Daddy’s Little Temptation (Daddy #37)

Chapter One

She snorted as she listened to her friends rib each other on the men they were interested in and talk smack about a few of the people meeting them at the bar for pizza and beer.

It was the same every week, but she wouldn’t change a thing.

She considered her group of friends as lifesavers.

They always helped her decompress after a long week at the law firm.

There were about sixteen original people in the group that went out every week. The group was different every time, with people not being able to come, or new people others brought.

They had tried different places, but still seemed to come back to McMalley’s Bar. The staff knew them well and always had a long table reserved if they knew they were coming in.

There was also a dance floor the group used. Over the months they’d been having the get-togethers, some people had paired off, and one of the couples was even engaged to be married.

She loved hearing stories like that. One of them had been brought by one of the original people and had instantly connected with someone else at the table, and they’d been together ever since.

It was fun to watch them. They were so into each other, no one else existed.

She wondered if she’d ever find that for herself, but she didn’t dwell on it.

Her life was full. She loved her job and friends, and that’s all she needed now.

Myla drove around the block a few times, waiting for a parking space to open up. She didn’t want to park four blocks away from the bar and have to deal with getting her drunk friends to the car at the end of the night. Finally, after ten minutes, a spot opened up in the same area as the bar.

Amy tapped Myla on the back of her shoulder. “Nice going, girl,” Kelly said before she exited the back seat of Myla’s four-door car.

Myla, Kelly, and Amy stood and waited for the last of their small group.

“Come on, Sonia,” Kelly complained. “We’re going to miss the pizza.”

Kelly grabbed her purse. “I’m coming, stop bitching.”

Myla chuckled and turned after she locked the car and followed the three others, listening to Kelly and Sonia bicker back and forth.

The four friends were very close. They had all met in college and then shared an apartment together until they found jobs.

Now that she lived alone, she missed the companionship of the others but knew it was time to grow up and be on her own.

Myla stepped inside the bar to let her eyes adjust to the dimness and shadows before moving toward the long table where the rest of the group sat.

Myla sat down between Amy and a girl she hadn’t met. Myla smiled and held out her hand.

“Hi, I’m Myla.” Myla’s smile dimmed when the girl looked at her with disdain and then turned her back.

Kelly’s eyes widened, and she mouthed, what the fuck to Myla.

Myla shrugged. She knew she hadn’t done anything to insult the woman. Myla waved Kelly off before she went to confront the woman.

“It’s not worth it, Kelly. I’m here to have fun.”

“Here you go, Myla.” Mark grinned and handed her a piece of pizza from across the table.

Myla grinned. “Ohhh, you saved me a veggie piece. I owe you.”

Mark chuckled. “Great. You’re buying the next pitcher of beer.”

Myla rolled her eyes. “Wow, thanks, bud. I don’t even drink the stuff.”

“Hey, no problem. It’s more for us,” Mark said and laughed out loud.

For the next hour, the group talked about their week, laughed, and ate. Periodically, Myla looked around the table to see if there were any new people besides the bitch next to her. She caught sight of another woman and a guy at the other end of the table.

The night wore on, and more of the group paired off and danced.

Myla waved off a guy from the bar who asked her to dance to a fast tune.

She probably would have danced if not for her shoes.

Her feet were killing her. She could have kicked herself for not changing her shoes before picking up the other women.

Myla chuckled at her friends on the dance floor who tried to do line dancing.

She could tell they were already buzzed by how terrible they were.

She turned to take a sip of her drink and paused.

The new guy she hadn’t noticed before sat at the end of the table alone. They were the only ones still there.

She watched him for a bit. She couldn’t really see his features because he sat in the shadows, but she could tell he had dark hair.

She could feel a blush cross her face when she knew he caught her staring.

She tried to smile, but the look on his face caught her attention.

He had a wall up around himself she could detect without trying.

From what she could see, he was handsome.

But his standoffish attitude would keep most people away.

She looked back toward the dance floor as another song started. She turned down a few more guys who asked her to dance. She bit her lip when she caught the new guy staring at her.

She made a decision, grabbed her glass, and made her way around the table toward him. She bit back a smile as his eyes widened with what looked like shock, the closer she got. She pulled out the chair beside him and sat facing him. She held out her hand.

“Hi, my name is Myla.” She waited a moment while he stared at her hand. Great, two people in one night who didn’t want to talk to her. She was starting to get a complex.

She started to lower her hand when he caught it.

She actually thought she saw a sizzle that sparked between them as their hands touched.

She drew in a shaky breath and pulled reluctantly away from him.

She waited for him to talk to her, to tell her his name, but he kept silent and stared at her.

She could see that a dark shadow blanketed his eyes.

She snorted under her breath, mumbled, and shook her head.

“I’m sorry to have bothered you,” she said and went to stand.

“Wait,” he barked.

She sat stiffly in her chair and waited.

“What did you just say?” the man asked.

Myla’s brows lowered. “Which part? The part where I introduced myself or the part where I apologized?”

“The part where you mumbled.”

“I said something about me turning people off tonight, and I just wondered about it.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You’re kidding me, right? I can tell you want nothing to do with me, and the lady I sat by threw me a hateful look and turned her back after I introduced myself.”

He stayed silent for a moment.

“Anyway, sorry,” she said again and went to stand.

“Wait,” he burst out.

She sat down with a sigh.

“Look, I really am sorry I bothered you, and I promise to leave you alone. I’ll go back to my seat and wait for my friends.”

The man clasped her arm. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a prick. I’m just wondering why you want to talk to me?”

A frown of confusion pinched her brows together. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t I want to talk to you?”

“Well, you’re gorgeous, and I look like this,” he hissed, indicating his cheek.

She frowned and shook her head. “Are you talking about the scars?”

He grunted. “It’s kind of hard to hide.”

She sat back abruptly. Is this the reason for him being cold?

Yes, he had scars, but in no way did they detract from how handsome he was.

The injury started at his eyebrow on one side of his face and curved down his cheek.

It bisected halfway, and one part went to his lips and the other under his jawline.

“I’m sorry, I’m not sure what to say. Yes, I saw the scar, but all I thought was how much it must have hurt when it happened.”

He stared at her. “Are you for real?” he said in sarcastic disbelief.

Myla’s spine stiffened. “Listen...?”

“Kaleb,” he supplied.

“Kaleb, all I wanted was to talk. I really hope I didn’t ruin your night.” She stood and took a step back when he reached for her.

“Wait, dammit.”

She took another step away and shook her head.

“Please,” Kaleb said. He held a hand out to her and waited. “Come sit back down.”

She released a shaky breath and let the tension go in her shoulders before sitting down again.

“I’m sorry, Myla. Can we start over?”

She paused for a moment, nodded, and held out her hand. “Hello, my name is Myla.”

He grasped her small hand in his. “My name’s Kaleb. It’s very nice to meet you.”

They sat holding each other’s hands and staring at each other.

She pulled her hand from his and cleared her throat. “I know I’ve never seen you with the group. Who’d you come with?”

“Kole.”

She smiled. “How do you know him?”

“I work with him.”

“You’re a police officer?”

He nodded. “How about you?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Promise not to hate me?”

Kaleb’s eyebrows rose, and then he nodded his head. “All right.”

“I work in a law firm.”

Right away, Myla saw the change in his body. She held up a hand.

“But wait, I’m not a lawyer.” She grinned when he relaxed. “I’m a paralegal. A glorified secretary.”

“That’s certainly several steps above a lawyer.”

She chuckled. “Kole and I have spent many hours talking about the profession, debating the law, and how we would change it.”

He grunted. “Don’t get me started.”

She laughed. “So, are you a beat cop like Kole?”

She watched his grip tighten around his glass.

“No. I can’t go on the streets anymore since this,” he said and indicated his face, and then he pointed at his leg. “I’m on desk duty while I study to be a detective now.”

She bit back all the questions she had about what caused his injuries. “Are you excited about that?”

He nodded, looking surprised. “Yeah, I hadn’t realized how much until I just thought about it.”

“I’m a huge believer that when one door closes, a better one opens.”

He grimaced. “I wouldn’t go that far. But I am moving on with my life.”

She raised her glass and took a sip.

He tipped his head at the drink. “What’s that?’

“Sprite.”

“And?”

“Just Sprite. I don’t drink very much and not at all when I’m the designated driver.”

“You’re one of those responsible people I hear about but have never met.”

She snorted and then laughed. “You make that sound like a bad thing.”

“No,” he said, grinned, and shook his head. “I’ve just not talked to many people like you in my line of work.”

She chuckled.

“Tell me what you do?” he asked.

“I really am just a secretary, but I have to make up briefs and research for the lawyers I work with.”

“May I ask what law firm you’re with?”

She stiffened. “Meyer and Ramsey.”

Kaleb grunted. “They like to defend bad guys.”

She shrugged. “Sometimes. But mostly, it’s regular people. I actually help with much of the pro-bono work they do.”

“All I hear about is the scum they put back on the streets.”

She nodded. “I don’t like it either, but I do my job to the best of my ability and let the system work.”

“What if the system is the problem?”

She noticed his voice got lower and colder, but it didn’t detract from how gorgeous he was. His chocolate brown eyes were surrounded by long lashes that women would kill for. His skin was darker than hers, and she wondered if it was due to his time outside or his nationality.

Her stomach tightened when she looked at his hands.

For some reason, men’s hands attracted her, and his were at the top.

They were large, clearly two to three times as large as hers.

His veins and tendons stood out, starkly showing his strength.

She had detected calluses when they’d shaken hands. They were manly hands in every way.

The hands of the men she worked with were soft and manicured, and she found them a turnoff. She guessed it was because her father had been a blue-collar worker, and his hands bore the marks of his hard work.

She agreed. “Then I hope and pray someone will decide to fix it. I don’t want the bad people on the streets any more than you do.”

He released a breath. “I know. I’m sorry. It is just frustrating.”

“Kole had talked about it a lot. It’s nice to get other people’s perspectives on the line of work we’re in.”

She looked toward the dance floor and grinned.

“Your friends look like they are having a good time,” he stated.

She snorted. “Those three can always find something to do. It’s usually my job to keep them in line.”

She turned suddenly and caught him staring at her. She felt a blush cross her face.

“Why didn’t you dance with any of the men that asked you?” he said gruffly.

Her heartbeat accelerated in her chest when she realized he’d been watching her most of the night.

“I ... I’m tired for one. It’s been a long week, and my feet are killing me. I’ve had these stupid shoes on all day.”

He looked down and grimaced. “How tall are they?”

“Four-inch heels. I’m short, so I try to wear shoes that give me some extra height.”

“Jesus, I don’t know how you women walk in them.”

“It sucks being a woman sometimes, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

“What’s the worst thing about being a woman, in your opinion?”

“Periods, childbirth, and menopause are a few, but I think the fact that we can be so vulnerable hits me the worst.”

He sat forward to hear her better. “What do you mean?”

Her hand swept down her body. “Look at me. Whether I work out or lift weights, my size will always be a disadvantage against predators, and it’s hard being afraid or having my guard up most of the time.”

This man would never know what it’s like to feel that depth of fear. Just one experience with violence changed the way she looked at the world.