Daddy’s Temptation by Kelly Myers
Hailey
The next morning, I lay in my bed and think about last night with Ryan. It was perfect, but the thing is, I don’t want it to be over. I stretch my arms above my head and feel an ache between my legs. It’s a pleasant reminder of everything he did to me.
I know we agreed that it would only be one time and I’m usually very good about keeping my promises. But, the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that this isn’t the best decision. For either of us.
Ryan Fox is playing it safe. For some reason, I scare him. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m so much younger or what, but he’s putting his head before his heart. I just know it.
My heart feels a connection to him. It has since the moment he helped me carry that heavy box of books into my place when I was moving in. I feel myself falling for the quiet, strong mysterious man who lives in apartment 7. But, I’m not quite sure what to do about it.
All I know is that I want to know everything about him. He confided a few personal things in me last night, but there’s so much that I don’t know. Simple things like his favorite food and color and season. I want to know what movies he likes and what foods he enjoys. More than anything, I want to feel his strong arms around me again as he kisses me senseless.
Ryan is an amazing kisser. He does other things pretty damn well, too. I wasn’t expecting to ever enjoy sex after my uncle revealed his plans to sell my virginity. That’s why I knew I had to find someone who would be sweet and take his time. Ryan was literally the perfect choice. He introduced me to a whole level of pleasure that I hadn’t known before. We connected last night on a physical and emotional level. If I felt it then he had to have, too. I hope, anyway.
I’m not giving up on him. But, I need advice because I have no experience with this kind of thing. The last thing I want to do is come off like some kind of stalker and scare him away further. I need to talk to someone who has more experience with men and relationships and the first person who comes to mind is Jasmine Torres.
I hop out of bed, a plan forming, and wash up and get dressed. Then, I head next door. I am bound and determined to get under Ryan’s skin like he’s gotten under mine.
I knock on Jasmine’s door and she opens it a minute later looking like she just dragged herself out of bed. She looks sleep-rumpled, but gorgeous. “What time is it?” she asks and yawns behind a hand.
“Almost 11,” I say.
“You interrupted my beauty sleep,” she says and throws the door open. “What’s up, Indiana?”
“I’m sorry. I just, ah, needed some advice.”
Jasmine lights up and motions for me to sit on the couch. I can tell that she loves giving advice and playing mother hen. “Let me just brush my teeth, make some tea and then we can chat. What is it about? Boy trouble already?”
“Yeah, you can say that.”
“Well, you definitely came to the right person,” she says and heads into the kitchen. “You like tea?” she calls out.
“Sure,” I say.
A few minutes later, she hands me a steaming mug of green tea, sits beside me and curls her long legs beneath her. “Okay, spill it. Who’s caught your eye?”
I let out a long breath and stare down into the mug. “Ryan,” I murmur.
She gives me a blank look then her almond eyes widen. “Foxy Flyboy?” she practically screeches. “You like Foxy Flyboy!”
“Shh,” I say. My luck, the whole complex just heard her yell that and I cringe.
“Sorry,” she says and drops her voice. “But, this is unbelievable. Okay, why Ryan? What’s going on? Does he like you, too? Did something happen between the two of you? Oh, my God, tell me right now!”
Her barrage of questions makes me nervous. “Okay, first of all, calm down, please. You’re giving me anxiety.” She nods and sits up straighter waiting for me to continue. “I’m not sure where exactly to start, but since day one, I felt a connection, a spark, with him. But, he pushed me away and didn’t want anything to do with it.”
“Yeah, that’s Ryan. Always putting himself last.” She blows on her tea.
“Well, um, last night, he and I-”
Jazz’s mouth drops open. “What happened?”
“I needed help with something and he...helped me.”
“Help with what?”
I shift, suddenly uncomfortable. “Losing my virginity,” I say in a low voice.
“Holy shit! You and Foxy Flyboy did the no pants dance? And, he was your first? This is epic!”
I feel my face heat up in embarrassment and begin to wonder if I shouldn’t have told her. “You’re not going to tell anyone, right? Because Ryan doesn’t want anyone else to know.”
“My lips are sealed,” she says and makes a motion of locking them and throwing away the key. “But, it’s not like y’all can keep something like this a secret forever. People are going to see you sneaking back and forth to his place.”
“Well, that’s the thing. We both agreed that it would be a one-time deal.”
“And, now you’re having second thoughts about that?”
“Exactly.”
“Well, what are you really feeling? Do like him because he was your first or because you feel a deeper pull. Like he’s the one you could spend the rest of your life with?”
“There’s an attraction there that I can’t ignore. And, I’m pretty sure he feels it, too.”
“Okay, so Ryan needs to man-up and face his feelings.”
“How do I get him to do that?” I ask and lean forward.
Jasmine sighs. “It’s not going to be easy. Especially with him. He’s really private and probably takes things like sex extremely seriously. Though, I get the feeling he knows how to show a girl a good time between the sheets. Am I right?”
I flush. “I mean, I don’t have anything to compare it to, but...yeah, he was really, really good.”
She gives me a smile. “I knew it. He has this vibe about him. That he knows how to get things done. Are you still tingly?” I nod and she claps her hands in delight. “This is great. The non-virgins are finally starting to outnumber the virgins in this complex.”
“Who else is?” I ask, suddenly curious.
“Savannah was til Nick. And, Taylor, too. I’m not sure about Morgan, though, because she never talks about it. When sex comes up, she always deflects and changes the subject. She’s really mysterious about it.”
“I haven’t even seen her around yet.”
“Yeah, she’s like a ghost, but I love her to death. She’s just always caring for her mom or working. Poor girl needs to get away and forget everything. But, back to you and Ryan. Hmm.”
Jasmine takes a sip of her tea, thinking, and I ask her what else she knows about him.
“Not a lot,” she says. “Like I mentioned before, I’ve lived here three years and I’ve never seen him with a woman.”
A part of me is a little glad to hear that, but I wonder why. “He told me he hasn’t been serious with anyone really since his divorce. Why don’t you think he dates?”
She shrugs. “He might, he might not. Who really knows? He’s so private. I mean, he could be a serial killer and have a woman chained up in his place and we’d never know.”
“Oh, God, don’t say that.”
Jazz laughs. “I’d be the neighbor they’d interview who said how shocked I am because he seemed like such a nice guy.”
“He is not a serial killer,” I say and roll my eyes. “Have you ever seen his ex-wife?”
She shakes her head. “Nope. Haven’t seen his daughter either, but I think she’s around our age because he once mentioned something about her taking classes. I just assumed she was in college.”
“He said they had her when he was only 20.”
“Really?” She eyes me. “So, you guys actually talked, too.”
I nod. “A little.”
When I look up, Jasmine is studying me. “Here’s what I think-- you should go for it. If he’s going to pretend to be noble and keep the bargain of only one time then make him realize what a dumb idea that is. From what I’ve seen, Ryan is a lonely, unhappy man who deserves to have some love and happiness in his life. If you can give that to him then you will have everyone’s blessing here, especially mine.”
An excited feeling fills me. “What should I do, though? How do I make him see that I could be really good for him?”
“Go seduce him.”
“What? I don’t know how and-”
“Hailey, you slept with the man last night. Unless he was a complete robot, you should’ve picked up on a few things. Like what he likes, what turns him on, what drives him crazy. Use those things to weaken his resolve.”
“I don’t know if I can do that.”
“I have faith in you,” she says and then stands up. “My flight to New York is in a couple of hours so I need to get ready. But, promise you’ll keep me updated.”
“It’s like I’m on a mission now,” I say with a little smile.
“Operation: Fucking Foxy Flyboy.”
“Oh, my God.” I bury my face in my hands and she bursts out laughing.
Back at my place, I see a message on my phone and listen to it. My mouth drops when it’s someone from the Magnolia Club and they invite me to perform there next Saturday night. With a scream, I jump up on my couch and bounce around like a crazy person. I’m so excited and the first person that I want to tell is Ryan.
It gives me a good reason to go over there. But, not until tonight. Jazz said to seduce him and I want to do this right. I start thinking of all the things I could do and then decide on how to kick off Operation: Fucking Foxy Flyboy.
It’s going to be a risk and may not work, but if he’s attracted to me then that’ll give me the boost of confidence I need. I check the time and it’s barely noon. Operation: Triple F won’t happen until later tonight, so I have all day to prepare. And, the first thing I need is a new bathing suit.
I go out shopping and pick up a cute, little black two-piece. It’s not too skimpy or daring, but it shows off enough skin that it should get Ryan’s motor revving. I plan to lounge by the pool today, in plain view of his kitchen window, and want him to notice. I hope that he can’t help but watch me lay in a lounge chair all afternoon with my straps down and my body glistening with oil.
Two hours later, I stretch out on my towel-covered chair and glance over at Ryan’s window. I’ve been out here an hour and there’s been no sign of him. I sigh. I know he’s home because his truck is still parked along the side of the building where he left it after we got back from the hotel last night.
He’s usually out and about during the day so it’s strange that I haven’t seen him yet. Just as I’m thinking this, his door opens and he steps out. And, he looks straight at me. I feel a surge of triumph pass through me and I know he can’t see me watching him behind my sunglasses. But, I am completely aware of his every move.
He looks good in a navy t-shirt and worn jeans and I see him head over to the small shed on the opposite side of the pool. He goes inside and then reappears with a couple buckets of some chemicals. I pretend not to notice as he approaches, but when he’s close enough, I lift my hand and wave.
Ryan sets the buckets down at the edge of the pool and moves closer to me. “Hi. How are you?” he asks.
His gaze skims down me and I sit up and cross my ankles. “Good. A little sore.”
Heat flashes through his green eyes and he stares at where my straps hang down my arms. “Guess that’s to be expected.”
“I like it, though. It’s like I can still feel you inside me.” Even though I want to pull my straps back up, I don’t. Let him get a good look, I think.
He hisses in a breath and those eyes darken. “Hailey. Don’t say that.”
“Why not?”
“Someone might hear.”
I shrug. “I don’t care.”
“You should. You don’t want to get a bad reputation.”
We both look up when Mason and Cody’s door slams open and their loud voices float down. They’ve got surfboards tucked under their arms and they start down the stairs from the second-floor apartment they share. When they head in our direction, Ryan picks up a bucket of chemicals and tosses them in the pool.
“Hey, Ryan, this idiot poured grease down the garbage disposal again and now it’s all jacked up,” Mason says. They’re both shirtless and wear board shorts and flip flops. As cute as they are, Ryan is the only one I’m yearning to have.
Cody slugs his arm. “Dude, I forgot.”
“Guys, that will clog it every time,” Ryan says.
“Can you fix it?” Mason asks. “Sorry this guy’s such a moron.”
“I’m not a plumber, bro. How am I supposed to know what can and cannot go down a drain?”
“Grease can’t,” Ryan says in a dry voice.
“Sorry. I won’t forget again.”
“Yes, you will,” Mason says.
“Hey, Hailey. Catchin’ some rays?” Cody asks with a grin. “Just let us know when you’re ready to catch some waves and we’ll take you out surfing.”
“Thanks, guys,” I say and give them a little wave.
As they walk away, it looks like Ryan frowns. But, he quickly masks the sour look on his face and turns his attention back to the pool.
“What are you doing?” I ask when he tosses some stuff into it.
“Shocking the pool.”
He sounds grumpy and I bite back a smile. “What’s that?”
“Raising the chlorine level quickly.”
“Why?”
“So, you don’t have to swim in a pool full of algae,” he snaps.
Wow. Someone is being awfully snippy. I stretch and finally pull my straps back up. His gaze flickers to my bikini top and then moves away. “Something wrong?” I ask, all innocence.
“No,” he grumbles and finishes with the chemicals.
“Ryan?”
“Huh?”
“Do you like my new bathing suit?”
A muscle flexes in his jaw. “Stop it.”
I smile. “I’m just asking. I almost got the string bikini, but was scared it would accidentally come untied if I went swimming.” I slide off the lounge chair and he freezes when I move up beside him. “It’s hot. You should take a dip.”
“I’m fine,” he grits out.
“Are you?” I ask in a playful voice. My gaze dips down and, if I’m not mistaken, his jeans are looking a little snug.
Before I can say another word to torment him, Ryan snatches the buckets up and stomps back over to the shed. He stows them and then heads back to his place where he slams the door shut behind him.
Hmm.Part one of my plan just went off without a hitch. Tonight, it will be time to activate part two and make Ryan want me so badly that he can’t see straight.
