Claimed by my Bestie’s Dad (Beachside Billionaires #2)

1. Ethan

1

ETHAN

As I step out of the shower with the steam from the hot water curling around me, I towel off quickly and head to my bedroom. I should have started getting ready earlier, but I got caught up in reviewing my investment portfolio for my financial adviser.

I’m in a good mood tonight. I’ve had a stressful week. One of my patients reacted badly to surgery, and I can’t help but feel guilty even though I did everything by the book.

Tonight, I’ve arranged for a much-needed night of drinks and fun in Wilmington. I even arranged for some company, which is the best part about this evening. I don’t know much about her, but I remember she has long, dark hair and is curvy. Her profile also said that there is the potential to get physical , which is what makes this better than just a typical date.

I know how things are going to end, but I like to play them up like the outcome isn’t predetermined.

I glance at the time. I should still have another fifteen minutes until my escort arrives, but I want to take some time to work on my hair first. However, when I’ve only just gotten dressed, I hear the doorbell ring.

I haven’t finished getting ready, but I’m presentable enough. I smile at the fact that she’s early. She must be as eager as I am.

I stride out of the bedroom, slipping into a pair of shoes before heading to the door. When I open it, I’m greeted by a young woman, and yes, she has the same long, dark hair as I remember from the profile picture.

She’s short but has a strong build like she has some stamina. And stamina is exactly what I need. I can already imagine myself kissing those luscious lips of hers and pulling her against me. But there will be time for that later.

She’s dressed simply, in jeans and a T-shirt, which surprises me—usually, they’re more dressed up. But then again, maybe she’s going for that girl-next-door vibe. Either way, it’s working for me. So, I won’t say anything about it.

“Hello, come on in. I’m Ethan.”

She hesitates, like she’s not sure if she’s supposed to come in or not. Something hits me. She must be new at this. Maybe I’m the first person she’s escorted.

The idea makes my dick respond a little bit. She may not be a virgin, but she’s a virgin in this world. And I can’t wait to give her the night of her life.

“Hi, Ethan. Yes, I remember your name.”

She read my information closely, then. Points for her. I just don’t remember her name.

“But yours is…?”

“Madison,” she fills in.

I nod then motion again for her to come in.

As she steps inside, clasping her hands in front of her, I take in a good view of her from the back. Her ass is huge, and my mouth goes dry at the thought of pulling her against me, bending her over, and shoving myself inside.

I can normally control my thoughts more than this, but it has been a hard week.

Once she’s inside, Madison turns around and gives me a nervous smile. She grabs her hair and loops it over her shoulder so that it all hangs down on one side, showing me her bare neck on the other.

“No need to be nervous. I don’t bite. Unless you’re into that.” I add a wink, watching for her reaction. Most of them enjoy a little flirtation right off the bat.

Madison just fidgets with her hair. “I… Uh, thanks, I guess.”

Clearly, she’s going to need a little loosening up, but I don’t mind taking the lead here. In fact, sometimes escorts are too dominant. I like this submissive-type behavior from her right off the bat. It gives me the feeling that I can do whatever I want and she’ll just say okay.

I close the door behind her and walk toward the living room, motioning for her to follow. “Can I get you a drink? Something to help you relax? I have a variety.”

She blinks at me, clearly flustered. “A drink? No, I’m… I don’t need a drink.”

“Oh, come on! Don’t tell me you’re going to make me drink alone.”

Madison finally smiles and shrugs, just one shoulder moving up and down. I head to my bar cart and begin fixing some bourbon for myself. I like building some rapport with my escorts before taking them out to see the town. It’s more fun.

“What are you into?”

“You mean what do I like to drink?” Madison takes a step closer .

I keep my back to her, giving her the ability to get as close as she wants. “Unless you want to talk about what you’re into in other ways.”

I turn around and lean against the cart, surveying her up and down.

“Oh, um, drinks. I like wine.”

“Wine it is. Classy.”

I pour her some white wine from the bottom of the cart and walk over to hand her the glass.

But I don’t just pass her glass to her without taking advantage of the closeness.

Instead, I place my free hand on her hip and study her face. Her eyes drop immediately, and she takes her glass. “Thanks. I… I appreciate it.”

She sips at her wine, and I watch her for a moment until she seems to find the courage to look at me again. I sip my bourbon and keep my eyes on her. She’s clearly nervous. Maybe she’s not sure if she’s cut out for this.

Well, I want to make sure she knows I’m extremely attracted to her and that she’ll definitely be getting a bonus.

“This must be your first time, huh?” I ask.

“Yeah, I… Well, I’m not sure if I’m doing this right, but…” She doesn’t seem to know how to explain herself, but I’ll make it clear that words aren’t what does it for me.

I set my bourbon on the bar cart and approach Madison, taking slow measured steps.

When I reach her, I step behind her and wrap my arms around her from behind. I press my groin into her ass, feeling its plumpness against what is quickly becoming an erection.

“I want to let you know that you’re doing all right so far. And I think we’re going to have a very fun evening. ”

“What the hell are you doing?” Madison asks, whirling out of my grasp like I’ve just put a gun to her head.

I blink at her, so surprised that I have no idea what to say. And that rarely ever happens to me. We aren’t supposed to mention the pay. That ruins the whole night if we’re discussing money for her being my escort. She’s just supposed to pretend to be into me. Whether she is or not is really irrelevant.

I finally find my tongue and take a step toward Madison. She takes a step back. “What do you mean what am I doing?”

The doorbell rings, and I’m confused. “Wait a second. Don’t go anywhere.”

I stride to the front door, irritation settling in. When I fling the door open, I see a young woman with the same long, dark hair as Madison. Except this woman is dressed up in a red, silky dress with a slit up the side. She looks like she’s ready to go to a club.

It suddenly hits me that the woman now in front of me is my escort. She’s the woman I’ve been thinking about all day. So then who the hell is the woman in my living room?

The woman on the front step smiles at me, biting her lower lip. “Are you ready for some fun, Ethan?”

I sigh, trying to figure out how to deal with this. “Actually, plans have changed. You’ll get your payment and a bonus for flexibility, but I don’t need an escort tonight.”

She looks absolutely astounded, but I don’t care enough to stand there and explain anymore. I need to figure out who Madison is and what she is doing here. She admitted it was her first time… Her first time what?

“God! You thought I was an escort?” Madison asks from the door to the living room. Gone is the somewhat awkward and shy woman. She’s been replaced by someone who is filled with anger and annoyance.

I turn to look at her more closely. The confusion on her face is genuine.

“I hired someone to arrive at six. It’s six. You showed up, and…”

Madison laughs. “And you thought I was here to…flirt with you?”

I shrug. “Or…something else. The limits are up to us.”

Madison’s mouth gapes open, and I wish I hadn’t added that piece of information. The truth, though, is that I haven’t completely been able to let go of the idea of sleeping with Madison tonight. I know logically that it’s not going to happen, but I want to figure out why she’s here.

“Do you want to sit down?” I ask, motioning to the sofas. “You’re clearly here for a reason.”

Madison blinks a couple of times and takes a deep breath like she’s remembering that she did show up at my house for a reason. She slowly settles into the couch behind her, and I take an armchair a safe distance from where she’s sitting.

“I did. I came here to talk.”

“To talk? About what?”

Madison fidgets with the hem of her shirt, and her eyes dart around the room as if she’s looking for an escape route. I’m sure that whatever she wants to talk about or whoever she is…the subject is now increasingly awkward for her to bring up.

“I… Well, I think it’s pretty clear you don’t know who I am.”

I frown and study Madison’s perfectly rounded face and plush lips again. She doesn’t seem… Well, maybe she is a little familiar. But it’s the kind of familiar that could be an ything from having seen her face in a magazine once to looking like someone I used to know.

“I’m Aurora’s friend.”

My heart stops for a moment at the mention of my daughter’s name. This woman in front of me is my daughter’s age? All of a sudden, I know exactly who Madison is. She lives right next door. She grew up there with her parents. Aurora was always going over there for sleepovers.

But then, she moved out, and the older couple moved out. I noticed that someone bought it, but I haven’t paid enough attention to know who. Apparently, Madison just moved back, as an adult…and I have completely overstepped my bounds.

I work to keep my composure.

“I think I remember you now.” Some sort of apology is in order, but I can’t apologize for being attracted to Madison. I lick my lips. “I apologize for being confused about your identity. I really thought you were my… Well, it doesn’t matter now. But for the record, you are very attractive.”

Madison blushes and looks at her hands, which are in her lap. She probably already knows I think that based on the feeling of my dick pressing against her ass, but I have to tell her anyway.

I shake my head. “So, you came here to talk to me about something. Is it something to do with Aurora?”

“It’s about a loan. I wanted to ask if you’d consider giving me one.”

A loan? The realization hits me like a bucket of cold water.

I straighten up, and my good mood evaporates. Because if she was here as my escort, then she’s welcome. If she’s here to tell me something that’s happening with my daughter, then I also welcome her with open arms. But to ask for money? It’s probably just for Aurora’s benefit anyway since I told Aurora to stop asking me for money.

My tone changes. “You’re here to ask me for money?”

She nods, her face flushing with embarrassment. “Yes, I’m going to start a surfing school, but I don’t have the funds?—”

“Let me make one thing clear: I don’t appreciate being ambushed in my own home. Especially not for a handout.”

Madison’s eyes widen, and she scoots back on the couch, clearly taken aback by my sudden change in demeanor. “I wasn’t trying to ambush you. I just thought?—”

“You thought wrong. I don’t give out loans to people who can’t pay them back. And from what I hear, you’re not exactly swimming in cash, are you? Aurora said something about one of her friends being out of a job. Why would I give money to someone who doesn’t have a job?”

She flinches, her face paling. “I… It’s to start a business. I don’t have the funds to start it up. Aurora suggested asking you. I’ve come up with a business plan I could show you.”

I narrow my eyes at her, my patience wearing thin. “And why would I invest in something like that? What do I get out of it? I might as well throw a few thousand dollars in the next homeless person’s hand I see.”

Madison opens her mouth to respond, but then she hesitates, and I can see the wheels turning in her head. She’s thinking about it, considering how to spin this, but I’m already done with the conversation. I’m not in the mood to be manipulated or guilt tripped. I feel embarrassed for treating her like an escort. Even though that’s my fault, not hers, I don’t feel like having to continue this conversation.

“Let me save you the trouble. The answer is no. I’m not interested in your sob story or your business plan. All my money was self-earned. I have to go in and face difficult situations as a doctor, and that’s not easy. You want money? Go earn it like the rest of us.”

Her expression hardens at that, and I can see the flash of anger in her eyes. Good. Let her be mad. Maybe it’ll teach her not to go begging for handouts next time.

“Fine. I get it. I won’t bother you again.”

She pushes herself up from the couch and heads for the door, her posture stiff with tension. I feel bad for treating her that way, but my embarrassment trumps my guilt.

I’ve got better things to do than deal with Aurora’s broke friend.

Just as she’s about to leave, she pauses at the door and looks back at me. “You know, if I’d come here willing to flirt with you, maybe even more, I bet you’d have given me whatever I wanted. I bet you paid that escort, huh? But me, someone who actually wants to do something with her life, doesn’t matter.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I keep my expression neutral, refusing to let her see that she’s gotten under my skin. “It seems like you need to rethink some choices you’ve made, but I’m not your therapist, and I don’t want to hear about your issues.”

Madison’s face hardens further, and without another word, she leaves, slamming the door behind her. The sound echoes through the house, leaving a heavy silence in its wake.

I stand there for a moment, letting my guilt seep away as I take another sip of bourbon.

My night has been ruined. And all because of a mix-up that never should have happened. I should have known better, should have been more careful. But what’s done is done.

I’ve dealt with more troublesome situations than this. Madison’s just another bump in the road. I’ll forget about her soon enough. I have more important things to focus on, even though I no longer feel like going out anymore.

As the bourbon warms me from the inside, I start to relax, letting the frustration of the evening melt away.