Daddy's sinful pleasure

ZOE'S POV

My fiancé was deeply involved with my best friend.

They hadn't even had the decency to lock the door. Or use a condom.

I stared at the man who was currently impaling my best friend. This was my fiancé. Our wedding was just a week away. The man I had spent the last six years of my life with.

We had been high school sweethearts, hopelessly in love and young, and it was only natural for me to say yes when he got on his knees in the presence of friends and family during the last Thanksgiving dinner and asked me to marry him. We had gotten an apartment together and pooled our funds for our wedding.

Hell!

I had given up so much for this man and this relationship. I didn't deserve this.

"Oh yes, Liam. I love it when you stroke me deep."

Madison. My best friend since I was twelve. My instincts were right after all. I had never really trusted her around Liam. I had caught her on several occasions checking him out with lust-filled eyes, but I had chalked it down to my being paranoid.

Tears ran down my face as my heart clenched in pain. It felt like a dagger was being thrust into it over and over again.

"Fuck Madison. You've always known how to take me. Even better than Zoe." Liam groaned as he rammed into Madison, who was braced against the wall, heels still on as his hands gripped her ass.

This asshole! "Even better than Zoe?!"

I had extended myself for this bastard, trying anything and everything he wanted us to try as long as it wasn't borderline insane.

Fuck I had even let him tie me up while he flogged me and came all over my face.

They didn't notice me by the doorway as I clutched the takeout I had bought from his favorite Thai restaurant just to surprise him. Instead, he turned her and pushed her onto the bed, straddling her as he fucked her from behind.

"Liammm. Oh, Liam, I'm about to cum!" The bitch screamed as he spanked her, whispering dirty words to her.

"You want to cum, baby? Cum all over Daddy's dick," Liam groaned, his hand going around her neck, choking her.

Something inside me cracked as I slumped against the wall, unable to hold myself up any longer.

"Wow," I laughed bitterly."You disgusting bastards!"

They froze instantly. Liam's head whipped around to stare at me while Madison scrambled to wrap the sheets across her body.

"Z-Zoe..." he stammered as he blinked at me in shock. "I thought you were flying in tomorrow," Liam blurted, like that was a reasonable excuse to be fucking another woman. And my best friend at that.

Well, I had gotten a job offer from one of the most prestigious tech companies here in New York, and I was supposed to go in for the interview in two days. I hadn't told Liam because I wanted to surprise him. But surprise, surprise, I am the one being surprised.

"That's the first thing you have to say? After I walk in on this?" My voice breaks. I was on the verge of hysterics.

He shook his head as he got off the bed, hurriedly stepping into his boxers. "This is not what you think, honey. Please let me explain."

"Not what I think? What else could this possibly be, Liam!?" I screamed, a sharp pain piercing through my heart.

I walked into the room, fists clenched tight. My whole body vibrated, teeth chattering, heart pounding so loud it drowned out everything else. "You're cheating on me with my best friend, in the house that we bought to live together?" I sobbed uncontrollably as my heartbeat slowed down to an erratic beat.

I was standing here, thinking of the sacrifices I had made for this relationship. I had given up the tech offer from Boston, and this man dared to tell me it wasn't what I thought. What was I to think?

My legs shook, threatening to give out under me as I walked further into the room. "I gave up career offers, just so we could start a family together, and this is what I get in return?" I sobbed. He stared at me. Like he had lost the ability to speak.

"And you!" I screamed as I rounded on Madison, a wave of hatred sweeping through me. "All this while I complained to you about there being a bit of friction between Liam and me, you were screwing him!?"

"Wow. How gullible and stupid must I have looked to you both, huh?" Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably as I felt pain like I've never felt before.

"Oh please," Madison scoffed, her face transforming from surprise to spite before my very eyes. "Don't act like you don't know that Liam has only ever been with you because of your father's connections."

"Not the time, Madison." Liam snapped at her. I looked between them as a sinking feeling stirred in my stomach. My bowels could feel the weight of the words that had just hit me.

"What the fuck is she on about, Liam?"

Madison rolled her eyes. "Liam only proposed because he needed you to put in a good word for him to secure a grant from your father." And just like that, her words hit me like I had been tossed into an ice bath, sending shivers of dread down my spine. I couldn't believe what Madison was saying, but all of a sudden, it made sense.

For the last six months, Liam had grown obsessed with my dad's approval. Constantly pressing me to show him his 'business proposal', always asking if I'd mentioned it during dinner. If I'd talked about "how much potential" it had."

But how do I tell him that I thought his idea was terrible? That the budget didn't make sense and that his projections were delusional at best? That asking my father for that kind of money for a half-baked dream was like handing a toddler the keys to a Porsche.

Suddenly, the ring on my finger felt like a shackle.

Too heavy. Constricting. Tight.

Liam stepped forward, reaching for me, panic all over his face. "Baby, she's twisting things. That's not what this is." He rushed out frantically."I love you, Zoe. Don't let her poison you against me."

I blinked at him, stunned by the audacity. "You love me!? With your dick up my best friend's cunt?!" My fists clenched as my whole body vibrated with rage. "And now it's my fault for being poisoned?"

He flinched, as though realizing how stupid he must have sounded. "You're blowing this out of proportion," he added sharply, running a hand through his messy hair. "It was just a mistake..We were drunk and-"

"Drunk?" I cut in, laughing maniacally, tears still streaming down my face. "So that's your excuse for choking her while she screamed Daddy in the bed we picked out together?"

I looked between the two of them-him with his wild eyes and half-naked body, her curled under the sheets like a snake that got caught mid-slither, and suddenly I didn't feel like crying anymore. I felt done.

"I feel so disgusted that I might throw up all over you right now, Liam."

His eyes widened as he stared at me in trepidation.

I wrenched off the engagement ring from my finger. I had worn it with so much love and pride for the last nine months and tossed it at his feet.

"You should call your family and inform them that Madison will be taking my place next week. I am done!" I spat.

And with that, I turned and walked out the door, dropping the box of takeout and stepping over it as it spilled across the floor. Not sparing a glance back, even when Liam's panicked voice echoed after me.

"Zoe-Zoe, wait!"

Zoella's pov

The tequila was either working or plotting my death. Three shots in and I was 93% sure I could feel the lining of my stomach peeling, but I didn't care.

Everything was blurry in the best possible way.

I was swaying on the dance floor like a malfunctioning Roomba, my mascara already halfway down my cheeks. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a rational voice whispered, "Zo, maybe slow down a bit." But that voice sounded a lot like Liam, so I flipped it off and ordered another drink, downing it in one go.

To hell with him and to hell with Madison, too. May their genitals fall off and spontaneously combust.

I stumbled my way into the women's restroom like a heroic drunk pirate, gripping the wall for balance. The lighting was unreasonably bright. Like surgical-table bright.

My reflection in the mirror looked like a deranged raccoon who'd been through hell and then walked straight into Sephora.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall," I muttered to myself, squinting at my reflection. "Who's the dumbest bitch of them all?"

It had to be me, for not seeing through Madison's two-faced front all these years and Liam's selfish nature.

I bent over the sink dramatically, bracing myself like I was about to confess to murder. "Jesus take the wheel," I muttered.

"Girl, you good?"

A soft voice floated from one of the stalls. Then the door creaked open and out stepped a gorgeous girl in a skintight purple dress. Immediately raising a brow as she caught sight of my appearance.

I laughed hysterically, gesturing vaguely to my mascara disaster, my tequila breath, and the emotional earthquake happening in my soul. "Do I look good?"

She tilted her head, studying me. "Honestly? You look like you caught your man cheating and drank two shots to numb the pain."

My jaw dropped. "How the hell did you know that?"

She shrugged like it was the most casual psychic read ever. "You're the third crying girl I've seen tonight. It's always either a cheating man, a cancelled bachelorette trip, or someone realizing their ex got hot. I just picked the first option."

"Well," I hiccuped dramatically. Mine's the deluxe combo. Cheating fiancé. Best friend. My house. And get this-he didn't even use a condom."

"Ouch," she winced. "That's not heartbreak. That's a disaster."

"Right?" I clutched the edge of the sink like it was about to whisper advice to me. "I walked in holding takeout. Thai noodles are his favorite. You know how long the wait is for those?"

"Criminal," she said with a nod of solidarity.

"And the worst part?" I sniffled. "He said-he said she was better than me. Like, in the middle of the act. Just-ramming into her like a damn hyena and giving Yelp reviews."

"Noooo," she gasped. "Girl, no. Men don't deserve seasoning."

"I KNOW." I wiped my eyes with a paper towel. "And she was my best friend. We've been inseparable since middle school. We've braided each other's hair, got into trouble together. I helped her hide her chin filler. I took her to Planned Parenthood in my mom's car, for Christ's sake!"

"Okay, she's trash," the girl said, walking over and wrapping an arm around my shoulder like we'd known each other since birth. "What's your name?"

"Zoella."

"I'm Lani. And Zoella, you are hot, heartbroken, and entirely too pretty to be crying over a man who probably uses 3-in-1 shampoo."

I burst out laughing again, tears streaming, but happy ones this time. "He does. It's the worst-smelling bottle. It says shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. All in one!"

Lani made a choking noise. "Oh, honey, not the Holy Trinity of poor hygiene."

"I wasted six years on that man."

She handed me lip gloss like a ritual offering. "You know what we're gonna do?"

"What?"

"You're going to walk out of this bathroom with your boobs perked, your eyeliner fixed, and your ego fully reinstalled. Then you're going to dance like you don't even remember what his name was. And you're going to flirt with the first hottie that says hi."

I blinked at her. "You think I can still pull?"

She leaned in, reapplying the lipgloss like a seasoned war general prepping her soldier, after which she started dabbing at my smudged mascara. "You're gorgeous. Heartbreak just gave you main character energy."

And for the first time all night, I smiled without it hurting.

~~

Hours later, Lani and I were wasted beyond repair. I had learnt that she was a hairstylist and a single mom who owned a salon around the Bronx. We were currently on the dance floor, wedged between sweaty bodies, swaying our hips to the bass of the music, when I suddenly felt the need for another shot.

"I'll be right back!. Need to get some more shots!!" I screamed at Lani over the loud thumping music.

She gave me a thumbs up and a wide grin before turning back to the tall, dark guy that was currently slow rocking her to the lyrics of Harry Styles' "Cinema". I laughed softly as I made my way to the bar.

I leaned against the bar as it had personally offended me, squinting at the cocktail menu.

"Three tequila shots, please. Wait no. Two. I mean-three. I don't want to seem weak. Or maybe. Oh, I know. Do you have whiskey?" I paused, narrowing my eyes on the list again. "I feel like Whiskey girls don't get cheated on."

The bartender gave me a look that said you good, sweetheart? But before he could say anything, a deep voice slid in beside me, smooth, rich,h and dangerous."

"Whiskey girls definitely get cheated on," the stranger said.

I turned so fast and nearly knocked over my drink. He was tall, broad shoulders shoved into a fitted charcoalbutton-up with the sleeves rolled to the elbow,s revealing a flame tattoo that snaked up his arm. His jawline looked like it could cut diamonds. His dark hair was slightly curled, a stray strand falling across his forehead. And his eyes? The most sinful shade of green I had ever seen, and the way he looked at me? Please, no woman deserves to be looked at like that. Like he could consume you with one look. He looked older, probably late thirties,s almost forty?

"Well damn," I said, blinking hard. "If whiskey comes with this kind of conversation, pour me a double."

His mouth quirked slightly. "Do you always flirt this shamelessly with strangers?"

God, he was hot. I want to lick him up.

"Only on nights when I catch my fiancé playing scream my name with my best friend," I tipped back the shot, wincing as it scorched a trail down my throat. "Cheers to betrayal."

He blinked as he gave me an assessing look.

"I see. Rough night."

"You could say that." I reached for another shot. "Do you believe in karma?"

"I prefer calculated revenge."

That earned him a lopsided grin from me. "Are you single? Because you're hot."

He chuckled under his breath. A low, rough, and warm sound that instantly sent a jolt of electricity straight to my core.

"You're drunk," he said.

"I'm having fun," I countered.

He didn't respond right away. Just looked at me like I was a weird little riddle someone dared him to solve.

And the n because apparently I had no self-preservation left, I reached out and placed my hand on his solid, firm,m and sinful chest.

"If I kiss you right now," I asked, is that rebounding or reclaiming my worth?"

I saw the moment something flared in his eyes. Almost like lust? But just as soon as it appeared, it vanished as his fingers gently curled around my wrist, lifting my hand away. Not harsh but firm.

"Get some water, whiskey girl."

And then he turned and vanished into the crowd like some emotionallywell-adjustedd Greek god with perfect timing and zero interest in my spiraling life and flirtations.

"Buzzkill," I muttered, even though my heart was still thudding from the sheer force of his proximity.

~~~

Thirty minutes later, Lani and I stumbled outside, hands looped together, giggling like schoolgirls.

"Did you call a rideshare?"

I looked down at my phone, which was upside down. "Uh..yes. No. Wait. Yes."

I squinted at the screen. A black SUV. License plate something-something-7-9-4. I glanced up and spotted a black SUV with...blurry numbers. That had to be it, right?

"Bingo!" I chirped, pointing triumphantly.

Lani narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure you'll get home safe?"

"Yup. I'll be crashing in a hotel tonight."

She sighed as I stumbled towards the car. "Call me when you're safe in bed."

"I will. Good night, queen!"

I threw her a dramatic salute and yanked open the door,

climbing into the backseat with a groan.

"Jesus, can we go? I need a hot shower and a fluffy bed like...now."

And then, like some sick joke, I heard that voice.

Cool. Dry and annoyingly amused.

"Are you following me?"

My eyes flew open.

Oh no. Am I dreaming?

"Whiskey guy?!" I shrieked.

Julian's pov

"Whiskey guy?!"

She shrieked in that sultry voice of hers. The same voice that had almost made me rethink the idea of kissing her earlier in the club when she had asked me to.

She stared at me in shock. Her drunk brain is trying to process how she ended up in my car.

"What are you doing in my car?" I tilted my head, observing her through my rear-view mirror.

She blinked, disoriented, then gasped like she realized the gravity of her mistake.

"No No no no no. You can't be my driver. That's illegal. You're not allowed to be hot and drive."

I arched a brow, resting my palm on the steering wheel. "You're not allowed to hijack a stranger's car."

She bit her lip as she glanced down at her phone, her cognac colored eyes widening slightly. "Oh no. I got into the wrong car." She groaned as she looked up at me.

Her lips were plump and red, complete with a perfectly shaped cupid's bow.

As I watched her nibble on her lip, the insane urge to kiss her consumed me again, and instantly my dick hardened in response.

Who was this girl? And could she actually be following me?

She was beautiful, I couldn't deny that.

She had the kind of body that could bring a man to his knees. Full perky breasts, a slim waist, and the most perfect pair of legs I'd seen in a while.

I had noticed her the moment she stumbled onto the dance floor, half wild, half wrecked. She had moved like someone who wanted to forget something or someone.

Then she had flirted with me at the bar, and it had taken all of my willpower not to hoist her onto the bar and kiss those lips of hers, effectively ruining her for anyone else.

"Do you make it a habit of stumbling into different rideshares without checking the plates?"

"Only when emotionally devastated." She deadpanned. "And you didn't lock the door, so... that's on you."

She paused as though she suddenly remembered something."Oh my God, I guess this is why my motherused to pray so much. To protect me from something like this."

I couldn't help it, I laughed. Low. Rough and deep.

"So I'm the devil your mother warned you about?"

"It may seem like it." She eyed me skeptically.

I sighed. "You should get out and find your driver."

She met my gaze in the mirror, and in that moment, I could see the mischief in her eyes. "Or...you could take me somewhere."

I knew what she was asking. But I didn't want to entertain it...Not yet.

"Why don't I take you home? What's your address?"

She stiffened at the word Home. "Yeah, no thanks. My ex-fiancé and my ex-best friend are currently defiling my memory on those bedsheets. I'd rather die."

Jesus.

Typical case of a woman being cheated on.

"People betray. That's what they do. I learned that a long time ago." I responded.

I looked at her again, really looked this time.

Beneath the makeup, the sass, and the bad decisions, I could see the broken woman, the hurt woman, the angry woman.

"How long were you with him?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"Six years," she muttered, then sat back and folded her arms like the question itself cracked something open. "Six years, and he still cheated on me with someone who used to borrow my dresses."

"That's cold."

She looked away, but not before I saw the first tear slip down."It hurts. It hurts so much. I sacrificed a lot for Liam. Most especially my dreams. And he just... threw it all away."

"You know what." I begin "There's a hotel two blocks away. Let's get you a room for the night, and tomorrow, when you feel better, you can figure out the next step. Is that cool?"

She nodded as she wiped her eyes subtly.

I didn't know why I offered. Hell, I didn't know why I even cared. But I felt this sudden urge to protect her.

To get my hands on Liam and snap him in two.

Just as I made to drive, she spoke up.

"Wait!" she shrieked, then leaned forward, her arms braced between the seats. "Can I sit up front? I usually get carsick in the back."

I cocked a brow. I didn't believe her for a second. But I nodded anyway.

She immediately climbed over like she's done it a hundred times, pulling the seatbelt across her chest with a soft click.

The scent of her perfume hit me, and I became all too aware of how close she was. Too close. Too warm.. Too her.

"So," she said, turning towards me, her eyes glassy. "What's your name?"

"Julian."

"Julian," she repeated, like she was tasting it. "You sound like a man who ruins lives."

"I've been known to."

She tilted her head as she bit her lip. "Are you gonna ruin mine?"

My cock hardened in response.

"You don't know what you're asking for."

She studied me for a beat, then said, "I do. I want to sleep with you."

Everything inside me stilled.

"That's the tequila talking."

"No," she said. "The tequila helped me say it. But the part that wants you? That's been screaming since I saw you."

Fuck.

This girl had no idea what she was poking at.

"You don't want to sleep with me."

"I do," she insisted, her voice low and breathy. "And I'm not asking for forever. I want tonight. A moment to forget the hurt. Something that reminds me I'm not broken."

"I don't do pity fucks, Kitten. If you sleep with me, it's going to be because you want to remember every inch of me, not to forget some ex."

She swallowed as her eyes darted quickly to the tent that had now formed in my pants.

The air in the car thickened as the sexual tension and weight of unspoken things settled between us.

I should have said no.

I should have driven her to the hotel, handed her a key, and walked away.

But when I looked at her lips-bruised from her teeth, parted and waiting.

I forgot how to be good.

Just as I moved to shift the car into drive. My hand brushed against her thigh.