Ready For Him: A Single Dad Next Door Romance Read online

  Grant groans deeply, sweating with need. “You don’t want to do that, little girl.”

  Irritation and arousal form a toxic cocktail inside me. “I think I’m plenty old enough to know what I want.”

  Grant levels his gaze with mine. I watch his Adam’s apple move up and down as he wrestles with himself.

  “You’re so young, Cheyenne. You have your whole life ahead of you—”

  “I don’t want a life without you in it.” I squeeze him and rub my thumb in a circle around the tip. He lets out a tortured grunt.

  “Baby, please. I’m trying to do right by you here.”

  My eyes meet his, and in spite of myself, I can’t contain my emotions any longer.

  “Grant, I’ve wanted you my whole life. You were my first ever crush. The age difference never mattered to me. I thought you were cute back then, but I think you’re amazing now. My dream man. Please don’t let my age get in the way of what’s happening between us. This is real for me.”

  I watch as his restraint disappears and primal lust fills his eyes. With zero effort, Grant flips me onto my back and spreads my legs, positioning himself between them.

  “I didn’t buy condoms because I didn’t expect to need them this soon,” Grant confesses. “If I come inside you right now, you’re going to be carrying my baby.”

  His declaration shocks me, and I’m even more surprised by the surge of desire that clenches everything below my belly button. I’ve always known I wanted him, but until now, I didn’t know I want his baby too. I want everything a life with him would result in. Picturing a little boy or girl of my own with Grant’s dark hair and dimples only makes me want him that much more.

  “I’m fine with that,” I tell him, and Grant immediately pulls off his clothes and mine, leaving nothing but our skin between us.

  Arching his perfect body over me, Grant hovers with his rod at my entrance and looks into my eyes.

  “Are you ready?”

  “Yes.” My body trembles with anticipation. He inches inside me and with a gentle thrust, he breaks my barrier. I bite my lower lip to keep from crying out. Grant places a soft kiss on my lips and massages my clit, helping the pain to fade and give way to earth-shattering pleasure.

  “Oh, God, Grant! I’ve wanted this for so long. Yessss, fuck me.”

  The dirty words slip past my lips without so much as an ounce of resistance. His hips roll easily, making his abs ripple as he moves in and out of me. I watch him move and let the new feelings rush over me, wave by wave, binding me to him in a way I never knew was possible. Our eyes meet, and there’s no awkwardness, no fear. No barriers stand between us any longer. He is mine, and I’m his, body, mind, and soul.

  “Come all over me, sweet girl,” Grant commands me. “Cover me. Mark me as yours while I mark you as mine.”

  A guttural cry rises out of my throat as I let him work me into a powerful release. As soon as I let go, Grant does as well, and we groan in unison as we cover each other in cream. He clasps me to his chest and takes my lips, savagely devouring me the way his cock just devoured my channel. Our orgasms go on for what seems like forever, and when the last wave finally fades away, he lays me down and kisses my neck.

  “You’re so gorgeous, so perfect. And you did such a good job. I’m so proud of you, angel.”

  His praise makes my cheeks flush. I hold on to him and grind my hips against him, pulling his cock into me as deeply as it will go. Grant laughs against my neck.

  “You’re an eager little virgin, aren’t you?”

  “Not a virgin anymore,” I remind him with a grin.

  Chapter Ten

  “Come here, you.” I pull Cheyenne into my embrace in the hallway, capturing her after we’ve put Hudson to bed and moved out of his view. Cheyenne smiles and instantly melts into my arms. For the past two weeks, it’s been like this. We haven’t been able to get enough of each other. As soon as Hudson’s in bed…

  “It’s Daddy’s turn to play,” I growl into her ear. Cheyenne giggles as I whisk her off her feet and carry her down the hall. Her eyes are shining with happiness. Now that I know how much she wanted me all these years, I feel less guilt about taking full advantage of what she’s offering me. Making this woman’s dreams come true is my new passion in life. I took her innocence, and now she’s giving me more than I ever could have asked for. I’ve never been this happy. It’s like a constant state of euphoria whenever I’m with her. My arms feel empty without her in them.

  As soon as we reach my room, I lock the door behind us and playfully toss her on the bed. She squeals and pulls me down on top of her. We mold to each other as I pull her into a deep, commanding kiss. I reach under her shirt and pull it off her. Within moments, we’re stripped bare with only a breath between us.

  I take a second to appreciate her, letting my gaze roam her supple curves. When our eyes meet, I can see the depths of her emotion for me and remember we’ve been bound together since the moment we met. The draw to her so many years ago, though I didn’t know it at the time, was my true partner calling to me. It took her a long time to be ready for me, but here she is, and she’s breathtaking. I never want to be separated from my angel again.

  I bury my lips in hers as I move toward her center. My shaft is erect and ready to plunge into the depths of her. I tease her entrance, swirling my tip in her wetness and rubbing it over her pussy lips.

  Our lips meet again as I thrust inside her. We pour out our emotions to each other as I enter her over and over. I wrap my hand around her mass of dark hair and pull her head back, breaking the kiss. Then I move down to her impossibly soft neck and suckle on it, hard. One of my hands finds her nipple, and I pinch and roll it. Her pussy clenches around my cock. I know she’s getting close.

  I dig my teeth into her neck, not hard enough to leave bite marks, but just enough to sting. It sends her over the edge.

  “Grant!” She covers my cock in sweet liquid as she convulses underneath me. One more thrust, and I’m there. My baby-making cream jets inside her, covering her walls.

  “Ohhh, fuck, sweet girl. Take that cum.” Every orgasm with her seems to get bigger and harder. I pour what feels like a gallon of cum inside her and pull out, still spasming.

  We lie side by side on the bed, and I brush her hair out of her face. She runs her fingers over my abs and looks up at me with a question in her eyes.

  “We’re not done for the night, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  Her grin is infectious. “Good.”

  First thing in the morning, my cell phone rings. I groan and stretch, feeling sore from the night before. We only just fell asleep a couple of hours ago. I’m going to have to kill someone for waking me this early on a Saturday morning after a night with the love of my life.

  “Grant Sherwood.” I run the back of my hand over my eyes.

  “Hi Grant, it’s Sal. I wanted to let you know we’ve received your reports over past week, and we’re very impressed. Your production over the past three weeks has skyrocketed to twice what you usually put out in three months.”

  In spite of my exhaustion, I pump my fist at my side. Sherwood has his mojo back. It’s all thanks to the lovely lady in my bed. Without her, I would have been wrestling with Hudson all this time and would have put out half or less than my baseline. She’s so good for me. I’m planning on making her a permanent fixture around here, and not just as my nanny.

  Sal, my contact at the investment firm, goes over some numbers with me. I repeat some numbers back to him just to make sure I’m hearing right. At this rate, I’m making twice my usual amount of money, which means my plans for early retirement aren’t far in the future. I hear stirring behind me and my stomach jumps. Cheyenne doesn’t know how much I make yet. I’m not planning on telling her until we’re married.

  “Sal, I gotta go. We’ll talk again soon.”

  “Talk to you soon.”

  I set the phone on my nightstand and roll over to face Cheyenne again. Her eyes are wide open.


  “That’s how much you make?”

  I let out a long sigh through my nose as my eyes shutter closed. “Yes. I’m sorry you overheard that.”

  When I open my eyes, her brows are drawn together in confusion. “Why haven’t you told anyone? You’re living in your parents’ old house when you make that much money?”

  My mouth quirks up in a half-smile. I knew a barrage of questions was going to erupt all over me as soon as the truth came out. “I haven’t told anyone because wealth makes you vulnerable to thieves and gold-diggers. I want to be cared about for me, not my money.”

  As soon as the fury enters her eyes, I know I’ve made a monumental mistake.

  “Is that what you think I am? A freaking gold-digger?”

  “No…Cheyenne, I-I didn’t mean—”

  “I knew it.” Her voice breaks. Tears build up in her eyes, but she doesn’t let them fall. “I knew this was all too good to be true. You never wanted anything serious at all. You just wanted someone to fuck around with.”

  Goddamn it. I want to argue with her, but I know how this looks. I’ve never given her a reason to believe anything different. What kind of man have I become?

  “You know what? At that price, you can easily find another babysitter. I quit.” Cheyenne jumps out of bed and pulls her clothes on. She’s dressed and heading to the door faster than I can blink.

  “No, Cheyenne, please!” I jump up and try to block her way to the door. “Don’t leave. Just let me explain—”

  “You’ve explained enough.” She shoves past me and exits the room, slamming the door behind her.

  Chapter Eleven

  It’s been six weeks since Dad’s heart attack, and he’s feeling so well that he’s insisting on doing the yard work himself. He’s happily humming a tune as he trims the hedges, giving me background noise while I sit in a lounge chair nearby and study for my Human Relations class. I have a ton of homework to do this weekend, but I came out here at the crack of dawn just to make sure I’m here for him if he needs me. That’s what I came back home for in the first place, after all. I’ve been reminding myself of that fact every day since I found out what Grant truly thinks of me.

  Every time I glance at the house next door, I feel steam rising up the back of my neck. Somehow, in all the years we’ve known each other, a “gold-digger” is what he has managed to reduce me to in his head. I didn’t even know about his wealth, nor do I care about how much he makes in a year. I wanted him for the same reason I always have. Grant, in some inexplicable way, has always belonged to me. Our hearts beat together, and our future seems to be intertwined no matter how much distance and time is between us.

  As much as it pains me to admit it, I know some of the heat I’m feeling toward Grant is this new feeling of raw, blinding lust. Thoughts of running next door, stripping naked for him, and feeling him inside me again have me consumed day and night, even though I feel like I gave him the most precious thing I had in the world and got slapped in the face for it. I waited so long for the seemingly impossible dream of losing my virginity to Grant Sherwood, and as soon as it happened, it all fell apart. His ex-wife seems to have ruined him for any future love he might have in his life. It almost makes me wish he was your typical broke single dad, paying alimony out the ass and scraping together any money he could find. It would almost be better for him than constantly being afraid he was going to be used by a new woman.

  I rub my head and try to focus on the words on the laptop screen, but they fade into a nonsensical blur, much like the thoughts swirling around in my head. As long as I live next to Grant, I’m going to keep feeling nauseous from going round and round on this carousel of lust and anger. It’s a miserable existence. I’m looking forward to Dad getting the all-clear from his doctor so I can move back across town and not have to think about my sexy neighbor anymore.

  As if everything I’m going through isn’t bad enough, I feel terrible guilt for vanishing from Hudson’s life just as he was starting to trust me. His own mother couldn’t be bothered to fight for the right to see him in court, and now he’s going to think I’ve abandoned him, too. He’s the sweetest little boy in the world. I hope he doesn’t think it’s his fault. I’ve wanted to go over there so many times, but I don’t have the guts to face his father. Grant’s mother is keeping Hudson until they can find another nanny, so at least he still has a female figure in his life.

  Dad slumps down into a lounge chair next to me to catch his breath. “I underestimated how hot it would be out here.”

  “Take it easy, Daddy.” I reach over and put my hand on his arm. “I can always do this if you don’t feel up to it.”

  “I’m fine, sugar. Just need a little break.” He dabs his forehead with his trusty handkerchief and flashes me a smile. “Are you okay?”

  Sighing, I tell him, “I don’t know.”

  Dad cringes. “Boy trouble?”

  The corner of my mouth pulls up in a smirk. Dad hates talking to me about guys. He’ll do it because he knows I don’t have a mother to talk to, but he’s always squirming the entire time.

  “We don’t have to talk about this—”

  “Sweetheart, you can tell me what’s going on. I always want to talk to my girl.”

  He grasps my hand in his big, gnarly one. I squeeze him back.

  “Well, there’s this guy I was seeing and I thought things were going well at first. Then out of the blue I found out he’s rich.”

  Dad’s eyes go wide. “Really?”

  Rolling my eyes, I shake my head at him. “Daddy…”

  He chuckles. “Go on.”

  “There’s not much to tell, really. He confessed that he thought I only wanted him for his money, so we had a fight. I haven’t seen him since.”

  Dad raises a furry eyebrow. “So, let me get this straight. This man told you he’s worried you only want him for his money even though you didn’t know about it in the first place?”

  “Something like that…” I sigh. “It’s complicated.”

  “When did you get time to date, anyway? The only places I’ve seen you lately are home and next door.”

  My eyes widen. He’s dangerously close to the right track.

  “I, uh…I met him online.”

  “I see.” Dad rubs the back of my hand with his thumb. “Well, sweetheart, if you ask me, it was his loss.”

  “Yes, it was.”

  Another male voice greets us from over by the fence. My blood heats at the sight of him. Grant opens the gate, flashing a smile at me that would normally melt me, but now has me furious. He thinks he can just waltz back over here and get me back. I can see it written all over his face.

  Standing up, I face him with my arms crossed over my chest. “What do you want?”

  “Just a word with my favorite babysitter.” His big, dark eyes make contact with mine, and I almost can’t resist them. “Please.”

  “I have nothing to say to you.”

  “Cheyenne, we miss you. Hudson misses you. Please, just let me apologize—”

  “Apologize for what, Grant?” My fingernails dig into the skin of my arms. “Insulting me? Using me? Which part exactly are you sorry for?”

  Grant closes the distance between us and pulls me aside so we won’t be fighting in front of my father. Guilt pings in my chest that I didn’t let him take me aside in the first place. Now Dad probably knows what’s going on.

  “I wasn’t using you, Cheyenne. I care about you, more than anything. You have to believe that.”

  I feel my eyes narrow. “Then why did it take you so long to come over here and tell me that? Is this a business thing? Are you worried your investors are going to hear about the way you treated your babysitter?”

  His eyes open wide with shock, but he doesn’t deny it.

  “That’s what I thought.” Turning on my heels, I head back into the house. The back door is open. I slam it behind me, feeling a rush of pride and deep regret. I just refused the billionaire next door. Again. I’m
proud of myself for staying strong, but at the same time, it would have been so easy to just fall back into his arms. I miss him. Seeing him again, feeling his skin on mine—it brought everything back. Being without him sucks. It’s going to take a lifetime to put him behind me.

  As I wipe away a stray tear, I hear a commotion and the back door opens. Grant’s large frame almost blocks all the outside light. His handsome face is screwed up with worry.

  “Cheyenne, you’re going to want to come back outside. Now.”

  “I already told you, I—”

  “It’s your dad.”

  Chapter Twelve

  I’ve never felt this conflicted before. I’m sitting on the other side of the waiting room from Cheyenne. She wouldn’t let me come near her. For the past week, I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to figure out a way to convince her I’m sorry and that I want nothing more than to have her back. I thought it might be as simple as a proposal, which is why there’s a big diamond ring with Cheyenne’s name engraved in the silver burning a hole in my pocket right now. But after her father had his second heart attack in two months after figuring out we were together, I’m reconsidering my plan.

  If Cheyenne was mad at me before, she’s furious now. I don’t know how I’m going to win her back. Her father figured everything out on his own. He saw how mad she was at me, the way I was looking at her, the lump in my pocket—which thankfully was from the ring box, and not the other mound that always forms in my pants when I see her—and he immediately clutched his chest. It was too much for the poor man.

  I feel like the biggest tool in the world. The woman I love hates me and I caused her father to have a heart attack. There’s no happy ending in this for me. I’m just going to pay my respects to her father, tell them both how sorry I am, and walk out of their lives for good. I’ll never love another woman again, but maybe that’s a fitting punishment.