Hot Dad Next Door (Temptation Next Door)

I took a step back and gave her a quick look-over, “Wow. You’re smoking hot.”

She punched me lightly in the gut and joked, “You’re just teasing me. Come on, let’s go. We don’t want to make your parents and the rest of the guests wait too long. I can’t believe you got the mayor and Preston Maxwell to come as well.”

“Preston’s a friend of mine,” I explained as I reached for the bedside drawer and took my car keys. “As for the mayor, well, that’s my sister’s doing. She got to know him better when he went to one of her book signing events.”

That seemed to impress her. “Very interesting group of friends you have. I wonder why you’ve just settled to be the proverbial playboy.”

She was admittedly really cute when she was being a fan-girl like that. At least she was smiling when she looked at me. I didn’t know if she just found me amusing or if she at least found me attractive. Either option was fine, I guessed.

“Well, today’s the day that everything’s going to change,” I told her as I took her by the hand and we checked out of the hotel.

Mercury Wild looked more glorious than it ever had. What was once a luxurious bar and bistro was now decorated to look like a Sultan’s grand hall. Even I had to admit that Trevor and our friends really outdid themselves this time.

As soon as Noelle and I walked through the doors and everyone had their eyes on us, I pulled her close to my side and kept my hand on her waist.

“Oh!” she exclaimed in surprise.

“We have to sell this, remember?” I whispered into her ear, reminding her we had to at least look like we were madly in love.

She fidgeted awkwardly but in the end relented and even placed a hand on my chest as we walked through the crowd. We greeted everyone we passed and I even got to introduce her to Jasmine, Trevor’s wife and a key leadership in the J&E Consulting Firm.

As we waded through the crowd, picking up a few glasses of cocktail drinks along the way, I spotted my sister. She was at the VIP table, accompanying my parents and the town mayor. She waved at me as soon as she spotted me, and I took Noelle by the hand and led her that way.

“W-wait, that’s the mayor,” Noelle started to get even more nervous. She clutched my arm tightly and said, “M-maybe you should go first. I can follow in a bit.”

I shook my head, “No, we have to do this together. Come on, just follow my lead. We can do this. Trust me.”

To be completely honest, even I was a bit nervous an

d unsure. However, I didn’t want to stall this any longer. My father could sign those inheritance papers any day now and I needed to get him on my side.

My father, a tall man with a baldhead and a thick mustache, was the very definition of a stereotypical rich guy. He looked strong, had an aura of authority and always wore the finest clothing that money could buy. My mother, on the other hand, was a little more practical and also more warming to approach.

The mayor, Adam Khatib, was about forty years old and a little hip for a politician. He was the type of guy many respected for his good work managing the city but he was also constantly seen watching live rock bands at local pubs and he loved to play music himself.

“Good evening Mayor Khatib, Mom, Dad,” I greeted as I got up on their VIP corner. “I’d like to introduce my girlfriend and fiancée, Noelle Stanley.”

7

Noelle

I couldn’t believe I was shaking hands with the mayor… well, at least with my clothes on. I’ve had customers at the strip club who were pretty prestigious people such as prominent lawyers and even a professional basketball player.

“H-hello, good evening to you all,” I greeted as I took a seat between Sonya and Daxter.

“Hello dear,” Daxter’s mother, Carmen, reached out to me. “Have we met before? You seem awfully familiar.”

I nodded back with a smile, “Y-yes ma’am. I used to hang out with Dax back in high school.”

His father, Joel, handed me a drink and said, “Ah, yes, I remember you. You went out shopping with Sonya, once, right? How have you been? What do you do now?”

Oh shit. I took a sip of wine and hoped he wouldn’t notice the tension in my voice as I said, “Oh, I work as a freelance model nowadays. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t but I love it anyway.”

Mayor Adam told us both, “Oh, is that how you guys started hanging out again? Did you meet at the photo studio?”

Daxter picked it up from there, “Well, we’re friends on Facebook and we hang out with the same circle of people. It was just bound for us to reunite in the long run. I guess it was fate too because ever since we did I can’t keep my eyes off her.”

I blushed and leaned in to rest my head on his shoulder. I’d hope this gesture would make it look like we actually spent some time together and were comfortable as a couple. I then felt him wrap an arm around me and hug me in tight.