Chasing the Moon: A Second Chance Standalone Romance

by S. M. Soto

  “Do you love Mommy?” she asks out of the blue as I’m flipping a pancake. I decided on chocolate chip for her and blueberry for Selene and me. As I’m flipping the pancake, it splatters, making a mess. I clear my throat, glancing back at my daughter.

  Lowering the heat, I cross my arms over my chest. “What makes you ask that?”

  She shrugs, sneaking a chocolate chip into her mouth. It’s obvious this isn’t the first she’s eaten. The chocolate stains at the corner of her mouth give her away. “Because Uncle Landon said you’re a blind fool.”

  “You’ve been listening in on an awful lot of conversations.”

  “Old people talk an awful lot,” she parrots back, surprising a laugh out of me. “So do you?”

  I grin down at my daughter. “How can I not?”

  She smiles mischievously. I can just imagine what she’s plotting in her head over this news.

  When we finish up with breakfast, I let her eat before we plate Selene’s food. Luna demands she bring her mom the biggest glass of orange juice, and I let her because I’m a sucker for this little girl, though I’m hoping like hell she doesn’t spill it.

  As soon as I open the door, I notice Selene is already stirring in bed. She stretches her arms over her head lazily, causing her nightshirt to expose her midsection. Her skin there is creamy and perfect, just calling to me. She blinks the sleep from her eyes, an adorable frown appears on her brow, and she sweeps her hair out of her face when she spots me and then looks down at the tray of food I’m holding.

  “What’s all this?” she asks, her voice raspy with sleep.

  “Breakfast in bed.” I set the tray on the bed as she pushes herself upright against the headboard. Her chocolate waves tumble around her shoulders, and Jesus, the way the sun is shining through the bedroom windows, casting a warm glow across her skin, she looks fucking perfect.

  Closing the distance between us, I run the pad of my finger along her shoulder, smirking when her breath hitches, and a shudder wracks her body at the soft touch. Leaning in, I press a kiss against her lips, soaking in as much of her as I can before Luna comes in with that juice.

  I rest my hands on the top of the headboard, caging her in as I stare down at her. Unable to help myself, I dip my head down, and through the thin T-shirt she’s wearing, I find her breast and take her nipple into my mouth, sucking through the material. She lets out a sharp gasp, her hands going straight to my head.

  Placing one last lick over the hardened peak, I look down at my handiwork and feel my cock twitch in my pants. I can see her pink nipple peeking through the material of her shirt, just begging for more attention.

  When I hear the sound of soft footsteps, I back away, leaving a safe distance between us, relishing in the flush of arousal coating Selene’s cheeks. Luna appears through the doorway soon after, footsteps slow and sure, concentration written all over her face as she keeps her gaze trained on the glass of juice she’s holding, trying not to spill any.

  “Morning, Mommy! We made you your favorite for breakfast.”

  Selene laughs, staring down at Luna with a softness in her eyes that makes me want to kiss her senseless. The love she has for our daughter is the purest thing I’ve ever witnessed in my life.

  “You guys really did all this for me?”

  “Yup! And guess what else?” Luna grins at me and then her mom. “My daddy said he loves you.”

  Selene’s eyes widen.

  Those plump lips part, her gaze shooting to mine with questions written all over her face.

  I look up at the ceiling, holding back a smile.

  So my daughter has a big mouth. That’s good to know.

  Gripping the bottle of my beer by the neck, I lean against the pillar of Gavin’s house on the porch, watching Selene play with Luna. It amazes me how good she is with her. I know it’s her daughter, but some people aren’t meant to be parents. They don’t share a bond with their child like Selene does with Luna. It’s the most beautiful and pure-hearted thing I’ve ever witnessed.

  The screen door shuts softly behind me, and when I glance over my shoulder, the corners of my mouth tug up. Gavin settles next to me on the porch, his gaze riveted to his daughter and granddaughter.

  “Beautiful pair, aren’t they?” I nod my acquiescence. “You’re a lucky man, End. Don’t take it for granted.”

  Taking a pull from the bottle, I shoot a glance at him. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  That seems to make him happy because he smiles. The bags under his eyes are dark, like he hasn’t been sleeping much, and the hollows of his cheeks are starting to make his face look thinner, gaunter. The sight is a punch to the gut.

  “How are things going so far? How does Luna like the place?”

  I take the seat next to him, setting my empty bottle beside me. “It’s been going well. Luna loves it. Swears it’s the best bedroom she’s ever had, but she somehow still finds her way into our bed every night.”

  Gavin laughs. “Sounds like her.”

  “Selene seems to be happy, but I know she’s worried. She doesn’t like being away from you guys.”

  Gavin glances at me, a sad smile pulling at his lips. “That doesn’t surprise me. She’s always quick to worry about everyone else but herself. Even as a kid, she was the same way. More empathy toward everyone else’s needs but her own.”

  I avert my gaze, watching Selene lie in the grass with our daughter as they catch their breath.

  “I can see that being true.”

  Gavin shifts beside me, and when I hear the sound of paper crumpling, my brows dip, and I shift toward him with a questioning glance.

  “Give this to her for me, will you?” Gavin says, passing off an envelope and a small box to me. I glance down at it, feeling a pit enter my stomach. It’s a plain white envelope on the outside, but on the inside, it’s the very thing that has the potential to break Selene. It’s going to hurt her; whatever it is he’s written in there. I want to say it’s too soon. He doesn’t need to give this to me yet, but when I look back up at him, I see how tired he is. His agony is only beginning.

  I clear the sudden thickness blocking my throat. “Yeah, I can do that. When do you want me to give it to her?”

  He watches his daughter, her carefree laugh floating around us. It’s scary that just in a few shorts months or weeks, that sound will dim when Gavin loses his battle with this sickness.

  “You’ll know when to give it to her. You’ll know when she needs it most. Hang on to it until then. And just…” He trails off, rubbing at the back of his neck like he’s suddenly uncomfortable. This isn’t our norm. This isn’t what our friendship was like over the years, and it’s obvious he’s struggling with this new line of friendship and the man who is now in his daughter’s life. “Just take care of her. Selene has waited her whole life for a love that sweeps her off her feet. One that rivals the mythology written about goddesses of the cosmos; one that is all hers. Don’t deprive her of that, please.”

  Pressure builds in my nose, and I nod, setting my jaw in a hard line, working to control the sudden bout of emotion burrowing into me.

  “I promise.”

  After we say our goodbyes to Gavin and Cece, we head home, and by the time I pull Luna out of her car seat, she’s out cold, her little mouth gaping, fatigue written all over her face. Selene is unusually quiet, even after she gets Luna cleaned up and put in bed.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  She climbs onto the bed in one of my T-shirts. She’s taken to wearing them to bed instead of her own pajamas, and I’ve never seen a more beautiful sight. Her perfect body encased in my clothes that drown her small frame—I fucking live for it. Something that is inherently possessive when it comes to this woman loves it.

  Sliding under the sheets, she shifts her body toward mine, tucking her hands beneath her cheek. “Just thinking about my dad. And my mom.”

  “What about them?”

  “I’m worried about my mom. How she’s going to
handle dealing with this on her own? And my dad…I-I guess I still haven’t come to terms with all of this. I can’t imagine a world where he isn’t here with me.”

  Reaching out, I sweep the pad of my thumb across the freckles dotting her skin. She’s perfect. “I get that. This isn’t going to be easy, but I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

  She smiles while her eyes simultaneously glass over. “You’re a bit of a rare find. You know that?”

  I smirk. “That’s what they tell me.”

  She laughs under her breath, nudging me in the shoulder. I catch her wrist, splaying open her palm and caressing her cold fingers. “More of that, babe.”

  “More punches? Gladly.”

  “More of those carefree smiles, Selene.”

  Her smile tapers off, and something warm enters her eyes. Scooting closer, she wraps her arms around my neck, drawing her body against mine. I relish in her warmth, the feel of her curves pressing into me, like pieces of a puzzle I never knew I was missing.

  “Did you mean what you told Luna this morning?” I nod, searching her gaze, trying to read her innermost thoughts. There’s an adorable frown marring her face. It’s a hint of disbelief. “How can you be so sure?”

  “You’ve carried my child. You’ve raised her into this beautiful, sweet little human that I’ll forever be thankful for. There’s no way I can’t love you.”

  She smiles, but there’s a sadness behind it. At times, she’s the easiest person to read, her thoughts written on her face. She wears her heart on her sleeve, just like now. For whatever reason, what I said makes her sad, and I can just imagine why.

  “I don’t just love you because you gave me Luna. Even if she weren’t in the picture yet, I’d have no other choice but to love you, Selene. You’re the one pure thing in this town. You’re the bright light I’ve been searching for my whole life. I just didn’t realize you were right there under my nose all along. I was too blind to see it then, but I’m not now.”

  Her mouth opens, then closes, like that of a gaping fish, as she tries to string together a sentence. It draws a chuckle out of me. “I know this feels fast, but I know what I want. And I want you. Always.”

  “I’ve waited years to hear those words fall from your lips, Endymion Black.”

  She presses her lips against mine in the sweetest kiss that hits me square in the chest. I roll her body on top of mine, gripping the hem of the shirt and peeling it over her head. Her round tits press against my chest when she leans back down to kiss me again. My tongue tangles with hers. With sure movements, Selene works my briefs down my legs, exposing my cock, and I work my jaw back and forth to refrain from groaning when she strokes me from root to tip. She presses her heated center over my cock, and even through the thin material of her panties, I can feel how wet she is. The damp cloth clings to her drenched pussy.

  Gripping her hips with one hand and the other going to her lower back, I sit upright with her. She gasps, hands flying to my shoulders for support. Our eyes lock, and I slide one hand between us, rubbing her clit through her panties, enjoying the way her hips swivel in time to the motion. She traps that bottom lip between her teeth, and I just about lose it.

  I slide her panties to the side, and Selene positions herself by holding on to my shoulders and lifting herself up, so we are both sitting. She then wraps her legs around me as I press the head of my cock inside her wet heat. Her nails dig into my shoulder as she lowers herself onto me. We hold our breath as my cock spreads her inch by inch. Holding the globes of her ass tightly, I thrust my hips against her, fucking into her. I drive inside with long, hard strokes that are no longer gentle. My movements are punishing, searing, as if I’m marking myself inside her physically to match what she’s already done to me emotionally. We’re at eye level like this, and I pull back the slightest bit to get a better look at her. She bites her lip to contain her moans, so she doesn’t wake Luna, but it’s futile. They’re growing louder and heavier each time my cock is completely inside her, pressed to the hilt. Each time I squeeze her ass and pull her onto me, hitting her throbbing, already sensitive clit with the movement, she chokes, and her nails pierce my flesh.

  “You’re fucking perfect,” I groan, as I bury my hand in her hair, tugging on the strands gently to bow her body into me. She lets out a groan that almost has me spilling my load too soon.

  “God, Endymion. Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

  “Never,” I whisper into the crook of her neck, grinding my cock inside her. I reach between us and stroke her clit until she’s a quivering mess in my arms. When her pussy clamps around my cock, milking me, I make sure to watch her face. Her lips part, and the sexiest expression overcomes her as she rides out her orgasm. It’s one I realize I can watch for the rest of my life and never tire of it.

  “Why can’t you come with us, Mommy?” Luna whines, as we get her buckled in the car. I blow out a heavy sigh.

  “Because I have to work. You’ll have fun with your dad and your cousin at the zoo. You won’t even know I’m gone.”

  She frowns. “Yeah, I will.”

  I shake my head, biting back my smile. “I don’t think so.”

  “But I will.”

  I hear Endymion chuckling behind me, and I grin down at my sweet girl. “Be a good girl, okay?”

  “Okay, Mommy.”

  When I close the door, Endymion pulls me into his arms, pressing a hot kiss to my lips that travels all the way down to my toes.

  “You don’t have to go to work, you know. I can take care of us just fine.”

  My lips thin, and I shoot him an unpleasant look. “Nuh-uh, mister. We’re not doing that. I’m not going to move in with you and suddenly quit everything in my life and let you take care of me. I’ve been working since college, and I’m fine doing it now.”

  He sighs, clearly not happy with the decision. “That was different, Selene. You don’t need to work there anymore.”

  “But I do! If I ever want to open my own business again, I’ll need to have money to do that. Money I will not take from you, understand me?”

  He raises his hands, but I can see he doesn’t agree. He’s only dropping the subject for now to appease me. “All right. I get it.”

  “Thank you.” I press one last kiss to his lips before I walk toward my car.

  He’s taking Luna to the zoo today with his parents and his sister. She’ll get to play with her cousin, something she’s been begging to do for the past two weeks. I’m a little disappointed I’ll miss it, but I’ve been to the zoo with her plenty of times. It’s only fair Endymion gets to experience this with her, too.

  Things with Freya, his younger sister, and I still aren’t the best, but she has warmed up to me a bit more since the barbecue at their parents’ house. I mean, I get it. This is her brother, and she’d do anything to protect him. If someone hurt him or, in my case, kept his daughter a secret from him for years, there is no way she wouldn’t be upset or hate that person.

  At work, I wait tables alongside Julia. It’s a Saturday night, so we’re a little busier than we are during the week, but it’s nothing we can’t handle. I’ve been on my feet for the last three hours, and I’m in need of a break. There’s an incessant ache at the soles of my feet that is absolutely killing me.

  “How can you look so exhausted, yet look like you’re glowing at the same time? I don’t get it.”

  I roll my eyes at Julia as I refill drinks at the fountain machine. “I’m not sure what kind of compliment that’s supposed to be.”

  She’s getting the tab ready for one of her tables when she shrugs, shooting me a grin. “Not so much a compliment, but it is a segue into my next question. How hard is he banging you? I mean, you moved in fast. Is Endymion Black as good as they say?” She waggles her brows, and I frown.

  “If you haven’t already noticed, I don’t like hearing how many others in this town think he’s ‘good,’ and excuse me, I moved in with him because I love him, Jules. We have a daughter together
, and we’re trying to be a normal family.”

  Julia laughs. “Ah, so he is as good as they say. You lucky bitch. No wonder you’re glowing. He’s probably banging you into next week.” A laugh bursts from my chest because she’s not far off. “Moving on from your Greek god, I want to show you something.”

  Julia pulls out her phone, scrolling through the photos until she lands on one in particular. My brows draw in. “What is this?”

  “So, I know this might be a bit premature, but I noticed this space is on the market. It’s downtown on Alpine, which means it’s right in the middle of everything. It would be a great place for a business, you know, if you were considering starting over here.”

  Taking the phone from her, I inspect the picture, nibbling on my bottom lip. She’s right. The space itself looks great, from the photograph, at least, and if I was considering opening another store, I’d want to do it somewhere with enough traffic to keep the business afloat.

  “I don’t know, Jules. I feel like there is so much happening right now. What if I’m never in a good place to open Moonchild again?”

  With a grin, Julia wraps her arm around me, tugging me into her side. “You’re my best friend, Selene. You can do whatever the hell you want as long as you put your mind to it, and I have no doubt that Moonchild will be up and running soon.”

  Unexpected tears sting the backs of my eyes. “I love you to pieces. You know that, right?”

  Her lips twist ruefully. “You better.”

  Just as she’s tucking her phone into her apron, her expression falters at the sound of the bell chiming, indicating we have new customers. I follow the trajectory of her gaze, and my own smile tapers off.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take their table.” Julia pats me on the butt, heading toward Holly and a few of her friends. She’s always willing to slay my demons for me. Holly’s gaze clashes with mine, and I swear I see sparks of hate ignite there. I square my shoulders and look away, focusing back on the task at hand.

  Dealing with Endymion’s former flames will be the hardest part about staying here in Dunsmuir. I’ll never not run into Holly. There’s so much I want to say to this woman—hell, I’d like to slap her across the face for calling my daughter a bitch—but I need this job, and I won’t let her be the reason I lose it. End and I agreed we’d do that together, and I need to respect that. I make an effort to ignore her while she eats her meal, and Julia makes sure she handles that side of the diner.