“So, Dad…” Kayla frowns at me, making me wonder again if she’s reading my thoughts. “What are you going to do about, you know… Well, I saw the video. The live.”

Somehow, talking about this is less of an intimidating prospect than risking my daughter somehow guessing the fact that, if she weren’t here, I’d carry her best friend into the bedroom and kiss up and down her body. I’d kiss every single inch. I’d put my face between her legs and lick until I felt her creaming up for me.

“Just what I said,” I tell my daughter. “My VR team is working around the clock to fix the problem. My job is to give them the go-ahead on certain things, mainly budget-related. We’re burning a lot of cash to ensure this never happens again.”

“What happened, exactly?” Kayla asks. “I’m still a little confused.”

I grit my teeth, shaking my head. “I don’t want to go into details. Some sick bastards used the Create Your Own Game feature to create some horrible things. Obviously, we blocked off certain content, but they found a way around it.”

“At least you’re doing the right thing,” she murmurs. “A lot of CEOs would try to bury it.”

I think about Sebastian and the chair he threw—the sound it made. My friend stormed out, and I still haven’t spoken to him.

“You can’t bury something this ugly,” I say. “There are things more important than money.”

Like the woman sitting next to me… Maci’s folding her legs like she’s tempting me to look down and get a good look at her thick thighs pressed together. It’s like she wants me to slide my hand between her legs, push into the space between, and feel her heat, her wetness. Does she have a boyfriend? Is there any way for me to ask without seeming suspicious?

“I love you, Dad,” Kayla says.

“I love you too,” I reply.

She laughs. “You don’t have to sound so surprised. You’re just a good person. It’s nice. You’re different than the others, aren’t you? Billionaires, I mean.”

“I try to be,” I say.

This is the worst time Kayla could choose to express this love. I’m turning downright savage thinking about her friend, wanting and needing her.

Kayla disappears into the pantry. I force myself to act normal, telling myself I’m not interested. It’s a lie, but I’ve got to pretend. It’s not like there’s any other choice. I can’t grab Maci’s thick hips, bend her over to display that round juicy ass, bring my precome-slick cock to her entrance, and just drive into her. Hard. Deep. Own her hole. Fuck her like a goddamn?—

Normal. I have to try.

“So, Maci, what do you do?” I ask.

“I’m studying graphic design,” she replies, fiddling with her hair like she’s nervous.

I take a sip of coffee, almost spilling it. My hand is trembling. She’s got me all kinds of twisted.

“That sounds interesting,” I say blandly. “Why did you choose that?”

“I’ve always loved art,” she replies. “I’m focusing on digital illustration like graphic novels, that sort of thing. Though I’m not sure that there’s a future in it.”

“Why do you say that?”

She shrugs. “It’s competitive.”

“I’m sure you could do it,” I say, too passionately.

“Do what?” Kayla says, returning with the eggs.

“Be a digital illustrator,” I say, forcibly removing the passion from my voice.

“Oh, definitely.” Kayla places the eggs on the counter and drips some oil into a pan. “You should see her work, Dad. She’s talented.”

I’d love that, I almost say, but like a douche, I say nothing. My hunger for Maci may push me the other way, making me overly awkward and cruel. I shouldn’t let it. I should try to behave normally, but I can’t figure out what that means. If I didn’t want to claim Maci, what would I say? How would I behave? I feel trapped.

It’s been minutes, but I can’t connect to the man I was before I saw her. I want to kiss, hold, and tell her she can conquer the world. I want to tear her underwear off with my teeth and suck on her clit so hard her whole body shakes until she orgasms and pleasure crashes through her.

No, dammit. I’m getting hard in shorts. I need to calm down before I stand up and they see.