Sighing, I click my calendar open. Not too much on the calendar, which is fine with me. I’m in the middle of working on a reboot for our measurement input system. It’s always been a little clunky for my liking, and I’m finally getting around to giving it the love and attention it needs. In fact, I think I might have Ellen—my executive secretary—push the rest of my appointments so I can focus on that. It’s going to take some experimentation with the code, and those things are hard to do when you lose your groove by being interrupted.
I see movement outside my office and call out to her. “Ellen?”
Someone appears at the door and I look up to find not Ellen, but Cora. “Sorry,” she says. “I think Ellen stepped away for a second. Is there something I can help you with?”
So many things. None of them are appropriate. I manage to keep my eyes on her face, for which I think I should be given an award. “No, thank you. I need her to do some rescheduling for me since I’m going to try to spend the day working on revamping some new code.”
Cora comes further into my office. “The measurement interface?”
“How did you know?”
“My father mentioned that you wanted to work on it,” she says with that seductive little smile that I already feel like I know way too well. “He thinks it’s fine.”
Her tone makes me push for what she’s really saying. “And what do you think?”
She doesn’t hesitate as she sits down across from me and leans forward in that same position from reception, taunting me. “I think it’s unreliable. The app misfires and inputs the wrong thing just as often as it inputs the right one. It can be smoother and easier on the eye.”
I nod. “My thoughts exactly.” My eyes slip down to her perfect breasts. Damn it. I clear my throat. “Well, since you’re here to learn, I’ll be happy to show you the code once I’ve done some work on it.”
Cora’s face lights up, and suddenly I’m hard. That smile, aimed at me. Jesus.
“I’d like that,” she says. Pausing for a moment, she tilts her head and looks at me like she’s searching for something. “This morning,” she says, “I saw you watching me.”
“I wasn’t.” The denial is swift and automatic, even if it is a lie. The silence stretches between us, and I’m not sure what she’s getting at. She’s being flirtatious, but I don’t know her endgame. And she’s Jack’s daughter. Jack’s daughter.
Too bad my dick doesn’t give a fuck whose daughter she is.
“That’s too bad,” she says. “If you had been watching, I would have liked it.” Her fingers are drifting along the hem of her dress, and my eyes are glued to them as she toys with it. God, I want her to lift up that skirt, and I’m incredibly glad the desk is between us because an entire circus could fit in the tent of my pants.
In my imagination, she walks around the desk and I get to put my hands on those hips and lay her back. I want to take her on this desk right now more than I’ve wanted anything in my life. What is wrong with me? Has it really been that long of a dry spell that I’m acting like a horny teenager about to blow his load in his pants? I need to shift gears, and fast, because I’m seconds from reaching out to touch and see if she feels as good as she looks.
I clear my throat again. “Actually, there is something you can help me with.”
“Anything.”
The way she says that one word, with a tiny smile and slight arch of her back, sends any blood I have left in my body down to my cock, and damn, I don’t think I’ve been this hard in forever. I’m so hard it hurts, and I almost lose the words I was about to say. “I need information,” I manage to get out, “about Takedown Clothing. Everything you can find. Financial records, business plan, a layout of all their services. We’re evaluating how they’re competing with us this week, and I need to be able to see everything in one place, and I need it by end of day tomorrow, please.”
Cora nods. “I can do that.”
“Great,” I say. “Thank you.”
“Trying to get rid of me now?” she says, smiling. “I thought we were having a good time.”
She’s twenty years old. She’s Jack’s daughter. I try to make those two things play on a loop in my brain. Those are the only things that matter. But I smile. “Of course we are, but that code won’t write itself.” Outside the door, I see Ellen return to her desk, and I call out to her.
Cora gets up in one smooth movement, and she and I both notice the fact that I can’t look away. “I’ll see you later, Mr. Foster,” she says, turning and leaving as Ellen enters. I’ve never really been an ass man, but Cora’s just might change my mind.
One thing is for sure, these are going to be the longest three months of my life.
2
I can’t remember the last time I left the office at five. Today is no exception. Thankfully the sun is still up and my apartment is in the building next door. The high-rise luxury apartment building wasn’t there when we established our offices, but when I found out what they were constructing, I was one of the first people to buy in. There’s nothing that kills you more than a bad commute.
I grab a beer from the fridge and loosen my tie, stepping out on to the balcony to enjoy the evening air. It’s hot, but it’s always hot in Texas. I’m used to it.
My balcony overlooks the rooftop pool on a lower level of the building. I’ve seen more than one late night naughty act. There aren’t many people there right now, just a few people soaking up the fading rays of the sun. Jack would probably compare me to an old woman if he knew my love of people watching, but there’s something about seeing people when they’re enjoying themselves. When you’re a workaholic like me, it reminds you to enjoy things too.
I take another sip of my beer and nearly choke on it. Lying on a chaise in the smallest bikini I’ve ever seen is Cora. What the fuck? Am I so taken with her that I’m hallucinating now?
Pulling out my phone, I tap out a text to Jack.
Just saw Cora from my balcony.
A few seconds go by before I see the little typing icon.
I set her up with an apartment in your building while she’s here, so you’ll see her around. I should have mentioned it.
Perfect. She’ll be at the office. She’ll be here. There’s nowhere in my immediate life that won’t be touched by her. Touched by her, God I wish. I can’t take my eyes off her, the red fabric of the bikini leaving so very little to my imagination, and I am using my imagination. She’s even hotter than I thought under that dress, and now I’m hard again. Fuck.
I put my beer down and go inside. Enough is enough. I’m barely through the door into my bedroom when my cock is in my hand. I’m hard enough that this could be over in seconds, but I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep being overwhelmed just by the sight of her, and so I’m going to take my time. To get her out of my system once and for all. Just this one time, I’ll give in.
My clothes hit the floor and I’m seeing her laying by the pool again, all tan skin and red curls. If we were alone out there by that pool, I’d start at her legs. Just look at them, run my fingers along them, see how they felt under my hands and on my lips. My muscles tense as I control myself, stroking slowly. I refuse to go too quickly—I have to make it last.
I’d work my way up her body, but I’d skip ahead. I want to undo that tiny top with my teeth and throw it off the building. I want to see what color her nipples are and how they’d harden under my touch. I want to suck them deep into my mouth and hear her moan. I’d tease her until she was panting, ready to come from just my attention to those gorgeous tits. She’d be begging for me to touch her there, to move on, since I saved the best for last.
I wouldn’t take that bottom off. Not at first. No, I’d touch her through the fabric. I want to see how wet she’s made that skimpy piece of cloth and see how she reacts to its friction under my fingers. My hand starts to move faster, I can’t stop it. The scene in my head is taking on a life of its own like I’m no longer dictating my own fantasy.
C
ora guides my fingers around the fabric and I feel that delicious wet heat as I sink my fingers inside her. She arches her back, breath going short as I work her up to the edge, but I won’t send her over. No, not yet. The first time I make her come I’m going to be deep inside her.
She wiggles the bathing suit off her hips, and I’m mesmerized. Her pussy is wet and pink and begging for me to bury myself in it. I can imagine what I’d say to her. I’d tell her how badly I want a taste, and after I make her come with my cock, I’m going to do it with my mouth. And then maybe my cock again.
God, this feels so good, and I’m so close. I squeeze down harder on my cock, stroke faster, my hand straining. I imagine sinking my cock inside her and watching her eyes go dark with lust. Groaning as I’m enveloped by her heat. I can’t even breathe; I’m so close. Cora. God. Fuck.
My cell phone rings shrilly in the silence and I can suddenly hear how hard I’m breathing. The spell is broken and I lose momentum. It’s okay. I ignore it. Pleasure builds at the base of my spine again and I focus on that final image: my cock buried deep inside Cora’s pussy, seeing it filled up with me and hearing her call my name.
The phone rings again, and again I lose how close I am to coming.
“Fuck.” I stalk into the living room, completely naked and cock still standing at attention to retrieve my phone where I left it. Jack’s name is on the screen. “What?” I practically growl.
The amusement in his voice makes me want to throw the phone. “Did I interrupt something?”
“Yes, actually.” And you’d kill me if you knew what.
Jack laughs like he knows that he’s caught me with my dick in my hand. “Sorry,” he says, even though it’s obvious that he’s not. “Need you to haul ass to the bar.”
I sigh. “I just got home, Jack. Can it wait?”
“Unfortunately, no. I’m at the Silver Spoon. I’ve got some guys in from New York with Jefferson Tech—they’ve got some great ideas for us and might be willing to help finance them, but they want to meet you. You’re the brains of this thing after all.”
My stomach sinks. “You took a meeting with potential investors without telling me?”
“I was planning to, Michael. They were supposed to come next month, but they came out here for something else and suggested we get drinks, so I couldn’t refuse. They’ll be back again next month.”
I don’t say anything. I’m still hard as a rock and barely thinking straight. The last thing I want to do is go meet a bunch of business people right now. Especially since Jack and I are clearly not on the same page about some things. “Look, I don’t think I’m up for that right now. Show them a good time, and I’ll be better prepared to talk to them when they come back to town next month.”
“Michael,” he says, and I recognize the tone. He’s not going to let this slide, and I can practically hear him seething over the phone. “I don’t care if you’re up to it. This is our business, and I need you to get your ass down here now.”
I sigh. “Jack—”
“This is not something that’s negotiable. Be here in ten minutes.”
The line goes dead and I have to lock down my entire body in order to not throw the phone across the room. Somewhere in the last six months our communication has degraded. We need to sit down and talk all of this out, because if we don’t agree on where Tailor Me is headed, we’re going to sink the business by trying to pull it in two different directions. In order to have that sit down, I need Jack to be speaking to me. That means I have to get myself to that bar. I don’t even have time to shower, and I don’t have enough time to finish.
Few things are worse than masturbating and getting that close without being able to finish. I’m going to be on edge all night, jumpy because my body is still waiting for the release that never came.
At least Cora won’t be there so I won’t be fighting yet another hard-on while I talk to these New York guys. Small favors. I file away my fantasy to finish later. I said I’d only do it once, but I was robbed. I need to do it once and finish.
Sighing, I glance out the window to see if she’s still there. The chaise where she was tanning is empty, and I don’t see any sign of her around the pool. Probably for the best. Let’s get this over with.
3
The Silver Spoon has been one of Jack’s favorite places for as long as I can remember. It’s an upscale tavern that marries classic Texan charm with a sleek twenties sensibility. I like it, but I prefer my bars with a little more natural character.
I see Jack immediately when I walk in. He’s a good head taller than most men, and he’s towering toward the back of the bar. From the looks of it, the group is mingling around a table. Four men are in conversation and laughing, and I can see from here that the suits they’re wearing cost money. When you’re in this line of business you learn how to evaluate someone’s clothing quickly, and what they’re saying is “money.”
I put on my business mask and approach the table. “Jack,” I say, giving him a heads up.
He nods at me. “Gentlemen, I’d like you to meet Michael Foster, my business partner.”
They each shake my hand in turn, and now that I’m closer, I’d be surprised if any one of them had hit thirty yet. Their names slip in and out just as quickly. It might seem callous, but I don’t plan on getting to know these men that well.
“So, Michael,” one of them says to me when introductions have finished, “Jack here has been telling us all about these new ideas you have for the company expansion into different markets.”
“Has he?”
“Yes,” he continues, missing my sarcasm. “We’re very excited about some of the possibilities that would allow you to break out and compete with companies like Takedown.”
I press my lips into a line. “If you look at the numbers, I think you’ll see that they’re expanding so that they can compete with us.”
His eyes narrow a little. “All the same, you can’t stay on top of the pack if you don’t change, and we’d be excited to help you with that.”
“Well, I’d be happy to talk about that with you, but I think I need a drink first.” I laugh a little, a trick I use to put them at ease, and they laugh with me right on cue. “Jack, can I speak to you for a moment while I order?”
“Certainly.”
We take the few steps over to the bar, and I flag down the bartender who’s at the other end serving someone. He gives me a nod to indicate he’ll be with me shortly. “What are we doing here, Jack?”
“What do you mean? I told you.”
I lean my elbow on the bar, making a point to look casual so Jack’s companions won’t see any tension if they happen to glance over. “Yes, you told me. But I don’t understand. This morning you said you wanted to evaluate Takedown’s strategies, and now you’re talking to investors and pitching ideas without consulting me.”
Jack rolls his eyes. “You’re being dramatic. I have a plan; you just have to trust me.”
“We didn’t build this company just trusting each other. Everything was planned and explored. We’re in too deep to fly off on whims. We need to talk and evaluate. That’s how we do things.”
I don’t miss the way his left hand tightens into a fist. He’s irritated. “Don’t you see what a huge opportunity this is? We could expand in the way we need to without spending our own capital.”
“And we’d also be beholden to them. Jack, we need to have a discussion about these expansions and why you think we need them.”
He waves a dismissive hand. “Of course, of course. We can do that later this week. But tonight’s not about that. Tonight’s about showing them a good time, telling them what they want to hear, and make sure they’re willing to write as many checks as we ask them to, for whatever we ask them to.”
The bartender appears and I order a shot of whiskey.
“And to that end,” Jack grins, nodding behind me, “my night just got easier.”
I turn, and impossibly my stomach leaps and drops at the sam
e time. Cora just walked in the door, wearing a dress that’s even more gorgeous and maddening than the one she was wearing at the office. Black and flowing, the neckline plunges low, making it clear that she’s not wearing a bra, and my cock rages back to life. Her red hair falls around her face in waves, and suddenly I’m imagining it spread out on a pillow as she writhes beneath me. Damn it. She wasn’t supposed to be here. Any more of this and I’m going to spontaneously combust.
“She’s my secret weapon,” Jack says conspiratorially and watches Cora as she walks across the room, nods to the two of us, and introduces herself to the men at the table.
The back of her dress plunges even lower than the front, and damn, that’s the only word my brain has for it. Within seconds she’s smiling and laughing with the guys, and I find my fingers gripping the edge of the bar to the point of pain.
“I lucked out when she contacted me, didn’t I?” Jack says, “We get free arm candy for three months while she’s here. Business dinners will never be so easy, and since she’s my daughter, they’d never think of mistreating her. As long as I get her back in the morning, right?”
“Are you serious?” I think I might throw-up. He brought her here to seduce these men, to use her to grease their palms so they’ll be willing to make a deal with him. Whatever deal that might be.
Jack gives me a long look. “You use whatever you need to, and we need this.”
“No, I don’t think that we do.” I grab the shot glass off the bar and pound it back, the whiskey burning my throat. I walk away from the bar, away from Jack and Cora and the group of New Yorkers. I know I can’t leave, but I can’t be here just now. I need a second to regroup. The hallway in the back of the bar that leads to the restrooms is long, and I know I’ll have a little bit of privacy while I try to fight off my anger and get the mask back in place.
Happily Ever After with My Dad’s Best Friend Page 23