“Everyone, ready?” Hawk asked, entering the living room.

I could tell Cameron felt out of place, and I wished there was something I could do to help him feel more at home. But the sad fact was that it was going to take all of us time to adjust. This was a huge change for everyone.

I hadn’t processed what this meant for my relationship with Cameron. And I hadn’t even let myself realize what this meant for Hawk and me. We were in this thing together. Co-parenting? Dating? I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

“Yeah I’m starving, how about you, Cameron?” I asked. Hawk and I decided we should get some lunch while we were out shopping.

“Kinda,” he answered, glancing down at the ground.

“Come on,” Hawk prodded. “We’ll get some food and your choice of clothes. I’m driving.” He snatched the keys from the table near the front door.

My heart felt as if it could literally cry right this moment. Every single time I doubted this man and his ability to care for this beautiful little boy he proved me wrong. I glanced back at Cameron and watched as hope lit his eyes. I wondered how long it has been since someone has taken him shopping.

How long had it been since someone bought him a pair of shoes and didn’t just pass along someone else’s hand me downs?

How long since he had underwear and socks that fit his body?

Cameron and I followed Hawk to the elevator and down to the parking garage where his car was parked. I couldn’t stop thinking about all of the things that had happened in the past few weeks. How I had gone from not having any hope to having so much hope it was overwhelming. And yet, I was nervous.

Hawk shuttled us both inside the car.

I was nervous that he wouldn’t get custody. Nervous this was only a dream. Nervous he’d break my heart. That this wasn’t the real man—it was only a temporary fix for the playboy I had met.

I wasn’t a pessimistic person—far from it, but teaching kids who came from nothing, who had nothing, shone a spotlight on the injustice and pain in this world. It was hard to ignore that some of that pain had rooted itself in my heart.

“And ice cream? What about that?” he called to Cameron in the backseat.

“I love ice cream.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks. I wiped at them furiously, not wanting the man in the driver’s seat to see the effect his simple gesture had on me, but he noticed and in the act of a true gentleman he reached into his glove compartment and pulled out a hankie, passing it to me to wipe my eyes.

“Thank you,” I said. We both knew I didn’t just mean for the handkerchief.

“Of course.” He replied.

After today, my heart and my head were going to have to have a serious talk. Everything this man was and everything he did had me so twisted in knots I didn’t know if I was coming or going. One minute I wanted to murder him and the next I want to wrap my arms around him and bury my face in his chest.

* * *

Hawk kept a baseball hat pressed around the frame of his face. It was comical if he thought that was some kind of disguise. The man was huge and anyone within five feet of him would immediately recognize him—especially women.

It didn’t help that every five minutes there was a story about the Sharks on the news. The city was taking the playoffs bid to epic proportions. His fame and popularity was out of control.

The mall was decorated with Christmas trees and hanging snowflakes in every corner. Hawk trudged forward to one of the shoe stores. I rolled my eyes when I saw it was all athletic shoes. I would have gone with shirts and pants first, but I wasn’t the one leading the shopping expedition.

He pointed to a wall of shoes. “Pick any that you want. You can buy all of them if you want.” He grinned widely.

I tugged on his arm, pulling him away from an awestruck Cameron.

“What’s wrong?”

I spoke softly. “Balance. He needs some balance. He can’t go from having nothing to having everything.”

“I just want him to be happy. His life has sucked for so long.”

“I know it has.” I wanted to reach up and wrap my arms around his neck and draw his lips to mine. I was melting on the spot. Did he have any idea how adorable he was being? “But you have to act like a parent, not an uncle. There’s a difference.”

“Shit,” he muttered. “Ok. Got it.”

He walked back over to Cameron. “Bud, listen. Pick your favorite five. That’s all we can get today.”

Hawk looked at me for approval. I let a giggle slip. “Five?”

He shrugged. I realized it was going to take a while for any of us to have balance.

Cameron fell asleep on the way home from the mall. The day had taken its toll on him, and he couldn’t keep his eyes open any more. He looked peaceful and relaxed sleeping in the backseat. It was hard to imagine anyone not wanting to love him.

“Thank you.” I broke the silence in the car. Hawk glanced over at me like I had grown two heads or something.

“For what?” he asked, looking back to the road.

“For taking a chance on him and looking past the outside.”

I could tell he didn’t know what to say or how to respond to that comment so he changed the subject.

“Yeah, so I have practice tonight. I don’t know when I’ll be home.”

“What? But it’s his first night here. I mean his first official night,” I blurted out.

“It’s the playoffs, baby. I don’t have a choice.”

I crossed my arms. “So I’m just in charge of dinner and getting him to bed and all of that?”

“I thought you liked all that shit.”

I glared at him. “I do, but you’re the one who wanted to adopt him. Do you really know what that means?” I tried to keep my voice low in case the child woke up. I didn’t want him to hear us argue about him.

“I don’t know what any of it means.” His words shocked me at first, but I realized how honest he was being with me. “That’s why I need you.”

I nodded. We had to be a team on this. We had to work together.

“I’ve got tonight.”

“Thank you.”

He parked the car in his secure spot and walked to the back to carry Cameron inside. I watched as he carefully lifted him into his arms. Hawk looked so strong and caring. I sighed. This man had completely turned my life upside down.

33

Hawk

By the time I walked into the loft it was late. Practice had been light, but the meeting afterward had given me a damn headache. The coaches wanted to run through every possible play. Some we’d never discussed before. Tomorrow was going to be killer.

I was ready to drink a beer, throw my feet up on the coffee table, and listen to those dumb shits talk about their Super Bowl predictions on Sports Now.

But as soon as my hand landed on the door knob I remembered. On the other side of this door, my life wasn’t the same anymore. There was a gorgeous woman waiting for me, and a sleeping child who needed a father.

I wasn’t the bachelor I used to be, and I smiled when I turned the key in the lock.

The lights were dim except for the fireplace.

Mia was nestled on the couch.

“How did it go?” I asked. Fuck, she was beautiful.

She muted the TV to face me. “I think ok. I wish you had been here.”

“I know. It’s going to be like this until the Super Bowl. A few more months and then it’s the off season.”

She sighed. “He ate dinner,” she reported. “And took a bath. And he is sleeping in his new pajamas. He chose the ones with the frogs on the front.”

“Frogs, huh?” I sat next to her, dragging her into my arms. “And what about you? How were you handling this all by yourself?”

She twisted those gorgeous lips together. “I think I did ok.”

“I bet you did.” I squeezed her ass until she sighed with pleasure. “You are the most capable woman I’ve ever met.”

She bit her lip. “You really think that about me?”

I chuckled. “You’re here aren’t you?”

“So you’re admitting you aren’t the easiest man to be with?” Her smile was sexy and touched with a come-kiss-me look.

“Oh, I’m a fucking asshole, baby,” I growled. “Anyone who can put up with my shit deserves a reward.” I winked at her. “Let me take you to bed so you can get yours.”

She leaned toward me, almost purring. She wanted me as badly as I wanted her. It was hard spending the day apart when she was all I could think about.

“I want that, but what if we wake Cameron up? Or what if he wakes up and needs us and we don’t hear him?”

My eyes traveled up the stairs. His door was open. She had a point, but so did I.

“Here’s how this is going to go. We’re going to take care of that kid up there, but once the lights go down that’s when we take care of each other. Understand?”

She nodded.

“That’s the agreement. The rules stay the same.”

“Ok,” she whispered.

“Good. I have a plan for tonight—I think it might get a little loud.” I winked at her.

“And are you going to fill me in on that?”

I ran my thumb over her bottom lip, pressing it into her mouth. She sucked against it and I felt my cock harden.

“Baby, you’re going to love what I have planned for you.”

I saw her chest rise. “Tell me.”

“What fun would that be?” I smirked. “Now go to my closet and take off your clothes.”

“Your closet?”

“Thought it might be a little more sound proof.”

“Ohh.” She slowly stood from the couch, but I saw the way her lips twitched.

It took everything in me not to pull her back into my arms, but I had a surprise for her. Something I couldn’t wait to try with her. Something that made my cock ache.

I gave her a few minutes before I walked into the bedroom. I locked the door behind me. I couldn’t take any chances in case the kid did wake up.

I pulled the T-shirt over my head and shirked the jeans from my legs before stepping into the closet. I could hear Mia’s quiet breath filling the space.

My lips touched the side of her face, just below her left eye. I rested there for a second before lifting and repeating the gesture to the right side.

She sighed and I tilted her chin upward, crashing my lips down on hers. Her arms flew around my shoulders and I lowered her to the floor. Her body was soft and silky under mine as my hands explored every inch of her skin with hungry possession.

“I like this surprise.” She breathed.

“Oh, I haven’t even shown you what it is yet.”

I sat back on my heels and reached around to the side wall where I had stashed the shopping bag from earlier today. When she and Cameron had been busy looking at socks and belts, I had taken a few minutes to duck into one of the novelty stores. The plastic rustled while I freed my purchase from the container.

“What’s in there?” she whispered.

I held the device in my hand and flipped the switch, turning it on. A low vibrating noise echoed between us as the vibrator lit with a subtle pink light. It glowed just enough to light the closet.

Mia gasped.

“Like it?” I asked, crawling toward her.

“I’ve never. I d-don’t know.”

“Want to try it?”

I was hard thinking about it. If I could make her come over and over without one of these, I didn’t know what reaction I could get with one.

She nodded shyly. “I’m a little nervous.”

I touched the inside of her thigh with it and she jumped. “You’re going to have to relax more than that,” I instructed. “Turn around.”

She positioned herself so that she was facing away from me. I reached in front of her dragging the vibrator against her leg. She was tense. I had to change that.

“Relax, baby.” I spread her knees wide and touched the tip to her clit.

“Oh, God.” She bounced forward.

My arm circled her waist, holding her to my chest while I circled the vibrator around and around. Her hips jutted back and forth, coating it with her slick honey.

“Do you like it?” I dared to push it against her entrance.

“God, yes,” she moaned.

“Do you want me to fuck you with this?” I groaned in her ear.

“Yes,” she whimpered.

I pushed it inside her as her hips ground into my hand. Her wrists circled my neck as she rode it fearlessly. Fuck. She was incredible.

“Come on it,” I commanded. “Come for me. And then I’m going to fuck you myself.”

“Hawk,” she moaned. “It’s so strong. I c-can’t.” And then she groaned as her body was wracked with the intensity of the orgasm.

My thumb circled and flicked her clit before I threw the vibrator across the closet, lifted her up, and slammed her down on my swollen dick.

“Ahh,” I grunted, feeling her clench and squeeze me. “Fuck, you feel so good.”

But she was wild. Relentless. I had unleashed something in her. She bounced and rode me harder than she ever had. I twisted her nipples as she screamed out in pleasure.

My hands reached between her legs, spreading her wider as I sliced into her heated heaven.

“Shit,” she hissed. “Fuck me harder. Please.”

I lifted her in the air and placed her on her back. I slung her feet over my shoulders as I pumped into her one powerful thrust after another.

“Never stop,” she whispered.

I was going to fucking come faster than I wanted to. But she was fucking beautiful and sexy. Her body did something to me I didn’t know was possible. It took me into a spiral haze.

I couldn’t go deep enough. Couldn’t bury myself in her sweet swollen pussy far enough.

I growled with pain and pleasure. “Fuck, Mia. Fuck.” My belly clenched in a spasm as the orgasm shot through me like a bullet.

I filled her with my release, hilting my cock in her. I kissed and licked at her legs, while I emptied everything I had. She quivered under me, her orgasm unlatching seconds after mine. I watched in fascination as her hands massaged her nipples and she glowed from the pink light behind her as she reveled in her ecstasy.