Daddy's Grouchy Best Friend

  Brooklyn Cox

  Copyright © 2023 by Brooklyn Cox

  All rights reserved.

  No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

  Contents

  1. Hazel

  2. Noah

  3. Hazel

  4. Noah

  5. Hazel

  6. Noah

  7. Hazel

  8. Noah

  9. Hazel

  10. Noah

  11. Hazel

  12. Noah

  13. Hazel

  14. Noah

  15. Hazel

  16. Noah

  17. Hazel

  18. Noah

  19. Hazel

  20. Noah

  21. Hazel

  22. Noah

  23. Hazel

  24. Noah

  25. Hazel

  26. My Grouchy Billionaire Boss

  Chapter one

  Hazel

  ”Rach, don’t worry, I promise we will still talk all the time and you can come visit me whenever,” I assured my college roommate and best friend as I finished packing the last of my stuff.

  “I just still can’t believe you are moving to Chicago tomorrow and leaving me here”, she said.

  Rachel was my bestie, but not always the best influence. While we had an amazing time together bar hopping, shopping and overspending on fancy brunches, we were both pretty much standing still while others around us were getting promotions, getting married or even starting families. It was actually hard to believe three years had gone by since we graduated, and I was already 25 with not much to show for it.

  “I know, I just couldn’t land any good jobs in Florida, and I do think this will be a good fresh start”, I said reluctantly.

  “But working with your dad?”, she asked, knowing we weren’t exactly close.

  “It definitely wasn’t my first choice, but maybe it’s a good opportunity for us to build a relationship. Plus, I already made him promise not to tell anyone I’m his daughter. I really do want to prove myself on my own.”

  “I get it, I’m sure you are going to do amazing! Just don’t forget about me, and when you are freezing your butt off up there, don’t say I didn’t warn you”.

  She turned up the 90s hip hop music while I opened a bottle of wine, and we enjoyed a low-key night in our apartment in our pj’s dancing and laughing. I really was going to miss her.

  The next morning the movers arrived early and loaded my boxes as I rushed to the airport to catch my flight. I should have given myself more time to get settled before starting my job.

  Being in a new city was terrifying, especially being alone and not knowing anyone except my dad. I had visited him a few times before, but he did all the driving, and I never explored the city or checked out the touristy sites.

  Thankfully, Amanda, my new direct boss, must have understood that I knew no one. She invited me to her favorite bar to get some drinks the night before my first day. The drinks definitely calmed my nerves and helped get rid of my first day jitters. I was careful not to drink too much so I could make a good first impression.

  “I am so excited about working with you,” Amanda said as we walked out of the bar.

  “Thanks so much for hanging out with me tonight, it really helped.”

  Even from my video interview, we seemed to hit it off right from the start. She was flawless, and even prettier in person. Her dark skin had a glow to it. And her long black hair circled her face. It was good to see that my boss truly cared about me and how I transitioned to a new city. I knew I hadn’t made the wrong decision moving across the country to finally take a job using my degree as a social media assistant for the Bees, a professional soccer team.

  “When I first moved here, I didn’t know anyone either, so I know how it feels,” she said.

  I smiled and looked down at my phone to check on my ride. It was still twenty minutes away.

  “I think you are going to get along great with everyone in our department. You don’t need to be worried about a thing. Plus, you’ll have me,” Amanda said, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze.

  “Thanks, Amanda, and remember, please don’t tell anyone who my dad is”, I said. “Don’t worry about it”, she assured me.

  My dad was the assistant coach for the Bees. He was also best friends with the team’s new owner, Noah Hyde. I made my dad promise not to tell him I was his daughter; I still didn’t want anyone to think I was getting any special treatment. My dad and Noah were old friends from when he went to college in London, so I had heard about him often but never spent time around him. Amanda was the only person who knew who my dad was. I really wanted to keep it that way.

  We stepped to the edge of the sidewalk, and Amanda hailed a cab like she had been doing it her whole life. In Florida, I never waved for a taxi. Living near a college made it easy to get whatever I needed. I didn’t really have to drive many places, and the rare occasions I did, I just ordered a car or some of my college friends drove.

  “I don’t know if I will ever be brave enough to do that,” I said, gesturing to the car that was pulling up beside her.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to ride home with me?” Amanda asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Thanks,” I said, checking on the status of my ride again. Fifteen minutes away.

  “I can wait with you if you want.”

  “Just go!” I said with a laugh, “I will see you tomorrow.”

  “See you tomorrow,” Amanda said, blowing me a kiss and sliding into the backseat of the cab. I thought, I am really going to like her. She seemed so confident and caring. I knew she would be a good boss and maybe even a friend.

  I looked around for a moment and started to watch some of the people coming out of the nearby bars and restaurants. Apparently, Chicago was the place to be on a Sunday night. I walked back over to the bar and leaned against the front window and looked down at my phone. Still ten minutes to wait. I debated going back inside and sitting down for another drink when I saw a strikingly handsome man come out of the restaurant next door.

  He carried himself with an enormous amount of confidence, and I couldn’t help but stare at him as he walked towards the street. His suit jacket was thrown over his shoulder and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, revealing some perfectly muscular forearms. He had a sharp jawline that was covered by a bit of stubble, and his dark, wavy hair was just starting to show signs of graying in the back. I could tell he was an older man. Probably in his forties, but a man that looked hot for his age. He took very good care of himself.

  He looked up from his phone and glanced around. When his eyes met mine, I straightened up just a bit, and he gave me a quick wink. I felt butterflies and my heartbeat pick up as he slowly made his way over to me. He glanced at my face making eye contact before casually scanning my body up and down, and I suddenly felt very glad that I was wearing something a bit sexy. A little black dress that hugged me in the right places, accentuating my curves.

  “You shouldn’t be out here all alone,” the man said, leaning against the window next to me.

  Admittedly, I was getting a bit turned on by the sound of his British accent.

  “Oh, really? And why is that?” I asked, feeling flirtatious. It had been a while since I had gone out and received attention from a stranger.

  “There are some real creeps out at this time of night. A pretty young woman like you should be careful,” he said, leaning a bit closer.

  “I was doing just fine avoiding creeps until you showed up,” I said laughing out loud, surprised at my own brazenness.

  The man smiled and laughed at my joke all the while keeping eye contact with me, I sensed he liked what he saw and what I was wearing.

  “You must be new around here,” he finally said.

  “I am. But with that accent, you must be, too,” I said. He acknowledged the fact and nodded back at me in a cute way.

  “My driver will be here any minute, would you like me to give you a ride home? It will be no trouble at all, I can at least be first to show you around the city?”

  “Does everyone in this city have their own driver? Men, especially older men, liked to show off their toys, their accomplishments. But a secure man doesn’t mind when I have fun at his expense. I wanted to see which one he was.

  “No just folks that don’t want to wait on empty streets alone looking at their phone hoping a driver shows up,” he stated sarcastically. His laugh and sense of humor is intoxicating to me.

  He chuckled a bit more and reached out to touch me. I instinctively moved away to avoid his touch, even though I desperately wanted to know what it would feel like to have his hands all over me. He smiled again and took a step back, giving me the space I wanted, something I had to respect him for.

  The man looked at me and then turned his eyes towards the street where a large, black SUV was pulling up. He looked over at the car and then looked back at me, silently asking if I would join him. The driver came around and opened the door for us to get in. I hesitated for a moment, shocked at myself for even considering going home with a complete stranger.

  “I’m not asking you to come home with me. Just let me give you a ride,” he whispered. “You really should
n’t be out here all alone at this hour.”

  He gave me another charming smile. I wondered if his words were true, or if he was just trying to get me into his car. I met his deep brown eyes again and nearly gave in. It sounded nice to be driven home in a fancy car and shown the city. It could be the perfect start to my life here in Chicago, but I used good judgement and politely declined one last time.

  “My ride should be here any minute,” I said, before I could change my mind.

  He was hot, and his confidence made him even that much sexier. Maybe this was why I often found myself attracted to older men rather than the silly boys my age. He took a step away from me and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small card and handed it to me. “If you want to tour the city with someone who is also pretty new to the area, give me a call, Noah stated.” I tucked it into my purse without looking at it. I wanted him to know that I didn’t care where he worked or what fancy title he held. I wanted him to realize that I’m someone you had to earn.

  “If you ever change your mind, I really would love to take you out,” he said, sliding into the backseat of the car.

  The driver closed the door, and they took off down the street. I watched, wondering if I had made the right decision. I did miss going out and having a little fun. It really did help take the edge off my nerves.

  My ride finally arrived, and I made it home without any further encounters to speak of. I got into bed, still feeling a bit dizzy from all the alcohol but no longer nervous about my first day at work.

  I let my mind wander for a while, and it kept coming back to the man outside the bar. He was so sexy and probably rich. What more could I want for my first fling in Chicago? A man like him could certainly show me a good time. The more I thought about him, the more I got turned on.

  I couldn’t help but think about what might have happened if I had gone with him. I’m sure it wouldn’t have taken us long to start touching each other in the back of his car. I can imagine him sliding his strong hands up my thighs and under my dress between my slightly spread legs. Just the thought of it sent shivers down my spine. I thought of him teasing me, taking his time to reach the top of my thighs and gently touching me with the tip of his fingers.

  I closed my eyes and reached down to touch myself, picturing myself in the back of that black car with the sexy British man, his deep brown eyes undressing me. I slid my finger inside and made gentle circles as I pushed it in and pulled it back out. With my free hand, I reached up under my t-shirt to touch my nipple, rolling it in my fingers but wishing it was between mystery man’s lips.

  It didn’t take long before my body was writhing with pleasure, and I’m sure that my neighbors could hear my moans as I reached my climax, but I didn’t care. As I caught my breath, I regretted not being more adventurous. Who knew if or when I would get another opportunity to have a life experience like that.

  In the morning, I woke up early to make sure I had plenty of time to get ready and get to work on time. I remembered that I had left my mascara in my purse from last night, and when I opened it up, I saw the mystery man’s business card stuffed inside. I pulled it out and looked at the name, unsure if I wanted to know the true identity of my fantasies. When I looked at the card, I let out an audible gasp.

  “Noah Hyde, Owner, Chicago Bees,”

  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I dropped the card onto the floor and flopped back onto the bed. I couldn’t believe that I almost went home with my boss on the night before my first day of work. Not only that, but I couldn’t believe that I almost went home with my dad’s best friend. I closed my eyes and tried to take a deep breath.

  Nothing happened.

  I didn’t go home with him.

  No one needed to find out.

  Chapter two

  Noah

  I never planned on buying a football team, it just happened. I guess I should probably get used to calling it soccer, since I would be moving to the States in the next week. I always had more money than I knew what to do with, and I was searching for an investment opportunity when my old friend, Harry, from university called me up.

  He told me that the owner of the team he coached for was ready to move on, and he was looking to sell the team. I am a huge football—soccer—fan, but the thought of owning a team hadn’t ever occurred to me, especially not one in America. The more I thought about it, though, the more it seemed like an interesting opportunity.

  Harry convinced me to meet with the current owner, and we came to an agreement quickly. There was a mountain of paperwork and plenty of legal documents to go over, but considering all that, the sale was completed without much fanfare.

  I was suddenly the owner of a soccer team in Chicago, and I needed to make plans to move overseas. Of course, I wouldn’t be selling my home in London since I planned on keeping it for visits and if I ever decided to move back full time. However, I did need to find somewhere to stay in Chicago. My realtor found me a beautiful penthouse flat that overlooked the city, and my personal assistant, Marisa, took care of the rest. She also planned on making the move to Chicago as well.

  “Mr. Hyde,” she said, stepping into my London office one afternoon. I looked up from my computer and smiled at her.

  “I just wanted to let you know that all your Chicago staff have been hired. A housekeeper, a chef, and a car service have all been arranged, and your furniture should be arriving any day,”

  “Marisa,” I said with a grin, “how did I ever live without you?”

  “You are certainly more productive now than you were seven years ago,” she said.

  “And it’s all thanks to you,” I responded.

  Marisa turned and left the office, carrying her planner and notebook under her arm as she always did. It was entirely true; I was much less organized and productive before I hired her. She had changed my life for the better, certainly.

  When we arrived in Chicago, I wanted to take a few days to get to know the city before I started working. I met up with Harry for drinks one evening to catch up and hear about the team from someone who knew it all.

  “Harry, how have you been, mate?” I asked as Harry was seated in the VIP lounge that I had booked for us.

  “All good, all good. It’s great to see you, Noah. Seems like it’s been ages,” he said.

  The waitress brought out the bottles of liquor that I had ordered, and I gave her a quick wink as she left the room. She blushed as she pushed her long hair back over her shoulder.

  “I see you’re still the same as you’ve always been,” Harry said upon spotting my wink.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied.

  “So, who’s the thirty-something you’re dating now?” Harry asked me with a knowing smile.

  “You know I don’t date women in their thirties,” I said. “I prefer twenty-somethings.”

  Harry nearly spat out his drink with a hearty laugh and said, “Yep, same old Noah.”

  “Tell me,” I said, taking another sip of my drink “what’s new with you?”

  “Since I last saw you two decades ago?” Harry asked with another chuckle.

  “Has it really been that long? I can’t believe that,” I said.

  “Well, I’m the assistant coach of a professional soccer team,” I couldn’t help but laugh at that.

  “Yes, I’m well aware,” I said with a smile.

  “Right, well, besides that I don’t have much to report.”

  “Come on, you must have something. Any women to speak of?” Harry raised an eyebrow at me.

  “You know how I feel about that,” he said.

  “I know, but maybe you should give it a chance. She’s been gone for, what? Almost ten years?” I asked. I knew Harry wasn’t fond of speaking about his wife, but what were friends for if not to bring up the difficult conversations?

  “I’m just not ready,” he said, sipping his drink.

  “Fine, fine,” I said with a shrug, “but one of these days you will be, and I’ll have a line of women out the door ready to meet you,”

  Harry touched the edge of his glass to mine. “I’ll drink to that,” he said.

  Harry and I spent the evening catching up and then discussing the team. He mentioned a few of the players who were causing him headaches, as well as a few of the staff who may not have been suited for their positions, but overall, it seemed like the Bees were a well-oiled machine. I didn’t want to come in and immediately change everything, but I did want to set the tone that things would be different under my management.