“You sure you’re going to be okay here?” he asked quietly.
“I’ll be fine. We better get going or you’re going to miss your flight.”
I walked down the hall to get Abby and the three of us headed for the airport. With little fanfare, we dropped Kevin off before heading to the grocery store. It was weird being alone. With Kevin around, I could tell myself we were traveling together or on one of our vacations. Now that he was gone, the full gravity of my situation slammed into me. It was me and Abby against the world.
Stalling, I realized I didn’t want to go back to the empty house. When there was nothing else to buy and nowhere else to go, we headed back. As we pulled into the driveway, my eyes drifted over to Jenna’s house. Her car was gone. She wasn’t home, adding to the feeling of being all alone even more.
“Go ahead and go inside,” I told Abby, unlocking the door and depositing the first load of groceries on the kitchen counter.
I finished unloading the groceries before shutting and locking the front door behind me. Standing in the center of the living room, I put my hands on my hips as I surveyed the area. The place was definitely lacking a woman’s touch. It was cold and empty, and I had no idea how to make it look homey. Maybe a plant or something.
Giving up on the home decor, I headed into the kitchen to put everything away.
“Look, Daddy,” Abby said, coming into the kitchen and twirling around, showing off her new princess dress.
“You look very pretty,” I told her, fighting back the feeling of a panic attack building.
She looked so much like her mother, which I figured was karma’s way of haunting me. Abby was a constant reminder of what I had done. My greatest sin would never be forgotten.
Abby smiled, twirling around again. “Will you paint my nails, Daddy?”
Inwardly, I groaned. “Sure, sweetie. Let me finish putting away the groceries first.”
Happily, she skipped out of the kitchen. The nail thing was not something I enjoyed at all. I felt ridiculous holding the tiny little brush, painting tiny little nails in the first place. Plus, I knew I sucked at it. The first time I had attempted to paint her nails, it was a disaster. I got more polish on her hands and the table than I did her nails. It was my penance, I suppose. Painting her nails was the least I could do after I had taken her mommy away.
Hearing a car door, I immediately rushed to the front window, ready to grab Abby and run out the back. Standing to the side of the window, I pulled back the blinds and saw the lovely Jenna climbing out of her car. I allowed myself a few moments to watch her. She had on a pair of tight and sexy low-rise jeans, with a tank top that didn’t quite reach her waist. Fuck, she was sexy. It oozed from her. The best part was that she wasn’t even trying.
I loved how down to earth she was and that authentic, no-nonsense attitude she presented. If only I was in the market for a little fling, I had a feeling she would satisfy me in every way. I stepped away from the window, taking a deep breath and trying to quiet the erection that was slowly rising to attention. I couldn’t be with her. It was simply too dangerous.
Instead, I sat down at the table with my sketchpad in hand and flipped through some of the designs I had already created. I had stumbled into welding. It wasn’t something I’d even realized could ever pay off.
My time in the Marines had set me on a course for my life that I’d never expected. I had earned my black belt in the Corp, which inspired me to pursue the mixed martial arts world. I had been a metal worker during my tour, learning how to weld, which was my real passion.
Years ago, I began making metal art. I had shown a few pieces to some friends, and from there, a career was born. Kevin ran our website and took care of the small storefront we had. He was the people guy. Me, not so much.
“Are you coloring, Daddy?” Abby asked, coming to stand beside the table.
I smiled. “Not yet. I was just looking at my book, trying to get some ideas.”
“I think you should make a princess,” she said, nodding.
“You do, huh?”
“Yep.”
“Hmm, I’ll have to see what I can come up with.”
“Can you paint my nails now?” she asked, handing me the little pink box that contained what she referred to as her makeup.
“Yes, I can,” I said, closing my sketchbook and opening her little kit. “What color are we doing today?”
She pretended to think about it before picking the pink. It was always pink. I had bought her some fake makeup a while back. I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but I did it anyway. I didn’t get an instruction manual for raising a little girl on my own and had no sisters or mother available to ask for advice. I was winging it and doing the best I could.
When I was finished with her nails, she blew on them like an expert.
“We’ll let your nails dry and then it’s time to get in the bath,” I told her.
“Daddy,” she whined.
“Nope. Bath. I’ll make some mac and cheese for dinner.”
She sighed, taking her little makeup kit back to her room. She was only four but had the attitude of a teenager at times. I was not looking forward to the real teen years.
Chapter 6
Jenna
It was another early shift and I was excited to be working with Rose today. It always made the time go by so much faster. I hadn’t seen her in a couple days and was excited to tell her about my meetup with Colton.
His level of hotness couldn’t be properly conveyed without using hand gestures, so it was a conversation I wanted to have face to face. Unfortunately, there hadn’t been more sightings of my neighbor, and I was a little bummed about it. It had been a couple days now and I hadn’t gotten the chance to see him again.
It wasn’t for lack of trying though. I’d been practically stalking his house, just hoping to catch a glimpse to satisfy my craving for the man.
Rose was in the breakroom when I arrived, so I quickly brought her up to date and filled her in on my pizza dinner with Colton.
“Did you kiss him?” she asked, her voice filled with excitement.
I looked at her with horror on my face. “No! Of course not. His little girl was right there, as well as his friend.”
She shrugged. “Exactly. He had a babysitter. You could have taken him back to your place and gotten a nice ride.”
“Oh my God. You are a dirty, dirty woman.”
“You should be a little dirtier yourself, Jenna. Take a walk on the wild side. You’ll like it.” She winked as she walked out of the breakroom.
Honestly, I secretly wished I was as brave as Rose. She would have already sampled the goods. I was a bit more reserved, even though my body was aching for his touch. I wanted to be naughty and daring, but I just wasn’t born that way. I was missing that gene or something.
Heading for the floor, I could see that Rose was already taking the order of an older couple who were seated in her section. I got right to work, preparing for a busy lunch hour. As I filled saltshakers, I decided to ask Rose how to make the first move on Colton. I wanted a little taste of the wild side, too.
“Look at that fine ass.” As I heard the words, I knew immediately who it was.
I spun around to see Darren leering at me with his two stooges beside him, literally ogling my ass.
“Go away, Darren.”
“Uh huh, baby. I’m hungry—for you.”
I rolled my eyes and turned back around, inciting a round of whistles. I ignored them, hoping they would go away.
“We’re hungry,” I heard one of them shout.
“Crap,” I muttered, pissed to find them sitting in my section.
Rose was with another table. She wasn’t going to be able to save me.
I stomped toward them. “What do you want?”
Darren’s hand reached for me, and thankfully, I dodged his touch. “Come on, baby. I can give you a good time.”
“Touch me and I swear I’ll jab this pen in your eye,”
I growled.
“Oh, I like a woman with spunk. Will you tie me up? I bet you like it rough.” Spittle flew out of his mouth as he thrust his hips forward.
I couldn’t stop the look of sheer disgust that came over my face. “You’re disgusting.”
Looking at the other two, I got the idea they had been drinking. Darren was definitely drunk.
“I’ll have a hamburger with a side of you, naked and panting,” he said, licking his lips while he stared at my chest.
I wanted to vomit. He was a slimy prick and I hated everything about him. I managed to get their orders and made my escape from the table, dreading the next hour. I knew they would stick around for at least that long, and the entire time they were there, it would be more of the same.
“I’m sorry,” Rose whispered as I filled their drink orders.
“It’s getting old. Why don’t they find someone else to torture?”
She shrugged. “Because you’re the prettiest girl in town. They want you.”
I groaned. “That is not a compliment.”
“Sorry.”
I set their drinks down at the end of the table, refusing to reach across.
“Are your panties wet?” Darren asked, his words close to slurring.
I ignored him, spun around, and walked away, nearly running straight into Colton. “Hey,” I said, surprised to see him.
“Hi,” he said, looking over my shoulder, his face stern.
“Are you here for lunch?”
He nodded. “We are.”
I looked down and saw Abby standing next to her dad, staring up at me.
“Hi, Abby.”
“Hi,” she said in a quiet voice.
“Go ahead and sit anywhere,” I said, anxious to get away from Darren and his boys.
Even now, I could hear them grunting and whispering about my ass. I hoped Abby didn’t hear them.
Colton looked at me before taking Abby’s hand and leading her past the table where the assholes were sitting. He moved toward the back of the diner, putting some distance between himself and the obnoxious jerks. He was in my section though, which made me very happy and a bit nervous. He made me anxious. And horny. Very horny.
“What can I get you two to drink?” I asked, bringing their menus to the table.
“Is everything okay?” Colton asked, his voice low and harsh.
“Yep, it’s fine. Kind of a daily thing with them.”
He nodded, his eyes drifting to the table where the guys were laughing.
“Order’s up!” I heard the cook shout from the kitchen.
“Take a minute to decide and I’ll be right back,” I said with a smile.
Picking up the plates, I carried them to the three detestable men.
“Do you like whip cream, Jenna?” Bryce asked.
“Not really,” I mumbled, rushing to get them served.
“I do. We were thinking about what you would look like sprawled out on this table, wearing only whip cream. We’ve decided I get the first taste. How sweet do you taste, Jenna?”
I refused to let him see how nervous I was. “Is that it?” I grumbled.
Darren’s hand reached out, grabbing my own. “I’m hard. You make me fucking hard. Do you want to feel it?”
I yanked my hand away.
“Touch her again, dirtbag, and you’re going to be sorry.”
My mouth fell open as I turned to see Colton watching the scene from his booth. Darren, whose back was to Colton, spun around.
“Who the fuck are you?” he shouted.
“Watch your mouth or I’ll have you kicked out of here,” I growled.
“Listen to the lady,” Colton said, his eyes narrowed as he glared at the men. “I don’t like that kind of talk around my little girl. Learn some respect.”
“Why don’t you mind your own business?” Aaron snapped.
“Enough. Eat your food and get out.” I left their table and made my way to Colton. “Thank you. I can handle them.”
He shook his head. “You shouldn’t have to listen to stuff like that.”
I smiled. “It’s okay. Thank you for trying though.”
Taking his order, I went back to the counter.
“Wow, that was intense—and hot,” Rose whispered as we stood behind the counter.
“No kidding.”
“Jenna!” one of the assholes shouted.
I turned to see what they wanted. Darren was holding up his empty glass. I turned back to Rose. “Seriously, can’t I refuse them service? Why do I have to put up with this crap?”
“You can try. You know Aaron will just tell his daddy. You know, the guy who signs our paychecks?”
I sighed. “This sucks. I have to get a different job.”
Walking to the table, I grabbed his empty glass and quickly refilled it.
“Jenna, I know you want me. I’ve seen you looking at me. Your face gets all flushed and you squirm around. I’ve seen it. We don’t have to play this game. I’ll pick you up after work, we’ll go back to my place, and I’ll give you what you’ve been asking for.”
“I don’t sleep with pencil dicks. I know you have an itty-bitty peepee. It was all over school. The girls you slept with back then were unimpressed.” I smiled brightly and watched his face turn red. “I want a real man.”
“You stupid bitch!”
“That’s enough,” Colton’s voice boomed. “She asked you to back off.”
I looked over at Colton, appreciating his help but also not wanting him to get his ass kicked. It was three against one.
Bryce and Darren stood. “Sit down, guys,” I ordered. “I’ll call the cops.”
Darren ignored me, walking toward the table where Colton was sitting. Colton slid out from the booth, standing at his full height, which put him several inches taller than all three of them. His muscular build was evident in the tight shirt as well.
Colton’s size and obvious strength did little to deter the three men moving toward him.
I rushed past them and stood in front of Colton. “Stop. Sit down. There is a little girl sitting here.”
Colton gently nudged me to the side. “It’s okay. These guys want to flex their muscles.”
Bryce puffed out his chest, attempting to intimidate Colton. If the situation hadn’t been so serious, I would have burst into laughter. Instead, I had to try and diffuse things. I didn’t want Abby to witness any violence and I certainly didn’t want Colton to get hurt or hauled off to jail because he was defending me.
“Everyone, sit down. Bryce, go on now, or I’ll call the cops and report your ass.”
“I don’t want any trouble,” Colton said in that deep voice that sent shivers down my spine. “You guys back off our lovely waitress and we can all finish our lunch.”
Aaron grabbed Bryce’s arm. “Come on. This slut isn’t worth it.”
Colton lunged, pushing me out of the way. I gave him a quick hip-check, pushing him away from the three other men.
“Aaron, I suggest you get them out of here,” I said, pointing my index finger at him. “Your daddy finds out you’re in here causing trouble, he might just cut off your allowance.”
“Let’s go, guys. Seriously. The food sucks here anyway.” Aaron stared me down with serious hatred in his eyes.
Thankfully, Bryce must have realized it wasn’t worth it. The three of them left, not paying for their meals and knocking over the newspaper stand as they went.
I spun around to look at Colton, my hands on my hips. “Thank you for that, but I can handle myself. I really don’t need you picking a fight in here. This is a family diner, not a bar.”
He smirked. “The way they were talking, it sounded like a bar.”
I shrugged. “They are annoying, but there’s not much I can do about it.”
He nodded before taking his seat in the booth again. Abby didn’t appear to be the least bit bothered by what had gone down.
Abby stopped coloring and looked up at me. “Are you going to come to my
house and eat dinner?”
I smiled. “No, I don’t think so.”
“I want you to come over. Daddy, will make you dinner?”
I could feel my cheeks go pink as I looked at Colton, who was staring at his daughter with an open mouth. Abby looked at her father and smiled sweetly.
He looked at me. “Sorry,” he murmured.
“Please, I want you to come over. I got the rest of my toys out of the boxes. I want to show you my new dress-up clothes, too. And look!” She dropped the crayon she had been holding and showed me her hands. “Daddy painted my nails!”
I laughed at the sight of the poor little nails that had definitely not been painted by a professional. “They look gorgeous!” I said, looking at Colton who suddenly looked very uncomfortable.
“Please, will you come over?” Abby asked again.
Colton shook his head. “I can make dinner tomorrow night if that works,” he said in a voice filled with resignation.
It was hard to imagine a man with such a tough exterior painting his little girl’s nails. Abby had her daddy wrapped around her little finger and it was the cutest—and sexiest—thing I’d ever seen in my life.
“I get off at five. Can I bring something?”
His smile was genuine as he shook his head. “No. I’ll take care of everything.”
I looked at Abby and winked. “Looks like I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
As I left the table, a weird, almost buoyant feeling enveloped me, making me feel like I had a little bounce in my step.
Rose grabbed my arm and pulled me into the kitchen. “What the hell was that about?”
“Which part?” I quipped.
“He almost beat the hell out of Aaron and his buddies for you. If you aren’t going to snag that man, move aside, missy. I want a piece of that.”
I smiled. “Actually, I’m going to dinner at his house tomorrow.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I knew it! I knew you wanted him.”
“It has nothing to do with me wanting him. His daughter asked me to come over for dinner. I couldn’t say no.”
Going After What's Mine Page 4