by Rye Hart
Trying not to smile like a little girl at those words was damn near impossible. However, before I had a chance to comment or thank him for lifting my spirits, Dad added, “As for accomplishing somethin’, you finished college with a 4.0 GPA. That’s more than a lot of people can say.”
“Dad, you know I love you and appreciate your efforts to lift me up, but your accolades won’t pay the bills. I still don’t have a job.”
“Not for long.” My brows pulled together with curiosity as we entered the highway. A wide grin curled on Dad’s lips as he continued. “Conner came over to the house last weekend, and we were talkin’ about you finally coming back home and looking for jobs. He said that since Quinn’s passing, Blackwater hasn’t had a good administrator and he’s in serious need of professional help. You know how Conner is – a pro with horses and tools, but a hot mess with papers and computers.”
As Dad laughed at the expense of his best friend, my heart started to beat so fast I was sure it was plotting an escape from my ribcage. Blackwater Ranch & Resort was the reason I originally chose Hotel Management as my major, and Conner Wilkes was the reason I loved that place so much.
Growing up, my Dad worked for the same ranch as Conner and since the first day they met they were stuck to each other like glue. Even though they had a four year age difference, it was as if they were always meant to be best friends. They had the same interest in horseback riding, sports, and women. They were both complete players, with their fair share of conquests over the years.
My Dad settled down early and got married to mom at age twenty I was born one year later. Conner had been only sixteen at the time so naturally he treated me like his baby sister. Despite being my father’s best friend, Conner was young enough to keep me from seeing him as an uncle like most kids do with their parents’ friends. To me, he was always Conner—the cool older friend who took me to summer fairs, concerts and taught me how to find the constellations in the sky. As we grew up, he became less of a friend to me and more like a hot crush.
For years, I worshiped the ground he stepped on, while he continued to look at me as just a cool kid. On my sixteen birthday, Conner took me out to my first concert to see Cold Play. It was a memorable night for many reasons, but mostly because I experienced my first orgasm that night alone in my bed. Since then, I always thought about Conner when I had the urge touch myself.
It bothered me that I could never get close to Conner like I wanted. It was frustrating, and then, when he started dating Quinn, it became excruciating. Conner always had a bad boy image and everyone who knew him could tell that Quinn was different from the girls he usually dated. She was sweet, funny, and a keeper. She was the kind of girl a guy marries, and he did. He married Quinn and I had my first ever heartbreak.
Soon after, they had a baby and I asked mom to take me to Rome with her just so I could be away from the two of them. It took me a while, but the distance allowed me to finally forget him—or at least stop wishing for a future with him. Even with so many miles apart, his memory pulled at me from time to time. I hated that I couldn’t get over him, or have a normal relationship with another guy. I had Conner to blame for being a twenty-two-year-old virgin. It was almost embarrassing, but as much as I tried to move on, no guy could ever come close to Conner. Pathetic, I know.
When I heard about Quinn’s tragic accident, my heart broke for Conner, and it made me feel like a complete jerk for ignoring him for so many years. I had been a selfish brat, and it left me five thousand miles away when he needed a friend the most.
The sound of my Dad’s fingers snapping in front of my face pulled me from my reverie.
“You okay sport?”
“Oh yeah. Sorry Dad, I guess I’m still kind of exhausted from the flight. I appreciate you for thinking of me. I guess it doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.”
Maybe this chance to help Conner would finally make up for my errors in the past. I couldn’t tell if it was the jet lag or high altitude from the flight, but I suddenly felt encouraged to take this opportunity and make the best of it. I turned sideways on my seat and grilled my Dad for details about the job. Finally, I was actually glad to be home.
Chapter Two: Conner Wilkes
Like most Saturday mornings, I woke up with a major headache and absolutely no idea of where I was. I opened my eyes just a little to try and locate myself and winced at the clarity slipping in from around a set of curtains. Silently, I cursed aging.
Although I looked better than most twenty-five-year-olds, I could no longer drink like them. Five shots of whiskey were enough to fog up my brain to the point where I had to put some actual effort into remembering things. It was annoying as fuck, but I refused to cut back and drink like the thirty-eight-year-old I was. In my mind that was giving up which didn’t mesh with me.
I didn’t give up, I didn’t give in, and I didn’t compromise. I got what I wanted, when I wanted, and how I wanted. That was how I had managed to turn the sad, run-down ranch my Dad had left me into the largest and most expensive ranch-resort in the state, and became a millionaire before I was thirty.
As my eyes started to adjust to the light, I took deep breaths and looked around. The first thing I saw was a blonde head using my arm as a pillow. Our mutual nakedness made it clear that we had an interesting night, but aside from a fantastic blowjob inside my truck, I couldn’t remember much. That seemed to be a rule with my one night stands lately, and, in all honesty, it didn’t bother me too much. I was in the market for instant gratification, not something to remember.
Moving my gaze away from the woman, I looked at the room in search of my way out. The walls around me were light green and loaded with pictures frames of various sizes. The drapes and the furniture were stark white, and there were three identical doors; two placed side by side and another directly to my right. Internally, I groaned. I hated places where the exit wasn’t obvious. It made it a lot harder to sneak out unnoticed the next morning - which was my preferred way of saying goodbye.
As carefully as I could, I rolled the woman off me and turned to the side to get up. Before my feet hit the ground, however, thin, pale arms circled my waist, and a kiss was delivered to my bare back. Annoyance gripped me at the display of affection. Cuddling and sweet kisses were meant for people who gave a fuck, not for strangers like us.
“Good morning, Conner,” she cooed in a sleepy tone that was infused with a smitten smile.
I couldn’t help wonder how the fuck she remembered my name when I had absolutely no idea what hers was. Still, because I tried not to be a complete ass, I looked over my shoulder and, for a moment, she took my breath away. Even with her makeup smeared and a bird’s nest on her head, she was gorgeous. So gorgeous, in fact, that I almost wanted to remember her—emphasis on the almost.
With a smirk, I whispered. “Mornin’, baby.”
Completely unaware that I had used the pet name because I had nothing else to call her by, her smile widened and got all mushy. Her innocence was cute and made my smirk turn into a smile as I pushed myself to a sitting position, knotted my fingers, stretched my back and then got up.
“If you want the bathroom, it’s the door closest to the window,” she said in that same sleepy coo once more. “But don’t take too long. I’m in the mood for eggs and sausage for breakfast.”
Once more, I looked over my shoulder at her with a smirk on my lips. From my vantage point, I got my first—mostly—sober look at her body. Her tits were full and as beautiful as her face. My exposed cock instantly reacted and, for a second, I considered breaking all my rules and fucking her sober and in daylight. Luckily, my eyes drifted to the alarm clock on her bedside table and seeing that it was almost ten in the morning, I came back to my senses.
Picking up my pants from the ground and shrugging them back on, I told her, “Can’t, baby. Got someone waitin’ for me at home.”
Her face went pale ad she quickly sat up and brought the sheet to cover her tits. “You’re married?”
&nb
sp; I shook my head and forced my smile to stay in place. “Not anymore,” I informed her but offered no further explanation. There were only two people in the world with whom I discussed my late wife, and she was definitely not one of them. “But I do have a son, and Saturdays are our horseback riding days.”
Her expression softened. “Aww . . . That’s adorable.”
I raised a brow and nodded as I shoved my feet back into my boots. I picked up my shirt from the ground and waited for the follow-up comment I knew would come.
“I love kids, and I’m a really good rider, ya know?”
“Yeah, I do,” I replied in a playful tone that made her giggle. Then, I added, “But I’m not introducing you to my boy.”
Her delicate brows pulled together in a frown. “Why not?”
I took a deep breath hating that she was putting me in the position to be a jerk. Honestly, being rude to women wasn’t something I enjoyed doing. However, it pissed me off that some never seemed to understand that opening your legs for a man you’ve met at a bar doesn’t equal an invitation into his life, and that was precisely why I loathed the morning after. They were awkward, unnecessary and served no purpose other than to ruin a perfectly good time.
“Well I don’t mean to sound like a dick, but I don’t introduce my son to people who won’t be permanent in his life,” I explained with a sigh. As I buttoned up my shirt, I saw the girl’s expression change into something that resembled an angry bull and took that as my cue to leave. “Last night was fun, thanks,” I said as I walked to the door to my right.
Angry shrieks calling me every name in the book echoed from the room as I stepped into the hallway and closed the bedroom door behind me. Frankly, I was used to it by now so I just guided myself down the stairs and out of the front door like everything was just fine. In my mind everything was fine. It wasn’t my problem that others couldn’t see things my way.
Once I was finally inside my truck, I filled my lungs with my first full breath of the day and picked up my phone which I had forgotten on the dash. I checked the screen to see if there were any calls or texts from Sasha, my son’s nanny, and was happy I didn’t see any. What I did see, however, were eleven missed calls and one text from Alex, my best friend.
The time stamps on the calls were mostly from the previous night, but the text had been sent at nine-thirty this morning which was odd. Alex rarely ever woke up before ten on the weekends. I quickly opened it.
‘FUCK CONNER! CALL ME BACK.’
****
End of Sneak Peak. Would you like to know how this continues?
Click Here: Rock Hard Daddy: A Single Dad & Virgin Romance
My best friend's daughter just told me she's been saving her virginity for me - and it's screwing with my head.
Guess you could say life as Conner Wilkes has its perks.
I bang a new woman every week- no questions asked.
At my age, I still have the stamina of a stallion - and I'm happy to say that parts of my body have been compared to one.
Being a single overprotective dad means that I've always lived two lives - and it has worked out just fine.
Then, my best friend's daughter walked into my life - and I can't get my head straight.
Just a teenager when I saw her last - but now those ocean blue eyes, full lips and long luscious legs leave me wondering if I'm being punished for all the crap I put women through in the past.
I want to own her. Dominate her. Teach her how to use her sweet assets.
Turning down an opportunity to take Chloe's virginity will take every fiber of my being - I just hope I've got the self-restraint to do it.
Rock Hard Daddy: A Single Dad & Virgin Romance
CUFF ME Daddy: Sneak Peak
CUFF ME Daddy:A Single Dad, Police Officer Romance
CHAPTER ONE – STARLA JONES
If one more asshole decides to pinch my ass today, I’m going to go slap the stupid right out of him!
I caught a glance of myself in the mirror behind the bar while I tallied up for the night. My long, dark hair was disheveled and falling from its clip, my cheeks were stained with patchy blush that had worn from the day’s heat, and my mascara was a smudgy mess. At least my boobs had pulled their weight and earned me my usual hefty tips. Sadly, the men at the bar didn’t always know how to keep their hands to themselves and tonight was going to be one of those nights when I’d have to seriously hold back from grabbing the Glock .28 I had hidden behind the bar.
I’d cut my full-time school schedule short to help out, and there were plenty of days like today when I’d regretted it. My dream was to earn my degree as a social worker and make my way out of the rough side Chicago, but for now, Lu needed me more. Those goals had to be put to the side. For now, my only ambitions involved not being groped by older men, and avoiding vomit on me at any given point of the night.
Talk about an over-achiever, right?
All I knew was that I hated the job most when there wasn’t any muscle around to keep an eye on things. It should have been my brother Scott’s job, as he was the manager of the place, but as usual, he was off doing God-knows-what with his new thug friends. He’d left me and my grandmother hanging once again, and she was sitting out on the floor talking to two assholes that refused to leave until their beers were finished.
If anyone could speed them up without getting their hackles up, it was my grandmother: Luna Jones; Lu to the regulars. She’d opened the bar thirty-five years ago despite being a single mom to my own mother. She had a way about her and could charm the devil with a matchstick when she wanted to. She’d also tell a joke or two, and you can bet she’d out-cuss any truck driver or sailor, all while looking like Betty White’s sweeter sister. At least until she opened her mouth.
My brother was a different story. Scott never really wanted to deal with the bar, but since he was the oldest boy and the apple of Lu’s eye, she wanted him to look like a big shot, which would be fine if he didn’t leave me to do all his work. Truth was, Lu was still in charge around the place, and anyone that didn’t think so was a fool.
Lu had raised us both to be strong and independent and she’d always been a strong role model for me by teaching me strong work ethics and responsibility, but it was harder for Scott. He never had the strong male role model of a father to look up to, which I believe was the reason he got mixed up with the wrong crowd.
Penny, our oldest and most dependable waitress, walked up beside me patting her jet black hair which she’d done up with so much hairspray that there was no denying she’d been around in the eighties. “I wish they’d leave. I’d hoped Lu would have run them out by now.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t lose hope quite so fast. Lu has a way with people that can’t be measured.” I met her eyes in the mirror, and we both glanced behind us to the reflection of the men across the room with Lu. They were both laughing it up, and from the looks of it, their beers were almost empty.
I brushed my hair off my shoulders and fanned my neck. “It’s hot as fish grease in here tonight. I wish Scott would just stay around long enough to fix the damned AC.”
“You ain't lying. We had a few complaints, but I think they just wanted free beer.” She took off her apron and grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler. “I still can’t believe Otis quit. He’s been here damned near ten years.”
“The old fart did his time for sure, and I can’t really blame him for leaving. Atleast he said he has the perfect replacement, so instead of running an ad I’m going to see if the guy works out. He’s coming in tomorrow to meet me and Lu, but he sounded okay over the phone.”
Penny gave me a nudge. “Might be nice if he’s something to look at too. We could use a hot man around here for a change.”
“Come on, you mean to tell me Otis didn’t do it for you?” I couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. She’d scrunched up her face and let out a howling sound.
“No thanks, girl. That man is a hot mess in too many ways.”
When
he was first hired on, she had a crush on him that lasted about a week. Otis was a little out there, and whatever she’d learned about him, she’d kept to herself. I glanced back at the men who were finally getting to their feet. Lu was standing a good arm’s length away as she herded them out the door like cattle.
“Thank God,” Penny mumbled as she grabbed the bar mop and bussed the table. She had it done and was on her way back to the bar before Lu left the front door.
Lu watched the men leave and then came to hover over my shoulder. “I set enough cash aside to get this damned AC fixed. I can’t tell if it’s summer or if I’m having a hot flash.” She reached into the pile of money and grabbed out four crisp hundreds. “This should cover it. And sweetie, be here at nine in the morning. We’re interviewing that man, and if he works out, I want you to give him the test to see if he knows his way around his drinks. Otis is going to be hard to replace, but at least he didn’t leave us hanging without any options.”
“We’ll see. With any luck, this one can mix a drink and bounce too. We could use a little muscle around here again. God knows Scott’s useless. He’s not even here to know what’s happening. And, please don’t make excuses for him, Lu. You know it better than I do that he’s got something fishy going on.”
Lu glanced around at Penny who was going through her handbag looking for her nightly smoke. She’s had the same ritual every night for as long as I’d known her and sure enough, she pulled it out, placed it between her lips, and fired it up. She turned and waved as she headed out. Lu watched her until she got in her car.
When it was just the two of us, Lu came back to the bar. “You don’t have to let God and everybody know that Scott’s up to something. The last thing we need is talk like that, especially if he really is.” Her brow creased with worry and she bit her thumbnail, which she had a habit of doing when she was nervous.