Her angry glare made me burst into laughter as the light turned green. My girl was sweet, smart and already developing a hell of an attitude. She already had that swagger about her that nobody would want to mess with her. Still, I hoped the world wouldn’t be as cruel to her as it was to me and Natalie.
When we pulled onto our street, she was already fiddling with her seatbelt buckle and the buttons of the door locks.
“Hey, leave that stuff alone!” I scolded. “No unbuckling or opening the door until the car is completely stopped. I mean it.”
I pulled into the driveway and just put the car in park when she jumped out and ran for the front door. When I followed her inside closely behind, she spun around and faced me with wide eyes.
“Where’s my surprise, Daddy? Where is it?!”
My heart froze for just a moment while my eyes darted around the house. Natalie was nowhere to be seen.
Fuck, did something happen? Or… did she actually leave?
I exhaled the breath I was holding in relief when I heard the upstairs shower running. We had both gotten pretty sweaty from our romp on the couch. Thankfully there was no evidence of that lying around for Ari to ask questions.
“Your surprise is taking a shower upstairs,” I replied, smiling at the confusion spreading across her face.
“What?!” she placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head at me, a pose she must have seen on TV or somewhere. “What kind of surprise takes a shower?”
“You’ll see. Just be patient.”
“Daddy, I can’t wait anymore!”
“Well then, pretend you’re not getting a surprise.”
“DADDY!”
Ari and I went back and forth for another minute or two until the bathroom door opened. We both stopped talking mid-sentence and looked up at the top of the stairs.
Natalie emerged wearing cotton lounge pants and a tank top that did absolutely nothing to hide her delicious, pert nipples. She rubbed at her hair with a towel to dry it, obscuring her face for a moment before revealing her large, crystal blue eyes and heart-stopping smile.
“Oh my gosh!” cried Ari at the top of her lungs and raced up the stairs. “Natalie! You’re back!”
“Hey, Ari!” Natalie held her arms out and nearly fell backward as Ari tackled her with a hug.
“I missed you so much!” Ari’s voice was muffled against Natalie’s towel on her shoulder.
“I missed you too, sweetie.” Natalie continued down the stairs carefully with Ari clinging to her like a baby monkey. “Have you been good for your dad and Netta?”
“Yes!”
“Uh-huh,” I scoffed with a roll of my eyes. “When she was speaking to me, that is.”
Ari twisted around in Natalie’s arms to look back at me, her eyes wide and her gap-toothed smile spreading across her face.
“Thank you so much, Daddy! You really did it! I knew you’d bring her back!”
“Uh...” I cleared my throat awkwardly, struggling to find the best way to tell the truth when Natalie saved my ass.
“That’s right, sweet girl,” she said, bouncing Ari on her hip. “Your daddy brought me back for you. He’ll do anything to make you happy.”
She smiled and winked at me over the top of Ari’s head. My heart swelled like a balloon with relief and gratitude. Natalie was more perceptive, kind, and generous that I ever realized. The more I learned about her, the shittier I felt about sending her away. I wasn’t done making it up to her. I would make her feel wanted, needed, and loved in this house and erase any shadows of doubt she still had about me.
When Ari settled down and detached herself from Natalie, she settled in front of the TV to watch one of her shows. Natalie began preparing dinner in the kitchen when I swiftly came up behind her, wrapping my hands around her slender waist and placing kisses on her neck.
“You didn’t have to give me the credit for that,” I whispered in her ear. “But I appreciate it.”
Her breath hitched in her chest and she leaned back toward me, gently pressing her ass and back against my torso and stirring my cock to stiffen again.
“You’re her hero,” she whispered. “She looks up to you more than anyone else. I’d never want to take that away from her.”
My heart felt like it would burst. I felt so moved, so touched, I couldn’t even speak. I could only cup her chin toward my mouth and kiss her. Hard.
My mouth against hers told her everything I felt without words. I encircled my arm around her waist tighter as I whispered my feelings through my tongue against hers, my hand against her soft face, and my rock hard dick against her ass.
She began moaning softly through our kisses, keeping quiet so as not to attract Ari’s attention, but those little noises just spurred me on to rub my cock harder between her soft, pillowy ass cheeks. I squeezed her firm nipples through the thin fabric of her tank top, making her whimper desperately into my mouth.
She shook her little ass across my bulge, urging me on and making me moan too.
“Ugh, fuck,” I growled with her earlobe between my teeth and took two firm handfuls of her ass. I could just pull her pants down, slide inside that tight, wet entrance and fuck her quietly here against the kitchen counter.
But Ari would only need to stand up and look over the back of the couch to see us. Even for a dirty bastard like me, it would be far too risky.
As if right on cue, we heard a small voice say, “Natalie?”
We untangled from each other just as Ari’s head popped over the back of the couch to look into the kitchen. I quickly stood behind the island to hide my boner.
“Yes, sweetie?” Natalie looked as casually as possible, crossing her arms across her breasts, although her cheeks and lips remained flushed.
“Can you read to me again? The book we didn’t get to finish?”
“Of course! We’ll read before bed.”
“Ahem, homework first,” I said.
“I know, Dad,” Ari answered, bringing back her sassy attitude.
“Dinner’s almost ready,” Natalie said, turning back to the counter. “Go wash up, Ari.”
The moment Ari ran off to the bathroom, I came up behind Natalie again and covered her neck with kisses, holding her tight around her middle.
“Mmm, you dirty old man,” she teased, wiggling away from me.
“Hey, I’m not that much older than you,” I protested, stealing one last kiss from her.
“Oh?” Her eyebrows raised. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-seven.”
“Really?” Her mouth dropped open in surprise. “You are awfully young to…”
“Be a crime boss? Yeah, that’s true,” I said, a bit shortly. I was one of the youngest successful bosses in Northern California and I didn’t achieve my position without some sacrifices. But she didn’t need to know the details of that.
“No. I mean, that wasn’t what I was thinking,” she stammered. “I meant you became a father pretty young, that’s all.”
“Yeah, that too,” I sighed. “It’s a bit of a wild story.”
“I’m a good listener,” she offered with a heart melting smile.
Damn, why did she have to be so sweet? Being locked up like an animal didn’t seem to harden her heart at all. That kind of resilience amazed me.
“I have an idea,” I said, massaging the back of her neck. “Let’s go out tomorrow. Just us two. We can have some wine, walk around downtown, and get to know each other properly.”
“Are you sure?” she asked with surprise. “I thought you didn’t want to be targeted if I was seen outside of your house?”
“Fuck Antigua and fuck being afraid of him,” I spat. “You deserve better than to stay cooped up inside all the damn time.” I brushed my thumb against her lower lip which was still swollen and flushed from my kisses. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The grin that broke out on her face was the largest I’d seen yet. I swore the happier she looked, the more beautiful she became.
She raised her lips to mine and I captured her kiss eagerly, never getting enough of her taste. When I broke away, it was just barely.
“There’s one more thing I want to ask you,” I whispered against her mouth.
“Yes?” she gazed up at me curiously.
“Sleep in my bed tonight.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
NATALIE
I woke up exactly where I dreamed of being during those long, sleepless nights at the shelter.
Inside strong arms and feeling rough stubble against my back and shoulders, kissing me into the waking world.
“Good morning, beautiful,” came Sol’s voice, raspy and sexy from morning grogginess.
“Morning, handsome.”
I spun around within the warm, protective shield of his arms that held me as gently as a fragile bird. With my eyes still closed, I nuzzled closer into his chest, pouring kisses on whatever warm area of skin my lips came across.
His fingers wound into my hair and his lips pressed to my forehead and brow. I sighed deeply, never before feeling so content. So cared for and loved.
“Do we have to get out of bed?” I murmured into his chest.
“Yes,” he chuckled, sending a deep, wonderful rumble against my lips. “I’m taking you out, remember? Wining and dining you.” His hands smoothed up and down my bare back, sending warmth and tingles to the stiff muscles which barely moved after eight hours of sleep. “There’s also the whole parenting thing I gotta do.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” I smirked, pulling my head out of his chest. “Do you want me to go to my own room before she wakes up?”
“What? No. Absolutely not.”
He pulled me back into him and rolled on top of me, pinning me down and making me squirm with laughter as he tickled my neck and my sides with his scratchy stubble.
“ Really, though. What are we going to tell her?” I asked.
He paused before planting a kiss on my belly.
“I think she already knows on some level that we’re, you know, seeing each other. She’s a smart kid. When she starts asking questions, I figure we just tell her the truth.”
“And that would be what, exactly?”
He opened his palms, interlacing his fingers with mine and gave me a long, slow sensual kiss that stole my breath away.
“That you make me happy and I like having you here.” His grin turned wicked. “And you give the best blowjob I’ve ever had.”
I made my best aghast face and he laughed. “Okay, maybe not that last part.”
“What if,” I paused, suddenly nervous about the question. “What if she wants to call me Mommy?”
His smile dropped but his eyes remained soft and understanding. “That’s up to you if you would be comfortable with that.”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I mean, she’s a great kid. But I guess I’d want to see where… this, us, goes. Otherwise, it wouldn’t seem appropriate.”
“I completely agree.” He kissed me again and pulled back with a smile. “Not to rush anything but I’m not too worried. Seems like we’re getting along alright.”
I rolled my eyes and sighed dramatically. “I guess we are.”
He leaned in and tickled me with his face again until my stomach hurt from laughing so hard and I begged him to stop.
“Come on,” he said, slapping my ass before rolling out of bed and pulling on a pair of shorts. “Let’s get the little princess situated so we can enjoy our adult time.”
“So that’s what they’re calling it these days,” I smirked.
I got Ari dressed while Sol prepared a massive breakfast of scrambled eggs, French toast, and sausage. For claiming to not cook much, he sure knew his way around breakfast foods.
Netta would be coming to pick up Ari after breakfast to take her to another kid’s birthday party.
The house was chaotic with crazy high energy that morning with Ari’s excitement for the party, Sol telling her repeatedly to calm down and eat, Netta coming over and ranting about other neighbors while she helped herself to coffee.
And I found myself enjoying it.
I leaned back against the kitchen counter, sipping my coffee and observed the chaos before me. It was like one of those fictional families on sitcoms that sat around a table talking and complaining, but loved each other deeply and always stuck together.
I never experienced that kind of loud family dynamic. With just Dad and me, it was always so quiet. Sometimes we hardly felt like a family at all.
“Ready to head out soon, beautiful?”
Sol interrupted my trance with a coffee-flavored kiss right in front of Netta and Ari as they were leaving. Netta lifted an eyebrow but didn’t say anything while Ari just waved at us furiously from the door.
“Bye Daddy! Bye Natalie!”
“Have a good time at the party, sweetie!” I waved back, then refocused my attention on the handsome man in front of me. “Yeah, I’ll be ready soon. Just let me freshen up.”
A few minutes later, I had quickly showered and changed into a simple blue shift dress that matched my eyes. It was a bit big when I first picked it out from Netta’s stash but now it threatened to hug curves I didn’t know I had.
Sol was just buttoning up a white dress shirt with the sleeves pushed up to the elbows. It contrasted with his tanned, tattooed skin and the flattering dark pants and shoes he wore.
“You look nice,” I said, observing him from the doorway. If nice meant I wanted to rip the buttons off that shirt with my teeth and ride that handsome face all the way into paradise.
“Thanks, babe.”
He looked over at me and his jaw dropped.
“Holy… fuck.”
“That bad, huh?” I cracked, trying not to let his reaction sting.
“No fucking way, you look amazing. Come here.” He grinned as he pulled me forward and slid his large, protective hands around my waist. “I can’t wait to walk around with this gorgeous woman on my arm.”
I rarely felt shy but to hear him say that with such warmth and sincerity made me downright bashful. My eyes fluttered nervously to the ground to look at our shoes.
He kissed my forehead as if gently reminding me that I didn’t have to be nervous around him, that I could be myself without worry or fear.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
I nodded and we left the house together holding hands.
“It’s a beautiful day to walk,” he said, gently leading me down the street. “We can be like tourists and check out the downtown.”
In five short minutes, we were strolling down a beautiful block with charming brick buildings and streets that bustled with activity. People walked their dogs and window shopped as if they had all the time in the world. Fruit and vegetable stands displayed mouthwatering produce, which Sol said were all from local farmers.
Adorable shops ranging from coffee houses to jewelry stores to ice cream parlors lined the streets, their doors open and welcoming. As we walked with our fingers intertwined, Sol told me something about each one. The ice cream parlor had been owned by a local family for over forty years. He sold weed to the lady who owned the jewelry store, who said it helped with her arthritis and allowed her to keep creating.
I paused outside the brilliantly decorated facade of a flower shop that said Dahlia’s Blooms in elegant, golden script on the floor-to-ceiling window. Not only were all the colors of the plants and flowers dazzling to look at, the whole place also smelled wonderful.
“Let’s go in.” Sol pulled me through the front door before I could give it a second thought.
“Hello, welcome in!” greeted the woman at the counter with a warm smile. She was young, not much older than me and had pale blonde hair that was almost silver in color and large dark eyes.
“Hi,” I replied before feasting my eyes on the wonderful displays, colors, and shapes that surrounded me.
Everything from classic rose bouquets to exotic orchids filled the r
oom. There were also hanging plants and potted succulents that looked like precious jewels. But what took my breath away was an arrangement of lilies. So many colors from white to red to purple, with those elegant, thin petals that curled back in a complete circle toward the center.
I’d always loved lilies. They were unusual but not as crazy-looking as orchids. They still had a classical, flower beauty to them.
“We’ll take this one, Dahlia,” I heard Sol’s voice say.
“What? No, that’s okay!” I whipped around and protested. “I was just looking at it.”
“Too late,” Sol smirked as he handed a card over to the silver-haired woman, who wore a bit of a smirk as well.
“How’s Araceli doing?” she asked Sol as she rang up his purchase.
“She’s great,” he answered with the warmth in his voice always present when he talked about her. “How’s little Rosie?”
“Becoming more of a smartass every day,” she said with a smile and an eye roll before looking over at me. “I’ll wrap up those lilies for you so they don’t dry out. Great choice, they’re one of my favorites too!”
“Um, thank you,” I said, feeling only slightly weirded out by so much kindness from a complete stranger.
“Our kids go to school together,” Sol explained as we left the store, his fingers firmly entwined around mine that didn’t hold the bouquet. “She’s also my buddy Liam’s sister-in-law.”
“Seems like this is one of those towns where everyone knows each other,” I observed, inhaling the sweetness of the lilies as we continued walking down the street.
“Sort of,” he said. “It’s a safe, peaceful place to live. New people are moving in every day. It might become a big city before we know it.”
“How will that affect you?” I asked.
“Who knows,” he mused softly and I wondered if I inadvertently opened a can of worms. Big cities meant more crime, which meant more business for him but also more girls being trafficked like me.
Most of which would never end up as lucky as I did.
CHAPTER TWENTY
NATALIE
“Here’s the wine bar,” Sol said and led me toward an elegant brick building that read Vino Veritas. Soft, Latin music played out of speakers hidden somewhere among the vines of ivy that scaled up the rustic walls.
Down and Dirty: A Single Dad Bad Boy Romance (Small Town Bad Boys Book 3) Page 9