Chapter 4—Darian

I knew letting Heather stay at the loft with me was a bad fucking idea. And it had taken her all of ten seconds to prove me right when she came traipsing out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel. But fuck me, she’d looked good. So damn tempting. Just looking at her had made my dick hard, but then I’d touched her, and it was a fucking miracle I hadn’t come in my jeans. Her skin was smooth and soft and warm. And the way she’d broken out in goosebumps…I’d wanted to feel that reaction against my lips. I’d jerked off last night, knowing if I hadn’t, I would’ve done something bad—like seek her out and show her what she did to me.

Hell, I was still hard thinking about her. I reached down to adjust myself when I heard the door that led to the loft open. I glanced up at the clock. It was a few minutes before five a.m. None of my mechanics were here yet; they didn’t normally arrive until seven or eight. Guess my master plan to avoid seeing Heather this morning was blown to shit. I wiped my hands on a grease rag and straightened from under the hood of her car.

“You weren’t lying when you said you wanted to get an early start, were you?” Her soft voice echoed through the quiet, cavernous garage.

“No, I wasn’t.” Although, I hadn’t planned to be down here working quite this early. But when I’d awakened with another raging erection, I knew I needed to get the hell out of that loft, away from the temptation sleeping in the next room. I crossed to the sink and washed my hands. “I figured you’d still be asleep.” I still hadn’t looked at her. I was afraid to, afraid of what I’d see, of what I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from doing.

“Didn’t really sleep much, honestly. And I heard you get up and leave.”

I nodded and dried my hands. I couldn’t avoid her much longer.

“I texted my dad,” she said.

At that, I finally looked over at her. Big fucking mistake. She wore a short red nightie that dipped low in the front. I could see the full outline of her nipples, her dark areolas a stark contrast to the bright fabric. I sucked in a sharp breath, but there wasn’t a goddamn thing I could do about the raging erection between my legs. My cock strained behind my zipper, each throbbing pulse made me want to close the distance between us, bend her over the trunk of her car, and fuck her until she screamed my name.

Clearing my throat, I said, “That’s good.”

“I told him I was safe and that I needed some time to deal, but I didn’t tell him where I was.”

“He left me a voice mail asking if you were here with Nathan.” I tossed the paper towels I’d been using to dry my hands into the trash.

Her big, hazel eyes widened. “You didn’t tell him I was here, did you?”

I shook my head. “I haven’t called him back yet.” But I should do exactly that. I should tell Noah that his daughter was here and that he should come pick her up immediately.

“Please don’t.” She approached me. “I mean, don’t tell him I’m here.”

“I told you I wouldn’t.” It was stupid fucking promise to make her, but the damage was already done, and I was a man of my word. As long as she was safe, I could justify lying for her. Maybe.

“Thank you,” she whispered. And then she flung her arms around my neck and hugged me.

I froze, my arms by my sides. Every inch of her luscious body was pressed against mine, and I knew there was no way to hide my reaction from her. I wasn’t sure I wanted to. Maybe if she knew the truth, if she knew all the nasty thoughts running through my mind, she’d keep her distance. But she wasn’t releasing me. In fact, she was trying to wiggle closer, which was not helping my situation.

“Heather,” I said, removing her arms from around my neck.

She moved back and smiled. “Sorry.” She turned and walked toward her car.

That nightie barely covered her, and if she so much as lifted her arms, I’d get a clear view of her ass. I shoved my hands in my pockets and watched as she ran her fingers along the side of her car, stopping near the open hood. Then she bent over to look at the empty space where the engine used to be. Her already short nightie lifted even more, and I could see the curve of her bare ass cheeks. I shoved my hands deeper in my pockets in a pathetic attempt to stop myself from touching her.

“So, what’re you doing to my car exactly?” She turned to look at me over her shoulder.

My cock jerked in response. Fuck. I wanted to step up behind her, grab a fistful of her hair, and slide my aching dick inside of her. I’d bet my left nut that her screams of pleasure would echo in this garage. I took a deep breath and cleared my throat. “I’m replacing the motor.” I nodded at the large part near her feet. “That’s the old one. I’ll be ordering a new one today.”

“Hmm.” She twisted around and looked at me. No. She didn’t just look. She pinned me with fuck-me eyes, and if she kept it up, I was going to give her exactly what she wanted. “Sounds like a lot of work.”

“It is.”

She sauntered over to the car parked next to hers—a sleek, black Corvette—and hopped up to sit on the hood. Her nightie inched up her thighs. Was she even wearing any panties? She leaned back, propping herself up on her hands. “This is a really nice car.”

“Yes.” I cringed. “And the owner is a real prick, too. He’d be pissed if you knew you were up there. Please get down.”

She sat up straight. “Why don’t you come over here and get me down?”

I scowled. What the hell was she trying to do? “Get down. Now.”

A teasing smile lifted the corners of her mouth as she crooked her finger at me. “C’mon, Darian. Help me get down.”

I gritted my teeth. Was I fucking dreaming or something? Because if I didn’t know better, I’d think she was coming on to me. But there was no way in hell that was happening. Slowly, I walked toward her and stopped in front of her, placing my hands on either side of her legs. “What’re you doing, Heather?” My voice was low but firm.

“I saw you last night,” she said, parting her legs and propping her feet on the bumper.

I now stood between her legs, her mouth mere inches from mine. God help me, I wanted a taste. Just one. I licked my lips, my gaze moving from her mouth to her eyes then back again. “You saw me what?”

“In your room.”

I froze, and my heart lodged in my throat, making it impossible to swallow or draw in a breath. “You saw me in my room?” My head spun. I knew what I’d done in my room last night. She hadn’t seen me masturbating, had she? Shit. This wasn’t good.

“Mm-hmm.” She nodded and ran her finger down my chest. “Your door was open a crack. I was going to peek my head in to say good night, but then I saw you.” Her lashes fluttered, and a breathtaking blush spread across her face.

I leaned closer, inhaling her sweet vanilla scent. She wanted to play this little game of cat and mouse? I’d play. But I was the fucking cat, and it was about time she knew that. “Yeah? What did you see?” There were no more doubts in my mind that she’d seen me with my dick in my hand. Part of me was relieved because now, my dirty little secret was out, and I wouldn’t have to hide it anymore. But a bigger part of me was embarrassed as hell that she’d caught me.

“You were lying in bed. Naked.” She closed her legs so her knees were against my hips, and then she scooted toward the very edge of the car’s hood. An inch more and her pussy would be pressed to my crotch. “Jerking off,” she whispered, her fingers pinching my shirt like she wanted me closer. She had no idea what she was asking for. Or how close she was to getting it.

“I was.” I moved my hands from the car and rested them along the sides of her legs. “What did you do when you saw me?” I flexed my fingers, having a hell of time not moving my hands around to her ass.

“I watched you.” Her admission was spoken quietly, but to me it was like a million bells and whistles going off in my head.

“You watched?” I raised a brow.

She nodded, her bottom lip tucked between her teeth. “I touched myself, too.”

“Fuck.” I hung my head. That is not what I needed to hear. I did not need to know there was a possibility she was attracted to me or wanted me. Because if I knew that, if I knew she was open to something happening, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself. Hell, I was barely holding it together right now.

“It turned me on watching you stroke your cock.”

My ears rang at her language. Not that I wasn’t used to hearing those words—I used them too often—but to hear them coming from her? It was both shocking and erotic. She snaked her hands up around my neck, the movement bringing our bodies closer. I could feel her hard nipples against my chest, and I groaned. I was seconds away from crossing a line I could never uncross. She wasn’t just a younger woman; she was my friend’s daughter. I did business with her father. And getting involved with Heather meant jeopardizing too many relationships, risking my business. But god damn, she was a temptation I couldn’t resist.

“You were thinking about me while you jerked off. I heard you moan my name.” She threaded her fingers into my hair, massaging my scalp.

I momentarily closed my eyes, allowing myself to enjoy her touch, no matter how innocent it was. “Does that bother you?” I opened my eyes and held her gaze.

“No.”

“So, you like knowing the thought of you makes my dick hard?” I searched her face, waiting for some sign that she really wasn’t okay with this, that she was simply trying to mess around with an older man. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d had a younger woman flirt with me to boost her ego. Granted, I’d never had anyone as young as Heather before, but I had a gut feeling she wasn’t serious about this.

“Yes.” Her voice cracked, but the sincerity in her eyes never wavered.

“And you like knowing I come hard as hell when I jerk off to thoughts of you? Because I do, Heather. Every damn time.”

“Yes.”

I shifted on my feet. “I’m hard as a fucking rock right now.”

She smiled then hooked her legs around my waist. She wasn’t wearing panties. Son-of-a-bitch. The damp heat of her pussy was a torturous tease, and I was powerless to stop the bead of pre-cum that coated the tip of my dick and wetted my boxers.

“Maybe we should do something about that,” she said, tilting her hips just enough to rub against my cock.

“Heather,” I warned. My heart raced, and my throat was dry. My entire body was on fire, though, and I either needed to make a move or get the hell away from her. The rational part of my brain was screaming at me to get away, to put a lot of distance between us, maybe even build a reinforced brick wall. But every other part urged me to indulge, just this once.

“In case it wasn’t already clear enough, I want you, Darian.” She used the heels of her feet to pull me closer. “I won’t tell you no. And I won’t make you stop.”

“Fuck,” I snarled. The last shred of self-control I had snapped, and I crushed my mouth over hers.