Until Her Smile: Happily Ever Alpha World Read online

  “I could go for some late-night greasy food.”

  “Then let’s get out of here, I know just the place,” Peyton tells me as he sets down his glass of water. I follow his lead, grabbing my purse and lightweight jacket I brought along, not knowing how the weather was going to be once the sun went down this evening.

  “Where are you taking me?” I ask as we settle into his truck.

  “The Diner.”

  “Yum. I haven’t been there in a long time.”

  “One of my favorite places to go when I come to town, that’s open late.”

  We make it to The Diner and grab a table up on their sixth floor. This restaurant is like no other place I’ve ever been to. All six levels boast a different dining experience. The first floor is a coffee shop that has lots of pastries and to-go items, while the second floor is an upscale restaurant. The third, fourth, and fifth floors are main dining rooms, all offering different types of food. The sixth floor is a seafood bar and, late at night, offers greasy diner food as they cater to the late-night bar crowd. The floor has breathtaking views of Downtown Nashville, so it tends to be a popular place.

  We put in our orders with the waitress after she brings us each a glass of water.

  “So, we’ve already discussed the basics, where we’re from and what we do for a living. I want to know more about you,” I say, reaching for my glass.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Everything,” I say on a little laugh. “Tell me…” I think of what I want to know. Peyton has intrigued me all evening and I feel like I could talk to him forever. “What do you like to do for fun?”

  He rubs his hand along the back of his neck as he thinks over my question, before running his fingers through his hair and dropping his hand down into his lap. He blows out a breath before answering me. “Damn, I haven’t really thought about what I like doing. I guess, when I have downtime, I enjoy hanging out with friends. I’m pretty handy and enjoy helping out with remodels. I’ve been known to hit up a batting cage to hit some baseballs around.

  “I also love going fishing. I don’t really care what for, I just enjoy being out in nature. So much of my job requires me to be one thousand percent focused that I like the peacefulness that comes with sitting out on a lake or river, and just basking in the quietness that’s around me. What about you, what do you like to do for fun?”

  “Lately, work. But I enjoy going out and dancing, and with all the country bars at my disposal here, I’m in the perfect place for that. I also love FaceTiming with my niece. My brother, Connor, and his wife, Julie, live back in North Carolina. My niece, Sadie, is three, and the cutest little ball of energy.”

  “Sounds like a cutie. Do you want kids?”

  “Eventually I’d like to have some, but I kinda have to find someone to have them with first.”

  “Not a big dater?” he questions.

  “Not really. I’m usually a homebody. Except when I’m in the mood to go out dancing, which really isn’t all that often, if I’m being honest. I also don’t think the guys that are out at bars trolling for women are really looking for the long-term. They’re almost as bad as the guys on Tinder, and that’s just not my scene. What about you, got a girlfriend back on base?”

  “Nope,” he says, popping the P, before he takes a drink of his water and then sets the glass back down on the table. “I tried the relationship thing once and it backfired on me big time. Nothing but drama, lying, and cheating—and not from my end. I’m not into drama or high maintenance women, and I’ve yet to meet a woman who isn’t one or both of those things. I’m also not interested in going through what my dad went through when my mom cheated on him and walked out on the two of us, never to look back.”

  “I understand that. I don’t like drama, either; high school was enough. There’s no need to repeat it.” I get the vibe from his statement he’s been hurt by that one past relationship, and his mom walking out on him and his dad when he was a kid. It’s no wonder he doesn’t have a good perception of women.

  We fall into easy conversation while we wait for our food to arrive, which continues while we eat. Before we know it, an hour and a half has passed.

  “I should probably get you home so I can get back and check on my dad,” Peyton says finally.

  “I can take an Uber if it’s out of your way,” I offer up again.

  “It’s no problem to take you home, Stacey,” he assures me.

  “Okay.”

  After the bill is paid, we make our way out of the restaurant and to his truck.

  “Do you have plans while you’re in town?” I ask, as he drives us through the city toward my neighborhood.

  “Not really. Just came to decompress, see my dad and a few friends.” He clears his throat. “Any chance you’d want to go out with me again?”

  “Like on a date?” I question, a little surprised.

  “Yeah, like a date,” he confirms. A small smirk graces his lips, the same ones I’ve had to force myself not to stare at all night.

  “Sure, I’d love that.”

  “Here, put your number in, so I have it.” He hands me his phone. “What night works best for you?”

  “I’m free most evenings. Do you have a day in mind?”

  “How about tomorrow?”

  “That would work,” I tell him as he pulls into my condo’s parking lot, then point to the end of the building where my unit is located. “I’m on the end down there.”

  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 breakf
ast. “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!