Page 9 of Paying Daddy's Debt Collector

Realizing Sarah’s still here, I reach into my pocket and pull out a money clip stuffed with one hundred dollar bills. I remove two of the bills and hand them to her. “Here you go.”

“Thank you, boss. It’s a pleasure.” She takes the money and leaves.

Just like every single time when it’s just me and Cassidy, something shifts. I know she feels it too because I heard her breath hitch when I touched her shoulders last night. I affect her the same way she affects me, which is good. Very good.

“What should I be doing now? It’s too early to feed the dogs, right?”

“Get your cat taken care of, then meet me outside for lunch.”

I honestly prefer to have her for lunch, but that can wait. Won’t be too long now.

* * *

I’m seatedat a table on the patio, having a glass of wine when Cassidy comes out. The midday sun is hanging high in the sky, but I welcome the heat. “Lunch will arrive shortly. Would you like some wine?”

“I’m not really old enough.”

“How old are you?”

“Nineteen. Almost twenty.”

I shake my head and pour her a glass. “You’re old enough to drink here. I promise I won’t tell.”

“How old are you?”

“Why? Do I look too young to drink?”

She laughs, eyes crinkling at the corners, and the sound cracks my chest open. It’s a foregone conclusion that she’s it for me. Thing is, at this moment, I’m flooded by visions of days like this—days when the only thing that matters is her happiness. “No, I just wondered, that’s all.”

“I’m thirty-seven.”

“Oh, wow.”

“What does that mean?” I shoot her a glance that makes her squirm in her seat. Is our age gap a big deal for her? Because that’s something we both have no control over.

“I thought you were younger. You look younger.”

I lean across the table and squeeze her hand. “Are you disappointed?”

She sucks in a sharp breath as she gawks at our hands. I don’t let go. Instead, I draw circles on her knuckles with my thumb. Her eyes flutter, and she can’t seem to get her words out. “D-disappointed? Why would… I mean, no… I…”

“You need to relax, little girl. It was a joke.”

“Oh, sorry.” She’s out of breath, chewing on her bottom lip and tucking a strand of stray hair behind her ear, her other hand trembling.

“I’m sure you must be confused about your current situation. Do you want to ask me anything?”

“Yes, actually. I was wondering what you plan to do with me.”

Now there’s a question. What I want to do with her is simple—make her writhe under me until she’s whimpering, her body quivering in pleasure. I won’t stop until she screams my name. “I told you. You’re here to take care of the dogs. The housekeeper is afraid of them, and I work long hours. They need care and attention.”

“But I can’t just do that forever, right?”

“Forever?”

“Yes. You traded my father’s debt for me, right?”

“No. Your father still has to pay. He traded you for an extension.”