The Single Daddy Situation

by Layla Valentine

  She was attending a meeting for a promotion, one that could significantly advance her career. She opted for dress slacks, a blouse, and sandals. Dressing up wasn’t her go-to style, but today it was the best choice.

  With a quick glance to ensure she hadn’t woken Logan, she made her way across the hall to the bathroom for a quick shower. As she wiped off the previous night’s smudged eyeliner to apply a new, simpler cat-eye, she strained her hearing for signs that Logan might be up and about. To her continued relief, she was greeted with more silence.

  Once she was satisfied with her look, she padded back into the hall and went in search of a piece of paper. In all their discussions the night before, she and Logan hadn’t exchanged contact information. Though Mariah was actively pushing down the hope that their time together might become something more, she figured the effort was the least she could do.

  Logan,

  I’m sorry I had to sneak out on you—I had to run to a meeting. It’ll only take a couple hours and I’ll be back. You’re free to stay as long as you’d like. There’s coffee in the cabinet to the right of the sink, and the coffee maker is pretty easy to use.

  I had a lot of fun last night, and I hope you did, too! Just send me a text if you need anything. My number’s at the bottom.

  Wish me luck!

  Xoxo Mariah

  She twirled the pen in her fingers as she reread her neat handwriting. Was it too much? Too cheesy? Not cheesy enough?

  Whether she liked it or not, she was in unfamiliar territory. She had no idea how to hint to a man she’d slept with that she was interested in more without coming across as needy or desperate. There was a fine line between sweet and clingy.

  Normally, she didn’t worry about whether or not a supposed one-night stand would be interested in anything more than the short term.

  But Logan was different.

  Even as she slipped into her room to set the note on the nightstand, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt comfortable enough to leave someone in her apartment, unattended. Well, she could, but that someone was her best friend, Hazel. How could a man she’d known less than twenty-four hours evoke the same level of comfort as a woman she’d befriended eight years ago?

  Mariah didn’t know the answer to that, but the fact remained that she was just as ease around Logan as she was around her long-time friends.

  Before she crossed from the carpet to the hardwood of the hall, she paused in the doorway. Logan looked as peaceful as he had when she first woke. The sunlight had crept up to the edge of the mattress, and the glow created gentle shadows along the shape of one defined arm.

  He would be gone when she returned. She knew it.

  As she scooped up her car keys and handbag, she told herself she would be fine if he left, if she never heard from him again. They had a great night together, and the end of their time had been punctuated by some of the best sex Mariah had ever had.

  And that was fine. They had shared a night of harmless fun. That’s all it was.

  Still, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t snuff out the glimmer of hope.

  Hope was a dangerous thing.

  Chapter 6

  Mariah

  When she followed her coach out of the sleek conference room two hours later, Mariah could hardly believe she was still in the real world. After another round of handshakes and farewells to Linda Boylan and her staff, Mariah and Mike made their way to the elevator at the end of the hall.

  As soon as the silver doors slid closed in front of them, she took in a sharp breath and spun around to face Mike, smacking her hand against his in a high five.

  Laughing hard, she brushed a few strands of dark hair from her face before she leaned against the handrail with a sigh. “Linda Boylan is a badass.”

  Mike grinned. “I told you. She’s the real deal. They don’t call her the Queenmaker for nothing. Your win against Kady Erickson was a big deal, kid. The kind of performance someone like Linda Boylan notices.”

  The next venue where Mariah was slated to fight was at least double, if not triple, the size of the stadium in downtown San Bravado. For years, the Las Vegas arena had been used to host a number of major MMA events. In three months, Mariah would be front and center for one such match. Whoever won would be crowned with a championship that set them apart from their peers. With that win under her belt, Mariah would be able to face off against some of the biggest names in women’s MMA.

  All she had to do was survive the next three months of an intensive training Mike had facilitated for her. If she could make it—and she knew she could—then she was sure she’d be prepared for the big fight.

  This was it. If she showed up for the match in Las Vegas like she’d shown up to all her matches so far, she would blaze a trail for herself right into the upper echelon of the MMA world. Her face would be plastered up on posters around the Las Vegas Strip, and her name would be prominent on sports networks all across the country.

  As she and Mike departed the elevator, Mariah was still at a loss for words.

  “Hey,” Mike said as she was about to turn to head to her car.

  Mariah lifted an eyebrow. “What’s up?”

  The corners of his dark eyes creased as he grinned. “Well done, kid. I don’t know if I said that yet, but you’ve done a damn fine job lately. You were great in the meeting with Boylan, too.”

  Mariah stood straighter at the compliment. Mike could be a hard-ass, but he was a good guy. He’d been at her side for the past two years, and she hoped he would be there for plenty more years to come.

  “Thanks, Mike,” she replied. “That means a lot.”

  Still grinning, he reached out to clap her on the shoulder. “I’ll send you an email with the ticket information. They do it all electronically nowadays, so you don’t have to worry about printing anything.”

  “Hey, I’m all for saving trees.” Mariah waved her smartphone for emphasis.

  Mike laughed. “Flight leaves at nine tomorrow morning. Until then, go enjoy yourself. You earned it.”

  The man’s grin was infectious, and Mariah wore a wide smile as she made her way through the parking garage. Mike didn’t often give her the green light to celebrate, but if he did, then it was a testament to the significance of her accomplishment.

  With a contented sigh, Mariah turned the key over in the car’s ignition and shifted into gear. As she wound her way down to the exit, handed the employee at the gate her validated parking slip, and exited the five-story garage, she decided there was only one way her morning could improve.

  If Logan Harfield was still in her apartment when she returned home, then today would be a top contender for the best day of her life.

  As she neared the last leg of her journey home, the rush of her pulse picked up. Her palms were clammy against the steering wheel, and her mouth was suddenly stuffed with cotton balls.

  She doubted he would be there, but what should she do if he was? Their sex the night before had been just short of a religious experience for Mariah, though she couldn’t be sure the same rang true for Logan. He seemed like the type who got what he wanted, no matter the circumstances. Then again, that was part of what made him so damn sexy. His confident gait, the little self-assured smirk he wore, and the knowing glint in his slate-gray eyes.

  Just the thought sent a shiver down her back. Dang, she hoped he was there.

  Before she could linger in the parking lot, she pulled the key free and shoved out into the abundant sunlight. She set off for the front door of the tall building at a jog, the soreness in her thighs a reminder of what she hoped awaited her upstairs.

  Keys in one hand, Mariah used the other to push open the heavy door to her apartment. The pleasant aroma of roasted coffee rushed up to greet her as she stepped into the foyer. Her smile was back as she kicked off her sandals and hung up her keys.

  “I’m back!” she called.

  As soon as she rounded the corner of the short hall, Logan glanced up from where he had b
een focused on the glowing screen of his phone. With a steaming mug on the polished countertop in front of him, he sat in one of two stools at the breakfast bar. His mouth curved into a sexy smile as his gray eyes settled on hers.

  Pressing a button on the side of his phone, he pushed himself off the cushioned barstool. “How was your meeting?”

  Apparently, a night spent in someone else’s bed hadn’t been enough to dull his sharp appearance. Though his hair wasn’t styled neatly like it had been when she met him, he had tamed the disheveled strands. She had seen his rumpled dress shirt on the carpet when she left, but even as she neared him, she couldn’t spot a single unsightly wrinkle.

  Maybe he was a warlock, she thought with some amusement. He had cast a spell to create the inexorable attraction she felt for him, and then he had used the same magic to polish his look back to a high sheen.

  She laughed at herself and pushed aside the contemplation. “It went great! I’ll be in Vegas in three months, fighting for a championship title. It’s like the gateway to the big time. All sorts of fighters have gotten their start after they won this title. Plus, I don’t know if the name Linda Boylan means anything to you, but she’s the one who made sure I got in that match.”

  He nodded as he took a sip of coffee. “Linda Boylan. Yeah, I know her name. She was a big deal back when she was a fighter, wasn’t she?”

  “She was.” Mariah flashed him a smile as she meandered to the kitchen for a mug. “And she’s an even bigger deal now, believe it or not. Plus, I met her today, and she’s a badass lady.”

  With a chuckle, he nodded again. “I believe it. Three months, huh? What are you going to be up to in the meantime?”

  Mariah thought her heart skipped a beat. Did he want to know her plans so he could make himself a part of them?

  Even if that had been his intent, she reminded herself it didn’t matter. She would be gone for the next three months with zero opportunity for contact with the outside world. No phone aside from a landline, no internet, no nothing.

  She set her freshly filled mug on the breakfast bar as she stopped to stand at his side. “Actually, I’ll be gone for the next three months,” she said, failing to completely conceal the disappointment in her tone.

  Eyebrow arched, Logan returned his coffee to the counter. “Gone?” he echoed.

  Mariah rubbed her forehead. “Yeah. Mike—my coach—he scheduled this super intense training for me. It’ll be gone for twelve weeks and get back a couple days before the fight in Vegas. Just enough time to settle into a hotel on the Strip and get ready, I guess.”

  A brief flash of disappointment crossed his face before a playful smile returned. “You’re making it sound like you’re headed to a monastery in the mountains of Tibet or something. Is that it? Are you going to come back a monk?”

  Laughter bubbled in Mariah’s throat, and she didn’t think she could have kept a straight face if she had tried. “No,” she snickered. “It’s in the mountains of Colorado, thank you very much. And it’s not a monastery, at least I don’t think it is.”

  He feigned a look of seriousness. “Colorado? So, it’s a pot farm?”

  “Oh, my God!” Mariah laughed and threw a playful jab at his ribs. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

  His eyes seemed to sparkle as he shot her a disarming grin. “I’ve been called worse.”

  Mariah rolled her eyes in an attempt to look exasperated before she took a tentative sip of coffee.

  “When do you leave, then?” he asked.

  When she returned her attention to him, Logan had arched an eyebrow.

  She leaned her back against the bar. “Tomorrow morning, at nine.”

  Though the expression was fleeting, his eyes widened in surprise. “Wow, that was fast.”

  Holding up both hands, she shrugged. “Mike got the registration started a couple weeks ago. Apparently, he just operated under the assumption that I’d beat the undefeated Kady Erickson and wind up in a championship match in a few months.”

  While looking deep into her eyes, Logan traced the back of his fingers down the serpentine dragon tattooed on her arm. “Nine a.m. tomorrow. What are you going to do until then?”

  The gentle touch sent a trail of goosebumps down her back as a rush of warmth built between her legs. He hadn’t even kissed her, and she was ready to strip off her clothes, bend over the counter, and beg him to take her right there. At the thought, a familiar tingle edged its way in beside the warmth.

  Without offering a warning, she stepped forward to close the distance between them and pressed her lips against his. As his tongue brushed hers, she knew he had expected the sudden display, and the realization only added fuel to the growing fire of anticipation.

  She didn’t break away from the impassioned kiss as she reached for the first button of his shirt. He started to guide her backward toward the bedroom, and she offered no resistance.

  As they stepped into the shadowy space, Mariah separated from him to pull the blouse over her head. The night before, they had been shrouded in darkness. Though she had been able to make out enough to know that his six-foot-three frame was comprised of lean, defined muscle, she hadn’t been afforded an opportunity to fully take stock of his toned body.

  Dropping her shirt to the floor, Mariah made no effort to conceal the look of desire from her face. As her gaze flitted over his chest, she spotted the glint of unabashed lust in his gray eyes. Mariah licked her lips as she dropped a hand to the waistband of her pants. She watched him shrug off his dress shirt as the ache of desire filled her core.

  Before she could think to make a show of shimmying out of her pants, he stepped forward for a fervent kiss. She parted her lips as he brushed the tip of his tongue along her bottom lip. As he pulled her in to press her body against his, she was unable to suppress a slight moan at the sensation of his bare skin on hers.

  Without separating from the impassioned kiss, she let her bra—the same lacy number she’d put on after her fight the night before—slide down her arms after he undid the clasp. Digging his fingertips into her back, he moved his other hand up her side to caress her naked breast. Before he ran his thumb along the sensitive skin, he pulled away from the kiss to fix his eyes on hers.

  She felt his labored breathing against her chest, and the desire that burned behind his gray eyes was enough to transform the warmth of anticipation into a dull ache. With her gaze locked on his, she reached for the waist of his jeans. In that moment, all she wanted was to feel him.

  As he started to tug on her pants, he leaned in to press his lips against hers. Lightly, she bit down on his bottom lip as they separated.

  His smirk in response was sly, almost devious, and in response, she took a step backward toward the bed. Rather than the deliberate, sexy moves she had planned to use as she stripped off the pants, she merely pulled them down one leg, and then the other. Without waiting for him to follow suit, she let herself fall back onto the plush mattress.

  At the metallic clink of his belt, a surge of desire flooded through her. Hooking both thumbs beneath her underwear, he spread her legs apart with a knee as he lowered himself down for another heated kiss.

  Brushing his lips along her cheek, he nipped at the sensitive skin of her neck before he tilted his head to whisper in her ear.

  “On your stomach,” he murmured, his breath warm on the side of her face.

  A pleasant shiver worked its way down her back as she nodded slightly. When he stood, she flipped over to comply with his request. One hand clasped on either side of her hips, he pulled her to the edge of the bed and slid the underwear down her bare legs.

  Even from a distance, she heard his labored breathing as he rested a hand on the small of her back. With the other, he guided himself as he eased into her. Her moan of pleasure was almost breathless, her grasp on the comforter tightening as he continued.

  “My God,” he managed. She didn’t have to see him to know that the words were weighted down with lust. “I love how wet yo
u get for me.”

  With the hoarse whisper and the sensation of him inside her, filling her, she already felt the tingle of pleasure that preceded an orgasm. When he slid one hand around to caress the blissful ache, all she could do was moan his name.

  She couldn’t think, couldn’t speak, couldn’t do anything aside from tighten her grip on the blankets and moan. Mariah didn’t consider herself a prude, but this was the first time she had experienced anything remotely close to this level of pleasure before. She had no idea how he managed to find all the little sensitive spots on her body that drove her crazy—the ability was almost otherworldly. It was like he’d known her for all of her adult life, not just the last twenty-four hours.

  Hands down, without a doubt, sex with Logan Harfield was the best she had ever had. He was attentive, and any time he made a movement that elicited a sound of pleasure from her, he must have added it to a mental checklist.

  They had sex two more times before he announced that he would have to leave soon. On legs that had become unsteady, she pulled on her clothes to follow him to the door.

  “Am I going to see you again?” she blurted out before she could think better of it.

  But, if she was honest with herself, she wanted to know. Either way—whether this was the start of more to come, or whether it was a one-time fling—she wanted to know what was in his head so she could mentally prepare herself.

  He brushed a piece of hair away from her face. “In Las Vegas,” he answered. “Three months from now, right?”

  She couldn’t help the rush of giddiness at his response. With a smile of her own, she nodded.

  Cupping her cheek with one hand, he leaned forward for a gentle, but passionate kiss. As he slowly pulled away, he nodded once. “I’ll see you then.”

  Chapter 7