Prodigal Son: A Sexy Single Dad Romance: Book 2 in the Marked Men 2nd Generation Series (The Forever Marked Series)

by Jay Crownover

  She chuckled softly and gave me a sexy look through her long eyelashes as her lids dropped halfway. “You can come first. Didn’t you say I could follow you?”

  I did, but I didn’t mean while we were in bed together. In this instance, I wanted her to come first, so she knew I was devoting everything I had, every skill I possessed, all my attention to making her feel as good as she made me feel.

  I took the hand from her breast and put it along the side of her neck. I squeezed with enough force to bring her head down to mine. I dragged her mouth to mine and used my teeth on her bottom lip. As soon as our tongues collided, I felt her body convulse around mine and let her completion trigger my own. Instead of anyone leading or following, we came together, and it was enough to suck all the air out of my lungs and blow every single thought from my head. My dick flexed, and my hips lifted off the bed, involuntarily seeking more heat and pleasure.

  I growled her name, and felt my body tighten up as she drew every last drop of passion and satisfaction from within me. A second later, she collapsed on top of me in a boneless heap. Her eyes drifted closed, and her curly hair stuck to my damp chest and the side of my neck. It should’ve felt claustrophobic and gross, but it didn’t. There was something comforting about lying together in the aftermath, tired and so satisfied it felt impossible to think straight.

  Remy giggled and rubbed her cheek against my chest like a cute little cat. “I guess that’s one way to keep your mind off your kid for a couple of hours.”

  I blinked in surprise, and lifted a hand to comb through her tangled curls. Until she mentioned it, I didn’t realize I hadn’t worried or agonized over being separated from Hollyn all night. Now that the sun was just starting to peek up over the mountain range in the distance outside her massive window, I started to feel a bit guilty for having a one-track mind.

  “Doesn’t that make me a terrible father?” I asked the question toward the ceiling with a sigh. “I’m not supposed to let anything distract me from being her dad, but I did. All I could think about was you.”

  Remy hummed and pressed her lips against where my heart was resetting within my ribcage. “Just because you’re a dad doesn’t mean you’re dead. You’re allowed to think of other things when you know your daughter is safe and sound. She’s allowed to be the center of your life, but she shouldn’t be the entirety of it. With a little more practice, you’re going to be a great father, Hyde. Just like your dad. You really couldn’t ask for a better role model.”

  I sighed and shifted so I could drop a kiss on the crown of her head. She kept telling me she wasn’t the one to go to for parenting advice, but she was surprisingly insightful.

  “He is the best dad anyone can ask for, but I don’t know that I was a very good son. He and my mom sacrificed a lot for me; they fought to keep me, they loved me unconditionally, but there was always a part of me that wondered about my mom. I missed her. I felt like there was something stolen from me, and it wasn’t fair. I don’t think I appreciated them enough until I had my own kid. The last thing I want is for her to feel like she’s missing out on something because something terrible happened to her mom.”

  “I think it’s pretty common to want what we don’t have. Humans are just wired that way. There’s a good chance if I got you when I was younger, I would’ve wanted something else. Sometimes it’s hard to be happy with what you’ve got until it’s gone. That’s when you learn to appreciate it most. I was like that with my mom when I decided to put some distance between us.” She yawned and let her eyes drift shut. “I’m surprised you haven’t called to check in on the dynamic duo yet. I thought I was going to have to hide your phone when you showed up earlier, but you haven’t even looked at it once.”

  That’s because she answered the door wearing very little and looked delectable. My phone was in the kitchen with the rest of my clothes that I tossed without looking where they landed the minute she made it obvious she was going to wrap her lips around my dick. I forgot about everything other than how good her mouth felt and how sweetly she swallowed, including the fact my phone was on vibrate, so I needed to have it close by if it went off. If anyone called or texted, I missed it.

  Suddenly anxious and feeling a surge of guilt for being so irresponsible my first night away from Hollyn, I rolled Remy to the side and told her I would be back in just a minute. After a quick stop in the bathroom to clean up, I walked across the big, open space, searching for my jeans. Dawn cast a pretty, pale light across the industrial floor and gave the room a slightly otherworldly feel. My heart sank when I heard my phone rattling violently against the floor. I hoped it was just Campbell or Daire checking in, or even one of my parents calling to see how my first night away was going. Hope quickly faded when I saw I’d missed several calls from home and had a slew of text messages from both Daire and Campbell. Hurriedly gathering my discarded clothing, I called Campbell and put the phone on speaker so I could get dressed and talk at the same time.

  As soon as his deep, rough voice answered, I could tell he was tired. “’Bout time you called back. I’ve been trying to reach you since midnight.”

  I swore under my breath and dragged a hand down my face. “I left my phone in another room, and it was on silent. I’m an idiot. Is everything okay? How’s Hollyn?”

  “Everything’s fine now. A couple hours ago, it was a little intense. She was really fussy and started running a fever. I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to take her to the ER. She was pretty uncomfortable.” The last part of his sentence sounded pointed, and I felt the prick of it against my skin. “Fortunately, Daire’s mom is a doctor, so she came over and walked us through what we should do. The fever’s down, and Hollyn’s finally asleep. Daire’s mom stuck around until about an hour ago to make sure there was nothing to worry about since we couldn’t contact you, and because she was worried about Hollyn’s previous medical history.”

  Shaw Archer wasn’t just ‘a doctor.’ She was head of surgery at one of the busiest hospitals in Denver. Hollyn wouldn’t have received better care from anyone else. If I’d been home or even answered the first call, Shaw would’ve been the first person I reached out to for advice as well.

  “I’m on my way home now. I’m sorry I was unavailable last night. That wasn’t my intention when I left.” I felt like smacking myself in the forehead as guilt started grinding away at my gut.

  “It was probably good practice. I mean, don’t you have to work on bridges and tunnels and stuff? You’re gonna be up in the mountains and out on the plains for work; you aren’t always going to be able to answer your phone. It was good that Daire was here, but we should probably make a list of people to call outside of your family just in case you can’t be reached again in the future. I was going to call your dad if Daire’s mom didn’t pick up.”

  Campbell sounded exhausted, but everything he said made sense. It made me feel slightly better that he kept a level head in a stressful situation.

  “I’ll pull an emergency contact list together when I get home. I’m sorry I didn’t think of that before now. I’ll hurry so you can get some sleep.”

  He yawned, and I heard him mutter something in a soft voice to someone who wasn’t me. “Don’t rush. Daire and I took turns staying up with the baby through the night. She says you can thank us by bringing donuts home with you. She also said you need to tell her cousin to turn her phone on. She tried to call her when we couldn’t reach you and couldn’t get through.”

  I nodded even though Campbell couldn’t see me and looked over toward the massive bed where Remy was lying diagonally with her head propped on one hand. She was watching me with careful eyes as I slowly moved toward her.

  “I’ll get donuts and pass along the message. See you soon.” I hung up the phone and stepped next to the bed. “Is your phone off?”

  Remy lifted her eyebrows and looked over to the mirrored nightstand where her phone was sitting. The screen was clearly black, with no indicator lights showing the missed calls or messages. “I guess
so. I’m pretty bad at making sure it stays charged. Why?”

  “The kids had a bit of an emergency with Hollyn last night and were trying to reach us. Daire called you when they couldn’t get a hold of me.”

  She rolled over and grabbed the phone, frantically tapping on the screen. “Shit. I’m sorry. The only person I was expecting to hear from was you, so it didn’t seem like a big deal to put it on the charger. I didn’t think about someone trying to get to you through me.” She sounded genuinely upset. I regretted being the one to dampen the previously heady mood.

  I reached out a hand and tugged on one of her bouncy curls. “It’s not your fault. It’s my responsibility. The last thing I planned on doing was disappearing on you the morning after, but I have to go home and check on Hollyn.” It kind of sucked that I couldn’t even stick around and make her breakfast. I promised her I wouldn’t bail on her again, and it wasn’t even a day before I was doing exactly that.

  “It is my responsibility, Hyde. If we’re going to spend time together, we both have to be aware of how our actions affect your daughter. If it was just the two of us, it wouldn’t matter, but for her, we both have to do our best. And I don’t mind that you have to leave. I’m not that fragile or self-absorbed. Just be sure to say goodbye this time.” She shook the phone in her hand and reached for the sheet to pull over her naked body. “I’ll be sure to charge it from now on. Let me know if I can do anything for you and Hollyn. Let me know how your first day back at work goes. I’m here if things get hard and you need someone to talk to.”

  I leaned across the bed so I could give her a hard kiss. When I pulled back, I whispered a soft goodbye. I could tell the word made her happy by the way she smiled at me.

  So many others wanted so much from me that I was unable to give, and all Remy ever wanted was a simple word. She was dead-on about realizing what you had once it was gone. I don’t know that I would’ve been fully able to appreciate her if I hadn’t forced so much time and distance between us.

  On my way out of her fancy loft, I clicked on a delivery app and ordered her some breakfast. Hollyn wasn’t the only one I wanted to give my best to. Remy also deserved to know I was thinking about her when I couldn’t be with her. Especially after the night we shared. The sex was spectacular, but I wanted to make sure everything outside of that was also as special and memorable.

  I was going to win her over no matter how hard I had to work at it. And a breakfast burrito seemed as good a place to start as any.

  Remy

  I FELT TERRIBLE that Hyde missed the call from home when Hollyn needed him. I didn’t plan on keeping him distracted for the whole evening, and I didn’t think I needed to adjust my bad habits when I was with him. I was used to dropping in and out of contact when it was convenient for me. There were days I really didn’t want to speak to anyone and times when my phone felt like an anchor weighing me down. My mom used to panic whenever I didn’t answer or respond to her text messages, and my silence often made my brother mad. I was better about being reachable now that I was back in my hometown, but keeping an eye on the battery life on my phone still wasn’t a priority.

  I needed to change that if I was going to borrow Hollyn’s dad every now and then. I had to be more responsible and think about what was in the baby’s best interest, rather than what was easy for me. It was kind of like drinking while on my various meds. It was something I did so I could feel normal, but the truth was, it was dangerous, and not something I should mess around with if I really planned to find a place for myself in Hyde and Hollyn’s life. I wasn’t sure how big a role I wanted to play, but after spending endless hours in bed with him, I knew it would be something more serious than I originally intended when I asked him to spend the night. I didn’t have the same connection with anyone else that I had with Hyde. I wasn’t stupid enough to ignore the way he made me feel in the name of protecting myself. I had nothing to lose if I let myself love him all over again. I gave him my heart a long time ago. And just like Bowe said, I always knew where it was even if I pretended not to.

  Hyde told me that he wanted Hollyn to love herself the way I did, which meant I really needed to represent that all the time, rather than picking and choosing the times when I was invested in my well-being. I needed to love myself always, not just when it was easy.

  Hyde called to let me know the baby seemed to have a little cold. She didn’t feel well the rest of the weekend, and he was considering skipping his first day of work to stay home with her. He sounded like he wanted me to tell him it was okay to put his kid before his career, but I didn’t have a clue what the right choice was. He’d always been so responsible and dedicated to whatever he put his mind to, be it school, the Army, and now fatherhood. It had to be hard to balance the need to earn a living with the desire to be there if his daughter needed him. I wasn’t someone who had anyone else relying on me, and if I lost a job for whatever reason, I could usually find another one right away. I didn’t have to adult as hard as most people my age, but I could sense a shift in my typically carefree ways as I tried to be sympathetic to Hyde’s dilemma.

  Fortunately, Daire’s mom was off shift that Monday. When Daire asked Shaw if she would mind coming over to keep an eye on the baby since it was Hyde’s first day, she happily agreed. And then, when Hyde’s mom heard that Shaw planned to spend the day with her granddaughter, she also made arrangements to take the day off and lend a hand. With all the experienced moms in attendance, Hyde told me he was going to give Campbell the day off. Apparently, as soon as he got the all-clear, the young man promptly disappeared.

  I didn’t have much to offer other than an ear because of my lack of both baby and long-term career experience, but then I remembered how nice it was to open the door to the breakfast he sent after rushing out in the morning. And technically, I still owed him dinner.

  I called my Aunt Shaw to see if she would mind letting me into Hyde’s house before he got home from his first day. She didn’t have a problem with it but told me she was going to clear it with Sayer, Hyde’s mom, first. She also mentioned the baby seemed to be on the mend and was less miserable than she’d been once she woke up from her afternoon nap. Instead of having my aunt ask for permission from Hyde’s mom, I told her I would call and get the go-ahead. I was nervous to make the call because I already knew his dad didn’t like me.

  Zeb Fuller was never outright mean or rude to me when our paths crossed after Hyde left for the military, but he let my dad know on more than one occasion he blamed me for Hyde’s sudden decision to leave. He was standoffish and cold toward me. He didn’t tolerate my nonsense the way my parents’ other friends did. Since our fathers worked together often, they had a pretty open and honest relationship. I didn’t know for sure that my dad told Zeb my mom was actually the one who pressured Hyde to leave. I couldn’t see him keeping that information from a fellow father who was worried about his kid, but it didn’t change Zeb’s chilly attitude toward me. His mom was harder to read. I could never tell if she hated me or blamed me for the past. She was mostly indifferent when I was around her, but I didn’t take it personally. Her entire personality was a bit austere and haughty. I actually found her more intimidating than Hyde’s bearded giant of a dad. She was just so different from my own mom, who wore her every thought and emotion on her sleeve.

  It took me a while to work up the courage to make the call, and I was surprised that my hands were shaking by the time it connected. It was one more subtle indication that whatever I was getting into with Hyde was bound to be more serious than just friends with benefits.

  Sayer’s voice was crisp when she answered the phone. She always kind of sounded like she was in a courtroom. I knew she was different, softer, and more approachable around friends and family, but there was just something about her that made me want to sit up straighter, think before I spoke, and generally behave better than I usually did.

  “Uh… Hello, Mrs. Fuller. This is Remy Archer. I know you’re over at Hyde’s with my aunt watchin
g the baby for him while he’s at work today, but I was wondering if you thought it would be okay if I came by and made dinner for him before he got home.” The words rushed out in one breath, and I ended up lightheaded when I was done speaking.

  The other end of the call was quiet for a disturbingly long time. I anxiously bit down on my lower lip, unsure what my next move should be if it turned out both Hyde’s parents hated me. It was hard to argue that I was a good choice for him or for Hollyn, considering the past and all our combined history. But every part of me felt ready to defend Hyde’s choice to spend his time with me if need be. I wanted to prove to everyone he made the right choice this time around and show how much we’d both changed and matured. It was important that we weren’t the only ones who realized we were no longer two broken kids barely holding it together. Our struggles made us stronger, which was why I was willing to fight for myself if Hyde’s family decided to shut the door in my face.

  “I just have one question before I agree to that, Remy.” Hyde’s mom sounded so serious it made me even more nervous.

  I gulped. It wasn’t like she was a normal person asking a normal question. The woman was an excellent attorney and used to pulling out truths people wanted to keep hidden.

  “Do you think Hyde wants you here?”

  It was such a loaded question.

  Did he want me here, as in Denver?

  As in his life?

  Here, around his daughter? Around his family?

  Did he actually want to come home and find me in his house, or was I being selfish and making a difficult situation even harder for him?

  Sayer didn’t say any of those things, but I heard her ask them just the same.

  Regardless, my answer was very firm. “He definitely wants me there.”

  Hyde was the one who came to me, not the other way around. He was the one who kept my number. He was the one who called when his defenses were down. He was the one who finally realized I was strong enough for him to lean on, which made me understand the same thing.