Rock Hard Baby Daddy: A Billionaire Cowboy Romance Page 13

  So, of course, the music made me think of love and romance. It was a nice addition to the touch of sadness that came along with my memories.

  I opened my eyes and found Sebastian staring at me. I so badly wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but I found myself afraid of what me might say. Would he say it was a mistake to bring me along? Would he talk about my dad and make me cry even more? So many people felt pity for me, and I hated it. But the look in Sebastian's eyes wasn't one of pity, it was one of awe, as if for whatever reason, he was admiring me. And as soon as our eyes met, he looked away, an expression of guilt upon his face. It was as if he were scolding himself for the thoughts running through his mind.

  That of course, piqued my curiosity and made me want to ask even more than ever.

  Before I could stop myself, I did. “What are you thinking about, Sebastian?”

  CHAPTER SEVEN - SEBASTIAN

  Her question caught me off-guard and I knew I couldn't tell her what I was thinking; that she was beautiful, that she was strong like her father, and that she blew me away in every way. Despite the fact that it was all true, it felt like it would be a bit creepy to say out loud.

  Considering the fact that I was her father's best friend and was way too old to be entertaining such thoughts about her, I decided I should keep my admiration to myself.

  “That you remind me a lot of your father,” I said, keeping my thoughts to something more appropriate for the situation. “And your mother. You have the best of both of them, Violet, and that's amazing to me.”

  I'd never had children of my own, and sometimes I regretted that decision. In many ways, Violet was as close to a daughter as I was likely ever going to get, but it felt incredibly weird to think of her like that. She was a young woman now; a bright, ambitious, and beautiful young woman. If the situation was any different, I'd be hitting on her nonstop. And I could see myself settling down with someone like her.

  My history with women had been rocky, to say the least. Jessica wasn't the first clingy, needy, and emotionally unstable ex from my past. I seemed to draw in the needy women, which was something I was completely at a loss to explain.

  Maybe it was my fault. Maybe I was just attracted to those types of women. I had a type all right – fake boobs, fake lips, fake tan, blonde hair, you name it. Not that I found all that fakeness more beautiful than natural beauty, it's just women like Violet always scared me off. She was too smart, too ambitious, and yes, even as a strong male, that scared the crap out of me.

  Up until now, that was. Because Violet wasn't scary. Nothing about her was scary.

  She looked down at her hands, something she'd always done when put in an uncomfortable situation, or when she was trying not to say something. It was her biggest tell. She was a sweet girl, but as I witnessed at the restaurant recently, she could stand up for herself and others if push came to shove. There was a backbone of steel inside of her and she wasn't one to take shit from anybody.

  Watching her stare down at her hands like that unnerved me, because she shouldn't be uncomfortable. Not with me. If I was doing something to make her uncomfortable, it needed to stop. I needed to do everything in my power to make her feel safe.

  “What's wrong, Violet?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” she said, biting her lip and continuing to stare at her hands as she picked at the polish on her thumb nail.

  “What are you thinking?” I pressed.

  She blushed, and I remembered the teenage crush she used to have on me all those years ago. I recalled how every time I spoke to her, she turned bright red and tried to hide her face from me.

  “Well, I just don't know how to respond when you say such nice things about me, Sebastian,” she said softly. “Because you know how I feel about you.”

  I had to wonder, had her childhood crush ever subsided? From the way she looked up at me though, I thought I had my answer.

  My heart raced as I realized that perhaps, Violet still had feelings for me. And truth be told, I had some feelings for her; feelings I knew weren't right. Feelings I shouldn't be having about the daughter of my best friend.

  I quickly looked away and chugged the rest of my champagne, needing a moment to compose myself and get my head on straight.

  She too, drank the rest of her glass and silently stared out the window for some time.

  It probably wasn't the best idea to be drinking so much alcohol while in such close quarters with her considering the fact that I was already starting to feel things for her. We seemed to be treading some very dangerous water.

  I had another glass of champagne that I hoped would encourage me to fall asleep, but I was having no luck.

  Violet sat there, staring out the window, and every time I looked over at her, I couldn't help but smile and couldn't stop my pulse from quickening. She was so beautiful with her long hair flowing around her shoulders, and her soft, pale skin with a line of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She was not at all like the women I usually dated, and perhaps that was why I felt such a strong attraction for her.

  “You know,” she said, speaking but not looking at me, “I didn't mean for that to sound the way it did. All I meant was that you’ve been such a big part of my life-”

  I cut her off as she continued to ramble. “It's okay, Violet. No need to explain yourself.”

  “But there is,” she said, finally turned to look at me. Her big, innocent eyes were wider than normal as she looked at me. “I don't want things to be awkward between us. Ever.”

  Too late, I thought to myself.

  “It's not your fault, Violet,” I said. “Perhaps I need to cool it with the compliments and flattery. It can get a little weird, I suppose.”

  “No, I like it,” she said softly. “I like that you think highly of me, given that I think very highly of you too. It actually means the world to me.”

  Her words were followed by more awkward silence, but this time, she was smiling at me. An apprehensive smile, but a smile nonetheless. It felt as if she was finally feeling comfortable enough to begin opening to me; which I liked, of course.

  As the alcohol started to hit my system though, I found myself staring at her perfect pink lips. I watched as she licked them and I wondered what it would be like to kiss her, to press my lips against hers and to taste her. My head was spinning and I had to force myself to look away before my thoughts ran off with me.

  “You okay?” she asked with a laugh.

  “Yeah, just drank a bit much,” I said, resisting the urge to look at her again. “Maybe I should sleep it off, before I get myself into trouble.”

  “Maybe so,” she laughed. “But just so you know, you could never get in trouble with me.”

  Her words got twisted in my brain, and I almost took that as her saying we wouldn't get in trouble, if we pursued things. No, I was hearing things that weren't actually there. She was a smart girl. She could date probably any man she wanted. She didn't want or need me, in that regard.

  But as I closed my eyes, I found myself thinking about Violet in ways I never had before. The alcohol lowered my inhibitions and I had the sexiest, kinkiest dream of my life starring my best friend's daughter, who just so happened to be sitting across the aisle from me on a private jet to Bali.

  The dream had been erotic, sexy, and it had felt so real, too. I'd imagined kissing those soft, pink lips, running my hand through her auburn hair and pulling her head back so I could kiss lower and lower until I went to my knees and kissed her down below. Her hands were tangled in my hair as she moaned my name, “Sebastian, oh yes, Sebastian!” over and over again as I tasted her – really tasted her. I imagined her pressing my face closer to her as she came hard, shuddering against me as she screamed out my name, her knees buckling as I licked and sucked at her most intimate parts.

  I wanted her to feel good. Oh God, yes, I wanted her to feel fucking amazing. And in the dream, I made her come over and over again, harder and harder each time. And when it came time to fuck her, I bent her o
ver my desk back at the office and exposed her ass, pressing my cock against her opening, ready to enter her, to fill her up at last...

  And that's when the whole world shook. No, not the whole world. The plane.

  I was awoken by turbulence, and I quickly saw that I wasn't the only one taken by surprise either. Violet was standing, and when the turbulence hit, she went flying. I woke up just in time to catch her in my arms as she fell. Violet she landed on top of me, her body pressed to mine.

  I felt the heat in my face as I knew she felt the erection in my pants. I knew by the way her eyes grew wide and her rush to jump off of me. I couldn't have felt more awkward than I did in that moment if I'd tried .

  “Oh God, Sebastian!” she shouted, and not in the way I'd hoped to hear her say it. “I'm so sorry. I was just going to the restroom when – ”

  “It's okay,” I said, pulling the seat into the sitting position. “It happens. No worries.”

  Violet looked down at my crotch and had to have seen the obvious bulge in my pants. Her cheeks quickly turned red as she stared, and if she felt embarrassed, though I felt even more embarrassed than she did. The color in her cheeks told me she knew what type of dream I'd been having about her.

  Her mouth was ajar, but no sound came out. She just stared, in shock, and I didn't know what to do to make the situation any better or less awkward.

  I adjusted, pulling the throw over my lap. “I'm sorry, Violet,” I muttered, scratching my head. “I was umm having a dream.”

  “No need to explain,” she said, still staring at me with wide eyes. “Not at all. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I was just surprised that's all.”

  And with that, she turned and rushed toward the bathroom. I closed my eyes and sighed, feeling like no matter what we did, things were going to be awkward. The sexual tension was too much.

  I'd have to be very, very careful on this trip. Or else, we could find ourselves in deep trouble before heading back to the states.

  CHAPTER EIGHT - VIOLET

  “Holy shit,” I gasped. “I'm actually in Bali.”

  As trite and silly as it sounded, that was the first thing I said as we stepped from the plane. The air was tropical and warm, the sun was shining, and it just felt different to me. Though the weather was similar, it was nothing at all like Southern California, where I'd been born and raised.

  Sebastian just chuckled to himself. “Yes, yes we are,” he said. “And our first stop will be at one of my favorite resorts.”

  When he’d said it was one of his favorites, he'd meant it, and he just happened to own the place. It was his first resort in Bali and I'd heard nothing but great things about it. But now, with a second resort opening up in the not-too-distant future, I could only imagine how much better it was going to be.

  A driver picked us up at the airport and took us over to the resort, which just so happened to be right on the beach. As soon as we stepped out of the car, my eyes grew wide as a sound of awe escaped my throat.

  “I never knew beaches could look like this,” I said. “When I saw pictures, I guess I always assumed they were photoshopped or were somehow enhanced.”

  California had its fair share of beaches, but nothing like what I was seeing – crystal clear water and white sand. It was pristine and nothing like the dark murky water in California. In addition to the resort on the beach, there were bungalows out in the water. I was shocked to find that yes, you could actually sleep out on the water.

  Sebastian seemed amused by my fascination and awe with what I was seeing, and he watched me with a smile on his face the entire time. He seemed more than happy to be showing off his baby to me and maybe, being able to see it through new eyes was something he appreciated. Given his life and everything he'd seen and done, I imagined it was easy to forget how beautiful some of these places were; or how easy it was to take certain things for granted. When you traveled to places like that all the time, it probably lost some of its charm .

  But there I was, staring out at the ocean like a child on Christmas.

  “See that bungalow at the end? The largest one?” he asked, pointing in the direction of one of them. “That's where you'll be staying.”

  My mouth literally fell open, feeling like it was hanging to the ground as I stared out at the bungalow he'd pointed to. I stood there, with the sun shining down on me and the aroma of the ocean in my nose, feeling like I had just hit a major jackpot. I’d never been anywhere like this, let alone with accommodations so lavish.

  “Really?” I asked, feeling absolutely shell-shocked by what I was seeing.

  “Yes, and the one next to it connected by the little bridge?” he asked. “That one will be mine.”

  I'd be sleeping over the ocean, like literally on top of it. The waves would be crashing all around me as I slept at night, or if I felt like going for a swim, I could simply step out the front door of my bungalow and jump right into those pristine crystal waters. And there was no way I wasn't going to take advantage of that. I planned to do that every chance I could get.

  And Sebastian would be so close to me. He'd be sleeping literally next door. Honestly, I couldn't have imagined a more perfect place to be.

  “Let's go drop off our bags, shall we?” Sebastian asked, taking my arm in his.

  I felt myself blushing because for a moment, it felt like a date. Arm-in-arm, walking toward bungalows that sat on the ocean. It just felt entirely romantic and to the naked eye, it might even look like we were a couple.

  Of course, we weren't carrying our bags ourselves, we were walking ahead of the staff who were carrying them for us. And as I glanced over my shoulder at the workers carrying our luggage, I had to admit that it made me feel a little weird. I'd never had staff before, and to have them carrying our bags for us when we were perfectly capable of doing it ourselves, made me feel a little bad. But Sebastian was so used to it, he didn't even bat an eye. It would take some getting used to if we took more of these work trips, that was for sure.

  We walked along the bridge that ran from the parking lot and across the sand. We strolled past a few of the other bungalows and then were out over the crystal-clear waters. The wind blew through my hair and with the sun shining on my face, I felt like I'd died and had gone to heaven. Reaching the end of the bridge and standing before my home for the next few days, Sebastian opened the door to my bungalow first and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.

  “This is my room?” I said, rushing inside, giggling like a child. Sebastian seemed happy enough to indulge me. From the outside, yes, the bungalows were cute, but on the inside, it was pure and utter luxury all the way. It was more than obvious that no expense was spared.

  I stood in the living area which included a couch facing a wall-to-wall window with curtains that could be drawn. God only knew why you would actually draw the curtains when you could stare out at the ocean instead. I couldn't imagine a more glorious view.

  Adjacent to that was a bedroom with a king-sized bed draped in silk sheets and a soft, linen blanket. Everything was pristine and so white, so clean, so soft. The pillows were large and fluffy and if it wasn't for the fact that we were in a tropical paradise like Bali, I might want to spend my days curled up there reading a book.

  And of course, there was a deck right off the bedroom that led straight to the water. If I left the sliding door open at night, I could fall asleep to the sounds of the waves crashing into the dock beneath me.

  “This is amazing,” I said, taking in all the small little details and savoring them like a fine meal or glass of wine.

  I looked at the bathroom that had both a tub and a shower that could easily fit four or more people inside of it. Then I ran out to the deck, and took in the fresh, saltwater scent, closing my eyes and picturing what a day spent out here would be like. A fancy and comfortable looking hammock had been set up for me already. All I needed was a book and I'd be set.

  Sebastian walked out onto the deck beside me, and together, we stared out at the beautif
ul, blue ocean. A girl could get used to this, I thought to myself.

  “I'm so glad you could come with me,” he said softly. “Your father always wanted to visit this place, but he never made it out here. There was always work or something keeping him from coming. I figure the next best thing is to bring his daughter.”

  Tears welled in my eyes when he mentioned my dad. Yeah, my dad would have loved it there. Knowing him, he'd likely sit out on the deck and fish. He loved deep sea fishing, though it was a hobby he didn't get to indulge in too often. And like me, he'd savor nights outside in the hammock, listening to the waves, as he drifted off to sleep. In a lot of ways, I was a chip off the old block.

  “You're right,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. “He'd have loved it.”

  “I know. And I think about it every time I come here. I think about him. I wish like hell I could have shared it with him,” Sebastian said.

  We stayed outside for a few moments, standing in silence, just taking everything in and remembering my father. It was a beautiful, if unplanned, tribute to my dad, and it somehow heartened me to know that Sebastian felt his loss every bit as keenly as I did.

  “Come on,” he said, clearing his throat. “We'll have plenty of time to play, but we need to grab dinner and meet some people first.”

  Dinner. Yes. I was starving, and the idea of eating was suddenly very appealing. Of course, this would also be my first work meeting, which made me nervous, but Sebastian had promised to keep the drinks flowing and said that it would be a fun, low-key meeting. He promised that it would be more of a social, than a formal gathering. Just a few people, some dinner, some booze and we'd be back early enough so that I could relax before getting to bed.