Single Dad’s Plaything: A Single Dad First Time Billionaire Romance

by Natasha Spencer

  “Nobody’s perfect and I’ve made some mistakes, but each one shaped me into the woman I am today.” I wanted to tell her to come home soon, but there was no way that I was going to ruin their fun because I was missing them.

  Joseph was my father in every sense of the word and he was patient when I was moody. He was there when I needed somebody to talk to about boys and he had the unique insight of what a man was thinking.

  “I know it’s probably late and you have an early start in the morning. I’m going to go and find some young thing to put my mark on. Don’t worry, I’m only kidding and my eyes have always wandered but I always come back to your father.”

  As far as I knew, I didn’t believe either one of them had stepped out and found comfort in someone else’s arms. It was possible and secrets were inevitable in any relationship.

  “I’m just finishing up a paper and I’m going to turn in shortly.” Finals were coming up quickly and in a couple of months, it would be summer break. I was looking forward to shedding some layers and I’d heard a rumor that the weekend was going to be in the high twenties. It was only the end of April, but summer was trying to make a return quicker than usual. The snow had melted and there were actual flowers blooming.

  We finished our conversation and I threw myself into the paper for the next hour without distraction.

  ***

  I heard something downstairs around 1:00 AM and I felt this chill run through my spine. I heard a muted voice behind the door and breathing deeply, I grabbed the Louisville Slugger behind the door. It was a gift from my brother and he told me to protect myself. I never had a reason to pick it up, but the commotion downstairs indicated I wasn’t alone.

  Chapter Two

  I held the baseball bat in two hands over my shoulder like my brother had taught me before his deployment. He was my stepbrother and we had learned to coexist because of our parents. I thought he was a slacker, completely directionless and having no idea what he was going to do with the rest of his life. It was a bit of a shocker to hear him talk about protecting this country and watching him leave with the green duffel bag over his shoulder wasn’t easy.

  The noise was in the kitchen and I was hoping it was nothing more than a creature of the night. I hated mice, but it was far better than the alternative of having to face a burglar in the process of taking things that didn’t belong to him.

  I smelled the aroma of coffee and I was confused by how he could be so comfortable to make something to drink. I saw the front door was ajar and I kicked it closed lightly. I picked up the phone and held it precariously between two fingers.

  Somebody was cursing a blue streak and then footsteps were coming this way. I stopped and placed the phone on the table by the kitchen door. Taking a stance, I was ready to swing with everything I could muster. I might have been only 5’4 and 120 pounds, but I could take care of myself. I didn’t need a man to protect me.

  It was my feminist attitude that sometimes rubbed men the wrong way. I robbed them of their dignity and bruising their delicate egos was never a good idea.

  The door swung open and I screamed to disorient him long enough for the baseball bat to crack against his skull.

  I found myself in the air and then lying on the floor looking up dazed and confused. The wind was knocked out of me and I was left in a vulnerable position with no visible means of putting up much of a fight. Whoever this was had disarmed me with some move that had left my wrist numb and my fingers tingling from how he had knocked me off my feet.

  “It’s good to see that you know how to use that thing. Your stance and follow through could use some pointers, but I was lucky that I saw your shadow. I didn’t want to hurt you, but I had to make sure you weren’t going to use that.” His voice sounded familiar and it was the windows to the soul that finally convinced me.

  “Bailey, you scared the living daylights out of me and you know how I get jittery when I’m alone in the house. It’s the reason why I leave the radio on to give the illusion of someone here." He was reaching out and I took his hand with him pulling me to my feet like I weighed nothing at all. When I last saw him two years ago he was lanky, long hair and had the hygiene of a monkey.

  He was wearing a green army jacket and a pair of jeans which seemed like they were painted on his body. The shirt underneath the jacket didn’t hide any of the finely crafted muscles he had gotten during his time away from home.

  “I didn’t know that I had to announce my presence when I came home. Next time I will make sure there’s a ticker-tape parade to welcome a hero back from war. I don’t particularly care for the welcoming committee. I take it our parents are still away and don’t you find it the least bit suspicious how they suddenly picked up everything and went on this cruise. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear that my father was trying to make up for some kind of mistake he made.” I had my mouth open staring at the way his muscles were bulging in all the right places.

  I never noticed before, but his endowment was quite delicious looking. The outline of his package was impressive and the added component of his newly discovered muscles was giving me a reason to feel a little lightheaded. His long hair was shorn away to stubble and his baby boy good looks had a bit of an edge with a five o’clock shadow. His eyes were cold and impersonal and the temperature in the room had dropped a few degrees.

  “I don’t try to think about it and neither should you. I would apologize for trying to take your head off, but I was taught to swing for the fences.” I was using his words against him and he was shaking his head in disbelief that I would put him on the spot like that.

  “I forgive you and this is just one of many trespasses I have to atone for.” I saw the faraway look in his eyes and I could only imagine what he had seen during his time abroad.

  “I don’t suppose you have any explanation for the reason why you suddenly showed up without warning? I know things weren’t easy and I can only hope that I helped you in your time of crisis with those care packages from home I sent you.” He had seen one of his buddies blown away by a suicide bomber. He survived and got a medal for pulling his platoon of Marines out of there under fire. It was very brave and foolish at the same time, but it showed he was a man of character.

  “I won’t be staying long and I’m planning to go on another tour in a month. I’ve been given the responsibility of leading a team and I can’t turn down a plum assignment like that. I just need some time to decompress, but I certainly don’t want to be an imposition. I can always stay on a friend’s couch, but why should I have to when this is my home.” He had calmly dispatched me and still, he was holding the coffee without spilling a drop.

  “Your room is exactly the way you left it and our mother made sure to keep it locked. She immortalized your accomplishments from high school and pretty much made it a shrine to your memory.” Being stubborn, I went and tried to pick up his duffel bag by the door only to find that it was easier said than done.

  “You probably have a lot of questions, but I’m really in no frame of mind to talk. Let me get a good night’s sleep and then we can sit down and hash out the details of this new living arrangement. I promise that my discipline will prevent me from leaving dirty dishes or towels lying around.” This was the new and improved Bailey and I’d never felt like I was tripping over my own tongue before. He was nothing like the little boy I remembered and this was a full grown man looking like he could carry me over his shoulder with relative ease.

  “I did hear something crashing and I do hope you cleaned up whatever mess you made. I’m not going to be cleaning up after you or cooking your meals or doing your laundry. If this is going to work then we have to give each other our space and privacy. If my door is closed then that doesn’t mean you can barge in without knocking first. We can go over the rules in the morning when you’re feeling more refreshed.” He was in desperate need of a shower and the pungent aroma of his manly scent was enough to knock down an elephant.

  I found his natural manly m
usk to be something of an aphrodisiac which made my lips quiver with anticipation. I never thought of him as a potential conquest, but this was the kind of man I could definitely sink my teeth into. I could envision him naked, but it was nothing compared to what he looked like today. I was painfully aware that we weren’t related and with a few cocktails things could escalate until we were throwing caution to the wind.

  “It was only a plate and it took me a few moments to adjust to the dark before finding the light switch. I don’t want you to be my mother and I would rather you just leave me alone. I’ve had enough of people telling me what to do to last me a lifetime. It’s the nature of being in the Marines and this next tour of duty will be me giving the orders.” I didn’t mind him in control and the very idea of submitting to his will was making me anxious. He wanted his space, but how could I give that to him when he looked like a dish best-served piping hot from the oven.

  “My arm is still smarting from what you did and I’m still trying to get the feeling in my fingers.” This was the first time since I’d seen him that he smiled but it was there one second and gone the next.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you, but the best way to deal with an opponent is to make sure the weapon they are using is no longer an issue. Once that is accomplished then hand to hand combat becomes something I can do in my sleep. I’ve been conditioned to be the perfect soldier and I didn’t know what I was getting into when I signed on the dotted line.” He looked like he was ready to break down and tell me some deep dark confession.

  I was tempted to put my hand on his muscular shoulder, but he walked away from me like he was a man of authority. His physique was born from discipline and if he flexed his biceps it most likely would have ripped right through the shirt and the jacket at the same time. I was breathing deeply as I followed him up the stairs with the green duffel bag over his shoulder. It weighed a ton and I had no idea what he could possibly have that would make it seem like I was trying to lift a bag full of bricks.

  “It is good to see you again, Bailey and it feels like only yesterday that you were following me around like a puppy dog.” He had grown up and had become a young woman’s wet dream come true.

  “I have no idea how I’m going to be able to sleep in a real bed.” He was accustomed to a different and harsher way of life.

  “It is getting late and we both need our beauty sleep.” I didn’t have any idea how I was going to get to sleep tossing and turning with visions of his disciplined and naked body running through my mind.

  “I’ll be up at the crack of dawn and I follow a very strict morning routine. I don’t expect you to get up with me and you’ve never been an early riser.” To see him putting his body to the test would be worth it and I was going to have to seriously consider setting my alarm for an hour earlier than usual.

  “I can’t promise anything.” I watched him go into his room with a heavy weight on his shoulder and I wasn’t talking about the duffel bag. He wasn’t the same and there was a lot more baggage to contend with.

  “This might be civilian life, but I will always have the military burning in my veins. I could teach you a few moves in self-defense to give you a fighting chance. The best way for you to defend yourself is by using your environment. We can discuss this tomorrow and I can barely keep my eyes open after a 12-hour flight across the Atlantic.” He did look beat, but my mind constantly shifted from how he could easily manipulate my body into whatever position he wanted.

  Chapter Three

  I didn’t set my alarm and I really didn’t have to with him making enough noise to wake up the dead. The shower was followed by him singing out of tune. I was tempted to get up and sneak across the hall to witness what he would look like unencumbered by clothes. I just didn’t have the courage to make him feel like he was underneath the microscope. I wanted to in the worst way possible and I had lifted the sheet off of me several times before settling back frustrated beyond belief.

  I rummaged through my closet to find something interesting to work out alongside him in the backyard. I wanted something subtle, but also enough to make his tongue drag on the floor after he saw me bending and moving in certain ways.

  I found a pair of yoga pants which I hadn’t used, but I was going to find better use for them than flaunting what God gave me in front of drooling idiots.

  He was grunting when I opened up the double doors leading out onto the deck. It was a labor of love for both my stepbrother and stepfather. I was quite impressed how they worked on it together.

  The barbecue was the crown jewel and everything money could buy. There was a bar set up with an overhang to prevent the weather from spoiling the party.

  “I wasn’t expecting you and you can follow along until you can’t take it anymore. It won’t hurt my feelings and I know not everybody is as healthy conscience as I am. I made a fruit smoothie from what I could find in the fridge, but there’s more than enough for two.” He had his shirt off and wearing shorts that left very little to the imagination. He was healthy in all the ways that mattered including a body that didn’t seem like it had an ounce of fat anywhere to be found.

  “I have been meaning to make my body into a temple and I just needed the proper incentive. It’s nice to have a workout body… I mean buddy…and it’s hard to get started when you don’t have someone there in your cheering section.” I had a gym membership, but I’d only gone in once only to realize it wasn’t for me. I didn’t need the audience. A more intimate setting like this one was right up my alley.

  “I’m a bit of a slave driver and you won’t find any mercy with me. If you can’t take the heat then get out of my way.” His forceful tone set me back a step and I could see the haunting images keeping him prisoner of his own mind.

  The yoga pants were dark and easily attracted the sun which helped to give me a good sweat. I was following along and he was doing things with his body that seemed impossible. There were times he had to put his hands on me to make me bend. I was under his spell and there was no denying that his body was a testament to what a man should look like underneath his clothes.

  “You take the term no pain and no gain to the extreme, but I like how my body feels afterward. I see some real definition in my abdominals. Before long I will have rock hard six packs on a body that will probably stop traffic in the middle of the day.” I was starting a war in a different form than what he was used to. This was a campaign of seduction and I was in it for the long haul.

  “Remember to cool down with stretches or you will risk cramping up. I was slightly impressed and you took everything I was throwing at you and asked for more. You would make a fine soldier and some who couldn’t cut it would feel ashamed if you were there to make them look themselves in the mirror.” I couldn’t imagine putting my life on the line every single day and this was something he was accustomed to early on.

  I took a drink of the smoothie and it was refreshing. It helped to cool things off and my body had already been supercharged with the kind of heat that went directly between my legs. Even moving was awkward and the friction of the yoga pants was causing the unseen side effect of my libido getting a jump start.

  “I’m going to take a quick shower and then I have to get to class. I might miss the bus, but I could use the exercise.” I was hinting at getting a ride.

  “I want to go into town and get some necessary supplies including some steaks I want to barbecue this evening. You’re more than welcome to partake unless you have some other plans. I would be more than happy to take you to college and I don’t think that I’ve ever told you how proud you make me feel. We both have the same mentality of going after what we want and not allowing anything to stand in our way.”

  My breasts were pressed against the thin fabric of the tee shirt with the logo of my favorite band stenciled across it. I wasn’t wearing a bra and I wasn’t sure, but I thought I perceived him looking at my more prominent attributes out of the corner of his eyes.

  “I won’t be long and we could shar
e a shower like we did when we were little to conserve water.” I saw him blushing and I punched against his hard shoulder in an attempt at good natured ribbing. “You should see your face and you really thought that I was serious. We are a little old to be taking showers together.” He looked away and I saw a twitch of movement inside the shorts he was wearing. They were tight enough to leave little doubt of his excitement.

  “I hate to ask, but I don’t have any money until the end of the week. If you could float me a loan, I’m sure that I can make it up to you in some way.” I had my mouth open about to make some kind of crass comment about taking it out on trade, but I stopped myself before I made an error in judgment.

  The morning was just getting started and already I was hot and bothered. If things progressed anymore then our relationship was going to turn in a profound way. There was no telling what we would do with this newfound freedom. I wanted desperately to explore his body and to take my time tracing his muscles down until I could grab him unexpectedly.

  “I have some money, but it depends on how much you’re looking for.” I could see the sweat rolling down his pectorals and it accentuated his muscles in a way that made me speechless.

  “I figure $100 should cover any of the expenses. It’s not like it’s just for me and our parents have not exactly been looking after their bodies. I’m not putting anything in my mouth that is bad for me.” I could think of one thing that had no calories and would leave a sheen on his lips. I fanned myself away from his prying eyes, feeling a little faint and almost bumping into the furniture when I went inside the house.

  I went upstairs and climbed underneath the hot spray directing the nozzle to where it was going to do the most good. I felt empowered and the massage setting was nothing compared to the real thing. It was good, but only enough to satiate me for the time being. I was a little unsteady on my legs when I got out of the shower and wrapped my body with a towel.