Naughty but Nice: A Best Friend's Dad Christmas Romance

by Rye Hart

  She nodded, still taken aback by the scale of things. “Right. Tower. And there are others?”

  “Four; one for each corner.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You’re not like a prince or something?”

  “No. I’m a billionaire. I own a few businesses, but if I were to tell you which ones, I’d have to kill you,” I teased, trying to break the tension.

  She rolled her eyes gave a reluctant laugh.

  “Ah, right. Anonymity.” She folded her arms across her front.

  “Come, let’s get you something to drink and make you comfortable. I know it’s late, but I’d like to talk a minute. Give you time to acclimate.”

  “That would be nice, thank you.”

  I took her hand and led her to the bar area on the far wall and poured her a drink. She started to take a seat on the nearest barstool, but I took her hand. “I think there are more comfortable places here.” I led her to my den where the furnishings were less formal.

  One of the first things I’d done to personalize my castle home was order four custom-built black leather sofas. I placed them in the room in a square formation, and they were comfortable to lounge on and the perfect place to get more acquainted.

  “Have a seat.”

  She lowered herself onto the leather and smiled. “This is amazing. I could sleep right here.”

  “You’ll have a bed that’s twice as amazing as this. You’ll see. But first, I wanted to talk to you about the contract and answer any questions you have. I like to get this out of the way to avoid any confusion.” I also didn’t like the ugly talk of arrangements screwing up the mood once we got started.

  “I believe I understood it just fine. Everything will be at your whim and in your control for the next two weeks. I’ll have no say.” She made a face as if that part wasn’t to her liking.

  “I think you’ll be surprised at how much control you’ll have. You’ll influence every decision I make. I’m not a monster, Carrie. I want this to be fun for you.”

  She seemed to mull that over for a moment. “I haven’t had much fun lately. My father’s sick. He’s got to have surgery, and since we’re broke, I’m hoping to use the money so he can get it.”

  I had lost my own father a few years ago to a heart attack. He’d been a tyrant who had made most of my life miserable to make is fortune. Though we hadn’t been close, it had still been painful to lose him. Carrie’s face softened when she spoke of her father, and I imagined that seeing him in failing health was excruciating for her. I wanted to make her forget all about that for a while.

  “I’m sorry to hear that your father is so sick,” I said, to which she shrugged. Deciding to change the subject to more pleasant things, I cleared my throat. “When you do get a chance, what do you like to do for fun?”

  “I used to paint; acrylic mostly, but sometimes I’d work with oils. My father used them. He loved the textures. I thought they were too messy and took too long to dry. I prefer faster results, I guess,” she answered.

  “Impatient?” I’d have fun with that. She’d get a good lesson in patience while she was here with me.

  “I suppose. But I love creating, and I have so many ideas that I do better with smaller projects; ones that give me instant gratification.”

  A sly smile played around the corners of my mouth as I thought about gratification and how much of it she’d be getting. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

  Seeing her in the dress she’d worn, per my dress code, really showed off her curves and her long legs. Her skin was like honey and hair was a pale blond that complemented her bright green eyes. I could feel my dick straining against the fabric of my jeans.

  She cleared her throat, and I snapped out of my daze. “Your father is an artist too, then?”

  “Yes. He’s really good.”

  “I bet you’re good too.” I had a feeling she was going to be good at whatever I threw at her,

  “I’m okay, I guess. I was featured at a local art show, and one of my works hangs in the library back home. It’s not much, but other people seem to enjoy it.”

  “That’s amazing. There is a gallery here in the castle. I’ll show it to you tomorrow if you like. There are some amazing old portraits throughout the castle, as well.” I suddenly wanted to show her all those things and was glad she seemed to share my love of art. “You know, my mother used to paint some. I have one of hers hanging in my bedroom. You’ll see it.”

  “Right, when we—”

  “Right.” I looked at her, and she shifted in her seat and sipped her drink,

  “I’ve never been away from home.”

  “Well, you certainly picked a good place for your first visit. Is someone caring for your father back home or is he in a facility?” I hated that I put her out to come, but on the other hand, I was selfish and couldn’t help but want her.

  “He’s in a home. Our old house is a bit behind on taxes, but I hope that some of this money will fix that too. It also needs a bit of repair. I’ve been taking care of things since my stepmother left. She took my dad’s savings on her way out.”

  She had seen hard times, and it made me feel for her. I’d had some rough times with family issues as well, and it was never easy, rich or poor. Money didn’t solve everything, and it didn’t make a home a happy place to be.

  “Is there anything else about the contract that you needed to know? I don’t mind explaining the reasons behind some of my rules, but I’d rather discuss these things now instead of later. And I especially think you should ask before we have sex.” I wasn’t going to tell her, but if she felt she had to leave, I’d do the courteous thing and pay her fares and see her home safely. I could certainly afford it, and it was only put in the rules so no one could try to take advantage of me.

  “I do have one question, and I hope that you won’t take it the wrong way, but I’m a little confused by it.” She raked her hand through her pale hair and took a deep breath.

  “Of course, ask me anything. Now’s the time.” Her question was sure to be a familiar one. It wasn’t too often that the women I’d brought asked me something I’d never heard before.

  “Why go through all this just to have sex with someone? I mean, you’re kind of super hot, so it’s not like you should have to pay for it or buy someone’s time.” She let out a breath and then looked away.

  “You think I’m super hot?” I leaned in and gave her a smoldering look.

  “Oh, that’s it; you totally didn’t know it, right? Well, let me be the first to tell you.” We exchanged a laugh, and she shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m here.”

  “Why? Because I’m so hot?” I chuckled. “Yes, I’ve been told that before.”

  “A few times?” she asked, her tone still steeped in sarcasm.

  “How often are you told?”

  The question took her by surprise, and she looked down to her drink and then finished it off. She swallowed hard and then looked up to the ceiling.

  “Maybe once or twice by someone other than my father. He thinks I’m the most beautiful girl in the world.” She rolled her eyes and made a silly face.

  “I’d have to agree with him.” She was by far the most beautiful, and I could tell she thought I was not being serious. I made a mental note to change that.

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “I like controlling all my business arrangements so that no one can sue me, trap me, or use me. Besides, this way I get what I want when I want it.”

  Her eyes burned into mine, and that look of uncertainty returned to her face. “When are you going to want it?”

  “Carrie, I’ve wanted it from the first time I walked into that diner.”

  End of Sneak Peak. Would you like to know how this continues?

  Click Here: Two Weeks of Sin: A Billionaire & Virgin Romance

  What would you do...

  If the man of your wet dreams made you an offer?

  One that made you blush.

  But acceptin
g would mean total and complete submission.

  It's sort of my thing...

  I see a woman I want and I go all in.

  One-hundred thousand dollars.

  My private estate.

  Non-stop orgasms.

  No strings attached.

  But there's one catch...

  I own her for those fourteen glorious days.

  Every delicious morsel.

  It's how I feed the beast at night.

  So I can conquer the world by day.

  It's my equilibrium.

  At least it was, until two weeks stopped being enough. How will I convince the woman of my dreams to stay after she's had a taste of the beast?

  Two Weeks of Sin: A Billionaire & Virgin Romance

  The Longest Rodeo: Sneak Peak

  A Second Chance Cowboy Romance

  CHAPTER ONE - DEAN

  “Goddammit. Mom’s back at it again. She was passed out in the hallway last night and had to be carried to her bed. Every time things seem to get better, shit hits the fan again,” Daniel grumbled as we both scarfed down our breakfast.

  Cornflakes and burnt coffee-breakfast of champions.

  “I know,” I grunted in response.

  I hated that I had to leave my little brother home with our mom when she was at her worse, but the only thing keeping the lights from being shut off was my job at the country club.

  “She already finished a fresh fifth of vodka by noon yesterday. Then she just started talking all crazy like she does,” he said before shoveling a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

  I sat back and pressed the heels of my palms to my eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry you have to be stuck with her during the day bro—” I started.

  “It’s okay man. We both have to do our part. Besides, I’m not sure that shoveling horse shit all day is any better.”

  I gave a chuckle and gulped down the last of my coffee. “Honestly, the worst part of my job is having to deal with the club members. Ninety-nine percent of them are stuffed-shirt douchebags. And don’t get me started on the chicks.”

  Daniel laughed. “Yeah, you’d better not start on the chicks, Casanova,” he teased.

  I smiled and shook my head, not exactly sure that I was happy with my teenage brother knowing about my reputation with the ladies in our small town outside of Austin. Dad died when Daniel was a baby, so I’ve been the only male role model in his life. I had a sense of obligation to look after him. I tried to do my best, but a man’s got needs.

  “Well, I need to get to the club,” I told him, standing and playfully rubbing the top of his head with my right hand and making damn sure his moussed hair was a fine mess once I was done. He pushed me away with one arm as he frantically adjusted his hair with his free hand. I chuckled as I made my way to the sink.

  “Don’t worry about that, I got them,” Daniel said.

  I smiled down at him and ruffled his hair some more. “Try to stay out of trouble, will you?” I called over my shoulder as I walked out the door.

  “Ditto!”

  ***

  As I mucked out the horse stalls, I had to remind myself why I took this job in the first place. Though it wasn’t glamorous in the least, it paid more than my last gig at the factory.

  I’d been forced to work job after job since age twelve, when my mother climbed into the nearest bottle after my father’s death. In all honesty, life at the Evans residence had been a complete shit show over the years. At the age of twenty-four, I’d already seen so much more than a man twice my age. I was determined to change the state of my family even if that meant working my ass off to make it happen.

  This job wasn’t where I’d imagined I’d be, but at least it gave me better hours so I could be home in the evenings when Mom was usually at her worst. Plus, I got to work with the horses. Horses had been my passion since my dad had taken me to my first rodeo when I was five. I started riding at the stables where he worked after that and rode almost every day until he died. Though I really didn’t have time or money for riding much anymore, other than the guided trail rides at the club, I still relished the ability to be around the gorgeous beasts on a daily basis.

  Another thing that had kept me up at night was Daniel’s circle of friends – if you could call them that. I knew my kid brother. He wasn’t his usual self - leaving the house after midnight and coming home at near day break with blood-shoot eyes. Hanging out with the wrong crowd gets a guy into deep shit. I knew it from experience and I wanted so much more for my brother. Based on my limited exposure, I didn’t know much about his friends but something told me they were trouble. At this point I was waiting for my opportunity to catch him doing something stupid so I could finally beat that stupid out of him.

  With a grunt, I forced my shovel under the pile of crap and heaved it into the waiting wheelbarrow. My forehead was glistening with sweat so I wiped it with the back of my hand. Once the last stall was cleaned, I tossed the shovel to the side and heaved the wheelbarrow up with both hands.

  “Dean!” a familiar voice called out. I stopped walking and turned around. My boss, Trevor Larson was standing behind me.

  “What’s up?” I asked

  “Well, I was going to tell you to clean the stalls out before you get the horses set for the riders, but it looks like you already took care of that. Aside from that, these riders are a group of elite club members. Make sure they leave happy, weel ya?” he said.

  “Sure thing. I’ll take care of it,” I answered, stifling the urge to say ‘no shit, Sherlock,’ instead.

  Realizing he had nothing else to say, Trevor turned and walked away.

  “Asshat,” I muttered under my breath as he left. Though he probably had as much money in his bank account as I did, Trevor had a chip on his shoulder. He’d been around these old-money assholes way too long.

  After I dumped the wheelbarrow, I stowed it away in the barn and quickly washed my hands. I knew there wasn’t anything I could do about the shit smell but I refused to approach the country club ‘elite’ with disgusting hands.

  I looked at myself in the foggy mirror over the sink. My face was red from exertion and my blue eyes looked bloodshot. I shook my head and watched my dark hair fall across my forehead. My hair was always a dark brown but after a few hours in the stalls, it turned almost black from sweat and muck.

  Once I was clean enough, I sighed and hurried out to the front of the stables. My workers were already there, saddling up horses for the afternoon riders. As my eyes fell on the group, I knew they weren’t beginners. It was a group of girls, all about eighteen, wearing professional riding gear with their hair tied back into tight ponytails. Most of them held riding crops in their hands, making me fight back an eye roll.

  As I stepped forward to finish saddling the horses, I shook my head and swore under my breath. Trevor didn’t say anything about babysitting. Just the appearance of these spoiled brats was enough to work my nerves. My patience was running thin after hours in the stalls and now, I had to cater to a bunch of silver-spoon-fed bitches who didn’t know the first thing about hard work. It was nauseating.

  I saddled the last horse, taking care to fasten the straps just right before I turned to let the girls know the horses were ready. Most of them were already climbing up, adjusting themselves like princesses on a throne. Unable to hold back this time, I rolled my eyes and turned away just as the last girl walked slowly toward me. I barely looked at her until she was standing right next to me.

  “I guess you’re mine,” she said softly. I jerked my head up, staggered by her words, to see her stroking the horse’s face gently.

  The girl was exquisite. Two long blonde braids were caught in the sunlight just right and when I looked up at her face I was struck with the most striking pair of blue eyes. Her skin was peaches and cream, with flushed cheeks from the southern heat. Her lips were naturally plump and pink and formed a sexy heart shape that I could appreciate for much longer than what would be deemed socially acceptable.r />
  Fucking hell. Don’t be a creep man. Look away. Crap! Too late.

  When our eyes met, I felt a wave of heat forming in my torso and traveling down to my pants. Thanks to her form fitting riding gear, I was able to make out those sexy curves that shaped her perky breasts. I didn’t dare to lower my gaze any further to avoid scaring the poor girl with a massive erection.

  She looked away and smiled at the horse as she leaned in to place a kiss just under his eye. I frowned and quickly looked away. The last thing I needed was to be caught eye fucking one of the club’s members. I needed this job.

  “All yours,” I said, not daring to meet her eyes again. “Here you go.”

  I handed her the reins. She smiled gratefully and expertly flung herself up and over the horse’s back. My eyes followed her movements closely. I tried to look away but that time, I couldn’t.

  I stared at her long enough for her to notice. When she finally met my gaze, I was lost. Her smile was innocent and sweet but there was something different brewing behind her eyes. As she shifted herself on the saddle, my eyes were drawn to her hips and long, strong legs in their tight riding pants. A brief flash of those legs wrapped around me pulsed in my brain and I almost groaned out loud.

  “All set?” I asked her, taking a small step forward.

  “Just about,” she said. “Would you mind grabbing my water? I left it over there.”

  She pointed to a spot just a few feet away. I saw an engraved water bottle set against the side of the barn. I hurried over to it and grabbed it, eager to get back to her.

  “Thank you,” she said as I handed her the bottle. She took a long sip, letting her plump lips linger on the spout. I swallowed hard as my eyes trailed down her smooth neck to her breasts. She wore a tight top that matched her pants, and it showed off the curve of her chest without revealing even an inch of cleavage.

  Fuck. Stop staring.

  “Thank you again,” she said. She slid the water bottle into the saddle bag and swung the reins around. The horse obeyed her silent command easily, turning his head and allowing her to lead him down the trail. She rode him with perfection.