All Aboard

Anchored

Sophie Stern

Copyright © 2017 by Sophie Stern
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

For my readers

Thank you for the reviews, the emails, and the Facebook messages!

You mean the world to me.

Macie has never read a dirty book.

Or had a one-night stand.

Or been to a sex club.

When she loses a bet on girl's night, though, she has to go with her girlfriends to Anchored: one of the hottest sex clubs around. 

And it's nothing like she expected.

Anchored isn't dirty or sleazy or dangerous. It's actually kind of nice. It's actually kind of relaxing.

And when Macie meets Anthony, she realizes she can never go back to the way things were before.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Epilogue

Abandon Ship

Author

Take Your Time

1 Melody

2 Melody

The Saucy Devil

Prologue

1

Chapter 1

Macie

“You lose,” Lily says with a grin. She shakes her head as she laughs. “You should have known you were going to lose.”

“I don’t like playing with you guys,” I pout. “You tricked me.”

“Trust me, honey,” Christina sips her whiskey.  “Nobody gets tricked into doing anything they didn’t already want to do.”

I glare at the Turntable app on my phone. Once again, technology has let me down. After an entire week of Turntable dates, I’ve decided there are no good men left in the world. There certainly aren’t any good men left in Westbrook.

“You had a week,” Lily says. “You had one week to try using a dating app and to find someone you like. You didn’t, so now you have to come to Anchored.”

“A deal is a deal,” Christina says.

“Why do I feel like you’re ganging up on me?” I glare at the two women, but there are no hard feelings there.

“Because we totally are,” Lily says.

“It’s true,” Christina agrees. “But to be fair, it’s only because we’re so happy and in love,” she wiggles her eyebrows suggestively. “We just want you to find the same happiness.”

I roll my eyes. “Yes, yes, I know you’re all very happy with your spankings.”

“It’s about more than spankings,” Christina says.

“I know.”

“Do you?” She looks at me pointedly. “Because I don’t think you do.”

She’s right. I haven’t even read a dirty book before, let alone been spanked. The last guy I had sex with was so boring I almost fell asleep. When he didn’t call me again, I wasn’t hurt. I didn’t even care. I was just completely uninterested in anything he had to offer.

Maybe I have a low sex drive. Maybe there’s something wrong with me. I might be a prude or maybe I just haven’t found the right guy. I don’t know. After a week of Turntable dates, though, one thing is for sure: I’m hopeless.

“Fine,” I give in to Christina. “You’re right. I don’t really know a lot about what happens at a club. Is it like, a huge orgy?”

She laughs. “You didn’t even look it up online before taking the bet?”

“I figured you wouldn’t lead me astray,” I shrug. “Was I wrong?”

Lily and Christina exchange knowing glances. They spend a lot of time together at work and they’ve become very close lately. When I met them at a Shining Stars Daycare event, they were warm and welcoming to me, and I immediately felt comfortable with the two women.

Even though I’m a caterer, not a childcare provider, we’ve discovered that the three of us have a lot in common. We all like the same movies and read a lot of the same books. I’m obsessed with fantasy novels and so are they. Hell, we even fangirl over the same actors in Doctor Who.

Still, there are times when I occasionally feel like an outsider in the group.

“I’ve been going to Anchored for six months now,” Lily says slowly. “It was scary at first, but you know what? The idea of going is much scarier than actually going. It’s not like a giant orgy. That’s not what Anchored is about.”

“Yeah,” Christina agrees. “It’s a safe place where people can enjoy their kinks, meet new people, and learn new things.”

“Like the best tools to use to spank someone?” I ask.

“That’s part of it,” Lily nods. “Do you really want someone spanking you when they haven’t had any training? Anchored provides that.” Lily’s husband, Jaxson, teaches BDSM classes at Anchored. Christina is pretty experienced in BDSM and doesn’t need to take any classes, but both girls have been urging me to sign up for one of Jaxson’s courses, or to at least come check out the club.

“I know, it’s just that I’m not really that type of girl.”

“You don’t like orgasms?”

“That’s not what I said,” I roll my eyes at Christina, wondering how the hell I’m going to get out of this. A bet is a bet, and a promise is a promise, but I really don’t want to go walking around the club in my skivvies for all the world to see.

“You’ve really never thought about going?” Lily asks gently. “Like, not even sort of considered it?”

“It’s just not the way I would ever think to spend a weekend. I mean, you guys, when was the last time I even went clubbing? I’m totally boring these days. I work long hours and that usually includes the weekends. The last thing I want to do after being on my feet for an entire wedding and reception is to go dancing.”

“If you get tied up, you won’t even have to stand,” Lily points out helpfully. “But for real,” she puts her hand on my knee. “I think you should give it a shot. Christina dragged me there, and I wasn’t sure what the hell I was getting into.”

“And you found your true love. I know. I know that you both found husbands at Anchored, and that’s great, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen that way for me.”

“We’re not saying you need to find a husband. We’re just saying you need to get laid, honey,” Christina isn’t one to mince her words.

“How long has it been? Really?”

“Six months,” I lie, but they both just stare at me until I groan. “Fine. A year. Happy?”

“No, we’re not happy,” Christina says. “You gave Turntable a week. Now it’s time to let us help you.”

“It’ll be great,” Lily says, and she sounds so excited that I hate to disappoint her.

“All right,” I say finally. “I have off Saturday. How’s that work?”

“Perfect!” They both squeal. Christina is already on her phone, shooting off a text.

“Who are you messaging?”

“I’m sending a guest request to the owner. They have to manually pre-approve guests, and then after your initial visit, you’ll need to apply to become a member if you want to.”

“Sounds like a serious place.”

“It is,” Lily and Christina say in unison.

“Okay, but let’s get something clear up front,” I say, not sure how I’m going to put my fear into words. I’d rather find out now, though, and then be surprised later. “Am I going to be expected to put out when we all go to the club? Like is this that type of intervention?”

“Are you asking if we’re going to force you to sleep with someone?” Lily looks shocked.

“Yes, that’s what I’m asking.”

“No, you won’t be allowed to have sex with anyone your first night.”

“No?” I’m not upset, but it seems like a strange requirement for a sex club. “Why not?”

“Everyone has to do STD screening before they have sex at the club,” Christina explains. “And you have to get tested regularly in order to maintain your membership. Oh, and you have to go through a psychological evaluation, but it’s totally not a big deal.”

“That kind of sounds like a big deal. Talking to a shrink? What if I find out I have some repressed childhood memories or something?”

“Then it’s probably a good idea to find that out before you go bonkers and hurt someone, love,” Lily wraps her arms around me. “Hey,” she says. “It’s going to be just fine. I promise.”

Chapter 2

Anthony

“He said everything was going to be okay,” the woman sniffles into her tissue and continues sobbing. “He promised!”

“I know he did, and I’m sorry about what happened to you,” I push the box of tissues closer to the crying woman. “But Mrs. Hunter, it sounds like there’s nothing more you can do. He’s made his choice, and I’m going to do my best to make sure you get everything you deserve.”

She looks up at me. Her big, watery eyes are pleading. “But all I want is him,” she whispers. “All I’ve ever wanted was him.”

By the time my newest client leaves, it’s nearly time to go home.

“Doing okay in here?” Kennedy, my paralegal, peeks her head in.

“Yeah, I’m all right,” I tell her, waving her off. “You can take off for the day.”

“Thank you very much,” Kennedy winks and closes my office door when she leaves. I see her walking away through my interior office windows. She walks with a bounce in her step, and I realize that Kennedy seems happy.

Really happy.

Maybe that’s what makes her the best paralegal I’ve ever had. She works hard, she’s always on time, and she never complains. She doesn’t whine. Kennedy does her job with a smile and when she works on a project, she gives it her all. She is one of the few lights in my day.

Divorce is a messy business. Contrary to popular opinion, not all divorce attorneys are bad guys. Oh, I’m a shark when it comes to helping my clients. I’m ruthless. I’ll go the whole way, but I’m not a bad guy. I don’t go looking for trouble. I don’t need to get a jury all riled up to feel like I’m a good attorney. I win, and I win, and I win, and that’s what makes me feel like a good attorney.

Sometimes, though, my job can be completely emotionally exhausting.

When I meet someone new at work, ninety-nine percent of the time, that person is having the worst day of their life. Either they’ve chosen to leave their spouse or they’ve discovered their spouse is leaving them. No matter who decides to leave first, divorce is never simple. It’s never clean. It’s never easy.

It’s dirty, and it wears me out.

By the time I leave the office, I’m ready to call it a day, but I promised Zack I’d meet him for a drink at Drinking Games. My best friend since law school, Zack is someone I can never say no to. Hell, he’s someone I never want to say no to. He’s always been there for me, and I’ve always been there for him. We have an incredible friendship, and I’m lucky to have him in my life.

Tonight, I don’t feel like being social, but somehow, I make it to the little bar and make myself comfortable on one of the stools at the bar.

“What’ll it be, sir?” I look up at the bartendress. Her dark hair is pulled back and she’s wearing a corset top with jeans. I don’t know if most people could pull off the look or not, but she seems to.

“I like your boots,” I tell her.

“My boobs?”

“No,” I lean over the bar and point down to her feet. “Your boots,” I say. “You look like a cowgirl.”

“Well, yippee-kay-ay,” she winks. “What are you drinking?”

“Whiskey sour,” I tell her, and she smiles and moves away to start making the drink. While she pours, I take a look around. Drinking Games is a smaller place, but it’s got a fun, comfortable atmosphere. There are several round tables throughout the room, along with a jukebox and some pool tables.

“Like what you see?” The woman appears with my drink and sets it in front of me.

“Yeah, it’s not too bad,” I tell her. “When did you guys open?”

“Two months ago,” she says.

“You guys get pretty busy in here?”

“You’d be surprised.”

The bartendress turns and heads off to make a drink for someone else, but I’m not alone for long. It’s only a few minutes before Zack strides through the bar and over to where I’m sitting. Despite being a real estate lawyer, Zack has a commanding presence. People hear what kind of law he deals with, and they assume he’s somehow weak. He’s not.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Zack says. He motions for the bartendress and she scurries over.

“Hey Zack. What’ll it be?”

“Sam Adams draft.”

“You got it, boss.”

“Boss?” I mouth silently to him. Zack just shrugs.

“I come here a lot,” he says.

“Trouble at home?”

“Not at all. Christina usually comes with me. If we’re not at Anchored, but we still want a night out, we’ll come here. It’s close to work, close to home, and the drinks are cheap.”

“Plus, the views are unbeatable,” I say, nodding my head toward the woman running the bar, but Zack just rolls his eyes.

“Out of your league,” he says.

“Is that right?”

“He’s right,” the woman says. “And I have a name. It’s Jennifer.”

“Nice to meet you,” I pantomime tipping my invisible hat to her, and she chuckles before giving Zack his beer. Then she heads off to make more drinks. She glides quickly when she moves, and it’s almost like she’s floating. How does she do that?

“How was your day?” Zack asks, sipping his drink.

“About as well as can be expected.” Zack and I work in the same building, on the same floor, but our work rarely intersects these days. We’re still close and we still meet for lunch on occasion, but we’re both so wrapped up in our own cases that we’ve taken to scheduling time together.

“Nasty cases this week?”

“You don’t want to know,” I roll my eyes, but then I tell him anyway. “The thing is, if people just continued to treat each other the way they did at the beginning of the relationship, they’d never end up divorced. You know why people walk through my office doors, Zack?”

“Tell me,” he looks amused.

“Because they get lazy, and they get stagnant, and they don’t fucking communicate with each other.”

Fuck.

I shouldn’t let it get to me this week. It’s just another week. These are not my relationships. I am not a counselor. My job isn’t to save a failing marriage; it’s to get the best deal for my client.

“You sound bitter.”

“I am. I’ve seen some women this week who had no clue their husbands were cheating, no idea they were so unhappy. I had a guy who didn’t know his wife of eight years had secretly been stashing away cash so she could leave him. He didn’t want a damn thing in the divorce, Zack. He just told me he wants her to be happy.”

“Damn.”

“He didn’t want anything. He gave her more than half of what he had in the bank. He gave her stocks. He gave her the house. He gave her everything. You know what he told me?”

Zack sighs. “Tell me.”

“He said he can make the money back. It’s just money. That’s what he told me. He said he knows it isn’t going to buy her happiness, but he’s going to do anything in his power to make sure she lives a good, happy life, even if it’s not with him.”

“That’s heavy.”

“I don’t know how long I can keep doing this, man.”

“You thinking of making a switch?”

“I don’t know. Part of me wants to.”

Zack doesn’t react. He might work in property law, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t damn great at what he does. Like me, he’s perfected his poker face. He needs it when he’s dealing with clients, when he’s dealing with other attorneys, when he’s dealing with people in general.

“How long have you been thinking about this?” Zack asks casually.

“Awhile.”

We sit in silence for a few minutes, staring at the television screen behind the bar. There’s a game on, but neither one of us is really paying attention. The screen blurs in a series of colors, and I have no idea who is winning, who is playing, or what sport we’re watching.

All I know is that I’m very, very unhappy, and I need something new, something different.

I need something fresh.

“Maybe you just need to get laid,” Zack says helpfully.

“Fuck you.”

“It’s been awhile since you had a regular sub, or any sub at all, really.”

“My Domination habits are none of your business.”

“He’s right, you know,” Jennifer appears with two fresh drinks. “It’s not good for Doms to go too long without a soft little sub to take care of.”

I stare at her, shocked that she’s just blatantly intruding on our conversation, and then I look at the drinks.

“I didn’t order these,” I manage to say.

“On the house, boys,” she winks. “No offense, but you seem like you could use them.”

She heads off again, and I look at Zack, confused.

“Seriously, who the hell is this girl?”

He just shrugs and sips his fresh beer. “Magical, if you ask me.” He sets the glass back down. “You know, you could explore some other career options. There’s nothing wrong with changing your path.”

“What? And work in real estate with you?”

“Oh, we could have fun with that, but I don’t think you’d like it.”

“No?”

“It’s too quiet for you,” Zack says thoughtfully. “You need a rush. You need something fast paced, something that will keep you busy.”

“I know you’re right. I don’t want to say you are, but you’re right. I’d make it a month in property law before I pulled my hair out and went to live in an isolated cabin in the woods.”

Zack just chuckles. He knows me well. We’ve been friends for fucking forever, after all. He holds up his drink and smiles.

“To you, brother. To your future. To happiness.”

“To finding a way through the darkness,” I say.

I’ll drink to that.

Chapter 3

Macie

“I don’t know if I’m comfortable with this,” I whisper, staring at the ship in front of me. Oh, technically it’s not a “cruise ship.” It’s a “mini-cruise ship,” but I’m not convinced there’s much of a difference. It’s still big, and intimidating, and scary.

From the outside, the ship Anchored looks like it’s some sort of fancy restaurant or even a hotel. The parking lot is clearly labeled private, though, and even if someone did decide to wander up to the ship, they wouldn’t be able to get inside without a special key.

The problem is that I know this ship doesn’t house the best seafood in town. I know this place doesn’t have overpriced hotel rooms. I know this isn’t a bed and breakfast. I know, and that knowledge terrifies me.

“It’ll be okay,” Christina says comfortingly.

“Yeah,” Lily agrees. “You don’t have anything to worry about. Trust me: I was totally scared my first time, too, but Christina and Zack really put me at ease.”

“You came with Christina and Zack your first time?”

“Yep.”

“And it wasn’t…you were okay?”

“She was more than okay,” Jaxson Thorn, Lily’s husband and Dom, drapes an arm around her. “She was perfect, and you’re going to be fine, too.” His eyes soften as he looks at me. He lifts my chin with a finger and says, “Hey, we’re all going to be with you. Even if you decide to want to sit at the bar alone for a little while, or you want to talk to someone, we’ll always have eyes on you, okay? Nothing bad is going to happen to you.”

“And you won’t be playing tonight,” Zack adds.

“So I don’t have to worry about anyone touching me,” I whisper.

“Well,” Jaxson chuckles. “That’s the least of your concerns.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that once you see what happens at Anchored, little one, you’re going to be wishing someone was touching you. You might even be begging for it, but you can’t play tonight. Newbies don’t get to have fun. I know: it sucks for all of us.”

“Thorn,” Lily slaps him playfully on the chest. “You’re going to freak her out.”

“That’s Master Thorn at the club, baby.”

“Master,” she whispers, and she kisses her husband softly.

“All right,” Christina rolls her eyes at the PDA. “Let’s get inside. It’s already late, and I want to have some fun tonight.”

We head into the club and check in at the front desk. I’m not a member, but I’m on the guest list for the evening. The receptionist helps me put on a special pink bracelet that indicates I can’t have sex tonight. The good news is that since I won’t be playing with anyone, I’ll be able to drink.

And that’s something I’m definitely planning on doing.

We step through the doors to the club, and I have to take a minute to catch my breath. The music is loud, and it washes over me like a wave.

“It’s a lot to take in at first,” Christina says knowingly.

“Yeah,” Lily agrees, but I just nod, and I’m not sure what to look at first. There’s so much happening that I suddenly feel completely overwhelmed. There are people walking around in what I would consider to be “normal” clothes: suits and nice dresses. Then there are a couple of people in costumes. There’s someone dressed like a schoolgirl and one woman is a naughty nurse. Then there are people in full fet-wear.

There’s a little bit of everything.

“Breathe,” Zack reminds me, and I take a deep breath.

“Let’s go to the women’s locker room,” Lily suggests. “And we’ll meet the guys in a few minutes.” The men kiss their women before releasing them, and the three of us head into the locker room.

As soon as we’re in the quiet space, I collapse on a bench. The locker room isn’t soundproof, but it is quieter in here, and I feel like I can think in here.

“Newbie?” A friendly voice says, and I look up into two beautiful brown eyes.

“First time,” I admit, and she smiles.

“I’m Odessa.”

“Macie.”

“You look familiar.”

“Macie does catering for Shining Stars events,” Christina offers helpfully.

“Oh, that makes more sense, then.” Odessa smiles. “I’m another Shining Stars employee.”

“Woah,” I say. “Does the entire daycare staff come here to play?”

The women just laugh.

“There are a lot of us,” Lily admits. “But you’ll find there are plenty of different types of people who come to Anchored.”

“It’s true,” a woman with light blonde hair is sitting at the mirrors, and she turns around and smiles. Then she gives a little wave. “I’m a tech girl myself. Piper.”

“Nice to meet you,” I say. “I’m Macie.”

“Don’t be too scared,” Piper says with a smile. “These guys will boss you around, tie you up, and spank you, but most of them are real sweethearts.”

“So I’ve been told.”

The truth is that I still don’t know if this whole “kink lifestyle” is for me. Of course, it’s only my first time, so I know I have plenty of time to think things over, but there’s so much happening here that I really do feel overwhelmed.

“Piper is right,” Odessa says. “And there’s one thing you need to know. You’re a sub, right? I assume you’re a sub.” Christina and Lily both nod on my behalf. “Well, us subs stick together,” she smiles. “If you ever have any questions, or you’re nervous, or you just need someone to talk to, you can come to us. Any one of us would be happy to help you, okay?”

“Really?” It’s almost too good to be true. The sense of community here is incredible. Lily and Christina have told me this before, but I’m not sure I really understood it until now.

“Of course,” Piper says. “We were all new once upon a time. Coming to a place like this can be terrifying. You’re very brave, you know. Don’t be under this impression that you have to participate in something extreme or daunting in order to be considered brave. You don’t. Just coming here shows that you’re courageous.”

“Absolutely,” Lily agrees. “Trust me,” she says. “When we go out there, you might feel a lot of different emotions, and none of those feelings are wrong. Just take a deep breath and remember that everything is going to be okay. You might hate it, but you might love it, and that’s all right, too.”

Christina touches up my makeup and Lily fusses with my hair a little bit, but then it’s time to go. With a deep breath, I stand up and head out of the locker room and into Anchored.

It’s time to take a chance.

Chapter 4

Anthony

“Who the hell is that?” I’m standing with Zack and Jaxson, chatting about stupid work things, when three women emerge from the locker room. Christina and Lily I both know, but the third woman is a mystery to me, and she’s perfect. Her soft makeup accentuates her eyes and makes her lips look full and plump. Instantly, I want to wrap her in my arms and kiss her slowly, tenderly.

“Macie,” Zack says, looking at me. “But don’t you have a regular sub?”

“I do not.”

“What about that one girl you were playing with?” Jaxon starts snapping his fingers, trying to think of her name.

“She moved,” I tell him. “And we weren’t serious. We just played together.”

Jaxson shrugs, and we stand still as the women make their way over to us.

“Ladies,” I say, greeting them. Lily and Christina both look lovely, as always, but Macie is the one who has captured my attention tonight. Her eyes keep flitting to and fro, like she can’t quite take everything in, like she can’t quite figure out what to look at or what to focus on.

“Master Tony,” Lily and Christina both bow their heads demurely, but Macie looks right at me.

“Hello,” she says shyly.

Oh, yes.

She’s very new.

Lily nudges her in the side, and Macie bows her head.

“Master Tony,” she murmurs quietly, and I step forward, invading her space. I reach for her and lift her chin so her eyes meet mine. She blinks, surprised that I’ve touched her.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Macie,” I tell her, and I’m not lying. Zack chuckles quietly from behind me, but I ignore him. “May I accompany you tonight?” I ask her.

“Oh,” she says, suddenly breaking eye contact and looking to Zack and Jaxson. Then she looks at her wrist. “I, um, I’m new,” she holds up her wrist. “I can’t play tonight.” Then she nods, as if she’s satisfied with the answer she’s given me, and I smile. She looked to her temporary Doms for permission and guidance, which I appreciate. Many new subs would have simply answered for themselves, but she visually checked with them first.

“Zack, Jaxson,” I turn to my friends. “May I have the pleasure of showing your sub around Anchored this evening?”

“Macie,” Zack looks at her. “Would you like to spend the evening with Tony? He’s a close friend of mine and I trust him completely. He won’t harm you, but if you’d prefer to stay with us as a group, that’s all right, too.”

Macie looks from me to Zack to Jaxson to Lily to Christina. Then she bites her bottom lip and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. She thinks for a minute, and then she nods.

“Yes,” she whispers. “I think that would be all right.”

“Sweet!” Lily says, nudging her once more. “You’re going to have fun.”

“And you,” Jaxson wraps his arms around Lily, pulling her close to him. “Are coming with me.” He leads her off toward one of the stages, and Lily waves goodbye to Macie as they walk off.

“If you need anything, we’ll be close,” Christina whispers, kissing Macie on the cheek.

“Look out for her,” Zack says, and then he and Christina head off, as well. Then it’s just me and Macie, and I take a minute to look her over. She’s wearing a black tank top that shows off her beautiful breasts and a matching mini-skirt that’s much too long. I want to see what she has on beneath it. Although the skirt ends at mid-thigh, I want it shorter, higher.

If she were my sub, I’d want to see her panties peeking out from beneath it.

“You’re staring at me,” she says.

“You’re very beautiful.”

“Is that right?”

“You seem suspicious.”

“A little,” she admits, looking around the room. “There are a lot of pretty women here. I guess I’m a little confused as to why you want to hang out with me.”

“Are you trying to say you aren’t beautiful? Because my spanking hand is starting to itch.”

She rolls her eyes. “You can’t spank me tonight.” She holds up her wrist and points to the pink band. “Newbie, remember? But that’s not what I was saying. I know I’m pretty. I just think there are a lot of experienced submissives here. Why do you want the new girl?”

I’m so surprised by Macie’s boldness that I don’t say anything right away, but then she snaps her fingers and grins at me.

“That’s it! I’m fresh blood. You want to take my sex club virginity.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, please. I’m new, and inexperienced, and innocent, and you want to be the one to defile me.” She laughs and places her hands on my chest, and then Macie smiles up at me. “That’s fine with me, Master Tony. That’s just fine with me.”

“You’re not as shy as you look,” I point out.

“Good observational skills.”

“And a little mouthy.”

“Only a little.”

“You have no idea how much I wish you weren’t wearing the pink bracelet tonight.”

“Why?” She reaches up on her tippy-toes and whispers into my ear. “Do you want to spank me, Master Tony?”

I growl, grab her hair, and kiss her. I shouldn’t. She’s new, and even though kissing isn’t technically playing, I should leave her alone tonight. I should just be showing her around, and nothing more, but her sassy mouth has my dick hard and ready and I just want to taste her.

And she tastes perfect.

She’s like a cupcake: sweet, soft, delicious. I kiss Macie, dominating her mouth with mine, and then I stop myself. If I don’t stop, I’m never going to, so I pull away. Her eyes are even wider than before.

“I absolutely want to spank you, Macie. I want to pull you over my lap and paddle your ass until it turns a beautiful shade of red, and then I want to sink into you, baby. I want to make love to you until you can’t think straight, until all you can do is focus on the pleasure I’m giving you.”

“Wow,” she whispers. Her fingers flutter up to her lips, as if she’s trying to accept the fact that we just shared an incredible kiss right here in the club.

“Come on, sweetheart,” I take her hand gently. “Let me show you around.”

Chapter 5

Macie

When a super hot guy offers to show you around a sex dungeon, you say yes. You always, always say yes. I might be naïve, but I’m smart enough to know when there’s a good thing in front of me, and Tony?

He’s a good thing.

And a damn good kisser.

“Tell me about your experience with kink before this,” he says, leading me toward a stage. My eyes are glued to it as I speak to him. Somehow, I’m unable to look away from the scene unfolding before me. A woman is on her knees and she’s tied up with rope. Two men are circling her like sharks, but she doesn’t look afraid. She looks excited.

“I don’t really have any,” I admit. “I came here because I lost a bet.”

“Is that right?”

“I met Lily and Christina recently and we started hanging out. They gave me a week to find someone using Turntable. I couldn’t, so I had to come try the club.”

“They’re a couple of sneaky little subs, aren’t they?”

“The sneakiest,” I agree, tearing my eyes away from the scene to look up at Tony. He smiles at me, and suddenly, I feel very safe. This isn’t a feeling I have very often. It’s not that there’s anything terribly traumatic in my past, but I don’t typically feel safe with men. Maybe it’s because I’m so short and they all seem so huge. Maybe it’s because I never had a close relationship with my father. I’m not sure.

When I look up at Tony, though, I feel like he’s going to protect me. He barely knows me, but he seems like he’s going to take care of me, like he’s going to look after me, and I like that feeling very much.

Tony moves behind me and wraps his arms around me. He pulls me back against him so we’re both staring at the stage.

“Look at this beautiful submissive,” he says. “What do you think when you see her?”

“She should be afraid,” I tell him. “She’s all tied up.” She’s naked under all those ropes. I can see her breasts and her nipples.

“But she isn’t afraid, is she?”

“No.”

“What do you think she’s feeling, Macie? Look at her face.”

“Peace,” I say instantly. “She trusts those men.”

“She’s dating them,” he tells me. “And they come here every week to play.”

“She’s dating both of them?”

“Yes.”

“She must be very loved,” I say before I can stop myself. Tony stills behind me.

“That’s an interesting observation,” he says. “And I agree with you.”

One of the men is speaking to the woman, but the music is so loud I can’t hear what he’s saying. The other one has undone his pants so his cock is out, and the woman opens her mouth to take it.

“I’ve never…” I tell him.

“You’ve never seen anyone do this before?”

“Never.”

“Have you ever watched yourself? Maybe in a mirror?”

“Only when I-” I stop before I can keep talking. It’s too embarrassing to say out loud.

“What were you going to say?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh, Macie,” he whispers, running his hand down my arm. Goosebumps form on my skin and I begin to quiver. I don’t want to. I don’t want to have this reaction to Tony, to this man I barely know, yet somehow, he’s making me come alive. “A good Dom always knows when his sub is lying.”

“I don’t want to tell you.”

“Because you’re embarrassed?”

“Yes.”

“Look at this woman on the stage, sweetie. Does she look embarrassed?”

“No. She doesn’t look embarrassed,” I admit. “She looks happy, content. She’s only focusing on herself and her Doms and she doesn’t care that we’re all watching.”

“She’s very brave.”

“Are you asking me to be brave like her?”

“That’s what Anchored is all about. It’s about giving in to your desires. It’s about being bold enough to ask for what you want and to take what you need. It’s about giving and receiving. It’s about celebrating your sexuality. It’s about being courageous enough to give in to what you need. This place isn’t a huge orgy. Oh, plenty of people like to think it is, but it’s not. We’re not all having sex together. Some people here have been with their partners for decades.”

“Really?”

“Truly. There are plenty of people who come here hoping to meet someone, of course, but many couples come here because it’s a safe place to play out fantasies.”

“I watch myself masturbate in front of my bedroom mirror,” I whisper.

“I bet you look incredibly sexy doing that, Macie.”

“It’s embarrassing to say it out loud.”

“Not at all. You’re a gorgeous woman. I’m sure you look fantastic.” I feel him against my ass, I realize. He’s hard for me, hard thinking about the way I look when I touch myself, and that makes me feel very, very sexy. I’m filled with feminine power, suddenly, and I feel really, really good.

No wonder people like this whole kink thing.

“Do you masturbate often, Macie?” His voice is low, quiet in my ear. No one else can hear what he’s saying. We’re surrounded by people, but they’re all focused on the trio on stage. No one is paying any attention to Tony and me or the way we’re getting cozy and close.

Suddenly, I wonder what it would be like to sleep with Tony. He would be Dominating, of course, but he would be gentle, too. I’m sure of it. Something tells me that a man like Tony isn’t going to leave his submissive wanting. He’s going to show her what it means to be taken care of.

“Every day,” I admit.

“Do you read dirty books to turn yourself on?”

“Never.”

“Watch porn?”

“No.”

“Then you must have quite an active imagination, sweetheart. Tell me, what do you think about when you touch that pretty pink pussy of yours?”

“Holy dragons,” I whisper. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Pussy?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, honey,” he chuckles. “You’re going to hear a lot dirtier words than that come out of my mouth.”

“I’ve never told anyone what I fantasize about,” I admit. “But then again, no one has ever asked me.”

“Would you like to tell me what you think about when you touch yourself? When you slide your fingers deep inside?”

“I want to tell you,” I whisper.

“Then tell me.”

“I think about different things, but my favorite fantasy is when I’m in the kitchen baking. I’m a caterer, so I spend a lot of time in my kitchen. It’s a weird fantasy, I know, but I love the idea of being busy at the counter and have someone come up behind me.”

“And what would they do to you when they come up to you?”

“Well,” I swallow hard. My mouth has suddenly gone dry. I shouldn’t be telling Tony these things about me. These are secrets I hold close to my heart, secrets I’ve never told anyone, and suddenly, I’m spilling my guts to Tony.

I’m totally blabbing to a stranger.

I’m sharing my innermost secrets, but it doesn’t seem wrong.

Why doesn’t it seem wrong?

“They would flip up my skirt to find I’m not wearing any panties.”

“Naughty girl,” Tony murmurs.

“Very naughty,” I agree, closing my eyes. I rest my head on his shoulder. He’s still behind me, still holding me in place, and I’m slowly grinding my hips against him. I don’t know when I started doing that. Maybe it was a minute ago. Maybe it was after I started talking. All I know is that his cock is so hard against my bottom and my panties? They’re soaked.

“What happens next, sweetheart?”

“Next, he slides his hands over my bottom.”

“I bet your skin feels very smooth.”

“Yes,” I whisper. “And soft. He grips me, grabbing my hips.”

“And does he say something to you?”

“Yes. He tells me I’m beautiful. He grabs my hair and pulls my head back. He kisses me, but it’s not a soft kiss. It’s a hard kiss. He tells me he’s been thinking of me all day and he can’t wait to slide inside of me.”

“Fuck, Macie, that’s hot as hell.”

“And then he thrusts into me quickly, hard.” I’m breathing heavily now, unable to stop the fantasy from floating through my head. It’s so vivid, so real. I’ve imagined it a hundred times but never like this.

Because this time, it’s Tony in my fantasy.

This time, he’s the one fucking me in my kitchen. He’s the one making me growl. He’s the one making my body sing with pleasure.

“Are you thinking about it right now?” Tony whispers, and his hands move up and down my sides. We’re still watching the people on stage, and I’m still grinding against him, unable to get enough.

Suddenly, I’m filled with need, and I really want to rush off to the locker room to get myself off. Having a quick orgasm would give me the fortitude required to get through the rest of the night. Yes, that’s exactly what I need: an orgasm.

“Yes,” I admit, trying to come up with a way I can sneak off. I wiggle out of Tony’s arms and turn around. He looks surprised.

“Is everything okay?”

“I need to pee,” I say bluntly, hoping he won’t see through my ploy, but he just smirks.

“Is that code for ‘get off’?” He asks.

“What?” I blink innocently.

“Should I spank you for lying, sweetheart?” He crosses his arms over his big, broad chest, and I groan. Of course he would see right through that. He’s a lawyer, and a Dom, and to be honest, I’m too horny to be any good at lying.

“No.”

“I don’t do well with lies,” Tony says. “And while you’re under my protection, you aren’t going to be slinking off to masturbate in the bathroom of all places. We’re in a sex dungeon, love. In case you haven’t noticed, orgasms are on the menu, and sex club virgins are the specialty.”

“I…I…”

I don’t know what to say or what to do, and I know I’m blushing super hard. It’s just that the fantasy got me so worked up, so excited, so turned on, and I don’t know what to do now.

He sighs, and then presses his lips to my forehead. “Come here,” he says. “I have an idea.”

Chapter 6

Anthony

I guide Macie out of the crowd at Anchored and bring her over to the bar. June is working tonight, as always, and smiles when I approach.

“Tony,” she says with a smile. “Drinking tonight?”

“No,” I shake my head. “I’m accompanying Macie this evening. She’s new. It’s her first night.”

“I’m aware,” June turns to Macie and offers her hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Macie. I’m June.”

“Nice to meet you.” Macie looks from June to me and back again. She seems a little confused as to what’s happening.

“Macie and I are going to step outside for some air,” I tell June.

“Is that right?” June looks pointedly at the pink “new person” bracelet that’s on Macie’s wrist. “You know she can’t play tonight. She hasn’t had her psych eval.”

“I know. We’re just going outside to look at the stars,” I say, knowing June isn’t buying even a little of what I’m selling. It’s hypocritical of me, I know. I threatened to spank Macie for lying and now I’m obviously lying to June.

I give her my most innocent face.

“Stupid lawyers,” she rolls her eyes finally.

“If Jaxson or Zack come by, will you please let them know we’ll be back shortly?”

“Yeah, yeah,” June turns to start making a drink and waves her hand at me. “Whatever, Tony.”

“Thanks, sweetness.”

She turns around and winks at me. “Have fun.”

I take Macie’s hand once more and lead her toward a back door. It’s got an EXIT sign blinking above it.

“Won’t this set off some sort of alarm?” Macie points nervously at a warning sign posted on the wall.

“Not that door,” I tell her. “This door.” I point to a door just a few feet down. It’s cleverly hidden behind some large potted plants. We step behind the plants and I swipe my keycard. Then we go through the door. As soon as it closes behind us, I press Macie against the wall and kiss her.

“What are you doing?” She asks.

“Taking what’s mine,” I tell her, kissing her again. Then I stop. “And giving you what you deserve. Come along.”

I guide her up a narrow staircase, through another door, and then we’re on the upper deck.

“Wow,” she says, looking out at the beautiful night sky. “This is quite the view.”

“I agree,” but I’m looking at her. Macie is gorgeous leaning over the rail, looking at the stars like they’re the most interesting thing she’s ever seen.

“Do you come out here often?”

“You mean with my submissives?”

“Yes.”

“Never,” I tell her honestly. “The owner has a strict policy about people staying indoors. She doesn’t like people to wander outside in the throes of passion.”

“I get it,” Macie says. “This place is great because it’s discreet, right? It wouldn’t do anyone any favors to have someone get arrested for public indecency.”

“Well, no one’s looking right now,” I tell her. “It’s dark. We’re alone. Anything could happen.”

“Like you giving me the orgasm you denied me?” She asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Would you like that?”

She turns to me, keeping one hand on the rail. “I’m not sure.”

“You aren’t sure if you’d like an orgasm?”

“I’ve never…you know…with a stranger before.”

“I’m not a stranger anymore.”

“You sort of are.”

“And we’re not going to have sex, Macie.”

“Oh.”

“You look disappointed.” I lift her chin with my finger. “Do you want to have sex with me tonight, Macie?”

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She nods, but doesn’t speak. Brave little thing, isn’t she? I know she’s completely out of her element. I get it. This isn’t the type of thing she normally does. This isn’t the sort of place she typically frequents. Macie is a good girl, through-and-through.

I don’t mean that she’s innocent or that she isn’t kinky because Macie is definitely, totally kinky. She just hasn’t had the right man to show her the ropes yet. No, I mean that Macie has a good heart. She’s kind, and it shows. She might be new to this whole world, but she’s going to be just fine in it.

“Trust me, beautiful. I would love to show you exactly what I can make you feel. I would love to be the man in your fantasy bending you over the kitchen counter, making you come all over my cock. I would love that, but it can’t be tonight.”

“But we’re already breaking the rules being out here,” she whispers. “Why can’t we break them a little bit more?”

“Not tonight,” I tell her. “Tonight, just let me make you feel. Turn back around.”

She turns around and faces the water. There are several other boats docked nearby, but no people. It’s too late for that. Anyone docking their vessel here has either gone to bed below deck for the night or gone home. Either way, we’re totally alone in the moonlight, totally alone out here.

And it’s wonderful.

I run my hands down her shoulders. She quivers beneath my touch, and I trace her skin gently.

“Now that you’ve seen a little bit of Anchored, what are your thoughts? Is it different than you expected?” I move my hands to her belly, wrapping my arms around her.

“A little,” she admits.

“Tell me how.” Slowly, my hands trace circles on her stomach, and Macie leans back into me.

“I thought it would be scarier.”

“Whips and chains?”

“Basically.”

“You watch too many movies,” I say, and move my hands slowly, slowly toward her breasts. I cup them over her shirt, and she lets out a soft little moan.

“Or maybe not enough.”

“Has anyone ever touched you like this? Out in the open?”

“Never.”

“But you enjoy it.” It’s not a question, and she doesn’t respond. She just rests against me and allows me to touch her. I wonder how this girl isn’t married off yet. How could anyone get tired of touching her? She’s funny and interesting, and she’s captured my attention faster than she should have.

“How did you find out about Anchored?” She asks. Her breathing has deepened, and I slip one of my hands down the top of her tank to play with her nipples. They’re hard and beaded, ready for me.

“Oh, I’ve been here since the beginning.”

“Is that right? You’ve known you were a Dom for a long time, huh?”

“It’s something that’s always interested me, yes.”

“But you aren’t married.”

“I’m a divorce attorney,” I whisper in her ear. “Marriage isn’t for me.”

“Did you get your heart broken?” I don’t want to break the spell of the moment, but she’s so soft and sweet. How can I deny answering this?

“On the contrary,” I tell her. “I’ve never let anyone close enough to break my heart.”

“Sounds lonely,” she murmurs.

“My best friend went through a nasty divorce,” I tell her. “I was there for the whole thing. I saw how someone he cared so deeply for could hurt him so badly. It turned me off to the whole marriage thing, I’m afraid.”

“That must have been difficult.”

“It was.”

I don’t talk about Zack’s divorce very often. There’s not much of a point. His ex isn’t someone I enjoy thinking about or talking about. She’s not the type of person I want to be associated with. She took his heart and crushed it.

“You know,” Macie suddenly turns around and presses her hands against my chest. “I know what you’re doing. You want to pleasure me out here in the open. You want to make me come. You want to give me the orgasm of a lifetime.”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Yeah,” she bites her lip nervously, and then she drops to her knees and reaches for my pants. “Maybe it’s time you let someone take care of you, Master Tony.”

Chapter 7

Macie

I’m not this girl.

I’m not wild or crazy or bold, but the word Master slips out of my mouth like I know what I’m doing, like this isn’t my first time. Somehow, when I’m near Tony, he makes me feel like I’m not completely inexperienced in this.

So I undo his pants, and I bring his cock to my mouth. I don’t take the time to look at it or appreciate it or oogle it. I’m much too busy sliding it down my throat for any of that. He makes a noise of appreciation and surprise, but he lets me touch him. He lets me play with him.

Tony doesn’t tell me this isn’t appropriate. He doesn’t say, “You’re too good for this.” He doesn’t tell me our first time together should be special. He just goes with it, and I’m glad. For once in my life, I’m just letting go of everything that holds me back, and I feel free.

We’re outside of Anchored. We’re on deck, and I know that if anyone looked over at us, we’d be hidden in the shadows, but it’s still a rush. What if the moonlight falls just so, and someone can see me here? What if some random person is walking around the harbor at night and watches us? The idea of being observed, even by a stranger, excites me more than it should.

There’s a part of me that knows I should be embarrassed of myself. I should be ashamed of this behavior, but I’m not, and when I look up at Tony, I know that he’s not, either.

“You’re fucking incredible, Macie. Your sweet mouth feels so damn good on me.”

His dark words just egg me on, making me suck harder, faster. His breathing gets shorter, faster, and I know he’s getting close. Good. He played with me, running his hands all over my body. He awakened something in me I thought didn’t exist, and now I’m getting the chance to make him fall apart under my touch.

“I’m close,” he murmurs. “You should stop now,” he adds, but I don’t. I just keep going, and when he comes with a groan, I taste him in my mouth. I feel sexier than I’ve ever felt in my damn life. I feel beautiful here in the moonlight, and when I finish licking Tony, I look up to see him watching me.

“You are incredible.”

“You’re not so bad yourself.”

He gives me his hand and brings me to my feet. Then he wraps his arms around me and pulls me close, kissing me tenderly, gently.

“That was wild,” I tell him after a minute.

“I agree,” he whispers. “But I still haven’t made you come, sweetheart.”

“We have plenty of time for that,” I murmur, nuzzling against him, but the door to Anchored opens just then and Zack strides through it like he owns the place.

“What are you doing out here, rule-breaker?” He glares at Tony.

“We’re just enjoying the moonlight,” Tony says, blinking innocently.

Zack sniffs the air. “Then why does it smell like guilt and bad decisions out here?”

“I’m fine,” I place my hand on Zack’s arm. Christina is right behind him. “We were just talking.”

“With Tony?” Christina chuckles. “Not likely, but nice try.”

“Come on, now,” Tony says. “I can be trusted.”

Zack just scoffs. Then he jerks his head toward the door. “Let’s head back inside. There’s a scene I think you’ll enjoy.”

“Sounds great,” Tony slides his arm around me. “I want to see, too.”

“I’ll give you something to see,” Zack mutters under his breath, but we all follow him inside and back to the club. The music is louder than before, if possible, and the crowd has grown in the time we’ve been gone. I’m not sure how long Tony and I were outside, but if the club wasn’t in full swing before, it certainly is now.

“Do you want a drink first?” Tony whispers, and I nod. Now that we’re back inside, I suddenly feel a little nervous, and we stop by the bar. June comes over and looks questioningly at me.

“Can I get you a drink?”

“Vodka cranberry, please.”

“Coming right up,” she says. “I assume this is going on your tab,” she looks at Tony, and he nods.

“Thank you,” I kiss him softly on the cheek.

“It’s the least I can do.”

June brings my drink and I carry it as the four of us head toward a scene to the side of the main room. Jaxson Thorn and Lily are already there, watching with interest.

“The sub is one of mine,” Jaxson whispers.

“One of yours? Like, you guys dated?”

Lily laughs. “No, she’s from one of his classes.”

“One of my most nervous students,” Jaxson explains. “But she’s come a long way in a short time. Look at her now.”

I watch the stage where she’s playing with her Dom, and I’m amazed at how beautiful she looks. It’s not that she’s particularly gorgeous. She’s pretty, to be sure, but what really makes her glow is the way she looks at her Dom. She stares at him like he’s the only thing she sees, like he’s the only thing that’s important to her right now.

And she looks brave.

Fierce.

Confident.

I want that kind of confidence. I want to be able to walk into a room full of people and be naked and not care. I want to know that I look good, and that even if my body isn’t perfect, that it’s still sexy and fantastic.

That’s what this sub is doing.

She reminds me of myself. She’s got a few stretch marks and a little bit of a belly, but she knows how damn sexy she looks right now. You don’t have to be a model to be beautiful. You don’t have to be a size zero to be gorgeous. You can be a size 2, or a size 12, or a size 22, and still be beautiful.

I want that, I realize.

Is this what the whole kink thing is about?

I’m realizing that coming to Anchored is nothing like I expected. I sip my drink as I watch the scene. Tony stands behind me, openly touching me, but I’m not embarrassed or scared. Lily and Christina both wink at me, and a woman walking by sees me with Tony and gives me a thumbs-up, and I feel great.

I feel like the world is my oyster.

Maybe being kinky isn’t just about being wild or dirty or crazy. Maybe it’s just about believing in yourself enough to go after the things you want. If you want to be naked on a stage for all of the club to see, that’s okay. If you want to dress up and role play, that’s okay. If you want to try rope play, that’s okay.

All of it’s okay.

And I’m suddenly realizing that’s what it’s all about.

The scene ends, and the crowd applauds. I watch as the Dom lifts his sub into his arms and carries her away.

“Where are they going?” I ask Tony.

“He’s going to give her aftercare,” he explains. “After an intense scene, a lot of subs experience an emotional drop. Aftercare could mean hugs and kisses and cuddles, but it also includes talking.”

“And it’s very important,” Christina says. “Trust me. I speak from experience. If you aren’t getting aftercare, you’re going to have a hard time.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say.

“The club is closing,” Jaxson says. “So it’s time to head home. Are you ready?”

No, my heart whispers. Not at all.

“Give me a minute?”

“Of course. Meet us by the doors.” Jaxson pats Thorn on the shoulder, and he heads to the front of the club with Lily, Christina, and Zack. I turn around and look at Tony. Then I place my hands on his shoulders.

“Tonight has been wonderful,” I tell him.

“For me, as well.” He kisses me softly, sweetly, and runs his hands through my hair. “Thank you for everything.”

“It was fun.”

“Did you enjoy being a little wild?”

“I did,” I admit. “More than I should.”

“I still owe you an orgasm,” he whispers.

“Maybe we could…”

“Maybe we could what?” He asks, looking at me. He doesn’t look unkind. He just looks patient, thoughtful. He doesn’t seem like he’s opposed to me asking him out, but he’s not going to make it easy for me, either.

I take a deep breath.

Think brave, Macie. Think brave.

“Maybe we could get dinner sometime,” I say. “If you like.”

“I would love that,” he says. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a business card. He presses it into my hand as he kisses me again. “I hope you’ll call me, Miss Macie.”

“Yes,” I say. “I think I will.”

Chapter 8

Anthony

Macie calls me the next day and we talk for an hour. We’re both busy with work all week, but we make plans to meet on Thursday night for dinner. In the meantime, we text and talk on the phone all week. Somehow, we’re unable to get enough of each other.

I find out she grew up in the Midwest and moved to Westbrook to open her catering company. She comes from a big family with a conservative background, and that’s part of the reason she never really explored the kinky side of herself before. She always thought it was wrong and somehow bad.

When I give her a list of books to read, she surprises me by admitting she already bought most of them on her Kindle.

“I’ve been doing a lot of reading since Saturday,” she admits. “And it’s been really, really fun.” A vision of Macie touching herself to a dirty book flashes through my head, but I push it aside.

Focus.

I need to focus on work.

I need to get through the week and on Thursday, when we meet for dinner, I can finally allow myself to relax. Somehow, Macie seems to calm me. She brings me a strange sense of peace. Whether we’re talking or texting, I love the way she helps me relax. Even though my job is very intense and there is a lot of pressure and anxiety that accompanies it, she makes me feel like everything is going to be okay.

She makes me feel like I’m going to be all right.

The week seems to move by slowly. As I deal with my clients and cases, I feel the weight of the world crushing my shoulders. Even Zack can tell that I’m becoming more and more unhappy. He doesn’t realize that if I didn’t have Macie to talk to this week, I’d probably be walking out of the office and never coming back.

On Thursday morning, he steps into my office and closes the door behind him. Then he crosses his arms over his chest and just stares at me.

“Don’t give me your Dom face. That doesn’t work on me.”

“This face works on everyone.”

“Not me. I taught you that face, remember?”

“I remember,” Zack concedes. “I also remember when you used to love your job. You used to love working on divorce cases, so what happened?”

“Life happened,” I admit with a sigh, pushing my chair back from my desk. I stand and go to the window. “You’re a real estate lawyer, Zack. A high stress day for you is helping someone sort out the taxes on their new property. It’s different for me.”

“Talk to me about it. Tell me why. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I know you’re Domming me right now.”

“Humor me.”

“All right,” I turn around and face him, mirroring his crossed arms. “I’m tired of dealing with the worst part of people’s lives. Everyone I face is going through the hardest experience of their existence. Wives are coming in after they find out their husband has had a secret mistress for the last five years. Husbands are coming in after discovering their wives have been stashing money away in secret accounts as they prepare to walk away from their relationship. I’m tired, Zack. I’m tired of everything being negative.”

I sigh and run my hands through my hair. It’s always been bad, but somehow, it never seemed this bad until lately.

I’m getting old, and soft, and I’m getting tired.

“The worst part of my job is that even when my clients win, they also lose. Everyone loses in divorce. Yeah, I might get them alimony or a good custody arrangement, but they still lose. They lose the life they have now. Their kids lose a parent. Someone always gets the short end of the stick, and it’s usually the children. I’m tired of being a part of it.”

Zack walks over to my desk and makes himself comfortable in one of the chairs.

“Have you thought about leaving?”

“Absolutely.”

“What’s holding you back? You’ve paid off your student loans, man. You don’t have any debt. You don’t have anything keeping you here. Why don’t you get a different job? Have you considered it?”

“I’m a lawyer by trade. I spent so much time in school, so much money. Walking away at this point seems like a waste.”

“You could try a different kind of law.”

“All law makes me tired. No offense to you. I know you love real estate, but the idea makes me yawn. I want something new. I want something that challenges me, but doesn’t make me feel like I’m the bad guy.”

“There are a ton of things you can do, man. You aren’t trapped here.”

“I feel like I am. I feel like walking away at this point essentially means the last decade of my life has been a waste.”

“It hasn’t been,” Zack shakes his head. “Plenty of people make career changes, Tony. There’s nothing wrong with that. You’ve had a great run and you’ve helped a ton of people. You might not think you have, but you have. Hell, you helped me. Without you working on my case, I would have lost everything. You’re the only reason I made it through my divorce in one piece.”

I nod because I know it’s true. I did my best to help Zack through his nightmare of a divorce. It was my first big case and I worked my ass off to help him. I would do anything for him. He’s like a brother to me. I couldn’t let him down in that way, not when it came to his future.

“Just think about it,” Zack says. “You don’t have to decide anything now. Finish up your current cases, of course, but then consider moving on. Your stress isn’t worth your pride, brother. Walking away doesn’t mean you failed. It just means you’re choosing yourself. You’re choosing what’s best for you Sometimes that means making a hard choice. Sometimes it means making a change in a big way, and that’s all right.”

Maybe he’s right.

Maybe it’s time I picked myself instead of sticking with a plan I came up with as a teen.

When I went to college, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. I wanted to make money and make a difference in the world. I thought divorce was interesting, and it was definitely a good way to make money. I live simply and was able to pay off my loans sooner than most other attorneys I know. Being debt-free was a priority to me, and I focused on paying that down before I allowed myself to buy anything big or special. Hell, I still rent my house because it’s cheaper than buying right now. I don’t drive a flashy car or spend a ton on drinking. Aside from my Anchored membership, I don’t really treat myself.

Maybe a career change is the treat I need.

Maybe it’s time to do something different.

Maybe it’s time to choose myself.

Chapter 9

Macie

By the time Thursday night arrives, I’m exhausted from the week. I’ve had several major catering events this week and if my date wasn’t with Tony, I would definitely cancel. Although I’m excited about seeing him, what I really want is to crash on the couch and just sleep. Netflix and Chill is sounding pretty damn good to me, but my desire to see Tony overrides my exhaustion, and I manage to get dressed for our date with half an hour to spare.

Of course, I spend this time fidgeting and questioning my own sanity. I’m going on a date with a guy I met at a sex club. Who does that? Oh yeah, my besties. I don’t think Lily and Christina are crazy at all for engaging in relationships that started at Anchored, but somehow, when it comes to me, I’m being totally hard on myself.

A knock at the door draws me out of my thoughts.

He’s here.

Anthony Diamond is here.

I take a deep breath, and then I open my front door.

“Wow,” I say, taking him in. He’s wearing a suit that makes him look like a billionaire werewolf shifter. Yeah, I’ve been doing a lot of reading this week.

“Wow yourself,” he smiles and looks me up and down. “You look incredible.” I’m wearing a pink sundress with sandals. It’s nothing terribly fancy, but it shows off my curves and it’s a little low-cut, so I have a fair amount of cleavage showing. I feel great in this dress, and the rush of confidence from his compliment isn’t something I’m going to forget anytime soon.

“I do what I can.”

“Shall we go to dinner?”

“Actually,” I say, pressing my hands to his chest. “I was thinking we could eat here.”

“Is that right?”

“I cooked.”

“Really?”

“You seem surprised.”

“No one’s ever cooked for me before.”

“How is that possible?” I ask. “No offense, but you’re quite a catch. I would imagine all of your ex-girlfriends would be falling head over tail to try to cook for you.”

“That is not the case.”

“Well, why don’t you come inside? I made brisket.”

“That is literally my favorite food,” he says, stepping into my house. I close the door and turn to him.

“I know.”

“How?”

“Zack helped me out a little,” I admit. It’s probably a little weird, calling Tony’s BFF and asking for advice, but he’s smiling at me, and I suddenly feel like maybe it wasn’t a terrible decision.

“Clever girl.” Tony takes his jacket off and hangs it over the back of a chair. “Cozy place you have,” he says, looking around. “I like it.”

“I don’t mean to brag, but I got all of my furniture at thrift stores and garage sales,” I tell him.

Tony laughs. “Did you now?”

“I did. What can I say? I like to save money.”

“Me too,” he says.

“A thrifty lawyer? Oh, you are rare.”

“Does that surprise you?”

“A little,” I tell him, shrugging. “There’s definitely the stereotype that lawyers love to blow money.”

“I’m afraid that’s not me. My colleagues think I’m a little crazy for that.”

“Not at all,” I shake my head. “I like it. Maybe it’s because I grew up pretty poor, but I like to save money, too. I think there’s something to be said for living simply.”

“There’s one thing we have in common.”

“I think we have a lot in common. It’s been really fun texting this week,” I tell him, taking a seat on the couch. He sits next to me and our legs touch. I’m instantly transported back to Anchored. Each touch from Tony somehow felt magical.

“I’ve enjoyed it, too,” he runs his hand over my thigh. With some guys, it would feel forward or aggressive, but not with Tony. Somehow, it feels right when he touches me this way. It feels like everything is as it should be.

“It’s been a long week,” I admit. “And to be honest, I almost canceled tonight. I’m exhausted, and overwhelmed. I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this, except that I feel really comfortable with you.”

“What happened?” He asks. “Is it work?”

“One of my employees quit randomly and I’m having problems with my manager,” I shrug. “She’s been flaking on me, and it puts extra pressure on me. I prefer the cooking side of my business. It’s why I hired her. She handles the scheduling and getting new clients, and I get to have fun in the kitchen. This week, though,” I shake my head. “It’s been rough.”

“I’m having a hard time with work, too,” he says.

“What? Why? What’s wrong?” I reach for his face, suddenly worried. “That doesn’t sound like you. You haven’t said anything.” We’ve been talking so much this week that honestly, I feel like I’ve known Tony for years. I had no idea he was struggling with work, though.

“Honestly? It’s not just one thing. It’s a whole lot of things that just seem to be wearing me down.”

I want to comfort him. He looks so stressed, so anxious. He shouldn’t be feeling this way. I shouldn’t, either, but suddenly, I remember all of those books I’ve been reading. What’s one thing subs are really, really good at?

Comforting our Doms when they need it.

I just have to figure out how.

I’ve already made his favorite meal and we’re going to share that soon, but in the meantime, I can do something else for Tony.

“Master Tony?”

“Sweetheart, you’ve been doing a lot of reading. You know that if you call me Master, it’s going to make me think you’re in the mood to play.”

“Let me comfort you,” I tell him quietly, searching his eyes. “Let me help you forget. This week has been shitty for both of us. Let’s just forget, just for a little while.”

“Macie, I like you a lot. A lot,” he says again. “Much more than I should for someone I’ve only known a short while. I think you’re sexy, and funny, and incredible, but there is no pressure for anything to happen between us tonight. There’s nothing wrong with taking things slow.”

“You’re right,” I tell him. “There’s also nothing wrong with letting me take away your pain.”

“I’m not in pain.”

“You’re anxious,” I tell him, pressing my hands to his chest. “And you’re stressed. Please, Master. I know what I’m saying. Let me give this to you.”

“Are you saying you want to submit to me?” Something flashes in his eyes, something sexy. This idea excites him, and that makes me feel like I’m the sexiest fucking woman in the world.

I slide off the couch and kneel next to it, looking at him.

“Take me,” I whisper. “I am yours.”

Chapter 10

Anthony

Macie is full of surprises.

She made me dinner, which I didn’t expect, and it smells fantastic. The entire house smells like brisket and mashed potatoes, and I can’t wait to share this meal with her. She’s thoughtful, and kind.

Macie is much too good for me.

And she’s on her knees beside me, willingly offering herself up to me. Does she know she’s making a deal with the devil? Does she know that I will take her so far down the rabbit hole she’ll never be able to find her way back?

There are things I want to do to Macie, dark things. I want to play with her, tie her up, make her submit to me. I want to bring her to the edge of pleasure and hold her there, toying with her, and then I want to push her over that cliff.

I want to make her explode with pleasure.

I want to make her cry my name.

I want everything from her.

“To your feet,” I tell her firmly, and she instantly rises. “You’ve been practicing kneeling,” I notice. She’s very graceful.

“I’ve been reading a lot,” she tells me. “I read the books you recommended, and then I read some other ones, too. One of the things I noticed was that in the stories, a lot of Doms want their submissives to kneel for them.” She shrugs, like it’s no big deal she’s been putting effort into practicing her kneeling and rising. “I wanted to see if I could, so I decided to practice.”

“I’m impressed.”

“I’m glad.”

“Take off your shoes, sweetheart.”

She kicks off the sandals and stands before me, barefoot, with her hands folded neatly in front of her.

“You’re so innocent,” I tell her quietly, looking at Macie. “Don’t you know I want to corrupt you?”

“I want everything you have to offer me,” Macie says firmly. “I was scared at first. When Lily and Christina wanted to bring me to Anchored, I thought it was going to be stupid. It’s not. I thought there was no way kink could work for me, but it’s not what I thought.”

“What did you think?”

“That it was all about hitting women, about bossing them around, but it’s not, is it?” She shakes her head. “You might want to hurt me a little, but only in ways that are going to increase my pleasure. You want me to trust you, and in return, I get to be taken care of. I get to have the most incredible orgasms. I get to feel so many different things.”

“I will always take care of you, Macie.”

“I know. I trust you.”

Before I can tell Macie to strip off her clothes, she surprises me by yanking her dress off over her head and throwing it aside. This move isn’t graceful, but it catches me by surprise and I’m instantly hard. She’s standing before me and she’s completely naked. She’s not wearing a bra or panties and she’s shaved her pussy.

“Is this for me?” I ask, reaching for her. I stroke a finger between her legs and she shudders, but nods.

“I thought you might like it.”

“Baby, I fucking love it. Come here. Let me taste you.”

She steps forward and I slide two fingers inside of her, stroking her. Then I bring my fingers to my lips. Delicious. Fucking incredible.

“You taste amazing.”

“So do you,” she says, smiling. “Trust me: I remember the club. I’ve been thinking about it all week.”

“Have you now?”

“Oh, yeah,” she laughs. “I’ve been masturbating so much. You wouldn’t believe it.”

“I hope you aren’t too sore for me, sweetheart.”

“Not at all,” she says, and then Macie straddles my lap. She strokes my face and kisses me. “I can’t wait to have you inside of me, Master.”

If I wasn’t already completely smitten with the girl, this is the moment that would do it. I grab her, pulling her closer to myself.

“I’m the one who can’t wait,” I murmur, and then I kiss her. Macie grinds against me, and my hands roam as we kiss. Her hair is beautiful and her skin is soft and she smells like vanilla.

I want more of her.

I want her more than I should.

“All right, pretty girl,” I say, pulling away. She looks surprised, but I just smile at her. “Let’s go eat dinner.”

“Um, all right,” she says, and climbs off me. She starts to reach for her clothes, but I stop her.

“I think you look lovely just like this,” I say.

“Naked?” She squeaks out. “You want us to eat naked?”

“No, only you’ll be naked. I’m perfectly happy like this.”

Macie laughs, but shakes her head and motions for me to follow her into the kitchen. The table is already set, and I help her carry the food over to the table.

“I have to say,” she admits, sitting down. “This is the very first time I’ve eaten naked with a guest.”

“Being a Dom has its perks.”

“Like getting to stare at an amazing pair of breasts while you eat an equally delicious meal?”

“Absolutely,” I say, taking my first bite of brisket.

And then I groan.

“This is the best fucking brisket I’ve ever had,” I tell her. “Seriously. I think this is better than my mom’s. Don’t,” I point my fork at her. “Ever tell her that.”

“Don’t tell your mom I’m a better cook. Got it.”

“I can’t believe you went to all this trouble for me,” I tell her. I’m used to being the one who serves others. I’m used to playing the good Dom. It’s unusual that someone goes to any lengths for me, and I kind of like this feeling.

“It was no trouble. I love cooking.”

“Tell me more about your business. I know we’ve talked a little bit over text, but it’s not the same. Your eyes seem to light up when you’re talking about it, and I love that.”

“It’s my passion. I knew when I was a kid that I wanted to cook. I thought about being a chef, but catering, to me, is a little more fun. I get to cook a ton of food and I get to go to all sorts of fun events. The menus are always so different that I get to try my hand at a lot of different things.”

“It sounds great.” I take a bite of the mashed potatoes, which are just as good as the brisket. “Magical, even.”

“A lot of people don’t understand it,” she says. “You know, having passion about your job.”

“I’m not going to lie. I’m a little jealous.”

“You never felt passionate about your job?”

“At first,” I admit. “But I think reality set in really quickly for me.”

“When do you think you stopped enjoying your work? Like, is there a specific moment that you can pinpoint when it stopped being fun?”

Leave it to Macie to ask the hard questions. Then again, that’s one of the things I’m quickly starting to like about her. She’s not the type of woman who just wants to know what my favorite movie is or whether or not I’m a country music fan. No, she’s asking me deep, personal questions.

She wants our relationship to be meaningful, and thanks to her persistence, it’s going to be.

“After Zack’s divorce, I realized just how cutthroat my field of work was going to be. I didn’t mind at first. To be honest, I liked the challenge.”

Macie takes a bite of her food and nods.

“I get it. I mean, I’m a caterer, so it’s not like I’m dealing with things that make or break someone’s future, but there’s still a lot of pressure. Whether I’m doing a business event or a wedding or something, people want everything to be perfect. It’s tough. A lot of times, they don’t even know exactly what they want, so it’s up to me to figure it out. It can be a lot of fun, but it can also be pretty hard.”

“Exactly. I like to feel challenged at work. I like working hard and feeling like I’m putting my best foot forward. That whole ‘personal growth’ thing? I love it.”

“Yeah,” she smiles. “It’s a good thing to love. Changing who you are to become someone better? It’s an incredible feeling. Hard,” she points out. “But incredible.”

“Speaking of incredible, this is the most fantastic dinner I’ve ever had.”

“Really?” She blushes.

“Really and truly. That was very thoughtful of you, Macie. I was going to take you to my favorite Italian restaurant. This was about a thousand times better. Seriously. You could easily put them out of business.”

She laughs, and the sound of her happiness fills the room.

“I don’t think I’m that good, but I appreciate the compliment.”

“Now that we’re almost done with our meal, how do you feel about being naked the entire time?”

Macie glances down at herself, as if she’s completely forgotten she’s not wearing clothes.

“Oh,” she whispers. “My nipples are hard, so I guess it’s not too bad.”

“Yes,” I reach for one and touch it gently with my fingers. “It’s not too bad at all.”

“To be honest, I sort of forgot I was naked. Once we started talking, the conversation was flowing so well, and I just wasn’t really worried about it.”

“You’re a brave woman.”

“We’ll see how brave I can be once dinner is over,” she says quietly. “I have a feeling you’ve got some surprises in store for me.”

I wink and take a sip of my drink.

Do I have surprises in store for Macie? Absolutely.

Will she love them? Of course.

I would never do anything to her I wasn’t sure she’d completely enjoy. I want her to feel adored and special. I want her to feel like she’s the queen of the world. I want her to feel like she’s a goddess.

Because she is.

Chapter 11

Macie

After dinner, we spend some time drinking wine and talking. We end up on the couch, and as we talk, Tony touches me constantly. His touch isn’t sexual, but it keeps my body on edge and alert. Even though he’s running his hands over my legs and down my arms, careful to avoid any sensitive areas, I’m still turned on.

“So you’ve had a week to process how things went at Anchored,” he says. “How do you think it compares to vanilla dating?”

“It’s definitely different,” I say.

“Tell me how.”

“When I date people, in general, there’s not that much talking, you know?”

“You like to jump to the good stuff, do you?” He winks.

“No!” I slap him playfully. “Do you know what I mean, though? I feel like you and I have talked so much this week, and we haven’t even had sex yet.” I blush. “It’s nice. I feel like I’ve opened up to you a lot, and you’ve opened to me, as well.”

“That’s what kink is all about. Whether you want BDSM or just D/s or something that’s a weird, erotic mix that can’t really be labeled, good communication is at the core of that.”

“I think when I’ve been with vanilla guys, the thing that’s always missing is the openness. I could never tell someone what my fantasies were or what I really wanted.”

“Why do you think that is?” He touches my hair. “You’re sweet, Macie, and gentle. If you were my girl, I’d listen to all of your fantasies. I’d eat them up.”

“Like the big, bad wolf,” I whisper, and he nods.

I snuggle closer to Tony, comfortable with how much we’re touching.

“This is a good example,” I say. “We’re touching, and we’re talking, and in a vanilla relationship, this doesn’t usually happen. If I’m naked with someone, we usually just end up having sex, and that’s all it is: sex. We don’t talk about how we like it or things we want to try.”

“There’s a stigma that when you like kink, you have to enjoy hardcore bondage.”

“That’s what I thought,” I admit. “Lily and Christina have been really helpful in explaining things to me. They’ve shown me that exploring my sexuality doesn’t have to be some dark, dirty thing. It doesn’t have to be dangerous. It can be safe, sane, and consensual, and it can push my limits without freaking me out.”

“Well, that’s another reason communication is important,” Tony pulls me into his lap, and I curl up against him. The gesture is intimate, but sweet, and I feel immensely comfortable with him. “If we talk about what’s going to happen in a scene ahead of time, you won’t feel as scared or uneasy. You’ll be able to really enjoy what’s happening. Even if I wanted to surprise you, my little sub, communication helps build trust.”

“So no matter what we do, I’ll know you have my best interests in mind.”

“Like asking you to eat dinner naked?”

“Was that a trust building exercise?” I ask carefully, touching his chest. He’s always dressed so nicely, so professionally. He always seems to have everything together.

“Do you feel like you trust me more?”

“I certainly feel more submissive,” I admit.

“Tell me more about that.”

“Well, to be honest, I wasn’t sure that I was submissive at all. The word ‘submissive’ is just a nasty one.”

He laughs. “I know a lot of people don’t like it.”

“It makes me think of the whole ‘women must submit to men’ idea. I don’t really like that. It sounds like torture, but that’s not what it is at all. Being submissive doesn’t mean I become a doormat. Yeah, it means I’ll give you control in the bedroom, but it also means I get to take care of you.”

He lifts my chin, and his eyes search mine. “Is that what you want, sweetheart? You want to take care of me?”

“I did tonight,” I tell him truthfully. “You seemed so anxious and tired when you got here. I was glad I had prepared a meal for you, and when I saw your reaction, it made me even happier. You seemed really excited about it, really happy.”

“I was. It’s an incredible meal.”

“You were very appreciative. I guess I just like this give-and-take idea. I submit to you, and you take care of me, too.”

“I would very much like to take care of you.”

“The way you were going to take care of me on the balcony?” I ask, flushing. I think of how excited I was to be out on the deck of Anchored with Tony. It was the craziest, wildest night I think I’ve ever had, and that includes my college days.

“I didn’t get to finish taking care of you,” he murmurs. “If I remember correctly, we were sorely interrupted.”

“We have tonight,” I say helpfully, and he smiles.

“Is that what you want, sweetheart? You want me to give you an orgasm?”

“Yes, Master Tony.”

“Turn around, but stay on my lap.”

I wiggle around so I’m leaning against him. My legs dangle over his, so they’re spread. I feel very open and vulnerable, but I lean my head back against Tony’s chest. He’s strong and big. This is the kind of guy who, despite working crazy hours at a large law firm, finds time to work out. I like it.

And I like the way he makes me feel.

I might feel more open than I ever have in my life, but I also trust that he’s going to take care of me. He’s going to make me feel incredible. He’s not going to let me fall.

Even if things don’t work out with Tony, I trust him. I know he isn’t going to leave me hanging. He’s not going to let me down. He’s not going to leave after we sleep together and never speak to me again. He isn’t going to start ignoring my texts or calls. If things don’t work out, he’ll tell me. We’ll communicate. We’ll treat each other with respect.

Everything is going to be just fine.

“Tell me what just ran through your head, sweetheart.”

“I was just thinking that you aren’t going to ignore me tomorrow. You aren’t going to just not call me.”

“Of course not.”

“I just think I’m lucky to have met you. You’re a good man, Tony.”

“It’s easy to be good when I’m around someone as sweet as you, Macie.”

I wiggle against him, feeling his hardness against my bottom.

“I’m not as sweet as you think,” I promise.

“Close your eyes,” he says. “Let me make you feel.”

I squeeze my eyes shut and just relax against his body. Tony runs his hands up and down my arms a few times, but then he moves to my belly and touches me there. He’s grazed his hands over my breasts a few times, but he hasn’t really started to touch them. Not just yet.

“You are so pretty,” he murmurs. “Soft and delicate. I love how curvy you are.”

“You don’t think I’m too heavy?”

“Not at all. I like you soft, and I’ve never seen you look so sexy as you do right now. You’re open for me, ready. You’re so willing. It’s fucking hot, Macie. You are hot.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, but then I’m quiet as he touches me. Tony’s hands find their way to my breasts, finally, and he bounces them softly in his hands. They’re heavy and big, and I like the way he touches them. He pinches each of my nipples and I groan quietly. He just chuckles.

“You like a little bite of pain with your pleasure, don’t you?”

“I’m not sure,” I tell him honestly. “I’ve never really had any pain and pleasure mixed together. I guess I always thought pain was bad. I only started learning about erotic torture this week.”

“I don’t plan to torture you, but I do want to find out what you like, Macie.” He flicks my nipples then, and my pussy clenches. Oh, that feels better than it should. It’s such a strange sensation. It doesn’t hurt. There’s a little sting, but it’s not really painful. It’s just a sharp sensation that heightens everything else I’m feeling.

I breathe deeply in his lap. As I’m leaning against him, I think of how this moment makes me feel. I just have this deep sense of satisfaction and contentment. Everything is as it should be.

And then his hands move lower.

And lower.

And lower.

Soon his palms are tracing little circles on my thighs, and I wiggle, wanting him to touch me at my core. I want him to slide his fingers inside of me. I want him to touch every inch of me. I don’t want him to stop. I know I’m wet, and wiggling against him. I know I’m groaning and moaning as he plays with me, but I don’t want this to end.

I want him to keep going.

I want to come for him.

“I think you like this,” he whispers.

“I do.”

“You like being open for me? I can see all of you, sweetheart, and you’re so fucking beautiful. Your skin is so flushed, and you’re wiggling like you just can’t sit still, like you just can’t wait for what’s going to come next.”

“I need more,” I whisper, begging.

“Tell me what you need, Macie.”

“I need you to touch me more.”

“Like this?” He runs his hand down my thigh to my knee, and then back up. “Is this what you want, Macie?”

“No,” I growl. “Higher.”

“Up here?” He cups my breast, and I whimper.

“Please,” I beg. I know he’s going to make me say it. He’s going to make me ask him. I know what he wants, and I’m going to give it to him. I’m going to tell him exactly what I need because that’s what Tony desires from me. He wants to hear me say the words, and then he’ll reward me for my bravery.

That’s how this works.

I’m learning.

“I want to come for you, Master Tony. Please play with my pussy. Please touch me there. Please make me come. Please.”

“You’re so pretty when you beg,” he whispers, biting my ear, but then he moves his hand between my legs and begins to play my body like an instrument he’s been practicing for years. He knows exactly how to touch me, exactly how to make me fall apart. He knows just what I need, and he strokes me until I begin to freefall into oblivion.

I drown in pleasure as I come.

The waves of ecstasy wash over me and seem to last an eternity. When it’s over, I sag back against him. I am sated, tired, and content. I am happy.

And I am safe.

Chapter 12

Anthony

“That was beautiful,” I tell her. “Do you always look so lovely when you orgasm?”

“I don’t know,” she whispers. “I don’t usually watch myself in the mirror.”

“Have you ever?”

“A few times,” she admits. “It was fun to see.”

“See, sweetheart? I told you you’re kinky.”

“I guess I didn’t really believe it myself until Saturday,” she admits. I stroke Macie’s hair and touch her gently for a few minutes. Then she starts to wiggle away. “Where are you going?”

“I’m afraid I’m going to make a mess on your suit,” she stands and looks at me, blushing down at my pants.

“That’s not something you need to worry about, Macie. I have an excellent drycleaner and I have plenty of other suits.”

“Really?” She raises an eyebrow, and I motion for her to sit back down on my lap. She snuggles close to me and I breathe her in.

“Really.”

“What about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You haven’t come,” she points out.

“Believe it or not, this isn’t my first rodeo. I’m not some horny teenager, sweetheart. I don’t have to get off just because you do. Sometimes a Dom is happy just knowing he pleased his sub.”

“You make me feel really sexy, Tony.”

“You make me feel sexy, too.”

“No wonder you said aftercare is important. This feels so nice, just snuggling and talking.”

“Absolutely. And aftercare looks different for everyone. Always remember that. Just because something works for us doesn’t mean it will work for someone else.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she says, and then Macie is quiet. I hold her for a long time, and then I hear a cute little snore, and I realize she’s fallen asleep in my arms. Apparently, her week was just as difficult as she said it was. Carefully, I manage to lay her on the couch and get up without waking her. I wander around for a minute and find a blanket, and then I cover her sleeping form.

Heading into the kitchen, I start putting the leftovers away and washing the dishes. The work is methodical and simple, but it allows me to clear my mind. I try not to think about anything but scrubbing, and for about ten minutes, I manage to do that. Then I finish cleaning, and once again, Macie consumes my thoughts.

I peek into the living room and sure enough, she’s still out cold. The poor girl. She must work herself to death. It’s not even 9 o’clock and already, she’s passed out. A protective instinct fills me as I wonder why no one looks after her. Yeah, Macie is a strong, independent woman, but she needs someone to cherish her, to care for her.

She needs someone like me.

If Macie were my girlfriend, I would take care of her. I would protect her. I would help her around the house so she didn’t have so much to worry about. I’d do the dishes and help her with the shopping and everything else she needed.

I’d do anything she needed.

I’d treat her like a princess.

The truth is, though, that we don’t know each other that well. Oh, sure, we’ve gotten to know each other quite a bit this week. We’ve talked a lot on the phone and over text, but there are some things you only learn about someone over time. I don’t want to rush things with Macie because I don’t want to fuck this up.

She’s amazing, and sweet, and I want this thing between us to work.

I head back into the kitchen and call Zack. He answers on the first ring.

“What’s up, brother?”

“I’m at Macie’s.”

He chuckles. “Then why are you on the phone? Shouldn’t you be taking care of your new subbie?”

“She’s asleep.”

“Is that right?”

“We didn’t have sex.”

“No?” He sounds surprised. “May I inquire as to why not?”

“She’s new to all of this, Zack.”

“So was Lily. That didn’t stop Jaxson Thorn from pursuing her.000”

“I don’t want to rush things,” I admit. “And since she fell asleep, I’m not really sure what to do. If we’d been dating awhile, I’d know whether I should go home or stay. I’m worried that if I leave, she’ll feel abandoned. If I stay, she might think I’m creepy.”

“No offense, but have you seen yourself in the mirror? Trust me: the last word she would use to describe you is ‘creepy.’ ‘Soft, loveable teddy bear’? Yeah. ‘Creepy’? Not so much. Sorry to disappoint.”

“So you think I should stay?”

“I think you should take care of your new submissive. I think you should honor her and watch over her. I’ll let Christina and Lily both know you’re there, so Macie will have someone to talk to if she needs it. If for some reason she wakes up and gets upset you’re still there, she can call them and won’t have to waste time filling them in.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“It’s been a rough week for you, huh?”

“I feel better when I’m with her, Zack. I’m not supposed to feel this way. It’s not supposed to be like this with someone new.”

“That’s how it was with me and Christina, brother. You know that.”

I do.

Christina caught Zack’s attention right away. There was an instant connection between them that didn’t make sense to anyone but them, and it worked. They’ve been married for awhile now, and they’re happy.

Could I have that with Macie?

“I know.”

“I don’t want to sound cheesy,” Zack says slowly. “But don’t let the past hold you back. I know you have a difficult profession, one that probably makes you feel jaded in many ways, but dealing with divorce regularly doesn’t mean you can’t find love.”

“You really think I could find love?”

“Anthony Diamond, I think you already have.”

Chapter 13

Macie

I yawn, stretching. The morning sun is shining through the windows, which is weird because I just bought those blackout curtains. Then I realize I’m not in my bedroom.

I’m in the living room.

Why am I in the living room?

“Good morning, sunshine,” a familiar voice greets me, and I suddenly sit straight up.

“Anthony!” I screech.

“I prefer Tony,” he says, gently. “But yes, it’s me. Would you like some coffee?”

“What time is it?” I scramble off the couch, completely ignoring the fact that I am naked, it’s the morning after, and Tony is still in my house. Shouldn’t he have gone home or something? Why is he still here? We didn’t even have sex.

Oh shit.

We didn’t even have sex.

Talk about a terrible first date.

Shouldn’t we have had sex? Everything was so perfect and sweet, but then I just fell asleep. Oh, I’m so embarrassed that I don’t even know what to do or where to start. I need to go to work. I’m sure of it. If I don’t hurry, I’m probably going to be late, but right now, I kind of just want to crawl into a hole and die.

I can’t believe I fell asleep on the first date.

He must think I’m such a dork.

“Six,” he says slowly, and I realize he’s showered and is wearing a different suit from yesterday.

“You changed,” I say.

“Yes, that’s what people usually do in the morning,” he says, sitting down in a chair.

“But how? You spent the night. How did you get clothes?”

“Zack was kind enough to drop off a suit for me.”

“Zack knows we spent the night together?” I shriek, grabbing a pillow and covering my face. Tony just laughs.

“I wouldn’t say we spent the night together, but yes, he knows I stayed over. So do Lily and Christina,” he adds. “I had Zack fill them in for accountability purposes. I didn’t want you to feel like I was taking advantage of you, but I also didn’t want to leave you without saying goodbye. You just fell asleep so quickly.”

“I didn’t mean to.”

“That just means you enjoyed the aftercare. I’m glad. I took it as a compliment.”

“I felt safe with you,” I admit.

“You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

Slowly, I lower the pillow from my face and look at Tony. He must think I look hideous. I’m sure my hair is a mess, and I’m still naked, although somehow, I ended up with a blanket, and I’m sure I have him to thank for that.

“Now, how about that coffee?” He asks again.

“I’d love some.”

He goes into the kitchen and comes back a minute later with a steaming cup of coffee.

“Thank you,” I take it and start to sip, grateful for the pick-me-up. I’ve got a full day at the office and I’m catering an event tonight, so I’m going to need all of the caffeine I can get in order to make it through the day.

“Anything for you.”

“Where did you sleep?” I ask.

“I crashed in your bed,” he looks a little sheepish. “I know it’s super weird. I’m sorry. I should have slept in a chair or something, but you don’t have a guest room and you were already on the couch. I didn’t want to move you and risk waking you up.”

Tony Diamond slept in my bed.

Tony fucking Diamond was in my bed, between my sheets, and he’s apologizing?

Oh, I can’t wait to go smell my damn sheets later. I bet they smell like his aftershave now. Fuck yeah. Talk about masturbation city. I know exactly how I’m going to be spending my weekend now.

“That’s totally fine,” I say, hoping my face doesn’t give away my secret inner thoughts. If he knew how I was tearing him apart in my fantasies right now, Tony would definitely be running.

“I had a good time last night, Macie.”

“Me too.” Everything about the date was fun and sweet. Well, except for the whole me-falling-asleep thing. That’s mostly just embarrassing.

“I’d like to see you again.”

“Really? I mean, I would, too. It’s just that…”

“What?”

Honesty.

Communication.

Trust.

These are the things that are so important to Tony. These are the values I need to work on if a relationship of any sort is going to happen with him. I haven’t had a lot of experience with sexual relationships or with being open. I’m not used to saying how I feel.

The dating world is one big, messy game, and I’m used to playing that.

I’m not used to spreading my cards out on the table, face up, and showing them to the other player.

That’s what I’m going to do with Tony, though. I like him a lot. He’s smart and interesting, and he’s thoughtful. He’s kind. There’s this saying that if someone is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, he isn’t a nice person. That’s not Tony. Tony is nice to everyone. He was kind to the bartendress at Anchored. He was kind to my friends. He’s calm. He’s stable.

And he’s here, now, waiting for me to tell him what’s bothering me.

“We didn’t have sex last night,” I tell him. “In your world, isn’t that kind strange? I mean, don’t you usually have sex on the first date?”

“Do you?”

“No! I mean,” I calm myself. “No. I don’t. Ever.”

“So why would last night be any different?” He asks slowly.

“I mean, I guess, I just assumed that you would want that.”

“Macie, the only thing I want is to get to know you. I have no expectations of our sexual relationship except that sometimes, I’ll Dominate you. I would love to tell you to drop to your knees and worship my cock. I would love to tie you up, to tease you for hours. I would love to play with your body and make you come over and over and over again. I would love all of those things, but those aren’t as important as us getting to know each other. I want to know everything about you, Macie. I want to know what makes you tick and what makes you laugh. I want to know what makes you smile, and I want to make you smile at me.”

I set my coffee down, drop my blanket, and go to him. I’m naked and he’s dressed, but I forget about my modesty and just wrap my arms around him.

“Thank you,” I whisper. “I had an incredible time last night, and I’m lucky to have met you. I’m not used to being around people who respect me. It sounds kind of pathetic, but the truth is that most guys aren’t like you, Tony. Most guys aren’t going to be okay with the fact that I didn’t put out. They certainly wouldn’t have stuck around to make sure I was okay. Thank you for that.”

“I want to see you again. Soon. Tonight, if you’re free.”

“I would love to, but I have a huge catering event,” I frown. “It’s going to take up my entire day and I probably won’t get home until late. How about tomorrow?”

“I’d love that,” he kisses my nose. “Why don’t I come by around noon and pick you up? I’ll plan something fun for us to do.”

“How fun?” I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively.

“More fun than you’re ready to handle, sweetheart,” he smiles, and a wave of satisfaction and happiness rolls over me. I don’t know where this thing with Tony is going, but I’m excited to be on this journey.

And I’m excited to be on it with him.

Chapter 14

Anthony

I see four clients today, and with each one, my anxiety levels increase. I went from waking up completely refreshed and calm to being a walking ball of negative energy. By the time I leave work, I’ve already drafted my resignation letter three times.

It’s time for me to leave.

It’s not that I have anything against the firm I work for. I don’t. The paralegals and attorneys I work with are fantastic, and I love being able to have lunch with Zack or run ideas by him.

What I don’t like is seeing the worst in people, and lately, that’s all I’ve seen.

When I meet Zack at Drinking Games, I hand him my final draft.

“What’s this?” He asks.

“My resignation. Will you look it over for me?”

“Really?” He looks surprised. “You’re really going through with it, huh?”

“Yeah,” I sit down on a barstool and the cute bartendress comes over.

“Whiskey sour?” She asks.

“How did you remember my drink? I’ve only been here once.”

Jennifer just shrugs. “Remembering drinks is a great way to earn extra tips. Think about that when it’s time to pay.” She winks and heads off to make my drink, and I turn to Zack.

“Is she for real?”

“Jenny is the best,” he confirms, sipping his beer. “But let’s talk about you.”

“I’m turning in my notice on Monday,” I tell him. “And I’ll start interviewing attorneys to fill my spot.”

“Won’t be hard,” Zack points out the obvious. Our firm is a very popular one and positions in this office are coveted. Walking away from Edgar & Bernstein might be one of the worst career choices I’ll ever make, but after last night, I know I need to choose my sanity and not my wallet.

“Well, I do tend to over think things.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. Walking away from your career is a huge choice, Tony. Considering all of your options doesn’t make you stupid. It makes you smart. Are you worried you’re going to change jobs and discover being a lawyer really wasn’t that bad?”

“Not at all,” I laugh, trying not to think of how much my anxiety levels have risen in the last few months. It’s only been recently that I’ve started to think that maybe leaving the law firm is the best choice.

And now that I’ve had a taste of Macie, I’ve had a hint of what my life could be like.

The truth is that I want her.

I want to pursue this thing with her.

I want to wake up next to her with our arms wrapped around each other, and I want to not get ready for work filled with a sense of dread.

I want to look forward to each day.

I don’t want to head for the office wondering whose life I’m going to tear apart.

Jennifer brings my drink and sets it down. She looks at us thoughtfully.

“You know,” she says. “Sometimes taking risks is hard.”

“And what do you know about risks, sweetheart? Thank you, by the way,” I take my drink and sip it. Perfect. This bartender knows exactly what she’s doing. It’s incredible that this place isn’t packed every damn hour it’s open.

“I took a risk opening this place, didn’t I?” She asks. “You think I had any support from my friends or family? Yeah, right,” she laughs and leans against the bar. “I had nothing but my savings and a dream, but I still went for it.”

“No regrets?” I ask her, realizing that maybe Jennifer and I aren’t so different.

“None,” she says firmly. “Zack knows. He’s listened to me plenty of nights.”

“It’s true,” Zack nods. “Jennifer loves to whine.”

“Come on, now,” she protests with a laugh. “I’m not that bad.”

“Nah, you’ve got a good heart,” he says. “It’s why everyone likes you and this place.”

“I’m getting ready to kick it up a notch,” she says. “Things have been a little slow lately. I’m guessing it’s because there are a few new bars that have opened lately. We’re going to start doing theme nights and maybe even adding a trivia night or something,” she shrugs. “We’ll see.”

“It’s got a great atmosphere,” I tell her. “You’ve done a great job with it.”

“It needs a little something extra,” she says. “And I’m not sure what.”

“Hey,” a woman approaches the bar. “Do you guys have a food menu?”

“No,” Jennifer shakes her hands. “Just drinks. Can I get you another?”

“No thanks,” the brunette says. “I’d like to close my tab. We’re going to go grab some food.”

“Sure thing,” Jennifer heads to the register to get the girl her bill, and that’s when it hits me. After the woman finishes paying and Jennifer comes back, I smile.

“I’ve got it.”

“What’s that?”

“You need food.”

“I know,” she says. “It’s something I’ve been working on for awhile. It just hasn’t come together yet.”

“Yeah, how can you run a bar without food?” Zack complains. “I’m always hungry when I’m here.”

“You sure whine a lot,” she glares at him.

“My girlfriend is a caterer,” I say. “I bet she could help you set something up. If you want to hire full-time kitchen staff, she could help you with recommendations, or if you just want to have food brought in a few times a week, I bet she could do that, too.”

“We don’t have a full kitchen,” Jennifer admits. “It’s one of the reasons I’ve been hesitant to even start dealing with food. It would require a remodel that, unfortunately, I don’t have the cash for right now.”

“You never told me that,” Zack pouts. “I wouldn’t have bitched so much if I’d known.”

“Shut up, Zack,” Jennifer says. “I don’t mind your whining, but I also don’t want to blast my shortcomings to the world, you know?”

“It’s not a shortcoming.”

“It is, but that’s all right.” She turns back to me. “What’s your girlfriend’s number? I’m interested in talking with her. I honestly haven’t considered hiring a caterer, but that’s an amazing idea. Maybe if I had a special food night once a week or so, it would bring in new customers and clients. It would add an entire new element.”

“Plus,” I point out. “You could try a different menu each time, so your customers wouldn’t be eating the same stuff every time they came to visit.”

“Zack, where did you find this guy?” Jennifer smiles at my friend. “He’s a lifesaver.”

“I know,” Zack says. He raises his drink to me. “To an incredible friend.”

“To Drinking Games,” I raise my drink.

Jennifer lifts her water bottle and smiles.

“To the night.”

Chapter 15

Macie

I get home after midnight. I’m covered in sweat and flour and sadness, and I’m completely exhausted. It’s not until after I get out of my car and I’m halfway to the door when I notice the figure sitting on my front stoop.

“Tony?” I ask, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“I needed to see you,” he says, jumping up and striding over to me. He grabs me and kisses me like he needs me, like he can’t stand another moment without me. “I missed you so much today,” he presses his forehead to mine. “It was a really rough day.”

“Me too,” I admit.

“What happened, sweetheart?” He asks, but I shake my head. “Come inside,” I tell him. “Let’s talk about it in the shower. I’m going to die if I don’t get cleaned off.”

“I’d love to help you with that,” he smiles, and I lead him into the house and upstairs to the bathroom. We both strip down silently, caught up in our own worlds. My shower is barely big enough for one person, let alone two, but somehow, we make it work. We finish quickly, and then we climb into my bed together.

“It was a long day,” I tell him. “I had to fire my manager. I don’t even know what I’m going to do now. She keeps overbooking us or forgetting to write down events she’s scheduled. It’s a huge cluster fuck. I thought I’d be able to train her if I was patient enough, but my business comes first, and she was causing me a lot of problems. My reputation in this community is very important to me, Tony. I want to be great. I want to be the one people come to when they need someone reliable. I don’t want Macie Jones Catering to be associated with flakiness.”

“I want you to hire me,” he says.

“What?”

“I want to be your manager,” Anthony repeats.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m turning in my resignation on Monday,” Tony says. “I was already struggling with being a lawyer. I was already having a hard time with my job and making everything work, but after being with you, Macie, I realized that I deserve more. I want more. I want to be with you. I want to be happy, and I want a job I don’t hate. Please. I’m an excellent manager.”

“I don’t think I can pay you what you’re worth, baby,” I tell him honestly. “I would love to work with you. I think we’d make an incredible team, but there’s no way I can match what you’re making at the law firm.”

“I don’t care about the money.”

“You might once we start looking at the numbers together,” I laugh quietly, but he kisses me.

“Give me a chance, Macie.”

In the dim light of my room, I can see the eagerness on his face, the desire. He wants this. I don’t think I completely understand Tony’s desire to work with me, but I can see he so plainly wants me to give him a chance.

Isn’t that what he’s done for me?

I’m not under any impression that I’m the kind of sub he’s used to. I’m inexperienced and awkward and a little clumsy, but he’s still taking a chance on me. He’s still giving me the opportunity to try, and I think I can do that for Tony.

“The job is yours,” I tell him, and he kisses me, pushing me back on the bed. He covers me with his body and devours me with his mouth. He kisses my mouth, my neck, my chest, and then he pulls away and just looks at me.

“You are incredible, Macie Jones.”

“As are you, Tony Diamond,” I whisper, and suddenly, I realize that this is the moment where everything changes between us. Everything before this was just a dress rehearsal for the real thing.

“Close your eyes,” he says, and I instantly obey him. “I want to make love to you, Macie.”

“Please,” I whisper, and I feel him kissing me. I focus on keeping my eyes shut even though I desperately want to look at him. I want to see what he’s doing to me, how he’s touching me, but I focus on listening, on obeying him.

I focus on submitting to what he wants from me.

Soon I notice that with my eyes closed, every touch feels magnified. Every stroke of his hands, every kiss, every lick feels a thousand times more powerful. Soon I’m wet and wiggling and ready for more.

“Don’t move, sweetheart,” he says. “Hold perfectly still for me or I’ll tie you up.”

“I can’t help it,” I whisper. “It just feels so good.”

“Do you need some help holding still?” He asks, and I think about it for a second, but then I nod. “All right. Hold your hands together in front of you.” Keeping my eyes closed, I offer him my hands. I feel the bed shift as Tony gets off and starts rummaging around my room. He comes back a minute later and then I feel him tying my wrists together.

“What are you doing?” I whisper.

“Trust me,” he says. “Also, I hope you don’t mind that I’m basically destroying your pink pantyhose. I’ll buy you new ones.” I laugh.

“It’s okay. I only wore them once for a Halloween party.”

He kisses me softly, and then Tony keeps touching me. His hands cover every inch of me, followed by kisses and little bites. When he gets to my nipples, I bite my lip to keep from groaning.

“Oh, that’s all right, sweetheart,” he chuckles. “Be loud if you want to, baby. I’m going to make you scream before we’re all done.”

“Why?”

“Because I adore you, Macie. Every inch of you is fucking fantastic, and I’m going to make your body mine.”

As he moves down my body, he pushes my legs open and begins to lick me lower, lower, lower. And then he’s there, tasting me, eating me like I’m the most fantastic dish he’s ever tried. I can’t see him or touch him, so I just spread my legs even more open and take what he’s offering me, enjoying the way he’s devouring me.

“Come for me, pretty girl,” he whispers, and then I’m there.

I’m coming.

And I scream for him.

Before my orgasm has ended, Tony is inside of me, filling me. I cry out at the intrusion, but it isn’t painful. It feels good, and I feel full.

“Fuck, you feel incredible, baby,” he groans, and he begins thrusting into me. I wiggle a little, unable to move my arms, and he bites my neck before moving up to nibble my ears. The sensations are incredible, and they wash over me, pushing me into a second orgasm.

“Tony,” I groan. “Tony, fuck…”

“You look so damn sexy,” he says. “Tied up like this,” he whispers. “I can’t wait to tie you up at the club, can’t wait to play with you while other people watch.”

“I want that, too,” I admit, wondering what it feels like to be at the center of attention. Before I visited Anchored, before I met Tony, I would have thought playing at a club would be terrifying or something only porn stars could do. Before tonight, I never thought I could be brave enough to try something like that, but now I know I want that.

I want all of it.

I want Tony, and I want the club, and I want to find out just how sexy I really can be.

“Yeah?” He asks, and even though my eyes are closed, I can picture him smiling down at me.

“Yeah,” I whisper. “I want to be your sub at the club, Master Tony. I want to submit to you while the other girls watch, while a crowd gathers around.”

“We can have a lot of fun, you and me.”

“I know,” I whisper.

“I’m so close, baby. You look so incredible. Fuck, Macie.”

“Please,” I beg him, and I realize I’ve been doing a lot of begging lately, but I’m not embarrassed or nervous about that. Tony just brings out this side of me. I’ve never been particularly verbal in bed and I’ve never been great at dirty talk, but he makes me feel like I can do anything.

He makes me believe in myself.

He makes me think that everything is going to be okay.

I know I have a long way to go before I understand everything there is to know about kink and Tony and the club in general, but what I do know is that when I’m with him, I feel like a fucking princess.

I feel like I am a star.

I feel like I can do anything.

And then he comes in me, filling me, marking me as his own. Tony comes hard, whispering my name, and I disobey him to open my eyes when I feel him come. I’m overwhelmed when I see the complete look of peace on his face.

He looks like this is where he belongs, and I know in my heart that it is. Tony and I are meant to be together. In this moment, nothing else matters. It’s just him and me in our own little world.

He opens his eyes and our gazes lock.

“You disobeyed,” he says quietly.

“I’ll accept any punishment you deem appropriate,” I tell him without missing a beat.

“Does that mean you want a spanking, sweetheart?”

“It means I want you, Tony. All of you.”

“I want you, too, Macie.”

He climbs off of me and settles next to me on the bed. Tony unties me slowly, taking his time, and then he covers me with kisses once more. He tosses the pantyhose aside and pulls me into his arms, and it’s the safest and most wonderful I’ve ever felt.

If this is what every moment with Tony is going to feel like, then sign me up. I know we’ll have our fights and our arguments because no relationship is perfect, but something tells me that when it comes to me and Tony, everything is going to be just fine.

I kiss him again, and my hopes soar.

Epilogue

Macie

Three Months Later

“The frosting is almost finished,” Ken says. I peek into the bowl he’s mixing in, and nod.

“The consistency looks great,” I say, and turn back to the ovens. I grab a pan of cupcakes and pull them out to cool. We’ve been in the kitchen since dawn and it’s nearly noon. The day is only half over, but I’m exhausted and tired. I’m also completely covered in flour.

“We have plenty of time to finish everything before tomorrow,” Ken shakes his head in disbelief. “This never would have happened under Jenna’s management, you know.”

“I know,” I tell Ken. Bringing Tony on board as my manager was the best business decision I’ve ever made. In just three months, he’s completely turned my business around. He’s doubled our productivity, completely revamped our organizational structure, and he’s done it all without raising anyone’s stress levels. “He’s incredible.”

“You really lucked out finding him,” Ken says. “He’s the best manager I’ve ever worked with, and that’s saying something.” Ken has been in catering for nearly five years. While he originally went to culinary school to become a chef, he was thrilled to join my team, and I’m lucky to have him.

“Thanks, Ken,” Tony steps into the room and looks over our work. He crosses his arms over his broad chest. “I’m happy to work with you, too. You’re great at what you do.”

“Thank you, sir,” Ken flushes. Even after all this time, he’s still not used to taking compliments. Jenna was a harsh supervisor and we’ve all had to learn to adjust to not being yelled at all the time.

One of the things I love most about Tony is that he’s not mean when he can be kind. He doesn’t shy away from correcting people or telling someone they’re making a mistake, but he always offers corrections in a way that doesn’t make people feel bad.

“Why don’t you take your lunch break, Ken? I can finish up in here.”

“Really? But it’s not even noon yet.”

“Oh, I know, but Rebecca is getting ready to head out, and I get the feeling she wouldn’t be opposed to you joining her.”

Ken grins and looks to me, like a little kid asking his mother for permission.

“Go ahead,” I tell him. “We’ve got this. Just make sure you’re back in time for the Zone and Destiny party tonight.” The company Piper works for is hosting a huge event and she was kind enough to get us hired as the caterer for the party. The tech firm’s company event is one of the biggest we’ve ever worked on, and I’m both nervous and excited about how the evening is going to go.

“Thanks!” Ken says. He pulls off his apron, washes his hands, and heads out to the front, presumably to find Rebecca.

“How’d you know about that?” I ask Tony when he comes over to me. He kisses me on the forehead.

“About what?”

“About Ken and Rebecca being into each other.”

“I’m a Dom, sweetie. It’s my job to notice these things.”

“Is that right?”

“Oh, that’s right,” he says. We hear the front door of the office close. The little tell-tale jingle of bells above the door lets us know we’re alone. Still, Tony walks to the kitchen door and closes it. Then he locks it.

“What are you doing?” I ask him, but I already have a pretty good idea.

“Something I should have done a long time ago,” he says. He helps me out of my apron and hangs it up. Then Tony wraps his arms around me and pulls me into a deep kiss.

“You’re such a good kisser,” I murmur against his lips.

“I’ve had a lot of practice.”

In this moment, I feel incredible. I feel strong and brave and like I’m on top of the world. Just a few months ago, I felt like I was never going to find someone. I thought my business might completely fall apart. I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle my stress for one more day, but then Tony walked into my life and everything changed.

Now, as he turns me around and pushes me over the counter, I realize that without him, I never would have been brave enough to admit my deepest fantasy. I never would have been bold enough to tell anyone what I want more than anything else.

He pushes my skirt up.

“No panties,” he murmurs.

“I was hoping,” I bite my bottom lip. “You know, that maybe you’d want to fuck me here sometime.”

“So you got ready for me, is that it, sweetheart?”

“Yes.”

“Fucking beautiful, that’s what you are. Beautiful.”

I hear him unzipping his pants and then he nudges against me.

“Baby, you’re already wet for me,” he says.

“I know,” I wonder if I’m blushing. I feel like I’m blushing. Since Tony and I started dating, I feel like I’m constantly wet. Each time we have sex, I learn something new about him. More than that, I learn something new about myself. Just recently, we experimented with exhibitionism. We had sex in one of the voyeur rooms at Anchored, and we drew quite a crowd. It was more fun than I anticipated, and not nearly as scary.

If this is what being with Tony feels like after only a few months, I can’t wait to find out what the future holds. I can’t wait to find out how incredible our lovemaking is after even more time together.

He slides inside of me, filling me, and I groan as I adjust to his size.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” he pulls my hair back, fisting it. Then Tony kisses me from behind as he thrusts into me over and over. This is exactly the way I wanted this fantasy to go, exactly how I hoped it would be.

Tony’s fingers dig into my hips, but the slight pain is welcome. My entire body feels alive in this moment. Tony is incredible, and I love everything he does to me. I love everything we do to each other.

My hands grip the counter in front of me, and I don’t care that my clothes are now covered in flour or that my hair is going to be a mess after this. All I care about is the fact that I was so scared to visit Anchored, but I took a chance on Tony.

I took a chance on myself.

And I found something great, something better than I ever could have imagined.

It’s not long before we’re both coming in unison. He clamps a hand over my mouth as I cry out, groaning through my release. Then Tony pulls me into his arms and kisses me over and over and over again.

“Thank you,” I whisper. He made my fantasy come true. He made my dreams come true. “I don’t deserve you,” I tell him. “You’re amazing.”

“Marry me,” he whispers.

“What?” I look up at him, shocked by his request. We’ve been together a few months now, but we’ve never talked about marriage. Somehow, I assumed his former career as a divorce attorney had completely turned him off to the entire idea, and I was okay with that. It didn’t bother me.

“I can’t stand not having my ring on your finger,” he tells me. “I’ve never felt this way about a woman before and I’m certainly never going to feel this way again. You’re strong, Macie, and beautiful. You’re funny, and you make me laugh, and you make me feel like everything is going to be okay.”

“You want to marry me,” I repeat, not quite believing it.

“I want to marry you, Macie. Please. I’ll get on my knees and beg you,” he drops to his knees. “I’ll do anything you want if you just promise you’ll be mine.”

“Hey,” I get down and kneel in front of him, too. The space is tiny and cramped in the kitchen, but it doesn’t matter. “I love you, Tony. I love you more than anything. Yes,” I kiss him. “Of course I will marry you, Tony. Of course.”

He grins, and it’s the sweetest, most innocent smile I’ve ever seen cross his face.

“I fucking love you, Macie.” He kisses me again, and then he pulls out his phone. “I’ve got to call Zack! He’s not going to believe this.”

I laugh because I can’t quite believe it either.

I gave my friends such a hard time for meeting their true loves at a sex club, but they were right. You can find true love anywhere if you’re just willing to look for it. If you’re willing to believe in yourself, if you’re willing to try, you can do anything.

You can fly.

THE END

Abandon Ship

Piper has a secret, and it could cost her everything.

She knows exactly what her ex is capable of, and that's why she left Cherryville behind. She left her job, her apartment, and her family. She gave up on her life because she knew that if she stayed, he would find her.

She should have known it wouldn't have been enough.

Anchored is the first safe haven she's found, and she doesn't want to leave, but when the threatening messages start arriving, Piper knows she's out of options.

Maddox Blake is new to Anchored, but not to Domination. He's learned a lot about reading people over the years and if there's one thing he knows, it's that the beautiful submissive who's captured his eye - and his heart - is in trouble.

Will he be in time to save her?

Find out in Anchored, Book 4: Abandon Ship.

Author

Sophie Stern writes paranormal romance and contemporary erotica for readers who like to have fun and explore new worlds. When she’s not busy writing, you can find her pole dancing or reading zombie novels. Sophie lives with her incredible husband and their two sons.

Find out more or at www.sexysophiestern.com or join her mailing list to receive updates and information on sales.

Take Your Time

Want more contemporary romance from Sophie Stern? Check out this sample of TAKE YOUR TIME: a contemporary ménage romance.

I take the long way home because after ending my relationship with my parents, I need a freaking break. Driving through the mountains is the perfect way to unwind and chill out before I go back to the real world. At least, that's what I think until I'm caught in a freak snowstorm and find myself stranded in the mountains.

I'm lost without cell service and there's no help coming.

I'm lost without a family.

And that's when the lumberjacks come to my rescue. At least, they LOOK like lumberjacks. Keagan and Eli are strong, fit, and brave. They're everything I want and everything I don't need right now.

My life is messed up enough as it is without throwing a menage relationship into the mix.

But I can't help what I want.

And something tells me they want me, too.

Turn the page to read the first two chapters OR visit Amazon to get your copy now!

1

Melody

Family reunions are the worst.

They’re literally, absolutely, completely the worst.

I didn’t even want to go to mine, but my mother offered me a free guilt-trip, and I accepted. That’s the problem with me: guilt wins me over. Every time. It’s like a sickness or a disease. I always say I’m going to stand up for myself, but in the end, I’m weak. In the end, I’d rather not rock the boat, especially when it comes to family. I don’t know why I still think this way, why I’m still stuck in this mode of thinking because they’ve never been there for me.

I’ve always been on my own and somehow, I’ve managed to do all right for myself. I have a decent job and I make decent money. I have an apartment and a car. My student loans are paid off. Somehow, none of that matters when you enter the world of a family reunion, though.

Somehow, what matters then is when I’m going to have a baby or when I’m going to get married or when I’m going to buy a house. Somehow, what matters is that I’m still a little overweight and not nearly as thin as my younger sister, Mandy. What matters at family reunions is that I have too many piercings and not enough modesty.

What matters is that I don’t fit in.

And I never have.

“It’s not that I’m telling you to lose weight,” my mother says, picking up a carrot and waving it around. “It’s just that I think you’ll be happier.”

“I’m happy the way I am, Mom,” I insist. She glares at me when I reach for the cookie on my plate, and I don’t pick it up. Instead, I act like I was reaching for a piece of celery, and she nods in approval as I start to munch on that, instead. Inside, I hate the way I’m giving in to her. I might talk a big game, but I’m avoiding things I want to eat because I don’t want her to complain or fuss at me.

“She’ll never get a man looking like that,” Uncle Henry says, walking by the picnic table where I’m sitting with my mother. He shakes his head as he makes his way over to Aunt Eloise, who is much too thin for her height.

My entire family is much too thin, I’ve decided. I’m the only normal one. That must be it. They all have body issues and self-esteem issues and they definitely all have eating disorders. Why else would they all be so gangly and scrawny?

It’s not me.

There’s nothing wrong with me.

I repeat this silently to myself, over and over. There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m fine the way I am. I don’t know if I really believe this anymore, though. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m starting to question whether I really am fine.

Maybe they’re right.

Maybe there is something wrong with me.

Maybe there’s a reason all of my friends are getting married and I, at 29 years old, am not. Maybe there’s a reason the rest of the world really has settled down and I seem to be content with my same old job, with my same old life. Maybe there’s a reason for all of it. I don’t know.

I can’t think straight anymore.

Suddenly, I realize I’m close to tears and if there’s one thing I promised myself I would never do, it’s let my family know just how deeply their words really affect me.

“Excuse me,” I say, getting up from the table.

“It’s almost time for games,” my mother says, wrinkling her nose, as if the idea of me missing a game is just too much for her to handle.

“I need to use the restroom,” I say. I need to be polite right now, proper. I need to have good manners even though no one else seems to have them.

My mother presses her lips tightly together in a thin line and glares at me. Usually, she gives me this look and I cave. We don’t live together. I don’t even see her that often: maybe just twice a month. It doesn’t matter, though. She glares and I obey. It’s what I’ve always done. I’ve always been this huge pushover, but right now, I don’t want to be.

I stand and climb back over the attached bench, then head toward the restrooms.

“Well, I never! That ungrateful-” I block out the sound of my mother’s voice and make my way toward the bathrooms. I just need a few minutes to get myself together, a few minutes to calm down and unwind, and then I can go back to being the daughter. Then I can go back to being the well-mannered overweight dork nobody likes. Yeah.

What a life, right?

The tears are already streaming down my cheeks when I reach the bathrooms. I push open the door and go into a stall to cry. Somehow, I manage to do this silently. Good. I don’t want to draw any more attention to myself than I already have. The last thing I need is for someone to judge me further. The last thing I need is for someone to know how much their words really hurt me.

Suddenly, the door to the bathroom squeaks open and I hear giggling and laughter.

It’s Mandy, my little sister, and two of our cousins. I will myself to be silent until they leave, will myself to be invisible for just a little while. Just a little while and then I can sneak out of here, go back to the party, and socialize for another hour or two.

We only have these get-togethers once a year. All of the cousins and aunts and uncles from all over Colorado meet up and share an afternoon picnic. My mother promises it’s a chance to “catch up,” but that just means it’s a chance for people to gossip and figure out who’s doing the best for themselves.

Every year for as long as I can remember, I’ve hated the family picnic.

It’s never been fun for me and as far as I can tell, it’s not fun for anyone else, either. So why do we do this? Why do we get together and have this charade? Why do we get together and pretend we all like each other?

Obviously, we don’t.

“Can you believe what she was wearing?” Adele asks, and I cringe. They’re going to be talking about me, of course. What else is there to gossip about? No one else has screwed up majorly this year. No one got arrested or lost their job. The only fuck-up is me: the fat girl.

“So hideous,” Mandy says, and Janet laughs.

“She thinks she looks good,” Janet says.

“She doesn’t.” Mandy’s voice is harsh, shrill, and suddenly, I wonder why I’m here. Why did I even come? Do I really have a family obligation to be here? Do I really have an obligation to be around people who hate my guts?

“I feel bad for you,” Adele says. “She’s your sister, you know. Her looks reflect on you.”

I’m almost 30 years old and I’m hiding in the bathroom because my family hates me. I’m at an event that I chose to come to, and I’m hiding in the bathroom.

There is something seriously wrong here, and the realization is a little bit freeing, to be honest.

Suddenly, I understand I shouldn’t have come.

Suddenly, I realize no one would have missed me.

Suddenly, I realize it’s time to cut ties with my family and move on.

It’s time to be strong.

It’s time to be brave.

It’s time to be a fucking adult.

I push the stall door open and walk over to the group of women gathered at the sink. They looked surprised to see me. Mandy has the decency to blush briefly, but Adele and Janet just stare at me.

“Melody,” Mandy says. “We, uh, didn’t know you were in here.”

“Obviously,” I say, then I give her a chance to say something for herself, but she doesn’t. Mandy doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t deny what she said, she doesn’t apologize, and she doesn’t make up anything to ease the tension in the room.

She just stares at me, and I realize I don’t know her at all.

I never did.

“You know what, Mandy? Adele was right.”

“Um, she was?” Mandy looks confused.

“I feel bad for you, too,” I say, and Adele suddenly grins, but the smirk doesn’t last for long because I keep talking. “Yeah, I feel bad that you’re such a shallow person you have to put others down to feel good about yourself. What is this? Third grade?”

“Hey,” Janet inserts herself into the conversation. “That’s not nice.”

“Oh, you want to talk about ‘nice’? Is that what you want to do? Sure. We can do that. Let’s talk about how nice it is that your husband cheats on you with Adele when you’re not around. Let’s talk about how he was arrested for drunk driving three weeks ago. Oh, or we could talk about the fact that you’re still unemployed because no one wants to hire an employee who steals.”

“Melody!” Mandy tries to shush me. She looks around wildly, like someone is going to hear. “That’s not polite.”

“No, it’s not polite, Mandy. It’s not polite that Adele is a cheater. It’s not polite that she thinks it’s okay to mess around with her cousin’s husband. It’s not polite that you’ve known about it all year and never said anything. It’s not polite that you’ve slept with him, too.”

“WHAT?” Janet shrieks and starts hitting Mandy before I’ve even left the bathroom. I should feel bad about everything I just said, but I don’t. For the first time I can remember, I stood up for myself, and it feels really good. It feels great.

I head out of the bathroom and walk straight to my car. I don’t bother looking over at the park pavilion or peeking at who is gathered there. I don’t want to say goodbye to my parents or aunts or uncles. I don’t plan on speaking to them again.

After today, they can consider the relationships severed. I don’t know why I didn’t do this before. I don’t know why I wasn’t brave before. I don’t know why I didn’t stand up for myself before.

The truth is that not talking with them isn’t going to change my life in any way. I’ll still go to work. I’ll still pay my bills. I’ll still study in my free time and I’ll still hang out with my friends. The difference is that I won’t feel guilty when my mother sees me eat food. I won’t feel bad about myself when my father wants to know why I don’t have a husband. I won’t be comparing myself to my little sister.

I’ll just be able to be me.

I get to my car and unlock the door, but before I can sit down, I feel someone grasp my arm.

“Mother?” I ask. Her hair is wild and her eyes are wide.

“What did you do?” She says through gritted teeth.

“Did you just race over here? Mom, you know you can’t run. Your asthma is too bad. Do you need a puff?”

“I do not need a puff, young lady,” she says, but she’s breathing hard and I know she needs her inhaler.

“For the love of dragons, mother! Take your inhaler. I’ll be waiting right here and you can yell at me once you can breathe again.”

She glares, but fishes the inhaler out of her pocket and brings it to her dry, chapped lips. She pushes the top of the inhaler and dispenses a single dose of her Albuterol, then shoves it back in her pocket. I give my mother a second to start breathing normally again. I shouldn’t. I should take off, but I don’t. I wait a second.

“What did you do?” She repeats. I raise an eyebrow, but she just motions toward the bathrooms where Janet, Adele, and Mandy are screaming obscenities at each other.

“I believe I used the toilet and now I’m leaving,” I say. It’s time to grow up. It’s time to be strong. I will not apologize for what’s happening in there. Old Melody would have faltered. Old Melody would have instantly said, “I’m so sorry.” Old Melody would have taken the blame.

I’m done with all of that.

“You little bitch,” my mother growls at me, and for just a second, my mouth drops open. She’s always been mean to me, but she’s never been this cruel. “I know you said something to stir up shit. That’s what you do, Melody. You’ve always caused trouble for your sister and she hasn’t even done anything wrong.”

“She slept with Janet’s husband,” I say, baffled at what’s happening right now. “You don’t think there’s anything wrong with that?”

My mother waves her hand like she’s brushing away the idea that this is an issue. “That’s conjecture,” she tells me.

“Yeah, you’re not a lawyer, Mom. You can’t just use terms you hear on legal crime dramas and use them to win arguments.”

She frowns and crosses her arms over her chest. Once again, I’m struck by the fact that my mom is really thin and small, but more than that: she’s frail-looking. When did that happen? When did she start to look old? Weak? When did she start to look so damn breakable?

“Go apologize to your sister,” she says. “Go fix this.”

She’s not going to change.

I like to believe anyone can change if you believe in them hard enough, if you give them enough chances, but my mother isn’t going to change. She’s got no interest in changing, in growing as a person. She’s got no interest in me or our relationship or fixing things between us.

She’s selfish, and this is it.

This is the end of the line for us.

This is the part where I walk away from my childhood, where I walk away from the woman who raised me, where I leave the past behind.

This is the part where I accept there are some things I can’t change and I move on.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, Mom,” I tell her. “And I’m not going to apologize. I’m not going to fix this. Mandy got herself into this mess and she can get herself out. I know you don’t love me or want me around. I know I’m just the fuck-up to you, and you know what? That’s fine, but I don’t have any interest in being the person you blame for everything. Not anymore.”

For a second, I think about telling her she can call me when she changes her mind, when she decides to change, when she pulls it all together, but I don’t.

I whisper a soft “goodbye,” then I get in my car and I drive away, leaving my mother standing at the edge of the parking lot looking confused, looking weak, looking tired.

But she also looks angry, and I know I made the right choice.

I hope I made the right fucking choice.

2

Melody

I’m not a pretty crier.

Some girls can cry for hours and never mess up their makeup, never get frizzy hair, never get swollen eyes.

That’s not me.

When I cry, I cry ugly, so I pull into a rest area, turn off the car, and have my cry. I let out everything I’m feeling, everything I’m going through. I let out everything and I just cry and cry and cry.

I’m not sure how long I’m supposed to cry for. I feel like I shouldn’t cry for a long time. Maybe twenty or thirty minutes is enough. That’s long enough to get the tears out, but not so long that my crying becomes ridiculous.

After all, it’s their loss, right?

It’s easy to say, but harder to live with. It’s difficult to be able to say, “Yep. I fucked up. I should have severed ties with these people a long time ago.” Part of me wonders why I didn’t. I know why, though. When I really, actually think about it, I know why. They’re my family and I can’t stand the idea of hurting them. Then again, I don’t think this really hurts them.

In order to be hurt by someone, you have to care.

They don’t.

They never have.

They care about themselves, and maybe they even care about one another, but they certainly don’t care about Fat Melody. They certainly don’t care about the elephant in the room.

That happens to be me.

I made my choice, though. When I return to Morris, I won’t have to deal with them again. My family lives far enough away that they would never stop by for a social visit. They’d plan anytime they wanted to see me. After today, I’m guessing that will be exactly zero times. Zero visits. Good riddance.

Finally, I dry my tears, turn on my music, and set the GPS. It’s time to get back home. It’s a three hour drive from Centerville to Morris, and I only drove for twenty minutes before pulling over and giving in to my tears.

It’s already getting dark, and if I’m not mistaken, there’s a storm brewing. The last thing I want is to get caught in a storm on the mountain drive back, so it’s time to leave. I take off, singing along with my favorite bands. The Violet Burning and Brave Saint Saturn take my mind off the way my heart feels like it’s drowning. I can’t even really explain why this all hurts so much. I don’t want to.

I just want to be done with it.

When I get back to Morris, I can throw myself into work. I have a presentation on Monday morning to discuss ways we can improve the call center I work at. I’ve come up with several strategies to reduce call wait time and improve the productivity of our agents. While everyone works really hard at my office, I firmly believe in worker smarter: not harder. With a few minor changes, everyone can relax a little bit while experiencing improved performance.

At least, that’s the goal.

I’m lucky to have a job I enjoy and good colleagues at my office. When I first joined McQuaid Technologies, I wasn’t sure what to expect. You never know what that first job out of college is going to be like. Are you going to hate it or love it? Will your boss be garbage or incredible? Will you be terrible or will you flourish?

Luckily, it was all positive for me.

Within a year, I’d been promoted to team leader and two years after that became a division manager. Now I’m in charge of the entire call center and while my life is insanely busy, it’s a good kind of busy. I realize now that instead of worrying about my family and their treatment of me, I’m going to have a lot more time to focus on improving the office where I work.

Snow starts falling suddenly, and I realize that I’m definitely going to be dealing with a storm on the trip. Luckily, I’m more than halfway home now. I’ve just passed the last exit for awhile. Although I’ll be driving in and out of the mountains the rest of the way home, I’ve made this trip so many times I feel comfortable continuing on.

There will be another small town half an hour or so up the road. If the storm worsens, I can stop there. It won’t be a problem.

I slow down and notice my GPS losing signal. That’s not uncommon. I keep a couple of maps in the glove compartment for instances like this. The windy mountain road I’m on right now tends to weave in and out of really rocky areas and that can affect the signal. It’s not a big deal. I just turn my headlights on, decrease my speed, and keep going.

Everything is going to be fine.

My phone has seven missed calls from my mother. Now that I’m not getting cell service, maybe the calls will stop. Maybe they’ll start going right to voicemail and she’ll realize I don’t want to talk to her. Part of me is surprised she cares enough to call, but then, she always was a little bit dramatic.

Chances are I’m going to delete her voicemails without listening to them.

I’m not a glutton for punishment any longer.

Nope.

No more.

My days of dealing with her drama are over. Maybe there will come a time when we’re able to work through our differences. Maybe in a few years, we’ll get together and talk and things will be different. We’ll have both changed and grown and things won’t seem so bad, but I don’t think so.

With a sigh, I try to stop thinking about my mother and instead focus on the road. The snow is coming down harder now and I’m starting to feel a little nervous. Maybe I will take the next exit and find a cheap motel to crash in for the night. Colorado weather is notoriously unpredictable and despite the fact that it’s April, snowstorms aren’t that unusual.

Suddenly, the car slides a little and I realize the road is icing over. I slow down even more. I’m barely moving at all. The car is slowly crawling along the deserted road now. My wipers are going back and forth as quickly as they can, but it’s just not fast enough. I can barely see and I slow down even more.

Panic mode hasn’t set in yet. This is good. The last thing I need to do right now is panic. I just need to think. There are mountains on either side of me and the two-lane road is totally empty. Luckily, there aren’t any nearby ravines or cliffs I could slide off into. Even if I swerve and hit something, I’ll be hitting the side of the mountain: not falling to my doom.

Somehow, the thought isn’t as calming as I think it should be.

Suddenly, I slam on my brakes much too hard and my car slips and slides and finally stops just in time to miss the boulder that’s fallen and blocked the road.

I’m trapped in the middle of nowhere in the middle of a snowstorm and that’s when panic mode finally arrives.

Keep reading TAKE YOUR TIME!
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The Saucy Devil

Julianne doesn't want to get married.

She certainly doesn't want to marry someone as terrible as Vince Fiddick. The other villagers might believe that his previous wives went missing, but Julianne knows the truth. Fearing for her life, she seeks refuge on the nearest pirate ship: The Dark Lovely.

The pirate captain of the ship is tall, dark, and handsome. 

He's everything she's dreamed of in a man.

He also has no tolerance for stowaways.

When his life is threatened, however, Julianne has to make a choice.

Will she play it safe?

Or will she risk everything to save the Saucy Devil?

You can buy SAUCY DEVIL on Amazon or turn the page to read a sample of this pirate novel!

Prologue

“I suppose she’ll do,” Vince Fiddick hissed the words. He looked at Julianne like she was a tolerable prize. He may have wanted Annabelle Portwood, but he would settle for her. Oh, Julianne knew she wasn’t the man’s first choice, but he would take what he could get.

“Oh, how wonderful. Lovely news, isn’t it?” Julianne’s father rubbed his hands together, no doubt thinking of the betrothal fee Vince would be paying for the honor of wedding her.

“No,” Julianne shook her head. She could not do it. She would not consent to marrying the man her parents had chosen for her. She would be his fourth wife, and Julianne knew she would fare no differently than they had.

“Julianne,” Margaret Rye glared at her daughter. Julianne knew the look well. She had always been a disappointment to her parents. Why should things be any different now? Margaret and William Rye wanted their daughter to wed this man, who was nearly twice Julianne’s age, and they cared naught for their daughter’s opinion on the matter.

Julianne looked at her mother blankly, waiting for her to say something else, but Margaret simply stared at her.

“Don’t worry, darling,” Vince said, turning his attention to Julianne. “It’s natural to be nervous before your wedding, but you have nothing to be concerned about. You’ll see.” He shook hands with Julianne’s father, and then the two men retreated to William’s study to make the necessary arrangements for the ceremony.

Julianne sat in silence with her mother while the men were gone. The sitting room felt stuffy and small. Suddenly, the entire room felt hot. Julianne felt as if her entire life was being decided for her and she had no say in the matter. She should be used to the feeling by now, but somehow, this was different.

This was her entire life.

This was her whole future.

“I won’t marry him,” she said finally.

“You don’t have a choice. You were raised for this, bred for this.” Margaret did not meet her daughter’s eyes. Julianne stared at her mother, openly gawking.

“This is marriage,” she said. “Marriage should be to someone you love, to someone you can’t stand being apart from. It shouldn’t be some financial transaction.”

“You know nothing of the world,” Margaret said, sipping a cup of tea. Her face was wrinkled and she had dark circles under her eyes. Julianne knew her mother was getting older, and restless. While Julianne suspected her mother was battling health issues, Margaret had too much pride to ever admit this to her daughter.

“I know what the world should be,” Julianne told her mother, suddenly feeling brave. “And I know this is not what it should be.”

“If only you were more like your brother,” Margaret shook her head. Julianne bit back a cough. Oh, if only her parents knew what her sweet brother was up to. They believed he had gone off to Ellensworth to work as an apprentice. They had no idea where he really was. They had no clue the things her brother did.

Julianne knew better than to argue with her mother, though. Once Margaret set her mind to something, nothing would sway her opinion.

After what felt like hours, her father and Vince Fiddick emerged from the study.

“The wedding will take place on Saturday,” William announced to the women in the sitting room.

“But that’s in two days!” Julianne jumped to her feet. “That’s-” She stopped. Her parents had made up their minds. There would be no talking them out of this. If she protested the marriage, they would simply lock her in her bedroom until the time of the ceremony, and she couldn’t have that.

No, if Julianne wanted to be able to have any chance to escape, she would have to play her cards close to her chest. She would have to appear to be compliant. She would have to be clever because there was no doubt in her mind Vince Fiddick had murdered his other wives. She would not end up like them.

“That’s not nearly enough time to plan a wedding,” she said instead. “Why, how can I have a proper gown made?”

“Darling,” Vince Fiddick walked across the room to Julianne. He reached for her. Though it sickened her to have him touch her, she swallowed hard and allowed his clammy palms to squeeze her hands. “Believe me when I say you will have the most perfect wedding you can imagine.”

“Thank you,” Julianne said. She had nothing else to say to the man. She hated him, despised him. He was not a man she would ever choose to associate with, let alone marry, but she had to be careful. If he suspected her of trying to escape before the ceremony, he would do anything in his power to keep her.

Even if it meant killing her.

“Such lovely news,” Margaret said, clasping her hands together. “And what a beautiful pairing.” She looked at Julianne and Vince, and for a brief second, Julianne thought her mother looked truly happy.

Then she remembered that her mother didn’t have a soul. Any emotion she displayed, aside from anger, was a carefully calculated appearance designed for maximum manipulation.

But during her childhood, Julianne hadn’t simply learned how to run a house or how to sew. No, Julianne had learned more than that. She had learned how her mother worked, how Margaret used emotional manipulation to get what she wanted.

Julianne realized that if she wanted to escape this marriage, she would have to act quickly. Once she was alone in Vince’s house, she would never be allowed to leave. She would be locked away: another prize he had won.

But there was something Julianne’s parents didn’t know, something Vince Fiddick didn’t know. There was something none of them knew, and it would be her saving grace.

Julianne’s twin brother wasn’t in Ellensworth.

He wasn’t an apprentice.

He was a pirate, and The Dark Lovely was due to make port tomorrow.

Julianne would have to act quickly, and she would have to catch her brother alone, but she knew one thing was for certain.

She would not marry Vince Fiddick.

Julianne Rye was going to get on the pirate ship with her brother, and she was going to sail away.

She was going to escape.

She was going to live.

1

Four weeks later

Julianne knew she should be thankful to be alive, but as she stared at the hard tack in front of her again, she wondered if it might be better to starve. After all, how much more of this could she take? It had been weeks. When she wasn’t busy feeling seasick, she was being feeling hungry. Her stomach emitted a growl, reminding her that for today, it was better to suck it up and eat the food.

“Thanks, Nelson,” she told her twin brother. She tried to shoot him a grateful look, but it came out pained instead. Nelson was the one who had sneaked her away the night before her wedding to Vince Fiddick was supposed to take place. He was the one who promised to save her. He was the one who kept her hidden and fed, despite the rocky waters and low food supply.

She didn’t know where the ship was headed or what was going to happen when it got there, but they both knew that this was Julianne’s only option if she ever wanted to be free.

“You’re welcome. I’m sorry it’s not more.” Nelson shrugged regretfully. Julianne knew that he was cutting his own rations in half in order to keep her hidden and alive. Her twin was nothing if not resourceful. His determination mixed with cleverness was keeping her alive. She wouldn't forget it and she wouldn’t ask him for more. Anytime she was tempted to complain about how hungry or bored she was, she considered the position she had put her brother in.

He was a pirate, after all. It wasn’t in his nature to be merciful, yet here he was, taking care of his sister when no one else would.

“When’s the next port?” Julianne asked.

“Tomorrow. Hold tight until then and I’ll try to get you off the ship for a little while, at least.” He looked nervous, and she knew he was thinking about what a risk it would be to let her out of the little storage room. Crates and barrels surrounded her day in and day out, but there was comfort in knowing this space was rarely used. Most of the pirates spent their days on the main deck when they could and in the crew’s quarters when they couldn’t. Even when they needed to access cargo, there were two other rooms they used more frequently than this one.

Julianne had gotten good at being quiet in her tiny space on the ship, but if Nelson allowed her to leave, even for a little bit, she would risk being seen. What would happen to her brother if he was caught?

She nodded and wrapped her blanket tighter around herself, cold from weeks of staying in the stores of the ship. Nelson gripped her shoulder for a moment in a soft sign of compassion, then disappeared around the corner. Julianne heard the door close and the lock click in place. She allowed herself to crumple onto the floor with a sigh.

She was stuck on a ship in the middle of the ocean and she had no idea where they were headed. Rumor had it that Wade Docherty, the captain of the ship, was searching for something. Nelson was tight-lipped about what it was. He always told Julianne he wasn’t sure what the pirate captain wanted, but his eyes flicked away when he said it. She had been his sister long enough to know when he was lying, and Nelson was definitely lying about knowing.

Was the hunt that dangerous?

Or was Nelson afraid that Julianne would figure out his secret?

She knew her brother loved being a pirate. He pretended to hate it. He’d whine and complain with the best of them, but he loved it. He loved the thrill, the adventure. He loved the hunt. He loved the fights. Most of all, Julianne knew, Nelson loved the danger.

They had grown up in the upper-class area away from the dirty harbor of Gunthry, but they had always sneaked down to peek at the pirates, even as children.

“That’ll be me one day,” Nelson whispered, but Julianne always made him promise not to tell their parents. There was no telling what they would do if Nelson proclaimed his loyalty to anyone besides the King, especially a pirate.

She leaned her head against the side of the boat. The wood was hard against her head, but she barely noticed anymore. It had been weeks since she fled from Vince Fiddick and her parents, weeks since she joined the gang of pirates, weeks since she gave up one prison for another.

She knew her parents had been pressured to wed her off. Socially, they needed to climb. Their wealth had dwindled and their bloodline was in trouble, but they could have picked a better man.

Any other man in town, she thought, would have been a better choice than Vince. He was cruel and conniving, but more than that, he was calculating. How long would he parade her around town on his arm before he grew tired of her and locked her away to rot in silence and loneliness? How long would he pretend to love her before he grew tired of the charade?

Julianne worried, sometimes, that her parents had suffered some sort of social ramifications when she vanished. Maybe people would think she had died. When she disappeared, she made sure to tell her best mates she was going for a long walk along the cliffs to clear her mind, to think about how she would be a good wife for Vince.

Her girlfriends had giggled and laughed, but they had all promised not to tell anyone. What about the next day? When Julianne never came home, did they tell her parents what she had said? Did they think she had slipped? Did they suspect she had fallen from the cliffs into the raging waters below?

No matter what fate her pals dreamed up, no matter what the townspeople said, nothing could be as horrible as a marriage to Vince. Nothing in the world, nothing in her dreams, nothing. Not even the stale piece of hard tack she was eating, thought Julianne, and she took another bite.

**

Wade Docherty was the best captain the high seas had ever seen. At least, that’s what he told himself. He had commanded The Dark Lovely for nearly 10 years, earning quite a reputation for himself. The Saucy Devil was exactly that: saucy. He was sly and cunning, handsome and clever. When Wade put his mind to something, chances were that he got exactly what he had been hoping for.

And what he had been hoping for, for the last several years, was to find Mad Drake's lost treasure. The treasure had vanished when the evil pirate Drake's ship, The Cursed Hangman, went down many years ago during a routine cargo transport. Though hundreds of pirates and sailors had searched for the treasure, none had ever found it or the ship. Some speculated that Mad Drake had simply taken the treasure for himself. Others thought that the treasure had a more mythical fate, that it had somehow been cursed or stolen by ghosts or sea monsters.

Wade didn't buy into that nonsense. He knew it was hiding somewhere, just waiting to be found. The right pirate, he knew, could find that treasure. The right pirate could keep that beautiful bounty for himself.

And then that pirate could use that treasure to retire quietly from a long life of thievery and fighting.

Though the rumors varied from port to port, Wade had been captivated by the stories from the first moment he heard them. His crew advised him to stop his search and insisted that it was futile, but Wade didn’t care.

He had to find the treasure, no matter how long it took or how much it cost him. The Cursed Hangman’s bounty would be his. Of that Wade was sure.

“How long to port, Cap’n?” Nelson asked, silently sidling up to the captain. The boy was quiet as a mouse, and smart. Wade had picked him up in a tiny port town nearly a year ago. While Wade wasn’t the kind to take on strays, something about the weariness in Nelson’s eyes made him bring the boy aboard.

He hadn’t regretted it yet.

No other crewmate worked half as hard or twice as long as Nelson did.

“Dawn, if we’re lucky,” Wade said, eyeing the vast sea before him. He maintained that they were only stopping for supplies and for the men to have a bit of fun, but Nelson saw through that story. He never called Wade out on it, though. He was much too smart for that.

No, Wade didn’t want to stop for supplies and he certainly didn’t need to find a woman. Though it had been months since he had found anyone to bed, the treasure kept him focused. It required all of his attention, all of his energy.

And tomorrow, if fate was on his side, Wade would be one step closer to finding his heart’s desire.

**

Julianne shifted in her tiny position behind the stacks of trunks and crates. Nelson didn’t have his own room on the ship, of course. Only the most important crew members did. What he did have was access to the captain’s storage room in the hold, which is where he had placed Julianne for safekeeping.

Though part of her resented the idea that she was a possession that needed to be kept safe, Julianne quickly learned the ins and outs of the entire room. To be fair, there wasn’t much to see. There were barrels and crates full of supplies, along with random items that had been pillaged. At the back of the room was a row of heavy trunks. Nelson and Julianne had quickly pushed them out from the wall to make a small clearing. That was where Julianne spent her time hiding. There was only space enough for her to lie down on her side, but if they pushed the trunks out further than that, someone would notice and ask why Nelson was wasting space.

Julianne did not need to be noticed, no matter how uncomfortable she was.

The rest of the room was unimpressive and dull. In addition to supplies, Wade stored many of his treasures and favorite items here. Anything he wanted to keep and hold onto, but didn’t quite have room for in his chambers ended up here. There were other places for cargo on the ship, but this was the captain’s private bounty room. It was small, but carefully kept.

There were many unusual artifacts and treasures here, but nothing delighted Julianne quite as much as a small gold owl that rested on top of a small table. She spent some time each day touching it and holding it, wondering who had owned the owl before Wade plundered it. Maybe a princess, she dreamed, or a fair maiden from a faraway land. Someone had given that owl to one lucky girl as a gift, Julianne knew, long ago. How wonderful must it be to be loved so deeply that someone gave you gifts just because they wanted to?

At night, Julianne slept on a soft blanket on the hard wooden floor. Though it was nothing like her bed at home, it gave her plenty of time to be thankful for all the pleasures she had enjoyed during her short life. And while Nelson couldn’t get away from his duties often to spend a lot of time with her, he managed to come by every day to bring her some food and water. When he brought her meal – and it was usually only one per day – would vary. Nelson had to be careful when he sneaked around. If he raised suspicion, he risked Julianne’s discovery, and no one wanted to be the lone woman on a ship.

By far the most interesting aspect of life as a stowaway, for Julianne, had been the many times that crew members sneaked down into the hold for some quick fun. Anytime the ship stopped at a port, women were inevitably brought on board to be entertainment for the crew. While most of the men brought their women to the crew’s quarters, some wanted more privacy, and would sneak into this store room to play.

Julianne always tried to remain quiet from her hiding spot, but it was hard when she was so desperate to see exactly what was happening. She had been intimate with a man before, long ago, but never with Vince. She wouldn’t. He had tried and she had refused, claiming she wanted to be pure for the wedding.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Now, being witness to so many indiscretions, Julianne found it almost impossible to keep herself hidden away. Maybe she was wrong in hiding from all the men on the ship. While some of them were crass and unpleasant to look at, some of them weren’t. Some of them were handsome and rugged. Some of them were strong and stunning.

During the days when the sailors brought their whores into the storage room to fuck and play, Julianne would silently touch herself behind the trunks, hidden away. She wondered why she herself didn’t wander onto one of these shores and begin a life of prostitution herself.

Judging from the moans and screams of everyone involved, it seemed like a quite wonderful line of work.

It seemed like something that made everyone happy.

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