Clarke - Sexiest Dad Alive

Sexiest Dad Alive

By

M. Clarke

Copyright M. Clarke 2016

Smashwords Edition

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters,places, and incidents are products of the authors imagination orare used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Anyresemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or persons,living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Smashwords Licensing Notes

All rights reserved. No part of this book maybe used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without writtenpermission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied inarticles and reviews.

Photographer: Shauna Kruse

Cover Designer: Regina Wamba

Models: Josh McCannand Isabelle Emilie McCann

Chapter1

Josh

It took methirty minutes to get to her house. Not hours, not days. She livedthirty minutes from my house. Thirty freakin minutes. Inhaling adeep breath, I willed myself to calm down as I released the tightgrip on the steering wheel. But panic slammed hard against my ribcage. Id found herwell, technically the private investigator Ihad hired found her. But what the hell was I supposed to donext?

Id playedout the scenario in my head while I drove. Knock on the door. Whenshe answered, tell her I heard she lived nearby and thought Idstop by to find out how she was doing. It all seemed simple andeasy in my mind, but as I parked at the curb of her house under agrand oak tree, nerves knotted inside my stomach. Fuck it! Im an idiot. Starting the engine, I decided toleave the past behind and lock it for good, but then I spotted amovement inside the house. I killed the engine and became astalker.

I jumped inmy seat when my phone ringing startled me. Staring at the phone, Ieased my breathing to a steadier beat. Wondering if any one of theneighbors spotted me loitering in the car put me on edge. Heartstill thumping, I read the text. A text from Isla usually put agrin on my face, but not at that moment. Every single muscletensedI couldnt shit if I wanted to.

Isla: Whereare you?

Heat rushedto my face. Lie.

Me: Im aboutto head home. Where are you?

Isla: Home. Imeant your home.

Me: Its yourhome too. You live there.

Isla: I madedinner. Thought we could eat together.

My lipscurled at her kind gesture.

Me: Soundsgreat. Ill see you in an hour.

Isla: Seeya.

An hour. Idhave thirty minutes to drive back home and thirty minutes to sayhello and leave. Or just stare at the house. Grow some balls, Josh. Whats the harm in sayinghello? Placing my hand on thedoor handle, I tugged a little, but my planted legs refused tobudge as my heart hammered faster with every effort I made to getout of the car. Its beenalmost two freakin years since she disappeared out of your lifewithout a goodbye or explanation, thats why, you idiot. She didntcare about you when she left, and she still doesnt give a fuck.Get the fuck out of there.

Five minutesrolled by. Tenfifteentwenty. I had to go soon. Clenching myteeth, I shoved myself out of the car and forced my feet to thefront door before I chickened out again. As I passed by the window,I caught a glimpse of Shelly, unclear but definitelyher.

Her back wastoward me, but I remembered her face perfectly. How could I everforget my first love? My first heartbreak. That woman had made myheart expand to the fullest, only to burst it with herlies.

Her blondehair, shorter than before, zapped me back to our past, and my heartraced as I remembered all the good and bad we shared. And the scentof the perfume she had worn every dayPoison, how fittingwhiffedthrough my nostrils and pulled up old memories. The pain of herabsence started to chip away the wall I had built and started tocrawl into my heart.

She bent outof my line of sight. The sun dipping to end the day reflected onthe window and blinded me. What she held in her arms when the glarefaded, or I should say whom she held in her arms, stopped me in mytracks. I stared in shock and confusion. My heart lurched in mythroat. The tightness trapped all the oxygen in my lungs, and Icouldnt breathe.

What thefuck? A baby? Her baby? The baby couldnt be more than a year.Doing the math ten months of pregnancy, plus a year or less forthe babys age, equaled two years. About two years ago, shedisappeared from my life. Was the baby mine? Or did she cheat onme? Anger flared, and the rage that still lived in the pit of mystomach resurfaced. Id always suspected she ran off with anotherman. Maybe she did cheat and got pregnant. Perhaps she didnt havethe guts to tell me, so she ran. Things didnt add up.

I pulled backbefore she saw me, and I rushed to the safety net of my car. Ibecame that boy with a shattered heart again as I shrank down in myseat to soak it all in. But what if the baby was mine? What if shelied to me? Would she?

I should haveleft my past behind. But once I located Pandoras box, I had toopen it. It would eat at me day and night if I never knew thetruth. Oh, fuck me. Okay. I had to gather myself, figure out how tofind the truth. But not that day. With my poker face on, I droveout of there as fast as I could.

Chapter2

Isla

I textedJosh, asking him to join me for dinner. Olivia had plans withNathan, so I figured I would eat at home, and since I lived withJosh, why not include him. It wouldnt be the first time I had madedinner for him, so why did I feel nervous?

It was no bigdeal, I reminded myself. Josh and I were friends. Not justacquaintances, but good friends. We clicked the day we met at afunction for the models.

When my eyesconnected to his from across the room, everyone else becamenonexistent, and I forgot how to breathe. The loud music, thevibration beneath my feet from the bass, people dancing around me,and even my friend Michelle, waving for my attention from the bar,all disappeared.

The six feettwo inches, broad shoulders, toned muscles, and holy cow, tattoosalong both of his arms rendered me speechless. So much of a badass,bad boy image, but oh my heart, I couldnt look away as he pinnedme frozen with the whole package of him. As he continued to hold mespellbound, he glided toward me with primal eyes blazingone goalin his mind. Me.

Id thought Iwould drown in my own melted body as the god-like hunk of a manstood before me with that sexy grin hot enough to scorch mypanties.

My mind racedwith naughty thoughts, and he did things to me I never imagined myhead would produce. And when he introduced himself and shook myhand, my knees wanted to buckle. His presence stole my air, and Iforgot how to form words. Michelle reminded me she was sick andneeded to go home, and I snapped out of the daze to helpher.

Later,Michelle gave Josh my phone number. Our friendship grew fast afterhe called me. There could have been more, but Id been datingsomeone. Being the type to date one man at a time, I almost brushedhim off, but he refused to be ignored. We had so much fun planninga couple trap to get Nathan and Olivia backtogether we vowed to do it again with another couple if needed.Josh and I had silly fun together.

The garagedoor rumbled open and my heart sped a mile a minute. Dinner waitedon the table, minus candles. I didnt want the ambiance of aromantic setting. I timed dinner perfectly to the one hour Joshsaid he would take to get home.