Page 26 of My Boyfriend's Protective Daddy

His body grows taut, and then he shudders, a low growl bursting from his mouth as Cash erupts inside of me. His cock throbs and his hot cream spurts deep into me. The rush of warmth filling me touches off an explosion, and I press my head back against the pillows, letting loose a long, lusty cry of my own. The feelings gripping me are so intense, I have to squeeze my eyes shut to keep the tears of joy welling within them from falling.

With Cash still buried inside of me, we cling together, our breathing ragged, matching smiles on our faces, both of us quivering. Cash’s golden eyes sparkle as he looks down at me, pure awe on his face. It’s as if he can’t believe what we just experienced together any more than I can. Our bodies remain entangled as he throbs, draining every drop of his seed into me, milking the moment for all we can.

“I love you so much,” he finally gasps. “I love you with everything in me.”

“And I love you just as much.”

He rolls off me and flops onto his back, still trying to catch his breath. I snuggle closer to him, resting my head on his broad chest, and revel in the feelings of warmth and joy that wrap themselves around me. I never thought I could be as happy and satisfied as I am right now. It’s something I wish I could bottle and carry with me wherever I go. Underneath it all, though, is a slow current of worry. Zane is still out there, and that situation more or less remains unresolved.

And I fear it’s only a matter of time before that other shoe drops.

13

CASH

“Okay, last call, ladies and gentlemen,” I call out as I turn the music down. “And I use the word gentleman very, very loosely.”

My announcement is met with loud groans and grumbles of protest. It’s the same routine we go through every night, but there’s something comforting about the familiar. About the routine. I like knowing what to expect. Although I’ve never enjoyed surprises, I have to admit the biggest surprise in my life has turned out to be the greatest thing to ever happen to me. And as I watch her hustle across the bar, talking and laughing with all the regulars as she drops off their drinks, all I can do is shake my head and smile.

Cassie is amazing in every sense of the word. She’s brought a joy to my life I never believed could be had, let alone something I could ever have for myself. She’s opened me up in ways I never expected and has made me feel things I’ve never experienced before. There’s just something about her that’s compelled me to open the gates and tear down the walls I built around myself when I was young and have maintained my whole life. And it’s seemed so effortless. She swept into my life, showed me there are better things, and gave me a love that hardly seemed real to me.

I’ve been content to live my life alone, focusing on the things that are important to me—like my bar—and never giving thought to emotions or things like being in love. But just as she has with everything else in my life, when Cassie swept in with the force of a hurricane, she tore down every barrier and upended every notion I had about life. And about myself. She’s turned my life and my entire world upside down in the best way possible.

The one dark cloud that continues to hover over this sudden sea of love and tranquility I’m floating in though is, of course, my son. I didn’t know about him for the first twenty years of his life, and when he found me, we were walking a rocky path toward building a relationship. There were some false starts and some missteps, but at least we were doing it together. But when Cassie left his world and stepped into mine, the mask slipped, and I saw him for who he really was. And I didn’t like what I saw. I still don’t.

Part of me is being choked by a profound guilt. Part of me thinks if I’d known about Zane and had helped raise him, I could have taught him to be a good person. I could have taught him that you treat women with respect. Dignity. If I had been part of his life all along, I could have shown him a better way in life. I’m not blaming any one thing in his life for how he turned out, but without a firm and steady male hand guiding him, he perhaps missed out on some important life lessons.

It’s a mixed bag, though. If not for Zane’s terrible behavior, I might not have ever met Cassie. It’s a twist of fate unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before—hell, unlike anything I’ve ever heard of before—but Cassie is fond of saying that the universe often conspires to bring people who belong together into each other’s orbits. I was never a believer in the universe or fate or anything like that, but having experienced the way things fell into place with Cassie, it just seems true and right.

But I can’t deny that I miss my son. For all his faults, I love the kid. He’s my son, how could I not? It’s been more than a month though since our last meeting in his apartment that night. I’ve reached out a couple of times, sending him a text or leaving him a message, but I haven’t gotten anything back from him. He’s as good at holding a grudge as I am. Cassie thinks I just need to give him some space and that he’ll come around, eventually. I’m not so optimistic, but there’s really nothing I can do anyway except learn to heal and ignore that hole in my heart.

“The boys at Georgie’s table would like one last round,” Cassie says as she steps to the bar.

“Of course, they would.”

I gaze at her as I pour the night’s last pint for George. Although Zane has left a hole in my heart, Cassie is helping to fill it. Every day I have with her is special, and everything I learn about her only makes me want to learn more. She makes me act like a giddy goddamn teenager. And I have never been giddy. Not even as a teenager. But it’s all just part and parcel of the cornucopia of emotions this girl has made me experience.

I finish pouring out the drinks, and as I set them down on her tray, the bells over the door tinkle as it opens.

“We’re closing up,” I call out.

“Cash,” Cassie says, her voice carrying a note of caution.

I raise my gaze to the door and pause as Zane steps through. He’s got an inscrutable look on his face and seems edgy, like a rabbit ready to bolt at the merest whiff of danger in the wind. He clears his throat and runs a hand through his hair, and I’m reminded again of just how much he looks like me. How many of his mannerisms are the same as mine. And knowing him as well as I know myself, I can see that he’s nervous.

As he crosses the bar, Cassie shoots me an uneasy look. I give her a nod, silently telling her things will be okay. She picks up her tray and bustles off, but I can see her shooting furtive glances back at me. Zane steps to the bar and looks down, unable to meet my eyes for a long moment. The air between us is pregnant with expectation, and I can practically smell the fear wafting off my son. It’s clear that being here isn’t easy for him.

“Hey, have a seat,” I say just to break the ice. “Get you a beer?”

“Aren’t you closing up?”

“I know the owner. He’ll be fine with one more beer.”

A wan smile touches his lips. “Yeah. A beer would be great. Thanks.”

I pour him out a pint and pour one out for myself as well. I set the glass down in front of him and lean on the bar across from him. We both remain quiet as we sip our beers. Zane’s tone and demeanor are markedly different from the last time we spoke, and it only fuels my curiosity. More than that, it ignites a small spark of hope inside me that maybe we can repair things between us after all. It’s a weak and guttering flame, but it’s more than I had an hour ago.

Cassie busies herself with some work on the other side of the bar and is giving us a wide berth. But she’s stealing glances at us, and I can see the look of concern on her face. Unlike the last time we spoke, Zane has cleaned himself up. He’s wearing clean clothes, his hair is cut short and neatly styled, he’s freshly shaven, and his skin doesn’t have the greasy, pale pallor it did the last time I saw him. He looks good. Healthy.

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