SEAL Daddy by Sofia T Summers
Jason
When I first stepped into her townhouse, I didn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t sure what kind of tastes Nicole had, but I quickly realized she was better at making a home than I was. I’d just gone to a local storefront of some furniture chain, letting a middle-aged woman pick out furniture and tell me what looked good. I didn’t care enough to have an opinion on my sofas or a headboard.
Nicole was the exact opposite. She bathed her beige rental in shades of blue, giving a bohemian yet coastal feel to her home. Next to her plush sectional, I recognized the turquoise velvet club chair as one I’d help move from her grandmother’s house, just like the ovular oak dining table set for six. The matching buffet table was pushed up against a wall, decorated with a blue-and-white china tea set between pictures of the life I’d missed. Photographs of Charlotte were nestled under a large painting of cobalt-blue trees and golden waters under a peachy sunset.
She’d made a home for Charlotte where I couldn’t, and it killed me. Since coming back from Chapel Hill, Nicole had just been a twelve-minute drive from my house. They were both nearby, yet it felt like she was across some impassable chasm. I didn’t know how to cross the distance.
I saw the pain in Nicole’s endless green eyes, but I didn’t know how to make it go away.
While demanding the truth, I’d not braced myself for every possibility. I wasn’t ready to imagine Nicole scared and alone. The vision cut into me like a knife, twisting as the reality of it all sunk in. I was still angry about the things I couldn’t change, but I couldn’t stay angry with Nicole.
The Navy taught me to deal with what was in front of me during combat. How could I fault her for doing the same? Nicole was just doing the best she could for Charlotte. I could never fault her for that, but I was here. I had the time and means to support her, yet Nicole continued to be so damn stubborn.
Her fierce expression both aggravated me and enticed me. If I couldn’t do it with my words, I’d show her just how determined I was. A dozen different fantasies flashed through my mind, while I battled with the frustration still coursing through my veins.
“I’m here now, Nicole,” I swore to her. “And I’m not going away.”
“And I’m not going to let you force your way into our lives,” she asserted, taking a noticeable step back. “Charlotte has a good life and a steady routine. You can’t just show up and change that.”
Nicole was trying to create space between us, but she didn’t understand her own gravitational pull. Compelled to follow her, my footsteps traced her path back into the living room. She fussed with the throw pillows on her sofa and folded up an ivory fur blanket. Nicole was trying to keep her hands occupied.
It was the exact same thing she’d done during dinner. Anytime she had to speak, she would start doing something, whether it was tending to Charlotte or doing something with the food. Nicole was doing her very best to ignore the emotions that lingered, but her persistence was waning.
Other desires were starting to win out.
“I’m not trying to mess up her life,” I promised. “I just want to be a part of it.”
“It’s not that simple,” Nicole protested, shaking her head. “I’ve kept my secrets for a reason, Jason.”
“I’m not saying this needs to be public information,” I swore. “I just want you to let me in. You did it once, Nicole. I know you can do it again.”
Her brilliant eyes held mine captive. “Nothing happens the same way twice.”
Traces of disdain still lingered in her eyes. She tried to let me go, brushing past as she went, but I couldn’t give her up. Instinctively, my hand reached for hers, my grip wrapping around her wrist. It was the first time I’d touched her in two long years. The realization had my heart pounding.
“You ran away last time,” I recalled, my voice growing heavy with want. “I’m not interested in repeating history.”
Nicole’s gaze searched mine for an answer. She had to see what I craved, just like I knew her pulse was humming under my fingertips. I could feel it increasing as we each inched closer to one another. There was still frustration, but our innate desires were overwhelming it all.
Our lips were inches apart as I murmured, “You know what I want, Nicole, but you’re going to need to meet me halfway.”
“What if I don’t want to?” She whispered back.
I laughed lightly, “We both know you do.”
“This means nothing,” she swore, but it didn’t matter.
I tasted the wine on her lips, while my hands traced the outline of her curves. Through the thin cotton fabric of her clothes, Nicole’s body molded to my touch. I still felt her exasperation, but it only made her kiss more fervent. Soon, I couldn’t tell where annoyance ended and her passion began.
“Are you giving up, Nicole?” I wondered between kisses.
As my mouth trailed away from hers, Nicole answered breathlessly, “Just this once.”
It was all the permission I needed. With the curtains drawn, I didn’t bother to take her upstairs. I fastened my arms around her waist to carry Nicole to the couch. Her legs locked around me, pulling me down with her as she fell amongst the colorful pile of pillows.
I couldn’t think about anything except getting our clothes out of the way. Luckily, Nicole had a similar thought. She was already pulling off my jacket and pushing up the fabric of my t-shirt. Our clothes got lost in different corners of the room, and we were left in nothing but our underwear.
Feeling the pink lace trim of Nicole’s underwear, a muffled groan escaped my lips. My mouth was preoccupied with exploring the bare skin laid out underneath me. I’d been dreaming of this moment for too long, yet my imagination hadn’t done it justice.
Nicole’s hands got lost in my hair, pressing into me as my teeth brushed along her breasts. The sheer fabric already showed me every bit of her chest, but it wasn’t enough. Unlatching her bra, my tongue trailed around each of her nipples before wandering down her stomach. I noticed the stretch marks on her skin, but they were a reminder of what Nicole had endured. She had gone to hell and back, yet she was still thriving.
Her beguiling beauty was far deeper than her soft fair skin. It was more than her sweet words or gorgeous thighs. Every piece of her was devastating, and I planned to appreciate every bit of herself that Nicole offered. As her legs opened, I didn’t hesitate. Nicole’s fingers dug into my scalp, and my whole body reacted.
I’d never gotten so much satisfaction from someone else’s pleasure.
There was an edge to Nicole’s pleading whimpers. I didn’t know if she was mad at me or angry with herself for giving in. Either way, if this was Nicole being cold, I didn’t know if I could handle her eager enthusiasm.
“Unless, you’re not interested in more,” she breathed. “You need to give that up right now.”
Kissing her warm inner thigh, I vowed, “I’ll always be interested in more, Nicole.”
My body hovered over hers as she welcomed me back into her. Her arms wrapping around my chest, I could feel her nails scratching down my back. It didn’t hurt, but I prayed to God that she would leave a scar. I longed to have something from this moment that I would never forget.
“Jason,” she murmured, her spine arching under my grasp.
I kept my pace, eager to please her. If Nicole was leaving scars on my back, I wanted to leave her with the kind of satisfaction she’d never forget. I felt desperate to give her a reason to keep coming back to me. She could fight me all she wanted. As long as our fights ended like this, I’d endure her fury gladly.
Her whimpers pitching higher, my lips pressed against the crook of her neck. I didn’t let go until a wave of euphoria washed over Nicole, and I offered myself release. Her panting breaths blew against my burning skin. I knew Nicole said just this once, but it wasn’t enough. I already hungered for more.
“We can’t keep doing this,” she swore against my chest before pulling away.
“What?”
Finding her v-neck shirt on the floor and her underwear, Nicole didn’t bother to get her black yoga pants from under the sectional’s chaise. She ignored my question as she got halfway dressed, pulling her long hair through her shirt. Watching Nicole saunter across the room half-dressed, having her naked was easier. She looked like the embodiment of temptation, and her dismissive bemusement only made the torment worse.
“I’m not going to go in circles with you,” she finally sighed while checking her phone. “But I’m not having this conversation today either. I have… too many things to think about first.”
It sounded like she was going to say something else, but I didn’t push. Finding my clothes, I quickly got dressed. Part of me wished Nicole had lingered. Some secret corner of my mind imagined holding onto her bare body in the afternoon light, and Nicole wouldn’t push me away.
“I don’t want to force you or make you uncomfortable,” I promised her. “But you can’t keep me away from Charlotte, especially now that I know.”
“I’m aware,” she mumbled begrudgingly.
I could’ve commented on her tone, but it wasn’t worth the argument. She was just protective of her life and her child. It had been just the two of them for a long time. Adjusting would take time for us all.
“Would you like to see her?” Nicole offered with another sigh. “She still needs to sleep for another thirty minutes, but she doesn’t wake up easily. As long as you don’t touch her, it won’t hurt for you to poke your head in the nursery.”
“Touch her?” I echoed.
“It’s the quickest way to wake her up,” she explained. “Just come on.”
With a wave of her hand, I followed Nicole upstairs, easily realizing the layout of each room. There was a laundry room just off the stairs and two small bedrooms on the other side. One was Nicole’s office. The other had its door shut.
My heart started beating faster at the sight of it. I knew I’d seen her the evening before, but it wasn’t the same. I couldn’t look at her and know she was actually mine.
Inside, it was quiet and cool with the fan spinning overhead. The walls were covered in wallpaper scattered with wildflowers. Plush animals and other toys were scattered around the room. In shades of pale pink and gray, it was like a dream cloud made for a little princess. I even breathed in the calming scent of lavender.
“Go ahead,” Nicole encouraged me in a whisper. “She won’t wake up.”
I walked carefully like there were landmines in the polka-dotted rug. I didn’t want to make too much noise or run into anything. I stepped over a stray stuffed bunny toy before reaching the crib. Just like that, I saw her.
Under a mint-colored crocheted blanket, Charlotte’s face was scrunched up, a reaction to something in her dream. She squirmed for a moment before relaxing again. Her tufts of blonde hair were unkempt, but it only made her more endearing. I couldn’t believe I was a parent. Even as I watched her sleep, it all felt so surreal.
I admired the faint rise and fall of her chest. Each breath was precious, and I had to protect it. Circumstances forced me to miss her birth and so many firsts, but I couldn’t turn back time. The only thing I could do was be there for my child now.
Come what may, Charlotte was going to know her father. I was going to make sure of it.
