Single Dad's Christmas Present: A Dad's Best Friend Romance

by Amy Brent

  Unable to lay still any longer, I managed to slip out of bed without disturbing Cole as he wrapped his arms around my pillow instead. I found a spare shirt in the walk-in closet filled with fancy clothes and shoes to slip into before finding a guest bathroom further down the hall. Cole’s Hampton home was much more spacious than the one my parents owned. There was no doubt about that.

  I found our clothes and my underwear downstairs in the living room from the afternoon before. Shimmying back into them, I went into the kitchen to look through the fridge for breakfast. My stomach growled loudly when I found pancake batter and fresh milk and eggs.

  “Yes,” I said, pulling everything that I could find out. “Sex really does make you hungry.”

  Especially sex with Cole. I probably burned at least a few hundred calories from yesterday. A giddy giggle left me at that as I measured out a couple of cups of pancake batter in a bowl. I started a pot of coffee, too, while I waited for the frying pan to heat up.

  “Do I smell coffee?”

  I looked up at the sound of Cole’s gravelly voice. He entered the living room, dressed in nothing but a pair of boxers. His hair was still ruffled from sleep and the afternoon before. A smile tugged at Cole’s lips when he took the sight of the bowl filled with pancake batter.

  My stomach fluttered happily as he rounded the kitchen counter to walk up to me.

  “I just made some,” I said, and gladly stepped into the circle of his strong arms.

  I pressed my cheek up against his upper chest. A couple of chest hairs tickled my nose, but I wouldn’t change this feeling for anything in the world. It felt so right to be in the kitchen on Saturday morning, cooking breakfast for the both of us after an afternoon filled with great sex. Mind blowing sex that only seemed to get better every single time now.

  Cole’s arms loosened around me as he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. He reached around then to grab two mugs from the kitchen cabinet to pour us both a cup of coffee.

  “I haven’t had a woman make me breakfast in a long time,” he said, handing me a cup with a smile. “Besides for my house staff, that is. It’s nice having that again.”

  That warmed my heart as I poured some pancake batter into the frying pan. I was making a good dent a least in Cole’s life.

  “I’m glad that you are good with me being here,” I said, picking up my mug of coffee. “What are your plans for the rest of the day?”

  Cole took a drink of his coffee. “What are yours?”

  “I have none really. I’m not going to my mom’s party tonight, so my schedule is free for you.”

  “I have to head back into the city by the evening,” Cole said. “How about we eat some breakfast, take a shower, and then enjoy a nice boat ride on the ocean before it gets to be too cold to do anything?”

  “Anything you want to do,” I replied, flipping a pancake easily in the frying pan.

  Strong hands cupped my breasts suddenly. I let out a startled gasp as heat immediately pooled between my legs at the bold touch. Cole’s lips pressed up against the column of my neck, leaving behind a trail of hot kisses that made me squirm with pleasure. I could feel something hot and hard press up against right ass cheek.

  “I’m never going to want to stop having you,” Cole whispered into my ear, squeezing my breasts seductively. “You know how sexy you look standing here in one of my shirts. Are you wearing any underwear?”

  I bit my lip meekly when one of Cole’s hands dipped down to cup me between my legs. His fingers pressed up against me teasingly and then retreated before I could fully enjoy the touch. The smell of burnt pancake drew us both out of the haze surrounding us as Cole grabbed the frying pan to dump the burnt pancake into the sink.

  “It’s probably a good idea if we wait until after we eat,” Cole said, chuckling. “What do you think?”

  I forced my body to cool back down to a normal temperature. “Might be a good idea. Don’t want to burn your fancy house down. You’d have to explain to everyone what happened.”

  “That wouldn’t be a very pleasant explanation,” he said and grimaced. “I’ll get the pancakes ready. Think about it if you want to take the boat out with me for a picnic on the water.”

  “You already know the answer to that.”

  I paused when I caught sight of my phone spinning in a circle on the kitchen island. Sighing, I picked it up to see that I had three missed phone calls from my mom already this morning. Shit. I tapped a finger against my phone while I debated on calling her back with Cole standing alongside me. If she heard one thing that alerted her to where I was, it’d be over. Everything would be ruined before I could enjoy it.

  “I have to call my mom really quick,” I said. “She’s called me three times.”

  “Might be a good idea. She’ll send the police after you if you don’t call her back.” Cole glanced over his shoulder at me with a spatula in his right hand. “You can use my office if you want to talk privately to her.”

  “Thanks.”

  I walked up the stairs to Cole’s office which, in my opinion, was more like a large library with tons of books. He rarely used it, judging from the fine layer of dust on his desk.

  “Where have you been?” Gloria asked, exasperated. “Vi, you can’t just take off on me like that. I know that you said you were with a friend, but it’s not like you to not answer your phone.”

  “I’m sorry. We just got caught up talking this morning, that’s all.” I took a seat in Cole’s office chair, folding my legs underneath me as I gazed out the window that overlooked a large pool. “I haven’t seen her since college, so I’m going to stay here in the city with her for a little bit longer.”

  “Where are you exactly?”

  “Manhattan,” I said. The lie slipped out surprisingly easily. “We drove back to the city last night to have a few drinks, and we had too many to come back. We’re going to do some shopping here for the afternoon. I’ll be home later.”

  Gloria sighed into the phone. “I suppose that’s fine, Vi. Find a nice dress to wear to the party tonight because—”

  “I can’t come to the party tonight,” I interrupted, wincing at the irritating noise my mother made in the back of her throat. “I’m sorry, but Cole asked me to come back into the city to look at things for work. We have a big meeting in the city.”

  “I swear that Cole is working you too hard.” My cheeked burned at that while the heat between my legs flared. “I’m going to speak with him about using you too much as a personal assistant. I think the job is starting to wear you down.”

  “Don’t, Mom. I’m honestly fine. I have to go, so I’ll see you before I leave this afternoon.”

  I hung up before she could say anything else. A small bit of guilt bubbled in my stomach, but I knew there was no way that I could be honest with her about my feelings for Cole. Or what had happened, either, over the past two weeks. My parents would never want Cole around again, and then they would pressure me to leave. It was just too much drama to deal with.

  A fresh stack of pancakes was waiting for me when I came back down the stairs. My heart swelled with love when Cole looked up from the newspaper he was reading with a mug of coffee in hand.

  “My afternoon is officially free,” I said, taking a seat next to Cole at the dining nook he was seated at. “I’m ready to go boating. My mom thinks I’m in Manhattan at the moment.”

  Something flickered in Cole’s eyes at that. I could see that small bit of guilt eating at him, too, the guilt for lying to his close friends, but I leaned in to press a kiss to his lips to chase that away. I didn’t want our time ruined this weekend. I didn’t want to think of the consequences of anything just yet.

  We spent the next three hours boating around the shores of the Hamptons. Cole brought a blanket for us to lay down on along with a picnic basket of various sandwiches and finger foods. With the gentle rock of the ocean waves against the boat along with Cole’s body propped over my own, his lips pressed against mine whenever we weren’t
talking, it was hard to think of anything else besides the sunlight and the taste of Cole on my lips.

  “I don’t want to go,” I said after kissing Cole for the fifth time at the bottom of his private driveway. The hedges were thick enough that Cole felt comfortable enough with kissing me goodbye down here. “Can’t I come with you now?”

  Cole smoothed his hands over my shoulders. A fond smile tugged at his lips.

  “I wish that you could,” he said. “I do have work to concentrate on when I get back to the city. I can’t afford to have any pleasant distractions like I’ve had all day.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” I said.

  Cole chuckled at the pout on my lips. “Don’t be so disappointed. You’ll see me in two days.”

  “That’s a bit too long in my opinion, but I won’t be one of those clingy girlfriends.”

  I winced when the word slipped off the tip of my tongue. The last thing we had done was talk about the status of our relationship, and I didn’t want to put a label on anything before talking to Cole.

  “I’m sorry,” I rushed out. “I didn’t mean to let that slip out. I’ll see you on Monday morning, right?”

  “Keeping your job does count on you being there by 8:00 am,” Cole said, dryly. “Keep out of trouble, Vi. Call me if you need anything.”

  He pressed one last kiss against my lips before clicking the gate open. I stepped out after checking for any passing neighbors and turned to wave at Cole as the gate swung shut. He lifted a hand in goodbye.

  The sound of sprinkles clicking in the distance filled the late afternoon air. I walked along with a dreamy smile permanently attached to my life. I was happy. Happier than I had been in a long time.

  Chapter 15

  Cole

  “Mr. Crayton?”

  I tore my gaze away from the sinful sight of Violet’s ass from where she was bent over, rifling through a filing cabinet. My dick was hard and throbbing. It was a good thing I was seated behind my desk because the bulge in my pants was noticeable. Very noticeable.

  “What?” I quipped, irritated and horny as hell. “What were you saying, Cheryl?”

  Cheryl tapped a finger impatiently on a file she set on my desk. “I said, these contracts need your signature and approval before I go to FedEx. I need to get there in the next hour to make it on time.”

  “Oh, right.”

  I glanced down at the contracts in the file for a group of new clients on the west coast. They were estimated to bring in an extra million a year. I scribbled my name down on the bottom of the contracts before handing them off to Cheryl.

  “Make sure they get there on time,” I said and ignored the exasperated sigh. “It’s nearly lunch time, too. Can you pick up the floor some food?”

  Cheryl’s jaw dropped in surprise. “You want me to get lunch for the entire floor?”

  No. I just want some time alone with Violet.

  I gritted my teeth as I pulled out my wallet and tossed the company American Express to Cheryl. She picked it up with wide eyes.

  “You all deserve some lunch,” I said. “Just pick up whatever you think is easy to bring back here for everyone.”

  “If you’re sure,” Cheryl said, pocketing the card. “I don’t know what’s gotten into your sudden generosity here, but I like it. Whatever is making you happy, I hope you keep it around.”

  She winked at me before disappearing out of my office. Our conversation from two weeks ago played in my head again. There was talk, I was sure, over the nature of Violet’s position as my personal assistant. She stayed late with me over the past few days, but I was careful to leave after her departure to head straight to her apartment outside of Manhattan. We ordered in food. We made love every single night.

  I was happy. Maybe even generous as Cheryl noted. I felt young again and careless, even though I was still cautious. I didn’t know where this was going to go, but for once in my life, all I wanted to do was enjoy what I had now.

  “Mr. Crayton?”

  I glanced down at my phone at the sound of Violet’s voice. She was twisted around in her chair, looking at me nervously.

  “What?” I asked.

  “My father is on line two,” she said. “He said he needs to talk with you right away. I tried to tell him you were about to step out for lunch.”

  “It’s fine,” I said. “I’ll take the call if you can shut the door.”

  “Of course.”

  She rose from her desk to shut the door, closing out the busy sounds of the office behind her. I stared down the flashing light for a few seconds. It wasn’t possible that Alan found out about Violet spending the weekend at my house in the Hamptons. As strict as Violet’s parents were, they didn’t keep close enough tabs to know that Violet had spent the night at my house— in my bed.

  “Fuck,” I groaned, rubbing my face in aggravation. I still needed to have a very serious conversation with Violet about where this was going. The last thing I wanted to do was put myself between her and her parents.

  I just couldn’t let go. No matter how much I told myself to let this go, to let Violet enjoy life as a twenty-one-year-old young woman, I couldn’t let her go. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that this needed to be over before one of us fell for each other.

  I didn’t like the sick feeling in my stomach, either, when I picked up the phone and pressed line two with a heavy sigh.

  “This is Cole Crayton,” I said, briskly. “What can I help you with?”

  “Since when do you sound so fucking normal on the phone?” Alan asked.

  His teasing tone immediately eased the tension out of me.

  “Since the day I built this business from the ground up,” I said. “I assume there’s a reason why you are calling me in the middle of the afternoon?”

  “Look, I didn’t want to call and bother you, but Gloria is asking me to talk to you about Violet.”

  “Okay,” I said, slowly. “What does she want you to talk to me about?”

  “It’s her schedule. Gloria is worried that Violet is getting ill, or unable to deal with the stress of being your personal assistant. She came home upset this weekend, but wouldn’t tell either one of us what was going on.”

  Guilt burned the back of my throat. She was upset because of me, Alan. I fucked her, and then messed up by telling her to leave. I shook those thoughts away.

  “She hasn’t mentioned a word to me about feeling upset or tired,” I managed to say in an even voice. “I’ll make sure to talk to her about having a good balance between work and life. I don’t want her to feel stressed out.”

  “That’s what I told Gloria, but she insisted that I talk to you about it. I know that you don’t have any kids, but Violet is our baby. Even if she’s all grown up, we still worry about her.”

  My skin felt hot and itchy as I rubbed at the back of my neck with a sigh. “I understand. I’ll make sure to have a talk with her. If she doesn’t say anything, then there isn’t anything that I can do.”

  “I understand that. Just promise to keep an eye out on her. Make sure she’s eating and sleeping.” Alan sighed into the phone. “If you don’t, then you’re going to have to answer to Gloria. You and I both know how that will go down.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

  I let the phone drop back in the cradle. What the fuck was I doing? That sense of peace no longer felt peaceful. Guilt bubbled in me bitterly as I got up from my desk to gaze out across Manhattan.

  “Cole?”

  The office door opened. I turned to watch as Violet popped her head in through the crack. She looked over at me in concern before stepping inside fully and then shut the door behind herself.

  “Mr. Crayton,” I reminded her crossly. “We’re in the office, Violet. You can’t address me so personally here.”

  Violet’s eyes widened at my tone. “Everyone has left for lunch break. Cheryl said that you gave her the company credit card to get everyone lunch, but I wanted to see what my father wa
nted.”

  “He wanted to make sure that you were okay.”

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s it,” I echoed, and walked over to the small cabinet I kept whiskey in. It was tempting to pour myself a drink even though it was the lunch hour in the middle of a work day. I needed something to take the edge off after that conversation. “Violet, I don’t know how much more I can—”

  “Don’t.”

  The harshly spoken word caught me off guard. Violet’s eyes were shimmering brightly with an indescribable emotion. It was a mixture of frustration and lust that instantly set my blood ablaze.

  “I’m twenty-two years old,” she started, approaching me with confident steps. “I can have a relationship without anyone’s approval—including my parents. They don’t control what I do, or who I chose to do.”

  Alarm bells went off in my head as Violet rounded my desk, but I couldn’t force myself to move away. A part of me squirmed anxiously to see where this was going to lead. My cock was still hard and begging for another release. That was the enticing power Violet had over me. She appeared so innocent, so quiet, but when pushed to the limit, a new side of her emerged. A confident and sexy young woman who refused to take no for an answer.