Hosed: A Single Dad and Virgin Romantic Comedy

by Ruby Steele

  I frown. "But you'll be at work while she's at school. And you'll be home by the time she gets done. And I have Serena to help. And my brother Jake when she can't."

  Morgan shakes her head. "I can't."

  I study her for a minute. "Morgan, what's really going on. Please just tell me." I feel like she's slipping away and I don't even know exactly why.

  "It's a bad idea for me to stay here, Leo." Her voice is suddenly full of frustration. "You know it is. We haven't talked about it all week, but you heard what Adley said. She's going to end up hurt. She's the one who's going to be the most damaged when this ends. That's why I have to go. And the sooner, the better."

  I draw back slightly. "Morgan, no. You don't have to go. Look, if you don't want to be with me anymore, just tell me. I can take it. But don't leave Adley." I don't think I actually can take it, but it's a hell of a lot better than her being gone from our lives completely.

  "No, Leo. It won't work, and you know it. We have to think about Adley here. We can't be selfish. She's only going to get more attached the longer I stay. This is for the best. A clean break. I've already worked it all out. I'm going to stay with my friend until I start at the school. I'm leaving tonight. I've already called the agency, and they said they have someone who can start working for you as soon as tomorrow."

  I can't even speak. I have no idea what to say to this. A clean break. I'm leaving tonight. That's all I hear.

  Morgan pushes up from the chair, hurrying to her room. I don't follow. Apparently I had this all wrong. While I've been falling in love with her, she's just been having a good time. The knowledge aches more than I could have possibly imagined.

  Numb, I leave the apartment to get Adley from school, my mind so far from what I'm doing that I almost walk out in front of a car, the horn pulling me out of my head at the last minute.

  Think about Adley, she said. I can't even process how devastated she's going to be. Is Morgan even going to be there when we get home to tell her goodbye? How could I have been so far off base about what was happening between us? From the very beginning she got in my head, got under my skin. I think I was falling for her from that first day in the hospital.

  And I let myself pretend that she was falling for me as well. That we had a future together. Adley's dreams of us being a family weren't just hers. I can admit now that I wanted that too. I still want that.

  A thought hits me, and I walk faster, wanting to get Adley and get back to the apartment as soon as possible. Maybe she's afraid. Maybe it's not that she's trying to protect Adley. Maybe she's trying to protect herself. I haven't given her any indication of how I feel, what I want. Maybe she sees this as a fling. Maybe she actually wants what I want.

  I don't know, but I need to find out. I can't just let her walk away from me. I get Adley from school, then hail a cab to take us back to the apartment, not willing to take the time to walk.

  We get off the elevator and rush into the apartment. "Morgan?" I call, stalking back to her room.

  "Daddy?"

  I turn and find Adley standing in the middle of the living room. I haven't told her anything, but she can tell that something is obviously wrong.

  She holds up a note, her lip quivering. "What is this? Where's Morgan?"

  I go to her, taking the note. It's not long, but it gets the point across. In the most delicate way possible, she tells Adley that she had to take a new job right away, but that she promises to call and that she will come take her out for ice cream next week after school.

  I crumple the note in my fist, and it's exactly what my chest feels like at the moment. Crushed.

  She's gone.

  21

  Morgan

  I'm a mess. I wipe my eyes with the tissue Mina hands me, adding it to the growing mountain beside me.

  "I can't believe I was so stupid," I wail. "I let myself believe it was okay, that maybe it would even turn into something."

  She looks like she's still in shock. She had no idea what was going on with Leo, and the fact that so much has transpired in the last month has left her reeling.

  Welcome to the club.

  I know I did the right thing, that it would only be worse the longer I dragged it out. But it certainly doesn't feel right. It feels fucking miserable.

  "Morgan, I'm not so sure it wouldn't have," she says carefully.

  I give her a baleful look. "That's not helping. I had to do it. Don't you see that?"

  She shakes her head. "Not really."

  A fresh wave of tears falls down my cheeks, and I wipe them away furiously, then blow my nose. "Yes," I say firmly. "I had to. It's the only way to make sure Adley doesn't get hurt."

  Mina looks at me like I'm crazy. "And leaving without saying goodbye—when she didn't see this coming at all—isn't going to hurt her?"

  My chest tightens. I know she's right, but I don't want to think about it. Maybe it was a little selfish of me. I didn't want to hurt either. And I didn't want to see her face when I said goodbye.

  Okay, I was a lot selfish. But my heart is breaking, and I can't do anything to change what I've already done. I can only focus on the fact that it would have been a lot worse the longer I stayed.

  Mina shakes her head. "I don't even know what to say to you right now. You're in love with Leo, you adore his daughter, and you walked away." She throws her hands up. "It makes no sense."

  "It makes perfect sense. Leo and I were just a fling. Something fun. What was going to happen when it ended? I don't have delusions that we were going to get married and live happily ever after."

  But that's a lie. That's exactly what I secretly wanted. Which made staying even more dangerous. Because he never once indicated there was anything more to what we had than sex.

  "How do you even know what could have been?" Mina insists. "You never even talked to him about it. About anything! You could have at least had a conversation establishing what you were to each other."

  "I know what we were to each other." Were. Past tense. That brings on another round of tears.

  "I'm sorry, Morgan. I know I'm supposed to be the supportive friend that tells you did the right thing." I look at her, and she frowns. "But I don't think you did."

  It hurts so bad to think she could be right. So I don't let myself. I tell myself over and over that it was just a fling. That they're better off without me there. That now they can all move on and not get caught in a dangerous trap that will only end in heartache.

  But if it's not supposed to end in heartache, why do I hurt so much that I can think past the crushing pain in my chest?

  22

  Leo

  "It's okay, Daddy. You've got this."

  I smile down at Adley as I stop my pacing. It's hard to believe sometimes that she's just six because she acts so old.

  Morgan is supposed to come pick Adley up for ice cream, just like she has for the past two Mondays. And I have a plan. It's taken me this long to figure things out. To realize what happened and what I have to do to fix it.

  I was angry at first. Angry at Morgan for walking out on us. Angry that in spite of her saying she didn't want to hurt Adley, that's just what she did. And angry at myself. For not making my intentions clear from the beginning.

  But now I can see it more clearly. The realization I had on my way to get Adley that day became clouded, nearly obscured, in the pain that I felt when she left. She had no idea at any point how I felt about her. For all I know, she thought I was really and truly just fucking the nanny. But that wasn't what it was. Ever. From the very beginning there was something real between us.

  Now I just have to make her see it.

  At exactly four o'clock, the doorbell rings. Adley gives me a thumbs up and runs to the kitchen for her part of the plan. I open the door and find Morgan standing there, looking as beautiful and perfect as ever. I smile, a genuine happiness to see her radiating through me.

  Her polite face falters for a moment. It's nothing like what the last two visits were like. I was co
ld, distant. Still angry. But that was all a mask for the hurt I was really feeling.

  "Hey," I say softly.

  She swallows, blinking rapidly, trying to cover up the confusion I see on her face. "Hello."

  I hold the door open wider. "Come in."

  She enters slowly, looking around. "Where's Adley?"

  "In the kitchen. She has a surprise for you."

  She starts to walk toward the kitchen, but I grab her, circling my fingers around her wrist. Morgan's frowns, and when she looks up at me, I see everything in her eyes that I needed to know. What I suspected, but need to see for myself.

  "I want to talk to you first."

  She hesitates. "About what?"

  "Something I should have said sooner."

  Her face shutters. "No."

  "Yes, Morgan," I say gently, still not letting go. "What are you afraid of?"

  A deep breath shakes her body, and she doesn't meet my eyes when she says, "Everything."

  Unable to see her like this, so upset, so vulnerable, I pull her into my arms. She's trembling.

  "Shh," I whisper, running my hands over her hair and settling them on her hips. "Look at me, Morgan."

  She looks up.

  "I should have told you this before. And I'm sorry it's taken me this long to figure that out. I was...hurt when you left. And angry."

  She opens her mouth to speak, but I shake my head.

  "Let me say this. You were right to do what you did. You were looking out for Adley. You wanted to protect her. You didn't want her so invested in the idea of us that it was even worse. I get that now. I respect that. And it makes me love you even more than I already do."

  Her brow furrows, her mouth dropping open. She looks like she doesn't think she heard me right.

  I smile, brushing my thumb across her cheek and cupping her jaw in my hand. "Let me say that again in case I wasn't clear. Because it seems that I have a problem telling you things in the way you need to hear them." I lower my forehead to hers. "I love you, Morgan."

  "But—I don't—how—?"

  "You don't have to say it. Hell, you don't even have to feel it. But you need to know that's how I feel. That you weren't just someone to keep me warm at night. You are so, so much more than that to me. And I want so, so much more than that with you. I want you part of my life in every way. I want you here, in my home. Here, with my daughter. And I want a chance to prove to you that we can have a future."

  Her eyes well up with tears, and her breath comes out in a disbelieving gasp. "Are you serious?"

  I don't know what she's thinking. "Completely."

  I lower my mouth to hers and brush my lips gently over hers, trying to restrain myself, knowing Adley is just in the next room, waiting for step two of our plan.

  "But I need something from you, Morgan. I'm sitting out on a limb here, and I need to know that I'm not the only one feeling this. That you want to see what this is too. That you can give me a chance to show you how good we could be together."

  She shakes her head, and for one awful moment I think she's going to tell me no. But then she smiles. "I don't need you to show me that. I know how good we can be together. Because Leo?"

  "Yeah?"

  "I love you, too."

  She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls my head down, capturing my mouth in a kiss that is full of all the love we both feel.

  We jerk apart when we hear clapping and squealing from the kitchen.

  "I knew you could do it, Daddy!"

  I laugh. "You sure did, baby. But I don't think we're going to need step two after all."

  "Step two?" Morgan asks.

  I take her hand, entwining our fingers, and lead her to the kitchen, where a picnic blanket is spread out on the floor, chocolate frosting rose petaled cupcakes arranged in a heart.

  "I've been practicing," Adley says proudly. "I know how much you love dessert, and I told Daddy that if he told you he loves you and promises to always have peanut butter chocolate cupcakes here, that there's no way you'll want to leave."

  Morgan laughs. "Oh, sweetie. Come here." She kneels down and wraps Adley in her arms. "I'm so sorry I left like that. I thought I was doing the right thing. But...it was the absolute wrong thing to do. I promise I'll be here with you as long as you will have me."

  She looks up at me as she says it, and my heart feels lighter than it has in probably forever. I almost can't believe how lucky I am.

  "So, cupcakes for dinner?" Morgan laughs.

  "Works for me," I say. Then I give her a sly grin. "Dessert comes later."

  23

  Morgan

  Bedtime can't come soon enough. The entire night has been more amazing than I could have possibly imagined. And just as excruciating knowing Leo and I have to wait to really make up for lost time.

  The bright side, though, is that we no longer have to keep our relationship (I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that's what it is.) a secret from Adley. Little touches, stolen kisses, secret looks. We're free to express how we feel now. No more hiding.

  It's almost too good to be true. But I know it is true. That somehow I'm getting everything I could have hoped for but never knew I wanted.

  Leo was careful to explain that he didn't want to push me, make me feel like I was in this further than I was ready for. He said he could wait as long as it took for me. But I don't need to wait. I know what I want. I want this incredible man and his equally amazing daughter. I want this family to be my family. And some point down the line, I wouldn't mind adding to it. But that's way down the road.

  For now, I'm thankful for a little girl that goes to sleep in minutes and doesn't wake up all through the night.

  Leo comes into his room—well, I guess it's our room now—and locks the door this time, shedding his clothing in seconds.

  He stalks toward the bed like I'm his prey, and I love it. I welcome him to me, already so wet just from the anticipation. He groans as he closes his mouth over my breast, sucking and teasing my nipple into a hard peak. Then he shows the other one equal attention.

  Before long it's not enough. I reach for his cock, so thick and hard. "I need you now."

  He doesn't make me wait, thrusting into me in one swift, hard stroke, burying himself as far as he can get. My pussy clenches around him, and it feels so good to have him in me again.

  I moan. "God, I've missed this."

  "Me too, sweetheart. I've missed everything about you."

  He begins moving within me, and I quickly feel my orgasm building, flying high as a storm of sensations overwhelm my body. His groans are so fucking sexy, and I can't get enough of him.

  "Harder, Leo. I need more."

  He's up to the task, grabbing my hips and flipping me over, pulling my ass up in the air and sliding his cock right back into my tight heat, hitting just the right spot as he pounds into me over and over.

  I arch my back and look back at him. His eyes are burning with lust. But I see more there, something that has always been there but I never recognized for what it was.

  Love.

  I reach for him, and he pulls me up, his hands gripping my tits as he continues to fuck me from behind. I lean my head back on his shoulder, and he rains hot, wet kisses down my neck.

  Dropping a hand to my clit, he teases me there while he pinches my nipple with his other hand. And just like that, I fly over the edge, a scream ripping from my throat as my orgasm tears through me. I feel his cock swell inside of me, hot jets shooting deep into my pussy, and my orgasm intensifies, rocketing me through the stratosphere.

  "Fuck, Morgan," he growls into my ear. "I love you so much."

  We fall into the bed, and he pulls me to him, a tangle of limbs as we try to catch our breath.

  "I love you, too, Leo."

  "Remember the night we got dessert to go?" he asks, tracing circles on my hot skin.

  "Yeah. Are you referring to what you did to me in the elevator? Because, just so you know, I'm totally down with that. Ju
st saying."

  He laughs. "I can get on board with that. But no. I meant how you couldn't decide on a dessert, so I told you not to. To have it all. That's how I feel right now. That I have it all."

  My heart floods with warmth, and I know we're going to be just fine. That he loves me, I love him, and that's all that matters.

  I smirk. "And here I thought you were going to come up with a creative use for a cannoli or something."

  A devilish spark comes into his eyes. "I have plenty of ideas of things to do to you that will blow your mind."

  I arch my eyebrows. "Then what are you waiting for?"

  He chuckles. "So naughty."

  "Only for you."

  He lowers his lips to mine in a kiss that is way more sweet than naughty, and my heart melts all over again. When we break apart, I'm desperate to have him all over again. So I reach down and stroke his cock, apparently also ready to go again.

  I grin. "Now fuck me so hard the neighbors can only imagine what you're doing to me."

  So he does. And a little later, he does it again. And I'm so unbelievably grateful to know for myself what it's like to have someone so desperate to have you that they take you anywhere and everywhere. At all times of the day and night. But I'm even more grateful to have found someone who loves me more than I could have ever dreamed.

  Thank you for reading Hosed! I hope you loved it! I have tons more fun and frisky books coming your way very soon! If you’d like to be the first to hear about my next release, join my mailing list here:

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  A Teaser from Teacher’s Bet

  “Do I look like someone who’s about to have sex for the first time?”