by Adele Niles
He’d just stepped through the gate. I stopped short, jumping a little when I saw him.
“Holy shit! Sorry, sorry!”
“Hey, it’s okay!” He laughed softly. “Sorry. Eric’s in training. He’s going around with me for the week to learn what to do.” Myles paused and looked up. “And calling a client a MILF is not what we do.”
“Oh. Uh, sorry, boss.” Eric shrugged and turned to start skimming leaves and other debris off the surface of the water.
Myles shook his head. “Just keep going. I need to speak to Ms. Kidd.”
“Sure thing.”
I looked up at Myles, raising an eyebrow. “What’s up?”
“Nothing, nothing. Just come with me.”
I let him lead me inside. He pulled the back door shut and looked at me.
I opened my mouth to speak, but he leaned forward and kissed me hard.
All of the heat inside me flared up.
I’d wanted to lay into him about not calling me, but now he was here, and kissing me, and I was already wet for him.
I let one hand drop down to the front of his trunks.
He was rock-hard already.
His hips bucked against my hand. I felt him moan against my mouth.
I moaned back.
He slid one hand under my shirt, up my stomach to cup my breast in his hand.
I wanted him to fuck me right here, on the kitchen counter. Or the floor, even. I didn’t care, as long as I could get him inside me fast.
He pushed my bra up, his fingers immediately closing around one nipple. He squeezed, and I shifted closer.
“Please,” I whispered.
“Don’t worry.”
I wasn’t worried.
He knew what I wanted.
And clearly, he wanted it just as bad.
I pulled at the laces of his trunks, eager to get them down. I wanted his cock in my hand, my mouth, my—
“Hey, boss?”
Shit.
Eric.
Myles and I jerked apart, both whipping around to face the door.
Eric stood there staring at us. “Oh. Did I interrupt? Sorry, boss, I thought—”
“Are you done?” Myles said, his voice practically a growl.
Eric nodded.
Myles said, “Clean up your stuff and go wait in the van.”
“Uh, okay. Sure.” Eric turned and shuffled off.
Myles shook his head. “He’s not the sharpest, but he does a good job with the pools.”
“He seems okay.”
“Okay, yeah. That’s about all he’s good for.”
I laughed.
Myles looked back at me and smiled. “Hey, Cassie? You wanna get dinner this weekend?”
Whoa.
“I would love that.”
“Okay. Are you free tonight?”
I grinned. “I am.”
“Okay. I’ll text you an address. Meet me there?”
“Will do.”
“Okay. I gotta run, but…see you tonight.” He leaned to kiss me once more, then hurried out after Eric.
* * * * *
Damn, I looked good.
I stood in the mirror in the master bathroom. It still felt weird to even be in here, but it was the only full-length mirror in the house. And I’d needed to check my outfit before I went out on a date with Myles.
And I looked hot.
I’d bought a bodycon dress not too long ago as a ‘maybe one day’ sort of piece. It was green, almost the same color as my eyes, and fit like it was made for me. With a belt to accentuate my waist and a little shrug, it made a good outfit.
My high heels were in my bag. I hated driving in heels; I’d wear flip flops to drive, and put on the shiny black pumps when I got to the restaurant. Which, I learned from a quick online search, turned out to be an upscale seafood place with a good bar.
I nodded one more time, approving my outfit. I looked good, and I felt good.
Except for the nerves.
Because I’d decided to drive the Porsche.
It was mine now. And Noah had always offered to let me drive it, back when Mom was alive and I came to visit often.
I’d always turned him down because I was terrified of what might happen to a car that expensive.
But now, with all of my inheritance, I could handle it if I messed it up. And besides, I was a responsible driver. I’d be fine.
But I was still nervous.
I went downstairs, heels and purse in hand, and grabbed the keys from the hook by the door.
“Okay.” I took a deep breath and got behind the wheel.
Everything was exactly how Noah had left it. The seat was set far back; a Jimmy Buffett CD kicked on.
For a moment, my heart clenched.
I took a deep breath.
First, I adjusted the seat. I moved it forward until I could comfortably reach the wheel.
I synced my phone to the Bluetooth and turned Jimmy Buffett off. The CD could stay in the player, but I’d rather listen to my music.
I adjusted the mirror and sighed. “Thanks, Noah. This is really nice.”
And I was off, driving along the beach to the restaurant Myles had picked.
I parked and changed my shoes before going in. When I saw Myles sitting at the bar, wearing jeans and a blazer, I smiled.
This was going to be a good night.
Chapter Eight
Myles
Cassie sat down at the bar beside me. She looked stunning, with her dress matching her eyes beautifully.
I leaned to kiss her cheek in greeting. “Wow. You clean up nice.”
“So do you.” She smiled, reaching for the drink menu. “This place looks amazing. I’ve never been here. My stepdad liked to grill, so we rarely ate out.”
I laughed and nodded. “This is a great area to grill out, for sure.”
She smiled. We started into some easy chatting. She told me about her job as a fashion blogger and writer for magazines; she’d just moved here from the city after the death of her stepfather. Her mom had been dead a few years.
“I lost my wife around the same time.” I took a sip of my beer. We were still at the bar, enjoying drinks and a seafood appetizer plate while we waited for our table to open up. I reached for a coconut shrimp. “It was awful. I miss her.”
Cassie frowned. “I’m so sorry. Losing my mom was awful. And then my stepdad. That one came out of nowhere.”
“What happened?”
She shook her head. “I don’t—I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I understand. I don’t like talking about my wife at all. It was rough. I almost lost my mind.”
Cassie blinked in surprise. “Really? You seem so…together, you know?”
I laughed softly and tilted my head. “I wasn’t. When I lost Sylvia, I kinda just wanted to die, myself.”
She looked shocked that I was telling her this.
But I needed her to know before we went any further.
I stood up from the bar stool. The bartender looked at me, then smiled and nodded.
“Cassie,” I said. “Come with me?”
“Um, okay.” She nodded and slid off her stool.
I led her around the bar and to the back door of the restaurant. She frowned as I turned and started up a metal staircase. “Myles? Where are we—”
“You’ll understand in a minute.” I sighed. “I started my pool business after Sylvia died, but it was pretty slow to take off. I was just in shambles. My money was gone, I’d lost my house. I had, well, nothing. I got this apartment here.”
I reached into my pocket and grabbed my keys. One fit into the lock. I turned it and pushed it open.
Inside was a one-bedroom apartment, crammed with everything I hadn’t sold to help pay for Sylvia’s medical bills.
“You live here?” Cassie asked, her voice gentle. “Myles, I had no idea.”
“It’s okay.” I shook my head. “It’s not so bad. And I spend a lot of time working. But, I think my lu
ck’s about to change.”
“Yeah? Why’s that?” She leaned against the wall, smiling at me.
I moved into the apartment. “Well, I just became the owner of the whole restaurant.”
“What?” She sounded surprised. “Really? That’s incredible! I didn’t know you were in the restaurant business.”
I chuckled. “I’m not. But a good friend of mine was. He owned this place. Sylvia and I used to come here all the time, back before…before she got too sick. I was away for a while, but the night I found out I was losing the house, I came in just to get fucked up.”
She came closer, touching my shoulder. “Myles…”
“I didn’t know what else to do. So I started charging drinks to my credit card. And then the owner came in, and he sat down with me and we got to talking. I didn’t know he’d recognized me.”
“He offered you the apartment?”
“Yeah. Rent-free, as long as I needed. Until I got my business going and could buy a house again.”
She smiled. “He sounds amazing. Did he sell it to you?”
I shook my head.
“No, no. He passed away last week. He was out on a walk and got hit by a car.”
I picked up a framed photo from my desk and held it out to her. “His name was Noah. I think you really would have liked him.”
Cassie’s jaw dropped. “Myles, that—that’s my stepdad!”
Chapter Nine
Cassie
I had no idea what to think right now.
Why hadn’t Myles said something sooner? If they were so close, he must’ve been to the house before.
He had to have seen the photos on the walls when he was over.
He had to have known that Mr. Raynor was sending him checks on behalf of Noah.
So why had he waited until now to say something?
I looked at the photo. It was definitely Noah, in his baseball cap and another Hawaiian shirt. I would have recognized him anywhere.
I shook my head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know you were his stepdaughter.” Myles swallowed. “I never went to his house. We just hung out at the restaurant. Or here. We…we bonded, you know? Over losing our wives. His wife—your mom, I guess—died about a year before Sylvia. He was a little ahead of me in the grieving process.”
I swallowed. “You really never went to his place?”
“Really. And he wasn’t the one to contract my company to work there.” He bit his lower lip. “I think…I think he knew I wouldn’t have let him pay if I knew it was his house.”
That made sense.
Noah had a lot of money, and he was always generous with it. He always wanted to help people in need. He’d certainly been there for me when I was broke and needed money.
“I…I didn’t know,” I said softly.
“I didn’t, either.” Myles put the photo down. “He used to talk about you, though. He called you Honeybee.”
“That was his nickname for me.” I felt my eyes sting with tears at the memory.
“He always said I’d like you. He was right.”
We both laughed softly.
I liked Myles, too. A lot more than I’d planned to.
And knowing that we had this kind of connection just made me feel better about it.
I reached up for Myles, pulling him into a kiss. He moved to meet me, his arms circling my waist.
I wanted him. So bad.
I stepped out of my pumps. I lowered my hands, now that he was kissing me right, and undid my belt.
He pushed my jacket down my shoulders. I let it drop.
“Unzip me.” I pulled back from the kiss and turned my back on him.
He chuckled and tugged the zipper of my dress down.
I let it fall off my shoulders and slide down my hips, the stretchy fabric only needing a little tug to slide off.
I stepped back, letting Myles see what I’d worn underneath—black lace and green satin. The panties tied at my hips with satin ribbon.
He reached out and untied one side.
It came loose, my panties drooping down my hips.
He grinned and pulled the other ribbon.
I shifted.
They fell away completely.
I stayed standing with my back to him and he unhooked my bra. I tossed it to the floor.
Myles wrapped his arms around me, pulling me back to lean against his chest.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.
“You think so?”
He rocked his hips forward in response.
He was hard in his jeans, his erection pressing against my ass.
I whined quietly. “I want you.”
“Help me undress, then.” He chuckled. “I got you out of your clothes pretty fast.”
He had. Now I needed to return the favor.
I stripped him out of his clothes. He kicked his shoes off. His blazer hit the floor; I undid his belt, then his jeans. He unbuttoned his tight-fitting shirt and slid it off while I worked his pants and underwear down.
He looked like a god, golden-skinned and powerful.
I stepped closer.
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me toward him. “Bed?”
“Bed.”
Laughing, we stumbled through the cramped apartment to a tiny bedroom. There wasn’t much in it—a small dresser, a bed, a stack of milk crates serving as a nightstand.
It made my heart ache, just a little. He’d meant it when he said he lost almost everything.
I climbed into his bed, opening my arms. Myles followed, leaning into me and kissing me hard.
I wriggled under him, spreading my legs invitingly.
I didn’t need any warm-up. I was ready to go, right now.
He moved to lie over me, his hands sliding up my thighs. He guided me into place, my knees drawn up toward my chest.
I was completely exposed to him, and it was exactly what I wanted.
“Don’t make me beg,” I murmured.
“I like when you beg.”
“Shh.”
He laughed and kissed me again.
I felt the head of his cock press against my entrance.
And then he pushed forward, sliding inside easily.
It took my breath away.
He was so thick, and long, and he knew exactly what to do with his cock to make me see stars.
My arms flew out to the sides, grabbing hold of the blankets. “God, Myles!”
I heard him chuckle in response. He ran his hands over my body, caressing my stomach, my breasts.
And then he started to push forward.
He hit every one of the right places.
I was never going to last long with him, no matter how much sex we had.
And I hoped that it was a lot, for a very long time.
I pressed one heel to his back, groaning. “Please…more?”
“Patience.” He kissed my neck gently.
“I’m not a patient person.”
“I see that.”
He was driving me crazy, in more ways than one.
I loved it.
I moved my hips, pressing up toward him. He sank deeper into me until there was nothing left to give.
It felt amazing.
It was almost enough to make me come.
But I wanted it to last just a little longer.
He planted his hands on either side of my head, thrusting slowly into me. His body moved against mine, sending waves of pleasure coursing through me.
“Myles, holy shit.”
“Good?”
“So good!”
He laughed softly, starting to move just a little faster.
I never wanted this to stop.
I wrapped my legs around him, drawing him in closer. “Fuck, please!”
“Easy, easy. You feel so good, Cassie.”
I loved how he said my name, how he talked while we had sex.
It made me feel good.
It made me believe that one da
y, as long as he stayed around, I could be happy again.
He kept thrusting into me, panting. His head hung near mine. I kissed his face, everywhere I could reach.
I was so close already.
And from his irregular movements, I could tell he was close, too.
It hit unexpectedly—I felt him still, heard him moan, felt him come inside me. And then I was there with him, my back arching. I pulled him to my chest, crying out his name.
Stars sparkled across my vision.
I slowly lowered myself back to the bed. Myles stretched out on top of me, still inside me.
I liked it.
“Cassie.” He said it softly, his eyes closed. I lifted one hand to play with his hair.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Being here.”
I smiled. “I can say the same for you, y’know.”
He lifted his head and kissed me gently.
I leaned back and sighed quietly.
“I just hope the people in the restaurant didn’t hear us,” he said.
Why had he brought that up? For a moment, I lay there, staring at the ceiling in mild shock.
And then we both started to laugh.
Chapter Ten
Myles
I’d started staying over at Cassie’s a lot more.
She kept telling me she liked the company; I offered repeatedly to have her at my apartment, but she always insisted on bringing me back here.
It was fine by me, really. I liked being in the house. It was hers, and it also helped me feel a little closer to Noah.
Cassie was quickly turning out to be the perfect woman. She was a hard worker; she loved being outside on the beach, and she was thinking about buying a little boat with some of her inheritance money. She liked going out dancing as much as she liked staying in to have drinks and watch a movie.
She had a few qualities that reminded me of Sylvia, but she was her own woman. Beautiful, smart, and kind-hearted.
I was pretty sure she was my second shot at falling in love.
I’d cleaned her pool today as my last stop before clocking out. Instead of going back to the shop, or to my apartment, I’d just brought my stuff for the weekend and decided to stay.
And now we sat in deck chairs by the pool. She was back in that polka-dot bikini she’d worn the first day I saw her; I was in my swim trunks. We each had a glass of red wine in hand. The sun was setting, and the temperature was perfect.
