Daddy Issues Series Tagline: He was older. Forbidden. Everything I craved Clawing her way out of a toxic relationship that could be likened to hell, all Astrid Volkov wanted on the night of her twenty-first birthday was to be alone, but her loud friends found a way to drag her ass to the club where she came in contact with the mysterious older man, who appeared to be her knight in shining armour after he saved her from getting harassed. The connection they tried so hard to suppress fought its way out after a few drinks, entangling them in a night of unforgettable passion. Astrid could have sworn that would be the last of him, but this bitch called fate pulled its stunt once more and their paths crossed again, but this time, the tables drastically spun and she was quick to find out that the mysterious older man that gave her the best night of her life was none other than Jordan Remington, her father's long time best friend. The duo were hellbent on putting that night behind them, but Astrid's stubbornness and the sparks that still lingered from that night begged to differ. Was Astrid willing to screw all odds and go for what she wanted, knowing the risks involved? Was Jordan willing to put his friendship and reputation on the line for a girl he was old enough to father? Book one of Daddy Issues
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“Don’t you dare walk out on me, Astrid, this is all your fault!” Tristan barks, his eyes bulging as rage burns in their depth. He’s being ridiculous and the last thing I want to do tonight is stand here and listen to him act like a fucking child. I grab the door handle and cross the threshold, stepping into the balcony. Before I can take another step, I hear his footsteps hard and fast behind me, and then the scent of his cologne wafts into my nostrils, making me feel nauseous and irritated. “Go away, Tristan. I have nothing to say to you.” I mutter, closing my eyes as the cold air brushes my skin. The sun has set and the cloud is darkening with an intensity that matches the storm brewing inside of me, casting an ominous shadow over everything I’ve believed in for the past three years. Tristan and I met at a fundraiser three years ago. It wasn’t love at first sight but a bond that was fostered by our parents’ stance in society. His father, Keith Blackwood owns half the city and has several businesses scattered all over the city and beyond. Same with my father. Tristian is in charge of the hotels and resorts. Sometimes, I feel like the fame has gotten into his head but then, he’s always been a brat. I was just crazy enough to stick by him and make excuses for him every single time his demons surfaced. “You don’t mean it, babe. You can’t possibly ask me to leave.” His voice is sober. I know he’s trying to crawl through the walls I’ve suddenly erected like he does each time we fight and I turn on his ass. “I had a long day at the office. Being a rookie amongst people who have been in the field even before I was born is no walk in the park. I …” “Because you chose to go through all of that when you can work with me or your dad!” He snaps in a disapproving tone. “I told you I have just the perfect spot for you in one of the resorts. You can stay here with me or go to Australia, London ----” “I don’t want to work for you or my father I’m not a fucking charity case!” He scoffs. “But you’re slaving in that company for peanuts!” How did we get here? “I love my job as a financial consultant, and I’m going to earn every spot, every single benefit that comes with the job. I don’t want you breathing down my neck every chance and belittling my effort.” “That’s not true! I love you and I want what’s best for you, babe.” I tilt my neck and toss him a glare. “You think?” I pause, watching him suck in a breath. God, I can’t believe I’ve put up with this man for this long. I should have dumped his ass after I noticed the first red flag. “You question my decision. You doubt my strength. Walk all over my emotions.” I turn to face him, staring right into his blue eyes that are now consumed by rage. “I was looking forward to spending the night with the man I love. It was supposed to be our anniversary but you ruined it with your despicable attitude, treating me like a child in the middle of a restaurant!” “I want what’s best for you and having a cream lobster bisque would definitely ruin your shape!” Bloody hell! “Really? You care about my body size more than I do?” “Looks like that to me! Because if you cared one bit, you wouldn’t dare to even glance at a meal with high calories!” I laugh. The sound erupts from my belly, spills through my lips, and echoes in the open space. “Get out, Tristan, or I’ll be forced to call the security to throw you out.” He narrows the gap between us and peers at my face, a smirk playing across his lips. “You’ll do no such thing, babe.” The nerves of him to think he has some sort of control over me! Hasn’t he learned his lessons already? When is he going to realize I can’t be tamed? “You have five minutes to get into that elevator, Tristan, and for your sake, I hope you stay away from me.” He stills for a moment. I gauge disbelief in his gaze, but then he lets out a low chuckle, a poor attempt at masking the emotion I can so easily decipher. Fear. “Are you breaking up with me on our anniversary? A night we should be celebrating our love while anticipating the part I’ll get to peel this dress off your body. What happened at the restaurant was nothing, besides, I gave you the perfect gift to make up for whatever I did.” I cast a withering glance at him. “Don’t be silly! I told you I wasn’t interested in your damn gift!” “But it looks good on you. Don’t you think so, hmm?” Tristan leans in, raising his hands slowly to cup my face. His thumb strokes my bottom lip. Instead of the familiar thrill, I usually feel at his touch, my insides knot up with a sense of foreboding. I attempt to distance myself, but his strong grasp keeps me in place and our lips collide in an unexpected embrace. A fresh wave of anger sweeps through me when he nips at my lips, seeking entrance. “You son of a bitch!” I seethe! Striking him across the face with all the strength I can muster. “You make me sick!” He laughs, massaging the spot I just hit with his palm. “You need me, baby doll. I can see your pupils dilating and your body is slightly leaning towards me. Don’t try to act all strict and shit – admit it.” The anger skyrockets, threatening to choke me. “You’re right about one thing, Tristan. However, I’m going to be celebrating tonight for an entirely different reason.” I unclasp the bracelet he forcefully slid across my wrist at the restaurant during our argument and dump it in the front pocket of his tuxedo. “I’ve lied to myself over and again, believing you’ll stop being an asshole and treat me like I deserve to be treated with respect and utter devotion. When you hurt me the first time, I forgave you even before you told me it was never going to happen again. And what did you do? Huh?! You turned me into this woman who can barely stare at her reflection in the mirror without shedding a tear.” “Babe, we can fix this. Don’t give up on us, please.” I want to laugh in his face. Give up on us? What the hell is he talking about? I gave up a long time ago. I’ve just been to chicken to walk away. I turn on my heel, heading straight to the elevator door that leads right to the lobby. “Goodbye, Tristan,” I say. Thumbing the buttons with force. “I hope I never see you again.” He throws me one last lingering glance before stepping into the confined space. I wait for my heart to shatter into tiny unrecognizable pieces. It’s supposed to, right? I mean, I loved this man. We had plans - so many dreams and stuff. There were days I couldn’t go to bed without hearing his voice. There were moments I wanted nothing more than to bask in his touch and relish his teasing strokes and linger in his arms. God! I trusted in our love so much that I almost lost myself. Dad will give me an earful. Mom, she adores Tristan. It’s not going to be easy with them. I know his parents will be devastated too. Everyone in our family has been rooting for us. After a heavy sigh that eases the thought of the next few days, of having to face the questions and gossip from our circle of friends, I make my way to my bedroom and lie face down on the neatly made bed. Something flickers in my mind and without allowing myself to dwell on the what-ifs of the decision I just made and the heat it will stir as soon as the news gets out, I walk to the minibar in the lounge and fix myself a drink. As the warm liquid sizzles down my throat, memories flood me, blurry, but just enough to make my temper rise again. Damn, Tristan! I got the perfect dress for tonight. I took ample time to put on my makeup and Mom had sent her stylist to do my hair. Everything I did meant nothing to him! He was more concerned with my weight than giving a fuck about my feelings. My feet tremble slightly, forcing me to lean on the barstool. It’s going to be a long night. My thought veers to Lily, my best friend. It’s a Friday which means she’ll be out at the bar downtown. I should call her, and tell her I’ve finally taken her advice to cut things off with the arrogant son of a bitch. Lilly hates Tristan’s guts and they’re always at each other’s throats. My lips twitch in a small smile as I slowly realize that I have one person in my corner. As if the universe is in sync with my thoughts, my cell phone vibrates and the caller ID flashes with Lilly’s name. I answer after the third ring. “Are you at his penthouse or yours?” She drawls, her voice light with humor. I swirl the amber liquid in the tall glass, the smile on my lips widening into a wide grin. “I’m at mine.” “Where is he? What did he say when he saw that knee-jerking lingerie you got last week? Did he like it??” My mind wanders to the red microfiber piece hanging in my walk-in closet. I gulp. Will the store take it back? Perhaps one of the girls wouldn’t mind taking it off my hands. I can - “Astrid?” My mind snaps back to the present. Lily asked a question but I can’t recall what it was. “I – I’ll call you in the morning, girl. I have to reply to a few emails and work on this file my Team Lead dropped on my desk today. It’s due tomorrow.” “Work? Today’s supposed to be your dating anniversary. What’s going on? Are you alright?” The tears surface and my grip on the glass tightens. “Tristan and I - - we broke up. I couldn’t bear being with him anymore, Lily. I guess you were right about him breaking me apart. All that’s left is a deep sense of regret and emotional scars.” Lily chuckles. “Fucking-finally, girl! I wish I was there to see the look on his face!” I wait for her to ask me if I’m okay but the next thing I hear is the beeping tone and the sound of her low laughter reverberating in my ears. Maybe she’s just excited for me. Or was that mockery I gauged in her voice? No... it can’t be. Lily is my best friend and she’s always been against my relationship with Tristan. I tilt my head back, gulping the entire content of the glass. I wince as the peppery note of the scotch hits my throat. In the blink of an eye, I imagine Lily and Tristan together. No. Fuck! I need to get a damn grip and stay off social media and the horrid recent issues and tensions in modern relationships. By the time the anger has simmered and I’m a tad bit relaxed, it’s midnight. I push my laptop away and lay my head on the polished desk in my study, trying my damndest to not replay the night’s event. My phone beeps, this time it’s a text message. Without raising my head, I search the desk blindly for the device and then slide it under to read whatever is on the screen. Tristan. I hope you realize your mistake soon, babe. I let the phone drop on the floor at the same time the first tear drips down onto the desk. Given Tristan’s character, he’s going to complicate things and it scares me more than the thought of losing him.Astrid“Please.”“You are not allowed to cum until I say so,” his voice is thickly raspy and aroused.He starts to fuck me in a lazy pace, frustrating me. He thrust his cock from the rear, teasing my cunt without penetrating me. He rubs my clit furiously again but before I can cum he stops. I groan, so desperate.Without warning, he buries his cock deep inside me. I think my soul just left my body. He fucks me so hard and so deep that it feels like I’m going to pass out.He thrust two fingers into my asshole, fucking me. He is fucking me deep and hard in both holes. I scream. I don’t know what his house keeper will think, but I don’t really give a damn about it. I finally have what I wanted.I’m at the edge but before I can get there Jordan stops. No thrust, no pulling out, he just stops. I whimper, trying to roll my hips to keep him moving but his grip on my waist halt my movement.He pulls out completely from me. I’m about to complain when he harshly stuffs every inch back inside m
ASTRID I stand frozen in the doorway, my heart hammering in my chest at the sight before me.I was angry when I left the party, furious, even because Jordan had left without a word. So I came here, to his house, to confront him about it all.About the mess of feelings swirling inside me. The anger, the confusion about everything, about him, how I feel, and how he makes me feel.When I arrived at his house, I knocked on the door, hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was a terrible idea.Before I could overthink it any further, the door swung open, and his housekeeper stood, smiling warmly.She informed me that he was in the shower and asked me to wait for him. I wanted to, but then I decided to wait in his room. Immediately, I stepped into his room, I heard a grunt, or more like a growl from the bathroom, as if he were in pain.I thought something bad had happened. Well, something is happening to him all right, but it’s not the dangerous type I was concerned about.Or maybe it is
JORDANIt feels like a bolt of lightning when my eyes finally land on Astrid in the crowd. I’ve been searching for her since I walked into the room, and now that I’ve found her, I can’t look away. The dress she’s wearing doesn’t leave anything to the imagination, and I can’t seem to take my eyes off her.She's wearing a deep emerald dress that hugs her body perfectly, flowing down in elegant, soft waves.The neckline dips low, enough to tease her cleavages, and the slit at the side runs above her thighs, revealing her smooth skin that has me swallowing hard.Her ginger hair cascades down her shoulder, framing her face in a way that makes her look effortlessly stunning. Breathtaking.“My girl looks stunning, doesn’t she?” Peter speaks beside me.Peter and I arrived at the same time, we were together until a few minutes ago when he went to greet someone.I didn’t even notice that he was back beside me.I nod, unable to say a word. For my sake, I hope he didn’t notice the way I looked a
JORDAN "Do you?" I ask, skepticism dripping from my words."Yeah." He shifts on the sofa, his expression turning a little more serious. "I came to ask if you’ve considered hiring Astrid."There it is, the conversation I was dreading. I stifle a groan, but I can't hide the way my body tenses at the mention of her name."I’m worried about her," Peter continues, leaning forward. "I don’t like where she’s working now. And with everything that happened recently, I just... I don’t trust those people. I’d feel better if she was working with someone I could trust."The air in the room seems to thicken, and I force myself to keep my expression neutral.Trust? Does he think Astrid will be safe with me? He has no idea that I’m the big wolf he should be protecting her from.The thought of having Astrid working here, in my space, every single day has my brain spiraling in directions I shouldn’t even entertain. I can already feel my resistance crumbling.“I don’t know, Peter…” I rub my jaw, tryin
JordanI decline Astrid’s call for the fifth time, my thumb hovering over the screen before I let it drop onto my desk. I can’t bring myself to speak to her. Not after what almost happened at her house. My phone beeps with another message from her, but I ignore it, clenching my jaw so tight.If her friend hadn’t walked in when she did… God, what was I thinking? I scrub my hand over my face, trying to shake off the memory.What if it had been Peter who walked in on us instead of her friend? The thought alone makes my stomach twist.I can’t even begin to imagine what Peter would do if he found out how close I was to claiming his little girl, or that I already did –twice. He would castrate me for touching his little girl, for making her cum twice in one night and putting my hands on her.But no matter how much I try to push her out of my mind, remind myself that she’s Peter’s daughter and therefore she should be off limits to me. Forbidden even, I can’t.God, she’s invading every part
ASTRID “Astrid,” he says, more softly, he might have noticed the pain on my face.“I care about you a lot.”“Because I’m your goddaughter?” he doesn’t answer. After a few minutes of silence, he says,“I didn’t come here to take advantage of you. I came here because I was worried about you. I know it must be hard on you.”“If you care about me, then you will make me happy.” He shakes his head.“Fucking you right now will be me being a selfish bastard. You are too vulnerable right now.” I nod, even though I don’t understand him.“See yourself out and let the door hit you on your way out. I have a date with my vibrator, it can do what you’re too scared to do.” I barely make it to the living room when Jordan grips me forcefully, spinning me to face him.He’s livid. Is he jealous of my vibrator?“You will not touch yourself while I’m here.”“You are welcome to watch.”“It’s not going to happen.”I open my mouth to protest and he seals his lips over mine, shutting me up with a lush kiss. H
ASTRIDI can’t put a name to my feelings. Anger, sadness, frustration…everything’s tangled up. All different shades of emotions coalesce together to form this infuriating need to be wrapped in Jordan’s arm.I’m supposed to hate Jordan. I should hate him for being the reason my life is messed up. It makes no sense that I want him so badly.I should hate him. He’s the one who keeps driving me crazy, who keeps rejecting me, pushing me away, but no matter how many times I remind myself of that, I still want him.God I hate how much I want him. It’s infuriating.God knows I’m trying so hard to get that man off my head, but he’s stuck in my head! The thought of him makes my heart race. I hate how my body tingles at the sight of him. Just thinking about him makes me tingle, my skin burning with this unbearable desire.I don’t understand him. He said he didn’t want anything to do with me, yet he showed up at my family dinner where he knew I would be there. I know Jordan, if he didn’t want t
JORDAN“Come on, you have to help her out.”I stifle a groan. Peter is putting me in a tight spot. He’s hell-bent on having me hire Astrid to work for me. He doesn’t know the danger he’s putting me in.Hiring Astrid is a terrible idea. If she’s working with me, in close proximity every day, there’s no way I’d be able to keep my hands off her. Not when she’s already driving me insane, even when she is not in my space.“Peter, it’s not –”“Jordan, Astrid is your goddaughter. That’s reason enough for you to give her a shot at your company. She is good at what she does. I don’t want her working with these people anymore.”“I’m sure Astrid is more than qualified, but –”“No buts,” Peter cuts me off, shaking his head. “She’s had a rough time with that mess at her firm. You’re in a position to help her, and you know she’s got the talent. Just give her a chance.”About the mess she got into with the AXT, Peter told me about it, and I’ve been worried about her. Peter is worried, too. I wanted
ASTRID“How the hell did you make such a silly mistake, Astrid?” I flinch physically and mentally as Pete Bishop’s voice slices through the thick air of his office.He’s livid, and the look in his eyes makes me want to crawl under the rug and disappear.I blink rapidly, trying to steady my breathing but I feel sick to my stomach, shock pulses through me, morphing into an ice that freezes me. Pete is so mad. I’ve never seen him this furious before, not even when another consultant messed up.No, I can’t compare that to my mess. I’ve really messed up. This client is one of our best, one of our biggest accounts, AXT Corporation. They have been with us for years, bringing in multi-million-dollar contracts. Pete recently introduced me to them and handed me the project to continue from where the former consultant stopped.A lot of people wanted to work with them but Pete chose me, and I somehow managed to screw up their financial projections. A simple quarterly forecast is something I ca
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