Chapter 1
By the time her SUV turned onto the long driveway leading to her father’s estate, Emma Steele was regretting every decision that had led to this moment.
“Just remember,” Tyler said from the passenger seat. “Don’t mention my student loans.”
Emma glanced over.
“What? Why would that even come up?” She rolled her eyes.
“I’m just saying.” He responded through gritted teeth.
Emma looked back at the road.
This was exactly why she’d almost come alone. Why she wanted to come alone.
Her father was one of the richest men in the country.
Tyler somehow managed to make that embarrassing. Like it was her fault who her dad was.
The sprawling stone house came into view.
Tyler sat up straighter. “Holy shit.”
Emma said nothing. This was a horrible idea and she knew it. Why did she let him talk her into this?
He stared through the windshield. “This is where you grew up?”
Emma sighed. Every time.
“Yes.” She said simply.
Yes. This was where she grew up.
Yes. She was THAT Emma Steele.
No. She had not personally selected the eighteen-thousand-square-foot house with mountain views and a private lake.
The front door opened before they’d even parked.
Her father stepped onto the porch.
At six-foot-two, broad-shouldered, and with short dark hair and bright blue eyes that matched his daughters, Jeff Steele looked intimidating enough to make grown men reconsider their life choices.
Emma broke into a wide grin.
Tyler immediately adjusted his shirt.
Emma closed her eyes.
“Be nice,” Tyler said.
Emma stared.
“To my father?”
“To me. He’s evaluating me.”
“Tyler.”
“What?”
“He started evaluating you six months ago when you got wasted at dinner.”
Tyler looked horrified.
Emma smiled. “Good luck.”
She climbed out of the SUV.
Her father wrapped her in a hug the second she reached the porch.
“Hi Kid.”
“Hi, Dad.”
“You get taller every time I see you.”
“Dad, I’m twenty-two.”
“Still growing.”
“I’m not actually.”
“You might be.”
Emma laughed.
God, she’d missed him.
Then her father looked past her.
Toward Tyler.
The smile didn’t disappear.
But it definitely changed. “Still with him I see.” He muttered under his breath so Tyler couldn’t hear.
“Tyler.” He said cordially.
“Mr. Steele.”
Her father shook his hand.
Tyler immediately launched into what sounded suspiciously like a job interview.
“It’s great to see you, sir. Congratulations on the quarter. The earnings report was incredible.”
Emma physically recoiled.
“Oh my God.”
“What?” Tyler asked.
“You read his earnings report?”
Her father barked out a laugh.
Tyler turned red.
“No.”
“You absolutely did.”
“I skimmed it.”
“You studied it.”
“It was publicly available information.”
Emma buried her face in her hands as
The front door opened again and
several men emerged onto the porch. Her father’s usual crew.
The people she’d grown up around.
Some kids had playdates. Emma had her father and these four men. Billionaires. CEOs. Professional troublemakers who were the kindest, best second dads in the world.
And then—Fuck there he was.
She forgot how to breathe for a second.
Tall, dark hair, ridiculously sexy. The kind of sexy that took the air right out of the room. The kind of sexy that had panties wet in every single room he walked into.
And Emma was no exception
Damien Rinaldi.
Damien was an investor. He had a net worth of well over six billion dollars but even more importantly, he was fine as hell and he was her father’s best friend.
Longish black hair that fell to his chin and always looked like he had been raking his huge hands through it. Olive colored skin courtesy of those sexy italian roots, piercing green eyes a girl could get lost in because they seemed to be staring into your soul.
And his body. Well, his body was something built by the Gods. Taller than her father, the man clearly liked to stay in shape. Emma assumed he was around the same age as her father, who was 41 since they had been friends since college. Every inch of him was covered in muscle.
Emma would be lying if she said she had never thought of what it would be like to be wrapped in those strong arms. To have those chiseled abs against her body. To see what was between those massive thighs.
“Honey, are you okay?” Her dad pulled her from her thoughts.
Emma realized she was hot. Oh my God, was she blushing? Fuck. She was definitely blushing.
“Yeah sorry, just tired is all.” She said, smiling at her dad.
“Hello Emma.” Damien said in that low, gravelly voice that made her want to drop to her knees.
She looked up at him, trying to stay calm. Trying not to let the fact that she was picturing him balls deep in her soaking wet pussy at this very moment while her Dad had his arm around her, show.
Damien wore jeans and a navy Henley with the sleeves pushed up his forearms and he looked like he stepped right out of a catalogue.
His eyes met hers. Those eyes.
“Hi Damien.” She smiled. What she hoped was a casual smile. Not a please fuck me now smile. Because that would be embarrassing.
Their eyes met for a brief second.
Then he looked away and seemed to size up Tyler.
Oh shit Tyler. She forgot about Tyler.
“Josh, Rhett, Damien, Zach. This is Tyler.” She mumbled, looking away from Damien.
None of them looked impressed. And Tyler looked completely oblivious.
