Candy King

by Christine d'Abo

  “Well, I better leave you to it.” His dad stood up and started to head for the door. “We have that management meeting this afternoon, so I’ll see you then.”

  The meeting reminder quickly brought up the image of Simone in Dylan’s head. She was going to be here, and he would have to make damn sure that any business between the two of them was resolved before she came face-to-face with his father. No doubt his dad would pick up on the subtext between them. “There’s going to be a reporter there today. The one from the paper who’s going to do a profile on the new housing complex. Jonathan’s not exactly sold on the concept, but it’s exactly what we are going to need if we are going to make this successful.”

  “Your brother’s just going to have to follow your lead on this one. He doesn’t exactly have a track record that will allow him to argue with your point. Is the reporter cute?”

  “Dad, you can’t say shit like that anymore.” No, he wasn’t discussing Simone’s looks, cute or otherwise, with his dad.

  His dad held up his hands. “I’m sorry, I forgot. I’m trying not to be an asshole, but it’s hard to forget the old rules of engagement.”

  “It’s really fucking simple, Dad. Women aren’t there for your pleasure; they are there to do a job.”

  “I know. I’ll make an effort.”

  His dad left the office, and Dylan made a mental note to warn Simone before she arrived. His dad really did mean well, though he had a bad habit of being a flirt. As much as his dad didn’t speak well of Jonathan, he was more likely to be the one with a sexual harassment suit filed against him than his brother.

  Speaking of Simone…

  He pulled out his phone and quickly opened the sugar daddy app. Her scent had lingered in his car; he’d been aware of that the moment he’d slid behind the wheel this morning. As he indulged in the memory of her pleasure, he recalled that he had wanted nothing more than to relive the situation, with her permission to take things to the next level. He wanted to strip her naked, lick up the side of her body, suck her nipple hard into his mouth until she was a moaning, thrashing mess beneath him. He wanted to feel her body squeeze around him, wanted to explore the pleasure and give it back in return.

  He pressed the message button and let his thumbs hover above the keyboard. But what the hell do you say to somebody you sort of had sex with and barely knew the first thing about? His mind spun as he tried to come up with something to say until he finally decided to stick with the basics.

  Good morning. Well, that was a start. I wanted to make sure that everything was okay after last night.

  She hadn’t given any indication that there was a problem, but, then again, emotions had a way of rearing up once a person was out of a particular situation. There was no way to know if she had really wanted his advances, even though he had given her every opportunity to say no. His phone buzzed, and the light came on, indicating a new message. Dylan held his breath for a moment before waking his phone back up.

  Hey. I was just thinking about you.

  Well, that was something. Good things, I hope?

  Ah, kind of had last night on repeat in my head. That was something.

  At least he wasn’t the only one. Same. Is that a bad thing?

  Nope. Well, unless you have a problem with it, and then I don’t know what I’ll think.

  He could picture her on the other end, her phone in her hand and that cute little confused look on her face as she pushed the bridge of her glasses so they rode higher on her nose. She no doubt had that adorable blush coloring her cheeks, and she was probably squirming in her seat. Simone appeared to not be able to sit still for longer than five minutes at a time. It would be fun to take her somewhere, to do something that would have the two of them running around. He’d rarely dated anyone who had the energy to keep up with the things he liked to do.

  He smiled down at his phone. I have no problems. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.

  Okay? Dude, I haven’t come that hard in years.

  Dylan laughed out loud. Good to know I haven’t lost my touch. And maybe you’ll be up for a repeat?

  Well, I have been thinking about your offer. I don’t exactly know what to do about it.

  You can always say yes. I’d like you’d say yes.

  There was a pause that stretched out for several minutes, making Dylan far more nervous than he had anticipated. But when her words finally came through, his heart rate increased, and unexpected excitement surged through him.

  Then I better say yes. As long as we have some rules ahead of time. I don’t want either of us to regret this decision or to get into any third-party trouble.

  He didn’t want to do anything that would put her job in jeopardy, he really had enjoyed her articles on food trucks around Toronto. The local paper needed people like her, people who could put a human touch on things going on around the city. Simone had a gift for seeing the humanity in everything and everyone around her. Even a jaded sugar daddy like himself.

  Simone, I promise you no one but the two of us will know about this. You’ll get to be in charge of what you are willing to do and where you are willing to go. Sex doesn’t have to be a part of this, but I won’t say no if it’s something you want. It was best for him to be up front with her regarding precisely what he wanted.

  We’ll have to see on the sex thing. Maybe you can take me on an adventure first. It seems like all the best relationships have adventures.

  From the people who he knew used his site, he did realize that these relationships were more than about sex. If Simone wanted an adventure, then he would figure something out. There were more than a few things they could do in Toronto. I’ll be sure to come up with something.

  I’ll hold you to that. And I’ll see you at the meeting in a few hours.

  Dylan tucked his phone away and tried to think of what would qualify as an adventure for this exciting, slightly hyper woman. Because if he was going to do this, if he was going to play the part of sugar daddy, then he was going to do it the very best way he could.

  * * * *

  Simone sat at the back of the conference room, a silent guest at the housing development project meeting, her notebook open and her hands cramped from all the writing she had done. She knew that half of this wasn’t going to find its way into her article on the housing complex, but it was all necessary information to help her paint an accurate picture about what they were trying to accomplish. Plus, she had needed the distraction.

  Dylan was sitting only a few feet away from her at the head of the conference table. He had made a point of greeting her the same way he had greeted everyone else, with a firm handshake and a slight nod as he welcomed her.

  “It’s wonderful to see you again, Ms. Leblanc.”

  “Yes, it’s great to see you as well.”

  It had been good form, but it also had been the most sensuous handshake she had ever shared. There was no way she was going to be able to look at him throughout this meeting and not think about what he had done to her last night in the front seat of his car. She hadn’t been able to get the memories of his touch, of his voice, of his unspoken need from her mind. She had barely slept and hadn’t been able to eat this morning, her nerves were acting up so strongly. How the hell was she going to be able to pretend that there wasn’t something going on between them over the next few months?

  So she had chosen the chair farthest away from him and made a point of keeping her gaze locked onto her sprawling handwriting instead. At least this way she would get something accomplished.

  “I think our biggest challenge is going to be ensuring that the local neighborhood is willing and able to accept a housing complex that looks after people with mental health challenges. Even if these people are completely self-sufficient, that doesn’t mean that they don’t experience prejudice when it comes to their daily lives.” Dylan’s voice filled the room, his passion
for the project obvious.

  She knew, based on what he had told her before, that it was his brother, Jonathan, and not Dylan himself who had started this project. Clearly, something had changed along the way, or else Dylan tackled these projects with the same enthusiasm he had shown when he seduced her in the car—fully committed, and with expertise.

  Jonathan sat off to the side, his gaze locked on the table and not his brother. “I told you I have that under control. We will engage in community outreach, and make sure that everyone is aware of what we are trying to do.”

  “That doesn’t mean that they will accept it.” Dylan tapped the table with his finger, drawing everyone’s attention. “That is one of the reasons why I have asked Ms. Leblanc from the Toronto Record to be here.”

  Everyone in the room looked her way, and the pressure of their gazes was practically physical. She smiled and gave them a shy wave, hoping her presence wasn’t going to cause more problems than it would correct. “Hello.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re the one taking the lead on this.” Jonathan pushed back from the conference table and crossed his arms. “I have made sure that the project plan is complete and accurate. This is my baby, and I want to run with it.”

  “I’m just here to help. I don’t want or need the credit for this project.” Dylan looked around the table, his lips pulling down into a frown. “I think that’s everything for now. Jonathan, you and I should have a quick chat before you head out.”

  Simone closed her notebook, knowing full well that she was included. Sugar daddy contracts and adventures would have to wait until a later time. But as she walked past Dylan, he reached out and gently touched her forearm with his hand. The brush of his skin against her sent a chill through her body.

  “Do you mind waiting outside my office for a minute? I shouldn’t be very long, and then we can chat.”

  “Yep, that should be fine.” And she walked out into the hall, picking a direction that she hoped would lead to his office.

  She couldn’t understand the tension between the two brothers, but it was clear to anyone with a heartbeat that Jonathan wanted to be the one in charge, rather than his brother. There was obviously more to the family history than what she had first assumed. The reporter in her wanted nothing more than to dig until she pulled up the story that was obviously there. But the woman who was trying to get to know Dylan better, who was more than happy to play the part of sugar baby to get the bigger story, knew better than to go down that road.

  There was no secretary outside his office, only his nameplate on a door. It would be easy to go inside, maybe even take a look at his desk, but she wasn’t that brave. If Carl knew she had such an opportunity, he would probably prod her on until she got the information she needed. Maybe she wasn’t cut out to be an investigative reporter?

  As she waited in the hall, she leaned against the wall and wondered what exactly would come of this sort of relationship. Kayla had been the one to spoil Devin, invite him to the CN Tower for supper, and take him to her high school reunion, where they ended up falling in love. The transaction had become so much more, but Simone could only wonder if that was unusual—if her friend, who usually had terrible luck in love, just had gotten lucky.

  Simone was not usually that fortunate.

  Pulling out her phone, she opened up her latest game obsession, Homescapes, to see if she could finally break through level 554. She was on attempt number three when the sound of voices echoed down the hall, quickly followed by a door slamming open to reveal Jonathan marching down the corridor. She took two steps forward as Dylan followed his brother.

  “Jonathan!” But his voice did nothing to stop his brother from leaving. “Goddammit.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “My brother’s just being a jackass.” Dylan put his hands on his hips as he turned to face her. “I know we haven’t had our talk yet, but I was wondering if you wanted to get out of here? If I have to sit behind a desk, I’m more likely to punch my computer monitor than I am to get any actual work done.”

  God, this was probably a horrific idea. “I have my car here. Is that going to make a difference?”

  “I can always drop you off later if that’s what you want.” There was something off in Dylan’s tone of voice, a note of frustration that she hadn’t heard before now. “Right now, any distraction.”

  For the life of her, Simone didn’t know if he meant that she was the distraction. “Where are we off to?”

  Dylan looked down at his watch, then pulled his phone from his pants pocket. “I have an idea. How do you feel about surprises?”

  Simone shrugged. “Depends on if it’s pleasant or if I end up with a pie in my face.”

  “That happens?”

  “I have interesting friends.”

  “I promise you, no pies. But definitely, there will be hot dogs and beer.” He held out his arm for her to take. “If you will come with me, I promised you an adventure.”

  Simone smiled as she slipped her arm around his. “I look forward to being wowed.”

  With any luck, this would be the beginning of something exciting.

  Chapter 13

  It had been a long time since Dylan had shown up for a baseball game. The Blue Jays were not necessarily the most consistent team, but he did love them, and always had, since the days when his dad could only afford the five-hundred-level tickets. He had left his ball cap in the downstairs closet, not anticipating a spur-of-the-moment trip to the ball field. He had no idea if Simone was into baseball at all, but he made sure to buy her as much paraphernalia as he could manage to shove into her arms as they walked through to their seats.

  She currently sat beside him with a Blue Jays cap on her head and wearing a Jays shirt that she had changed into in the bathroom. She’d been excited when she realized where he was taking her, and that excitement was utterly infectious. It was the first time in ages that he was thankful for his season tickets and his financial freedom to purchase them in the premium dugout section.

  “I don’t even remember who is on the team this year.” He took a long pull of his beer and debated whether he should get them some hot dogs. “I’ve been so busy this season I haven’t been able to take advantage of coming here in the middle of the day.”

  “Are you insane?” Simone was sitting on the edge of her seat, looking everywhere except at him. “We’re actually not doing that bad this year. Our bullpen has pulled us out of more than one mess. I mean, we’re playing the Yankees today, so God only knows how that’s gonna go.”

  “I had no idea that you were into baseball. I just wanted to do something a little different today.” The fact of the matter was that Dylan was tired of the daily grind. It really had been a long time since he had taken advantage of his tickets, or anything else for that matter. His life was little more than going to work, coming home, working on the website, and then crashing.

  “I love baseball.” Simone turned around, sending her blond ponytail flying around her shoulders. Her eyes were wide and her excitement palpable. “I’ve only been to one or two games and never in seats like this. But I watch the games with my dad—on the weekends mostly.”

  Every time she mentioned her father, there was something in her tone, a longing of some sort, that was obvious to Dylan. Having grown up in a family where what you were able to do for the family company was almost more important than who you were as a person, he recognized a kindred spirit. For whatever reason, Simone wanted something more from her relationship with her father than what she currently had. Not that he was about to ask her anything about it. They weren’t exactly at that stage in the relationship.

  “Well then, I’m going to count on you to let me know what I need to know for today’s game. And if you want to meet any of the players afterward, just let me know. I can pull some strings, and we can take some pictures and get some autographs.”


  Simone’s eyes widened even more. “Dude. That would be amazing. Not that I want to bother them after a game. They might be tired or not want to have anything to do with a fan, especially if they’ve lost.”

  “Have faith. They haven’t lost yet. And most of the guys are pretty good about meeting fans.”

  Having a date for a ball game was an entirely new experience for Dylan. None of the women of his acquaintance were into baseball, and his brother wasn’t keen on coming anymore. It had been something they had shared when they were younger—the love of going to a game and spending time with one another—but somewhere along the way their relationship had drifted apart, and so had their trips to the Jays games.

  Most of the women he had spent time with over the years were not into sports at all. Over the years, he had tried to take a few dates to a game, but it had always ended with them leaving early and him making it up to his date with an expensive meal. If he was on the lookout for a long-term relationship, finding a woman who enjoyed baseball and hockey would be at the top of his list.

  Not that he had a list. Because he wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship.

  And never would.

  “Please stand for the singing of our national anthem.”

  Dylan stood up, but Simone was on her feet faster than he’d ever seen another person rise. She was practically vibrating as she looked around and took her cap off. “This is so strange. I keep expecting to hear the television commentators tell me what I need to know. It’s like a strange void, anticipating a voice that never comes.” She turned to look at him, and for half a second, he wanted to reach down and brush her hair behind her ear. “I kind of like it.”