Destined (Embracing #3)

by Delisa Lynn

  I learned my lesson. Never try to pick up sexy men from a biker bar. He thought I was insane, I’m sure. There was just something about him, something that I wanted more of. I blew it. I’m sure I’ll never see him again.

  ***

  I can’t believe August is here already. School is starting next week. We have open house tonight. Attending open house was always one of my favorite things to do when I lived in Arkansas. Today, I’ll get to meet my class. I’ll have twenty students. I’m teaching second grade this year. I taught first the last four years. I think the change will be good for me.

  I make name tags for all the students. One of the names stands out in my mind: ‘Ashton, but prefers AJ.’ Shaking my head, I sit a welcome back sign on each desk with the name tags and cookies I purchased this morning. I tried one of the cookies and they are absolutely delish. I glance at the clock on the wall and realize everyone will be here soon. I head to the ladies room and check my hair and make-up.

  When I come back into the classroom, I see a familiar silhouette. I’d remember the outline of that back anywhere. His broad shoulders, the ink covering his arms…My knees are so ready to knock me on my ass, I have to literally grab a chair to brace myself. It’s been two months, two long months, of pleasuring myself thinking about him, those green eyes and those dimples. I squeeze my legs together and try to gain my composure.

  “Ansley? Is that you?” he asks, approaching me with a little boy who I assume is his son. He has the same hair and eyes as Ashton. Oh, my god, that’s where I know that name from. Shit, this is going to be interesting.

  “Um, Asher, is it?” I ask, knowing damn well what the heck his name is. What am I supposed to say? I offered you to fuck me mindless and you denied me?

  Groaning, he grabs the back of his neck. “Ashton, Ashton Ellis. This is my son, AJ.” He smiles and the little boy smiles up at me.

  Bending down to the child’s level, I say, “Hi, AJ. I’m Miss Dolce. I hope you like chocolate chip cookies. I put some in your treat bag on your desk.”

  “You’re my teacher?” He grins. “Cool. I love chocolate chips. Thanks.” Then he runs toward two little blonde girls that are in one of the other classes. They’re standing next to a pregnant woman and one of the other guys that was at Storms that night.

  “So, the mystery girl is a teacher. I thought you were really a pool hustler.” He laughs.

  “Mr. Ellis, I told you I was a teacher,” I say, turning to see the room filling.

  “Call me Ashton. Mr. Ellis is my father.” He places a business card in my hand. “Here is my card. My cell number is on there.”

  “Thank you, Ashton. So, you’re a private investigator? I better—”

  My sentence is cut off by my aid, Joyce. “Miss Dolce, we need to get everyone seated,” she says.

  “I’ll see you around, Ashton.” I wink. I can feel him watching me walk away.

  Chapter Four

  Ashton

  I can’t believe Ansley is my son’s teacher. For two months I wanted to find her. I spent two entire months thinking of her. When we went to Bike Fest, I met a pretty little blonde that I was able to let some steam off with. She wasn’t Ansley, though. Miss Dolce has consumed my mind since that night in the bar. She has secrets, I know she does. I hope she decides to call me sooner rather than later.

  I roll out of bed, eager to start my day. It’s the first day of school and I think I’m as excited as AJ. I do my morning routine and get dressed. I look at the clock and realize we have a few hours before school starts.

  Watching my little man sleep, I wonder how I got so lucky. He’s an amazing child. Often, I think about all the times I messed up and made bad decisions. Then I look at his smile and remind myself that any decision that led to me being his father excuses all the bad decisions I’ve made over the years. I have to protect him.

  My shit is together and I own half of my family’s winery. I also work part time as a private investigator at a company I partly own as well. In my spare time, I work at a tattoo shop that I own with some buddies of mine. Any time not spent with my son or working, you can find me on my bike.

  There’s nothing like riding at night with the California breeze blowing. I just joined a local motorcycle gang. It’s legit, nothing like a street gang, and we cruise around town. We’re just a bunch of overgrown men and women having a little bit of fun.

  As I stare at my phone, I see that my ex-wife has been calling me all night. She’s a goddamn base head. I was fresh out of high school when I met her. She was a stripper at a local joint. I knocked her up and there was no way my child would be raised by anyone other than me, so I made it work with her. Was I in love with her? Nope, I never was. But I gave her everything that she could want or need because of my son.

  Obviously, it wasn’t good enough. She started cheating and using again. Once AJ got a little older, I knew he would catch on to the shit she was doing, so I axed my relationship with her real quick. My family is large enough. He doesn’t need her or what little family she does have.

  I listen to her voice mail. She whines that she wants to spend time with my boy. The thing is, she has to have supervised visits and she hates that. She’s called child protective services on me several times, but they know she’s lying. She’s nothing but drama and trouble. My son knows some of how she is.

  I hate that he can’t see his own mother, but I’m not allowing my son around the shit she does. We’ve been staying with my cousin, Liam, and his family, but I finally bought a house across the street from theirs. It’s huge. My son deserves nothing but the best.

  Today he’s starting second grade. I can’t believe how much he’s grown. My big seven-year-old. He’s such a smart kid. No thanks to his mother, of course.

  “It’s time to get up, little dude,” I say, moving his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles blanket. I remember when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was popular. I loved that show when I was a kid. “Come on, buddy, wake up. I made you breakfast.”

  “Morning, Dad. I get to see my new teacher today.” He smiles, rubbing his green eyes.

  I give him a little fist bump and laugh. “Yes, you do. Miss Dolce, right?” I ask, knowing damn well I could never forget her name or the fact that she is a hell of a pool player.

  “Yep, I think so. She’s the pretty lady we met last week, ’member?”

  “Ahh, you think she’s pretty, huh? Of course I remember her.” That’s my son, for sure.

  He tilts his head to the side. “You think so?”

  “Yeah, little dude. All women are pretty. They each have certain things that make them beautiful.”

  “Did you make peanut cakes?” he asks, referring to pancakes with peanut butter on them. That’s what Miss Sophia always makes him.

  “I did. I hope they taste okay. Go ahead and get dressed, okay?” I say as I head downstairs.

  ***

  I walk into the kitchen and stare at the beach. I love living here. Someday, I’ll meet someone so AJ and I can have a real family. I place his plate on the small oval table and pour him a glass of milk. He walks into the kitchen, smiling.

  “Thanks, Dad. I love peanut cakes and milk.”

  “Eat up or we’ll be late. We can’t be late the first day of school.”

  “Can we see Aunt Addie after school today?”

  “Yeah, we’ll go afterward.”

  “Cool. I want to tell her about my pretty teacher.”

  “Okay, I’m going to put my shoes on. I’ll be back.”

  Addison’s my twin sister and she was killed seven years ago. I take AJ to visit her grave often. That’s the only way he will ever know her. He’s always full of questions, and I can honestly say he gets that from her. She was a damn firecracker, full of life. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Life hasn’t been the same without her.

  ***

  I see my son’s teacher as soon as I walk my son into his classroom. She’s pretty, just like he said. She still hasn’t called me. I kne
w I should’ve gotten her number two months ago. AJ spots one of his friends and runs over to him, leaving me standing there with a Ninja Turtle backpack in one hand and a matching lunch bag in the other.

  “Mr. Ellis, right?” She grins.

  “Hi, Miss Dolce. Please call me Ashton. Remember, Mr. Ellis is my father.” I wink. “So, did you lose my card?” I ask. I feel like a dick as soon as the words leave my mouth.

  “Sorry we didn’t talk much last week. I’ve been busy. AJ is a sweet kid. I’m honored to have him as a student. I’ll see you around.” She smiles nervously. Yep, I fucked that up quick.

  “Ansley,” I call out.

  “Yeah?” She looks back.

  “I won’t bite…hard, anyways. We should have another night of pool and dancing.” I laugh. The smile that spreads across her face makes my dick twitch.

  “Sounds good,” she says over her shoulder.

  I sit AJ’s stuff on his desk and head the other way, then hear him calling my name. I turn to see he’s with a friend. “Bye, Dad, see you later.” He waves.

  “Bye buddy.” I wave back.

  As I walk away, I can’t stop thinking of Ansley.

  Chapter Five

  Ansley

  I can’t believe Ashton’s son is in my class. I’ve fantasized about that man for two damn months. I thought I’d never see him again. I’ve never seen him with a woman, just him and his fine body. I’ve never been much to gawk at men, but him? I can gawk all day.

  Something about his charm and all of his tattoos intrigues me. I’m more of the conservative type. I have no tattoos…yet. Hell, I don’t even have any piercings other than my ears. I’m so damn boring. That’s all going to change today.

  I walk into Gill’s Wine Store and grab a bottle of wine. Gill’s is the only place near my house where I can find the Strawberry Passion. I haven’t been able to find it anywhere but here. Walking to the check out, I bump into a hard chest.

  “Oh, excuse me,” I say.

  “Ansley?” he asks.

  “I’m so sorry, Ashton. How are you?” I ask, cradling the wine as if it were a baby.

  “I’m good. You come here often?”

  “Yes, this seems to be the only place I can find this wine.” I squeeze my legs together and close my eyes. Something about his presence makes my sensitive spots warm, and I mean very warm.

  “Well, here, take this card and go to that address.” He hands me a business card. I look at it and back to my bottle of wine, quickly noticing the name—Ellis Winery.

  “This is your wine?” I ask.

  “Yes, I own…Well, my family owns the winery. My father owns this store also.”

  “I’m so blind, I never even put two and two together.” Embarrassment spreads across my face.

  “It’s all good. I have to run. Make sure you go stock up. It’s all on me, so get whatever you want.” He smiles, then rubs my arm. “You still haven’t called. Look, that night at the bar, I was shocked. I really do like you. Please, call me.” He walks away.

  I pay for my bottle and head back to my car. I see Ashton on a red motorcycle. I can’t help but stare at the way his body molds to the beautiful metal. He has on a black muscle shirt and the tattoos covering his arms are shining. His body looks as if it’s a canvas for an artist. You can barely see his skin. I know some people don’t like stuff like that, but he’s definitely got my attention.

  I start my car and plug the address on the card into my GPS. It’s ten miles from Gill’s.

  When I park in front of the building, I feel a little nervous. I look around before exiting my car. I walk through the large doors and see a lady standing at a counter. She smiles pleasantly before speaking.

  “Welcome to Ellis Winery. What can I get for you today?” she asks.

  “I’m Ansley. I ran into Ashton and he gave me this card.” I hand the card to the older lady.

  She smiles. “How do you know my son?”

  “I’m actually your grandson’s teacher,” I say, chewing on my lip.

  “Oh, I see. Well, don’t be shy. Come on in. I’ll show you our best.” I follow her into a huge wine cellar. There are a ton of my favorite wines.

  “Please forgive me. My name is Nancy Ellis.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Ellis.”

  “Please, that was my mother-in-law. I’m just Nancy.”

  “Thank you. I’m in wine heaven.” I giggle.

  “I like you,” she blurts. “Why don’t you come over for Saturday dinner tomorrow?”

  “Oh, Nancy, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “Of course it is! Don’t be shy. My son must like you. He doesn’t normally send women here, and he knew I’d be here today too, so this was his doing. He’s a good man, Ansley. AJ’s mother isn’t in the picture and that’s not my business to tell, but he’ll tell you, dear. Just give him time. For now, I want you at Saturday dinner, so be there at six o’clock. Here’s the address. Now, let me grab you a box for your drinks.”

  ***

  Ashton

  Running into Ansley at Gill’s had to be a message from heaven. I’ve been wanting to ask her out, but she never called. I gave her my number almost two months ago. Today, we were both in the right place at the right time. I hope my mom sees her and likes her. I guess that depends on if she shows up for dinner tomorrow or not. Thinking about my mom meeting Ansley makes me laugh. I can see mom now, telling her she has no choice and better be there. Giving Ansley the card for the free wine would definitely let my mom know I’m interested in her. I don’t give my card to just anyone.

  “Hey, what are you over there thinking about?” my cousin, Kade, asks as he rounds the corner.

  “Remember the chick from the bar? The one I’ve been thinking about since June? The one I asked you to look into for me? Well, she’s AJ’s teacher.” I scratch the side of my face. “I think she’s afraid of me.”

  “Shit, I forgot about that. I’m sorry. Dude, you can’t bang his teacher and then expect things to go well for him at school. Why would she be? You’re just a normal tatted up guy that turned her down.”

  “Nah, it’s not like that, bro. I like her.” And I do. I would love to get to know her, the real her.

  “Ask her out. Maybe we can go on a trio date. The six of us. But that was a while ago. Maybe she isn’t interested.”

  “When are you and Meg going to call yourselves a couple?” I laugh. He’s been sleeping with her for months.

  “She isn’t giving in, man. We fuck and I want more, but she has a past and I’m not sure, with my past, that we can have anything other than our midnight house calls.”

  “Give her time, she’ll come around. Well, if I know my mother, then I bet she invited Ansley to Saturday dinner.”

  “Shit. Knowing Aunt Nancy, she sure did. Did you get her last name this time?”

  “Ansley Dolce. I did a little digging on her myself. She moved here from Little Rock, just went through a divorce. She’s been a teacher for five years. She’s originally from Pittsburgh. She has a lot of loans and credit cards all in collections. It looks like her divorce screwed her.” I also saw that there were hospital records from March 2006, but I didn’t read why. I didn’t want to pry too much.

  “At least you know she likes kids.” He laughs. “I didn’t get a good glimpse of her that night. I was a little wasted. What does she look like?”

  “She seems very conservative. She has long, black hair and blue eyes. There are a few freckles across her nose.” Damn, thinking of her has me adjusting my jeans.

  He looks at his phone and gasps at the time. “Shit, I need to go. I’ll be at dinner tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll get to meet her again,” he says, giving me a man hug.

  “I’m going to lock up. I need to run to the shop. Lila has AJ so I can get some ink in on a few clients.”

  “Later.”

  ***

  I lock up Ellis Investigations and head over to my tattoo shop. I rarely work there, but there are a few people
that will only allow me to do their ink. Felicia is one of them. I hate that I let her suck my dick. Now, every time she sees me, she thinks we’re on a good level. Nope, strictly business, and she doesn’t seem to get that.

  When I walk into the shop, I see that she is already there. I look at Taz and nod. He knows how she is. I walk over to my area and start getting my equipment ready. I see she is eager to start, so I finally acknowledge her.

  “What are you getting today?” I ask as I sit next to her.

  “I’ve been waiting to see you all week. You never call me anymore.” She pouts.

  “Look, like I told you, I’m not interested in what you’re offering. I’ll continue to shoot your ink. That’s it, though. Got it?”

  Looking like I just killed her cat, she sighs. “Yeah, I think I changed my mind about the ink, though. I’ll let you know when I want more.” She grabs her purse. I hear her mumble, “Fucker” before walking out the door.

  “Well, that went over well.” Toom slaps my shoulder.

  “Damn, I should have done that shit a long time ago.” I grab a beer, pop the top off and laugh. I can still see the look in on her face.

  “She’ll be back. I can guarantee that,” Taz says from behind Toom.

  “I’m sure she will, but hopefully she got the hint.” Then I see my fate walk through the door. “Hang on, I’ll be back,” I tell the guys as I walk toward the front. She doesn’t notice me because she’s rummaging through her oversized purse.

  Still looking down, she says, “I would like to get my nipple—” She looks up and gasps. “Ashton?”

  “Damn, twice in one day? This is fate.” I laugh. “What would you like to get done?” I lean on the counter. I try looking into her beautiful eyes, but she turns away from me, clearly embarrassed.