, just you and me.”

  Chuck smiled at this, tightening his grip around my waist to pull me flush against him. He captured my mouth in a passionate kiss, deep and a little rough with unchecked need. His embrace left me wonderfully dizzy, almost as though my feet weren’t even touching the ground. When he finally pulled away, he said, “Let’s get you out of this cold.”

  “Lead the way.”

  8

  Chuck

  It was almost ridiculous how badly I wanted her. Lara and I had barely made it a step past my apartment’s door before my frisky fingers were unzipping the back of her dress. When I first saw her in it, I’d been completely in awe of her beauty. The fabric clung to her form, accentuating her curves and highlighting all the places I so desperately wanted to touch and grab. It was almost like she’d chosen the dress to taunt me, mercilessly tease me all night in front of the rest of my peers. I’d been unable to take any action at the party. But here, in the privacy of my own home between a flurry of kisses, I was free to hold her the way I wanted. I could kiss her and taste her tongue and breathe in the sweet fragrance of her shampoo to my heart’s content here.

  The second the door slammed shut, I pulled her dress down and off, letting the garment pool on the floor. Lara had on a matching set of underwear – a delicate pink lace thong and bra with a crisscross strap pattern. My cock twitched at the sight, excited by the promise of more to come. The evening was just getting started, and we had more than enough time to have fun and then some. Lara seemed more than aware of my growing arousal, deliberately pressing her palm to the front of my pants and gently giving my hardening member a squeeze. I groaned, far too hot and bothered for my own good.

  I guided her backwards to the bedroom, too distracted by furious kissing to bother with shutting the door. Lara backed me into the bed, and when my knees made contact with the edge of the mattress, I immediately sat down. She climbed on top of me, straddling me with her gorgeously thick thighs. I grabbed at her ass, pressing the tips of my fingers into her flesh. The warmth of her skin against my hands and the moan that escaped her chest was utterly exhilarating. As our tongues slid over one another, fighting for control, Lara circled her hips and grinded against me.

  “Jesus,” I hissed, barely able to contain myself. “You’re so beautiful.”

  “You mean that?”

  I nodded. “Of course, I do. I want you so bad, Lara.”

  She licked her lips seductively. “Then take me.”

  I grabbed her hard by the hips and flipped us over so that I had her back pinned to the sheets. She gasped in surprise, blushing hard as I slid my hands around her and unclasped her bra. I flung the offending fabric across the room, hungrily kissing her large breasts as I squeezed them in my hands. Lara smelled amazing, like strawberry bodywash mixed with lemon. I worked my way down, peppering kisses into the flat of her stomach, eventually positioning myself between her thighs. I carefully pulled her thong down with my teeth, dragging them down and forgetting them to the floor. My cock twitched painfully upon seeing her wet pussy, perfect and almost ready for me.

  Her clit was swollen, aching with want. I so badly wanted to fuck her, to have my way with her all night long. But I also didn’t want things to move too quickly. I wanted to show Lara a good time, wanted to hear her begging my name over and over again well before the night was done. With a gentle flick of my tongue, I tested the waters, stimulating Lara slowly. She gripped at the sheets and threw her head back, shuddering with pleasure and anticipation. I started to work her clit in slow circles, breathing in her scent and memorizing her taste.

  “Oh,” she whined, voice thin and airy and too damn sexy.

  I applied a bit more pressure with my tongue, bringing my hand up to tease her entrance. With the tip of my finger, I stroked her wet pussy, reveling in the way Lara shivered. I inserted my index finger and curled it inside her, blown away by the warmth of her walls. It was going to feel so fucking fantastic to be inside her, but I knew my own pleasure could wait. All that mattered to me in that moment was that Lara enjoyed herself. I wanted to purge the events of the party, of our unfortunate run-in with Sandy from her thoughts and replace them with memories far more pleasant. I inserted a second finger and continued to move them in a beckoning motion, hitting Lara in just the right place to have her chanting my name.

  “Oh God, Chuck. Chuck, please fuck me.”

  “I’m not done with you yet,” I chuckled, returning my attention
to her clit.

  I picked up the pace, drawing faster, tighter circles with my tongue as I continued to curl my fingers. The sounds Lara made were sinfully hot, panting and whining and moaning. Her volume grew louder and louder as she approached climax, made obvious by the way the walls of her pussy squeezed my fingers. Lara reached down frantically and laced her fingers in my hair, trying to grab on for some semblance of control.

  “Fuck,” she whimpered. “I’m going to cum. I’m going to–”

  Her entire body tensed as climax took her. Her walls pulsed around my fingers as she shuddered against wave after wave of pleasure. Lara breathed hard, chest rising and falling rapidly. She allowed her head to lull to the side, mouth open slightly as she groaned. I removed my fingers and stood up from the bed, making quick work of the front of my pants and pulling my shirt off with great haste. I was pretty sure a couple of buttons near the top popped off in my hurry, but I couldn’t care less. Lying before me was a deeply satisfied, absolutely beautiful woman, and I was incredibly eager to make her cum all over again.

  I dropped my pants and pulled my boxers down along with them, my throbbing length springing forth. I shivered when the cool bedroom air rushed against my aching member, tip already leaking with precum. Wasting no time, I immediately reached for the nightstand’s drawer and pulled out a condom. I rolled it over my cock and returned to Lara quickly, grabbing her by the hips and turning her over.

  “Get on your knees,” I growled, voice rough and low.

  Lara did as I asked without complaint, bracing herself up on her knees and elbows. I licked my lips, drinking in the image of her ass up in the air and her face pressed against the sheets. Her hairs spilled onto the bed, revealing her pretty neck and dainty shoulders. I exhaled slowly, unable to wait any longer. The time to show restraint had long since passed. I grabbed my shaft and aligned the head of my cock with her tight little pussy, pressing into her as slowly as I dared. An electric sensation bloomed from within me, sending tingles down the lengths of my arms and legs and ending in my fingers and toes. I groaned, overwhelmed by Lara’s wet warmth.

  “You ready?” I asked.

  She managed to nod.

  “I want to hear you say it. Tell me how badly you want me.”

  “Fuck,” she moaned. “Chuck, please fuck me. Fuck me hard.”

  I leaned forward and snaked one arm beneath her, grasping onto one of her breasts. I sucked on the delicate skin of her neck, running my tongue over the area that was sure to bruise. I snapped my hips into her relentlessly, spurred on by the raging fire inside my gut. It was an intense sensation, a feeling I’d long since forgotten. It had never been like this with Sandy, even when we were first going out. I’d always felt that our relationship was one-sided, like I was giving her everything while she only ever met me halfway. But Lara was different. She was here, present; enjoying everything I could give her.

  I fucked her hard, just as she’d asked, filling her over and over again until her knees gave out. I pounded her tight pussy frantically, searching for that sweet friction I knew was just around the corner. The noises she made were absolutely filthy, and I honestly wouldn’t have had it any other way. I thrust into her hard enough to have her lying flat on her stomach, legs spread for me as wide as she could go. The threat of climax was fast approaching, and I didn’t even think to restrain myself. I slid my dick in and out of her a few more times before a blinding white pleasure overtook all of my senses.

  “Lara,” I groaned, sucking hard on her neck.

  We found ourselves lying there for a moment, panting in tandem as we slowly came down from our highs. Once the strength returned to my body, I pulled out and rolled onto my side, scooping Lara into my arms. She tilted her head up and smiled at me, eyes heavy with sleep. I kissed her forehead, unable to resist her charming face. Exhaustion overtook us moments later, a welcome thing after the night we’d had.

  9

  Lara

  The next time we saw each other was on Wednesday’s workshop. We tried to be professional, but I was fairly certain the rest of my peers knew that there was something going on. Chuck and I couldn’t stop glancing over at one another, making quick flirtatious quips to fill the silence. We didn’t even need to say anything for people to know. Something about the air around us felt different, like walking through a static minefield of electricity. People could tell by the way Chuck smiled at me, the way he looked at me like I was the most precious thing in the world.

  “Today,” he said at the start of the workshop, “we will be starting off with a writing warm up. I want you to take everything I’ve taught you so far to create a short story, no more than two thousand words. You can write about whatever you’d like, but it has to include a talking fish and chicken fingers.”

  One of the younger boys in the front row curled his face up. “A talking fish and chicken fingers? That’s a little random, isn’t it?”

  Chuck grinned, looking at me instead of the kid. “It’s supposed to be a challenge. Put your imagination to good use. You’ll all have half an hour to come up with something while I prepare for the rest of the class. Lara, would you mind helping me bring something out of storage?”

  I looked up, a little surprised that he called on me. “Oh, sure,” I said.

  Chuck and I walked away, leaving the rest of the workshop to their assignments. We made our way down the hall and downstairs into Ramen Book’s storage room. The old wooden stairs were incredibly steep, so I had to hold onto the railing for support. Given how dangerous the descent was, it was no surprise that Alistair had hired me as a helping hand. That sweet old man would have had a hell of a time getting up and down those steps. The stairs creaked in protest under our weight, the store’s wooden frame whining in greeting. I’d never particularly liked going down to the storage room because it was dark and dusty, but now that Chuck was with me, I honestly didn’t mind.

  There were shelves upon shelves of store supplies, including massive boxes of loose-leaf paper, cashier receipt rolls, cleaning supplies, and more. There were even a few shelves with excess books we had to file away in order to make room for more recent publications in the corner, a light layer of dust blanketing their covers. I turned to him after flicking on the storage room lights. “What did you need help with?” I asked. In response, Chuck captured me in a deep kiss, easily threading his fingers through my hair and cupping my cheeks to hold me close. When we broke away, I laughed aloud, grasping at his shirt collar to pull him back in.

  I liked the way he kissed me. His rough beard scratched my chin, and his mouth was just the right level of commanding. Chuck never took more than he thought he was allowed, but always managed to push the limits and test the waters. I circled his waist with my arms and pressed forward, more than aware of the growing erection between his legs. I moved quickly, dropping to my knees as my nimble fingers undid his belt and unzipped the front of his pants. There was no telling if someone would come looking for us, so time was of the essence. I hooked my fingers over the edge of his boxer’s waist band and pulled the fabric down, freeing his swollen cock.

  I wrapped my fingers around his hard shaft and teased the head of his dick with the tip of my tongue, lapping up the precum. Chuck tasted a bit salty, but not in an unpleasant way. He shivered at the contact, which only served to spur me forward. I wrapped my lips around the head and swirled my tongue around, delighted by Chuck’s languid sigh of relief. Hollowing my cheeks, I took him into my mouth inch by inch until my nose brushed up against the wiry hairs at the base of his cock. Chuck was huge, much too large for me to take all the way. When his throbbing member hit the back of my throat, I nearly gagged in surprise. I had to take a deep breath in through the nose and work through it, focusing on pleasing him above all else.

  I bobbed my head back and forth, slicking Chuck’s cock with the flat of my tongue while sucking with even pressure. He placed a hand on the top of my head, the other cupping my cheek, as he squeezed his eyes closed to concentrate.
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br />   “Jesus, Lara,” he moaned.

  “Be quiet,” I warned. “Someone might hear you.”

  I returned my attention to his throbbing member and went hard, picking a pace that wasn’t too rough, but would also help Chuck cum as soon as possible. There was something about the rush, the thrill of maybe getting caught that set my whole body on fire. I’d never done anything like this before. I could definitely scratch giving a guy head in a semi-public place off my bucket list. I smirked around his cock, wondering if Hannah would be proud of me for taking such a risk and stepping out of my comfort zone. My best friend was just crazy and wild enough that she’d probably throw me a party for being so daring.

  Chuck fisted his hands in my hair and growled, “Lara, slow down.”

  I refused to listen. Seeing Chuck this helpless and desperate for release had ignited something within me. I wanted him to cum in my mouth, I wanted to taste every last drop he had to offer. But I learned very quickly that Chuck had a domineering side beneath the outer layers of a gentle, creative writer. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me back, panting hard. His eyes were dark with desire. Chuck helped me up and turned me around, pinning me to the nearest wall as he pulled my jeans and underwear down. My clothes bunched up around my ankles, gathering up a bit of dust on the filthy floors. I didn’t care, though, because Chuck was too busy grabbing my ass and rubbing his hot length between my cheeks.

  He leaned forward and nibbled on my ear lobe, growling, “I want to fuck you.”