ROMANCE: Mr. Mystery: (New Adult Bad Boy Romance) (Contemporary Mystery Short Stories)

by Viva Fox

“You wanted to talk?”

  “Yes. I want to understand what your intention with Penny is?”

  “My intention? I’m her father. I intend to exercise that right.” He said, his voice hard, clipped.

  “Yes, but I want you to look at this from her perspective. I’m the only family she knows and I really think she needs that connection right now.” Her eyes pleaded with him, hoping for an ounce of understanding.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll still let her see you.” He said, brushing off her concerns. “Maybe she can even crash here while I’m touring.”

  “No, she needs somewhere she can crash all the time. You can’t drag her around with you wherever you go and not expect that to affect her. She’s a kid.” Her voice raised, concern giving way to anger.

  “Yeah. My kid.” He matched her tone, his eyes sparked.

  “Whom you’ve never met. Why do you want her now when you didn’t want to have anything to do with her before?”

  “Because Whitney wouldn’t let me see her.”

  “And why would she do that. I love my sister, but I knew her well enough to know that she wasn’t likely to turn down the help of a hot rich guy.” She dug her fingernails into her palm, her heart rate speeding. She hated confrontation, but this was one fight she couldn’t back down from.

  “Then you should also know her well enough to know that she was a stubborn thing too. We were already history when she found out she was pregnant. Things were messy as shit between us at the time and she said she would never allow her kid to see me. All she wanted me for was money.”

  “If you were paying her child support why was there never any paperwork pertaining to it?”

  “Because Whit was smarter than that. She knew that if she filed for child support through the right channels, that money would be monitored. She would have to spend it on its intended purpose and not on herself. She had me deposit money into her bank account every month.”

  “Which she turned around and snorted. Wow, your case for getting custody just gets better and better.”

  “I was an idiot, okay? The way she said it, if I didn’t go along with her plan she would start telling people it wasn’t consensual, or some other story. And Whit was crazy enough to do it, too, so I figured I would just pay her the money and she would be happy.”

  “And you never thought about Penelope again?” She bit out.

  “Of course I did. I might be an asshole, but it killed me thinking that my kid was going to grow up never knowing who I was. Or worse yet, having Whitney as her mother.” Dante cut his eyes away from her, rubbing the back of his neck. When he spoke again his voice was weary, low. “I tried to get in touch with Whit a few times over the years but she always turned me down. Told me if I wasn’t calling about money then don’t call.” He turned back to her and Jacqueline saw the hurt in his eyes. “I know why Whit thought I would make a terrible parent, but why do you?”

  Looking into his stormy blue eyes she softened, the fight draining from her. “It’s not that I think you would be a bad dad, I just think that Penny needs stability. She needs the chance at a normal life.” Jacqueline inhaled a shaky breath. “She needs to not become her mother.”

  Jacqueline fought back the tears that threatened to spill, the result of her anger, her guilt. She turned her back to him, pacing into the kitchen.

  She didn’t hear him follow her until his voice rumbled from behind her. “That’s all I want for her too.”

  She turned to face him and he caught her in his arms. She looked up to him, gathering her courage to trudge on. “I tried to help Whitney and I failed. I can’t fail Penny. I don’t think I could bear to see her take the same path as Whitney.”

  This time the tears fell onto her cheeks and she cast her eyes down. Dante took her head in his hands and turned it up again. He pressed a kiss to each stream on her cheek, far gentler than she could imagine. The urge to let herself go with him was great, but she held on to the last remaining shreds of dignity she had.

  “Whitney kept her from me for 7 years. I can’t lose her again.”

  “I don’t want to keep her from you, I just want to keep her safe.”

  “Ditto.” Dante’s lips brushed against hers, a flutter of a kiss that made her breath hitch and chased away the sadness, replacing it with an ache of desire.

  “If we both want the same thing for her how do we choose?” The touch of his fingers along her ribcage sent a shiver through her, which culminated low in her belly.

  “We don’t.”

  “What do you mean?” Kisses peppered her jaw until he reached her earlobe making it difficult for Jacqueline to stay focused on their conversation.

  “We share.” Taking her earlobe between his lips, he sucked, then released it.

  “What?”

  “You said it yourself, we’re both her family, we both want the same things for her. Why fight about it?”

  His hands worked their way up her ribs until they were on her breasts, a gentle caress. She arched into his touch, her body remembering vividly his hands on her bare flesh. The wetness between her legs was evidence enough. Her mind tried to discern what he was talking about, but his hands on her body made it hard for her to think straight.

  Just as Jacqueline was moving into his touch he grabbed onto her and turned her around, facing the island. His large body pushed against her and she reached out and gripped her hand onto the cool granite. Dante bent his body over hers, his hands on her breasts again, tugging and tearing at the front of her dress, exposing her sensitive skin to his hands. The sudden switch in him surprised her, but it turned her on even more. She liked that he wasn’t afraid to take what he wanted, and she liked that he wanted her.

  His hips pressed into her and she could feel his erection on her. Jacqueline gathered her courage and pushed back into him, loving the way he felt against her. She was rewarded with his greedy hands tugging her nipple with a startling accuracy. She reveled in the burn, in the pleasure that washed over her. A low moan escaped her lips.

  In a few quick movements, Jacqueline’s dress was torn roughly from her and it fluttered to the floor. She heard the sound of denim being pulled down, and when Dante stepped back behind her she could feel the heat from his body and the silky skin of his cock against her. It seemed as though that was the only part of him that was smooth and Jacqueline wanted to touch it like she had the last time. She wanted to feel the rigid member in her hands and know that she could bring a man like this to the brink of pleasure, then take him over the edge.

  She turned around to face him, Dante quirking an eyebrow in surprise. Being faced with him she felt more nervous than she had a moment ago, but as her gaze moved down to his thick erection jutting out, her nerves were easily forgotten. Her small hand reached out and fisted him, gently at first, learning him. She watched his face as her hand moved over him, watched how she could affect him. Her movements became bolder, more aggressive, until his eyes slipped closed and his hips thrust into her motions.

  Bolstered, Jacqueline bent her body down and tentatively licked the tip of his cock. His eyes flew open in surprise, his hands moving to her head. She moved her hands to the base of him, then slowly took him into her mouth. A low groan sounded from above her, but before she could continue Dante pulled her up.

  Her eyes widened in alarm and she looked at him.

  “Babe if you keep doing that I’m going to come, and I don’t want to do that until I’m buried in you.”

  Her body ignited with his words, eager as he was to feel him moving inside her again. She turned back around to the face the counter, eager for him, only to hear a soft chuckle from behind her. She looked over her shoulder to him to see him smiling.

  “Come on.” He said, holding out his hand. She took it and he led the way down the hallway to her bedroom. Dante guided her onto the bed and he followed her.

  Keeping his body close to her, Dante rubbed the head of his cock along her seam, grunting at the wetness he found there. The tip of him ente
red her a couple inches, then pulled out. He repeated it that pattern until she was writhing with need under him. She let out a growl of frustration and Dante smiled, relenting. This time he pushed into her and buried himself to the hilt. She grabbed onto his shoulders at the sensation, at the tremors that ripped through her. He pumped into her with no prelude, a hard rhythm that left her breathless.

  Her lips sought out his and they met with a passion that was consuming. His merciless pace gained in intensity and Jacqueline brought up her legs around him, opening herself up to him. His eyes watched her face and this time she wasn’t nervous. This time she wanted to let go in front of him, for him to see what he did to her. The tension in her sex tightened as she neared release, the friction of him inside her was driving her to the edge.

  Her fingers dug into his shoulders, holding onto him as the savage rush consumed her. That ever present tension in her body came undone. Above her Dante’s primal sounds told her that he too was nearing climax. She watched through the haze of her own release as his features became rigid and his movements became frantic. A groan of pleasure echoed throughout the room.

  Dante stilled above, looking down at her face. He smiled broadly, something she had never seen him do before. He rolled off of her and pulled her close to him.

  “I love watching you let go.” He said, breathless. His smile was still in place.

  “I don’t know what it is but you bring out a side of me I didn’t even know I had. I’ve never had the desire to give a man head before today.” She said with a smile, inspecting the small nail marks on his shoulder.

  “See? I knew we would make a good team for Penny.”

  She propped herself up on his chest to look at him wholly. “You can’t be serious about trying to parent together.”

  “Sure I am. Why not?”

  “Because we hardly know each other.”

  “I think I’m getting to know you pretty well.” He said, his fingers trailing down her back.

  “You know what I mean.” She playfully slapped his chest, then settled back against him. “You’re a hard core rocker and I’m, well, just a regular person.”

  “I think that’s what makes this idea great. You’re calm and nurturing where I’m not.”

  “I suppose. And you’re confident and bold, and I’m not either of those things.” Jacqueline laid on him, thinking, tracing the dragon tattoo the covered most of his chest, and basking in how good it felt in his arms. After a moment she said to him, “This is a crazy idea, you know that right?”

  “The craziest.”

  “We need to make sure we take things slowly. Gradually.”

  Dante laughed. A low rumbling sound that had her blood start racing again. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but we don’t do ‘slow’ very well.”

  Smiling, she swung her leg over his hips and straddled him. Pinning his arms above him, she trailed kisses along his jaw, letting herself go once more.

  “Well in that case we should just fuck it and do it our own way.”

  “That’s my girl. We’re already a family now. Blood has nothing to do with it.”

  THE END

  Tempted Pleasure

  Karen was the type of woman who had everything figured out. She always had been, ever since she was a little girl. She had planned her wedding when she was thirteen and when she got engaged she had gone back to her childhood home and found the binder that she had used all those years ago. She graduated top of her class from a small business oriented school and even figured out a way to work a part time internship while still taking classes. No other student she knew had ever juggled that.

  She had gotten the top sales spot and was hired directly after graduating. Within a year she was married, had thirty clients, and four people whose job it was to keep her happy. However, when the market crashed her company decided to play favorites and only kept on the family. Which meant that Karen and her husband couldn’t afford their house. Just like her job, her husband left her as well. And that was when Karen tucked her tail between her legs and made her way back home.

  It was a difficult adjustment at first, but her parents tried to make it easier on her. She would drive to the liquor store every day however just to make the nights a little less lonely. The mind chatter and loneliness would fade when she curled up with a bottle of wine. One fateful day though she ran into an old college professor from her alma mater. She hadn’t seen Tim in a few years and she had to admit that while taking his classes she had always had a crush on him.

  He was your typical young professor when she was in school. He had short brown hair and he wore thick framed glasses, like the ones that most young men wear now, and he always wore a tweed jacket. However, since she had seen him that thick brown hair now had a few streaks of grey and his glasses seemed to age him just a tad bit. Although she knew that she was along the same road.

  She spent nearly every other day in his office working through the course material, not because she necessarily needed the help, but rather because she enjoyed spending time with him. So, when she saw him there in the liquor store she awkwardly tried to avoid him. Unfortunately there was nothing she could do to get away from him and he walked up to her with an excited look on his face.

  “Karen? This is incredible, I was just thinking about you the other day.” Karen felt herself beginning to blush even though she tried her best not to. “What are you doing back in town? I figured that your job out in the city would keep you pretty busy.” He chuckled and seemed to truly be curious, so Karen didn’t lay out all her problems out to him.

  “I-I actually left that job. I didn’t like the grind of it all, you know? Why deal with a rat race when all I really wanted to do was spend time with family.” She gripped her bottle of wine tightly, hoping that Tim wouldn’t see through her lies and shame. He nodded along though, seemingly completely oblivious.

  “I totally understand that. It’s why I’m actually so happy to see you.” He reached into his pocket for something and pulled out a printed out email. “I’ve been taking on a lot of classes recently and was thinking about finding someone to help me with my load.” He handed her the piece of paper and chuckled to himself. “Awkward phrasing, sorry.” Karen laughed as well and took the email from him and read over it.

  “Oh, wow. These are a lot of my old favorite classes.” Tim nodded as she spoke and reached over, pointing to one of the classes. She could smell him when he stepped closer and she wanted nothing more than to nuzzle into his neck. Karen hadn’t dreamt about him in a few years, but she had a feeling that they would be making a comeback now that he had just made a reemergence into her life.

  “I’ve got a few real geniuses in that class. Just like you were back in the day.” He pulled his hand back and grabbed a bottle of wine off the shelf, reading the label. “I was gonna put the job up on a few websites, but I really think that this is something you would be great for.” He put the bottle of wine back and turned to look at her. “Why don’t you give it a thought and if you’d like you can come sit in on a few classes so that you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.”

  Karen agreed to think it over and hugged Tim goodbye. She had never even considered teaching, but there is no way she would be able to keep up her drinking without a job to help pay the bills at home with her parents. She folded up the piece of paper and tucked it away into her jacket. Walking towards the register, she watched Tim wave goodbye to her. He turned and Karen’s suspicion was verified. His butt was just as good as when he was younger.

  ******

  Karen felt strange being back on campus. She had never gone back to any of the old reunions that were scheduled because she had no interest in meeting back up with any of those people she knew back then. She had focused so intensely on classes and grades she didn’t have much time for making friends. In fact, on more than one occasion she found that she was much more accomplished at making enemies.

  Classes were fairly cut throat and Karen knew that it was h
ow you had to play to get ahead in life. A lot of good it did her though. She learned firsthand some things about business by spending some time in it. However, it seemed like the only thing of value she had learned that it was better to enter a business where your last name was all they looked for on a resume. As she walked across campus she thought about how well that would go over if she took this teaching job and decided that she would try to stay a bit more positive.

  So, she continued walking across the campus and tried to recall where she had done things on the quad. She looked over and saw a few people lounging on the grass and laughed at how idiotic that seemed. Karen had never just sat on the quad. She, and the few other success oriented students she had gotten to know, had often teased about how there was no way that was something that real people did.

  It was just something that they had watched in a movie and assumed that it was what they were supposed to be doing. She had never played frisbee or hacky sack. Those were merely things that some marketing department at the toy store came up with to see their products. And it worked, she thought to herself as a small group of guys made their way to the quad holding a frisbee.