Page 19 of Landlord Daddy's Girl

I take off the apron around my waist and throw it down on the bar. “I’m done.”

“You can’t?—”

“I can. And I am.”

He growls at me. “You walk out that door, don’t you ever come back.”

“Don’t worry. Wasn’t planning on it.”

“Slater, don’t you dare?—”

Before he can finish that sentence, I head for the door and shout a loud goodbye to everybody in the bar. Immediately, I hear the disgruntled groans from the patrons and Stu offering a free round to everyone who stays. I laugh as I push through the door and step out into the night. I’ve got far better things to do with my time than dealing with an asshole like Stu.

10

SIERRA

Iwalk around his place, listening to the shower running. I scope out his book collection and am impressed by the diversity of reading material on his shelves. He’s got current fiction, classic fiction, historical biographies, and non-fiction on various topics, and all the books look to have been well broken in. They aren’t there just for show. He really has changed a lot since the last time I saw him. The old Slater considered Playboy and Penthouse fine literature. This new Slater seems to be well-read and perhaps even, dare I say, cultured?

It makes me wonder what prompted this shift in him. We’ve talked about everything under the sun and got each other caught up on our lives, but the one thing I haven’t asked him yet is why he’s gone from being an extroverted party boy to something of an introverted bookworm. I can’t say I don’t like the change in him. I like it a lot. But I am curious why he’s changed and seems to have drawn inward as he’s gotten older. As I hear the shower shut off, I make a mental note to ask him about it later. Right now, I’ve got better things to think about.

I turn just as he walks into the living room with nothing but a towel around his waist. He looks at me with surprise on his face as I take in the sight before me. His hair is wet, and beads of water cling to his beautifully sculpted body. Just seeing him standing there, half-naked, glistening in the dim light of the living room, makes me quiver and ignites a fire between my legs.

“How did you get in here?” he asks.

“Maybe I’m magic.”

He chuckles. “Maybe you are.”

“You left your door unlocked, dummy.”

“Ahh,” he said. “I thought I locked it. Kinda glad I didn’t, though.”

“Are you now?”

He nods. “I am.”

Licking my lips and trying to hide the tremble in my body, I slip the straps off my sundress and let it puddle around my feet. I step out of it and start to remove my high heels.

“Nope. Those stay on,” he says.

I give him a flirty smile. “Oh, do they?”

“They do.”

I stand before him in nothing but my high heels and watch Slater’s eyes as he drinks me in. I’m still trying to get used to being naked in front of a man, and I am fighting the urge to cover myself. But how he looks at me gives me a confidence I’ve never felt before. He looks at me like I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. It’s still a little uncomfortable and makes mystomach turn flip-flops inside of me, but I resist the urge to hide and try to focus on enjoying the way his eyes roam my body.

“You are absolutely fucking exquisite,” he says.

My face warms and my cheeks flush. On reflex, I start to cover myself with my hands, but he shakes his head, his gaze locked on me.

“Don’t,” he says, his voice low and husky. “Let me look at you.”

My heart races, and I hesitate but eventually let my hands fall to my sides, letting him look at me. I swallow hard and shift on my feet. That confidence he makes me feel is such an unaccustomed feeling that it’s fleeting, and I find myself battling my normal self-consciousness.

“Come here,” he says.

My heels click on his hardwood floor as I cross the room and let him take me into his arms. Slater looks into my eyes for a moment before he leans down and kisses me. My lips burn, and his fingers leave furrows of heat on my skin.

---