“That might be for the best.” I nodded.
I looked for mine and even though I knew he was an asshole, it still hurt when he didn’t return my call.
Chloe moved closer to me, and I pulled her into an embrace. I thought she was a naturally submissive girl—one that clung to independence like a drug while defiance delivered the high—just waiting for someone to break through all of it and give her the dominance she truly wanted. I was wrong. She was as broken as me. Maybe that was the common ground we had—two people who faced the abandonment that forced us to grow up way too fast. I never really considered myself lucky—I thought I was too smart to rely on something as silly as that. I didn’t realize how good I truly had it. I would have never made it to college if my father hadn’t done his part financially, even if he didn’t step up emotionally. Chloe had neither, yet she managed to overcome both of those pitfalls to stand on her own two feet.
“I’m sorry this date went the complete opposite of how you thought it would go.” She leaned back from my embrace.
“It’s perfect.” I pulled her back into my arms.
Chloe stayed snuggled against me until nearly ten o’clock, but then she had to go. I would have liked for her to stay longer, but she was close to just falling asleep in my arms by that point. I made sure she was wide awake with a couple of well-placed kisses and walked her to the car. We shared one more before she opened the door and climbed behind the steering wheel. After she was gone, I fixed a drink, got a cigar from my father’s humidor, and walked outside to enjoy the evening breeze. Los Angeles was nothing like Chicago, and it wasn’t home, but I would never get tired of the weather. That was the part of California I actually did miss after I returned to Illinois—especially my first winter back.
Here’s to you, old man—I’ll never understand your choices, but I guess I have a little more respect for you than I did yesterday.
I sipped some whiskey, lit the cigar, and let the smoke roll off my lips. Chloe had managed to push through so much—she met every challenge head on without bending when the pressure would have broken most people. It took a toll, but that just made her stronger. She deserved better than someone like me, but I wasn’t ready to let her go—I didn’t think I ever would be. That meant I had to tell her what kind of man I really was—the darkness in my heart that I didn’t fully understand. There was no changing that part of me, and she appealed to it in every way. When the time was right, she wasn’t just going to give me her virginity—she was going to call me Daddy.
Then she can be as sassy and rebellious as she wants to be—because that part of me fucking loves a challenging woman.
My hand casually rubbed my cock through my pants as I thought about her gorgeous curves—her delicious lips—the way her nipple felt when it turned into a hard nub against the tip of my finger. Waiting was going to be torturous, but that sweet cherry would be worth it. I couldn’t help but think about it, even if it wasn’t all that I wanted from her. There was a part of me that was scared of the truth—and her reaction—but I had a feeling that my dominant and possessive side would appeal to Chloe. She’s never had anyone that loved her with so much fierceness they wouldn’t let go, and that’s what it was starting to feel like inside me. I lifted my cigar, took a drag, and felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw that I had a message from Chloe, sent through the app.
Chloe: No request tonight?
Corbin: You said the picture you sent last night was the best I would ever get…
Chloe: Yeah…
Corbin: I don’t want to ask for something I can’t have.
Chloe: Fine. Here’s a freebie.
The phone lit up, and it was a picture similar to the one she sent me the previous night—except that her panties were slid halfway down her hips and her hand was buried in them. I saw that first, and it took me a moment to realize that her bra was halfway off too—but not enough to show a nipple. My eyes got wide, the cigar nearly fell out of my fingers, and my pulse raced. She was so fucking hot—and that picture just made my cock throb even harder. My fingers were still lightly teasing it, and I started rubbing harder—too hard. I was already past the point of no return before I realized it, and I felt my balls tighten up. Cum surged through my shaft, and I rolled forward as I unloaded in my pants.
“Fuck…” I exhaled sharply and started typing a reply.
Corbin: That’s a whole lot better than the one you sent me last night!
Chloe: Yeah, except this time, you don’t have to imagine what is going to happen before I go to sleep.
Corbin: Naughty girl…
Chloe: It’s your fault.
Corbin: If you were going to just do that when you got home, you should have stayed. I could have made you come without taking your virginity.
Chloe: Maybe next time…
Corbin: That’s all I’m going to think about now.
Chloe: Sweet dreams.
“Maybe after a shower…” I sighed and put out my cigar.
Chloe wasn’t ready to lose her virginity, but she was far from innocent. The relationship had officially crossed the threshold from making out on the couch to teasing. There was only so much of that I could take—obvious by the fact that I blew my load without even taking off my pants. That was a new one for me. I walked inside the house, stripped off my clothes, and started a shower. I barely got the water started and climbed under it before my cock started to get hard again. The picture was scorched into my thoughts—and thinking about what she did before she turned out the light was enough to make my cock beg for more attention. I reached down and started stroking it—it wanted Chloe’s touch, a whole lot more than mine, but I gave it what I could. It didn’t take long for my balls to get tight, and a second eruption to send cum into the shower drain. The water washed it away, and I reached for the soap.
She’s going to be in so much fucking trouble when I finally get her in my bed.
Chapter Eleven
Chloe
I don’t know what compelled me to send the dirty picture to Corbin. I never thought I would do something like that—then again, I never thought I’d send one in my underwear either. The first one reduced my debt. The second one didn’t. Sending it made me feel extremely sexy, especially when I saw his reaction, and it didn’t take me long to come. I rolled over and prepared to sleep in the nude, just like I did the night before, but I didn’t want to be alone—I felt a longing to have a pair of arms around me—to feel a deeper level of sexual satisfaction that my finger could ever bring. I wasn’t ready to lose my virginity yet, but I was having fun building up to it—I was pretty sure that it was only going to be a matter of time before Corbin spread my legs and popped my cherry.
I might even dream about it tonight…
* * *
The next day
The mad dash in the morning was faster since I got a little more rest, and I made it to work in record time. It was Friday, which was normally a busy day, but it seemed like the restaurant was the popular spot in Los Angeles for some reason. I was tempted to pick up an evening shift since it was already that busy, but I wanted to spend time with Corbin more than I wanted a little extra money in my pocket. The breakfast rush went by in a flash, and it wasn’t long before the lunch crowd was filling the restaurant. My ankle hadn’t really bothered me much in several days, but the constant flurry of orders was starting to make it noticeable since I was scrambling between tables—for some reason, the restaurant seemed to be busier than ever.
“Order up—table nine.” The cook put a plate of food down and hit the bell.
“You got this one, Chloe?” My boss walked over and inspected the food.
“Yes sir, that’s my table.” I grabbed the plate and balanced some tea in my other hand while I headed to the table.
“Ma’am, can I get a refill?” I customer flagged me as I walked past.
“Yes sir.” I nodded and filled his glass before I delivered the food to table nine.
“Th
is looks great, thank you.” The man at table nine seemed pleased with his order, so I headed back to the kitchen area to pick up the next one.
“What is going on today?” I leaned against the counter to catch my breath and looked over at Mr. North. “It’s crazy!”
“Oh, that’s right.” He chuckled. “You weren’t here last night. Do you know who Walker Delaney is?”
“No.” I shook my head back and forth.
“Ah, well—what about Dangerous Thorns? The soap opera?” He tilted his head inquisitively.
“Yeah, I’ve heard of it.” I nodded quickly.
“Walker Delaney is one of the stars of the show. He was in here last night with his wife, Lauren. They may have tweeted something about how good this place is…” Mr. North grinned.
“That explains it,” I sighed. “Okay.”
“Order up, table five.” Another plate hit the counter, and the bell sounded.
“That’s mine!” Marissa, one of the other waitresses pushed past me.
“Order up, table twelve.” The bell seemed to echo before the previous ring had even died down.
“That’s me.” I grabbed the plate and started across the restaurant.
A celebrity endorsement was everything in Los Angeles, and if a popular one had visited the restaurant, then it was no wonder that we were swamped. I spent the rest of my shift running orders until it felt like my feet were going to fall off, but I didn’t slow down. When it was finally time to clock out, I had made more money in tips than I would have normally made for several days of work. I sat down to count and log them before I left and saw my phone light up with a message from Daniella.
Daniella: Are you sure you won’t go to this party with me?
Chloe: Sorry…
Daniella: Can we hang out tomorrow at least?
Chloe: Yeah, I should be able to swing that. Want to grab lunch?
Daniella: I was thinking dinner—and then you could spend the night.
Chloe: Your parents haven’t banned me from your house?
Daniella: No, they seem to have calmed down. My dad actually laughed about it last night.
Chloe: I’ll let you know. I don’t know if I have to work…
That part was a lie. I didn’t have to work the weekends unless I picked up an extra shift since Mr. North had been kind enough to let me work during the week while I was out of school. I didn’t want to commit to something with her if Corbin wanted to do something. We initially agreed that Sunday was the only weekend day that I would spend with him, but that was before things heated up—before I realized that I wasn’t just going to be paying off my debt when I spent time with him. He could have both weekend days if he asked for them. In fact, the debt total could sit at 250 for all I cared. Corbin must have been reading my thoughts, because the phone lit up as soon as I set it down with a notification from the Chloe’s Debt app.
“Chloe, can I speak to you for a minute?” Mr. North walked into the office and leaned against the desk.
Damn. I hope that challenge isn’t on a timer. It’s not six o’clock yet, so it shouldn’t be…
“Of course, Mr. North.” I turned towards him.
“Brianna called in tonight. It’s going to be really, really busy. Is there any way you could work?” He sighed. “I wouldn’t ask, because I know you already turned me down earlier, but I’m fairly desperate at this point.”
He’s treated me so well. I won’t be able to handle the guilt if I turn him down when he needs me.
“Yeah, absolutely.” I nodded. “Let me just get things sorted out, and I’ll grab my apron.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.” He smiled and turned to head back into the kitchen.
Once he was gone, I picked up my phone and hit the button to load the app—the first thing I noticed were several new icons that weren’t there the last time I looked at it—along with the challenge that was waiting for me.
Date Night: -25
Decline: +25
“Damn it.” I sighed and hit decline, which raised my total from 250 to 275—the chat box loaded immediately.
Chloe: I’m really sorry! My boss asked me to pick up an evening shift, and he really needs me tonight.
Corbin: Oh. Okay.
Chloe: Please don’t be mad!
Corbin: I’m not mad, I promise.
Chloe: I’ll make it up to you. Maybe we can hang out tomorrow night?
Corbin: I have to wait that long?
Chloe: I think I may be having lunch with Daniella. Maybe I could come by after that?
Corbin: Okay. Don’t get into any trouble…
Chloe: With Daniella? Never! :)
My feet hurt and my ankle was sore, but I headed back into the kitchen and got my table assignments for the evening. I could already tell I was going to be dead tired before the restaurant closed, but the money would be nice. I sipped coffee between orders—when I had a chance—and spent most of my evening break chugging it. I was too tired for it to do much more than give me a quick burst of energy that was gone by the time my break was over. The only good thing was that my feet kind of went numb midway through the evening shift—but when the last customer left, they felt like jelly. I went to the office to log my tips and literally collapsed into the chair the instant I got close to it.
“Chloe? Someone is here to see you.” Mr. North popped his head into my office.
“Huh?” I looked over at him.
“I let him in—I hope that was okay.” He motioned to the main part of the restaurant.
Did Corbin decide to pop in and surprise me? That’s so sweet…
I groaned as I stood and walked past Mr. North. I had been struggling to smile since the afternoon and every one that I gave my customers was forced, but I had a real one my face when I turned to the corner. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Corbin waiting on me—it was Jeff. That caused the smile to fade from my face immediately.
“Jeff? What are you doing here?” I stared at him with a perplexed look on my face as I approached.
“Hey.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and smiled. “I came to pick you up.”
“Say what now?” I raised both eyebrows in confusion.
“Daniella sent me.” His smile turned into a wide grin. “The party?”
“I told her I wasn’t going.” I shook my head back and forth.
“That’s why she sent me.” He took a step forward. “Come on, Chloe. I want to hang out with you tonight—I missed my chance in high school. I don’t want to miss it again…”
“Jeff…” I looked down and sighed. “I had a huge crush on you in high school, but…”
“I know, I was a jerk.” He smirked. “I was too busy worrying about the class slut instead of the one that I should have been paying attention to. Let me make it up to you. Please?”
“I’m sorry.” I shook my head back and forth. “No.”
“Fine…” His face twisted from a smirk into a look of disappointment. “Don’t get your heart broken when you find out I’ve moved on.”
“I’ll try.” I forced a grimace.
I watched as Jeff walked to the door and left. I immediately walked back to the office and grabbed my phone so I could send a message to Daniella.
Chloe: Did you send Jeff to pick me up!?!
Daniella: Surprise! I’ll see you soon!
Chloe: I’m not coming to the party, and I don’t want to go out with Jeff!
Daniella: You’re so confusing sometimes…
Chloe: Let’s meet for lunch tomorrow. I’ll explain it in person.
Daniella: Okay. I’m going to get drunk now—and make some mistakes. Have a good night!
Chloe: You too. Please be careful.
I doubted Daniella was going to heed my advice. She was probably going to do the exact opposite of what I said. I didn’t want her to send anymore Jeff surprises my way, so it was better to just come clean about my relationship. I finished up at the restaurant, drove back to my apartment, and made my weekly c
all to my mother. She normally didn’t work on Friday nights, so it was the best time to call her. We talked for about an hour—mostly about nothing—but it was good to hear her voice. Her work schedule might not have given us much time to bond when I was growing up, but we had a lot more to talk about once we were two adults struggling with everyday problems.
I promised to come see her the following weekend and offered to take her out to dinner—my treat. She reluctantly agreed, after telling me that I really should save the money for school. I appreciated it, but I did want to do something nice for her—and I might get to tell her about Corbin. She always asked if I was dating anyone, and for the first time, I wouldn’t have to dodge the question entirely. After I finished talking with her, I changed into my pajamas and loaded the app that kept up with my debt.
Hmm, what are these new features? I can play around with them now.
There were two new icons that opened up to a message indicating they were still in development. The third appeared to be the one that Corbin used—when he wanted to lay out a challenge. I tapped on it a couple of times and saw an icon of a notepad at the bottom. I clicked on that and a description popped up. Corbin added a feature to the app that allowed me to make challenges. I had the same option that he had—the challenge could add or subtract from my debt, and it appeared that he would get an opportunity to accept or decline them. There was even an option for me to set a timer for the challenge if I wanted.
I think we’re playing a whole new game now…
Chapter Twelve
Corbin
The next day
I was disappointed when Chloe had to decline my date and raised her debt total to 275, but I couldn’t be angry at her when I found out why she had to turn it down. I had a slight hint of worry when I found out she would be hanging out with Daniella for lunch considering what happened the last time they were together. I did a little work in the morning and kept an eye on the clock while checking my phone periodically. I wasn’t sure if I would get a text message from her, or if she would use the new feature in the app to lay out a challenge for me. I added the feature to see what she would come up with—if she chose to use it, and I was pleasantly surprised when my phone lit up with a challenge around three in the afternoon.
Indebted To A Daddy: Once Upon A Daddy Page 9
