Mustang Daddy - A Single Daddy, Small Town Second Chance Romance

by Sienna Parks

  Her smile drops, her mood turning somber. “I don’t have time for sleep. I need to spend every minute I have left with you.” Her arms tighten around me. “I can’t bear even thinking about tomorrow. I don’t think I can leave you. I love you too much.”

  “And I love you too much to make you stay. You need this. I’ve seen what losing your career did to you, and I’ve been through it myself. You need this chance to forge a new path for yourself that brings you joy and contentment in your life, and a way to express your beautifully artistic soul.”

  “You’ve been where I am, so why can’t you see that I choose you over dance?”

  “Because it took me years to come to terms with what happened to me. There were ups and downs along the way, frustration and elation. You need to experience all of those things. You need to know in your heart that you tried. If you find yourself years from now, feeling like you don’t need it the same way you do now, then come back to me. I’m always going to be here, Vittoria, but you can’t put your life on hold for me, you can’t stop living. You need to go to Italy, immerse yourself in your work, and your new home. You can’t be looking to the past all the time. If you do, I’ll be holding you back, even when I’m no longer with you.”

  “But…”

  “No buts. I’m still your Master, at least until you step on that plane tomorrow.” The lump that’s forming in my throat is making it difficult for me to keep talking; the thought of not being her Dominant by this time tomorrow, is soul destroying. “And, as your Master, I’m telling you that this is what’s best for you.”

  “I… I…” Tears begin to fall from her beautiful brown eyes, breaking my heart; making me want to drop to my knees and beg her to stay. I know she’d say yes, and that’s exactly why I can’t do it.

  “Let’s try to enjoy tonight. Your friends and family all want to wish you well, and when the party’s over, you’re mine, for one last night.” I pull her close, my lips finding hers in a tender kiss. “Now go and get dressed before I ditch the party and take you to the playroom.”

  “Sounds perfect to me.” I give her a warning look and a sharp slap on the ass, telling her to get a move on. This is already becoming more of a struggle than I can handle, and I need the distraction of everyone else if I’m going to get through this, and let her go.

  By the time we need to leave, I’m pacing the floor, her gift burning a hole in my pocket. I was going to give her the bracelets I bought, but I thought it would be too hard for her, knowing what I had planned. Instead, I had the key to the padlock put onto a platinum necklace for her. She’ll never know what it unlocks, but I need her to have it anyway. She doesn’t know about the apartments, or the ballet studio either, and that’s the way it has to stay.

  When she steps out into the living room, I feel like I’ve been punched in the chest, my heart aching at the sight of her. She looks absolutely stunning in a deep purple lace dress. I know she’s chosen the color carefully, an exact match to our playroom and the ropes I used on her the first time I tied her up. It hugs every curve of her body to perfection, with a split up to her thigh, exposing her exquisite legs. Fuck, I’m going to miss her.

  “You look… it should be illegal to look as good as you do. You are absolutely stunning, Miss de Rossi.”

  “Why, thank you, Master Fitzgerald.” She’s killing me.

  “I bought you a gift. Something to remember me by.”

  “I could never forget you. Not ever.”

  I take the box from my pocket and place it in her small palm. “I hope you like it.”

  She slowly unwraps it, her eyes darting up to meet mine as she opens the box and sees the key nestled inside. “Oh my God. Logan, it’s so beautiful.”

  I take it from her, the sweet scent of her perfume enveloping me, and I can’t resist a kiss as I fasten my key around her neck. “This way, you’ll always have a part of me with you.”

  Her eyes fill with tears as she runs her fingers over the intricate design. “I love it. I didn’t get you anything.”

  I turn her in my arms, placing my hand over her heart. “Vittoria, you’ve already given me everything I ever wanted. I don’t need a gift to know that.” I give her a soft kiss, licking the seam of her lips, begging entrance, which she willingly gives.

  “Shall we?” She takes my hand, and just this smallest of touches has me fighting to keep my composure. As I lock the apartment behind us, I feel like the countdown has begun. The beginning of the end.

  Carter has really outdone himself. His newest nightclub, Vortex, looks phenomenal. He shut the place down for the night, so that the party was all about Vittoria. The DJ is amazing, and the boys from Flaming Embers have flown in to do a short set for her. She’s become close with them over the past six months and I know that they’re all going to miss her. I also know that Campbell is going to be checking on me every five seconds after she gets on that plane tomorrow. He’s become as close to me as Xander and Carter, and he’s really been there for me throughout my relationship with Vittoria. He’s seen the best and the worst of me during all of this, and I think he probably understands more than most, how utterly devastating this is for me.

  It’s a joy to watch Vittoria as she interacts with friends, old and new, laughing, crying, and dancing. I’m overwhelmed to see her so happy, and watching her move on the floor, is such a privilege. She may not be a ballet dancer anymore, but she still commands the room, the music flowing through her like it always has, and she’s completely lost in it, until Love Runs Out starts playing. Her eyes search the crowd until she finds me, our shared memory of the moment we found our way back to each other, heavy in the air between us. It’s our secret, and as she begins to move, I know that it’s for me. Everything and everyone around us fading into the background. I’m mesmerized by her, besotted, and I’m struck by how empty my life will be without her.

  When the music fades, and the spell is broken, Carter takes to the stage.

  “Hey, everyone. I just wanted to take a few moments of your time to honor the woman we’re all here for tonight. My baby sister.” She makes her way through the crowd, burying her head against my chest as tears well in her eyes. “Vittoria is without a doubt, one of the strongest women I know. She’s a force to be reckoned with, and I know that she will do amazing things at the Joffrey Ballet. They’ll be lucky to have you, Tori, and I’m so happy for you, but I’m also really going to miss you. I know we’ve had our differences, especially about your taste in men.” The crowd gives a collective chuckle, and for some of them, a knowing nod. “I never thought that any man would be good enough for you, and when Logan came to me, telling me that he was in love with you… well, I punched him in the face… on several occasions.” Vittoria shakes her head, laughing and crying at the same time. “I wasted a lot of time being angry and ignorant, and just plain wrong about you two. Standing here tonight, celebrating your impending adventures, it’s clear to me that you did make the right choice when it came to Logan. Any man that puts the needs of my sister above his own, and loves her enough to let her go… is worthy of her love. I’m sorry that it took me so long to see it, but better late than never, right? Logan, you’ve always been like a brother to me, and I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for Vittoria over the past year. You’ve been there for her in the good and the bad, stuck by her when most men couldn’t handle the pressure. I’ve watched her turn into this formidable, confident, amazing woman while she’s been with you, and I just want to thank you. You’ve given me back my sister. The one I used to play hide-and-seek with as a kid. The one who used to jump on my bed on Christmas morning to tell me Santa had been there.” I can see he’s struggling to hold it together. Vittoria is a mess in my arms at this point, and I’m not far behind, my throat burning from holding it all in. “So, thank you. I love you, bro. And, Tori, no matter how far apart we are, you will always be my baby sister, and I will always be here for you. Ti amerò sempre. Everyone, please raise your glasses, to an amazing siste
r, daughter, aunt, and friend – Vittoria.”

  I hold tight as she crumples in my arms, her body shaking as she sobs uncontrollably. I want to tell her that it’s all going to be okay, that it will get easier, but I can’t even speak. I just cling to her, battling my own grief; staving off the overwhelming emotions that are fighting their way to the surface. I have to keep it together until she leaves. I can’t and I won’t make this any harder on her.

  Carter steps down off the stage and into Addi’s arms, obviously upset, but trying to keep Vittoria from seeing just how devastated he is. The DJ restarts the music with something a little slower, the tone of the party calling for something more sedate. Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran comes over the speakers, and I can’t imagine there being a more perfect song for us to share a last dance together.

  “Dance with me.” She doesn’t speak; she simply takes my hand and lets me lead her onto the dance floor, snaking her arms up around my neck, her head resting against my chest.

  As we sway to the music, I find myself singing the words to her; a declaration of my undying love, but as the lyrics sink in, and the gravity of the situation hits home, I can’t… I can’t keep singing. It seems fitting, that we are right back where we started, so long ago. Dancing to a song that speaks volumes of my feelings for the girl in my arms. Knowing that I’ll need to let her go when the night is over. We’ve come full circle together. From a stolen first kiss, to a heartbreaking last.

  “Take me home, Logan. Make love to me.”

  I have no words, but she doesn’t need them. She knows how I feel, and as I take her hand in mine and lead her out of the club and back to my apartment, the air between us crackles with electricity; the unspoken promise of an unforgettable night together.

  I didn’t sleep at all last night, and Vittoria only succumbed to her own exhaustion three hours ago. I know that she wanted to stay awake, to spend every possible moment with me, but in the end, it was too overwhelming.

  I thought our final night together would be frenzied, and fierce, but the reality was something so much more than that. When I brought her home from the party, we didn’t talk, we didn’t need to. I led her down the hallway of my apartment and into the playroom, our playroom. I watched as she stripped off her clothes, removing all barriers between us, before she did the same to me. It was slow, and sensual, and sexy as hell. I used every surface, every restraint, every toy in that room; teasing her, pleasing her, navigating that fine line between pleasure and pain with her, one last time. We made love, we fucked, we worshipped each other for hours, and it was the most amazing night of my life.

  It was everything you could ever want in a goodbye, but I can’t believe it’s actually here. That it’s happening. We have to leave for the airport in five minutes, and I’m just not ready to say goodbye. How do you say goodbye to the love of your life? Your reason for being?

  I grab her suitcases and watch as she takes in everything around her, memorizing every little detail of my apartment, of what has been our home together for the past nine months. Everywhere I look, I see her; little touches that turned my house into a home. Things that will remind me of her. She wipes the tears from her eyes, leaves her key on the table by the door, and walks out, unable to look back, overcome with emotion.

  It feels like a death march as we make our way to the car in silence, and the drive to the airport is so devastatingly quiet, Vittoria clinging to my hand, her knuckles protruding with the force she’s exerting; me driving slower than I ever have, just delaying the inevitable. The mood is somber, a physical weight bearing down on us, around us, between us. I’ve never felt so helpless, and hopeless.

  When we reach the airport, I park in the furthest away lot, giving myself every possible minute I can get with her. I keep her tucked under my arm, pressed close to my side as we slowly make our way into the terminal. I have to let her go to the desk for check in, and as I wait for her, my mind is racing to find any way out of this. Could I just leave my life behind, my business, all of the bands that depend on me for their livelihood? Could I be that selfish, and follow my heart to wherever Vittoria is? Even if I could, it would take at least a year for me to get all my affairs in order, and then what would I do? We’ve tried the long-distance thing in the past, and it didn’t work. It almost tore us apart, and it almost killed Vittoria. I couldn’t risk that again. I know she’s much stronger now, and she doesn’t need me the way she used to, but she deserves someone that can be there for her, and as much as it kills me to think of her with another Dom, I can’t expect her to wait around on the off chance that we could make it work in a year, maybe longer. She’s already put her life on hold in so many ways, over the years. Now is her time, to live life to the fullest, and only for herself.

  I’m lost in my own thoughts when her hand brushes my arm. “That’s me checked in. They told me I need to go through to the gate now, they’re going to start boarding in twenty minutes.” Her voice is strained, her eyes welling with tears. “I thought I would have more time… that we would have more time. I’m not ready. I can’t do this.”

  I clasp her delicate, flawless face in my hands, willing myself to remember every single detail of her exquisite features. The way her eyelashes kiss her cheeks when she blinks, the warm velvet brown of her eyes, the way her full lips twitch when I’m near. “Vittoria, listen to me. You can do this. You’re the strongest woman I know. You’ve been through so much, and you’re still one of the sweetest, most caring, giving, and loving people I’ve ever met. The way you feel everything with such intensity, isn’t a flaw or a weakness. It’s your greatest strength. Never forget that.”

  “But what if the depression comes back? I’ll be alone, and what if I can’t cope?”

  “Take a deep breath.” She does as I ask; my obedient submissive until the very end. “You know that depression is something that you might have to fight for the rest of your life. There are going to be highs and lows, and you have the tools to deal with it. That’s what we’ve been working towards all these months. You know that hurting yourself, or using, will never be the answer.” I lean in and give her the lightest of kisses before I continue. “And you won’t be alone, baby. You have Luca, and you have family there. You’ll make friends quickly, because to know you is to love you. And Vittoria… it’s really important that you remember this… if you feel like you can’t cope, and that you have no one to turn to that understands… I will always be here for you. I will always love you, and no matter what happens, and how much time passes, in my heart, you will always be mine. You’re the love of my life, and you will forever be, my Nyx.”

  She throws herself into my arms, crawling up my body as if she can somehow attach herself to me. “I don’t want this, Logan. I don’t want to go. I want to stay here with you.”

  It takes every ounce of strength I have, not to agree with her. Not to walk out of here with her in my arms. “I know it feels like that now, but you need to remember how excited you felt when this opportunity was offered to you. It’s a once in a lifetime chance, and you have to take it.”

  “You’re a once in a lifetime chance, Logan. We’re a once in a lifetime kind of love.”

  She’s breaking my heart, and I will never recover. “I will never be a once in a lifetime chance for you, Vittoria. You have my heart, today, tomorrow, forty years from now. It’s yours. I love you with everything that I have, and everything that I am, and that’s why I need to let you go. You need to do this, or you’ll always look back with regret, wondering what your life could have been like if you’d been brave enough to grab it with both hands.”

  “I… but I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” I claim her lips one last time, pouring all the love I feel for her, into this kiss. Our final goodbye. The taste of her lips and the feel of her tongue caressing my own, will forever be ingrained in my memory. “You’re going to miss your flight if you don’t go now.”

  Her eyes are red, tears coursing down her cheeks as she struggles to
gain composure. “I can’t walk away from you.”

  “Then, I’ll do it for you. As much as I don’t want to. It will be the last thing I do for you as your Master. Turn around, and don’t look back. I’m going to leave now, and you are going to get on that plane, and go and start a new amazing life, full of all the happiness and love that you deserve. I’m so honored to have been your Dominant, Vittoria de Rossi, but I need to let you go now. Goodbye, Nyx.” I give her one last kiss, one final embrace, before turning her to face the gate, and then, I do the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I put one foot in front of the other, and I walk away; her sobs echoing in my ears, her words ripping my heart open.

  “I love you, Master Fitzgerald. I always have. I always will.”

  I feel the distance growing between us, like a physical tether being stretched to its limit, before it finally snaps, and it’s gone. She’s gone, and my life destroyed. I am a man set adrift, lost and alone in a sea of thousands. Turning around, I torture myself with one last glimpse of her, and as I see her disappear around the corner into the departure gates, I can’t hold back anymore. I let all of the emotion I’ve been holding inside, come flooding out.

  “Fuck!” My eyes are clouded with unshed tears, as I shove my way through the crowds. “What the fuck have I done?” I pick up the pace, fighting to outrun my desolation, feeling claustrophobic all of a sudden, and unable to catch my breath. When I finally burst through the doors, out into the fresh air, I struggle to draw breath, gasping to try and fill my lungs, and when it finally comes, it’s painful. Every inch of my body hurts. Craving her, needing her, wanting her so badly I feel like my heart has been torn from my chest. I need a way to release at least some of this all-consuming despair. I start punching the pillar in front of me, over and over until my knuckles bleed, shouting until my voice is hoarse. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”