TinderElla: A Modern Day Single Dad Fairy-Tale (Fairy Tale Series Book 2)

by Eddie Cleveland

  “Did you ask him yet?” Chelsea looks back and forth from my face to my brother’s with her deep, brown eyes.

  “Ask me what?” I look at Cameron.

  “I was gonna let him grab his suitcase first, Miss Impatient,” he softly scolds her.

  “Good timing,” I pluck my bag from the conveyor and place it next to my feet. “So, what’s up?”

  Cameron smiles at Chelsea and then looks to me, “Ok, so, I didn’t just come here to give you a drive home.”

  “Oh no?”

  “I also wanted to let you know that Chelsea and I are going to get settled in Miami and then, we’re getting married.”

  “Really? That’s awesome! Wow, that’s gonna be busy, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah,” Cameron answers, “it’s going to be a whirlwind, for sure. But, we wanted to get married before the baby, it’s important to Chelsea, so it’s important to me,” he lifts his fiancée’s brown hand and kisses it. “And with training camp starting up in July, we wanted to have the ceremony before all that craziness begins,” he explains.

  “That’s great! You’re having it in Miami then?”

  “Yep, we figured, since it’s just family going, it would be a nice way to show them our new place and all that too.”

  “Makes sense,” I smile down at Holly, but her eyebrows are knit together with worry.

  “Anyway, sorry for springing this on you, but I’d love if you’d be my best man, Jake. I can’t think of anyone else who could even come close to filling those shoes.”

  “Aww, man,” I throw my arms around him and give his back a clap, “of course I will. It would be my honor,” I answer truthfully. “When is the wedding?”

  “In two weeks, I know it’s short notice,” he holds up his hands, “but I wanted to ask you in person, you know?”

  “Yeah, no problem. I understand. I’ll be there,” I grab my suitcase and Holly and I follow Chelsea and Cameron toward the exit.

  “Miami? In two weeks?” Holly whispers. “I can’t go. I won’t be safe. What about Knox?”

  Oh shit, I forgot about that.

  24|Holly

  “Wow, that was amazing,” Cameron pushes his empty plate forward on the table and slumps back into his seat.

  “Don’t tell my mother, but that was the best roast I’ve ever eaten,” Chelsea smiles at me warmly.

  “Thank you, it was nothing, really,” I stand up and begin to clear the table.

  “Here, let me help you with that,” Chelsea grabs some dirty dishes and brings them over to the sink with me.

  “They’re right, that meal was delicious,” Jake turns in his chair to talk to me. “I don’t know what I did to get so lucky, but you’re the whole package. Beautiful, smart, a great cook.”

  “Aww,” Chelsea looks from Jake’s face to mine, glowing with happiness.

  “Yeah, wait till she gets a taste of your cooking,” Cameron makes air quotes with his fingers and sticks out his tongue like he has a rotten taste in his mouth.

  “What are you talking about? I’m a great cook,” Jake puffs out his chest.

  “Oh yeah, if you ever get a craving for gross boxed food, this guy is your man,” Cameron juts his thumb toward his brother.

  “Oh, I know you’re not slamming my signature dish right now. Frank’s Alive is awesome and you know it. You’re just jealous you didn’t invent it.” Jake smirks.

  “What on earth is ‘Frank’s Alive’?” I head back over to the table and the guys stand up and start gathering the cutlery and glasses.

  “Only a culinary masterpiece,” Jake jokes.

  “You poor girl, it’s only a matter of time until he whips it up for you.” Cameron carries the glasses over to the kitchen counter. “Imagine Kraft macaroni and cheese, with hot dogs in it,” he explains.

  “Oh, I’ve had it like that before,” I shrug.

  “No, I’m not done yet, so it’s also got probably half a cup of relish in it and a bunch of mustard mixed in.”

  “What?” Chelsea scrunches up her nose.

  “Yeah, Jamie Oliver over here threw it together when we were kids and our mom was horrified. She asked Jake what it was supposed to be, thinking he messed up the easiest food in the world to make and he said…”

  “Frank’s Alive!” Jake jumps in.

  “Why did you call it that?” I look over at him.

  “No idea, I was probably nine or so. The name stuck though, and so did the recipe. I’ll have to make it for you sometime,” he walks up to me and slides his arm over my shoulders.

  “Uh, that’s ok. I can do the cooking,” I smile up at him.

  “Smart,” Cameron nods at me.

  “All right, maybe I’m not a great chef,” Jake looks at his brother.

  “You can say that again,” Cameron answers.

  “However, Frank’s Alive is delicious. I stand by that meal,” Jake pretends to pout.

  “I’m sure it is,” I rub my hand over his shoulder pretending to soothe his bruised ego.

  “Don’t worry about the dishes right now, we can just relax or watch a movie if you want,” Jake offers.

  A movie. The idea almost feels foreign. After sixty days of no television, except for the occasional Alcoholic Anonymous footage, watching a movie almost sounds like a sinful luxury.

  “No, we actually gotta hit the road,” Cameron answers and Chelsea leans her head against his shoulder tenderly.

  “What? You’re not going to drive to Miami now are you? It’s already seven o’clock. Isn’t it like twelve hours away?” Jake protests.

  “It’s almost fourteen, and we have no choice bro. I’ve gotta check in with the team by noon tomorrow. I’m going to pull an all-nighter and drive straight through.”

  “That’s not very safe,” I interrupt.

  “It’s no biggie,” Cameron waves off my concern. “I’ll pull over and catch some winks if we get too tired.”

  “If you want, you can sleep for the first bit and I’ll drive, then we can switch out,” Chelsea wraps her arms around Cameron’s waist.

  “Brains and beauty,” Cameron murmurs to her, “I can’t wait to marry you,” he kisses her quickly.

  “Ok, well, give me a call when you get in so I know you made it ok,” Jake interrupts the lovebirds’ moment.

  “Will do,” Cameron heads to the back hall of Jake’s bungalow with his fiancée.

  “It was great to see you again,” Jake smiles at Chelsea, “and it was ok seeing you too,” he jokes with his brother.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Cameron smiles and puts on his shoes. “In all seriousness, though,” he stands up and claps his hand onto Jake’s bulky shoulder, “you’ve got a great thing going on here, a second chance,” the brothers look at each other, “don’t fuck it up.”

  “I won’t.” Jake nods solemnly.

  “I’m proud of you, man,” Cameron throws his arms around Jake and the two share a huge bear hug.

  “That means a lot to me, Cameron,” Jake’s voice is soft and full of emotion. “Thanks for asking me to be your best man.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of asking anyone else,” Cameron steps back and the two stand a little taller. “Ok, we’re off,” Cameron clears his throat. “We’ll call you when we get there,” he opens the door for Chelsea.

  “It was great meeting you,” I call out.

  “You too,” Chelsea and Cameron answer as they make their way out the door.

  We watch as they get into their car and wave as they pull out of the driveway. “So,” Jake closes the door and looks down at me, “it’s just you and me now,” a smile curls the corners of his lips.

  “It sure is,” I answer coyly.

  “It’s nice having you here,” Jake runs his thumb down the side of my face and I tilt my head. “There’s just one problem with this whole situation.”

  Problem? I squint my eyes and frown, trying to think of what I could’ve done, “What’s that?” I search his face.

  A mischievous twinkle glints in his eye as
he smirks at me, “You’re wearing entirely too much clothing.”

  25|Holly

  “Well, that is a pretty serious problem,” I laugh.

  “I’m afraid we’re going to have to do something about that right now,” Jake locks the door behind me and suddenly scoops me off my feet.

  “Hey! What are you doing?” I fake protest, kicking my feet playfully in the air. Jake effortlessly tosses me over his shoulder and starts walking down the hall.

  “I told you, we’ve gotta fix this issue,” he laughs. “There’s only one way I want to see you right now,” he kicks open his door to the bedroom and struts in.

  “How’s that?”

  “Naked,” he tosses me down onto the bed. “Now,” he demands.

  Kneeling on his bed, I tug my shirt up over my head and toss it to the floor, my heart races as I unhook my bra. I’ve never seen a man who looked so hungry for me before. The fire in Jake’s eyes is as intimidating as it is exciting.

  Slowly, I slide the straps down my arms, teasing him.

  “That’s it,” he circles his hands around my waist and flips me back onto the mattress. His fingers quickly unbutton my jeans and he rips them from my legs desperately, pulling off my underwear with them.

  “You’re so fucking sexy,” his voice is gravelly and deep. My nipples peak and I squirm under his gaze. Heat flushes over my entire body, sweeping over me like a wildfire.

  Jake’s eyes are locked on mine, even as he pulls off his shirt. As soon as it’s over his head, he’s holding me in place with his intense stare. I lean on my elbows, arching my back and pushing out my breasts.

  “Show me how wet you are for me,” he demands and I slide my hand down over the curve of my hip to my lower lips. I slip my finger into my folds and hold it out to him, covered in my juices. Jake grabs my hand and licks my finger clean.

  “I love how you taste,” he murmurs. He hooks his thick arms around my knees and drags me to the end of the bed until my legs are dangling off the side. Dropping to his knees, he drapes my legs over each shoulder and takes a long, slow lick between my legs.

  “Mmm,” I writhe on the bed, bucking my hips up to meet his tongue.

  “That’s right, baby. Now you don’t have to be quiet. I wanna hear how good I’m making you feel. I’m going to make you scream,” he breathes on my pussy and I wiggle under him, desperate to feel his soft tongue once more.

  Jake doesn’t keep me waiting, he slides his tongue between my lips and flickers it over my clit making me cry out.

  “Fuck that feels so good,” I moan.

  He slides one of his fingers inside me, moving it until he hits a spot that makes me vibrate with pleasure. The feeling is intense, his tongue lashing against my clit and the spot inside me he’s pressing, it’s almost too much.

  Suddenly, I feel another finger slide between my ass cheeks and I wriggle under him nervously. He presses against my asshole, but doesn’t push inside. The pressure alone is enough and it heightens the intense pleasure building up within me.

  Jake relentlessly chases my orgasm with his tongue until my body can take no more. I squeeze my eyes shut and throw back my head as ecstasy shudders through me in an explosion. I writhe against the sheets, surrendering to my bliss and crying out so loud that my throat is raw.

  “Oh Jake!”

  “Mmm, that’s what I like to hear,” he stands up, leaving me limp and panting on the bed as he grabs a condom from his night side table.

  “That was amazing,” I try to get my breathing under control and watch as Jake flicks open his pants and steps out of them. His cock is huge. I stare at it, mesmerized.

  “Don’t put it on,” I nod at the foil packet between his finger and thumb. “I want to taste you,” I kneel at the edge of the bed.

  “I’m not going to argue with that,” Jake walks over to me and I grab his fat cock with both of my hands. I slide my tongue over the tip and he growls a deep, guttural sound.

  Opening my mouth wide, I slip my lips over his girth and try to take him into my mouth. “That’s it,” he smiles down at me, “you can do it.” He gently rests his hand on my head and I try to relax my jaw and slide more of him inside my mouth. I can’t fit him all, there’s still too much.

  I pull back and slide my lips over him again, bobbing my head faster I pump from the base of his cock in sync with my mouth.

  “Fuck, that’s good.” Jake closes his eyes and tangles his fingers up in my long hair, pulling me into him. As I bob my head back toward his sensitive tip, I swirl my tongue over him and he groans loudly while pushing on my head harder. I feel his dick twitch on my tongue and I continue to pump my hands faster, in time with my mouth.

  Jake’s breathing is ragged and his muscles are rigid as his cock spurts his warm cum inside my mouth. I swallow every last drop, eager to make him feel as good as he made me feel.

  “Oh fuck, I really am the fucking luckiest guy. That was amazing,” Jake pulls back, freeing himself from my mouth.

  “I’m glad,” I smile up at him.

  He plops down on the bed next to me and pulls me into his arms, wrapping them around me. “I love you, Holly,” he murmurs, running his hand over my hair and down my back softly.

  “I love you too, Jake.” I whisper. Safe in Jake’s arms, I snuggle into him and let sleep tug me into another world.

  26|Jake

  I pull the trigger and the boy falls to the floor with a thud. His mother’s screams pierce my eardrums as a tide of crimson gushes from the child onto the floor. I’m frozen. I can’t look away from his lifeless, little body. I can’t see him as the enemy. As a terrorist. He’s just a boy. Just a boy.

  I sit up in bed with a start, gasping for breath and my heart thudding erratically in my ribs. Cold sweat trickles an icy trail down my back. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to fill my head with a different image. I try to push away the same dream that’s been haunting me since my deployment.

  I open my eyes and my heart slows its beat as I look over at Holly. She looks so innocent, so beautiful, peacefully sleeping beside me.

  She already escaped one monster’s bed. I can’t help but wonder if she’s just slid into another’s. I know I’ll never lay a hand on her. I’ll never hurt her in any way. Ever. But, when your country pins a medal on your chest and tells you you’re a fucking hero for ending a child’s life, it’s hard to feel like anything but a monster.

  He had a gun. I repeat the thought like it’s my own personal slogan. He would’ve killed you.

  I know it’s true. It doesn’t matter though. No amount of facts or reasoning will ease the pain in my soul.

  With my breathing back to normal, I slip back down under the covers and roll toward Holly, scooping her into my arms. I peer over at the alarm clock. Less than an hour before I’ve got to get up for work. I can’t think of any better way to spend that time than to hold her.

  Holly mumbles something incoherent and settles her head down onto my chest, breathing softly. I run my hand over her long hair and trail the tips of my fingers on her creamy skin.

  I don’t want to leave her here today. The realization hits me like a sucker punch to the gut. For the first time since I joined the SEALs, I’m not excited about going to work. In fact, the twisting ache in my stomach feels a hell of a lot more like dread than anything.

  A life without the SEALs was one I never thought I’d want to live. Now, after only two months away, with Holly, it doesn’t hold the same luster.

  I breathe her scent deep into my lungs like it’s the very oxygen I need to stay alive. Wrapping my arms around her tight, I want to freeze this moment in time. This perfect peace that comes with holding the woman of my dreams as she gives me all of her trust, and all of her heart.

  You need to release.

  I shake my head violently, as if I can toss the intruding thought out of my brain. Where did that come from? I can’t release from the military. What would I do with my life? Who would I be?

  I lazily draw invisible de
signs on Holly’s skin and try to focus on just this moment. Not my deployment. Not what work will bring. Not retirement. Just now. Because, right now, with Holly in my arms and the problems of the world still locked outside my bedroom walls, this moment is perfection.

  27|Jake

  “Hey man! It’s good to see your ugly mug around here again,” Petty Officer Black nails me in the shoulder as I walk into our mess.

  “Thanks, man. It’s good to be back,” I’m happy it’s not a lie. It seems like my nervousness this morning was unfounded. So far, everyone has been incredibly welcoming, almost like the coke incident is water under the bridge and the guys are just happy to have me back.

  “Yeah, so you did a couple months at a spin-dry, huh?” Black unlocks his locker and rummages inside.

  “Yep, up in Canada. It wasn’t too bad actually,” I look up at my bunk, it’s been stripped clean but at least it hasn’t been taken over by some new guy. It’s really hard to get the middle rack on a ship. With the bunk beds stacked three cots high, the lowest rack is like sleeping on the floor and the top one is a pain in the ass to get out of if you need to take a piss in the middle of the night. My bed is that perfect, Goldilocks level, that’s easy to get in and out of.

  “So, what? Did they break you down? Tell you partying is the devil? Bring you to Jesus?” Black looks up at me with a smug smile, rolling his eyes.

  “Nah, not exactly man.” I’m not going to stand here and try to explain the moments of clarity I felt in rehab to Black. He and I go way back, we’ve partied together more times than I could even begin to count. Eight balls of coke and hot, nameless chicks in every port was our specialty. I smile as I remember my white, five-nine friend using his standard line on the ladies, “Once you go Black, you’ll never go back. By the way, I’m Dan Black.” He loved using his name in that old line usually reserved for black guys. The thing was, chicks loved it. They always laughed, which broke the ice and then, putty.

  “I knew they wouldn’t break you,” Black smiles broadly, standing up and stretching his arms wide. “You know, after work me and a couple of the guys are gonna head out for a few drinks. You should come along,” he twists his thick arms like he’s trying to loosen up his tight muscles, instead of showing off the bulk he’s added to his frame since I left.