Page 110 of Double Daddies (Dirty Daddies Anthologies #8)

Chapter Two

Clay

Well, well, well.

Being summoned for chauffeur duty on his day off hadn’t pleased him, especially when he was in the middle of his workout, but he’d agreed as a favor to Evander. Now, it seemed that favor was paying off to his advantage.

Avery Morello was a pretty ray of sunshine on an already glorious day.

Long, dark-brown hair verging on black, twisted into a tidy braid that hung over her shoulder. A pair of the biggest, brownest eyes he’d ever seen set in a heart-shaped face with exquisite cheekbones and a jawline that was made for a man’s hand to cradle.

She wore a cream-colored blouse with small, delicate buttons that would take a man’s full attention and patience to undo without simply ripping it off her. The fabric clung to her breasts—full, heavy breasts that would fit his hands perfectly, he was sure.

Her pants were a softer shade of her hair color, highlighting the lovely curves of her hips and thighs. The material ended at the bottom of shapely calves, giving way to a pair of sedately heeled brown suede boots.

Short in stature but apparently not in brains, she was an appealing prospect.

“So,” he asked, setting the cart into motion and heading back the way he’d arrived, “are you new to Denver or a lifer?”

She glanced at him. “Born and raised in the Mile High City. You?”

“Recent implant. Moved here from Helena about six weeks ago.”

“Montana, huh? Did you get bored of horses and cows and decide BDSM was a better choice?”

“Well now, you’re assuming I’m a cowboy.” Clay spun the cart around the corner and drove it up the bumpy incline.

“Are you?”

“Yes’m. Until the day I die.” He grinned at her. “There ain’t nothing like the feel of a fiery mare underneath a man to make him appreciate life.”

The double entendre didn’t go amiss, he noted with amusement when she flushed pink. He found he enjoyed teasing her, bringing that touch of color to her cheeks. He was hoping she might stick around and give him the opportunity to play with her on a different level.

“On a serious note,” he continued, following the track back toward the club, “I loved my job. I worked hard, long hours, spent days in the saddle, nights under the stars. Froze my ass off in winter and burned it in summer. Worth it, every damn minute. But fate’s a fickle bitch and when she gives you a sign, you listen. ”

Avery shifted slightly in her seat. “What kind of sign?”

He grimaced, his body remembering the agony before his brain even brought up the memory.

“Mama cows ain’t something you deal with lightly, sweetling, especially with a newborn at foot.

It was my fault; I wasn’t paying close enough attention.

Caught up the calf to tag the little sucker and momma came at me like the goddamn devil’s bride. ”

“You were attacked by a cow?”

Clay chuckled and shook his head. “That bitch handed me my ass and then some. Picked me up and tossed me like a ragdoll ten feet away. Smashed up my right leg, dislocated my shoulder. Busted a few ribs and gave me a concussion. Few other bits and pieces, but long story short, she put an end to my cowboy days.”

Eyes wide enough to be chocolate moons, Avery gaped at him. “Did someone save you?”

He smiled sadly. Tokyo was gone now, his faithful mount dead and buried with a stone as his memorial.

“My horse. He kept the cow off me, chased her and the calf away, then stayed with me until help came. Luckily, my boss knew what I was doing and where, so when I didn’t come back after a couple hours, he sent some of the hands out to find me. ”

“Your horse fought a cow?” she asked dubiously.

“Stock horses are a lot different from your show ponies, sweetling. Generations of blood and breeding make them into machines, their instincts completely natural. They’re a dream to ride, and when they’re your best and only friend out on the trail, completely invaluable.

” But he didn’t want to bore her with tales of the ranch life.

He was a lot more interested in how she’d come to be here. “What about you?”

“Yeah… no. Two legs are clumsy enough for me, thanks.”

“Don’t know what you’re missing,” he told her. “Besides, that wasn’t what I was asking.”

“I know.” She sighed and slanted him a look. “The honest truth? I walked in on my boyfriend cheating on me, kicked his ass out, got drunk, and blindly applied for a job in a place I’m not even sure I belong.”

His eyebrow lifted. “He cheated on you? Was he blind or just stupider than a rock?”

Avery laughed but it wasn’t a happy sound. “I’ve come to realize he was just using me as a free ride through this period of his life. He mistook me for a doormat, I guess.”

“Gonna take a stab in the dark here and say it was pretty recent?”

“Friday.”

Clay hit the brakes, turning in his seat to stare at her. “Are we your rebound interview, Avery?”

She blinked at him slowly, uncertainty in those wonderfully dark eyes, then her lips twitched. Her laugh was freer, more genuine this time. “I’m afraid so. Maybe this is just a fling, who knows?”

“You’ll be just fine, sweetling,” he promised, inwardly rolling his eyes at the idiocy of the guy who let her get away.

“The grass is always greener on the other side for some guys. If he couldn’t keep his dick in his pants, he didn’t deserve you.

Now, tell me why you think you don’t belong here. Not a kinky bone in your body?”

“I-I don’t know. I’ve never… this is all new to me.”

Clay hid his wince. That might not bode well in her favor; most of the staff at Serenity had some degree of lifestyle experience. “Hmmm. So why Serenity?”

She lifted her hands in an uncertain gesture. “It’s stupid.”

“Not to me. There’s a reason you came here.” Because he was aware of the time still ticking past despite his fascination with her, he put the cart in motion again.

Her shoulders slumped slightly. “I collect SquishMallows.”

Squishmallows? “Stuffies?”

Avery nodded, her cheeks flushing. “I love them. Play with them, talk to them. They’re my best friends. I like watching cartoons. Coloring books, Play-Doh, silly things.”

He knew where this was heading and he was doubly pleased he hadn’t blown off Evander’s request.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m not me. Not adult me but a younger, more frivolous me.

Adam hated it, he wanted me to get therapy.

Sometimes I just want to throw things and have a tantrum, or curl up in the middle of the day and nap.

” The frustration in her voice was evident. “I don’t understand why I’m like this.”

“Sweetling, you need a Daddy.”

She didn’t look convinced. “I suppose that’s why I’m here.

I got drunk and started searching for answers.

The psychology websites label it as so many different things, but BDSM…

it seemed less judgmental. The Serenity website lured me in and the next thing I knew…

” She started to play with her braid. “I had an email inviting me to an interview.”

“Maybe fate has her reasons for sending you here.”

“You’re a big believer in fate, huh?”

“I believe that there are forces outside of our control that have their hands on the strings of our lives. Guiding us where we need to be when we need to be there, steering us in the wrong direction when we need to grow and find strength.” He lifted a shoulder when she frowned at him.

“We all need strife and conflict, Avery. It’s how we learn to tap into our inner strength when life challenges us. ”

“Are you a spiritualist?”

Clay mulled that over for a moment, slowing down as they approached the last turns on the track before the club came into view.

“I think when you spend as much time as I have staring up into the night sky counting the stars or riding in the open country on a scorching hot day and being kissed by a breeze that shouldn’t be there, you gain an appreciation for what might exist where we can’t see it. ”

“That’s deep,” she murmured.

“What can I say? I’m a deep guy. Unplumbed depths and unlimited potential.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Master of all trades.”

“Yet you were drafted for babysitting duties?”

He laughed. “I’m not complaining. Not today, anyway.

” He winked at her, bringing that beautiful flush back again.

He enjoyed the way her body communicated so openly.

“The club is semi-closed at the moment while some groundworks are underway. Guests are welcome if they want to brave the disruption, but it’s a lot quieter than usual right now.

A lot of staff have taken the opportunity for a quick vacation. ”

“Is that why there’s a whole slew of vacancies on the website?”

“No. The club is expanding. Evander’s adding more cabins and guest accommodations.

Both he and his husband have rigidly high standards when it comes to Serenity, hence more hiring across the board.

” The cart climbed over the final peak of the track; he stopped and perused the view with pride, even though he hadn’t had a hand in building it.

But to be part of it, to now call it home, was definitely something he appreciated.

“There it is. Home, playground, safe space. Anything and everything you need it to be.”

The soft sound she made in her throat piqued his interest.

What other noises could she be persuaded to let loose with the right incentive?

“I… wow.”

“It’s something, all right,” he drawled.

Without taking her eyes off the sprawling maze of rustic wooden buildings in front of them, Avery murmured, “You’ve been here six weeks? How do you… Is it…”