One Night with my Best Friend’s Dad (Forbidden Kisses #1)

6. Mac

Chapter 6

Mac

Deciding to go to California the day before hockey training resumes wasn’t one of my best decisions. But I found a hotel near the airport and hired a car to drive to Kelly’s home—her parents’ home.

I take a deep breath as I get into the car, gripping the steering wheel tightly. I never felt so nervous, not even when we played for the Stanley Cup two years ago.

The short drive to Kelly’s feels like an eternity. My heart pounds with dread as I wonder if her parents will put her off a man who is nearly double her age.

I can't accept I’m too old for Kelly. Yes, I know this whole situation is complicated and messy, but the thought of losing her and my baby is more than I can bear. I need them, more than I ever imagined I would. And because of that, nothing will stop me.

As I pull up to her house, my palms are sweaty on the steering wheel, and I know this is not just the California heat.

After getting out of the car, I walk up to the front door and knock. My stomach twisting in knots as I wonder if her parents will slam the door in my face. Or if they demand I stay away from their daughter.

The door swings open, and her mother stands there, arms crossed over her chest, eyeing me warily. “Mr. Hawthorn, this is unexpected.”

I swallow hard at her guarded tone.

I’ve met Kelly’s parents on a couple of occasions, mainly Piper’s birthday parties when she was younger, but I don’t know them that well.

“Kelly already spoke to us,” she adds.

“You know?” I try to keep my voice steady.

She hesitates for a moment, then nods and steps aside, allowing me to enter. “It was quite the shock.”

As I make my way into the living room, I see Kelly’s father seated in a chair by the window, the morning paper in his hands. He looks up, his brow furrowing at the sight of me.

“What the hell is he doing here?” he yells, and I can’t help but feel like I’m about to face the firing squad.

“I—” I pause, trying to find the right words. “I’m not here to say sorry. I’m here to tell you. I promise I’ll look after Kelly and our baby.”

“You should be sorry. She’s half your age and had her whole life ahead of her. She doesn’t want to be tied down with a man who’s graying at the sides and—”

“Dad!” Kelly yells.

“No Kelly, I warned you last night that if you leave this house with this man and go to live in New York, to never come back.”

“Glen,” Kelly’s mom says. “You can’t say that. She’ll always have a home here.”

“It’s my home, and—”

I thought it was only my daughter who’d be a problem, but her father is now added to the list.

“Then I won’t come back.” Kelly comes to stand beside me. “I’m sorry, but I told you last night that I wouldn’t give him up.”

I stand, conflicted, as Kelly stands up to her parents. Part of me is elated that she’s choosing me, but another part is riddled with doubt. Can I truly be the man she deserves? A father to our child?

I keep these worries to myself, not wanting to cast a shadow over her decision.

She turns to me, a determined glint in her eyes. “I’m leaving with Mac today,” she announces to her parents. “But we’d love for you to visit us in New York whenever you’re ready. Or,” she adds, a soft smile playing on her lips, “when the baby arrives.”

My heart swells at her words, and I feel a surge of pride at her standing by me, despite the challenges we are no doubt going to face.

I glance over to the corner and see her suitcase waiting.

“Kelly, are you sure about this?” her mother asks, her lips turn downward, and I hate that I’m taking her away on such a sour note.

“I’m sure,” Kelly replies, her voice steady as she looks her in the eye. “Mac and I, we have something special. And I want to give this a chance for all of us.”

She turns to me, hope in her eyes as she searches my face for the truth. I nod. “We do.”

She smiles. “Then I’m ready to go, if you are.”

“Let’s go.”

Kelly steps forward and embraces her parents, whispering something too low for me to hear. When she pulls back, there are tears in her eyes, but her smile is radiant.

“I love you,” she says, with a shaky breath.

“We love you too, Kelly,” her mother replies, pulling her in for one last hug.

Kelly’s father watches, his expression torn between worry and resignation. As Kelly turns to me, he speaks up.

“Take care of her, Mac. And that baby.”

I meet his gaze and give him a heartfelt nod. “I will. I promise.”

“I haven’t forgiven you yet,” he adds.

“I accept that.”

I pull up to my apartment in New York, Kelly by my side. The journey from California was tense, with both of us lost in our own thoughts.

As we step inside, I’m struck by how quiet and empty it feels without Piper here. But with Kelly and our baby on the way, I know this place is about to get a lot livelier.

“Welcome home,” I say, turning to Kelly, searching her face for any sign of regret.

She offers me a small smile, but worry coats her eyes, and I know this won’t be easy. Not only the age gap, or that I’m her best friend’s father, but also the disapproval of her parents. But I’m determined to make this work.

“You must be so hungry.” I lead her over to the couch, gesturing for her to have a seat.

“I’m fine.”

“Just wait here, okay? I’ll be right back.”

I hurry into the kitchen, my mind racing as I rummage through the fridge, finding the ingredients for a simple pasta dish. The one I made for her that special night.

I quickly whip it up, plating it with a sprinkle of Parmesan, a sprig of fresh basil, and carry the plates back to the living room, setting hers down on the coffee table in front of her. “I know I’m predictable.”

She smiles. “It’s perfect.”

It’s been a weird day. We’ve both not known how to process what is happening between us. And now Kelly has gone for a shower while I sit on the bed and consider if she wants to move this relationship quickly or let it move at a slower pace.

The bathroom door opens. My heart races as Kelly emerges, a smile on her face as she walks into the bedroom wearing nothing but a towel. She pauses for a moment; her damp hair clinging to her face, before slowly approaching me.

“Mac.” She presses her hand on my chest. “I—I want you.”

I withhold my urge to hurl her on the bed as I stare at her, my mouth suddenly dry. I know we should take things slow, that there’s a lot to figure out, but the way she’s looking at me makes it hard to think straight.

“Kelly, I—” I start, but she cuts me off by pressing a finger to my lips.

“Shh,” she murmurs. “Just kiss me. I’ve waited too long to be yours again.”

Without another word, she leans in, her towel-clad body pressing against mine. Unable to stop myself, I pull her close as our lips meet in a desperate, passionate kiss. My hands roaming her curves, reveling in the soft, wet skin beneath the towel.

It’s as if all the pent-up emotions and longing from our previous encounter have been unleashed.

Kelly responds eagerly, her fingers tangling in my hair as she deepens the kiss as the heat builds between us, and I know I should put the brakes on before things escalate too quickly.

But then Kelly’s towel slips, and I glimpse her bare skin, and all rational thought flies out the window.

I need her, more than I’ve ever needed anything in my life.

But I resist for a moment. Pulling back, I search her face, looking for any sign of hesitation. But all I see is a burning desire that matches my own.

“Are you sure about this?” I breathe.

Kelly nods, her eyes shining with hopefulness. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

She lets the towel fall to the floor, and I’m left staring at the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. My heart pounds in my chest as I pull her close.

“You’re beautiful.” I stand there, staring at Kelly’s naked body. She is absolutely stunning, and I’m overwhelmed with the desire to touch her everywhere. “I want you.”

“You have me.”

Without another word, I gently lay her down on the bed, my eyes never leaving hers. She looks up at me, biting her lip.

I crawl between her legs, my hands tracing the curves of her legs as I go. She gasps softly as my fingers brush against her sensitive flesh.

Lowering my head, I kiss her inner calves, teasing her with soft, feather-light touches that make her body shiver underneath me.

Kelly moans softly, arching her back as she presses herself closer to me.

I continue my exploration, moving higher until my lips are brushing against the delicate skin of her inner thighs.

She grips the sheets as my mouth closes in on her most sensitive spot. And then I lick a long stripe up the length of her slit, from bottom to top. Kelly cries out, bucking beneath me, just like before.

I love how her body reacts to my touch and I continue to explore her pussy inside and out with my tongue and lips. I love how her moans grow louder and more urgent as she approaches her climax.

“I want you to come for me, baby.” And finally, I focus all my attention on her clit, sucking it gently between my lips and flicking it with the tip of my tongue.

Kelly screams out in bliss as she comes hard against my mouth. Her body shaking uncontrollably beneath me.

As she slowly comes down from the high of orgasm, I pull back, rest my buttocks on my heels, and look up at the dreamy smile spreading across her lips. And I know I want this more than ever.

She looks absolutely radiant, and it’s the moment I know that this time, I’ll never let her go again.