My Own Daddy (Daddy Series Book 1) Read online

  EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2020 Lila Fox

  ISBN: 978-0-3695-0139-4

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Audrey Bobak

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  I want to dedicate this first book of mine to my family who puts up with my late nights and distracted ADHD personality. I love you guys.

  MY OWN DADDY

  Daddy Series, 1

  Lila Fox

  Copyright © 2020

  Chapter One

  When his limo came around a corner, Darian caught sight of something that stopped his heart. A young woman stood surrounded by three guys. Right away, he could tell the girl was drunk, confused, and terrified.

  “Hicks, stop the car!” Darian yelled and jumped out before it came to a full stop. He spun the first man around and shoved his knee into his groin, effectively taking care of him. His right hook flattened the next guy. The last guy yelled and ran, leaving his injured friends behind to wither on the sidewalk.

  Darian pointed to the men on the ground. “Watch them while I get her taken care of.”

  Hicks had come around the car with a tire iron as backup. He nodded and slammed the metal against his palm in a threatening manner.

  Darian made it to the girl as her legs gave out. “I’ve got you.”

  She stared up at the stranger as she seemed to try to understand what just happened. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Darian, baby. You’re safe with me. Just relax.”

  “I didn’t mean it,” she whimpered and laid her head on his chest. “I don’t want to cause problems.”

  Darian kept his arms around her and pulled her tighter against him. “You didn’t do anything wrong, love.”

  She nodded. “I did. I always do.”

  He nuzzled the side of her head and looked up as two girls came racing around the corner.

  “Jesus, Larkin, you almost gave us a heart attack,” one of the women said.

  The other one caught sight of the men on the ground and pressed a hand to her mouth. “Oh, my God. What happened?”

  “Three men were accosting your friend here.”

  “Oh, God, Larkin.” The tall one gasped.

  Darian narrowed his eyes. “Where were you guys?”

  Both women turned red at the accusing expression on his face. The shorter one cleared her throat. “We were in the bar around the corner. We turned around for a second, and she was gone. The minute we saw that, we raced through the bar and then out here when we couldn’t find her.”

  “So, you’re her friends?” Darian asked and raised a single eyebrow.

  The tall one crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, I mean, we haven’t known each other long, but we met when she started working with us.”

  “What are your names?”

  “I’m Monica,” the tall one said. “This is Laura, and you’re holding Larkin.”

  “I’ll need your phone numbers, and I’ll give you my information and have her call you in the morning.”

  “Wait! What?” Laura burst out. “You can’t take her. We’ll take care of her.”

  Darian shook his head. “From the way you look, you both have had a few drinks. Correct?”

  Both women nodded.

  “She is highly intoxicated and should be watched all night. Are you going to be able to stay awake and take care of her?”

  Both women glanced at each other. “She’s only had a few beers. We didn’t know she’d react to alcohol like this.”

  “Now that you see it does, how would you handle the situation?” he asked Monica.

  “We’ll call someone to come over,” Monica said.

  Darian looked over his shoulder. “Hicks, will you get a business card for them and write my number on it?”

  Hicks nodded and took a look at the men on the ground, as though making sure they couldn’t cause trouble. “Yes, sir.” Within a minute, the driver handed Monica the card.

  “That has all my information…”

  Laura shook her head and started to take a step toward them but stopped at the look in his eyes. “Listen, we can’t let you take our friend. We don’t know if you’re a good guy.”

  Darian sighed. He commended them for fighting for her, but he just wanted to get her home. “What would ease your minds?”

  Monica looked at Laura then back at him. “For starters, someone to confirm who you are.”

  “Hicks, will you go into the bar they were in and have the manager come out?”

  “Sure thing.” His driver disappeared around the corner.

  Darian took more of her weight when her legs wouldn’t stop shaking and he had a hard time holding herself up.

  “Are you sure she’s only had a few beers? Is there a chance someone slid something into her glass?”

  Laura shook her head. “No chance. We don’t trust anyone but each other, so we pay close attention to the people around us.”

  “It could have been the bartender,” he suggested.

  Monica shook her head. “We only order bottles of beer, and we have our own bottle opener. A friend of ours was drugged a few years ago, so we’re cautious.”

  Darian nodded. “Why do you think she’s like this now?”

  “She never drinks. We told her she didn’t have to drink to come with us,” Monica explained. “But she said she wanted off the porch for once.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” he asked in frustration.

  “It’s a saying. If you can’t play with the big dogs, stay on the porch with the puppies,” Laura explained.

  Darian closed his eyes. He started to ask something else, but Hicks had brought back another guy.

  “Boss, this is Danner. He’s the manager.” Hicks turned to Danner. “Do you know who this is?”

  Darian knew the answer when the man’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open.

  “Mr. Marsh.”

  “Is he a good guy?” Laura asked Danner.

  Danner nodded. “Oh, yeah. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of him before. He owns a lot of businesses in town.”

  “Like what?” Monica asked, seeming curious.

  “He owns the whole Stapleton Building, for starters.”

  “I’m not the only one that owns it,” Darian said. “I have some friends who are involved with several of my ventures.”

  “I’m dizzy,” Larkin murmured against Darian’s chest.

  “Do you have everything you need? Because she’s going to pass out here pretty soon,” Darian said.

  Monica and Laura nodded.

  “Where will she be?” Laura asked.

  “My condo in town. The address is on the card. I don’t think it would be a good idea to have her in the car for as long as it would take to get to the house.”

  “If you want us to come get her, call,” Monica said.

  Darian bent his knees and lifted Larkin into his arms. “I doubt I’ll be calling, but I’ll have her call in the morning, so you don’t worry.”

  Hicks opened the back door of the limo. “What do you want done with those two?” Hicks indicated the men on the ground.

  Darian turned to look down at the pathetic men he’d laid out. “Nothing,” h
e said before he ducked into the car. He arranged Larkin in his lap, so her head was on his chest and her legs were stretched out over the padded seat. He was vaguely aware of the three sets of eyes watching him from the sidewalk. “Get us to the building. I can guarantee she’s going to be sick.”

  “Poor girl,” Hicks whispered as he pulled into the street.

  “We’ll take care of her.” Darian smoothed her hair from her face. She was a beautiful woman. He loved how she curled herself around him and lay against him so trustingly. He knew she was drunk, but the way she had looked at him made his stomach tighten with desire.

  Chapter Two

  One moment, Larkin was getting some fresh air, and the next, she was surrounded by three men and terrified.

  She felt so stupid, putting herself in this position. She’d only had a few beers, but she hadn’t eaten all day, and she knew she was a lightweight.

  “No, please, just leave me alone,” she cried out. She was confused about how she got outside and why the men were touching her.

  “Awww, come on, sweetheart. We just wanna help you.”

  She shook her head. Even though she felt woozy, she instinctively knew they were out to harm her.

  She struggled to get away from them, crying and trying to scream, but she couldn’t seem to get it out through her fear-induced restricted airway. Her body jerked to the side when one of the men went to the ground, and another one cried out and was gone from her side. Strong arms caught her before she collapsed on the ground.

  The scent of the man was the first thing she noticed. Then strong arms held her against his chest, making her feel safe for the first time since … ever.

  She felt like she was going in and out of consciousness. Different voices and sounds came but her focus stayed on the man and trying to remain on her feet.

  Finally, she was able to sit down, or rather lay, in the back seat of a large vehicle.

  Larkin cuddled up against the hardest but warmest thing she’d ever felt. She knew it was a man, one she didn’t know. While she should have felt some concern over the fact they were alone, she’d never felt safer in her life.

  She was jostled a bit when he lifted her out of the car and into his arms. Her head twirled and her stomach twisted. Resting against him and curling her around his neck, she knew instinctively he’d take care of her.

  ****

  “Where are we?” she murmured against his neck. “Mmmm, you smell good.”

  Darian rolled his eyes as he got them on the elevator and put in his code for the penthouse. “You smell good too, baby.”

  She tilted her limp head back to look up at him. “Do I smell like sex?”

  Darian’s head jerked back, and he frowned. “What?” he barked.

  “The girls put some perfume on me and said now I’d smell like sex and finally get a man to pop my cherry.”

  Darian wanted to roar as a streak of anger raced through him. He hated that her friends would make so little of her virginity. He closed his eyes for a moment to calm down, so he wouldn’t scare her. “Why do they want you to get rid of your virginity?”

  “Because I’m twenty-three, and I’ve got to open myself up to new experiences, even if I don’t want too, they said.”

  Darian stepped into the foyer of his condo and made his way to his bedroom. “Why do you have to change yourself? I think you’re perfect just the way you are.”

  A sleepy grin crossed her face. “You don’t know me yet. I’m a hot mess.”

  Darian placed her on her back on the bed and slid off her shoes. “Who told you that?”

  Larkin threw her arms out to her sides. “So many people, I can’t remember all of them.”

  “Why, love?” he asked.

  “Because I seem to be unable to grow up.”

  He saw the tears in her eyes.

  “How did you determine what a grown-up is?”

  Larkin reached for him and just about smacked him in the face.

  Darian jerked his head back and grabbed onto her hand. “Answer me,” he said gently.

  “I can’t…”

  “Why the hell not?” he asked.

  She struggled to sit up and then stand, covering her mouth with her hand.

  “Shit, baby.” He raced her into the bathroom, thankful they’d just made it. He pulled back her hair to keep it out of the toilet and reached for a washcloth.

  Larkin sagged against the toilet when her bout of vomiting was over. “I don’t like this,” she confessed.

  Darian smiled sympathetically. “I know, baby. It won’t happen again if I have anything to say about it.”

  She nodded tiredly with her eyes closed.

  He stood her at the sink and handed her a few capfuls of mouthwash.

  She rinsed her mouth out thoroughly. “I hate the taste of puke.” She scrunched up her nose.

  Darian grinned, flushed the toilet, closed the lid, and sat her on top. “Are you steady so I can start the shower?”

  Instead of answering, Larkin leaned over toward the counter, put her arm on top, and laid her head on her elbow. “Who’s taking a shower?”

  He grinned. “We both are. You have vomit in your hair and down your dress.”

  Darian quickly turned on the shower and shed all his clothes except for his boxers. He then started on her clothes, which didn’t consist of much. The dress she wore was slinky and red and hit several inches above her knees. After he pulled that off, she was down to barely-there panties.

  His eyes scanned over her. She was perfection. She wasn’t stick-thin but had nice, rounded hips, a tiny waist, and her breasts, he predicted, were a handful for him but looked firm.

  Darian gritted his teeth as he felt a drop of sweat roll down his back. “Let’s get you in the shower, and we’ll get that vomit out of your hair.”

  She raised her arms to him with a trusting look in her expression that made his heart swell. He lifted her effortlessly and stepped into the shower.

  First, he washed her hair with the shampoo and conditioner he used. He knew she probably needed more product, but that was all he had on hand. It hadn’t been easy, but he washed her thoroughly while holding her up with a hand on her arm.

  As he turned off the water, she started to sway. He quickly wrapped a towel around her and sat her back on the toilet lid again. He grabbed another towel and squeezed the moisture out of her hair.

  Darian tossed the towel and picked her up when her eyes started to droop. He deemed her hair was dry enough. It would take several more minutes with a blow-dryer to get her thick hair dry, but she didn’t seem to have the energy.

  He set her on the bed. Then he whipped the comforter and blanket to the side and slid her in. After he quickly changed out of his wet boxers, he put dry ones on, sat beside her hips with one of his shirts, and managed to get her into it and close several buttons.

  She was out. He knew it was for the best. She needed her sleep, but he had so many questions he wanted to ask her. Being patient was something he wasn’t familiar with, but he’d have to wait.

  He turned off the lights except for the ones in the bathrooms. That way, he could see her, and if she woke up, she wouldn’t be so disoriented.

  A long hour later, Darian still had her tucked against his side and was staring up at the ceiling. His mind whipped from one scenario to another, but they all had to do with keeping her. He’d looked for someone like her for years. He thought it a bit ironic that she would practically fall into his lap when he had pretty much given up finding her.

  Darian still had several questions before he would make any definite plans.

  In the meantime, he’d hold her close and enjoy the warmth and the silkiness of her skin.

  Chapter Three

  Larkin awoke when the first rays of sun crept through the drapes. She squinted at the brightness and tried to shield her eyes. She raised a hand to her achy head and pressed on her temple, where it throbbed. Why does my head hurt so much?

  The first thing she noti
ced was the different colors of the walls. In her apartment, the paint was an off-white, but it just looked dirty to her. Wherever she was, the walls were a soft blue-gray, and she liked it better.

  The next thing she noticed was that she was draped over a warm, muscular body. The hair on his chest told her it was male, and she didn’t know if she should feel relieved or not. She carefully scooted herself up and looked down at the man.

  He was very handsome. His features were even, and she admired how square his jaw was. He had a dark complexion, like he was Italian or Mexican. It was hard to tell. She wanted to see what color eyes he had, but then he’d have to be awake, and she wasn’t sure she wanted that.

  She watched his chest rise and fall as he slept deeply. She didn’t know what the protocol was for the morning after. It didn’t matter if she didn’t remember the night before very well. Deciding her best bet was grabbing her clothes, she slipped out before he awoke.

  Larkin slid carefully out from under his arm. She tiptoed to the bathroom and closed the door. Then she took off the man’s shirt, startled that she was naked, although she figured if she was in a man’s bed, they’d probably had sex. She looked in the mirror, thinking she’d feel or look different and was disappointed when she looked the same.

  She pulled on the dress she’d worn the night before, wrinkling her nose at the smell. Then she put the man’s shirt back on and tied it in a knot at her waist. She knew it was probably considered stealing, but she didn’t want to go out in the street in just her dress.

  She quietly opened the bathroom door and spied her shoes by the bed. After she snatched up, she found her way through the large condo to the elevator. She knew right away she’d have to have a code to use the elevator, so she looked around for the stairs.

  Larkin found them behind a door that she hadn’t caught it because it blended into the wall. She held tight to the stair rail with both hands and took one step at a time, letting her shoes bang against the metal. She knew not to put on her shoes because she was still unsteady and would most likely break her neck.