“Then I should warn you. It’s not just me who is unhappy. Ridley, Hadley, all of them—they’re all going to quit the team. So get ready. You might be spending a lot of money only to be forcing the coach to assemble a whole new varsity team.”
He stares at me for a moment and then a laugh bubbles up. “That’s adorable.”
I shake my head. “I’m dead serious. We’re all quitting. Even Addie, my perfect, compliant best friend. I was just texting her the news before you stopped me on the road. We’re all in. It’s going to be a bloodbath, Mr. Rushmore.”
I don’t know what I did, but something I said makes him bite and then moisten his lips. The brief glimpse of his tongue gives me a shiver. I know what he wants to do with that tongue. Things I’ve never done before. My breathing becomes shallow.
His eyes land on my mouth, and he sort of squints like he’s trying to figure something out. His deepening crow’s feet cause a damp heat to pool in my undies.
“They can try. I won’t let that happen,” he says, offering that familiar regal, satisfied smirk.
“How are you going to do that?”
His smirk turns to a real smile. “You’ve never had a rich relative threaten to cut up your credit cards, have you?” He appears impressed with how not spoiled I am.
“Is it really that easy with Ridley? Can she so easily be bought?” I ask, immediately regretting the question, as his face darkens.
“Sadly, yes. And that’s my fault.” He grinds his jaw. “It’s something we’ve been working on as a family.”
Mr. Rushmore doesn’t realize it, but this
small insight might have just won me over. While his eyes are fixed on something off in the distance, I remove my ball cap and sunglasses.
“What’s your first name? Or should I call you Daddy? Or sir?”
He glowers. “I told you, I’m not your sugar daddy. It’s beneath me. You may call me by my given name, Anthony, when we’re alone together, if you must. But everyone simply calls me Rushmore. Maintains my persona.”
This guy might be an uber powerful executive who sends people cowering under his haughty gaze. But here, with me? He has no idea how fucking adorably dorky he is. I’m officially sold on older men. Well, I’m sold on this particular older man.
I lean over and plant a delicate kiss on his stubbled cheek. “Anthony,” I whisper. He inhales sharply at the touch of my lips. The leather and fresh linen scent of his skin urges me to take more.
The whiskers are rough but nice. I can’t help but think of how they might feel rubbing this way and that over the skin of my neck, my chest, my breast…and my untouched pussy. Oh, jeez. Slow down, girl.
“Thank you,” I murmur against his cheek.
Surprised, he turns to me, his brows knitted together.
“What was that for?”
I reply, “For letting me see the human behind the persona.”
12
Rushmore
When Hunter unexpectedly kissed my cheek, I felt a white-hot urge to bring her close to me. I could have driven her somewhere, anywhere.
But I left her street feeling empty.
It feels off, leaving any space between us at all.
My first order of business is to phone Weston Ford and tell him as my gift to him and the team, he can choose swim uniforms and whatever gear he needs, and send the bill to my assistant.
My second order of business is more of a weapon: the parent group email. With just a few clicks, I email every swim team parent with the good news about Weston Ford. I also address the rumors of a walk out being instigated by my own flesh and blood.
I can’t tell you what to do, but I'll tell you how I’m handling it. Ridley won’t like the idea of having her credit cards cut up.
I mute the replying emails. The last thing I wanted was to get caught up in a massive group email back and forth. I prefer to drop bombs and leave the scene.