Daddy Boss

by Claire Bishop

  “Why didn't you tell me they were Magic Mike hot?”

  “There was nothing to tell?”

  “Bullshit, I am calling it now.”

  I wiped the sleep from my eyes and then stood, pulling back the curtain. My eyes found Luke, and I smiled a little.

  “You sneaky little slut! You are totally doing it the dark haired gorgeous one.”

  “I am not,” I defended.

  “I don't believe you.”

  “I'm not, I swear.”

  “Well... you should be.”

  My face flushed.

  “Oh, this is good shit right here. You so want him. Look how red your face is,” she teased.

  “We might have kissed once.”

  “Kissed?”

  “Yeah and made out a little, but it wasn't anything, and I told him afterwards that I didn't think it was a good idea.”

  “What the—? Why the hell would you do that? Could you even imagine what it would feel like to have sex with all that?” She waved her hand in a circular motion around Luke.

  I stared down at Luke and smiled again. “Oh, the imagining has happened, but honestly I won't be here forever, and why should I start something I'm just gonna have to leave?”

  “What is wrong with you?” She placed a hand on my forehead. “Why wouldn't you?” She stared at me like I had lost my mind. “And dear God, if Charles wasn't the love of my life, I would take a spin with his tall, lean friend there.”

  “That's Ryan.”

  “Like email Ryan?”

  “Yeah, and he is just as awesome in person as you witnessed through email,” I told her.

  “I would think so.” She stood at the window looking out over the two of them. I was a little jealous that I had shared them.

  “Okay what are we doing today?” she asked, still looking.

  “Hanging out. There really isn't a lot to do.” I shrugged.

  “And yet you haven't had sex with any of that. It really is a shame.”

  “You know I have been working.”

  “Well take me where you work. I want to see these magical woods you speak of.”

  “Okay let's get some coffee and then we can head out,” I suggested.

  “Yes! All the coffee!” she growled.

  When we walked out of the door, Ryan stopped and walked toward us.

  “Who is this lovely lady?” He smiled his mischievous smile, and I stepped in front of him.

  “No.” I pointed at him, and I heard Luke laughing in the background.

  “What? I was just asking,” Ryan said.

  “She is attached to someone, and that person isn't you.”

  “I was just being friendly,” he pouted.

  “Yeah, I know your kind of friendly.”

  “Name’s Rachel, and sorry but you are about two years too late.”

  “And what a shame that is,” Ryan added. “It's nice to meet you, Rachel.” He reached a hand out to her, and they shook.

  “Hi. Luke.” He stepped over and introduced himself. I was completely distracted and didn't even notice how close he was until he said something.

  “Hi.” Rachel winked at him. “I’m Rachel, and I have heard sooo much about you,” she chided.

  “Is that right?” He smiled. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Rachel.” He looked down at me. “How are you?” he asked.

  I had to steady my breathing. “I'm good. Busy. Trying to wrap up the first part of my research. Then, Rachel decided to pop in and disrupt my life for a few days.”

  “Thanks for the note by the way,” he said, smiling softly at me.

  “Didn’t want you to worry,” I replied.

  His smile was kind, and I could see he wanted to say more. It was like that every time we talked over the last couple of weeks.

  “I need to get with you about the competition coming up. Pass the details along and tell you where we’ll be,” he said.

  I nodded. “Sounds good.”

  “I'll come over later.”

  I grabbed Rachel’s arm and turned her toward the woods, pulling her away from whatever conversation she’d been having with Ryan.

  “I bet he needs to get with you,” Rachel whispered in my ear.

  “Stop it!” I laughed.

  “I see the way he looks at you. That is sooo not an I want to be your friend look.” She looked me in the eyes.

  “I honestly don't know what to do.”

  “Umm. No brainer. Him. You do him. How are we even friends and you not know this?” She ran her arm through mine, and we walked the path into the woods to my meadow.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Luke

  I was looking over the crowd trying to find Emerson. She told us she would be here before she left for Portland on Tuesday to take Rachel to the airport. I had sent her all the details via text a few days ago. I just wanted to see her face, and know she was there.

  “She’s here,” Ryan said.

  “Did you see her?” I looked over my shoulder.

  “Dude, seriously?”

  “What?

  “She messaged me like twenty minutes ago. Apparently, you haven't been listening to me.”

  “Oh.” I felt a little sheepish, but I didn't show it.

  “There.” He pointed, and I felt my blood run cold. She was talking to Chris Martin, the biggest asshole on the circuit. He wasn't known for putting on a good show to win the ladies but had been accused of some not so nice things once he had. I wasn't sure why she was talking to him, but I was going to find out.

  “Hey, Em,” I said as I walked up, Ryan on my heels. I specifically shortened her name so Chris immediately knew our acquaintance wasn’t just casual.

  “Luke. Ryan,” Chris said as Emerson turned and laid eyes on me.

  “Luke, hey.” She smiled big, sending a rush through me. And when she reached for me, I pulled her into a tight hug and smirked as Ryan grabbed her from me, swinging her around. He kissed her on the cheek and then whispered something in her ear making her laugh.

  “I didn't realize you guys knew each other,” Chris said. He puffed his chest out slightly, his male posturing not lost on me or Ryan for that matter.

  “Yeah,” Ryan said dropping his arm over Emmy’s shoulder.

  “You know him?” Emerson asked looking up at me.

  “We’ve competed over the years, yes.” I said trying not to let my emotions get the better of me. I wanted Chris to know Emmy was off limits and not to be messed with. At the same time, I didn't want to go all caveman on her and mark territory that I wasn't sure was really mine.

  “Chris works with my grandfather,” she announced.

  “And you,” Chris interjected.

  “Yes, and me sometimes.” She looked over at him oddly and then back to me. I could see a little confusion on her face as she was pulled into the middle of a pissing contest. I didn't like that she worked with him. Hell, I didn't even like her standing three feet from him.

  Ryan said something to her I couldn't hear and then turned, walking back toward our setup with Emmy under his arm.

  “We will be over there when you two get done,” Ryan said over his shoulder.

  “I’ll talk to you later, Chris,” Emmy called out.

  He nodded and waved, smiling sweetly at her until she turned back around.

  That’s when Chris stepped into my space. “She ain't any of your concern,” he said.

  “Really? Are we actually gonna have this discussion?”

  “I'm just letting you know that we’ve been seeing each other over the past couple of months, and I don't want you involved.” Chris looked up at me and then over my shoulder at Emerson, licking his lips. “She is a damn good lay too.” He smirked. “Can't wait to get in that again tonight.”

  “Funny she had never mentioned you.” I stepped into his chest. I shouldn't have even worried about what he was saying. I knew better. But I also wasn't going to let some jerk talk about her like that. “If you knew her as well as you say you do, you wo
uld know she is a very private person, enjoys her alone time, and would never appreciate anyone talking about her in such a way.” I wanted to throttle him. If he was sleeping with her, then I didn't want to make a fool of myself, but I also didn't want to give away where she lived either if he didn’t know... and my gut told me he didn’t know. I moved a little closer and got in his face. “The best thing for you to do is to never talk about her the way you just did to anybody.” I shoved him, and he came back at me.

  “And the best thing for you to do is not touch what is mine.” He pushed off of me and walked away. “I mean it.” He turned back and hit himself in the chest with his fist.

  I was shaking, I was so mad. I walked around for a few minutes and then turned back toward where Ryan and I were set up. Ryan and Emmy were talking; she had a smile on her face.

  “You good?” Ryan asked.

  “No.” I said and walked past them.

  “Luke?” Emerson said and reached for my arm.

  I looked down at her tiny hand touching my skin. “What?”

  “I didn't know you guys were friends.” She said never taking her hand from my arm.

  “Friends is a heavy stretch.” I said, looking out over the crowd to find him watching us. I wanted to make sure he knew that no matter what he said that she was mine. “And he seems to think he is your boyfriend.”

  “What?”

  “Your boyfriend,” I repeated.

  “He isn't my boyfriend. He works with my grandfather. I’ve known him since we went to school together, but it isn't like that.”

  “So, it isn't like that? Is it with him kinda like it isn't like that with me?”

  Her hands flew to her hips, and she cocked her head to the side. I could tell that I was probably ticking her off, but I didn't care.

  “No, it isn't at all like that.” She looked up at me. “Why are you acting like this?”

  “Cause the thought of another man touching you makes we want to punch something, preferably him, especially after what he just said to me.”

  “Okay, that's enough.” Ryan stepped into the conversation. “You need to go take a walk.” He pointed at me and then to the parking lot.

  “I'm not finished here.” I shoved at Ryan’s arm.

  “Yes, you are. Go.” He shoved me back.

  I turned and walked away. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Chris smirk and then thrust his hips in Emerson’s direction.

  I whipped my body around and started to walk back toward him, but Ryan got in my way.

  “Go.” He pointed again. I saw Emerson look over her shoulder and see Chris wave and smile.

  I walked toward my truck, punching the tailgate as I walked past it. My hand screamed, but I didn't care. I didn't care about anything but Emerson and the accusations that had just been made. Maybe I had read it all wrong, maybe she was with him or had been or something. I wanted to kick myself for everything I had just said and done.

  Chapter Twenty

  Emerson

  “What the hell just happened?” I looked to Ryan for answers.

  “I don't know. Do you have anything you want to tell me?” He looked at me. For the first time, I saw anger in his eyes.

  “No!” I said and looked over the parking lot trying to find Luke.

  “He’s upset at what was just said to him,” Ryan said pulling my eyes back to his.

  “What did Chris say to him?” I asked.

  “That you were his girlfriend, and that he couldn't wait to get in your panties again tonight.”

  “First of all, I am not his girlfriend, nor have I ever slept with him.” I was angered that this was even an issue. “I wouldn't even go there.”

  “Well, he seemed to think you had and were willing to go for round two.” Ryan sneered at me.

  “I can't even believe that you would think that.”

  “I don't want to see Luke hurt.” He looked over his shoulder.

  Rage flew through me. “That's the last thing I want to do, Ryan! I just don't know how we could ever... you know what? It doesn't matter. I am pissed that either of you would even believe something like that. I care about Luke. I want Luke!” I said it before I even realized that I actually did want Luke. I wanted all of it. Maybe I had been fighting a primal pull that I hadn't realized was even there, but when the words left my mouth, I knew they were true. Ryan’s gaze softened.

  “I know you do. I’ve always known.” He shrugged and then walked toward me and pulled me into a hug. I was so angry that the tears fell. They came from nowhere, and maybe it was me finally letting go, maybe it was just that I didn't like people talking or assuming things about me.

  “You're fine. I think maybe you and Luke need to have a chat, though.” He pushed me away from him. Brushing the tears from my eyes with his thumbs, he smiled and kissed the top of my head in that brotherly way he always did.

  I walked around him and made my way toward the parking lot. I knew he was out here somewhere, but I wasn't sure where, so I just walked around until I spotted his truck. When I spotted him, he had his arms outstretched, his head lowered between them. He was mumbling when I got to him.

  “Just go,” he said without looking up.

  “I think we need to talk,” I said softly, taking another step toward him.

  He looked up between his arms, and the look in his eyes said more than his words ever would. He was hurting, and it was my fault.

  “I haven't done the things he said,” I assured him, looking down at the ground.

  “He seemed pretty sure of himself.”

  “I wouldn't do that to you, Luke.”

  “You haven't done anything thing to me.”

  “Then why are you so upset?” I asked taking a step closer. I could feel the anger radiating from him.

  He looked up at me but didn't say anything. I knew I had to be very clear in my next statement, but I also knew I was standing on shaky ground.

  “I don't want a boyfriend, or... I didn't want one.” I reached out and placed my hand on his bicep. Hard muscle moved under his skin, and he readjusted and stood.

  “So, now you do? And you chose that douche canoe?” He looked down at me, eyes blazing.

  I don't know why, I did what I did, but I stepped into his arms and wrapped him tightly in mine.

  “I don't want him,” I said against his chest. I could hear his heart hammering away, even before I laid my head against it. He didn't move or touch me. He just stood there, letting me hold him.

  “I can't do this, Emerson.” He said, and I pulled back, looking into his eyes.

  “What if I told you I was stupid and that I realized something a few minutes ago.”

  “And what was that?” He looked down at me.

  “That you’re what I want and that I just hadn't realized it until I saw you hurting and knew there was a chance I was the cause. I never want to see you hurt, and I certainly don’t want to be the cause.” I looked tenderly up at him.

  He looked down at me, and the fierceness in his gaze lost some of its intensity. His arms lifted and landed on my shoulders, and he pushed me away slightly. My heart cracked a little at his movement.

  “Luke, I've waited a long time to say that to someone and actually mean it.”

  He looked down at me. I wanted to see a smile, one that he had shared with me more times than I deserved, but at this moment, I needed to see it. He didn't smile, though. He didn't move. He just stood there.

  “I don't know what else to say other than I'm sorry I waited. I shouldn't have acted the way I did, and I'm sorry.” Tears welled in my eyes and began to sting my throat. I didn't want him to see me cry, so I turned and started to walk away from him. He caught my arm and jerked me back to face him. He had never been rough with me, but when his lips landed on mine, there was a force behind them. I melted into his arms. His grip was a vice of strength, his way of telling me I was his. When his grip loosened slightly, I tried to pull away, but his hand found my hair, and he pushed my head until our mout
hs were joined in a dance older than time itself.

  The earth shifted, and my mind became clear. Clear as to what I wanted in life, and it was Luke. I wanted all of him. We stood there locked together for merely minutes, when what I wanted was an eternity. I wanted him to never stop kissing me. The high was like bungee jumping, knowing that you could die but still stepping off that platform. I was floating through space, Luke my only tether.

  He slowly pulled back, his lips still brushing lightly against mine. “I have waited forever for that,” he whispered against my mouth. He kissed my nose and my cheeks and then found his way back to my mouth. I ran a finger over his cheek and then to his lips. He kissed me again, this time it was soft, pulling me back down to earth. My heart was pounding in rhythm with his, threatening to pop out of my chest. My breathing was ragged, and as each breath escaped my lips, his mouth was there to catch the exhale. As reality of where we were started to sink in, I flushed with embarrassment and moved to step back.

  “Don't do that.” He pulled me closer to him, tucking my head into the crook of his neck. With our bodies so close, I could feel his hardness against my belly, my insides clenched in excitement that I could have that effect on him.

  “There is nothing in the world I want more than you, but not here, not now.” He ran a hand over my head and guided my head back. When my eyes met his, they were glowing with need.

  I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him again, reminding him that I was here and in this. “We have plenty of time.” I smiled then lowered myself. I didn't want to step out of his embrace, but at the same time, I needed to catch my breath and as long as I was standing that close to him, he was stealing every single one.

  “We can talk later, okay?” He asked, a hand running around my waist. I nodded, not sure the words would come out the way I wanted them to. He kissed me on the forehead and then we walked back toward where Ryan was waiting.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Luke

  I worked the ax as fast as I ever had. I was on a high that I couldn't quite explain, but there it was, flowing through my body, moving me with a quickness that I’d forgotten existed. The feeling of contentment was freeing. I dropped my ax, and as the time stopped, I watched as my name climbed to the top of the leader board.