The Single Dad (Red's Tavern 4)

“I know what I deserve,” he said, his expression suddenly turning serious. “Christ, I had to be more discreet than you could even imagine when I was in the Marines. But having respect for your kids and what they’re going through? Of course I understand.”

I puffed out a laugh, realizing I’d been holding my breath. “God. You probably regret ever falling into my tangled web of a personal life.”

“Exactly the opposite,” he said. “When things are too simple, I run the hell away, anyway.”

“You do?”

“Of course,” he said, a tiny grin on his face. “You think I’m not scared of a real relationship?”

“Not more scared than I am.”

“And maybe that’s why we work,” Luke said, reaching his hand up to stroke the side of my face and down to my jaw. “We’re a little fucked up, and definitely kind of lost. But we sure can’t seem to stay away from one another, can we?”

His words covered me like a warm blanket, relaxing the tight spring of tension wound up deep inside me.

“You make me feel like I can be myself,” I said, my voice soft. “I’d kind of forgotten what it was like.”

He shrugged one shoulder. “Life’s a puzzle just like anything else,” he said. “Probably not solvable, but damn if it ain’t fun.”

I could actually feel myself falling. Falling for this incredible man, as if it was a physical sensation, an actual gravitational pull toward something. It had been happening the entire time I’d known him, right under my nose. Luke took my fears and anxieties and treated them like they were something real, not something to be laughed at. And somehow just by acknowledging it, everything felt easier.

I had no rules anymore. And for once, the freedom didn’t feel like chaos. It felt like possibility.

“I’m going to make you come so hard tonight,” I whispered, letting my eyes dance over him.

His eyebrows shot up, his eyes immediately wide. “Well, I wasn’t expecting that,” he said, his voice a low growl.

“You listening to me and understanding me turns me the hell on, I guess,” I said. “I am so fucking into you, Luke.”

The look in his eyes shifted from surprise to desire just as quickly. “I am taking you on this date,” he said, “because you need it, and I want to make it happen. But you’re looking at me like you want to unwrap me like a damned gift, and I love everything about it.”

“I’m going to,” I said.

I was hard as a fucking diamond now. It was a good thing Luke had a little more self-control than I did. He leaned in, pressed a simple kiss to my mouth, then leaned back, putting the truck in drive. He took off into the evening, driving off toward the town limits, up to a mountain crest.

I watched him as he drove. As we drove under the occasional streetlamp, I could see that he was as hard as I was, biting his lip, knowing that every passing minute just made me want him more. After a few minutes I reached over, my hand across his cock through his pants. I felt his cock throb under my palm, and he didn’t stop me.

He loved this just as much as I did.

Before long we arrived at a pit stop. It was a dirt lot next to a grassy hill, overlooking the various towns’ lights below.

“Wow,” I murmured, looking out at the view.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he said. “This land is all going to be bought up and turned into houses sometime soon, I’m sure of it. Enjoy it while you can.”

He hopped out of the truck and retrieved a big duffel bag from the back of his truck. Over the next ten minutes he slowly set up a picnic spot for us on an embankment of the hill, a small patch of grass that was flat and looked out onto the towns.

At the very end he brought out a little glowy fake candle that he put in the center of the blanket.

“That is an incredible touch,” I said.

“I was going to just bring my little electric camping lantern,” he said. “Then I thought a candle would be better, until I realized it could result in a picnic fire.”

“I’ve always wanted to go on a date that ended in a blazing inferno,” I said.

“Sorry I can’t provide that for you,” Luke said, grinning.

“The fake candle is perfect,” I said.

He brought out a large array of amazing looking foods—different little sandwiches, glass Tupperware full of berries, and a few beers.

“Did you really prepare all of this?”

“I did,” he said proudly. “I’m not the best cook, but I can definitely make a good sandwich.”

“They look incredible,” I said. “Luke, nobody’s ever done anything like this for me before.”

“What?”

I shook my head. “No way. I was always the one planning stuff like this, but I’ve never been… on the receiving end. No pun intended.”