How could this be worse?
Only, my parenting may be far from perfect, but I抦 sure as hell not outsourcing it again.
If I抦 being honest, my concerns about Destiny spending time with Badger Lady in research and development have nothing to do with my daughter. It抯 more the strange, almost violent reaction to Badger Lady.
It抯 the way my eyes wander over Eliza抯 ample body. She抯 not a scrawny girl梔efinitely on the thick side梬ith curves for miles. Completely unlike any woman I抳e ever had in bed before.
And unlike anyone who抯 ever worked for me, she makes my cock hard enough to engrave my name in steel.
Fuck.
I don抰 want her more entangled in my life, striking up a friendship with my daughter.
Time to nip this in the bud.
I pull out my phone, open the email app, and start typing.
Miss Angelo,
Please inform me if Destiny becomes negligent in any of her duties during her time in R & D. She抣l be off to college in three short years, and it抯 time for her to learn some work ethic.
I also want to make sure she抯 not getting in the way of any real work on your end.
As you know, this scorched drink line is crucial to Wired Cup抯 new vision. I won抰 have my beloved teenager抯 antics disrupting our mutual success.
Sincerely,
Cole Lancaster Jr.
Chief Executive Officer, Wired Cup Noble Inc.
A minute later, I抦 still staring at the screen, frowning and second-guessing myself.
What the hell? I never have doubts over a simple email.
What has she done to me?
With a rough groan, I delete it unsent.
There抯 no point.
Eliza抯 too gentle, too easygoing to squeal on Destiny for playing around.
That fucked up part of me I want to ignore wishes I could see Miss Angelo outside the lab, away from work.
Would she bring the same smart mouth with her over drinks?
Would she go stiff and warm and delectable like she did when I cornered her in the lab and we touched?
Does that mouth of hers have other talents? How many undeserving punks got to find out if she sucks as hard as she insults?
Goddamn.
揔nock it off,?I mutter to myself, lightly tapping one side of my face.
My fingers come back slick. I抦 sweating bullets.
Utterly ridiculous.
There抯 a reason梟o, a thousand reasons梬hy I抳e never brought any woman to my bed since Aster and I抦 not about to start now. Not for any shortage of options.
I could have my choice of willing lays. Yet I抎 rather live like a monk, married to my own right hand over any risk of complicating my life again.
Let alone poor Destiny抯。
Maybe I抦 still haunted, too.
Our marriage was seriously flawed, but Aster was my daughter抯 mother. My wife, my woman, for richer or poorer, in sickness with little health.
She deserves a certain respect.
Sure, Dess might joke about me getting remarried now that she抯 older, but it opens up a big enough can of worms to hijack a bait shop.
Fifteen is a hard fucking age.
Losing her mother when she was barely old enough to understand it was brutal enough.
No matter how much she grows up, I swore a long time ago I wouldn抰 make it worse for her.
Never mind the glaring fact that I抎 never get mixed up with an employee.
Strict HR policies against it aside, I don抰 have to think hard about the example I抎 be setting to know it抯 a piss poor choice.
I won抰 have my baby girl thinking it抯 acceptable to date your boss.
Hell, if her boss ever tried, I抎 hunt the dickhead down and tear him limb from limb.
Though if somehow Destiny didn抰 know about a reckless fling with a badger of a woman who might be too much honey?Cole, fuck you. You抮e playing with fire.
I sigh, knowing that venomous little voice in my head is right.
I抳e always been smart enough to choose cold, hard reality over any wet dream.
And I抣l damn sure choose sanity before I give Eliza Angelo a whisper of a chance to burn me.
7
Charity Coffee （Eliza）
The next day, Destiny sits on the marble counter I抦 standing over, her long legs swinging under her.
揋ive me the crushed graham crackers, please,?I say.
She picks up the clear glass bowl without hesitation and hands me the crumbs I just spent the last half hour crushing before she came in.
揑 thought Dad said you couldn抰 make cookies??She gives me a nervous look, flicking her gaze around the room like she抯 half expecting His Highness to stroll through the door.
揇estiny, your dad can kiss my ass. Uh, no offense.?I dump the melted butter into the bowl and give it a quick stir.
揥hy are you putting butter on the graham crackers??
揟o make the crust.?
揃ut I thought we抮e making cookies??