Playing Pretend: A Single Dad Secret Baby Romance Read online

  “Anyway- after about an hour, my dad tells me that he and my step-mom are talking about getting married. Greg also didn’t know about it, but he immediately asks if he and his mom are going to live with us. They say they don’t know. He asks if he’ll have to change schools- they don’t know. He asks if he’ll still be able to see his friends- they don’t know that, either. Greg was really concerned over it all, and he stormed off to the bathrooms. My step-mom asks me what I think, and I asked her… did she really like my dad, or was she just marrying him for money? She said ‘no’, and that they weren’t marrying because they were in love- they were friends, and they were lonely. That was all. She would do the things with me that my mom couldn’t, but she’d never replace my mom.”

  “She’s a good woman.” Eric’s observation only pulled a half-hearted hum from me, and I reached to rub my face roughly. His rifling for a pan in the bottom cupboards filled the kitchen for a long moment, and I smiled grimly before speaking up again.

  “She’s my step-mother. I love her in a way- with a potency- that I couldn’t with my mom. She was there for me when I was being bullied, and when I was asked out by a guy. All in all, I could never understand why Greg turned out the way he did when she’s such a wonderful person. I guess, her husband left her for someone younger around the time my mom died, so… but- Greg himself was always… off. Since I first saw him, I never stopped thinking that I didn’t want to be in a room alone with him. When my dad invited him and my step-mom to live with us seven months later, I actually started locking my bedroom door.”

  “My dad said that it was just because we didn’t know each other, at first. I believed him, you know- because it’s plausible, and it’s probably attributable. After my dad and my step-mom got married a year later, I started noticing that my door would be unlocked, or my hairbrush wasn’t the way I’d left it.” My abdomen tightened, and a cold sweat broke out on my back as the hairs on the nape of my neck stood up. Staring intently at the tiled floor from under furrowed brows, I sucked up a shaky breath as the stove gave a few, faint clicks. “He’s a year older than me, and I could never prove he was in my room. My father believed me, to an extent, and started giving me more responsibilities at work to keep me out of the house. At one point, when I was 15, I only went home to sleep. One night, I woke up and Greg was standing over me… t- touching himself.”

  “Oh-h- my step-mom was mad. I’d never seen her get so mad. She slapped Greg across the face- she was that mad. She kicked him out and wouldn’t let him back for almost a week. She installed cameras in my room and in the hallway that only she had access to. My dad didn’t get into it because she had it handled- she’s a woman, so she can handle it better- whatever reason he had. I always thought that Greg was bitter because I had a good relationship with his mother, but he had virtually no relationship with my dad.” A dark shiver lodged between my shoulder blades, and I exhaled slowly and laced my fingers tightly. My chest constricted, putting a strain on my lungs and heart, and my clammy palms stuck together. “I felt like, even back then, moving out was a bad idea, but I wanted to try it anyway. So, I did… and Greg broke in and put two cameras in my bathroom and one in my bedroom. I called the cops because it was literally my second night there, and I had a feeling it was him because nothing was stolen…”

  “Seriously? How dumb is this guy?” The scorn in Eric’s tone rang in my ears, and I couldn’t help my lip twitching upwards or my huff of a laugh. “What did the cops do?”

  “They checked and found the cameras, but there wasn’t a way to tie them to Greg, so I couldn’t do anything about it. I talked to my landlord, and he told me that as long as he had access, I could put in a security system. About three months later, Greg showed up at my apartment and asked to talk. When I told him to go away, he told me that my dad hurt himself and was in the hospital. It was just to get me to open the door- I blocked his numbers and stuff from my phone- and he tried to get into my apartment. He kissed me- said he loved me and that he had for a long time- and I called the cops again. He ran away, and there wasn’t much they could do. That night, I got on the transcontinental. I took a couple of busses, and I ended up here.”

  “… He’s dangerous, Eric. He’s dangerous because he’s so… inconspicuous. Every girl he’s ever dated has said at some point that he kind of creeps them out for whatever reason, and they break up really quickly. I thought, initially, that he was just one of those guys that wanted to say they had sex with a virgin, but there’s no way he wouldn’t know I’m not one anymore. And, yet, he’s still after me.” My story came to an end as Eric shuffled over to the refrigerator, and I sighed heavily even while dense weights lifted from my shoulders. Reaching to run my hands through my hair, I closed my eyes and forced myself to take a deep breath. “When we went to that dinner, I didn’t know what to expect, so I wore a little makeup. There were bullies, you know- some girls told me my freckles were ugly, and it had an impact. So, Greg never knew I had freckles until the night he went to my apartment. He left me threatening voicemails, talking about how I’d lied to him for the past six years- how I was a fake slut, and I should be honored that at least he wanted me. I turned it off, got the one I have…”

  “Where did you live while you were working for Donald, Delainne?” Eric was loud- as if he’d only just thought to ask- and I lifted my gaze to meet his. “You were able to get that job, which means you had a mailing address.”

  “I lived in a cheap motel room. I wasn’t sure how long I’d be staying, and I do have money… but I don’t have enough to be a bum for a long time. It was close to the warehouse, and Donald was admittedly sympathetic. The people that run the motel were good, too, and they let me pay cash every other day since I didn’t know what was going to happen. I got a P.O. Box, and applied for the warehouse job, and then… I got told to fill in, and saw Greg, and met you, and that’s… that’s pretty much it.” Shrugging as Eric pulled out eggs and bacon, I cast him a slight smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “No one knows where I went- even my dad. I bet he’s worried- I bet Greg told him he’d search for me, and my dad looked at my debit card statement, and that’s how Greg found out I was here.”

  Eric

  An hour passed by on pins and needles before I found something to say to Delainne’s anecdote. I’d cooked and she’d eaten, and I’d even done the dishes before a thought popped into my head that somehow made it out of my mouth.

  “When I was overseas, I met a little girl that was married to a terrorist.” Talking about my time deployed sent a spear of discomfort lodging in my chest, and I inhaled a shaky breath. When I blinked, I could see that little girl’s beautiful, blue eyes shining out beyond her burqa. “She was, like 14. It was during my last tour, a few months after I found out Sasha was pregnant. I had nightmares about that girl for so long because she tried to run away from her husband- who was supposedly over the age of 50- and he tortured her on camera.”

  “Like, I was 25, and Sasha was 23 when she died. We’d fight about why she didn’t get another abortion, or what she expected of me. I wasn’t going to fuck my career up for her. I didn’t love her- I didn’t even really want to be with her. I wouldn’t have tried to have any sort of relationship beyond the necessary for Maggie if she’d lived. While I was overseas, she’d rail at me that I got her pregnant, and then I left her alone…” Scoffing lightly even as guilt soured my taste buds, I shook my head as I leaned on the counter in front of the stove. Delainne’s gaze bored into the side of my face, and I clenched and released my fists at the barrage of memories. “She literally ruined my life because, for some reason, she grew a conscience. Then, Sasha had the fucking audacity to die and leave me alone with this fucking mess.”

  “One of the last phone calls we had was right before a mission to raid this Jihadist stronghold. Sasha was crying, telling me everything was my fault- that she got let go from her job for being sick all the time. Pregnancy wasn’t kind to her. She screamed that she wished she’d gotten an abortion- that it
wasn’t worth it- that I was a fucking asshole for not giving her the old ‘I’ll disappear if you keep it’ speech… I fucking snapped.” Shame smeared my chest, making it hard to breathe, and a harsh bark of laughter forced from my tight throat.

  “I told her that she could’ve fucking listened to pretty much every one of her friends, her mother- me, even my parents- who all told her that keeping Maggie was a bad idea. We had sex a couple of times every eight or ten months, but that was pretty much the extent of it. I never hung out with her or anything. I told her that if she wasn’t such a slut or had realistic expectations, she wouldn’t be miserable and alone. In front of my entire company, I told Sasha that if she expected me to deal with her because of a decision she made, she could fuck off. Then, I hung up. The next time I heard about her was getting the call that she died of a hemorrhage. She bled to death giving birth to Maggie.”

  “I hated her for a long time. Like I’ve said before, she wasn’t a bad person- she was just immature and reckless. She didn’t think things through, and Maggie is the perfect example of that. I found out about a month after she died that she wanted to move in together- she had a checklist. She wanted to talk to me about taking a desk job, and we’d try to be the perfect, little family. She thought that because she got pregnant- not on purpose, I don’t think- that things would work out for us… that because she wasn’t trying to trap me or some shit, that it’d be fine.” Glancing over at Delainne’s stoic, unreadable expression, I offered a grim, sour sneer that strained the muscles in my neck. “The reason I bring up the little girl is because the mission I went on the next day was to her husband’s compound. I was so wound up and distracted because of Sasha that I shot that little girl and killed her. She had a gun, and my command swept it under the rug, but everyone knew she wouldn’t use it. She was so scared she pissed herself, screaming and crying- running at us without remembering she had a fucking machine gun in her hands. She wanted us to save her, and I shot her in the head instead…”

  “She died instantly. I suppose, in a way, I did save her somehow… but it doesn’t help. A couple of months later, I get the call that I’m being shipped home, and Sasha has died. Sasha’s mother offered to adopt Maggie, but I said ‘no’- I couldn’t go back after what I did. I took the transfer, the incident was resolved, and I decided that Maggie never needs to know what happened between Sasha and I. I’ll never talk about Sasha too much because the honest to God’s truth is that I really didn’t know much about her.”

  Now, my story had come to an end, and I caught Delainne’s somber, watery gaze steadily. We all had skeletons in our closets, and some were of our own doing. Six years had passed, but I think about that little girl sometimes. I think about the life she would’ve had to live if I hadn’t put a bullet between her eyes. She would’ve been shoved off to another terrorist or branded a traitor and killed or something.

  Killing her was a mercy, but that didn’t make me feel any better about it.

  “I have nothing to say to that, Eric.” Her voice was devoid of judgement, and I jerked my head in a nod as she sighed heavily. “I have no idea what you’ve been through, and I won’t pretend that I can sympathize. All I can judge you on is what I’ve personally experienced.”

  “… Tony told me that Sasha’s death was her own damn fault, and that I have every right to feel bitter and resentful to her. On a level, I do- I hate that she forced these choices on me… but, at the same time, I wouldn’t go back and give Maggie up if I had the option. She’s my daughter, and I love her despite how she came to be.” Truth rang in my ears, and I rolled my jaw absently as Delainne smiled small, warmly. “In a lot of ways, my life is better because of her.”

  “It’s not uncommon, that’s for sure.” The conversation tapered off, and I pushed myself off the counter’s edge to saunter towards Delainne. She automatically spread her legs, wrapping her arms around my neck and locking her ankles against the small of my back. Pressing her soft body to mine, my palm roamed her upper back, and my free hand tangled in her soft waves.

  “I’m going to fuck you until I can’t even remember who Sasha is, Delainne.” My grumble made her giggle in surprise, and I rested my forehead against hers; the blood that filled her face tinged my vision in rose, and I didn’t dare blink to ruin it. “Tony and Maggie are going to Grams’ house tonight for dinner, too, so I’m going to take you on a date, and I won’t give a single fuck about any sort of any drama.”

  “Did you and Tony plan this?” Hoisting Delainne off the counter, I grinned viciously at the sultry quality in her tone. Her creamy thighs tightened around my waist, and her breasts squeezed against my chest when she gasped in delight. “Eric-“

  “I need time with you without Maggie.” Finally smashing my lips on hers, I groaned at the electricity that skittered across my face. Delainne’s fingers tangled in my hair, and her calves flexed as she arched sharply. A weak twinge of guilt burrowed into my chest as I pinned her to the wall separating the kitchen and the living room, but I forced it down viciously.

  Grinding against her, I delved into Delainne’s mouth to tangle our tongues, and her moan tickled the back of my throat. Greed trembled my fingers as I rolled up her shirt, and the smell of her already wafted faintly into my nostrils. She didn’t wear any pants, but that was just fine with me as I hissed with need.

  My muscles burned, and my cock ached as it strained against my sweat pants. Groping Delainne’s breasts, I squeezed to swallow her moan, and I tore my mouth from hers. Her smell fuzzed my mind as I licked and sucked my way downward, and she arched with a sharp gasp that tickled my ears.

  “Eric-c…” Relishing her moan when I clamped down on her rosy, tight nipples, I reached between us to stroke her outside her cotton panties. Delainne sputtered musically, and I rolled her throbbing peak between my teeth as she shoved her hands down my pants. Soft fingertips caressed my length, and a hard shudder wedged between my shoulder blades.

  “I fucking cannot get over how good you smell, Delainne.” Panting harshly, she blushed furiously at my appreciation, and I shoved my nose between her breasts to inhale sharply. Grabbing her ass cheeks in eager palms, I made my way back towards the stairs, and she pumped my cock with needy whimpers.

  Delainne

  “Would it be better if I went on birth control?” Propping myself on my elbows, I rolled my lips between my teeth as Eric rolled the condom expertly down his shaft. He cast me a quizzical look, shrugging before he climbed between my open legs. “You know- so we don’t have to stop so you can put a condom on?”

  “You’ve never been on it, right? Do you want to deal with all the hormone shit?” Grumbling a feeble ‘I don’t know’ at that question, I caressed Eric’s muscular sides and back as he braced his palms on either side of my head. “Honestly, it’s a bad time to ask.”

  “I thought guys hated using condoms-“

  “Delainne…” Reaching between us to swipe his protected head against my slit, Eric cut me off as waves of pleasure swept up my torso. His harsh sigh warmed my cheek and neck, and he smirked slightly before poising himself at my entrance. “As glad as I am that you’re trying to be considerate, I want you to just start screaming my name, okay? Nothing else.”

  “What if I start screaming my name?” Giggling as the pensive expression Eric cast down on me, I shuddered and gasped when he eased the head of his length past my entrance. He arched a brow, and I grappled at his shoulders as my abdomen twisted with need. “Er-r-ic! Oh-h…”

  “That’s what I thought.” The smug reply followed a huff, and Eric caressed my cheek as he slowly thrust. My breath caught as he stretched my walls, his way eased by my slickness, and I dug my nails into his sides. “Scream my name, Delainne.”

  Reaching deep inside me, Eric ground his hips against my own, and I writhed at the pleasure that attacked my spine. His thick length caressed my walls, and he covered my mouth with his to steal my breath. Arching into his powerful chest, I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist, and he grip
ped my butt hard before pulling back.

  “Oh-h-h, God-“ Moaning loudly, I clamped down on Eric’s dick as he surged deep into my channel, and his groan echoed around the room. Blood beat against my ear drums, and I gasped in pure rapture as he pinned me harder against the bed. “Hard- hard- please, Eric…!”

  “Fucking tight…” The breathless strain in his tone resonated through my entire body, and I couldn’t stop the snap of the tension in my abdomen. Stars popped behind my shuttered lids, and I ground my teeth hard as I curled to make myself as small as possible. He gasped, sucking the heat from my skin, and cold prickles swept up my torso.

  “Good- it’s so good-“ My squeak wiggled out from behind the lump in my throat before Eric thrust in earnest. He grunted with the force of his movements, his hips slamming into mine with a resounding slap. Pulling my hair taut, he dropped down to his forearm to capture my lips in a sweet, mind-bending kiss.

  “I just realized- if you want to get on birth control, that means you want to stay with me.” Eric’s low murmur stiffened the fine hairs on my cheeks, and my heart stuttered against my ribs. “Do you want to stay with me, Delainne?”

  “Can I answer after?” Desperation flooded my veins, and I shivered when Eric kissed down my jaw. His length throbbed in sync to the furious beating of his heart, and he pulled a weak gasp from my tight throat. White, straight teeth nibbled at my ear lobe, but I couldn’t gasp before he spoke up lowly, slowly.

  “I won’t forget.” Taut, warm flesh slipped under my fingertips, and I gasped harshly when Eric dipped his hips to ease into my channel. His lips scorched my neck, and he fisted my hair tightly. “Ah-h-h fuck…”

  “Yes-s-s-s Eric! Eric!” The euphoria of Eric atop me- inside me- doing things to me that no other man had ever done, flooded my system. Trembling from the force of my orgasm, I flexed my toes wildly as he rocked back on his knees. Moans wrenched from my throat as I clenched around his length, and his own groans became louder and rougher. “Eric- I’m cu- c- I-“