Taboo Daddy

by Crowne, K. C.

  “I guess that’s what best friends are for,” I mused.

  She laughed. “I don’t know about that. She was supposed to take me out and distract me tonight.”

  “Distract you? From what?” Had I made that much of an impression?

  “Just some stuff I’ve got going on,” she said vaguely.

  I waited, but she didn’t seem to want to discuss it further. Fair enough. “Should I get us drinks?”

  “What are you drinking?” she asked.

  “Microbrew. Eric says it’s amazing, but I’ve never much liked beer. To tell you the truth, I could go for a scotch.”

  “I’ll take one of those,” Jenna said.

  “You drink scotch?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “I drink it on occasion.”

  “And this is the right occasion?”

  “Let’s find out.”

  I went to the bar and ordered two glasses of top shelf scotch. Hopefully Jenna would be impressed. Then I checked myself. Why was I trying to impress her? Hadn’t I already decided we couldn’t date? Should I even be sitting next to her in the bar?

  I shook it off and carried the scotch back to the table. No one was there to see us. We’d be fine. And we were only there together by coincidence anyway. It wasn’t like we’d planned it. When I’d picked her up for the wedding there had been conversations, an email trail—plenty of ways for LM to hack my life and figure out what I was doing. There was no way he could have tracked me here unless he had me under constant surveillance, which didn’t seem likely.

  We drank our first round of scotch in near silence, but when Jenna came back with the second round, I felt loose and open. “I want you to know,” I said, sipping my new drink, “under ordinary circumstances, I definitely would have wanted to go out with you.”

  She blushed, and I worried for a moment that she might get up and walk away. But she seemed to steel herself. “These circumstances aren’t ordinary?”

  What to say? I couldn’t tell her about LM. “I just have a lot going on right now.”

  “It’s all right,” she said. “To tell you the truth, I was a little hesitant to ask in the first place. Not because of you or anything, but because I’m not sure I’m ready to get into a relationship right now.”

  “Did you just get out of one or something?”

  “Not that recently. About a year ago. But he was a dick. He was really controlling and pushy, always trying to dictate what we did and when we did it. And then he cheated on me.”

  “What a bastard.”

  She laughed ruefully. “Sara says she never expected any better of him. But it’s always easier to see that kind of thing when you’re on the outside looking in, I guess.”

  “Yeah, that sounds right,” I said. “To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t know. I haven’t been with anyone since Tess’s mother.”

  She hesitated. “What happened to her, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “She had cancer.” The words were still hard to say.

  “I’m so sorry,” Jenna said quietly.

  “Thank you.” I took a long drink, composing myself.

  “Do you have any other family?” she asked. “I mean, I know your dad has passed since you inherited the company, but what about your mom? Or any siblings?”

  I shook my head. “I’m an only child and my mom died when I was young. I was raised primarily by nannies while my father worked to build his empire.”

  Or to steal from it, I thought.

  “That’s too bad. I mean, Jessica and I spent a lot of time with our nanny as well growing up. My dad was always hard at work growing the business and my mother was out keeping up appearances. My dad likes to say she acted rich way before she was.”

  “What about your dad? Are you close?”

  She shrugged. “I’m closer to him than I am to my mom, but that’s not saying much. Plus, he still works a ton.”

  “Your mom has never really supported you?”

  Jenna shook her head. “My mom just wants to control my life. Like I told you at the wedding, she thinks design is a stupid thing to try to make a career out of.”

  “She’s wrong. You’re amazing at it. You really do need to make her look at your portfolio. I’m sure that would win her over, if your other projects have been anything like Tess’s room.”

  “Tess’s room was one of my best,” Jenna admitted. “I felt inspired working on it. I don’t know exactly what it was. I just had a pretty clear vision, right from the start.” She blushed prettily.

  “Well, Tess loves it,” I told her. “To be honest, I was shocked when she said she wanted to stay over at a friend’s house tonight. I thought the second coming of Christ would happen before I got her out of that room. She’s been spending all her time in there.”

  “I’m glad she’s happy,” Jenna said, smiling.

  “Should we have another?” I lifted my empty glass.

  She laughed. “Maybe we should slow down a little. How about bring back some bar nuts this time?”

  “Can do.” I went to the bar, traded our glasses for fresh drinks, and grabbed a bowl of nuts for our table. When I got back, Jenna was watching Sara and Eric bickering over their game of pool. Sara leaned over the table, grabbed the cue ball, and waved it in Eric’s face as though trying to emphasize a point. Eric looked scandalized.

  “They seem to be getting along,” I said.

  “Well, Sara gets along with everyone she meets.” Jenna smiled. “She’s one of the friendliest, most outgoing people I’ve ever met.”

  “Eric’s the same way,” I agreed. “He’s always up for a good time.” Sometimes a little too much of a good time, in truth, although I decided not to tell Jenna that. Confiding in her about myself was one thing, but it would feel wrong to tell someone so new in my life about my worries that my best friend had a substance problem.

  “Sometimes I wish it was as easy for me to make a good impression on new people,” Jenna sighed.

  I had to laugh at that. “Come on. You aren’t trying to tell me you have a hard time making a good impression.”

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Well, you and I hit it off pretty quickly.”

  “That wasn’t normal for me, though.”

  “I don’t believe it. You made a great first impression on Tess, too. She loves you.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah. She kept signing compliments all night,” I revealed with a smile.

  She straightened and said, “Teach me some more sign language.”

  “Okay.” I thought for a minute, then held my palms out in front of me, pushing them out in her direction at shoulder height, then retracting my arms and repeating the motion about ten inches lower.

  She copied the sign. “What does this mean?”

  “It means awesome, and it’s the kind of impression you made on me and my daughter.” I signed something longer. “There you go. Awesome first impression.”

  She laughed. “You lost me with that one, I’m afraid.”

  “Like this.” I took her hands in mine and showed her how to shape the signs. Her fingers didn’t know where to go, and it was awkward and messy. Eventually I gave it up, dropping my arms to the tabletop, still chuckling, still holding her hands in mine.

  She looked up at me. “You’re really easy to get along with,” she said, the levity gone from her voice. “That’s what it is. It isn’t me.”

  I shook my head. “I’m impossible to get along with,” I said with a laugh. “I haven’t opened up to anyone like this since...well, since my wife died.”

  “I’m glad you did,” she murmured. “I’m glad you feel like you can talk to me.”

  “I honestly can’t imagine why anybody wouldn’t.” I squeezed her hands, and she squeezed back. I felt a current rush through my body downward toward my groin. Maybe Jenna felt the same thing, because her breathing accelerated. The rise and fall of her chest was incredibly distracting. “Listen,” I said, “is it too late to change my m
ind about that date?”

  She closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened them, her gaze was sweet. “I don’t think I have it in me to say no to you, Noah Clark.”

  I nodded. “Do you want to come back to my place?”

  “You said Tess’s out for the evening?”

  “She’s at a friend’s.”

  “Then yes.”

  “Do you want to tell Sara and Eric we’re leaving?”

  “They’ll figure it out,” she said. Keeping one hand firmly in mine, she grabbed her purse and towed me out the door and into the cool night air.

  Chapter 18

  Jenna

  I had always enjoyed the view riding from Brooklyn into Manhattan—crossing the bridge, watching the city skyline grow bigger until it seemed to swallow me up—but this time I didn’t see a minute of it. I was completely distracted by Noah.

  He held my hand as we got into the cab. I thought it would drive me crazy to sit there holding his hand, but almost immediately he began to stroke my arm and leaned over to catch my lips in a kiss. The cab driver cleared his throat, but I didn’t care. I was too caught up in sensation, in the thrill of what was happening.

  Part of me was still protesting. Hadn’t I just spent the day convincing myself it was for the best that nothing had happened between Noah and me? Hadn’t I decided I was relieved that he’d turned me down when I’d asked him out? How could I have allowed myself to get sucked back in so quickly?

  You should stop this, I told myself firmly. You should tell him you’ve made a mistake, get out of this cab, and go back to Brooklyn.

  But his touch was heady and confusing. I didn’t pull away. I leaned in instead. There’s no harm in riding with him to his house, I thought. If you don’t want to go any further when you get there, you can always get this driver to take you to your place.

  Noah’s hand found my breast and squeezed. He was so firm, yet so gentle, his touch almost reverent. I wanted to lie back on the seat of the cab and pull him on top of me, but I managed to restrain myself. I ran my fingers down his chest instead, catching my thumb briefly and teasingly on his waistband before lowering my hand to grip his cock.

  God, he was hard. He let out a low groan in my ear as I gripped him, and I knew the two of us were flirting with disaster. We were on the edge of a precipice. If we kept this up, there would be no going back.

  I had to put a stop to it soon if I wanted to.

  But did I want to?

  I was less and less sure. I’d convinced myself it was a good idea for the two of us to keep our distance. But after talking to him tonight at the bar, it seemed clear to me that whatever was between us was about more than just sex. And I thought he felt the same way. After all, hadn’t he said how easy he found it to confide in me?

  Maybe we owed it to each other—to ourselves—to give this a chance.

  Noah slid a hand up under my shirt and pushed aside my bra, and my head fell back in pleasure as his thumb circled my nipple. How was I supposed to think clearly with that going on? How was I supposed to be capable of any kind of rational decision making?

  I wanted him. That much, I couldn’t deny.

  Oh, hell. Why was I trying to fight it at all? If there was one thing I knew for sure, it was that Noah was amazing in bed. And if bed was where he wanted to take me, then bed was where I would go.

  We tumbled out of the cab in front of his building and made it as far as the elevator before stopping to kiss again. Noah lifted me in his arms when the doors opened, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, clinging, pulling him close. The new angle allowed us to deepen our kiss, and for a moment I quite literally forgot where I was. The only thing in the world that mattered was Noah—his lips on mine, his strong hands on my back, the taste of him, the heat as he pressed against me.

  He pulled back. “I need to get you inside,” he said hoarsely. “I’m losing my mind here.”

  My own mind had fled long ago. All I could do was nod.

  Noah carried me inside and to the bedroom. I was astounded by his strength—it heightened my arousal, and by the time we reached his bed, I was rocking my hips against him, desperate to generate friction.

  He set me down and held up a hand. “Stand still.”

  “Why?” I wanted to rip off his clothes. I wanted to push him down on the bed and jump on top of him. I wanted to claim his body.

  “Because I said so,” he said, giving me a feral grin. A shiver ran through me. He stepped back and looked me up and down carefully, as though I was a work of art he was considering purchasing. “Take off your shirt.”

  My temperature rose. I gripped my shirt by the lower hem and lifted it slowly over my head, dropping it to the floor.

  Noah smiled and nodded. “Good,” he said. “Now your pants.”

  “Noah…”

  “Take them off.” When I hesitated, he ordered, “Go on.”

  I unfastened my pants, carefully stepped out of them, and kicked them away. Now I stood before him in bra and panties, shivering a little as the cold air kissed my bare, overheated skin.

  He stepped forward and slipped a hand between my legs, pushing my panties out of the way for better access. I groaned and leaned forward, resting my forehead on his shoulder, hitching my hips against his hand. “Fuck, Noah,” I moaned. “You’re so fucking good at that.”

  He reached around and unhooked my bra with one hand. I shimmied it loose, allowing my tits to fall free before pressing up against him again. I felt like an animal, stupid with lust and desperate for every touch.

  “Now take off my shirt,” Noah commanded. I nodded and started to back away from him, but he grabbed my hip with his free hand and pulled me in closer. With the other hand, he slid one finger inside me, pressing his palm against me. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I…you said…”

  He fucked me slowly with his finger, stopping every few strokes to grind his palm against my mound. I thought I was going to pass out with the intensity of it.

  “I said take my shirt off,” he repeated. “I didn’t say we were done here.”

  With a sob of ecstasy, I began to fumble with the buttons, n almost impossible task. His hand worked me at a slow and steady pace, and no matter how hard I tried to get more pressure, more friction, Noah controlled the tempo.

  “You don’t get to come until you get this shirt off me,” he warned. “Go ahead.”

  For an agonizing minute, I didn’t think I would be able to do it. A task that would have been easy any other day of the week had become borderline impossible. Finally, I managed to undo the last of the buttons and eased the shirt down over his shoulders.

  “Now do I get to come?” I whispered, nearly whimpered.

  In answer, he dropped to his knees, wrapped his arms around my ass, drew me to his mouth, and shoved one leg up on my shoulder. As soon as his tongue touched me, I came. I screamed with pleasure, bucking against his face, my fingers digging desperately into his shoulders. I thought it might have been the best orgasm of my life. When it was over, my knees lost all power and I collapsed.

  Noah caught me. He lifted me in his arms, clutching me against his chest, wrapping my legs around him, and he slipped inside me. I slumped in his arms weakly, enjoying the sensation of being full and cared for. He lifted me up and down slowly, doing all the work, until I felt my body begin to tense again.

  “Noah,” I whispered hoarsely. “I’m going to cum, again.”

  He nodded against my cheek, and his voice was strained. “Me too.”

  He gripped me tightly against him and I held on to him with my thighs, and we came together, the sound of our names intermingling as we cried out.

  Chapter 19

  Noah

  I didn’t remember falling asleep. We lay tangled up in each other, breathing in harmony. My focus narrowed. For a while, my thoughts seemed to come in a rush—my feelings for Jenna were growing stronger, we kept finding our way back to each other, and what did that mean? Was it
possible there was something here, something between us, that could grow into a real relationship?

  Would it be possible for me to let go of her now that I’d had another taste?

  Eventually, though, all I was thinking about was the soft sigh of her breath, the way her hair fanned out over my arm, the softness of her skin pressed against mine. And, I suppose, it was sometime around then that I slipped into sleep.

  The next thing I was aware of was the chirpy melody of a cell phone ringtone.

  I was often slow to wake, even when something like a ringing phone was calling me. But today I was jerked from sleep by the fact that Jenna sat bolt upright beside me as if she’d received a shock.

  “Jenna?” I mumbled. “What’s goin’ on?”

  She didn’t answer me. She scrambled out of bed, tripping a little in her haste, and dropped to her knees beside her purse on the floor. She fumbled it open, reached inside, and pulled out her phone. “Hello?”

  I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to make myself presentable. I looked at Jenna kneeling on the floor, naked and beautiful, and my cock was instantly hard again.

  The idea fled from my mind, however, the moment Jenna put down the phone and turned around. Her eyes were wide and her face was pale and frightened. “I have to go home,” she said, shoving her phone back into her purse. Her hands were shaking so badly she knocked the bag over, spilling its contents on the floor. “Shit!”

  “Whoa, hang on.” I slid out of bed and dropped to my knees beside her, helping her gather her things. “What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

  “That was my landlord,” she mumbled. “Somebody broke into my apartment.”

  “What?” I paused in my shock.

  “I need to go. I’m really sorry, I can’t—”

  “No, hang on, slow down,” I soothed. “Just wait a minute. Where are you going? To your apartment? That doesn’t sound safe.”

  “Whoever did it is gone,” Jenna said. “He—he says they trashed the place.”