5. Peyton

Chapter Five

PEYTON

I pull into a parking spot and turn off the engine. I climb out of the truck and walk around to open the door for Stacey, holding out a hand for her to grab as she hops down.

"Thanks," she says, giving me a small smile.

Thump-thump. My heart beats against my rib cage as thoughts— dirty thoughts —about this woman in front of me swim through my mind.

"I'll walk you to your door, make sure you get inside safely."

"My door is just right over there," she tells me, pointing to a door about thirty feet from where we're standing next to my truck.

I'm desperate to be next to her, touching her, so there's no way I'm going to let her walk the distance by herself. I don't know what it is about Stacey, but she's pulled me in tonight and I just can't get enough of her. We talk as if we're old friends who have known each other forever, not strangers who met on a chance meeting, just hours ago.

I drop a hand to her lower back as I escort her the short distance. She pulls her keys from her pocket and unlocks her door, opening it and showing me the inside.

"See, all safe," she says, turning around to face me, a small smile cresting her lips. The ones I want nothing more than to cover with my own. Pull between my teeth as I thrust my cock into her.

Where the fuck did that thought come from?

"Good," I tell her, looking over her shoulder and making sure nothing looks suspicious inside her place as I will the blood that has rushed to my cock to come back to my brain.

"What time did you want to get together tomorrow?" she asks.

"Can I let you know in the morning? I need to check on my dad and make sure he won't need me for something, first. I don't want to commit to something and then have to back out."

"That's fine. I've got some errands to run tomorrow, but they won't take me more than a few hours. And if tomorrow night doesn't end up working, that's fine, as well. I'm flexible," she assures me.

I suck in a breath as I feel my dick harden again. Not that kind of flexible, ya horny jackass , I think to myself.

"Good night, Peyton. I had a great time tonight," Stacey says, breaking the silence that fell between the two of us for a few moments. "See you soon."

She gives me a quick hug, wrapping her arms around my waist and squeezing gently before pulling away. Before I can react, Stacey steps inside her condo, closing the door behind her. I hear the click of the deadbolt and her footsteps as she walks away from the door. I finally turn on my heel and head back to my truck.

I think of Stacey the entire drive back to my dad's house and how easy it was to talk to her tonight. How comfortable I felt with her, and how we just meshed. She was definitely easy on the eyes. Her long dark brown hair, as it fell over her shoulder in waves, had me itching to run my fingers through it. Her natural beauty shined through the minimal makeup she had on. I don't think I've ever wanted to spend more time with a woman, and that's not a feeling I'm used to.

Women have always walked out of my life. Started with my mom when I was eight. She couldn't deal with the military lifestyle anymore and decided a life away from my dad and I was what she needed. She kissed me goodbye one morning before I left for school and when I returned, she was gone, with a note left on the table for me and my dad to find. She tried to contact me when I turned eighteen, but by then, I had no desire to ever talk to her again. How do you abandon your kid like that? And for what? Freedom. Drugs. Sleeping around. I learned then never to trust women.

I let my guard down once when I hit my twenties and thought I'd give a relationship a try, but that ended pretty shitty. I came home from training early one day to find my girlfriend in bed with not just one, but two other guys. It's pretty eye-opening when you walk in and find one guy balls deep inside your girl, while she's sucking the other's cock. I knew as soon as I slipped the key into the lock that something was up. The noises I could hear coming from the apartment didn't leave much to the imagination. As soon as I got that eyeful, I turned around, grabbed the bag I had dropped at the door when I walked in, and beelined it back to my truck.

By the time I'd made it out of the parking lot, my cell was ringing. Over and over, she tried to call me, all of which I ignored. I headed straight for the bar, shut my phone off, and drowned my sorrows in the bottom of a bottle of Jack Daniels. Two days later, after recovering from the hell of a hangover I had, I went back to the apartment, packed my shit, and moved back on base. That was six years ago, and I've never had the itch to date since then.

I shake off the memories of my ex as I pull into my dad's driveway. Stacey's sweet smile replaces those thoughts and has a smile of my own cresting my lips. Every time she smiled tonight, I felt it down to my fucking toes, down to my soul.

I make it inside and check on my dad. He's passed out, propped up slightly in his bed. I quietly find the remote to his TV and turn it off for him before retreating into my room. I strip down to my boxers and then head into the bathroom to get ready for bed. After taking a leak, I wash my hands and brush my teeth before heading back into my room and sliding between the sheets. I lay there, thinking over the night, and my cock hardens as my thoughts wander back to Stacey.

I slip my hand under the elastic of my boxers, palming my hard cock in my fist. I give it a tight squeeze at the base before stroking up to the tip. I swirl my palm over the tip of my cock, collecting the beads of pre-cum in my palm as I stroke back down my shaft. I quicken my pace as I close my eyes and flick through the images of Stacey from tonight. I let the feelings of when our skin would brush each other and the tingles I would feel in the aftermath of those moments fuel my desire for her as I continue to stroke myself. Using my other hand, I push my boxers off my hips and out of my way, giving myself more room to work my cock as I feel my balls tighten up with my impending orgasm. It only takes a few more strokes before I'm biting back Stacey's name as a moan fights to escape my lips and my orgasm spills onto my stomach.

I lay there for a few minutes before reaching over to the nightstand, where I thankfully find a box of tissues I can use to clean myself off before heading back to the bathroom for a quick shower to rinse off.

Clean and still sated from my orgasm, I slide back between the sheets and quickly drift off to sleep for the night.

I wake the next morning to the sun already up. After stretching, I roll over and grab my cell from the nightstand to check the time. It's already after nine in the morning. I'm usually an early riser, but my body is still adjusting to the time change, I guess. I slip out of bed and pull a pair of sleep pants from my bag. After a pit stop in the bathroom, I make my way out to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee and rummage in the fridge to see what kind of food my dad's got around that I can make for breakfast. I find him sitting on his recliner in the living room, already nursing a cup of coffee and eating some toast.

"Morning," I call out, the sleep still lacing my voice.

"Morning," he replies before coughing.

"How'd you sleep?" I ask as I pour myself a cup of coffee.

"Not bad. The cough medicine helped."

"That's good to hear. Are you feeling any better today?"

"Actually, I am. When I cough, it doesn't feel as deep. I think I'm on the mend."

"Okay, well, tell me if that changes."

"How was your evening?" he asks.

"Good, went to The Tap House. Met up with Ethan and his fiancée, Cam. They were meeting a few of their friends there who I'd never met before. Ended up having a good time with them. Hung out with one of Cam's friends, Stacey, most of the night. She was pretty cool. Laid-back, easy to talk to. Felt like I'd known her forever."

"You seeing her again?" he asks, quirking a brow at me. He's well aware of my hang-up with women.

"Actually, I am. I'm supposed to text her this morning to make plans for later today. I didn't want to commit to anything until after I'd talked to you, in case you needed me for anything later."

"I'll be fine, you go on out. Maybe she'll change your mind on women."

"Not quite sure that's going to happen, but you never know," I tell him honestly. I thought about that last night while I was lying in bed. What it would be like to date again, to get close to a woman. But could I ever learn to trust another person with my heart? Could I learn to allow that control over something I've kept so protected over the years? Could a woman prove me wrong, that they don't all walk away or cheat when the going gets tough?

"She's already got you tied up, doesn't she?" Dad asks, observing me as I sit across from him, drinking my coffee.

"Maybe," I huff. "I don't know what she's doing to me, Dad. I've never felt this way after just meeting a woman. She's got me all knotted up inside and I can't wait to see her again. And it isn't just sexual. Hell, I haven't even kissed her. I just feel a pull to her. Like I was meant to meet her."

"Sometimes we meet people when we least expect to, son. Sounds like she's a pretty amazing woman. What did you say her name was?"

"Stacey."

"And she lives here in the Nashville area?"

"Yep, she's on the outskirts of Nashville. Not too far from here."

"And what does she do for a living?"

"A songwriter. She's actually up for some big awards, I guess, at the CMA's in a few weeks."

"Damn, impressive."

"Yep. I met her writing partner and the singer, Reese something or other, who she writes for, mostly. They were all pretty cool. Didn't give me a hard time about not knowing who Reese was."

"Reese Blackwood?"

"Yes, you've heard of her?"

"You'd have to be living under a rock not to, son," Dad says on a laugh before falling into another coughing fit.

"Or living in the desert of Afghanistan?" I quip.

"I guess that will do it, as well." Dad chuckles again. "So, where are you going to take her tonight?"

"Not sure yet. After we left the bar last night, we went out to The Diner for some late-night food. Talked for a few hours. She mentioned that she enjoyed going out dancing, so maybe I could take her downtown to one of the county bars. They've always got live music going on."

"You could do that."

I head back into the kitchen for a refill on my coffee and to make some breakfast. "You want anything else to eat?" I ask my dad on my way.

"I'm good for now. Needed something light in my stomach to get my pills down."

I rummage through the fridge and settle on some eggs and sausage. I quickly fry up my food, then take my plate out to the living room so we can continue talking while I eat.

With my dad starting to feel better, I'm not as hesitant about leaving him and going out with Stacey again tonight. Needing to confirm things with her, I slip my phone from my pocket and pull up her contact.

Peyton

Mornin', hope you had a good night. My dad's doing better today, so I'm all yours tonight. I was thinking dinner and maybe some dancing? Hit up one of the county bars downtown, how's that sound?

It only takes a few seconds for my message to go from a delivered status to read and for the three little dots to start dancing, showing me she's typing out a response.

Stacey

My night was great. ;) Thanks for asking! I met this guy last night who was a gentleman and pretty hot. Excited to be seeing him again tonight. ;)

Stacey

Dinner and dancing sound perfect! Did you want me to meet you somewhere?

Peyton

Do I need to lay the smack down on someone for you? And no, I'll pick you up. Be ready at 5.

Stacey

I'll let you know after tonight if the smack down needs to be laid down. ;) He was a complete gentleman last night; we'll see if that's the case tonight. ;)

Peyton

Are you hoping he isn't quite so gentle tonight?

Stacey

Let's just say at this point, I wouldn't be opposed to seeing where the night leads us.

Fuuuuuck. My dick swells, pressing hard against the zipper of my jeans at the thought of what kind of trouble we can get ourselves into tonight.

Peyton

Game on. Game fucking on. See you at 5, and wear something short. ;)

Stacey

Short, you say? ::grins:: I know just the outfit to wear that will have you drooling. ;) See you later!

Peyton

::groans:: I'm already hard, take some pity on me, please?

Stacey

You're the one who asked for something short. ;) And it brings me comfort knowing you're just as sexually frustrated as I am.

Peyton

I can help you out with that issue tonight.

Stacey

I'm sure you can. ;) And I hope you do.

Stacey

And on that note, I'm going. I've got some errands to finish and some pampering to do before 5.

I toss my phone onto the couch next to me and stretch out. Dad and I watch some TV for a bit before I throw on some clothes and head out to the backyard to take care of some odds and ends I'd planned on doing while I was here.

A few hours later, after checking a couple items off my to-do list, I come inside. I can't stop thinking about my upcoming evening with Stacey and grin in spite of myself. It sounds like I could be having a late night, so I close my eyes and attempt to take a little nap.

I wake up a couple hours later, when I feel the bed vibrating, and realize it's my phone ringing next to me. A quick glance at the screen tells me it's Carson.

"Hey, man, what's up?" I say as I answer the call.

"I hear you're in town," he states as a greeting.

"Yep, got in last night. You would have known that if you'd have shown up at the bar."

"Sorry about that, man. Kids both came down with a stomach bug. We were elbow deep in puke."

"Yuck. Yeah, keep that shit away from me. Hope they get better soon."

"They're already on the mend. Twelve-hour bug or some shit like that. Just hoping it doesn't hit Holly or me."

"Well, that's good."

"What are you up to tonight? Want to head out here to the house? Have a few beers and play some cards? I can get my brothers to come over for some poker."

"Wish I could, man, but I've got plans for tonight."

"Who is she?" he asks on a laugh.

"Name's Stacey. I met her last night at the bar. She's a friend of Cam's," I tell him.

"Damn, you move fast."

"Yeah." I sigh. "Not sure what it is about her, man, but it's like she's gravity and I'm the moon. She was easygoing, and the conversation just flowed. Like no other woman I've met. Messing with my mind, that's for sure."

"When you meet the right one, you fall hard, brother."

"I don't know that I'm ready to admit defeat. You know my stance on women."

"And you know what kind of fucked-up mess I made it through. Look at how I fared in life, buddy. Holly is the best thing that has ever happened to me. The years we spent apart were some of the most trying and hardest of my life, but I'd go through all of them again if it meant we'd end up where we are now."

"I don't know, man. I just don't know if I can trust another woman. They either walk away without looking back or fuck you over. Holly is the exception, of course," I tell him, not needing to get myself onto his shit list.

"I'm telling you, you can't compare every woman to your mom and your ex. Forget about them and move on with your life. You might find that having a steady woman in your life is a good thing. You might even enjoy it, if you know what I mean," he deadpans.

"Yeah, yeah," I say, doing my best to placate him. "I'll think it over and see how things go tonight. It might not even be feasible. It's not like I live here. I'm over an hour away, and that's without traffic."

"Just keep an open mind, man. I'm telling you, the distance is worth it if she's the right one. Okay, enough about the woman. How long are you in town?"

"A little over a week."

"Let's plan to get together sometime soon. Beers, dinner, whatever. You name the time and place and I'll make it happen," Carson tells me.

"Sounds good, man. I don't really have any plans other than tonight, so far, so I'm game for whatever."

"Text me tomorrow and we'll figure something out," he says.

"Will do," I confirm before we end our call.

I look at the time on my phone and see I've got two hours until I need to pick up Stacey. I roll out of bed and head to the bathroom. After a quick shower, I dry off, then wrap the towel around my waist and stand in front of the mirror. My few days' worth of facial hair is starting to make me itch, so I pull out my razor and quickly shave it all off. Once I'm finished in the bathroom, I head back into my room and pull out the nicest jeans and button-up shirt I brought with me.

A few minutes later, I make my way out to the living room, where I find my dad still sitting in his recliner, watching a baseball game on TV.

"You clean up nice," he says as I sit down on the couch.

"Can't take out a beautiful woman without making somewhat of an effort."

"Did you decide where you're going?"

"I think we'll head down to Broadway and then decide once we're down there. Maybe barhop our way around, see who's playing at the different bars. Figured we can just grab something to eat along the way, as well."

"You driving tonight?" he asks, ever the parent.

"Yes, sir," I answer him honestly. "Only plan on having one, maybe two, beers. If I have any more than that, we'll grab an Uber. Can always go get my truck tomorrow."

"That's my boy."

"I was taught well. No need to drink and drive," I assure him. "You sure you're going to be okay on your own tonight?"

"I'm fine, feeling much better. Don't worry about me. I won't wait up for you."

"Sounds good, Pops," I tell him as I stand up. I wanted to stop at a florist on the way to Stacey's and pick up some flowers. "I think I'm going to get out of here, I don't want to be late."

"Night, Peyton." He pauses. "Don't forget to wrap it up," he says on a laugh. "And don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Only learned from the best, old man," I retort before I walk out the door, shaking my head at his brashness.

I love the relationship I have with my dad. He's never been coy when it came to talking to me about women and sex. He knew I was going to grow up to be a horny teenage boy and man, so no sense in trying to shelter me from it. He taught me to always respect women, but also the importance that comes from learning how to pleasure them. As much as I shun the idea of a serious relationship, I'm still a red-blooded man who enjoys sex and spending time with a woman. I just don't like the commitment and vulnerability that comes with a relationship.

I pull into the first flower shop I drive past and head inside to find something for Stacey. I look through the arrangements available in the coolers and find one with vibrant fall colors filled with different kinds of flowers. I grab it and take it up to the register.

"Will this be all for you today, sir?" the young teen girl behind the counter asks as she rings me up.

"Do you have a vase that these will fit into? I'm not sure if she has one."

"Sure, do you have a color preference or will a clear vase work?"

"Whatever you recommend," I tell her, as I know nothing about flowers.

"This one will work perfect." She sets a clear vase on the counter.

"Thanks."

"Your total today is forty-four dollars and thirty-nine cents." I pull my card from my wallet and slip it into the chip reader. "Would you like me to wrap these up or arrange them in the vase for you?"

"If you could arrange them in the vase, that would be great," I reply, entering my pin before pulling my card from the machine and putting it back into my wallet. She makes quick work of arranging the flowers in the vase, then adding water and some powder stuff to it before bringing the vase back to the counter and handing it over to me.

"I've already added in some food for the flowers but attached an extra packet of it that can be added in a few days to help keep them alive a little longer. Here's a box to place them in to keep the vase from tipping over while you drive."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, have a great day," she says as I walk out.

I get to my truck and place the box in the passenger seat. The box was a good idea, but I still keep my hand on the box while I drive. I don't want it tipping over and ruining the arrangement before I can deliver it to Stacey.

Fifteen minutes later, thanks to traffic, I turn into Stacey's complex parking lot and pull into the same spot I parked in last night. Checking the clock, I see I made it a few minutes early. I grab the flowers and jump out of my truck, then walk the thirty or so feet to her door and rap my knuckles against it.

It takes a minute before I hear the lock slide and the door open.

"Hey," she says, and my jaw nearly hits the ground.

"Hi," I finally reply after I've gotten my fill of her sexy-as-fuck body that's on full display for me. She wasn't lying when she said she knew just what to wear tonight. Then I remember the flowers in my hand, and hold them out. "These are for you."

She's wearing a little white dress that comes up to her shoulders but doesn't cover them. It stops about mid-thigh, showing off her toned, tanned legs. She's got on a pair of cowboy boots to finish off the look, and fuck, if I'm not thinking about how good it would feel to have those legs wrapped around my waist, heels digging into my ass as I thrust into her. Her hair is down and cascading in the same waves as it was last night, and my fingers itch to run through it.

"Thank you, they're beautiful," she says as she accepts the vase. "You can come in, I'll go set them down."

She steps away from the door and I follow after her, shutting the door behind me. I keep myself from walking too far into her place, knowing that if I do, we might not make it out of here. My dick is already hard and pressing against the zipper of my jeans. I don't know how I'm going to make it through tonight.

"Ready?" she asks as she comes back around the corner.

"Yep." I reach for her hand. "Do you need anything?" I ask, looking around for a coat or purse or bag of some kind.

"Everything I need is in here," she says, flashing me a smile as she grabs a small purse from a hook near the door. Thump-thump. There goes my heart once again .

"You look beautiful," I tell her as I escort her out to my truck.

"Thank you, you're looking pretty handsome yourself," she replies as we both settle into the truck and I pull out of the parking spot. "Although, I was digging the scruff you were sporting last night," she adds, reaching out to run the backs of her fingers along my jaw as I pull out into traffic.

"I'm not allowed to have facial hair in the military, so I'm not used to having it. Gets too itchy when I don't shave every day. I don't usually let it get that long."

"Oh," she says.

"Is that a problem?" I ask, a little humor in my question.

"A total deal breaker," she deadpans, a smirk on her face.

"Well, in that case, I guess I'll just stop right here and turn us around. Wouldn't want to force you to go out with me now." I wink at her, slowing to a stop due to the red light up ahead of us.

"No need for that now," Stacey replies as she slips her hand into mine.

She tells me about her day and all the errands she accomplished as I drive us downtown.

"I figured we could just park, then barhop our way around Broadway. Maybe eat at one of the food vendors or bars once we're hungry. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," she tells me.

I pull into a parking lot and pay the attendant, then find a spot to park. With traffic, it took us about forty-five minutes to get down here, so we're still a little on the early side, but it will give us more time to be together.

I jump out of the driver's side and walk around to open Stacey's door, offering her my hand to help her down. She accepts and slides down carefully, holding onto the hem of her dress to keep it from riding up and giving me a show. Not that I wouldn't mind that show.

"Which way do you want to head?" I ask as we make our way out of the parking lot and onto Broadway.

"Let's head this way," she says, pointing to our right. "Most of the bars are down here a couple blocks."

I entwine our fingers together and we walk down the street amongst the crowds of other tourists and the regular Saturday night bar crowd.

"There must be something going on at the arena tonight," I comment as we walk down the sidewalk.

"I think there's a Preds game tonight."

"Do you ever go watch them?"

"Occasionally. Hockey has never been my thing, but when Reese is in town and the Eagles come and play, I usually tag along with her."

"Sounds like a fun time."

"Now that she's really into the games, it's a blast to go with her to them. I went the other night when the Eagles were in town."

We continue walking down toward the bars, which all happen to be near the arena where the hockey game is going on. They have a bunch of things set up outside for the fans to have fun and pre-game before the game. There are food trucks lined up, bouncy houses for kids, a photo-op area that looks like the locker room, and some shooting and puck passing obstacle games.

"Wanna go try your hand at shooting a hockey puck?" I ask Stacey as we walk past all the games and people mingling outside the arena.

"Sure, why not," she agrees and we head over to one of the games. The line is a couple people deep, so we only have to wait for a few minutes before it's our turn.

"How about a fun little bet," I suggest as we step up to the line.

"And what's that?" she asks as she smiles up at me.

"If I make more goals than you in the thirty-second timer, I get a kiss from you."

"And if I win?" Humor laces her voice. "What do I get?" she asks, leaning on the hockey stick the attendant handed her and looking up at me.

"A kiss from me."

"Hmm…let me think about that for a second," she says, the smile now filling her face. "Sounds like you've got yourself a deal."

She gets a serious look on her face and takes her place at the goal to start shooting pucks. I watch as she leans over—giving me one hell of a view—and mirror her stance in my own lane. The attendant starts the clock and our thirty-second timer starts to tick down. We both start launching pucks at the mini-goals as fast as we can.

Her pucks go a little wild, but I've got a pretty good shot. The eye-hand coordination required from all my weapons training I've had is coming in handy right about now.

The timer ticks down the last few seconds and then blows a horn to signal our time has ended. I stand up to my full height and survey the nets that are about twenty-five feet away from where we're standing.

"I think you kicked my ass," Stacey says on a laugh and then hands the attendant her stick.

"Looks that way. We need to work on your shot," I tease, as I hand the guy my stick before stepping over to Stacey's side. I bring my hand to her lower back and we step away from the game to allow the next group of people their turn.

I lead her across the street and stop along the side of the bar we're standing next to. I leave one hand on her lower back and bring the other up to cup her face, running the pad of my thumb across her bottom lip.

I close the space between us, pulling her against me as I step closer. I drop my forehead to hers, and our gazes lock before I bring my mouth to meet hers.

The kiss starts out slow and sweet. Stacey parts her lips and I take the opening, slipping my tongue in and deepening the kiss. She grabs my shirt, fisting it in her fingers. We take our time exploring each other. The noises and the hustle and bustle of the city around us fade into the background as we stay lip-locked. Eventually, we break apart, gulping in air as we both attempt to catch our breath.

I run my thumb over Stacey's lips, now swollen from being kissed. All I want to do is bring my lips back to hers, but I know if I do that, we won't make it anywhere else tonight.