Share

Book 4: chapter 22

Author: Uriel Kings
last update Last Updated: 2025-04-23 02:33:44

“Yeah, kid. Let’s get you some shoes.”

Shoes, it turned out, were Carl’s gateway drug. Once he had shoes, he wanted jeans, and then a shirt. He was as tightly guarded with these desires as I was with mine, but I recognized them, and he got the fucking jeans and shirt. And then he was so jacked up on excitement and uncertainty that I managed to buy him a burger.

He tore through it in a few bites, then leaned back. He was staring at me with an expression I recognized. Complete distrust. Why the hell was I doing this? What did I really want? Couldn’t be his mom, he could tell she wasn’t my type. Was I getting some sort of good press for this shit? He doubted it. It wasn’t like I was famous or anything. Was I a pervert? If so, I’d done a damn good job hiding it over the last few months.

Basically, the same thought process I’d gone through when I was in his position and Jack was the one buying the burgers.

“I want to talk about school,” I said, sensing that between the bags at his feet and
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Related chapters

  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book: chapter 23

    LAYLAIwanted to be irresistible on Monday morning, but I overthought it and changed my outfit so many times that Liv came out of her room to see what the hell I was doing banging my closet door open and shut so many times. Then, after the outfit was finally sorted, I almost forgot my lunch.“You look great,” she insisted, grabbing my lunch bag out of the refrigerator and stuffing it in my hands.I was wearing jeans, like everyone at the office did, but I was wearing heels and a tailored t-shirt, and I’d put my hair up because I thought it made me look older. More sophisticated. Something.“He kissed you,” Liv reminded me as she walked me to the door. Then, because she had nothing else to do since I’d woken her up before her alarm went off, she walked me down the hall to the elevator bank. “He told you he wants you. What are you worried about?”“That he won’t want meenoughto break his stupid rules.”Liv tapped her pointer finger on her chin and pointedly didn’t say anything. She didn’

    Last Updated : 2025-04-23
  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 4: chapter 24

    But despite the glowing good looks, there was something about him that I didn’t like. It was impossible to put my finger on it. Maybe it was the way he dropped into his chair at the head of the table, lounging and indolent like he was one of the big cats he loved so much. I loved cats and their don’t-give-a-damn attitude, too, but the attitude hit different in a human being.He bestowed a shiny white, toothy smile on each of us in turn, but his glacier blue gaze snagged on me. “Hello,” he said, drawing out the word. “Are you new here?”Maybe if it was high school, I would have giggled like he so obviously expected. Now, though, I just smiled and said, “Yes. I’m Layla Davis.”“Layla Davis.” He repeated my name, pronouncing each syllable with great care, like he was sounding it out. “Nice to meet you, Layla Davis.”The tension that had existed in Aiden from the moment he stepped into the conference room increased. It was nearly invisible, but I’d become an expert on Aiden in the past we

    Last Updated : 2025-04-23
  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 4: chapter 25

    AIDENThe idle thoughts I’d had about firing Andrew suddenly felt quaint. I didn’t want to fire Blake–I wanted to dismantle him. It wouldn’t be murder because he wasn’t a real person. If I wasn’t seeing him in the flesh, I’d swear he was an AI bot. Dismantling was too much work. I wanted to just erase his code or pull the plug on the machine.But the problem was that Blakewasn’ta robot, AI or otherwise. He was real, and he was really looking at Layla like she was an ice cream cone and he’d just trekked across Death Valley. It would have been shitty if she’d returned the sentiment, but I could have handled it. What was worse was seeing her grow visibly more uncomfortable the longer the impromptu strategy session went on.“The nerve of the guy just showing up here,” I’d muttered to Maureen when I found out about his decision to drop by unannounced. I’d been irritated, but as the minutes ticked on, I was becoming closer to enraged.Blake was up out of his seat, circling the table. He was

    Last Updated : 2025-04-23
  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 4: chapter 26

    Not to do what she was implying, though God knew I wanted that so much I could taste it. “I don’t want you on the Blake Morten account,” I said abruptly, deciding there was no good way to ease into that conversation. “I know Maureen wants this to be your trial run, but I think it’s a bad idea.”“My trial run?” Annoyance threaded Layla’s voice. She pushed her auburn hair back over her shoulder and frowned. “You do remember that I’ve already done this for two years in LA.”“I remember, but PR and Brand Development aren’t synonymous.”“Yeah, but it’s not about the work is it?” Now Layla sat down. She crossed her long legs. “It’s about Blake himself.”Following her lead, I lowered myself into my own chair. “Yeah, it is,” I said frankly. “I can tell by the way he acted with you in the meeting that he’s going to be a problem.”“And you think that in my two years in PR in LA, I didn’t learn to handle guys like Blake?” Layla’s voice was silky with confidence. She smiled privately, as if remem

    Last Updated : 2025-04-23
  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 4: chapter 27

    LAYLAI didn’t have a plan exactly. More of an idea of a plan. An outline of an idea, anyway. Basically it was to put myself in Aiden’s way as often as possible until he gave in. Ironically, Blake made it easier for me. Aiden never followed through on his threat to take me off the account, and Blake never got the hint that we didn’t need to meet with him every other day, so I saw a lot of both of them.“I’m surprised Aiden is putting up with it,” Gloria mused one evening when it was just the core group of us staying late. We’d had to rearrange our schedule due to one of Blake’s unscheduled drop ins, so now the five of us were back in the conference room with our laptops, eating pizza.“It’s obvious why.” Joe rubbed his thumb against his other four fingers.Gloria scoffed. She and Joe were dating, or something like it, but they still never missed a chance to disagree with one another. “Cross Media isthego-to marketing firm in Boston these days. Local magazines are always doing profiles

    Last Updated : 2025-04-24
  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 4: chapter 28

    “No, I’ve got it.” I took them from him. “I forgot something at my desk anyway.”“Do you want us to wait for you?”I hesitated. I couldn’t say yes because my plan was to dump these empty boxes in the break room trash can and then confront Aiden. But did it look suspicious if I said no? Would they suspect? “No, I might hang out for a minute. My roommate is coming to meet me for a drink at a bar nearby,” I lied.They accepted it without a flicker of skepticism. “A drink sounds good,” I heard Joe suggest to Gloria as they walked down the hallway toward the elevator with William.“I’m tired.”I felt a moment’s pity for Joe, then my heart kicked into overtime. I was about to be alone in the office with Aiden, which was something I’d tried to engineer before, but these weren’t ideal circumstances. I couldn’t focus on seducing him–I had to confront him over this Blake Morten situation first.As I walked through the office with the pizza boxes in hand, I heard him talking in his office. At fi

    Last Updated : 2025-04-24
  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 4: chapter 29

    “Looking at each other?” His mouth hitched up in one corner. “I don’t want to just look at you, Layla.” My heart hammered in my ears. My blood hummed, every sense attune to him. “I don’t want to just look at you, Aiden.” He took a deep breath and I sensed the final battle was raging in his head. I held mine, waiting for the outcome. “Come over to my place,” he said, the words tearing out of his throat. “We can talk more.” I sensed that if I told him I didn’t want to talk, it might be pushing him too far. He might revert. So I nodded as though it were plausible that we might just talk. But I knew better. * * * I’d never been to Aiden’s old place, but I knew instantly that the two-bedroom condo on the twelfth floor of a nice high rise only a couple miles from work was new since the divorce. The packing boxes still stacked against a wall and the dearth of furniture was a dead giveaway. In the living room, he had exactly one place to sit, and that was a long, three-cushioned

    Last Updated : 2025-04-24
  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 4: chapter 30

    “Because I can’t have you.”I set my beer on his barren dresser and put my hands on his shoulders. I’d barely had half of it, but I didn’t need liquid courage. Not for this. “I think you can.”Aiden’s eyes were hot, but he didn’t make a move to touch me, even as I felt his muscles tense. His voice was low and scratchy when he said, “I can’t keep you.”There it was again. That conviction that nothing could last. That nothing was really his. I slid my hands up to his face and pulled it gently down. Our foreheads brushed, and his eyes were glittering with need, but he still didn’t move. I wanted to kiss him so badly that my lips were tingling, but I had brought us this far. He had to meet me halfway.“You can keep me tonight,” I whispered.I saw the last of his resistance collapse, and his lips came down on mine. Triumph swelled in my chest, then was brushed away by overwhelming lust.I kissed him back fiercely, pulling his face down to mine and wrapping my arms around his neck. I could

    Last Updated : 2025-04-24

Latest chapter

  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 5: chapter 28

    Whitney“What is it?”I whisper into my pillow.The doorbell ring continues. Ever since Dad found out about me and Maddox, he’s been trying way too hard to parent.I have to tell him to stop with these visits. He can text like a normal person, or call like a boomer. But, unannounced visits? Those are too much.I haven’t felt like seeing anyone, anyway. Ever since Maddox broke up with me, I’ve been holing up in my home whenever I get a chance. It’s like his exit from my life turned off a light inside of me, one I’m not sure when will flick on again. I miss him so much.I rush to the bathroom, brush my teeth then splash some water on my face. The doorbell rings again, but I take my time putting my hair in a ponytail. What could be so important?Dad has already apologized for butting in my business and twisting Maddox’s arm to break up with me. While I still think that was a mistake, it was one I understood. He wanted what he thought was best for me. Fine, I get it.What I don’t get is ho

  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 5: chapter 27

    MaddoxI’m goingthrough the latest reports when Charles walks into my office. Ever since the day we talked in the conference room, a week ago, things have been crazy.The post went up and it had enough engagement for a few different local gossip sites to contact me about it, but I followed Whitney’s recommendation and ignored them. Today my restaurant is full, and the manager on duty told me last night the club had to hire last minute extra security to handle the high traffic.Whitney was right.Dan Walters hasn’t released any statement, because the bastard knows if he says something to try to sound like the wronged party, I can tell the media the truth. A scumbag like him has more skeletons in his closet than he cares to admit, I bet.So everyone wins.Well, not everyone.I haven’t seen Whitney. I’ve communicated via Astrid, but every day that goes by makes me more aware of the big mistake I’ve made.I got divorced once, and even though it was the right decision, it still broke me. B

  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 5: chapter 26

    Maddox“What do you mean we need to talk?” I ask Astrid, who’s standing in front of me, in the middle of my office.“Something came up and I just wanted to make everyone aware and come up with a plan. So I have Whitney and Charles at the conference room, and if you can join us that’ll be great.”“Huh, okay.” It’s been two days since I last saw Whitney, and seeing her so soon makes my heart flip in my chest.Then the realization her father will be there with us is like a glacial bucket of water poured all over me, without any warning. In the last day, Astrid texted me a couple of times about stuff related to posts, and I had to control myself not to ask how Whitney was doing.I was a jerk.I was a prick.In the end, though, the right decisions are the hard ones.Doesn’t feel right in my heart, or even in my head if I’m being honest. But it felt right to her father, a man I’ve always admired and who’s been there for me. Besides, what if he has a point? Just because I want her and she wa

  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 5: chapter 25

    WhitneyThe insistent doorbell ring startles me out of sleep.Yawning, I swing a leg over the other, dragging my way out of the bed.I probably got maybe two hours of sleep. It took me forever to close my eyes last night, after the heartbreak Maddox put me through. I was restless, fidgety, and devastated. All the words he told me about falling for me meant nothing.If he was really invested, he wouldn’t use the first obstacle to dip out.It was my dad, but what else could it have been? Would he have used just a different excuse later on?A part of me wants to believe he has strong feelings for me, butdoesn’t wantto have them. He acted like he succumbed to it, but maybe he’s still fighting it. This isn’t a fight I can do for him.I’m aware of my love. But his? He has to own it.Sighing, I run into the bathroom, wash my eyes quickly. They’re still a bit puffy from all the late-night crying, but the doorbell keeps reminding me there’s someone out there who’s probably not a mail carrier d

  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 5: chapter 24

    She fishes her phone from her pocket. “Do you want to schedule a post about hmmm, the pictures you were tagged on?”“No. I couldn’t care less at this point. I wasn’t doing anything illegal. I was on a date with my boyfriend.”She puts her phone back in her pocket, then looks at me with a flicker of surprise in her blue eyes. “Boyfriend? Thisisa soap opera. I usually don’t enjoy them, but it’s different when you know the main characters.”I roll my eyes. I bet I’d enjoy it too if I wasn’t one of the main characters. “Talk to you tomorrow, Astrid,” I say, and turn around. I beeline to his table, shoulders straight and heart pumping its way up my throat.“Whitney,” he says when I slide into the booth and sit across from him.“What happened with Dan?” I ask, the professional in me not wanting personal things to take priority. Even if my nerves are pulsing through invisible knots right now. I keep my hand under the table, tapping my fingers on my lap, fidgeting.A flash of anger sparks in

  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 5: chapter 23

    WhitneyI walk into the club,and the first thing I see is Astrid on the corner. Why didn’t she text me back?I dash over to her, my gaze scanning for signs of Dan and Maddox, but because there are a few more patrons than usual, and I can’t find either. Thank goodness for Astrid’s hair color and bold fashion choices making her easy to find in a crowd.“What’s up?” I ask her.She peels her gaze from her phone then tilts her head at me. “Did you see your dad as you walked in? He just left.”My dad? I thought he was with his team on the opposite side of the property. Busy. “No.”“Maybe he took the other exit… the emergency one that leads right out of the hotel.”My shoulders sag. Shit. Does my dad already know? I thought I’d buy some time, at least a couple of hours until he found out. I need to get to Maddox first, before Dad talks to him. Or maybe I’m too late already. Apprehension sweeps over me. I stand in front of her, finding it hard to sit, my body restless. “What’s going on?”“Wel

  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 5: chapter 22

    He’s a coward.Anger rises in me again, and I reach my drink and take it to my lips.I’m enjoying it when I see Charles walk up to me. He’s told me he’d be working with his team until late on a small gathering they’re throwing the next day for people of the trade. I wave at him, and he comes to my table with a determined expression, and long strides like he knows what he’s looking for. Who he’s looking for.My gut clenches. Something isn’t right.Was Dan an ass to him too, on the way back? Did Dan say anything bad about Whitney?Or did a bastard like me do something bad to Whitney?Like fuck her, again and again? I feel color draining from my face, and when Charles gets on the table with a disappointed look on his face, I already know it.“You jerk! I trusted you all those years. My daughter, really?” Charles says, flushed.My throat is dry and tight.Somehow he found out, and denying it will only make him angrier.Guilt crawls its way into my chest, and it’s hard to breathe. How can I

  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 5: chapter 21

    Maddox“And this is where guests and locals come for drinks and music,” I say, gesturing as we emerge into the club. I see quite a few more patrons than the past few weeks, which shows me that Whitney’s efforts have worked. We’ve had more visitors and increased sales. Always a plus.I’d be a lot happier if it weren’t for the company.My body is still stiff, as I had to go through an entire dinner with Dan Walters who happens to be almost as annoying as he is misogynistic. I guess it’s been a while since I last sat through a meal with the guy. We’re not friends, and I’ve met him in social events and basically small talked.I want to give him the benefit of the doubt and say maybe the reason why he’s been talking about women nonstop and not under the best light is because of his divorce. Maybe he’s broken, and feels more powerful if he’s bragging about all the pussy he’s getting.But the cynical part of me knows better.This guy is a certified douchebag, and I hope Astrid can get a good

  • In Bed With Daddy’s Best Friend    Book 5: chapter 20

    WhitneyI strideinto the hotel lobby.Right now, Dan Walters the politician should be having dinner with Maddox. Maybe dinner is already over and they’re touring the hotel. Astrid is there in the club, ready to snap a couple of pictures as planned, and then send it to a gossip columnist friend of ours.If this was another client, I wouldn’t be here. My presence isn’t required since Astrid is here, as per her text.But I am shamelessly using every excuse in the book to be around Maddox, to see him more often, to spend more time with him.Ever since our ax throwing date, I can’t stop thinking about how far we’ve come. From him avoiding me for years to hinting about having children together one day. Who would have thought?A ball of joy rolls inside me, like a bowling ball running down the lane. Striking out.I add a little bit more pep to my step, and my goal is to pass by the restaurant and see them without introducing myself. But before I make it there, I almost bump into them, with b

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status