MaddoxIt’s ten o’clock,and I’m about to lose my mind. Where the hell is she?I should have insisted that Charles join us, though they made it clear his presence wasn’t necessary. I also didn’t want to hint that being alone with his daughter was so frustrating to me. Besides, according to her, I’m the face of the hotel.I’m pacing in the lobby, looking at the front desk clerks who already small talked and kissed my ass enough. Then, someone taps my shoulder. I catch a whiff of her seductive scent, a mix of floral notes with spices that I’m sure were sold by an old wizard to drive men crazy.I frown. I kept looking at the lobby, expecting her to enter from the front, but she must have already been here. I circle back to face her, and any trace of moisture evaporates from my throat the second I see Whitney.She’s wearing a black sparkly sequin top, with thin straps on either side, cropped at her waist, and a matching skirt that whispers just around her thighs. Matte high heels in the sa
She tilts her head to the side, watching me with her big eyes. Were they always like this? Were there always these intense rings of golden around her hazel irises? “Use him? You’ve donated to his campaign, haven’t you? Besides, if rumors of him cheating on his ex are true, he’s no saint. We won’t be spreading lies about him anyway. I work with other influencers and they’re not sleazy.”I do remember reading about Dan cheating on his ex. A saint he definitely is not, even though news doesn’t seem to focus on his extracurricular activities much. “Nice work.”“Thanks. That’s one of my ideas. I’m also thinking about inviting a few influencer friends over for lunch at your restaurant. They’re a close-knit group and meet every other week.”“And I’ll comp their get-together,” I say.She fishes out her phone and types on her digital calendar. “Yes. You catch on fast.”“I may be new to the hotel hospitality industry, but I’m not an idiot,” I say, hating how ridiculously defensive I sound. I’m
WhitneyThen prove it to me.I still can’t believe I said it.I’ve never been the hot seductive girl who oozes self-confidence and comes onto guys.But I know if I don’t get the idea in his head, I won’t get anywhere. Once my work is done, what other opportunity will I have? Also, I can tell he’s impressed by me. He needs me. I have a lot of pull and can make people start talking about this hotel, the club, the restaurant. Everything. He knows I can.Besides… a warm glow flutters through me as I remember what it felt like to touch his chest and feel his heart beating madly. For me.“How’s your drink?” he asks after taking a generous sip of his. “Weak?”I take a sip of my vodka soda. “No, not this one. They may have paid more attention because I’m with the big boss. Maybe when I was alone the bartender wasn’t as attentive. Which means he’s not that motivated.”“And you know that how?”“I was a bartender for a couple years. If the bar doesn’t get a lot of customers, you’re not getting e
Maddox“So,how was dinner with Whitney a few nights ago?” Charles asks me the second he strolls into my office. “I meant to ask but I’ve been busy with our new strategy to increase occupancy.”I rock back in my chair, inhaling. How was dinner a few nights ago? My pulse races.Your daughter suggested we fuck. And a part of me, most of me, really wanted to say yes.I bite the answer dangling at the tip of my tongue. “Was good. Whitney is smart and talented,” I say, trying to remind myself to see her as a simple employee.“She is,” Charles agrees, then sits in front of me. “She emailed me some ideas she exchanged with you, so I’m up to speed.”“Excellent.”“She said she’ll send her assistant to make a video of you for a post she’ll do about the new hotel ownership. A good way to start talking about Dallas Proper.”“Sure.” I vaguely remember her saying something about a three question post she makes every week, asking well-to-do and local celebrities some questions and posting the answers w
Whitney“Are we ready?”my assistant Astrid asks.Astrid is a twenty-five year old girl from an itty bitty town in East Texas. Her given name is Jennifer, but when she moved to Dallas she re-invented herself as Astrid, a wisp of a woman with bright blue hair and an adorable sleeve of tattoos.“He should be here soon,” I say, looking at the only text I’ve exchanged with Maddox today.We’re in the hotel restaurant, which features new Italian cuisine and is beautifully decorated with long red velvet drapes, high-end hardwood flooring and intricate chairs and tables. The idea was to do a quick video to gain traction on my TikTok and Insta accounts, and of course tag Dallas Proper and increase their visibility online.“He must be a good friend of your dad’s,” Astrid says. “You had to bump that big client from this week’s three question post.”I touch my hair, which is sleeked back in an intentionally severe top knot. I’m also wearing a long sleeved black shirt with matching pants. I am the
Maddox“How’s everyone doing?”the waitress asks, glancing around the long table.Been better, I say inwardly. But I manage to smile and go with the flow as the other fifteen people gush over the top notch service while sitting in this exclusive area of one of Dalla’s best steakhouses.It’s Charles’s birthday after all.I’m here as a friend, and for the past thirty minutes I’ve been sipping on red wine and glancing at the open double door. Every other guest has arrived, but not Whitney. Even Charles’s girlfriend, a nice brunette with a kind smile, has joined us.Maybe Whitney isn’t coming.That should fill me with relief, but somehow it does the opposite. It’s like an uncomfortable sensation is plaguing my body and will only go away when she shows up. The idea of course is laughable. She will increase my heart rate and make me question every decision I make.I take a long swig of wine.This is all wrong.“Maddox,” Grant, who’s been sitting across from me at the table, calls.Grant is o
Right now, I don’t know if I want to fuck her or bend her over my knee and spank her… which would lead to fucking. She’s unlocking a primal part of me I don’t let anyone access. I don’t trust that part, because it means I’d let my emotions dictate my actions—the opposite of what I like to do. One of the reasons my marriage ended.If my ex saw me like this, getting worked up over so little, she’d laugh at me.I am laughing at me, too.And probably Whitney is—because right now, even from her seat, she knows she has the upper hand, and I hate her for it. But I also want her—undeniably.When she surges to her feet and leaves the room, I do the same.I don’t know where she’s going, probably to the restroom, and it’s idiotic to follow her, but I can’t think straight anyway so I may as well do what I fucking want.Someone stops me to say hello, and she leaves the private room, alone. Good. At least that douche didn’t go after her.At last, I’m able to disengage from this endless small talk v
WhitneyIt’slike the world beneath my high heels was swept off from under me.Maddox is surrounding me, claiming me, and I’ve slipped into his bubble of heat and glow. His tongue quickly makes it past my lips, and I grant him access, reveling in the sexy growl he produces. My nipples are rock hard, and a warm stir spreads through me, my blood rushing hot and thick in my veins.I encircle his head with my arms, loving this intimacy, this nearness.When he puts a leg in between mine, through the thin layer of my dress and the fabric of his pants, I feel his large cock, pulsating even. That only intensifies my own desire, and the second he slides his hand down my back and cups my ass, I tremble. I’ve never been this aroused in my entire life, and I know I could explode at any moment, under the slightest of touches, but I also don’t want to. I’m enjoying these exhilarating sensations too much to give them up.My pussy is soaking wet, and I’m afraid it’ll leave a stain on my dress. I’m not
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
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
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
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
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
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
Maddox“Your turn,”she says, handing me the ax.I hold the weight of the tool, and clasp it. This is the first time visiting an ax throwing joint, and if at first the idea seemed silly at best, now I’m actually enjoying myself. Then again, why wouldn’t I? For the past few days, we’ve been together non-stop, or as much as our schedules allow.Still, it doesn’t feel like it’s enough.I shoot the damn thing at the target, hitting it right at buzz’s eye. She squeals, cheering me on, then takes a sip of her beer.She’s invited me here because she needed to come for an appearance and check out the place, take some pictures, then post about it later. So even though this should technically be work, it’s still relaxing. At least, to me.Besides, I get to see how she fills those skintight jeans and plaid shirt she’s wearing. I’ve seen how a couple of men looked at her, and wanted to punch each one.Though I know she’s mine.Mine forever.A warm glow flows through me, spreading into my veins. Wh
“Maybe,” Maddox says, then clears his throat. “I hate to cut this short, but I have some phone calls I need to make soon.”“Oh, sure, no problem,” Dad says, then stands. We’ll leave you to it.”I hold the arms of the chair and am about to surge to my feet, when his gaze connects with mine and pins me to the spot.“I still have a question for you, Whitney,” Maddox says. “About the posting you’ll do later.”“Sure,” I say, and plop down on the chair again.Dad leaves and closes the door behind him.Quietly, Maddox stands and walks up to the door, and locks it. “You’re upset,” he says, picking a chair next to mine and sitting.I cross my legs, then uncross them and cross them again. “What? No,” I say in a hissy voice that betrays my words. I’m upset, and also embarrassed for being upset about him not acknowledging he’s seeing someone to my father. And maybe a tad jealous. What if Dad really tries to find him a date? My heart lurches. The idea of him with another woman gives me instant aci
“There you are,” my dad says, walking up to us, bursting that bubble.I withdraw as if I’ve been burned.“Hey, Dad,” I say in an extra chipper voice. “What’s up?”“Can we all meet at the conference room for a quick meeting? I have some news to share.”I have some too, I say inwardly.I slept with your best friend and can’t wait to do it again.A twinge of guilt twists at my heart, like the sharp end of a new blade. My dad doesn’t deserve to be hurt in all this, but would his hurt last? Besides the immediate surprise, would he really put up a long lasting fight against our relationship? I doubt it.Dad isn’t the typical father.He tends to be more open minded than most. Growing up, I always kept a channel of communication open with him. I confided in him about tiffs with friends, dates gone wrong, and when things started to happen for me as a digital influencer, he was my biggest cheerleader. He encouraged me and my dreams.The thoughts keep me busy as the three of us walk through the h