Daddy Hot Pants: Daddy Duet, #1

By Ember-Raine Winters

J

Where do you go when you've lost everything? Down. Crawling my way out
from the bottom of that hole, I never expected an angel to be waiting
for me. She makes my life better, she makes me want to be a better man
for her and my son. But, I'm still hiding a huge secret and I'm afraid
to see the look on her face when she finds out.

Tiffany

Secrets and lies. Been there done that, and have the scars to prove it. He's hiding something and I want, no I need him to tell me. When he won't I try to move on, but I can't. Every smile, every come on,
every look sucks me back in. Until one night I allow myself to have what I want and it changes everything. 

WARNING: This is not a safe romance. It may contain scenes that may make some readers uncomfortable as well as a cliffhanger.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ember-Raine Winters
• Release date: Sep 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386101734

Book preview

J

It had been a long night and Beth and I argued the whole way home. I can’t even remember what the argument was about anymore, just that I was angry when I took the corner too fast. It was raining and I lost control, causing us to hydroplane into a tree. My airbag deployed and the next thing I knew the fire department was using the Jaws of Life to get Beth out of the car. She was unconscious and bleeding from a wound on her head. I tried calling out for her, to get her attention but the noise was just too much. My voice was lost to the sounds of the emergency equipment. A fireman came to my door which opened easily. I didn’t understand why my side was virtually untouched. The paramedics barely got me on a stretcher, but I was fighting them more interested in what was happening with my wife. They’d just gotten the door open and were shouting instructions. My head became fuzzy when I heard the words not breathing, and I nearly attacked a man trying to get off the stretcher. He pushed me back down along with two other paramedics and I nearly lost my cool.

Beth! Beth, wake up, baby. I’m so so sorry, I chanted over and over still clawing and kicking desperately attempting to break free from the restraints they’d strapped over my arms and legs until I felt a sting in my arm and everything went black.

***

The next time I woke up, to a sterile antiseptic smelling hospital room, I was completely alone which surprised me. A nurse walked in a minute later smiling. Ah, you’re awake.

Where’s my wife? I asked piecing together what few fuzzy memories I had from the accident. She paled before walking back out of the room without another word. It was odd. Usually nurses were more helpful than that.

Deciding that I needed to know for myself, I tried to get up when I noticed the IV in my arm. It wasn’t connected to one of the roller stands which meant they most likely didn’t want me leaving the bed. Fuck that. I needed to find Beth. I needed to know she was okay. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to her.

Ripping the IV from my arm, I got up from the bed and made my way out of the room. Mr. Saunders, you shouldn’t be out of bed. The same nurse admonished when she saw me.

I need to find my wife. I need to know she’s okay.

Mr. Saunders, if you don’t calm down we will be forced to sedate you again, she warned, but I wasn’t listening, instead I was already walking up and down the hall calling for her over and over again. I finally made it to a waiting room and saw my mother sitting in a seat crying into my stepdad’s shoulder. It was then I realized why the nurse didn’t want to tell me.

No, no, no, no. I fell to my knees in the doorway. I watched in slow motion as Beth’s father rushed me, pushing me back on my ass and punching me in the face.

This is all your fault, you piece of shit. If it weren’t for you, we’d still have our baby girl. He screamed again, throwing a couple more punches before security finally pulled him off me. In that moment, I wished they’d let him keep punching me. I deserved it. I’d killed the only girl I’d ever loved. What was poor Kaden going t say when he realized his mama was gone and it was all his dad’s fault. I sat up rubbing my jaw. My lip was bloody but I barely felt it. The pain in my heart, the torment in my soul blocked out all other feeling. I stayed on the ground until the nurse came with another sedative and I faded into blissful oblivion.

TIFFANY

It had been six months and three separate hookups later, and I still couldn’t get that sexy asshole off my mind. It was stupid, but I was always a glutton for punishment. So it was definitely a shock when I was out with Andy, one of the guys from the accounting department of the tech firm I worked for and saw him. J was sitting in a booth in the back of the bar with that moron Rick.

Almost as if he felt my eyes on him, he looked up and locked eyes with me. You okay, Tiffany? Andy waved a hand in front of my face. J’s scowl was immediate.

Yeah. I smiled. Sorry, what did you say?

I asked if you needed another drink, he said, running a hand through his hair. He seemed frustrated, so I decided it was time to end this really awkward and uncomfortable first date.

No, I actually think I should be going. I grabbed my purse and proceeded to get up.

Let me take you home. Dude didn’t get the hint.

No, no, I’m fine. I’ll see you at work tomorrow. I tried to smile but it was forced. I really hoped I didn’t see him at work the next day, since the date was awkward enough. I like math and science as much as the next girl… I mean I work in tech, but all he talked about was stocks bonds and dividends. It was obnoxious and I wanted nothing more than to go home and soak in my huge tub. It sounded like heaven.

I felt J’s eyes on me as I made my way out the front door. I never expected him to grab me around the waist and spin me up against the wall outside the bar.

You trying to make me jealous, Tiff? he growled close to my ear.

With that guy? Please. And I so don’t care what you are. I’m going home. I pushed against his big body until he finally stopped crowding my space.

It was working. I haven’t taken my eyes off you the whole night.

Yeah? You ready to tell me what you’ve been hiding? I raised an eyebrow at him. His grunt was all the confirmation I needed. Goodbye, J.

It doesn’t have to be, Tiff. Just let it go and we can be together. I spun back around poking him in the chest.

I don’t want your scraps and lies. I will not be with someone who doesn’t trust me and who I can’t trust in return. Keeping secrets doesn’t work for me. I stomped over to the nearest waiting cab and hopped in the back giving the driver the address before breaking down. He was a bastard, and I hated that I cared about him. That I wanted to know all his secrets that I dreamed of a life with that insensitive prick. God, how stupid was I? He pretty much proved he didn’t give a shit, so why couldn’t I stop caring?

Because I was an idiot.

I was worse than Rick, who sat at the bar every night watching Krista dance and flirt with other guys even though he obviously loved her.

The cab pulled up outside the apartment building and I made my way to the front door. I’d seen less and less of my roommate and best friend Courtney since she’d gotten engaged to the love of her life. Court, you home? I yelled through the apartment. Almost all her stuff had already been moved to her and Brice’s new apartment, but she was waiting until after the wedding to move in with him. I was then going to move the rest of her stuff over while she was on her honeymoon.

What the hell, Tiff? I thought you had a date tonight? She stumbled into the living room. One thing about my best friend since high school, she had to be the clumsiest person on the planet. I had never seen someone trip over their own feet on flat ground before I met Court.

It was a total dud. I left early after I saw J there. Brice didn’t say anything to him did he? I asked with a raised brow.

I don’t think so. He did mention that J has been acting different lately. Like he’s sad or down about something. She shrugged.

Maybe it’s the fact that his best friend is getting married in a week? I reminded her. Best way to get off the subject of what J may or may not be feeling was to bring up the wedding. A beaming smile crossed her face and her eyes lit up like they always did when I mentioned her favorite topic.

Are you still good to go to the fitting tomorrow afternoon? she asked hopefully.

Of course. I’m your maid of honor. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I smiled. I had a meeting with an advertiser in the morning, but I would definitely be ready by the time the fitting was scheduled.

Yay! Court yelled excitedly doing a little happy dance. I couldn’t help but laugh, especially when her foot caught on the rug and she nearly fell on her ass.

You okay? I giggled.

Yes. She huffed out a laugh.

Good, I’m gonna go take a bath and try to wash away the memory of tonight.

***

I was running late to my meeting with my boss. Granted, I hadn’t been told about the meeting until earlier that morning.

When I finally made it into the office, my boss smiled at me. He didn’t usually do that, so I was a little taken off guard. Mr. Lake was usually reserved and stern.

Tiffany, please have a seat, he said warmly. A manager position opened up in our Texas office and I recommended you for it.

I sat there in shock. Advertising manager at the corporate office would be a dream come true, but was I ready to leave everything behind? Thank you, sir. That’s amazing.

You deserve it. They will be calling all the candidates in the coming weeks to schedule interviews.

Thank you, sir. I smiled thinking this might be exactly what I need to get my life on track. A fresh start to get a certain too-hot-for-his-own-good radio DJ out of my mind.

J

Tiff was gonna kill me when she saw me. I knew it, but for some reason it didn’t stop me from volunteering to go to the tech firm she worked for to try to sell them ad space on the radio station. Lots of companies sponsored our giveaways or just had us do commercials for them. The company she worked for was one of the hottest new tech firms on the market.

So there I was, sitting in her office with my back to the door as I waited for her to come in. If I said I wasn’t sweating it, I’d be lying. I hadn’t gotten the best reception from her the night before, but I couldn’t tell her about Kaden. I couldn’t tell anyone about him. Six months ago Courtney’s brother nearly blew everything out of the water.

If she knew about my son, she’d ask about Beth and I still couldn’t talk about the worst mistake of my life. It was one of the reasons I rarely did sleepovers—pretty much only when I was drunk. The nightmares and Beth’s screams didn’t haunt me then, though Beth never actually screamed. They say she pretty much died on impact, but knowing that never stopped my brain from inventing new ways to torture me.

Since I started seeing Tiffany six months ago, Beth had been in my dreams calling me every name in the book, asking me how I could kill her and then replace her so easily. It’d been eight years since the accident, and I’d spent them alone. Was it really replacing her easily if I’d waited eight years before I decided I was ready to date again?

Hello, I understand your radio station wants us to advertise with them? she said pleasantly until I turned in her direction. Her smile turned into a scowl. I… What are you doing here?

Exactly what you said. We want to get your advertising business. I grinned.

Why did they send you? She raised an eyebrow at me.

Because I’m a born salesman.

Your ego never ceases to amaze me. She rolled her eyes dramatically.

Just give us a chance, I said. You know we’re the most popular station in town and have clout in other cities across the country. I’m telling you it’s a good investment.

You have stats and rating information for me?

Of course. I handed her the folder with all our information inside.

I’ll take a look and let you know. She shrugged. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have another appointment to get to. She looked at the door pointedly, and I took that as my cue to leave. I stood there for another second before walking to the door.

See ya around, Tiff.

Lord, I hope not.

I chuckled as I shut the door behind me. I’d be seeing her sooner than she thought. As I walked out the building, my phone rang. How’s the groom to be?