My Father's Best Friend

by Ali Parker

  "Oh hey. I'm sorry." He stood up and snatched a Kleenex from the box on his desk. "I didn't mean to upset you."

  "No, it's okay. I'm just tired. I didn't sleep too well last night."

  "Something on your mind?" He tilted his head to the side and watched me.

  "No, but thanks for asking." I lifted the tickets and dabbed my eyes with the tissue. "Thanks again for these. I need it."

  "Anytime."

  His warmth followed me down the hall back to my office, and I figured I had about ten minutes to have a good cry, but the broad shouldered, blond haired man sitting in the seat across from my desk with his back to me left me trying to pull myself together.

  "Matt?" I closed the door behind me as he stood and turned. The goofy grin on his face left my heart racing. He was beyond attractive in all the right ways, but it wasn't the lust that sat between us, but the promise that so much more could exist if we could push past the awkwardness of our relationship.

  "Erica Hall." He extended his hand and shook mine firmly as his eyes moved down the length of my body. It was a relief to know that if nothing else, he was interested in checking me out. "Don't you look beautiful today?"

  "Thanks." I released his hand and walked around to the other side of my desk. "How was the flight?"

  "Too short. I sleep like a baby on those things." He sat down in the chair closest him and cross his clasped hands over his stomach.

  "How long are you in town?" I glanced down at the tickets and thought maybe for a minute about asking him, but lost my nerve. I was too raw from the simple kindness Lewis and Mandy had shown that morning.

  "I'm here until Monday afternoon. I'm staying at the Hyatt just down the road." He nodded toward the tickets. "Whatcha got there?"

  I handed them to him. "Blink-182 tickets. I haven't been to a concert in forever and they're one of my favorite bands."

  "Oh my goodness." He laughed low in his chest. "I love these guys."

  I nodded and sat back, trying hard to relax. Everything about him turned me on. He was like the greatest treasure I might get the opportunity to uncover. I just needed to know which key to use to open him up.

  "I have two tickets." I shrugged, trying to appear casual. "You can join me if you like. I was going to ask a friend, but I'm happy to take you with me."

  "Seriously?" His eyes lit up and his smile was so big it had to hurt.

  I found myself smiling like an idiot because of him.

  "Yeah. It could be fun."

  "It'll be a blast." He licked his lips and handed me the tickets back. "So I'll go with you tomorrow night, but I have this stupid dinner I need to have with Jonathan Luntz tonight. He's bringing his wife and told me to bring a date. Any way I can twist your arm to come with me? You're the only woman I know in Seattle." He snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.

  I could have taken his comment as an insult, but I decided not to.

  "Yeah. I'll go."

  "Just a friendly dinner. We'll get ice cream or something afterward if you're up for it."

  I nodded. "Sounds good to me."

  Chapter 7

  Matt

  I was having trouble breathing by the time I got to the bottom floor of McKenzie and Bryant's beautiful glass building in downtown Seattle. Erica was willing to go to dinner as my date, and I'd signed myself up to going to the Blink-182 concert with her the next night. Two nights with her tucked against my side. I might not survive it.

  The image of her standing in the doorway as I turned a few minutes before seared me. My cock twitched in my jeans, my stomach tightened as desire ran around crazy deep inside me. What I would give to let loose and rein passion all over her. She was so strong and fierce, and yet a softness played on her features moments before. Had someone upset her? The need to protect her roared to life inside of me, surprising me a little. I'd have to be careful that weekend, or all the walls I'd resurrected to keep myself in check would come crumbling down and she'd be mine - at least for a few days.

  The drive to the hotel was quick, but the luxury of taking the latest Audi for a spin was a treat. I had an old truck back home that I loved to drive and wasn't willing to give up on just yet, but after this weekend, I might have to use a little bit of the money I'd saved up and buy myself a nice car. It was too hard not to feel like a king sitting in the damn thing.

  The valet rushed toward me as I pulled up to the Hyatt and opened my door for me.

  "Good afternoon, Sir. Welcome to the Hyatt."

  "Thanks." I got out and took the ticket the guy offered before walking into the hotel. It wasn't the one my father wanted me to stay at, but it was good enough for me. Too fancy and I'd start to feel like the rich kid I hated being.

  Memories of trying to hide my wealth when I was in secondary school washed over my vision and I couldn't help but laugh. How stupid was I? My brother was flaunting it, and I couldn't stand for anyone to know that we came from money. It didn't feel right. It wasn't my money to flaunt anyway.

  "Hi, Sir. Welcome to the Hyatt. How can I help you?" The middle-aged woman at the counter gave me a warm smile.

  "I'm here to check in. Matthew Bryant." I pulled out my phone to pull up the reservation and couldn't seem to get cellular service. "Weird. Is your Wi-Fi working?"

  She glanced up and nodded. "It was a few minutes ago. You might need to step outside if it's giving you trouble."

  "Okay. I'll do that." I put the phone back in my pocket and took in the various pieces of art around the lobby. My dream was to one day walk into a place and see my own work accenting the beauty of the place. I had a long way to go, but I was willing to push if it meant recognizing my dreams.

  "Hmmm..."

  I turned my attention back to the woman. "Hmmm doesn't sound like a good thing."

  "It's just that I see your reservation, but the hotel is overbooked." She gave me an apologetic look. "We have another hotel across town, but it's about fifteen minutes. Do you want me to call over there and see if they have an opening?"

  I had just enough time to check in, change and get back over to the restaurant originally, but now with a few additional minutes on my hands, I figured I would text Erica and just pick her up at her place.

  "No, I'm good. I'm just going to use your restroom. I'll call my secretary and have her book another hotel close by. Thanks." I turned and pulled my suitcase toward the restroom, trying hard not to get annoyed. I couldn't control all the shit life flung at me, but I learned from an early age the one thing I could own - how I reacted to the shit. Getting upset over the hotel would leave me pissy for what was surely to be a great night. Not only did I like Jonathan and looked forward to seeing what his thoughts were regarding my work, but I would get to sit next to the most beautiful woman on the planet. Nothing could dent that. Not even the extreme nervousness over all of it.

  ***

  "So what happened?" Erica glanced over at me as she ran her hands over her grey skirt. It stopped just above her knees, leaving plenty of tanned flesh for me to covet.

  "They had my reservation, but had overbooked the hotel. It's weird that they wouldn't stop booking people when they ran out of rooms." I rolled my eyes and chuckled as she buckled up. "We're going to Landralla tonight. I've only been once and it was forever ago. You okay with that?"

  "Oh yeah. I love their sea bass. It's juicy and melts on your tongue." She glanced over at me with a pseudo-innocence that had my body reacting violently. Maybe spending half the weekend with the woman who played center stage for all of my fantasies was a bad idea. Nothing good could come of it but me capturing the sounds of her moans for replay later when I was back in my own world.

  "Sounds delicious. Hey, I was thinking, if you want to take your friend tomorrow night to the concert, you should. I didn't mean to-"

  "No way. I'm glad you want to go. Those concerts get crazy. Having a big guy like you with me is perfect. Poor Lanie isn't even up to my chin." She smiled and the world seemed brighter. Her blond hair played along the tops
of her shoulders, and the silky blue shirt that clung to her breasts brought out the darkness in her sapphire eyes. She would be the perfect picture to paint. I could capture so many emotions in her face alone.

  "Are you calling me fat?" I smiled as I pulled myself out of the depths of passion that were starting to suffocate me.

  This is the reason you run from this woman. Hello?

  "Never. You're incredibly handsome. I like how big you are. It's blistering hot." She smiled in a way that didn't match her come-on.

  I swallowed hard and pulled up to the restaurant. "No flirting with me in front of Jonathan. It makes me blush."

  She laughed and got out of the car, meeting me in front of the restaurant. "You are a little flush."

  "That's all your fault, Miss Hall." I opened the door for her and breathed in softly, wanting the scent of her perfume to stain my lungs.

  I moved up to the hostess stand as Jonathan called out my name from across the room. Where the place was fancy, Jonathan was wealthy enough not to adhere to social standards it would seem.

  "I like him already." She slipped her arm into mine and glanced up. "Just relax and make sure you don't sell yourself short. Oh I know... let me tell him that I'm your agent."

  "Do I need an agent?" I glanced down at her and tried not to stare at her lips. Soft and pale pink. They had to give the softest kisses imaginable. Is that what I wanted? Soft?

  "No, but you're far too good of a guy for anyone to take advantage of you. Let me help."

  I stopped and turned to face her, pulling her flush against me as I leaned down and locked eyes with her.

  "Do I look like the kind of man that needs help?" I wanted to be my brother, and for a moment, I sure as fuck felt like him. Powerful and strong. The kind of guy Erica would want with a burning passion inside of her. The kind of man she deserved.

  Her breath caught in her chest as she pressed her palms to my chest. "No, but let me help anyway. It will make me feel better than sitting here like a bump on a log. Please?"

  I smiled and released her. "All right. Could be fun."

  She laughed and slipped her arm back into mine. "And I'm your girlfriend tonight."

  "What?" I glanced down at her about the time we reached the table. Too late. She was going to have fun and all I could do was trust her that whatever she was up to would be good for me too.

  "Matthew. This is my wife, Margaret." Jonathan offered his hand and I shook it and then his wife's.

  "This is Erica Hall. She's my agent and my girlfriend." I slid my hand over her lower back and enjoyed far too much how her muscles tightened under my touch. She should be my girlfriend, but I was too much of a wimp to make that happen. The attraction was skin deep, but I couldn't let lust be all we had. That would never work for me.

  "Nice to see you again, Miss Hall. I believe we met a week or so ago at our initial interview." Jonathan smiled at Erica and shook her hand.

  "We sure did. Nice to see you again too, Jonathan." She turned to Margaret. "Nice to meet you as well."

  We sat down after the pleasantries were over, and damn if Erica didn't scoot her chair a little closer to mine. The smell of her perfume washed over me again, and suddenly spending the evening with Jonathan was the last thing I wanted to do.

  "Let's talk business first and then we can enjoy dinner together. Would that be all right?" Erica spoke up, surprising me a little.

  "Oh, I like her even more." Jonathan laughed and picked up a wine menu. "Let's get a couple of bottles of wine and then I'll bring out the contracts. I think I'd like to have a showing in the next month or so at De Luge if you're up for that Matthew?"

  "That sounds great actually. Do you think we have enough to put on a full showing or should we couple my work with another artist?" I slid my arm over the back of Erica's chair and leaned in a little, not quite thinking through my actions.

  "I think you have more than enough, but that's just my humble opinion." Her voice was soft, and I realized she was looking up at me.

  I glanced down and let my eyes move across her face, memorizing the way she watched me. I felt like I could rule the world with her staring at me like I meant something. I took a shallow breath and sat back, pulling my arm from behind her and working like hell to stay focused on Jonathan.

  "I agree with Erica's assessment. We have more than enough. The showing will be free to the public."

  "No. You need to charge to bring in the right clientele. We'll do free later when Matt's more established." Erica pulled her napkin down into her lap and pressed her forearms to the table.

  "How much do you think we should charge? We usually do fifty to five thousand. For our new talent we start with a free showing."

  "Charge ten thousand." She glanced over at me. "He's incredibly talented. Value his work at what it's worth from the beginning and we won't have to work up to anything."

  I almost swallowed my tongue. Every inch of my skin tingled with the desire to feel her against me. I had to get up, or I was going to make the biggest mistake of my life. Would I survive having a woman like Erica for a weekend and never again? No. No fucking way.

  "Excuse me for a minute." I pushed my chair back and got up. I needed air. I had to run. Now. Hard and fast before I changed my mind and offered her my freedom and my heart.

  Chapter 8

  Erica

  "Is he okay?" Jonathan asked me as he leaned back in his chair. The gangly artist was exactly what one would expect of an art dealer. His shirt was every color of the rainbow and his dark hair was slicked back. His wife was cute, but lost to a game on her phone. It was almost comical, at least it was before Matt got a wild look in his eyes and bolted for the door.

  Maybe I'd overstepped my boundaries.

  "I think so. Let me go check on him." I got up and walked through the restaurant searching for him. Worry wrapped in fear danced through my stomach as I reached the front door. What was I going to do if he'd left me there?

  "Hey. I'm right here." He turned to face me as the wind picked up from the water and blew his blond hair about.

  "You okay?" I walked toward him, wanting to reach out and touch him, but knowing that it was probably better that I didn't.

  "Yeah. I just felt a little overwhelmed. I've wanted to share my art my whole life, but it needed to be on my terms, you know?"

  "Oh, I'm sorry. I can back up some. I should have let you-"

  He lifted his finger and pressed it to my lips. "No, it's not that. I love what you're doing for me. I meant that I wanted to gain this privilege on my own and not with my father's help. I've done that now. It's an incredible feeling, but all the emotions raging inside of me have me a little dizzy."

  I gripped his wrist lightly and pulled his finger from my mouth. "So you want me to help, or no? I'm good either way. I just want what's best for you."

  He smiled and studied my face. "I want your help. You're my girl after all, right?"

  I want to be.

  I chuckled. "Yeah. I'm playing that part for the night."

  "All night?" His smile faded and he took a step closer to me, sucking the air out of the patio around us and leaving my knees weak.

  Every wicked hot fantasy I'd had of him blasted through my vision and I stifled a moan.

  "Don't tease me," I whispered roughly and moved back toward the door.

  "I thought women liked to be teased." He reached around me and held the door open as I walked back in. He towered over me in a way that left me feeling petite and feminine. I loved it with a passion.

  "Only in the bedroom." I glanced behind me and winked as his eyes widened.

  "I'll remember that." He touched my lower back and moved up beside me.

  "You sure you're okay with me negotiating on your behalf?"

  "Yeah. I love it. It's a turn on." He glanced down at me, the look on his face sensual and strong.

  I had no doubt that he was two different personalities, like all of us were. The fun-loving guy that enjoyed a good laugh and wanted lif
e to be a party was only part of who he was. I wanted to see the other side of him. The one I kept catching glimpses of, though he was more than enough no matter if I ever saw it.

  I took my seat and ignored his comment about me being dominant being a turn on. I could analyze it later that night while I worked myself into a frenzy alone in my bed.

  "Everyone good?" Jonathan gave us a warm smile and lifted the bottle of wine. "The liquor is here, so this party is just going to get better and better."

  We laughed and worked through the rest of the details on Matt's contract. It would seem that Jonathan had the chance to show Matt's work to some of his high net worth clients and they loved the paintings. The first showing would just be for them, and the profits on the event would be split sixty-forty in Matt's favor. I had to whittle Jonathan down and give Matt more than a few stern looks to make it all happen, but in the end it all worked out.

  "I have to say that I'm rather impressed." Jonathan stood next to me at the front of the restaurant. Matt had a call he had to take, and Margaret was in the restroom.

  "How so?" I turned and lifted my eyes to focus on him.

  "Matthew is a Bryant. Rarely do men like him let a woman do his bidding. He's a different bird than his flock, no?"

  "He is, but in a good way, I think." I glanced out to catch a glimpse of him walking back and forth in front of the restaurant. His ass looked divine in his slacks, but I couldn't help but lament over him not having his jeans on anymore. I'd have to talk him into wearing them to the concert the next night. Just the thought of having another night with him left me smiling like a silly schoolgirl.

  "Does he know that you're in love with him?" Jonathan picked up a mint and offered it to me.

  "No. He has no clue," I murmured and popped it into my mouth. "It's far more complicated than you might think."