Next Door Daddy

by Amy Brent

  “I hope so,” Jasmine replied before she looked down at the menu. We decided to have a good dinner even though he stared at me the entire night. I tried to keep things normal, but I saw the concern in Jasmine’s face even though I kept the conversation light.

  I left in a rush with my friend following me, turning left to walk down the street. I breathed in the cold air for a few moments as Jasmine caught up to me and wrapped her red coat tightly around her body. “I am supposed to stay with Mike tonight. Is that okay?”

  “Of course,” I said, thinking of the three locks on my apartment door. I had gotten Brian’s key back when he moved out, so that didn’t concern me . . . unless he had decided to be a creep and make a copy. “I can stay at Landon’s.” He gave me a key the first day we got back together, and I knew I would feel safer there.

  “Perfect. Isn’t he asking you to move in there?” Jasmine asked, and I smiled.

  “Every chance he gets.” I wasn’t ready yet. It had only been a month since we’d gotten back together, and I was wary of jumping in so fast, particularly after living with Brian under the wrong circumstances. I was enjoying dating and being able to sleep together through the night and wanted to take time for everything else. I knew this was real with Landon, and we didn’t need to rush it.

  Jasmine and I parted ways, and I took a cab to Landon’s place, smiling at the doorman as he held the heavy glass door for me. I walked over to the elevators, and as I waited I heard my phone chime. I opened the text on the elevator and read that Landon was just getting back to the hotel after a night of drinks.

  When I told him that I was headed up to his place, Landon asked why.

  I was explaining when another text came through. It was from a strange number, and I stared at the attached picture for a long, silent moment. There was no mistaking the couch from Landon’s cottage in Belize, but what had my attention was the joined bodies. The picture was taken from the woman’s point of view, but I’d never taken any pictures of us and I did not have the olive skin this woman had. I heard the ringing of the elevator door and glanced up to see that I was on Landon’s floor. I made my way to his door, unlocking it and closing it right away before I locked it again. I walked to the couch and sat down, examining the picture.

  My phone rang, and Landon’s face appeared on the screen as I blinked my eyes and answered it. “Lily, what’s going on? Why are you at my apartment?”

  “I . . . well, Brian was at the place we had dinner with Marilyn of all people, and I think I just got uncomfortable. How would they know each other?” I asked as he sighed on the other end.

  “I have that fucking conference tomorrow, so I can’t leave.” Landon was in Chicago for this trip, and I knew it would be a huge hassle for him to go back and forth over this. “Does he have a key to your place?”

  “He gave it back to me, and there was nothing wrong when we broke up. I hope not,” I said as I looked around the spacious room.

  “I am calling your landlord tomorrow, Lily. He’s going to change the locks. Or else you could move in with me?” I heard the plea in his voice as I dropped back against the cushions of the couch. “I love you, and I want this to be forever.”

  “I know you do,” I said as I smiled in the dim light of the lamp.

  “I’ll call him myself tomorrow.” I loved the alpha tone in his voice, even if it was tinged with disappointment. We’d discussed my moving in and giving up my space, all of which were honest conversations.

  “Thanks,” I replied, the picture weighing heavily on my mind. “There’s something else. I’m going to send you a picture.” I made quick work of it, and I heard him curse on the other end. “Do you know what this is, Landon?”

  “I know what it fucking looks like. Where did you get this?” he demanded, and I stilled at the tone of his voice.

  “I don’t know the number," I admitted, and he cursed again.

  “I was drunk, Lily. I know that, but I don’t remember sleeping with her. I know when I’ve done that,” Landon said, forgetting one main point. It was the reason he’d been tested before going anywhere near me without a condom.

  “You don’t remember anything, Landon. Maybe this did happen,” I said with resignation as I closed my eyes. It always went back to this and the pain it caused. He took it all on his shoulders, but he didn’t realize I felt my own guilt for walking away from him. I had tried to explain that, but he tended to blame himself, something we were working on.

  “I’ve repeatedly apologized for this, Lily. Can’t we put it behind us and just focus on us?” he asked softly, the hurt evident in his voice. “That wasn’t me. All of the cottages were similar, and I wouldn’t doubt if she fucked her way through half of it, assuming it’s Marilyn sending it.” That seemed obvious, considering the background and her being seen with Brian. She could have gotten my number without him, but that was the most obvious answer.

  “You’re right. It doesn’t matter, Landon.” I was pretty drunk from dinner, and by this time I was exhausted as well. “I am going to crawl into bed. I miss you.”

  “Lock all of the doors and sleep well. I’ll be home in a couple of days. Stay there if you want,” he offered, and I smiled weakly.

  “I just might do that.” I loved the view in the morning, and it was just as easy to get around from here as it was from my apartment.

  “I love you, Lily.”

  I responded by telling him that I loved him as well before ending the call and checking all the locks. I walked down the hallway to the bedroom before I realized that my phone was on the couch, but that might be best with what had happened tonight. I was safe here even if the apartment did feel a little lonely without Landon here with me. I slipped off my dress and took one of his T-shirts out of the dresser to slide over my skin, needing him close.

  I curled up in the big bed, hugging a pillow as I wondered what the hell was happening to me . . . to us. I just wanted to be with the man I loved without complication. We’d started off on the wrong foot, but I’d redeemed myself inside my heart by changing my life.

  Now I wondered if being honest from the beginning wasn’t the better plan.

  Landon

  I paced my hotel room after I ended the call, furious about the photo. Sure, it had been taken on a couch that was the same color as mine in the cottage and it was a man and a woman in the act of sex. There were no faces in the photo to identify anyone, but I knew how wasted I had been that night. Getting to this point with Lily would be tough, much less with any other woman on the planet. I dropped into bed and examined the picture a little closer, feeling sick that Lily had been exposed to this.

  Brian and Marilyn were on my shit list now, and I considered ways to warn them to leave her alone. Even Nadine hadn’t been this bad, and she was a demanding bitch.

  I hated that I didn’t remember what had happened, but I always felt a certain way after I was inside Lily. I’d felt it earlier in the day but not when I woke up with Marilyn on the couch. I’d felt nothing but hungover, sick, and broken that morning, making me think I couldn’t even get it up enough to penetrate anyone that night. I never even had one-night stands when I was too drunk because it was a waste of time. The ones recently were only done when I was wasted enough to let go and attempt sex—nothing at all to brag about to my friends. I needed to find out the truth, but I didn’t know how to go about it.

  I kicked off my pants that were already loosened, as I’d been hoping for a little phone action with Lily before I went to sleep. My shirt was already off, and I looked down at my cock, which was at half-mast, with a sigh. Nothing was going to happen tonight, so I decided to sleep off the few drinks I’d had and just go to sleep. Lily was safe in my apartment for tonight, but I had to find a way to get her to move in with me. I wanted it anyway, and we were going strong. Her past with Brian was just that, and we had a new start ahead of us.

  Asshole.

  I slept fitfully that night, waking up when my alarm went off for the breakfast meeting. I
tried to call Lily, but I got her voice mail and told myself it was a weekend. She could sleep in since she wasn’t at a conference.

  I met up with the other partners and joined them at a table for the event, sipping coffee as I glanced around at their faces. I wondered if I couldn’t press them for information, given that Marilyn no longer worked for the firm and we all shared a dislike for her. After this conference, we could get some lunch and drinks, and I could start up a conversation.

  I struggled through the various speakers, taking notes on what was on my mind while reminding myself to look at the notes of the others at a later date. I was not here today, and I kept thinking of Lily. I was relieved when the event ended and we were dismissed, knowing we were done with business. I wasn’t flying home until the morning, though, as I’d made plans for dinner with some local attorneys last week when things were fine.

  Damn it. I wanted to cancel them, but it was just a few hours. Lily was at my apartment, and nobody should know where that was unless Marilyn had gotten nosy while she’d worked with me.

  The partners and I all agreed that we could eat again before we rested for dinner, so we hit a local pub. Everyone ordered beers, and I glanced around the table, waiting until everyone had finished their first one. They might be a little more relaxed that way. “I heard that Marilyn got around the week of the annual conference. I can’t remember who said it, but there might be some pictures or something. You guys weren’t stupid enough to do any of that, were you?” My voice was casual, with a hint of laughter in it, and Kevin glanced at me with a smile.

  “Fuck, no. I might have done her one night, but there was no evidence of that. I was drunk, and shit happens,” he replied, and my stomach twisted. “You sure she didn’t get any of you, Landon? She was pretty happy the morning of the luncheon.”

  “Nothing happened between us. She stopped by the cottage, but I wasn’t up for anything. Too much whiskey.” I was vague about it. She’d obviously said we’d been together, but I wasn’t going to play it up into something it wasn’t.

  I pressed a little further and saw some of the pictures the guys had taken, taking special notice of their cottages. James had a couch similar to mine and he resembled me a bit, though he didn’t mention anything about Marilyn. I didn’t see everyone’s accommodations, so I didn’t know if everyone had the same furniture, but it was a start. I wanted to go home with something to tell Lily to calm her down. It was humorous that she was worried about the women I’d slept with during our break since they meant nothing to me.

  I was more concerned about her relationship with Brian. They’d lived together and he’d wanted a future with her, so he was damn sure going to be pissed off right now. I didn’t even know the names of my hookups and hadn’t gotten their numbers. It was over the moment I left their places to go home, more miserable than when I walked through the door.

  We headed back to the hotel to rest, and I went over what information I’d gained. I called Lily again, pleased to hear her voice on the other end. She sounded a little happier now and told me that Jasmine was going to come over and they would order some pizza and watch movies. Lily didn’t seem that eager to go out on the town, and I was glad. I relaxed on my bed and talked to her.

  I got my orgasm, but only when she suggested it. I could tell she was a little horny and lonely herself, and she initiated the long session of aggressive phone sex. We both had stress to work out, and we did, coming for each other as she cried my name and I shot into the towel that was wrapped around my cock to catch the mess. I told her how much I loved her before we ended the call and I dropped off to sleep, feeling much better than the night before.

  Earlier, I’d called the desk of my building to up the security a little bit, asking them to pay slightly more attention to who was coming in and out of the building.

  I might have given a description of Marilyn and Brian as well. I claimed some clients were a little upset with me and you could never be too safe, right? That old gag.

  I woke up in time to shower for dinner, and then I dressed up for the best steakhouse in the United States before I left with my friends. I reminded myself to bring Lily here for a weekend soon, to take her out to eat and show her the town.

  It was a relaxing night of food and laughter. We drank beer and talked shop, as always, but then one of the partners announced that he was getting married in the upcoming year. The other guys scoffed at him in a good-natured way, pointing to me as an example of why not to get married. I laughed along with them, but it hit me that I would marry Lily. Nadine hadn’t tarnished any of that for me, because I was a different man with Lily. I was happy.

  We talked about the destination wedding in Belize, a favorite place of his and his fiancée. It made me feel bittersweet, knowing how much had happened there that I looked back on with regret. The good news was that it wasn’t close to the former resort and I could find somewhere better to stay, proving to Lily that it was a beautiful, romantic place.

  I looked at the faces of my friends at the table. I hadn’t revealed to anyone that I was dating Lily, wanting to give it a little time first. I was going to be officially divorced in three months, and they might give me shit for jumping into another relationship so soon. The general rule of thumb among my group was to fuck other women and maybe settle down in time, something I no longer agreed with. I’d tell them later since the spotlight was on Mitch tonight. He deserved to bask in his happiness, and I supported him with my words and my tone.

  When I got back to the hotel later, I packed my clothes and left something out to wear to the airport. I wanted to be ready to go, as I was feeling anxious to see Lily again. It had felt like a long weekend with everything going on, and I wanted to hold her. I also made reservations for a great restaurant, where I planned to ask her to move in with me again. Hell, I’d propose if that was what she wanted from me.

  I’d called her before leaving to go to dinner and told her that I loved her, so I fell right into bed to sleep. I rose early, grabbing a coffee on the way to the airport to quicken the process. I boarded on an earlier flight than the others since I had a lot to go home to. I settled into first class and accepted the offer of another cup of coffee from the flight attendant before I flipped through the morning paper. The sun was rising over the horizon as I looked out the window, hoping everything was going to be okay. It had to be.

  The flight wasn’t long, and it seemed like I was getting my bag in a timely manner and catching a cab to my apartment. I made my way upstairs, nodding to the staff as I headed toward the elevator, punching the button firmly. I walked to my door and unlocked it gently, pushing it open as I looked around the living room. It was spotless, meaning Lily had cleaned up before she went to bed, even though I’d told her not to worry about that. I had a woman come over to clean every two weeks to catch what I missed, so it wasn’t a big deal. I set my bag down and grabbed some water before I made my way down the hallway and through the open door to see Lily sleeping on her side with the blankets half covering her naked body. She knew how I liked her, and I grinned as I stripped off my clothes and slipped underneath the blankets with her. I pulled her body to mine and kissed her hair as she told me hello.

  “I missed you, baby.”

  “I missed you,” she told me as I slid my hand up her body to cup her breast. Her nipple hardened as she whimpered, and I began to stroke her gently. I kissed her neck, sucking on her soft skin as she pressed against me.

  “I don’t want you doubting us, Lily. I am going to get to the bottom of all of this shit,” I whispered as she nodded and slipped her hand over my cock. One thing led to another quickly, and I was happy that she at least let me come inside her again as she moved to her knees, begging me to take her. I drove myself inside her, crying out her name as she tightened around me. Fucking Lily was like nothing else I’d ever done; she was like no women I’d ever been with.

  I gripped her hips as I moved harder. She came first, weeping my name before I jerked inside her and filled
her, calling out her name. I dropped beside her, gasping for breath as she reached over me for a glass of water. Lily kissed me quickly before she curled up next to me, smiling into my eyes. “Have fun last night?” I asked her as she nestled against me.

  “Yeah. We ate a ton of pizza and drank margaritas while we watched chick flicks. Thank you for having such a great kitchen, Landon.” She kissed me, and I slipped my hand into her hair.

  “You know it can be yours as well,” I whispered. She pulled away, looking at me in the light from the window. “I mean that, Lily. I asked you before any of this was happening.”

  “I know. I don’t think you’re asking because of that at all. I’m just scared . . . like we’re going to be caught or something. I mean, we’re not exactly spreading the news about us out there.” Lily looked at me, making me feel guilty for not telling my colleagues. Not that she was an open person either, but I wondered of she’d feel better if I outed us.

  “We don’t work together any longer, and after some time, it won’t matter that we ever did. I’ll tell everyone I know, Lily. I’m not scared of that. I was just letting some time pass so we knew where we were at.” I kissed her again as she wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled herself closer to me. “I love you.”

  We made love a second time, slower and with a bit less urgency. Then Lily took a shower and dressed in some worn jeans with a thick sweater, slipping some boots on before we left to get some lunch. I held her hand as we left the building, leading her toward a deli I’d been craving all weekend as we laughed and talked.

  We ordered and found a table in the back, where I asked for her phone. I watched her frown as she handed it to me. I pressed a few buttons until I was looking at the text. She’d kept it there, which didn’t surprise me since there was no reason to hide it. I jotted down the number it was sent from for future research and then handed it back to her as she licked her lips. “Do you recognize it?”