“Oh, Cole.” I wake up to the best sound on Earth—and the view isn’t half bad, either.
Eliza’s mouth forms a perfect ring, her eyes flutter shut, and her head tilts back.
I lean down, brushing my lips over my little addiction before my tongue meets hers, chasing and massaging it.
This is where the anticipation and teasing ends.
That glorious split second before I remind her she’s my property—and it’s got nothing to do with being on payroll.
I swallow her hot whimper, relishing it with an appreciation I’ll never have for any coffee. With a murmur, Eliza Angelo overwhelms my fucking senses.
Too delicious.
Too gorgeous.
Too intense.
I break the kiss with a rough gasp, swinging my hips forward and plunging deeper inside of her.
“Cole!” Her nails reach for my chest, scratching me, telling me she’s on the edge.
“Come for me,” I urge, pressing my forehead to hers as my lips meld to her mouth again.
I’m ravenous, stealing the pleasure from her throat as I loot her little body.
A few more strokes and her pussy tightens around my cock.
Her fingers curl—she’s too awestruck to rake her nails—and hellfire engulfs my balls.
With a low curse, I bring us home, slamming myself in, grinding her clit with my pubic bone, catching her lips in my teeth, and coming out my soul.
Her body clenches around me a split second before I release.
Fuck.
Fucking hell, yes.
I collapse on top of her, proudly wearing the sweat that’s dripping off me. My head falls against her hot breasts, her nipples peaked and so rosy they already look like they’re begging for more.
Soon.
A minute later, I realize she’s running her fingers through my hair, stroking my face with a slow, devoted touch.
“I’ll never get enough of you,” I confess.
“Are you sure?” She laughs.
Her voice is playful enough, but something about the question irks me. I roll off her and prop myself up on my elbow.
“The hell does that mean?”
Her smile never wavers. I’m horribly tempted to lean down and kiss her, but I have to know what she means.
“I never expected to be here.” She waves her hands around my bedroom.
“Here?”
“I didn’t think you’d dare bring me home. I kind of thought that when we left Hawaii—”
“Wait.” I cut her off. “You thought I was toying with you on the island? That it was just some island dick frenzy I could just switch off?”
She places her hand on my chest and leans closer.
“Don’t be offended. I just thought…well, maybe we were both living it up a little. And maybe it would have to end when we came home.” She sighs. “I mean, it’s only a matter of time until someone finds out.”
Ah, fuck. That’s what she’s worried about, and I honestly don’t blame her.
“I told you last week, I’ll deal with it,” I say, pushing my fingers possessively through hers.
“You don’t think it’s too soon?” Her eyes shine with a doubt I want to smother.
“I’ll handle HR. Then we can explore this thing without needing to sneak around like a couple of alley cats. Trust me.” I squeeze her fingers.
“This thing, huh? Interesting. So, it’s a thing now? A Cole-Eliza thing, and not just a coffee thing?” She beams at me.
Fuck me, she’s right.
This is a thing.
And I’m just realizing that I’m the fool who made it one.
Still, I don’t regret it. The way she looks at me like I just hung the stars, how could I bear to let her down?
If there’s a ‘thing,’ we’ll confront it head-on.
Kona was the second chance of a lifetime and it’s all thanks to this woman.
It’s time to lower the shields and rewrite rules of my life I thought were etched in stone.
Eliza deserves more—and maybe, I do, too.
I rake my eyes over her miles of curves, drinking her in.
What would it be like to date her freely and openly? Where neither of us are hiding anything and we can share our hopes and dreams and passions without worrying about breaching some stupid workplace policy or even our own ethics?
It could be goddamned divine.
Or it could be a godless disaster.
Regardless, I’m ready to find out one way or the other.
“Let’s get sushi tonight. After work,” I say.
“What if I have issues eating raw fish?”
I chuckle and pull her closer. “You ate your weight in poke in Hawaii, brat.”
She kisses my chest, trailing her teasing lips to my neck. “What if I’m just tired of it, Cole?”
“Order katsu chicken or hibachi steak and scallops.”
She snorts adorably. “What if I can’t stop thinking about the poor fishies?”
“We’ll go to a damn steakhouse. Or are you a vegetarian now?”
“Nope, just messing with you. I love sushi.”
I bite her bare shoulder until she squeals and then dive lower, blowing a raspberry on her stomach.
“Cole, stop!” she shouts.
“Not until you get what you deserve for driving me mad.”
She laughs knowingly, her hair hanging in messy chestnut locks.
She tries to move away from my tickle-storm and only succeeds in pressing her body to mine. We know where that leads.
I close my arms around her with a hot growl in my throat.
She turns to face me, and I lean up, stealing a kiss.
That sweet peck turns into a long sensuous kiss in about five seconds.
Eliza climbs over me without breaking the kiss. Her knees squeeze my sides and she releases my lips, drawing in a slow breath as she straddles me.
Goddamn, do I love this position.
Her tits hang in front of my face so easily it feels criminal not to suck them. I flick my tongue across her nipple, gently nibbling as I devour her.
“Ohh,” she moans. “Cole…”
She nudges her wetness against my length, always so ready for me.
I grasp her hips, drunk on sex, pulsing so hard I feel like I’ll explode if I’m not inside her in the next two seconds.
With a heavy look, she presses herself over me inch by inch.
I grasp her hips, desperate to hold her eyes as I sink into her eager little pussy again. “Look at me. Don’t you dare look away when I fuck you.”
Her bottom lip disappears against her teeth.
She’s so much more than I deserve.
So completely bad for me.
Tangled together, we ride through a second intense round of fuckery that ends in fireworks, still clinging to each other when it’s over.
“‘Let’s hit the shower,” I mutter, grabbing her leg.
We’ve become that inseparable. In a matter of weeks, it feels weird to scrub myself down without having her breasts to massage or her little mouth to swallow my come.
We take our usual thirty-minute shower, and when we come out, Destiny is blasting Olivia Rodrigo music from the kitchen so loudly it bleeds through the ceiling. The only good news about that damn clock app is that it’s catapulted some underrated musicians to success.
If only Dess didn’t hijack my speakers and amp up the volume so much they can hear it on the moon.
That’s also when I meet Eliza’s eyes with an awkward realization.
“Shit. I’m sorry. I need you to hide in here until—”
“Dad! Where are you? Should I leave without you? I’m going to be late and Mrs. Werner is a beast.”
Eliza covers her mouth, suppressing a giggle.
“That’s the lady who oversees the summer internships at the aquarium. I need to drive her,” I tell Eliza. “As soon as we’re out of here, I’ll have my driver pick you up. You can go to the lab or go home. Take your time; the car will wait while you get ready.”
She nods.
Before I rush out, I lean down and steal another kiss. “Doubt I’ll see you at the office today—more sourcing shit on the agenda with Troy—but I’ll see you for dinner.” I turn toward the door.
“Cole,” she whispers.
I pivot around, waiting.
With a smile that damn near sparkles, she rises up on her toes and adjusts my tie. I wait, frozen, until she kisses me again.
“It was just a little crooked. Now go.”
Damn, this woman.
I never had a problem before with getting my girl to school on time. Now, I’d rather crawl into a cave of wasps than leave this room.
I head downstairs reluctantly, fumbling with my phone on the way to shut off that music before my eardrums burst.
It flicks off just a second before I round the corner.
Destiny stands in front of the breakfast bar, her backpack slung over one shoulder and her arms crossed.
“You could’ve let the song finish. Jeez.”
“We’ll be late. Are you ready?” I ask.
“I’ve been ready, Dad.” She studies me a little too hard, this odd flicker in her eyes.
Shit.
What is it she’s sensing?
I rub my neck, tugging up my collar.
What? Do I have a fucking hickey? Maybe, because she’s still staring.
“I don’t say this enough, but…I’m proud of you.”
I stare at her as she points at my neck.
“First time in forever I don’t have to adjust your tie. It’s always crooked when you’re in a hurry.”
I sigh with relief.
“Pretty sure I’ll be late. They expect me to work, Dad, not just stare at cute otters all day. We totally won’t beat the morning traffic unless you bought jetpacks,” she says, finger-combing her hair.
“My fault. I’ll write you a note.”
She squints at me. “You know, you seem different, ever since Hawaii. Do you still have jet lag or something? You’re kinda old.”
“Mouth off again about my age, and I’ll find that jetpack and send you on a one-way trip,” I say with a snort. “I’m fine, Destiny.”
“Okay? So why do you keep acting like you’ve got a bug up your—”
“I’m fine. Let’s go, before we’re even later.”
What the hell? Since when does my daughter parent me?
After I finally get to work after fighting our way through traffic and letting her off at the Seattle Aquarium, I’m slammed with meetings the whole day.
When I come up for air, I text Eliza. Hey, I’m sorry about this morning. Also, I need to delay our dinner plans by a couple of days.
She responds immediately. No big. I’m down in the basement like usual, helping Gina with the pumpkin drinks for fall. It’s a fun break from the campfire stuff.
I smile. It’s been several months and she still hasn’t lost a bit of her passion for this job.
I’m a lucky man in more ways than one.
Cole: Will I see you tonight?
Eliza: Mayhaps. Fair warning, I’m exhausted.
Cole: I’ll let you sleep. Promise.
I may be crossing my fingers as I hit send.
Eliza: Ha, I’m not sure I can let you sleep without a goodnight romp. Or three.
My cock shifts in my pants, instantly jolted to attention.
I just hate that I had to postpone our first real date.
I expected her to be pissed. She’s almost too chill.
Why?
After three more back-to-back meetings, I expect to open my phone to belated texts asking why I’m postponing again. But they never come.
Katelyn comes into my office while I’m still up in my own head. “I’m going for a lunch run, bossman. Do you want your steak salad or a sandwich or something?”
“I’d like that. Where are you going?”
“The deli down the street.”
“Make it a club. With chips.” I pause. “And Katelyn?”
“Yes?”
I hesitate until I see the impatience creeping into her face. “Listen, if a man asked you out and then postponed it, would you be mad?”
“No, but my husband would be pretty pissed.” She folds her arms. “If I were single, I might not be mad. I’d just friendzone him.”
Friendzone?
That sounds as fun as licking sandpaper.
Shit, what if that’s what Eliza’s thinking with her non-responses?
Kate grins, undoubtedly loving the stricken look on my face.
“I’m glad you’re moving on, Mr. Lancaster. You’re a billionaire with a decent bod—and that’s not me saying it, but every red-blooded woman on the planet. It’d be pretty hard to exile you to the zone. So, your lady’s either very understanding or playing hard to get.”
I nod slowly. There’s no point in denying my hapless ass needs the help.
Only, why does her smile look so wicked?
“Between you and me, if you already took her out in a place like—oh, let’s say Kona—I’m sure it’s not really a first date to her. And if it isn’t, you can expect her to be more accommodating.”
Fuck.
Busted.
“I didn’t say anything about Hawaii,” I bite off.
“Boss…you’re blushing.”
“I don’t blush.”
“Okay. I’m off to lunch. Whenever you finally make it to dinner, tell Eliza ‘hi’ for me.”
I stiffen in my seat, wondering how much gossip is already darting around the office.
“You can’t say anything. I haven’t had the discussion with HR yet.” Or anyone else like a certain teenage daughter with a sixth sense for drama, I don’t add.
Kate’s mouth forms an O.
“So you’re her sneaky link. Juicy.”
“Lunch now,” I say, gently thumping my fist on the desk. “Before you’re fired.”
“Like hell,” she says as she goes flouncing out the door.
Her laugh echoes back at me and I bury my face in my hands.
What the hell is a sneaky link, anyway?
And why is every woman in my life so goddamned annoying?
If Katelyn ever retires, I decide right now my next assistant is going to be a workaholic gay man.
A couple days later, I check my suit in the mirror and notice a smudge on my cufflinks.
Frowning, I comb my hair for the third time.
Destiny appears in the doorway.
“What? Too much cologne?” I grind out.
“No.”
“Not enough?” My eyebrows go up.
“Ew, Dad. No. And believe me, I have zero desire to sniff you.”
I snort loudly.
“I just came to tell you I’m spending the night at Sarah’s. Her boyfriend broke up with her over an argument about a Band-Aid. She’s pretty upset.”
“She’s better off without the pencil dick.” I catch myself too late. “Pardon my French.”
Destiny bursts out laughing.
I’d chide myself over the coarse language, even if I know she’s heard a thousand times worse by now from Netflix and a hundred different teenagers. But more importantly, Eliza and I have the house to ourselves.
I wasn’t expecting that.
“Harsh. You don’t even know him,” she says.
I shoot her a hard look. “I was in high school once. Any girl is better off without high school boys. Trust me.” I wag my finger.
She rolls her eyes.
There are times when I wonder if she’s hiding her dates from me, knowing I’d like to get to know any boy after my daughter over cold beet juice and polishing my Navy tactical knife.
“Does my hair look okay? This damn humidity, I swear…I miss the rain,” I say, running a hand through my hair again.
“Looks like it always does,” she says with a nod.
“What does that mean?”
Destiny shrugs quickly. “Dude. If she likes you enough to go out with you, she’ll be happy with your hair. It hasn’t changed in ten years and it’s not tangled up in a greasy bird’s nest. That’s pretty good for a guy.” She cocks her head. “I mean, there might be some grey streaks, but…you’ll manage.”
I side-eye her hard.
“You put the grey there, Dess. And what do you mean ‘she?’”
“C’mon, it’s obvious you have a date tonight.”
I bite back a smile.
“…what if I don’t?”
“You do, Dad. I’m not dumb. There’s no point in acting like you’re on a secret mission.”
Shit. I wasn’t expecting this conversation right now.
Still, I look at her and say, “Should we talk about it?”
“Um, no. There’s nothing more awkward than talking about your love life.”
Thank fuck.
I dodged a massive bullet.
“But it’s okay, Dad. Really. I want you to be happy, have a normal life, especially after you’ve spent so much of it raising me. No need to worry while I go listen to Sarah whine all night about her loser ex. I told her not to date him anyway.” She huffs out a breath. “Just try not to ruin this, okay? I like Eliza.”
Gaping silence.
I’m almost taken aback, even if I know I shouldn’t be.
“You know it’s Eliza?”
“Duh. You drool when she walks in the room.”
I’m definitely boned. Someone in HR must be too scared to bring me in for a talk if a fifteen-year-old noticed.
“It’s not that obvious, is it?”
She stares through me like I’m stupid. “Uh, maybe not if you’ve never seen a movie or gone to like middle school.”
Damn.
“It’s cool. I think she likes you too.”
“You do, huh?” I quirk an eyebrow, adjusting my sleeve in the mirror again.
“Yeah. When you’re in a room together, she always watches to see if you’re going to look at her. When you do, she tries to look away but always smiles when she does.” Destiny shrugs. “I guess some things never change after high school. Oh, and if she didn’t like you, she probably wouldn’t have agreed to this date in the first place.”
“You’re too observant,” I clip.
“Well, yeah. Uncle Troy told me too.”
Of course he did.
“You and Troy talk a lot lately.” How much time is he spending with my daughter?
And what the hell is he telling her?
I need to have a talk with him since he’s been hanging around the office longer than planned.
“Don’t be mad! We both think Eliza is lit—like, totally good for you—”
“Destiny, you can’t say anything about this, okay? Not even to Troy. Don’t encourage him. He might be my age, but the man never left high school, socially. This is all very new.” I sigh. “We also have a strict policy against managers dating their employees for everyone’s protection. Eliza and I need to figure out an ethical way to see each other soon, but until then, I need you to keep quiet. You promise?”
“Promise. And Dad, there’s one more thing…”
“What now?”
She shifts in place, staring at her feet before she looks at me again. “I kinda have a date tomorrow, too—and you’re not going to complain.”
Oh, damn her to hell.
She’s engineered this whole thing in her favor.
“Who?” The word comes out like a bucket of nails rattling.
“Um, with my boyfriend?”
“You have a boyfriend? Since when?” Goddamn, I’m going to need to pull that tactical knife out of storage after all.
She nods nervously.
“Do I know him?”
“…I don’t think so. He’s a freshman…at Seattle University.”
Rage tears through me, all teeth and claws.
“When were you planning to tell me you’re dating a man? How old is he?”
Her cheeks heat. She knows she’s in deep fucking doo-doo.
“Nineteen. We…we haven’t done anything and he promised he won’t until I’m eighteen. He’s a really nice guy. Can’t you just be cool?” Hope strains her voice.
I shake my head like she just pulled out a syringe full of heroin.
“No. Not cool.”
She gives me the saddest pout.
“What the hell? Hypocrite much? Because Eliza is like twenty-six, and you’re like forty. I’m fifteen, Dad. He’s only four years older than me.”
I fold my arms, not amused in the slightest.
“First off, I’m not forty. Not even close. Secondly, how do you know how old she is?”
“She bought me a smoothie in Kona and they asked for her driver’s license when she picked up a beer.”
“When you’re thirty-seven, you can date who you want, young lady. While you’re fifteen and under my roof, you’ll follow the rules. And one of those rules is zero college boys, no matter how ‘nice’ they may seem. Also, you don’t get to date until you’re a senior.”
“Hypocrite,” she mutters, her face flushed red with disappointment.
“Bull. When I was fifteen, I did what my parents said.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
I sigh. “Are you serious about this boy?”
Slowly, her eyes snap back to me, and her anger fades into a pained grin.
“Gotcha! I don’t have an older boyfriend. I just wanted to see if I could make your forehead wrinkle up.”
I stare at her coldly while her laughter bounces off the walls.
“Brat. I’m calling Sarah’s mother later to make sure you’re really over there. And I have wrinkles?” I glower at her.
Ridiculous.
The women in my life—all of them—are forces of nature and all dead set on turning me into a walking joke. Maybe I should rethink this dating BS after all.
Dess bursts into a new fit of laughter.
“Now what?”
She runs forward and hugs me. “At least we both know the ground rules now…”
I wrap my arms around her. “I’m pretty sure this is the part where I auction you off online.”
“Whatever you want, but no one will bid.” She pulls away with a red-faced smile.
A flash of gold around her neck catches my attention, a small golden turtle dangling on a long chain.
“Did you buy that in Hawaii?” I flick my thumb at it.
“What?”
“The necklace.”
“Oh.” Her smile vanishes. “No, I…I took it from Mom’s room and brought it home with me. Haven’t worn it for a couple weeks since we came back, but I remembered it today. You bought it for her, right?”
I stare at the necklace, feeling a turtle-shaped hole in my brain. I keep it to myself because I don’t want to sound like a jerk, but hell.
I don’t remember buying that thing.
“Yeah. I must have a long time ago,” I mutter.
“Well, it’s beautiful. I’ve got to get going, so ciao, Dad.” She walks out.
When I leave my room, I find Destiny waiting by the stairs. “Do you need a ride to Sarah’s? I’ve got Tom on his way and I can drop you off first.”
“If you insist…”
When we get to her friend’s house, I walk Destiny to the door, still hoping for her sake that this nineteen-year-old punk boyfriend is a bad joke.
“Dad, we’re here, I can go through a door on my own.” I don’t move away. “Um, what are you doing?”
“Meeting the adult in charge of you tonight.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I’m that annoying helicopter asshole of a dad.”
She rolls her eyes. “You said it. Not me.”
After a few minutes of small talk with Sarah’s mother to convince me the kids are properly chaperoned, I climb back in the car.
Twenty minutes later, Tom pulls up to Eliza’s apartment building. I get out and walk to the door, but she’s already outside waiting for me.
“I expected to walk you to the car,” I say, offering her my hand.
She takes it. “The buzzer isn’t working. I figured this was easier.”
I scan the short, snug black dress that hugs her body in all the right places—especially that peach of an ass—and meet her eyes again.
“You’re triple stunning tonight,” I whisper.
She smiles. “Thank you.”
I hold the car door open and help her in, then slide into the back seat. “It’s been weird not seeing you for two days.”
“I know. I felt like I was missing a limb.”
I put up the soundproof privacy guard. “Then why have you stayed away from me?”
She laughs. “Aren’t you the one who’s been busy?”
“Yeah. Sorry I postponed this. Too many annoying meetings I couldn’t push back.” I slip my arm around her, trying not to gasp at the softness of her skin. “Didn’t mean to piss you off.”
She lays her head on my shoulder.
“I wasn’t angry, Cole. I haven’t had much sleep since Hawaii. I was tired.”
“I’m aware.” I kiss her.
“And you didn’t invite me over last night…”
“Because you blew me off the night before.”
“I was tired.”
“You never invite me over,” I point out.
“My apartment is basically a shack compared to your house. Plus, you have a kid.”
“So?”
“I’m not having you leave her alone overnight just because I like waking up next to you…”
I can’t hide the smile that cuts across my face. “You, Eliza, are goddamned amazing.”
“Yeah?” She quirks an eyebrow.
“I like how often you consider Destiny,” I say. Part of the reason I never dated was because I wasn’t sure how Destiny would take to someone new—or how well they’d manage with her.
But Eliza already feels like a mama bear with my girl, and it plays my heart like a drum.
“Where are we going?”
“Sushi Zushi. Fairly new place on Alki Beach. You’ll love it.”
“Do they have good coffee?”
I chuckle, shaking my head.
“What?” she asks like she doesn’t know.
“Maybe a Tokyo lungo? I’ve never ordered coffee there. Do you really need it with every meal? Try the sake with me.”
“No, but I always have coffee with breakfast and after dinner.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“It’s good for digestion,” she insists with a smirk.
“What?” I demand.
“I can’t tell you,” she says softly.
“Why not?”
“I just can’t.”
“Eliza—”
“No. You’ll be mad.”
“I won’t be. Now spit it out. You’ve said too much to back out,” I warn.
“Okay, well… You know how you got mad when I told you Wired Cup’s whole brand was reliable?”
“Yeah?”
“You don’t drink enough coffee. You don’t savor it enough to know the difference between reliable and reverent.”
“Guilty. That’s why I hired you.”
“Then why were you so offended about being called reliable?”
I grin, shaking my head.
“Woman, just because I don’t want to spend all day tasting coffee doesn’t mean I want to be known as the CEO of a boring fucking brand.”
“You’re a strange man,” she muses, pushing her hand into mine. “Good thing I’m hooked on you.”
It’s about half an hour before we arrive at the posh restaurant. Tom opens the door with an affable nod, and I help Eliza out of the car, walking her through the stylish glass doors.
Her hand stays clasped in mine as we walk to the hostess booth.
“I have a reservation for a private room,” I say.
“What’s the name?” the hostess asks.
“Smith.”
She checks her book and nods. “I’ve got it.” She picks up a couple of menus. “Right this way, Mr. and Mrs. Smith”
Eliza’s brows knit together as she leans up to whisper in my ear. “But it’s Lancaster? Don’t tell me you picked a name so unoriginal for whatever it is you’re hiding?”
