One Baby Daddy

  “What are you guys doing here?” Hayden asks, linking our hands together and taking me to the two domineering men, who like Hayden, are dressed in tailored suits.

  “We were invited. You’re not the only famous Holmes brother in town.”

  “Being famous for sleeping with every girl in your college dorm doesn’t count.” Hayden playfully punches one of the guys and then pulls them both into a hug. “Its good to see you guys. And look, you’re starting to get some muscles in those noodle arms of yours. Your coach must be doing something right.”

  Noodle arms? Uh . . . pretty sure those aren’t noodle arms under their suit jackets. They aren’t as big as Hayden, but they surely aren’t middle schoolers draped in rich fabric either.

  “Yeah, we’re coming for you, bro. Soon we’ll be taking your ass down on the ice.”

  Hayden chuckles. “Keep dreaming, boys.” Pulling me forward and protectively wrapping his arm around me, he says, “I want to introduce you guys to someone. This is—”

  “Adalyn,” one of them says, stepping forward with an identically charming smile that rivals Hayden’s. “Mom told us all about you on FaceTime the other night. She was gushing about Hayden’s new girl. She went on and on about how she’s a nurse with a very pretty voice.” Oh Jesus, that’s embarrassing. Sticking out his hand, he says, “I’m Holden, and this is my twin brother, Halsey.”

  Hayden, Holden, and Halsey . . . their parents didn’t give girls a chance.

  “It’s very nice to meet you.” I shake both their hands. Halsey studies me, his eyes raking up and down my body while Holden flirts harmlessly by kissing the back of my hand.

  But Hayden doesn’t seem to find it funny as he swats Holden away. “Keep your distance.” Turning to me, Hayden says, “Holden will pretty much try to seduce everyone and anyone. If you strapped a bra around a mailbox, he would try to take it out on a date.” Holden nods his head in agreement, causing me to laugh. “And Halsey, he’s the silent but deadly type, and I’m not talking about flatulence. He’s a studier and when it’s time, he strikes without warning.”

  Holden thumbs toward Halsey. “It’s true. The dude doesn’t say anything to girls, but then one look from him, THE look, and he’s walking out the door, girl in hand. Freaky shit.”

  Not speaking much, Halsey shrugs his shoulders and grabs himself a drink from the cooler.

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you both.” I bite my bottom lip and say, “Hayden has spoken nothing of the two of you, and I can see why.” I wiggle my eyebrows.

  Holden’s mouth drops open and Halsey’s eyebrow rises with humor. “Dude, your girl is totally hitting on us,” Holden says.

  “She’s really not.” Hayden pulls me toward the seats overlooking the arena, whispering in my ear, “My dick is bigger than theirs, keep that in mind.”

  Laughing, I pinch his side and take a seat next to him. “Seems like they put out though, so the smaller dick size is something I can overlook as long as I’m getting some.”

  “Ah, but they sure as hell wouldn’t make you moan like I can.”

  I nonchalantly shrug my shoulders. “How can I believe that when you haven’t once made me moan?”

  Laughing in his throat and dropping his voice low enough that I can barely hear him, he says, “Two nights ago, when I was pulsing on top of you, my tongue wrapped around yours, my cock thrusting over your center . . .”

  Oh God, I moaned so loud because dry-humping is a real thing, especially when the guy has a cock thicker than you’ve ever felt before.

  My cheeks heat up, a crimson color most likely spreading over them. “That wasn’t moaning.” I press my lips against his ear. “That was begging.”

  “Christ,” he mumbles, shifting in his seat and clearing his throat some more. “Adalyn, are you trying to get me hard?”

  “Yes. For the love of God, yes.”

  “What’s going on over here?” Holden steps up with a plate in hand, fries and corndogs toppling off the sides.

  “Your brother won’t have sex with me.”

  Corndog halfway to his mouth, Holden blinks his eyes rapidly and sits on the armrest of one of the chairs. “Excuse me?”

  Hayden has his head in his hand, groaning as I smile to myself, pleased with my outburst. A little ribbing from his brothers might help. A girl can only wait for so long before she explodes.

  I can only watch him walk around shirtless for so long.

  I can only make out with him for so long before my need gets too overwhelming.

  I can only dry-hump him so many times before I lose my ever-loving mind.

  He’s driving me crazy.

  He’s creating a monster with every day that goes by . . . sexless.

  And let’s face it, I’m so goddamn horny. He has driven me to the point of being so horny I can feel my skin crawling, trying to undress as quickly as possible whenever he’s around. And when he smiles at me? Forget it, my bra pops open, my nipples wave, waiting to be tweaked.

  “Adalyn,” Hayden groans and then turns to me, mirth in his eyes. “Do you know what you just did?”

  Uh-oh.

  Holden starts laughing, putting his plate down on a little shelf in front of the seats and calls out to Halsey. “Dude, we have some twin tag-team duty to take care of. Hayden, the old fuck over here, is holding out on his girl.” Pushing past Hayden, Holden squats before me and takes my hand. “Come with me, Adalyn. I’ll show you a good time, a better time than this old man can show you. You need a young stallion.”

  Hayden pushes Holden in the shoulder, throwing his balance off and sending him against the chairs behind him. “Get out of here before I kick your ass.”

  Chuckling, Holden goes back to his plate of food where Halsey is sitting now, picking at the French fries. “There’s something you have to know about our brother,” Holden says, taking a seat. “He’s one of the good guys, always has been. Works hard, is determined, and doesn’t take his relationships lightly. You’re going to be waiting a long time, so saddle up and enjoy the slow burn, because the man is the master at it.”

  Looking proud of himself, Hayden nods his appreciation and presses a kiss to the back of my hand. “It’s true . . . the absolute master.”

  I just wish the absolute master would get to the saddle-up stage . . . I’m more than ready to ride.

  “You have our numbers, so if you need anything, and we mean . . . anything”—Holden emphasizes the word with a wiggle in his brow—“you let us know. We’re only a few hours away.”

  “Get out of here.” Hayden steps in and pushes his brother away. “She doesn’t need your numbers.”

  “Too late, we plugged them in her phone and made her text us so we had her number.”

  “You did?” Hayden turns to me, shocked.

  “You were in the bathroom,” I answer. “They pressured me. Don’t worry, I’ll give you a few more weeks before I search them out for my womanly needs.” I wink, causing Holden and Halsey to laugh.

  Shaking his head, he pulls his brothers in for a hug, one at a time, speaking quietly in their ears. Holden and Halsey both nod, a serious look on their face, listening intently to their older brother before pulling away and conducting a small secret handshake that makes me smile at the camaraderie between the brothers. They remind me of my siblings, how we playfully rib each other, but still love in our own way.

  As I wait, I watch the three of them—all extremely handsome versions of each other—draw the attention from passersby, women making their intentions known with their eyes. There is no doubt in my mind the Holmes brothers were put on this earth to give the female race a run for their money. Their poor mother, what her life must have been like, raising three hockey players.

  The smells.

  The fighting.

  The constant competition.

  She has to be a saint.

  Now it makes so much sense why she was so excited to talk to me. She’s probably looking for a little estrogen to balance all the endless testoste
rone in the family.

  Waving, I say, “Drive safe, you guys.”

  “Bye, Adalyn.” Halsey holds up his hand while Holden mouths for me to call him like a fool.

  When we start walking toward Hayden’s car, I ask, “How on earth did you three not kill each other growing up?”

  “There were some close calls.” Hayden takes his hand in mine. “But we’re pretty cool with each other now. There’s some animosity between Holden and Halsey sometimes, twin-rivalry type shit, but we get along.”

  “I can see that. What did you say to them when you gave them a hug, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “Never.” He places a kiss on the back of my hand, holds the door to the arena open for me, and then unlocks his car. “I told them that even though it was summer break, they have responsibilities to continue training. They’re going into their senior years, and it’s important for them to keep focus if they want to go professional.”

  “They both want to play professionally?” He nods. “Do you think they’re good enough?”

  Hayden helps me into his car and stands in the doorway. “Yeah, no doubt in my mind they have the talent for it, but they just have to keep their heads in the game, that’s all.”

  “Have they been known not to do that?”

  Slowly Hayden nods, his lips pressed firmly together. “Competition is a funny thing. It’s good to have a little competitiveness in you, because what else would be the driving force for you to grow as a human? But with my family, with my brothers, competition bleeds from our veins. It consumes us. It takes over every last inch of our bodies until we’re helpless, unable to think of anything else. I’ve found ways to curb the feeling, to help ease the anxiety when I start to feel like it’s overtaking me. But Halsey, and especially Holden, they run hot. They’re still trying to learn how to control their fire. How to manage when they’re feeling anxious.”

  Playing with the button on his suit jacket, I ask, “You’ve had issues with your competitiveness?”

  “Big time. Last season, I went through ten mouth guards because I was grinding down on them so hard. I don’t like losing, Adalyn.”

  “That explains your Boggle fit.” I pull him closer to the car. He ducks and grips the edge of the doorway.

  “It wasn’t a Boggle fit, it was . . . a small tantrum.”

  I turn toward him and unbutton his suit jacket. His tapered waist showcased by the tailored white shirt he has tucked into his waistline. Running my fingers along the buttons, I say, “That was a tantrum? I would hate to see what it’s like when you have a fit.”

  “It isn’t pretty.”

  “Do you always have to win?” I undo one of the buttons on his shirt and play with the opening, my fingernail grazing his bare skin.

  “Yes.”

  Tipping my chin up, he searches my eyes right before placing a gentle, yet sultry kiss on my lips. A loud sigh pops out of my mouth when he pulls away. Smiling, pleased with himself, he says, “When is the next time you have off?”

  “I have a four-day shift starting Thursday. And then Monday and Tuesday I have off. Why?”

  “Come to New York City with me. I have a photo shoot with a sponsor Monday morning and want to take you with me. We can still do touristy stuff, get a hot dog from a street vendor, go on a tour bus ride, and silly crap like that. We can leave Sunday night after you get off work. The sponsor is flying me down. What do you say?”

  “Can we go see a Broadway show?”

  “Anything you want, baby.” That grin, hell, I’ll say yes to pretty much anything if it causes him to grin like that, with so much joy and excitement. It’s the grin Ariel mentioned earlier. The one with the little crinkle in the corner of his eyes. He has a perpetual smile, really. It’s just who he is. But I know and love the grin.

  And to hear him call me baby so casually?

  He has me wrapped around his finger. Without a doubt, he’s starting to slowly capture my heart, one deep breath, and one gentle kiss at a time.

  Chapter Twelve

  HAYDEN

  “You’re kidding me, right?” Adalyn asks, spinning around in the hotel suite. “This is huge and you can see all of Central Park.” Growing serious, she finds me and says, “This is beautiful, Hayden.”

  I shrug. “I asked for a nice room, so I’m glad we were able to get one.”

  “Oh look at you, hands in your pockets, looking all cool as if this is nothing.” She comes up to me and grabs my cheeks. “This is not nothing, Hayden. This is special for me, so if I forget to say it, thank you.”

  A burst of pride surges through me. I follow and believe in my dad’s mantra, but my fame is paying off a little right now. Because that look on Adalyn’s gorgeous face, a look that screams utter happiness, fuck what I wouldn’t do to keep that look there. I would do anything to make her this happy.

  “You’re welcome.” I pull her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. “And because you were able to get out of work earlier—”

  “We can thank Logan for taking the last few hours of my shift.”

  I’m not thanking Logan for anything. Fuck that guy. “I got us tickets to see Hamilton.”

  Adalyn’s eyes widen and she sucks in a deep breath.

  “Before you go screaming, they aren’t super great seats, and we have about an hour to get ready and get to the theater before it starts, so you better hurry.”

  “You got tickets to Hamilton? Oh my GOD!” Running in place, hands above her head, Adalyn celebrates.

  Chuckling, I playfully smack her on the ass and say, “Go on, go get dressed.”

  Launching herself into my arms, she places a sloppy wet kiss on my lips and then skips into the bathroom, her bag trailing behind her while saying, “We’re going to see Hamilton!”

  I take out my phone and check my messages. Five missed calls from my publicist, James. I know he’s freaking out about the shoot tomorrow since I’ve yet to confirm the details with him. Giving the guy a break, I call him back.

  “Christ, Hayden,” he answers on the first call.

  “Yeah, sorry about not calling you back right away.”

  “You’re giving me an ulcer, you realize that? I have to drink Pepto Bismal straight from the bottle because of you.”

  “Eh, just keeping you on your toes.”

  “No need, I’m doing fine on my toes myself. For the love of God, respond when I ask you to.”

  Chuckling, I look out the window, observing the clear blue skies, full green trees, and the skyline of the most enchanting city I’ve ever visited. “Well, I’m responding now. Got the details, I’ll be ready for the car at seven tomorrow morning.”

  “And did you see they don’t want you to shave? They want a good five o’clock shadow on your jaw.”

  “That won’t be an issue.”

  “And have you been working out? I hope you haven’t been eating any salt, because I can’t have you bloated.”

  Jesus Christ, heaven forbid I look bloated.

  “James, don’t ask that question again.”

  “So I’m going to take that as not bloated.”

  “Move on.” By now, he should know I take my workouts and eating seriously. And before you go harping on the cakes I’ve been eating lately, I ran extra the mornings after.

  “I think that’s it, except, you’ve asked for Adalyn to be seated on the set. You haven’t mentioned Adalyn to me, but I heard she’s your—”

  “My girlfriend.”

  “Yeah.”

  Silence falls over the phone and I know I threw James for a loop, one I’m sure he’s not loving at the moment. From the bathroom, the shower shuts off and the creak of a glass door opens. My mind goes straight to what Adalyn might look like wrapped in a white terrycloth towel with her wet hair hanging over her shoulders. My mind wanders, envisioning her lotioning her smooth, silky skin, brushing out her long brown hair, and letting the towel fall straight to the ground . . .

  “Hayden, are you paying attention?”


  “Huh?” I blow out a breath and turn my back to the bathroom.

  “Your girlfriend. You know you have to run these things by me first.”

  That last sentence really grabs my attention.

  “The hell I do. My personal life has nothing to do with my professional career, and I suggest you remember that going forward, or we’re going to have a problem.”

  A long, irritated sigh.

  He can sigh all the fuck he wants, but it’s not going to change anything. I’ve never mixed my personal life with my professional life, and I don’t plan on doing it now.

  “Fine. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

  “Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Just a heads-up, James. If you at any point make Adalyn feel uncomfortable, you’re done. Got it? None of this talking shit to her behind my back. I’ve seen enough movies to know where that leads. Stay the fuck away from her unless you are offering her a drink or are genuinely being a nice guy.”

  “It won’t be an issue.”

  “That’s what I like to hear. See you tomorrow.” I hang up before he can say anything else. I plug my phone in its charger and rest it on the nightstand.

  Walking to the closet, I open the doors to find a few black garment bags waiting for me. I don’t take advantage of my “celebrity” status very often, but when I’m in need of a suit and all I have is jeans and regular shirts in Binghamton, I flash my celebrity card and have some suits sent to my room before we arrive.

  I want to make sure I look nice for Adalyn and for some weird reason, I didn’t want to wear the same suit she saw me in at the charity event.

  Charcoal, light grey, textured black, and a steel blue. What to wear?

  I guess it will depend on what Adalyn’s wearing. I’ll wait.

  Still a little peeved about my conversation with James, I walk to the window where I look at Central Park. I like the guy, he works well with my agent and has scored me some great sponsorship deals, but he oversteps his boundaries often. I can take it when it’s just me, but now that Adalyn is involved, I needed to lay down the rules.

  The last thing I need is for James to start running his mouth about my hectic life, especially during the season, and spook Adalyn, because that would happen. She’s already on edge about what will happen to us when the season starts up, me being in Phily while she’s in Binghamton. I don’t need any added pressure coming from James.