Hale’s Song: A single dad contemporary romance
Page 9
If that’s okay? Um, in what universe wouldn’t that be okay, I wonder. I mean, he’s the epitome of a man - tall, broad-shouldered, muscular arms and thighs. Not to mention, every time I look at him, the butterflies take flight. Smiling shyly, I nod.
I’m about to say something when there’s a crack of thunder followed by the unmistakable sound of… silence. Great, now the power’s gone out. “I hope it’s not out for too long,” I murmur. Granted the cakes and what-not should be just fine because I have no intention of moving from my spot, but still.
“I’m sure we can find something to entertain ourselves,” he whispers, his lips nuzzling my ear.
“Me too.”
“Let’s move to the back porch. I’ll open up the windows from the top so we can catch a breeze,” he says.
“That’s not a bad idea. It won’t take long to get hot in here.” I feel self-conscious because I just threw on a pair of capri yoga pants and a top so I could lie down and think about his revelation.
Hale
Her cheeks are pink and I’m not sure why, unless it’s because she’s braless under her shirt. I don’t mind seeing her bounce as we make our way to the back porch. I take a long look at how she’s decorated it since I got it done and am impressed. I had suggested tinted windows and a lock on the outer door so she could be out here uninterrupted.
Taking her hand, I lead her to the porch swing which is perfect for what I have in mind. “Let me grab us a drink,” I say, going over to the mini-fridge she put in the corner and pulling out two bottles of water.
Sitting next to her on the swing, I pull her close and kiss her. I feel a slight tremble and lean back, only to see a look of… resignation? What the ever-loving fuck is going on here? Taking both bottles, I put them on the table and then maneuver the two of us so we’re lying down on the swing.
“Addy? What’s the matter?” I ask, pushing her hair away from her face. I see a tear run down her cheek and gently wipe it away. “Baby, talk to me. I can’t fix whatever’s wrong unless you talk to me.”
“I’m not good at this,” she whispers.
“Good at what?” I’m beyond confused; everything she does somehow turns me on so it can’t be that.
“You know… stuff.” She’s still whispering and won’t look at me.
“I don’t understand, sweetheart. You were married, so it’s not like you’re a virgin.”
“But I’m not good at it,” she insists. “I don’t want to ruin what we have because I suck in bed.” I hide my smile because there’s no way, with how she reacts when we just kiss, that she sucks.
As much as I hate hearing anything about her life before me, I think I need to so I can understand the mindfuck that asshole put on her. “Explain for me, Addy.”
She sighs and starts talking, her voice low. “I read a lot, mostly romances, and in all of them, when the couple get into bed, there’s a lot of… foreplay… leading to the main event. I didn’t have that with him. Oh, he’d kiss me, and he’d squeeze my breasts and then he’d pretty much just do it.”
“So you weren’t ready?”
“Not always, no,” she admits. My heart breaks for what she never had even though at the same time, I’ll get to give her something that she’s probably only thought was in her books.
“Don’t think that’s gonna be a problem with us, sweetheart,” I say. “Wanna know why?”
She nods and I take that as my cue to keep going, using my hands to illustrate my words. “Because these,” I start, gently stroking her breasts through her t-shirt, “turn into hard nubs when we kiss. And this,” I say, pulling her so that her heat is on top of my aching dick, “ramps up temperature-wise. I’d be willing to bet that you’re soaked right now.”
“So you think we’ll be okay?” she asks, her voice a little bit stronger. “You think it was him, not me?”
“Somehow, I know it was him and not you. And while I’m sorry that your sex life sucked, part of me is insanely happy because it means I’ll get those firsts with you.”
Her smile bursts through and she leans down to kiss me. No more talking, it’s time to put my words into action.
I slip her shirt over her head before I grab mine and manage to get it off. Seeing her astride me, her hair now drying in soft curls and her full breasts lightly swaying has me nearly blowing my load. Reaching up, I stroke along the underside and see her shiver at the touch. “Lean down, Addy.” When she does, I take one dusky pink nipple in my mouth and spend some time sucking and licking until she’s writhing before I switch sides, using my hand to stroke the one I just left.
Her soft moans spur me on, and I maneuver us so that we’re facing one another with her back against the cushion. “You okay?” I ask, my hand stroking down her side to her hip.
“Yeah.” Her voice is breathy sounding and I want to beat my chest. More kisses follow as I stoke the fire that I know lives in her until she says, “Hale, I want more.”
“Your wish is my command, pretty girl,” I state, sliding her yoga pants off, before I angle so that I’m between her thighs. “So pretty and so wet,” I murmur. When she tries to cover herself, I give her a look and say, “Nuh uh. You’re soaked for me, baby, and I need to see if you’re as sweet as I’ve imagined.”
When my tongue strokes through her center, I hear her gasp, so I lay my arm across her waist to keep her from moving before I go back to enjoying the essence that is dripping from her. “God, better than I imagined,” I murmur, as I ease one of my fingers inside her tight sheath.
Her moans are spurring me on as I stroke inside, finding her g-spot. My only goal right now is to have her screaming my name as she comes on my tongue and fingers. “Hale,” she whispers. “It feels so good.”
“Gonna come for me, pretty girl?” I ask, lifting my head slightly. I add a second finger and feel the faintest flutter start. “Yeah, you are.” I dive back in, licking, sucking and stroking until I feel her tense before she shatters beneath me, her hands clutching my hair as she cries my name. I continue until the spasms ease, then move so I’m on top of her, my forearms holding the majority of my weight.
“Oh my God, Hale, I never… I had no idea,” she stammers. Her face is rosy and her eyes sparkle.
“Ready for more?” I ask. God knows my dick is ready; I feel as if I have a steel pipe in my sweats right now.
“Yeah,” she whispers. At her words, I slip out of my sweats without fully breaking our connection.
“You wanna be on top?” I ask.
“Can I?” she replies. Without a word, I flip us so I’m on the bottom, which sets the swing swaying. Holding onto her hips, I raise her up slightly so that I can slide into her.
Fuck me. Her hot molten heat grips my dick like a glove and I realize that it’s not going to take much for me to blow my load. I slowly start thrusting upward as I pull her down until she catches the rhythm.
We’re soon lost in the sensations and the only sound, outside of the rain pouring outside, is our skin slapping together. I reach around and gather a bit of her juices and then lightly start stroking her clit. I’m doing everything I can to make sure that this time, our first time, is more than anything she’s ever experienced. So, coming before she has gotten at least two is not an option.
Her movements become erratic and I feel the unmistakable fluttering of her pussy around my dick. When she throws her head back and freezes, I continue to thrust upward, joining her as I call out her name. Finally spent, she pretty much collapses on my chest, both of us breathless and sweaty.
“Hale?” she whispers.
“Hmm?”
“Y’know how you said you were falling earlier?”
“Yeah, baby.”
“Well, I am too. And that scares me and has me excited in the same breath.”
I decide to tackle the first one and ask, “Why does it scare you?”
“Is it really possible to be this happy? Are you really okay that I can’t have kids? Do you realize that I’ll end up spoil
ing JD and you?”
I can’t help it, I burst into laughter. “Baby, you can spoil us any way you want to. Just know, we’ll be spoiling you right back. And yeah, I’m okay with the fact that you can’t have kids. Not gonna lie and say I wouldn’t love to see your belly all swollen and know I did that to you, but that’s not in the cards we were dealt so there’s no sense in stewing about it, is there?”
“So what now?”
“I think we need a shower.”
“In the dark?”
“You’ve got candles, we’ll light some of those, then grab a shower and come out here and snuggle in to sleep since the power’s still out.”
She nods before leaning in and kissing me. “Thank you.”
“Why are you thanking me, Addy?”
“For this,” she says, motioning to our bodies. “I had no idea it could be like that, even with all that I read.”
“It gets better, baby, the longer we’re together.”
“Can’t wait.”
14
Addy
Waking up in his arms, I can’t help the smile that crosses my face. We made love again in the shower, another first for me, with the candles flickering on the counter and the water pounding down around us. Then again when we finally made our way back out to the porch to sleep since the power was still out. He had called Caroline and told her the situation, so she offered to keep JD. Something I’m very appreciative of, because we had time together. Time that we needed.
Right now, though, I have a pressing need for the bathroom, so I ease my way out from underneath his arm and hurry to take care of business. I nearly screech when I see my hair, all the curls standing every which way, almost like the pictures of Medusa I saw years ago. I brush my teeth then grab some clothes so I can get dressed. The flashing alarm clock lets me know that the power is now back on so once I’m clothed, I head into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee for Hale and get a list of things together that I need from the wholesale store for the upcoming week.
“Good morning, beautiful, how’d you sleep?” he asks, coming up behind me and nuzzling my neck.
I lean back into his strong arms and sigh. “Better than I ever have if I’m being honest.”
“Me too. Having you in my arms is a dream come true. What’s on your agenda today?”
“I have to go to the wholesale market and grab some supplies for the next week.” He leans in and kisses my neck, right behind my ear, and I find myself melting into him, wishing we could spend the weekend in bed so I can try out everything I’ve ever read. Well, maybe not everything. I don’t want more than one man, but I’d love to go down on him like he did to me.
“If you want, we’ll go pick up JD and grab breakfast, then come with you.”
I turn in his arms and look up. “I’d love that. It’s probably strange, but it doesn’t matter to me if we’re doing something as mundane as errands, I enjoy being with you. Both of you.”
He leans in and kisses me before saying, “Same, baby. Okay, let me put my coffee in a to-go cup and we can head out.”
“That works for me, just need to grab my purse and phone.”
We’re soon on our way to his sister’s and when we get there, I’m embraced by a nine-year-old that I’ve come to adore. “Miss Addy, I’ve missed you!”
“Missed you too, little man. Just been busy, but guess what? Your dad’s taking us to breakfast then we’re gonna do some running around before I have to get some baking done. You wanna help?”
“Can I?”
“Absolutely. I’m sure you need some cookies for your house by now.”
“Yeah, Dad ate the last of them!” I give Hale the side-eye and he just grins at me, totally unrepentant.
“We’ll fix that. What kind do you want?”
“Snickerdoodles?” he asks.
I nod, saying, “I’ve got those ingredients already, so once we get back to my house, I’ll get the dough mixed and let you have at it while I frost the cakes, okay?”
“He and Johnny are always going on about your baking. I wish I had that talent,” Caroline says with a smile.
“You can cook, Aunt Caroline,” JD says.
“This is true, but from what I understand, so can Addy.”
“Yeah, she can,” he admits.
“Baking’s something my grammy taught me,” I tell the other woman. “I think it’s in my DNA because it’s never been difficult for me.”
“Miss Addy? Can Johnny come with us?” JD asks.
“Don’t see why not as long as it’s okay with his parents and your dad,” I reply. “You can both help with the cookies and that way, Johnny and little Rosie will have some too!”
“Can we make peanut butter ones too?” Johnny asks. “I really liked those.”
“Absolutely. Hale? Caroline? Is it okay with y’all?” I love having the boys at my house; their laughter and giggles makes the house come alive.
“Fine with me. You wanna spend the night, Johnny?” Hale questions.
“Yes!” both boys exclaim, causing all of us adults to laugh.
“Me too,” Rosie says, pulling on my sundress.
“One day, princess, you can come with your momma and I’ll let you frost cupcakes, okay?” As much as I’d love to have her come with us, my house isn’t set up for her just yet. Something I make a mental note to take care of as soon as possible so she doesn’t feel left out.
“Yay!” she says, clapping her little hands. She’s such a little cutie with strawberry-blonde hair that has natural ringlets. And Johnny and JD are so protective of her, making sure she’s always safe. She tends to follow them everywhere, which I find adorable.
“Go get a bag packed, Johnny,” Caroline states. “Do y’all want some coffee?” she asks.
“Nope, got my cup in the truck,” Hale replies, “and this one has a frosty Diet Coke every morning, then switches to lemonade or water.”
“Just one?” Caroline asks. “I don’t have that kind of self-control.”
“The funny thing is, I love the smell of coffee, but can’t stand the taste. So, in my mind, my one soda in the morning is like if I was having one cup of coffee.”
“I’m ready!” Johnny shouts, coming back into the kitchen, duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
“Alright, you know the rules. Listen to your uncle like it’s me or your dad and behave for Miss Addy, y’hear?” Caroline states.
“I will, Mom. Love you. Be good, Rosie. I’ll bring home some cookies, okay?” Johnny tells his sister.
“Okay, Johnny,” she replies. I’m impressed at how clearly she talks for her age, but figure it has a lot to do with the fact that she has an older brother.
We walk out to Hale’s truck and I admire what he’s now driving. “Hale?”
“Yeah, baby?” he replies, opening my door and helping me up.
“I like your new truck.”
“Me too. Got enough off the one I totaled to get this one and one specifically for work.”
“I’m glad. Not that you got hurt, though.”
“Oh, there’re parts of that situation I didn’t mind at all,” he murmurs, leaning over the console to whisper in my ear. “Like the showers you helped me with, even though I thought my balls were going to be permanently blue.”
I can’t help it; I giggle at his words. I tried so hard not to look at him when I was helping, but the tent in his shorts made it nearly impossible.
“Dad? Are we going to get something to eat?”
“Yep. Gonna go to the diner, that alright with y’all?”
“Yes, they’ve got great pancakes!”
Before long, we’re at Marvie’s Diner and set up in a booth in the back, Hale right next to me and the boys across from us.
“So, what’ll y’all have today?” Marvie asks.
“Marvie, why are you working the floor?” I ask. Usually, she hangs by the counter and lets her daytime waitresses handle the booths and tables.
“Charity called in sick.”
“I’ll have an orange juice and a water, please.”
“I’ll get that in. You bringing me cakes on Monday, Addy?” she asks me.
“Yeah, normal time work? I’ve gotta deliver to The Oink Joint first.”
“That works.” I don’t keep her because I can see she’s busy and I feel a bit bad that I’m not able to help her like I normally would.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Hale whispers in my ear. The boys are talking to one another, lost in their own little world.
“I wish she had more reliable help sometimes.”
“Me too. Boz says she puts in a lot of time here lately.”
“That can’t be easy on either of them. I’ve been a bad friend because I haven’t talked to her much. Well, except for last week, that is.”
“When you weren’t speaking to me?” he questions.
I blush before nodding. “Yeah. I feel so foolish now. I should’ve asked you that day, but I got stuck in my own head.”
“Honey, from the little you’ve shared, it’s understandable. Just know that you can ask me anything, okay?”
I nod and am about to reply when Marvie returns with our food. The boys start to scarf theirs down almost before it’s set down. “Boys, manners,” I chide.
“Sorry, Miss Addy,” they say in unison.
“Let them eat,” Marvie says. I give her a look because they were being rude not waiting on all of us to be served.
“Marvie, if you need me next week, let me know,” I tell her.
“Girl, you’ve got your hands full baking. I’ll be fine,” she replies.
I raise my eyebrow at her and give her the look. She tries to glare at me and ends up laughing instead. “Whatever, if I come in next week and you’re still short, I’ll stay,” I say.
“Fine.”
“Fine back,” I tease.
She leaves and Hale grins at me. “You two are funny, y’know that?”