Daddy’s Temptation by Kelly Myers
Hailey
After my mind-blowing night with Ryan, I couldn’t be happier. If my smile was any wider, I think my lips would split. Things are going really well and that’s unusual for me so I can’t help but wonder when something bad will happen.
I try to stay positive, though, and be grateful that Ryan seems to have come around. Whatever was holding him back before sure didn’t last night, I think, unable to ignore the soreness between my legs. He had been positively ravenous and insatiable. Normally, so controlled, I’d never seen that side of him before. The man is sexy as hell and, I’m not going to lie, I liked it. A lot.
My big gig at the Magnolia Club is coming up fast and I am so excited. I’ve been inviting everyone to go and I hope they can come out so there will be some friendly faces in the audience. So far, I know Jasmine and Taylor will be there for sure. Oh, and I texted Isa and she said she’s coming, too.
And, last night, I asked Ryan if he was coming. He said he wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Yeah, things are definitely going well.
I should’ve known that my luck wouldn’t hold out and everything would turn to shit by tonight.
I plan to practice my set all day, work on different improv and singing techniques and drink lots of water. As a singer, my vocal cords are my instrument and I need to keep them healthy so I can exercise my full range.
It’s vital that I always warm up my voice before singing and I run through plenty of exercises that probably look super silly. But, I don’t care. I spend at least 20 minutes warming up my facial muscles and loosening my lips and jaw muscles by blowing through my lips, sticking out my tongue and massaging my face.
I let my voice wander up and down its range then move on to humming and then some gentle lip rolls and tongue trills. Once my face, mouth and voice feel loose, I allow myself to start singing. Some people sing from their throat, but any true singer knows that the real power behind your voice is your breath. And, your breath should be supported by your diaphragm. Singing from my core allows my vocal cords to relax and lets my voice resonate in my chest, pharynx and face.
I practice for hours, hydrate nonstop and then decide to take a break. I hear some voices from outside and glance out the window to see Cody and Mason splashing around in the pool. As fun as they are, I’d rather sneak over to Ryan’s place.
But, I’m reluctant. Even though we had the most amazing night, a part of me is still nervous that I could scare him away. It might be safer to start with a text and see how he responds. Hmm. As I debate what to do, my phone dings with a text from him: Hi, sweetheart. Just wanted to say last night was incredible. I’m meeting my daughter for lunch, but let’s talk when I get back.
It was beyond incredible, I think. His text gives me the boost of confidence that I need and I write back: See you then, Foxy Flyboy…
I know my response will make him laugh and I’m glad he wants to talk. I’m done pretending that there’s nothing between us and I hope he feels the same way. Because there’s no denying the pull and the chemistry. When we come together, something electric happens. And, I know how rare that is-- for me, anyway. I’ve truly never felt anything like it before on this kind of heart and soul level.
Ryan was married before which means he was in love before. I wonder how his ex-wife differs from what we have together? Did he have this kind of hot, vibrant, all-consuming need for her like he does for me? Like I have for him? I want to have these conversations with him. I want to get to know him better.
I feel like I’m standing at the top of a very steep slope and I still have the choice of stepping back before I get sucked down the side of the mountain. As much as I’m starting to care for Ryan, I know if things ended now, I’d be in a much better position than if they ended three months from now.
Oh, who am I kidding?I gave the man my virginity-- well, I kind of forced it on him-- and now I’ve developed all sorts of feelings for him. Really strong feelings that make me want to throw my arms around him and see where the road leads us. I can’t help it. I’ve always been a bit impulsive and tend to act on instinct rather than think things through.
And, right now, my instinct is telling me that Ryan is the one.
Now, I just need him to see what I see.
A few hours later, there’s a knock on my door and my heart begins to pound. I know it’s Ryan and when I open the door, he stands there looking so very handsome in a black t-shirt, jeans, boots and a baseball cap that makes him look boyish. “Hi,” he says and swoops in, pulling me up against his hard body and then capturing my mouth in a slow, hungry kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck and sigh into his mouth.
“How was your lunch?” I ask. I can feel his good mood and it makes me happy.
“Really good,” he says. “For the first time in a long time, Bella and I actually talked.”
“I’m glad,” I tell him and drop my head back as his lips dip to my neck, leaving a trail of moist kisses.
“Do you have any plans this afternoon?” he asks and looks up, green eyes glittering.
I shake my head.
A bright, white smile lights his handsome face up and then he drops a kiss on the tip of my nose. “Good because I’m taking you on a little adventure.”
“Really?” I give a little squeal.
“Yep, so throw your shoes on and let’s roll.”
I laugh and feel a surge of excitement fill me as I slip my shoes on and grab my purse. We head out and Ryan grabs my hand and squeezes as we walk over to his truck. I hear a hush fall over the pool area and know that Cody and Mason are watching us.
My throat constricts with emotion when I realize that Ryan is announcing to the world that we are together. This is a huge step and I can’t believe it’s actually happening. He wants to be with me and he values me more than just keeping our relationship some dirty, little secret.
Ryan opens the passenger side door and I hop into the truck. As he makes his way around and slides into the driver’s seat, I look over and admire his gorgeous profile. When he glances over and studies me with those light green eyes, my stomach fills with butterflies.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“You’ll see,” he says with a mysterious smile. We merge onto the 101 N and even though I try to get more information out of him, he’s not spilling anything. “I like your hat,” I say. The top part of the patch says “Special Operations Aviation Regiment” and “Death Waits In The Dark” curves along the bottom. In the center, there’s a symbol that’s half man, half winged-horse and he holds a blade. Above him, it reads “160th” and below it says “Night Stalkers.”
“Thanks,” he says, completely humble.
I’m beginning to understand that being a Night Stalker is a pretty big deal. And, definitely not an easy accomplishment or for the faint of heart. I really admire Ryan because every time he went out in the black night to fly Spec Ops soldiers on secret missions, he was risking his life for them and his country.
Ryan Fox is a damn good man. And, a complete badass.
By the time we exit at Vineland, I realize we’re in Burbank and I have no idea where he’s taking me.
But, I can tell he’s really looking forward to it and an excited energy flows off him and it’s utterly contagious. I’m getting antsy and I really just want to know what we’re going to do. Then, I see the sign for the Hollywood-Burbank Airport.
“Oh, my gosh. Are we-”
“Going flying,” he finishes with another big smile.
My nerves kick in and I don’t want to tell him that I’m scared of flying. But, he reads me easily and when the truck rolls to a stop, he reaches over and grabs my hand.
“Are you scared?”
I give a little nod, feeling like a big baby.
“You don’t like to fly? Or, you’ve had a bad experience?”
“I’ve never actually even been in a plane before,” I admit.
“Never?” He tugs me closer and kisses me. “Well, we’re going in a helicopter and you’re going to love it,” he promises.
I put on a brave face and we head over to a helicopter which waits outside a large hangar. It’s so intimidating and the idea that Ryan used to fly these all the time makes me feel better. I know I’m in the best hands possible.
“Is this yours?” I ask, a little in awe.
“No, it belongs to Jax Wilder, but he’s letting us borrow it.” I raise a brow. “You know Ryker and Griff who were over the other night? They work for Jax who runs Platinum Security. His wife is Easton Ross and she gave him this bird as an engagement gift.”
“Easton Ross, the actress?” I ask, not quite sure I heard him right
“The one and only.”
“Oh, I love her!”
“Maybe you can meet her sometime,” he teases.
“Oh, my gosh, I wouldn’t even know what to say.”
“You have nothing to worry about. She’s very nice.”
“You’ve met her?”
“Sure.”
He sounds so nonchalant, like he doesn’t even care that she’s one of the biggest stars in the world. It’s one of the things I love about him. Always so calm and cool. I can see how he would’ve made an amazing pilot.
And, I guess I’m about to find out as he tells me we’ll leave after he finishes his pre-check. I watch him walk around the helicopter, checking various things thoroughly. This is obviously not his first rodeo and I’m impressed that he knows this machine like the back of his hand. He talks to another man there, the mechanic, I think, and I have no idea what they’re saying. I do not understand “pilot speak” and it’s like they’re talking in another language.
Then, he motions for me to come over. “Ready?” he asks.
I force a nod and follow him around where he helps me up. After he shows me how to buckle in and hands me a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, he taps the tip of my nose and grins. “Don’t be nervous. Your real fear is of the unknown, of what could happen. But, I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you, Hailey. I’m highly-trained and have more experience than you could ever imagine.”
He jumps out, walks around and gets into the pilot’s seat. I can see the happiness on his face as he puts his headphones on and then talks to the tower. Above us, the rotors spin and after he receives takeoff clearance, he looks over at me and tells me I’m about to have the best experience of my life.
I don’t know about that because I think that may have happened last night when he spent the night with me. Nevertheless, I try to suppress my nerves and hang on tight as I feel the helicopter begin to lift and suddenly we’re airborne.
“Oh, wow,” I say and hear him chuckle. “This is absolutely incredible.” We’re gliding through the sky at low-level and I’m grinning from ear-to-ear, all of my earlier trepidation gone. “It’s exhilarating! Absolutely breathtaking!”
“You’re breathtaking!” he says.
I watch him effortlessly work the controls and we ascend higher and higher. This is so beautiful, so inspiring. “I feel like a bird!” I say and laugh.
“You sing like one, too,” he says and I smile. “It’s liberating, isn’t it?”
I nod and we soar toward downtown Los Angeles. Seeing the city from this perspective gives me a whole new appreciation for it. Ryan reaches over and takes my hand. He points out certain landmarks and he’s the perfect tour guide. “Feel free to take pictures,” he says.
Next thing I know, my camera is snapping one shot after another. And, quite a few of them are Ryan and how attractive he looks behind the controls.
After flying around DTLA for a bit, Ryan guides us west and soon we are moving over the ocean and the shoreline.
“Hailey, look,” he says and points down where I spot a group of dolphins swimming through the waves.
“Oh, my gosh! Dolphins!”
I snap a ton of pictures and feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I feel so comfortable with Ryan flying and all of my earlier fear is gone.
Unfortunately, the flight has to come to an end and before I’d like, we’re landing back in Burbank at the airport. Ryan smoothly lowers us onto the tarmac and I let out a long breath and sink back in the seat. What a ride!
“Well? What did you think of your first helo ride?”
“I have no words,” I say. “Amazing…”
I instantly think back to our first time together at the hotel. Ryan Fox really has a way of leaving me speechless.
“Want to get something to eat?” he asks.
“I’d love to,” I say.
“Do you like Mexican food?” he asks and I nod.
It’s nice when the man asks and doesn’t assume, I think. But, of course, Ryan would ask. He’s a perfect gentleman and always puts my wants and needs first.
Ryan takes me to a popular Mexican restaurant on Ventura Boulevard and it’s delicious. We order a few different dishes and feast on everything from tacos to burritos to nacho chips with fresh guacamole. He drinks a couple of Coronas with lime and I manage to drink two strawberry margaritas.
I can’t remember the last time I had such a good time with a man or one who made me laugh so much. When I ask him to tell me more about his days as a Night Stalker, Ryan launches into a few different stories. I know everything he did was classified so he doesn’t go into any detail, but I do see him in a different light.
The missions he used to fly give me chills. To successfully fly these highly-trained Special Operatives in pitch blackness during the middle of the night, bad weather and in and out of enemy territory had to be extremely nerve-wracking, but when I ask, Ryan just shrugs.
“It’s just what I did,” he says easily. “I didn’t have time to be worried or nervous. My job was to get them in and out smoothly so that’s what I did.”
“You’re a hero,” I tell him.
He shakes his head. “Nah. It was just a job and I did it well. If I hadn’t, I certainly wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”
“Don’t even say that,” I say, completely horrified at the idea. But, I know it’s true.
I’m extremely grateful for this time with Ryan and we find ourselves chatting for a very long time. I love getting to know all of the details about him and ask a ton of questions.
“What’s your middle name?”
“Justin,” he says.
“Ryan Justin Fox. I really like that.”
“My Grandpa’s name was Justin,” he says. “How about you?”
“Aurora.”
He smiles. “I love that,” he says. “It fits you.”
I tilt my head. “Really? How so?”
“Because Aurora was the Roman goddess of the dawn who traveled from east to west announcing the coming of the sun. I guess as a pilot, I can appreciate your connection with the sky.”
“You can be quite the romantic,” I say.
“Me? Nah. I just like to find the deeper connection between things.”
“I bet your favorite color is blue.”
He nods. “You’re quite perceptive. Sky blue, all the way. You?”
“I always liked yellow.”
“Because you’re a little songbird. Like a canary.”
I laugh. “I don’t know about that. Yellow just always symbolized hope to me. It’s bright and makes me think of the sun. Reminds me that no matter what bad things may happen today, there’s always tomorrow and hopefully better things on the horizon.”
“You’re the romantic.”
“Maybe,” I admit and finish my drink. I study him over the flickering candlelight and this time, I feel something more than mere butterflies. It’s a feeling that runs deeper, more intense.
I’m falling in love with him,I realize. Although a little scary, the thought sits well with me because no one deserves to be loved more than Ryan Fox. And, I’m going to love him fiercely, with everything I’ve got.
