Candy King

by Christine d'Abo

  “Let’s not sexually harass a reporter.” He took Simone’s hand away from Jonathan, rubbing the back of it with his thumb before letting it go.

  Jonathan’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean to do anything…sorry.”

  “It’s fine. I’ve experienced worse.” She pulled out her phone and held it up. “Would either of you mind if I took a few pictures for my own reference? These wouldn’t be used in print or online, but I like to be able to reference pictures when I’m writing up my accounts.”

  “Fine with me.” Jonathan grinned. “I see now why my brother asked you to do the feature.” When Simone cocked an eyebrow, Jonathan continued. “You’re very organized and forward thinking. He’s the same way, which is why he likes you.”

  Simone blushed as she pushed up on the bridge of her glasses. “Thanks. Um, yeah. So, where are we going to start?”

  This would continue to be Jonathan embarrassing her if Dylan didn’t step in and take control. He pulled the blueprints out from under Jonathan’s arm and held them out. “You need to take these and make sure you have everything double-checked before the city engineer gets here. I’ll take Simone around and show her what we’re starting with. We can meet up tomorrow at the office.” He made sure that his tone of voice left no room for Jonathan to argue.

  “Sounds good.” Jonathan’s grin widened. “It was wonderful to meet you, Simone. I’m sure we’ll see a lot of one another over the next few months.”

  “Thanks. Good to meet you too.”

  Dylan handed the blueprints back to his brother and quickly led Simone in the other direction. “Sorry about that. He’s a bit much some days.”

  “It’s fine. Seriously, he didn’t do anything wrong.” She looked around the space, her gaze passing over the exposed brick and beams. “This place is amazing.”

  Dylan liked to think of himself as pragmatic, the one who could see the value in any project presented to him. This building had the potential to be a unique jewel in their family crown if it was done correctly. The problem with these old warehouses was you never knew what you were going to find when you started to open the walls. The project could go from manageable to bank-breaking with a single discovery. And there was no way a Buddhist commune would be able to afford to cover the costs if they got out of hand.

  “It has potential.” He just needed to make sure everything was under control. “While we are really just retrofitting the place, there are still a lot of moving parts we need to consider.”

  Simone stopped at the foot of the metal staircase that led to the second floor. A beam of sunlight splashed across her shoulder and down her arm, accentuating her skin. Dylan almost reached out to touch her, to feel if her skin was as soft there as he imagined it would be. He wanted to press his nose against the hairline just behind her ear to see if she smelled as sweet up close as she did from afar.

  When she turned and met his gaze, her blush returned. “An hour here means you owe me an hour to talk about the site.” Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “When do I get to claim it?”

  Fuck, the site again.

  It was a solid deal on her part, one he shouldn’t have proposed. But despite knowing it was a bad idea, he couldn’t help but want to spend as much time with her as he could. Besides, what harm could come of promoting the sugar daddy site? If anything, it would increase his exposure and business. He’d be even more prosperous, and she’d get the exposure she’d craved.

  Right, this was all business. Smart business. Nothing more.

  “What are you doing tonight?” If she really wanted to know what it was like to be in a sugar daddy relationship, then who was he to deny her the experience.

  “Nothing.”

  She reached up and touched the side of her neck. His cock twitched.

  “I was going to head home after we were done here. Watch Netflix and eat leftover pizza.”

  “I’ll pick you up, take you to supper, and answer your questions about the site. A few at least.”

  She lit up at the word supper. “I’ll never say no to food. Though it sounds like it’s going to take more than an hour.”

  “We’ll talk about this project too. Just to keep things fair.” Shit, it was far too easy to tease her, to slip into an easy back-and-forth that made him smile. “I’ll pick you up at seven?”

  “Ah, sure.” She looked down at the floor. “But we’d better get started here, or else you’ll have to pay for an extra-long meal later.”

  He really should be enjoying the idea of that, and yet…

  “This way, Ms. Leblanc. Let me tell you about my brother’s crazy idea.”

  * * * *

  Simone burst into the lobby of her apartment building, thankful beyond belief that Kayla was already there waiting for her. “Oh my God, I have a date with a millionaire.”

  Kayla cocked an eyebrow, her painted red lips twitching into a smile. “Really?”

  She’d expected her friend’s teasing, but it wasn’t exactly something she had time for right now. Grabbing Kayla by the hand, Simone pulled her onto the elevator. “You can pick on me upstairs as you help me figure out what to wear.”

  Her apartment building wasn’t huge, nor very posh, but Simone loved it. There were only ten families in the whole place, and the rent had been firmly set long ago, so she didn’t have to worry about the price going up so much that she couldn’t afford it. The people who lived here had been around for years, and they’d formed a de facto family. Everyone knew Simone and, by default, Kayla. So when they marched past several of her neighbors, she didn’t need to worry about offending anyone when she was less than pleasant.

  “Date problems, Mrs. Lee.” Simone sighed loudly even as her elderly neighbor laughed. “I needed the expert.”

  “It’s a sad day when you’re considering me the expert.” Kayla gently pulled her hand free and came willingly into Simone’s apartment. “Though I’d be mortally offended if you hadn’t called me for fashion advice.”

  “I have the ear and eyes of the founder of Fashion Finds on speed dial, and you think I wouldn’t call you?” Simone snorted. “I’m neurotic, not an idiot.”

  Simone kicked off her shoes and continued straight through to her bedroom. She knew Kayla would take her time, probably get them a glass of wine on the way, but Simone had jumped headfirst into panic-land. Regardless of how causal Dylan had been about dinner tonight—how it was nothing more than an opportunity for them to work on the two stories—Simone couldn’t help but hope something more would come from this.

  Not sex, because that was crossing a bunch of professional barriers that she wasn’t willing to pass. But establishing a good working relationship with him was going to be critical to her success over the next few months. And if she was able to do a little bit of flirting and maybe set the groundwork for a relationship when all this professional stuff was over, then she was going to be sure she had on the sexiest dress she could find.

  Kayla did, in fact, come into her bedroom with two glasses of wine and handed one to Simone before sitting on the edge of the bed. “Give me the short version, please.”

  “Dylan Williams.” She pulled out a red dress that showed more cleavage than Simone possessed and tossed it to the floor.

  “I’ve met him a few times. Nice man, is anti-relationships beyond sexual encounters. He’s apparently great in bed, though that’s not firsthand experience.”

  “He’s the Candy King.” She threw an emerald green pantsuit to the floor. “Though if you tell anyone that, I’ll probably get fired and sued. Not necessarily in that order.”

  Kayla began coughing, and Simone had to quickly rescue her wine and make sure she was okay. “Dylan Williams is the owner of the sugar daddy site?”

  “Oh. Yes. I guess I might need to give you the long story.”

  “Yes please.”

  It didn’t take long to fill he
r in, but by the time Simone was done, Kayla couldn’t stop shaking her head. “Why do you want to push this? If he doesn’t want his identity revealed, you can’t do that.”

  “And I’m not going to. Even without his real name, the story is going to help move me out of these fluff pieces and into something real.” Simone sat down on the bed beside Kayla and took a drink. “Carl doesn’t take me seriously, no matter how hard I work or how good my stories are. If I’m ever going to make it big, I need to get a boost.”

  Kayla shook her head. “You were always so happy doing those community pieces. What changed?”

  Simone was back on her feet in front of the closet. “Nothing changed. Can’t a girl simply want to achieve more in her life?”

  “I’m the last person who’s going to judge you. But that wasn’t my question. Why do you want more? The last time you spoke about your job, you were thrilled to be the voice of the little person. Something changed, and I want to know why.”

  She really didn’t want to know, because if Simone told Kayla that she’d been embarrassed at the paper’s internal awards ceremony last month—where she’d received not a single acknowledgment for the work she’d done since her arrival three years earlier—she would only tell her to brush it off.

  But it hurt, working her ass off and barely getting a pat on the back while her colleagues seemed to fly past her professionally. She’d never expected to get rich or famous being a journalist, but she’d at the very least hoped she’d have gotten something to recognize her accomplishments by now.

  And yes, she wanted to be able to show her dad that she was doing great. That she was living the dream he hadn’t been able to accomplish himself. The community pieces were fun, and she got to learn about the ins and outs of the city, usually while being fed some of the best food Toronto had to offer. But every time she showed her dad another article with her name on the byline and it wasn’t some hard-hitting exposé, she saw his disappointment. It would be nice if once, just once, she could see a spark in his eyes and know that he was proud of her.

  Kayla had become a billionaire when she was in her early twenties, so it wasn’t exactly like she understood how Simone felt. She’d accomplished everything she’d set out to achieve and far more.

  “Simone?”

  She glanced briefly over her shoulder. “Can you help me pick something out?”

  Kayla sighed, got up, and came over to the closet. It took her three seconds of looking to pick out a cute floral-print dress that came down to Simone’s knees, clung to her waist and chest, but was professional enough that she wouldn’t have to worry about the image she projected. “This one will look sweet on you.”

  “Thanks.” She took it from her, holding it tight to her chest. “I hate being left behind. I hate being told that I have talent, a spark that everyone can see, but then never getting to that next step with my career. I’m…tired. And lonely. And I just want something to go my way for once. If I can break this sugar daddy site story, then I’ll at least have a chance.”

  Kayla pulled her in for a hug. “If it’s what you want, then I’m here to help you however I can. I just want you to be true to yourself.”

  “Yeah well, being true to myself doesn’t exactly pay the bills.” Taking the dress off the hanger, she did her best to push down the unexpected melancholy. “Let me put this on, and you can tell me how I look.”

  “I’ll be here drinking your wine.”

  Simone went into her bathroom but didn’t bother to shut the door. It wasn’t anything Kayla hadn’t seen before. “Do you know why Dylan has sworn off relationships? He’s good-looking and rich, so I’m sure he’s had his fair share of fortune hunters to deal with.”

  “I don’t know him well, but I have an associate who dated him for a while.”

  “Yeah?” Simone shimmied into the dress and even managed to zip it up with little difficulty, before going to work on her hair. “And?”

  “He told her up front that all he could offer was sex and a good time. It wasn’t anything personal; he simply didn’t believe that long-term relationships could work and he didn’t want to put himself out there like that.” Kayla came into the bathroom and leaned against the door frame. “You look great.”

  “Thanks.” She didn’t bother to freshen her makeup, simply adding a bit of lipstick. “That’s a pretty sad outlook on life.”

  “Speaking from experience, it sounds like he’s had his heart broken and doesn’t want to risk it again. I know that was what I felt after Christoph cheated on me.”

  “But then you met Devin.” They grinned at each other in the mirror. “How’s your boy toy anyway? I really am sorry that I showed up the other day and woke him up.”

  Kayla waved off her concerns. “He’s excited about the new school year starting. How he was able to get a long-term teaching contract already, I have no idea. I’ve never seen a grown man that excited about buying school supplies before in my life.”

  “He’s precious. And he makes you happy, so I will forever love him.” With some luck, someday she’d find something or someone that gave her an equal amount of joy.

  Maybe Dylan had the right idea. Basing relationships on sex had the advantage that he and the other person could be up front with what they wanted, allowed the individuals to move on without guilt if things didn’t work out, and meant that they didn’t have to worry if their jobs ended up taking priority.

  “I wonder if Dylan uses the sugar daddy site himself?” Kayla cocked her head to the side and tugged down the front of her dress. “He’s a man who likes sex and avoids commitments. He must have dipped into that particular pool.”

  And there was her blush again. No matter how close a friend Kayla was, there was no way in hell Simone was going to admit that she’d tracked him down using the site herself. “I’m sure he does.”

  Kayla coughed. “You signed up for the site. That’s how you found him.”

  “Of course, you…yes, I did. But that doesn’t mean anything.”

  “It means that you’re a sugar baby!” Kayla laughed and shook her head. “I love this.”

  “A bit too much.”

  “Come on. Given how you pressured me into signing up, I think it’s only fair that I get to tease you. Besides, you might find someone for yourself.”

  Simone wasn’t about to dwell on that because it was ridiculous to think that she’d be one of the lucky ones who’d find love on a sugar daddy site. She’d only done what she had needed to chase her story. That was it. Nothing else. And as soon as this whole thing with Dylan was over, she had every intention of deleting her account.

  Kayla, the one with the practical experience with both the sugar daddy site and the falling in love part, was little help. She adjusted Simone’s necklace and gave her a from-behind hug. “Never stop being yourself. The world is a better place for it.”

  Simone snorted. “I guess I’m ready.”

  “You’ll knock him dead.”

  “I just want to make sure I get the story. That’s all this is about.” If she happened to get a few good meals out of it as well, then all the better.

  Because as much as she wanted to think about being a sugar baby, Simone knew she really did need to be true to herself. And that meant being the best damn reporter she could be, and not mooning over some wealthy businessman.

  Simone nodded at herself in the mirror. “Okay then. Let’s do this.”

  Chapter 10

  Dylan loved to drive. One of the first things he’d bought when he was out of university and had come into his own fortune was a sports car. Then he bought another when he realized he had more disposable income than was healthy for a single man. His current pride and joy was a Tesla Roadster in cherry red that screamed midlife crisis, even though he was only thirty-seven. He loved the speed, loved the feeling of control, and especially loved taking people who’d never been in a car l
ike this for long rides.

  He didn’t have a clue if Simone was a person who knew anything about cars, let alone if she enjoyed them. She’d shared a lot over text—favorite movies (Babe and Mean Girls because who could pick), songs (“Crazy = Genius”), food (gumdrop cake that her mom bakes every Christmas) —but they hadn’t gotten around to cars. With each revelation, he found himself mentally taking another step closer to her. It had been a long time since he’d been interested in the private life of a woman, the small details that friends learn slowly over time.

  He shouldn’t care one way or the other what her preferences were, not if he was going to keep his self-proclaimed bachelorhood safely intact. But he couldn’t help but want to make her smile, want to see that infectious enthusiasm she had bubble forth and spread. It was part of the reason he’d made a stop before coming over to the address she’d texted to him earlier.

  When he pulled up in front of her building, he couldn’t help but do a mental evaluation of the premises. As with a lot of older buildings in Toronto, he could immediately see some improvements that needed to be made, that would not only improve the value of the building but would also make life easier for the tenants. Because he was looking at the front door and calculating what changes would need to be made to ensure better safety, he saw Simone the second she stepped outside. There was another woman with her, a dark-haired, thin beauty who looked vaguely familiar, who gave her a hug before sliding into the back seat of a limo that was waiting a short distance away.

  Dylan slid from his car to come around to the sidewalk where Simone now stood. “Was that Kayla Arnold?”

  “Yup.” Simone gave the limo a little wave as it pulled away. “She’s my best friend in the world.”

  “I remember you mentioning her name that first night, but I guess it didn’t exactly register.” It seemed Simone had more experience with people in his social circles than he’d realized. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. “Are you ready for dinner?”