Burning the Midnight Oil: A Single Dad Small Town Romance

Chapter 13

“Daddy!” Suzy barges into my room, her favorite pink Squishmallow in hand as she hurls herself onto my bed. “I want waffles!”

I scrub a hand over my face, exhaustion still set over my eyes. Sleep did not come easy to me last night. Although, I’m not surprised. My mind is reeling, and I can’t make sense of what happened not even twelve hours ago. In a perfect world, I’d get to hide out in my bed all day, avoiding having to face Grady, but that’s not exactly feasible with Suzy.

“Is that right, princess?” I ask, rolling onto my side and facing her. She’s sitting crisscross on Jade’s side of the bed.

“Yup. Can you pleaaaase make me some?” Clasping her hands in front of her chest, her bottom lip pokes out into a pout, and her very best puppy dog eyes stare into mine. “With chocolate chips!”

When it becomes clear I can’t put this off forever, I heave a sigh and roll out of bed. “Meet me downstairs, sweetie,” I tell her as I stroll toward the bathroom.

“Thanks, Daddy!”

Shutting the door behind me, I flip on the light switch and meet my gaze in the mirror. My hair is a mess, eyes bloodshot, and there’s even the makings of some pretty impressive bags forming under my eyes.

Fuck me.

What the actual fuck was that last night? My pulse races as my mind replays how it felt opening my eyes and finding Grady standing in my doorway, catching me in such a compromising position.

Why was he there in the first place? It was late, and I didn’t even know he was home yet.

A more concerning question, though, is…why didn’t I stop?

Something came over me—something strong and wanton—and it’s like my hands weren’t my own. My body wasn’t my own. The two were so far disconnected from my mind and all rational thought that they were moving of their own accord.

He just fucking stood there in the dark. Wearing nothing but his underwear, to make matters worse—not that they could’ve gotten much worse. Eyes laser focused. Even in the dark hallway, the light from my bathroom was enough to show the look on his face. The way his lips were parted in shock.

And me…bare-ass fucking naked, my hand around my cock. It’s been so long since I’ve gotten laid. I don’t even know how or why I ended up jacking off like that. Usually, I just rub one out under the covers like a normal fucking human being, but something came over me when I got out of the shower that I didn’t even bother turning off the lights.

Why. The. Fuck. Didn’t. I. Stop?

An equally confusing and disturbing question is, why was the fact that I was being watched such a turn-on? I’ve never been into that, but looking up and finding a tall shadow in my doorway was a thrill unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. And that’s saying a lot since my job is one giant thrill after another.

What does this mean?

Nothing, obviously. I was turned on, and weird things can happen when you’re turned on. Plus, I was exhausted.

“Fuck, snap out of it,” I growl to my own reflection as I turn on the faucet and run my hands under it, gathering enough water to splash my face. I gotta pull it together. The odds of running into Grady as soon as I go downstairs are much greater than not, especially considering his bedroom is down there. I can’t choke and make a fool of myself in front of him, or tip Suzy off to anything that’s going on. I have to get it together. It was a weird situation, but it doesn’t mean anything.

After I brush my teeth and swish around some mouthwash, I step into a pair of sweats and put on a t-shirt before bounding down the stairs. By the time I reach the last step, I can already hear Grady talking to Suzy, and I stop in my tracks for a moment, giving myself a few seconds to gather myself.

It doesn’t mean anything.

He’s probably just as uncomfortable as I am.

I can do this.

Squaring my shoulders and working my jaw, I stroll into the kitchen, finding them both in there as I figured. Suzy is sitting at the bar watching as Grady grabs the waffle mix and the chocolate chips out of the pantry. I smirk, taking in the sight. She has him wrapped around her little finger, and he probably doesn’t even realize it.As soon as I enter the kitchen, they both turn and look at me, my smile gone as my heart thumps against my ribcage. All of the color drains from Grady’s face as he freezes in place. Our gazes connect for a moment, and the filthy memories from last night dash front and center. I can feel my cheeks heating up, and I know they’re probably red.

Is he thinking about it too?

“Daddy!” Suzy booms, breaking the eye contact between Grady and I as I flit my attention over to her. She’s smiling, and she’s still got her stuffy in her lap. “Uncle Grady said he’d make the waffles for me.”

“Well, honey, I told you I’d be right down.”

Her face scrunches up. “Yeah, but Uncle Grady makes them better than you.”

Grady snorts, and my jaw drops at the insult given in such a sweet little voice. “I make great waffles,” I argue, not really knowing why I feel the need to defend myself.

Suzy holds her hand out, pinching her lips together like I just said something wildly ridiculous. “Daddy, last time you burned them.”

Chuckling, I say, “That was one time.”

“I don’t mind,” Grady chimes in, his voice coming out more shaky than normal. “I don’t have to be at the arena for another couple hours, and I’m hungry too.”

I glance over at him, and just like before, as soon as our eyes lock, it’s like the floodgates open, and every single detail about last night smacks me in the face. The shock I felt when I looked up and saw him in the doorway, the arousal that consumed me, taking me by surprise, when I realized I was being watched, the way my body came alive like it hasn’t in so many years... I don’t get it. Why?

Clearing my throat, I run my fingers through my hair as I nod. “Alright, then. I guess I’ll go take a shower while you do that, since I’m not needed down here.”

He nods too, looking equally uncomfortable. “Sounds good. You want any?”

Shaking my head, I turn to leave the kitchen. “Nah, I’m good. But thanks.”

After I practically sprint up the stairs like my damn tail is on fire, I grab a towel from the closet and beeline to the bathroom inside my room. I stand under the hot stream far longer than I should, hands planted on the wall while I stare down at the full, heavy erection I’m sporting. My body is thrumming like I haven’t come in weeks instead of not even twelve hours ago. My cock throbs, begging me to wrap my hand around it, and put me out of my misery, but I can’t do that. If I do that, if I make myself come right now, it’ll be with last night on my mind. It’ll be the memory of the shadow in my doorway watching me, and I cannot fucking come a second time to that. I just can’t.

Once is bad enough.

Once is enough to make me question my sanity, because in what fucking world is it normal to blow a massive load when you realize you’re being spied on in your own house, and by your brother-in-law, of all people? Just how touch starved have I gotten if that’s what revs my engine?

Thankfully, by the time I get out of the shower—after waiting an absurd amount of time for my erection to deflate—get dressed, and head downstairs, Grady is finishing up putting the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher, calling out that he has to go get ready for work. When he leaves, Suzy and I run a few errands before we stop at Lou’s for lunch. Ginny has been asking to see her the past few times I’ve been in, so I figured today would be a good opportunity since we’ve got nothing major going on.

Once we’re finished with lunch, we stop by my folks’ place. My mom texted me the other night that she picked up a few outfits for Suzy during her trip to Sam’s Club in Cheyenne last weekend. Suzy hangs out with my mom while my dad and I take a look at the new fishing boat he just got. Now that he’s retired, he buys all kinds of toys, which drives my mom nuts. Last month, he bought some piece-of-shit car he apparently plans to rebuild and sell. Before that, he decided to take up hunting—something he hasn’t ever done. He went on a hunting trip last winter with a couple of buddies.

I honestly just think he’s bored. Growing up around the rodeo, and then going pro, you’ve always got stuff to do. Training, working out, traveling to different arenas. There’s not too much downtime, even in the off season. I’d imagine going from a lifetime on the go to a life of quiet retirement is enough to make somebody go a little stir crazy.

By the time Suzy and I get home, it’s time to start dinner. Not really wanting to do much, I decide to whip up a pot of spaghetti. Luckily, I pulled some ground beef out of the freezer before we left this morning, otherwise we’d be shit out of luck. Grady still isn’t home by the time we eat, but I set aside a plate for him to have later.

After dinner, Suzy curls up on the couch with Mabel, watching a movie while I clean the kitchen. Once I’m finished, I toss Suzy in the bath for a quick scrub down before getting her ready for bed.

“Can you read me a story before I go to sleep, Daddy?” she asks as I’m tucking her under the covers.

“Yes, princess, but only one.” Suzy has this innate way of weaseling seven stories and three bedtime songs out of me before I even realize what’s happening.

“Okay, but can you lie with me while you read?” The puppy dog eyes and the pouty lip have returned, and I breathe out a laugh.

“Fine,” I grumble as I climb in next to her.

I don’t know what happens, but one moment, I’m reading her a story about a princess in the forest, and the next, I’m peeling my eyes open, taking in the darkness covering the room. Shit. I must’ve fallen asleep mid-story. Glancing over, even in the darkness, I can tell Suzy is out cold. Mabel is at our feet, and I’m somehow able to maneuver myself out of the bed without disturbing either of them. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone to check the time.

Damn, it’s after nine. I was out for a while.

Yawning, I stretch my arms over my head in the hallway before padding downstairs in search of something to drink. My mouth is dry as hell. As soon as my feet leave the bottom step, Grady comes to mind. Is he home yet? The house is dark, so maybe not. Once in the kitchen, I keep the lights off, grabbing a glass out of the cupboard. In front of the sink, I’m about to turn the faucet on and fill the cup, when something outside catches my eyes.

The window above the sink overlooks the patio. The porch light is off, but I can see the glow from Grady’s laptop sitting in his lap. He’s wearing a black zip-up jacket, the hood pulled up over his head, and a pair of dark, plaid pajama pants, his legs lifted up into the chair in front of him. His back is to me, so there’s no way he could see me, especially given how dark it is out there and in here.

But it’s his computer screen that has my full attention.

My pulse roars in my ears as I grip the edge of the counter for balance when my knees wobble. Grady looks to be editing pictures, but they’re all…of me. Swallowing thickly, I try to make sense of what I’m seeing. Image after image, it’s me. All candid. They’re not inappropriate in any way. They all look to be from when I built Suzy’s swing set a few weeks back. The one he’s working on now, I’m kneeling down, but I’m looking out into the yard at Suzy. Somehow, Grady snapped a shot of my profile, and you can see the way I’m looking at my daughter. He managed to fully capture the love in my eyes, and I don’t know how he did that without me realizing it.

It”s an amazing shot, but the fact that he took them warms something in my chest while also making my heart beat faster. It’s working overdrive, right along with my lungs. Should I be creeped out by this? Because if I’m being honest with myself right now, I’m not. Not even a little bit.

What the fuck is happening with me?