Page 70 of Daddy's Pride

"Nope. Help me clean up the kitchen and we can find a movie. What would be more fun, my company or going home all alone? I may even let you snuggle with me."

"How many times a week do you do this?" she asked with a roll of her brown eyes.

"You'd be surprised, but none. I just got incredibly lucky you decided to have a subpar hookup in my club and I got to rescue your night." I stood up, grabbing our plates and utensils.

We worked in silence as I washed and she dried. I liked her closeness. Other than my employees and parents I didn't spend much time with other people anymore. Typically, my evenings started with me in my office taking care of the previous night's accounting. Inputting orders from inventory Gigi had done, and then taking up my usual spot at the end of the bar.

Clubs were fun for an occasional visit. Most people assumed club and bar owners lived in a constant state of partying. Maybe some did, but that shit wasn't for me. To me it was a job like any other. At the end of the night, I waited around to walk the closers out and headed home to spend a quiet night on the couch. I think a year had passed since I'd taken advantage of spending an evening with someone, even longer since I'd been on an actual date.

At my not-so-advanced age of thirty-three, financially I was comfortable with a nice investment-and-retirement portfolio. But contentment only got you so far before it led into boredom.

"Rogue?" She said my name as I put the leftovers in the fridge.

"Yeah, babygirl?"

"Thanks for this. The meal and company."

"You're welcome. Want to watch a movie or we can do what you really want."

"And what is it that you think I really want?" She turned toward me to lean back against the edge of the counter.

I closed the few feet that separated us. Curling my hands around the edge of the sink, I nudged her chin with the tip of my nose. She smelled like my soap and I teasingly brushed my lips against the side of her neck.

"We both know you're lusting after me. Just give in, I won't judge you." I retreated enough to take in her beautiful face.

She smiled and rolled her eyes, her fingers tugging at the hem of my t-shirt. "How do you carry around that ego of yours and not become crushed under the weight of it?"

"Years and years of practice. What do you say about that offer of a movie?"

"Are you sure?" she asked.

I hugged her waist. "Yes, but if you want to go home, I'll order you a car."

"A movie sounds good; I doubt Freida will be home. She's been out with the guy a few times and she said he seemed promising. She's Aromantic and just had to break it off with someone who wanted a relationship. Freida isn’t built to be a girlfriend in any way."

"Then you're all mine the rest of the night. I'll refill our drinks and you go find us something to watch." I brushed a kiss to her cheek and patted her hip as I stepped back to let her go.

I waited until I heard the TV turn on in the other room and took a deep breath. She'd already had one person be an asshole to her but that wasn't me. We'd watch a movie and hang out. Maybe I could have more dinners with the beautiful woman in the future. Let's just hope my mama never found out, I was tired of the you're not getting any younger conversations.

Chapter 3

Trinity

The late morning had started all warm and lazy. I'd awakened in strong, slender arms with my face pressed into Rogue's neck. I hadn't realized it was them for a minute. All I could remember was feeling safe as fingertips traced along the indent of my spine. I'd slowly come to consciousness to find Rogue watching me sleep. They’d smirked at me and I couldn’t resist cuddling closer to their warmth.

Then my body jolted as I'd asked what time it was, and they'd told me almost noon. I'd been out of contact with my best friend for over twelve hours. Mentally cursing my fuck-up, I jumped up to grab my phone only to find it dead. In my panic, I couldn't even remember Freida's number off the top of my head.

I'd run from Rogue's house with her in the doorway watching me until the car arrived to take me back to my place. Rogue had actually tried to talk me into letting her go with me, but in the end, asked for my phone number instead. I'd absently rattled it off and promised to text and let them know when I was home. I prayed that Freida had stayed over at her new friend-with- benefits’ place, or at least got in late enough she'd sleep most of the day away.

Once in the car, I looked down at myself and realized I was still dressed in the pink silk pajamas and my high heels. I'd left my clothes behind. I laughed at my situation. My first stereotypical walk of shame, and I hadn't even let Rogue do more than hold me. Freida was going to kill me and that was no more apparent when I let myself into the apartment. She hissed at me that she'd been about to call the cops to report me missing.

"Where the fuck were you?" Freida yelled as she threw her phone onto the couch and glared at me.

"I fell asleep and didn't wake up until thirty minutes ago." I kicked off my heels and quickly removed my phone from my tiny clutch, and plugged it in to charge. I wasn't looking forward to reading all the messages I'd received from Freida in her attempt to track me down.

"What the hell are you wearing?" She motioned to my clothes.

"Rogue gave me clothes to sleep in."