by Dani René
“Levi, can you just allow me to get dressed,” she throws back, glaring at me. Her feisty nature makes me chuckle. I love how she can be a tame kitten for me at times, and ready to tear my dick off at others.
I leave her to get ready while I settle on the sofa, swiping through my phone to find Ethan’s message. He’s coming home soon, and I miss him. Having Kristyn here will be strange at first, but something tells me my boy will be just fine.
He’ll spend more time with Pearson’s kids when he’s back anyway. The five boys have been close for years. Their friendship grew from being the strangers next door to a daily visit. Since they all attend school together, they’ve grown even closer.
I know Ethan and Brock have been partying together, but I don’t know much about the boys. It’s another reason I want Ethan to study close to home so I can make up for lost time with my son. I know nothing can make up for the extent I missed, but I’ll try.
“I’m ready,” my baby girl announces, and I can’t help eye fucking her in those skin-tight jeans. “Stop doing that. Dad’s waiting for us,” she admonishes me like a child, but I want it.
We take a slow drive to her childhood home, her wringing her hands in her lap.
“Are you nervous?” I ask without looking at her.
“A little. I’ve never brought anyone home and now when I do, it’s a man who’s twice my age,” she says hesitantly. I don’t care about any of the social taboos between us. Yes, she’s young, but she’s mine.
Love has no age. It’s timeless, limitless. And if we’re both consenting adults, I see no fucking problem.
“Stay calm. He’ll love me.” I wink cockily as I pull up to the drive.
When we make our way inside, I hold her hand. The whole house is bathed in a silence I’ve never experienced.
“It’s him. Isn’t it?” I glance at her, but I don’t need her to respond. I already know. “The reason for the money?”
“Yes,” she utters. Her body shakes, I pull her into my arms, cocooning her from the hurt, but I know I can’t ease her pain like this.
“Call the hospital. Tell them he’ll need a full-time nurse to get his treatments done at home,” I order.
“Krys.” A deep voice comes from the doorway, and I’m met with blue eyes that match my woman’s. I’ve been such an asshole, not caring about her personal life. But I’m here now, and there’s nothing that will stop me making this right.
“Mr. Marshall, I am Levi Kingston.” I offer him a hand, but the man glares at me angrily. “I’m helping Kristyn with the hospital treatments,” I tell him, but he sees through my bullshit.
“Dad—”
“And I love your daughter,” I spit out the words before she can say anything. “I’m perhaps not the man you saw her with, but I love her more than my next breath. And I’m here to ask your permission to one day, when the time is right, ask for her hand.”
Silence hangs around us like a fucking lead weight. It feels as if my body is in free fall as this man judges me. He regards me with a critical eye, and I don’t blame him. I need it. I welcome it.
“And what makes you think my girl here loves you?” He chuckles, and Kristyn giggles. And when he smiles, he looks just like her, both with happiness crinkling the corners of their eyes.
“I do love him, Dad. I should’ve come to you about our relationship earlier, but—”
“Krys, let me tell you something. When you love someone, there is no right time or wrong time to do something. But when it’s right, you feel it. Not in your mind, but deep down in your heart and soul. If this man…” he looks at me once more, narrowing his gaze, “if he’s the one you want, then you know I love you enough to support anything you need.”
“Thank you, Dad.” She wraps her arms around him, giving him a hug she’s probably held onto for so long. There’s sadness in this place, and a man that’s ill shouldn’t be living in such dankness. As soon as we leave here, I’m calling my agent. She’ll find Mr. Marshall an apartment close to my house.
“There’s something else I needed to ask you, Mr. Marshall.” I implore him with my gaze, wanting him to understand I can’t live without his daughter.
“Yes,” he says, confusing me.
“What?”
“She can live with you. I’m tired of seeing my little girl sad. She deserves a life outside of this,” he says, waving his hand around at the darkened living room.
“Dad, I don’t—”
He pins her with a glare that shuts her up immediately. I need to learn that, I think, but then again, I do love spanking her little ass.
“There’s no discussion, Krys. You’re going to pack and I’ll find something. Don’t you worry about me. You’ve given up your life to look after your sick father, but no more. There’s a man who loves you, and I want that for you.”
Her big blue eyes glisten, shimmering like jewels, but she doesn’t need me to comfort her right now, she needs her father. And he pulls her into a hug so fierce, she disappears in his arms.
“Thank you, Dad,” she mumbles into his sweater.
His eyes meet mine, and I hold my breath. When he mouths, “Look after her,” I nod in return. I’ll do anything for her. She’s mine now, and I’m never letting her go.
Chapter Sixteen
Kristyn
A warm ray of sunlight streams through the window as I open my eyes. It’s been a month since Levi paid me to stop working at Poison. And it’s taken a month for us to live together—to find happiness where we both had so much sadness in our lives.
Levi’s arm is draped over my waist, his body warming me more than the sun. I’m cherished. Smiling, I roll over, finding those beautiful dark eyes staring back at me.
“That’s not super creepy,” I tell him, running my palm over the stubble on his jaw. His fingers dig in, tickling my middle, causing me to giggle loudly as I kick and squeal for him to quit it. He knows I’m prone to laughing fits, and he loves it.
“Ethan’s back today,” he tells me then.
All laughing ceases as I glare at him. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He shrugs. His son is coming home today, and he shrugs as if he just told me the weather.
“He’s an adult. If I feel it’s time for me to move on, then I move on.”
“Levi, you can’t expect him just to accept that there’s another woman in the house,” I utter, pushing off the bed before he can drag me back in. Racing for the bathroom, I slam into a solid mass of man-boy. “Shit.” My hand flies to my mouth when I realize I’m standing in the hallway completely naked in front of my boyfriend’s teenage son.
“Dang, my dad knows how to pick them,” he teases as I fly past him in horror, my face burning red with embarrassment. When I reach the bathroom, I slam the door a little too loudly, but I don’t care. All my clothes are in Levi’s bedroom. What made me think I could slink around naked when he just told me Ethan is coming back?
There’s a knock on the door, then Levi’s voice. “Baby girl, he’s headed out to meet with friends.” I jerk the door open, meeting the dark eyes of the man who’s stolen my heart.
“You couldn’t have warned me earlier?” I bite out, causing him to chuckle as if it’s the funniest thing to happen. “This isn’t a joke, Levi. He’s your son. I feel…”
His hands grip my shoulders, pulling me closer. He drops his head so we’re eye to eye. “He’s my son. You’re my woman. There’s no getting around it. Either you calm down and just take each moment as it comes, or I’ll have to move him into a penthouse apartment in the city where he can enjoy his college life after he gets back from his gap year in Italy.” He’s serious. There’s nothing this man does or says that hasn’t been thought out, planned, and well calculated.
“You knew he’d be back, you knew I would panic, and you made a plan, didn’t you?” He nods, and the confident smirk on his face is all I need to wrap my arms around his neck and pull myself up against him.
He spins me around, his hands gripping my ass as
he nestles his nose into my hair. There’s something about him doing it that sets my mind at ease. It calms me. As if I’m his air and he needs me to survive.
“Now, get your pert little ass back in bed. I need some loving before Ethan gets back. Then we’re having a family dinner. My son hasn’t been here to see me fall in love again and I think it’s time he gets to know you,” he tells me, admiration in his tone. It causes my heart to sputter in my chest. “Preferably with some clothes on. I’m the only man allowed to see you naked.”
“Stop being an asshole.”
“It’s why you love me, baby girl. After lunch, we’re going to visit your dad,” he informs me. I don’t have a choice. This man has paid for my father to have a full-time nurse, all his treatments are covered, and he now has a comfortable apartment overlooking the ocean.
“How did I get so lucky?” I ask as he lays me down on the steel gray sheets.
He settles himself between my splayed thighs before answering. “It was Kismet.”
“So, you and my dad?” Ethan turns to glance at me with those hazel eyes. He’s handsome. Closer to my age than Levi is, but it no longer fazes me. I always wondered how girls choose older men, and since being with Levi, I know exactly why. I’m hooked, and I don’t want to be released.
“Yeah, is that weird for you?” I ask, and he smirks. A heartbreaker in the making. Just like his father.
“Not at all. Just wondering how my dad landed such a hot chick,” he says, and I can’t help blushing. Definitely a heartbreaker. “He’s normally sitting at home in his old man pj’s, and here you are all sexy and pouty for him.”
“I don’t think that’s a—”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, you’re not my type. I prefer blondes,” he tells me boldly. For an eighteen-year-old, he’s cocky as shit, but with a father like Levi, I see where he gets it from. Personality from his dad, but his looks are a mix of his parents. His angular jaw, disheveled mocha hair, and that tanned skin is a perfect blend of Levi and his late wife, which makes for a good looking young man.
“I didn’t mean that. You should give him more of a chance.” He regards me for a moment, and I’m almost certain he’s about to tell me I’m not his mother to offer advice, but he doesn’t.
“Why? He’s never given me a chance. All the times I told him what I wanted to do with my life, he’s just ignored those and told me what he wants me to do.”
“Parents can be difficult, there’s no doubt about it, but he’s only looking out for you, Ethan. He’s a stubborn man, and something tells me you’re more alike than you think. Why not just pull him aside and force him to listen?”
He shrugs, looking out over the view of the ocean in the distance. He lifts the smoke to his mouth, pulling hard, making the cherry burn bright in the dimly lit sky. The clouds in the distance look almost purple as the sun sets.
“I tried, you know,” he tells me. “For years, I begged him to hear me out. But I guess my immaturity shined through. I want to travel, I want to paint. He just doesn’t get it. He’s a numbers man. He enjoys the money and privilege and all I want to do is surf and paint pretty girls.”
His words are filled with emotion. As if the thought of doing all that sets his heart alight. I can’t help smiling. I’ve never had a passion for something as much as I did for my writing. But with Dad being sick, I put all that on hold. Yes, I have studied, but it wasn’t to do what my heart desires. For too long, I listened to everyone else.
Hearing Ethan speak so passionately about what he wants only seems to light a fire inside me.
“I can talk to him,” I offer. Leaning over, I try to get him to look at me, but he doesn’t. He watches the waves. “Is there a girl in the picture?”
“No. She left.” He doesn’t sound too sad about it and I wonder if it was just a fling or something more. “There are times I wonder what would’ve happened if she had stayed. But I know sometimes moving on is the best for both people,” he says, sounding far older than he is.
“Did your dad tell you that?” He nods. “I guess it’s true. But sometimes the heart wants that first person.” He turns to me, his mouth curving into a lopsided grin. “And anyway, you’re far too handsome to be locked down to one girl. There are so many out there, you’ll find her.”
“Are you flirting with me, Kristy?” he chuckles, as he calls me by the nickname he’s gifted me.
“No, don’t be an ass,” I retort, swatting him on the bare shoulder. He came back an hour ago from surfing and he’s dressed only in board shorts. “I just mean, there are other girls out there who may come into your life and you’ll fall in love again.”
“Oh, no. There’s no way I’m falling in love. Right now, all I want is a nice tight pussy to fuck.” His vulgar response has me gasping. But I shouldn’t be too shocked. He’s definitely his father’s son.
“If you keep talking like that, you’ll never find a girl.” I admonish, but he laughs as if I’m the funniest person on earth.
“Listen to the hypocrite,” he says in shock. “I’ve heard you and my dad going at it like bunnies.” He causes me to choke on my retort.
“That’s creepy, you know,” I tell him. “Listening to us.”
“Can’t help it. I’m a young, virile man.” He winks, rising from the chair. “And let me tell you something, listening to the two of you is better than any porno. Who knew my dad had that much energy?”
He leaves me gaping at his retreating form as he races down the wooden steps and onto the private beach behind Levi’s home.
“You’re an asshole!” I call out, earning me a satisfied wave. He disappears from sight and I’m left alone for a moment. Levi will be home any minute and I need to get ready. There’s a meeting he wants me to attend with him and I recall the last time we had one.
He took me to the beach and we made love violently. It was passionate and raw. He broke me open so many times, but each time, he put me back together. He’s been my glue at the toughest moments over the past month.
There’s just so much more to Levi Kingston than all the money he has, or the home and cars. He plays the cold-hearted bastard in the boardroom, and in the beginning, he did it in the bedroom too. Even in his most closed off moments, I found him lurking beneath the façade.
All the material items are nothing compared to the heart beating in his chest. He may hide it away most times, but I know the real him.
And that’s the man I love.
Meet the other Fathers
Blackstone by J.D. Hollyfield
Contemporary Romance
GR: http://bit.ly/2GXCzS1
I am meticulous. Structured. A single father.
I obsess over things and crave control.
And when a hot, feisty little woman throws a wrench in my carefully laid out plans, I lose my mind.
My every thought revolves around making her bend to my will—until they become less about her doing things my way and more about just her.
My name is Trevor Blackstone.
I am an obsessive, complicated, demanding man.
People may not understand me, but it doesn't stop them from wanting me.
Pearson by K Webster
Taboo Romance
GR: http://bit.ly/2FKvjcE
I am selfish. Spoiled. A single father.
I do what I want because I can.
One of my four sons is dating the hot, young little neighbor...
Too bad it won't last long.
When I want something, I take it—even if it means taking from my son.
My name is Eric Pearson.
I am an unapologetic, egotistical, domineering man.
People may not like me, but it doesn't stop them from wanting me.
Wheeler by Ker Dukey
Dark Suspense
GR: http://bit.ly/2oIY1T6
I am dark. Calculating. A single father.
I have secrets that would horrify most people.
Stalking is a habit I refuse to break—and wha
t happens after is a sweet reward.
My life is exactly the way I have designed it.
But an undeserving, sick monster is dating my only daughter.
Until I deal with my problem, I can’t truly enjoy everything I’ve created.
My name is Jax Wheeler.
I’m a twisted, evil, insane man.
People may be afraid of me, but it doesn’t stop them from wanting me.
***These books were designed so you can read them out of order. However, they all interconnect and would be best enjoyed by reading them all!***
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my amazing friend K Webster for inviting me to join this amazing project. You’re an incredible inspiration and I’m so excited to be able to call on you for advice.
To Jess (J.D. Hollyfield) and Ker Dukey, it’s been such fun working with you both on this project. You ladies rock!
Thank you to Monica for editing and polishing Kingston and for loving this filthy man. xx
To my Darklings reader group, thank you for the support and love you show on a daily basis. You’re my rockstars!!
To my author colleagues, thank you for being there and sharing my books, and offering the support in this crazy journey.
To the bloggers, thank you a million times over for supporting me. By reading, reviewing, and sharing, you ladies make this dream of mine possible!
To my readers, thank you for always trusting me and reading my words. Hugs and love xx
About Dani René
Dani is an international bestselling author and proud member of the Romance Writer's Organization of South Africa.
