Yes Daddy (Daddy Knows Best Book 2) Read online

  Even so, I had some serious reservations about leaving them with my cousin, especially if I wasn’t going to be there with them.

  “Ugh,” Penny said. “Cousin Marla is such a drag.”

  Penny was right. Marla was a drag. She was only thirty, but she complained about anything and everything, from the price of gas to the traffic near her house. Listening to it got old fast, but she owned a shabby looking two-bedroom house in Santa Rosa, which was not far from Seagrove, and she was the only reason the twins weren’t going to be homeless.

  I squeezed Penny’s arm. “Listen. We are going to be grateful that she agreed to let us stay, and we’re going to respect her.”

  At dinner, Marla did complain. A lot. “I hope you guys aren’t going to use up all the hot water,” she said to Penny and Piper.

  Piper looked at me and rolled her eyes.

  That night, the twins settled into the cramped extra bedroom, where they were sharing a double bed for now and I laid down on the lumpy couch.

  The man who hired me, Luke Kyros, was not what I’d expected. Based on his last name, and his olive Mediteranean complexion and his thick black hair, I guessed that he was Greek. He had just the barest hint of a sexy accent that I could have listened to all day, and he had beautiful clear green eyes that I could have stared at all day.

  If I was going to have to work with him every day, I’d have to learn not to be distracted by his looks, and his accent. He’d also been polite and charming, which was the exact opposite of what I’d gotten from my boss at the grocery store.

  I closed my eyes and thought about the way Luke’s large hand felt on mine when he greeted me.

  The next day, I was supposed to report to the hotel at seven a.m. I had two extra sets of clothing, but the pants were long and dark and the shirts were plain gray t-shirts. I’d worn them in the chilly grocery store, but I didn’t think they’d work well in an airy ocean resort that bore the name Apricot Sunset.

  I assumed the white capri pants and the pink polo were more appropriate for the job I was going to be doing. I wanted to wash my clothes, but my cousin didn’t have a washer or a dryer. She used the laundromat in town, so for tonight my only option was to hang the clothes up on a hanger and hope they weren’t too wrinkled. I’d given Marla two hundred dollars to cover the first week of the twins staying with her. They were going to help her around the house until they found jobs of their own.

  I was grateful to my cousin, I really was. But we weren’t exactly close. I wasn’t sure how long it would take before the twins wore out their welcome.

  The next morning, I showed up at the hotel thirty minutes before start time. I took a second to admire the early morning light. The sun was already on its way up, and the warm yellow light was beginning to heat up the white sand. I’d usually been in the grocery store at this hour, and my hometown hardly had views like this one.

  I knocked on the door, and then pulled it open when Luke didn’t appear. He’d insisted that I call him Luke, which felt odd to me. My supervisor at the grocery store insisted on being called Mr. Smith at all times.

  After about a minute, Luke wandered out, wearing swim trunks and nothing else. His hair was slicked back as if he’d just been swimming. I had no idea how old he was, but his bare chest was chiseled to perfection. If he was going to walk around like this during the day, I’d have to start wearing a blindfold to get anything done.

  He greeted me with a warm smile. “Hello Eden. You’re early.”

  I nodded. “I wanted to make sure I could get here on time.”

  “I like that initiative,” he said. He draped a towel over his shoulder. “Let me go get dressed, and we’ll get started. In the meantime, you can look over this.” He handed me a binder stuffed with papers and flyers.

  “There’s no typical front desk,” he said. “But at the beginning of the week, I like to be available to the families when they walk out. They don’t have to talk to us, but they often choose to. They prefer to hear recommendations over using websites, and that’s a service my aunt provided.”

  He pointed at the binder. “These were the recommendations my aunt compiled over the years. Read them, so that when a family asks for a dolphin cruise, go-karts, or mini-golf, you can make a suggestion.”

  He smiled again and then left. I deliberately made myself not watch him walk away. I knew his backside would look amazing in his fitted swim trunks, but I was also certain there were surveillance cameras in the common areas of the hotel, and the last thing I needed was for my new boss to see me ogling him.

  The desire to watch a man walk away was a new feeling for me. I’d never been interested in men before. Theoretically, I liked them, but the ones I’d come in close contact with had been a supreme disappointment over the years. But, when I met Luke yesterday, something stirred in my gut. An awareness of how masuline he was, and how I wanted to be around him more.

  Maybe, I’d just been around the wrong men before.

  He was older than me too. I wasn’t sure how much older, but more than ten years. I liked that a lot. It made my stomach turn over in a very new way.

  I’d have to spend more time thinking about that later. And, I definitely couldn’t let myself think about Luke going upstairs to shower; I’d never get anything done.

  While Luke was gone, I read everything in the binder. I learned about paddle boarding classes, kayaking, parasailing, sunset yoga, and every seafood restaurant in the area. The ice cream place I’d sent the twins yesterday was listed too.

  Within fifteen minutes, he was back. His black hair was still damp, and it curled at the edges of his collar. He wore a maroon polo shirt that looked great with his olive skin, and a pair of gray shorts. He looked like he belonged on a sailboat somewhere, and not stuck inside an office, even one as nice as this.

  I followed him around the grounds as he gave me a tour and explained that his aunt had run the hotel like a bed and breakfast, but he treated it more like an AirBnB. He did leave some non-perishable food out for his guests to grab in the front lobby, and he provided sunscreen and water as well.

  He also showed me my rooms, which were on the third floor with his. The upstairs was divided into two living spaces, and I’d have access to a small kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom.

  After he finished giving me the tour, he instructed me to be in the lobby, and greet the guests as they headed out for the beach.

  The first family came bouncing out at exactly nine a.m. They were decked out in swimsuits with sunscreen smeared on their faces, and they had a wagon full of sand toys and snacks. The kids dug through the snack basket and the adults stopped to ask me about where to have lunch. They wanted seafood with seating on the beach, and a relaxed atmosphere for the kids.

  Thanks to my time reading the notes in the binder, I was able to offer them three options that would fit their needs.

  The next family wandered out at ten a.m. They were slightly less enthusiastic and the adults looked a little hungover. Or maybe they were just tired. They didn’t have any gear with them except a pair of goggles and a towel.

  After they were gone, I straightened up the snack area and swept the floor.

  After reading the binder three times, I didn’t have anything else to do, so I went to sit on the patio and pulled out my materials to study for my online class, Intro to Western Civilization. As soon as Luke came back, I’d ask him for extra duties, but for now I could use this free time to study.

  To ease the load of my fall semester, I decided to take a history course over the summer. The university had given me permission, and my scholarship would cover the cost. We didn’t have internet access at my stepfather’s house, or a computer, but I’d planned to use the public library. Before I left Quitman, I downloaded the first week of work from the library computer.

  The course required some research, so I used my phone. I went to the first website, and started reading.

  “What are you doing?”

  Luke’s deep voice came from
beside me, and I jumped in my seat.

  I looked up to see a frown on his handsome face. “Studying,” I said. “I’m sorry. I’ll turn it off.”

  His face smoothed out. “You’re studying? I thought you hadn’t started college yet.”

  I explained about the summer course, and he nodded. “If you’re done with all your tasks, feel free to use the computer in my office for school work. I walked up and assumed you were surfing the internet.”

  “Is there anything I need to be doing right now?” I asked.

  “No. Keep working on your homework. Just stop as soon as the guests come back in through. You can see them on the security cameras.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  He started to turn away but stopped. He looked me up and down. “Are those the same clothes you had on yesterday?”

  A hot flush covered my face. Ashamed, I nodded. I’d done my best to make them look fresh, but apparently it hadn’t been enough. I opened my mouth but I had no idea what to say. Lying wasn’t an option. My mother was a pathological liar, and I’d vowed from an early age to never be like her. Should I admit that I only had three outfits to my name? Should I make a lame excuse, or just promise that it wouldn’t happen again? Although how I’d prevent it, I had no idea. “My other clothing was all for my grocery store job, and it didn’t seem appropriate to wear here,” I finally stammered out.

  Luke pulled out his wallet and opened it. “I shouldn’t expect you to provide your own outfits to work here. This should be enough to get started. Get some outfits that look like what you have on. We’ll stick with casual clothes here on the beach,” he said. He had such a gorgeous smile; I found my eyes tracing the outline of his strong jaw.

  He held out three crisp one-hundred dollar bills.

  My eyes went wide at the sight of so much cash. And that was just for buying clothes! At a thrift shop, I could make that kind of money last for years. But he probably expected me to buy them new. “Thank you, Luke. I appreciate it.” I tucked the money into my purse.

  “Go now,” he said. “I can handle what needs to be done here for a few hours.”

  Shit. Now I had to admit that I didn’t have a car. Seagrove didn’t have a robust public transportation system. I could find some tourist busses and shuttles, but it would take me forever to take a bus to a store and then get back. A private rideshare was probably my only option. “Is it okay if I spend some of the money for a taxi?”

  “You don’t have a car?”

  “No. I don’t. I had my cousin drop me off this morning, but she’s not always available.”

  He pressed his fingers to his jaw. “If you need to leave while you’re living here, let me know. You can use my car.”

  That was very generous of him. I thanked him again, and decided that I’d find a way to get new clothes tonight, even if it meant begging a reluctant Marla to borrow her car.

  Chapter Four

  Luke

  When I’d seen Eden walk in with the same pink polo shirt and white capri pants, I’d immediately noticed that it was the same outfit she’d worn the previous day. I probably wouldn’t have noticed, except I liked looking at her in the outfit.

  Her round breasts bounced as she walked up the steps, and the white pants showed off the curve of her ass.

  But in spite of liking the outfit, irritation had washed over me. My first assumption was that she’d gone out partying the night before she started working, which pissed me off, because that wasn’t going to work for me. I needed someone I could count on. Not someone who fell asleep on a couch during a raging kegger and woke up and went to work in the same clothes.

  Her clothes didn’t look rumpled though, or dirty. They were just the same ones she’d had on yesterday. I sniffed the air, but I couldn’t smell beer, or any other alcohol on her clothes.

  Then I saw her on the computer, and I’d lost it. I’d assumed she was scrolling through social media accounts or watching videos online. When I’d realized she was trying to study history, I wanted to make amends. That’s when I’d offered her the money for new clothes.

  I’d always known I was privileged. I hadn’t been born a billionaire, but my family was extremely wealthy. At twenty-two years old, I’d never had to think about not having new clothes or a car to drive.

  I looked at my watch. This wasn’t a full-service hotel. All of these guests could take care of themselves. I wasn’t going to make her work all day, and then shop this evening. “Come on. I’ll take you to get new clothes.”

  Her cheeks flushed again. “I don’t want to bother you.”

  “It’s no trouble.” I went to the door and opened it. She stood, and followed me out.

  Honestly, I rarely shopped for myself. In Seattle, I’d had a personal shopper and stylist that handled my wardrobe. I had to admit that I wanted to spend more time with her. Not only was she gorgeous, but she was a hard worker too, and dedicated. I was lucky to have found her to work for me.

  I kept my car parked in the one spot that had a closing garage door. I’d just bought the black Maserati convertible when I arrived in Florida. I’d driven a Masteri coupe in Seattle, but the weather made a convertible impractical.

  Eden seemed hesitant to get in my car. I walked over to her and opened the passenger door for her. Despite her previously-worn clothes, she smelled amazing. She climbed in the car, and I closed the door behind her.

  “Do you mind if I put the top down?” When we’d spent time in Greece, my ex-wife had always complained about the convertible I kept there.

  “No. I’d like that,” she said, pulling a hair band from her wrist and tying her thick blonde hair up. I turned on the radio so she didn’t feel obligated to talk. She looked at all the scenery as we drove, and seemed to enjoy the open-air ride.

  I drove her to a small department store that functioned more like a boutique. It was one of the places listed in my aunt’s list of preferred businesses. As we entered, a woman looked up from the desk and greeted us. Her name tag said her name was Charlotte. I explained that we wanted a selection of casual clothes that would fit Eden.

  Eden was quiet while I spoke, but smiled timidly while Charlotte looked her up and down. “I think we'll have several great options,” Charlotte said, and she ushered us to a seating area. “I’ll gather a few outfits, and then you can try them out, okay?” she asked, looking at Eden.

  Eden nodded. “Thank you.”

  Charlotte made several trips to the dressing room with her arms piled high with clothes. She left dozens of outfits for Eden, who got started right away while I sat on a bench outside the dressing rooms. I tried not to think of her behind that door, removing her clothing while I was only a few feet away.

  My cock stirred, even as I willed myself to concentrate on the emails in my inbox that were rolling through on my phone screen.

  Eventually, the door handle turned, and the door opened a crack. Eden peeked out, and saw me watching her. “Do you want me to show you?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I said. My cock stirred again. Her natural deference to me was a turn on. She could have easily tried on the clothes inside the dressing room, and not come out to show me. It was spacious, and seemed to have several mirrors inside.

  At this point, as her employer, I would not have asked her to show me the outfits as she tried them on. There was no reason for her to come out, other than to present the outfit to me.

  She opened the door all the way, and stepped out.

  Did she want my approval? Now my cock was rock hard.

  If she wanted my approval, then she had it. I liked that she asked me. And then I liked that she obeyed.

  The first outfit was a loose fitting denim-colored shirt with white shorts. The shorts showed off her shapely legs. Again, I didn’t ask her to, but she stepped away from the door and took several steps. She turned around, letting me see the back, where the shorts clung to her lovely bottom.

  Her skin was smooth, and her creamy thighs were on display, and I pictured he
r wearing those shorts as she bent over the coffee table in the lobby, showing off her ass to me while I sat at the dining table and read. I wanted to touch her, to run my hand up that well-shaped calf, to her tan thigh, and up farther, to dip into her panties until I could touch that hidden place between her legs.

  My cock had gone from half-mast to rock hard at the sight of her, and now it was throbbing.

  Eden Ainsley was a sexy temptation, and I wanted her. “I love it,” I said. “Show me the next one.”

  Chapter Five

  Eden

  For the first time in my life, I had new clothes. I’d tried on clothes before, at a thrift shop, or at a friends’ house, but they were never new. They were several seasons old, had been washed hundreds of times and they always smelled musty.

  These clothes smelled like lavender, and each outfit hung on a wooden hanger.

  The clothes were nice, but even nicer was Luke’s attention. I’d never wanted a man’s eyes on me before. While working at the grocery store, I’d gone out of my way to avoid attracting any attention. But Luke? I liked the way he looked at me.

  I wanted to try the clothes on for him.

  In front of me hung a sundress. It was a navy print with a few pink flowers scattered here and there. “I have one more outfit to try on.” I’d tried on twelve outfits so far, and Luke had declared them all a success.

  “Is that so?” he asked.

  I nodded.

  “Then, let's see it.”

  An odd sensation passed over my body. My stomach fluttered and swooped. As I unbuttoned my blouse, I imagined what it would be like if Luke was in the dressing room with me. What would it be like for him to watch me unbutton my shirt? The thought of him in close proximity to me while I undressed sent a joke of arousal straight to my core.