“Ah, you’re home—really early.” She smiled as she continued walking towards me.
“Yeah, another slow day.” I started up the stairs with the box and grimaced when my knee protested.
“You have a lot of those. Should I be concerned that we’re going to be homeless soon?” She chuckled and grabbed a box.
“Nah, most of my clients are self-sufficient. I could probably work from home if I really wanted to.” I turned the corner and put the box down next to the others.
Damn, I need an elevator in this place…
We slowly moved all of Chrissy’s stuff upstairs and I left to make arrangements for dinner while she unpacked. It was still early, but if I gave the chef a little notice, he could fix something that was a little nicer than burgers and fries. My knee was definitely noticing that I had been up and down the stairs a few times, but I gave it one more push so I could go back up and help Chrissy unpack. She was bent over a box when I made it to the top of the stairs, and while I normally kept my thoughts to myself when she walked by me in a pair of jeans—they were stretched tight across her perfectly shaped ass.
Damn it, one step forward—two steps back.
The door in my head refused to let me shut it entirely, even when I wanted to just bolt it shut. I was torn—so fucking torn. I liked her and there was simply no way to ignore that. She was a bit immature, but that wasn’t as much of a problem as it would have been normally. I had this inner desire to embrace that and protect her—while simultaneously wanting to give her one quick smack on the back of those jeans. I resisted the urge. I was already kind of regretting the fact I gave her one the night before, even though it was just playful. Doing it again would probably not be so well received—especially if it was spontaneous.
“Did you pack everything you owned?” I looked down at the box.
“No.” She shook her head back and forth. “My grandparents always bought me clothes for Christmas—since we really couldn’t afford them otherwise, so that’s what most of it is. Thankfully, I can still fit in the same t-shirts I wore a couple of years ago.”
Yeah, those are bit tighter than you realize, but they do fit.
“Are you sure that’s all you brought?” I bent down and pushed open one of the flaps to the box in front of me. “This one looks like it’s full of school newspapers.”
“Oh crap…” She looked down at the box. “I thought I left that one in the closet. I was just hanging onto all of that for my Memory Box—whenever I get one.”
“Not just newspapers.” I shuffled them to the side. “Looks like a few term papers—tests—report cards too.”
“Yeah, don’t look at those.” She shook her head back and forth.
“Why is that? You must have made good grades if you got a scholarship to USC.” I pushed the box towards the closet.
“Not the best—otherwise I would have gotten a full ride that included a dorm room.” She shrugged.
We got all of her stuff situated while the chef prepared our dinner. I hoped she liked steak, because that was the main course. Luckily, when we got downstairs, she seemed excited. We ate our food and then spent some time in the living room before she decided that she wanted to watch a movie in the theater. I let her choose what we watched, and I was glad that she chose something besides a horror movie—until I realized it was a romantic comedy. I would have preferred jump-scares over two hours of people constantly fucking up before they finally got their happily ever after. There were a few funny parts though, and the plot wasn’t completely ridiculous—except for that part where they solved all of their problems in the last fifteen minutes.
“My last Friday night before college starts…” She looked over at me as the credits rolled and the lights came on.
“Yep.” I looked over at her. “Starting next week, you’ll have your nose in a book every night.”
“I don’t know about that.” She raised her eyebrows and smiled. “I have to get the full college experience—that requires me to party more than I study.”
“As long as you are home at a decent hour.” I gave her a slight nod.
“Yeah, I remember the rules…” She sighed and laughed.
“Do you? I seem to remember you forgetting one of them already…” I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes.
“Yeah—don’t text and drive.” She nodded. “And don’t call you old.”
“Honestly? After carrying all those boxes upstairs, you might actually be able to outrun me this time.” I looked down at my knee. “I might need to hop in the Jacuzzi before bed.”
“Oh really…” She shifted to the edge of her seat and stood. “So, I can call you old and get away with it?”
“Don’t push your luck,” I growled under my breath. “Adrenaline might kick in.”
“I don’t know—I kind of like pushing my luck.” She took a step back. “Old man…”
Chrissy took off towards the stairs and I had no choice but to go after her. I had no idea what I was going to do if I actually managed to catch up. I already had a bit of regret over making her turn around for one smack—but she challenged me, and she knew what was going to happen if I did catch her. My thoughts were spinning a little bit as I started up the stairs. Did she actually—want me to do it? I had been fighting my own temptations so much that I never paused to see if she was sending me the same signals—but the more I thought about it, the more I started to question if they were right in front of me the whole time.
This is going to get really complicated if I’m fighting to control myself and she’s hoping I don’t…
“Yeah, you’re too slow—old man.” She giggled as I got to the top of the stairs and darted around the corner.
I saw where she was going—and I knew my house better than she did. I might have been slower than normal, but I could take a shortcut. I went through the living room, around the back side of the library, and before she could reach the stairs that led to her bedroom, I was in front of her. She was looking over her shoulder, ducking and trying to figure out where I was. She almost ran into me before she finally turned around.
“Oh crap! Wait, where did you come from?” She blinked in surprise.
“I took the shortcut.” I motioned towards the door beside me.
“That’s cheating…” She tilted her head and folded her arms across her chest.
“Not my fault you took the long way.” I shrugged. “So, what were you saying about me being an old man?”
“Okay, fine…” She sighed and turned around. “I guess I deserve this one.”
“You think you’re just getting one?” I reached out and grabbed her arm. “The penalty gets worse every time—you obviously didn’t learn your lesson the last time you were in this position.”
I shouldn’t do this—I definitely shouldn’t do this.
“Get it over with…” She bent over enough to make her jeans stretch across her ass.
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
“Ow! Those were harder than last night.” She rubbed her ass after the last one landed.
“Maybe you learned your lesson this time…” I chuckled under my breath. “Okay, I’m going to get changed and try to soak my knee in the Jacuzzi. Chasing after you just made it worse…”
“Okay.” She nodded and rubbed her ass one more time before walking up the stairs to her bedroom.
I needed a drink, not just because of the thought tumbling around in my head, but also because it would help with my knee. It rarely bothered me unless I did something to aggravate it. Carrying boxes definitely did the trick. I poured a glass of Scotch, changed into my swim trunks, and grabbed a cigar from my humidor. I rarely smoked, but it was good to enjoy one occasionally after a long week. I walked down to the Jacuzzi and climbed inside. The heat felt really good on my knee and the Scotch wasn’t bad either. I leaned my head back against the Jacuzzi wall and as soon as I got comfortable, I heard the door open.
“Mind if I join you?” Chrissy walked out of the house in a bikini tha
t was even more revealing than the one she was wearing the first day I noticed her curves.
It’ll be really awkward if I say no…
“Sure, come on.” I shifted and gave her an inviting wave.
I had managed to take a step forward, a couple of steps back, and hell—I had kind of lost count. The sight of her in the bikini might as well have been a mile in the wrong direction. I shifted my eyes so that I wasn’t staring, but fuck if that wasn’t the hardest thing in the world. She turned her ass towards me as she climbed into the Jacuzzi and the sight of it made my cock immediately rise to attention. I took a quick drink from my glass of Scotch and puffed on my cigar—somehow trying to make enough of a cloud to protect me from what my eyes were begging to stare at. Once she sank beneath the surface of the water, I was able to settle the raging lust that wanted to take control of my thoughts.
“This feels even better than the pool…” She moved her hands in a wide circle. “I’ve never been in one of these before.”
“Really?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “The Rugby team I played for had two—one filled with ice water and one like this.”
“Ice water?” She shivered and shook her head. “No way.”
“It helps when your muscles are fucked up after an intense workout or a big game.” I shrugged. “I don’t miss those days. I prefer this a lot more.”
We talked for a little while and just enjoyed the comfort of the Jacuzzi. She didn’t seem to be bothered that I gave a few smacks for calling me old. I did notice that she was laughing more than usual—and finding reasons to nudge me with her hand when the conversation called for it. I almost thought she was flirting—or trying to. If that was her intention, she wasn’t very good at it. I tried to remain stoic. I smoked my cigar, drank my Scotch, and added to the conversation when necessary. I might have been doing my best impression of a statue on the outside, but my thoughts were definitely starting to spin. I was wondering if the fuse was lit—and we were both in over our heads.
“How’s your knee?” She leaned forward and pressed on it—thankfully, she pressed on the wrong one because she wasn’t very gentle about it.
“It’s fine.” I shrugged. “I think I’ll live.”
“I guess I won’t give you another reason to chase me…” She looked up for a moment and grinned. “You cheat anyway.”
“You just don’t know the layout of the house very well yet. I might not get the element of surprise next time.” I chuckled under my breath.
“Tempting—but I’m not wearing jeans now. It might hurt if you did catch me.” She leaned back against the wall of the Jacuzzi.
“I could make it hurt if I wanted to.” I narrowed my eyes. “Even through your jeans.”
“Well then I better be on my best behavior from now on.” She gave me a quick wink.
What the fuck did that wink mean?
I had never struggled to read a woman’s intentions before. They were usually pretty clear—and rarely one-sided. I just couldn’t get a good read when it came to Chrissy. The signs seemed to be there, but there was a chance that what I saw on the surface was exactly what lingered beneath it—she was an eighteen-year-old girl far from home and having fun. I had reminded myself that she was Sam’s kid so many times that it was starting to have less of an impact—and it felt like a mountain of bad intentions were trying to kick the door in my head wide open. I needed to just get out of the Jacuzzi and go to bed. That was the best option—otherwise, I might end up doing something I regretted.
“Alright, I think that’s it for me.” I leaned forward and tapped out my cigar in the ashtray on the edge of the Jacuzzi.
“I might stay in here a little longer…” She nodded and stretched out.
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.” I climbed over the edge of the Jacuzzi and grabbed my towel.
I’ll call this a successful escape…
Five
Chrissy
I watched as Greyson stepped out of the Jacuzzi and reached for his towel. I might have teased him with my old man comment, but there was nothing old about that physique. I previously noticed that he had a few tattoos, but his entire upper torso was a cascade of beautiful ink. He had an incredible body—he looked like someone had carved a perfect statue and brought it to life. The sight of him dripping with water as he dried off made my bikini try to melt off my hips. I didn’t want him to go—I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. I just couldn’t work up the courage to ask him to climb back into the Jacuzzi with me—so I watched him walk into the house.
I wish I had been paying closer attention when my sister was talking about flirting with guys. I was so sure I would never need to know any of that stuff…
If it was some guy at school, I could have asked my sister for advice. Unfortunately, Greyson wasn’t someone I could ask her about—because she would tell me that I was an idiot and acting like a child. I sank below the surface of the water and stayed there until I was fighting for air before sitting back up. I still felt like I was suffocating on the inside. I just—wanted to know if we were playing a game I could win or if he just thought I was some kid he had to look after. I wanted to believe there could be more. I knew it was stupid, but I couldn’t help how I felt. I didn’t even want to go to bed—because I was afraid I would have another vivid dream like the one I had the night before.
I guess I don’t have a choice. I can’t stay up all night…
The next day
I walked down the stairs as soon as I was showered and there was no sign of Greyson. I knew he was home, because it was Saturday and he said he didn’t have to work. I peeked in the garage just to make sure his Maserati was there—and it was. I walked down the hallway and heard a noise coming from the gym. I peeked in the door and saw him flat on his back underneath a really heavy weight—one that he was bench pressing like it was nothing. I didn’t want to startle him, so I waited until he was done with his reps to walk through the door.
“Is this what you do on Saturday?” I looked around the gym.
“Yeah.” He nodded and sat up. “I usually squeeze in a few workouts during the week when I can.”
Of course, he’s covered in sweat and now his muscles are pumped from working out—just what I need to see first thing in the morning when I’m fighting my attraction to him.
“Do you want to work out with me?” He leaned forward and started to stand. “I don’t use the treadmill—bum knee and all.”
“I—don’t know about that.” I shook my head back and forth. “This is the first time I’ve even been inside a gym.”
“Is everything set for school?” He tilted his head slightly. “Anything you need help with?”
“Yeah.” I nodded in confirmation. “I mean, except the car—I have to get a ride with John.”
“I already took care of that.” He grabbed a towel and threw it over his shoulder. “He’ll be waiting for you outside Monday morning.”
“Okay…” I sighed. “Then I guess everything is set.”
Greyson went to one of the machines that worked a muscle I had never used, so I decided to go to the kitchen and find something to eat. I was looking forward to my first day of college, but my head was still in turmoil over Greyson. He finished his workout, showered, and then came back downstairs in a t-shirt and jeans. I wasn’t really sure what he did all day when he was home by himself. I had only seen him after work—as it turned out, the weekends weren’t completely devoid of work. He went into his library and I heard him hammering keys on his laptop. I was a little bored by that point, so I decided to go for a swim. I changed into a bikini and headed down to the pool. I did a couple of laps and started paddling around in place when the door opened, and Greyson walked out.
“Are you finally done with work?” I looked up at him.
“Yeah, it was nothing important, but I am behind on my emails.” He shrugged.
“Are you going to join me?” I swam towards the edge and splashed some water at his feet.
I was tempted to tell him that he didn’t need a pair of swim trunks—but that would have been wildly inappropriate. I waited until he returned and stared as I got another look at his marvelous physique. It certainly made me think dirty thoughts, but I kept them to myself as he walked into the pool and swam towards the deep end. Everything about him made my body scream for his touch, but I did my best to just stare—and I think he caught me a couple of times. I just couldn’t help myself. The site of his gorgeous body and beautiful ink was making me tingle—and his accent was almost enough to make me want to take another trip upstairs to spend some time in the tub pretending I could do more than stare. I couldn’t do that—not while he was in the house, so I followed Greyson to the deep end of the pool and playfully splashed him with a little water once he surfaced.
“Alright now, none of that.” He waved his hand and splashed me with even more water than I sent his way.
“Don’t tell me there’s a rule that says I can’t splash you.” I slung my hand towards him and most of the water hit him in the face.
“Well if there was, you would have just broken it twice.” He chuckled and slammed his hand into the water which sent a wave in my direction.
I might get his hands on my body again—if I push my luck. It’s too bad they don’t linger after one of those quick smacks…
“So are you going to take away my pool privileges or spank me?” I giggled and swam away from him.
“I don’t know…” He bounced on the bottom of the pool and followed me towards the shallow end. “You do seem to like the pool.”
Once Upon a Daddy: A Romance Anthology Page 4
