College Daddy: A Single Dad Romance

by Amber Heart

  They walked past me and Aaron didn't even glance at me. I tried not to care, not to look at him but if only my body and mind could be on the same page. I looked at him through the corner of my eye, he was looking straight ahead and the brunette was on the chair next to him. That was it. I couldn’t take it anymore. “I need to use the restroom,” I told the girl standing next to me and walked away. I didn’t know which direction I was walking in but I just kept going along the railing. The spinning in my head intensified and my eyes began to close. My knees threatened to stop working. I pushed and pushed but then darkness came before my eyes and everything spun around and next I knew my iPad slipped from my hand and I was hitting the low railing and then falling across it – into the water.

  Aaron

  “Take the hint, Elsa.” “Come on, Aaron, you promised to give me today. You are already breaking my heart. This is the least you can do for me,” she shifted on her chair and I wanted to groan in frustration. Getting involved with Elsa was the biggest mistake of my life and I had only realized it now. After the scene on Friday, she had spent all Saturday pleading to come on the yacht then she’d back off. I’d agreed just because I was irritated with her and later I had remembered that Cassandra would be there too. But it was too late. And now I had to not only tolerate Elsa but also see that expression on Cassandra’s face.

  I know she was getting punished by this but I wanted her to be the first to come and tell me. I wanted her to come back to me and say that she wanted me. As much as I ached for her, I didn’t want to back down first. She had left me in the first place and I wanted it to be her to make the decision of returning. My ego would only be healed then.

  I looked past Elsa towards where Cassandra was standing. Where’d she go? I gazed around. She was nowhere. I got up, ignoring Elsa’s protest and walked straight to where Cassandra was previously. “Where’s Cassandra?” I asked Hannah. “She left for the restroom. I don't think she was feeling well.” Wasn’t feeling well? I turned to walk towards the restroom and that’s when I caught a glimpse of her – falling off the railing and into the water. ”Cassandra!” My heart flinched at the sight and I, along with others, rushed to the deck.

  There was no movement in the water. I was shocked still for a moment. Everybody was talking behind me, telling her to swim, telling her that the water wasn’t deep, throwing life jackets, shouting for a lifeguard. And then I remembered that day before Quinn’s wedding when Logan was about to throw her in the water. Her face was filled with fear. She was afraid of the pool – of water. She didn’t know how to swim. Holy Christ! I instantly pulled off my shoes and stripped out of my shirt and jumped into the water.

  She was sinking down like a motionless body. Fear struck deep inside me. I couldn’t lose her. I swam to her and caught her by the wrist. She made no effort to hold me back. I tried not to think of the worst case scenario and swam back to the shore.

  Let her be okay. Please, let her be okay. No more gameplay. I was blaming myself for all this. I had pushed her for too long. I laid Cassandra's back on the dry ground. She was pale and all white and lifeless. The rest of the crew was probably getting off the yacht but all I could see was Cassandra.

  I pumped her chest and excess water spilled from her mouth. “Cassandra, wake up,” the pleading in my voice was raw. I checked her pulse, it was barely there. “God, no. Please,” I placed my finger under her nose and there was no sign of breathing. “Breath, damn it!” I cried and started CPR. My hands trembled as I pumped to bring her back to life. Thirty compressions after diving into that freezing water was so difficult, I wasn’t going to let life take her from me yet. I took a lungful of air and lowered my mouth to her purple lips and covered them with mine, pinching her nose closed. Come back to me, baby. I said to her silently and then gave five breaths and then started with the compressions again.

  “911’s on way,” I heard someone calling from behind and another person started rubbing her foot to resume the blood flow. On the second cycle of chest compressions and rescue breathes, she finally jerked up and spat water from her mouth and coughed. Relief flooded inside me and I cradled her head in my hands. “Cassandra,” I whispered her name. Her eyes opened briefly and then closed again. But now she was breathing. I reached for her pulse, it was steadier than before but her body was now shivering. A few minutes later the siren of the ambulance rose in the air. They wrapped her in a large blanket and checked her vitals. “She needs to be shifted to the hospital. Can you please provide the necessary details?” one of the guys asked me but my eyes were frozen on the woman before me. She opened her eyelids and looked up at me. She was scared. Her usual strong headed and composed persona was all gone. She was vulnerable and weak in that moment. A fierce protectiveness rose inside me and in that moment I knew I could break legs and sprain necks for this woman. I would go to any length to keep her safe and sound by my side. I would conquer the world for her. I couldn’t let her go. Not anymore. I didn’t care if I had to back down first.

  I followed them to the ER and stayed outside the room while the medical officer examined her. “How is Cassandra?” I asked as soon as the Doctor left her room. “She is fine. It was dizziness that made her faint and then her phobia of water that drove her to shock. But she is alright now. She needs someone to look over her for a couple of days to make sure she takes in proper meals and stays rested.” I thanked him and entered into the room. She was lying on the bed looking out of the window. I admired the sight for a few seconds. She was alive and alright.

  “Hey.” I walked up to her. She turned her face to look at me. Her lips were back to rosy pink and her skin was gaining its color back. “You scared me to death there for a second.” She tried to get up. “Don’t move. What do you want? I’ll get it for you,” I caught her shoulders and made her lay back again. “I am fine. Thank you, Mr. Maxfield. I was told you saved my life,” she said and I frowned at her tone. “You do not have to thank me, Cassandra.” I sat on the stool beside her bed and reached for her hand. She fisted her hand and looked at me intently. “I am sorry, I ruined your shoot.” What was she doing? “Cassandra, you…” “You should join them. I mean they need you. You don’t have to sit here. I am fine,” she said and I got it. She was pushing me away.

  “I am not going anywhere and they can wrap things up without me.” I was not going to let her put distance between us. Not anymore. “I don’t want to keep you from your work or other things you are busy with.” Her tone had that hint of jealousy. By other things she meant Elsa. “Cassandra, that day you saw me and Elsa you have it all wrong. She tried to kiss me, but I forced her away.” “Then why was she between your legs?” “I pushed her away from me and she fell onto the floor, you walked in at the worst possible time, I promise.”

  “I couldn’t care less about anything right now, Cassandra. I am here because I want to be with you,” I said in a soft tone and an emotion flickered on her face. Hope? But then she turned her face away. “I appreciate the thought, Mr. Maxfield. But it’s unnecessary. I’ll be leaving for home in a bit anyway.” Her resistance and that stupid staying professional attitude was pissing me off.

  “You are coming with me.” She snapped her face in my direction with disbelief and panic. “No, I am not.” “Yes, you are. I’ll go check with the papers and see if we can leave now.” I gave her a hard stare, challenging her to refuse my offer. “I am telling you, Mr. Maxfield, I am going nowhere with you. You can leave right now,” she sat up. Her expression surprised me. It was more of panic and fear rather than anger. What was she afraid of? I sat on the bed, facing her and cupped her cheek. “I’ll take care of you, babe, I don’t want you to be on your own. Not after this. Why don’t you trust me to look after you?” She looked away and pulled from my touch. “I don’t want anybody to take care of me. I can do that on my own. I don’t want you. You are my boss and this is highly unprofessional,” she said and I decided to end this professional charade right now.

  “To hell with the professionalis
m, Cassandra! Stop fighting the attraction that’s between us. We both know that we want each other. Why do you keep bringing this boss employee thing between us? Why are you pushing me away when I want to take care of you? What are you afraid of? Why aren’t you willing to give me a chance?” I burst out. She looked at me, stunned. Her eyes were filled with raw emotions. But then she looked away, hiding herself, her soul from me. “I cannot do this,” she said. I had already made my decision. “Give me one good reason why you can’t and I’ll back off. And I am your boss is not one of them.” I waited for her to answer but nothing came out. “We are having it my way until you provide me with a reasonable answer. You are coming with me now. Either you willingly walk on your own or I’ll be more than happy to pick you up on my shoulder.” I didn’t allow her to think of an answer and left the room.

  Chapter 10

  Cassandra

  His words scared me. My feelings scared me. All of this was scaring the shit out of me. The way he looked at me when he entered the hospital room; it was as if he had found his purpose in life. Then he released his stubbornness over bringing me to his place to take care of me. I was losing it. I wanted to run away and protect myself. I have never been taken care of, not in a long time and I had grown to be fiercely independent. But Aaron was taking that away from me. Now I was sat in his living room, wearing his shirt, wrapped in a blanket with a steaming hot bowl of soup in my hands. He was right there in front of me working in the kitchen fixing me a healthy dinner for later. When was the last time anyone did that for me? I honestly can’t even remember, it’s been that long.

  Why is he doing all this? He’s just going leave me stranded like I did to him. There is no way this is real, it’s Aaron. He isn’t this caring. He’s a bad boy lady killer who doesn’t have time for the same girl twice. Can I really trust him? Shall I wait and find out? Or do I leave now with some dignity still intact?

  I stepped out of the blanket and walked to the kitchen counter. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Aaron immediately turned to me and asked. Oh, how I wanted to curl my arms around him and hug him, ask him to take me under his wings and protect me. But I had to stay strong, for myself. “Cassandra?” his soft whisper of my name left his lips. Oh God. I closed my eyes briefly and cleared my throat. “I need to go back home, please. Thank you for your hospitality. But I think I should head back now.” He didn’t say a word. “I am sure you are feeling crowded and I don’t want to invade your privacy anymore.” Why wasn’t he saying anything? “I really am okay and can take care of myself. Thank you for … everything. That was very kind of you,” I was mumbling and he was just staring at me from the other side of the counter. “Cass?” Aaron calling me by my shortened name was strange. “Yes?” “Shut up.” His face was straight and eyes pointing. “Oh, okay,” I haltered a bit. “But I don’t want to burden you with my presence. You must have a hundred things to do,” I said. He glared at me and then in a blink of an eye he had captured my face in both of his hands and was kissing me.

  Oh god, I missed this so much. I should have fought him but instead I kissed him back with equal force of longing and passion and desire. Just one kiss and I’ll leave. I said to myself and poured everything I had into that kiss. He groaned and then his arms snaked to my torso and he pulled me across the counter so I was sitting on the cold marble. He stood there between my legs. I clutched his hair in my hand and caressed his hard jaw with the other. All in attempt to prolong that kiss. Just a minute more. He broke away from my mouth and started pressing small kisses on my chin and jaw. “You are right,” he said between the kisses. That’s it. My time was up. Sadness and disappointment filled inside me. “I do have a hundred things to do right now,” he murmured as he got closer to my ear. He was asking me to leave. I loosened my grip on his head. “Starting with losing myself in you,” he said into my ear and then bit the lobe making me moan in pleasure. “Aaron, we can’t,” I said. “Yes, we can. I don’t remember you giving me any reason not to yet. So until then, I am not letting you go. I have waited long enough.” He picked me up from the counter and started walking, without tearing his mouth away from me. When I tried to protest he silenced me with his kiss.

  He laid me on his bed and then stripped out of his shirt, his eyes remained on me. They were dilated with such desire and passion that I could feel it in the air. My eyes followed his perfectly inclined broad chest, structured beautifully with masculine abs with a trail of hair disappearing into his pants which entertained a huge bulge; stating his arousal. My mouth watered at the sight. When my eyes went back up, he was smirking at me. “Like what you see, baby?” And then he climbed beside me and helped me out of my shirt and trousers. I was numbed by his features that were all too clear from our last encounter.

  “Stop thinking too much, Cassandra. Let everything go for today. Let me make you feel good. Let it go, baby,” he said in a feather light voice and then lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me. It was soft and sensual, it faded every other thought from my mind and all that was left was him, me and our connection. His hands traveled all over my body in light touches, teasing me and building anticipation. “Aaron,” I moaned his name as he lowered down his mouth to my shoulders and then to my breasts which ached for his attention.

  “Do not fight me, Cassandra. I want you so much,” he said to me looking into my eyes. There was no hardness in them, no stubbornness to get the upper hand. Just desire, pure desire – for me. My heart flipped because I knew nothing would be the same after this. I caressed his cheek and said, “I want you too, Aaron. Only you.” His face lowered as he kissed me again. “Look what you do to me” he said between the kiss and then reached for his own pants. He pressed his forehead against mine. “I have never met anyone like you, ever. You complete me, Cassandra.” And then he pushed inside me, making me his.

  I was so his. Body and soul. I was in love with Aaron. With every thrust I said to myself how perfect this was. “Look at me, Cass.” He ordered me softly. I looked into his eyes. “I want to see you when you cum for me, baby, only me,” His fingers found my clit and I exploded around him in an intense orgasm crying out his name. He mirrored me and I felt his cock pulsating inside of me, the rubber catching his load.

  I lay on his chest with his arms wrapped around me and his chin above my head. We lay like this for a few minutes. It was absolute heaven. I never wanted this day to end.

  *

  As we cuddled up together in bed “Why are you so afraid of water?” he asked me and I stiffened. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I am sorry if I made you remember something bad.” He pressed a kiss on my head and tightened his arms around me. For the first time I wanted to share my secrets. “I was seven and we were on my Dad’s boat,” I began. He circled his thumb on my bare arm and he listened closely.

  “Rick, my brother and I, we never got along well back then. We’re fine now though. He was twelve and we were always fighting. That day he kept threatening to push me into the water,” I shuddered as the memory of that day returned. “I dared him and called him a coward. Then he actually picked me up and dropped me into the water. I knew how to swim, but I wasn’t confident in the water at all. I cried for him to help but he stood on the deck and laughed. All the fight and energy left my body and I was so close to the propeller, it was almost hitting me before my Dad finally brought me back just in time. The fear has never left my mind since then. I feel suffocated in water. I never go swimming.” When I finished, Aaron pushed me on my back. His face was impassive. Obviously my childish story wasn’t to his taste. Embarrassment took over me and I turned my face away but he caught it my jaw and made me see him again.

  “I am sorry I sent you to that shoot,” his face was now earnest. “I am sorry I kept you working late and exhausted you. I am sorry I wasn’t there to save you sooner.” My heart melted at his apology. He was apologizing for what wasn’t his fault. “That’s not your fault, Aaron.” “Even then, Cassandra. I was an arrogant asshole to you,” he said ser
iously and I couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, you were,” I confirmed and he looked at me quizzically and then smiled himself. “Where’s Rick now?” he asked. “In DC. He joined the FBI.” “Good thing he isn’t near,” he said with a frown and my heart warmed. He was willing to stand before my brother for something I went through ages ago. “Yes, but I am and let’s do something about it,” I said to him and then climbed on top of him and whispered into his ear, “Round two, babe.” And then lowered myself on his already hard length. “You are going to be the death of me,” Aaron groaned and then took my mouth for another kiss that cried protection and possession. I was willing to surrender.

  *

  We sat in comfortable silence and ate the delicious pasta he’d fixed earlier. His phone buzzed and he looked down at the caller ID. His face turned hard and he silenced the phone, ignoring the call. Moments later it started buzzing again. “Pick it up. It may be something important,” I said between chewing. He looked up at me and gave me a small smile, “Nothing is more important than this.” He brought his face closer and gave me a chaste kiss. God, he was a born romantic. His phone kept buzzing relentlessly. “Give me a second. I’ll get rid of this,” he said to me apologetically and picked up his phone and walked towards the foyer, out of my hearing range.

  Curiosity burned inside me. And I put my plate away and walked a few steps closer to the foyer. He was on the phone. “It was stupid of me to listen to you, Elsa. This isn’t ever going to happen. I told you earlier and I am telling you now, it’s over. I don’t want you around.” He was talking to that brunette? Jealousy enveloped me. “Say one word about her and I’ll make you regret it. I am damn serious, Elsa. Stay the fuck out of my life.” I heard him growling. I quickly came back to the counter and stood against it. He walked in moments later, his face filled with rage.