Daddy’s Temptation by Kelly Myers
Ryan
Isit by the pool with Ryker Flynn and Griff Lawson and I’m glad they came by tonight to share a couple of beers and catch up. They both work for Jax Wilder over at Platinum Security, a firm that offers a variety of services from investigating and troubleshooting to personal bodyguards. They also have the ability to take care of other more shady jobs. The group is made up of former cops, CIA agents, ex-military and hackers so I have no doubt that they are a talented and deadly group.
But, right now, the former Navy SEAL and ex-CIA agent look far from fierce as they talk about their wives. Ryker can’t stop gushing about Avery and their new daughter Luka while Griff, recently married to Lexi, announced that he’s going to be a proud papa early next February.
I’ve known Ryker for a long time, since our days when I’d fly him into missions, and he’s never looked happier. At 6’4” with short dark hair and the same rock-hard, military fit body he had when he was a SEAL, my friend went through some dark shit when he lost his entire team on a mission in the Columbian jungle. None of us were able to pull him back off the ledge or help ease his PTSD. Until Avery. She swept back into his life with a vengeance and made him want to live again.
And, I’ve only known Griffin Lawson about a year and the guy’s a trip. With brown hair and sky blue eyes that make the ladies swoon, he looks like he should be an actor. I don’t know a lot about his past as an agent, but I get the feeling he has some dark secrets, too. But, he hides them well behind an enormous amount of charm, humor and charisma.
These two are lucky, I think. They’ve overcome a lot of demons and found amazing women who they’re starting families with and they have a job at Platinum Security that they love. I’m happy they’ve found their “happily-ever-afters,” but I’m not going to lie.
I feel a bit envious.
To be honest, after Paige and I divorced, I never thought I’d get married again. But seeing how these two glow when they talk about their wives makes me wonder if I would do it all over again.
If I found the right woman, I think. I immediately think of Hailey and something low and hot tugs in my belly. When she walked by earlier, I wanted to grab her and pull her down onto my lap. Instead, our gazes connected briefly and she kept going.
I feel like I’m really screwing things up. Even worse than they were before and I don’t know how to fix it.
“You’ve been single too long, Fox. What about you?” Ryker asks.
“What about me?” I ask with a wary expression.
“No one special?”
“Oh, Jesus, you’re not turning into one of those guys, are you?”
“What do you mean?” Ryker asks.
“Now that you’ve found love and marriage, you want it for everyone else.”
Ryker and Griff exchange a look. “All I’m saying is if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have fought it so hard.”
“And, this guy fought it for about ten years,” Griff adds with a chuckle.
Ryker lifts his middle finger and flips Griff off. “Yeah? Well, you got taken down in about a week, loverboy.”
Griff tosses his middle finger right back. “What can I say? When you know, you know. And, I found out I have a weakness for redheads.”
“I don’t know,” I say and lean back in my chair. “I’ve steered clear of serious relationships since my divorce.”
“She wasn’t the right one,” Ryker says simply. As though that explains it all.
“I know exactly what you mean,” Griff says and pops a stick of gum into his mouth. “I used to avoid relationships like the plague.”
“So, what made it different?” I ask. I’m curious how these two went from perpetual bachelors to head over heels.
For a moment neither says anything. Then, Griff clears his throat and shrugs. “Lexi made it different. She challenged me in every way and was the biggest pain in my ass.” We laugh. “But, I loved it and when I thought about the case ending and us going our separate ways, it literally made me panicky. I knew I wanted her in my life all the time.”
“Awwwww,” Ryker and I say together in a teasing tone.
I think Griff flushes before he grumbles a curse. Then, he turns his attention to Ryker. These two love throwing jabs at each other. “What about you, Flynn? When did you decide that Avery was your better half?”
Ryker finishes his beer and his face softens at the mention of his woman. “Avery pulled me out of the shadows,” he says in a low voice. “She made me want to live again and I owe her everything.”
His heartfelt words leave us both speechless for a moment. But, then Griff, as usual, has a response. “You’re such a sap, Flynn. But, I’m glad.”
Ryker and Griff exchange their usual handshake where they slide palms, grasp fingers and bump knuckles. At the same moment, I notice someone walking toward the pool and my pulse spikes when I realize it’s Hailey. And, she’s wrapped in a towel and heading to the pool where we sit.
What the hell is she doing?
When she drops her towel on a lounge chair and glances over at us, my gaze slides down her nearly-naked body. “Hope I’m not bothering you,” she says. “I’m just going to take a quick swim.”
Ryker and Griff just shrug and I narrow my eyes at her. What is she trying to prove? Parading over here in that little, two-piece suit? Giving everyone a show. I grip the arms of the chair hard, until my knuckles turn white, and watch her every lithe move.
I can’t tear my gaze away as she sashays over to the edge and gracefully dives into the crystal blue water. She slices just below the surface then pops up, tilts her head back and runs her hands through her wet hair. She glances over at me and smirks.
I seriously want to yank her out of the pool, toss her over my knee and spank her.
As she swims to the opposite side of the pool, out of earshot, I realize Ryker and Griff are looking at me, trying to hold back smiles and not doing it very successfully.
“What?” I don’t mean to snap, but Hailey is pissing me off.
They exchange an amused look. “She’s a little young,” Ryker says and I grit my jaw, “but, I can totally see it.”
“For sure,” Griff agrees and crosses his arms over his chest.
I frown. “See what?” I’m really annoyed and not in the mood for their teasing remarks.
“Don’t even pretend that you don’t have a thing for that bathing beauty.”
“She’s putting on quite a show for you, too,” Griff adds with a smirk.
I wish he’d stop looking. I want them both to stop. “You guys are crazy,” I say. “She’s just a tenant.”
“That makes it convenient,” Griff says in a silky voice and I pierce him with a look sharper than a dagger. He holds up his hands. “Just saying.”
“We are not-,” involved? Well, we kind of are. “I don’t sleep with-,” my tenants? Well, I kind of did. “Fuck,” I hiss. I run a hand through my hair and can tell that they’re both smothering a laugh. “Why is this so goddamn funny?”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Ryker says and pushes up from his chair. “Just go with it.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“Falling in love is never easy, buddy,” Griff says and stands up. “It’s pure fucking torture, but if she’s worth it then you find a way to make it work. And, I promise, you’ll never be happier.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose and they both slap me on the back. “Good luck,” Ryker says. “I need to get home and take over baby duty so Avery can sleep.”
“And, I need to go rub Lexi’s poor feet.”
“You two are whipped,” I say.
“That’s love,” Griff says with a shrug. Ryker just smiles and they turn and head down to the Expedition and Challenger parked at the curb.
My attention turns back to Hailey who swims around the pool like some damn mermaid. I’m about ready to drag her out and give her the tongue lashing of a lifetime. I’m not sure what kind of game she’s playing, but it’s pissing me off.
I jerk up out of the chair and head to the edge of the pool. When she looks over at me, all innocent, I cross my arms. “Get out,” I snap. I’m still annoyed about the other night and in the mood to fight. For God’s sake, I was practically celibate for over a year and the first woman I try to talk to online, Hailey sees and gets pissed off. I mean, c’mon, I’m not allowed to try to meet women like everyone else?
For fuck’s sake, I’m not going to feel guilty about it. Hailey and I agreed on one time. We aren’t in any kind of a serious relationship and I don’t owe her anything. I fulfilled my end of the bargain and now we’re supposed to go our separate ways.
So, why do we keep stalling and torturing each other?
“I wasn’t aware that I was violating pool hours,” she says and swims closer.
I watch her tread water in the deep end and motion to the stairs. “Out,” I order between gritted teeth.
But, she doesn’t listen and instead just keeps floating there, eyeing me defiantly. “No,” she says.
“Hailey, I swear to God, I will come in there and get you.”
Her brown eyes flash with insolence and when she doesn’t budge, something in me snaps. I step off the edge and land in the water with a splash. When I swim toward her, Hailey gives a yelp and takes off toward the steps.
She may be a good swimmer, but I’m better and faster. I grab her ankle and drag her back. Hailey twists and tries to break free, but she’s no match and I’m much stronger. I let go of her leg, grab her shoulders and give her a shake. “What the fuck is wrong with you? What are you trying to prove?”
“Are you crazy? Let me go!”
“No! Not until you tell me why you felt the need to parade your ass out here and show off that fucking little bathing suit?” I squeeze her upper arm. “You wanted them to notice you? To kiss you and touch you?” I know I should stop, but I can’t. I’m livid. “You looking for a new fuck buddy now that you’re done with me?”
Hailey’s hand hits my cheek hard and my face whips to the side. Hurt fills her big, brown eyes and then it’s quickly replaced by anger. “You’re an asshole,” she says and moves around me, heading toward the stairs.
Fuck.“Hailey, wait!” I turn around and follow her.
“Leave me alone!” she yells and grabs the railing to pull herself out. She hurries up the steps and grabs her towel, wrapping it around herself.
I follow her up the steps, water sluicing off my shirt and jeans, and block her from starting up the pathway to her apartment. “I said, wait, dammit!” When I reach for her arm again, she yanks it away and I see tears fill her eyes. Oh, shit.
“No!” She jabs a finger against my chest and pushes me back a step. “I thought you were different,” she says on a sob. “But, you’re worse because I trusted you. I thought you were kind and gentle and-” her voice breaks. Then, she steps around me and races to her apartment.
“Fucking...fuck!” I yell and kick a lounge chair. It takes a second to register, but I suddenly realize that half the goddamn complex is standing outside their door and watching us.
I spin around, shoving my hands through my dripping hair. Water rolls down my soaked clothes and pools down around my feet and I feel like the world’s biggest jerk. Just brilliant, Fox. Now everyone knows.
Defeat slides through me and my head drops between my shoulders as I walk over to my corner unit. I don’t know if it was a combination of sexual frustration and anger or what, but the way I lost my shit out there was completely uncalled for and not like me at all.
I walk down to the bathroom, pull my dripping clothes off and step into the shower, wishing like hell that I had managed to hang onto some semblance of control out there. But, nope. Maybe after hearing how great Ryker and Griff’s lives were, I let my jealousy get the better of me.
Or, maybe Hailey Lane just has the power to drive me insane.
Either way, I know I owe her an apology. But, it’s probably best if I let things cool off for a while first. The last thing I want is for the other tenants to get front row seats to another yelling match between us.
