by Rye Hart
“I just don't want you to –”
I pushed myself upward, and felt his erection pressing against my body. I needed him inside of me, and I needed it now. I reached down and guided him to my opening which was already wet with his saliva. With one upward thrust, I took just the tip of him inside of me and groaned.
I knew he'd be gentle with me, and I was right. Slowly, he filled me up, stretching me open and taking my virginity, all while staring deep into my eyes. Once he was deep inside of me, he moved carefully, rocking back and forth until the pain was replaced by pleasure.
Our bodies were united in pleasure, and I could tell he was close. He was struggling to keep it together, and so I looked into his eyes and gave him permission.
“Come for me, Nico,” I said. “Please.”
“You first,” he said through clenched teeth.
I'd already climaxed once, and I was on the verge of a second, but I wasn't sure if Nico could make it that long. He let out a deep-throated groan and for a second, I thought he'd done it. And just the idea of making him come brought me even closer.
Together, we continued riding out the pleasure until Nico cried out my name, “Sophia. Oh yes,” and the sound of him in so much pleasure brought me to the edge. Staring in each other's eyes, we came together, our bodies writhing on the bed, spasming and shaking as we rode out wave after wave until Nico collapsed on top of me, clearly spent.
“That was amazing,” I said, still not believing what we'd just done.
Kissing me, he smiled. “Yes, it was, Sophia. Truly amazing.”
He curled up beside me, and we drifted off to sleep for a while longer. When I woke up , it was hard to believe all of that wasn't just a dream.
But Nico's naked body next to mine, along with the sweet ache between my legs, was proof enough that yes, we really had made love.
And I couldn't be happier.
CHAPTER EIGHT
We still hadn't talked about what would happen once we got back to California. I was scared to. I didn't want the vacation to end, but alas, we had to go back to reality. As we were packing for the flight home, Nico handed me something. An envelope.
“What's this?” I asked.
“Open it,” he said with a grin.
Inside was a deed. At first it made no sense whatsoever, but then it hit me. “This is the address for the diner,” I said. “And it's in my name, not my dad's.”
“That's because I bought it, as promised,” he said. “But decided instead to gift it to you – not your father. It's yours to do with as you wish.”
My knees grew weak and I sat down on the bed, staring at the piece of paper in my hand – the paper that would change my life forever. It meant that my father couldn't lose it anymore. The diner was paid off in full and in my name. My name. It meant I was no longer working for my dad, he was going to be working for me, if I let him.
“There's more,” he said.
“More? What else could there possibly be?” I thought, my eyes filling up with tears. “This is – this is more than I could have ever wished for. It's too much, Nico.”
But I pulled out the other paper. On it was another deed. I looked at it and didn't understand what I was seeing.
“What's this?”
“Your new home, Sophia,” he said. “Paid in full. My gift to you.”
“No. You shouldn't have,” I said. “I can't take this.”
“Why not?” he asked. “I think my girlfriend should have a nice place to call home, don't you think?”
“Your girlfriend?” I nearly choked.
“Of course,” he said, kissing me. “Unless, of course, you don't want to be my girlfriend. I guess I should have asked before assuming, so if –”
“Yes, yes, of course,” I said. “I want to be with you. So, does this mean, once we get back to California, it's not the end?”
“The end?” he laughed. “Of course not. I hope it's only the beginning. The beginning of something wonderful for both of us. I've never felt this happy, Sophia. Not since Madeline. You made this possible. And even if the vacation has to end, I'd like for us to continue.”
I never, in a million years, would have imagined this life for me. Not only did I have a sexy, rich boyfriend who spoiled me rotten – I now owned the diner. It was mine to do with as I wished. I had a home to call my own, which meant, no more living with my father, and I had freedom.
For the first time in my life, I was free, and truly happy.
The End
Daddy’s Girl
CHAPTER ONE - VIOLET
Breathe, Violet. Breathe, I told myself as I waited outside Sebastian Townsend's office. I tried to convince myself that it was no big deal, that I'd been to his office countless times before. But this time was different and I knew it. This time, I wasn't here on a social call with my father. No, this time I was interviewing for a job – a job I needed very badly.
When Sebastian had initially offered me the opportunity to interview, I worried it was out of pity or even out of some sense of obligation to my father, and I balked. But now, well, things had changed and I couldn't afford to be picky.
Far from being the hot commodity I thought I'd be, this was the only interview I'd had in weeks.
My stomach lurched and his office door opened, and Sebastian – or rather, Mr. Townsend as I probably should call him if I were to work for him – stepped out. And I stared up at him like I always did – with the wide-eyed wonder of a little girl with a major crush.
Because the fact of the matter was, potential boss or not, he was drop-dead gorgeous – even if he was my father's age.
“Violet, how nice to see you again,” he said, his smile going all the way to his blue eyes.
Even though I knew – or at least, based on what my father had told me – Sebastian could be absolutely brutal when it came to business and tended to take no prisoners, he always had such a genuine kindness and gentleness about him. It was one of the reasons I admired him as much as I did.
“It's nice to see you too, Mr. Townsend,” I managed to croak.
He waved me toward his office. “Come on in and let's chat.”
I stood up and shook his hand, making sure my grip was firm and professional, and went through all the normal pleasantries of small talk as we walked into his office. I sat down in a chair across from his desk, the skirt of my business suit riding up and showing a little more leg than I'd intended. I fought to pull it down without looking too obvious about it, but it was too late. He was already looking down at my leg and doing his best to not laugh out loud and make me feel any more awkward than I already felt.
“Excuse me,” I said, the color rising in my cheeks. “New suit.”
“It's all good, Violet,” he said. “So, tell me, what have you been up to since college?”
He ran a hand through his dark brown hair, and I watched his every movement with wide eyes and an open mouth. Seriously, Sebastian could have stepped right off the pages of a fashion magazine or a TV show like Mad Men; he was that beautiful to look at. It was almost distracting.
Damn. This was going to be hard.
“Well, to be honest, I'm just trying to find a job, as you know. I've applied at a number of different companies, had a few interviews, but nothing has panned out just yet,” I admitted. “They all want experience I don't have yet, which is part of the problem with just getting out of school, I suppose.”
“Yeah, yeah, I understand. Believe me, I do. The market is tough right now, especially in real estate development,” he said. “A lot of companies downsized after the bust and many are still leery about hiring new people right now. They don't want to take on too much in labor before they know if the market is truly solid again.”
“Exactly,” I said. “And as you know, things with my family have made it a bit harder. I had to take some time off for my father.”
Sebastian grimaced, and I felt bad for bringing it up. He and my father had been close since college, and he knew all too well t
he toll it took on our family when my father had died. I didn't want him to hire me out of pity, but it was the truth.
I hadn't been able to look for work while caring for my dying father and after that, planning a funeral – all things my mother couldn't deal with. And now, I was rushing to find a job since I was the one trying to keep a roof over our heads – something else my mother was incapable of doing.
“I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you,” he said quietly, looking down at his hands. “I was around your age when I lost my father, and the funeral was up to me too. It's such a tremendous burden to put onto a child's shoulders – especially one who's just graduated college and is trying to get on their feet. But you did a wonderful job of holding it all together. I commend you for that, Violet. I know that your father would have been proud of you.”
Hearing such high praise from Sebastian was nice, even if it was about something so depressing. It was nice to know that someone felt I had it all together. Because honestly, it didn't feel that way to me most of the time. I felt like I was being held together by rubber bands and scotch tape – and that the slightest breeze would bring the whole house of cards crashing down on top of me.
Before I could thank him for his kind words though, Sebastian spoke again, “And that is why I asked you in here today. I could use someone with a level-head and your organizational skills around here,” he said. “I've been considering hiring an assistant for some time now. I know that I desperately need one, but I could never find someone I trusted enough to do the job. And after watching how well you handled everything, under the enormous burden of pressure and stress on your shoulders, I knew you'd be the right person for the job. So, what I'm saying is, the job is yours if you want it.”
My mouth was hanging open and I wanted to say something, but I couldn't find the words. So instead, I merely smiled, “Thank you, Sebastian. That means a lot to me. More than you know, actually.”
“When can you start?” he asked, opening up a planner and looking up at me.
“I can start whenever you need me,” I said. “You're the boss. You tell me and I'll be here with bells on.”
“How about tomorrow? That way we can get you prepped for the trip to Bali in the next couple of weeks and –”
“Bali?” I almost choked and stared at him with what I was sure was a dumbfounded expression on my face. “Seriously?”
“Yes,” he said with a smile. “Being my assistant comes with a few perks now and again, trust me. You'll be traveling to some pretty cool places, I have to admit. We're opening a new resort in Bali and I need to travel down there to personally oversee a few things. And I could use your help with it.”
Bali. Wow. I'd walked into his office an unemployed mess and I was walking out as his personal assistant who was getting an all-expense paid trip to Bali. I had to wonder if his friendship with my father had anything to do with it, but I wasn't complaining because hey, Bali.
“Wow, I don't know what to say, Sebas – Mr. Townsend. Thank you,” I stammered. “For everything. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the opportunity.”
“Sebastian,” he said. “No need to go making me feel older than I already do.”
“Sebastian, then,” I said, a broad smile on my face. “I won't let you down. Thank you so much.”
“No, thank you, Violet,” he said, smiling, those baby blue eyes boring straight into my soul. “Thank you. I know you're going to be amazing.”
CHAPTER TWO - SEBASTIAN
Violet had grown into quite the young lady, I had to admit. Having been around her most all of her life, I still pictured her as a child. It was easy to do. But having watched her handle herself so well during her father's illness and subsequent death, I saw firsthand how grown up she was now. It blew me away. She was most definitely not the precocious little kid I'd known.
Yes, perhaps I felt a little bit sorry for her. But I knew how hard things had been on her and all she'd had to endure and overcome. But feeling sorry for her wasn't the only reason I'd hired her. Sure, Chuck would have been grateful to me for taking on his daughter like I was doing, but that wasn't the reason I'd given her the job either.
In all truthfulness, I was impressed by her. She was a lot stronger than I think even she realized and she truly was a remarkable young woman.
Violet intrigued me in ways very few woman had before – probably because I'd watched her grow from a small child into the beautiful woman she was today. Even still, knowing all I knew about her, it was easy to forget that this was Chuck's daughter. She was so mature, so well-spoken, so smart, and most of all, so grown-up.
With her auburn hair pulled back in a bun, and a suit that was tailored to her petite, but curvy frame, everything about her cried out straight-laced and professional. And when she spoke, you could tell that she knew what she was talking about and was probably the smartest person in the room. The fact that it was so hard for her to get a job was crazy to me – but then again, her resume was pretty bare. Which was why I was there to help her.
It might not be the exact job in her field she'd always dreamed of, but it was a foot in the door.
As she left my office that day though, I caught myself staring a little too long as she walked away. Yeah, she was all grown-up alright. Beautiful woman with just the right number of curves she seemingly developed overnight. It was abundantly clear that she was no longer the little girl I'd known and was all woman now.
Don't worry, Chuck, I thought to my deceased best friend, I won't go after your daughter, I promise.
I silently vowed to do everything in my power to protect her, in fact. A moment after Violet had left the office, my cell phone rang – Jessica's ringtone. I groaned, contemplated not answering but realized that would be a dick move. With a sigh, I picked up the phone and connected the call.
Before I could even say “Hello,” she was already attacking me.
“Sebastian, I really need to get back into your place. I left some stuff over there, and –”
“Chill,” I said, “Calm down, Jess. It's okay. You can come over after work today and pick up the rest of your stuff.”
Her voice softened. “So, you're going to be there?”
“Yes, I will be,” I said as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world – because it was. “It is my house after all.”
“It was our house,” she said quietly.
No, not really. It had always been my house, I thought to myself. Jessica had just sort of wedged herself in and I didn't stop it because the sex with her had been amazing. But to be honest, the more time she spent over there, the more I came to despise her. She was clingy, jealous, needy, and bossy. All things I could never accept in a partner, not when I worked as much as I did.
“You can come by after work, it'll be fine,” I said with a sigh.
“What about Bali?” she asked me. “Am I still going with you?”
“That's off, Jess,” I said with a sigh. “We've been through this already.”
I was already second guessing having her come over at all that night. I didn't want the headache, the hassle, or the scene I was afraid she'd make. Maybe it would be best if I packed up her things and set them outside for her to grab – or would that be a dick move too?
“But maybe it would give us a chance to work on our issues,” she said, her voice tinged with hope. “I mean, it could, don't you think?”
“It's a work trip, Jess. Not a vacation and most certainly not a couple's retreat.”
“You're taking someone else,” she said. “I knew it. There's someone else.”
I sighed and rubbed my temples; I could feel a whopper of a headache coming on.
“No, Jessica. There's no one else. Like I said, it's a work trip. I only invited you along because you asked me to,” I said.
Though ‘asked’ was putting it nicely. It was more like she'd begged, pleaded, pouted and cried until I said it was fine, but that was beside the point. The point was, she wasn't going.
“Work trips are just that: for work,” I said firmly.
“Doesn't mean you can't have a little fun too,” she cooed.
She was really grating on my nerves, especially since I told her it was over a week ago. And yet, the near constant phone calls, the texts, the “stopping by because I missed you” visits. All of it was too much. If I ever had a doubt that this girl was too much for me, well, the last week proved it. I didn't have time for her drama. Nor did I have the inclination to deal with it.
“Bye, Jessica,” I said. “I really have to get back to work now.”
I could hear her arguing on the other end of the line as I hung up. Tonight will be so much fun, I thought. Hopefully this would be the end of it, though. She could get the last of her shit and get out. For good. Though deep down, I knew it wouldn't be that easy.
It never was with Jessica.
***
“The only things of yours are your toothbrush, which needed to be replaced anyway, and a t-shirt I let you sleep in a few times. But I guess it's yours now?”
Jessica was walking through the house, slowly and deliberately, pretending to look for stuff. This was just another of her tactics to get me face to face, and it worked. I was a damn fool.
“I swore I left my iPod over here.”
“When's the last time you used a damn iPod, Jess?” I asked.
She shot me a look of death. “What's it matter? It's mine, so I want it back.”
“Do you? Do you really?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Or is this just another story designed to get me to talk to you because you think we can work this all out and get back together?”
“Oh seriously, Sebastian,” she rolled her eyes dramatically. “Get over yourself.”
Well, I'd be more than happy to get over myself if she stopped harassing me. I was ready to move on, and it was clear as day that there was no fucking iPod anywhere in my house.
“We should get together for lunch before you leave for Bali,” she said, changing her tone entirely. “You know, just to talk some things out before you head overseas with God knows who.”
