Page 74 of Her Possessive Daddies

“So, we’re walking down the hall, and he’s just… looking at me. Like, really looking at me. And then he stops, turns around, and says, ‘You’re driving me crazy, Abbie.’ Just like that. Out of nowhere.”

Tessa gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. “No. He did not.”

“He did,” I say, my face heating up at the memory. “And then he… he kissed me. Like, really kissed me. And I didn’t stop him. I couldn’t. It was like everything else just… disappeared.”

“Oh my god,” Tessa breathes, her voice a mix of awe and disbelief. “What happened next?”

I groan, covering my face with the pillow again. “He backed me up against the bathroom door, and his hands were everywhere. And then he… he slid his hand under my dress, and… God, Tessa, he just… he just went for it. No hesitation. No asking. Just… did it.”

“Holy shit,” Tessa whispers, her eyes wide. “Did you… you know…?”

I nod, my face burning. “Yeah. In like, two minutes. It was… intense. And dirty. And he was saying all these things, like how he’d been thinking about me since the double date, how he couldn’t stop imagining me like that. And then the doorbell rang, and he just…. Told me to clean up and act normal.”

Tessa stares at me for a long moment, then bursts out laughing. “Abbie Stiles, you little minx! I can’t believe you. In Corey’s house? With his best friend? While Seth was downstairs? This is like some kind of next level soap opera shit.”

“I know,” I moan, flopping back onto the couch. “I’m supposed to be the responsible one, the boring one. And now I’m… this.”

“This is amazing,” Tessa corrects, grinning. “You’re living your best life. Screw Chandler. You’ve got three hot, older men fighting over you. Own it.”

“It’s not that simple,” I argue, though part of me wants to believe her. “This is going to blow up in my face. It already kind of did tonight.”

“Maybe,” Tessa says, shrugging. “But at least you’re having fun while it lasts. And hey, if it all goes to hell, you’ve got me to pick up the pieces.”

I smile weakly, grateful for her unwavering support. “Thanks, Tessa. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Probably die of boredom,” she teases, nudging me with her foot. “Now, tell me more about Donovan’s hands. Were they really that good?”

I groan again, throwing the pillow at her. “You’re impossible. I think I lost my vision at some point.”

“And you’re a total badass,” she shoots back, catching the pillow and grinning. “Now, let’s order some takeout and plot your next move. Because, honey, this is just getting good.”

I shake my head, smiling sadly. "I'm not even the slightest bit hungry. Raincheck, huh? I need some time to think."

Tessa winks, a knowing smile spreading across her lips. "You take some time. And take whatever else you want too. You deserve it."

37

COREY

The glass tumbler hits my desk with more force than intended. Days of radio silence from Abbie. Days of Chandler's passive-aggressive texts. Days of wondering how everything went so spectacularly wrong.

"She's taken the week off, sir." Michael's words echo in my head from my visit to the bar earlier. "Said she needed some personal time."

My fingers hover over her contact info for the hundredth time. The desire to drive to her apartment burns through me, but I force myself to set the phone down. Space. She needs space. We all do.

A knock at my office door breaks my brooding. Seth leans against the doorframe, concern etched across his features.

"What's going on? Still nothing?"

"What do you think?" The words sound rough, abrasive. "Sorry. I'm just..."

"Frustrated? Yeah, I get it." Seth sits down across from my desk, loosening his tie. "Have you tried-"

"No. I haven't tried calling her again. Or texting. Or sexting. Or showing up at her place like some creepy stalker." I run my fingers through my hair, feeling the tension knotting at the base of my skull. "Fuck, Seth. The one time - the one goddamn time I find someone who gets me, who's open to... to this." I gesture between us, the familiar weight of guilt and desire warring inside of me. "And it turns out she's my son's ex."

"Who he treated like shit, from what I gathered. You know Chandler's never been good at holding onto anything worthwhile."

"Doesn't matter. You saw how he reacted. Called her..." My fist clenches against the mahogany desk, knuckles white with restraint. If he hadn't been my son... "And now she's gone radio silent. Probably realizing what a mess she stepped into with all of us."

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