Anything For Daddy

by Hamel, B. B.

  Anything For Daddy

  BB Hamel

  Contents

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  1. Lucy

  2. Cade

  3. Lucy

  4. Cade

  5. Lucy

  6. Cade

  7. Lucy

  8. Cole

  9. Lucy

  10. Lucy

  11. Lucy

  12. Cade

  13. Cade

  14. Lucy

  15. Cade

  16. Lucy

  17. Cade

  18. Cade

  19. Lucy

  Also by BB Hamel

  Copyright © 2019 by B. B. Hamel

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  1

  Lucy

  Cade is absolutely livid and I can’t blame him.

  Doesn’t mean I like him or even sympathize with him all that much. He’s gorgeous, I’ll give him that, with emerald green eyes that makes women go insane and that perfect amount of scruff along his chiseled chin and high cheeks. The guy looks like a model and it makes me resent him, just a little bit.

  No, I just get why he’s mad.

  And he’s turning that anger on me.

  “Cade,” his father’s lawyer, an old man named Reginald Rooster croons, “leave the girl alone. You can’t blame her.”

  “I can’t?” Cade growls as he stares daggers at me.

  I stand against the wall, pinned like a butterfly, heart racing. Everyone stares at me: Reginald, Cade, and Cade’s mother, Tina Moore, wrapped in black mourning clothes, her white hair gracefully styled, her nails impeccably painted.

  “It’s not her fault, darling,” Mrs. Moore croons in her upper-crust accent.

  Totally fake, by the way. She’s from Long Island, just like me.

  “What I’m wondering is, why would he choose her?” The way he says it, the sneer on his face, if I didn’t expect it then I’d probably be insulted.

  “Oh, you know your father. He loves his surprises,” Mrs. Moore says coolly. “I suppose she’s been working with him for, oh, I don’t know. How long has it been, dear?”

  They all keep staring. I guess I’m expected to speak.

  “Two years,” I manage to croak.

  Totally embarrassing. I blush a little and only manage a quick glance at Cade.

  I should be strong right now. Heck, I really need to be if I’m going to do my job. A lot’s at stake for me, and even though it’s the most absurd position I’ve ever been put in, I can’t afford to turn it down.

  If I pull this off, I stand to make $6.3 million, which is the exact value of the Moore family beach house.

  More like tiny island, but whatever.

  “Two years,” Mrs. Moore repeats and looks at her son. “That’s a long time.”

  “That’s barely anything,” he says softly. “Look at her. She’s just a blushing little girl. And she’s supposed to be my…” He turns to Reginald.

  “Your minder,” Reginald says dryly.

  “My minder,” Cade repeats with that sneer again. “Like this girl could—”

  “Cade,” his mother snaps, her facade cracking a bit. “Enough.”

  Cade goes silent. He frowns slightly at his mother but doesn’t move. Silence settles on the room, thick with subtext I don’t totally understand and really don’t want to know about.

  Finally, Reginald clears his throat. “If I may continue?”

  “Yes, of course, Reginald,” Mrs. Moore says.

  “Well, according to the will, as I stated previously, Ms. Sinclair here will be your minder throughout the trial period. If, after the trial period is successful and everything is in order, then you will be given your full rights as sole heir to your father’s wealth and corporations, etcetera, etcetera.” Reginald clears his throat. “Questions?”

  Cade leans toward the lawyer and gives him a level stare. “What, exactly, is this trial period?”

  “Basically? The two of you are going to spend a week at each of your father’s big four companies,” he says. “That’s pretty much it.”

  Cade snaps a laugh and leans back. “Okay. There has to be a catch. Why involve her?”

  “Ah, well,” Reginald says, looking embarrassed. “You see, the will stipulates that you, Cade, are not to get into any… trouble during this time. You are to comport yourself with the utmost—”

  “Propriety,” Cade interrupts. “Yes, my father’s favorite word.”

  “Right,” Reginald says, looking flustered. “Well, you do that, and you will be successful. Quite simple, I’d say.”

  “You don’t know my son very well then,” Mrs. Moore says softly with a sigh. “Who decides if he’s successful then, Reginald?”

  The lawyer glances at me again but doesn’t speak. Slowly, Cade and his mother both turn to me.

  I turn crimson. “I didn’t ask for this!” I blurt out.

  Cade rolls his eyes and his mother just smiles blandly. “Of course not, dear,” she says.

  “And yet here you are, eating off the corpse of my father like any old vulture,” Cade adds.

  I blink rapidly and Reginald looks extremely uncomfortable. For her part, Mrs. Moore glares at her son.

  “Stop that,” she snaps at him. “You heard the girl. She didn’t choose this, and you know that’s the truth. Your father loves messing with people and I am beyond certain that he sprung this on her just like he did with us.”

  “He did,” I say, barely a whisper.

  “And she holds your future in her hands,” Mrs. Moore finishes.

  I look down at the floor. “I think this will be simple,” I say. “We show up, we do what’s expected, and in a month we all go home happy.” I look up and meet Cade’s eye. For a second, my heart flutters. He’s so handsome and he’s giving me this intense look, like he can see right through my clothes… “Right, Cade?”

  He smiles. It’s almost charming, if it wasn’t so condescending.

  “Right, Lucy. Except here’s the thing. I don’t take orders from some jumped-up little girl my dad dragged out of the gutter just so he could fuck with me one last time.” Cade turns to Reginald. “Sorry to waste your time, Reggie, but you can take my father’s estate and shove it up your ass.”

  Reginald stares at him in horror. Clearly the man is physically unable to do any such thing.

  Cade stands up and turns to leave. I can’t move, rooted in place, and as he steps toward the door, I watch my future step away with him.

  I wasn’t born rich like he was. My parents both worked hard to get me through school. The sent me to a private high school and I worked my butt off to get a full ride to Fordham. After that, I got a job working as a private assistant to Cade’s father during the day while I was going to law school at night.

  I’ve had to earn everything I have, unlike Cade, who has been given everything. The bastard doesn’t realize he’s throwing so much away just because his ego is too big. And he doesn’t realize what he’s doing to me on top of it.

  In this moment, I don’t think I’ve hated anyone so much in my life.

  “Cade, god damn you, stop right this instant.”

  Mrs. Moore’s voice cracks through the room like thunder. Cade instantly stops and Reginald looks aghast, shocked that Mrs. Moore would speak like that.

  Slowly, the woman stand
s. She holds herself regally, straight and proper, but her words are whip-sharp.

  “Listen to me,” she snaps. “I know your father has been hard on you. I know what sort of hell he’s put you through over the years. But this is your last chance. Please, just play the game. If not for you, then do it for me.” She goes quiet for a second and steps toward him. “Please, Cade. He left it all to you.”

  For a moment, that slowly sinks in. The room is dead silent and still.

  Cade stares at his mother, a look of anguish and anger on his face. He hangs his head, closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. He looks up again and nods.

  “I’ll do what I have to do,” he says.

  “I know you will.” She smiles sadly at him.

  I expect them to hug or at least to say that they love each other. Instead, the pair turns toward me and I’m that butterfly again, pinned and spread and ready to be examined.

  “Maybe you should talk to her,” Cade’s mother says. “Reginald, may they have the office?”

  “Of course,” Reginald says, clearly just pleased to get the hell out of the way. “Of course, take all the time you need.” He gets up and scoots past me. He shoots me this look, like, good luck, kid, before hurrying out the door.

  Mrs. Moore turns to me and gives me a long, slow look. “She’s pretty,” she says simply before turning away and following Reginald out of the office.

  Leaving me alone with Cade Moore, billionaire playboy extraordinaire.

  He looks at me almost thoughtfully. The resentment and condescension is gone, but there’s still a sneer in his expression, underlying everything he does.

  Like he thinks he’s better than me.

  “So,” he says. “You hold my future in your hands.”

  “I guess I do,” I answer, forcing myself to meet his eye.

  He’s so handsome, it’s almost painful. I understand how this man is a playboy. I think most women would throw themselves at him even if he were poor.

  It helps that he’s also filthy rich.

  “What do I have to do to keep you happy?” he asks.

  The question surprises me. “You mean, to pass this test?” I shoot back quickly.

  “No,” he says with a slight laugh. He steps closer to me, head cocked. He’s tall and broad, muscular and cut but not overly huge. He looks like an athlete, not a weight lifter. “No, I mean, to keep you happy. Since we’ll be spending so much time together.”

  “Ah,” I stutter. “Ah, um, I don’t know.”

  God, I’m so dumb.

  What am I doing?

  I hold all the power here.

  Except, I don’t.

  “Come on,” he says, his smile easy and almost genuine. “You don’t have to be like that. What do you like to do? What feels good?”

  I wish I could step back, but I’m pressed up against a bookshelf. I want to squirm but I force myself to stay still.

  “We’re going to keep this professional,” I force myself to say as simply and levelly as I can manage.

  It’s not bad.

  “Are we?” He grins. “Maybe.”

  “Cade,” I caution. “You want to pass? You behave. That’s it, plain and simple. You show up on time, you do what’s expected, you go home at night. No partying, sleeping around, or getting into trouble.”

  “No being myself, then,” he says. “No fun.”

  “This is about controlling a multi-national conglomerate of some of the biggest companies ever created,” I fire at him, getting exasperated. “And you’re not taking it seriously.”

  “That’s where you’re very, very wrong.” He steps closer to me, so close now, looming over me, his gorgeous green eyes drilling down into mine. “See, I’ve been working toward this my whole life. As much as you think you know me, I promise you, little Lucy, you don’t. I’ll play your game, but don’t pretend like you understand anything.”

  I have to look away. He’s too intense, too attractive.

  “Just behave,” I manage to say. “You do that, we’re all good.”

  “Okay then.” His voice is almost a purr. “I look forward to working very closely with you, Lucy.”

  I shiver and turn to look at him again, but he’s already walking away.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I call out to him.

  He just waves and leaves the room.

  I let out a breath and slump back, my heart racing. I swear, I can feel excitement pooling between my legs, my skin slightly flushed, sweat beading along my lower back. I’ve never wanted a man to touch me so badly before in my life. I can still feel it, still thirst for just a little taste of his lips against mine.

  It’s madness. Plain and simple.

  But I know I have to get through this month.

  One month, four weeks, no big deal.

  He’s just one man, one gorgeous, filthy rich, incredibly tantalizing man. He may be ten years older than I am, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be in control here.

  Because there’s something he doesn’t know.

  Getting what I want, that $6.3-million private beach house estate, isn’t contingent on him passing this test.

  All I have to do is make sure he lasts the whole month.

  And in the end, if I decide not to pass him…

  He gets nothing.

  I still get everything I want.

  As I stare at the door, I feel a smile slip across my lips.

  He has no clue what he’s getting himself into.

  2

  Cade

  My life has been like one fork straight into my eyeball after another.

  Okay, that’s an exaggeration. People think I’ve lived a life of wealth and privilege, and for the most part, they’re right. I’ve had money, more or less. I’ve had comfort and material things.

  But I’ve never had freedom. I’ve never had the space to do the things I feel are right.

  I know. Boo hoo, poor rich boy.

  Can’t say I blame you for feeling like that.

  Doesn’t change the fact that I hate my father for arranging this final test. He’s been testing me his whole life. One meaningless task after another, each one more excruciating and embarrassing and demeaning after the next.

  One more test, and I can take my seat at the table. Just one more and he’ll finally accept me as his son and heir.

  Never happened that way.

  Instead, it was test after test, and it was never enough, never good enough. I walked away for a few years, ran a nonprofit in Africa that did some real good, but even that wasn’t good enough for him. Even that was just a waste of my time, according to him.

  So I came back after my mother begged me to come home. And I took his abuse day after day.

  Then he died.

  And I figured, okay, the bastard’s gone.

  I’ll finally get what I’ve been promised my whole life. What I’ve taken this abuse for.

  But no, no, another fucking test.

  Run by this random girl, no less.

  I barely even know her. I think I’ve seen her once or twice around my father’s estate, but I can’t be sure. My father has always loved to surround himself with young, pretty girls. Always pissed my mother off and I can’t blame her.

  The guy was a real dick.

  Now one of his little girl toys holds the key to my future. I want to walk away and live my life without all this, but I know I can’t do it, not while my mother’s still around. She’ll die if I don’t try to make all the abuse worth it.

  She took as much as I did.

  Probably a lot more.

  Doesn’t matter. He’s gone now. And good riddance.

  Just one month… That’s all it is. I can do one month.

  Shouldn’t be too hard.

  Famous last words.

  * * *

  “Ready?”

  Lucy stands a few feet away from me with a little frown on her face. She’s looking at her phone like it’s the most important thing in the world.

  S
he finally looks up. “Almost.”

  “What are you even looking for?”

  She just shakes her head. “I’m not sure.”

  I sigh and clench my jaw. I think she’s just doing this to piss me off.

  She puts her phone back in her pocket and goes back to digging through the closet in my father’s study. She’s making these grunting noises, clearly annoyed, and I have to admit that the view isn’t so bad.

  She’s got a nice, perky little ass. She’s a really pretty girl, actually. I can see why my piece-of-shit father liked her so much. Long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, creamy skin, curves for years, yet still athletic and slim. She’s an impressive fucking specimen and if I didn’t despise her right now, I’d be trying to bend her over my dear departed fuckwad father’s desk.

  “This place is empty,” I grunt at her. “There’s nothing worth finding.”

  “He took it,” she says, her voice muffled from being in that closet.

  “What is it, anyway? I can help.”

  She doesn’t answer. We’ve been in my father’s estate for the last hour digging through his crap before she’d be willing to head out. We’re staying in a hotel together across the street from our first company. It’s my father’s television studio where they do the local news and all that shit.

  “Got it!”

  She comes out of the closet with a huge, triumphant grin on her face clutching a black-and-white marbled composition book against her chest.

  I raise an eyebrow. “Your algebra homework?”

  “No, asshole.” She says it with a smile, though, paging through the thing.

  “Seriously, you dragged me back to this shithole for this?”

  She raises an eyebrow. “This isn’t exactly a shit hotel, you know.”