Chapter 17
HANNAH
He was a father. How did I miss that? I had been so worried about the pictures of him and Lana that I missed the articles about him having a daughter with an undisclosed woman, and photos of him with Sofia all over the penthouse.
The small toys neatly placed in the corner of the main room, or the small cups on the kitchen counter.
I wanted to say it was hard to picture him as a father, but seeing how he looked at the small girl, seeing how she looked at him, I saw such beauty.
He wasn’t a man who stepped away from his responsibilities.
Seeing them together, you instantly knew that the little girl was his world.
After Lana and Easton left the penthouse, I thought I would go after them, yet the day turned into something I couldn’t have expected.
He asked me to stay, to get to know his daughter, and to spend more time with him.
She and I played with dolls while Cameron cooked us lunch, Sopia’s favorite, peanut butter and jelly with a pickle on the side.
It was a strange combination, one I would have never put together, but I ate it happily next to my new friend.
After lunch, I sat at the counter watching, mesmerized by how they interacted.
She stood next to him on a stool, helping him wash the lunch dishes, both singing Disney songs.
Cameron was different, so much more than a football player.
I could have missed this, the chance to be close to a man who, from what I could see, was as close to perfect as one could get.
I knew better than to believe he was perfect, but I allowed myself to live in that blissful ignorance, even for the day.
I played back the words he said to me, the declaration he made, and until that moment, I hadn’t admitted to myself that I felt the same.
Even if I could stay away from him, I no longer wanted to.
Cameron, being a player, didn’t bother me; being a father didn’t scare me.
It would be hard to keep our secret, not openly showing how we felt, but it was necessary if we wanted to see just where or how far this would go.
With a smile as they finished the dishes, Sofia ran to her room.
Cameron, tossing the towel onto the counter, made his way to me.
Stepping between my knees, he gripped the stool's hands, leaning close. “She likes you.” His statement made me smile, my hands on his side.
“I like her.”
“Stay the night tonight.”
“You asking or telling?” I teased back, Cameron, with a grin.
“Pleading.” He replied. Leaning in, I kissed him softly. I didn’t want to leave. “That's a, yes?” He asked as I sat back.
“I don’t have any of my things,” I replied, as if that would stop me. Cameron, with an arched brow, stood up straight and grabbed his phone. “What are you doing?” I asked swiftly. He looked at me but never replied directly.
“This is Cameron. I need you to go pick up a few things for me.” I smiled as he continued, not even caring who he was talking to, as he listed a few personal items for me and gave my home address.
“Tell the lady at the home that her roommate will be unavailable for the next twenty-four hours.” He paused with a grin directed at me.
“Thanks.” Ending the call, he tossed his phone to the counter, both of us with a playful stare.
“You have just anyone at your beck and call?” Cameron shrugged. “Marty will want more information, you know?”
“Give it to her tomorrow.” He replied, leaning in until our lips connected. He took my breath away, made me lose my bearings; he was all that existed. Our lips moved in a powerful dance, not fighting for dominance but as though one. I had dreamed of kissing someone in such a way all my life.
“Daddy.” Sofia’s small voice broke our moment, Cameron, with a turn as he wiped his mouth.
“Yeah, baby girl.”
“Can we watch mermaid?”
“Only if you promise to sing the songs.” He replied, shifting his attention from me to his daughter.
It was the most beautiful moment I’d witnessed.
Cameron picked her up, turning toward me, and he held out his hand.
“Let’s watch the mermaid.” Waiting for me to take his hand, I jumped from the stool and did just that. It was magical, simple, and regular.
During the movie, Cameron sat between Sofia and me, his arm around his daughter as she lay against him, her tiny fingers intertwined with his shirt.
His other hand cupped with mine, our fingers locked together.
I had never fallen for someone so quickly, so hard, and yet with him, I allowed myself to fall without an effort to stop.
He was a dream and made me feel special, seen, and loved.
I felt a little saddened when day turned to night, not because I didn’t want time alone with him but because I knew morning was only a few short hours away.
I wanted to stay in this bubble with him and Sofia, even though I knew it wasn’t possible.
It was later that night. I discovered it was his assistant, a young man named Chris, who had been sent to my home and picked up my personal belongings and some clothing.
Of course, nothing left the house until I gave Marty permission.
She wanted details of what was going on, and I wanted to share them with her, but not at that moment. That time was for Cameron and me.
Dressed in my black teddy, I waited for him to put Sofia to bed, taking in my surroundings, still unable to believe this was where I was.
How fast I had gotten here. Cameron came into the room, closing the door behind him with an exhausted grin.
Pulling his shirt off, he climbed onto the bed, moving over me with a playful groan as he kissed along my neck.
It was as if we had known one another, been together even, forever.
We fit perfectly together. Sitting back in the middle of the bed, he gripped my wrist and pulled me onto his lap, my legs wrapped around him.
His hands gripped my ass, pulling me into him as his lips moved along my collarbone softly.
“I’ve been thinking about this all day.” He admitted before his lips returned to my skin.
I closed my eyes, taking in the pleasurable feeling he brought through my body, that aching between my thighs growing as I felt his bulge grow against me.
“But first I need to shower.” He quickly added to my dislike.
He smirked at me, slapped my ass before he lifted me and placed me in the center of the bed, parting my thighs.
“You stay just like that.” He teased, jumping from the bed.
Laughing, I watched him pull his shirt over his head as he moved across the room, tossing it to the corner. Untying his sweats, I took in the view of his body, biting against my lower lip. “Cameron, can I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything.” He replied, stepping from his pants.
“Where is Sofia’s mother?” Instantly, I noticed his demeanor change as he stood straight up in just his boxer briefs.
“She lives on the East side of town, in an expensive condo.” He replied in a voice I’d not heard before, lowered, emotionless.
“Oh.” It was all I could say. I wanted to know more, to know everything, though I realized quickly that this wasn’t the time. But what could I do? The question was already out. I looked away briefly until he returned to the bed and sat on its edge.
“I met her when I was on the road. She was a bunny.” I had heard of those, those women who follow teams and players with one intent only.
It didn’t matter if they were married; they just wanted to bang their athletes.
They were one of the biggest reasons I had always stayed away from dating a player, the heartbreaking stories I’d heard and seen play out because of these women and the cheating men.
“We hooked up a few times for over a year, Sofia was a product of our time together.” He continued. “Tried to make it work, but she’s a little much, so I left and took our daughter with me.”
“Does she see Sofia?” I asked.
Cameron nodded. “Yeah. It’s why I’ve made sure she lives in a good place. Lana and Easton help me when it comes to the visits.”
“Why?”
“It’s better that way.” He answered. I knew there was more to the story, but I wouldn’t dare to push it or him. “Be right back.” He said with a light expression.
I sat and watched him go into the bathroom, undressing, and then he moved out of view into the shower.
As the water came to life, I took another glance around the room, took in everything he had said to me that day, the wonderful time I had with his daughter and him, and even the story of his ex.
If I wanted to leave, that moment would have been the time.
Could I do this? Could I be the woman in his child’s life?
Could we keep our relationship private? From my father?
Would his ex be a problem? What would happen to his career and reputation if we explored each other more?
All the questions rolled through my mind at a rapid pace, and yet nothing could get me to walk away from him.
He was willing to risk his life. I’m willing to risk my heart.
Stepping from the bed, I moved to the bathroom, seeing him in the shower, the water rolling over him, down his perfectly sculpted form.
I dropped my teddy into a puddle at my feet and stepped into the shower behind him, pressing against his backside as my hands wrapped around him.
We stood connected, there were no words to say, no promises to make, just two people drawn together, relishing in a perfect moment.
He slowly turned to face me; our gazes met in the tenderness of that moment.
He leaned forward, our lips pressed together, and I felt the butterflies, the weakness of my knees.
My feet left the wet floor, my legs wrapped around him, and his hands gripped my ass.
He turned me, pressing my back against the marble wall, the water rolling over us, our kiss breaking.
We said what we needed without a single word.
This wasn’t an affair; this was love. He lowered me slightly, his hips glided forward, and I felt him claim me.
There we made love, connecting forever. Paradise.