Page 6 of Daddy Crush (Silver Fox Daddy)

When I walked out of the dressing room to look in the mirror, it felt like an entirely different adaptation of myself was blossoming from beneath the fabric, and I couldn’t help but smile.

I looked woman enough for Duke.

The shop clerk was helpful as she helped me into the dress and explained how to adjust the straps to fit my body perfectly. She complimented my figure and my complexion, saying, “You’re simply stunning.”

I actually believed her, and before I knew it, I walked out of the store with a bag full of purchases, including the little black number and a pair of strappy heels to match. As I strolled back towards the café, I couldn’t help but wonder what Duke would think when he saw me wearing it.

Either way, I knew one thing for sure: This dress changed everything. I wanted to show off this new version of myself to the person whose opinion mattered most to me right now—Duke himself.

Later that evening, he seemed nervous as we closed up shop at The Daily Grind. He fidgeted with the change in his pocket in a way I’d never seen him do before, and tension filled the air. All day, I’d been waiting for this moment, every conversation and pounding of my heart building up to this one occasion. He said he’d take me to the Moonstone Grill, which was nestled on the coast right at the beach. It was a place where we could watch the sunset over the Pacific while sipping a cocktail, and the photos on the internet let me know I’d never been somewhere so ritzy. Duke was taking me there to have dinner as a celebration of my first month working at the café.

Always the perfect gentleman, he meant it as a platonic outing between coworkers, the father figure and his mentor. But in my mind, it was one thing and one thing only.

He was asking me out on a date.

Back at his place, I took my time getting ready, since I wanted to make a good impression. Unlike most days, I blow-dried my hair instead of throwing it up into a no-maintenance ponytail, and I liked the way my brown waves tumbled over my shoulder. I swiped mascara on my lashes and applied pink lip gloss. Finally, I put lotion on all over and opted for bare legs as I stepped into my dress and heels, slipping on a pair of silky pink panties for good measure.

In his black, button-down shirt, he radiated a vitality which drew me to him like a magnet. I tried to ignore the strange aching in my limbs that he induced. Apart from that, he was a steady, sane, supportive aura that made me want to spill all my beans for him. Tonight, when wearing my special dress, I’d have the guts to pull it off.

And maybe more.

I blew all the breath out of my lungs to calm myself and made a wish that all my dreams would come true, and Duke would finally lay his hands on me. Failing that, I prayed for the courage to make the first move.

I put my hand on the rail as protection against falling on my face, unsteady as I was with the extra height of my shoes, and when I looked up, he was there.

Staring as if he were trying to memorize me.

My heart skipped a beat, then turned over and finally thundered in my chest.

He looked as though the curves of my body mesmerized him, and I felt like I’d won the lottery. But then, his eyes widened, and he turned away, grabbing my coat from the rack and breaking the spell.

But I wouldn’t forget what I’d seen in his gaze. A look that told me he couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to be with me. Naked. And I planned on encouraging that line of questioning any way I could until he was powerless to resist.

He wrapped me in my overcoat and said, “Let me help you with that.”

I held my breath as he buttoned me up.

“We don’t want you to catch a chill,” he firmly noted.

There was no chance of that. My entire body was on fire at the slight tug of his fingers on my buttons, which plucked at the fabric of my coat so I felt it along the sides of my breasts. Immediately, my nipples stiffened, and I wanted so much to lean into him. To place my face at the crook of his neck and breathe in, but I resisted.

The scent of his cologne lingered in the cab of his truck, and the rumble of the engine vibrated through my seat, exacerbating the steady fluttering between my legs since descending the stairs and feeling his eyes on me.

And while I was guilty of staring at his brawny forearms as they managed the wheel, he was just as culpable for taking side glances at my long, bare legs in the space beside him when he thought I wouldn’t notice.

It made it seem like I might float right off the seat; it felt like winning.

As he turned the corner and parked in front of the establishment on the cliff over the ocean, it was as if we were on an adventure together. I turned to watch him shift into reverse, and the setting sun highlighted his strong jawline.

The restaurant was fancier than any place I’d ever been. Carved of old wood, the bar formed an oval in the center of the vast room, around which patrons sat on high stools, making it appear like we were on a movie set.

Duke took my coat and said softly, “You may be a down-to-earth girl from the farm, Clover, but you look like you’re handmade in the heavens tonight.” His words hung in the air as I looked away, my face flushed with surprise.

He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Then he hung up my coat for me and walked with the host to our table, which faced the beach, well away from the other diners. He pulled my chair out for me with none of the awkwardness of a man just doing it for show. The month we’d spent together, he’d proven himself a true gentleman, never so much as laying a hand on me.

And I planned on ending that tonight.

I was hungry in more ways than one, and he encouraged me to order whatever I wanted. “Will it bother you if I have a glass of wine?” I asked.

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