Page 35 of Reckless Single Daddy

I capture her lips with my own as we continue, unwilling to break our kiss and our iron grip on each other. She tugs my hair hard as she bounces atop me, fully embracing this domineering side I had no idea was even in her.

I flip us over again, grasping her waist and driving into her harder, placing her legs above my shoulders so I can go as deep as I can. Moans start flooding out of her once more, and I cover her mouth again to muffle them. They’re music to my ears, but probably not to everyone else in the house, certainly not her own family. My lips and tongue run down her neck before finding her chest. She arches her back, allowing me to take her nipples in my mouth one at a time. I make sure to lavish a great deal of attention on every part of her breasts. I want her to look in the mirror tomorrow and see the proof of how much I desire her.

Our need for release works itself into a frenzy. Her legs wrap around my waist as she flips us over once more, giving me the best view I could ask for as I see my marks on her, my loving ministrations all over her breasts. A few more franticmovements, and we reach the height of our pleasure together, both of us shuddering as we do our best to keep the volume low.

Coming down from that high is tough. We both seem to come to the sobering realization that we resolved nothing, and the fact that this seems to be a never-ending cycle between us is clearer than ever. Still, even if all our sexual encounters have been ignited by some type of anger or frustration, this is by far the best sex I’ve ever had. And based on Sloane’s collapsed posture and almost comically blissed-out expression, I think it’s safe to say the same for her.

We lie naked next to each other on the bed, trying to bask in an uneasy afterglow as we stare up at her popcorn ceiling.

“I’m sorry,” I finally whisper, and she looks over at me, realizing what I’m apologizing for. “This isn’t the guy I want to be.”

In truth, I don’t know who this person is. This isn’t the Cade Hart I was ten years ago. But a lot happened in those ten years that I haven’t come to terms with, and it’s starting to catch up to me. Now I’m taking it out on Sloane. If this is going to work between us, I think it’s time I’m finally honest with myself.

Before I can say anything else, Sloane speaks up. “I was in rehab,” I hear her whisper, so quietly that I barely hear her.

I look over at her. She’s back to looking up at the ceiling. Maybe she thinks it’ll be easier to get the words out if she isn’t looking at me.

“I was struggling with getting my work out there in college, and my mental health took a nosedive,” she continues. “I started drinking and going out a lot. Developed shitty coping skills for dealing with the pressure, you know?” She finally looks over at me, her eyes glassing over with unshed tears. She shakes her head, looking down at a random part of my shoulder to distract herself from her painful words. “My parents wanted me to come home after my stint at rehab, and I told them no. I didn’t want Rose Valley to see me as some failure because I couldn’t hack it in the city. So I stayed away.”

I shift to take her in my arms, pressing her closer to my chest so she knows that this doesn’t change how I feel about her in any way. I feel a stab of guilt for how I treated her the first night she got here. If I had known all this, maybe that night at O’Malley’s would have gone differently. Yet, I want to believe if that night didn’t turn out as it did, perhaps we wouldn’t be here.

That still doesn’t excuse the fact that I said many things at O’Malley’s that were wrong, looking back. I allowed myself to get so caught up in my feelings that I didn’t care about hers. I made assumptions about her, accusing her of being neglectful of her family when the real reason she stayed away was because she didn’t want them to see her as a failure.

I’m beginning to see that there is a troubling pattern here with our relationship. We simply can’t be vulnerable enough with each other, feeling like we can’t share our innermost selves because losing each other would be too painful. Now that Sloane has revealed one part of herself with me, it’s my turn to work on opening up to her if we’re going to stick together.

“This doesn’t change how I feel about you,” I tell her softly.

She nods against my chest, and I press a kiss to the top of her head. “I just felt so lost back then, and before coming here, I could feel myself falling back into that dark place,” she says before looking up at me again. “You’ve helped me forget that, and maybe it’s a distraction, but it’s been a welcoming one. But this letter, this stalker… they want something from me, and I’m scared that I’ll fall back into that dark place again,” she finishes, her voice shaking a little.

I tighten my hold on her and shake my head. “I will not let that happen, Sloane. You have me now, and I refuse to let this person cause you any problems,” I tell her firmly, and that is a promise. “Focus on your work, and let me take care of the rest.”

“And what about you?” she asks, looking up at me.

I look away, knowing what she means by that. The letter mentioned having information on my past, and it isn’t something either of us has forgotten. And I plan to tell her, but right now, I want to focus on her. But with every minute Ispend with her, I’m beginning to see that I can be open with her, especially now that she’s opened up to me.

I can see the real progress and growth we’re making. We’ve come a long way since our messy first night together. Our relationship isn’t perfect by any means, but we’re learning to communicate and open our hearts, allowing each other to see our most vulnerable parts. It’s definitely a slower process for me, but I can feel myself getting there with each passing moment I spend with Sloane.

For now, I’ll just enjoy being in this one.

Chapter sixteen

Sloane

It’s Thursday afternoon, and yes, I made it to my fitting. Mia was very pleased to hear it. She hasn’t asked me any questions about Cade or about the stalker, either, thankfully. She’s probably too busy with the wedding, which is one good thing. It means my drama isn’t causing as much of a distraction as I thought. That isn’t to say I haven’t been slacking on my duties, because I definitely have, but it just means that the things I am missing are still getting done without me there.

It sounds bad when I put it like that, but either way, it seems like Mia has let up on her frustrations with me despite how warranted they are. I know if the roles were reversed, I wouldn’tbe happy with her flaking on me, either. But now I’ll really try to make an effort where I can. I know I keep saying it, but this time I mean it.

That isn’t the only thing that’s been weighing on me. What Mike said about Cade’s past lingers in my mind like a stain that refuses to go away. I know Cade has a hard time letting people in, but as his supposed partner, you would think he’d be willing to talk to me. But it still feels like whenever we get close, he continuously pulls away. I know it will take time—it isn’t lost on me that some people move slower than others—but I can’t help the feeling that I’m not getting the real him.

Sometimes, it feels like I’m getting the boy I knew growing up, while other times I’m getting the more sophisticated yet rugged and manly version of the boy I grew up with. Then there are the times I’m getting billionaire Cade, who is the complete opposite of either guy I once knew, and then getting a completely different man entirely, who may as well go by a different name.

Who is Cade Hart? I deserve to know who the man I’m falling for is.

Yes, it’s becoming more and more apparent. I’m falling for him despite not even really knowing who he truly is. It’s like he’s trying to be every version of himself that he thinks I want him to be in specific moments, but that isn’t the case. I just want him to be himself, true and authentically real. Is that so hard? And if so,why?

I sit at the kitchen island, waiting for Mike to show up. He texted me earlier that the police may have gotten a tip about my stalker, which is great. Only, because the stalker clearly knows where I live, Mike thinks staying with Cade for the night is the best option. Mike wouldn’t go into details about what the exact plan is to catch said potential suspect. He just said that tonight, I’d be safer elsewhere. He also moved my parents to his house, so hopefully we will know more after tonight.

My phone chimes, and I look at it to see Mia’s name pop up on the screen. I wonder if Mike told her about what was happening tonight. I’m sure he didn’t tell her any more details than he told my parents and me, but I wonder if she even knows something is going on.

---