Delicious Daddy Read online

  Delicious Daddy

  A DILF For Father’s Day

  #1

  by

  Barbra Campbell

  Copyright © 2020 Barbra Campbell

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction.

  Cover design by Hans Campbell

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  https://BarbraCampbell.com

  Chapter 1

  Dalilah

  I stayed up to welcome the guest who’d booked a last-minute reservation, arriving late and leaving early. He hadn’t clicked the boxes for dinner, breakfast, or snack. I was nothing more than a warm bed. Lucky for him the scheduled guest had canceled.

  If I didn’t stay up, I might not even see him and there was something odd about that.

  But I wasn’t a night owl.

  The sound of my front door opening and someone entering the house woke me from where I’d dozed off on the couch. I rubbed my eyes, scrambled to my feet, and ran my fingers through my hair. Facing the doorway, I wasn’t met with the usual short-term visitor, an exhausted businessman who’d left his tie draped around his neck. Instead, shorts and a tank top only partially covered the weary traveler.

  My mouth hung open while I sorted out whether my dream brain remained in control. The guy was buff, really buff, tanned, and would have been a perfect opportunity for a fun evening. But what I’d thought was a smile at first changed to a grumpy expression as my sleep fog lifted.

  “Hi, I’m Dalilah. You must be Jasper.” I extended my hand and approached.

  He studied the gesture before accepting, only allowing contact for half a pump as if it put him out. “It’s been a long day, point me to my room.” His body language held more than fatigue.

  But it wasn’t my place to solve his problems. I walked him to the room, pointing out the bathroom with towels set out.

  “Thanks.” He disappeared into his room and closed the door.

  I stared at the light blue paint on the old wooden door and wished there was more I could do. Shaking off the desire to help him, I headed back to the living room to turn the TV off. A news story about the pandemic caught my attention. The virus was pretty contagious from what I’d heard.

  Resort towns with swarms of people coming and going were serving as breeding grounds. A few hotels in nearby Powder Valley were identified as having guests with the virus. That had to be the kiss of death for reservations, but guest safety had to be a priority.

  I glanced down the hallway. Hopefully my guy wasn’t going to have any lingering effects.

  I’d have to keep my place clean. My bed and breakfast was my sole source of income and was popular with the people who wanted to hang out in Powder Valley without paying the usual high prices. A free shuttle ran from my little town of Heartwood Springs to the big resort.

  The TV warned that the governor was going to provide a list of safety guidelines in the morning. I opened my phone and tried to find any hint of what he was going to propose. Nothing.

  Jasper’s door clicked open and shut. A pang of excitement gave me hope he was in the mood for company. The click of the bathroom door put the pang back in its place. Messing around with tourists, or worse, people passing through on their way to better things, was a strict no.

  Was Jasper naked? Showering? Water running over what had to be expertly sculpted pecs and arms? What was wrong with me?

  The only reason I existed was because some tourist thought it would be fun to live out a French maid fantasy with my mom. I learned the hard way. Growing up with a single mom who worked a minimum wage job cleaning hotel rooms for millionaires had made it clear enough that fantasies never took the long run into consideration.

  Between the virus, Eye-Candy Jasper, and my inability to make my thoughts behave, I’d never get to sleep. Pouring a glass of milk, I flopped onto a stool at the island in my kitchen. If milk didn’t help me fall asleep, I would have skipped it altogether. I opened my meditation app, dropped my head onto my folded arms, and followed the guide until it faded into soothing music.

  “Sorry, I’m getting water.” Jasper’s voice pulled me out of the meditation, or sleep, I wasn’t sure which. His voice was calmer, richer, less drained than before.

  I pressed the pause button considering if I should take his cue from earlier and retreat to my room so he didn’t have to deal with me, but curiosity won out. Chest muscles strained against his tank top, and athletic shorts rode low on his hips. Way too much of his perfect body was exposed for me to walk away. “Make yourself at home. And I’ll be happy to cook you something.”

  He filled a water bottle. “I have a cooler in the car, ate on the road. I’m glad this place is as quiet as your profile says.”

  I patted the countertop. “If you want to vent, I don’t have anywhere else to be.”

  He glanced from my hand to my face and gave me a small smile, hesitating until a ding from his phone grabbed his attention. He sent a quick text response then sat at the other end of the island. “You have kids?”

  “No, not a chance. I’ve seen what a hassle they can be. It’s just me and my tiny slice of heaven.” What the hell? Was I subconsciously trying to tell him I was alone? Good thing he was only staying one night. And what was up with his eyes? They seemed gray but with each second I stared into them, I picked up on blue, green, and brown. I had to stop staring. I nodded to the living room for a distraction and grabbed my milk. “News is on, want to watch?”

  “Sure, maybe they’ll have something on the rockslide that shut the highway down, kept me from getting to my… to Powder Valley on time.”

  The quick regrouping struck me as weird. What could he have to hide? A mistress? Thankfully he was taking a seat across the room and hadn’t noticed me fighting back a smile.

  The streak of commercials made it particularly ridiculous for me to watch TV while I could clearly tell in my peripheral vision that he was looking at me.

  I glanced sideways then darted my gaze back to the TV when I confirmed he was indeed staring. He must have been embarrassed because he took a long drink.

  The heaviness in his eyes hung with me though. Not every day a guy looked at me like he saw something deeper. Something beyond a pretty face.

  His phone dinged several times in a row. He responded, tossed it on the coffee table, and excused himself.

  He’d taken his water bottle to the kitchen and I could hear the water running when his phone dinged again and the screen lit up. Not sure what I was hoping to find, I walked over and read the portion of the message on the screen from someone named Sylvia: really wish you could have made it…

  Another ding. Sylvia again: somebody was really hoping to see…

  Guilt ripped through me. I lunged back to my seat. I’d never remotely considered snooping through a guest’s belongings. The sooner he left the better. Picking up my half-full cup of milk, I called out, “I’m heading to bed. Turn the TV off when you’re done.”

  Chapter 2

  Jasper

  I’d been on the road for two days and slept soundly at Dalilah’s bed and breakfast, but still woke up at the crack of dawn. The sooner I got on the road, the sooner I could see my daughter. She was the best thing in my life but since my ex-wife moved, I only saw her over the summer and alternate holidays.

  The damn rockslide the day before had set me back, bumping my ETA to hours after Cora’s bedtime. My ex was strict about bedtimes and had insisted it was no trouble if I waited until morning. No problem for her.

  Not wanting to miss another minute with Cora, I jumped into my car. I’d sent a text telling my ex what time I’d get there.

  The only bummer to my morning was that Dalilah wasn’t up yet. I’d hoped t
o see her before I left. Another groggy smile would have been the perfect start to my day. And I would have loved to find out if a different outfit did any better job of hiding her tempting curves. I already suspected that was impossible. But I truly craved more of her cute professionalism. And as much as I’d wanted to leave a note for her, it seemed weird. Once I got settled with my kiddo, I could contact her online, or leave a glowing review. The problem was, everything I wanted to say felt like overkill.

  My stay had lasted less than eight hours, yet I’d been captivated. But every time my mind tried to revisit how much I was drawn to her, I recalled her mini-rant about how much she didn’t want kids. And as I watched the mountains pass, I reminded myself I lived on the ocean, hours away.

  Convincing myself that it was useless to get worked up over her, I thought about the amazing reviews her bed and breakfast had. She made everyone feel important. But the few seconds I’d seen her sleeping when I walked in had made my heart happy, like I was coming home and could scoop my lover up, and kiss her forehead before carrying her to bed.

  Police lights and brake lights on a short line of cars cautioned me to stop. How often did rockslides close the highway?

  The front car drove past the police barricade but the next car turned into the median and headed back where we’d come from. No traffic was coming from the other direction. Was I going to load up a four-year-old only to sit in traffic?

  The next three cars turned around instead of progressing through the blockade. What magical statement would let me pass?

  I rolled my window down when I pulled up to the officer and was surprised by the distance he kept from my car. “Hello officer, just picking up my daughter.”

  “Which town are you headed to?”

  “Powder Valley. Right there.” I pointed at the buildings at the next exit.

  “Do you live there?”

  “No, I drove in from California.”

  The officer exhaled and his shoulders slumped before he pursed his lips. Was he considering which way to send me? “Sorry, the governor ordered resort towns closed. No one in or out unless it’s an emergency.”

  I hadn’t paid much attention to news about the virus. How bad had it gotten? I’d been working overtime to make up for taking time off to enjoy my daughter. And when I’d been at my computer, I’d been researching fun things to do with four-year-olds. “It’s my daughter. I haven’t seen her in five months. The summer’s the only time I get to spend more than a week with her.”

  “Is she with someone trustworthy?” The officer’s sunglasses kept me from reading his expression.

  My knuckles blanched while I strangled the steering wheel. Getting upset wouldn’t help. “Yes sir, she’s only four. She’s with my ex-wife.”

  “Then you’ll have to turn around.” A shake of his head and a finger motioning to the spot I’d seen other cars use came with his disappointing words.

  I ran my hands over my face. If I lied and said my ex wasn’t trustworthy, I’d be an ass for leaving our daughter with her. And this was her town, I didn’t want to make trouble for the mother of my kid. There had to be a workaround. “She doesn’t have childcare planned. She keeps her during the school year for pre-school. I keep her during the summer.”

  The officer stepped backward and clenched his jaw. “It’s not up to me. The virus is spreading rapidly in Powder Valley. They’ve also tracked pockets of it being transferred to other areas when tourists return home. No one’s sure how long the quarantine will last but it’s only in place to slow down the spread. Try to find somewhere to stay, ride it out a few days, maybe a week, and watch the news. It’ll keep you posted.”

  I forced a laugh to hide the weight of the world settling on me. “She’s my kid.”

  “And she’s with her mom. The governor’s orders are clear. I can’t let you in, for your own safety. I can’t let your daughter out for the safety of everyone else.” He crossed his arms and nodded toward the turnaround.

  I stared ahead at Powder Valley. A quarantine? My chest tightened. Had America ever had a quarantine before? Was it legal? My mind raced through history classes that had never grabbed my full attention. Sure there had been dangerous viruses in the past but couldn’t our medical system handle it better than in the 1800’s or whenever the plagues happened?

  What if Cora got sick? If the government was forcing entire towns to close, how dangerous was it? My kid was trapped in a hot spot. Fuck. “Man, you’ve gotta let me get her out of there.”

  The officer shook his head and gripped the walkie-talkie mounted on his shoulder. “Sir, if you don’t leave, I’ll have you escorted away.”

  “She’s my daughter.”

  He tipped his head, opened his mouth, and I wanted to hit the gas. The police cars positioned at the highway exit were going to make that a futile move.

  I held my hands up. “I’m leaving.”

  Veering onto the median, anger practically blurred my vision. There had to be a way to get through.

  Short of sitting on the side of the road, waiting for a miracle, I headed back to Dalilah. It would give me a place to research my options, see what the governor had actually said. Plus, Dalilah was a local who would know backroads or other possibilities.

  My heart lightened at the thought of seeing her again. My cock took note also. Nothing more than a tease though since she lived in the wrong state and had no interest in kids.

  Retracing my path along the highway, I was mentally noting all the places with a flat median. What if they pushed the turnaround point back farther? Somehow, being able to see Powder Valley had filled me with hope. Dalilah’s place was an hour away. I stopped on the side of the road and did an internet search for closer hotels.

  My finger hovered over the call icon for the first one on the list. I wanted to see Dalilah again, even if only for a few hours. Her smile and melodic voice would boost my optimism.

  But she was farther away.

  If the cop was right and I had to stay somewhere a few days, I wanted to be stuck with her.

  I searched her website. If her room wasn’t available, I’d take the hint. Letting fate guide me would take my attraction to her out of the equation.

  The room was available. What now? Book it? Does it matter if I’m a minute or an hour from Powder Valley if I can’t get to Cora?

  Anxiety knotted my gut. I wasn’t the type of guy to let my dick guide me. I also wasn’t the type of guy who was afraid to flirt with an interesting woman.

  I spun around, opened my cooler, and selected a container I’d prepped for breakfast. Part of the irritable sensation in my stomach was solvable.

  Sitting on the hood of my car, I breathed in the chilly, fresh mountain air. The canyon walls around the highway were awe-inspiring. Swaths of snow contrasted the evergreens. Couldn’t say I was upset my daughter got to grow up in such beautiful country, but my ex had sworn nothing could make her leave the coast. A new marriage had changed that dream.

  Had Dalilah chosen the mountains, or had she grown up in them? There was so much I wanted to know about her. Why the rigid stance about kids? Why stay up after I settled in my room when she was clearly tired. Why not wait until I came back in the room to tell me she was going to bed?

  Unable to shake the need to see her again, I picked up my phone, booked the room, and continued down the highway. The rich combination of her dark hair, golden skin, and brown eyes would be a bonus to the connection I’d felt between us.

  Not all relationships had to end in forever. A point my divorce had made painfully clear. Sylvia wasn’t a bad person, and she never claimed I was. But together, we were toxic, two independent souls striving to take the lead in our worlds.

  Adding her fire to mine, or vice versa, only worked when we were ready to push boundaries, tackle impossible ventures, or play the odds. Part of why we had a baby less than a year out of high school. The combination didn’t work as well for handling the finer points in life like compromise, downtime, and the protective
instinct I had for our daughter.

  But my drive had also helped me grow up and bust my ass to establish myself as a personal chef and caterer. Eating well had always been important to me, but while I enjoyed taking care of myself, I thrived on taking care of other people.

  Turning into Dalilah’s driveway, all of the homey touches I hadn’t been able to see in the darkness of my arrival, and had been too distracted to notice in my hurry to get to my daughter, hit me. I’d seen everything in the promo photo, but the image hadn’t captured the way her place felt like home. I shut the car off.

  Ornate railings and trim intricately painted in a cozy pattern of blues and greens defined the porch where I imagined sitting with her, staring at the mountain across from her place. The sheer wall of rock was a gorgeous mix of rusty red, browns, and blacks, too steep for all but the most daring trees. But no competition for a beauty contest with Dalilah.

  Did she have to put up with cheesy lines from all of her single male guests? Did they all get a gut punch at the thought of only being with her for a night? And not in her bed?

  The movement of a curtain in her front window caught my attention. She peeked out. The window covering was shoved back into place quickly, without a smile or wave. I didn’t expect her to run to me with open arms, but hoping for more than a dismissal wasn’t ridiculous.

  I stepped out of my car with my duffle bag and headed to the porch. Might be harder to get insider information from her than I’d expected.

  She stood in the doorway as I approached and motioned for me to stop. “I already cleaned your room. You only booked one night. Anyway, whatever’s going on with this crazy virus pandemic thing must be a big deal because the governor ordered us to shut down. Hotels, bed and breakfasts… we’re not supposed to accept any new guests. Sorry.”

  The shrug of her shoulders and tilt of her head would have been adorable if she wasn’t rejecting me. I climbed the steps and stopped, unable to process how everything could simply be closed. “I reserved a room for tonight.”