Clinched_A Single Dad Romance

by Nikki Ash

  We get out of the truck and head toward the street closest to us. It’s just hitting six o’clock and starting to get dark. Kids are everywhere in costumes with their parents following them. When we get to the first house, Tristan stops Lexi and kneels so he’s at her level. “Make sure you say thank you even if they give you something you don’t like, like raisins, and come back to me after every house. Got it?” Lexi nods then skips over to the first house, Tristan and me trailing closely behind her.

  “Trick-or-Treat!” she exclaims, holding her bag out, and the woman holding the candy drops a few pieces in.

  “Look at you!” she gushes. “Aren’t you just the cutest little artist!”

  “Thank you,” Lexi says. “And thank you for the candy!” She closes her bag and runs back over to us. “I got a Hershey bar! And a KitKat!” Her excitement is infectious.

  “Score!” Tristan says. “Now, you know half of whatever you get is mine, right?” he adds seriously.

  Lexi’s head pops up. “What? Why?”

  “It’s called parent tax, kid. I brought you here, I get half.” He shrugs, holding back his grin.

  “I don’t know what tax is, but I don’t think I like it very much.” Lexi pulls her bag close to her chest, and I laugh.

  “Oh my god, Tristan! Tell her you’re joking!” I push his shoulder and he finally laughs. He grabs my hand and pulls me toward him, spinning me around in front of him, my back hitting his front. He wraps his arms around my torso, and whispers, “Quiet. I’m trying to snag us some candy.” He gives me a soft kiss on my neck, his lips warm against my chilled skin. I sink back into him, loving the feel of this man touching me. A woman could get used to this kind of attention.

  Tristan releases me but grabs my hand pulling me along. “C’mon Lex. Let’s go get us some candy.” He winks at her and she rolls her eyes.

  We walk up and down each street as Lexi gets candy from each person sitting at the end of their driveway. She says thank you each time, then runs up to us letting us know what she got.

  “That scary man with the mask gave me a Butterfinger!” Lexi’s face lights up.

  “Yum!” Tristan replies before Lexi takes off in front of us heading toward the next house. Tristan yells to slow down but Lexi either ignores him or doesn’t hear him because she keeps going. It all happens so quickly. One second Lexi is skipping down the sidewalk, her bag swinging back and forth, and the next second a car is backing out of the driveway. Lexi stops, frozen in shock.

  “Lexi!” I scream, letting go of Tristan’s hand. We’re only a couple feet behind her, and I reach her within seconds, pushing her out of the way just as the car’s back bumper hits the side of my body.

  Eleven months ago…

  Beep.

  Beep.

  Beep.

  Beep.

  I hear the noise before my eyes open. What is that beeping noise? I open my eyes and a migraine immediately hits me. My head is pounding and my eyes squeeze shut in an attempt to block out the pain.

  Beep.

  Beep.

  Beep.

  “Oh dear, I’ll dispense some more pain medication.” Slowly, I pry my lids open so I can see who’s speaking to me. It’s a woman with silver hair pulled up into a high bun, most likely in her sixties. She’s wearing scrubs, so she must be a nurse.

  I try to speak but my throat is too dry. “Water, please,” I choke out. She gives me a kind smile and pours me a small cup of water. She presses the button on the wall and the top half of the bed moves upward until I’m in a full-sitting position. I take the cup from her and close my eyes once more needing some relief from the pounding in my head.

  “Your headache should be improving shortly. If you feel any pain in the future you can press the button right here”—I open one eye to see where she’s pointing to—“and it will push some more medication through your IV.”

  “Thank you.”

  She smiles. “The doctor will be in to see you shortly.”

  I nod my understanding but really, I don’t understand anything. I have no clue why I’m here. Then it hits me…where’s Georgia?

  “Charlotte.” Justin walks through the door with another gentleman who’s in a suit with a white coat. “This is Dr. Hutchins. How are you feeling?”

  “Where’s Georgia?” I ask in panic.

  Justin glares at me but it quickly morphs into a sympathetic frown. When the hell has he ever had sympathy?

  “Charlotte, it seems you blacked out and took a nasty fall, hitting the table. You have a pretty bad black eye, and you were brought in here for a concussion. What can you remember?” the doctor asks. I try to recall what he’s talking about, but everything is fuzzy.

  “What’s today?” I ask, trying to put the pieces together.

  “Wednesday, November 24th,” Justin answers. This doesn’t make any sense. The last day I remember is Friday. I was making dinner for Georgia and me. I was going through all of our stuff in preparation to leave…

  “Where’s Georgia?” I demand. Justin glances at the doctor who appears to be uncomfortable.

  “Mike, why don’t you give me some time alone with my wife?” The doctor—who Justin is apparently on a first name basis with— nods and walks out without saying another word. Once the door closes, Justin comes over and sits on the edge of the bed.

  “What do you remember?” Justin asks slowly.

  “Nothing! I don’t remember anything!” I start to panic while he almost looks…relieved?

  “When you blacked out, Georgia wandered out and was hit by a car. I shouldn’t have left her with you…” He shakes his head. “I knew you were unstable.” Unstable? What the hell is he talking about?

  “What do you mean she was hit by a car?” I need to get out of this bed. I need to go to my daughter! “Where is she?” I throw the sheets off me and start pulling at the IV in my arm.

  “Charlotte, calm down,” Justin demands.

  “Calm down? Calm down!? My baby was hit by a car! I need to get to her!” I stand up, ignoring the searing pain radiating through my brain that feels like nails stabbing me in the forehead and in my eyes.

  Justin beats me to the door and calls out, “Mike.” The doctor walks back in and Justin says, “She needs to be sedated.” The doctor nods and I back up. What the hell is going on here?

  “I don’t need anything! I need to get to my daughter!”

  “Charlotte.” Justin says my name and I want to punch him in the face. I attempt to step around him but I’m stopped by the two men. They grab my arms and the doctor injects something into my neck.

  “Charlotte,” Justin repeats, his voice devoid of all emotion. “You can’t go to Georgia because she’s dead. You killed our daughter.”

  Seventeen

  Tristan

  Holy shit! It all happened in slow motion yet so damn fast. One minute, Charlie’s hand is in mine as Lexi skips along the sidewalk in front of us. The next minute, Charlie is pushing my daughter out of the way from the car backing up. Lexi falls onto her knees on the sidewalk as Charlie’s body gets pushed sideways by the car, her body falling limp, half on the driveway and half in the grass. I make it to the car only seconds after Charlie, pounding on the trunk to get the driver’s attention. It works and the car comes to an abrupt stop. I grab hold of Lexi and sit her down in the grass, and then lift Charlie up carefully and bring her into the grass, sitting us down with her in my lap.

  “Lex, are you okay?” I ask my daughter to confirm she isn’t hurt.

  “Yes, but my knees are bleeding,” Lexi says. “Is Charlie okay?”

  Charlie’s eyes are fluttering open and closed, but she’s not with us. The car was going slow, so I don’t think it hurt her physically, but mentally I think my girl has checked out.

  “Is she all right?” The elderly gentleman who was backing out comes running over.

  “What do you think?” I shout. “It’s Halloween! There’s a million kids around and you’re backing out without looking!” />
  “I’m so sorry! Should I call an ambulance?”

  Before I can answer him, Charlie says, “No, I’m okay.” She sits up, her eyes darting to my daughter. I can see it in her eyes, in her face, she’s imagining what could’ve happened. The situation ending like it did for her daughter.

  “Hey.” I grab Charlie and pull her into me then grab Lexi for a group hug. “She’s okay, Charlie. You got to her in time.”

  “I’m so sorry, Daddy,” Lexi sobs, suddenly understanding the seriousness of this situation.

  “You always have to look before you walk across someone’s driveway.” I should have explained that to her. This is her first year trick-or-treating while not sitting in a wagon or stroller. She knows not to cross the road, but we live in a condominium development. I never went over the rules for looking before crossing a driveway.

  “Sir, should I call an ambulance?” the man asks again.

  “Are you hurt?” I ask Charlie, and she shakes her head.

  “No, I imagine my hip will be sore tomorrow but I’m okay.” She’s still looking at Lexi. “Are you okay?” she asks my daughter.

  “My knees are bleeding.” Lexi pulls her legs out to show us her scraped knees, and I thank god that’s the extent of her injuries. Had the car hit Lexi, who knows what would’ve happened. She’s one-fourth the size of Charlie.

  “Here.” The man who was asking about the ambulance hands me a couple of napkins.

  “Thanks.” I blot Lexi’s knees but they really need to be cleaned properly and ointment needs to be put on them. Charlie stands up, and Lexi and I follow.

  “I’m ready to go home, Daddy.” Lexi frowns, tears filling her lids.

  “Okay, how about we go home, clean up your knees, and then we can figure out which half of the candy you’re sharing with us,” I say to lighten the mood.

  Lexi groans. “I’m not giving you any. But I’ll give some to Charlie.” She attaches herself to Charlie’s side. “I’m sorry, Charlie.”

  “It’s okay, sweet girl. I’m just—” Charlie clears her throat, trying to tame down her emotions enough to speak. “I’m just glad you’re safe.” She peers down at my daughter and gives her a small watery smile.

  We get back to the condo and Lexi immediately dumps all her candy on the coffee table to check it all out while I grab the first-aid kit to clean up her knees. Charlie sits down on the couch, still quiet, but no longer as subdued as she was earlier. She’s interacting with Lexi. Smiling at all the right times and accepting the candy Lexi is dishing out.

  “Two pieces and then it’s bath time and then bed,” I say to my daughter. She pouts but nods. She picks out her two pieces, then grabbing the bag, she runs off to her room. I’ll have to find the bag after she’s asleep to put it up high. Otherwise, she’ll finish off that entire bag of candy in twenty-four hours.

  Once Lexi has had her bath—and I’ve bandaged her scraped knees—and is in her pajamas, she calls for Charlie to say good night. “Good night, Charlie. Thank you for going trick-or-treating with us! And thank you for saving me from the car.”

  Charlie sits down on the edge of Lexi’s bed and leans over to her, giving her a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you for including me, and you’re welcome. Sweet dreams.”

  I give Lexi a kiss, then turn off her light, the nightlight switching on and illuminating the room. I close her door behind us and follow Charlie back out to the living room. She sits down on the couch next to me, but I’m not having that. Reaching over, I grip her by her hips and pull her onto my lap.

  “Talk to me.” Charlie’s eyes close and her head falls onto my shoulder. I feel her arms wrap around me, her hands holding on to my back.

  “I had a flashback from when I woke up in the hospital. From when I found out Georgia was dead.” Her breathing is heavy at first but I can feel it slowing down.

  “Thank you for saving my little girl.” Her face is buried in my neck but I can feel her nod her head.

  We sit here for a few minutes and I think maybe she has fallen asleep right here on my lap when I feel her lips press up against my neck. I sit motionless, waiting to see what she will do next. A few seconds later, she’s kissing my neck again. She sits up slightly, her body rubbing against mine, and I internally groan. This time when her lips go to my neck, she sucks on my skin for a few seconds and my cock stirs.

  “Charlie…”

  She looks up at me, and her shy, almost nervous smile about kills me. “I want you,” is all she says and I lose it. My hands go to her ass, pulling her toward me. My lips crash into hers, my tongue plunging into her mouth. She tastes sweet like chocolate. Her hands go to my head as she runs her fingers roughly through the ends until she gets enough to grab a hold of.

  Without stopping our kiss, Charlie starts to grind against me, her pussy rubbing on my cock. “Oh my god,” she breathes out, her mouth still on mine. Her tongue swirls around chasing mine and once it’s caught it, she sucks on it.

  Lifting her off me, I drop her onto the couch and kneel between her legs above her. Her hands move to my stubble as she holds my face to hers, kissing me like her life depends on it.

  Starting at her knee, I run my hand up her thigh slowly, her leg coming around and wrapping around me. Goosebumps prickle her skin and I laugh into her mouth. Continuing upwards, I stop when I get to her cotton shorts, and pull my head back slightly. My eyes lock with hers seeking permission. Charlie averts her eyes, and I move my hand from her leg to her face, my fingers gently tilting her face back to meet mine.

  “We can slow down. Just tell me what you want.”

  “It’s not that.” She frowns.

  “What is it, baby? Talk to me.” I’m in uncharted territory with this woman. The women I’m usually with are one-night stands. They come to me willing and ready and know exactly what they want.

  “It’s just that I’ve never had an orgasm…by a man. I can do it myself, but with guys…well, the two guys I’ve been with…I used to fake it… I don’t want to fake it with you. Let’s just focus on you.” What the fuck? Who the hell has this woman been with? And how did the men she was with not notice she was faking it?

  “Oh baby.” I kiss her lips roughly before I stand up. “Challenge accepted.” She looks up at me confused. “We need to move this to my bedroom. Because when I make you come, you’re going to scream, and I can’t take a chance of Lex walking out and seeing us.” Charlie’s eyes go wide.

  “Let’s go.” I pull her up into a standing position. Then grabbing her hand, I guide her into my room. Closing my door behind us, the only light is the outside street lamps casting a faint yellow glow through the blinds. I walk us to the edge of the bed until the backs of her legs hit the mattress.

  “Arms up.” She lifts her arms and I pull her shirt up and over her head. She is wearing a bright orange lacy bra. I bend down slightly and tug her shorts off her, revealing matching orange panties. They’re not a thong, but still sexy. “Get on the bed, baby.” She bites her lip nervously but obeys, crawling up the middle of the bed, her ass on display.

  She’s wearing tiny cheeky style panties with black glittery writing across her ass that reads: I’m not your BOO!

  I bark out a loud laugh. “Nice panties.”

  “Shut up,” she groans out, turning over onto her back. “I forgot about them.” She shrugs. “I like to buy holiday themed pajamas and underwear.”

  I take a moment to look at her. Her hair is splayed out across my pillow, her lips are swollen from our kissing, and her skin is slightly flushed.

  “You’re beautiful.” I crawl up the middle of the bed until I’m hovering above her. “And you look sexy as hell,” I add as I lean over her. One of my hands comes down settling next to her head while the other pulls her bra cups down, her perky pink nipples on display and begging to be sucked. Dropping my head to her breast, I take one of her nipples in between my teeth and bite down softly at first then a bit harder. Charlie’s back arches slightly.

  “Ohhh, Tris
tan,” she moans out. My teeth let go of her nipple and my tongue comes out to swirl around the hardened tip before I close my lips around it and suck. “Oh my god, please,” she begs. I’m tempted to make her come from nipple stimulation alone just to show her how responsive her body actually is, but the need to taste her pussy wins out, and I release her nipples and move downward. When I get to her adorable orange panties, I pull them down her legs, tossing them to the ground and spreading her legs.

  Laying down in between her thighs, I press my nose into the small patch of neatly trimmed curls she has and inhale deeply.

  “Tristan!” she shrieks, trying to push my head away, and I chuckle.

  “Stop, baby.” I grab her hands and pin them by her sides. “Your pussy smells so good. I need to taste it. If you want to do something with your hands, play with those nipples.” She looks down to her hands and then to her nipples. “Go ahead, Charlie. Pinch those nipples, baby.”

  She bites down on her bottom lip, unsure. But then slowly, both of her hands come up to her breasts and she pinches them. Fuck yes. Knowing her hands are otherwise occupied, I spread her legs a little more and bring her knees up toward her chest. Her pussy is glistening with arousal and I need to taste her right this second. Pushing her thighs back a little more so her cunt is completely exposed, I lick up her slit slowly, savoring the smell and taste of this woman. When my tongue hits her clit, I stop and suck on the swollen nub.

  Charlie’s body shakes with need as she lets out a soft moan, “Oh my god.”

  Eighteen

  Charlie

  Tristan bites down on my clitoris and the pleasure I feel is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. He bites again a bit harder then he massages my clit with his tongue. It begins soft with light circles, then it gets rougher, and for the first time in my life I can feel something building within me...a sensation deep inside me trying to come to the surface.