One in a Million: A Single Parent's Second Chance (Lost in the Woods Collection Book 1)

by Mia Woods

  I smiled. “Thank you,” I said. Billy reached over and took my hand, squeezing my fingers against his hot, calloused palm. The touch sent a shock of arousal through my body and I felt heat pulsing between my legs that definitely wasn’t because of the hot sun.

  “You’re welcome,” Billy said. He stretched. “How’s the little guy doing? Tuckered out yet?”

  “Amazingly not,” I said, glancing down at Jacob. He was sitting happily between us, swinging his legs in the air and gulping his frozen lemonade. “He’s doing really well today.”

  “He’s a good kid,” Billy said. “Hey, buddy,” he said to Jacob. “Wanna go see the tigers? Give Mommy a few minutes to rest?”

  Jacob nodded. Again, I was surprised at how easily my son was taking to Billy – it was like he’d known Billy for all of his short life.

  “I’m going to use the restroom,” I said. “I’ll be right back. You stay right here, okay?”

  Billy laughed. “Relax, Mom,” he said sarcastically, raising his eyebrows. “We’ll be right here, won’t we buddy?”

  “Right here,” Jacob echoed.

  I rolled my eyes, but inwardly I couldn’t help but admire how good Billy was with Jacob. He was a natural.

  Darting off towards the bathroom, I peed and then washed my hands as quickly as possible. My makeup was holding up well in the heat, but I was starting to feel the ache and strain of walking around all day. It’s a shame we have to go home soon, I thought, trying to ignore the tightness and arousal coiled in my lower belly. I wish this afternoon could last forever.

  When I emerged from the bathroom, I watched as Billy carefully picked Jacob up, then held him against the railing so he could look down into the tiger pit. Their mouths were moving and Jacob was laughing, but I couldn’t hear what Billy was saying. As I watched, Billy pointed down and said something. Jacob laughed, then pointed down, moving his arm in the exact same way as Billy’s.

  A chill ran down my spine and I stood, rooted to the spot, as I watched my son and my lover clearly mimicking each other’s gestures. Holy shit, I thought. What the hell is going on here? The blood drained from my face. There was no mistaking it – something very weird was happening.

  “Alex!” Billy called. “Come over here, you’ve gotta see this!”

  As quickly as I could, I plastered a smile on my face and ran over. Billy and Jacob pointed down at the tigers circling each other, padding majestically over a terrain of grass and dirt.

  “Hey, everything okay?” Billy nudged me. “You need to go home or something?”

  I shook my head. “I’m fine,” I lied.

  “You look as white as a sheet,” Billy said. He let out a low whistle, then set Jacob down at my feet. Jacob wrapped his arms around one of my legs, clinging tightly.

  “I’m fine, really.”

  Billy raised an eyebrow. “You sure? You didn’t see some ghost of Christmas Past in the bathroom?”

  I bit my lip, disconcerted by how close Billy had come to the mark.

  “Nope,” I said. I forced a smile. “I’m totally fine.”

  Chapter Eight

  Jacob was so tired from the zoo that he passed out in his car seat, snoring practically the whole way home. I was admittedly a little relieved – between Billy peppering me with questions and Jacob whining about being tired, the quiet was welcome.

  When Billy pulled up to the curb, he turned to me and grinned. “I had a great day with you two,” he said. “Thanks for letting me meet your son, Alex. He’s a really good kid.”

  “He is.” I nodded, glancing over my shoulder. Jacob was still snoring. His mouth was open and a little bubble of spit popped on his lower lip.

  “He’s exhausted,” Billy said. He winked. “Man, I could use a nap myself.”

  I licked my lip. “Do you…do you want to come in for a while? Just for a glass of water,” I added quickly. “Jacob will probably sleep for at least another hour.”

  Billy nodded. He leaned over and kissed me. I tasted the salt of his sweat and the heat of the day on his lips as they pressed against mine. Arousal swirled in my lower belly, and I moaned softly as Billy’s teeth caught on my lower lip.

  “Yes,” Billy murmured. His hot breath tickled my lips. “I want to come in.”

  I was careful to carry Jacob all the way to his bed, making sure that he didn’t wake up. He was out cold by the time I pulled a light blanket over his body and quietly walked back into the kitchen.

  “He’s really tired,” I said. I reached into the cabinet and grabbed two glasses. Just as I was about to fill them with ice and water, Billy came up and stood behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me against his body. The obvious strength of his toned body made my mouth go dry.

  Billy bent his head to my shoulder, placing his lips on my bare shoulder. I shivered and tried to pull away, but he started kissing me gently along my shoulder and neck until I arched my back and ground my ass into his pelvis. I could feel that he was already hard in his jeans and somehow, that excited me even more.

  I slowly spun around in Billy’s arms until we were facing. We kissed, adjusting our heads to the side as Billy’s tongue slipped into my mouth. I moaned softly as he nibbled and sucked at my lower lip. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I was barely even aware of Billy scooping me up and carrying me down the hall.

  “Alex, I can’t stop thinking about you,” Billy whispered. He gently dropped me on the bed, then went back and closed my bedroom door. My heart was pounding as Billy crawled towards me, pushing me down on my back and covering my body with his. His muscular bulk pressed my body into the mattress and I sighed softly as pleasure and lust raced through my veins.

  Billy slipped his hands under my sweater and tugged it over my head. He lowered his head to my breasts, nuzzling me through the lacy material of my bra. When his lips brushed against my stiff nipples, I tangled my hands in his air and bit my lip to keep from moaning. Billy reached behind me and unsnapped my bra, pulling it away from my skin. His lips wrapped around one of my hard nipples, sucking and licking until I was panting with desire. Billy played with my other breast with one hand while he stroked my lower belly with his fingers. I moaned, arching my back and spreading my legs. As Billy fitted his body neatly between my legs, I wrapped my legs around his waist and held him tightly. My crotch was thumping inside of my panties and I was so wet that the fabric of my panties clung to my skin.

  “God, Alex,” Billy groaned. “I want you.” He rolled off me and unfastened his shirt with quick hands. The sight of his muscular chest filled me with lust and I couldn’t help reaching out and running my hands down his smooth skin. I unfastened my jeans and tugged them down my hips. Clad only in panties, I got on all fours and crawled towards him.

  “I want to taste you,” I purred huskily as I fumbled with the giant buckle at the front of Billy’s jeans. He groaned and stretched towards the ceiling as I pulled his jeans down his taut hips. Billy’s erection was straining the front of his boxers and I blushed as I ran my hand over his hard cock. He groaned with pleasure. The knowledge that I was pleasing him made me bolder. I hadn’t touched a man like this in years, but somehow it felt natural – like I’d been waiting for Billy all along. As slowly as I could, I wrapped my fingers around the base of his cock and gently pumped him up and down through the thin fabric of his boxers.

  “This is torture,” Billy groaned. “God, Alex, stop.”

  I grinned. “No way,” I whispered, nuzzling his hard cock through his boxers. Finally, I hooked my fingers in the waistband and tugged the cotton down Billy’s hips and thighs. His beautiful cock sprang free. I wrapped my hand around the soft, hot flesh and resumed moving up and down as I lowered my face towards the head. Billy smelled clean and musky and I breathed in deeply before licking my lips and gently taking the head of his cock into my mouth.

  Billy’s reaction was immediate and powerful. He grunted, tangling a hand in my hair and thrusting into my mouth. I pulled away, determined to tease him as
much as possible. We moved together in a frantic dance of arousal before I licked the underside of his erection. Billy melted in my mouth. His posture relaxed and he loosened his grip on my hair. I wrapped my lips around my teeth and slowly bobbed my head over his cock, stroking the base with my hand. Billy let out a strangled cry of pleasure. He thrust his hips forward and I opened my throat, taking as much of his cock in my mouth as I could. I sucked and savored the column of flesh pulsing in my mouth. It felt oddly powerful to reduce a man as strong as Billy to a whimpering mess.

  “God, Alex, you’re killing me,” Billy grunted. He let out a wild howl of pleasure before pushing me backwards. I fell onto the bed, legs splayed. The soaked crotch of my panties clung to my wet skin and I blushed as Billy leaned between my legs and inhaled deeply.

  Covering my face with my arm, I arched my back and moaned softly as Billy trailed his fingertips down my chest. My nipples were throbbing and aching for want of more attention, but my crotch was pounding with lust and I was dying for Billy to touch me there. His fingers slid around my lower belly and inner thighs, teasing and tickling me until I cried out with frustration.

  “Please,” I begged. “Please, Billy. Please touch me.”

  Billy smirked. “I like making you squirm,” he whispered. He lowered his head to my belly and licked a wet stripe down my quivering flesh. Finally, he pushed my panties to the side and steadied himself with a hand against my hip. Billy leaned closer, until his cock was poking at the entrance to my womanhood. I moaned softly as he buried his cock inside of me, plunging deep until he was buried to the hilt.

  It felt so good that I could barely lie still. Billy stayed buried inside of me for a long, exquisite moment. Then he grabbed my hips and began making love to me. His long, sure strokes made a firestorm in my belly and I moaned and writhed underneath of him as our bodies moved together on the soft mattress.

  Billy leaned down and kissed me, licking the sweat from my lips. He tangled his fingers in my hair and pulled my head back, exposing my neck. As he kissed me all over, I moaned and thrust my hips up to meet his. His cock was slamming into me with more force than ever before and the arousal building in my lower belly was enough to drive me wild. Before I knew it, I was gasping and clutching at Billy’s shoulders as a powerful orgasm pulsed through my body. I was filled with a hot, gripping sensation that made me shiver and cry out as Billy thrust deeply inside of me. Then he shuddered and bucked his hips. I could feel his cock pulsing inside of me with the force of his orgasm, and we came together, shaking and sweating and moaning softly.

  Billy slowly pulled out, then wiped himself off with my sheet. He pulled me close and kissed my forehead.

  “I should really check on Jacob,” I murmured, rolling out of bed and pulling my clothes. My body was filled with a lazy pleasure – there was nothing I wanted more than to get back into bed with Billy and snuggle for hours, but I knew I needed to keep my son as my number one priority.

  “I’ll be here,” Billy said. He yawned.

  After checking on Jacob and making sure he was still asleep, I tiptoed down the hall to my room. To my surprise, Billy was fully dressed. He was sitting at the edge of my bed, pulling on his cowboy boots.

  “Hey,” I said. “What’s up? You leaving?” I frowned. Somehow, I’d expected Billy to pull me back down into bed.

  Billy nodded. “I got a poker game with the guys later,” he said.

  I bit my lip. “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah, it totally slipped my mind until now,” Billy said. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  I shook my head, although I wasn’t entirely sure about whether or not I minded.

  An unpleasant feeling crept through my limbs.

  “Hey, you okay?” Billy tapped me lightly on the shoulder. “You don’t look so good.”

  I nodded. “I’m fine,” I said. “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “Alright,” Billy said. He whistled.

  I stared at him. I hated the jealousy that was searing my body like a brand. Why the hell did I feel like this? All he did was tell me that he was going out with his buddies for a poker game? And probably lots of beer and whiskey, I thought. With lots of other rich bachelors.

  My stomach turned. This was the real Billy – the Billy who went out with his friends, drinking and smoking until the wee hours of the morning. Not the Billy who took single mothers and their offspring to the zoo, then charmed their way into sex.

  My mouth hardened into a thin line. He doesn’t want anything to do with me, I realized as I watched the carefree way Billy leaned in the mirror and pushed his hair back. He’s just having fun. He doesn’t want anything serious.

  “Hey,” Billy said. He turned to me with a frown. “You sure you’re okay?”

  “You need to leave,” I said. My voice was icy. “Right now, before Jacob wakes up.”

  “What’d I do?” Billy crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s wrong, Alex?”

  “Nothing,” I lied. “Just please – I want you to leave.”

  Chapter Nine

  I expected to feel better after Billy left. I’d thought that making him leave would make me feel relieved, or maybe even a little proud. I’m being a good mother, I thought as I peered into Jacob’s room and watched my son sleep. Why doesn’t it feel more rewarding to have made the right choice?

  The rest of the week passed in a blur. I barely even saw my son or Elisabeth – I was working double shifts at The Sleeping Dog, and while the money felt good in my pocket, I didn’t feel great about ignoring Jacob. Elisabeth assured me that he was doing fine.

  I was just glad he hadn’t been asking too many questions about Mommy’s “friend” Billy.

  The next Monday, I went into work early to clean. The bar had hosted a rowdy frat party the night before, and the whole place smelled like a sewer full of stale beer and testosterone. Thinking of frat boys inevitably made me think of Billy. As I cleaned, I bit my lip and wondered if any of the boys who had been at the party last night would turn out to be decent guys. Probably not, I thought cynically as I pushed a mop across the floor. That would be a complete and utter shock.

  The door banged open. I groaned, keeping my eyes focused on the soapy floor.

  “We’re not open yet!” I called over my shoulder. “Come back after noon!”

  To my supreme irritation, heavy footsteps crossed the floor.

  “I said we’re closed!” I yelled. “Do I have to fucking say it again?”

  There was a masculine chuckle, then a heavy hand on my shoulder. I cried out in surprise. When I whirled around, I was standing face to face with Billy Lessner.

  “I know y’all are closed,” Billy said. He smirked. “I came to talk to you, Alex. Got five minutes?”

  My cheeks flamed bright red and I tried to scowl but staring into Billy’s gorgeous sapphire eyes made that impossible. My lips were frozen in a dazed half-smile, a smile that completely betrayed how I really felt about this man.

  “I don’t have five,” I managed to say.

  “What about two and a half?” Billy gave me a pleading look that tugged at my heart. “Come on, Alex. Please hear me out.”

  I sighed. “What?”

  Billy took my hand and led me away from the mop and bucket. We walked over to the bar and he stared deeply into my eyes. I struggled to stay present – whenever he looked at me like that, it was difficult to keep from swooning.

  “First of all,” Billy said. “These are for you.” He pushed a bouquet across the counter – sunflowers and white roses. “And this is for Jacob,” Billy added. He handed me a small package. “For his birthday – you don’t have to give it to him now.”

  I frowned. “What are you doing here?”

  Billy sighed. “I want to talk about us, Alex,” he said softly. “I want to know why you keep goin’ so hot and then so cold. What’s goin’ on in that pretty head of yours?”

  I licked my lips and stared at him, determined to keep my resolve.

  “I can’t be in a re
lationship with you,” I said tartly. “Right now, my priority is taking care of my son. Jacob is my whole world, and I can’t screw around with random guys because he needs me too much.”

  “I wasn’t ever asking you to ignore your son,” Billy said. “I know that Jacob will always come first. Hell, I wouldn’t respect you as much as I do if you felt different. You’re a great mom, Alex. Don’t beat yourself up for having fun.”

  “That’s just it,” I said. “I can’t have fun, Billy.”

  “Why not?” Billy raised an eyebrow. “Fun is what life is about, Alex.”

  I shook my head. “Not when you have a toddler,” I snapped. “I made the decision to become a mother, and I have to do this right. Jacob is my whole world.”

  “Jacob’s a good kid.”

  “He is,” I said, nodding. “And he really liked you. And what the fuck am I supposed to do when you break my heart and disappear and then Jacob keeps asking about you? How am I supposed to handle that? How can I explain to him that you’d rather be off gambling and drinking and tomcatting around with your pack of friends?”

  Billy’s face went white. He clenched his jaw and nodded slowly. “Okay, Alex,” he said quietly. “If that’s how you feel.” He nodded once more before turning on his heel and striding out of The Sleeping Dog.

  I felt a lump form in my throat as I watched him go. I did the right thing, I thought, trying to buoy myself up. I did the right thing, and I’m sure I’ll feel better soon.

  --

  The rest of the day was hell. The bar was even more crowded than usual – it was some absurd university holiday, which meant guys calling for trays of shots by two in the afternoon. By the time my shift was over at seven-thirty, I felt like I was about to die on my feet.

  As I tossed my apron into the wash, I spotted the bouquet and the small wrapped present next to my purse. A numb feeling spread through my veins and I shivered. I can’t give this to Jacob, I realized as I stared down at the toy. He’d ask too many questions. Finally, I tucked it into my bag and slipped out the back door.