“You follow me here?” he asked, his voice deliciously deep, even if a little stern, and my brows were about to reach my hairline.
“Here? Me? No—” He put his hands out, and I stopped talking immediately. Holy freak, what is going on?
“Shh,” he quieted me, wearily looking at the pool house. “Do you know her?” He pointed at the house, and my eyes widened.
“Know who?”
“Karina.”
“What?” I hissed nervously. How the hell did he know my name? Wait. He was asking about me in the third person. Did that mean he didn’t know who I was?
“Are you Mr. Titan’s friend?” I blurted out, taking a step back, all the while wishing I had brought my phone out with me. Why hadn’t I introduced myself earlier to Mr. Titan? Now my crazy hot afternoon-stand was going to chop me up in little bits and pieces.
Dramatic much, Castillo?
“Mr. Titan?” he repeated, putting his hands over his mouth and then resting them at the top of his sexy bald head before looking up at the sky. “Fuck me.”
“I did that already,” I stupidly blurted. You don’t engage with potential serial killers, Karina! I chastised.
His eyes fell on me, and I felt them like a touch. As weirded out as I felt that he was right there, out of the blue, I couldn’t help but enjoy the way he was looking at me.
I liked it a lot.
He had some kind of voodoo hold on me.
Without a word, he started to walk, moving along the edge of the pool, getting closer in his approach, but he was unrushed about it. Like he didn’t want to scare me away.
I liked to think I was a smart woman. Intelligent and independent.
But I didn’t know what was wrong with me right then and there. My breathing picked up with nerves and anticipation. I should have matched every step he took forward with my own back. Or at the very least, tried to make a run for it and get my ass back to the pool house, where I would lock the door and call 911.
But I didn’t.
I stood there until he was literally right in front of me. Mere inches away. The scent of the pool’s chlorine and his cologne filled my senses, and I wanted more.
“You left,” he finally spoke, and I pressed my lips together. He was talking about me skipping out and leaving the hotel room while he had been in the shower.
“I did.”
“Why?” he questioned, and like a bolt, common sense hit.
I didn’t know this guy.
I had obviously done something seriously idiotic going to a hotel, so he could bang me three ways to Sunday, but now was now. And we hadn’t exchanged first names, much less addresses, so there really wasn’t any reason for him to be here.
“Umm…” I started to take a step back. “Look, I’m super sorry about that. I didn’t know the whole protocol on an afternoon delight or one-night stand.” A wicked glimmer was in his eyes.
“You telling me I was lucky to be your first, pretty girl?”
“Umm.” I cleared my throat, trying not to indulge, and stayed on the subject at hand. “So, like I was saying, I apologize, but following me to where I live isn’t cool, man,” I said, taking yet another step back, in the back of my mind knowing I was dangerously close to the edge of the pool.
“I didn’t follow you home, Karina.”
“Okay, and that’s another thing. How do you know my name? Did you peek in my purse when I was in the bathroom or something?”
“Baby, you still don’t get what’s going on, do you?” he asked, something playing behind his warm eyes. Something I wanted to learn. Damn it, Karina, focus!
“Quite frankly, not one bit. And just so you know, my friend’s dad is right in that big-ass house, and he’s like…”—I gruffed—“a huge guy,” I lied. I had no idea. For all I knew, Mr. Titan was skinnier than a beanpole, but he didn’t know that. “Super ripped. Like, to the max, and he comes out here, like, all the time. So, it was cool seeing you, but maybe you should get going?”
“Huge guy, huh?” he repeated with a smirk.
“BIG! Just massive. Like a boulder.” I extended my arms out to show how big the man I hadn’t met yet was, and being me, the world’s most ungraceful person, I teetered and was milli-moments away from falling right into the pool.
One second, he was in front of me, and the next he was right in front of me.
His hand on my waist just in time so I wouldn’t fall in. His strong arms pulled me into him, my body molding to his perfectly, reminding me exactly of how great we fit together. Like I could forget. My open palm brushed over his heart, and the other landed on his shoulder.
As freaked out as I was, I couldn’t help but wish he weren’t wearing the white T-shirt he had on. It was soft and fit him just the way a T-shirt was meant to fit a man, but it hid the solid muscle I knew lay beneath and along with it his generous, sexy chest hair. Hair I never would have thought I would be a fan of, but our time in the hotel room had demonstrated to me how good said hair could feel.
“Thanks for the compliment, Karina. I’m Frank Titan. Ruby’s dad and your new landlord,” he shared, making my knees go weak.
Fuck. My. Life.
Chapter Three
Frank
DAMN, SHE WAS CUTE. ALL WIDE EYED with a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look on her sweet face.
“What?” she breathed.
“I’m Ruby’s dad. Your landlord.”
“You are…” she breathed, and I nodded, watching as she put one and one together. “But…” she mumbled, looking away for a second before meeting my eyes head on. “We had sex!” she exclaimed without trying to get out of my arms, and damn if she didn’t feel just as good as I remembered, if not better.
“We did, baby,” I calmly answered.
“But you’re…” She shook her head and swallowed. “How… That’s not possible. You cannot be Frank Titan.”
“But I am.”
“But that makes you Ruby’s dad!” she hissed, trying to push me away, and once I shifted us away from the pool, I let her go even though I really didn’t want to. She crossed her arms at her chest, bringing up the most beautiful rack I had ever had the pleasure of casting my eyes on even higher, and I had to fight getting hard like hell. Or, if I was honest, harder.
“How is that possible?” she asked, clearly freaked out. I couldn’t blame her.
“Well, you see, there are birds and bees—” I started to joke, but she frowned, and I had to bite away my own smile. Damn, she’s adorable.
“You’re not old!” she pointed out. I looked down at my sandaled feet trying not to laugh. “I just mean, I know you’re older than me. I get that. But you’re not anywhere near my dad’s age old! How is that—” She was panicking, and I didn’t miss it. Everything in me was trying to somehow calm her down.
“We had Ruby in high school, Karina,” I explained gently.
“Shit, I knew that,” she whispered, worrying her lower lip. “So, you’re telling me, you and I….”—she pointed between us—“we did what we did, and then…” She closed her eyes and groaned, her cheeks turning the cutest shade of red. “Oh man! I said all that stuff to you and then to them over wine and ice cream, and now you’re actually—”
“Karina. Breathe.”
“Breathe? You want me to breathe, Frank? I was just—” She laughed humorlessly. “You know, a couple of minutes ago, God, I was gloating, so cocky, in my head about how together I was. How on top of my game I felt. How great everything was. But oh, my God! I screwed my best friend’s dad!”
“Babe—”
“And I called you Daddy!” she shrieked. I coughed down a laugh trying not to remember how fucking hot that had been. Jesus, I was a sick bastard. “This isn’t funny,” she huffed, and I stepped closer, surprised she let me take her into my arms.
“It’s not funny. At least not right now. Maybe one day—”
“Frank.”
“Okay. Look.” I brushed a tendril of her silky hair back, tucking it behind
her ear. She was a walking, breathing temptation I did not need in life. Today alone combined with the work load I had to fight to catch up on proved that. I’d learned how to stay away from shit I didn’t need in my life. I could stay away from her. “We had a good time. I did, at least.”
“Me too,” she admitted, and right then and there, taking in the angelic expression on face, the vulnerability she showed by admitting that, I wanted to protect her.
I was royally screwed.
I wanted her.
Again.
Hold up, Frank, I scolded myself.
“But we probably should set up boundaries.” I cleared my throat. Boundaries. Bound. Then my mind went on to create images of Karina writhing and squirming, bound up in my bed in sexy pink panties and nothing else other than maybe black satin ribbons holding her wrists together.
“Right. Boundaries,” she repeated, her eyes on my mouth, her breathing a little shallow, almost matching mine. Did she move her face closer, or was that me? “Boundaries,” she repeated, this time taking a step back. “You’re absolutely right.” She looked away, touching her lips with her fingertips.
Can she still feel my lips, like I can hers?
Fuck.
“And discretion,” she said, and I held my body still.
“Excuse me?”
“I think we’re, umm, mature enough to not mention this to Ruby.”
“Right.” I nodded, bringing an arm up to rub the back of my neck. “Well, I should…” Her eyes were on my bicep, and my lips quirked up. Oh yeah, she wanted me just as bad. “I should go to bed.”
“Right. Umm, good night.”
“Night.” I waved behind me and turned only to see her standing staring right at me. The reflection of the light that hit the pool made her even more gorgeous under the moonlight.
I knew right then and there that I was definitely royally screwed.
Clearing my throat, I called out, “Make sure to lock up.”
“I will, thanks.” She gave me a shy smile before disappearing into the pool house, the door closing behind her, and I turned and walked off.
I went straight into the quiet house and up my stairs. Directly to my bathroom, not bothering to take my clothes off as I walked into an ice-cold shower.
I was completely fucked.
How the hell was I going to keep my hands off my sweet little tenant?
Karina
“Flip over. Now, Karina, don’t make Daddy ask twice,” he ordered. My sex clenched before I did exactly as I was told. “Jesus, baby girl, I love this ass,” he groaned as he kneaded my cheeks, the depth of his voice filling the room.
I was hot for him.
Hotter and hornier than I had ever been for anyone.
His touch was something I literally craved. My hands clenched the white sheets below me, and I turned to look at him—
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
“No!” I cried, my alarm waking me up from the sexy dream.
Lying on my back, I stared up at the ceiling fan spinning above me. I was exhausted. Exhausted and cranky. And it was only seven in the morning.
The last two weeks had sucked.
Big time.
Sneaking peeks at a man I shouldn’t have been thinking about the way I had been was killer. Not only was the man as tempting as chocolate cake after a week of dieting, but he was just as delicious. But I had been good. I’d avoided him. Him and my girls. Not that it had been super difficult to avoid them. Daisy had been called into work, and Ruby had a conference, so I had lucked out with only group texting each other.
Sitting up in bed, I had to do the best I could to shake off the remnants of my naughty dream. As real as it had felt, all it was and all it could be was nothing but a dream. A fantasy. I couldn’t go there. Not again.
With that, I got up and started my day, determined to keep my head in the game and not on the dilf next door.
_______________
The wine was flowing, and I was feeling good.
I had landed my first real account, and I was celebrating. Alone. I wasn’t ready to see the girls yet, not that they had the time. Daisy’s city job was keeping her busier than she had expected, and Ruby was getting ready for the school year to start while juggling a part-time gig she’d picked up. Though avoiding them wasn’t going to last much longer. We were all meeting at Hank’s, the bar Ruby had found a job at, in two nights.
But I had learned that when life sends good things your way, you celebrate, and I was doing just that. Cooking wasn’t my strong suit, but a challenge wasn’t bad. I loved a good challenge. Plus, Giada had made it look so easy on TV, my dog probably could make it.
If I had a dog.
It was time to woman up and try to make something out of my comfort zone. Playing Maroon 5 in the background, I started cooking. The pancetta sizzled in the pan, and I took a swig of my wine when my phone rang. I picked it up without looking at it.
“Hello?”
“Hey! I got your text! You got the Simmons account!” Daisy exclaimed, and I smiled.
“I did.” I grinned as I walked around.
“You sound happy. Ruby was worried you hadn’t called.”
“I’ve just been busy.”
“That’s what I told her, but you know how she worries.” This was true. Ruby was the Mother Goose of the group. “But I’ll see you at Hank’s, yeah?”
“Of course.” I took a sip of my wine as I looked out at the pool.
“So, how’s Ruby’s dad?” Daisy asked, and suddenly the wine had gone down the wrong tube and I was coughing.
“How is he how?” I choked out, clearing my throat. “What do you mean? I mean, how should I know?” I rambled on nervously and closed my eyes.
He was gorgeous. And sexy. And amazing in bed.
But I couldn’t say that because he was super off-limits.
“Relax. Geez. I just meant, is he nice?”
“How should I know?” I knew I was being defensive, but I couldn’t help it. Not when guilt was eating at me.
“You still haven’t met him?” she asked, sounding surprised. Oh, that’s what she meant.
“Oh, I—”
“You’ve been there two weeks. That’s kinda rude.”
“I have. We introduced ourselves, I mean, we said hi.” God, I was flustered. We had said hi, alright. A small smile played on my face as I remembered how he had approached me at the coffee shop.
Damn, he had been hot.
Older, sophisticated. Sharply dressed and owning a confidence that just radiated from him. And when he smiled… Jeez, the man knew how to smile.
“He’s hot,” she guessed, and damn, she wasn’t wrong.
“What?” I tried to sound like I wasn’t hysterical or totally guilty of screwing my best friend’s dad. “No—”
“Oooo, he’s super-hot?” Daisy guessed, obviously amused by me.
“I didn’t say that.” I groaned.
“You didn’t have to. You’re all flustered.” She giggled, and I sighed. That was one of the problems with having longtime friends; they knew you too well.
“Okay, yes, fine. He’s a good-looking man.”
“Good-looking man?”
“He’s a total dilf,” I whispered, and her giggles turned into a fit of laughter.
“Yes! That’s great.”
“Why?”
“Why not? Good eye candy is always appreciated. You taught me that.” She wasn’t wrong.
“True. Any great eye candy in city hall?” I asked, hoping she would take the bait to change the subject.
“Ugh. You have no idea. Men in suits. And then, if that wasn’t enough, all the different departments we deal with on a daily basis.”
“Like?”
“First responders of all sorts.”
“Ooo. Men in uniform.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me. Though they might be hot, they can seriously be pains in the ass.”
“I feel like there is a story there.”
; “And you would be right. But I’ll save it for Hank’s. I should get going. I’m needed at a charity dinner downtown.”
“Okay, honey.”
“You sure you’re okay?” she asked quietly, and I smiled even though she couldn’t see me.
“Yeah,” I breathed in and smelled smoke.
Glancing behind me, my eyes grew wide.
Shit! The pancetta!
“Crap, I gotta go,” I said distractedly. “Love you. Bye.” I quickly ended the call.
I hadn’t been off the phone for a second before the fire detector started to blare. I rushed to the kitchen, my sock-clad feet sliding to a stop on the hardwood floors, and I gasped.
“Shit!” I cried.
The small space was filled with smoke.
The pancetta, or what I could see was left of it, was completely charred.
Without thinking, I rushed over to the sink, grabbing the pot I had used earlier to boil pasta, and filled it with cold water. Water spilled out the side of the over-flowing pot, splashing all over my front, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t. My place was on fire!
Tossing it over the fire, I gasped. The flames licked higher, angrier, and I stumbled back. More smoke filled the kitchen, the fire blazing, trickling over to the stove. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest.
“Damn it.” Panic rose up my throat. I suddenly remembered you weren’t supposed to throw water on grease fires.
I looked around my sink. Grabbing the lid, I put it over the fire, then picked up a magazine I had been reading earlier from the breakfast counter and fanned it over the smoke detector in the kitchen. Just as I was thinking I had things under control, I heard the front door open and slam shut.
A hauntingly familiar deep voice called my name, and my shoulders dropped.
How the hell had my awesome day made such a turn for the bad?
Chapter Four
Frank
I PARKED MY CAR WHEN THE SOUND BLARING from the pool house made me jump into action. As I got closer, my heart rate picked up. What if Karina is hurt?
“Karina?” I called out as I ran into the house.
Quite Frankly: Dilf Mania (Beech Grove Book 5) Page 3