After their shower, Collin wrapped her in the softest white towel she’d ever felt. They dried off and he pulled on sweatpants after giving her one of his tee shirts to wear. It was huge on her and she loved it.
They climbed into bed and Bre wondered if they were going to have sex again. She was feeling sluggish from the alcohol—and from their activities—but she didn’t think it would take much for Collin to get her in the mood.
But as soon as she curled up next to him in his huge, soft bed, Bre knew nothing else was going to happen. It was as though all of her muscles unanimously decided they were done for the night and she quickly descended into the most peaceful, dreamless sleep she’d had in a long time.
Chapter Eighteen
Bre awoke the next morning while Collin was still sleeping. Her head and her bladder were both very upset with how much she’d drank the night before. As quietly as possible, she rolled out of bed and snuck off to the bathroom.
She returned to his bedside and was tempted to wake him up in her special kind of way, but he was sleeping so peacefully that she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Besides, her womanly curiosity got the better of her…
This was her chance to get a good look around the penthouse without Collin interrupting. Bre had never been one of those women that went through a guy’s stuff to find out what he was hiding, but Collin wasn’t exactly a typical kind of guy. And who knew what she might find?
On the surface he seemed way too good to be true: kind, understanding, hot as hell, and incredible in bed. There had to be a dark side that he was keeping hidden—and this penthouse was so big there had to be at least one or two secrets hidden somewhere.
She let him sleep and made her way into the long hallway that connected the master bedroom to the entrance gallery. She followed another long hallway to the right, pretty certain that they hadn’t been down that way the night before. She didn’t really have a plan of attack; she was just going to walk around until she stumbled into something interesting and juicy. The wait was shorter than expected.
Bre was surprised to discover that the first hallway was decorated with what looked like family photos. They puzzled her. Everyone looked so happy in the pictures… Happiness had never been a big part of Bre’s childhood.
He didn’t talk about them too much, but Collin must be a lot closer with his family than he was letting on. It must have been nice to grow up with supportive people around you. Hell, it would have been nice to grow up with anyone really being around.
She took a left at the end of the hall and could see the grand piano in the living room far ahead. There was an opening on the right, just before the living room, that revealed a simple and functional office. It was complete with a nice desk, a leather couch and chairs surrounding a coffee table, and even a brick fireplace on the wall separating it from the living room. She went in to get a closer look.
The wall nearest the desk had a built-in shelving unit, decorated with trophies and pictures of Collin wearing a baseball uniform. There was even a single baseball in a glass case, on display like any of the other trophies. Several of the pictures showed him wearing a Harvard uniform.
Her mind flashed back to that day at the mansion when he’d taken her in the recreation center and had his way with her. She immediately flushed. There weren’t many weekends in her life as wild and crazy as that one.
She was lost in thought, admiring the trophies and distracted by that weekend with Collin, when a knock came from behind her. She spun around to find Collin poking his head out from around the corner, smiling at her. He was still shirtless and in his dark gray sweats.
“I was wondering where you’d gotten off to,” he said.
“Just thought I’d take the chance to snoop.”
He let out a laugh.
“And you actually admit it…”
She shrugged, giving him a half-smile.
“I’ve got nothing to hide. I’m just trying to figure out if you’re the same.”
His eyes rose, perhaps impressed with her forthrightness.
“Find any dirt?”
“It’s my personal policy to not comment on an ongoing investigation.”
“Would pausing for breakfast impede your investigation?”
Her stomach rumbled as soon as he suggested it.
“Mr. Hayes, are you trying to bribe me?”
“Yes. If that’s what it takes to spend a little more time with you.”
She considered leading him on for a while longer, but decided that getting some food inside of her shouldn’t be put off any longer than necessary.
“I’ve never been one to turn down a bribe,” she said.
“That’s good to know. I’m sure there are some others I can come up with.”
She bit her lip, her thoughts returning to their wild times at the mansion.
“Yes, I’m sure there are…”
Collin led them to the kitchen where he gathered everything he needed to make something tasty. It looked like Bre was in for an incredibly delicious veggie omelet, complete with peppers and onions.
Did he cook like this every morning or was it special, just for her? Collin had his shit together; he was the kind of guy that would do this kind of thing everyday. Maybe, one day, Bre would be a real adult, too.
It was nice to be with someone who was responsible and had their shit together. Maybe some of Collin’s good habits would rub off on her. And if not, she was fine with letting him rub some other parts off on her. More than fine with it. His talents in the sack were undeniable.
A rush went through her. She bit her lip and gave him a lustful gaze while he used only one hand to crack eggs and empty them into a pan. The sack wasn’t the only place where he was proficient with his hands. And his mouth. And his cock. They’d had a lot of sex, but she couldn’t get enough of him. What other talents was he hiding from her?
Suddenly, a new hunger replaced the gurgling in her stomach.
The only thing she had on was his tee shirt and her panties. And he was only wearing those sweats. Maybe she wasn’t as hungry as she’d thought. Maybe they could help each other work up even more of an appetite…
Bre slid around the counter and slunk towards him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and slid her fingers along the top line of his sweats before Collin realized she’d even moved.
“What are you doing back there?” he asked, leaning into her.
She kissed him on the shoulder and slid her hand into his sweats. His cock was already half-hard when her fingers wrapped around it.
“I’m starving. I can’t wait any longer.”
“I’m making you some food right now.”
His tone was playful.
“I have an appetite for something else.”
He let out a soft groan; it drove her wild.
“I don’t want to be held responsible for ruining your appetite,” he said. “Not in the middle of your big investigation.”
“You’re the only reason I’m hungry in the first place.”
“But what about this food?”
“Let it burn.”
She spun him around and dropped to her knees. His sweats were loose and she pulled them down, easily. Even his hard cock couldn’t get in her way. Collin braced himself against the counter, preparing for what she was about to do to him. He’d better get ready; she was going to give him everything she had. And she was going to take every last thing he had to give her.
Bre opened her mouth and moved in to claim her treat when a gruff voice, thick with a New England accent, scared the hell out of her.
“Collin, what did I tell you about doing a full load of laundry?… Oh!”
From the corner of her eye, Bre saw an older man shuffle from around the corner. She spun away as Collin yanked his sweats up.
“Dad! Get out!”
Immediately, Bre recognized the man who’d just walked while she was going down on Collin. She’d been looking at pictures of him all morning. It was his dad.
<
br /> What in the world was he doing here?
Chapter Nineteen
Collin’s dad was wearing a white undershirt and gray plaid pajama pants. He looked exactly how Bre would expect an elderly man to look on a Saturday morning. And he was carrying her clothes that they’d thrown into the washing machine the night before—they were dried and folded!
“Dad, could you give us some privacy?” Collin said, sharply.
“I didn’t know you had company! How am I supposed to know these things? I’m not a mind reader!”
Bre didn’t even want to face him, but it was kind of hard to hide when he’d already walked in and seen everything. Collin’s erection had vanished in record time and she was almost too mortified to even move. This was not how she’d planned to meet his dad for the first time. She crossed her arms in front of her and hoped that her nipples didn’t poke straight through the soft fabric of the tee shirt.
“What are you even doing here?”
“I didn’t know a man needed a reason to be at his home on a Saturday morning.”
The New England accent came through even stronger than before. Collin gave him a flat look.
“You were supposed to be in Boston until Sunday… did something happen?”
His dad’s face twisted into a scowl and he flicked both hands forward.
“You know how your aunt gets! I came back early this morning. I guess I know why you slept in…”
Collin didn’t even seem to catch the last part, but Bre hoped her face hadn’t turned completely red.
“What did you do to piss her off?”
The scowl on his dad’s face deepened. He flicked his hands at Collin, dismissing the question, outright. A moment of awkward silence passed before anyone said anything.
“Well? Are you going to introduce me to your friend?”
Collin gave him a hard look and appeared genuinely torn between social propriety and wanting to tell his dad off. Finally, he gave in.
“Dad, this is Bre Sullivan. Bre, this is my dad, William Hayes.”
“Just call me Bill,” he said, his eyes flashing warmly. Bre instantly knew where Collin got it from. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you!”
“Oh…” Bre shot a suspicious look at Collin. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”
He’d heard about her? How much had Collin been told him?
Another moment of awkward silence dragged on between them before Bill finally broke it.
“Well, I’ll let you two be,” he said.
He set Bre’s clothes on the counter and gave one final wave toward them before disappearing somewhere into the Penthouse.
Bre was mortified. Had that whole thing really just happened? Was that really the story of how Bre met Collin’s father for the first time?
Collin waited long enough for his father to be well out of earshot before he turned to face her. He gave her a weak smile while he flicked the gas knob on the stove to shut it off. The eggs weren’t quite burned yet, but they weren’t in good shape.
“Really?” she said. “Your father lives with you?”
“He was supposed to be in Boston.”
“And you didn’t think to mention it before you fucked me in the living room?”
Collin’s face looked pained.
“He wasn’t even supposed to be here!” He frowned as she scowled and moved around him. “Where are you going?”
“I’m putting on my clothes. The same clothes that your father so kindly dried and folded… is that okay with you?”
Collin’s forehead crinkled.
“Are you upset with me?”
Bre huffed a loud breath but didn’t say anything while quickly changed
“Why does he live with you?” she asked, finally.
“He’s been with me for a while. He didn’t take it so well when Mom passed…”
“And you never thought to mention it before now?”
“Look, if I’d known he was here then I would have told you. I didn’t realize it was going to be such a big deal.”
“Don’t turn this around on me! You’re the one that didn’t tell me you live with your dad.”
Collin shook his head.
“I don’t understand. Why is this such an issue? If I’d known he was here I would have mentioned it before we got so… heated up.”
Bre let out a breath and shrugged a shoulder.
“It’s just… It’s a lot.”
Collin stepped in close and wrapped his arms around her. She still felt safe with him, which annoyed her even more.
“I’m sure it’s not how you would have wanted to meet him, but it doesn’t change anything between us.”
“He knew who I was,” Bre said. “I’m never going to live that embarrassment down.”
Collin shook his head.
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. He just seems like a grumpy old man, but he’s actually pretty sweet. I’m sure he feels even worse than you do about it.”
Well, that simply wasn’t possible, but it did make her feel a little better.
“How much have you told him about me?”
“Hardly anything,” he said.
“Why did you tell him about me at all?”
Collin looked uneasy.
“I made the mistake of mentioning you once,” he said. “That’s it.”
“He made it sound like you two had a full conversation about me…”
The unease in his face worsened.
“He got a bit weird about my dating life after Mom passed away. I think he’s trying to make sure that I don’t end up alone. He gets very curious anytime I mention a woman.”
It was Bre’s turn to shift, uneasily.
“Sounds like you two are close.”
“We were always close; all of us. Mom’s cancer brought us even closer.” He’s silent for a long moment. Bre doesn’t dare interrupt. “I’m just happy I’m able to help him out. I don’t know what I would have done if things with Logan hadn’t worked out like they did.”
“That must have been a relief.”
It sounds stupid, but it’s the only thing Bre can come up with. She’s too stuck in her own head to really tell him anything useful. Collin must have sensed her unease because he was quick to change the subject.
“I was going to wait to tell you this, but… How do you feel about surprises?”
Bre’s forehead tightened, immediately suspicious.
“I don’t know…” she said, hesitating. “I guess that depends on the surprise.”
“I wanted to wait a while longer to give it to you, but now seems as good a time as any…”
“What is it?“
Surprises had never really been her thing. A guy getting her a surprise usually meant he was thinking about her way more than she was comfortable with.
Collin held a hand up for her to wait there as he ran off towards the office. When he came back, he had an envelope and an excited smile on his face. He held it out to her, but she just stared at it.
“What is it?” she asked, cautiously.
“Open it, you’ll see.”
She took it from him while her mind raced to figure out what kind of surprise he could possibly package in a plain envelope—the prospects were grim.
Bre lifted the unsealed flap and pulled out an elegant ticket, printed on expensive stock. It was for the New York International Auto Show. Her heart skipped a beat.
“You got us tickets to a car show?” she asked, trying to mask some of her excitement.
“I thought it would be right up your alley.”
“It is!”
She fanned the tickets between her fingers and her excitement vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach redoubled itself.
“Why three?
“Well, there’s the two for us, and then…” He hesitated for a moment. “And then I thought you might want to invite your father.”
The nauseous feeling in her stomac
h threatened to heave itself through her mouth right then and there.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” she said. There was no emotion behind it; just a simple statement of fact.
“I know it’s soon, but I thought we could just keep it light-hearted and it wouldn’t be a big deal.” He grinned at her. “Besides, you just got to meet my dad. It’s only fair…”
That made her feel even worse.
“This isn’t some kind of game, Collin. You really shouldn’t have done that.”
The excited look on his face melted away.
“It’s just a car show. I thought it would be fun since you and your dad are both car nuts.”
“It’s rather insulting that you were so presumptuous about my life that you would make plans without even asking me.”
Collin took another step forward and reached his hand out to her. Bre slapped it away.
“What’s going on with you?” he said. “It’s not a big deal, it’s just a car show… I thought it would be nice.”
She glared at him.
“Not everyone has the perfect little family like you, okay?”
Collin let out a frustrated sigh.
“Do you think he won’t like me? Am I too high-brow, or whatever? If that’s the case, just say so. I’m a man, I can handle it.”
“God, it doesn’t have anything to do with you!” she shouted. “It’s me! Okay? My dad doesn’t want anything to do with me!”
“What are you talking about?”
“He’s a drunk, Collin. He’s a drunk and he blames me for my mom leaving us.” Tears stung her eyes. “He hates me.”
Collin reeled, his back stiffening. His tone was completely different when he spoke again.
“I didn’t know…,” he said.
“Of course you didn’t know. You go and try to make plans for me and you don’t even know anything about me.”
He shook his head.
“Forget the car show. We don’t have to go.”
Bre shook her head and let out a disbelieving laugh. She knew this was going to happen. And she knew it wouldn’t take long. She’d been hoping for a little while longer, but what was done was done. Might as well get it over with.
Not So Casual: Part 3 Page 7