Billionaire Single Dad_A Billionaire Romance

by Claire Adams

  “No,” I shook my head. “Thank God for that.”

  “Amen.” He raised his glass playfully.

  I ordered myself a drink and got Josie a glass of a juice. The three of us sat at our table while Dirk and John mingled with their fellow business associates. I was bored within seconds, but Sammy kept things interesting enough.

  “You see him?” he asked, pointing to an older man leaning against the bar.

  “Yeah?” I asked.

  “That’s his wife standing beside him,” Sammy said. He lowered his voice, so Josie wouldn’t hear. “They’ve been married for almost twenty years, but before John and I met, they used to hook up.”

  “Him and John?” My eyes widened.

  “Yup,” Sammy said, making sure to enunciate. “John swears he didn’t know the guy was married at the time, but still, I’ve always wondered if his wife knows the truth.”

  “Probably,” I said. “If I’ve learned one thing from Stan and Eloise, it’s that most of these marriages are about money. Not love.”

  “Well, duh,” Sammy said. “You didn’t know that before?”

  I just shrugged and looked over at Dirk. He was standing in a group of five men, all cracking jokes and laughing. Dirk didn’t look happy, but he kept the fake smile plastered on his face. The sight made my blood boil.

  How was it so easy for him to pretend? How could he just stand there, faking a smile and engaging in conversation after conversation? I knew him well enough to know that he wasn’t enjoying himself. He hated these events, yet he insisted on going.

  I sighed and looked away. My eyes fell on Eloise. She was standing across the room, staring right at me.

  I waved at her, but she ignored me. Her glare was so powerful that I felt it even after I looked away.

  “What is that about?” Sammy asked. I looked at him. He was looking from Eloise to me and then back again.

  “You didn’t hear?”

  “Hear what?”

  “Daddy and Mr. Stan aren’t friends anymore,” Josie said. She peered at us over the top of her book. “They got in a fight, and now they don’t talk.”

  I snorted, but stifled my laughter. Josie returned her attention to her book, leaving Sammy and me alone to talk.

  “What happened?” he demanded. “Does John know? I can’t believe he didn’t tell me. I live for this kind of drama.”

  “It was bad,” I told hi. “Dirk came back from their last golf trip, and he was totally pissed. I’ve never seen him so angry. That’s why he invited you guys to that show. He just needed to get away from the resort for a while. He didn’t want to run into Stan or Eloise and have to face them.”

  “You don’t know what they fought about?”

  “Dirk told me a little bit,” I said. “Stan said some pretty crappy things about me and about Dirk. He even insulted Dirk and Amelia’s marriage.”

  “What?” Sammy’s widened in horror. “Wasn’t Stan friends with Amelia?”

  “Yeah,” I said with a nod. “That’s what’s so horrible. Dirk has known Stan for years. Eloise and Amelia were best friends.”

  “They’re my godparents,” Josie said, without looking up. “Well, maybe not anymore.”

  “Wow,” Sammy said. He whistled softly, “Drama, drama, drama.”

  “Pretty much,” I sighed.

  It wasn’t long before my eyes found Dirk again. He had moved on to a different group of people, but Stanley was nowhere in sight. I knew Dirk was going out of his way to avoid him. I was doing the same with Eloise. The only difference was, Eloise didn’t seem to get the message.

  She kept popping up beside our table. She never spoke to me or to Sammy. Instead, she just glared from a safe distance. I could feel her eyes on me the entire night. It was like she was just waiting for a chance to pounce.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Dirk

  Marissa had been distant since the cocktail party. I didn’t know why or what happened, but I had a feeling Eloise was to blame. Every time I looked over at their table, I saw Marissa glancing around the room. Eloise had never been far away. Her eyes rarely left Marissa and Josie. And the expression on her face was anything but friendly.

  Part of me wanted to march over and put Eloise in her place, just like I had with her husband. I never did. Deep down, I knew it would only make things worse for everyone. Like it or not, I was only on this trip because of Stan. If he hadn’t invited me and flown me out here, I would never have made any new connections. I owed him for at least that.

  Still, that didn’t mean I had to put up with his shit anymore. When I saw him at the cocktail party, I turned around and walked in the opposite direction. I made sure to keep a safe distance between us the entire night. The last thing anyone needed was for Stan and me to go to blows in the middle of a nice party. The best thing for everyone was for me to just steer clear of him.

  When we left the party that night, I knew why I was miserable. Seeing Stan, even from afar, was almost more than I could take. I felt exhausted before my first drink. By the time everyone left the ballroom, my body was aching with fatigue, and my head was spinning.

  “Did you make any connections, Daddy?” Josie asked. I smiled at how smart she was and ruffled her hair.

  “I did,” I said. “In fact, we’re all going to breakfast with a nice couple in the morning. Frank and Janice.”

  “Are they nice?” Josie asked. “Like Mr. John and Mr. Sammy?”

  “Yes,” I said with a nod. “Exactly like them.”

  “Good,” she said.

  Marissa stayed quiet throughout the whole conversation. We got back to the bungalow, and she retreated into her bedroom without a word. I watched her door swing shut behind her and frowned. I was dying to go over there and knock, to ask her what was weighing so heavily on her mind, but I couldn’t until Josie was safely in bed.

  It took almost an hour for Josie to fall asleep. After her bath, she begged to watch a movie. No matter how many times I refused, she kept insisting. It wasn’t like her to whine or beg this much, so finally, I just gave in.

  We snuggled on the couch together and watched an old cartoon. Josie finally fell asleep about halfway through. I carried her to her bed and then tiptoed across the living room.

  Marissa’s door was still shut, but I raised my fist and knocked softly. Straining my ears, I listened for a sign that she might still be awake. I couldn’t imagine she would have gone to sleep so quickly, but when I didn’t hear her move, I had to assume she was already in bed.

  I thought about opening the door anyway, slipping inside and gently shaking her awake, if only because I wanted to see her face one more time that night. I stood outside her door for another few minutes, weighing my options.

  Eventually, I gave up and walked over to the couch. I tried to fall asleep quickly, but I couldn’t. I knew something was wrong with Marissa, but I didn’t know what.

  Part of me wondered if Eloise had said something to her. I didn’t see them talk, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t. Still, I couldn’t imagine Eloise making a scene at a social event like that. Even she had enough class to avoid confrontation when prying eyes were all around her.

  It didn’t make any sense. Things between Marissa and I were great. We had finally slept together. We finally gave in to what we’d both wanted. And after, we went out on the town together. We saw a show with John and Sammy and had ice cream with Josie. She even kissed my cheek and told me she was proud of me. I thought everything was going well.

  Until that morning by the pool. As I lay on the couch, I suddenly remembered our conversation from earlier that same day.

  Marissa wanted out of the contract. She wanted to end our arrangement early. I still didn’t know why, but she said it was because Stan was no longer in the picture. Even when she said it, I knew it was a lie. There was something more going on beneath the surface that Marissa didn’t want me to know.

  My head pressed back against the couch cushions and sighed deeply. I didn’t w
ant to let Marissa out of the contract early. I didn’t want her to leave the bungalow or my life. We were finally moving in the right direction. We were finally becoming something real. The last thing I wanted was to let go of that.

  Still, I didn’t know what to do. If Marissa didn’t want to be with me, I couldn’t force her. All I could do was try to change her mind. We still had a little over a week before the contract ended. If I could use that time to sway her decision, to make her see that my feelings for her were real, then maybe everything would be okay.

  I fell asleep that night with my head still full. My stomach turned over as I worried about the future. I pictured Marissa, Josie, and myself landing in New York. I imagined how it would feel to watch Marissa walk away from me, waving a casual goodbye over her shoulder. Even in my mind, I knew I could never let that happen — not only for myself, but for Josie.

  Josie loved Marissa, and Marissa loved her. They were so close. I knew Marissa didn’t want to lose that. I wondered if maybe that was why she was pulling away: if maybe she saw the end coming, too. And she, like me, didn’t want to say goodbye.

  ***

  Breakfast the next morning was a casual occasion. Frank and Janice met us in the resort restaurant and ordered a round of mimosas. John and Sammy ended up joining us when they arrived, and we spent the better part of the morning just laughing and talking.

  Josie charmed everyone at the table, like always. She recited words in Spanish, French, and German. She wowed Frank and Janice and even continued to impress John and Sammy. It seemed my daughter could do no wrong.

  Even Marissa was in a better mood that morning. I held her hand on the way to breakfast, rubbing my thumb gently over her skin. She seemed reluctant at first, but eventually, she gave in to my touch. I couldn’t bring myself to let her go. All through breakfast, I had to feel her beside me. I held her hand and put my arm around her shoulder. I rested my knee against hers beneath the table and even went so far as to brush her hair behind her ear.

  By the time we finished eating, Marissa was back to her old self. Her eyes were no longer distant, and her body had finally relaxed. She held my hand on the walk back to the bungalow and lay against me on the couch that afternoon.

  We had a dinner planned that night. Frank and Janice were only in town for another day, so we all wanted to see each other again before they left. We agreed to leave the resort for the night and venture into town to find somewhere nice to eat.

  Marissa and Josie both wanted to rest until time to go. We all cuddled together on the couch and watched movies until the sun began to set. I held onto Marissa with one arm and Josie with the other. The comfort of having them each by my side was stronger than anything I’d ever felt. I couldn’t imagine my life being any other way.

  “I guess we should get dressed,” Marissa eventually said with a yawn.

  “Probably.” I nodded.

  Marissa helped Josie get dressed, and soon, we were ready to leave. We met Frank and Janice, and John and Sammy in the lobby. Much to our surprise, Frank had ordered a limo to take us all to dinner. Josie was ecstatic as she slid into the back and stared around at the ornate lights.

  “I love limos,” she said.

  Everyone laughed, and the night began on a high note. We ate dinner and had a filling dessert, sitting at the table for hours. I felt so at ease, so comfortable, that I never wanted the night to end. But, when John and Sammy both started to yawn, we knew it was time to go.

  We said our goodbyes in the lobby of the resort and retreated into our bungalow. Josie was still wide awake, bouncing off the walls from all the sugar.

  “Beach?” Marissa asked simply.

  I nodded and led the way out back. Josie ran toward the water without hesitation. Marissa ran after her, picking her up and swinging her in a wide circle. The water was freezing, but we didn’t care. We all ran and splashed in the surf, happier than ever.

  After a few minutes, I sat on the sand to relax. Marissa and Josie kept running in circles, kicking up sand and water. Their laughter echoed all around me, and when I closed my eyes, it was all I could hear.

  A smile found its way to my lips. I leaned back on my hands and just listened. The sound of the ocean mixed with Marissa and Josie’s voices was more than enough to keep me happy. I could have listened to it for hours without getting bored.

  When I opened my eyes again, Marissa was standing above me. Josie was still splashing away in the surf, but Marissa had eyes only for me. She knelt down and put her hand on my chest. She kissed me softly, softer than she ever had, and my breath caught in my chest.

  In seconds, she was gone. She pulled away from me and jumped back to her feet. She ran over and grabbed Josie again, lifting her easily into the air and making her blonde curls fall over her face. I grinned as I watched them, thinking that maybe I could finally give Josie a real family.

  The thought brought me up short. I felt my stomach tighten. I shook my head and looked away from the girls. What was I thinking? Marissa, Josie, and I weren’t a family. As much as I wanted it to be that way, it just wasn’t.

  It was only yesterday that Marissa was asking to be let out of her contract. She wanted to distance herself from Josie and me. I couldn’t blame her. I knew it was going to be hard to say goodbye. Watching her walk out of my life would make me miserable.

  And yet, as I watched her play with Josie, I couldn’t imagine her not being around. I didn’t know when it happened or how, but somewhere along the way, we really had become a family. Marissa was exactly what Josie needed: a mother figure to love and care for her.

  More than that, Marissa was exactly what I needed. She was kind and funny, supportive and witty. And her body… I let my eyes travel over her curves as she ran around the beach. Her perfect breasts and amazing hips. I remembered how she looked naked and my dick jumped inside my pants. Even from afar, Marissa could turn me on without even trying.

  At that moment, I knew there was more between us than just a contract. I had fallen for this woman. Completely. And there was no way in hell I was going to let her walk out of my life in a week.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Marissa

  Playing on the beach was my favorite part of our trip. It happened so often, and yet, I never tired of it. Watching Josie splash in the surf, giggling and shouting with joy, was enough to warm my heart. I could never imagine leaving this place. I wanted to stay here with Dirk and Josie forever.

  My life in New York suddenly felt pointless. Even my studies no longer seemed to matter. I longed to call my boss and quit, to tell her I’d found a man I wanted to be with forever and would never again work as an escort. The idea was so appealing that I almost picked up the phone ten times, but always thought better of it.

  Dirk and I still hadn’t discussed our relationship. After he severed ties with Stan, I brought up the idea of canceling our contract. We weren’t spending time with Stan and Eloise anymore. All of Dirk’s business meetings were almost finished, so there was no reason for me to continue standing by his side.

  Dirk said no. He had a couple more dinners he wanted me to attend. Then, the conversation was dropped. I wanted to bring it up again. I thought about it a thousand times a day, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

  Whether he wanted to be with me or not, I knew I’d find out soon enough. It was Sunday night already. That meant we had just over a week before it was time to leave California. Next Monday, the three of us would board a plane back to New York, and everything about this trip would become a memory.

  I was terrified to leave Dirk behind. Even though I wanted our contract to end, I didn’t want to stop seeing him. If anything, I was eager for the job to be over, so we could turn our relationship into something more.

  Just a few days ago, I’d been ready to end things for good. I wanted out of the contract. I wanted distance. I could see where this path was leading me, and I was scared to walk another step down it. But as I watched Josie and Dirk play on the beach, I knew
I could never truly distance myself.

  This little girl and her father were my family now. Overnight, they’d become the most important people in my life. I didn’t have parents who were around. No siblings. My friends were either fellow escorts or students. No one made me feel like I was home. No one except Dirk and Josie.

  “Alright,” Dirk said. “Time for bed.”

  Josie whined, but let him led her back over to me. I met Dirk’s eyes, and he smiled, making himself appear ten years younger.

  “You ready?” he asked.

  I nodded and followed them back to the bungalow. Even Dirk’s gait looked different. He stepped lighter now. It was as if the trip to the beach had taken away all his stress. He didn’t just look ten years younger, he seemed to feel ten years younger.

  We stepped onto our patio and Josie began to dust off her feet. She stumbled slightly, and I lunged forward to catch her. We were both laughing as I scooped her into my arms and carried her to her bedroom.

  “Need any help?” Dirk called after us.

  “No.” I smiled at him over my shoulder. “I’ve got it.”

  Josie kicked and giggled in my arms as I carried her to the bathroom. We rinsed off her feet and then I found her a pair of pajamas to wear. By the time I pulled the covers over her chest, she was fast asleep. I grinned down at her before I slipped back into the living room.

  Dirk was still standing on the patio, his eyes focused upward. I could tell he was taking in the sight of the stars as they filled the night sky. This had become his favorite pastime. He loved to sit on the patio and just relax.

  “We don’t have stars in New York,” he said. He turned around to face me with a wide smile on his face.

  “We do,” I said. “They’re just hidden beneath all the city lights.”

  “It’s a shame,” he said.

  “I’m gonna take a shower,” I said, my eyes trailing over Dirk’s body.

  “Okay.” He nodded and met my gaze. We stared at each other for a few seconds as the heat built up between us.