Bad Daddy (Dirty Little Lies Duet 1)

“Want some help?” he asks, his voice as enticing as the rest of him. My hand jitters, and I accidentally drop the tiny tool in my hand.

“Here, let me.” He reaches over, his fingers grazing mine as he picks up the miniature Allen wrench. “These can be tricky,” he says, grabbing the directions, acting as if nothing occurred between us just hours ago. I wonder if I made it up.

“Not sure how this company stays in business with all the extra pieces they jam in,” he goes on, fumbling with the tools. I can’t help but admire his biceps as they tighten with each twist of the wrench. When he leans forward, I steal a peek down his shirt, choking on my own breath at the two rock-hard pecs.

“You okay?”

If shamefully turned on means okay, then yep. “Yeah, just…it’s dry in these rooms. I’m going to get some water.” I get up, ignoring his penetrating stare. My mind won’t stop picturing his eyes and the way they’ve marked me. It’s wrong. It’s confusing. A pool of wetness forms between my thighs. I hide my laughter as I dip my head to the fountain, the water barely quenching my thirst. I stand, wiping the moisture from my lips. My fingers graze along my bottom lip, imagining his pressed against mine. Wondering how it would feel if he pushed me up against this wall, his strong hands roaming freely over my skin.

This is crazy. I’ve lost my damn mind fantasizing about my new roommate’s dad. My roommate’s hot dad. Smoking hot, built, mysterious, totally-crossing-boundaries, luring-me-in dad. Just because someone gives you fuck me eyes doesn’t mean they wanna fuck you. Probably true. I sigh, shaking off the silly illusion, and return to my room. Hazel stands in the doorway, hugging her dad and saying goodbye. I twist on my heel, feeling like I’m intruding on their moment when Hazel catches my presence.

“Hey. Dad’s done. He’s gonna take off. Want to check out the quad and get some dinner?”

A flicker of disappointment twinges in my chest at hearing he’s leaving. I slap on an awkward smile, hoping to hide it. “Cool. Sounds great. Nice meeting you, Mr. Winters.”

He steps forward, sticking his hand out to shake mine. His smile is innocent, confirming I made this whole scenario up in my head. “Please, call me Heath,” he says as I take his hand. It’s large and warm, the inside calloused. I wonder what it would feel like between my thighs. As if he can read my thoughts, his grip tightens. I make the mistake of holding eye contact. His penetrating gaze causes my core to tighten, and my lips part. I pull away, masking my building desire, and offer Hazel a too-big smile.

“Yep. Sounds good. Great. Nice meeting you. I’ll just be down the hall.” With that, I rush away before I throw myself at my roommate’s too-hot-for-his-own-good, soon-to-be-the-leading-star-of-my-sex-dreams dad.

The campus is huge. We only make it halfway across the quad before our stomachs growl, and we stop in the Student Center to test out our meal plan cards. We’re sitting at a table, chowing down on burgers, when my curiosity gets the best of me.

“So, is it just you and your dad?” Does his wife know he has a wandering eye?

“Yeah. My mom cheated on my dad a few years back. She packed up and left shortly after. We barely hear from her, which is fine by me. She’s living it up in Las Vegas with her yoga instructor—the one she cheated with.”

I take another bite, digesting this information. How shitty of her mom. I can’t imagine cheating on someone like Heath. He seems kind, compassionate. Obviously he’s extremely attractive. From what I learned about Hazel in her bio, they are pretty wealthy, which means he’s successful too.

“That stinks. Sorry to hear.”

“Oh, don’t be. I love my dad, and he’s better off. Took him some time, though. He was super angry. But who wouldn’t be? The only bummer is he throws himself into his work. I’d go days at a time without seeing him.”

“What does he do?”

“Real estate. He works with high-profile investors, making the big bucks. It’s nice and all, but sometimes I wish he took a break. He’s been wearing himself thin.”

The thought of coming home to him every night, rubbing his shoulders to relieve the day’s stress, and having wild, animal sex sounds hot, amazing and so so—

I choke on my burger.

“Whoa—you okay?” She hands me my drink as I cough and sputter. Clearly, I’m not. I’m daydreaming about being her new mommy.

“Yeah…fine. Hey! Let’s hurry up and finish the rest of the tour. I hear they’re doing ice breaker games on our floor later.” I wiggle my eyebrows, making fun of the lame schedule they posted for us to get to know one another, using it to deflect from what my out-of-control mind is thinking.