My Ex's Dad: A Steamy Standalone Instalove Romance Read online

  In my dream Lorena collapses onto her front, her hands opening and closing as though she’s getting closer to her finish. I pound her harder, imagining vividly every moaning noise she’ll make, feeling how hot and tight and wet she is.

  Squeezing my hand harder around my base, I pump with more force, spreading precome from my tip down to my base and back again, stroking so hard I feel the come rushing up my shaft. It pushes against my tip, all sensation fixated on that one point.

  My eyes are closed tight, pushing away reality as I fuck my woman – my goddamn woman, no one ever gets to touch her, even think of her like this. I imagine massaging her ass as she squirts down my cock, her moans becoming screams of pure release.

  Finally, I fall back, grunting as my seed explodes out of my cock. It squirts over my abs, I lie there, heaving in breaths, as the full magnitude of what I’ve just done settles over me.

  Fuck.

  I just masturbated thinking about my son’s ex-girlfriend.

  That was a mistake.

  Yet, even as I clean myself up, thoughts of Lorena are still with me. My cock twitching as I imagine her again. I can’t fight it.

  After my shower, I stare at myself in the steamy glass of the mirror.

  I have to make a promise to myself.

  That was the first and only time I’ll do anything with Lorena, in my imagination or anywhere else.

  Chapter Five

  Lorena

  I sit behind the counter in the laundromat, a textbook open on the counter in front of me.

  It’s been a few days since the meeting with Lukas. He was true to his word about helping me find work. I started at the laundromat last night, and it went very well. It’s an easy job since the place basically runs itself. I’m only here just in case there’s an issue with change or one of the machines.

  “Most laundromats don’t even have staff members these days, dad says,” Jamie told me last night, after giving me a ride to work in the car the insurance company has given him until his is fixed… if that hunk of junk can ever be fixed. “But he likes to help people. He knows there are lots of people out there who want to work, but there are certain things they can’t do. Maybe stress. Maybe they just aren’t suited for it. But this sort of work…”

  “Anybody can do it,” I said, grinning. “It’s okay. You don’t have to sugarcoat it.”

  “Yes, but not everyone is going to do the great job you are.”

  He smiled in that typically Jamie way, half ironic and half sincere, as though the whole world was a joke. The laundromat is in a poorer area of the city, but it’s not a dangerous neighborhood, and people around here are friendly… at least if last night was any indication.

  Now, there are two people in here, one elderly woman and a young man who could be a student.

  I study the man. He’s tall, with an athletic build, the sort of man I can imagine other women being attracted to.

  But when I look at him, all I can do is list the reasons why I’d rather be with Lukas.

  It’s a dangerous game, one I’ve been playing far too often since the scene in my living room. I can’t let myself care about him, not Jamie’s dad. Not when Jamie was my only friend in high school.

  But my old crush is back with a vengeance… not that it ever went away. When I was in college, though, it was easier to pretend I didn’t have this desire inside of me, this frantic need to run my fingernails down Lukas’s chest, to feel the power of his body as he thrust inside of me.

  My attention wavers when the bell above the door rings.

  Two men enter.

  One of them is wearing a baggy hoodie, the sleeves rolled up to show his tribal tattoos. He looks around thirty, but it’s hard to tell with his thick beard. The other is shorter and has a tattoo under his eye, a small knife it looks like.

  My first instinct is to assume they’re criminals, but I push away the judgment. It’s not fair.

  But when they stride straight for the counter, instead of heading to one of the machines, it’s difficult not to feel a prickle of anxiety shoot up my spine.

  “Hey, hot stuff,” the man in the hoody says, grinning so widely his beard shifts.

  The other man snorts at hot stuff. My hands bunch into fists under the counter, but I have to remember that dealing with the public is part of the job.

  “Hello, sir,” I say, keeping it professional.

  Maybe he’ll take it as a hint.

  He leans across the desk, causing me to move back slightly. He’s not doing anything outright hostile, but there’s a general presence in the air, as though he’s ramping up to something. I could be imagining it. I hope I am.

  “What’s that?” He nods at the book.

  “It’s about literary terms. I’m trying to learn them for a test.”

  “Hmm. A test.” He runs his finger over the edge of the book. “Guess it makes you feel pretty special, right, reading these clever books as these sad saps wash their cheap clothes?”

  There’s an edge to his voice… and an odor in the air. It was faint at first, but once I notice it, I can point it out for what it is. Alcohol. They reek of it. There are a few dive bars around the corner. Maybe they’ve just left one of those.

  “No, I don’t feel that way at all,” I say, trying to keep my voice level.

  “Maybe it’s because I’ve had a few drinks, but I’m finding it hard to believe you. You see, that’s the whole reason we came in here.”

  The other man laughs in a cruel way again. It’s like they’re a couple of bored kids looking for something to occupy their time… except I’m the one they’ve chosen to occupy their time with.

  I try to keep my professional expression, the one I used to wear every day working as a waitress. No matter what the customers say or do, my old boss used to tell me, just smile.

  So I keep smiling, pretending like none of this is bothering me when in reality my heart is pounding and my hands are clenched so tightly my fingernails are cutting into my palms.

  “Nothing to say to that?” the man says.

  “I don’t think I’m better than anyone. Do you need any help with your laundry?”

  He leans back, giving me a bit of space. I let out a short breath, hoping he can’t tell how relieved I am. I thought he was going to lurch across the counter and grab me for a second.

  “Does it look like we’ve got any laundry?” He spreads his hands. “We’re just looking for a good time.”

  “This is a laundromat,” I say, a matter of fact.

  I want to add, So what sort of good time do you think you’re going to have here, you idiots? But I bite down on those words. My only concern is getting these weirdos as far away from me as possible.

  “You see, Charley?” the man says, turning to his friend. “You were wrong.” He turns back to me with a wide grin, too wide for my liking. “We just had some bad luck in the bar. My friend here thought we might have more of a chance with you, you know since you’re so plain… no offense.”

  I keep smiling, not letting them see the effect they’re having on me. But inside there’s a twisting feeling in my gut.

  It doesn’t matter what they think. I don’t care if they want to view me as plain. But it’s just another reminder that all these fantasies – imagining Lukas would ever be attracted to me – are ridiculous.

  “If you don’t have anything to wash…”

  “Yeah, yeah.” The man shrugs. “Come on. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

  The men march out of the laundromat, throwing the door open aggressively. It slams behind them, and only then do I let out a breath. I lean forward and stare down at my book, telling myself it wasn’t that bad, just a couple of drunk idiots acting like… well, idiots. There’s no reason to lose my cool.

  The elderly woman walks over. She’s got a kind face with a purple bandana wrapped around her forehead. “Are you okay, dear?”

  I give her a small nod, even though my heart is still pounding. “Yes, I’m fine. They were just being idiots.”

  “You handled it the right way. With men like that… I can still smell the liquor.”

  “I bet they were on drugs too,” the younger man says, not looking up from his machine as he loads it. “Those bars around the corner are notorious for it. But I’ve been coming here for over a year and there have never been any issues.”

  “What happened to the employee before me?”

  My mind is filled with ugly scenes, where the employee was chased away, or something terrible happened.

  “She got married and moved away.” The elderly lady says softly, as though sensing my thoughts. “Don’t let yourself worry about it.”

  I let her words bolster me as she returns to her machine. She’s right. They were just acting so oddly, commenting on my book, assuming I thought I was better than them.

  But the comment that sticks with me is the word plain.

  I can’t help but wonder if Lukas would agree. If one of his friends saw me, and then described me as plain to him… would he disagree?

  I flip another page, focusing on the words in my book, pushing everything else aside.

  None of this matters anyway.

  Even if Lukas was attracted to me – which he never would be – we wouldn’t be able to do anything. It would break Jamie’s heart.

  Chapter Six

  Lukas

  I try to fight it.

  As a few days become a week, and as a week almost becomes two, I try to push away all thoughts of Lorena and get on with my life. There is plenty to keep me busy, between teaching boxing classes at one of my gyms, managing my businesses, and helping out with my outreach charity programs.

  But I feel like I’m sleepwalking through my days.

  I do everything to the best of my ability
– I don’t cut myself any slack – but Lorena is always there. She’s always at the edges of my mind, tempting me with her curvy body, with her young innocent eyes, with that just-Lorena quality that makes me obsessed with starting a family with her.

  That’s how I end up sitting across the street from the laundromat, staring at its lighted exterior. This was the only laundromat that needed a new staff member, so I placed Lorena here without giving it too much thought. She wanted the time for studying, she said.

  Looking at it now, I wonder if I made a mistake. I wouldn’t allow Lorena to work in a dangerous neighborhood, and I’ve never had any problems here, but there are a few clubs and bars down the street and music playing loudly from one of the apartments.

  I grit my teeth, reminding myself that the last employee, Anna, worked here for two years without any incidents. She suffered from anxiety and actually said the job helped her massively, giving her a sense of purpose while not demanding too much from her. She only left when she got married and moved away.

  No, I can’t lie to myself and say I’m here to make sure Lorena is safe. The truth is far simpler.

  I’m here because I feel like I’m drowning every second I’m apart from her.

  There are so many reasons for me not to open the door and stride across the street. She’s Jamie’s ex-girlfriend. She’s twenty-three years younger than me….

  Except I don’t give a damn about that one. If she’s younger than me, it only means I get the privilege of watching her grow into her career, her passion, our family. It means she’s young enough to give me a few children, maybe four or five… enough so that our home is always full of mayhem and laughter and happiness.

  I did my best with Jamie, but I know our children are going to be so cared for having a mother in the house, having Lorena. Without questioning it, I know she’s going to be the most caring mother, affectionate and loving and…

  And maybe that’s why I step out of the car, ignoring thoughts of Jamie. Maybe it’s the future we’re going to share. Or maybe it’s just the nonstop need every time my thoughts stray to her.

  I stand outside the door for a moment. The laundromat is empty and tidy, Lorena sitting behind the counter with a paperback in her hand. She stares at the book like nothing else matters, all her attention on the words contained in its pages. I wonder if she knows how beautiful she looks when she reads, utterly consumed with the story.

  Her hair is up in a bun, making me want to free it, run my fingers through it. She’s wearing the shirt all the laundromat employees do, but on Lorena, it becomes enticing in a way I can’t understand. I need to rip those buttons loose, free her plump and ripe breasts.

  She looks up, forcing my hand. I can’t exactly walk away now that she’s spotted me. That would be suspicious.

  Or is that another excuse?

  Pushing open the door, I offer her a smile. Or as close to a smile as my grumpy face can get.

  “Oh, hey, Lukas,” she says.

  Her tone of voice is exactly what I would expect it to be. A little shocked at finding me here, but nothing to indicate she wants me the same way I want her. And of course, there isn’t.

  Why would there be?

  I’m a family friend, nothing more.

  At least that’s something. If this is a one-sided attraction, there’s no chance of us coming together in the way that makes me ache, that makes me want to roar.

  “Just thought I’d check in,” I say, after a long pause, probably too long.

  She smiles sweetly. It’s the way her eyes glimmer like there’s a sassy part of her she’s holding back. I long to learn that side of her.

  “Do you make a habit of checking the laundromats at midnight?”

  I walk over to the counter, struggling to contain myself the closer I get. I’m not sure if it’s perfume or just her scent, but it makes it even harder to hold back.

  “We don’t always have friends of the family working here. I wanted to make sure you were doing okay. Any problems?”

  She shakes her head. “No, nothing major. There were a couple of guys in here about a week ago, acting weird. But nothing since then.”

  “What guys?” I ask fiercely. I want to tear them to bloody pieces for scaring my woman.

  She can say what she wants, but I can read the fear in her eyes, in the way her voice shook when she mentioned the incident. She’s doing a good job at hiding it… but not from me.

  “Just these two men.” She shrugs. “They made some strange comments about my book. They called me plain.”

  “Plain?” I snap.

  She flinches, as though she thinks my fury is aimed at her and not those bastards. “Yeah, but they were just drunk idiots.”

  Plain, fucking plain? I can’t think of a less appropriate word to describe her curvy sexy beauty.

  I reach over the desk, grabbing a pen and a piece of paper. Quickly scrawl down my cell phone number and slid it over to her.

  “I should’ve given you this when you started. If there are any problems, call me. I can get down here in twenty minutes this time of night. Do you want me to look into other jobs—”

  “No,” she cuts in. “Honestly, I love it here. I’ve gotten so much work done.”

  Her enthusiasm makes smiling feel a hell of a lot more natural. “What have you been working on?”

  “I’ve got this big essay due in a couple of weeks. I’ve gotten most of my research done working here. Now all I have to do is write the thing.”

  “And your own work?”

  Her face lights up. In all the years I’ve been alive, no smile has ever made me care on such a deep level. It’s shocking how violently the feeling strikes me.

  “Yes, that’s not going too terribly either. I’m plotting the whole thing this time, instead of getting halfway through without any idea where I’m going.”

  “What’s it about?” I ask.

  She tilts her head. For a second, I think she’s going to ask why I care. I can see that’s what she wants to ask. It’s in every muscle in her face, the look in her eyes. But then she visibly decides not to … which is a good thing. If she came right out and said it, I’m not sure I’d be able to hold off from telling her the truth.

  Hell, if it wasn’t for the counter between us, I don’t think I’d be able to stop myself from grabbing onto her and pushing her up against the wall, bringing my mouth to hers…

  Fuck.

  My woman is talking, but I’m too busy daydreaming about stripping her clothes off and revealing her voluptuous perfection.

  “Sorry?” I say.

  She shakes her head. “It’s fine. It’s boring anyway.”

  “It’s not,” I say firmly. “I just drifted off. What did you say?”

  “It’s a fantasy romance. I’ve tried like a zillion other genres, but I think this is the one for me. It will sound weird, but it’s about a man trapped in a dragon’s body and this woman – well, she used to be a princess – this witch, I guess, and they have to work together to take down the baddie and free the man. But, during the course of their adventure, they fall in love. The book’s going to end with the dragon becoming a man so they can finally be together.”

  She breaks off, breathing heavily as her breath catches up with her enthusiasm.

  “But there’s still a lot to sort out. A lot of holes to fill.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do amazing,” I tell her.

  She giggles and the noise goes right to my base. That’s another benefit of the counter. She can’t look down and see how hard she’s making me.

  “How do you figure that?” she asks.

  “I can see how passionate you are. In my experience, that’s half the battle. And you clearly have a plan. That’s often the other half.”

  “Thank you, Lukas. That’s nice of you to say.”

  A pause lengthens between us. I try to think of an acceptable reason for me to hang around her longer. As far as she knows, I told the truth when I said I was just checking in.

  She doesn’t know about the torrent raging inside of me, louder and more insistent each moment.

  “What time do you finish?” I ask, just to break the silence.