The Soccer Mom's Bad Boy (5 page)

DANE

I had a hot shower and a quick shave a little before it was time to go get her. I did my usual safety checks to make sure I wasn’t being followed, before heading back to her house. When I was around the corner from her place I called her.

“Are you two ready?”

“Yes, but I’m having second thoughts about getting my daughter involved. You have to admit that this isn’t exactly safe.”

“That’s smart baby real smart. I’m gonna give you a number to call, it’s to someone in the justice department, just give them my name and my general description.” I gave her the information and hung up, giving her enough time to make the call.

“You set?” I was pulling up to her driveway when I called her back.

“Who are you?” now she sounded more suspicious than she did before.”

“Are you convinced that I’m not out to harm you or your daughter?”

“Yes but now I have even more questions.”

“I’ll answer them all in time babe, I’m outside.”

I climbed down from my truck as they came out the door. “Morning ladies, hello Alana.” I smiled to put her at ease as she checked me out from head to toe, typical teenager I guess.

She didn’t exhibit any of the fear one would expect, but instead her body language showed her to be more protective of her mom.

I set about putting her at ease as I opened the door and helped her in the back before seating Ilene in the front passenger seat and buckling her in.

“So Alana, do you have any questions for me?” I could see that my question surprised both of them but I’d done my homework and knew I had to make an end run around them.

I knew I had her when she sat forward and placed herself between us. “I need you to sit back and put your seatbelt on for me princess.” I waited until she complied before pulling out again.

“So let’s have it, what do you want to know?”

“Why do you want to date my mom?”

Smart kid. “Why? Because I like her, your mom is a very beautiful woman. I took one look at her and knew I wanted to get to know her better.”

“If you’re my mom’s age how come you don’t have a wife and kids of your own?”

“My job kept me busy for a long time, but like you said, I’m getting old and it’s time to settle down.

“Do you like kids?” I don’t know what her mom told her about me, had no idea what her thoughts were about her mom dating again, but I heard and felt the pain in that question and knew where it was coming from.

If the asshole as I’d come to think of him had been standing in front of me I would’ve bitch slapped his ass for what he’d done to his little girl. She’s yours now Dane, remember that and fix it.

I had to play it cool though, it was early days yet and although the kid seemed straight, there was no telling what the fuck was really going on with a preteen these days. I was hoping that the next few days would give me all that I needed to sew her up tight too.

“I love the ones I know which aren’t that many. If you give me a chance to get to know you and you get to know me, then I’m thinking we’ll like each other.”

Ilene kept her silence as her daughter interrogated me like she worked for the CIA. I had to give it to the kid; she didn’t pull her punches. If there was any lingering hurt from her dad’s desertion I didn’t see too much evidence of that, other than what one would expect.

By the time we pulled up to the restaurant, which was already doing a pretty good business for a Saturday morning, they were both a little more relaxed in my company.

I kept my eyes and my hands to myself though it was a bit hard to do. Ilene had chosen to go with a sundress. No it wasn’t revealing per se, but I guess she didn’t take into consideration the fact that she had to walk in the thing, and what her body’s movements under the damn thing would do to the general public, or namely me.

I was going to have to get used to the idea that my woman was a stone cold fox. A look around showed that I wasn’t the only one who thought so, but it just took me raising my shades and giving the place a good glare for the interested parties to decide they weren’t willing to risk it.

We chose a booth where I put them both in the safe spot before taking my seat. Everything I did was casual like, it would take another trained professional to catch the signs, but I was on high alert.

That was something else I’d known was going to change. Whereas before I had only myself to look out for, I was now taking on two innocents.

I let Alana take point on this first of what I hoped would be many family outings, because I understood that although I’d spent hours the night before buried deep inside her mother, she was the deciding factor. I understood and accepted that and was actually proud of my girl because of it.

Research had given me the bare bones, but watching the interactions between the two of them would give me the rest. I felt relaxed, more so than I thought I would in this situation.

Under cover of my dark shades I studied Ilene in the light of day. I was also very aware of my feelings in her company and was pleased to note that the attraction went deeper than just the physical. I actually really fucking liked her.

I liked listening to her voice as she spoke to her kid, or the easy way they laughed with each other. I liked even more the ease with which they both included me. All in all it was a good start.

Breakfast was easier than I thought it would be but I was happy as fuck to get it out of the way. I think I sweated more in the last hour and a half than I have at any time since my first job. When Alana took my arm and walked ahead of her mom when we left the restaurant I wasn’t sure what the fuck to expect.

“Please don’t hurt my mom, she’s really nice.” Well fuck, I had been prepared to give my all to the mother, I never once expected to be bowled over by the daughter.

I stopped in my tracks and turned to face the young girl who had so much of her mother in her little face. “There’s no way I can give you any guarantees, only time will tell if I’m legit or not, but I promise you the last thing I want to do is harm her.”

“Well what do you want to do with her?”

“I think I should discuss that with her first don’t you?” I couldn’t contain my laughter; she was one cheeky little baggage.

“Well why didn’t you tell her already? Why are adults so difficult?” She said that with all the surety of a preteen who knew it all already.

“Hey what’re you two whispering about?” Her mom hurried to catch up with us and I lifted my arm for her to fit under as the three of us made our way back to my jeep.

“We were plotting all kinds of mayhem.” I deadpanned making Alana laugh and relax just a little more as her mom gave us disbelieving looks.

“I’m not sure that’s not entirely true.” We joked and teased each other all the way back to their house. “Are you coming in?”

Alana had gone ahead of us into the house and I was standing in the doorway holding her hips in my hands. It was all I would allow myself for now, after holding her hand the whole drive back.

“Nah, you two need to talk without me here. About the call you made earlier, that was to reassure you that I’m one of the good guys. Everything else you’re gonna have to learn with time. Just know that I’ve marked you and as of last night roughly around eleven o’clock you’re no longer on the market.”

I kissed her then and turned and walked away.

ILENE

“I really like him mom, but who is he?” Well isn’t that the million dollar question? What do I say, that I don’t know? Looking at it through her eyes, how would it appear to her?

This was one of the things I hated about the divorce. Mark had gone on with his life as though he had no responsibilities, leaving me holding the bag so to speak.

No one was looking at him too harshly for moving on with his life, but I knew as a single mother with a young daughter to protect, everything I do would come under a microscope.

“He’s someone who’s here on business and I think we like each other.” I found I didn’t know what to say to her. I’d never expected to be having this conversation ever, so I was less than prepared.

I think I was still in a bit of shock from the night before as well and my brain wasn’t coping too well on the few measly hours of sleep he’d allowed me.

“Do you like him mom?” She came over and rested against my side the way she had been doing since she was old enough to stand. I realized in that moment that I was scared. Scared of the answer to that question, afraid to hope.

After being so badly burnt, especially when it had come completely out of left field, I wasn’t in too much of a hurry to open myself up to heartache again.

When Janine had dropped Alana off this morning I’d filled her in a little on the night’s activities, which she was in total favor of. “I knew I was right about him. So when are you seeing him again? and don’t give me any of the one hundred reasons I’m sure you’ve convinced yourself of why you shouldn’t have this.”

We were interrupted by the girls and had to table the convo for later. Now I had someone else asking the hard questions. I looked down at her little face knowing that whatever decisions I made in the next few days, was going to affect her as much as they would me. Could I risk her little heart again after what her dad had done? Her elbow in my ribs reminded me that I hadn’t answered.

“You do don’t you? It’s okay if you do you know; I mean dad has a new girlfriend so…” She broke off and shrugged her shoulder as she ran her finger over the tabletop absentmindedly.

“It’s not the same thing baby. Your dad is a guy, guys are different.” Her look told me that she either didn’t understand or she didn’t agree. It didn’t take long before I learned which it was.

“That’s dumb mom, if I had a boyfriend and he did that to me I would find me a new boyfriend too.” Things are so simple when you’re a kid.

I knew she was saying that, but I also knew that she was still hurt by her dad’s defection. What if I took this chance, what if I were selfish just this once and we both suffered for it? How could I trust a man whom I’d only just met, when the boy I’d known all my life had done me wrong?

There were no easy answers, none I could give her anyway. As for my inner feelings, well, they were not fit for public consumption, and especially not for my underage daughter.

I changed the subject to what she’d like to do for the day to get her off track. She gave me that overly adult look that said she knew what I was up to but she was going to let me get away with it for now.

I was left alone with my thoughts for the rest of the morning while she watched cartoons. I got pen and paper and wrote two columns of the pros and cons of having an affair or whatever this was with Dane Nightingale.

It took a load off my shoulders after my short talk with the Roy guy at the justice department. I knew that’s where I called because that’s the way the secretary or whoever had answered.

But now I had even more questions. Last night he hadn’t shared too much about himself, well other than physically that is. My face heated up with the memory of all that we had done to each other.

If sex were the only deciding factor, there was no question I’d go for it. I don’t think I’d ever felt the things I did in that bed last night. The man did know how to make my body do what it was made for. There was still a sweet ache between my thighs even now with each movement.

But there was so much more to think about. I recalled some of the things he’d whispered in my ear as he’d been inside of me. Promises that I dared not believe in the cold light of day, but had surely been sweet to hear at the time.

My phone rang in the middle of my reverie. “Hello?”

“I can feel you thinking, stop it. The deal’s already done, you don’t have any decisions to make they’ve been taken out of your hands, just sit back and enjoy okay.”

“I don’t know if I can do that Dane, you must admit this is very unconventional.” My mouth was saying one thing but my heart was wishing for another. It would be phenomenal to be loved by someone like him.

“You’ve said that before remember, and I think I told you, I don’t follow convention. I saw you, I wanted you and now I have you. Last night was just the beginning of something beautiful. It’s as new to me as it is to you.”

“What does that mean?” I held my breath as my pulse raced at his words that were so forcefully spoken.

“It means I’ve never wanted to have with anyone else what I’m going to have with you. It means that although I understand your hesitance, there’s no way I’m going to let you fuck this up for both of us. Like I said, it’s out of your hands.”

“And what if I’m not okay with that?”

“I’m sorry but that’s just the way it is babe. Where’s the kid?”

“She’s in her room watching TV.”

“Is she scared?”

“No I don’t think so, but, I’m the adult, I’m supposed to…”

“Not going there babe, I’ll see you later tonight, is Alana going to be out again?”

“No she’ll be home.”

“What time does she go to bed?”

“About nine.”

“Sweet, feel free to go to sleep if you get tired I know you didn’t have enough rest last night. Not to worry, I’ll let myself in.”

I looked down at the phone that was now giving me a busy signal. “Was that him?” My daughter came and stood in the doorway. I nodded my head and patted the mattress beside me.

It’s sad but she has become my only constant in the last year or so. And though I try not to burden my child with my worries and fears, after all she’s just a baby; she’s so understanding and supportive of me that sometimes it’s easy to slip into that role of the needy mom.

We talked for a while, both of us skirting around the issue, but I felt better for it afterwards. With what amounted to my daughter’s blessing, I felt better about the fact that I really wanted to go for it. When else was I going to find myself in this position?

As to the talk about happily ever after, I wasn’t going to trust my heart to anything. I’ll just enjoy some more of what I’d got a taste of the night before thank you very much, and leave the pipe dreams to someone else who didn’t already know the score.