Falling for My Boyfriend's Dad(23)

But the front door swung shut slowly and that was that. Mr. Martin was  gone, and a chapter of my life closed, even though I wasn't ready.  Zombie-like, I walked to the elevator, only half-listening as Jonah  chattered on about this or that, tuning the conversation out. All I  wanted was to get back to school, burrow my head in the pillow and sob,  let the emotions seep through me, drain from my brain if need be.

But a word caught my ear, the haze lifting for a split second.

"Break up?" I parroted, coming to for a moment, tilting my head quizzically at Jonah.

And the boy nodded. We were on the subway now, riding the train downtown  towards campus, and he looked down at his hands, twisted in his lap as  we barreled through dark tunnels.

"Yeah, I didn't want to say anything before Thanksgiving because you  didn't have a place to go, didn't have a place to stay. But Ally," he  took a deep breath. "I think we need to break up. In fact, I know we  need to."

I was stunned, but not from horror or sorrow. I was stunned because the  NYC subway was such a weird place to break up. Why couldn't he wait  until we got back to the dorms, or at least a coffee shop? Seriously,  Jonah was a really odd duck.

But honestly, I was relieved because this was a long time coming, and if  he hadn't started the conversation, then I was going to. Jonah and I  had never been a couple. We'd never shared secrets or confided in one  another, or touched each other in lust. In short, we were never  anything, and a break-up was absolutely right, setting us free to pursue  our individual interests, wherever life led next.

But I didn't want to seem relieved and happy, arousing his suspicions, so I schooled my expression into a sorrowful frown.

"But why?" I asked plaintively. "Is it something I did?"

And Jonah hemmed and hawed for a moment. I bet he was going to blame it  on me somehow, he wasn't exactly the type of guy to take responsibility,  but surprisingly he didn't.         

     



 

"Naw, it's me, Ally. I've got some things to figure out, it has nothing to do with you."

Okay, that was fine, it was enough. After all, I didn't expect him to  bust out with a long explanation of how he was into BDSM, how his  childhood friend was actually his dominatrix, that was going too far. So  I accepted this as his explanation and just nodded my head slowly.

"It's no problem, we were drifting apart anyways," I said genuinely.  "We're on different paths, and these paths don't really cross anymore,  we were more like two cars going in different directions, instead of two  people in the same car."

Jonah grew beet red.

"Yeah, that's it," he muttered. "Anyways, just thought I should let you  know in case, you know, you wanted to get it on. I'm not the guy for it,  you don't cause fireworks for me. Another guy would be better for you,  he might be able to explore the unknown, go where I didn't go."

And I choked then, hurriedly converting it into a slight cough like I  had a cold. Go where he hadn't? Another guy exploring the unknown? More  like his own father had already plumbed my depths, taken that which I  had to give, made love to me again and again, with Jonah sleeping right  down the hall the entire time.

But there was no need for the boy to know, he had so much growing up to do, so I just patted his knee and stood up.

"No worries, we're both gonna be fine," I said with a half-smile. "I'll see you in class okay?"

And with that, the train pulled into the station and Jonah leapt to his feet, backpack slung over his shoulder.

"Yeah, absolutely," he muttered as the doors opened, and we streamed  outside, lost among the crowd, the throngs of people immediately  separating us. I took a deep breath. Well, that was that. My one and  only "relationship" was over, although it'd never really begun. And yet I  had an ache in my heart because I missed Mr. Martin. It was as if this  break-up had been with Mr. Martin the senior and not his son. What was I  going to do?

So like a ghost, I drifted down the halls of the subway, seeking the  exit. Because although I'd only just left Mr. Martin, I missed him, that  big, warm body, the strong hands, the deep voice and gleam in his eye.  When would I see him again? Would I ever see him again? And because the  answer was likely "no," I made myself straighten, take a deep breath.  Maybe I'd never see him again, never feel Mr. Martin's hands on me  again, never have another intense conversation with the alpha male. But  that was life, and despite the fact that it hurt like hell, I had to  live with it.





CHAPTER THIRTEEN


Rob




I missed the little girl, definitely. The trip to Tokyo was lame, a week  consulting for a company that was already going down the drain, there  was nothing that could save it. But that's why they pay me the big  bucks. They needed an outsider to come in, take a look, and confirm what  everyone already knew, which was that this outfit was dead,  resuscitation impossible.

But despite the job, the flights that were fifteen hours each, crossing  multiple time zones, I still hadn't shaken Ally from my head. My son's  girlfriend. Fuck. Had I really done it? Had I really fucked my son's  girlfriend, with Jonah sleeping down the hall, unsuspecting the whole  time? But the thing is that I'm a mean motherfucker, and didn't regret  it. I regretted the pain it might cause my son, sure, but I didn't  regret the loving, didn't regret exploring that curvy body, savoring  Ally's luscious folds. And most of all, I didn't regret getting to know  the girl in those four days, her hopes and dreams, how she was fiercely  independent even when I offered to buy whatever she wanted, rejecting  many of my gifts.

So yeah, the teen was different, incredibly unique, warm, loving,  caring, generous to a fault although she barely had anything herself.  When I'd asked her why she hadn't gone home for Thanksgiving, she'd  taken a deep breath and looked me straight in the eye.

"Because we don't have money for a plane ticket, Mr. Martin," she said  steadily. "It's a couple hundred bucks, and my family can't spare a  couple hundred right now."

I was flabbergasted for a moment, literally unable to speak. Shit, I'd  just spent two hundred this morning on lunch, taking Ally and Jonah out  to a nice restaurant. And a ticket had been too expensive?

Reading my mind, she nodded again.

"I know it seems crazy after our extravagant meal," she said biting her  lip. "But my family's from different economic circumstances so going  home would have been impossible. And Mr. Martin," she added softly. "I'm  grateful for the chance to come here. The dorms closed for the  holidays, and I didn't exactly have a place to stay."         

     



 

I was struck speechless again. What would she have done if Jonah hadn't  brought her home? Lived in a homeless shelter? Bunked with friends? And  the little girl nodded.

"I was thinking of trying to stay with my friend Clarissa, but she has  three sisters home for the holidays, and a really small apartment, so it  wasn't worth the headache. So thank you again," the brunette added  softly. "I really appreciate it."

And I grabbed her close then, holding her to my heart. Because it seemed  ludicrous, how I had so much and she had so little, what kind of world  did we live in? And fuck, I had to make it right for her, had to fix  some of these things because I was totally lost to the little girl.  Somewhere along the way, I'd fallen in love with the brunette, my heart  pumping in sync with hers, every cell of my being dedicated to Ally. And  the last two weeks traveling had only emphasized how lost I was, the  teen on my mind the entire business trip, the last thing on my mind  before I fell asleep, her name a prayer on my lips when I woke.

And frankly, I didn't give a shit anymore. If she was still dating my  son, I was ready to break them up, announce to the world that yeah, I'd  fallen for Jonah's girlfriend, as fucked up as that was. And tongues  would wag sure, but what the hell. They'd get over it, Ally was  eighteen, we were both consenting adults.

So I got dressed in my walk-in closet. What to wear for a trip to  campus? There was no plan yet, I wasn't sure what exactly I was going to  do except pay her tuition bill, make sure that she was set up somewhere  nice to live. But I'd find Ally somehow, even if it meant busting in on  her dorm room or interrupting her in class.

So I stood before my closet, grabbing casual clothes, a sweater and  jeans, when the doorbell rang. What the fuck, who could it be? It was  three in the afternoon, and they usually took deliveries downstairs. So I  strode to the foyer, annoyed, my long legs eating up the distance  because I wanted to get to Hudson University stat to find my best girl  and make my life right again.

But when the door opened, there she was herself. Ally West, a goddess  incarnate, so beautiful, so curvy, I almost fell on my knees in the  foyer.

"Hi Mr. Martin," she murmured, expression somber. "Can I come in?"