by Claire Adams
“Okay!” Ava agreed immediately. I looked at Harper for confirmation, and she nodded. “Okay,” she said.
We wandered toward the park, each of us holding one of Ava’s little hands, letting her swing back and forth. When we got to the park, she dropped our hands and ran off after a cluster of pigeons, giggling and shrieking as they flew up into the sky. I had to smile at that. When I looked over, Harper was smiling as well.
“Thank you for this,” I said quietly.
Harper sighed. “It’s not like I could keep you from having a relationship with your daughter,” she said.
I put an arm around her shoulders, lightly stroking my thumb across the back of her neck. “Still,” I said. “I appreciate it.”
She shivered, leaning toward me. Then, she blushed and stepped away. “We shouldn’t… We’re not…” She trailed off, looking flustered. I raised an eyebrow at her, even though I knew exactly what I was doing.
To be fair, she’d had me turned on for most of the day as well. But I was trying my best to ignore that.
“Daddy, I need you to push me!” Ava suddenly hollered. She was trying to get up on one of the swings, but it was just a little too high for her. I was frozen in my tracks for a minute, though.
“Daddy,” I breathed. “She just called me ‘daddy.’”
“She did,” Harper said, sounding sad.
“If you want to push her, you can,” I said quickly.
“She asked for you,” Harper pointed out. She smirked. “Plus, she probably asked for you because you’re big and strong and she thinks you’ll push her as high as she wants. Be careful, okay?”
“Of course,” I said, heading over to the swing set.
Pushing her on the swing, with Harper sitting at the bottom of a slide off to my left, again felt strangely domestic. But it was also peaceful. I didn’t mind it in the way I had always expected to.
“Let’s go get dinner,” I suggested as it started to get darker. “My treat.”
I expected Harper to protest. I expected her to say that we’d spent enough time together that day and that she was going to just take Ava home. Instead, she agreed.
We went to a burger restaurant and sat in a booth together, Ava and Harper on one side and me on the other. Ava and I worked on a joint coloring project while we waited for our food, talking quietly about giraffes, which were featured in the picture. I realized I knew very little about giraffes.
All my worry about being around kids seemed to fall away with Ava. I hadn’t gotten angry at all. I hadn’t even been mildly frustrated with her over the course of the day. It was partly that she was just a great kid, an absolute delight to be around. And it was also partly that she was smart as a whip.
But there was something more to it than that. Maybe all of my worries had been unfounded. Maybe I was nothing like my dad. There was definitely something to be said for having everything I wanted in life. I had a great job and a great house. Ava was great, and then there was Harper.
I glanced over at Harper. Well, maybe I didn’t have everything I wanted in life. But those things were within my grasp. Or at least close enough that I could dream about them. Maybe if my dad had gotten out of West Virginia, if he hadn’t been stuck in a dead-end life with me there, he wouldn’t have drunk so much, and he wouldn’t have been so violent.
All I knew was that the more time I spent with Harper, the more at ease I was. And the more I was certain that she and I were meant to be together. But I didn’t want to push her on it. I could tell that today was already difficult for her. She was nervous. I didn’t want to make her feel even more uncomfortable.
Eventually, after dinner, we parted ways for the night. I gave Ava a big kiss on the forehead and then kissed Harper on the cheek. “Thanks so much for this,” I said quietly.
“Thank you for the flowers,” Harper said, her voice just as soft. “And for everything.” She glanced down at Ava and smiled. I squeezed her hand lightly and then started away. I’d see them both again in a couple of days, according to the schedule we’d drawn up.
When I got home, Stone was lounging on the couch. “Dude, where’ve you been lately?” he asked curiously. “You’re pretty much never here anymore.”
“Work’s been busy during the week,” I told him, flopping down into one of the armchairs. “George and I are starting to get that new place up and running. Or rather, I’m trying to get it running, while George finishes setting everything in order over at the old place. Apparently, my replacement over there isn’t quite as quick with training as I was, so George is thinking he may need to hire someone else to help pick up the slack.”
“Sure,” Stone said, nodding. “But it’s Sunday.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Today I spent all day with Harper and her daughter. Or rather, with Harper and our daughter.”
“What?” Stone asked in surprise. “That little girl that I’ve seen her out there playing with sometimes, she’s yours?”
“Yeah,” I told him. “I’m kind of still in shock about it. But in a good way.” I shrugged. “Harper and I slept together when she was over in Kuwait. Totally against the rules. But she apparently got pregnant, and she never told me.”
“And you just happened to bump into her again, out here?” Stone asked, shaking his head. “That’s nuts, man. Small world.”
“Small world,” I agreed, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling.
“So are you two tying the knot now or what?”
“Nah, we’re not there yet,” I said. “She doesn’t even want to be romantic at the moment in case it screws up something between Ava and me. But I think it’s only a matter of time.”
“I’d hope so,” Stone said. “She’s hot. And you’re not so bad-looking yourself. I gotta live vicariously through you.”
I laughed and threw a throw pillow over at him. “Don’t you dare start picturing me naked, bro,” I told him.
Stone laughed. Eventually, his face sobered again. “So how are you feeling about all of it?” he asked.
“It’s an adjustment,” I said finally. “I’m super happy to see Harper again. And our daughter, Ava, is the absolute cutest thing you could imagine. I used to think that I didn’t want to have kids, but Ava makes me rethink that. She’s great.”
“I can tell you really care about both of them,” Stone said, smirking at me. “You’ve got that mushy gushy, in-love look to your face.”
I laughed. “I do,” I admitted.
“I’m really happy for you, man. Sounds like your shit’s really coming together.”
“What about you?” I asked. I realized Stone and I hadn’t really talked that much since he was in that car accident.
He sighed. “You know, same old for me. No hot chicks and not loving my job. But at least I have one.” He shrugged. “I mean, working in a restaurant ain’t great, but at least it’ll pay the bills. For the most part. If I cut back on the alcohol.”
I snorted. Before I could respond, though, there was a knock on the front door. I frowned. “Are you expecting someone? Pizza delivery?”
“I wish,” Stone groaned. “Hey, you go answer it, and I’m going to look at having a pizza delivered.”
“Sure,” I said, chuckling.
My laughter died when I opened the door, though. Of all the people who might have been there, Harper was about the last person I would have expected. “Hey,” I said in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
Harper grabbed two fistfuls of my shirt, pulling me down toward her and kissing me roughly. The angle was all wrong, our noses bumping against each other’s and our teeth clacking. Just as quickly as she started the kiss, she released me, giving me a little push away from her, her eyes blazing. Then, she pushed past me, stomping into the house.
I closed the door slowly, as if in a trance, and followed after her.
“I guess I’ll make myself scarce for a bit,” Stone said as we reached the living room. He disappeared into his room, shutting the door carefully behind hi
m.
“What’s up?” I asked Harper. She was starting to worry me now. “Is everything all right with Ava? Did I do something wrong today?”
“No!” she said. “You were perfect. You were absolutely perfect. And that’s the terrible thing.”
“Harper, if you’re afraid that Ava is going to somehow like me better, that’s not what I’m trying to do,” I said reasonably.
Harper blinked at me for a moment and then giggled. “That’s not what I’m afraid of at all,” she said.
“Okay, good,” I said, grinning at her. I took a step closer, standing well inside her personal space. “Then do you want to tell me what’s got you all bent out of shape?” I breathed against her lips.
“You,” Harper said in a strangled voice. She took a step back, her eyes wide. “You’re just—you’re absolutely perfect, Ace.”
“So you said,” I teased.
She rolled her eyes. “What I mean is, I can’t help falling in love with you!”
I felt my mouth go dry. “Can’t help falling in love with me?” I asked quietly. I knew she had feelings for me, just like I had feelings for her, but I didn’t realize they were that serious.
“Yes,” Harper said, looking like she might cry. “And I know it’s stupid for me to push you away when all I want is for you to be with me. That’s all I could think about all day today, how we made such a perfect family. Mom, dad, and daughter. And I know I’ve probably messed everything up by now since I told you that I wasn’t interested in that, but I just had to come over here and tell you that. That’s what was wrong with me all day. I’m in love with you, and I was trying my best not to say it.”
I stared at her for a long moment. The truth was, I wasn’t shocked by her announcement. I realized that when I really thought about it, I already knew that. I had known that since before I’d realized that Ava was my daughter.
I reached for Harper, my fingers grasping her upper arms, and pulled her toward me. I pressed my lips against hers, angling my head to the side so that we didn’t repeat our earlier problems. Instead, our lips moved together in sync. I pushed my tongue into her mouth, delighting in the way she sighed and fell against me, as though she no longer had the strength or the will to hold her body away from me. She was pressed up close, her body warm against mine. Comfortable. As though it belonged there.
As though we belonged together.
I pulled away, blinking down at her, my forehead resting against hers and my palm light against her cheek. “Where’s Ava?” I asked quietly.
“In bed, probably,” Harper whispered back. “Maisie’s watching her. It’s okay.”
I nodded. “Then, bed?”
“Yeah,” Harper said, blowing out a shaky breath. “Yeah, please.”
I twisted my fingers in hers, leading her toward my bedroom, fighting the urge just to strip her down and take her right there in the living room. I wanted this to be right. I wanted this to be tender. As gentle and sweet as our first time but tempered with everything that had happened since. I wanted to take my time, to really get to know her body. To make her come over and over again.
I kissed her again as soon as we crossed the threshold and the door closed behind us. There was no turning back now. But neither of us wanted to turn back anyway.
39
Harper
Even though I had brought myself there, even though I had known exactly what I planned to do and what I planned to say, I still could barely believe that I had ended up there in Ace’s room. I’d spent the whole day thinking about how badly I needed him to touch me. It was such a huge turn-on, watching him morph into Super Dad for Ava. He was so incredibly patient with her, so much fun for her. I could never have expected him to take such a shine to her. Now, I wondered why I’d had so many doubts about him.
But then again, I knew that he was different now. He had told me that when we’d had our picnic in the park, and I could really see it. He wasn’t the man I’d met four years ago. He’d grown up a lot since then. I had as well, but the change in him was really remarkable.
It was amazing to watch him, knowing everything that I did about his past, too. He was so easily able to transcend everything that he’d ever known. I was so proud of him that I felt like my heart might burst out of my chest.
Right now, though, I couldn’t focus on any of those thoughts. All I could think of was getting naked and getting into bed together.
It was primal lust taking over, edged with the sweetness of love. I needed him to touch me, but I wanted those touches to be gentle, tender. He kept leaning back in to kiss me, even as we both fumbled with buttons, buckles, and cloth, stripping in a chaotic, hurried fashion.
“I knew we were good together,” he groaned against my neck, his hands coming around to cup my ass and draw me even closer toward him. He pushed his hips into my side, and I could feel how hard he already was. I wanted to make a snarky comment of some sort, but I was already breathless with desire.
“What took you so long?” Ace asked rhetorically.
But all I could focus on was his hands, his mouth, how right all of this felt.
He twisted his fingers in mine, kissing me sloppily as he walked me backward toward the bed. The mattress hit the backs of my knees, and I fell, the movement easily controlled by Ace, who gentled my landing before settling on top of me, his body in between my legs.
I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him in close to me. He moved against me, his thick cock dragging against the velvet between my legs. He wasn’t inside of me yet, but I still felt as though I could cum at any second.
I wanted this more than I had ever wanted anything in my life. I only hoped Ace realized exactly what he was signing up for. Because once I had him now, I was never letting him go.
Ace trailed his lips down my body, working his way from my sensitive earlobe all the way to the smoothness of my inner thigh. I shivered, about to beg for more, but he gave me just what I needed before I even managed to open my mouth. His fingers twisted inside of my hole, probing, finding that special sweet spot and stroking it again and again, until I was practically writhing against the sheets.
His fingers, his lips. God, it all felt so good. I twisted my fingers in his hair, urging him on. He smirked against my skin.
Eventually, he repositioned his body over mine, aligning his manhood against my opening and then plunging inside of me. I keened noisily, unable to quiet myself. Not for the first time, I was forced to recognize how perfectly we fit together, as though we were made for each other.
My hands slid over his flawless body, dipping into crevasses between muscles, sliding over smooth, tanned, tattooed expanses. I clung to him as he pushed deeper inside of me. His breath was hot against my neck as he nibbled a love mark into my skin. The sharp sting of it contrasted sweetly with the flush of pleasure that he caused each time he slammed into my core.
He pulled out suddenly, flipping me around and pulling me up onto my knees before sliding into me again. This time, I could feel him even deeper into my core, and when he started to move his hips back and forth, the rhythm quick and snappy, I was helpless against him. I collapsed down against my elbows, moaning on each new thrust until suddenly I was cumming hard enough to see stars.
My pussy squeezed tight around him, and I could feel him twitch, could tell that he was spilling as well. His fingers found mine against the sheets, twisting our hands together. His body covered mine, and I felt safe. Secure. Like nothing bad could ever happen to me.
Ace fell down to the side, pulling me over with him, curling his body around mine. His fingers lightly stroked my hair, bringing me back to awareness. I blinked at him. “Oh,” I said quietly.
Ace grinned and kissed me chastely. “Oh,” he echoed, sounding amused.
We lay there in silence for a long time. I tried to gather my scattered thoughts, but I could feel sleep tugging at me. I should probably head back home, though Maisie didn’t mind having Ava stay the night at her place. She might already be as
leep by the time I got back, even if I left now.
I didn’t know how much time had passed since I had set out to see Ace again. It felt like forever. So much had changed between us.
I didn’t want to leave. And it seemed like Ace didn’t want me to either if the way his arms were wrapped around me was any indication.
“You know,” he mused, “I was going to give you a couple months to get used to Ava and me together. And then I was going to do the same thing you just did.”
“What’s that?” I asked sleepily.
“March up to you and kiss you,” Ace teased. “Declare my undying love for you. Fuck you into oblivion.”
I giggled. “Undying love?” I asked.
“Yes,” Ace said seriously. “Well, maybe not undying. But I love you anyway.”
I hummed contentedly as I snuggled into his side. “I just got impatient, that’s all,” I told him.
Ace laughed. “So what happens now?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I sighed. “I guess things go on as we planned. The visitation calendar still stands. But maybe we could incorporate more family time into there as well. And maybe some dates?” I was embarrassed by the overly hopeful note in my voice. But Ace just squeezed me tighter.
“I think that sounds like the perfect plan,” he agreed.
“I think Ava would be pretty happy if we started having family dinners a couple nights a week too,” I said quietly.
“I think that would be great,” Ace said. “I haven’t gotten to cook for anyone in a while.”
I laughed. “Trust me when I say, I’d love to have you cook for me more often. I don’t have the patience to cook most nights.”
“Well, you probably won’t be quite as exhausted when you have me around to help out with Ava,” Ace pointed out.
We were silent again for a while. “You’d better be here when I wake up,” I finally muttered, half-asleep already.
“I promise,” Ace breathed. And I believed him.
I fell into the deepest sleep that I’d had in years.