Finding Our Forever: Single Dad Romance (Stepping Stones Series Book 1)

by Laura Riley

  Is he paying me to break up with Lizzie? “Do you pay all her boyfriends off?”

  He shakes his head as if brushing off my comment. “The moment you pay the cash into your account you are under contract. Breaching the contract will mean the money will need to be paid straight back to me, with interest.”

  I mock-laugh. “What makes you think your money interests me?”

  Cole leans into me. His cheek briefly glides across mine. “I could make things very difficult for you, Seth. The mates’ rate rent I charge, doubled. The new business venture, gone. Your share in the company, dissolved. I’d be very, very careful if I were you. You do not want to make an enemy out of me.”

  He taps my cheek several times. I lean back to look directly into his eyes. Eye contact sometimes is more powerful than a brawl. It portrays complete and utter honesty and I’d rather him see my soul bleed than my nose. I hope my eyes speak a thousand truths that I’m too chickenshit to say aloud.

  I love her. I’m in love with her. I can’t, I won’t lose her. “Mate, we’ve been friends for over thirty years—”

  “I’ve told you already, I’m not your fucking mate.” His stare is dark, demonic. He’s so angry. There is more behind his anger than me sleeping with Lizzie. He takes a step back. “Don’t even think about repeating our little conversation to Lizzie. Remember we have no formal tenancy agreement; you are living in my house as a friend and paying me peanuts for the privilege. If you refuse to leave it will be considered breaking and entering and will be a police matter.”

  I flip Cole the finger. “Squatters’ rights, motherfucker.”

  “Good luck with that one,” Cole says, donning his imaginary cap and dipping his chin.

  Sarcastic piece of shit.

  Cole is fully aware of the law of the land. He can’t kick us out of our home, he knows it and I know it. But he’s drunk and he’s saying anything to gain control of the situation.

  “Give Ellie and Darcy my regards.” With that, he walks from the kitchen.

  The second the front door closes Darcy re-enters the kitchen.

  I’m ready for round two.

  I take a deep breath. “So, how much did you hear?”

  “Enough.” She opens a folded piece of card, the folded photograph, the one that Ellie has been guarding for the past twenty-four hours. Darcy glances at it before holding it up for me to see. The background is completely green, unedited. It’s a picture of Lizzie and I kissing. Ellie and Freja are lying on their stomachs on the floor, oblivious to what was happening behind them. Of course this was the picture Ellie selected. It’s what Ellie wants, Lizzie in our lives. Shit, it’s what I want.

  Darcy places the photo on the worktop behind me. “Anna only wants ten thousand pounds from you, and we get to keep Ellie. Think about what you could do with the rest of that money.” She reaches up, takes my jaw between her hands. “Tell me, Seth, is Lizzie worth more to you than fifteen thousand pounds?”

  This is a no-brainer for me. I know I’ve not been seeing Lizzie for long, and we aren’t even official, but no one can put a price on love, and I love the girl.

  Darcy’s eyes narrow when I don’t answer. “Is Lizzie worth losing your little girl forever? Anna could get full custody, take her to Australia and you’d never see her again.”

  I shake my head out of Darcy’s hold. “Anna’s bluffing, Darce. She’s been absent for all this time, courts won’t take her seriously.”

  “Are you prepared to take the risk?”

  Lizzie

  I’ve spent the day watching Netflix and making drinks for Rick and Dave whilst they fit the carpet upstairs. I recognised Dave the moment he arrived, the bald guy from the night out at the Golden Kite. He told me how he and the redhead hooked up that evening and are still together. I wanted to tell him about me and Seth, but news travels fast and I figure Cole should hear it from me.

  After binge-watching eight episodes of Mystery of Tess, it’s time to stretch my legs. I contemplate going for a jog, but not before checking my phone. I scoop it up from the coffee table and press the button, expecting to see a notification. Nothing. Just the time and my screensaver, a selfie of me, Amber and Chelsea.

  I texted Seth to see if he and Ellie got home okay after our morning together. He hasn’t replied. In fact, Seth hasn’t called or texted all day. I stare at the screen, willing a text, a call, something. I sign onto my social media account and find a message from my brother.

  Cole: Hi, sis, lost my phone. I’m home nursing the hangover from hell. I’ll come and see you tomorrow.

  Me: Are you okay? Where have you been?

  Cole: See you tomorrow.

  The green circle that tells me he’s online disappears. Strange, Cole is never short with me. I hope he’s okay. I make my way out of the lounge and head upstairs. Rick is sitting on the landing fitting the carpet, and Dave is assembling the wardrobe in my bedroom.

  Standing on the top step, I glance down at Rick. “I’m going to head out. Would you like a tea or coffee before I leave?”

  The floorboards creak as Dave appears in the doorway of the master bedroom. Dave nods but Rick shakes his head. His eyes are wide and it’s as though he’s trying to tell Dave something.

  Rick clears his throat. “No, thank you, we’re nearly finished. We will have a drink at the pub on the way home.”

  “Oh, that’s right,” Dave agrees, and winks at Rick. Clearly Dave has not yet mastered the art of being subtle.

  I fold my arms. “Okay, what’s going on?”

  Rick shrugs. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Rick.” My tone is sharp.

  Rick forces a smile. “All I know is that Seth wants to talk to you. He said it was important and he wants us to hurry up.”

  I purse my lips. “He said that?”

  He drops the carpet he’s working on and blows out as though I’m inconveniencing him. “His exact words were ‘hurry up and fuck off.’”

  “What could be so important he’d need to tell me in person?”

  “Shit, I don’t know, Lizzie. Give us an hour and we’ll be out of your hair.”

  I spend the next hour trying to watch another episode on Netflix, but instead watch the clock.

  Does he want to stop seeing me? What have I done wrong? He’s going to break up with me, I just know it.

  Memories of our time together flash in my mind, from the night out, the park and beach with Ellie, the auction, when we slept together. The past few weeks have been amazing. Now all of a sudden cold reality hits me that it could be all over. I look down at my phone and as I do a solitary tear escapes from the corner of my eye, the tiny droplet splashing on the screen.

  I have such a bad feeling bubbling up in the pit of my stomach. I can feel bile creeping its way to my throat, which I swallow down.

  After the longest sixty-eight minutes of my life, I hear movement. I spring up from the settee and meet Rick and Dave as they hurry down the stairs. I make my way into the hall and catch up with Rick just before he slips out.

  Rick doesn’t stop. He’s still pulling his shoes on when he pulls the front door open. He and Dave hurry out.

  I grab his sleeve. “Rick.”

  Halfway out of the door, he turns. “Seth is on his way. Now. I really must go.”

  My eyes go wide. I’m silently begging for an explanation. “Should I be worried?”

  He exhales. “Honestly, I have no idea, but he didn’t sound in a good place.”

  Rick looks at me, and I stand staring back. It feels as though he’s driven a knife straight through my chest and into my heart. He wiggles his arm free, and I release him.

  “I’m sorry, Lizzie, I’ve got to go. I have a pint with my name written all over it.” He smiles as though trying to lessen the growing tension between us.

  I close the door behind him and stand with my back pressed against it. Banging my head against the solid wood, I slowly slide my way down so that I’m sitting on the floor. I bend m
y legs up to my chest, wrapping my arms around my knees.

  I’ve been so excited about my bedroom and now it’s finally done, I couldn’t care less. All I can think about is how I’ve been floating on cloud nine and that cloud is slowly disappearing from under my feet and I’m about to fall.

  My ass stays firmly rooted to the spot. I never realised how thin the door was until now. Sitting in total silence, I can hear traffic, the sound of children laughing, dogs barking. I hear the slam of a door, shingle crunching underfoot until finally the doorbell rings.

  I don’t know if I want to move, I don’t know if I can move. I question if it’s better to live in my ignorance, in the reality where everything is fine between me and Seth. To live happily in the moment right before he’s about to break my heart.

  The doorbell rings for a second time. I wait, holding my breath, but sitting in limbo is purgatory. Not knowing is like a flesh-eating bug eating away at me. I stand, spin around and open the door.

  Tears forge tiny streams down my cheeks, and I’m scared to look at him. But the moment I do, the moment we make eye contact, he lunges forward, crashing his lips into mine.

  He walks forward, forcing me to walk back. I continue walking back until my back crashes against the kitchen worktop. His tongue is in my mouth, his hands are gripping my ass and he sits me on the cold surface.

  “Seth,” I moan into his mouth and pull away.

  His eyes are bloodshot, his lips are swollen. “Yes?” He pushes the material of my dress up, giving himself easy access.

  I tense as his hand nears my sex, and I push him back. “What the actual fuck? You’ve not contacted me all day. Rick says you have something you want to talk to me about. I spent over an hour thinking all sorts, thinking you were going to end it with me.”

  Seth’s eyes go wide, and he places his hand over his mouth. “Did you just say the F-word?”

  I frown. “No. Yes? Did I?” I shake my head. “Stop changing the subject. If this is break-up sex you can forget it.”

  He takes small, calculated steps towards me. Placing his hands on my thighs, he reaches right up to my underwear. He doesn’t attempt to reach in, nor does he withdraw.

  “No, Lizzie, I have no intention of breaking up with you. It’s not going to be easy, and we have a shit-ton of hurdles to get over, but in the end I see us, us and Ellie. I love you, Lizzie.”

  Tears fall again, though this time they’re tears of happiness. “I love you.”

  I take his hands in mine, pulling them so that they’re wrapped around my waist. His erection presses into my sex, and with my legs wrapped around his ass I pull him closer, needing him closer.

  I feel like I’ve been hit with a rush of adrenaline. I’ve never been so hungry for sex before. I push him back and slide down. I’m not gentle, I’m not shy. I grab the buckle of his belt, undo his jeans and yank them down. The head of his cock pokes out of his black boxers, which I also yank down.

  I’ve never performed oral on a man, it was always a no-go with Gary, but with Seth, I don’t even ask him. I work my hand up and down the length of him, feeling his velvety skin under my fingers. With my gaze focused on him, I drop to my knees.

  “Lizzie, you don’t have to—”

  I angle his cock so that it’s inches from my mouth. “Shut the fuck up.” I say, slowly licking the tip. It’s saltier than I imagined, and tastes a little of soap, making me think he showered before coming here.

  “I love it when you talk dirty.” He groans. Closing his eyes, he tilts his head back.

  His cock is thick, it’s long, it’s intimidating. For a beat the old Lizzie tells me not to do this, but I’m done being her. In the bedroom, I like this Lizzie better. And with that, I open my mouth and move slowly down, all the way down until I’m close to gagging.

  Okay, that’s my limit.

  I begin moving my head up and down, occasionally releasing his cock so that I can run my lips around the head. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I don’t care. I jerk him off at the same time he’s in my mouth, I massage his balls, I do everything our bodies are silently telling me to do. I can feel him harden even more, his hips begin undulating, and in no time at all his fingers are fisted in my hair and he begins moving my head quicker.

  “Fuck, Lizzie, I’m going to—” He pauses for a beat, his grip loosening in my hair. “Shit, I mean, you can stop now if you don’t want to.”

  I know what he’s asking, and I don’t want to stop. I grab his ass and I push myself to the limit, pushing past that gag reflex, taking all I can.

  This is the green light he’s been waiting for. His fingers tighten in my hair and he picks up the pace, forward and back. His cock is rock hard in my mouth. I can taste the saltiness of pre-come. He lets out one final groan before he explodes into my mouth, strong, confident squirts that I swallow.

  I glance up and he glances down. Slowly I rub the back of my hand over my mouth and get to my feet.

  I’m waiting for him to pull his trousers up. I figure now he’s come, it’s all over.

  I thought wrong.

  He turns me around, pushes my dress up so that it’s over my head. He pushes my knickers aside and begins rubbing his cock around my opening.

  He retreats. “Fuck.”

  I lift my head and peer round. “What’s wrong?”

  He points down. “I forgot the condoms.”

  “Oh.” Is one syllable really all I can say? I’ve never had sex without protection before. Sure, I’m on birth control, but I don’t want to take any chances.

  I smile, pointing above my head. “In the medicine cupboard, I have condoms in there.”

  Thank you, Amber.

  He slaps my ass. “Upstairs,” he demands.

  Laughing, I make my way to the stairs. I can hear his feet as he runs behind me. I make it to around the middle step when he grabs my waist. I turn, my ass landing with a thud.

  Seth is directly below. Taking my foot in his hand, he slowly kisses his way up my inner leg.

  “You don’t need these,” he says, reaching for my underwear, pulling them down. He throws them over his shoulder into the hallway. He buries his nose into my sex, then fucks me mercilessly with his tongue.

  Damn, this has never felt so good. My legs are shaking around his head. He stops and begins kissing his way up my stomach.

  “You don’t need this,” he says, pulling my dress up over my head. He kisses a path between the valley of my breasts, all the way to my ear. “You definitely don’t need this.” He lifts me up, releasing the fastenings of my bra, watching as my breasts fall free. With his finger rubbing my clit, he licks and sucks my nipple. “I want you to come for me, Lizzie.”

  He lowers his head back between my legs, his fingers dipping into me and his tongue licking and sucking my clit.

  “Seth,” I cry out. My body is on the cliff edge about to fall off when he suddenly retreats.

  He takes his sheathed cock in his hand. “I’ve got to be inside you. Now.” It isn’t the comfiest position, but he angles my legs up and pushes into me.

  “Oh, my God, Seth.”

  His thrusts are demanding, full of emotion. My desire matches his emotion and with my feet I pull him in, more and more. I want to take every inch of him.

  He grabs my ass. I wrap my legs around him. Still inside me, he carries me to my bed.

  He lowers me onto the mattress. “Time to christen this, baby.”

  I reach up, lasso my arms around his neck and pull him down, my nails ripping their way down his back. I want him, long and hard, I want him. The thought of losing him pushes me to the edge of insanity, stripping me of my inhibitions.

  We’re messy, we’re feral, we’re frantic and we’re perfect.

  Our lips lock. I can taste myself in his kiss like I’m sure he can in mine. He thrusts deeper, causing my body to shake uncontrollably. There’s a glint in his eyes, satisfaction, and we both ride the wave of my orgasm. When my body has no more to give, he tenses in my embrace a
nd his cock pulsates inside me.

  We stay as one for long minutes. He pulls out of me, pulls me to my feet and holds me. Our bodies are sticking together with the sweat we’ve accumulated with our sexathon, but I don’t care.

  “I meant it when I said I love you,” I mumble.

  “Me too.”

  I glance down, admiring his cock. The condom is hanging off, but I can see it’s done its job.

  “Just can’t get enough of my cock, can you?”

  I shake my head. “Nope, I love your cock.”

  He laughs. “I told you I’d ruin you, and I was right.” He kisses my forehead and leaves me to clean up. I jump on the bed, I don’t hide under the covers but lie on top of them. I want him to see me, every inch.

  The toilet flushes and I can hear him walk along the landing. His smile widens when he sees me. He doesn’t reach for his clothes. I lie on my side and he lies directly behind me. I can feel every inch of him and if I’m not mistaken, he has a semi.

  He’s stroking his fingers up and down my arm as we lie on my bed together and watch the shadows slowly move across the room. With my head now on his chest we just hold one another, love one another. We are one.

  I open my eyes; we must have fallen asleep. Dressed, Seth is sitting on the end of the bed. “I’ve got to go.”

  I sit up. “Ellie?”

  He nods. “Darcy sent me out to take care of something. I didn’t expect it’d take me this long.”

  I laugh. “And did you take care of it?”

  An expression skates across his features, and it’s one I’m unable to decipher. “I did, just not in the way that she’d hoped.” I don’t question him further. He stands and blows me a kiss. “See you tomorrow, beautiful.”

  Lizzie

  With a cup of hot chocolate in my hand I make my way upstairs. Finally, my first night in my own bed, in my room. I’ve placed the mug on my bedside table and I’m about to get in bed when the doorbell rings. I’m hoping it’ll be Seth for round two, but it’s nearly ten pm, he’ll be in bed with Ellie tucked up next to him.