Distracted: An Everyday Heroes Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Michelle Fernandez

  “Yes . . . more . . . oh my god!” With my eyes closed, I scream his name as the vibration of my climax makes my body tense and then go limp. I’m catching my breath from the most intense orgasm I’ve ever felt.

  I hear the pop of a button and the unzipping of his jeans. I watch Spencer pull out a condom from his pocket through hooded eyes, then push down his jeans and boxers in one swoop. He tears open the package and rolls the condom on his hard dick.

  He slowly crawls up my body, kissing my skin along the way, and I’m met with that cocky-ass grin I love so much. “How was that for your first prize?” he asks.

  “I like winning,” I say, playfully.

  “Ready for the grand prize? The giant unicorn?”

  I laugh. “You sure are full of yourself, aren’t you?”

  “I’m full of something,” he jokes, and I swat his arm. His fingers tease the damp skin between my breasts, and then he clears his throat. “I’m serious, Sabrina. It’s like you were made for me. Don’t you see that?” He glides his hard tip against my already sensitive opening, teasing me again. “Can you feel that? This is all yours and no one else’s.”

  My body tenses as the crown of his dick rolls over my wet folds. His groan echoes as his shaft taunts me and I run my fingernails down his spine to his ass.

  I can’t take this anymore.

  I need him.

  Inside me.

  “Please, Spencer,” I plead.

  “Please what, Buttercup. What are you begging me to do?” His voice is raspy and desirous.

  He wants me to say it when I’m naked and he’s hard. “I want you. All of you.”

  “Is my teasing dick driving you crazy?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you want me to give you what you really want?” Even in the heat of this moment, Spencer is taking it slow, making good on his promise, making me feel adored and worshiped.

  “Please,” I beg as my fingers press hard on his ass as he aligns himself at my center.

  He slowly thrusts his tantalizing dick inside me, just enough to adjust to his thickness. He pulls out and pushes further, filling me from root to tip.

  When I close my eyes, he speaks up. “Open your eyes, Buttercup. Look at me.”

  I submit to his request. When my eyes lock onto his, it’s as if I can see down to his soul. The regret of the past, the lust of the present moment, and the hope for a future all collide.

  His gentle, slow thrusts move in and out of me. He goes deeper and pushes a little harder, filling me completely. Sweat coats our bodies and the scent of sex fills the room. Then Spencer shifts his body, changing his angle, stroking my clit with his girth, and hits my sensitive spot.

  Our connection has no words as we ride out our ecstasy. His lips are on mine, gently kissing me as if he’s savoring the taste and doesn’t want this moment to end.

  A lonely tear escapes as I feel more than just sexual desire running through my veins.

  I feel everything about him. Passion, desire, and his love for me.

  “Baby, what is it? Do you want me to stop,” he asks tenderly, wiping the wet trail from the tears.

  “Just the opposite,” I say.

  “Then why are you crying?”

  “I don’t want this to change anything.”

  “But it already has,” he reassures me. “We’re better together. Don’t you see?”

  “I’ve wanted us back for so long, and my heart can’t take it anymore if you . . .”

  “Shh.” He pushes back my hair and kisses my lips. “I’m not going anywhere. You are my home. You’ve always had my heart, Sabrina Allesandra Kent. I love you.”

  More tears fill my eyes, blurring my vision of his handsome face. “I love you too.”

  Did we have sex last night? I mean really good, fantastic, mind-blowing sex?

  We did.

  And did I tell him I love him? My head hangs low over the kitchen counter as my hands grip the edge.

  I did.

  What the hell was I thinking? It’s too fast. I was caught up in the moment. The way his naked body felt against mine, the way he kissed me, and how he gave me multiples, making me forget where I was and who I was last night.

  I lift my head and stare into the backyard at Lily, who’s playing with Astra and the unicorns Spencer won her at the carnival. She’s having a tea party with her animals on the patio table. I made her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cut them into small squares. I watch her eat a square, then pretend to feed one to her stuffed animals. She’s been out there for the last hour and she’s so happy being surrounded by her favorite animals.

  Guilt consumes me, knowing I have to come clean with two lies. How do I tell Lily her dad didn’t die in a car accident? And how do I tell Spencer he has a daughter?

  “I need to tell her,” I whisper to myself.

  “Tell her what?”

  “Jesus!” I squeal, nearly jumping out of my skin. I turn around to see Spencer standing in the middle of my kitchen with a flower bouquet. “How the hell did you get in?”

  “The front door was unlocked.”

  “I must’ve forgotten to lock it this morning when you left,” I say.

  “These are for you.” He steps closer and presses a lingering kiss on my lips. My god, this man can kiss.

  “Thank you.” As much as I crave him and want to feel his body against mine, I push him back with my palm. “Spence, you can’t kiss me like that. Lily is outside.”

  “Are you going to tell her about us?” He tilts his head and juts his chin out the window. “Is that what you were whispering to yourself?”

  I turn to face the window, and we watch her for a few seconds in silence. “She’s my world, Spencer. Last night was amazing. It’s just that it was too fast, and I don’t want to confuse her.”

  “Confuse her or yourself?” he probes, his eyes narrow. “I meant every word, Sabrina. I love you and I’m not letting you go.”

  I skirt around him, pull out a vase from the cabinet, and fill it with water. I unwrap the flowers from the paper and place the vase in the middle of the table. I’m stalling as I fluff the flowers, not saying a single word.

  “Talk to me, Sabs,” Spencer’s smooth voice speaks up. He wraps his fingers around my wrist, stopping me from toying with the flowers. His simple touch, the small gesture as his thumb caresses over my racing pulse as if he’s trying to calm my nerves. God, he has no idea what I’m thinking. “What’s going on in the pretty little head of yours?”

  Last night is what storybooks are made of. Things I’ve watched on the Hallmark channel. When Spencer hiked Lily up on his shoulders as we walked around the carnival, bought her whatever her little heart desired, and spent too much money just to win the unicorn prizes so he would be the one who put a smile on her face.

  My gaze goes to the unfinished bag of popcorn and cotton candy on the other side of the counter that Lily called dibs on and the rolls of ticket prizes we didn’t get to redeem to play more games. Then the way she was cradled in his arms when he carried her upstairs into her room.

  Her daddy. His daughter.

  My thoughts are a jumbled mess as my chest goes tight and the lump in my throat goes dry. How do I come up with the excuse, the legitimate reason I didn’t tell Spencer about her? How do I bring up that Lily is his?

  Nonna’s words sift through my head.

  Spencer has every right to know. Let him decide if he wants to be part of her life or not. That should have never been left up to you.

  “Sabrina, stop. Please sit.” The deep timbre of Spencer’s voice is close to my ear. When I meet his blue eyes that mirror our daughter’s, I have to hold it down. I’m ashamed of the woman I am and the mother I’ve become. “You’re scaring me, sweetheart. Talk to me.”

  Fear, regret, guilt flow through me. When I open my eyes, tears fall down my cheeks and I don’t know how to stop them. “I told you last night I was afraid I was going to break your heart,” I choke out the words.

 
“Oh, baby, you’re breaking my heart just watching you cry, and I don’t know what to do.” He tucks my hair behind my ear, and I love the intimate gesture. “Please tell me what to do for you.”

  “Tell me, how are we going to work this out? You have a life in Los Angeles, and I have one in San Francisco? We both have careers and lives we can’t just drop for promises made during the heat of the moment.” The words are out before I can stop them, and I can see the hurt in his eyes.

  He rises to his feet and glowers above me as he paces the kitchen tile. “Is that what you’re calling last night? The heat of the moment? Do you think I regard last night as meaningless sex between two consenting adults? Give more credit than that, Sabrina.”

  “Well, your credit was shot when you had sex with me six years ago and I found out several weeks later you were engaged.” And I was pregnant.

  He drags his hands down his face. “Fucking Christ! How many times do I have to tell you I fucked up and I’m sorry?”

  “I didn’t mean to bring up the past. I’m sorry. That’s not exactly what I wanted to say.”

  “Then tell me, Sabrina. How did you mean it? Because last night, every word, every promise, every feeling was true. I love you.”

  I’m falling apart right in front of his eyes while he has no idea I’m holding onto a secret that could blow up and ruin us forever.

  “I lied to you,” I say.

  He stifles a chuckle. “Lied? About what? Last night? How you feel? I need specifics.”

  “I lied about everything, Spencer.”

  “So, when you told me you loved me last night, that was a lie,” he says, scratching the scruff on his chin.

  “I do love you. But I lied about so much more.”

  “I don’t get it. You love me and lied to me about what?” He takes in a deep breath through his nose. “What happened between this morning before I snuck out and now?”

  I stand and point out the kitchen window. “That little girl happened. Lily is what happened.” I take in a deep breath, hoping he picked up on the small clue.

  “And like I told you before, you and Lily are a package deal. Even though another man’s blood runs through her little body, I instantly fell in love with her. If I have to quit my job or ask for a transfer and live in San Francisco, I will do it. For you, for her, for us.”

  “You’re not listening to the words that are coming out of my mouth.” My voice raises, angry at him for not picking up any clues from what I am saying.

  “Oh my god, Sabs. Throw me a bone, will you?”

  “Lily is your daughter . . . you are her father!” I yell.

  Spencer’s eyes go wide, his mouth agape. The air is still except for Lily’s whispered cry, “Mommy, what did you say?”

  Spencer

  “Lily! Lily!” I scream her name, hoping she’ll come to the sound of my voice as I duck and weave through the forest. “If you hear me, say my name, sweetie.”

  The sun is going down, but not quite there yet. The hurt in my chest grows with every unanswered call for her. I can only imagine how scared that little girl is and hearing the news that I’m her father has got to be as shocking to her as it is to me.

  How could Sabrina keep this from me? From Lily? But I can’t think about that right now. I need to focus on getting my daughter back safely.

  My daughter.

  It sounds surreal. I’m a fucking dad. And the moment I find out, she’s gone, and I can’t breathe until I find her. Is this what it feels like to be a father?

  The moment the words were out of Sabrina’s mouth, Lily entered the kitchen with tears welling in her eyes and her lips trembling. It was like Lily’s whole world came tumbling down as she ran toward the backyard.

  At first, Sabrina must have thought Lily went back to the blanket where she was playing as I asked all the questions that would naturally play through my head.

  When did she know she was mine?

  Why did she keep it a secret all these years?

  Who else knows about me?

  But Sabs didn’t answer any of them, saying she needed to speak with Lily first. And that’s when we discovered she wasn’t where she thought Lily would be.

  I immediately called Callie, my parents, Grayson, Grady, and Grant to help with the search. Then they called whoever could help out. Some are on foot, in cars, four-wheelers, and golf carts searching the town’s streets. We are all scouring the small town of Sunnyville for a scared little girl holding onto a unicorn as her only comfort.

  Sabrina and I have been walking through the woods where we assume Lily ran toward. It’s been at least a couple of hours and not even a trace.

  “Honey, it’s Mommy!” Sabrina is about twenty yards to my left and my heart breaks for her. “Please, baby. If you can hear me, say my name.”

  I flick on the flashlight since the sun is about to go down. “Lily-pop!” I call out, using the nickname I gave her last night at the carnival when I bought the largest lollipop the candy stand offered.

  Maybe she’ll answer to her new name. Lily giggled every time I said it. God, what I would do to hear her laugh.

  “Buttercup!” Sabrina’s trembling voice has now become weak sobs. “Lily Marie Kent, answer me right this second!” she demands, but nothing.

  That’s what it has been like—sad, angry, anxious, a mix of emotional calls for her daughter. I make my way to her as I zigzag through the trees.

  I grab her wrist and pull her toward me and cup her face. Tears stream down her blotchy red cheeks, leaving black mascara trails. “We’re going to find her,” I say with confidence.

  “It’s all my fault,” she says, her dainty fingers wrap around my forearm.

  “It’s no one’s fault. If you want to blame anyone, blame me. I’m the one who made you feel like you couldn’t tell me in the first place. And when you did, I’m the one who kept asking questions, instead of you running after Lily.”

  “She must be scared, Spencer. I-I can’t think . . . what if she’s . . . oh my god, I can’t lose her.”

  More tears escape her red-rimmed eyes and stream down her face. I pull her into my chest and kiss the top of her head. “I am not going home until she is safe in your arms.”

  “I need my baby back.”

  “And you will get her back.”

  I take my cell out of my pocket and check the group text that Grant set up if anyone were to find her. There are messages of the places that were checked. The hospital, the playground, the park, even Hooligans. But nothing. Not a fucking trace.

  Sabrina

  With our hands linked, we trek further into the woods, only the large bright circles from our flashlights illuminate our path. We continue to call out her name, looking for anything that will give us any sign she passed through here.

  My heart hurts and worry grips my chest. I can’t breathe. All hope of finding her during the daylight deteriorates as the minutes tick by. She’s my life, my world, and I don’t know how to breathe without her.

  With every step we take, memories assault me. The way she felt in my arms. The smell of her strawberry scented hair. The way she picked off the pineapples from her pizza and popped them in her mouth like M&M’s. The way she giggled when Spencer called her Lily-pop. I think about her laugh, it’s contagious and I can’t help the smile that tugs at the corner of my mouth.

  Then I think about how cold it is out here as chills race up my spine. All Lily had on were denim shorts and a thin shirt.

  Spencer stops and turns to me. “How are you holding up?”

  “I’m holding up for her,” I say. But I am the complete opposite—tired and weak—but that will not stop me from looking for her.

  “Let’s rest for a bit,” he suggests.

  “No! We can’t stop, Spencer.” Is he crazy? I look at him as if he’s grown three heads. I’m not resting, not even for a second. “My little girl is cold and scared. Every minute that passes is a minute she’s alone.”

  “Listen to me. I understand how
you feel. I want to find her just as badly as you do. But you need to rest for a few minutes. You haven’t eaten, and we don’t have any water. So I know you’re dehydrated. So, please, baby. Conserve your energy because when we find her—and we will find her—she’s going to need you to be strong for her.”

  He’s right. I lean my butt on the trunk of a tree and hunch over, using my hands on my knees to hold myself upright. “I’m so sorry, Spencer.”

  “What are you sorry about?”

  “I should have told you when I found out I was pregnant. But I was scared.”

  “Scared of what? That I wouldn’t own up to my responsibility?”

  “Your responsibility? So are you saying I’d be getting a check in the mail to help with finances? Well, screw you, Spencer. That’s not the answer I was expecting from you.”

  “Woah.” He raises his hands. “What the hell just happened? You went from apologetic to batshit crazy. I was just saying I would take responsibility for my actions.”

  “She’s not some charity case, Spencer. She’s your daughter.” I run my hands through my hair. “You know what? Forget it. She’s my damn responsibility, not yours!”

  “And look where it got us. In the middle of the fucking woods.”

  “Fuck you!” I push off the trunk and pick up my pace as I brush past the trees and end up near a dirt road.

  “Sabrina!” Spencer calls out from behind me. “Damn it! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

  I quickly turn around and narrow my eyes. If I could, I would spit bullets at him for saying that to me.

  “So what did you mean? Go ahead and say it! I’m a horrible mother for telling my baby girl that her father died so she wouldn’t ask about him when she got older. That if she knew her father was alive, her next question would be why you didn’t love her enough to stick around.”

  “What the hell is wrong with you? Why for fuck’s sake would you tell Lily her father is dead?”

  “Because if you denied her, at least I painted a picture-perfect dad that would’ve loved her if he was alive.” I’m out of breath as I fall to my knees, plop on my ass, and my head hangs low. “Now, I don’t know where she is or if my Lily is alive.”