Lahat ng Kabanata ng Touch Me, Daddy: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

I can't believe it.I refuse to believe it.It's been way past fifteen minutes since the door clicked shut behind my assistant, and I'm still staring at the handle with dry eyes. Waiting for it to jiggle. Waiting for Sadie to burst back in here and declare this is all a terrible joke—that this is the long-awaited sequel to the April Fool's Day cream tart made of shaving cream that she left on my desk last year. Yet another example of her god-awful sense of humor.The clock ticks on the wall.Swallowing hard, I wait.But... nothing. The door handle is still, and there are no sounds from the next room. No muffled giggles as Sadie relays her prank on the phone, and no creak of floorboards as she eavesdrops outside the door.Nothing. She's just... gone.She dropped that bombshell, blew my goddamn life apart, then just... left.Jesus Christ. Has she really found another job? Is that true?Gusting out a ragged breath, I lurch to my feet and out from behind my desk, then pace back and forth i

It’s a day of firsts.Stefan Rodriguez has never taken me out on errands before. He’s not the type to want company, you know? Too surly. He’s more of a big, cranky storm cloud that drifts down the street, with people leaping to get out of his way. At least, that’s how I think of him.So it’s weird seeing other people react to my boss, especially out here in the real world. After four years at Rodriguez Enterprises, bringing him coffees and soothing his prickly temper, I’m so used to seeing him through his employees’ eyes.The stern, brooding boss. Handsome but icy. Unapproachable.Turns out there’s another way to see him.Because out here on the bright, sunshine-drenched sidewalk, Stefan can’t walk ten meters without someone batting their eyelashes at him, smiling a come-hither smile, or shamelessly raking him with their gaze. Even dogs strain on their leashes, trying to get closer to the giant, dark-haired man with a permanent scowl.At his side, I am invisible. Hurrying to keep up w

I watch as Sadie chooses a simple bouquet of white daisies from the florist, then a small box of toffee-nut cookies from the bakery next door. After those two modest gifts, she point blank refuses to accept another thing from me, and insists on heading to the rooftop to help set up tonight’s party.Whatever. I don’t care.There never were any errands. I had no plans except spoiling her all day. Nothing else matters except keeping my assistant within arm’s reach, and changing her mind about quitting—and sure, I’d rather do that while buying her a diamond necklace or hand-feeding her chocolate dipped strawberries, but we can lug around sun loungers on my building’s rooftop if Sadie prefers.After an hour of fussing with the furniture, she props her hands on her hips, breathing hard. Long flyaway hairs have frizzed out of her blonde ponytail, and her skin is dewy with sweat where it’s not covered by her purple dress. All around us, sun loungers have been dragged into clusters of two or t

Stefan Rodriguez is a complicated man.One minute, he’s gazing at me hungrily, yanking me to his front, and kissing me until my head spins. Making all my heartsick daydreams of the last four years, all those imaginary kisses that played like a movie reel in my head, pale in comparison to the real thing. Drowning me in perfect, overwhelming details.Like his heat.His hunger.The hard planes of his chest and the little growls in the back of his throat, and the way he kissed along my jaw, breathing in the scent of my skin like he wanted me to fill his lungs.Then… this. We’re back to cold, professional distance between us again, like nothing ever happened. Like it meant nothing. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I hallucinated the whole freaking thing—except my lips are kiss-swollen, and there’s a telltale slickness between my legs that will not stop tormenting me as I walk. Thoughts blurry, I dodge a server carrying a stack of trays and stumble across the rooftop. The band is warming

Sadie stays on the rooftop until the last guest has been poured into the car service we’ve provided for tonight. She thanks the band personally and helps coil their cables. She helps the staff to pick up stray glasses and empty beer bottles, then fills crates with dirty dishware ready to go down to the catering van. Hell, she’d probably ride there tonight and single-handedly load all their dishwashers if she could.“Oh no you don’t.” Snagging her wrist as Sadie moves to follow the last hired staff off the roof, I hold her back. “You’re done for tonight, sweetheart. Take those shoes off.”She’s been hobbling for the last hour when she thinks no one is watching. Well, joke’s on Sadie, because I’m always watching, and she can’t hide her aching feet from me.My assistant rolls her eyes, but when I kneel and gesture for her foot, she leans on my shoulder and offers one leg.Such graceful arched feet. Such feminine toes, the nails painted pink.Christ. Am I suddenly a foot man? This woman h