Chasing the Moon: A Second Chance Standalone Romance

by S. M. Soto

  “I’ll have to talk to Luna about it tomorrow.”

  “We’ll talk to Luna about it tomorrow,” he corrects.

  I smile. “Deal.”

  We lie there in a comfortable silence, each of us dissecting the other in our own ways. His eyes are warm as they travel the length of my naked body. There’s the slightest twinge of self-consciousness, but the way he’s staring at me, as if I’m the most beautiful woman on the planet, ebbs it away. The need to cover myself, to hide my body from him disappears.

  The muscle in his jaw suddenly tightens, and his brows pull together in a frown of sorts. “How many dates have you been on since Luna was born?”

  My stomach dips. “A few.”

  His lips thin. He obviously doesn’t like that answer. His stare is unnerving. And strangely, it feels perpetual. “And how many have you slept with?”

  My lips part in shock at how up front he is. He asks the question without an ounce of shame. If it were anyone else, I’d be annoyed or put off by this line of questioning. But it’s not anyone else. It’s him. It’s the boy I’ve spent most of my life loving. The boy who is now a man. A man who is the father of my child, and a man who wants me.

  I swallow thickly, averting my gaze. I feel the heat settle into my cheeks, and I hate it. It’s always a dead giveaway. “No one.”

  “Repeat that.”

  “I haven’t slept with anyone but you. Until now.”

  My gaze flicks up at the sound of his growl. The breath whooshes out of my lungs at the heated expression on his face. It’s lethal. He leans in, dragging his warm hand around my hip and pulling my body flush with his. I settle my hands on his muscular shoulders, my chest heaving at the look in his eyes. It’s a look that sends a bolt of electricity straight to my core.

  “Do you know what that does to me, Selene?” he asks, kissing a warm path down my neck that awakens my body. My nipples pebble against the cool air, and my sex clenches, throbbing with need. “Knowing that I’m the only man who has ever been inside you?” End’s hand glides down from my hip, slipping between my sticky thighs. He pauses when he reaches the apex. I’m damp between my legs. I’m a mess with his cum and my arousal, but he doesn’t seem to mind. With the pad of his finger, he traces gentle circles on my skin, and my core clenches painfully. He’s so close to my sex. All it would take is him moving up a few inches, but he seems content to torture me. He continues as if his proximity doesn’t drive me wild.

  A ragged gasp rips from my chest when his finger stills on my lower lips. I’m wet everywhere, and by the look on his face, the heat simmering in his eyes, I take it he likes it. He licks his lips and swipes his finger through my folds, rubbing my wetness over my clit, then dragging it back down to my entrance, which is still leaking with his cum.

  His gaze flicks up to mine, something dark, hot, and wanton burning there that takes my breath away. Slowly, he toys with his cum and begins pushing it back inside me. His finger slides in and out, and his gaze flits from our point of contact back up to my face, as if he can’t decide where he wants to look more.

  It’s wrong.

  It’s so, so wrong and risky, but Christ, it feels so good. Everything about this moment feels so right, and I can’t tell him to stop. I don’t want to tell him to stop. “Knowing that I’m the only one who is ever going to be inside you makes me possessive, babe. So fucking possessive of what’s mine,” he grits, out over the sound of my arousal smacking against his finger. I should be embarrassed, but all I can focus on is the pleasure. The warmth building at the base of my spine and the desire pooling low in my belly.

  I feel his erection against my hip, and my eyes widen. I raise my brows, silently asking, “Already?”

  He doesn’t need to answer. He slides his finger out of my pussy and drags it up my body to my lips. A shudder wracks through me when he rubs my arousal and his cum around my mouth.

  “Suck.”

  I do just that. I take his finger into my mouth and suck on it. My pussy spasms at how hot it is. The taste of us intermingled on my tongue is something all too heady. His nostrils flare, and he rolls onto his back, pulling my body over his. His erection swings between my legs, and I stare down at it in awe, still unable to comprehend its size. I don’t remember him being this well-endowed at the creek, but then again, I was just a teenage girl.

  “Ride me, baby.”

  Trapping my bottom lip between my teeth, I nod and lift, pressing his head against my entrance. He lets out a guttural groan when his cum from earlier begins sliding down his cock, falling out of me at this angle. I rest my hands on his chest and slide down his length. My eyes flutter closed, and I moan. Everything feels so full in this position.

  It takes my body a few pumps to accommodate his length, but when it does, my hips roll, and I drop my head back, succumbing to a number of sensations and emotions, all so powerful, I feel like I am going to combust at any second.

  And all of them have the capacity to destroy me.

  Just like this man does.

  I take a step back from the room, surveying it from the doorway. A smile tugs at the corners of my lips as I take in all the girly shit. Luna’s going to love it. I can practically hear her now.

  “You know, if this was any other time, I’d think you’d fucking lost it, standing here, smiling as you stare into a pink room.”

  I shoot a glare at Bishop, who’s standing beside me. I didn’t even hear his approach; that’s how focused I was. It’s been three weeks since Selene showed up on my doorstep, and I’ve been all gas and no brakes ever since. We spoke to Luna about the possibility of moving in, and just as I knew she would, she screamed her rejoice, her little face happier than I’ve ever seen it.

  Selene still has her doubts and reservations, which I can understand. Sort of. Everyone seems on board. The only person who looks pensive is Cece, and I think I’m beginning to understand why. Cece has always been there for Selene. They lived together. She was grandma, and sometimes she had to play the role of mom while Selene was at work or school. She shares an unbreakable bond with Luna, and I think, in a way, me coming in and moving my girls in with me, she feels like she’s losing something.

  “Ready for this, man?” Bishop asks, after a moment of my continued silence.

  I nod. “I’ve never wanted anything more than I want them.”

  He grins. “You’re a lucky son of a bitch. You know that, right? Half the men in this town envy you already. Now they just flat-out hate you.” I laugh, but it quickly dies off when I hear a crash from down the hallway. Bishop and I share a look before we pad down the hall to see what all the commotion is.

  I had the guys—Bishop, Landon, and Griffin—come over to help Selene and Luna get their things moved in. A few of the crew workers are here, too, trying to speed up the process. I pause in the living room, near the front door, glaring at Landon and Griffin, who are arguing.

  “Try not to break anything while you both are bickering, got it?”

  “Yeah, whatever, captain. I don’t see you lifting shit.”

  I roll my eyes. I just finished my daughter’s entire room. The last thing I want to hear is their complaining. Just as I’m rounding the corner into the kitchen, I hear the pounding of little footsteps before I actually see her. Luna runs through the open front door, and when she sees me, a grin spreads across her little face, and she runs toward me.

  “Daddy!” I bend, taking her into my arms. She wraps her little self tightly around me, and I settle her on my hip. “Can I see my room now?”

  “You sure can. Where’s your mom?”

  “Right here,” Selene says, stopping in the doorway of the kitchen. She’s dressed casually in a pair of pants that hug her shapely legs to perfection and a loose top that has me dying to rip it over her head and take one of her pink nipples into my mouth. As if sensing where my thoughts are headed, heat climbs onto her cheeks, and she averts her gaze, hiding her smile.

  “Jesus, you two are like rabbits.” Landon huffs,
as he passes us to grab a water from the fridge. Luna glances up at me, an adorable frown between her brows.

  “Why are you and Mommy rabbits?”

  I share a look with Selene, who is fighting her laughter. “Didn’t you know, your mommy loves rabbits.”

  Her little eyes widen, and she looks at her mom as though she can’t believe she kept this news from her. “Me too!”

  After taking a swig of his water, Landon steps up beside me and pokes Luna in her side, making her giggle.

  “What’s up, squirt?”

  “Hey, Uncle Lan.” She’s taken to calling the guys uncle, not that I think they mind. Though now, it seems they enjoy the competition aspect of it, the who is the best uncle?

  “You ready for another game of tag?”

  Luna giggles. “Yes! But first, my daddy is going to show me my room.”

  “Your daddy? What about me?”

  “Okay, fine.” She sighs. “You can show me.” Luna glances up at me, silently asking for my permission. This is the first time she’s ever done it. Usually, she goes to Selene for permission, but the fact that she came to me first has warmth flowing through my chest.

  “C’mon, squirt. Let’s give your mom and dad a chance to kiss in private so that it doesn’t gross us out.” That draws a laugh out of Selene, and we both watch as Landon walks off with Luna. Once they’re out of sight, I close the distance between us, tugging her into my arms. She falls into me, her soft curves at home against my body. She rests her chin on my chest, staring up at me.

  “You look beautiful.” I tuck the stray chocolate strands behind her ears.

  She smiles up at me, and it hits me square in the chest. “So we’re really doing this?”

  “We are. You having second thoughts?”

  Selene shakes her head. “I’m not. You were right. This feels right. Being here with you feels right. I’m just having a hard time leaving my parents there. Especially now that my dad…” She trails off, her eyes glistening with moisture. I tighten my grip around her.

  Dipping my head, I press a kiss to her lips, soaking in her taste, trying to kiss her pain away. “It’s going to be fine. They’re down the street. We’ll stop by every day if it makes you feel better.”

  She gives me a wobbly smile. “It does. Thank you.”

  As if remembering something, she digs into her purse and pulls out a folder. I glance down at it with a frown when she hands it to me.

  “This is yours. Well, not technically, but—whatever. Just open it.”

  Taking the folder from her, I open it, and my chest squeezes when I see what’s inside. It’s Luna’s birth certificate with my name beneath the father’s information. My daughter is no longer just a Drake, but officially a Black.

  “When did you do this?”

  She nervously tucks stray hairs behind her ears. “Started the process the day after I told you the truth. Your mom helped me with your signature to make it official. You should really pay more attention to the things you sign, you know.”

  So many things are happening inside me all at once, and I can’t seem to pin it down to just one. I pull Selene into my arms and kiss her. I kiss her fiercely with a passion that has fire shooting through my veins.

  “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me, End. This is what you deserved from the very start.”

  I give her one last peck on her lips. “Come on. Luna is probably blackmailing Landon and the rest of the guys into buying her more toys.”

  Selene laughs, nodding her head, because it sounds exactly like something our daughter would do.

  Taking her hand in mine, I lead us down the hallway, and we pause outside of the bedroom, watching as Luna prattles on and on about this and that, her excited little gaze flitting around the pink unicorn room. Bishop and Griffin are finishing up putting the final pieces of the dresser together. Landon is sitting on the bed, eyes wide as he listens to my daughter talk like she has an endless supply of breath to spare.

  He notices us standing there and raises a brow at me that clearly says, what the fuck?

  A laugh bursts from my chest, and Luna glances our way. “Mommy, did you see all the stuff Daddy bought me for my new room?”

  Selene purses her lips. “Oh, I see it, all right, little miss. Remember what I said about picking up after yourself, though. I see a lot of toys on the floor already that I know your dad didn’t take out.”

  She pouts. “I wasn’t the only one. Uncle Landon took out some with me, too.”

  Landon chokes, shooting her a wide-eyed look. “You told me to!”

  “I’m a kid,” she deadpans, with the most serious expression on her face.

  I bite back my laughter and step into her bedroom, lifting her into my arms. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll help you clean up.”

  “Thanks, Daddy.” I’m just about to set her down when her next question has me stilling, my brows drawing together in a frown. “What’s a whore?”

  All the air is suddenly sucked from the room, and I hear Selene’s sharp gasp behind me. My gaze drills holes into the guys, but they all raise their hands in surrender, clearly not the ones who let the word slip in front of her.

  “What?” I ask dumbly.

  “Where did you hear that, baby? It’s not a good word.”

  Luna shrugs, looking at me. “At the party at Nana and Papa’s house. That lady with the pretty blond hair said it while I was playing on the playground.”

  Fury boils in my veins, and I narrow my gaze. “Did she now?”

  She nods, shooting a wary glance at Selene. “I think she was talking about Mommy.”

  I feel Selene step up beside me. She brushes Luna’s stray waves back away from her face. I flatten my lips in a grim line, and my nostrils flare as I work to process my anger. Holly has always been a fucking pain in the ass. I should’ve known she wouldn’t know how to speak around a child.

  “Do you remember what she said?” Bishop suddenly asks, his tone tinged with anger on our behalf.

  “She said to her friend that she hated kids. If it wasn’t for that stupid whore who opened her legs, she’d still be with him.”

  Fire billows in my chest, and I feel red seeping into my vision. I suddenly have the urge to confront Holly. To strike her, something I’ve never wanted to do to a woman. Who the hell does she think she’s talking about?

  “She called me a little bitch, too,” she says, so casually, as if the word is a compliment. The look on Selene’s face is pure rage.

  “Baby, why didn’t you tell us about this sooner?”

  Luna shrugs. “I forgot. But when I saw her at breakfast with Aunt Julia, and then when she made you cry, I remembered.”

  Selene flusters. “I did not cry.”

  “You had tears, Mommy.”

  She sighs and rolls her eyes, obviously knowing that arguing with Luna over that will get her nowhere.

  “Endymion, can I speak to you for a second?” Selene asks, with a slight edge to her tone. I drop Luna on the bed beside Landon and walk down the hall into the master bedroom.

  She glances around momentarily, taking everything in. She still has to put all her things away, but for the most part, all her stuff is here.

  “This is not okay, End. She called our daughter a bitch.”

  “You’re right. Holly was way out of line. She’s obviously jealous or crazy. I really don’t know. She means nothing to me. First thing tomorrow, I’ll set this shit straight.”

  Selene’s lips thin, and she crosses her arms over her chest. “No. I don’t want you talking to her. At all.”

  A grimace steals across my face. “Do you not trust me?”

  She sighs, rubbing at her temple. “I trust you. It’s her I don’t trust.”

  I pull her into my arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Alright, I can respect that. We’ll do it together, yeah?”

  Some of the tension slowly dissipates from her body. She expels a deep sigh, falling into me. “Thank you. Also, I’d like the r
ecord to show that I really don’t like her.”

  I can’t help the chuckle that bursts from my chest. “Yeah, me either.”

  The next morning, I roll over, my chest squeezing at the sight before me. Last night, I went to bed wrapped around Selene, and this morning, I wake up to my little girl stretched out between us, fast asleep. I didn’t even hear her come in, the little ninja.

  As I stare at both of my girls, an unfamiliar warmth swirls through my chest. Luna’s little face is innocent with sleep, and Selene looks as beautiful as all hell. My gaze is drawn to the freckles on the bridge of her nose and the dark eyelashes casting shadows across her face. Her pink, plump lips are slightly parted, and I have to fight the urge to kiss her.

  Luna starts to stir, the little cupcakes on her pajama dress smiling up at me with various grins. Slowly, her eyes flutter open, and she gives me a sleepy smile.

  “Morning, Daddy.”

  My nostrils flare as a stab of emotion pierces my chest. I’ve missed a lot in my daughter’s life, but this is the first time I’ve woken up beside her, and Jesus, nothing has ever felt more perfect.

  “Morning, baby,” I whisper back. She opens her mouth, probably to say good morning to Selene, but I press my finger against my lips to shush her. “C’mon. Let’s make your mom breakfast while she sleeps.”

  Hurtling herself into my arms excitedly, I pad out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind me softly. Setting Luna on the island in the kitchen, I peer down at her.

  “What’s Mommy’s favorite breakfast?”

  “Hmm. She likes pancakes. With chocolate chips. And lots of fudge.”

  I raise a brow in challenge. “You sure that’s not your favorite?”

  She giggles, and it’s the most beautiful sound. I poke her in her side gently, earning another round of giggles. “Let’s get started on those pancakes then.”

  I hoist Luna around the kitchen, having her help me make breakfast. She’s deep in concentration, her little tongue poking out of the side of her mouth and brows pulled down as she focuses to pour the milk into the mix.