Bedroom Rodeo

A Billionaire Single Dad Romance

By Sarah J. Brooks

Copyright © 2017 by Sarah J. Brooks

Published By: Sarah J. Brooks

Copyright and Disclaimer

Copyright © 2017 by Sarah J. Brooks

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Important: Reader should be 18+ due to mature situations and language.

Facebook: Sarah J. Brooks

Contents

Bedroom Rodeo

Copyright and Disclaimer

Special Invitation

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

Chapter 16

Epilogue

Preview of “The Billionaire’s Fake Marriage”

Preview of “The Deal”

Uncovering The Truth

The Billionaire's Hunt

About The Author

Special Invitation

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With love and talk soon,

Sarah

Chapter 1

Summer

“Do you think this looks good on me?” I asked a girl walking past me in the store.

“Yeah, that’s nice.”

“What about blue pumps? That would be amazing, wouldn’t it? Oh, my God, can you even imagine showing up at a party with four-inch Christian Louboutin heels? The guys would be dripping off of me trying to ask me out.”

The Dress Market was one of the high-end trendy stores on Michigan Avenue, and I absolutely loved it. I’d shopped there for years and had probably spent thousands and thousands of dollars.

“Um, yeah, it’s nice,” the girl said as she gave me a little snarl.

“Okay, well I’m not really feeling you anymore, so I’m going to go over there,” I snarled right back at her.

Girls these days were so catty, and it was really amazing that women couldn’t just be nice to each other. I was nice to other girls unless they were insanely rude to me – then it was game on. There was no point of being super sweet to a chick who was just going to backstab you for no reason.

“Excuse me, do you have this dress in a size four?” a woman who was definitely not a size four asked me.

“Hmm, this is nice. Is this fabric silk? No, it’s a blend, but wow it feels amazing. How do you think it would look on me?”

“Good, it looks nice with your blonde hair. Might not fit over your, um … those …” the woman said as she motioned to my breasts.

“Oh, yeah, don’t they look amazing. I just had them done recently. You would not believe how much more attention I get with these girls. Hey, want to be on my Instagram? I’ve got over a hundred thousand followers now. I’ll tag you.”

“Sure,” the woman agreed.

“I’m Elizabeth, you are really pretty.”

“Oh, you are super nice. I love that. So I’m going to be honest with you, Elizabeth. This dress is not for you. There are some over in the corner, though, and I think you’ll love those. I’m going to keep this one for myself.”

And just like that, the nice woman turned into a total jerk as she scoffed at me and stormed off to the other side of the store.

“Summer!”

“Do you like this on me? I think I’m going to get it.”

“You’re fired Summer. I warned you about taking selfies and posting on your social media while you are working. And you’re not even helping the customers. You spent the last hour shopping for yourself and not helping a single customer in here,” my grumpy boss Lindsay said.

“Um, I’m advertising your products on my social media. You know some people get paid thousands of dollars for these kinds of advertisements. You’d think you would be a little more grateful that I was helping you out.”

“Summer, I like you. I really think you’re a nice person but retail is not for you. Maybe you should try to get a job as a model or in the perfume section at Macy’s?”

“Lindsay, come on. I need this job. I’ve been fired from my last six jobs … wait, no, seven. I have to work as my father cut me off and isn’t paying for my credit cards anymore. He actually made me move out of the house too. You know how it is? Please, I promise I’ll do better,” I begged.

I couldn’t lose another job. Living with my friend Patrick was a lifesaver, but he was getting sick of me not paying the rent on time. He got so angry last month that I thought he might actually blow a blood vessel in his face.

Working and paying the bills was just new to me. I needed some time to adjust and figure things out. I couldn’t be expected to just jump right in and know how to do everything. My dad was asking a lot and was totally unreasonable.

“Sorry, Summer, but we can’t keep working together.”

“Okay, can I still get my employee discount on this dress, though? It’s adorable.”

“Sure, bring it up, and I’ll get you checked out,” Lindsay said.

She was a nice boss, even though she fired me. But she didn’t dress very stylish for a woman managing a trendy fashion store. I tried helping her out and giving her ideas that would jazz up her outfits, but she wasn’t all that interested. Sometimes people had to learn from their fashion mistakes all on their own.

I finished buying my dress and grabbed my bag from the back. Working was cramping my style and having the day off to shop was just what I needed. Michigan Avenue in Chicago was filled with amazing stores, and with the whole rest of my day free, I was going to take advantage of the time.

When I finally sat down at the coffee shop to rest my toes and admire my purchases, I couldn’t help pulling up my bank account and glancing to see how much money I had left for the month.

“Eighty-seven dollars!” I yelled as I looked at the stupid app. “That’s not right.”

I was about to call my bank and give them an earful about whatever was going on with my account when my friend Amy called. She was actually a friend of a friend, but our mutual friend had run off with a boy and left us to build our own little friendship together.

“Hi Amy, what’s going on?”

“Rebecca and I were going to try this self-defense class this afternoon and wanted to see if you would be off work by five? It’s supposed to be really good and help teach you all the things you’re supposed to do in order to prevent getting assaulted or kidnapped.”

“Wow, that sounds intense.”

“You’d do great. I’m sure it will be fun. Will you be done with work by then?”

“I’ll be free. I’m just not sure I want to be in a gym with a bunch of sweaty hormonal women trying to fight for their lives. Can I meet you guys afterward? We could go for a fresh juice smoothie?”

“Sure, we will meet you after,” Amy said. “Sooner or later you’re going to have to try things that aren’t shopping, you know this, right?”

“Of course, I’m working on some relaxation techniques right now.” I laughed as I put my feet up on the chair across from me. “I’ll see you girls later, and maybe we should plan on going dancing?”

Since Anna and Lilli had stopped going out dancing, Amy, Rebecca, and I hadn’t been going out very much either. It was really hard to go from having a big group of girls hanging out together to a small group of three. And to be honest, Amy and Rebecca weren’t all that fun. They were trying to be responsible and doing their career thing.

Our only close guy friend, Patrick, was gay and probably the most fun to hang out with. But since moving in with him, the two of us were really struggling to get along with one another. He was one of the nicest guys I knew, though, and I honestly wished I could clone him into a heterosexual man so I could date him; well, he’d have to have a good job and a decent car too, but then I’d totally date him.

“Excuse me, I saw you sitting over here, and I just had to come and say hi. You probably hear this all the time, but you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve seen. I’m Kenny,” the man said as he thrust his hand forward in hopes of getting me to talk to him.

“Hi Kenny, I’m sorry, I have a boyfriend,” I lied to him.

“Oh, um, okay,” he said and then scurried back to where he was sitting with his friends.

I really hated to hurt his feelings, but I could tell right away that Kenny wasn’t my type of guy. His penny loafers and button up polo were a dead giveaway that poor little Kenny wouldn’t be able to provide a decent meal for me and certainly couldn’t keep me in the lifestyle I was accustomed to.

With my bank account dwindling, I had to sacrifice one of my angels. Reluctantly, I walked down to the Elite Consignment shop to turn in my beautiful white Hermes bag. It had been a gift from my mother for my sixteen birthday and was the last of my bags I had left after selling all the others in the six months since I’d been on my own.

I didn’t like selling my bags, and I hated that I could only get half of what I knew they were worth. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and with less than a hundred dollars in my bank account, I was definitely desperate.

“Summer Edwards, it’s so good to see you,” Bambi, the clerk at the shop said when I walked in.

First of all, anyone named Bambi really annoyed me. What sort of parents would name their child after a cartoon character? Of course, since my parents had named me after a season of the year, I probably should be complaining, but Bambi was a hideous name. Second of all, I hated how fake and happy this girl was when I came to see her.

“Hi Bambi, how are you?”

“It’s a beautiful day, and I have a happy life. I’m doing fabulous. Is that the bag you’re selling today?” she asked as she started eyeing my sweet Hermes baby.

“Yes, it was a gift from my mother. It’s very special to me. But I’m going to sell it,” I said without going into details about why I had to get rid of the bag.

“I bet it will be hard to part with. Would you like to empty it out so I can take a look and tell you exactly how much I’m willing to pay for it?”

“Sure.”

I slid my things out of my purse and into one of my shopping bags and handed the white Hermes bag over to Bambi. This was the part of life that made me so uncomfortable I could hardly stand there at all.

Only six months ago, I had been in my large home with my Infiniti SUV and a credit card without a limit. I’d been looking for work, but it was hard to find something interesting. My father continued to hound me about being an adult and getting a job, but my mother understood what I was going through.

Life today wasn’t like it was when my father was growing up. Jobs weren’t available like they used to be, and I certainly wasn’t going to work somewhere disgusting like a regular mall or a restaurant. Because I had such high standards for my employment, it took me longer than expected to find work, and my father decided to be a horrible person and cut off all my credit cards. If that hadn’t been enough, he also kicked me out of the house.

I could have been homeless if it hadn’t been for my friends. What kind of father would do such a thing to his little girl? I just didn’t get it. He always said how much he loved me, and I was his little angel, yet I turned twenty-three and suddenly he was over it, and I had to become something that I wasn’t. Obviously, I still harbor some serious resentment toward my father.

“So, I’ve looked the bag over and made a list of its flaws,” Bambi said in her annoying way that she always did.

As if listing off all the flaws the bag had would suddenly make it easier for me to accept her low ball offer to purchase it. I knew how much my mother paid for that bag, and I knew Bambi was going to try and get me to take way less for it than I should sell it for. That was just how her business worked.

“What is your offering price?” I asked as I tried to hold my anger back.

“Three thousand eight hundred dollars,” she said with a straight face.

“Ha! Are you kidding me? Come on Bambi, you know that purse was over ten thousand brand new. You can’t honestly expect me to take that.”

“I’m not the one who needs the money. Look around, do you see any Hermes bags here? No, because I sell them almost instantly. I would love to buy your bag, Summer, but I’m okay if you’d like to keep it.”

“Of course I’d like to keep it. I wouldn’t be here though if I didn’t have a reason for selling. You’re taking advantage of me.”

“Summer, I could offer you four thousand, how about that?”

“That’s less than all the other bags I’ve sold you. I know you can sell it for twice that.”

“Why don’t you try listing it on one of those websites? I’m sure you could sell it yourself if you’d like to get more money for it. Take a few weeks, get some good pictures, and list it for sale.”

Bambi was mocking me. She knew I couldn’t wait a few weeks for the money and that was why I was coming to her. I was stuck in the most horrible position, but I wasn’t going to let this jerk swindle me out of a fair price.

“I’ve probably made you so much money over the last six months that you are swimming in extra cash around here. I need five thousand for the bag, that’s all I’ll take.”

Bambi rolled her eyes, pretended to write down some figures, and for a minute, I thought she was going to refuse my counter offer.

“Fine, five thousand,” she said as she smiled. “You drive a hard bargain.”

It was insane that she felt the need to kick me while I was already down. She always bought my bags for half the retail. There had been no reason to lowball me like she did. But I was a reasonable woman, and I knew it was likely I’d have to come visit her again so I couldn’t punch her in the face like I wanted to.

“Thank you, Bambi,” I said with as much restraint as I could manage.

As soon as she handed me the check, I turned around and was out of there. Hopefully, I’d be able to find a decent job before being forced to start selling my beautiful shoes. I didn’t know if I could stand the idea of ever getting rid of those.

When five o’clock rolled around, I had already landed myself in bed and was in the midst of a nap. After several phone calls, I finally woke up to Amy and Rebecca and had to apologize for sleeping through our juice meeting. It wasn’t unusual for me to forget an appointment or have to cancel, though, and luckily my girls were understanding with me.

“How about we go to the Stage Coach tonight?” Rebecca asked while I FaceTime’d the girls at their juice stop.

“Ugh, then I have to wear cowboy boots and jeans, I hate wearing those.”

“Summer, you can wear whatever you want. You’re not forced to dress like a cowgirl just because we are going dancing at a western bar,” Amy said.

“I know, but I like to be the cutest one in the place, and if we are going there, it means I’ve got to be the cutest cowgirl those boys have ever seen. I’m fine with landing a rich cowboy to date.”

“So yes, you’ll come?”

“Fine, but next time I’m picking the place,” I said grumpily as I hung up and went back to sleep for a little while.

Four hours later, and with the help of Patrick, I was dressed and ready to head out. My snakeskin gray cowboy boots matched my belt, and I was even wearing a little gray eye shadow to tie it all in. I had on my tiny daisy duke shorts with a white tank top and plaid over shirt which I tied tightly in front. I looked like one of those girls right out of a country music video. There was no doubt in my mind I’d get to have my pick of the boys at the club.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” I asked Patrick.

“Yeah, I’ve got to work tomorrow. I need my sleep. Plus, I’m not a fan of the country dancing clubs.”

“Me either. I sort of hate it, but Amy and Rebecca love it, and I don’t want them to hate me for never agreeing to go where they want to go.”

“Have fun. And, do you think you’ll have the money for the rent soon?”

“Oh, yes. Of course, I’ll have it by the end of the week.”

“Thanks, I know it’s tough for you right now, and I don’t want to keep pushing you. But I can’t actually afford this place on my own.”

“It’s fine; I’ll see you later,” I said and gave Patrick a hug.

Yes, I had the money at the moment, and I did plan on paying my portion of the rent. I just wanted to make sure I’d finished paying for the other things that I had to do before I threw money at Patrick. I’d get all of that figured out by the end of the week, and then I’d pay the rent.

Paying rent was one of the biggest bummers in adult life. I was hardly ever at home, yet I had to pay for half the rent, power, garbage, and cable. How anyone found the money to put toward those things on a regular basis was beyond me. It really seemed like the apartment complex was making a killing off of poor struggling people like me.

“I’m on my way,” I said in my SnapChat video to Amy and Rebecca as I waited for my Uber.

The two of them quickly snapped me back to show they were already at the club and enjoying a cocktail without me. I couldn’t wait to join them. My day had been horrendous with the whole getting fired thing and trying to negotiate the sale of my Hermes. I really needed a night of relaxation to calm me down and help me focus on what to do next.

When I arrived at the Stage Coach, I didn’t bother waiting in the line and instead went right up to the bouncer. With a quick twirl in my daisy dukes, he moved the rope and let me in. Waiting in line was for the girls who didn’t add value to the club’s atmosphere. I’d never been turned down walking into a club because I always dressed to impress.

“Summer, what are you wearing?” Rebecca said as her jaw dropped.

“My cowgirl outfit. Isn’t it adorable?”

“Where’s the rest of the outfit?” Amy joked.

“Um, I’ve got a tank top under here,” I said as I moved my plaid shirt out of the way so they could see my white tank top underneath.”

“Is that like a children’s tank top or something?” Rebecca asked.

“Oh, come on. I didn’t just pay all that money for these girls to hide them. All the important parts are covered up.”

It was true, my tank top was probably a little small, but I loved showing off my figure, and I wasn’t ashamed of it at all. My style wasn’t good for everyone, but that’s why it was mine and not Amy’s or Rebecca’s. Those two were dressed in jeans and button up cowboy shirts that looked like they were made for their fathers.

“Well, this should be a fun night,” Amy rolled her eyes as a cowboy approached our group.

“Hi, um … would you like to … um … dance?” the cowboy asked me.

“I’m sorry darling; I’m visiting with my girlfriends right now. Thanks, though,” I said and gave him a little peck on the cheek.

“What was wrong with him?” Rebecca asked.

“Don’t get like that. I just wanted to spend time with you guys.” I smiled.

“Nope, it was his teeth. He didn’t have straight enough teeth,” Amy added. “Or maybe his boots. They weren’t expensive enough? Or his fingernails weren’t clean enough. Come on, what was it?”

“Fine, it was his eyebrows; they were disgusting,” I finally admitted.

Amy and Rebecca burst into laughter as they continued sipping on their drinks and left me to go find the waitress so I could order my own. I was used to them making fun of my choices in men, but it didn’t matter because I absolutely wasn’t going to settle for a guy that didn’t have it all.

“Can I get a Martini please?” I asked the bartender as I squeezed my way up to the bar. “Sorry,” I said to the man I just pushed in front of.

“Let me buy that for you,” he offered.

I quickly looked him over, and he definitely passed the first impression test. He had on nice cowboy boots and a pair of high-end designer men’s jeans. His hat could have been a little better, but his body was on point, and his eyebrows weren’t weird, so I could at least keep talking to him.

“Sure, thank you,” I replied as I leaned out of the way and let him pay the bartender.

He handed the bartender an American Express black card, and my heart skipped a beat. Those cards were only given out to people who had a lot of money. There was no limit on them, and it was a tell-tale sign that this guy was a keeper.

“Hopefully, you’ll let me take you for a spin on the dance floor later?”

“I think that might be possible,” I said with a sweet smile.

His eyes lunged up and down my body as he took in my fabulous curves. It didn’t offend me when a man enjoyed the view. I worked hard to keep my figure and, unlike some women, I appreciated the attention when my work was noticed.

“I’m Robert Spin,” he said as I shook his hand.

Robert took my hand, pulled it up to his mouth and gently kissed it. As he smiled back at me, I instantly was turned off. One of his front teeth was clearly yellow. I just didn’t get it – a man who had money should be able to fix his discolored tooth. There was no way I could go out with someone like him. I knew it right then and there.

“I’m Summer, it’s nice to meet you,” I said as I grabbed my drink with the hand he was holding onto. “I see my friends are here, so I’m going to go hang out with them. Have a good night.”

I didn’t stick around long enough for him to say anything else as I rushed across the dance floor and over to Amy and Rebecca. The Stage Coach was a big place, and I hoped I’d be able to just avoid the guy for the rest of the night.

“What was wrong with that one?” Amy asked.

“Nothing, he was fine. He had a black card.”

“Oh, he’s rich. Well then, Summer will totally dance with that guy,” Rebecca teased.

“Actually,” I started to say as I looked around the dance floor and sipped my drink. “He’s got a yellow tooth,” I mumbled.

“What?” Rebecca asked.

“He has a yellow tooth, okay. So no, I’m not dancing with him. That’s gross. Who would purposely leave their tooth yellow like that? If he has money, then he should get his tooth fixed.”

“Oh, Summer, I love you so much, but you’re going to end up an old maid if you don’t stop judging every man you come across.”

“I’ll find the right one. I promise you.”

The rest of my night was spent almost exclusively with Amy and Rebecca hanging out and dancing. I successfully avoided dancing with that Robert guy and only saw him one time right before we left. I gave him a quick wave and continued out the door with the girls.

It wasn’t our best night, but our partying level had declined tremendously over the last few months. Both Amy and Rebecca had jobs and worked five days a week, Patrick worked six and sometimes seven days a week. No one had time for staying out all night drinking and dancing anymore.

Chapter 2

Tyler

“Get your darn backpacks already you two,” I yelled as I stood at the front door. “If we are late, I’m telling your principal it was because you two are the naughtiest kids in the world.”

“Dad! You just woke us up two minutes ago,” Thomas said as he came down the hallway. “I’m going to tell Mrs. Phillips that you woke us up late,” he said with a huge smile.

“I think she’ll believe us over you, Dad,” Faith added as she joined us in the entryway. “We are the best-behaved kids in school. Mrs. Phillips loves us.”

“Foiled again,” I said dramatically as I held the door open for them to head out to our car. “Remember to put your seatbelts on, and take your backpacks off. Seatbelts don’t work if you’re wearing your backpack. And did you get your lunches? Wait, did I make your lunches? Darn, I didn’t, did I?”

Faith and Thomas were already in the car as I stood in the doorway and tried to decide if it was better to take the time and make their lunches or try and get to school. Since we were already running late, I decided we had to get going, and I’d just let them eat lunch at school that day.

“Mom used to make our lunches the night before,” Faith said while we drove to school.

“Um, what was the name of the last nanny?” I asked. “Rosanne, Rita? Rachel, that was it. How did she do it?”

“She made our lunches before she woke us up. Then she made us breakfast because it’s not good to go to school on an empty stomach,” Thomas added. “I get tired when I don’t eat breakfast before school.”

“Breakfast, that’s what I forgot. It’s okay; we will swing by fast food and get you something real quick.”

Faith and Thomas both smiled in the back seat as if they had just won a victory over me. The truth was they had been winning victories over me for the last three years since my wife Claire had passed away.

We got their breakfast, and by the time we arrived at the school, the normally hectic drop off line was non-existent. I loathed the morning drop off and pick up procedure at Oakwood Christian Academy. The complex process and long list of rules were nearly impossible to remember, and I was constantly getting yelled at by the staff whenever I had to do it.

“Are you hiring a new babysitter today?” Faith asked while we ran into the building.

“I’ll start the process.”

“Maybe you should stop yelling at them and being mean so they would stay around?”

“Maybe you should just worry about being an adorable eight-year-old and leave the nanny hiring to your old dad?”

My kids were still pretty angry with me for not being able to keep a nanny around. They had liked all the ladies we hired over the last few years. It was always me who had issues with the children’s care, and I just couldn’t sit back and not tell the nanny what I thought. Honesty was a value I cherished, and being honest with the nannies was the best way for them to learn how I liked to have things done around the house.

“Bye Dad,” Thomas yelled as he ran off to his classroom and didn’t wait for me to sign him in.

“Hi, sorry. Faith and Thomas English are here,” I said to the front secretary as I signed the tardy sheet. “I apologize.”

“Oh, it’s alright Mr. English. We all know how hard it’s been for you and the kids since … well, you know. I must say you look like you’re doing very well, though.”

“Thank you, Ginger, that’s very nice of you,” I said and then turned to Faith. “I’ll be here at three-thirty to pick you up. Check the back of the line though because these moms arrive way too early for me to keep up with them.”

“Come on honey, I’ll walk you down to class,” Ginger said as she waved at me and even gave me a little wink.

The staff at Oakwood had been amazing to us over the last three years as I adjusted to learning how to navigate being a single father. For many years, I just got smiles and waves from the ladies, but lately, it had turned into full-blown flirting. I figured they’d decided that three years was a good enough mourning period, and now they could start hunting me for sport.

I got out of the building as quickly as I could to avoid any other awkward run ins with the female staff and other parents at the school. It wasn’t that I didn’t mind being friendly – the problem was that I really wasn’t planning on dating anyone, and there was no reason for them to waste their energy flirting with me.

“Call Rob,” I said to my Bluetooth when I got into my car.

“Yep, what’s up Tyler?”

“I’m going to work from home today. I’ve got to call the hiring agency and see if they have any other nannies available.”

We were partners, and I didn’t need Rob’s approval to work from home, but I always liked to give him a heads up so he wasn’t waiting for me. With today’s technology, there was no reason I couldn’t do all the same work I normally did but do it from the comfort of my home office.

Of course, the bigger issue was how my time seemed to slip away from me when I was at home. I could swear that there was an entirely different time clock when I was trying to get things done at home compared to in my normal office. Inevitably, I’d get distracted by appointments I needed to be at, yard work, groceries, or any number of other things that had to be done at home.

“Tyler, what’s up? That’s like the fourth nanny you’ve fired. This is becoming an epidemic.”

“Technically, I didn’t fire this one. She just decided she wanted to go back to college.”

“Yeah, because she realized that working for someone like you was torture, and she needed a real job to fall back on. You’ve got to lighten up on these ladies. None of them will ever be Claire.”

“It wasn’t like that,” I replied.

There wasn’t another person I knew that I’d let talk about Claire. But my partner Robert knew Clair well, and we had all double dated and grew into our relationships together. Now I was a widower, and Robert was finalizing his divorce. It was pretty rotten how life had changed for us over the years when it came to the women in our lives.

“We have that big pitch for the Heir Hotel chain in October. We still need a full video package and the estimates on the marketing broken down per their smaller chain hotels. It’s a lot to do in just two months. You’ve got to get a nanny hired.”

“I know, I know.”

“Maybe just keep the next one and try and make it work. Could you try to be nice just a little bit?” Rob said with a bit of a chuckle. “Maybe stay home and teach her how you want things done. You know communication is key in any relationship.” Rob thought he knew everything after going through six months of marriage therapy with his now ex-wife.

“Says the man going through a divorce.” I laughed.

“Hey, I’m going to nab me a new wife in no time. You should have seen me at the country dance club last night. I was on fire. Seriously, these girls love an older man. You and I need to go out sometime. I tell you, these ladies would eat you alive. If they’re going after me, I bet you’d get any one of them you wanted. ”

“I’m sure they do go after you. How do they like that old yellow tooth of yours?”

Rob had his front tooth knocked out in high school while playing football, and his veneer had been yellow for the last month because he was too busy working and wouldn’t take time off to get it fixed. His tooth had become a representation of his life. Even his ex-wife complained that Rob chose work over her, and that was why she filed for divorce.

Up until my wife passed away, I had probably been in the same workaholic category as Rob. I spent morning, noon, and night at the office. With Claire gone, though, I had to prioritize, and my children took the lead in how I spent my time. They were Claire’s pride and joy, and being close to my children made me feel closer to her.

“I admit I may have had an issue last night. There was this goddess at the bar who let me buy her a drink, but when I flashed the pearly whites, she suddenly didn’t have time for me.”

“Goddess eh? Why was she talking to you?” I couldn’t help teasing him a little bit. “And more like you flashed the pearly yellow tooth, and she ran for her life.”

“I’ll get the tooth fixed this week. It’s going to happen; I’m putting it on my calendar.”

It was a total lie. Rob wasn’t putting it on his calendar, and he certainly wasn’t going to make time to get it fixed that week with me being out of the office trying to find a nanny. But I figured it wasn’t worth arguing about.

“So did you get the phone number of this goddess?”

“Nah, I couldn’t find her all night and only saw her again as her friends were leaving. She was probably a little too young for me anyway. Early twenties make it difficult to have a real relationship.”

I couldn’t hold back my laughter another second. What the heck was Rob thinking flirting with a girl in her early twenties? Rob was 48-years-old, balding, and had a bit of a gut on him. Even I didn’t flirt with girls that young, and I had a full head of hair and ran almost daily.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I said as I tried to stop laughing. “But come on, early twenties. What are you doing Rob? She was literally half your age. There’s only one thing you were thinking about when hitting on that girl, and it wasn’t a relationship.”

“She was beautiful damn it. I couldn’t help myself. I would have let her do anything she wanted to me. All night long, every night. Man, she was pretty.”

“Well, I think you should try to stick to within ten years of your age. You start bedding girls like that, and you’re only going to end up being their sugar daddy. Do you seriously want to be paying for these girls to drive fancy cars and carrying ten thousand dollar purses? That’s not a real relationship, Rob.”

“Tell you the truth; I’d have given that girl whatever she wanted. You should have seen her. And I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but at our age being a sugar daddy isn’t all that bad of a thing. The women close to my age are independent and hard headed. They don’t want a man around – they want to prove they can do it all on their own.”

“Okay, okay, I’m going to swing by the hiring firm and try and get a new nanny. You go cool yourself off and get some work done. I’ll email you later, and we can talk about the campaign.”

“Maybe hire one of those hot twenty-something nannies,” Rob joked.

“Nope. I go for well-trained and excellent references. Looks have no bearing on a nanny’s ability to take care of my children.”

“Yeah, yeah, boring. I’ll talk to you later.”

Hiring a new nanny was going to be exhausting. I’d spent two weeks going through profiles the last time and interviewed twelve women. No one was good enough for my kids. So when we found Rachel, I was excited and hopeful that she’d work out well for us.

Unfortunately, after a couple months, I realized she just wasn’t the right one. So when she decided to quit, it was for the best. Now I could get another nanny who would fit into our family just right.

“Mr. English, I’m disappointed to see you walking through my doors again,” Mrs. Canter said. “What happened this time?”

“Nothing. She just decided she wanted to go to college.”

“Mr. English, Rachel was a thirty-four-year-old mother of triplet teenagers. She was the best of the best that I have. I’m not sure I’ll be able to find you someone else.”

“Oh, you’re underestimating your abilities. I’m sure you have someone that would fit.”

“Maybe you should ask some of your friends. Get some recommendations from people that you trust, and then go from there? I think you’ve interviewed everyone that I have in my books here.”

My stomach churned, and a bit of panic started to set in. I needed a nanny. The big campaign pitch with the Heir Hotel chain was only a few months away, and I’d have to travel out of town for two weeks. I needed to hire a nanny, train her, and be comfortable with her staying alone with my children; all in the next two months.

“No, I need you to find me one. I don’t have the time to ask around and then check references and all of that. I really would prefer if we could look at the nannies you have available. Maybe there’s someone you don’t think I gave a fair shake to? I’d be happy to interview them again and see if things might work.”

“I’m going to be honest with you, Tyler; you’ve got to lighten up a little bit. I know your children mean the world to you. I’m one hundred percent sure that you only want the best for them. But a nanny has to have the freedom to do things her way and build a relationship with the children. Nothing is going to be the same as before, but you can find someone that makes your children happy and will take excellent care of them if you allow the woman to have some freedom.”

“I understand. So do you have anyone I can interview? I promise I’ll be more relaxed with the rules.”

“Not at this time. But I’ll put the word out and see if any of my colleges have someone that might work for you. I’ll get back to you if I hear something. Until then, I’d put the word out with your friends and see if any of them know a good nanny. You’d be surprised at the quality of person you can find by using personal references like that.”

I was devastated. With only a couple months to go, I had to get a nanny hired right away. If I didn’t start working with the new nanny this week, it was going to be impossible to teach her everything that needed to be learned before I had to leave on my trip.

“Okay, can you call me if you think of anyone?”

“Of course, and I wish you the best of luck.”

As I walked out of the staffing agency, I had no idea what I was going to do next. I’d already taken so much time off of work to stay home with the kids that Rob was taking on twice as much work as he needed to. I had to get back to the office and pull my weight with this new deal we were working on.

“Call Jason Hartley,” I spoke to my Bluetooth.

“This is Jason.”

“Hey Jason, it’s Tyler English; I am in desperate need of a nanny. Do you have any recommendations?”

Jason was a local CEO that was also a single father. I’d run into him a few times at charity events and exchanged numbers in case we could ever arrange a play date. His little boy was just a few years younger than my son.

“Hey, Tyler, I’m sorry. I’ve had Rosie for awhile now and haven’t needed to look. I can keep my ear out and see if I hear about any, though. What’s going on?”

“My last one decided to go to back to college.”

“Wasn’t she in her thirties?” he snickered.

“Yeah, I think it was just an excuse to quit. Something about me being too demanding and rude.”

“Well, I know how tough it is to find someone. I’ll ask around and let you know if anyone pops up. Have you tried Canter Care? They have a huge list, and that’s where I found Rosie.”

“She blackballed me from there.” I laughed. “Told me I’d already interviewed everyone, and she didn’t have anyone else for me.”

“Ouch.”

“Well, thanks for keeping your eye out. I’d appreciate it. I really need to get someone hired right away.”

“No problem, good luck.”

I made a few more phone calls to the men and women I knew who used nannies. Of course, everyone was happy with the person they were using and couldn’t think of anyone that I could possibly call.

By the time I returned home and sat down to work in my office, the situation was feeling dire. How was it possible that every good nanny in Chicago was already hired, and there wasn’t a single one that I could interview?

Chapter 3

Summer

“Could we do a ninety-minute massage, please? I’ve been so stressed out you wouldn’t believe.”

“Of course, Miss Edwards. I think we should do the lip injections and Botox first, though. You’re going to want to relax after those are done,” the aesthetician said as she examined my face. “You really don’t have many wrinkles. Where do you get the Botox.”

“This line right here on my forehead. If I squint, I look hideous,” I said as I pointed to the deep line near my eyebrow that I hated.

“Yes, okay, squint for me so I can see it.”

As I squinted as hard as I could, she pressed the needle into the area and shot a couple cc’s of Botox into it. I’d been getting Botox injections for a year since turning twenty-three had basically made every one of my lines start popping out on my face.

“For the lips, I don’t like them to look crazy. Just a little on the top peak and a little on the bottom. The last girl jacked them up, and I looked like I had floatation device lips for at least a month. It was not cool at all.”

“I totally understand. After you came in to talk to the manager, she showed us all how you liked to have them done. I’m very sorry for the inconvenience last time.”

This was exactly why I kept coming back to Aesthetic Surgery and MedSpa – they knew how to treat their clients. Even when something didn’t go as planned they owned up to it and made sure the error was fixed. Although I first visited them for my breast implants, I’d been coming back to the MedSpa for the last year. They did hair, nails, pedicures, massages, and injections. It was basically a one-stop shop for getting beautiful.

She massaged the areas of injection while I sat back and relaxed for a few minutes. Life really had gotten so stressful for me. It was impossible to try and relax with the constant worrying I was under.

“Thank you so much,” I said to the girl.

“You know, I see a couple of lines forming around your eyes. Would you like to do some Botox there too?”

“What? No!” I screamed. “Let me see.”

“They aren’t too bad, but since you’re here, we could certainly take care of them. It’s only a little extra.”

“Yes, please, please, I can’t be looking hideous.”

She did a couple extra injections on each side, and then I moved into the massage room for my last bit of pampering. I’d already had my hair dyed and nails done, so it was time to lay back and let the masseuse release all the stresses of the day.

Of course, I only booked with the hot guy from Spain. If you were going to get a massage, there was no reason you shouldn’t pick the hottest guy in the place to be rubbing all over your naked body.

“Hello, Miss Edwards,” Sergio said in his delicious accent.

“Sergio, darling, I told you to call me Summer. You’re being naughty today aren’t you?”

“I’m sorry, Summer; it’s nice to see you again,” he said as he motioned for me to lay back. “Are there any areas that are particularly bothering you?”

“My thighs have been so tight. Could you work on those first?”

Sergio was slightly older than me with a dark complexion and long hair that he always kept pulled back. No matter how hard I flirted with him, he never gave in to me. It was becoming so frustrating, though. How was it even possible a guy like him wasn’t willing to break the rules and have a little fun with someone like me?

He did as I asked and started massaging my legs. He moved up and down my thighs but stopped at an appropriate distance from anything too exciting. When he was done there, he came up and sat by my head as he massaged under my shoulders.

I pressed my chest out in an effort to entice him as his hands moved seductively across my skin. It was pointless, though. He just gave me a pleasant smile and continued about the massage. By the time I flipped over so he could work my entire back, I was done flirting and just wanted the darn massage.

“Thank you, Sergio,” I said as I handed him a tip. “I loved having your hands on my body.”

“Thank you, Miss Summer, have a great day.”

When I arrived at the front counter, I couldn’t help but try and figure out what the heck was going on with Sergio. Obviously, he wasn’t rich, and I wouldn’t have dated the guy, but he could have at least flirted with me and not blown me off.

“So tell me about Sergio,” I said as I leaned over the counter to talk to the receptionist. “Is he married? Dating someone? What’s his story?”

“No, I don’t think he is. Isn’t he the best masseuse, though? I mean everyone raves about him.”

“Yeah, he’s the best.”

“Okay, so your total today is four thousand, two hundred and eighty-five dollars.”

“Wow, that’s more than normal.”

“Did you have some extra injections? Those are four hundred dollars for each cc.”

I handed over the money as panic started to build. I’d already spent my money after a couple days of visiting with my friends and a day at the spa. I’d spent everything I had and didn’t have enough to pay my portion of the rent. Patrick was going to kill me, I was sure of it.

“Yes, thank you so much,” I said as I tried to hold myself together while I walked out to Patrick’s car.

He’d been nice enough to loan me his car, and I was going to go home without the money for rent, again. I just couldn’t do it. I knew what had to be done – I hated it, but it had to be done. My father wasn’t exactly helping me out lately, but I hadn’t been asking him for money either. I was doing my best to be on my own, and although I really did hope my family would just give me my credit card back, I didn’t need all of that at the moment. I just needed a little help with the rent.

“Hi Daddy,” I said when he answered on the first ring.

“How are you doing? How’s the new job going?”

“Things are going so great, Daddy. I’m just between jobs right now, so I’m going to go on some interviews. But I’m really excited to see what is out there.”

“Summer, you lost another job?” he said in that disappointing tone of voice that I was beginning to get used to. I hated that voice. I’d hated it since I was a child and brought home mediocre grades.

My father wanted someone really smart to take over his businesses. He wanted a son. Instead, he was stuck with me – a girl who was more interested in fashion and friends than math problems. I hated college and was horrible when I tried to work with him. Basically, I was an overall disappointment to my father, and I knew it.

My entire life had been spent always feeling like I wasn’t good enough for him. He expected so much, and I consistently under delivered. At some point, I just stopped believing I could ever be the daughter he had hoped for.

There was no ivy league in my future. No big office job or fancy business suits. That just wasn’t who I was. Even though I wasn’t sure exactly who I wanted to be yet, I knew that an office job was not going to be on my list.

“Dad, I’m trying really hard.”

“Well, I’m not giving you any money. I’m sorry, but you’ve got to learn to take care of yourself sooner or later, and me bailing you out all the time isn’t helping anything.”

I tried not to cry. Tears weren’t the answer, and I knew it. I just couldn’t help myself as his verbal scolding made me feel more and more terrible. I’d been raised in a house where people did things for me all the time. It wasn’t until I turned twenty-one that this idea of me being able to fend for myself had even been mentioned.

Yes, I knew I should be able to work and do all of these things. Yet I had never had a single stitch of practice, and I was so frustrated. It would have been nice to be one of those people who understood things right away and could pick up new tasks. I wish I were like that. But I couldn’t focus; I couldn’t keep thoughts straight in my head half of the time, and I was always frustrated.

“Daddy, I’ve got to pay Patrick rent money. Could you please just loan me a thousand dollars. I’ll pay you back if you need me to,” I said through my tears. “I am working hard. I’ve been getting jobs, but I’m no good at them. I’ll get another job soon and try harder.”

“A thousand dollars is all you need, and you don’t have that? What have you been doing with the money from selling your purses?”

“How did you know I was selling my purses?”

“Your mother keeps seeing them at the consignment shop that she likes to go to. So you’re selling your purses and partying? Drinking? What are you doing since I know you’re not working.”

I heard the frustration in my dad’s voice, and I wanted to make it better. Genuinely, I wished I wasn’t so frustrating for him. If I could magically be better, I would have already done it. The problem was, I had this huge learning curve for adulthood, and I was barely scraping the surface of all the things I needed to learn.

“Dad, I’m trying really hard.”

“Honey, I love you with every stitch of my being, but I don’t think you understand the meaning of hard work yet. That’s my fault. I should have required you to work harder as a teenager. I should have asked for more from you, and I’m sorry. But that’s why right now is so important. You’ve got to find your own way.”

“Daddy, but I have no skills, no money.”

“Honey, what about being a model? You talked about that before. Is there any work there?”

“I got on with an agent, but she says it’s hard to find work for me because I’m commercial, which means I’m a basic girl without an interesting look.”

“Maybe you could try the cosmetics counter at the mall. You’re really good with your makeup.”

“Daddy, that pays like minimum wage. I can’t live off of that. How am I supposed to do anything fun? All my money would go toward rent, and I’d have nothing left.”

He paused for what seemed like forever, and I thought for sure he was going to cave in and give me some money. I understood I had to get a job. I had to start working, and I’d do that right away. But I also had to pay Patrick the rent money or he wasn’t going to let me keep living at his place. I’d missed the last money and couldn’t do that to him again.

“Okay,” he started to say, and my heart fluttered with excitement. “I know you are trying, and I want to help you out. If you keep a job for thirty days, I’ll supplement your income with a small allowance. And I mean small. I’m not going to pay all your bills. You’ll need to pay most of them. But I’ll put a thousand dollars in your bank account each month to help you out.”

“You’ll do that now?” I asked.

“No, after thirty days of working. You’ll need to show you can keep a job and actually work hard for it. Life isn’t easy, honey. It’s uncomfortable and hard sometimes.”

“Daddy, but I need it now.”

“I’m sorry. You’ll need to work at the same job for thirty days and show me you’re able to push through some of the uncomfortable feelings and really make an effort. Working isn’t supposed to be fun. It’s work. It’s hard and uncomfortable, and you have to just keep doing it. As an adult, you have responsibilities, and having a job is one of them.”

“But …” I continued to sob … “What am I supposed to do now?”

“Get a job honey, and remember this is for your own good. Your mother and I love you very much and want to see you grow into a strong and independent woman.”

“I … um … I don’t want to be independent. I’ve tried it, and I don’t really like it. How about I just find a rich man,” I joked with him.

“Yes, you do want to be independent. A rich man is going to want a strong independent woman by his side. You’ve got to learn these things. Now call me and let me know when you find that job so we can start counting down your thirty days. I love you, honey; I’ve got to go.”

“Love you too,” I managed to say as we hung up.

I couldn’t believe he still wasn’t giving in and helping me out. It had been months since he and my mother kicked me out. I honestly thought they would be more sympathetic to how hard I had been working and the changes I was able to make so far.

I spent the rest of the day driving around and trying to figure out how I was going to explain this to Patrick. Living on my own was way harder than I’d expected it to be. It was impossible to manage my money for a whole month, and I could never imagine being able to do it on a long-term basis.

As I walked up the steps to Patrick’s apartment, I wiped away my tears and tried to hold it together. I opened the door slowly while still trying to figure out how I could explain to him what was going on. It was Friday, and I was supposed to pay him today. I’d planned on spending much less at the spa than I did, and now I’d just gotten myself into a pickle.

“Summer!” Anna said as she jumped off the couch and flung her arms around me. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

“Hey, oh, you’re both here?”

“Remember, we were all going to have a game night tonight? You and Patrick against me and Jason. Come on, I sent you the calendar to put it in your phone.”

“Yeah, of course, no problem,” I said totally not remembering we were doing this. “Do you mind if I take a quick shower first? It’s been a long day.”

“Hey, Summer, it’s nice to see you again,” Jason said.

“You too. I’ll be out in a few,” I replied as I motioned for Patrick to come talk to me down the hall.

“We ordered pizza so it should be here in a few minutes. You’re fine,” Anna added.

“What do you need?” Patrick asked as he was pouring drinks in the kitchen.

“Um, well. I don’t think I’ll be able to pay my part of the rent until next week,” I whispered. “I’m really sorry. I’ll take a pair of my shoes into the consignment shop and get you some money first thing next week.”

“Come on Summer! This is ridiculous,” he said loud enough that both Jason and Anna stopped talking and looked our way.

“What’s up?” Anna asked as she joined us in the kitchen.

Anna was my best friend out of the whole group. I’d known her long before I knew everyone else. She was honest with me all the time but loved me for who I was. If there was anyone who would understand what I was going through, it had to be her.

The day my father kicked me out it was Anna who came and got me and brought me to her apartment. No matter what was going on, I trusted her and her opinion, but when it came to Patrick, she had a bit of a blind spot. They had shared the apartment before me, and she nearly always sided with him on our little squabbles as roommates.

“Nothing, it’s no big deal,” I tried to say so everyone didn’t start talking about my inability to keep a job.

Every time I had a money issue, Patrick and any number of my friends would go on and on about how I had to learn money management. They would tell me about all these apps to use on my phone and tips to start saving money. It was so overwhelming.

Then they would go on and on about job openings that I should apply for and how I’d be the perfect fit. I was starting to believe I wasn’t good at anything and would never be able to keep a job. The problem was that they always suggested extremely boring jobs that I knew I would be horrible at. One time, Anna even suggested that I work as a secretary at her father’s company. I couldn’t even imagine the horror of having to sit at a desk all day long.

“Summer has lost her job again and doesn’t have money for rent. But surprise, surprise, her hair and nails are done. Oh, and is that some lip injections I see there?” Patrick asked as he pointed at my lips. “I’m so over this Summer. It’s got to end. I need a new roommate.”

Patrick stormed off to his bedroom, leaving me standing in the kitchen with Anna. There was no crying this time. I was too exhausted. I didn’t know if everyone just thought I was purposely being a horrible employee or what, but I genuinely liked talking to people, and sometimes I just got sidetracked by the clothing. Yes, I did make some mistakes in the process, and I was learning from those.

Like social media posting was a definite no-no in the workplace. I got that now. I wasn’t going to forget it, and I could take that lesson with me to my new job. I might not be a fast learner, but I was learning.

“You’ve got to keep a job, Summer. That’s like your eighth job in the last few months,” Anna said as she gave me a hug.

“Hey, I know a guy that wants to hire a nanny,” Jason said as he joined us in the kitchen. “How are you with kids? I bet the pay is good, and you’re basically just taking the kids to and from school.”

“I can hang with kids.”

“I’m not sure if he’s still looking, but he was pretty desperate to get someone on board,” Jason said as he started to dial a number. “I’ll call him right now.”

“Oh my gosh, that would be perfect,” I said as Anna looked at me skeptically.

“You’d have to make sure they get to school on time each morning and pick them up. They probably have breakfast before you leave. It’s a big responsibility.”

“Anna, come on. I could do it. Plus, it’s kids who are old enough for school. It’s not like they won’t be able to talk. They could tell me what I forgot. It would be perfect.”

Jason went to the balcony to talk with his friend while Anna continued to look at me as if I was crazy for thinking I could take care of a child or a couple kids. I managed to take care of myself well enough that I didn’t starve to death. I could handle a couple of kids.

Plus, I was more motivated than before. I needed to keep a job for a month so my father would start helping me out a little. Playing with kids before and after school sounded like the most amazing opportunity ever.

“Seriously, Summer, it’s going to be hard, and you can’t just quit. Those kids will love you and rely on you. You’ll have to stick it out even when you think it’s getting too hard.”

“I know. This is perfect for me. Come on, think about it. I love kids. I only know how to cook kid friendly food like mac and cheese. I’m excellent at doing hair, so if there is a little girl, I could rock some cute hair styles for her. Don’t you think it might be the right thing for me?”

“If you’re going to commit to it, I know you could be an amazing nanny. You are very fun to be around, and I’ve seen how much kids just love you. Jason’s son Clyde absolutely adores you. Just make sure you’re taking it seriously and really try hard. If this guy is a friend of Jason’s, I’m sure I’ll hear all about it if things go wrong.”

“I’m confident I can do this Anna, you’ll see.”

Jason came back in with a smile on his face. He and Anna had only been together a few months, and I really didn’t know him too well, but I was hopeful this smile meant that I could get the job.

“Okay, you can go for an interview. He’s actually interviewing some people tomorrow. He will want you to stay at his house for the first few weeks at least so you can learn how everything works. Could you do that?”

“Yes, she can,” Patrick said as she stood in the hallway looking annoyed at me.

“Yes, that’s fine,” I added.

“Tomorrow, two o’clock, I’ll text you the address. Don’t be late, though. He’s a stickler about the time thing.”

“I’m always on time.”

Both Patrick and Anna broke into laughter at the idea. Maybe I was exaggerating a little, but I could be on time for this job interview. There was no doubt in my mind that this job was meant to be.

“Always?” Anna teased.

“Okay, okay, maybe not always. But I’ll be on time for this. I promise. Thanks for helping me out Jason; I really appreciate it.”

“Not sure how much of a help I was, but at least you can go in for the interview. Tyler is really picky, and I think he’s been through a few nannies in the last few months. But I know he’s getting desperate to hire someone and so hopefully, it works out for the both of you.”

“Is he mean or something?” I asked.

“No, he’s a really nice guy. I think he’s just particular about his children and their schedules. His wife passed away a few years ago, and he wants the kids to maintain a schedule so their life isn’t stressful. From what I understand, the last nanny went back to college or something. So not a big dramatic firing or anything like that.”

This was so exciting. My bad mood had totally been turned upside down by the prospect of being a nanny. I loved kids, and without a doubt, I could hang with them and feed them. I couldn’t imagine why I hadn’t thought about being a nanny before.

As we ate pizza and played party games, even Patrick seemed to lighten up a bit. He stopped being grumpy and even smiled a few times while we played. For the first time in several months, I finally felt like a job was going to be the perfect fit for me.

Chapter 4

Tyler

“So she has experience?” I asked.

“Yeah, I think so. I’ll make sure, though. Just interview her. She really needs a job, and I know her, she’s a nice girl.”

“Man, I don’t know. This is so stressful. Everyone who has come to interview is so awkward around the kids. Is it too much to ask that someone actually can play with them as well as take care of them?”

“Just remember, Tyler, you’re not looking for their mom. You’re looking for someone good enough. And don’t be turned off by this girl’s appearance. Look beyond that, okay?”

I wasn’t exactly sure what he was implying, but I didn’t care what the nanny looked like. I wanted someone the kids would like who could also follow the rules I set out. To me, it didn’t seem like I was asking for too much, but yet, over and over the women I interviewed weren’t a good fit.

Sometimes, it was the way they answered the questions I’d asked. Other times, it was how they described their previous work history. There were fake answers for everything, and I longed for someone to come in and just tell the truth.

“I don’t care what she looks like. Just have her come at two o’clock. I’ve got the last of my other women to interview before that. But if I find a nanny earlier in the day, I’m going to cancel her appointment.”

“I hope it works out for you.”

“Thanks for the referral. I appreciate your help.”

“Of course, let me know if there’s anything else I can do,” Jason replied.

Hanging up with Jason made me realize just how isolated I’d become since my wife had passed away. I didn’t go out with the guys. I didn’t meet up with friends. Basically, I was wrapped up in work and kids so much that I didn’t get a single moment of time to myself. I didn’t mind though because my kids were the most important thing in my life, and I’d give up every second of my free time to them gladly.

***

Saturday morning, I prepared the kids for a long morning of interviews. They were set up in the living room with some toys and cartoons, and I was set up in my office for the interviews. This was the last day of interviews, and if I didn’t find someone I loved by the end of the day, I was going to have to pick just anyone that would do. There wasn’t enough time left. I had to get someone on board and training right away.

The morning interviews were total duds. The three women and one man I interviewed seemed more interested in describing how perfect they were than telling me about who they really were. It was exhausting to listen to that much fakeness going on all morning long.

By lunch time, I needed a break, and the kids and I went to the backyard to run around and play. It was a beautiful late summer day and nearly ninety degrees out. After being cooped up in the living room all morning, the kids were excited to have some play time and took off so fast I couldn’t catch up to them.

“So did you like any of those nannies?” I asked Faith.

As the oldest and a girl, she tended to pay more attention to this decision than Thomas did. For Thomas, I was fairly sure anyone who was nice to him and would make him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich was all he wanted. But for Faith, it was going to take much more to make her happy. I wasn’t sure what that was just yet, but I was happy to search for it with her and eager to see if any of these people met her wish list.

“I didn’t really like them,” she said sadly. “But if you think they are good, then I’ll try to like them.”

“I’ve got two more ladies coming this afternoon. If we don’t like these ones, we will have to talk about everyone we have met so far. I did do some interviews while you were at school. You might like one of them.”

“Why didn’t you hire them?” Thomas asked.

“Because I wasn’t sure yet.”

“You said that Mom used to say you know if a person is good or not from the moment you first meet them,” Faith said as she repeated back my own wisdom from the first day of school speech.

“Well, I think most of these people are good. But there’s more to taking care of the two of you than just being good.”

It was true. I honestly thought the people I was interviewing genuinely would be good nannies for someone, just not me. There was no connection – not a sexual connection, just a connection in that I felt comfortable around them and vice-versa. I was searching for this mythical connection, and I just couldn’t figure out what exactly it was just yet.

“Maybe one of the last two will be perfect,” Faith said in her usual cheerful way.

“I bet they will.”

After an hour playing and laughing in the heat, we came inside to eat our sandwiches and cool off before the 1:30 p.m. interview showed up. I had a good feeling about this afternoon. Or maybe it was just hopeful dread that something good would turn up from the two women I had left to talk to.

I was getting desperate for a nanny. When Annette pulled into the driveway, my gut sank before she even got to the house. She was wearing a full-blown business suit to an interview to be a nanny. I tried not to be too judgmental of what people wore, but it was 90 degrees outside, and she was interviewing to work with kids. It wasn’t quite the right choice, but I put on a smile and opened the door to greet her.

“Hi, are you Tyler?” she asked with her hand extended to shake mine.

“Yes, Annette?”

“Yep, it’s so nice to meet you.”

“This is Faith and Thomas,” I said as we stood in the living room.

The kids looked up from the newly started television show and then back at it again. They both looked like they were about to fall asleep after our afternoon of playing outside. I was exhausted too, and I probably didn’t smell the greatest, but I plugged along with the interview.

“It’s nice to meet you guys,” Annette said nicely.

Again, the kids didn’t turn around and continued with their show. I already didn’t have a great feeling about this girl, but we were running out of choices, so I continued.

“Should we go sit in my office and talk for a minute?”

“Sure, I’d love that.”

Annette followed me down the hall to my office. I left the door open so I could hear if the kids needed anything, and we sat down in the two wingback chairs I had in the corner. I’d tried interviewing people while I sat behind my desk, but it just felt really impersonal and awkward.

“So, tell me a little about yourself,” I said as I pulled out her resume that she had emailed over to me.

“As you will note, I spent three years at the Stepping Stone’s Daycare. I worked in the big kid room and with the recreation team. I’ve got experience in crafting for kids as well as wellness education.”

“Wow, that’s really exciting. What about your hobbies? What do you like to do away from work?” I asked, desperate to hear anything that made this girl seem like a real person and not a robot repeating her résumé.

“I volunteer at the boys and girls club of America and really enjoy my time there. It has helped me learn self-discipline and compassion for the children I work with.”

“Okay, how about stress. How do you handle stress?”

“I majored in children’s psychology, so I know how to take time out for myself and the kids I help take care of. It’s been very helpful over the years, and I don’t yell or take it out on the children.”

Our interview went on and on like this for well over the half hour time slot I’d allotted. When I finally walked Annette out to the front room, I was a little shocked to see there was a woman sitting on the couch braiding Faith’s hair.

“Hello,” I said.

“Sorry, Dad, I let her in. You were busy with your questioning,” Faith said.

“Hi, I’m Summer. We have a mutual friend, Jason Hartley,” she said with a smile. “I’d totally shake your hand, but Faith said her hair was really hot, and I offered to French braid it to get it off of her neck. Give me just a minute.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Summer,” I said as I realized this was the feeling I’d been looking for. “Thank you for coming in, Annette. I’ll let you know.”

I practically rushed Annette out the front door as I sat down in the living room and watched Summer working on Faith’s hair. She expertly twisted the strands of hair together and within minutes had it beautifully braided.

“Um, could you get in my purse and grab a ponytail?” she asked me. “It’s probably in the side pocket.”

“I’m not sure whether it’s legal for a man to go through a purse of this size.” I laughed as I saw her giant duffle bag of a purse next to the couch.

“Don’t worry; I won’t have you arrested for it, at least not this time.” She laughed.

There was no hiding how stunning this girl was. Suddenly, I realized what Jason had been saying when he warned me about her looks. He wasn’t telling me that because she looked strange in some way – he was telling me that because Summer looked like she belonged on the cover of a Vogue magazine and not in my house braiding my daughter’s hair.

I dug into her bag and found a ponytail for Faith’s hair. I didn’t look at anything while my hand was in her bag, but I could have sworn I felt the wrapper of a condom in the side pocket she had guided me to. But hell, a woman like her was probably having a lot of sex, and at least she was safe about it.

“Should we head back to my office for the interview?” I asked.

“It was very nice meeting you, Faith, and you too, Thomas,” Summer said, and both of the kids turned around to talk to her.

“He’s not as mean as people say he is,” Thomas said. “And it was nice meeting you.”

“My dad is like a candy bar with nuts in it. At first, you think it’s disgusting, but after a few bites, he’s not so bad,” Faith said.

“Wow, okay then, we are going to go back and talk for a minute.” I shook my head at my kids and how they had described me. I really wasn’t mean, just firm. And I wasn’t at all sure what Faith meant by the candy bar analogy. “Sorry about that,” I said to Summer as we went into my office.

“About what? Your kids are adorable and so nice. I’m sure they got that from you and their mother. So nothing to apologize for.”

“Thanks, now let’s do this interview. Jason didn’t tell me anything about you, just that you might be a good fit for the job. Could you tell me a little more about you?”

“Let’s see – I like to shop, probably more than any woman should admit to. I have no idea what I want to do with my life, but I really do love kids, and I need a job right now.”

For a moment, I just sat and took in the honesty of her answer. I’d hoped an honest answer would have made me feel much better about this whole process, but I wasn’t sure that it was doing it for me. Although, it was refreshing to get something other than what was on a resume.

“Did you bring a resume?”

“No, I’m sorry; I don’t have one. My last job was in retail, and they don’t need resumes to hire you there. What else would you like to know about me? I’ve had a few retail jobs recently, and I help my family with charity work and things like that. Or at least I used to until my father insisted I find my way in life.”

“What way is that?” I wondered.

“I really have no idea yet. I’m still working on that.”

“What are some of your hobbies?” I ventured into one of the old interview questions I asked everyone I talked to.

“I’m not one to have a lot of free time, but I do enjoy fashion a lot. Not just shopping but actually learning about it and how designs are made. And I like …” she started to say and then stopped herself.

For a moment, I let the room fill with silence while I waited to see what she was going to say. Summer looked like she had something else she was going to tell me, but she just stopped and smiled at me.

“What else?” I urged her.

“It’s silly and has nothing to do with taking care of children. We can go on.”

“It’s okay – what else do you like?” I was genuinely curious.

“Hair and makeup. I’ve had a passion for it, but none of my hobbies are big careers. So I’m still searching for a more grown up thing to do with myself.”

“I don’t know. I think fashion designers and professional makeup artists make pretty decent livings. It sounds like a lot of hard work to me.”

The look of surprise on her face at my comment was undeniable. She smiled so big that I swore she forced me to smile back at her.

“Usually people just tell me it’s silly to think of those things as careers.”

“Hell, I make a living off of having pictures taken and selling a dolled up experience of a company. Basically, I’m just lipstick for hotels.” I laughed.

I hadn’t actually thought about advertising as makeup before. It was pretty much what it was, though. We took a bland company like a hotel chain and jazzed them up with commercials and pictures. It was all about perception.

“I’ve never thought about advertising like that.”

“I’m sorry; I’ve gotten distracted a little from my questions. Let’s move on. How do you manage stress?”

“Ice cream.”

“Me too.” I laughed at her answer.

This was the girl. I was sure of it. Not only had Jason recommended her, but she was down to earth and real. Plus, Faith already adored her and could really use a girly girl around to play dress up and do hair.

“Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?” Summer asked boldly.

“Sure, anything.”

“Jason thought you were going to want me to move in here. Would I have to stay here all the time or would I get time off?”

“Good question. You’d have Sundays off unless I were out of town. I’d coordinate with you ahead of time if I was traveling, and of course, I’d pay you extra when I traveled.”

“Do I work all day every day?”

“Another good question. You know, no one else I interviewed even asked these. I like that you’re thinking ahead like this,” I said to genuinely compliment her. “Usually, I’m home around six, but you might be out with the kids at their activities. If I can make it to the activity, you could get off work right then, or I’ll take over whenever I get home. You should have most evenings free unless things are really crazy. So to be honest, that might mean one or two nights where I’ll need you to make dinner too.”

“I’m a horrible cook.”

“Wow, that was really honest; I’m not the greatest either. Whatever you whip up is just fine, and I’m happy to leave a credit card for you to order dinner in if that is easier.”

“Okay.”

“So could you start on Monday? I think it would be good for us to do a run through of the school drop off together. It’s pretty complex. Probably my least favorite thing to do.”

Summer looked a little nervous at the idea of doing the school pick up. I’d been just as nervous when I had to start doing it, and still today I preferred when I had a nanny to manage the chaos. The school was wildly strict about all their rules, and it was exhausting trying to keep up.

“Um, yeah. I could come over. Like when?”

“Maybe around three. We could drive over for the pickup, and I’ll show you the process. Once you do it a couple of times, you’ll be an expert at it. It’s annoying, but you seem like an intelligent woman. I think you’ll get the hang of it rather quickly.

“Thanks,” she said with a demure smile. “Is there anything else I should know?”

I weighed the idea of telling her about the other nannies and some of the issues I’d had with them. But I really couldn’t risk scaring her away, and I was going to work really hard at not acting like an ass when things didn’t go right with the kids.

Over the years, I’d learned that nannies get really upset when I yell, so I obviously wasn’t going to do that anymore. I also wasn’t going to correct them on what they wear, which was something I normally would have done if Summer had worked for me before.

She was a beautiful girl, no doubt about it. At least she had on jeans and not a ridiculous business suit. The four-inch heels she had on though weren’t all that practical for dealing with kids.

“I think we can go through more things this week. I’ll try and keep my schedule as open as possible so we can work through things, and you can learn the ropes. But the kids are pretty good at answering questions when you have them. I have a huge trip in a few weeks, and I’m really excited to get you comfortable enough so you can handle the kids for those two weeks.”

“Sounds good.”

“Okay, so come on over Monday afternoon, and we will do a run through. Then on Tuesday, you can move in?” I said, and Summer laughed.

Her laugh did something to me. It electrified me and had my body tingling. Summer seemed like a genuinely nice girl, and I was excited to have her around for the kids, but as my body reacted to her laugh, there was a little sense of doom. It was going to be damn hard to resist a woman like her around my house all the time.

Up until that moment, I hadn’t even considered the old stereotype of the nanny and the dad having a fling. And to be honest, I never met a nanny who made my body tingle with a simple laugh. As much trouble as this whole thing might be, Summer was clearly the best one for the job; at least when it came to connecting with the kids, and that was what I wanted the most. The rest of it all could be taught; I was sure of it.

“Sorry, that’s the first time a guy has asked me to move in with him.” She continued to laugh.

“So it’s a yes? You’ll take the job?” I asked.

“Yep, sounds good to me.”

“Great, welcome aboard,” I stood up and shook her hand as we walked out to the living room.

Chapter 5

Summer

As I walked out of Tyler’s office, all I could think about was how good looking he was. I’d never met a dad that was single and so handsome. It threw me off the entire interview. As I was leaving, I wasn’t sure if I’d even answered his questions correctly, and I certainly didn’t remember anything he had said about the job.

“Do you want my phone number in case you need to reach me?” he asked as we stood behind the couch where his adorable children were watching television.

“Sure, I’ll take your number,” I said with a smile.

This guy was already flirting with me, and it was still just the interview. The energy between the two of us was amazing, and I couldn’t wait to come and work with him. This new job was like a dream. Hanging out with some adorable kids and having a hot boss. I seriously couldn’t have asked for a better job.

“Do you want me to put it on your phone?” he asked.

“No, you don’t want to see the filth I have on there,” I said quietly. “How about you just send me a text?”

I just told him my number as he typed it into his phone and sent me a text message right away.

TYLER: Hi

SUMMER: Hi back 

I replied to him so I had his number listed as well. He was smiling at me, and his eyes continued to glance at my cleavage. The sexual tension between us was so thick it made me short of breath.

“Okay, I’ll be over on Monday around three o’clock, is that right?”

“Yes, that sounds good. Hey guys, how do you feel about having Summer come and stay with us?” Tyler asked the kids.

“Really?” Faith said as she jumped up and gave me a hug. “Will you do my hair for school on Monday?”

“I won’t be here in the morning on Monday, but I promise once I move in I’ll make sure you have the most beautiful hair in your entire grade.”

“Okay,” Faith said and went back to her show.

It really warmed my heart to see Faith happy to have me there. I loved kids, even if I wasn’t around them too much. All I had was good feelings about working with Tyler and his kids.

“I better get going. It was really nice meeting you all, and I can’t wait to come and stay for awhile.”

“Thanks for coming, Summer; it was nice meeting you too,” Tyler said as he held the front door open. “Please feel free to text me if you have any questions.”

“I will,” I said with a little bit of a smile.

As I walked out to Patrick’s car, I thought about at least a dozen questions that I should have asked him. But I didn’t want to turn around and have to ask him right then and there. Instead, I figured I’d just write down my questions and ask him throughout my first week there.

I felt Tyler’s eyes on my ass while I walked to the car and couldn’t help adding a little extra sway to each side for his enjoyment. This was going to be a fun month. I hurried back to the house to tell Patrick all about this.

Although Patrick was still pretty angry with me, I was going to be able to pay him back in no time, and I hoped he’d be excited about that. It was impossible to make it up the stairs quickly in my heels, so I flipped them off and carried them when I got back to the apartment.

“Patrick, I got the job!” I yelled as I burst through the door.

“What?” he said as he and his boyfriend stopped making out when I walked in the door.

“Sorry guys. I just wanted to say that I got the job. I’ll be able to pay you back for this month’s rent.”

“Actually, since I can’t afford this place anyway, I was thinking of moving in with Mark,” Patrick said as he cuddled with Mark.

This was really bad for me, and I didn’t like it at all. I only had to work a full month to get my father to help me out and then I could afford to pay my half of the rent all the time. Plus, even if I kept the job, I didn’t have to keep living there after a few weeks and would need a place to live.

Panic wasn’t one of my favorite emotions. In fact, it was my least favorite emotion of all. My heart started to race, and I tried to figure out as quickly as possible what I could do to convince Patrick to stay in our apartment.

“Patrick,” I started to say before I felt the emotion building.

“Summer, come on – you’ll be fine. You got the job. You’ll have a place to live where you can stay for as long as you’d like.”

“But … Patrick.”

“I’m just thinking about it right now. Let’s not worry too much. Do you want to watch a movie with us?”

I looked at Patrick and his boyfriend and knew that they didn’t want me on their date night. Although I was really excited about my new job, I felt sick to my stomach and just wanted to go lay down.

“No, it’s okay. I’m exhausted. I’m going to take a little bit of a nap.”

I went to my room, and the panic started to set in. I’d had a great interview, and I really was excited about my new job, but the idea that I’d have to find my own apartment was a lot to take in.

I dialed up Amy and then Rebecca, but neither of them was around. I didn’t really want to bother Anna, but I had to talk to someone. There was just too much going on for me.

“Hello,” Anna said, and I could hear a lot of noise in the background.

“Hey Anny, sorry for bothering you, I was just hoping to find someone to talk to.”

“Sorry, we are at a play gym, and it’s crazy noisy here. Can I call you back? Did you get that job?”

“Yep, I got it, and yes, you can call me back whenever you’d like. Have fun,” I said and then hung up.

Everyone around me had their own lives going on and seemed so happy. How was it possible that I was the only one of my friends who was totally miserable and couldn’t manage to get my life together? It was beyond frustrating for me.

Although school wasn’t my favorite thing in the world, I really wished I could just go back to high school when things were easier. Even having hard classes would be better than trying to navigate life all on my own like I was doing at that moment.

With nothing else to do for the night, I went to sleep early. I couldn’t even stand the idea of sitting and watching shows online. I was physically and mentally exhausted.

By Sunday morning I’d hoped I would be feeling better, but I absolutely was not. I woke up to Patrick gone and the apartment all to myself. With my impending move to Tyler’s house coming up this week, I decided to take some time to clean out my room and pack things up.

It had to be one of the most depressing Sundays of my life. I didn’t go hang out with my friends; I didn’t go shopping, and I stayed in the apartment and went through what remained of my old life.

There were no more fancy handbags, and I was stuck with my one cut bag from the local department store. I did still have my heels, but they looked pitiful lying in a pile in my small bedroom.

When my phone rang, I couldn’t wait to see who it was and answer it. I was desperate for a little break from my depressing Sunday.

“Hey, hey, hey girl, how are you?” Amy asked as she nearly screamed into the phone. “I heard you got a job.”

“Yep, I’m going to be a nanny. Isn’t that exciting?” I said with all the fake excitement I could manage.

“That’s awesome. Hey, Rebecca and I are flying out to Vegas tonight and wanted to know if you’d like to come? Just a quick two days out and back. We have the holiday weekend off.”

“Holiday weekend?”

“Yeah, it’s Labor Day,” Amy said as if I should have known what she was talking about all along.

“I can’t go. I’m supposed to go over to Tyler’s house and do a quick run through of the pickup and drop off process at the kids’ school. But you guys have fun.”

“Why would he do it on a holiday? Maybe he forgot about it. Maybe you could come with us. Why don’t you call and check with him and get back to me?”

I really didn’t want to call Tyler and check in with him. I knew he said Monday at three o’clock, and I was planning on being there when he said. It didn’t really matter if the school was in session or not, he could still give me a run-through of how the process worked.

“No, sorry, guys. I’m going to have to stay home. I’m trying to be responsible and keep this job. I know, I know, it’s shocking.” I laughed.

“Okay, well have fun at your new job. Call me and let me know how it’s going this week sometime. I’d love to hear all about it. I bet it’s going to be a cake walk. Playing with kids all day and getting paid for it, you’re so lucky.”

“Thanks, Amy; I’ll talk to you later.”

I did think I was pretty lucky to have such an amazing job opportunity. I’d have to make sure and write Jason a thank you card for connecting me with his friend. When I was younger, my mother always taught me that writing thank you cards was more important than anything else in the social hierarchy. ‘It shows you care,’ she would say.

Even though I wasn’t normally good at remembering to do the cards, I couldn’t help sitting down and writing one since I was thinking about it. This job was a turning point for me in my life – I could feel it.

***

On Monday, I was ready for work. I slept in and made sure I showered and did my hair cute so Faith would like it. I did a double French braid with a little zigzag part to add some style. The whole morning I worried over what I should wear, though. Most of my outfits were designed to show off my figure, and I knew that wasn’t going to be something I should do around kids.

I’d worn a simple T-shirt and jeans when I did my interview, and that seemed pretty appropriate to me. But how the heck was I supposed to know what was right or wrong? I’d never been a nanny before, and I hadn’t even known anyone else who was a nanny.

My only education about nannies was what I’d seen online and in movies, and I doubted in the provided information. By the time it was two o’clock, I realized that Patrick still wasn’t home, and I’d have to figure out my own way to get over to Tyler’s house.

Without any money in the bank account, I couldn’t exactly order an Uber or take a cab. I furiously started calling my friends to see if anyone was around. Patrick wasn’t answering his phone; Anna was busy, and Amy and Rebecca were out of town. By 2:15 p.m., I was getting so nervous that I tried to call my father to see if he could give me a ride.

When my father also didn’t answer his phone, I went to my very last choice, my mother. I loved my mother very much, and I knew she loved me too. But this whole issue with me being kicked out still hurt our relationship terribly.

I expected her to stand up for me and protect me from all of this. Whether it was right or wrong, I really didn’t think she would let me get kicked out like she had. For so many years, she was the one who said I didn’t need that sort of normal life because we had our own special life. But somewhere in the middle of all of that, she changed her mind and didn’t tell me about it.

“Honey, how are you? I’m so glad you called,” my mother said before I said a single word.

“I have to get to a new job today, and I don’t have anyone around to drive me. Could you possibly take me over there?”

“Of course, honey. When do you need to be there?”

“At three, so hurry.”

“I’ll leave right now. Be ready downstairs in fifteen minutes,” my mom said as I heard her hurrying around and grabbing her things.

“Thanks so much, Mom.”

Even after not talking to each other for several months, my mom was willing to drop everything and help me out with a moment’s notice. God, I loved her. Even when we were fighting, she was an amazing woman.

I waited downstairs for her, and she was there exactly in fifteen minutes. I jumped in the car and typed the address for Tyler’s house into her GPS. Not a moment later, I realized this was going to be one of those meaningful mother-daughter conversations while we drove to my job. There was no way around it – she had me trapped in the car with her.

“I’m so proud of all the hard work you’re doing, honey. I know your father and I are being tough, and it probably feels like we are being mean, but I really do love you.”

As much as I wanted to have this conversation with her, I also didn’t feel like getting all worked up before going to Tyler’s house. This was my first day, and I had to continue to make a good first impression.

“I know you love me, Mom,” I said without giving her any ammunition to continue the conversation forward.

I bit my tongue for the rest of the drive and tried to think of something nice to say when I got to Tyler’s. I could hardly remember what had happened during my first interview. I’d been so distracted by how handsome he was.

Tyler was probably in his early forties, but that wasn’t too old for me. I’d been out with guys of all ages, and the forty-year-old was a popular group. They had their life put together enough that they had decent money and weren’t hustling so much at work that they didn’t have time for a woman.

When my mom pulled up into the driveway, I felt like a teenager getting dropped off at a babysitting gig. What kind of nanny has her mother dropping her off? That would be me.

“Okay, thanks, Mom. I’ve got to go,” I said as I hurried out of the car.

“You don’t want to introduce me?”

“NO!”

My mom was driving her Rolls Royce, and I already felt totally weird as Tyler and Thomas watched me walk up toward the house. Obviously, I wasn’t going to be able to hide the fact that my family had money, and that frustrated me. When people knew about my family having money, they seemed to think that the job didn’t matter to me when it really did.

One of my first jobs was helping at a hair salon and answering the phones. The ladies there started really judging me after they heard who my parents were. I never lived it down and swore they were making my life harder purely because of my family.

Tyler opened the front door, and I nearly fell over in my Louboutin shoes. His salt and pepper hair was precisely combed, and he had let a little bit of a goatee form. Even though he also had salt and pepper coloring in his goatee, it still looked handsome as hell.

“Well, hello there,” I said as I pointed to my mother. “That’s my mom, and she’s going to be talking about you for days now that she’s gotten to see you.”

“You should have had her come in. I would have loved to meet your mother.”

“You’re inviting me to move in with you and asking to meet my parents; slow down there big boy,” I teased.

I don’t know what it was about Tyler that made me so damn flirty. I just couldn’t help myself. Being around Tyler made every bit of my sexual energy ooze out of me. The more I tried not to be attracted to the guy, the more I was actually attracted to him.

“Well, I’ve got good news and bad news, which would you like first?” Tyler asked as we went inside.

“Bad news.”

“There’s no school today.”

“Hmm, I think that sounds like the good news,” I said as I saw Faith and Thomas sitting at the kitchen table. “Do you guys think it’s good news there was no school today?”

“Yes!” They both said in unison.

“Okay, well then, I have good news and more good news,” Tyler laughed. “I think it will be a good day to go do a drive through of the drop-off and pick up since no one is at the school. It might actually make it easier for us. Also, we can go over some of the other stuff going on around here. How does that sound.”

To be honest, I was barely able to pay attention to what Tyler was saying because every time I looked at him, he reminded me of a movie star. His hair was perfectly styled, his teeth perfectly white, and I suspected that under his polo shirt was a body that was also perfectly sculpted.

For years, I’d been finding flaws in every man I came across, but I couldn’t find a single flaw with Tyler. He was perfection.

“I’m sorry; what did you say?” I replied as I came out of my daze.

“We are going to drive to the school,” he said with a smirk on his face.

Damn, he had a fine looking smile, smirk, and everything in between. As we loaded into his car, I tried to pay attention to how the kids buckled their booster seats, but they both seemed to know what they were doing and didn’t need help.

“Do you have a car?” Tyler asked as we pulled out of the driveway.

“Not right now.”

“Okay, I’ve got an extra in the garage you can drive. It’s just an Infiniti SUV, nothing too fancy.”

“Okay.”

The drive to the school was beyond awkward as I sat there trying to pay attention to where we were going but also trying not to look over at Tyler. I swore his eyes kept checking out my cleavage, though, and I found myself leaning to face him a little so he could get a better look.

I didn’t mind Tyler checking me out one bit. In fact, I found a moment or two to check him out too while we were driving. His jeans fit him perfectly, and I even saw an outline of his manhood when he adjusted his seat position.

“Okay, so you have to go up Timber Street even though the GPS will say Wells Street,” Tyler started to say. “Then we turn on the Nineteenth Street and curve back around to the school. It’s very counterintuitive, and you’ll get lost the first time almost guaranteed.”

“Okay, turn on Timber Street and Nineteenth,” I said confidently. “Got it.”

“When you arrive at school, you’ve got to stay in the left lane. It will move slowly but just keep behind the line until you get to the front. At the front of the school, you’ve got to pull up to the last spot, and then the kids climb out and you pull forward as soon as you can. Don’t stop in the middle.”

“Okay.”

“Also, if you have to stop or get out for any reason, you’ll need to park at the seven-eleven down the street and walk. There’s no way to park up here during rush morning traffic or at pickup time.”

“Okay, got it.”

Tyler went on and on about all the rules, and none of them seemed all that hard to remember. A lot of them seemed more like common sense than really hard rules. As Tyler went on and on, I happened to glance back at Faith who rolled her eyes as if she knew her dad was getting a bit excessive with the rules.

“Do you want to practice the driving part?” Tyler asked as he pulled around to the back of the school.

“No, I think I’ve got it,” I replied confidently.

To be honest, this job didn’t seem all that hard at all. Basically, the hardest thing I could figure was going to be getting up and getting the kids ready. But after I dropped them off, I could sleep all day until it was time to pick them up again. This cushy job was turning into the job of my dreams.

As we drove back into the driveway to Tyler’s house, there were a couple kids just playing there. It was a boy and a girl of about the same ages as Faith and Thomas.

“Dad, can we go play?” Thomas asked so full of excitement he already had his seatbelt off and was just waiting for the car to stop.

“Yes, in our backyard only, though.”

The kids both jumped out and ran into the backyard leaving Tyler and me in the car for a moment. It was uncomfortable yet electric between us. If we had been on a date, I would have expected him to lean over and give me a kiss right then and there. But we weren’t on a date; I was his new nanny, and he was my new boss.

“Maybe you should write down those directions for me. I don’t want to forget anything when I try to take them to school,” I said as I turned toward Tyler.

“Of course. And maybe tomorrow you’d like to come early and drive with us to school? It might be easier if you see it all in action.”

I really did want to do a live run through, but I knew there was no way I’d make it to his house that early without a car. It was silly that I didn’t have my own car yet, and it made me feel like a child.

“Um, well … I couldn’t get here by then, you know. I don’t have a car right now.”

“How about we come and pick you up before school?”

“So you want to pick me up, eh?” I teased, and Tyler gave a little laugh.

“If you would like me to, I’m sure we could get up a little early and come get you. I really would feel more comfortable if you had a chance to see it all live and in person. There’s no way to truly describe the hell that is the morning drop off.”

“Sure you can come get me. I’ll send you my address,” I said as my phone started to buzz.

I clicked it closed to try and be respectful to Tyler, but it was so hard for me. I was so used to constantly having my phone on that it was going to take a lot of getting used to not using it as much.

“You can get that if you’d like. I was just going to head inside for a minute. I can take you home in a little bit, and then I’ll know where you live and will have no troubles finding your house in the morning.”

“Okay,” I said a little too eagerly. “Um, I’m going to go visit with the kids in the back yard. Just let me know when you’d like to go.”

I couldn’t get away from Tyler fast enough. Everything in my body was pulling me toward him, and I thought I might actually kiss him. How awkward would that have made my first day of work?”

Faith and Thomas were busy with their friends by the time I got to the backyard, so I just sat down and watched them. With a little spare time on my hands, I pulled out my phone and sent a few SnapChats and Instagram messages.

There was an overwhelming feeling of calm for me. I just knew I was going to love this job. I could literally sit out in the sun and get a tan while the kids played, and I was going to get paid.

“Who are you?” the neighbor boy asked me.

“I’m Summer.”

“That’s not a name.”

“Yeah, it is. That’s my name. It’s kind of silly, though, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s your name?”

“Kenny.”

“I like that name,” I said as he turned and ran away.

Just as quickly as the kids had started playing, they suddenly turned against each other. I heard the two girls screaming at each other and fighting over a toy that they were both holding onto.

As I looked around, I realized I was the only adult there, and it was up to me to calm down the chaos. Slowly, I approached them as I tried to get them to calm down.

“Hey, girls, you can take turns with that,” I said although neither of them stopped to look at me.

“It’s my doll! Why are you even touching it,” Faith said to the neighbor girl.

“I just want to play with it for a second, stop being such a jerk.”

“Wow, okay girls. Let’s calm down,” I tried again, but they just kept fighting.

I reached down to try and stop them, but they were muddy and wet from the sprinklers that had been going earlier. Before I knew what had happened, I was on the ground with them and covered in mud.

They were both rolling around on the ground as the screaming continued, even with me on the ground with them. Each of the little ones was so full of spunk that I really didn’t know what to do. I literally laid there next to them and just waited for them to tucker themselves out.

“Stop it right now,” a woman’s voice screamed from the fence.

I couldn’t see who it was, but the girls both froze where they were. We were all laying on the ground as this woman walked through the gate in the fence and toward us. I had no idea what to do.

“Sorry, I asked them to stop,” I said as I stood up. “I’m Summer, the new nanny.”

“Oh, you’re the new nanny?” the woman said as she looked me up and down.

Her nose crinkled up, and judgment drenched her face. I normally wasn’t subjected to looks like that unless I was at a bar and a guy who had a girlfriend was looking at me a little too long.

“I’m sorry, I tried to stop them,” I said as the woman rolled her eyes at me.

“Is Tyler home?”

“Yes, he’s inside.”

The woman grabbed her son by one hand and her daughter by the other as she stormed up to the back door. Her feet barely slowed down when she climbed the deck steps and then knocked on the glass door.

“Well, I guess I won’t be around much longer,” I said with a sigh.

“She’s always like that,” Thomas said. “No one likes her. But we like her kids.”

“I’m sorry for not listening,” Faith said as her beautiful blue eyes looked up at me.

“We can do better next time. If there is a next time,” I said with a shrug. “For now, we should probably get ourselves cleaned up.”

“I’ll get the hose,” Thomas exclaimed.

“No, no, not the hose. We will wait for the wicked witch of the East to leave, and then we can go inside.”

Faith grabbed my hand and stood next to me as the woman yelled something at Tyler and pointed in my direction. I really didn’t know how Tyler would react to such a thing and was terrified that I could lose the best job I could have hoped for.

When the neighbor woman finally grabbed her kids’ hands and stormed back to her side of the fence, Faith, Thomas, and I made our way across the yard. I moved a little slower than the kids as I tried to delay the inevitable reaction from Tyler.

“I’m sorry,” Faith said right away. “I was fighting with Abby because she stole my doll and wouldn’t give it back.”

“And Summer was fighting too?” Tyler said with a huge grin on his face.

Instant relief washed over me. He wasn’t mad at all. He seemed to be enjoying the fact that I was covered in mud, though.

“I slipped trying to stop them,” I said with a smile. “Sorry.”

“It’s a good look for you. Don’t you guys think she should get muddy more often?”

“Definitely.” Thomas laughed.

“I’m going to get this little princess cleaned up, and then we will give you a ride home. Does that work?” Tyler asked as he continued to smile at me.

“Yeah. I’ll wait out here, though. I don’t want to muddy the place up.”

“We will just be a few minutes,” Tyler grabbed Faith and picked her up as he hurried through the house and to the bathroom.

Afraid to sit on any of the furniture outside, I sat down on the steps of the deck as the mud quickly started to dry from the sun. I couldn’t help taking a few more pictures to send to my friends and show how awesome my first day as a nanny was turning out.

The sun was still wonderfully warm, and I ended up lying back on the deck and just soaking it in. At least Tyler hadn’t been angry with me. His reaction was a huge relief, and I honestly hadn’t expected it at all.

“Ready?” Tyler said as he stood over me, smiling down at me.

“Yep, do you have a towel or something? I don’t want to get your car dirty with my filth.” I laughed.

Tyler reached his hand out and helped me up, and I noticed he had a large beach towel in his other hand. Dang, this guy was perfection. I couldn’t help smiling back at him as we walked around the gate and to the car where Faith and Thomas were getting in their seatbelts. Faith was freshly cleaned from her shower, and her hair was still dripping wet.

“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but this seemed like a pretty productive day to me. Summer even got in some social media posts,” he said with a wink in my direction.

“Sorry.” I shrugged. “I couldn’t help it.”

“We will talk about it a little more later. Let’s get you home for now.”

His tone wasn’t at all as playful as it had been before. My stomach sank with dread as I gave him directions to my apartment. On the surface, he was still smiling, but I could tell he didn’t like me posting or taking photos around the kids. Honestly, he didn’t have to say anything to me. I already could see it in his face, but I doubted I’d get out of this that easy.

“That’s my place,” I pointed as Tyler turned into the driveway.

“I’ll be here to pick you up in the morning around seven. You should bring some things so you can stay for a few weeks.”

“Okay.”

“See you tomorrow,” he said with a much sterner look on his face than I had seen earlier.

Tyler looked angry with me. His lips pressed together, and he shook his head a little as I climbed out of the vehicle. I wanted to apologize, to tell him I didn’t take pictures of the kids, and I certainly wasn’t trying to be disrespectful. But he pulled away before I could get the courage to say anything to him.

As I climbed the steps to my apartment, I flipped off my heels and tried to think as positively as possible. It was only the first day. Surely I could make up for this throughout the week and show him I was going to be good at this job.

I had to at least last a month. Just one month, and then if he needed to let me go, I would find something else. The problem was, I was already really enjoying spending time with Faith and Thomas, and despite his apparent dislike of my photo taking, I liked Tyler as well.

“Wow, looks like you had a great first day.” Patrick laughed as I walked in the door.

“Yep, I’m excellent at this,” I said with a laugh. “They will be calling me Mary Poppins in no time at all.”

“I’m sorry we fought, Summer. I don’t want to move just yet. I think I’ll keep this place if you think you’ll be coming back?”

“Oh, Patrick, yes. I’ll be coming back,” I said excitedly as I went over to give him a hug and then realized I was still coated in mud. “I’m hugging the heck out of you after I get cleaned up.”

“Pay me the rent when you get your first paycheck, though. No more shoes, spar, nails, and hair. Deal?”

“Yes, I promise. I’ll pay you first. Thank you so much, Patrick. OK, I’m running into the shower. You just made my day so much better! Thanks!”

Chapter 6

Tyler

There was no doubt in my mind that Summer was a high maintenance sort of girl. She was still wearing her high heels the second day when I came to pick her up at her apartment. Sooner or later, she was going to have to give those up if she was going to keep up with the kids, but I decided it was better to let her come to that conclusion on her own.

Overall, I already knew I was going to like Summer. The concerns I had for her were minor, and I didn’t feel the need to yell or constantly redirect her. Perhaps it was because I was constantly trying to calm my inappropriate thoughts of her and couldn’t manage to do both at the same time.

Having a deliciously beautiful nanny wasn’t at all what I’d ever planned on doing. If she hadn’t of been a friend of Jason’s, I wouldn’t have considered her at all. But she was a friend, and she had been so good with the kids. Seeing her covered in mud with Faith had been so heartwarming, I could hardly handle it.

Even our best former nanny had struggled to calm Faith and her friends when they got into squabbles, so it didn’t shock me when Mrs. Stanley came to the door complaining about the kids arguing. It also didn’t shock me that Faith was covered in mud, as she loved getting dirty. But seeing Summer like that was a definite shock, and it took all I had in me not to burst out laughing at the sight of her and Faith holding hands while being covered in mud.

As Summer walked down the stairs expertly in her hi-heels, I had to look away. She was by far one of the most beautiful women I’d seen. Her long blonde hair was expertly styled with just a slight curl in it. She had a tiny little waist and curves for days. If I didn’t know who she was and saw her on the streets of Chicago, I would have assumed she was a visiting celebrity.

She obviously came from a family with money as was evident by her mother dropping her off in a Rolls Royce the day before. Yet there was so much more going on for her than that. She was living in a rather normal apartment complex. She didn’t have her own car, and she had taken a job with me as a nanny.

Although I wanted to know the answers to all my questions, it wasn’t the right time or place. For now, we had to get Faith and Thomas to school, and hopefully, teach her the route so she could do it the next day.

With so much work piling up, I really did need to get into the office the next day if it was at all possible.

“Wow, she looks like a movie star,” Thomas said from the back seat.

“I think she is one,” Faith added.

“Shh, let’s be nice, she’s just a normal girl,” I said just before Summer opened the door and climbed into the car with us.

“Good morning everyone,” Summer said with so much energy I could have sworn she had already drunk a pot of coffee and didn’t need the one we had stopped to grab her.

“We got you breakfast,” Faith announced excitedly from the back seat.

“Nothing too fancy,” I added and motioned to the cup holder where a coffee and fast food sandwich were sitting.

“Oh, my gosh! You guys are the best. I can’t wait to eat this.”

For the entire car ride to school, Summer was turned around and talking to the kids. Normally, this would have been a great sign that the new nanny was connecting with the kids but on this morning, every time I looked in her direction, I was met with her over-spilling cleavage.

Summer was dressed fairly appropriately. She had on jeans and a white v-neck T-shirt. Yet her body was so distracting that it took everything I had in me not to look that way. Even when it was time to turn right, I had to force my eyes to keep on the road and not look at her.

“Okay, we are getting close,” I said so she would watch how it was done. “We are going up Timber Street, not Wells,” I said as I pointed to Wells Street and we could see the line of cars.

“Wow, that’s a lot of cars,” Summer said as she suddenly started paying attention.

“It is, but we just go around and turn on Nineteenth to get in line. Okay?”

“Um, yeah.”

I pulled around the street and started in the line of cars on the Nineteenth Street. It only took us about ten minutes to push through the line and get to the front.

“I don’t usually get out of the car at all. The kids just jump out, wave goodbye, and then I pull away.”

“Bye, Summer.” Faith waved.

“See you after school, Summer.” Thomas waved, and the two of them ran into school.

“What am I? Chopped liver?” I jokingly yelled after them. “Normally, I would have gotten that wave.”

“I’m sorry.” Summer giggled as she sipped on her coffee. “You’re right. It doesn’t seem all that hard. I’m glad you showed me, though. I definitely wouldn’t have figured it out without seeing you do it.”

“We can come back together to pick them up too. Hopefully, that will give you the confidence to do it alone tomorrow? I really do need to get into work.”

“Of course, I could take them tomorrow. Oh, and I’m sorry to ask this, but I never wrote down what my pay is. Do you mind telling me again?”

To tell the truth, we hadn’t talked about her salary at all during her interview. I was just so relieved to have someone that the kids actually liked. I just planned on paying her the same thing I’d paid the previous nannies, but I was open to discussing a different salary if she needed it.

“What was your salary request?” I asked.

“Um, no request.” She laughed. “How much did you have in mind?”

“I was going to pay a thousand a week if that’s okay for you?”

Summer broke into laughter as we started our drive home. I wasn’t exactly sure if she was laughing because of the amount or if there was something else.

“Okay,” she said as she tried to stop herself from laughing. “I’m sorry. It’s just sort of funny how the nanny relationship is set up so much like a prostitute.”

“What? No,” I said right away.

The pure thought of sex with this girl was more than I could fathom, but I absolutely didn’t expect her to perform in that sort of way as a nanny. It was a little off-putting for her to even say such a thing.

“I didn’t mean it offensively. I’m just saying – you invite me to live with you; you’re giving me a car to drive and giving me a thousand dollars a week. Your kids aren’t that hard to take care of. In fact, so far, I think they are the most well-behaved children I’ve ever met.”

“So you want me to pay you less?” I teased.

“No, I’m happy with your offer, and I’m taking it. I just thought the whole thing was funny. My roommate will be very happy that I’m going to pay him my half of the rent, finally. I’ve been a bit of a freeloader since my parents kicked me out.”

“He? You have a male roommate?”

“Yeah, his name is Patrick; he’s such a sweet friend.”

No way had I believed this guy just wanted to be Summer’s friend. Any red-blooded man who was around her certainly wasn’t going to be able to keep the relationship as friends. As the thought crossed my mind, I couldn’t help but realized I was in fact a red-blooded man who was going to have Summer living under my roof for at least a little bit. Crap, was I going to be able to keep my hands to myself?

“Sounds like a nice guy to let you stay there.”

“Yeah, he was a friend of a friend, and I took the spare room a few months ago. It was a little bit of a crazy time.”

“Why did your parents want you to move out?”

“You know, getting older and not having a job yet. I just didn’t know what I wanted to do with myself, and that was frustrating for them.”

“When I was your age, I was drinking all day and all night and only occasionally showed up to work. So far, I think you’re much more responsible than I was,” I said to try and cheer her up a bit.

“Thanks.”

“When we get home, I’m going to have to work for a little bit. You didn’t bring any of your things over? If you’d like to go get them you can.”

“Actually, Patrick is going to bring them over when I call him. There was just too much for me to bring in the car with all of us in there.”

I had to laugh at her bringing so much stuff with her. But it didn’t surprise me at all. Any woman who was so dedicated to her hi-heels obviously had a wardrobe she wanted to keep close to her.

“You know you don’t have to dress up around here. You could wear tennis shoes and sweat pants, and that’s fine with me. Whatever you are comfortable in,” I said to encourage her to be a little more comfortable.

“Thanks, I’m not used to wearing jeans as much as I have been lately. I might have to change into my workout gear. Do the kids like to go for walks or to a park or anything like that? I’d like to keep active with them.”

“Yes, they love all of that. I have a schedule for them I printed off too. It contains their soccer, dance, and other activities. The afternoons can get very busy.”

“Okay.”

At home, I took a few minutes to give Summer a good tour of the house. Although we mainly just used the first floor, Summer’s room would be upstairs, and I did have plans to move the kids upstairs at some point.

“Right now, the kids share this room next to mine. We hardly go upstairs. I think it reminds us all of my late wife, and it’s just been too hard. I do plan to move the kids into their rooms up there again when they are ready. They were little when they were up there, though, so both of the rooms need to be fully redecorated.”

“It’s a very beautiful house.”

“Thank you.”

We climbed the stairs so I could show Summer where her room would be. I’d already cleared the room out of any signs from the previous nanny, so it looked fairly barren. But in no time, I was pretty confident Summer would have the place looking cozy again.

“This is your room,” I said as Summer was clearly underwhelmed by it. “You can decorate it as you’d like. I’ll even get new furniture if you would like it. This stuff has been in here for a few years. It could probably use an update.”

“No, this is fine. I’ll bring some of my things and make it look nice.”

“There’s a bathroom attached to your room and a walk in closet.”

“Wow, okay now I like this,” she said as she brightened up a bit.

I didn’t show her the master bedroom – that was still a place I didn’t like to go as everything in there reminded me of Claire. Someday, I was going to sell off that furniture and redo the room so I could move back upstairs. But it just hadn’t seemed like the right time.

“Hey, I was meaning to tell you. I’m sorry about the pictures from the other day. I just thought it was funny how the day had turned out.”

I had literally been so angry about her and her selfies that I didn’t know how to handle it. This was a serious job, and she seemed more consumed with her pictures than taking care of the kids. But at the same time, I loved how much the kids loved her, and having a night to think about it sure had calmed me down a bit.

In the past, every single one of my nannies would have heard me go on and on about how important setting a good example for the kids was. I probably would have sat them down in my office and talked about all the rules and made sure they understood each one of them.

The problem was that process hadn’t worked, and I knew it. The other problem was that I only had a few weeks to ensure that Summer and the kids were getting along, and I obviously didn’t want to send the wrong message this early in the relationship.

“Thank you for apologizing. I know social media is important nowadays. I would just ask that you always make the kids a priority.”

“Of course, the kids will always be my first priority, and I won’t put them in the pictures. I promise.”

“Alright, I guess that’s settled. I’m going to head downstairs to work for a little bit. Please tell your friend he is welcome to bring your things over anytime, and you can get settled in. We will head back to get the kids around three o’clock.”

“Can I ask another question?”

“Of course.”

“What am I supposed to do all day? I mean normally. The kids will be at school, so are there things you’d like me to do around the house?”

“We can talk about it more later, but basically, you have the day to yourself. You can work out or go hang out with your friends. If the kids have activities right after school, you’ll probably want to make up some snacks to bring with when you pick them up, and then you’ll make dinner on nights that I’m not home yet.”

“Okay,” Summer said.

I made my way back downstairs and started on a call with Rob. We were getting so far behind on our work. There was a huge sense of relief though as Summer was turning out to be a pretty good fit. My anxiety was high still, and I hoped things would continue going well as she managed the day to day schedules of the kids.

“How is the new nanny?” Rob asked right away.

“She’s good. Very nice girl. The kids really like her. I think this is going to work out well. I’m planning on coming into the office tomorrow.”

“Great, we have so much that has to get done.”

“I know. I’m sorry it’s been so crazy lately. You’re a good friend to me. I really appreciate it.”

“Hell, Tyler, you pull your weight most of the time. Don’t worry about it. How about we wait to talk about all of this until tomorrow? We can just do it all at once. I’m glad the new nanny is working out.”

“Yeah, me too.”

In the middle of our conversation, I heard a commotion going on in front of the house. As I looked through the blinds, I saw Summer struggling to get a very large suitcase out of the trunk of a car. I assumed it was her friend Patrick that was helping her.

“Everything okay?” Rob asked as he noticed I was distracted.

“Yeah, my nanny is just moving in all her things. I better go help out,” I said more interested in getting to meet this Patrick guy than talking to Rob about work. “Talk to you later.”

“Yep. See you tomorrow.”

Patrick was a nice looking kid. About my height, maybe a little taller at 6’3” or so. He was much muscular than I was, and I wasn’t all that shabby in the muscle department. But as I walked out to greet him, I got an overwhelming vibe that he was gay.

“Hey guys, can I help out?” I offered.

“Oh, yes, thank you,” Summer said as she handed me the giant suitcase. “Tyler, this is my friend, Patrick. Patrick, this is my boss, Tyler.”

“Nice to meet you man,” Patrick said as we shook hands.

“I’ll walk you up to my room, Patrick,” Summer said as she pulled him away to bring up some of the smaller things.

The bag I was carrying was at least fifty pounds, and it looked like Summer had several other bags in the car. I couldn’t imagine what all she had brought and how many wardrobe changes she expected to be making on a daily basis.

“Do you have a body in here?” I laughed as I brought the thing upstairs.

“Yes, sorry. I forgot to tell you.” Summer appeared at the top of the stairs. “I’m actually a serial killer. I brought all the people I’ve killed with me.” She started to laugh, and I couldn’t help smiling back at her.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I’ll get the other big one,” Patrick said as he raced down the stairs past me.

“He seems like a nice guy,” I said to make small talk as I set the bag in her room. “Have you two known each other long?”

“Not too long,” Patrick said as he freakishly showed up right behind me with the other heavy bag. It did not look all that heavy to him, though. “I gave her a bit of a scare the other day when I said I was moving in with my boyfriend, though. But we settled things.”

He has a boyfriend. Got it. Nice to know. I couldn’t have imagined any other reason this guy wouldn’t have snatched up Summer for himself.

The three of us finished bringing up the car full of suitcases and other items. Summer certainly was planning on making the room more comfortable. She had blankets, decorative pillows, and even a lamp in the car.

“Summer, you are welcome to stay here as long as you’d like. I did have past nannies that chose to live here full-time, and I’m fine with that. It’s just hard to have a social life if me and the kids are around all the time, and I thought you might not like that.”

“Thanks, I might need that in the future.”

“I’m going to go back to my office, so let me know if you need any help with anything else,” I said as I started to walk down the hallway.

“Girl, you are fucking him, aren’t you,” I heard Patrick said when I was at the stairs.

I couldn’t help smiling at the idea. No, we wouldn’t be doing anything like that. But I’d thought about it a few times already and could tell Summer was going to be on my mind often. I’d never been so attracted to a high maintenance sort of woman like Summer. I’d also never had to live with such a beautiful woman since my wife.

There was a general uneasiness I felt around Summer. It had nothing to do with her, though. She was a very easy person to feel comfortable around. I didn’t trust myself around her. There was this primal urge building when she was near, and I barely felt like I had control over it.

I sequestered myself in my office for the rest of the afternoon until I heard Summer in the kitchen making a bunch of noise. As I came around the corner, I saw her looking stunning as the afternoon light shone in against her white T-shirt, and of course, she still had on a pair of her hi-heels.

“Can I help you find anything?”

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to make so much noise. I was just trying to make a sandwich, but your fridge is the size of Mount Everest.”

“It is probably a little large,” I admitted as we stood in front of the industrial sized refrigerator.

“You really do need to throw some of this out. Half of this food will probably kill you.” She laughed as she pulled out a box of takeout that was clearly some sort of biology experiment now.

“I’m not the best at cleaning that out. You can throw away anything that looks like that. In fact, you can do whatever you’d like with the fridge. I’m hardly here, so I’ll leave you a card for groceries and stuff like that.”

“Sounds good. One of the days after dropping the kids off, I’ll shop. I’m not the best at it, yet, but I’ll get some fresh fruit, vegetables, lunch meat, and that sort of thing.”

Summer started handing food to me so I could throw it away, and suddenly we were cleaning out the entire refrigerator. She kept her heels on the entire time as she started at the top shelf and moved her way down to the very bottom.

“Oh, keep that.” I laughed at the one can of beer in the fridge.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy only have one can of beer in his refrigerator.”

“I’m not opposed to you picking up more,” I said with a laugh. “I just hate drinking alone.”

“What about this?” Summer held up an enormous size hot sauce container. “Does your tongue even have taste buds anymore?”

Summer went to hand me the giant bottle, slipped in her heels and fell right into me. The bottle of hot sauce tumbled to the ground, but I stopped Summer from falling. My arms wrapped around her, and I felt her breasts as they pushed up against my body.

Instantly, I hardened from the touch of her body. It was a natural manly response that I was unable to stop. As Summer grabbed the counter to push herself away from me, her hand gently pressed past me and against my raging hard body. There was no denying she felt how excited I was, but I just helped her up and tried to pretend like nothing had happened.

“Sorry,” I said more in reference to her falling and not my bodily reaction to her.

“I should probably not wear these in here, but I don’t have any other shoes but tennis shoes with me.” She laughed.

“In all those boxes and suitcases, you don’t have any other shoes?” I asked in genuine surprise.

“I brought my workout clothes and tennis shoes but not sandals or flats.”

“I have a feeling you’re going to make full use of that walk in closet.” I laughed. “But yeah, maybe tennis shoes would be better.”

I grabbed the hot sauce container from the floor that luckily hadn’t broken. As I handed it back to Summer and she set it in the fridge, our hands touched, and again I felt the electricity between us. This was going to be one hell of a time with her around.

“I’m going to make a sandwich, do you want one?” Summer asked as she pulled her hand away.

“Sure, I’ll be in my office; just bring it in when you’re done.”

“No problem.”

As much as I would have liked to stay in the kitchen with Summer, my raging body needed to step away, and I was looking forward to seeing comfort in my office. Summer hadn’t been flirting, and neither had I, yet I couldn’t hold back my body and how badly I wanted this girl.

A few minutes later as she walked in with a sandwich on a plate, I stayed seated. I still hadn’t calmed down as she leaned over and placed the plate on my desk.

“Anything else?”

“Nope, I’m good. See you in a few minutes, and we can go get the kids.”

“See you in a few minutes,” she said as she turned around and her ass swayed back and forth as she walked out of my office.

How was I going to survive this girl?

Chapter 7

Summer

I felt him; I definitely felt his body hard for me when he caught me in the kitchen. It wasn’t his hand or his leg, it was his desire for me; there was no doubt about it. I wanted him just as badly as he wanted me.

When we went to pick up the kids, I couldn’t stop smiling as I glanced down at his lap and tried to see if he was still hard for me. There didn’t appear to be any evidence of him still wanting me.

My mind was a whirl as I thought about what things could be like with this delicious man. Tyler had it all. He was smart, sexy as hell, and a great father. I hadn’t found anything wrong with him, and normally I found something wrong with pretty much everyone. Yet, I didn’t feel the vibe from him that he wanted to move things forward. Despite his obvious bodily reaction, Tyler was keeping his distance.

We drove in relative silence and got into the line to pick up the kids. It all felt like old hat after being there in the morning, but as we pulled up to the front, the kids weren’t out there.

“So this is where it gets tricky,” Tyler said with a smile. “If the kids aren’t here, or just one of them, you’ve got to drive around again and get back into the line.”

“Do they know to wait for me?”

“Yep, they will wait until you come back around. It’s a normal process. You just can’t be stopped up front.”

“Where was it that I could park if I want to go get them?”

“That parking lot around to the side. If you think it will be easier, you could park there. It’s just really hard to get out once you’re in there.”

I nodded my head in understanding as we went back around and got in line again. Tyler was an old pro, though, and he had us back to the front of the line in no time, and both the kids were there waiting this time.

On the drive home, Faith and Thomas were super chatty, and I could hardly keep what they were saying organized. They wouldn’t even finish what was being said before they continued with the next thing. It was as if they were all hyped up on sugar or something.

“Are they like this all the time after school?” I asked Tyler as he turned up the music so the kids could listen to it and not talk for a little bit.

“Yep, normally they have soccer, dance, or music lessons, so that helps get some of the energy out. But today, we are just going to go home, and we can all make dinner together.”

“Sounds like a good plan.”

I was looking forward to getting to know the kids a little better and liked that Tyler was going to stay around. Even just a little more time with him around was going to be helpful. My nerves were getting the best of me after the whole mud thing the other day.

Even though Tyler had been nice about the whole mess, it was still a bit of a disaster, and I felt like I wasn’t showing I was any good at this job. The truth was, I really wasn’t all that great at being a nanny, yet. I was positive this job was for me, though, and I could get better at it.

“Okay, so let’s get the meat ready,” Tyler said as soon as we got in the house. “We are going to barbecue. How does that sound?”

“Can we make hot dogs?” Thomas asked.

“No, we are making ribs. Summer, do you eat ribs?” he asked.

“I love ribs. This is exciting.”

Neither of the kids looked all that excited about the ribs, but neither of them complained either. That was a really good sign for me. I was a horrible kid around my parents. If they were making something I didn’t like, I’d just whine and complain until they agreed to make something else. I was starting to see that I was a bit of trouble for my parents.

Tyler showed us all how to marinade the meat, and then we set it back into the fridge while we started to work on the salad. At first, the kids were all in the kitchen working together, but they slowly peeled off and moved to the television, leaving Tyler and me to cook.

“Do you know how to make pasta salad?” he asked.

“No, I hardly know how to make a simple salad. I’m sorry; I promise I will work on learning more, though. I know the kids will want something more than fast food.”

“Actually, the kids would be fine with fast food every night.” He laughed. “But cooking is a good skill to have. You can always make yourself something and save money. As you get older, saving money is important.”

“I’m starting to realize that.”

We started by boiling some noodles, and then Tyler showed me the spices he liked to add along with oil and vinegar. We cut some tomatoes as well as small pieces of cheese. It was a lot of fun to cook with Tyler, and I was feeling more and more comfortable with him.

We put the salad into the fridge and then made our way outside to get the grill going. With the sun starting to move behind some clouds, it was getting a little cold outside. I grabbed a seat across from the grill as Tyler showed me how to start the grill and prepare it for cooking.

“Are you tired of those shoes yet?” Tyler asked as he flashed me a smile.

“Actually, my feet are killing me.”

I flipped my shoes off and set them gently next to me as Tyler watched. There was no denying his gaze was a primal one, and I liked it. I liked how he oozed sexual chemistry just standing there looking at me. I’d never met a man who could do that so easily to me.

“You have nice Louboutin shoes.”

“What?” I said in absolute shock that he knew what brand my shoes were. No guys knew that. None that I’d met at least.

Tyler turned back toward the girl with a smile on his face. He seemed to be enjoying shocking me a little bit. But I wasn’t about to let him get away with things that easily. I got up and stood behind him, close behind him. Not touching him, but close enough that the electricity was clearly vibrating between the two of us.

“I’m a worldly man,” he finally answered.

“I don’t believe it for a minute. Don’t tell me you are a shoe fetish guy?” I said accusingly.

“No!” he denied right away and spun around. “My partner’s ex-wife used to love those, and he would force me to go with him to the store to pick them out for gifts. It’s served me well to know them, though. I also know they are really expensive,” he said with a raised eyebrow.

“I got them as a gift,” I replied.

“Oh, so you had a boyfriend buy them?”

“No, why do you assume it was a boyfriend? It could have been my parents.” I lied; it was totally a guy who had bought the shoes for me.

“I’m a man, right?”

“Yes.”

“I know darn well those shoes weren’t bought by your parents. Excuse my French, but those are fuck-me shoes,” he said laughing.

“Fine, it was a boyfriend that got them for me. But not because we were sleeping together,” I replied defensively. “Some men just give gifts because they really like someone. Haven’t you ever given a gift to someone you liked?”

“Not someone as beautiful as you,” he said almost under his breath and quickly turned back toward the grill and didn’t look in my direction again.

It wasn’t until the meat was done that Tyler made an eye contact with me again. His gaze was still full of lust and making me want him more and more. I couldn’t help my feelings for this guy. The longer I was around him, the more I was convinced the two of us were going to end up in bed together.

As we set the table and prepared for dinner, I made sure to put myself next to Faith and Thomas. I wanted to spend my time and attention on them as much as possible, despite this lust growing between me and their father.

“I normally sit there and Thomas there,” Faith said as she moved things. “You can sit on that side with Daddy.”

I smiled politely as they put me and Tyler in the two chairs opposite of the kids. At least I wouldn’t have to look him in the eyes during dinner. That would be really hard.

Dinner with Tyler English and his children reminded me of my childhood. My father and mother loved having family dinners, and as I got older, we stopped having them, so this was like a short walk down memory lane for me.

Faith and Thomas talked about their day at school while Tyler asked them more and more questions. They all seemed so darn happy – now this was something new to me. We hadn’t been all that happy when I was younger. Even though my father had money back then, he was always working so much that my parents fought a lot. I had to wonder if Tyler and his late wife had ever fought. He didn’t strike me as the kind of husband who would have argued about much.

“Can you pass the pasta salad,” Tyler asked and leaned toward the bowl.

As he leaned over, I felt his hand glide over my thigh. At first, I froze in total shock, and then all I could think about was that this was his sign to me that things were going to move forward in that direction. I was fine with it. It didn’t bother me at all if he and I had a sexual relationship while I worked as his nanny. Maybe it should have, maybe I should have been worried about what would happen down the road, but I just wasn’t.

I handed him the pasta salad, and then we continued our dinner conversation. It was lighthearted and fun up until one fateful moment.

“Okay, so what do you think of me being your nanny, guys? Do you think I can handle it?”

“I think you are going to do great,” Faith said.

“Should be fine,” Thomas said.

“If you get rid of those darn hi-heels,” Tyler joked.

Then I’ll do it. I didn’t mean to do it, or maybe I really did mean to. I reached my hand over and gently squeezed his thigh as I laughed at his joke. It was meant to be playful, something lighthearted. But then he grabbed my wrist and held it for a minute.

“Summer and I will be right back,” Tyler said as he let go of me and motioned for me to follow him.

Were we going to screw right then and there? Was he so overcome with a sexual desire that he couldn’t even wait until the kids went to bed? I had no idea what was going on, but I dutifully followed him into his office.

“What was that Summer? What are you doing?” he said with an angry scowl on his face.

“I don’t know,” I replied in total shock.

“You are here for the kids, not for this, got it?” Tyler said firmly. “I don’t know what you think might happen here, but it’s not. Understand?”

“Yeah,” I said as my face turned red with embarrassment.

“And, I’d suggest you wear more child-friendly clothes,” he said as he motioned up and down my body as if something I was wearing wasn’t appropriate.

“Okay,” I responded, not quite sure what he was talking about.

“I’m going back to dinner. You can come back and join us whenever you’re ready,” Tyler said and stormed out of his office and back to the kitchen.

For at least five minutes, I stood there trying to figure out what the heck had just happened. Had I totally been misreading what was going on between the two of us? He had been so angry and really mean to me. I wasn’t expecting that to come from him, and I started to well up in tears.

I was a tough girl. It wasn’t that I couldn’t take someone who was angry with me, but I felt like he had started all this. He was the one who had a raging hard on when he caught me in the kitchen. He was the one looking at me like he wanted to devour me all the time. I just couldn’t figure out what was going on. How could I have been so off base with what was happening?

“I’m going to head up to bed,” I said from the hallway. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”

“Dad, she didn’t even eat dinner,” Faith said in only the way a child could.

But I didn’t care about the dinner. I was humiliated by what had happened. Obviously, I’d thought something totally different was going on, and the way he was so angry just hit me hard. I hurried up to my room and locked the door behind me as I climbed into a nice warm shower.

There was nothing I liked better than a warm bath or shower when I was stressed out. Even if I’d already showered for the day, I just loved letting that water pound down on me and force me to relax.

I stayed in the shower as long as I could before I felt myself getting tired. It had been a really long day, and I knew I needed to get up and make kids their breakfast and get them to school. I wasn’t about to let this thing between Tyler and I throw me off. This was the right job for me, and I was going to make it work.

Before crawling into bed, I pulled out a pair of workout pants and a tank top. I paired it with an oversized cut-off sweatshirt and pulled out a pair of my tennis shoes. I could dress more casually if that were what he wanted. Hell, I would put my hair up and not style it, and it would save me time. I could go without makeup too, that would just save me more time. I had to stick to this job for a month, and that was what I was going to do. No matter what happened, I could last for a month.

Plus, Tyler was going to be working most of the time, and it would just be me and the kids. We got along great, and I wasn’t worried about having the two of them around. I just had to make it through the times that Tyler was home and hope he wasn’t going to scream at me like a maniac again. There was a knock at my door just as I was crawling into bed.

“I left a list of things for tomorrow by the refrigerator,” Tyler said through the door.

“Okay.”

“The keys for the car are down there as well.”

“Okay.”

“Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay,” I said again, just hoping he would leave my door already. “Goodnight.”

“Night,” he finally responded.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I heard him going back downstairs. What was it about Tyler that had me so on edge? It wasn’t just that he was good looking. I’d been around hot guys before and not felt like this. It didn’t matter, though. Obviously, he wanted this to just be a work thing without any other sort of relationship. That was perfectly fine with me.

I closed my eyes and tried not to dwell on the mess of a day we had together. Tomorrow was going to be better. I would make sure of it.

***

My alarm went off at 6 a.m., and I hurried downstairs to get breakfast started. I wasn’t exactly sure what the kids would like, but I knew how to make pancakes, so I went with that. I also made up some scrambled eggs and poured orange juice for the kids before I went into their room to get them up.

“Faith, it’s time to get up,” I said softly, but she didn’t move.

“Thomas, it’s time to get up.”

Neither of them moved at all, but I was determined to do this without the help of Tyler. In fact, I wanted to get the kids fed and out of the house before he got up if that was at all possible.

“I’ll get them up,” I heard Tyler say from behind me.

His body was close to me but not touching me. I felt his breath near my neck, and it sent tingles throughout my body. It took every bit of self-control to take a step away from him.

“Okay,” I said and turned to leave the room.

I waited for Tyler and the kids in the kitchen. The look of surprise on their faces was exciting for me to see. Faith and Thomas dove right into the plates I’d made for them, and I just let Tyler grab his own.

“Did you eat yet?” he asked.

“No, I’m not hungry.”

“Here,” Tyler said and made me up a place, obviously not hearing that I said I wasn’t hungry. “You missed dinner last night.”

“I’m fine,” I said as I pushed the plate away.

Even though I was actually hungry now that I had the food in front of me, I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of bossing me around. That wasn’t how this working relationship was going to work. He could tell me what to do when it came to his children – that was fine. But when it came to my body, I was in charge.

I sat quietly and felt he was staring at me while we all ate. But I wasn’t going to let him bully me around. I stood my ground, and when the kids were done eating, I let Tyler go get them dressed and waited for them by the door. I wanted to get to the school early so I had time to figure out the route and get in line the right way.

“Ready?” I said without looking at Tyler and just looking at Faith and Thomas.

“Yep,” Faith replied.

Tyler pulled the car out of the garage and helped get the kids loaded into their seats. I sat calmly waiting in the driver’s seat until everyone was loaded up.

“Have a good day at school guys. I’ll see you when I get home from work.”

“Bye, Dad,” the two kids said in unison.

As soon as Tyler was out of the way, I gently pulled the car out of the driveway and made our way to the school. I was so excited to be ahead of time and couldn’t wait to get the kids dropped off and prove I could do something right.

Chapter 8

Tyler

I messed up. No doubt about it, I’d done exactly what I had to previous nannies. Well not exactly. None of my previous nannies had touched me like Summer had. But I shouldn’t have grabbed her hand like that, and I certainly shouldn’t have scolded her like a child.

She was reacting to whatever it was going on between us, and I knew I should have just pulled her aside and said we were going to keep things professional. I could have taken ownership of the way I’d reacted to her when she fell into me. Or at least I could have been a little kinder to her about the whole thing.

I felt absolutely horrible when she didn’t return to dinner and then later wouldn’t come out of her room to talk to me. Sleeping with the nanny was just too cliché of a thing for me even to imagine. But I put all the sexual attraction onto Summer as if I didn’t have a part in it when I really did.

The truth was I wanted to grab her, take her to my bedroom and throw her down on my bed the second I felt her hand on my thigh. I’d overreacted because my own temptation was so great that I couldn’t control it or thought I might not be able to control it.

“Nice to see you here,” Rob said as I walked into his office.

“I know, it’s nice to be here.”

“How is the new nanny?”

“She’s good,” I said without elaborating on the issues I was having.

“Good? Wow, that’s a step up from the last one. You were already telling me all of the things she was doing wrong by now.”

“I’m trying to be a little nicer. It’s a lot harder than I thought.”

“Well, let’s get going on this work. I’m excited to pound out some of these decisions so we can get the printers working on some of our supplies for the big bid.”

“Do we seriously have any chance? I mean, be honest with me, Rob. We are the underdog here, aren’t we?”

“Yep, we are, but we are going to work our asses off and make sure things come together.”

That was exactly what we did for the first hour of the morning. We went over our list of decisions that had to be made and just started hammering away at them. It was the start to what I hoped would be a day of enormous progress up until I saw the kids’ school calling me.

“This is Tyler.”

“Hello, Mister English. We were just checking to see if Faith and Thomas had a doctor’s appointment or were sick today since they haven’t arrived at school yet.”

My heart sunk so fast I started to get light headed.

“What do you mean? The nanny left early with them.”

“Oh, well the kids have not arrived. Maybe she got lost? That happens on the first day of drop off sometimes.”

“I’ll get in touch with her, and the kids will be there shortly.”

“What’s going on?” Rob asked as he saw the obvious concern on my face.

“Apparently, the new nanny got lost on the way to school, and the kids haven’t arrived yet. I swear to God, I showed her twice how to get there. What the hell, is she really this incompetent?”

“Okay, so this is how you piss them off and make them quit. Nice to get to see it up close and personal,” Rob said as he looked up at me from his desk. “You only have a few weeks until our trip. I would highly advise you not to talk to her like this if you actually want to keep her around.”

“She couldn’t even get the kids to school.”

“I don’t care. You need her to stay, and this attitude won’t work. You have to suck it up and be nice to this girl.”

I knew he was right. I’d been thinking the same thing after my little blow out with Summer the night before. I had to reel in my attitude and try a little better. I couldn’t afford to lose Summer with only a couple weeks left.

“I know. We need this deal. It could skyrocket us into another stratosphere.”

“Okay then, focus. Go find the kids. Help the girl out, and don’t be an ass about it. I know you’re capable of being a cool guy. I’ve seen you work really well under pressure. I’m just not sure why you have such a hard time with it when it comes to the kids.”

“I don’t know. Claire was so perfect with everything, and I feel like I suck at it all. I at least want the nanny to be good at taking care of them.”

I started to dial Summer’s number and hoped she answered. Although, if she was driving, I knew she wouldn’t answer her phone. After three tries and all of them going to voicemail, I knew I was going to have to head over to the school and see if I could find them. She was probably just on the wrong street or something like that.

“Go ahead, I’ll see you later,” Rob said as I started to leave his office. “Be nice to her.”

“I will, I will.”

On the way over to the school, I used my Bluetooth to try and call Summer again. She still wasn’t answering. There was a growing pit in my stomach as we approached nearly ten o’clock and the kids still hadn’t arrived at the school.

What could have just been Summer getting lost was now actually worrying me more and more. What if they had been in a car accident? What if something horrible had happened to them, and I just didn’t know it yet? I couldn’t imagine anything happening to my kids. It had taken me years to even think about moving on after losing Claire. I wouldn’t be able to go on if I lost my kids.

I drove to the school and then progressively started driving around further and further away. If they had gotten lost, I certainly would find them. Then, as I came up and over a hill, I saw the three of them walking.

Summer was holding both of the kids’ hands as they walked up the hill toward the school. They were only about a half of a mile away, but the car wasn’t anywhere in sight.

“Need a ride?” I said with a smile as I pulled up next to them.

“Oh, my gosh, my feet are falling off,” Faith said as she climbed in with Thomas.

Summer didn’t say anything and just got into the front seat. I noticed she had on tennis shoes and wasn’t wearing her makeup. I hadn’t realized that when she was at home. She smiled at me and then looked out the window as we drove to the school.

“I’ve got to run inside and sign them in because we are late; it will be just a second,” I said as I took the kids inside. “Did you guys get lost?” I asked them.

“Yeah, but then the car ran out of gas. We would have made it if we hadn’t run out of gas. I think Summer knew where we were going, finally,” Faith said as she gave me a hug and went to her room.

I signed the kids in and didn’t make eye contact with any of the women in the office. This whole mess was my fault. I’d given Summer the car from the garage without even checking to see if there was gas in it. I felt absolutely terrible.

“I’m so sorry,” Summer said as she broke down in full blown tears the second I climbed into the car. “I didn’t check the gas, and I didn’t have that credit card you left me. I’m really sorry. I understand if you want to fire me.”

“Summer, it’s okay,” I said calmly.

I wanted to reach out and comfort her but figured that would send the wrong signal after the way I yelled at her the night before. She was shaking, though, and I couldn’t stop myself as I gently touched her upper arm to try and calm her.

“I’m horrible at this job. I’m sorry. You should just find someone else. I can’t do any of it right. I thought I was going to be able to. I thought if I tried really hard, I wouldn’t ruin this, but I did,” she went on as the tears continued.

Emotions weren’t my favorite thing, and emotional women were probably one of my least favorite things in the world. I didn’t know what to say or how to calm them down. I always felt like I was doing the wrong thing and never like I was being of any use at all.

“It takes a little bit to learn it all. You aren’t horrible, though, the kids love you. And this was my fault. I should have checked the gas gage before I gave you the car. I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?”

“Yes, and I’m sorry about last night as well. I overreacted, and I shouldn’t have talked to you like that.”

“I shouldn’t have touched you,” she said as her face flushed a little. “I misread what was going on between the two of us. Or whatever, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not true,” I admitted as I closed my eyes and took ownership of what had happened. “You didn’t misread it. I just overreacted when you put your hand on my leg. There’s an attraction here. I feel it, and I know you felt it, and I was an ass about it,” I said honestly.

It was the first time in a very long time that I could remember actually admitting to being wrong. My late wife had even told me I would never admit it, and it drove her crazy that even when I knew I was wrong, I couldn’t just admit it. But here I was, learning from my past and making an honest effort to change, even if just a little bit.

“Okay,” Summer said without saying anything else as we drove back to my work.

“I need to go into the office for a little bit, and then we can get some gas for the car. Would that be alright? You can have my office to yourself, as I’ll be in some meetings.”

“Okay, I’ll probably just take a nap, I’m exhausted.”

Summer looked exhausted, and when we arrived to my work and walked upstairs, she could barely keep her eyes open. I gave Rob a quick wave and then ushered Summer into my office so she could rest.

“There’s a blanket in that cabinet. Come get me if you’d really like to leave; otherwise, I’ll probably just let you sleep.”

“Thanks, I think it’s the adrenaline or something. I’m so tired.”

“There are snacks in the mini-fridge and a bathroom right there in the corner. I’ll check on you in a bit.”

“Okay,” Summer said as I closed the door to my office.

Just as the door closed, I turned around, and Rob was standing right there. He looked into my office through the window and was nearly falling over himself as he tried to get a glimpse of Summer.

“Alright big boy, let’s go to your office,” I said as I pulled him away.

“That’s Summer,” he said.

“What? How did you know her name? Did I tell you her name?”

“No, that’s the amazing girl I met at the club who blew me off because of my yellow tooth. Holy friggin hell, she’s your nanny? You dog. You dirty dog!” Rob was patting me on the back and was pretty damn excited that I had Summer as my nanny.

“You met Summer?”

“Yeah, remember, I told you. But she dogged me,” Rob said as we walked back to his office.

“Yeah, I could see that.” I laughed at the thought of Rob trying to hit on Summer. He definitely didn’t seem like the kind of guy she would go for.

“So she’s just living with you. Just like that you’ve got this amazingly hot woman living in the same house as you? Shit, I need to hire a nanny,” Rob continued.

“Are we going to get some work done?”

Rob could hardly pay attention at all for at least fifteen minutes as he kept asking me questions about Summer. I felt a little bad that she had turned him down and was now my nanny, but there was no use in him thinking she ever would have run off with him. He clearly wasn’t thinking straight when he ran after her.

When we were finally able to get back to work, it was a productive afternoon. We finalized our paperwork and got everything to the printer. It was only six weeks until our big pitch, and everything had to be absolutely perfect. Landing a big hotel chain wasn’t as easy as it used to be. There were going to be hundreds of teams vying for this company, and ours had to stand out.

By three o’clock, I realized we had worked right past lunch, and I was going to have to go get the kids from school. Summer was easy to wake up but still looked really tired when I went into my office.

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’m just a little dizzy. Is it time to go?”

“Yep,” I said as she started to stand up and then nearly fainted. “Did you eat anything today?”

“What? she asked looking up at me a little confused. No, I don’t think so.”

“Dang Summer, you can’t just go two days without eating. Look at you, you’ve got zero reserves, and your body needs the energy. I’m getting you a sandwich before we go pick the kids up.”

After hurrying to our break room to grab a sandwich, I returned, and Summer was looking a little bit better. She had overworked herself and then refused to eat because I had pissed her off. It would have been funny if she didn’t look so darn sick.

“Thank you,” she said as she ate the sandwich quietly without looking over at me.

At this point, she was so hungry it didn’t even matter that she had been angry with me. Hopefully, we could put all of that behind us and get on some sort of schedule. It was only the first week, and I still had high hopes for everything to come together for us all.

“We need to get going so we can go get the kids. We will just have to miss soccer today and get the other car up and running. How are you feeling? Can you walk alright?” I asked as I pulled her up and into my arms.

Despite everything that had gone on, I couldn’t help loving the touch of her against me. I lingered in the embrace longer than I should have, and Summer smiled knowingly up at me.

“This is going to be an issue,” she said with a playful grin.

“I’m really sorry I yelled at you. I think I was just feeling bad because … because of this,” I mumbled as I looked down at her lips.

The urge to kiss her was growing so strong that I let go of her without warning and Summer fell right onto the couch. We both broke out laughing at the whole moment. I couldn’t be trusted around her, or if I was going to be around her, I just couldn’t touch her. The second my skin felt hers, there was nothing else I could think of but her.

“I’m going to take that apology and remember it.” She laughed as she stood up with me. “Because I don’t think we are going to be able to stay apart from one another.”

Summer pulled herself up with a newfound confidence as she stood next to me and gave me a playful smile. She had her vindication that was for sure.

Chapter 9

Summer

As the next week continued, I really never felt like I was getting the hang of being a nanny at all. I survived, and at least I managed to get the kids to school and pick them up. But I inevitably forgot things on a daily basis.

“We have soccer today,” Thomas said as we pulled away from the school.

“Soccer? I thought it was dance. Darn it, I brought the dance clothes,” I sulked as we drove all the way home before we could go to the soccer field.

Again, the kids were late for their practice, and the coach looked at me as if I was some ditzy blonde who couldn’t figure anything out. At this point, even I felt that way. Even when I was positive I had everything on our schedule, and I was ready to lock in our day as perfect, I would screw something else up. Being a caretaker was much harder than I could have imagined.

I collapsed into the shade under a tree while the kids did their soccer practice. I was so exhausted, I could hardly move. I’d finally figured out what the nanny was supposed to do while the kids were at school; sleep. I got up early, got them to school and then came home and slept a few hours until it was time to pick them up. Even with a nap, I couldn’t seem to concur my day with the kids, though.

“Summer,” I felt Faith shaking me away. “It’s time to go home. We are done with practice.”

“We have karate today. Remember,” Thomas said with a huge smile on his face. “We have it on Friday this week because we missed it on Wednesday.”

“Oh, yeah,” I said remembering the mishap earlier in the week.

The sun shone through the trees right into my eyes as I tried to gather myself and wake up enough to safely drive the kids to their next stop. It was inhuman how much they did in a day, and I honestly understood why they went to bed at nine and never had a problem falling asleep. These kids were like little energizer bunnies.

“Okay, let’s get to school.” I laughed. “I mean karate.”

“We don’t have our outfits,” Thomas reminded me.

“Ugh. You’ll have to wear your soccer outfits for today.”

Neither of the kids seemed very happy at that idea at all. They both groaned as we climbed into the car, but they didn’t complain. At this point, they were probably just happy we were going to make it to karate on time and not be late for that practice too.

We pulled up in front of the karate studio with five minutes to spare. As I walked in, I shrugged as I motioned for them to get ready for class.

“Sorry, we forgot the outfits,” I said to their teacher.

“It’s alright. I’m glad they made it,” he said with a smile.

I couldn’t help wondering if I was truly the worst possible caretaker this guy had seen before. The pity in his eyes made me think that I was. I sulked back out to the car to hide there while the class was going on and maybe catch another nap while I waited. But no sooner had my butt hit the seat than Tyler was calling me.

“Where are you guys?”

“I missed karate class earlier this week, so we are having it today. We will be home in an hour. Are you done working?”

“Yes, I just ordered pizza. It should still be warm when you get home. They said it would be forty-five minutes or so.”

“Perfect.”

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Just tired. I’m going to nap while they are in class. See you in a bit,” I said without giving him the chance to reply.

Tyler and I were getting along much better than the first few days. The sexual attraction between the two of us had calmed down a little, and our communication had increased as well. Overall, I was happy with the job, but I didn’t feel like I was doing it all that well.

There had been no more touching incidents. Honestly, I was too tired to even think about him like that. Instead, I was purely focused on making it through this month so my father could help me out. Every day I was sure I was getting better at being a nanny, and every day I felt like I failed when the day ended.

I liked Tyler and loved Faith and Thomas. If I could get the hang of this job, it was something I could see myself doing for a few months at least. But I just hadn’t been able to get a hold of all the jobs. The house was a disaster, the kids’ rooms were a mess, and I still hadn’t unpacked my own suitcases. It was basically a mess everywhere, and Tyler was putting up with it.

Somewhere in the midst of our first week of awkwardness and yelling, Tyler had found a way to let me learn the ropes. He was helpful when I needed help and always answered questions when I had them. I think he was just happy that I was there, and he could get caught back up at his job. From what I understood, he had a big event coming up, and he and his partner were going to have to work really hard to land this new client.

As karate class ended, the teacher walked the kids out to the car. I rolled my window down since he was looking at me as if he had something to say. I couldn’t help hoping he wasn’t going to scold me for missing on Wednesday or not having them wear their outfits today.

“Hey, I’m Cole,” the man said as he put his hand out for me to shake it. “I don’t think we have formally met.”

“Hi, I’m the nanny.”

“Do you have a name?” he asked playfully, and it took every bit of self-control I had not to roll my eyes.

I hadn’t put on makeup in a week. I felt like I might actually be dying because I was so tired, and this guy was going to hit on me. Great, yep, that was exactly what I wanted to deal with at that moment.

“My name is Summer,” I gave in and answered.

“Well, Summer, that’s a beautiful name. I was wondering if I could get your number and maybe call you sometime?”

“No, I don’t think so. I’m really busy with the kids.”

“How about I give you my number, and if you happen to have some spare time, you can give me a call? I’ll drop whatever I’m doing for a chance to go on a date with you.”

Cole hurried and wrote down his number on one of the karate studio business cards and handed it to me. I already had the car in reverse and was slowly pulling out of the parking spot.

“Have a good night,” I said as I kept pulling away from him. “Wow, that was awkward.” I laughed as we got on our way home.

The kids were nearly asleep by the time we got to the house. I managed to wake them up, and they shuffled into the house. Both of them could barely keep their eyes open though as they sat down at the table where Tyler had pizza waiting for us.

“Wow, you all look pretty darn tired. How was your night?”

“Our karate master likes Summer and asked her out on a date,” Thomas said as he devoured his first slice of pizza.

“Oh, so you got a date?” Tyler asked as he raised an eyebrow playfully.

“No, he asked me out. I never answered.”

“Ouch.”

“Hey, I can hardly manage my days right now. I definitely couldn’t hang on a long night out. I’d be a horrible date.”

I really wasn’t feeling well, so I got up to go use the bathroom. On the way down the hall, I bent over to grab some toys that were on the ground, and as I stood up, I knew something was wrong. The room was spinning, and quickly I felt my legs slip from under me.

***

“There she is,” I heard Tyler say as I felt Faith brushing my hair out of my face.

Her little hand was so adorable as she rubbed it across my face and then my forehead. She was trying to take care of me, and as I opened my eyes, she looked like she was about to cry.

“You’re not dead?” she asked.

“No honey. I’m okay,” I reached up and gave her a big hug.

Faith was such a sweet little girl. This week would have been torture if I had naughty kids I was trying to take care of. But instead, I had pretty darn great kids, and that had helped a lot.

Tyler was sitting on the floor with Faith in his lap, and Thomas was next to them. They were all staring at me as if I had been on the couch for a very long time, although I didn’t remember how I got there or what had happened at all.

“Okay, let’s give Summer some time to rest. I’m going to get these munchkins to bed, and I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere,” he said. “I’m serious. Stay put. I need to check you out before you get up and move around. Okay?”

“Yes, sir,” I said playfully as Faith and Thomas both laughed.

I felt terrible. My hands were trembling, and I was pretty sure I had a cold sweat going on. There was no way I was going to venture to try and move. I closed my eyes and waited for Tyler to come back.

As I lay there, I tried to think about what it was that I could have done to make myself feel so awful. I’d been sleeping at night. I was taking naps every day. I probably wasn’t eating enough, but that was pretty normal for me and usually didn’t end with me feeling so horrible. Only since coming to work for Tyler had my light eating habits been an issue for me. Perhaps all the running around after the kids was going to require me to put more of an effort into my diet and calorie intake. I certainly didn’t want to get fat or anything like that, but I could use a few hundred more pieces of pizza at the moment. In other words, I was starving.

Thirty minutes later, Tyler had the kids tucked into bed, and he was kneeling down in front of me. The genuine concern in his eyes was heartwarming as I held onto his hand for a minute and sat up. Tyler was a nice guy. I wouldn’t have known that after our first few days together, but he was growing on me, and I really did think he was nice.

“Do we need to give your parents a call?” he asked.

“No, I’m fine. Really. I’m just so horrible at this job. I’m sorry. Don’t call them. Ugh, they will just go on and on about me not taking care of myself.”

The last thing on earth I wanted Tyler to do was call my parents. They already thought I couldn’t take care of myself. This would just give them the ammunition they needed to continually rub my face in it.

“It takes a little getting used to this job. But I bet you’d do better if you were actually taking care of yourself. You can’t keep burning the candle at both ends if you want to be able to have the energy to run after them. I’m sure your parents would just say the same thing.” Tyler gave me one of those all-knowing grins of his.

“Yeah. I know. I was just thinking that I needed to eat some of that pizza.”

“Just so you know, I actually think you’re doing a really good job. The kids haven’t been this happy in a very long time.”

“But the house,” I groaned as I looked around at the mess. “I’m sorry.”

“Okay,” Tyler said as he sat next to me and grabbed both of my hands. “We are done with being sorry and all of that. This job is hard. You’re basically a parent of two school aged kids. You’ve got to give yourself some slack.”

As Tyler held my hands, I started to think about how I had gotten onto the couch. Had he just picked me up off the ground and carried me there? That was pretty embarrassing, but yet really sweet of him.

“Did I faint?” I asked as I was finally putting everything together.

“Yeah,” Tyler laughed at me. “What did you think happened?”

“I don’t know; I thought I might have lain down on the couch and fallen asleep. But then I was thinking about it, and I couldn’t remember coming over here to lie down. Gosh, I don’t even know what I was thinking.”

We both laughed at how absurd my memory was at the moment. I really did need to get some food into me as my brain wasn’t working well at all.

“By the way, you seemed to be keeping the house clean when you were home,” I said as I remembered the first day I visited him. “I don’t understand how you were able to do it, but I can’t seem to get anything done around here.”

“I’m probably a little meaner than you are.” Tyler laughed as he continued holding my hands in his. “But you have to find your own way with the kids. Just don’t put this all on yourself. They are old enough to pick up after themselves. You don’t need to do it for them. Don’t let them convince you that it’s your job to pick up their toys when it’s really their job.”

“Okay.”

“And you have to take the time to eat. I swear I’ve only seen you eat three bits since you’ve been here. That’s just not going to work for me. You’ve got to promise to make a better effort in that area.”

“I will.”

“Those kids care about you. I care about you. Taking care of yourself is essential. What if you had been driving, and you passed out? That’s pretty dang scary, right? So you have to eat; I don’t care how mad at me you are.” His eyes squinted a little as he smiled at me.

“Thanks, Tyler. Thanks for being nice to me even though I suck.” I laughed.

Tyler gave in and laughed with me. As much as I wanted to be the perfect nanny, it was clear I wasn’t doing the best job at it. At least Tyler was willing to give me more time and let me try and figure out how this job worked with my personality. Maybe I was just going about it the wrong way. Maybe I was trying to be Mary Poppins instead of just being me.

“I should probably let go of your hands now.” Tyler laughed as he realized he was still holding onto them. “I think you should rest tonight. Eat the rest of that pizza. Then make some plans to go out with your friends this weekend. Maybe a fun weekend with your friends will help get your spirits up.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I’m home, and you look like you need some time with your friends. I need some time with the kids anyway. I’m not used to having to be at the office all day long. This will work out perfectly.”

“Yeah, I like that idea. Give me that pizza.”

I downed a few slices of pizza and was feeling much better by the time I crawled into bed. The last two weeks of my life had been harder than I remember anything being before. I couldn’t quit this job; I didn’t even want to quit. But it was hard. I sucked at it, and I was really excited to have the weekend off to hang out with my friends and finally relax a little.

Before falling asleep, I sent out some messages to everyone to get things started to go out on Saturday. I had barely talked to any of my friends that week because I was so busy, and I knew they were going to hammer me with responses. I flipped my phone to silent and went to sleep. Whatever they had to say was just going to have to wait until morning. I really needed my sleep.

I didn’t set an alarm, and it was fabulous to sleep through most of the morning and wake up to the warm afternoon sun. My stomach was growling again, and I couldn’t wait to make a healthy breakfast and visit with Tyler and the kids before I made my way over to Patrick’s apartment for the night out on the town.

Since I was asleep, everyone took it upon themselves to decide what we were doing that night, and that was just fine with me. I was supposed to get my butt over to Patrick’s apartment by eight o’clock, and everyone else was going to meet up there as well. Then our crew was heading to Club Lively, one of our favorite dance clubs in the city. Lively was a much younger crowd, and I’d never been able to find a decent guy around there, but I didn’t care at all. This weekend I truly just wanted to hang out with my friends and have some fun after the two most stressful weeks of my life.

The house seemed really quiet as I came downstairs, and for a minute, I thought I had read the clock wrong and it was much earlier than noon. But as I looked at the stove and the microwave, I was assured that it really was a little after noon and everyone appeared to have taken off for the day.

“Anyone home?” I yelled out, although I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

As I walked into the kitchen there was a note from Tyler:

Took the kids to the park and then a baseball game.

Have a great night with your friends. – T

I smiled as I held the paper. I already felt like a million pounds of pressure was off of me since he told me I was doing a good job. I hadn’t thought of how happy the kids were, and they certainly did seem happy with me around.

This night was so needed, though. It was going to be wonderful just to get out of the house and not have to worry about Faith or Thomas for the night. I really wasn’t used to having to take care of anyone else besides myself. Heck, I wasn’t even that great at taking care of myself.

With the house quiet, I made myself some coffee and went to enjoy the peacefulness of the backyard. It was an entirely different experience back there without the kids running and screaming.

The grass looked a little greener than it had the last time. The trees along the back fence even seemed a little taller to me. I sprawled out on one of the lounge chairs and just took in the warmth of the sun. This was what I had pictured myself doing while the kids were at school. But instead, I was curled up in my bed totally exhausted.

For the rest of my afternoon, I took advantage of the beautiful day we were having and sat outside as much as possible. I made some eggs and brought them out first and then since I was still hungry, I made a sandwich and brought it out as well.

I even went and grabbed my swimsuit and threw it on as the afternoon warmed up even more. With a good book and my shades on, I did my best to fully relax and enjoy the day. I didn’t have to start getting ready until at least six o’clock, so I was going to really enjoy the quiet I had going on.

“Summer is naked!” I heard Thomas yell as he slid the back door open.

“I am not,” I protested. “This is my swimsuit. I’m getting a suntan.”

Thomas and Faith just blasted right past me as they ran out to their fort in the back of the yard. As I stood up from my lounge chair, Tyler was standing in the doorway staring at me with a smile he just couldn’t wipe off of his face.

“What? I’m not naked,” I again protested.

“Pretty close,” he teased.

“This is a normal swimsuit. It’s not that tiny.”

“Let me see, do a spin,” he said as he playfully motioned for me to spin around.

I did as he asked just to play with him. This particular swimsuit was actually covering me more than any other from my collection. It had cheeky bottoms but a full top. Nothing like the string bikinis I had decided not to bring with me.

“You like?” I teased.

“Yeah, that’s a nice swimsuit. But I thought you were going out with your friends tonight?”

“I am, just not meeting up until later. I really enjoyed spending the day out here. The house is a lot different when everyone is gone.”

“I always found it hard to relax when I had the house to myself – like when I would take the kids to school and work from home. It was creepy as it was so quiet.”

“Well, I better go get in the shower and start getting ready,” I said as I walked over to the sliding glass door, but Tyler didn’t move.

His eyes were glued to my body as he stayed right where he was. The look of desire that filled his face was clearly the same one I’d seen before. I wasn’t sure if I’d just been too tired this week to notice it or if he had been behaving himself so much that he wasn’t giving me that look.

“Oh, sorry,” he said as he finally realized he was blocking the door. “Call if you need a ride home or anything like that.”

“I can get an Uber, but thanks.” I laughed as I went toward the stairs.

“Where are you guys going?”

“Club Lively.”

“Oh, yeah, I hear it’s nice there. Okay, well, have fun,” he said again as I turned and made my way up the stairs.

I couldn’t help smiling as I closed my bedroom door behind me and hopped into the shower. It only took me an hour to get ready instead of my usual two hours because I just didn’t care as much as I normally did. I wasn’t at all interested in looking for men and just wanted to have fun.

Instead of my usual super short dress that clung to every curve, I opted for a flowing style dress with flowers. I kept my hair down with a couple of braids on either side to spice it up a little, and instead of my super hi-heels, I had on a pair of sandals. It was a great feeling to come down the stairs and not have to worry that I might topple to my death.

“Wow,” Tyler said right away.

“You look like a princess,” Faith added.

“Thanks, guys.”

“I like this look. Very cute,” Tyler added with a nod.

I knew exactly what he meant. I wasn’t dolling myself with a ton of makeup and my super hi-heels. Instead, this felt much more like the real me, and I was one hundred percent more comfortable than I normally was on a night out.

“Well, you guys have a fun night. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said as I gave Faith and Thomas a little hug. “You too,” I motioned to Tyler but didn’t hug him.

“Have fun,” they all said as they waved goodbye.

Chapter 10

Tyler

Summer was looking damn good. It was really worth it to come home early and run into her in that swim suit. Dang, I couldn’t stop thinking about her for the rest of the night. It was a little surprising that she had on sandals instead of those heels that she loved so much, but it was a good look for her.

Her hair was pulled up in a cute design, and she had color back in her cheeks and a smile from ear to ear. Things seemed to be going much better for her with a day off to relax, and I was really glad.

With only a few weeks left until my big trip, I had to make sure she was going to be able to handle the kids without any major events. At this point, I was still a little worried about her being able to hold down the fort, but hopefully, she’d keep feeling more and more confident.

When Summer left for her evening of fun with her friends, the kids and I started our movie marathon. The baseball game had been a scorcher, and we were all a little sunburned and tired, so I doubted we would make it through all three of the Disney movies that the kids had picked out.

At 8 o’clock, I loaded in the first movie to the DVD player, and we cuddled up on the couch with our popcorn. This sort of downtime with the kids was what I craved the most. I could care less about running around and constant after-school activities. I liked spending as much time alone with the kids as possible.

“You guys are growing up so much,” I said as I pulled the two of them closer to me.

“Dad,” Thomas said as he wiped the kiss off of his cheek.

Faith just smiled up at me and then turned back to the movie. It was true, though, I could still remember when they were both barely able to talk, and now the two of them could practically take care of themselves. I couldn’t imagine what life was going to be like when they were teenagers.

Our night ended a little early as both of the kids fell asleep during the first movie, and I had to carry them off to bed. For the first time in a very long time, I thought about their rooms upstairs and how I should clean them out and get them set up for the kids again. With such a giant house, it was ridiculous that we just lived downstairs because of all the old memories. Plus, having Summer upstairs might actually make the kids feel better since I often left for work before anyone was up.

After tucking both of the kids into their beds, I made my way up the stairs and to the bedroom that had once been Faith’s. It was still decorated in her baby nursery décor, which Claire and I had talked about changing for years and never got around to.

At one point, I had put some boxes in the room because I was going to pack things away, but I never got to that step. This time, I opened one of the boxes and actually started to load things into it.

Although it was slow going at first, soon I was getting excited about how much fun Faith and I would have picking furniture out for her new room. She was going to love picking out big girl furniture and trying to find things to decorate her room with.

With my music blaring, I managed to work well into the night cleaning up Faith’s room first and then moving over to Thomas’ room. When two o’clock rolled around, and I saw a car stopping in front of the driveway, I was wide awake and packing up the boxes still.

I watched Summer from the window as she wobbly walked up to the house. She looked like she had a little bit to drink, but not too much. She managed to get into the house just fine and walked up the stairs quietly so she wouldn’t wake any of us.

When she got to the top of the stairs, I peeked my head out to check and see how her evening went. She really did deserve to have a fun night with her friends and let loose a little. She was still young, and being cooped up with the kids all day every day had to be getting hard for her.

“Did you have a fun night?” I asked.

“Oh, my God, yes,” she said as she came straight up to me and hugged me. “We talked about you a lot. Sorry.”

I had to laugh at her playfulness as she let go of me and stood at the other side of the hallway near her bedroom. She looked so damn beautiful in her flowing dress and sandals like someone out of one of the kids’ Disney movies.

“You look like you had fun.”

“Come here; I want to tell you all about it,” she said as she motioned for me to come into her room.

As she opened the door, I realized she hadn’t decorated her room at all yet. She still had her luggage bags all around and looked like she was getting ready to leave at any moment. That made me really nervous. I hoped she hadn’t felt like leaving because she was so overstressed, but more than that, I hoped she was feeling better now and didn’t want to leave if she once had wanted that.

“Okay, tell me about your night,” I said playfully as I plopped down on the big bed and she sat in the fluffy chair across the way.

“Oh, my gosh. First of all, I loved wearing these shoes instead of heels. Big props for me on wearing those.” She laughed as she unhooked the buckles and took the shoes off. “Second of all, I really like this job, and you made me feel so much better when you told me I wasn’t as horrible as I thought I was. Thank you for that, even if you were lying.”

“You are doing a great job. So did you guys go dancing?”

“Yeah, but mainly we just hung out and drank. It was nice to have a life to talk about besides just shopping. And I gave Patrick his rent money that I was behind on, so he was really happy about that.”

“I have to tell you something.” I laughed as I remembered what I wanted to tell her and kept forgetting about.

“Oh, no, I’m fired?”

“No,” I said. “Did you go to a country dancing bar a few weeks ago and met a guy with a yellow tooth?”

“Um, yeah, how did you know that?”

“He’s my partner at work. The other day when you and the kids ran out of gas and you slept on my couch, he saw you come in and was totally freaking out that you were my nanny.”

“No way!” she said as she jumped up from her chair and slapped my arm before pouncing on the bed next to me. “You know that guy?”

“Yeah, he’s like my best friend.”

“What’s with the tooth then? He’s got money, right? He’s your partner. Why doesn’t he fix his tooth?”

Summer was leaning over and super interested in my answer. It was actually pretty funny how I seemed to have her full attention.

“You really want to know why he hasn’t fixed his tooth, don’t you?” I laughed.

“Yeah, it’s baffling me. Seriously, how on earth could someone just walk around with a tooth like that if they could afford to get it fixed? That’s really weird to me. So tell me, why?”

“I don’t know, maybe I should leave you in the dark,” I teased.

“No, you tell me right now,” she demanded as she got up on her knees and put her hands on her hips like that was some sort of threat to me or something.

“I think I might just keep this little tidbit of information to myself now,” I continued to joke.

“Tell me now,” she said playfully as she pushed me over.

Somewhere between her pushing me over and then climbing on top of me, this whole playing around thing turned into something much different. I kept my hands on the bed and did my best not to touch her, but Summer pressed her hands into my chest as she continued to demand that I tell her.

“I’m not telling.” I laughed as she started to tickle me. “You can’t make me.”

“Tell me right now.” Her face got super serious, and she narrowed her eyes down at me. I couldn’t stop laughing as she started to tickle me even harder.

“Stop,” I said through my laughter. “Seriously, I’m so serious. You better stop.”

“You don’t look serious.” She laughed. “You look very unserious.”

Then I reached up and pulled her down to me and let my lips take hers. She didn’t seem shocked by it at all. In fact, she quickly started to kiss me back. Her hips rolled against mine, and I throbbed hard for her.

There was no stopping us now that we started this. No giving up this path I’d committed myself to. No, if Summer wanted me as badly as I wanted her, then I couldn’t hold back any longer.

A funny thing happens to a man when his body is consumed by desire. Any and all reasoning skills disappear, and that is exactly what happened to me at that moment. As Summer’s hands slid up my shirt and pressed against my body, I gave up any hope of letting logic get in the way of what we were about to do.

“We are doing this?” Summer asked breathlessly.

“We can stop.”

“No, don’t stop,” she moaned.

Her hands quickly unbuckled me, and before I knew what was going on, she was sliding my pants down and throwing them onto the ground. She slammed her bedroom door shut and locked it before grabbing a condom out of her side table drawer.

I had a lot of questions about why she had condoms in her side table drawer, but now wasn’t the time to be bringing those questions up.

Summer was in charge. She slid her white lace panties down to the ground and stopped at the end of the bed to admire how hard I was for her. She didn’t say anything; she simply looked me over before she crawled up the bed.

“I want you so bad,” she said before her lips wrapped around me, and I closed my eyes in the midst of absolute pleasure.

Slowly she moved up and down my body as I felt my hips thrusting in time with her movements. She became even more worked up than before and then unwrapped the condom and slid it over me.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked one last time.

“Shhhh,” she said as she put her finger to her mouth and stood over me.

She kept her finger on her mouth as her body took me inside of her, and I felt the tightness of her pleasure around me. For a minute, she teased me by moving her hips only slightly while she reached back and pulled her dress up and over her head.

“You are so beautiful,” I whispered as my hands went straight to her breasts.

“I’ve wanted you since I first laid eyes on you,” Summer said as she looked down on me.

Her body rocked and moved faster and faster as the pleasure between us built up more. She fell onto me and let her hip grind hard against me as I felt her body starting to tighten. Harder and harder we moved together until I felt myself getting close to explosion.

“I’m cuming now,” she moaned out as if to give me the freedom for my own explosion.

I took her cue and let my body release the flood of desire that had built up. We both let out one final thrust and deep moan as our bodies gave in to the perfection of the moment. It wasn’t a tender lovemaking session, that was for sure, but it was hot as hell, and I couldn’t believe it had just happened.

As Summer collapsed into my arms and lay on top of me, my mind started spinning as I tried to figure out what I should do next. What was appropriate for a man to do when he’s just slept with his nanny? Should I sleep in the room with her? Go to my own room? Invite her to come to my room? There really should be some protocols for a situation like this.

I decided to stay there with Summer for a little while as she cuddled up next to me. I was tired, but I couldn’t go to sleep. All I could hear was the voice of Rob in my head telling me how much I messed up by sleeping with my nanny. He would certainly tell me I shouldn’t have done it.

“This was a one-time thing,” Summer whispered as she moved to lay beside me. “We won’t speak of it again.”

“Um, okay,” I replied.

“It’s not a big deal. So don’t make it one, okay. We go back to normal tomorrow.”

“Okay,” I said, although I wasn’t sure going back to normal was going to be an option for us.

I’d just seen her naked, and she had seen me naked. My body was inside of hers, and we both gave into this primal desire that was held up inside of us. It wasn’t going to be possible to just turn back the clock and go back to the way things were before.

When the sun started to rise in the morning, I gathered my clothes and hurried downstairs to my bedroom. I wanted to be in my normal bed when the kids woke up. Summer didn’t wake up as I snuck out of her room, and I wasn’t planning on waking her up either.

The kids and I had plans to go to the children’s museum for a play date, and technically Sunday was Summer’s day off. I slept a couple more hours and then got into the shower while the kids ate their cereal for breakfast.

We managed to get all of us ready and out the door before Summer was awake, and that was a huge relief for me. Although she had been the one to say things wouldn’t change, I just wasn’t so sure about that. Women had a hard time with casual sex, and it wasn’t the same for them as it was for guys. But then again, Summer had been the one who initiated things between us, so maybe she wouldn’t have any issues with this at all. The whole thing made me really nervous, though.

At the children’s museum, the other family we were meeting up with took all the kids with them, and I was left sitting on the side while they went through one of the exhibits. I couldn’t help giving Rob a call and telling him what had happened. I needed a little advice.

“So I slept with the nanny,” I said right when he picked up his phone.

“Summer? Damn you. You slept with her? I knew it.”

“Yeah, so she basically just threw me down on the bed and had her way with me. It was wild. Then she said it was a one-time thing and not to let it change anything between us.”

“Uh oh,” Rob said in a low sort of scary voice.

“What do you mean? Isn’t that good? I don’t understand.”

“What did you say when she said it was a one-time thing?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“God, Tyler, seriously? Have you really been out of the market so long that you have no idea what’s going on?”

“I don’t understand what’s going on.” I laughed. “I really don’t. Why is this bad? She said she didn’t want it to change anything between us.”

“She was just saying that. She was trying to see what you would say in return. You failed the test. Crap Tyler. You can’t have her quitting right now. We need this deal, and I can’t go out there and pitch them without you. Don’t you let her quit, damn it!”

I really had no idea what was going on. Nothing that Summer had said sounded like she was planning on quitting. In fact, she really sounded just fine with what we had done. Hell, she was the one who had instigated the whole thing.

Rob was being paranoid. He got like that sometimes, and there was no calming him down. I honestly didn’t think that Summer was going to have a hard time with any of this. She seemed pretty okay with it.

“I think she meant it, Rob. I think it was just a one-time thing, and we won’t talk about it at all.”

“Tyler, Tyler, Tyler, you are so naive.”

“Well, I’ll try to keep things together. But I’m hopeful everything will continue just like it was before.”

“And I’m hopeful that I’ll win the lottery in the next Jackpot,” Rob joked. “Let me know how your day goes. If you don’t show up at work tomorrow, I’ll know it went really badly.”

“You’re worrying about nothing. I’m sure it’s going to be just fine. I’ll see you on Monday.”

Chapter 11

Summer

I lied. I knew it when the words came out of my mouth. We were definitely going to end up in bed again. There was no way two people could have that sort of chemistry and not end up in bed with each other again.

For a week, Tyler and I pretty much avoided each other as much as possible. It wasn’t purposefully, at least on my part. But we didn’t actually spend any significant time in the same room with each other until Friday.

Friday night, Tyler was running late, and I had to make dinner. I’d been looking up different recipes and trying them out when I had to make dinner and was excited to try the chicken parmesan pasta. Cooking was still really new to me, but I was starting to get more and more confident about it.

“I’m home,” Tyler said as he strolled through the door much earlier than he had originally said.

“Daddy,” the kids screamed as they ran toward his direction. “We have to show you our rooms.”

Thomas grabbed his dad by the hand and dragged him upstairs to show him all the work we had been doing in his room throughout the week. Tyler had ordered new furniture for both the rooms at the beginning of the week, and throughout the week the kids and I were trying to get their rooms ready.

“They aren’t done yet,” I warned him as they went up the stairs.

The kids were literally jumping up and down as they climbed the stairs, and I heard them yelling and telling Tyler all about their favorite things. It was really sweet to see them so darn excited. I was going to go upstairs but decided to stay in the kitchen and work on dinner for a little bit.

As I was putting dinner on the plates, the kids and Tyler made their way back downstairs. Right away, Tyler came over to see what I was cooking. He was really close behind me, so close that I felt his breath on the back of my neck, and it sent my body into a frenzy. My knees got weak, and I leaned over the counter to hold myself up.

“This smells so good. What are you making?” he said as he leaned even closer to me.

“Chicken parmesan and pasta.”

“Really?”

The questioning look on his face threw me off a bit. I was clearly making the food. There were dirty dishes in the sink, and I looked like a total disaster. Did he really think I hadn’t made the food myself?

“Yes, really,” I said and pushed him away.

“I’m teasing, I’m teasing,” he said as he tickled my waist and went to sit at the table with the kids.

We all sat in the same places we had been in when I had first come to the house. Faith and Thomas were on one side of the table and Tyler and me on the other side. I made sure to sit far enough away from him that I wouldn’t accidentally touch his leg, although I suspected he wouldn’t have minded it all that much.

“May I present you Summer’s Chicken Parmesan,” I said excitedly as I brought the kids their plates first and then two more plates for Tyler and me.

“Thank you!” Faith said followed by Thomas shortly after. “Dad, say thank you,” Faith said as Tyler was shoving a huge bite of food into his mouth.

“Thank you, this is delicious,” he said with his mouth full.

Both Faith and I rolled our eyes as we smiled at him. At least I knew the food was good since he couldn’t even wait for a minute before shoving it into his mouth. As we sat and enjoyed dinner together, there was an overwhelming calm in the room. We ate and joked and had such a great evening that I couldn’t believe I had been nervous about spending time with Tyler again.

The week had been much better than my previous weeks as far as it went with the kids as well. I decided to leave all their activity outfits in the car after I washed them on Monday – that way I never had to worry about having the right clothing for whatever it was we were heading out to do.

Mornings were like a breeze since I’d taken some time to pre-make waffles and then just threw them in the toaster. It had only taken me a month, but I really felt like I had a hold of this nanny thing. We even managed to make it to karate class on the right day this week.

“Hey, how are the ladies at the school treating you? Faith said that one of them was mean?” Tyler asked as he looked at me and then at Faith.

Faith and I had talked about not telling her dad because I didn’t want him to worry. But of course I couldn’t be mad at her for telling the truth. She hid her eyes from me, but I just smiled when she finally looked up.

“Sorry,” she said in her timid little voice.

“It’s okay. It’s always better to tell the truth,” I replied. “So we decided that they like it when I park in the lot and walk them to school in the morning. And on Tuesday, a couple of moms were making mean comments about me.”

“What were they saying?” Tyler said as he actually stopped eating.

“Nothing important. They don’t know me, and anything they say means nothing because I know who I am.”

“They called her a sugar baby,” Thomas said. “She’s not a baby,” he defended me.

“You’re right. Summer is a grown up just like I am, isn’t she?” Tyler said. “Sorry, those ladies can be pretty cranky around there.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure that’s what it looks like when I’m bringing them to school.”

“Or, it looks like you’re the best nanny they have ever had,” Tyler said excitedly. “Don’t you guys think?”

“For sure,” Thomas added.

“Yep, I think so,” Faith said too.

“Wow, you guys are going to make me cry.”

“How about I get you guys all set up in your new bedrooms and ready for bed. It is almost nine o’clock. I can’t believe you guys didn’t eat earlier.”

“We got distracted working on their rooms,” I added, hoping he wasn’t angry that I let them wait so long for dinner.

The kids and I had been snacking most of the afternoon at soccer practice, and we made nachos when we first got home. We definitely were not starving. A later dinner worked out really well for us.

“Can we sleep upstairs tonight?” Faith asked.

“Yep, I think we should test them out. Say goodnight to Summer, and I’ll take you upstairs.”

Both of the kids looked really tired as they came around the table and gave me a big hug. There was no doubt that I’d tuckered them out enough for them both to get a really good night’s sleep. That had become my new victory feeling when the kids went to bed so quickly that they couldn’t even manage to come out for a late night drink or potty break.

While Tyler took the kids upstairs and spent some time with them, I finished cleaning up the dishes. It was really weird how comfortable I felt in that kitchen after only four weeks. I knew where everything was and how to use most of the gadgets in the drawers. Back at my parents’, I’d never even managed to cook one meal.

“Dinner was so good,” Tyler said as he came down the stairs. “Seriously, the best meal I’ve had in months.”

“Really?” I was shocked as I turned around. “I just followed the recipe.”

“You did it perfectly. Keep it up, and before we know it, you’ll be serving up delicious meals every day of the week.”

“Oh, no you don’t,” I said as I saw this little glimmer in his eye. “You can’t sweet talk me into making all the meals. I’m onto you.”

“What? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he teased as he took a very visible step closer to me.

The distance between the two of us had just gone down from three feet to maybe one foot. With only twelve inches separating us, the sexual chemistry was instantly ignited, and I saw Tyler’s recognition of the feeling as well.

“How was your week?” I asked in an effort to distract the conversation to something other than what was going on between the two of us.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything last weekend when you said things could go back to normal or whatever. I think I was supposed to say something, and you probably think I’m a giant jerk for just laying there silently.”

“No, I don’t think you’re a jerk.”

“Things don’t have to be different between us if you don’t want them to be. But, I’m okay with them being different as well.”

I was getting a little confused about what Tyler was trying to say. Was he saying he did want to sleep with me again or that he didn’t want to sleep with me again? I really wasn’t all that sure what was going on.

“Okay,” I replied even though I wasn’t sure what he was trying to say.

“Okay, you want things to stay the same or different?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Tyler.” I burst out laughing. “I think we are getting along just fine, don’t you?”

“Well, I avoided you all week long, so maybe things aren’t going perfectly fine.”

“You were avoiding me?”

“Yeah, didn’t you notice I was never home?” He laughed

“Nah, not really,” I joked.

Of course, I had noticed he was working a ton, but I just thought it was because he had his big pitch coming up. How was I supposed to have known he was really trying to avoid seeing or talking to me.

“You know what?” he said with a totally serious look on his face.

“What?”

“I think I’m going to tickle the truth out of you.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” I said as I started to smile.

“I would dare,” he said as he chased after me.

I ran through the kitchen and out into the living room before darting down the hallway. I was about to go into the kids’ old bedroom, but Tyler grabbed me and pulled me into his room. We were both laughing hysterically as he threw me down on the bed and started to tickle me.

“I hate being tickled,” I said in the best straight face I could muster.

“Maybe you should have thought about that before you started tickling me the other day. Now this is a tickle battle, and you have no way out of it.” He laughed as he sat on my legs and held his fingers up in the air.

He wiggled his fingers as he prepared to tickle me. I was already laughing though as I remembered the night I had done the same thing to him. There was no turning back now. I was definitely going to get tickled.

“I’ll do anything,” I screamed out.

Instantly, Tyler stopped. He looked at me as his gaze narrowed, and I could practically see the gears turning in his mind. Uh oh, he was going to come up with something outrageous; I just knew it.

“Kiss me,” he said firmly.

“That’s it?”

“Unless we decide it’s not it.” He pulled me close to him, and I took advantage of the moment and kissed him hard. I didn’t hold back at all as I wrapped my arms around his neck and kept his body pressed up as our mouths opened and started to play with each other. This was quite a different evening than I had expected.

His hands slid up the back of my shirt and pushed it out of the way and then his fingers trickled back down. With each slide of his fingers, I felt my body giving into him more and more. We weren’t frantically going at it like the other night; this time we took our time as each of us explored one another.

Tyler pulled me over to the bed as he sat down, and I stayed standing in front of him. His hands reached around and grabbed my ass while his face pressed into my cleavage. I felt more comfortable there with Tyler than I could remember feeling with any of the other guys I had slept with. We knew each other. Tyler and I knew more about one another than I knew about some of my best friends.

Even the previous week when I had gone out drinking with everyone, all I could think about was that I really wanted Tyler to be there with me. Even if he was just standing there and listening to the same stories I had been listening to. I wanted him there.

I liked having Tyler around, and I hoped he liked having me around. After a month working with him, I finally felt confident enough in my skills to care for the kids, and I wasn’t all that afraid of the time Tyler was going to be gone.

“Something changed,” Tyler said as he pulled my T-shirt off of me. “And I like the change.”

“Me too,” I softly said as my lips moved down his neck, and I took in the delicious taste of his body.

Tyler grabbed my hand and walked me around to the side of his bed. He pulled the covers back and then moved in to kiss me again. Slowly, sensually, our lips pressed against each other. His hands played with the waistband to my workout pants while I started to unbuckle his pants. Before long, we were both standing there naked and slid under the covers and into his bed.

The giant king sized bed was far bigger than my bed at Patrick’s or even my bed here, but I’d slept in plenty of those beds before. I even had one back at my parents’ house. I pulled Tyler with me as I climbed onto the bed. Our hands were wrapped around each other, and our bodies were longing to taste and feel the pleasure that we had felt before.

This time, we were taking our time. We were enjoying each and every moment as we stripped off the last piece of clothing for each of us and slid into his bed.

The dark gray sheets of Tyler’s bed were luxurious, and I let my hands wrap up in them as Tyler moved his body slowly down so his lips played with my wetness. He started slowly at first and then continued moving faster and faster as he egged me on. My body was giving in to the pleasure he delivered.

“Shit,” I screamed out as I felt my pleasure releasing after only a few moments of his tongue on me. “Okay, okay,” I said as I tried to wiggle away, but he wouldn’t let me.

His hands held onto me as his tongue continued to torture me and wouldn’t let me go. The pleasure again started to build up, and I could hardly take it as I felt the excitement starting in my center and moving outward in a big wash of emotions.

Tyler finally moved up my body with his kisses and took my nipple into his mouth. One and then the other, he devoured my breasts and played with them as my body built up with pleasure. Finally, I couldn’t take it any longer and tugged on his body so he would thrust inside of me. I needed him. I had to feel him again. There was no way I could wait any longer.

“Condom,” he said as he pressed his body over to his nightstand and grabbed one out.

He didn’t waste any time as he started putting it on before he had even managed to climb back over to where we were parked on the bed.

“I like being on top,” I said playfully as I pushed him back onto the bed, and he just smiled up at me. He clearly did not care which one of us were on the top as long as he still got to have the fun he wanted to.

I pressed my clit into him as his hands grabbed tightly onto my hips. With every rock of my body, he rocked my hips for me. Soon, I felt the pleasure overwhelming me again, but this time, I didn’t want to give in. This time, I slowed myself down as I felt the urge to orgasm.

Tyler thrust harder and harder as he waited for me to release, but this time, I just wasn’t ready to do that. I wanted more of Tyler, all of him. I needed to feel his desire and how it built up to an explosion. This was going to be about him. I wanted to give him the most pleasure he could remember having. It was funny how only a couple of weeks had changed my view of Tyler and what he was like.

He obviously was a nice person, but more than that, I was a nicer person around him. It took a special sort of man to soften up any woman he was around. His hands stroked up and down my back as we slowed down and enjoyed the moment a little.

Soon, Tyler had pulled me down toward him and was gently kissing me as our hips moved so slowly that we were barely moving. We were making love.

The intimacy of the moment skyrocketed as the kissing increased. There was something so undeniable about kissing while you made love. He moved his hips gingerly and used his hands to guide my body so we were in perfect timing.

Our aroused bodies continued for nearly an hour until I couldn’t take it another second. This time, my orgasm started low and deep in my body, and I wanted to feel it rumble throughout me.

“Yes,” I moaned as I felt that familiar building up of intensity.

Tyler flipped me over and pressed my back into the sheets as he picked up the pace. My feet were curled around his ass and pushed him to move harder and harder as the desire built up more and more. This was a different sort of explosion than the last time. This one was moving throughout my legs as he thrust hard inside of me.

I grabbed onto his back and held his body as tightly toward me as I could while he let go of one last thrust, and I screamed out with delight. But Tyler didn’t stop his thrusting. I knew he was so close to explosion, how could he not be ready to release?

His continued movements had my body building up again before the excitement of the first orgasm had calmed down at all. I couldn’t take it though and pushed him back onto the bed as we rolled over so I was on top again.

“Oh, you like being in control?” he teased as his eyes looked lustfully up at me.

“I do like this.”

I moved my hips slowly as I sat up and let him see me while I moved. His eyes weren’t just looking at my tits, though. He made eye contact and watched me as we continued to move. The harder I thrust my hips, the more intense our lovemaking got.

We were sweating. Drenched in sweat, I was about to throw the blankets off of me when I heard the little pitter patter of footsteps down the stairs. I leaned over on top of Tyler and froze.

“Dad, can I get a drink of water,” Thomas said from the door to Tyler’s room.

I quickly slid under the covers and let Tyler decide what to do next. I didn’t have any idea what the proper way to handle this situation was. So instead of handling it at all, I simply stayed under the covers and didn’t move. I closed my eyes and hoped that some sort of answer could be figured out.

“Yeah, buddy, go ahead and get a drink of water,” Tyler said calmly.

I slinked over next to Tyler and waited to hear the door close all the way. When the door finally closed, Tyler pulled the blankets back and motioned for me to slide back on top of him. But the mood was totally lost. Somehow that one moment in time had solidified what was going on here.

I was just the nanny.

I had to hide from his kids. I wasn’t a girlfriend. I wasn’t someone who was okay to be in bed with their father. Instead, I was the nanny who was sleeping with my boss, and it felt weird and wrong.

“I should get back to my room,” I said as my gut spun around with this nasty weird feeling.

“No, stay.”

Tyler pulled me toward him and kissed me. He was sweet, but there was no way this was going to work out for either one of us. He was literally paying me to live in his house and take care of his children – that wasn’t a relationship.

“Nah, I better go. I’ll wait until Thomas gets back into his room,” I said as I climbed out of the bed and looked around for my clothes.

I flipped the light on and started to get dressed as Tyler laid in bed still. His body was still hard with excitement for me, but his hands were running through his hair as if he also knew this wasn’t how things were supposed to turn out.

“I’m sorry; I should have locked the door. Just go lock it and come back to bed,” he said with a pained expression. “Summer, don’t go.”

I slipped my T-shirt on and climbed up into the bed. I kissed him gently, and it was perfection. His hand slid into my hair and pulled me as we took the moment to enjoy each other. I liked this guy, and sleeping with him that night was different than it had been the first time. The emotions I was feeling were raw and overwhelming for me like nothing I’d experienced before.

“I’m going to head upstairs. It’s fine; I’ll see you in the morning,” I said sweetly as I pulled away from him.

At this point, I just wanted a moment to myself. I had to think about everything that was going on, and I couldn’t do that in his bed. I’d worked for a month already, and maybe it was time for me to leave and let Tyler hire a new nanny? I wasn’t sure at all. The only thing I was sure of was that I couldn’t stay in that room with Tyler another moment as I felt my emotions boiling up and getting ready to burst.

There was no way I was crying over this. It was stupid. I hurried out of his room and up to my room. Of course, I was balling by the time I shut the door behind me. I liked Tyler and not just as some boy toy I wanted to sleep with and hang around. I had so many real emotions going on that I could hardly process them.

Not only did I like Tyler, but I loved Faith and Thomas. How was this all going to end? It felt like the heartbreak was the only possible answer. I slid down next to my bed and curled up into a tight ball as I let the emotions take over for a minute. I was the nanny, and I’d just fallen in love with my employer, how totally cliché was that?

Chapter 12

Tyler

“Have a great day at school you guys,” I said as Summer and the kids were walking out the front door as I just woke up.

Summer had avoided me all weekend long and even this morning had woken the kids up extra early to get them ready and go for a walk by the river before school. The distance between us was killing me. I liked Summer. I liked her more than a nanny, but I wasn’t exactly sure how that was supposed to work out because she was also the best nanny the kids had ever had.

She wasn’t perfect in the household stuff, but she stuck to the kids’ schedules, and Faith and Thomas were ten times happier than I’d seen them in months. Hell, they were probably the happiest I’d seen them since their mother passed away, and that was all due to Summer and her way of caring for them.

Even though I cared for her and loved being with her, I couldn’t ruin that for the kids. If Summer wanted things to stop between the two of us while she was the nanny, then I would hold back and let that happen. My kids were far more important to me than a sexual relationship that was building between Summer and me.

As I drove to work, my mind raced with all the ideas about what I should say or do with Summer. I knew Rob was going to freak out when I told him about how the weekend had gone. All week he kept telling me to play it cool and just let things settle. But then I went and made love to Summer again, and now everything was a disaster.

“Rob,” I said as I stood in the doorway to his office right when I arrived.

“We have two weeks until the pitch, so do not tell me anything that will freak me out. I swear to God,” he groaned as he was going through some of our advertising posters that arrived. “They screwed them up. Nothing is right. Look at this!”

Rob held up one of the posters, and the writing on the front was so small you couldn’t see it from five feet away. Obviously, they wouldn’t work well to put up in airports like we had planned to pitch to the client.

“We have two weeks, just send them back and make the company fix it. There’s enough time,” I said calmly.

“And how about this?” He pulled out a large poster that instead of having our graphic on it, there was a picture of a half naked woman with the words we had designed for our poster.

I couldn’t help laughing. It was so ridiculous that it really looked like some sort of joke that the printing shop was playing on us. How could they actually think we would write ‘Come stay in us,’ with a picture of a half naked woman on a six-foot long poster? It was really funny, but not funny all at the same time.

“Send it back. Let’s go through everything, and we will send the items back and figure out what happened. There’s plenty of time. You’ve got to calm down,” I said as I realized now was definitely not going to be the right time to tell him what was going on with Summer.

It took most of the morning for us to go through all our marketing material and get things packaged back up to send to the printer. When we were done with packaging everything, I let Rob relax while I called the printer to figure everything out. Luckily, they had our order still and emailed me proofs to confirm. They apologized profusely and promised our updated order would be in the office within three days.

“Everything is taken care of,” I said to Rob as I sat down across from his desk. “They sent over the final proofs and assured me we would have everything by the end of this week to look at. They are even giving us a full credit back for the order. So basically, we just got them free of charge.”

“Well, that’s good at least,” he grumped as he was frantically going through files on his computer. “So what was it that you had to tell me earlier? It looked like you had some bad news.”

“Um, it’s fine. We can talk about it later. I’ve got everything under control.”

“Shit, what did you do?”

“I said everything is under control. There’s nothing to worry about. We are going to the big pitch session in two weeks, and I can keep a lid on this until then.”

Rob’s head fell into his hands, and he laid it down on his desk as he groaned. I really didn’t want to stress him out any more than he already was, and at this point, there wasn’t much to say about it. I’d slept with Summer again, and things were a little awkward – that was all.

“It doesn’t change our trip. Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m worried, Tyler. Do you see all this gray hair? I’m worried. I’d like to finally take a vacation. I want to meet my own sexy nanny and have hot sex all night long. I want to get my damn yellow tooth fixed. But I’m too busy with our company. I’m worried, so just tell me what’s going on,” he said in exasperation.

“I slept with Summer. Thomas came into the room, and I basically pushed her head under the covers and made her hide. She left and went back to her room, and I haven’t spoken to her in two days.”

“You’re going to kill me. You know this, right Tyler?”

“Come on, she still got up and took the kids to school today. I think things are going to be fine. They were fine last week. We were getting along even though we didn’t talk all week.”

“And yet you still managed to end up with her in your bed again?” Rob shrugged his shoulders as if it was some sort of mystery.

“She made dinner last night. One thing led to another and bam we were in bed.”

“I wish just for a day, I could have your life. No, not all of it, not the horrible history stuff. But this stuff. I want this,” he growled at me. “Let’s just get as much done today as we can before your life blows up in both of our faces.”

We actually got tons of work done that day, and I was confident we were prepared for our big pitch. As soon as our correct advertising posters came in, that was all we really had left. We both knew what to say during our pitch. We practiced having a little light hearted humor in there as well. This was going to be awesome, and I was sure we would nail it.

When I arrived back home at the end of the day, Summer was in the living room, but the kids were nowhere to be found.

“The kids are next door with Kenny and Abby,” Summer said right away. “I think we need to talk.”

Those dreaded words were never a good sign, both in a relationship and with a nanny, and I hated hearing them. I sat down and hoped this wasn’t going to turn out to be what I thought it was. I really didn’t want Summer to feel bad about what happened. I was fine with going back to the way things were if that was what she wanted.

“I’m going to give my notice; I don’t think I can keep working for you. I know you have a big trip coming up, though, and I’ll stay on to ensure the kids aren’t disturbed over that time. But when you get back, I’m going to stop working for you.”

Summer was calm and so matter-of-fact about it that I didn’t like her tone at all. At least she was going to stay on until after my trip, but she was looking at me as if I’d done something wrong, and I was pretty sure there had been two of us in that bed, both times.

“Okay,” I said as I got up and walked away.

“That’s it. Just okay?”

“I mean if you really don’t care about any of this, and you want to leave, I guess you should leave. It’s just really confusing because I had feelings for you and …well that doesn’t matter.”

“I’m the nanny, Tyler. I had to hide under the blankets when Thomas came in because you were ashamed of me.”

“Not true! You hid under the blankets, and that was fine. Obviously, no kid needs to see his parent making love. But that was a normal thing. You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

“I sleep in your spare room, and you pay me,” she said as she stood up and stormed into the kitchen with me. “You slept with me, and you pay me. Do you even understand how that feels for me as a woman?”

“What? No! It’s not like that. Yeah, I pay you because you’re the nanny. Not because you slept with me. God, Summer, don’t twist this around like some crazy woman.”

The word left my mouth, and I instantly regretted it. My father had once told me never to call a woman crazy, or I’d truly regret it. There was just something about that word that really pissed women off, and I knew it, yet I still said it to Summer.

“Crazy? Oh, I’m crazy now?” Summer stood there staring at me for a moment as I rolled my eyes.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Fine, you know what. I’ll take my crazy ass out of your life. How is that?”

She stormed up the stairs, and I followed her. She pulled one of her big suitcases out of the closet and started throwing her things into it. This had escalated quickly, and I was panicking as I watched her.

“Summer, I need you. You are great with the kids. Please don’t do this?” I said calmly.

“What? You want a crazy woman taking care of your kids? That doesn’t seem safe. Don’t worry, I’m leaving, and I’ll send Patrick over to get my things tomorrow.”

“Summer seriously, don’t go.”

“I was quitting because I liked you. I didn’t want to be your employee, but I wanted to date you. And you ruined it all. You calling me crazy because of what? Because you’re mad that I’m not going to take care of the kids anymore?”

I took a deep breath as I tried to figure out what to do. I didn’t understand she was leaving because she actually wanted a relationship. I thought she was leaving because she felt like a prostitute over getting paid to be a nanny. I honestly wouldn’t want her to feel that way, but things were so out of control at the moment I couldn’t imagine anything I would say could make things any better.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean you were crazy. Just that the way you were acting …” I trailed off. That didn’t sound any better than actually calling her crazy.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure there are a dozen other girls you can hire who would love to take care of the kids. Good luck,” she said as she grabbed her heavy suitcase and made her way to the stairs.

“Let me carry that for you,” I said as I took the suitcase. “You’ll hurt yourself going down those stairs.”

Reluctantly, she let me carry the suitcase down the stairs. I held onto it in hopes that we could talk, and she would calm down a little. Her face was red with anger as she stood in front of me, and I felt the emotion in her eyes. She was hurt. I’d done that to her, and it was a horrible feeling. I had successfully made it years without seeing that level of pain in a woman’s eyes, and it sucked to know I’d made her feel that way.

“I can take it now,” she said as she pulled her suitcase away from me.

“Summer, you don’t have to go. We can work this out.”

“Goodbye, Tyler. I’ll stop over to the neighbors and give the kids a proper goodbye as well.”

The kids. My stomach spun around, and I felt like I was going to vomit. They were going to miss Summer so much. They loved her. They really cared about her a lot, and my stupid behavior had just screwed that up for us all.

“I’ll drive you. Where do you need to go?” I offered in the last ditch effort to get more time to talk to her and convince her to change her mind.

“Don’t worry about it; I’m not your problem anymore,” she said sternly as she pulled her suitcase out the front door.

I stood and watched as she left it near the garage and then went over to the neighbor’s house to say goodbye to the kids. This was bad. This was downright horrible. She had offered to stay until after my trip, and somehow, I had just ruined that. I’d taken what was the best nanny the kids had ever had and made her so angry that she was storming off without even getting to say a proper goodbye or prepare the kids for what was coming.

It didn’t take long after Summer left in her Uber before the kids were back at the house crying. Surprisingly, it was hitting Thomas really hard. He was more of a distant kid normally, and his tears hit me really hard.

“Why did she have to leave,” he sobbed as I held onto him. “She was the nicest person ever. She played dinosaurs with me and would let me be the T. Rex.”

“She still really cares about you guys. But she had to go.”

“Dad, what did you do?” Faith said as she crossed her arms and looked angrily at me from the other side of the couch.

Her tears had dried up, and she was suddenly really angry at me. I wasn’t exactly sure how she knew this was all because of something I did. But she clearly thought it was.

“What do you mean?”

“You are always mean to the nannies. You did something; I know it.” She had a stern look on her face as she accused me, and I couldn’t lie to her.

“We had an argument, and I said something mean.”

“Well, go apologize and fix this. You were mean, and you always tell us to apologize when we are mean.”

She said it as if things were that simple in adult life. I knew they were not. Of course, I would apologize to Summer, but the damage was done, and I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to convince her that I truly didn’t mean to put her down like that.

It wasn’t just about my trip anymore. I could always call on the in-laws or some other family if I really had to. But I didn’t want to. They would never let me forget that I actually needed their help, but I could do it. The thing that was bothering me the most was how bad I’d made Summer feel. How she seemed to question what was happening between us as some sort of thing I did often with nannies. It wasn’t. The emotions that were going on between Summer and me over the last month weren’t something I’d felt in a very long time.

“I’ll try and apologize,” I said as Faith continued to stare at me.

“Not try, Dad. You will do it. You find out where she is, and you tell her you were stupid, and you are sorry.”

“Okay, Okay,” I said as I started to laugh at how serious Faith was being.

By this time, Thomas had stopped crying, and he moved over and sat next to his sister. He realized she was mad at me, so he also crossed his arms and angrily looked at me. These two meant business.

“It’s not funny, Dad. If you hurt someone’s feelings, it’s just as bad as hurting them with your fist. We learned that at school.”

“I wasn’t laughing about that. You are right,” I said as I leaned in to give them a hug.

At first, they both tried to pull away, but I wouldn’t let them. I squeezed them tight and didn’t let them go for a good minute. My kids were growing up to be pretty darn amazing children. Claire would have been so proud of them. She would have been much less proud of how I’d handled things with Summer, though.

Even though we couldn’t have planned for life without each other, Claire and I did have one memorable conversation about what we would do if one of us passed away early in life. I remember telling her I’d pine away loving her forever and never even look at another woman. She slapped me playfully and told me not to say such a thing. She lovingly looked at me and said she wanted me to find the happiness, and I wanted the same for her.

Claire would have liked Summer; I was sure of it. The lighthearted way Summer cared for the kids and worked so hard to make them happy would have made Claire really happy too. I knew I had to find Summer and apologize. Even if that meant she didn’t come back as a nanny, maybe it would be possible to mend our friendship so we could actually go on a date or get to know each other. Although I really did want her to stay with the kids for the two weeks so that I could go to my business trip. The in-laws were dreadful, and the whole reason I didn’t use them to watch the kids was that they constantly picked on them and tried to make the kids into porcelain dolls instead of letting them actually have fun.

My two-week trip would be torture for the kids if they had to stay with family. I knew I had to convince Summer to come back, even if it was just for the two weeks.

Chapter 13

Summer

How dare he turn this whole thing around and call me crazy. My blood was boiling as I climbed into the Uber and drove away. I’d been nice and offered to stay through his trip. All I wanted was him to acknowledge that we couldn’t be sleeping together while he was paying me to be his nanny – one of the two things had to stop.

When I got back to my apartment, I nearly killed myself dragging the suitcase up the stairs. It was so heavy that, at one point, I fell over and landed on my butt as I yanked on the darn thing.

“Do you want me to help you with that?” Patrick laughed from the top of the stairs.

“Yes, dear God, please. I can’t believe how friggin heavy this is.”

“You packed it.”

“Remind me never to pack this much in one suitcase again.” I laughed as he easily grabbed it and brought the bag the rest of the way up to our apartment.

“I absolutely will not say that to you. You’ll just give me a dirty look and tell me how much you need every single thing you have in your bag.”

“You’re probably right.”

It felt good to be back in my apartment with Patrick. Although I hadn’t been out on my own for too long, I liked our little apartment and the independence I had. After being at Tyler’s house for the last month, it was nice to know I could sit and do whatever I wanted for as long as I wanted without getting interrupted.

“So you quit?” Patrick asked as he sat with me on the couch.

“I offered to stay through his trip, but then things just blew up and got crazy. Literally, he called me crazy.”

“He did not!” Patrick said as his jaw dropped, and he looked truly shocked at what I had just said. “He didn’t seem like the sort of guy who would say or do something like that.”

“I know, right? I didn’t think it was too much to ask to talk like a couple of adults and make a decision on whether I was going to be the nanny or date him. I just couldn’t be both. It was uncomfortable, and I didn’t like it.”

“That seems reasonable. How did it end up with him calling you crazy?”

The truth was I didn’t even remember why he had said it or what I had said first. All I knew was I was yelling at him, and he was yelling at me, and what I thought was going to be an easy conversation turned into a disaster.

“I’m not even sure. But it’s over now. I packed my bag and left. I said goodbye to the kids, and that was the end of it.”

“Wow, I bet the kids are going to miss you. From what you’ve told me, they really love you a lot.”

“I love them too. That was why I was planning to stay through his trip. I didn’t want them to have to work with a new nanny or have his strange family come and watch them. I just wanted it to be an easy transition without anything too hard for them. I was even going to help with the hiring if he wanted me to. But nothing happened the way I wanted it to.”

“This is so sad,” Patrick said as he started crying. “He was really handsome. I thought for sure the two of you were going to run off and live happily ever after.”

“Did you and your boyfriend break up?” I asked as Patrick continued crying.

There was no way he cared this much about my job and the fight I had. I knew something had to been going on with him and his boyfriend. Over the last month, I hadn’t had much time to check in with everyone.

“Yeah, we broke up.”

“Maybe we should go out dancing tonight? Do you think the girls have time?”

“I bet they could come out for a little bit. We all need a good de-stressing night. We could go back to Club Lively, and whoever wants to stay late can stay, and if people need to leave earlier, they can leave. Oh, wait, what about that deal you made with your father about helping you out?” Patrick asked as he sat back down.

“Actually, I talked with my dad last week, and he is going to just pay my rent. We decided that was better than giving me money since I’m sometimes horrible with money. So, I’ll never be late with my half of the rent again. Isn’t that awesome?”

“Yeah, man, that takes some serious pressure off. I like that plan so much.”

I had been really rotten to Patrick by not paying my part of the rent, and it was weighing on me. I’d already planned on paying the whole rent next month and was going to wait and surprise him, though. I was going to sell off some of my shoes and put the money into savings while I decided what to do next.

For fun, I was going to meet with a modeling agent again and see if there was a place for me in that world. I loved fashion so much and just couldn’t believe that I was too old for the industry. I was open to modeling in commercials, magazines, and pretty much anything would work for me.

“Let’s go get our party on tonight,” I said as I leaned over and gave Patrick a big hug. “You deserve to let loose and relax a little. That jerk wasn’t the right one for you. We are going to find you the right guy sooner or later. I just know it.”

“Thanks, Summer. I like this new you. You are much nicer than you used to be.”

It was probably the truth. Since working with Tyler and the kids, I felt like I was noticing other people and the struggles they had to go through in their lives. I’d been so self-absorbed before that I probably wouldn’t have been friends with myself a month prior.

“Let’s get our butts ready and go dancing,” I said excitedly. “We are going to dance, drink, and have the best night ever.”

“I’ve got to work in the morning,” Patrick said.

“It’s fine; let’s just get the girls over here, and we can go out. I’m sure everyone is going to want to go home by midnight. That’s cool. We can still have a blast.”

Patrick and I got ready and waited for Amy and Rebecca to finish work and meet us at the apartment. It felt frigging amazing to be out and not have to worry about any responsibilities. I did my hair and makeup but decided to wear jeans and a cute tank top instead of a dress. I truly just wanted to visit with my friends and relax.

“What’s up ladies?” I yelled as Amy and Rebecca pulled up to our apartment. “We will be right down.”

It only took us about a half hour to get to the club and inside. Obviously, Monday nights weren’t the busiest, but that was just fine for us. The four of us took over the dance floor and literally danced our night away. We took a few breaks for drinking and resting, but other than that, we tried to stay out on the floor as much as possible. It wasn’t very often that we came to the club and there was actually room on the dance floor.

“This is the best night ever,” Patrick screamed over the music. “I needed this so bad.”

Even though we had been out the previous weekend, it just wasn’t the same. Patrick still had a boyfriend then, and I still had a job. Everything was different for the two of us, and we were taking advantage of every moment.

Just before midnight, I was sipping on a huge cosmopolitan while I tried to cool off. I could notice that everyone was getting tired, and they were probably going to head out, but I just didn’t want to leave yet.

“Hey girl, I’m glad to see you relaxing and having fun. We should go to lunch sometime,” Amy said as she gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“I am going to pick you up for a nail appointment later this week, my treat,” Rebecca added as I gave her a hug as well.

“I can’t wait. Drive safely, Amy,” I said as she held onto Rebecca. “Thanks for being the designated driver for our lush friend here.”

“No problem. I couldn’t drink and get up to work in the morning anyway. You two have fun.”

“And then there was two,” I said to Patrick as I sipped my drink.

“Actually, you’ve got an admirer,” Patrick said as a man was walking toward us. “Seriously, how do they know you’re not with me? I could be straight. They don’t know that.”

Patrick was a very muscular guy and handsome too. I didn’t know he was gay when I first met him, but guys seemed to know when we were out at clubs. Maybe there was a vibe that other guys could pick up on and girls just couldn’t?

“Let’s dance,” the guy said without even asking me.

“Um, no thank you.”

“Oh, come on, don’t be a cunt. Let’s dance,” he said as he grabbed my arm.

“No,” I screamed at him as Patrick came up to intercept the conversation.

But it wasn’t just Patrick that joined in. Standing next to him was Tyler. The two of them didn’t have to say a thing as they stared the guy down. He let go of my arm and toddled off to the other side of the club. He was obviously drunk, but it was still really scary because he had been so forceful and not interested in whether I wanted to dance with him or not.

“Thanks,” I said to both of them.

“I’m going to head home. I’ve got to get to work in the morning. Tyler says he can take you back to the apartment. Is that alright with you?”

I looked at Patrick with as evil of a stare as I could manage. Had he told Tyler where we were at? There was no way Tyler could have known we were out dancing at the club on a Monday night. I was going to give Patrick a serious piece of my mind the next time the two of us were alone.

“I guess,” I said as I went out to the dance floor, and Tyler came right behind me.

“We should talk.”

“I don’t want to talk. I want to dance.”

“Then let’s dance,” Tyler said as he grabbed me and pulled me close to him.

His hand stayed on my ass while he looked down at me with so much desire that I could hardly stand it. What the heck was he doing? I tried to fight it. I tried to pretend like I wasn’t attracted to him. But there was no denying it – I melted into his arms.

The music pounded in the background, and we moved sexually together. Our hips were finding their own soft rhythm within the bump of the music. At first, I kept my hands on his shoulders, ready to push him away at any moment, but then I gave in. I wrapped myself around him and let the energy between us welcome me into it.

We couldn’t exactly talk while in the club anyway. But our body energy was certainly telling a story without any words needed. Tyler put two fingers under my chin and tilted it up, so I had to look at him.

“I’m sorry,” he mouthed distinctively.

I licked my lips with anticipation as he moved in, and I thought he was going to kiss me. But instead of kissing me on the lips, he kissed my cheek and then pulled away. His hands were gentle with me as he let them glide up and down my back, and I slowly moved closer and closer to him.

For a good hour, we danced together slowly, even though the music in the club was upbeat and fast. Our body language softened, and I felt his compassion and his true feelings of being sorry for the argument we had. The longer I stayed pressed up against his body, the more my own desires for him started to creep up again.

I couldn’t take it any longer and pulled him down to kiss him. Whatever we had fought about was long gone as our mouths played together. I longed for more from him, but the dance floor certainly wasn’t the right place.

“Do you want to take me home?” I whispered in his ear.

“Yes.”

He grabbed my hand and walked out of the club with me right behind him. There was a confidence in his step that I hadn’t seen before when the two of us were around each other. Tyler walked me all the way to where his car was parked before he pulled me up against him and kissed me so passionately I nearly lost my footing.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered between kisses. “I’m a stupid, crazy, man who says stupid things, and I’d really love it if you’d forgive me.”

“Okay,” I said with a smile. “How could I refuse an apology like that?”

“Now here’s my problem. I know you don’t want to be the nanny and be the girl I take out on a date. I understand that. I personally would choose for you to date me and screw the whole nanny idea altogether. But I’ve got to put the kids first. And they love you. They need consistency, and I think I should ask you if you’ll come back and be their nanny, at least through my trip and through the process of finding a new one.”

“Okay.”

“Wait, did you say okay?” He asked totally stunned at my response.

“Yeah, I felt horrible about leaving like I did, and I don’t think I want to be a nanny for you anymore. But I will do it for the next couple of weeks so the kids don’t have to go through a huge transition while you’re gone. Deal?”

Tyler breathed a huge sigh of relief as he opened the car door for me to get in. He clearly had been worried about what I was going to say, and it felt good to put his mind at ease a little.

“So we can go back to my place?” he asked.

“Actually, I do need this week off. I’ll come back this weekend so you can leave for your trip, though. I’ve already scheduled some meetings for this week.”

“What kind of meetings?” he asked a little surprised.

“With a modeling agency. I think I’d really like to give that a go, and I found one that does a lot of work overseas. I sent them a message and some pictures, and they already asked me to come in and take some professional photos with them this week.”

“Okay, anything. If it means you’ll stick around with the kids while I’m gone, then I’m totally going to make it work.”

“I’m not staying around after that. I’ll stay until you hire another nanny, but that’s it. I have too many feelings for you, and it’s really not healthy for me to keep putting myself in that environment.”

“I understand,” Tyler said as he drove toward my apartment. “Do you think I could ask you out on a regular date sometime?”

“Let’s get through the next few weeks first and see how things turn out. I don’t want to make any promises I can’t keep,” I replied as I looked out the window and tried to avoid eye contact with Tyler.

I liked him. I had so many emotions about Tyler that I knew I would go out with him in a second. But things weren’t always that simple, and after the fight we had just had, I was concerned I’d always be thinking of how we met and never really be able to look past it. That wouldn’t be good for either of us.

“I’ll take what I can get for now.” He laughed.

“So I’ll come over on Saturday morning to give you time to get ready and say goodbye to the kids. Does eight o’clock sound okay?”

“Yes. My flight isn’t until early afternoon, so that will work. I’ll be gone exactly two weeks and should return the next Saturday around three o’clock.”

“Perfect. We will have two amazing weeks together doing all the things that you don’t like us doing.” I laughed. “We are going to mud wrestle. Stay up late. Eat lots of candy and probably sit really close to the television.”

“I trust your judgment.” Tyler gave me a little smirk. “Whatever you think is best.”

This was definitely a different guy than the one I knew. The Tyler I knew would have gotten mad about each and every idea I’d just listed off. But I was really happy we had settled this, and I was going to be there with the kids while he was gone. Even if I wasn’t dating him and wouldn’t work for him after this trip, it was the right thing to go back and take care of the kids for the two weeks he was gone.

Chapter 14

Tyler

“How did the send off go?” Rob asked as we boarded our flight.

“It was good. I’m so glad Summer came back to stay. I’m not worried at all with her there. The kids are happy, and they are going to have such a great time with Summer. I can totally concentrate on this pitch with you.”

“Good, because I’m going to let you do a lot of the talking. You’re a little more personable than I am.”

“That’s the truth.” I laughed with him as we sat down in our first class seats.

Neither of us got to enjoy much of the flight since we both fell asleep shortly after takeoff. It was as if the exhaustion from the last few weeks had caught up with us both at the same time.

I thought I was going to be really nervous about our pitch, but we were a good match for this hotel chain. Obviously, I didn’t know who else was going to be at this pitch-fest, but I knew our company and the outcomes we had been able to deliver in the past. We could skyrocket this chain and make them even more popular among the younger crowd, which was what they were looking for.

***

The next week was a total blur. We were going to so many different parties to mingle and get to know the other people. Our pitch went fantastically, and it was just a matter of waiting out the next few days to see if we needed to go back in for a callback. The artwork for our advertising campaign samples turned out perfectly, and I even managed to make them laugh a little during my PowerPoint presentation.

This new kind of bidding on projects was insanely competitive, though, and as the second week went on and on, I was nearly going to lose my mind. I’m not going to lie – I was worried as hell.

“Let’s go have a drink,” Rob suggested while sitting in my room and talking about our pitch for the last hour of the evening. “You obviously need to get some energy out. I think you’ve paced a hole in the carpet.”

“Yeah, I could really use a drink.”

We made our way downstairs and to the nightclub across the street. The place was crawling with gorgeous women in their twenties who had likely come into town purely because of this pitch fest. Advertising CEOs from across the country were in town, and besides our conferences and meetings, we all had a lot of free time on our hands.

“Lord have mercy; I’ve died and gone to heaven,” Rob said as we walked into the bar.

“Keep it in the holster man; we just got here.” I laughed. “Let’s have a drink and relax. You can go hunting for a lady friend in a few minutes.”

“Dang, look at those ladies. Come on Tyler, be my wing man.”

“You still have a yellow tooth. You’ll never get one of these girls.” I gave a laugh as we found a couple of spots at the bar.

“I’m sure going to try.”

We ordered our drinks, and less than two minutes later, there was a woman standing next to me wanting to talk. She sipped her drink and looked playfully at me as she waited for me to hit on her. Normally, I would have done my duty and flirted with the beautiful woman, but on this night, all I could think about was how much I would have preferred Summer to be standing there flirting with me.

After about five minutes of me not talking to her, the girl turned away in a huff and went searching for a new man. It was rather freeing to realize that although there were dozens of beautiful women at the club, I had one particular one on my mind.

I stayed with Rob for a little bit and acted as his wing man as he flirted with many women and got turned down by most. He certainly shot for the stars when it came to women though and went after all the extremely young blondes in the club. Finally, after an hour or so, he found one that would actually stay and talk to him, and I was able to sneak off and go back to my hotel room.

It was late, but I still gave Summer a call to see how her day went with the kids. Every day right after school I called to talk to the kids, but I hadn’t really had a chance to just talk with Summer and see how she was doing.

“Hey,” she said softly as she answered the phone on the first ring.

“How was your day?”

“I’m getting really good at this. But I can’t wait for you to come home. How is it all going?”

“Good, our presentation went well. As good as could be expected, and now we just have to wait. Rob is at the bar trying to hit on women, but I’m exhausted and think I’m going to try and get some sleep.”

“Did he fix his tooth?”

“No.” I laughed. “But he was talking to a girl when I left, and she hadn’t run away from him yet. So maybe he will get lucky.”

It was nice talking to Summer. I was at ease around her. Even with things a little up in the air for the nanny position, it was still comforting to be able to have a conversation with her. My best hope was that when I got home, the two of us could talk things through and figure out what to do next.

“Seriously, I don’t see how any woman would keep talking to him with that tooth.”

“He’s got money. Need I say more?”

“Very true. Oh, so the kids and I actually did some mud wrestling in the backyard. And I’m pretty sure we ruined the carpet.”

“You’re kidding? Please tell me you’re kidding,” I said as I took a deep breath in.

“We were playing in the sprinkler for a little too long and got our feet muddy. I tried cleaning everyone up with the hose, but one of the kids left some adorable brown footprints from the kitchen to the bathroom. I’m going to get some carpet cleaner at the store tomorrow and try and clean it, but don’t get mad at them, please. It was totally my fault.”

Normally, this was where I’d freak out. I couldn’t tell if Summer was being serious, though. It sort of sounded like she was messing with me to see if she could get me worked up.

“Okay,” I said calmly.

“Okay? Are you sure you’re feeling alright? I said there are muddy footprints all through the hallway.”

“I know you’ll do your best to clean them up, and if I need to have a carpet cleaning service come in, then I can do that when I get home.”

“Okay, who is this and what have you done with Tyler English?” Summer asked dramatically. “If he’s been kidnapped, I’m not paying a ransom. I don’t have that kind of money, and to be honest, he’s sort of a pain in the butt.”

“Oh, you did not just say that.”

“Ah, there he is. That sounds like the Tyler I know,” Summer said as she started giggling so hard she could hardly talk. “Don’t worry, there are no muddy footprints. I was just teasing you.”

“Girl when I get home I swear to God I’m going to pay you back for that. I almost had a heart attack. How are the kids doing, though, really? Are they missing me? Are they having a hard week? It’s okay, just tell me the truth.”

There was a long pause, and for a moment, I thought the call had been disconnected. I waited to see what it was she was going to say. I could handle it. I knew the kids were going to miss me, and if they were having a rough time, I wanted to hear about it.

“Do you want me to really tell you the truth?” Summer asked.

“Yeah.”

“Of course they love you a lot. But you’re usually busy all week anyway, and they don’t see you much. The week has been pretty much normal for them, except for we have had some extra special fun nights. I don’t think they are missing you very much, but I’m sure they miss you … I mean, they just aren’t saying it.”

“Ouch.”

“No, I mean they love you, and they are happy. They are comfortable and happy. I’m sorry; I didn’t mean for that to sound mean. Yes, they miss you.”

“It’s okay. I know what you were trying to say. I’m glad they are having such a great time that they don’t have to miss me. That’s all because of you.”

“Thanks.”

“Okay, I’m going to rest and let you rest too. Are you taking care of yourself and eating properly?”

“Of course,” she said as if she hadn’t fainted twice in my presence.

“I’ll call tomorrow after school. Have a great night,” I said as I locked the hotel room door and got ready to go to sleep.

“You too. We can’t wait to see you.”

I had a huge grin on my face as I hung up the phone and started to brush my teeth. Talking to Summer just did that to me; there was no way around it. I couldn’t wait for this week to be over and to finally be able to figure out what was going on between the two of us. No matter if we got this client or not, I wanted to start dating Summer and see where things between the two of us went.

***

The flight home seemed to take twice as long because Rob and I were so exhausted. We had won the job and were up the previous night partying with some of the other advertising teams who had landed some big jobs at the pitch fest. I tried to sleep the best I could, but every time I closed my eyes, my mind raced with everything we had ahead of us.

Not only would this job land us on the radar for other big named national jobs, but it was going to allow us to expand like we had always hoped to do. There were so many decisions about our future that the two of us were going to have to spend some serious time in the office working everything out.

But not in the next two weeks. For the next two weeks, Rob and I both promised we weren’t going to work a ton, and we were going to try and relax a little. We deserved some time off after the preparation we had put into with this client.

As I walked off the plane, I was excited to see the kids but also really excited to see Summer. I knew they were going to be waiting for me near the baggage claim, and I started searching the crowd as soon as I could see through the glass doors.

Sure enough, there was Summer, looking amazingly beautiful in her jeans and a black T-shirt. And my beautiful kids who ran straight toward me and nearly tackled me before I got my footing and lifted them both up.

“We missed you, Dad,” Faith said as she gave me a huge kiss and hug.

“You were gone so long, Dad. I missed you so much,” Thomas added.

Summer smiled and shrugged knowingly at me as I hugged them. It wasn’t as if I didn’t think they missed me at all. But it was nice to hear them say it because I missed them so much.

“Welcome home,” Summer said as she gave me a little hug. “Okay guys, let’s help Dad find his bag.”

The kids ran over to the luggage area while Summer and I were close behind. I had an overwhelming urge to grab her hand and hold onto it, but I resisted. There were still so many unknowns going on. I was really going to try and make better decisions where Summer was concerned.

On the ride home, I let the kids tell me all about their two weeks. At first, it didn’t seem like they had much to talk about, but the more they started talking, the more they started remembering. By the time we got back to the house, they had pretty much replayed every day since I’d been gone.

With downtown traffic, it was dinnertime by the time we got home. Instead of worrying about making something, I ordered pizza and played with the kids in the backyard to give Summer a few minutes of time to herself. She really didn’t look as exhausted as she had that first week she started working, but I knew she was going to need a break from the kids.

“You finished your rooms,” I said when the kids and I went upstairs to get their pajamas.

Not only were their rooms decorated, but they were perfectly designed for each of them. There were matching pillows, toy boxes, and even a poster of Faith’s favorite band on the wall.

“We used the credit card you left,” Summer said as she stood in her doorway.

Her hair was soaking wet, and I could smell the scent of candles coming from her room. Hopefully, she had taken advantage of that giant whirlpool tub and gotten a chance to really relax for a little bit.

“That’s why I left it. I wanted you guys to use it for anything you needed. I’m so excited your rooms are done. What’s your favorite new thing?”

That question alone ended up costing me an hour of time as Faith and then Thomas showed me every new thing in their rooms. They started by telling me one thing was their favorite and then picked another and another.

I got Thomas going in the shower and then let Faith show me more things in her room. After a while, I put Faith in the shower while Thomas and I explored his room. It was fun to see all the things they got excited about. I could see Summer’s touch in so many ways.

By the time I’d read them each three stories and tucked them into bed, I noticed Summer’s light was off in her room. I had hoped we would get a chance to talk a little but decided to let her sleep since she had worked so hard the two weeks I was gone.

It was nice to be home, and I spent a few minutes picking up around the house so Summer didn’t feel like she had to do it in the morning. When I finally went to my room and looked at my phone, I realized Summer had sent me a text asking me to come talk with her when the kids were in bed.

The text was sent over two hours earlier, though, and I really didn’t want to wake her up. But I did as she asked and knocked softly on her door.

“Come in,” she whispered.

Summer was sitting on her bed with her hair pulled up and a book in her hand. There was a small reading light near the bed, and she couldn’t have looked more adorable. She smiled up at me and motioned for me to come in and sit down.

“How were the kids? Did they miss you?” she asked playfully.

“Yeah, I think they did a little bit. I don’t want to keep you up. We can talk tomorrow.”

“Come here,” she motioned toward the spot next to her as she put her book on the nightstand. “I’ve missed you too.”

“What?”

“I missed you. I’m just going for it. If I’m not going to be the nanny anymore, I’m going for it.”

No sweeter words could have been spoken from what she said right then and there. I hadn’t expected it. I certainly didn’t imagine things between us could work out so easily. I was awestruck as I stayed in the chair and didn’t move for a minute.

“Are you teasing me?” I asked skeptically after she had so expertly tricked me when it came to the muddy footprints incident.

“No, I’m not joking,” she said as she seductively walked over to me and straddled me in the chair. “I missed you. I was thinking about you a lot, and I want you in my bed tonight.”

“There is a God,” I said playfully as I grabbed her ass and pulled her closer to me.

Our lips gently touched as she gave me a welcome home kiss. Her lips were so soft and delicious that I could hardly stop myself as I became more and more aroused. But I wanted to take my time. I enjoyed being with Summer so much and couldn’t let my excitement spoil the night for either of us.

Slowly, I let my lips move down her neck and gently play with the top of her bra. I grabbed the bottom of her black T-shirt and yanked it up and over her head as I reached around to release her breasts from the confines of her undergarment. My lips were delighted in the taste of her as I devoured every inch of her exposed skin before finally picking her up and carrying her over to the bed.

This time I didn’t forget to lock the door though as I jumped back up and playfully winked at Summer while I clicked the lock. She laughed, and I was in heaven. I loved that darn laugh of hers.

“Come here,” she said playfully as she motioned for me to join her in the bed.

“Coming dear.”

As I climbed onto the bed, I started kissing her toes and worked my way up her leg to her inner thigh. She playfully opened her legs and then closed them as she teased me. The moment was everything I loved about this girl. Even after a long two weeks, she was still upbeat and playing.

My kisses continued up her middle to her breasts and then to her lips. Softly, we moved together while I let my hands pull on her bottoms and take them off of her. She grabbed my shirt and yanked it up and over my head before tugging on my belt buckle to undo me.

Our pace picked up a little as she pressed my pants down, and I stood up to take them all the way off. I saluted her beside the bed and was about to crawl back in when she leaned over and wrapped her lips around me.

“Oh … my … God,” I moaned at the delight of feeling her wrapped around me.

She moved slowly at first but then picked up the pace and moved faster and faster. I could hardly control myself as she took care of me, and my body begged for more and more. Her hands held onto my hips so she was in control, and I loved every second of it.

But then she stopped. Her bright blue eyes looked up at me as she playfully smiled. She was stopping for good. She had that mischievous look in her eyes, and I was being tortured by her.

“No, no, no,” I moaned.

“What? You don’t want me to stop?” she asked coyly.

“You know what,” I said as I playfully pushed her down on the bed. “I seem to remember someone needed a little payback for that joke about the mud on the carpet.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” she said with a laugh.

“I’m going to tease you until you beg me to stop,” I said just before my lips dove between her legs and I started to pleasure her.

Her moans were quiet, but I felt her body tightening as I delivered the sweet feeling of pleasure to her. She grabbed onto my hair and guided me to just the right spot as her body relished the sweetness of my tongue.

Harder and harder, I moved against her body until I felt her legs tightening around my head. Then I stopped. I looked up at her with a playful smile and waited for her to realize just what was going on. I was torturing her like she had tortured me.

“What are you doing?” she said sternly as she looked down at me. “Don’t you dare.”

“What? Don’t stop?” I teased.

“Tyler English, don’t you torture me.”

“Oh, like you tortured me?” I asked as I continued to tease her with quick kisses to her middle. “I mean all is fair in love and war, right?”

“Sure,” she said as she slipped her hand between her legs and started running her fingers over her own body. “No problem.”

My eyes widened as she closed her eyes and threw her head back while enjoying her own fingers. Was she doing what I thought I saw her doing? She was literally taking matters into her own hands and leaving me totally hanging. I was not okay with that.

I reached over to her nightstand and pulled one of the condoms out. As I opened it, I kept my eyes on her body as she wiggled and moaned with the pleasure of her fingers. There was no way I was letting this happen.

I climbed between her legs, grabbed her hand, and pushed it up and over her head as I pressed my body next to hers.

“I’ll take things from here,” I said boldly.

Summer smiled up at me as if she had gotten exactly what she wanted. She tilted her hips and welcomed me into her as she let out a perfect moan of pleasure. Our bodies worked diligently together, and soon we were both moaning from the delight that was being delivered.

As I felt her body tighten around mine, I let go of one last grunt, and joyful bliss surrounded me. Summer held onto me as her body rocked with pleasure, and we both finally collapsed into each other’s arms.

This time I wasn’t planning on going anywhere, though. No matter what Summer said, I was staying in that bed and enjoying a whole evening of cuddling with her. I pulled her up close to me as she put her head on my chest.

“That was fun.” She laughed as she kissed my chest lightly. “We should do that again soon.”

“I’m so glad I’m home.”

“Me too. I had fun with the kids, but man they are exhausting. I really don’t know how you do it.”

“I hire good help.” I laughed.

She gave me a quick kiss and then tucked herself comfortably back onto my chest. The moment was pure perfection, and I couldn’t wait to see where things between the two of us were going next. We could go out on a real date. Maybe even go dancing again and just have a great time together. I really didn’t care what we decided to do as long as we were spending time together.

I closed my eyes in perfect bliss with my sweet children tucked into their rooms and the most beautiful woman I knew tucked in next to me. I had landed the biggest new client of my career, and absolutely everything in my life was coming together. This was what I’d been working so hard for. This moment was exactly what I had hoped for after so many years of hard work.

Chapter 15

Summer

I was really relieved that Tyler had to run into the office the next day, and I could do some of the initial interviews of the new nannies. I’d talked it over with the agency and knew exactly the sort of woman that would work best for the position. Now I just had to spend some time interviewing them.

Having the current nanny help to hire the next nanny might have been a little weird, but I thought it was a really good idea. I knew the kids really well, and I knew what sort of person would fit in best with them.

There were four interviews lined up for the day, but I had gone through the list of people and meticulously picked who I wanted to interview. Each of the potential nannies had to be absolutely perfect before I was going to bother to do an interview with them at all.

The first woman showed up for the interview fifteen minutes late. She had already lost my vote when she didn’t even apologize for being late. She simply shrugged her shoulders and came in like nothing had happened at all. I humored her and did the interview since she was there, and the next one didn’t start for an hour, but it was pointless. Every answer she gave was tainted by my thoughts of how she hadn’t even acknowledged that she was late.

The second interview of the day went much better. Her name was Kimberly, and she brought two little toys for the kids from Australia. We talked for the entire hour about her husband and children and how they had recently moved to the neighborhood from Australia. She was a good interviewee as she also had some questions prepared and asked them about the children and the job. Obviously, with a family of her own, she wasn’t interested in living in the house, but since she only lived a mile down the road, it didn’t seem like that would be too much of an issue. I put a big star next to her file as soon as she left. I liked her a lot.

The third and fourth women that I interviewed both sort of blended together. There wasn’t anything super special about them, and I couldn’t even remember why I had picked them out of all the other resumes I’d reviewed. Each of them answered the questions appropriately and probably would have done a fine job as a nanny, but they didn’t feel like the right fit for Tyler and the kids.

It was an odd feeling to be interviewing the woman who would take your job, but I was alright with it. My new agent had already lined up three gigs for me, and people were looking at my profile more and more. It hadn’t been long at all, and I already felt excited about finally going after my dream of being a model.

I wasn’t delusional about it, though. I knew I’d have to start making plans for my long-term future. But I was alright with hanging out and having some fun while I made those plans. Being a nanny had been the hardest job I could remember doing, but successfully figuring the job out was really rewarding. I had much more confidence than I had in the past and felt like I could handle anything the modeling world threw at me.

After I’d finished the interviews for the day, I drove to the kids’ school to pick them up. I was an expert at getting around the streets in that area now and navigating the school line. It was even comedic to me how nervous I used to be doing this same process that now came easily to me.

“Summer!” The kids yelled as I stopped in front of the school and they jumped in.

“Hey guys, how was school?”

“Boring as usual,” Faith said.

“I had fun,” Thomas added.

That was pretty normal for the two of them. If one of them liked something, then the other one didn’t like it at all. Basically, they never wanted to fully agree on anything. We stopped to get an ice cream on the way home so I could talk to them a little more about me leaving.

It wasn’t going to be a surprise this time, and we had talked several times while Tyler was at his work event. I wanted them to be totally prepared for their emotions and for the stress that came with breaking in a new nanny. Our learning curve together had taken a little bit of time, and I knew it would be similar with the new woman. But if they were prepared ahead of time, I hoped that would help their anxiety.

“So is today your last day?” Faith asked as she looked grumpily at me.

“No, I think I’ll probably work through the end of this week.”

“Are you leaving for good this time?”

She was so angry at me, and it broke my heart. I loved her a lot, and I didn’t want to hurt her, but I just couldn’t stay working as their nanny. No matter what had gone on between Tyler and me, working for him wasn’t the answer, and I was sure of that.

I was starting to have my own career now, and that meant I needed to take the time to run after my own dreams. This was such an exciting time in my life that I really was excited, even if it meant I had to deal with some heartache that came along with the excitement.

“Yes, this time I am leaving as your nanny for good. But we can still be friends. I’ll call and check in on you, and you can tell me all about school and soccer and everything else you have going on.”

“Are you leaving because Dad was mean to you?” Faith asked with a stern face. “He didn’t mean it. We will make him apologize.”

“No honey, your dad didn’t have anything to do with this decision. I am working on some of my own dreams, and that means I’m not going to have time to be your nanny.”

Faith softened up a little bit while she finished her ice cream, but I was pretty sure she wasn’t happy with me at all. It was uncomfortable, and I didn’t like that feeling, but it was much better than when I had just left and had to tell them all of a sudden. That day had been horrible and made me feel bad for what I was doing to them.

We stopped off at their favorite playground on the way home and played for a little while to get some of their energy out before heading home. I really just wanted them to have an amazing last day with me and remember how much I cared about them.

I had already sent Kimberly a text message to see if she could come back over for a visit later this evening. Nothing too major – just an opportunity for her to meet with the kids and Tyler while I was there to help break the ice a little.

It was nerve-wracking to think that this woman might be the one taking over my job, and that I could move on and follow my dreams. I’d never been so close to my dreams while also having so many positive people around me and feeling like I was actually being responsible and doing what was right for the people I cared about and not just for myself.

Sleeping with Tyler wasn’t planned, and I had only decided to do it after seeing him and realizing just how much I missed him. Watching the kids love on him when he got home from his trip and seeing how much he truly missed them had been absolutely adorable.

I wouldn’t take back our last evening together for anything, though. I knew he was probably thinking that I was going to stick around, and we could date and have this fabulous relationship, and I had those thoughts too at one point, but I changed my mind. I wasn’t the type of girl who could just forget about things very easily, and I honestly knew that I’d always be thinking about how we met and the animosity I had over being his nanny and falling for him.

One of the things my father taught me when I was younger was that you had to know when a situation wasn’t working any longer. He had taught me in relation to business when he was making me go with him to his office and trying to get me to learn his company. But some of the things stuck with me, and I had thought about them throughout the years.

He said that ending a business relationship could happen on good terms or bad and that all depended on timing. If you had time to plan a good exit, then you could maintain the business relationship down the road. However, if you were emotional and left suddenly, it was burning a bridge that you might need later on.

At the time, I have to admit, my father’s wisdom was lost on me. I’d forgotten all about it until I stormed out of Tyler’s house and quit during our argument. But I was seeing now that my father was a smart man, and his advice rang really true.

We pulled up to the house, and my stomach fluttered with nerves. It was going to come as a surprise to Tyler that I’d actually interviewed some nannies. He and I had briefly talked about me doing the interviews when I agreed to come back, but we hadn’t discussed it since then, and I had a feeling he was going to be a little bit angry about the whole thing.

I was nervous as I didn’t know whether I was going to be able to maintain my cool and keep this interaction as positive as possible. The way I handled everything in the next few hours was going to determine if the kids and Tyler liked this woman, and if they decided to hire her.

“Be extra nice to your dad tonight, okay guys?” I said as they ran inside.

Tyler was already home, which was pretty unusual. He’d talked about slowing down a bit after getting home, and I liked that he was actually doing it and making an effort to be home for the kids. Although I did plan on working the rest of the week, I was hoping I would get to work with Kimberly so I could train her and help with the transition. That meant I had to have Tyler and the kids meet her tonight and see if they were ready to hire her.

I stood in the entryway as the kids played and hugged on their dad. Tyler was by far the most gorgeous man I’d laid eyes on in such a long time. He wasn’t just handsome because of his good looks, though. My feelings toward him made me like him much more than I had when we first met. But my feelings didn’t matter right now because for the first time in my life I wasn’t thinking about myself and was actually thinking about what would be best for Tyler and the kids. A nanny who could just be the nanny was what they needed.

“Hey guys, why don’t you go change into your swim suits and we will run outside in the sprinkler for a little bit tonight,” I said as I motioned for them to head upstairs.

The look in Tyler’s eye made me think he knew that something was up. He waited until the kids were upstairs and then moved closer to me and leaned in to kiss me. I wanted to kiss Tyler, as I loved kissing him. But not now, my feelings were too much, and I honestly believed this thing between the two of us just wasn’t going to work.

“What’s going on?” Tyler asked as he felt I was pulling away from him.

“So today I did some interviews for your new nanny,” I said with a playful smile trying to lighten the mood a little bit. “Don’t get mad, though. I just wanted to surprise you by taking the pressure off and finding someone that I could train and make sure the transition went really smoothly.”

He was caught off guard but still not angry. Things were going better than I had hoped as he smiled back at me and waited for me to continue with what I was saying. My nerves were getting the better of me, and I felt my hands starting to shake as I continued.

“I found a woman that is lovely. She lives just down the street with her husband and two children. She would not be able to live here, but I don’t think that is a requirement, is it?”

“No,” Tyler shook his head as he looked skeptically at me.

“So her name is Kimberly, and she’s from Australia, and I invited her to come over for dinner tonight. It’s just an informal thing so everyone can meet her and see what your feelings are.”

Tyler didn’t answer me. His stare got more intense, and he pressed his lips together like he wanted to say something but was holding back. I was okay with that. If Tyler would just give my plan a chance, I knew it was going to be best for the kids.

“Okay,” he finally said.

“Okay?” I replied excitedly and gave him a hug. “You are going to love her so much. I think this is going to be such a good matchup for you all. The kids are getting bigger, and they don’t need someone here all the time. You guys could probably manage the mornings together, and she could just start after school if you wanted to. That would save you money, not that you need to save money. But you know what I mean.”

“Summer, it’s okay. I’m happy to meet her, and I like that you’ll be around to train her. Then you and I can explore this,” he said as he pointed to me and then himself. “I’d really like to explore what we have going on.”

This was the point where I had to lie. If I had told Tyler right then and there that I wasn’t planning on dating him, our night would have gone horribly. Instead, I told a lie of omission as I moved the conversation forward and didn’t respond at all to what he was saying.

“Kimberly is going to be here in a half hour. We can all play outside for a little bit, and then you could prepare some of your amazing barbecue?”

“Sounds like a plan,” he said as we went into the kitchen to start marinating the meat.

I stayed as silent as possible throughout the evening and allowed Tyler and the kids to interact with Kimberly. She fit in well with everyone, and the kids liked her right away. I think because she was a mother herself, she was at ease around the children and looked much more comfortable playing with them than I ever had.

While we all ate dinner, the kids asked Kimberly tons of questions, and even Tyler had a few questions of his own. It was delightful to see the relationship blooming among everyone and really put me at ease over the decision I’d made.

“So how do you like Kimberly?” I asked the kids while they were helping me put the dishes in the sink.

“She’s really nice,” Faith said. “I think she will be nice to us.”

“Yeah, she seems a lot nicer than I am.” I laughed.

“No,” Thomas said as he hugged me. “You’re still my favorite.”

“Thanks, buddy.” I hugged him back and kneeled down to talk to him. “Remember, I’m still going to be your friend no matter what.”

“I remember.”

“Okay, let’s get the ice cream and ask Kimberly if she wants to be your new nanny.”

I brought the ice cream out and gave it to Tyler to start scooping. As I stood next to him, I felt his hand gently touch mine, and it made me so sad. I liked him and cared about him a lot, but it wouldn’t work between us. We just weren’t right for one another, or maybe the situation and the timing wasn’t right.

“Do you think Kimberly will work? The kids like her, and I like her.”

“Yeah, are you going to train her for a week or so?”

“Yep, I’ll stay for a week and teach her as much as I can. Then I have some exciting modeling jobs, so I’ll get to do some traveling for a little bit,” I said as I started to introduce the idea that I wasn’t going to be around.

“So when can we go out on our official date?”

I paused for a long time as I took the ice cream bowls to the kids and tried to avoid answering Tyler right then and there. I really wanted to finish this dinner up with Kimberly before Tyler and I had our conversation.

“Kimberly, so how would you feel about starting some training tomorrow?” I said avoiding Tyler’s question altogether.

“Yes, I think that would be lovely.”

“Welcome aboard,” Tyler said as he shook her hand, and we all sat down to eat our ice cream.

He was staring at me from across the table, and I knew he felt the tension between the two of us building. We finished our ice cream, and the kids and I walked Kimberly to the door and said our goodbyes. We made plans to meet up in the early afternoon the next day so I could go over some of the things around the house first and then take Kimberly with me to pick the kids up from the school.

The second the front door closed, I knew Tyler wanted to talk to me. He came straight up to me and stood there like he was waiting for me to tell him an answer right away.

“Hey guys,” he said to the kids. “Go get in the showers. One upstairs and one downstairs.” The kids did as he asked and ran to the bathrooms, which left me standing alone with Tyler in the living room. “What’s going on?” he asked with a suspicion that I was keeping something from him.

“I like you Tyler. I really do, and I don’t want this to seem like something weird.”

“What?”

“I’m going to concentrate on my career for a little bit.”

“That’s great. I’m excited for you. I like Kimberly, and the kids do too. This sounds like something exciting. So why do you not look excited? Why do you look like there’s something bad that you need to tell me?”

“I don’t think you and I should date,” I said as I looked away from him. “I’m going to concentrate on my career.”

Tyler looked at me angrily and then walked away. He walked into the kitchen and then back to me as if he was trying to find the words for what he wanted to say to me. Clearly, he was not happy about my decision, and his pacing back and forth continued for a good five minutes before he finally stopped and said something to me.

“Okay, we can talk down the road. I wish you all the best in your career.”

“That’s it? There’s nothing else you want to say?”

“Nope. Thank you for staying on this week to train the new nanny. I appreciate it, and I know the kids do as well. I’m going to go tuck them in now,” he said and went upstairs without giving me a hug or anything.

Chapter 16

Tyler

“How is the new nanny working out?” Rob asked when we went back to our regular work schedules a few weeks after our huge success.

“She’s good. I really like having her just after school. Me and the kids have a good morning routine going on, and I think it’s helping them learn some responsibility since they know I need a little help from them in the morning.”

“Have you talked to Summer?”

This was a hot question for me. Summer and I had hardly talked at all during her last week in the house, and the day she left we just said an awkward goodbye. I was pissed. There was no denying it, and I just couldn’t pretend like there was another emotion to describe what I was feeling.

After everything the two of us had been through, I honestly thought we had a chance. A chance at something; I wasn’t sure what it was, but I was open to exploring it and figuring things out. But I also understood that Summer wanted a life of her own, and I didn’t want to say something stupid to her in the process of her leaving. Being silent was the best possible choice for me.

“I didn’t talk to her.”

“Not at all?” Rob asked as he smiled back at me, and I noticed he finally got his yellow tooth fixed.

“Not really. I was trying to let her do her thing and not ruin our goodbye. Nice new tooth, though.” I laughed as he kept smiling with his cheesy grin.

“Looks good, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, you’ll be picking up the ladies again, no problem.”

“I’m sorry things didn’t work out with you and Summer. She was a beautiful woman and really good with kids. I think you two would have been nice together.”

Summer was the first woman I’d even considered a future with since Claire had passed away. It stung pretty deep that she moved on without me. Of course, I didn’t want to admit that things would be alright, and I would move on because deep down, I really thought Summer was the one.

I’d had dreams where Claire gave me permission to be with Summer. I even imagined that Summer and Claire would have been good friends if they had ever known each other. So for me to admit that Summer was gone and nothing would happen between us was hard.

“It was hard to let her go, but I guess I’ll move on,” I muttered.

***

Six months later, Rob and I found ourselves in the midst of a very similar situation. We had been out to lunch, and a bus drove by with Summer’s picture on it. Obviously, her new modeling career was taking off, and it was really exciting to see.

“So why did you let her go?” Rob asked between bites of his sandwich.

“What?”

“Summer, why did you let her go?”

“It was time for her to move on. She wanted her own career and to explore the whole modeling thing. I didn’t let her do anything – she was a grown woman who made up her own mind.”

“Oh, so models go on dates?” he asked with a cheeky grin while he continued eating his sandwich.

“I’m sure they do, but she left. She didn’t want to go on a date.”

“Did she say that? Did she say, ‘Tyler I don’t want to date you,’ or did you imply it because you were angry she was leaving?”

“You know what?” I said as I stared Rob down. “Since you got this girlfriend, you’ve been a real ass.”

“What? I was just telling her about you and Summer, and she brought up that you were a big baby for not going after the woman you clearly cared about.”

“Oh, your new girlfriend Bambi said this?”

“Her name is Barbie,” Rob corrected me. “But she’s really smart, and I didn’t have a good answer when she asked me why you didn’t go after this girl. If you care about her, why would it matter if she was off doing her modeling thing? Wouldn’t you still want to at least ask her out and see how things went?”

“I don’t like this new girlfriend of yours,” I said grumpily as I ignored his questions and finished eating.

I did want to ask Summer out still. I’d been thinking about her for months, and every time I saw an advertisement that she was on, all I could think about was calling her and telling her how amazing it was that she followed her dream and it was coming true.

A couple of times I even picked up the phone to call her but then chickened out and ended up hanging up. I even called and talked to Patrick once a few months ago to see how Summer was doing and if he thought she would be receptive to me visiting her some time. Since he had helped arrange my surprise visit to the club when she first quit working for me, Patrick had become an ally for me.

“Fine, you do whatever makes you happy,” Rob said halfway under his breath. “But I’m just saying that you don’t seem all that happy.”

“Fine, I’ll text her right now and see what she’s doing?” I said as I pulled out my phone.

“No. It has to be a call,” Rob replied as if he knew women so well and knew exactly what I should be doing in this situation.

“Fine, I’ll text Patrick and see what’s going on and when would be a good time to call. Is that any better? You know I’m not sure I like this new you all that much. You’ve got some extreme attitude with this new confidence level.”

I sent a text to Patrick to see how things were going and if he thought I could get in contact with Summer. I expected to put my phone away and then get a message sometime later in the day from Patrick, but instead, he called me right away.

“Hey Patrick, how are things going?”

“Good, work is good. I’m good, as for Summer – you should come to this kickoff party tonight. She just got a gig with a perfume company, and they are having a party downtown. I can get you on the list if you’d like to come.”

“On the list?” I laughed as if we were part of the Hollywood elite but in the midst of downtown Chicago.

“Sure, I’ll come. It will be good to catch up with you guys.”

“Okay, I’ll have you added. It’s down at the pier. There will be a giant tent. You should be able to give your name, and then they will let you in.”

“Perfect, thanks, Patrick.”

As I hung up, I felt a little nervous about the whole thing. It had been six months since I’d even talked to Summer. She clearly wasn’t interested in what I had to say since she hadn’t reached out to me either. But I was still going to go and see her. I could congratulate her on how well she was doing and make sure things between us weren’t ending on a bad note. Even if it ended up being a disaster, it was some closure for me, and I was okay with that.

I took an Uber to the venue to make sure I didn’t have to worry about driving home if I ended up drinking a little too much. I’d been to events like this before, and the alcohol was usually flowing freely. Depending on how well my conversation went with Summer, it was entirely possible I was going to drown my sorrows away in a few glasses of alcohol throughout the evening.

As my car pulled up, I wasn’t sure I was even at the right place. This tent wasn’t anything like I had expected. Instead of being a small tent that might hold fifty to one hundred people, this tent looked more like a convention center. It spanned the distance of at least a football field and was large enough to be a circus tent, although it was plain white and not multi colored like a circus tent would be.

“Name?” the scary looking man that was managing the entrance said.

“Tyler English.”

“Okay,” he checked me off the list and then stepped out of the way so I could go into the tent.

Inside, the place was decorated in aqua blue lighting with the sound of waves crashing against the shore played in the background. The new perfume was pictured throughout the event, and I felt like I was inside a real building and not a tent at all.

There were hundreds of people there, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever find Summer at all. I grabbed a drink and started mingling as I kept my eye out for Summer or Patrick. It was a madhouse, though, and at some point, the music started playing loudly and the lights dimmed as the dance floor filled with people. I waited near the bar for a while and hoped I would see Summer walking by, but when that didn’t work, I decided to work my way around the edges of the party and see if I could get a good glimpse of her from that vantage point.

Finally, when I had made it all the way to the opposite side of the tent, I saw a crowd of people talking to a beautiful blonde haired woman. From the back, I couldn’t be sure it was Summer, but when I got close enough to hear her laugh, I knew it was really her.

She looked much more sophisticated than when she had worked for me. Her hair was elegantly designed in a sweeping updo, and she had on a silky blue dress with a low cut back. I couldn’t help noticing she wasn’t wearing four-inch hi-heels like many of the other women were. Instead, she had on comfortable sandals that matched the ocean theme of the party.

I joined the group of people around Summer as they were all chatting and laughing while trying to impress her. It was an odd feeling to be so close to her while she had no idea I was there.

She looked stunning and like someone who wouldn’t have bothered to notice I was alive. Yet in a moment, she turned and looked right at me. Our eyes locked together, and for a second, I hoped that she would at least acknowledge I was there. I would have taken a simple nod and nothing else – I was willing to accept just about anything.

To my surprise, she seemed genuinely excited to see me there as she pushed through the crowd of people and gave me a huge hug.

“Tyler, I didn’t know you were coming,” she said so sweetly that I suddenly got extremely nervous to be there talking to her. “This is a pretty cool party, isn’t it?”

“Um, yeah. You’re kind of a big deal now.”

“No, it’s the company. They do this for every new launch. But wow, I’m so glad you came. How are the kids doing? How is the new nanny?”

“Good, we are all good,” I said as I stared at her in total awe. “You look amazing.”

“Thanks,” she said as she playfully spun around. “I cleaned up nicely.”

“Yeah, you sure did.”

“So are you just here with some friends?” she asked a little confused at why I was at the launch of a new perfume line.

“I got in contact with Patrick and asked about you. He hooked me up.”

“That damn guy. He’s always meddling,” she joked. “Come with me, let’s go in the back and talk for a minute.”

Summer grabbed my hand and guided me through the party to a separate back room area that looked like it was just for VIP people. There were several couches all around, and it was much quieter than the main party was. I still felt like I was inside and not in a tent, though.

“It’s so good to see you,” I said as we sat down. “I’m sorry I didn’t reach out earlier, but …” I trailed off. “I’m just sorry I didn’t do it.”

“I know how it is. Life is busy. I’m actually getting ready to go overseas soon, so it’s a good thing you found me. I’ll be traveling a lot over the next year or so.”

“Oh, that’s exciting,” I said as my hopes of asking her out on a real date were crushed.

“Yeah, it’s pretty exciting. So what are you up to? How is Robert, and what’s happening with the company? Did you start working on that new deal? Is it going well? Geez, sorry I’m asking so many questions. It’s just so good to see you.”

Her hand reached over and rested on my leg as we sat facing each other on the couch. From her body language, I could have sworn she was excited to see me, even if she was going to be traveling out of the country and unable to go on any dates.

Then I thought about what Rob and his new crazy girlfriend had said. I had let six months pass me by when I could have been talking to Summer and taking her out on dates. There was no way I was letting this moment pass me by. Maybe she was going to say no to me, and maybe she’d turn me down, but I had to at least ask.

“Well, I really came here for a reason,” I started to say as I felt my mouth getting dry and the nerves getting the best of me. “It sounds like you’re going to be really busy with traveling and all, but I’d love to take you out sometime.”

There, I said it. I’d officially asked her out. Now she could deny me, and I would be done with all of this. I’d have the closure I needed to move on, and I wouldn’t have to dwell on the thoughts of what could have been between the two of us.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Summer said unexpectedly.

“I totally understand, you’re really busy, and I just wanted to give it the official college try,” I said as I started to get up to leave, but she grabbed my wrist and stopped me.

“I said yes,” she expressed with a laugh.

“What? You did? I thought you were traveling.”

“I’m pretty sure I can find time for a date with you,” she said with a playful wink.

“Really? You’re saying yes?” I practically screamed as the realization hit me.

“Shhh, people are going to think you proposed to me or something.” She laughed as she pulled me back to the couch to sit with her. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot, and I’d love to see if the feelings are still there. Actually, I know they are still there. I was just afraid to reach out to you.”

“Tomorrow, let’s go out tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at eight, and we can spend the day together.”

“Tomorrow?” she asked a little shocked that I wanted to go out so quickly.

“Yes, I wasted a lot of time with you, and I don’t want to waste another minute. You and I are going out tomorrow. I’m done wasting time. I want to see you as much as possible before you start traveling, and even after you leave, I think I can squeeze a trip in to see you. I’m done making excuses. I want to see you.”

“I like that,” she said as she tilted her head toward me and moved in a little closer. “I’d really like to go out with you Mister English,” she said playfully.

“I’d really like to go out with you too, Miss Edwards,” I said as I leaned in and kissed her softly.

Epilogue

Summer

Following my dreams was turning out to be pretty darn amazing. I’d landed some big named deals and was traveling the world for the last year doing exactly what I loved. Part of my job was actually to post on social media and keep people updated on the campaigns I was working on and everything that was going on in my day to day life.

Even my father couldn’t believe that I’d finally found the perfect fit for a job. I didn’t need him to help support me, and I’d actually managed to pay him back all of the money he had loaned me since I moved out on my own.

Being a full-fledged adult was a hell of a lot of fun too. I had my own money, made my own schedule, and I got to choose who I want to love. Most importantly, I had Tyler and the kids. And as we flew to Barcelona for one of my jobs, I couldn’t help smiling at Tyler as he was busy working on his laptop with Thomas lying in his lap on the plane.

Faith and I were cuddled up in our first class seats watching one of her favorite movies and getting ready to go to sleep very soon as well. Life was perfect. I honestly couldn’t have imagined anything better than how things were turning out for Tyler and me.

After he came to my big perfume kick off and asked me out, we both started making a real effort to spend time together. It was a fresh start to our relationship, and everything between us couldn’t have been more perfect.

This trip was the first real time I’d gotten to spend with the kids since I’d moved out, though. We had talked over Skype a few times, and I loved sending them fun toys from the different places. But this trip was going to be fantastic.

My family was meeting us in Barcelona, and Tyler had even managed to convince his parents to stop out for a quick visit. We had plans to all go to dinner and get to know each other a little bit, which was a sign that things between Tyler and me were going better than either of us could have expected.

When Faith and I finished watching a movie, I tucked her in so she could get a little sleep while I went over to talk to Tyler for a few minutes. My schedule was pretty busy while we were in Barcelona, and I just had to make sure he had plenty of things scheduled for him and the kids, so they didn’t get too bored.

“Tomorrow should be a busy day. I need to shoot most of the afternoon, but then I’ll come straight over to the restaurant and meet you guys. Did you find some things to keep the kids busy with?”

“Don’t you worry. Me and the kids have a full schedule of our own planned,” he said mischievously.

“Do I even want to know?” I laughed.

“Probably not.”

“Okay, well I’m going to get some sleep. You should rest too. The kids are going to be tuckered out from this trip tomorrow and probably be a little hard to handle.”

“I’ll rest soon,” he said as he gave me a sweet kiss before allowing me to return to my seat.

As I reclined my seat, I couldn’t help smiling over at Tyler and Thomas. Tyler continued working on his laptop while Thomas wiggled around a little before getting comfortable again. I really did love this family very much.

There was no way of knowing what the future was going to bring us all, but I was hopeful that the future would include this awesome family that I’d grown to love so much. I honestly couldn’t imagine my life without Tyler in it. I couldn’t imagine not knowing the kids as they grew up and not being part of their lives as they became adults.

I blew Tyler a little kiss before closing my eyes and sleeping for the rest of the flight. There was a sense of excitement, though, and I found it hard to fall totally asleep. Instead, I tossed and turned for at least an hour before finally resting and getting a few hours of sleep.

Working as a model wasn’t nearly as glamorous as I thought it was going to be, but I still loved it a lot. I’d only slept about four hours before we landed in Barcelona and was exhausted. But the hustle of getting off the plane and saying goodbye to Tyler and the kids got my adrenaline pumping enough that I was able to be wide-eyed and happy when I showed up at the set for my afternoon shoot.

It also helped that there were hair and makeup people to hide the evidence of my tired state and make me look amazing. I was able to relax while the stylist got me looking like perfection and the director went over what the day would look like and what I needed to do.

There were lots of hurry up and wait moments throughout the day. When I first arrived, they hurried me into hair and makeup and then we did one round of shooting. Then they hurried me through a change of wardrobe and update of my hair, but I had to wait nearly an hour for them to finish the set changes. I did my best to rest throughout the day, but as it dragged on longer and longer, I started to feel the exhaustion setting in.

By the time we moved outside for photos, I was grateful that I had the sun shining on me to keep me awake. It was an exhausting day, though. I would have gone straight back to the hotel room if I didn’t have Tyler and the kids in town with me. Plus, our families had come for dinner and to spend some time in this amazing city, and I couldn’t let everyone down.

As we wrapped up the day, I slipped into a sweet summer dress and sandals as I had my car take me to our restaurant for dinner. I could barely keep my eyes open, but I was so excited to see everyone when I walked into the back room and saw the excitement everyone had while enjoying such a beautiful place.

“Summer!” Faith exclaimed as she ran up to me and hugged me.

“Well, hello there little lady,” I said as I hugged her back. “This is one amazing dress you have here.”

I was beyond surprised to see that it wasn’t just our family there, though. Patrick, Amy, and Rebecca were there. Robert and his fiancée were there. The room was packed with our friends and family. What I expected to be a fun dinner with just family had turned into an all out party with so many of our friends in attendance.

“Thank you. Daddy and I went shopping and picked it out for today.”

“I love it.”

“Thomas got a special outfit too,” she said as she pointed to Thomas who was playing with Tyler and laughing at the end of the table.

I waved at them and then at my parents who had gotten up from the table and were heading my way. My mother and father looked so excited to be there with me, and our relationship had grown a lot over the last year.

Learning responsibility had been a bit hard for me, and although I was admittedly really angry when they had first kicked me out of the house, it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Not only did I learn to take care of myself, but I also learned so much about what I valued and what I really wanted in my life.

Their tough love approach had been painful for them. It was probably more painful for them than it had been for me, but I was very grateful that they had the strength to do it. Since being involved in Faith and Thomas’ life, I’d started to realize just how hard being a role model for kids was. Obviously, I wasn’t their parent, but I felt a little taste of that pressure, and it only made me more grateful for what my own parents had done for me.

“You look so pretty, Mom,” I said as I gave her a hug and kiss. “Did you go shopping already without me?”

“You know I had to get a special dress for tonight,” she said as she started to tear up.

I didn’t understand why everyone wanted something special to wear for this dinner. Sure, I was excited to have everyone together, and I’d put on a cute summer dress too. But it was getting a little suspicious that everyone was saying they bought their dresses for this event.

“Dad, you look pretty handsome too,” I joked so as not to leave him out of the conversation.

“Baby girl,” he said so seriously that I was a little worried something was wrong and he was about to tell me horrible news. “I just want to tell you how proud I am of you. You really are showing what a wonderful woman you are, and I love how you have turned out.”

“Thanks, Dad,” I said as I gave him a hug.

“We are going to go sit down,” Mom said. “You know Tyler’s parents are really nice. Have you gotten to meet them yet?”

“Not yet, I’m really nervous about it.”

“You better head over there then. I know Mrs. English was really looking forward to meeting you. Tyler was telling them all about you, and he couldn’t say enough nice things. I really do love that guy. He’s so perfect for you.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I said suspiciously as she and my father went back to their seats.

I motioned to Tyler that I was going to go talk to his family, and he got up and met me over there. He grabbed a hold of my hand and pulled it up to his lips for a little kiss before introducing me to his mother and father.

“Mom, this is the amazing Summer Edwards that I was telling you all about,” he said very gallantly.

“It’s so nice to meet you, young lady. I have heard so many things about you, and I’ve seen all your ads. I can’t believe my shmuck of a son managed to land such a beautiful woman.”

I was pretty sure she was teasing, but it was an odd way of referring to her son.

“Thank you,” I said without knowing what else I could say to that.

“You are beautiful,” his father said to me as he shook my hand and then pulled me in for an awkward hug.

“So my parents have never been to Barcelona, and I sent them on a tour today. Why don’t you guys tell Summer about some of the things you say. Maybe she can decide what we should go see later this week when we have time,” Tyler said as he left me there with his family.

I was a little pissed off that Tyler had disappeared so quickly and basically thrown me to the wolves. They were nice people, but it took me a little bit to get to know their sense of humor and realize that they weren’t always being serious with me.

Mrs. English went on and on about every site they saw while on their tour. To be honest, I was too exhausted to hear most of what she was saying. At one point, I was pretty sure I’d even fallen asleep while she was talking.

I was startled awake by a loud clanging noise that seemed to be coming from the front of the room. It took me a minute to figure out what was going on when I saw Tyler standing in front of everyone on one of the chairs.

He banged a knife against a glass until everyone stopped talking and sat down in their seats. I had no idea why he was making so much noise and trying to get everyone to be quiet.

“Summer, can you come up here?” he asked as he pointed at me and motioned for me to come stand with him.

He got off the chair and put the glass and knife down before looking out at everyone with a huge smile. Thomas and Faith were standing right next to him and had the biggest smiles on their faces that I’d ever seen from the two of them.

“What’s going on?” I asked skeptically.

“You’ll see,” he whispered to me before turning toward our family. “As many of you know, I’ve been in love with this lady for a long time,” Tyler said as he smiled at me. “She might have taken a little longer to fall in love with me, but I think she came around in the end.”

It was an awesome surprise that Tyler had gotten all of our friends and family together and, suddenly as he continued talking, I started to realize what might actually be going on. My hands shook with excitement, and I started to cry before he had even managed to say any of the important stuff.

“Oh, my God,” I said as I was taking in the moment.

“I haven’t even asked you anything yet.” He laughed and then turned back toward the group of our friends. “Okay, so I love this girl, and I happen to know that my two beautiful children love her too and well, we decided that we wanted to ask you something.”

Tyler pulled out a box from his jacket, but he didn’t get down on one knee yet. Instead, Faith came up to me and quietly urged me to come down closer to her.

“I wanted to know if you’d like to be my dad’s wife,” she said softly as she put a necklace around my neck.

She didn’t wait for me to respond before taking a step back and pushing Thomas forward. Thomas was already in tears as he pulled out his own necklace for me and put it around my neck. He wrapped his arms around me and held on tightly as he tried to say something through his tears, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying.

“Take a deep breath,” I said softly as I kneeled down in front of him and tried to help him calm down. “You are doing a great job. I’m so excited for this necklace, and I love you very much.”

“I love you,” he finally managed to say before going back and standing behind his father.

I was in tears by the time I stood up, and so was everyone else around me. My mother was barely able to see as her makeup streamed down her face. Patrick was sniffling like a toddler himself, and both Amy and Rebecca looked like they were about to have a total meltdown as they jumped up and down with excitement.

When Tyler finally managed to get down on one knee and pull out the ring, the room erupted with so much excitement that I couldn’t help laughing a little. It was such a surreal moment like something right out of a fairytale, and I took in every last detail of it.

The smell of pasta from the kitchen, the lights as they flickered around the room and even the slight shake in Tyler’s hand as he held the ring up and prepared to say what he had obviously planned out for a long time.

“I’m so lucky. Not many men can say they have been lucky enough to find a true love in their life, and I’ve been doubly blessed. I love you so much. You are truly an amazing woman, and we would like to know if you would be part of our family. So without further ado, will you marry me?”

My eyes were fogged up from the tears and makeup running together. Tyler looked like he could hardly see from his tears, and both of the kids were crying so hard that I just wanted to pick them up and hug them.

“Yes,” I managed to say. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Tyler slipped the ring on my finger and then grabbed a hold of me and spun me in a circle. As he sat me down, I felt the little hands of Faith and Thomas wrap around me, and the four of us hugged for what had to be five whole minutes. I couldn’t believe how absolutely perfect my life was turning out. I could have never imagined being in this moment with this man and his two beautiful children. I was beyond blessed to have them in my life. At one point in my life, I would have said I didn’t deserve this much happiness, but now I was just grateful to have it in my life.

“Let’s party,” Thomas said so loudly that it made everyone laugh. “I’ve been waiting to dance all day long.”

“Yeah, let’s party.” Tyler laughed as he pulled me onto the tiny dance floor in the corner of the room, and we started dancing to the restaurant music. “I’m so happy you said yes,” he whispered softly into my ear as we moved together to the music.

“I love you,” I said never more sure of anything in my life.

“And they lived happily ever after,” Faith said proudly from the side of the dance floor.

THE END

Dear reader - don’t stop now! It’s getting even better!

Did you like this novel with Summer & Tyler? If you did, I am sure you will love my books “The Billionaire’s Fake Marriage” and “The Deal”, which also feature a lot of the characters from this story. For your reading pleasure, I’ve attached samples of these books on the next pages!

Plus, as a special gift to you I’ve included a new billionaire romance that has never been published before. It is called “Uncovering The Truth” and one more surprise. Enjoy!

Preview of “The Billionaire’s Fake Marriage”

Chapter 1

Lilli

“There’s a guy looking at your ass from that window.” Anna laughed as she pulled me back into the Uber. “You should give him a little show.”

Anna was the kind of friend that could convince anyone to do something crazy. She was fun, carefree, and wild beyond her years. I had only recently connected with her, but she had really spiced up my partying life.

“He’s probably already getting a pretty damn good show. I don’t have on any panties,” I said with a giggle.

For fun, I wiggled my ass back and forth while I continued to lean into the car window and talk to my girlfriends. My legs were wobbly from our evening of drinking and dancing, and I used the time to gather my focus before I had to walk into my house.

“Oh, you’re naughty. Let’s give him a real show,” Anna said as she jumped out of the vehicle and wrapped her arms around me to give me a giant hug.

I had lost my balance as she swung the door open and was barely standing when she wrapped her arms around me. Anna was shorter than me, but she still managed to lift me off the ground. Her arms stayed locked around my waist, and my skirt pressed up toward the crest of my ass. I glanced up at the window as she spun me around and saw my handsome neighbor standing shirtless in his bedroom, watching us. I could only imagine what he was thinking as he looked down at our silly group of girls making so much noise after our night of partying on a weeknight.

He wasn’t even hiding the fact that he was watching us. The light in his bedroom was on, and the curtains were wide open as he stood there with a mischievous smirk on his face. I’d only been back home for a couple of weeks, but a handsome neighbor was certainly one of the perks of being back under my parents’ roof. He was mysterious and much better looking than any of the men I normally hung out with. I estimated he was a few years older than me; okay, actually he was probably ten years older than me, but that didn’t matter for the flirting we were doing.

“He’s still there,” I said to Anna as she sat me down. “But I’m too drunk to stay out here any longer. I’ll see you girls later. I need to get to my bed.”

“Bye Lilli,” Amy yelled from the other side of the vehicle. “Be good, or don’t be good and just go over to that hot guy’s house.”

“See you when I see you,” Rebecca added.

“Are you sure you don’t want to make out and really drive that guy crazy?” Anna asked. “I bet he’s already ragging hard just looking at your ass.”

“No Anna.” I laughed. “I think I’ll pass. I’m not into torturing the poor guy. Plus, I don’t really want to kiss you. No offense.” I giggled as I tried to steady myself against the car.

“Okay, but don’t say I never offered.”

“I promise I won’t say that.”

“Goodnight super-hot neighbor dude,” Anna yelled out as she blew him a kiss.

I reluctantly turned toward the window and waved apologetically as I shook my head at how loud Anna had been. It was three o’clock in the morning. She wasn’t just going to get the hot neighbors attention; she was going to get the attention of the whole damn neighborhood. My upper-class Chicago neighborhood wasn’t exactly a hot spot for late night party girls. Most of my neighbors worked and had families, and one had even mentioned that I seemed to be ‘having a lot of fun’ when they ran into my mother at the grocery store.

My neighbor’s slight grin turned into a full blown smile as he closed his curtains and turned the light off in his room after I waved at him. He didn’t seem like the type of guy who got upset about the noise my friends and I made when coming home from our nights in the town. Over the last few weeks he hadn’t come to the window very often, but occasionally I’d seen him glancing out the window to see what the commotion was. He almost never had a shirt on, which was really how he got his nickname “Hot Neighbor”. I appreciated the ripples of his abs every time I saw him.

He had a scruffy shadow of a beard and a deep olive skin tone. His short brown hair was always messed up like he didn’t have a care at all. I had no idea what he did for work, but from what I heard from my parents, he traveled a lot and had some unusual hours. My hot neighbor was definitely older than I was, but I couldn’t really tell by how many years, and I liked that mystery. I had never actually met the man, only flirted from a distance with quick glances through our windows. He was the perfect fantasy guy.

From what I could figure, my neighbor was gone for long periods of time, and I assumed he was doing top-secret work, or at least that’s what I thought about when I fantasized about him. I’d asked my mother about him, and she said he never had people over, and she’d seen him loading up a single suitcase on several occasions. I’d seen him go out jogging before but never at the same time of the day, so his schedule wasn’t something I could figure out in the short time I had been home. He did tend to stay up late, though, and I’d seen his lights on at all hours of the night, but I hadn’t had the opportunity to talk to him yet.

“Okay get going,” I said to the girls as I tapped on the roof of the car.

The car slowly took off, and I turned to walk inside. I could barely keep myself upright as my heels wobbled in the cobblestone of my parents’ driveway. My mother had insisted on putting the rocky stone into our driveway instead of a regular cement slab. She obviously hadn’t been thinking about how hard it would be for me to walk in at three o’clock in the morning with my 4-inch heels and a plethora of alcohol in my system.

The five martinis I’d been sipping on all night long were rushing through my blood stream as I tried to unlock my front door. The key flopped around in my hand, slipped through my fingers, and was decidedly uncooperative as I spent at least five minutes trying to get into my house. It was a good thing my parents were heavy sleepers, or I’d surely have heard an earful from them with all the noise I was making.

As the key finally slipped into the lock, I looked up at the neighbor’s window just to make sure he hadn’t seen that debacle. There were no lights on so I couldn’t tell if he had seen me or not, but I hoped he had not. The last thing I wanted him to see was me fumbling and nearly falling as I’d tried to make it into my house; that wasn’t a very ladylike picture at all.

I slipped my heels off as I ascended the wooden stairs of our grand foyer and then walked down the hallway toward my room. Our house was much larger than it needed to be. My parents had their master bedroom on the main floor and never even came upstairs now that all of us kids were older. The upstairs consisted of four very large bedrooms, all with their own bathrooms and walk-in closets. Mine was on the east side of the home and faced the hot neighbor’s house.

I flipped the light on as I walked into my room and then quickly turned it back off so my neighbor couldn’t see into my room as easily. I wasn’t sure if he was still up or if he even cared to look in my room that night, but to give myself the upper hand, I left the light off. My fingers slipped around the smooth blue curtain that covered my window as I pushed it open. In the dark of my bedroom, I had a clear view into the master suite of the hot guy’s house. It was dark also, so I assumed he had gone off to bed.

I didn’t bother to slide my dress off and instead fell right onto my bed as I closed my eyes and gave in to the exhaustion that I felt in every muscle of my body. The morning would be there sooner than I wanted it to be. With my curtains left open, I’d be able to wake up as the sun rose and hopefully get a nice breakfast and run before it warmed up too much.

***

“We are leaving Lillian, grunt if you are still alive up there,” my father yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

I heard his words and rolled over in bed as I tried to gather my voice to respond. I had clearly slept past the sunrise and well into the early morning hours if my parents were already on their way out for the day.

“I’m alive,” I said without opening my eyes.

I didn’t feel all that lively, though, and every inch of my body ached with a hangover. Since moving home, my parents gave me the freedom to come and go as I pleased, although they still worried about me, and they certainly didn’t like it if I came home late and woke them up. My father probably worried just as much now as he had when I was in high school, but at least he wasn’t sitting in the old recliner waiting up for me every night.

“Dinner at Romeo’s tonight if you’re home at six. Otherwise, we will bring you some leftovers. Love you, sweetheart,” my mother said, and then I heard the front door close behind them as they didn’t wait for me to respond.

My eyes were practically glued shut, and my lips were so dry that I felt them crack as I opened my mouth. A late night of partying always had a morning of suffering attached to it for me. I couldn’t understand how Anna never seemed to have a hangover. She wasn’t even legally old enough to drink, yet she was much better at it than I was. Drinking and partying weren’t always my thing, but since breaking up with my boyfriend and moving back in with my parents, drinking felt like the right thing to do at this particular moment in my life. I was trying to find myself. Trying to find the next big thing in my life, and there was no hurry as I navigated the fun of the moment.

My phone alarm went off, and I listened to Aerosmith for a whole minute before I reached for my phone and turned it off. It was 10 o’clock, and I had set my alarm to ensure I wouldn’t sleep in too much because I wanted to work out. As I rolled out of the bed, the dehydration from my alcohol was evident by the tightness in my legs and my lips as they stuck together. My muscles cramped up in pain at the slightest of movement, and I winced at the idea of exercising. It was going to be a tough run with this level of alcohol aftermath, but all I had to look forward to right now was partying and building up my running so I could do a marathon.

I glanced out my window to see what the day looked like and was met with the warmth of the morning sun. It was June in Chicago, and I couldn’t have asked for a better day. The sky was clear of all clouds with brilliant blue ricocheting from one side of the horizon to the other. I slipped into my favorite red sports bra and black running tights and made my way downstairs.

After drinking more water, I headed out the door at a slow enough pace to warm up and let my muscles adjust to their current condition. It was my opinion that even a slow short run was better than not going for a run at all. But only two blocks from my house my phone started ringing, so I slowed to a walk and answered it. I’d already conquered a big hurdle in actually getting out the door to go for a run; a short walk wouldn’t hinder my workout all that much.

“Hey Monica, what’s up?” I said to my friend from work.

“I really need you to take my shift today. Please, please, please,” she said as I heard one of her kids in the background vomiting.

Monica was one of the most responsible girls I’d ever met. If she was calling me to work for her, there was going to be a good reason. We worked with a lot of flakes and people who hardly ever showed up on time for work. Unfortunately, our facility just didn’t pay enough to keep the high-end nurses and assistants working there. But Monica was responsible, and I was a close second behind her. I worked second shift purely so I could go out partying and not have to worry about being late for work. It was my way of being responsible while also getting to be a little wild for a change.

“Oh, man, who’s that?”

“It’s Chance, but Elizabeth has a fever too. I think it’s just a matter of time before she gets to the puking. I hope I don’t end up sick as well. I can’t afford to take more than one day off from work.”

“Aww, I’m sorry Monica. Sure, I can work instead of you. Can I go in at noon?”

“You can go in anytime you’d like. They will just be so happy to have someone there. I know they were already short staffed, so when I called in sick, they weren’t very happy. I’ll call them back right away and tell Jackson you’ll be in at noon.”

“I can use the money. I spend more drinking than I’m saving at this point. I know my parents don’t mind me staying here, but I’d like to get my own apartment sometime before the year is up.”

“Thanks so much, I owe you big time.”

I started to jog in place as we wrapped up our conversation. If I had to get to work, I needed to finish my workout faster than I had planned, which meant I was going to have to pick up the pace. My leg muscles were still wobbly, but at least they weren’t cramping up like they had done when I first woke up.

“When the kids get better, come out some night with me and the girls. You really need a night on the town.”

“Sure, that sounds fun,” Monica said totally unconvincingly. She always said she would come out with us, but the reality of married life and her children always took precedence, which was understandable.

As I hung up the phone, I tried to put it back in my armband carrier while I kept jogging around a tight sidewalk corner. I didn’t see him coming at all as my body rammed right into another runner as he was coming around the corner the opposite direction. My hands pressed up against the rock hard muscles of his chest, and I was stunned into silence and stood there wobbly and unbalanced as I looked up at the man.

“Woah there little lady,” he said as he reached out and grabbed me before I fell to the ground.

His large hand wrapped around my forearm, but then his other arm reached behind me and supported my back all in one swift motion. I was thrown off by the collision, and it took me a moment to figure out who it was I had just run into. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath, and my brain started to register who he was.

“Oh, it’s you,” I said as I found my balance and looked up at the hot neighbor who was standing in front of me.

“It’s me,” he said calmly and pulled his hands away while he took a step backward to give me some space. “I’m Devin, by the way.”

My heart fluttered as I looked up at him. Something was different about him, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. His hair was tussled like every other time I’d seen him through the window. His facial hair was just past the five-o’clock shadow range, similar to how it normally was. He smiled at me, and I smiled back at him still unable to put my finger on what was different.

The buzz of my heart filled my ears, and I wasn’t sure if he had actually said something to me or not. So I just stood there looking at him and trying to figure out what I should say. What does a girl say to the hottest man she’s ever been face to face with? I searched my mind for a witty remark but couldn’t think of a thing to say.

“You are wearing a shirt,” I said suddenly before I could stop the words from leaving my mouth. That was what was different about him from all those times I’d seen him through his window.

He burst into laughter as he nodded his head in agreement. His smile was perfection with brilliant white teeth that looked like they were perfectly shaped for his mouth. His lips pulled back and curled up, and the lines near his eyes gave me a clue that he was at least ten years older than I was. I guessed that he was in his mid-thirties.

“But you don’t,” he said with a wink.

“I don’t what?” I asked in total confusion.

My brain clearly wasn’t working in full force as his witty humor flew right over me. Instead, I stood there looking puzzled at what he thought I didn’t have.

“You don’t have a shirt on.”

I suddenly looked down as if I was actually out running without a shirt on. But he was making a joke about my sports bra as a top. My face flushed red at his comment, and I tried to respond without sounding too childish.

“Oh my gosh.” I laughed. “I guess that’s technically right … well … I better keep moving,” I said as I started to walk away. “Enjoy your run. Oh, and sorry for all the noise last night.”

I didn’t want to keep running or stop talking to him, but I couldn’t just stand there and let him flirt with me and not be able to respond in a decent manner. My only option was to get away as quickly as possible and try to save a little bit of mystery. He was throwing me off my game. My mind was a jumbled mess, and I spoke to him like a little girl talking to a man she had a crush on. Nothing about that conversation was going to make him think I was a woman, and he probably thought I was some teenage girl or something like that.

“No problem. Enjoy your run too,” he said as he returned to running.

I couldn’t help turning and watching as he ran back toward our houses. His body was clearly his temple. Every inch of the man was covered with muscle. Devin held his arms in tight next to him with his head up in a focused sprint down the block. I’d lost this interaction battle though; he had clearly had the upper hand.

Instead of running, I walked as I replayed the conversation in my head. He had told me his name, but I hadn’t told him my name. Instead, I’d acted like a love-struck teenager who didn’t know how to talk to a man. He was older than me, more mature, more controlled and calmer than I could ever be. Devin had flirted with me, and I’d barely been able to look him in the eyes. As much as I wanted to tease and flirt with this guy, I was just better at doing it with a window between us.

I started to pick up the pace and jog as the disaster of my interaction kept running through my head over and over again. Soon I was in a full on sprint as I ran farther than I had intended to run and turned around and kept running all the way back home. This had been my chance to wow my hot neighbor guy, Devin. But instead of a wow, I’d given a flaming fizzle of a performance.

My chest heaved as I made it to my lawn and collapsed in exhaustion. There was no cool down, just an all-out sprint and collapse when I made it home. The day had warmed up to nearly 80 degrees which was perfect as I lay there and let myself catch my breath before heading inside. I pulled one leg toward me to stretch and then the other, while I looked up at the sky and tried to think of any possible way I could win back the balance of my liaison with my hot neighbor Devin.

When I felt the strength return to my legs, I gingerly made it into my house and climbed upstairs to my room. I stripped off my sweaty clothes and looked for my work outfit so I could take a shower. My curtains were still open, and I walked over to close them before Devin got too much of a show. But there he was, standing right in the middle of his bedroom with a towel wrapped around after finishing his shower.

I quickly grabbed the corner of my curtain and pulled it in front of me. The quick movement of the curtains got the attention of Devin, and he turned toward the window and walked my way. My breath quickened as I thought of what to do next. If I just hid behind the curtain after he clearly had seen me, then I was continuing to play the little girl role. I was twenty-one years old. Devin needed to know that I wasn’t a little girl. Plus, I was much better at flirting when words weren’t involved.

We were in the midst of a little cat and mouse game as I quickly turned away from the window and took a step deeper into my room, but I held onto the curtain, and he stayed at his window watching. I smiled at the thought of him standing there looking for me to turn back around, but I didn’t want to turn around and just stood there like some weirdo.

I reached over and grabbed my bright red lipstick from my makeup table. Then, I turned back toward Devin’s house and used the lipstick to write on the window. Slowly, I thought about how to write my name so that he could read it. With my left hand, I held the curtain in front of me and looked up at Devin as his eyes kept an intense stare in my direction.

I didn’t look up to see if he was still there; instead, I concentrated on writing the letters large and clear so he could see them. When I was finished with the last ‘I’, I looked up and saw Devin standing there still in his towel and waiting for me to finish. He cocked his head to the side slightly and squinted his eyes as he read my writing from his window.

He mouthed the words, “Hi, Lilli,” and I giggled.

“Hi,” I mouthed back to him and gave a short single wave.

His gaze stayed focused on mine with a sexual power I’d never known before. I felt the dirty thoughts running through his mind as my whole body warmed. His eyes narrowed, and the intensity of his stare made my center warm.

Now we were stuck with nothing else to say. With a burst of adrenaline running through me, I let the curtain drop from my hand and blew Devin a kiss. I stood there for only ten seconds, but it was a confident ten seconds, and then I turned and walked into my bathroom. For the one gleaming moment, I was filled with confidence as I let him get a peek at my body and then just as quickly disappeared away from the window.

When I pushed the bathroom door, I started jumping up and down with excitement at what had just happened. This was a whole new level of flirting between the two of us. No longer were we strangers who just got a peek at our naked neighbor, and we now knew each other’s names, and I had just flashed him in the middle of the day. I couldn’t even say that it was the alcohol that made me do it; clearly, I was utterly sober at that moment.

My heart continued to pound with excitement as I showered and got dressed for work. I planned a quick getaway so I wouldn’t have to run into Devin now that I’d given him the ultimate flirting. I simply walked out of my bedroom, down the stairs to my car and drove away. I didn’t look up to see if he was looking through his window nor did I look at his front door to see if he was there. I didn’t want to know if he was there because I couldn’t be distracted by him at that moment.

My willpower did me good as I made it to the end of my block and turned toward the interstate. I wasn’t sure how any further run-ins were going to go with Devin, but I had made it out of my house and off to work successfully, so that was enough for the time being. I’d have all night at work to think about my next strategic interaction with the hot guy from next door.

Chapter 2

Devin

This girl was going to be the death of me. I’d been distracted by her for weeks, and now she was heating up the teasing to a whole new level. I certainly hadn’t expected her to flash me like she did. Lilli, that was a nice name; it suited her perfectly, and now I had a name to plug into all my deliciously dirty fantasies.

My body still throbbed as I pictured her standing in her window and letting the blue fabric of the curtains drop away to expose her body. Her long red hair draped down over her shoulders, and her milky white skin looked flawless in the glow of the afternoon sun.

Lilli was young, though, much younger than I’d thought she was. All her late nights partying, I’d estimated she was in her mid to late twenties, but when I saw her up close and personal, she looked barely twenty-one. I had no business flirting with her; nothing good could come of it. Well, maybe a night full of good old fun, but nothing more than that. Lilli looked like trouble. Since she had returned home to her family, she’d been out partying nearly every night. Although I was over dating the party girl types, I couldn’t help imagining what a night with Lilli would be like.

My cock was already throbbing every time I saw her. Just the thought of having her naked in my bed was enough to make my body heat up. Her womanly curves pressed against my hands were a vision I’d often gone to sleep with over the last few weeks. Certainly, I didn’t have any problems finding women to bring home, but since I’d curbed my own partying lifestyle, it was harder and harder to find time for women in my life.

As the doorbell rang, I snapped out of my lustful daydream and hurried to let Jacob inside. We were set to be at the office in under an hour, but I needed him to give his opinion on a new company I wanted to introduce everyone in our office to. Not all my investments went through the office, and I was considering backing this company all on my own, but it was much riskier that way.

“It’s nice to know you’re excited to see me,” Jacob said as he joked about my raging hard on that was pressing out of my pants.

“It’s that damn girl next door. You wouldn’t believe how she teases me.”

“Probably all in your imagination. I used to think my neighbor was teasing me, and then I went over there and hit on her, and she punched me in the nose.”

“Ouch, that’s some serious mixed signals. But let’s be honest, you probably deserved it,” I joked.

“Apparently it’s fun to flirt from afar, but when I wanted to do something about it, I was suddenly the creepy old guy next door.”

“You are kind of creepy.” I laughed.

“Shut it! She was flirting with me; I know it. I just can’t figure out what happened between her flirting and me making my move. But anyways, just be careful. If she’s living with her parents, she’s young, and that’s not the kind of drama you want in your life.”

“I hear ya man. I’m over the drama. I had enough of that with Ashley to last me a lifetime.”

“How are Ashley and Izzy? Have you seen Izzy lately at all?”

“No, Ashley insists that my visits just upset Izzy and confuse her. That’s the last thing I want to do. I send letters, and she doesn’t answer. It’s probably better that I wait until she’s a bit older. I was a pretty crappy father the first few years of her life.”

“That’s bullshit. You’re her father, and even if you were gone a lot at first, you’re here now. You should get to see her as much as you want to. With the amount of money you’re sending Ashley each month, she should be bowing down to let the two of you spend time together.”

“I’m trying to understand her point of view. I was partying pretty hard for a lot of years, and I don’t think she truly believes I’ve settled down and have changed my ways. To Ashley, just because I’m busy with work, I must be busy with every woman in a skirt that’s in Chicago.”

My ex-girlfriend hated all the traveling and partying I’d done after our daughter Izzy was born. There was no excuse for it, and I had to live with the father I’d been over those years. But I wasn’t about to push myself on my daughter now that I was ready. Izzy was ten years old now, and just to barge in on her life would be selfish of me. As much as I wanted to start building a relationship with her, I was a changed man and willing to put her needs ahead of mine. Ashley said it wasn’t the right time, so I trusted her parenting and stayed away except for Izzy’s birthday and Christmas.

“If you spent more time with her, then she’d learn to adjust. I think Ashley is just using your love for your daughter to push you away. She literally moved as far away from here as possible to try and keep you from your daughter.”

“No, come on now. She moved to be near her family. I was working eighty hours a week then and traveling more than I was home. It was the right move for her. She needed help with Izzy when she was young, and her family was there for her.”

“Her family talked her right out of being with you.”

“Maybe that was a good thing. We weren’t good together. Before Izzy, we were drugging and partying every day. Ashley stopped when she got pregnant, and I didn’t until a few years ago. At least things broke off before they got too nasty between us,” I said as I grabbed the drone I wanted to show Jacob. “Now take a look at this.”

I turned the drone on and used my phone to guide it into the hovering position. While at the beach in Florida a few weeks before, I saw a group of guys flying this drone over them while they were surfing. I couldn’t wait to get it back home and see what the guys thought about it.

“What the heck is it? Some sort of camera drone? There are hundreds of those on the market right now.”

“No, this one will follow you without having someone control it. See, you put it into the air and have it fix onto a person. Then I can walk around and the drone will stay behind me taking video. I saw some guys surfing, and the drone was following them. Talk about some insane footage, it was epic.”

“So it doesn’t need someone to control it?”

“No. It uses facial recognition and will follow you. This is the future, don’t you think?”

Jacob grabbed the drone out of the air and looked at it for a minute. He was the tech guy of our group, and I valued his opinion on all our technology investments. I found companies based on my gut, but Jacob could find the holes in their processes and equipment that prevented us from wasting our money.

“I’d need to talk to their engineers, but it looks good. Where are they manufacturing?”

“Let’s talk about it at the office with the other guys. I don’t want to explain everything twice, but I really wanted you to see it first.”

“Alright, I’ll see you at the office then. Go take care of that thing,” he said as he pointed at my shorts. “No one wants to see that.”

“I beg to differ. Cindy might want to see it.” I winked.

“Devin, Cindy is a lesbian. She definitely doesn’t want to see that.” Jacob laughed as he headed back out to his car.

Cindy might be a lesbian, but I was pretty sure she swung both ways. She’d been flirting with me about as long as I’d known her. She had been my human resources manager at my tech startup nearly ten years ago, and we both happened to be looking for something to do with ourselves about a year ago. After the sale of my company, I floundered around trying to decide what to do with my newfound money and time; partying took a front seat for a while, but that got old.

Capital S Investing was started because I had nearly a half billion dollars from the sale of my company and nothing new to do with myself. I started looking into small up and coming companies and helping them out with their funding needs. Soon I’d gather a half dozen other friends that wanted to help these start-ups, and we were now running our own small firm.

We didn’t meet often – only about one week of the month. The rest of the month we were off researching new companies or just hanging out and enjoying ourselves. During our week in the office, we analyzed the numbers of companies we’d invested in, decided on new investments, and sometimes heard pitches from companies. It felt like a little bit of normal for me, and I liked that. It was the same reason I bought a house in a normal neighborhood, as I didn’t want to be seen as that rich guy who women used for his money.

Certainly, my house was plenty large enough for me. The neighborhood was an upper class for Chicago with nearly zero crime. I was comfortable leaving my house for weeks at a time and never worried about intruders or crime, although I did keep an alarm system hooked up just in case. Life in Chicago was as close to a normal life as I could hope for.

When I arrived at the office, everyone was sitting around the conference room laughing and eating lunch. It was nearly noon, but that was our normal starting time. Working all week didn’t mean that any of us liked to wake up early in the morning and come to work. Our typical day went from noon to eight o’clock, and sometimes much later, depending on what projects we were working on.

“I thought you were in Bali this week?” Cindy said as I walked in.

“Bali?”

“Yeah, didn’t you say there was a new surf company out there that you were going to visit?”

“Shit!” I said as I scrolled through my phone. “Yeah, I’m supposed to look at this board company. Wow, I’m glad you know my schedule so well,” I joked.

“I’m sure you would have remembered two hours before your flight when your phone alerted you. And you’d probably still make it to your plane.”

“Yeah, probably,” I laughed at the memory of the two of us running to a plane when we were flying to New York one weekend. We had literally arrived at the airport thirty minutes before the flight and still managed to get through security and onto the plane. It probably didn’t hurt that we had first class tickets, but it still felt like quite the accomplishment.

“Show them the drone,” Jacob exclaimed. “This thing is going to make us rich.”

We all laughed at his joke. Every single person in that room was already rich. Most of us had nine figures net worth. All seven of us were there purely because we needed something productive to do with ourselves and wanted to help new companies. But of course, we were business men and women, so making money on the deal was always an important part of the process.

From the outside, our office didn’t look like the home of seven millionaires, but we technically did most of our work out of the office anyways. The drab walls and boring furniture weren’t at all like the startup companies we worked with, but then again we didn’t care anymore. Our bank accounts were full, and none of us had the need to impress others with fancy office accommodations. We had one employee, Stewart, our accountant. He kept the books looking nice and did most of his work from home. We didn’t have a big social media presence and certainly didn’t advertise. Our purpose was solely to help other companies and our investments in those companies were now our business. Sooner or later, we would need to hire staff, but at the moment we relished the small size of what we were doing and the relative quiet that we had been allowed to work in.

My old brown office chair squeaked as I got up and lifted the drone into the air to show the group how it worked. At least everything was so old that I didn’t have to worry if I accidentally broke a light fixture during my little demonstration.

“It has facial recognition and will follow me without the need to control its every move,” I said as I walked around the room. “I saw the founders on the beach, and they had the drone following them while they were surfing. It was friggin amazing.”

“What’s their production like?” Jacob asked.

“I’m really not sure of any details. We will need to visit them and start from scratch. They seemed very green, and I think they’ve just been financing with family and friends’ money. We could put some capital behind them with some advertising, and it would blow up rather quickly.”

“Where are they located?” Chris asked.

Chris was the youngest of our group and had just left his job at Google. His coding skills were amazing, and he was itching to start his own company soon. I’d convinced him to hang out with us while he got his own thing up and running. His long beard and scruffy hair made him look more like a homeless man than one who had acquired a multimillion dollar portfolio.

“Florida, do you want to go check them out?” I asked.

“Sure, I don’t have much going on this month. I’d like to take a look under their hood and see what type of code they are using.”

“You know most guys your age are looking under skirts, not coding hoods,” Sergei laughed.

“Skirts ain’t going to make me rich.”

“Very true, but they have their own benefits.”

Sergei was happily married but loved to give the rest of us a hard time when it came to women. He and his wife had known each other since they were children, and their family had arranged their marriage while they were in college. It didn’t seem like a good way to start a life together, to me, but Sergei was happy so who was I to say anything?

“Thanks, Chris, send out an email after your visit, and we can see if we can set up a meeting with them. I’m not even sure how much they might need in capital, so find out the details while you’re there please.”

“Will do.”

My phone started ringing, and I noticed it was Ashley. If she was calling, I had to answer it. She hardly ever called me unless our daughter had been hurt or Ashley needed more money for something. In fact, I hadn’t actually talked to Ashley in nearly a year; instead, she had sent a few text messages, and her parents had been there when I went to drop off Izzy’s Christmas presents.

“Hey Ashley, give me just a second,” I said as I put the call on mute. “I’ve got to take this. Edward, will you go ahead with your presentation on the company from the last month?”

“Sure thing Devin,” he said as I left the room.

“What’s up? Is Izzy alright?”

“What? What do you mean?” Ashley said with slurred speech. “I’m not calling about Izzy. I’m calling about what you did to me. You made me love you and then forced me to leave. You made me like this.”

“Ashley, what’s going on? Are you alright?” I asked as I became worried.

“I’m not alright. I’m stuck raising a daughter alone while you bone every skirt you see. You don’t deserve to party all the time, and I am forced to be responsible. That’s bullshit.”

“Where’s Izzy at?” I asked. “Are you drunk?”

“She’s at school stupid. If you were involved in her life, you’d know she goes to school.”

“Ashley, are you home? Can I call your parents for you? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine; you’re not calling anyone. I just wanted you to know what a mess you’ve made of everything.”

“I’m sorry things didn’t turn out between us. I’d be happy to be more involved in Izzy’s life, but you said you didn’t think it was good for her. Do you want me to come and get her? I could have her live with me in Chicago for the school year if that would help you?”

“No! You’re not taking her from me. You just don’t want to pay me what you owe for her. I’m not giving her up just so you can keep all that money for yourself.”

It was clear that Ashley wasn’t as sober as I thought she had been. Her slurred words and belligerent tone of voice reminded me why we were no longer together. She wasn’t a nice drunk, which was something I remembered very well.

“I don’t care about the money, Ashley. I really would like to build a relationship with Izzy. She only sees me twice a year, and anytime I call you’re always telling me she isn’t around.”

“She doesn’t want to talk to you.”

“Okay, that’s fine. But you’re saying it’s hard to take care of her, and I want to help.”

“You don’t want to help. You’re too busy working and traveling everywhere to care about her.”

“No, I’d gladly stay home if you’d like to have her come out here.”

“I don’t think so. She doesn’t want to live with you. She hates you.”

Her words cut through me like a knife. I suspected Izzy had never said such a thing, and it was just the alcohol talking, but I still felt the pain of even the suggestion that my own daughter hated me.

“If you’re alright, I’m going to let you go. Would you like me to call your parents to come and get you? Are you somewhere safe?”

“I’m safe. Why are you even pretending to worry? This is none of your business!” she screamed.

“I’ll call you later tonight to talk with Izzy.”

“No, she hates you. Don’t call.”

“I’d really like to talk to her.”

“Well, you don’t always get what you want in this world, do you?” Ashley said as she hung up the phone.

My hand shook as I put my phone back in my pocket and went outside to walk off the adrenaline that was rushing through my body. I wanted just to get on a plane and go to Ashley’s house right that moment. I could go to the school and take Izzy out and bring her back to live with me. If this was what Ashley was like now, there was no way Izzy should be around that. But then I had to wonder what Ashley had been telling Izzy about me? Did Izzy really hate me?

If her mother had been spewing hateful remarks for the last year, or more, surely Izzy would have developed a different opinion. She would only have heard bad things and nothing good about me at all. My stomach continued to rumble as I thought about the hateful things Ashley had probably been telling our daughter.

Maybe it was out of spite, or maybe it was out of genuine concern for Ashley; I wasn’t really sure, but I dialed her mother’s number. I had to let someone know what sort of state Ashley was in, or I’d feel really bad if something happened to her.

“Mrs. Edwards, this is Devin,” I said just in case she didn’t have my number in her phone. We didn’t actually talk very much, so I wasn’t sure.

“Hi, Devin. What can I help you with?”

“I just had a concerning phone call from Ashley, she sounded drunk and …”

“She’s had a rough couple of weeks. I’ll head over to her house and check on her. Thanks for calling,” she said and hung up the phone before I could get another word in.

Obviously, it hadn’t been a surprise to her that Ashley was drunk. She hadn’t even seemed surprised that I was the one calling her. But Mrs. Edwards didn’t like me, and I wasn’t about to call her back and push the subject. She was going to check on Ashley, and that was enough for the time being. I made my way back into my meeting and listened while Edward finished the numbers of our last investment.

“Everything alright?” Jacob whispered.

“Just stuff with Ashley. Hey, can you get me that number of the lawyer you suggested?”

“Sure, you going to try for custody?”

“No, well, I don’t know. I just want to lay out my options.”

“I’ll text it to you.”

“Thanks.”

As our work day continued, I couldn’t stop thinking about Izzy. I’d stayed away for so long because it seemed like it was better for her. Now, I had an overwhelming feeling that I needed to be there for her. But I had been gone from her life for so long, it was going to be hard for me to step up and be the Dad I thought she needed me to be. After my trip to Bali, I was going to stop by Jacksonville and see Izzy; she needed to see more of me. I had decided she had to see me in order to know I loved her and was always going to be there for her.

Chapter 3

Lilli

“I’m coming over to get you,” I said to Anna as I slipped on my tennis shoes and got ready for my run.

“I’m not going running. You’re crazy if you think I’m going running.”

It had been nearly a week since our last big night on the town, and I hadn’t been able to find the time to hang out with Anna. Between my work schedule and helping my mother with her new rose garden, I was exhausted. Planting and caring for roses wasn’t at all a priority on my list, but my mother liked it when I helped out and spent time with her, and I liked to make her happy, especially since I was at home now and not even paying rent.

“I’m literally walking out the door and will be at your house soon. Get ready,” I said as I hung up the phone.

Before leaving my house, I looked toward Devin’s place to see if there were any signs of him. It had been several days since I’d run into him on the street, and I hadn’t seen or heard from him since. The curtains in his bedroom were in the exact same spot they had been days before, and I had to assume he was off on some sort of a business trip or something like that.

Anna only lived a few blocks away from me, so it was a great warm-up as I took my time jogging over there. The sky was overcast and looked like some rain might happen at any moment, so I wanted to get Anna out with me before she had yet another excuse not to work out. Not like she needed to work out; she was thin with hardly an extra ounce of fat on her body, but I still liked to get her out and exercising whenever I could. It helped me relax to talk to her, and I knew she felt better too.

Anna’s house was just as large as mine and just as empty. She was the youngest child and had four brothers, all of which were at college or off living their lives as adults. As the only girl, Anna was spoiled, more than even I was. She got to do whatever she wanted, and her parents never even checked up on her. They traveled often and just left her lots of money for anything she might need. She drank more than I did, partied harder than I did and talked like a sailor.

“I’m not running,” Anna said as I rang the doorbell and found her standing there in full workout gear.

“That’s a nice outfit for someone who isn’t running.”

Anna had on a brilliant pink sports top that looked to be a size too small as her breasts were exploding out of the thing. She had a pair of black leggings on, and her hair was pulled back in a delicate ponytail. If she was going to be taking a yoga class, she looked perfectly dressed, but for running, I didn’t think she was going to be all that comfortable. Her boobs would be bouncing all over the place with the tiny sports bra she had on.

“It is a nice outfit isn’t it?” She spun around, half admiring her own choice in clothing. “We can walk if you’d like.”

“Walking doesn’t burn any calories, Anna. Put a normal sports bra on, and let’s go for a jog.”

“I can’t. Jason might be around.”

I looked at her in total confusion. I couldn’t remember any guy named Jason that she liked and especially didn’t think there were any that lived around her house. My confusion must have been evident in my eyes as she smiled and pointed to her neighbor’s house.

“Mr. Hartley.” She laughed.

“Oh, my God, do you still have a crush on that guy?”

“Hey, you’ve got a crush on your neighbor,” she retorted.

“My neighbor is a hot single guy. You have a crush on a married father of a toddler.”

“He’s not married. Their divorce is final now. I heard some of the other women in the neighborhood talking about him. He’s a hot single dad, and all the women want him, but I’m going to have him before any of them.”

“Can we talk about this while we walk?”

Anna was an expert at having crushes. She was all hot and bothered about any and every good looking guy that crossed her path. It was honestly hard to keep up with all the men she liked.

“Fine, but let’s walk around this way so we can come back on his side of the street,” she insisted.

Our neighborhood was pretty empty during the afternoon when I liked to work out. Everyone was either at work or in their houses. Even the stay at home mothers tended to be busy with their children from ten o’clock to noon. Anna and I made our way north on one of the side streets and walked toward the paved bike path at the back of our neighborhood.

“So how are your parents?” I asked just as we reached the bike path.

“Shhh, don’t say a word, then laugh like I said something funny?”

“What?”

Anna grabbed my hand and held it firmly as a man and his son approached us on the path. When they were a few feet away from us, she squeezed my hand firmly.

“Ouch.”

“Laugh,” she demanded with a huge smile on her face.

“Oh, haha, Anna you’re so funny,” I played along.

“Hey, Jason, how are you and Clyde doing today?” Anna asked as she turned away from me and gave him all of her focus.

“Hi Anna, we are doing well. Clyde was a little sick today, so I stayed home with him, but of course, he started feeling better. Isn’t it funny how that works?”

“Oh yeah, those little guys can get better really quickly. You remember to call me if you need a babysitter. I’m available any time of day. Even if you just want some extra hands around so you can get things done around the house,” Anna offered.

She was standing with one hand on her hip, and her breast pressed out toward him. He couldn’t help looking at her, and who could blame the guy? She was practically offering herself up on a silver platter for him.

“Thanks, Anna; I’ve still got your number. You two enjoy your walk.”

“Actually, we were going for a run. Have to keep looking good,” Anna said as she started to jog in place. “See you around.”

“Have a nice day girls,” Jason said as his eyes fixated on Anna’s bouncing chest.

I followed Anna’s lead and jogged down the path with her until we turned enough that he couldn’t see us. Then Anna stopped and put her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. It was clear that she wasn’t in shape at all.

“Well, he’s handsome.”

“Isn’t he dreamy? I’m going to screw him until my legs shake, and I can’t see straight.”

“Wow, okay,” I said at her graphic vision of her time with Jason.

“Isn’t he like the best looking single dad you’ve ever seen? I mean come on that blond hair and those blue eyes. Wow, I’m wet just thinking about his hands on me.”

“Maybe you should actually have sex before you start seducing single fathers?” I suggested.

“Just because I’m a virgin doesn’t mean I don’t know what to do. I’m so ready to do this guy. I could seduce him right now if I wanted to.”

“How about you wait, and we finish our walk?” I laughed. “I think you need to have some sex, but find a nice guy your age so you can have an actual relationship. That guy isn’t going to be someone that stays around.”

Anna huffed at my suggestion and started to speed up as we walked the path. She had her heart set on losing her virginity but always talked about these older guys. I couldn’t even remember a time when she’d talked about a boy her own age.

“How’s your old man flirting thing going?” Anna asked as she changed the subject back to me.

“He’s the last thing on my mind right now. I have to save money for a new apartment. My car went to crap yesterday and is literally sitting in some police impound because I couldn’t pay for a tow off the highway. I swear I work hard and never seem to make enough money.”

“That sucks. I’m sure your parents would help you get into an apartment, though.”

“Of course they would, but I’m a friggin adult. I have to get my shit together, and I’m not going to ask them for more money.”

“Do you want to go out tonight?” Anna asked as if drinking and partying were the solution to the troubles I was having.

“Going out drinking isn’t exactly going to solve my problems.”

A few raindrops hit us, and we both looked up at the clouds and turned around to head home. We picked up the pace in an effort to make it back to Anna’s house before we got totally soaked.

“So you do want to go drinking?” Anna laughed.

“Yes, actually I’d love to. But I’m inviting Monica to come too. She really needs to get out of the house.”

“Invite whoever you want. I’ll pay,” Anna offered.

She had a credit card from her parents and no limit on her spending. I wasn’t one to take advantage of her generosity, but sometimes I really didn’t have the money to pay for drinks.

“Just this time. I’ll pay you back,” I offered.

“Lilli, you don’t need to pay me back, it’s fine.”

We picked up our pace even more as the rain started to fall faster, and we turned the corner back toward Anna’s house. The cold raindrops spread out over my skin, and goose bumps popped up all over my arms. It was a relatively warm afternoon with the temperature around sixty degrees, but once the rain started, it seemed to cool off rather quickly.

“Race you to your house,” I said as I started running as quickly as I could.

Anna tried to keep up with me, but she was nearly a block behind as I ran up her driveway and punched in the electronic code to her front door. I really wished my own parents would invest in the electronic door code so I wouldn’t have to fumble with my key all the time, but my parents weren’t very into the technology world at all.

“Geeze woman, how can you run that fast,” Anna said as she fell into her doorway and collapsed onto the ground.

“I actually practice. You really should work out every now and then. You know being skinny doesn’t mean that you’re healthy, right?”

“I’m nineteen, Lilli. I don’t care about being healthy. What happened to your car? I thought your parents gave you the old one they had?”

“They did; that’s the one that totally crapped out on me. So my ex-boyfriend has the car we bought together; my parents gave me a car that is a piece of junk, and now I’m totally car-less. I’m going to have to get someone to drive me to work or take the train.”

Anna looked at me with shock on her face, and I burst into laughter. The idea that anyone would have to take the train was beyond her. If she wasn’t driving somewhere, she took an Uber. It was her only other way of getting around and showed the level of spoiled lifestyle that she had. But her parents didn’t care at all; not once had I heard she was in trouble for spending too much money or buying something that she wasn’t supposed to buy.

“The train? Why would you do that?”

“Anna, some people need to work. I can’t always expect my co-workers to give me a ride. I can take the train; it’s not that big of a deal. You know it’s just four blocks that way, right?”

“But you work until midnight some nights?”

“Yep, and conveniently enough, the train runs until two o’clock in the morning.”

“No, absolutely not. I won’t allow it.”

She protested as she climbed up to sit on the stairs with me. She had become a good friend, but Anna certainly had a different lifestyle than I did, and I felt pretty lucky in my life. At least I lived in a nice neighborhood, and the train was nearby. One of the girls at work had to literally walk a mile just to get to the train, and it was through a really rough neighborhood.

“It’s okay, Anna, I’ll be fine. I’m sure I’ll have enough money to get my car fixed in no time.”

“You just call me, and I’ll come and get you. I don’t care what time it is.”

It was a nice gesture, but Anna partied a lot more than I did, and she was often away in North Chicago with some of her old high school friends that moved up there. I knew I couldn’t rely on her to give me rides, but I also would be stuck arguing with her for hours if I didn’t agree to ask her.

“Okay, I’ll call you when I need a ride.”

“Now tell me what happened with that delicious neighbor of yours? Did you go over there and let him give you a tongue massage?”

“Anna! No!” I laughed. “I did bump into him while I was running.”

“Let’s get some food for this conversation,” she said seriously as I followed her into the kitchen. “How about some Apple Jacks?”

“That’s straight sugar, Anna.”

“So yes, you want some?”

“No, I’ll eat this apple. And oh, my gosh, I can’t believe I didn’t tell you about my run in with him. His name is Devin, and wow, he was so friggin sexy up close that I could hardly talk to him. In fact, I’m not even sure I made a coherent sentence.”

“He’s a guy; you don’t need to talk. Just wrap your arms around him and plant a nice wet kiss on his lips. That will get things started.”

“You are the horniest virgin I know.” I laughed. “But no, I’m not doing that. Although I did do something…well, something that you probably would have done.”

I couldn’t stop laughing at the memory of flirting with Devin through my bedroom window. It was definitely something that Anna would have done; there was no doubt in my mind. She was an expert at flirting with men.

“What did you do?”

Her eyes widened, and she leaned in to hear my story. I described how I had written my name on the window and the look of shock on Devin’s face as I dropped the curtain and let him look at my naked body.

“It was exhilarating,” I said as I ended my story.

“I know. Flirting is like a drug. You’ll keep going back to it over and over again in search for a high. How has he been this week? Any big flirting sessions?”

“I think he’s on a business trip or something as he hasn’t been around. But what should I do the next time I see him? How can I really keep flirting without looking totally desperate?”

“That’s a good point. You don’t want to seem like you need him to like you. Actually, it might be best if you ignored him and didn’t flirt at all. Make him come to you. He will make an opportunity happen, and then when you have him at your beck and call; that’s when you move in for the kill.”

“By ‘kill’, do you mean that’s when I screw him?”

“No! You can’t sleep with him yet. Even if you really want to. He needs to want it so bad that he can’t even concentrate at work. You need to occupy his thoughts so much that he’s literally begging to have you.”

“Wow, I think that might be a bit much for me.” I laughed. “I’m not really the begging to have me kind of girl. That’s you, not me.”

“Shut up Lilli. I don’t have anything that you don’t have. You could have any guy you wanted. That hair alone is a fantasy for some guys, but you’ve got a rockin’ body that could tease them for days.”

“You know, not every relationship is about games and teasing.”

“Well, this one with your neighbor is, so listen to me. Don’t look up there. Don’t even glance in his direction. Keep your eyes away from his place and your curtains shut. Let him stew for a little bit.”

I couldn’t help laughing at how serious Anna was about me teasing Devin. She had it all planned out, much better than I could have dreamed up. All I could think about was seeing Devin again and flirting with him, maybe even getting a chance to talk to him again. I hadn’t even thought of the idea that I should leave him alone. It would be really hard not to look up at his house or peek inside when it was dark out.

“I’ll do my best. Now let’s go find some outfits for tonight. I don’t have anything interesting to wear in my closet.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve got like a dozen new outfits. Let’s try some on.”

It was hard not to be a little jealous of Anna. She was rich, beautiful, and had men throwing themselves at her whenever we were out at the clubs. Her life seemed pretty good to me, at least from looking in on the outside. I imagined there were things that I didn’t know about her, but nothing so far appeared to be hard for her in life.

In stark contrast, I felt like everything in my life was hard. I’d finally met a guy I liked and moved in with him just to find out he was a cheating jerk, and we had to break up. I couldn’t keep a decent job at all, and I was working in a field that I didn’t really like. My parents did have the means to make sure I was taken care of, though; I just didn’t want to always be taking their money.

“Bam, this one,” Anna said as she held a black piece of fabric up toward me.

“What is that?”

“It’s a dress.”

“Oh, no! That’s not a dress. There’s barely any fabric there.”

“Lilli, you need to wear this tonight. It’s going to look amazing with your hair. And that tan of yours needs to be shown off.”

I looked at the small piece of fabric and stretched it out to see if it was anywhere in the realm of being able to fit me. It looked more like a hand towel than a dress, though.

“I’d be showing off my tan lines instead of my tan if I was wearing this. Don’t you have any dresses that are normal length? I don’t actually like it when guys are grabbing my ass all night long.”

“It just means they think you’re hot.”

“Oh, okay, but it’s weird.”

“Just wear it, Lilli, please,” Anna said with her big eyes as I grabbed the dress and started to leave the room.

“I’ll put it on, but I’m wearing one of mine if it doesn’t cover my ass. Come pick me up at nine. I’ll take a nap for a while, and then I’ll get ready.”

“Sounds like we are going to have a kick ass night. I’ll call some of the girls.”

“See you later.”

Chapter 4

Devin

After a week in Bali, it was nice to grab a quick drink with Jacob and catch up on what was going on at work. We met up at a little club near downtown called Lively, mostly because it was notorious for the hot young girls, and Jacob wanted to pick himself up a date for the night after our drink.

“Dude, nice tan,” Jacob said as I walked up to him at the bar of Club Lively.

“That’s what a week on the beach in Bali will do for ya.”

“How was the board company?”

“I liked them. Not really an investment opportunity as a group, but I gave them some money and am having some paperwork drawn up for ten percent equity. Just a little reason to go back to Bali sometime.”

“Going solo on this one?”

“Yeah, I think everyone is getting a little tired of my surf companies. I don’t mind the risk for a small investment. They had a good business plan and will see some moderate growth this year. Would see better growth if they’d come to the U.S., but they are set on staying in Bali.”

“Well, nothing exciting at work. I took that drone on a bike ride, though; it was pretty awesome. Followed me on the whole ride, look at this footage,” Jacob said as he pulled out his phone and started playing a thirty-minute video of him riding his bike.

I ordered my drink and was halfway done by the time he actually got the clue that he didn’t need to show me the whole thing. It was pretty sweet, though and just confirmed why I wanted us to throw the whole power of our group behind that company.

“Everyone else on board with it, yet?”

“Not sure, people have been traveling, and there was not much communication this week. We will check in at the next meeting. What else do you have planned?”

“I’m relaxing and going over the numbers for that drone company. I’ll probably stop down in Florida and visit my daughter this week if I can arrange things with Ashley. I haven’t been able to reach her all week, and when I called her mother, she seemed to be hiding something.”

“Did you talk to Izzy?”

“Nope? My times were off, and she was at school when I called. It sounded like she was staying at Ashley’s parents’ house, though, so who knows what’s going on with Ashley?”

“You should just have some papers filed and get custody of her. She’s your daughter too.”

“Man, I’d love that. But you have to remember they knew me when I was irresponsible and wild. I think I’ll need to put a little work in before I can get custody. A judge would simply have to pull my arrest record, and then they’d laugh me right out of that courtroom.”

We sat and drank our alcohol as we both turned to admire all the beautiful girls in the club. It definitely was a good place for finding women – there were dozens of girls dancing on the dance floor and only a handful of guys.

“You’re my wingman tonight,” Jacob said seriously. “I’ve got to get laid.”

“Ha, okay, let’s get you a girl.”

“Three o’clock. Oh, damn baby girl look at those asses,” Jacob was already out of his chair and on his way over to the blonde and redhead before I could get a good look.

I quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the bar when I realized the redhead was actually Lilli. I also recognized the blonde as the girl Lilli had been out with the last time I saw her, the same girl that had grabbed Lilli and practically yanked her dress off in the driveway.

“Wait,” I demanded. “I know her.”

“Even more reason to go over and talk to her,” Jacob said.

“No, that’s my neighbor.”

“Oh, damn Devin! You’ve got that hot piece of ass living next door to you. Wow, I’d be in that all day every day if I had something so sweet.”

“She’s too young,” I protested.

“Whatever. She’s in here, so she’s old enough. Go talk to her,” Jacob demanded. “I want to talk to that hot friend of hers.”

I was just about to agree with Jacob and go talk to Lilli when I saw her almost fall over as she grabbed onto her friend. She was smashed and even drunker than I’d seen her on the recent nights she had returned home. Instinctively, I wanted to go over and help her, but she and her friends laughed it off as they went to a booth to sit down.

“It doesn’t feel right. Let’s find you someone else.”

“Fine, how about that one,” Jacob said without losing a beat as he pointed to a brunette at the other end of the bar.

“Sure, let’s go get you that one.” I laughed.

As Jacob and I flirted and talked to the group of girls on the opposite end of the bar, I couldn’t help looking back over at Lilli and watching her. She had switched to water and stayed sitting for a bit but then was back on the dance floor with her friends partying and taking control of the floor. All the guys had their eyes on Lilli and her friends, and I was no different.

Her delicious curves fit perfectly in the tight black dress she had on. It was just as short as the last one and drove me crazy with desire. My body was hardly contained as I watched her dance around to the music, and a young guy slid up behind her and started grinding on her. She let him dance with her for one song and then pushed him away as she returned to her friends. Lilli didn’t seem to be at the club to pick up guys; instead, she was there to let off some steam and dance. I kept my distance though as I stayed with Jacob and continued to talk with the girls that he was hitting on.

Two hours later, I was holding a rather mundane conversation with a girl whose name I couldn’t remember. Jacob and his girl were out on the dance floor, and I had a line of sight to Lilli and her friends as they laughed and hung out together.

Lilli had stopped drinking, but she still seemed pretty smashed when the group of girls finally got up to leave. Her legs wobbled with the tall hi-heels she had on, and again I felt the urge to rush over there and help her.

“I better get going,” I said to the woman next to me. “It was nice meeting you.”

“Here’s my number; call me sometime,” she said as she handed me a piece of paper and gave me an awkward hug.

I hurried onto the dance floor, let Jacob know I was leaving for the night and then slid out the front door and behind Lilli and her friends. I walked quickly to my car and waited until the girls were in their Uber before I went home. Something inside me told me to get home before the girls got there, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that Lilli was going to need my help to get inside.

I backed into my garage and turned the light off as I stood near my car and watched Lilli and her friends drive up in their Uber. Unlike the last time she was dropped off, Lilli’s friends didn’t stick around for long and quickly left her standing in the driveway.

Her legs wobbled on the cobblestone rocks as she tried walking up the driveway and then ended up leaning against her parents’ car while she tried to take her heels off. I watched from a distance just to make sure she was able to get into her house. I’d seen her having trouble with her key on more than one occasion.

It took her nearly five minutes to get her shoes off as I watched her talking and swearing at herself. It was pretty damn adorable as she finally tiptoed up the two front steps and then looked through her purse to find her key.

Her hands worked their way around the inside of her small purse, but she just couldn’t seem to find the key. Finally, she started to ring the doorbell to her house, but no one came to the door. When she slid down the front door and sat on the wet ground, I finally couldn’t take it and went over to help her.

“Can I help you get into your house?” I offered.

“Oh, hot neighbor guy,” she said as she sat on the ground.

I couldn’t help laughing as she looked up at me with her gorgeous eyes and sexy little dress on. The honesty that came out when a woman was drunk was sometimes very enlightening. Gently, I grabbed her hands and pulled her up as she held onto the railing for support.

“Is there a key in there somewhere?” I asked as I pointed at her purse.

“Oh, I don’t think so. I’ve looked all over,” she said seriously as if the purse was larger than the size of a piece of bread.

“Would you mind if I looked?”

“Sure thing hot neighbor guy. Oh, wait, Devin, your name is Devin. I remember now.”

“Yep, that’s my name. And your name is Lilli; I remember that very well.”

Her face turned bright red as the memory of how she had stood teasing me must have flashed through her mind. She quickly looked away from me as she handed me her purse to see if I could find the key. I couldn’t stop smiling as she was absolutely adorable. The way she had tried to be seductive but now was so shy, it drove me nuts and made me want her more than I cared to admit.

“That damn blue curtain,” Lilli said under her breath as she waited for me to find her key.

“Is your family home? Maybe one of them will wake up?” I asked as I couldn’t find her key.

“No, I forgot, they went to Cancun for the week. They left me their car, and I put my house key on that. But I was drinking tonight, so I didn’t bring the car keys. I don’t drive if I’m drinking,” she announced proudly.

“That’s a responsible way to drink. Is there any other way to get into your house?”

“Probably, but I can’t really think straight right now.” She giggled and then started to slide back down so she could sit.

“It’s wet out here. Let’s have you stay standing for a minute,” I said as I wrapped my arm around her waist and held her up. “Were you celebrating something tonight?” I said to try and keep her talking.

“No, just out with my friends.”

“Yeah, you seem to like partying.”

“I’m not some crazy party girl, you know. I’ve got a job. And I don’t miss work. I just broke up with a crappy boyfriend and had to move home. It hasn’t been a good few weeks for me.”

Lilli wrapped her arms around my neck as she leaned in close to me. I couldn’t help it as my body reacted firmly to the touch of her skin and the prospect of having her lips against mine.

“I think we should get you inside,” I offered as I did my best not to give into her.

“We could just go to your place,” Lilli offered.

Oh, how quickly I would have taken her up on that offer only a few years before. She was clear headed enough to hold a conversation, and she obviously wanted me. But I wasn’t that kind of guy, no matter how badly I’d love to have her in my bed. It wasn’t at all the appropriate thing to do that evening.

“You are so beautiful Lilli, and I’d love to talk about having you over to my place sometime, but I think for tonight we better just get you up to bed.”

“I think that you would enjoy having me in your bed,” Lilli said as her hand slipped down to the front of my pants and started to massage my throbbing body.

I let out a breath of frustration as her hand moved up and down and I pulled it away.

“I’m getting you into your house. Let’s have you lean up against the car for a minute,” I said as I walked her over.

I ended up lifting her up and putting her onto the hood when her legs looked too wobbly to hold her. She quickly took advantage of this position as she pulled me toward her and held her arms around my neck. I noticed her pierced tongue, and it only made me throb harder as I imagined her tongue gliding up and down my shaft.

“Lilli, I’m going to leave you here for a minute while I check your back windows. You don’t have a security system turned on do you?”

“I think you should stay here,” Lilli said as she wrapped her legs around me and pressed her body and mine together. “Don’t you want to stay here with me?”

“More than you can possibly imagine. But I’m still going to go check those windows. Is there an alarm?”

“It’s not on. It always scares me when I come home late, so I didn’t turn it on.”

“Okay, you stay here. I’ll be right back,” I said as I reluctantly pulled myself away from her and went into the back yard.

I was light-headed from the desire I had to take Lilli right there on that car. The energy between the two of us was absolutely undeniable. I wanted her; I wanted to taste her, touch her, screw her, but I wasn’t giving in. She was in no shape to be making that sort of decision, and I was no longer the guy who took advantage of a woman when she was clearly intoxicated.

As I tried each of the windows in the back of the house, I finally found one that was open. It led into a bathroom and was barely big enough for me to squeeze through. I fell right into a large bathtub and then had to find my way back to the front door to let Lilli into her house.

“You got in!” she exclaimed as she slid down off the car and her dress slid up her body.

She quickly pulled it back down but not before I got a glimpse of her black lace panties. At least she was wearing panties; the last time I’d seen her out front she had clearly not been wearing anything under her tiny dress.

“Let me help you,” I offered as I held out my hand and she grabbed it. “I’ll get you to your room, and then I’m heading home.”

Lilli didn’t respond as she climbed the steps to her room, and I stayed closely behind to make sure she didn’t fall. Her walking was very unstable, and I didn’t feel confident at all that she would have made it to her room without assistance. Sure enough, she slipped at the top step and nearly fell face first onto the carpet. I quickly grabbed her and held her up as I steadied her and we walked toward her bedroom.

With my right hand, I reached in and turned on the light, but Lilli quickly turned it back off. She closed her eyes at the bright light and then opened them after she had flipped the light back off again.

“No lights.”

Lilli grabbed my pants by the waist and pulled me toward her bed. She bit her bottom lip as her eyes looked at my bulging pants. There was no hiding it – I was rock hard thinking about how fun it would be to have this girl naked.

“I think you are safely in your room. I better get back to my house.”

Lilli grabbed the top of her dress and slid it down over her shoulder while she kept eye contact with me. I swallowed hard as the stretchy fabric moved past her breast and she grabbed the other side and pressed it down too.

“I think you want to stay,” she said softly as she leaned in and let her lips press against my neck. “I think you want to help me take this dress off. Then you want to slide those big strong hands of yours all over my body.”

“Yes, actually I do want to do all those things.” I smiled. “But I’m going to go back to my place.”

“Shhh, don’t go,” she whispered as she grabbed her dress and pressed it down to the ground.

Her black lace bra and panties were begging for attention from me as she stood there waiting for me to change my mind. But I could tell by the sway of her body and the way her eyes wouldn’t stay open; Lilli needed to go to bed more than she needed me to make love to her.

“I’m going to grab this blanket here, and you are going to lie down.”

“Oh, party pooper.” She giggled but followed my orders and climbed into bed. “Don’t go.” Her hand reached for mine and held onto me.

She had a good grip of my hand as she rolled over, and I sat next to her in her bed. I looked around the room, and it was hard to tell what Lilli was into. She was too old to have posters of boys on the wall and too young to have family photos. There were random photos of cities, and a few other photos on a bookshelf on the other side of the room. The walls were a neutral tan color, and she had a large area rug that was in the middle of the room.

I sat with her for about five minutes until I was sure she was asleep. She was hard to resist, but I was glad I’d been able to. As I’d gotten older, my standards had changed quite a bit. No longer did I think it was fun to bring a drunk girl home. In fact, I preferred them sober and able to hold a conversation.

I’d certainly changed a lot over the years. Probably just a natural process of getting older, but perhaps it had something to do with being a father and not wanting any women to be treated badly. Lilli was someone’s daughter, and she deserved to feel safe with me helping her to her room.

Slowly, I made my way downstairs and grabbed a cup of orange juice and a couple Tylenol and brought them back up to Lilli. She was definitely going to need them when she woke up in the morning. There was no way she was getting out of having a hangover after the night of partying she’d just gone through.

Chapter 5

Lilli

The way my lips were stuck together was the first reminder that I was in the midst of a really good hangover. I stuck my tongue out through my dried lips and slowly parted them as I licked the skin. This was the part of drinking that I didn’t like, but it was also the part I conveniently forgot about whenever I was out with my friends.

“I’m never going to drink again,” I muttered as I rolled over to grab my phone.

Unfortunately, my phone wasn’t on my nightstand, so instead, my hand dipped right into a cup of liquid. I peeked through one half closed eye as I noticed there was a cup of orange juice sitting next to my bed with a sign in front of it.

-DRINK ME — the small piece of paper read. My eyes darted back and forth as I searched my memory for what had happened the night before and who had written the note. My parents were out of town for the week; I remembered that much.

I pressed the palms of my hands against my eyes as I tried to remember what had happened. My feet dangled near the ground as I rolled all the way over and pressed my body upward. The more I tried to remember, the bigger the sinking feeling in my stomach got.

-TAKE ME — I read on a second note with two Tylenol on top of it. I looked over the pills and verified they both had the familiar Tylenol logo on them and then decided it was a good idea to take them with the orange juice that was there. My mind was starting to wake up, and bits and pieces of my night were rushing to me.

I knew who had left the orange juice for me.

Quickly, I jumped up and pressed the blue curtain open as I looked over toward Devin’s house. His car wasn’t in the driveway, though. As I stood there in my bra and underwear, the bulk of my evening came to my mind.

The embarrassment was rapid as I sat down on my bed and dialed Anna’s number right away. She wasn’t going to be much support in the matter, but at least she could help me figure out how I should handle things from this point forward.

“Why are you calling me? You know I need like twelve hours of sleep each day,” she said grumpily.

“I woke up in my underwear, in my bed, and Devin left me an orange juice and Tylenol.”

“Who’s Devin?”

“The hot neighbor guy!” I screamed into the phone. “The hot neighbor guy had to help me get into my house because I’d forgotten my key, and I basically accosted him, and he did nothing. Instead, he left me some juice and medicine for my hangover. Oh, my God, I’m going to die of embarrassment.”

“I hear you talking, but my brain is not working. So the hot neighbor guy, Devin, was in your bedroom?”

“Ugh! Anna. You don’t understand. I basically threw myself at him more than once, and he did nothing. More than nothing, he felt so sorry for me that he got me an orange juice and Tylenol.”

There was a long pause as I heard Anna moving around a little and hoped it meant she was waking up enough that she could actually hold a conversation with me. I took the time to grab some workout clothes and change so I could go for my run when we were done.

“How much throwing did you do?” she finally asked as I heard her drinking something in the background.

“A lot. I tried to kiss him. I grabbed his um … private area. I wrapped my arms around his neck and told him I wanted him. I think that’s it, but I’m not sure. It’s still a little fuzzy.”

“Oh, that’s all?” Anna laughed.

“There’s no coming back from this, is there? I’ve ruined it. Now he thinks I’m some lush that throws herself at any guy who happens to be nice enough to help me out when I’m drunk.”

“No, we can work with this. He’s obviously a good guy. I mean I don’t know many guys who would say no to you grabbing their cock. You were drunk, right?”

“Yes, you know I was.”

“This is good, Lilli. This is awesome. He has so much respect for you that he didn’t sleep with you. This means he’s into you.”

I wasn’t quite wrapping my brain around her logic, but it still gave me a little comfort. Embarrassing myself around Devin was becoming a thing, and I really didn’t like it. Not that my hot neighbor guy was going to be anything to me in the long run, but I just hated looking like someone I wasn’t.

“So what should I do when I see him again? Because knowing my luck, I’m going to end up seeing him, and I’ll make a total fool out of myself.”

“Hmmm, well there are two options. You could play naive like you don’t remember at all, but that means you would have let any guy help you into the house. I don’t like that plan …” she continued as if talking to herself and not me. “You’ve got to own it. Thank him for being such a gentleman, but you have to balance that with letting him know you’re still very into him.”

“Oh, that seems simple enough,” I said sarcastically. “I can hardly talk to the guy. There’s no way I can be thankful and flirt all at the same time. You’re overestimating my abilities.”

“Shut up Lilli! You can do this. But you need to be ready. It has to happen the very next time you see him. If you see him in his house, you have to go knock on the door. The very next time he lays eyes on you, you have to be ready.”

Anna sounded extremely serious, and I pictured her pacing around her room as she hatched the next step of my plan to get Devin to think of me as something more than a little girl. I was going to have to practice what to say, there was no way I could think of something off the top of my head.

“What do I say to him?”

“Hmmm … Appreciative and flirty … let me think …” her voice trailed off as I heard her in the bathroom. Anna certainly didn’t have a filter on what she did and who was on the phone while she did it.

“Maybe I could just say thank you for helping me get into my house safely?” I offered.

“No! Absolutely not. That’s boring.”

“I want to go for my run, so can we talk about this later?”

I flipped the phone onto speaker as I changed my clothes and sipped some more of the juice. My feet felt swollen as I pressed them into my running shoes and tied the laces. Anna was still quiet as she thought of what I should say.

“You have to know what you’re going to say when you see him. This is important,” she scolded me. “Touch his arm. No matter what you say, make sure to touch his arm and make eye contact with him.”

“Okay.”

“Tell him you had a dream about a sexy guy that looked just like him who brought you to the bed last night.”

“Oh, my God, no I’m not saying that.”

“Lillian Baxter, you better not waste this opportunity.”

“I’ll think of something to say while I’m out for my run, and I’ll text you. Deal?”

“Fine, but if you don’t have anything planned, then just smile and get out of his line of sight before you have to talk to him. Only until we have decided what you need to say.”

I rolled my eyes at how complex Anna was making this all. I just wanted some advice on how to handle things when I saw him next. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to manage to say anything to the guy since my embarrassment was still so raw. Most likely, I’d turn bright red when I see him and be totally unable to speak at all, which would just solidify his likely belief that I was a child and not at all in the realm of someone he’d ever be with.

“Okay, I’ll text you later. I’ve got to run a little and burn off this alcohol.”

“Later. I’m going back to bed.”

After guzzling about a liter of water, I put my sunglasses on, turned up my music and set off on a jog. The feeling of the pavement under my feet was just what I needed to push through the aftermath of my day of drinking. My muscles tightened and released as I went up the large hill at the end of our street and then turned toward the south end of the trail.

The bike path near my house went for nearly twenty miles uninterrupted. I’d never followed it more than five miles from my house, though. It ran near a small stream and then sometimes went up through a wooded area. I never felt all that safe on the trail when I was alone, so I often just chose to run on the sidewalk.

After jogging for about thirty minutes, I turned around and made my way back toward my house but couldn’t keep the jogging pace up the whole way. I started walking and stretching my arms as I made it back to my neighborhood and crossed the street only a few blocks away from my house.

A dark black Infinity car pulled up to the stop sign and honked at me. I glanced at them and smiled, but then continued walking toward my house. The sun’s glare was preventing me from seeing who was in the car, and I figured it was just someone from the neighborhood saying hello.

When the car turned the corner and pulled up slowly next to me, my heart raced as I thought about how I would escape someone if they tried to attack me. The car rolled down their window, and I saw someone lean over. I slowed down and looked into the vehicle to see if I could get a better view of who it was.

“Hi Lilli, you look like you’re feeling better,” I heard Devin say.

“Yes, I am,” I answered as my mind went absolutely blank on what I was supposed to say to him.

“Do you want a ride? You look pretty tired.”

“No thanks. Just trying to burn off what’s left of this alcohol. Um, thanks for making sure I got into bed last night.”

“Sure, it was my pleasure,” Devin said, and my heart flipped over with the excitement.

It was his pleasure! He just said that, and my brain went blank. I tried to think of something witty to reply to him with, but nothing came to mind. In fact, all I was doing was staring at him like I had something to say, yet nothing was coming out of my mouth.

“I better get going, I’m starving. I don’t think I’ve eaten since breakfast yesterday.” I laughed nervously.

“Come over to my house and have a sandwich with me,” Devin offered. “I just went grocery shopping, so I can guarantee there’s no mold on any of this stuff.” He laughed and pointed to the bags in the back of his car.

“Okay,” I decided to accept. “I’ll come over.”

“Great. I’ll see you there. I’m going to go unload this mess.”

He pulled away, and it took all my self-control not to jump up and down with excitement. I’d just agreed to come to his house and have a sandwich. I hadn’t even been as nervous or embarrassed as I thought I was going to be.

With my new level of confidence, I walked quickly up the hill toward our houses. Just before going around the corner though I lifted my arm to take a quick sniff of my armpit and was terrified at the smell. I definitely smelled like someone who needed a shower as the rich aroma of bar smoke and alcohol had penetrated every pore of my body and was coming out in the sweat.

There was no turning back now, though, I’d already agreed, and Devin was in front of his house unloading several bags of groceries.

“I can only stay for a few minutes,” I offered as I grabbed a couple of bags and went inside with him.

“That’s fine. I’ll make the sandwiches right now. Go ahead and have a seat, this shouldn’t take too long.”

As I made my way through his sparsely furnished house, I couldn’t help noticing the lack of lived-in feeling I got. None of the furniture looked worn out at all. In fact, it all looked brand new without a tear or scratch on it.

Devin’s taste was clearly modern by the new age coffee table he had that was on wheels and the sleek design of the modern couches. I fell onto the large couch and took in the sights of his living room.

“How long have you lived here?” I asked.

“Not too long. But long enough to know you don’t normally live here,” he said from the kitchen.

“I’m coming in there; I don’t like yelling from here,” I said as I found a spot on the counter and pulled myself up onto it.

Instantly, I remembered Devin putting me onto the car the night before. My hands had pulled him toward me, and I remember feeling how hard he was. His excitement was like a compliment to me though, and even though I was intoxicated then, I still really liked knowing how excited I’d gotten him.

“Make yourself at home.” He laughed.

He ran his fingers through his hair as his eyes looked down at my legs and then back up to my eyes. I felt the heat between us and the sexual undertone that was just beyond his gaze. My chest started to feel hot as he brushed past me and grabbed the bread from the counter.

“Want help with that?” I offered.

“I can manage a sandwich. I’ll enlist you for help once I get down to cooking.”

Okay, wow, was that a subtle way of saying that he was going to invite me over sometime and cook a meal for me? This was good; this was really good.

“Thanks again for the last night,” I said in my most seductive voice.

“You remember last night?” he asked as he took a step closer to me.

“Yes.”

“Do you remember everything about last night?”

My face flushed as his eyes gazed deep into mine. Oh yes, I remembered it all. I wasn’t going to admit that to him, though. No matter what Anna had said, I couldn’t look him in the eyes and flirt when I was totally sober; I just couldn’t do it.

“I think I remember enough to be sufficiently embarrassed.” I giggled and looked away from him.

He reached for my chin and lifted it up so our eyes were only a few inches away from each other. The touch of his fingers sent warmth billowing through my body. I couldn’t look away because of how his fingers were just below my chin, but I did my best not to make eye contact as I looked at his lips instead.

“I remember as well,” he said confidently.

Even though he was only inches away from me, Devin was only touching my chin and nothing else. He could have placed his hands on my legs; he could have been much more forceful with his seduction, but he chose to keep a slight distance.

“Oh, God, I’m going to die,” I said softly as he held onto my chin, and I finally let our eyes meet again. “Please just forget everything that happened. That wasn’t me. It was the alcohol.”

“I think it’s impossible for me to forget everything,” he said with a mischievous smile. “But I remember the wild days of partying. Why are you drinking and partying so much? Just because of your boyfriend breakup?”

I searched my mind as I tried to remember if I had actually told him about my boyfriend. There was no memory that rushed to the front, but I figured I must have said something about the whole thing.

“I’m not some lush. I still work, and I’ve never missed a day at my job,” I said defensively.

“I’m not saying it’s bad. There’s a time and place for partying, and it’s probably exactly where you are in your life.”

“You don’t like to go drinking with your buddies?” I asked as he took a step away from me.

“Most of my friends are old and married now.” He laughed and went back to making our sandwiches. “But I do still go out with my coworkers occasionally.”

It was the perfect opportunity for me to ask him questions and try to figure out more about the guy. He was a huge mystery, and I’d played so many possibilities in my mind that I couldn’t wait to hear about what he actually did for work.

“So what is it that you and your coworkers do for work?”

“It’s a boring job. Trust me; you wouldn’t be interested at all. How about you? I’ve seen you wearing a uniform; are you a nurse?”

“No, I’m like a nurse’s assistant. I do twice the work for half the pay.” I laughed.

“Do you like it?”

“No.”

“Then why are you doing it?” he said as he handed me my sandwich and jumped up on the counter next to me.

“I’m an adult. I need a job. Nothing deeper than that going on here.”

Devin ate his sandwich but seemed just about to say something a couple times as we sat there in an awkward silence. Even though I felt extremely awkward around Devin, I did have the feeling that my bright red face was calming down, and I might actually be making sense as we had our conversation. And even with the awkwardness, there was a sense of calmness between Devin and I that I hadn’t expected.

“You seem like a responsible young lady,” Devin finally said.

“I am.”

His phone started to ring, and relief washed over me as the attention was taken away from me for a moment. He hopped off the counter and pulled his phone out. Devin’s face scrunched up like he didn’t want to talk to whoever was calling, but he answered the phone anyways.

I heard the screaming voice of a woman on the other end of the line but couldn’t quite make out what she was saying. Devin remained calm and smiled as he took a few steps away from me, probably in the hopes that I wouldn’t hear what was happening on the other end of the line, but I could still hear the loud yelling that was going on.

“Ashley, I can’t understand you if you’re screaming like this,” he said calmly to the woman.

The passion coming from the other woman just made me smile. They had clearly dated or been in love at some point; no woman got that upset with a man if she hadn’t loved him. Devin remained calm and let the woman yell and go on for nearly five minutes before he was able to finally get a word in.

“I actually have a friend at my house right now, Ashley; could I call you back in a little bit? Can I call your parents and make sure you get home alright?”

The woman yelled for another minute, and Devin covered the phone and mouthed the words ‘I’m sorry. Just a second,’ as he tried to get another word in edgewise as the upset woman continued to yell.

“Ashley, we’ve been separated for nearly seven years. I actually don’t think you have a say in who I have over to my house. I’m going to give your parents a call, and I hope you feel better soon.”

He hung up the phone and then came over to me. A look of exhaustion covered his face, and I realized I was in the middle of a big drama in his life. It felt like a special window into who Devin really was, and I imagined that not many women got to see this side of him.

“It’s okay, take care of your life. I should get going.”

“No, please stay,” he said as his hand wrapped around mine, and my heart stopped working. “I just need to make one more quick call. Please eat your sandwich, and I’ll be right back.”

I froze in place and was definitely not going anywhere as he walked into the other room to make his call. My breathing stopped, and I stared at the spot on my arm that he had just touched. The warmth of his skin against mine was still there, and I smiled at the thought of him wanting me to stay there so we could talk more.

“Mrs. Edwards, this is Devin. I got another call from Ashley, and I could hardly understand her. If you could check on her and get back to me, I’d really appreciate it. And if there is anything I can help with, please don’t hesitate to call me.”

Devin slid his phone back into his pocket and walked straight over to where I was sitting. This time, he let his hand rest on my thigh as he stood next to me, and I could hardly think as he talked, and I tried to answer appropriately.

“Sorry about that. My daughter’s mother is having a hard time. I’m not sure what is going on. They kind of keep me out of the loop.”

“You’re a dad?” I asked.

It surprised me because I’d never seen his daughter coming or going from his house. Although, I admittedly wasn’t watching his house 24 hours a day. Devin also didn’t really seem like the fatherly type. He was way too hot and certainly nothing like any dad I’d ever seen … except maybe that hot hunk that Anna had a crush on.

“I’m not a good dad, but yes I’m a dad.”

“You seem pretty good if you were willing to listen to that yelling for the last ten minutes.” I laughed.

“Sorry, Ashley is a wild one, but I used to be wild too,” he said as he crinkled his nose and squeezed my thigh a little. “Probably even wilder than you were last night.” He winked and grabbed his sandwich.

As he leaned against the opposite counter from me, I couldn’t help laughing at how absurd I had been the night before. I’d basically invited this man into my bed before I knew a single thing about him. The interesting thing was, I’d invite him into my bed again if given the opportunity. Yet, I didn’t have the nerve to say such a thing to him while I was totally sober.

“It’s nice that you’re trying to help your ex. What’s your daughter’s name?”

“Izzy, she’s ten years old.”

“Do you have any pictures?” I asked.

His face went from happy to sad in a split second, and I quickly realized that I had hit a very sore spot. Devin paused for a long time and seemed to be searching his mind to remember if he did have any pictures of his daughter.

“Actually, I’ve only got this one,” he said and pulled his phone out and scrolled through some messages until he finally found what he was looking for. “It was her seventh birthday. I flew in to give her that present. I visit her every year on her birthday, but I don’t think I took any other photos the last few years.”

“Where does she live?”

“Florida. Her mother and grandparents live out there. I think we should change the subject, though. This is a little raw for me right now.”

“Of course, of course,” I said relieved he had offered the change, and I didn’t have to.

But now I had absolutely no idea what to say to him as we stood in his kitchen finishing our sandwiches. It seemed like a good time for me to make my exit though as I remembered Anna’s advice and how I shouldn’t have even been talking to him without my plan in place.

“Actually, I should get going,” I added. “I’ve got to shower and get ready for work.”

“Oh, okay. It was nice talking to you again.”

“You too. I hope everything works out with your ex. You seem totally able to handle things, though.” I laughed and awkwardly started to walk toward the door. “I mean you seemed cool and controlled while she was upset. Um, I mean, you know. You’re cool. Crap, okay, I’m going to go,” I finally muttered as I made my way to the front door and fumbled with the lock.

It was unlocked, but as I pulled on the door, it didn’t open, so I flipped the lock, and of course, it still didn’t open.

“It’s a tough door to open,” Devin said from behind me as he reached around, unlocked the door and pulled it open.

His breath was only inches from my neck, and my knees actually went weak at the sound of his voice. I gripped the side of the door and leaned on it as he pulled it away and then nearly fell right into his arms because of my clumsiness.

“Um, okay. Well, I’m going to go before I end up knocking you to the ground.” I laughed.

“Enjoy your day Lilli,” Devin said as he stood in the doorway.

“You too. See you around,” I said without turning around.

I had managed to remain pretty cool and collect right up until that last few minutes. It was the best I could do, and despite being totally embarrassed, I was actually proud of myself. I’d managed a decent conversation with the man and even learned a little bit about who he was. Devin seemed like a pretty good guy and much kinder than I’d expected him to be.

Chapter 6

Devin

“Mrs. Edwards, I’m just calling back to check in with Ashley. She hasn’t answered her phone since yesterday, and I really have no idea what is going on. Could you please call me back,” I said as I left another voicemail for Ashley’s mother.

It had been a whole day since Ashley’s crazy call to me, and I was officially worried. She wasn’t answering her phone, and it seemed to be dead as all of her calls were going to voicemail. Ashley’s mother and father weren’t answering my calls either, and the red flags were going off all over for me.

Instead of waiting any longer, though, I called a private investigator friend of mine to check into what was going on. Ashley sounded very out of it, but her family seemed to know what was up, and they were keeping it from me. I wasn’t okay with this level of secrecy when it involved my daughter.

“Ronald, how the heck are you?” I said as he answered his cell on the first ring.

“I’m good. What’s up Devin? Need another CEO investigated?”

“Nay, this is a personal assignment. Do you have some time?”

“For you, I always have time.”

Ronald Standard was a high profile investigator who charged way too much money, but because he always delivered the information, people continued to pay him his crazy high rates. When information was needed on a company or CEO, it was often the difference between a billion dollar deal and a million dollar deal; so it was well worth the investment to hire Ronald.

“My daughter lives with her mother in Florida. I’ve been getting some strange calls from the mother, Ashley, and I think there’s something going on out there. No one is returning my calls any longer, and I’d really like the details of what’s up.”

“Is it for a custody case?”

“No. I mean, I’m not sure, I guess. I’ve always thought Ashley was a really good mother, but if she’s not taking good care of our daughter, I might have to go to court. Can you just find out as much as possible?”

“Of course. Send me the information you have on your ex. I’d love it if you have a birth date and social security number. Address, phone number, and anything else you have will be helpful.”

“I could get you all of that. I’ll send it right over.”

“Do you want a wiretap and full contact list of who she’s talking to?”

For a moment, I had forgotten the level of investigation Ronald was capable of. He could literally trace every aspect of someone’s life and give you each and every gory detail if you paid him enough.

“I don’t need all that. Just anything important to my daughter’s safety. Thanks.”

“Sounds good. Send me her information, and I’ll get you updated by the end of the week.”

“Thanks, Ronald.”

“Anything for you Devin. We will talk later this week. Take care.”

I quickly gathered the information that Ronald needed and sent it over the secure email system he had set up for our previous cases. There was a bit of relief knowing that Ronald was working on the case, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was going on with Ashley.

I’d also been distracted by what was going on with Lilli and I. As much as I’d expected not to get along with her, we had actually had a nice little conversation. She was stumbling and adorable as she left, though, and it really did make me realize the force of my attraction to her.

Lilli was unique, and not just some party girl living off her family, and that intrigued me. Even in the middle of my little family emergency, I couldn’t stop thinking about Lilli and how I had willingly turned down an evening of fun with her. Was turning her down the wrong idea?

It was the right thing, and I knew it, despite how much my body longed for her and how badly I wanted to let my lips kiss every inch of her delicate skin. The longing and desire were new for me. Honestly, I’d never gone more than a day without getting a woman that I wanted. So this little dance between Lilli and I was fun for me; torturous, but fun.

I’d expected to get a little flirting or at least a flash of her sexy ass body after she had returned home, especially since she had mentioned she needed to shower. But unfortunately, she kept those damn blue shades pulled tight, and I hadn’t had even a glimpse of her in the last 24 hours.

The vehicle that had been in the driveway was gone, so I had to assume she was at work or out doing something for the day. I decided against going for a run, and instead, did my domestic duty and fired up the lawnmower for the afternoon.

Only a few years before I would have laughed if someone had told me I’d own a house and actually enjoy mowing my own lawn. It was wild, crazy, and exactly the pace I had become accustomed too. My days of partying were long gone, and I couldn’t pinpoint exactly when they had stopped being fun. Even a year before when I purchased my home, I hadn’t expected to want to actually be here. Instead, I hoped that I could have a stable place to store my things while I continued to travel the world and enjoy the exotic women and locations I was used to.

But life has a funny way of twisting things around and bringing you right where you need to be. I did like the domestic life. I enjoyed buying groceries and cooking, although I liked it better when someone else was around to cook for. I liked the menial tasks of taking care of my lawn and all that came with the new stability of my life.

I blasted the music as I put my earphones in and started mowing my front yard. Thirty minutes later, I finished and moved to the backyard when my phone rang, and I saw that it was Ashley’s mother.

I let the mower turn off and quickly answered the call as I stood in the middle of my lawn.

“Hello Mrs. Edwards,” I said calmly. “How are things going?”

“I know you were worried about Ashley, and I just wanted to call and assure you things are alright. She has decided to go into rehab, and Izzy is staying with us for a few weeks.”

My heart sank at her words. Going to rehab wasn’t a little deal, it was huge. Ashley wouldn’t have given up her time with Izzy to go away to rehab unless things were really out of control. When she was pregnant, Ashley had stopped drinking cold turkey without any problems.

“I could come get Izzy, and she could stay with me while Ashley does her treatment.”

“Absolutely not. Izzy is in school, and we don’t want to disrupt that for just a few weeks. Ashley will be out in no time. Plus, I’m sure Izzy will want to see her mother on the weekends.”

“Mrs. Edwards, no offense to you and your abilities, but I am her father, and I should be there for her if Ashley is not able to be.”

There was a long pause, and for a brief moment, I thought that Mrs. Edwards might agree with me and let me pick up Izzy. But of course, it wasn’t going to be so easy, and Mrs. Edwards wasn’t willing to forgive and forget the past me she knew.

“Devin, you’re just as irresponsible as Ashley, and I’m not going to let you take Izzy. She needs stability, and neither of you has been living very stable lives. All the partying and traveling you do, that’s no place for a little girl.”

“Mrs. Edwards, that’s not my life now. I have a home and a stable life in Chicago.”

“I think your idea of stability and mine are different. Now Ashley gave me temporary physical custody, and of course, you still have joint legal custody, but I really don’t think a big argument would be helpful to Izzy at all. Do you?”

She was right about that; I had never thought arguing with Ashley’s family was a good idea. They were also Izzy’s family and causing a big scene with them wasn’t what I wanted my daughter to know me by.

“I am a different man than I was when Ashley and I were together. I really wish you would give me the opportunity to see Izzy and be there for her while her mother is getting better.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Mrs. Edwards said and then hung up the phone.

I was livid. So angry that I could barely see straight as I stood in the middle of my lawn and tried to figure out what to do next. I needed more information, though, and that was going to take a few days for Ronald to gather things. It was bound to be a very long week of waiting.

***

I didn’t call Ashley’s family all week long, mainly because I wanted to hear what Ronald had to say before I called them back. When I finally saw Ronald’s name on my caller ID, I couldn’t wait to hear what he had to say.

“Tell me what’s going on,” I said as I answered the phone.

“It’s bad Devin, really bad.”

“I heard she’s in rehab, but it sounded like she would be out in a few weeks.”

“Ashley was picked up for a DUI about a year ago. She got another one six months ago, and then two weeks ago she got her third. Florida has some mandatory sentencing laws that relate to DUI’s and felonies. It’s possible she could spend ten to twenty years in prison.”

“What the hell! All for drinking and driving?”

“Yes, they are cracking down, and the fact that she got so many within a short period of time doesn’t help. She was also charged with possession.”

“Of drugs?”

My mind spun as I tried to wrap it around what I was hearing. The only reason I’d stayed away from Ashley and Izzy was because I thought she was a good mom and had been taking excellent care of my daughter.

“She had some prescription pain medication on her that wasn’t actually hers. Her lawyer argued to get her into a rehab facility while she awaits her court case. But she’s not getting off free on this. She’ll serve a minimum of five years, and that’s if her lawyer is really good.”

“Her mother didn’t tell me any of this,” I fumed as I wrote down everything that Ronald was saying.

“They probably don’t know what’s going to happen. I suspect they are optimistic that her going to rehab will help her sentencing, which it will, if she finishes it, but she won’t get out of jail time. Not with the new mandatory laws.”

“Wow, this is crap.”

“Yeah, you should be able to get custody of your daughter pretty easily if you wait until her sentencing.”

What Ronald didn’t know was my long history of arrests and troublemaking over the years. I wasn’t confident at all that a judge would choose me over Ashley’s parents.

“I’ll get in contact with a lawyer as soon as possible. Thank you, and please send me the information that you gathered.”

“It’s already in your email; let me know if you need anything else.”

My hands shook as I went to my laptop and opened the message from Ronald. For years, Ashley had continued drinking and using prescription drugs. She seemed to manage with the help of her family, but she hadn’t been doing it on her own like I thought. Her parents were picking Izzy up and taking her to sporting events. Ronald had even included a sign-up roster from school that had Izzy’s parents as the people to call in case of emergency, not Ashley.

My jaw clenched at the deception they had all played against me. This was my daughter they were messing with. This was my life. I should have been seeing her; I should have been spending time with my daughter and showing her that I was a changed person, and she had someone she could count on.

As angry as I was at Ashley and her family, I was equally angry with myself for believing them and never questioning what they were saying. This was my fault too. I shouldn’t have accepted their answers and reasoning for pushing me away. I should have insisted on being there for my daughter. Things were about to change, though, as I dialed Ashley’s family on my cell phone.

“Hello Devin, Izzy isn’t here right now. She’s in school,” Mrs. Edwards said.

“I’m actually going to come visit this weekend. I just wanted to give you a heads up.”

“No, no, no. We are going to be really busy …”

“It’s okay; I’m sure we can find time to connect,” I insisted without letting her finish.

“No, you can’t come visit. You’re irresponsible and not a good influence. You’re too unstable, and I just can’t have that around Izzy right now.”

I wanted to scream at Mrs. Edwards and tell her she didn’t have the ability to make those kinds of decisions, but I knew I had to keep my cool. Both Ashley and I had a rough past, and I knew it. What Mrs. Edwards knew about me wasn’t at all the person I was, though.

“I’ve got a stable family life now Mrs. Edwards. I’m not sure how much Ashley has shared with you, but I have a home and a wife, and I live a very calm day to day life.”

I couldn’t tell you why I said I had a wife. Maybe I thought it made me sound more responsible. Maybe it was because I knew Mrs. Edwards had always hated that Ashley and I had not gotten married. But for whatever reason, I’d said the words, and I couldn’t take them back.

“You’re married?” she asked in a little bit of shock.

“Yes, didn’t Ashley tell you?” I continued my lie. “It’s a new marriage, but she’s a lovely woman, and I would really like to have Izzy meet her. Considering everything that is going on with Ashley I promise I’ll keep my visit short, and I’d just like to have some time with Izzy and give her a big hug.”

There was a long pause, and I felt like I had finally won Mrs. Edwards over enough that she might agree to my visit. Of course, I didn’t need her to agree in principle. I could get lawyers involved and cause a big scene, but I just didn’t want to do that. I just wanted to see my sweet little girl and assure her that I was here for her.

“You and your wife can come this weekend. I’m not going to tell Izzy, though, just in case you don’t show up.”

My gut turned at her words. She wanted me to bring my wife? I cringed at the mess I’d gotten myself into.

“I don’t think my wife will be able to come. But I will certainly be there.”

“If you are coming, you should bring your wife. It wouldn’t be good for Izzy to hear about the woman and not get to meet her.”

“Um … but she’s working. She …” I fumbled as I tried to figure out a good excuse. “Well, I’m sure we can arrange some time off for her. We will be there Saturday morning. Thanks so much, Mrs. Edwards.”

“I look forward to meeting this woman who has finally tamed you,” she said as she hung up the phone.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Not only did I not have a wife, but I wasn’t even dating a woman. My last semi-serious relationship had ended a year before, and none of the women I’d brought on fun trips in the recent months were at all what I’d consider bringing around my daughter. I dialed Jacob quickly as I tried to figure out what to do.

“Okay, do you know any nice looking women who would be marriage material?”

Jacob broke into laughter at my statement and took a full minute to calm down.

“No, I don’t know that kind of woman. Why?”

“I basically need a pretend wife for this weekend. It’s a long story. Anyone that’s stable and willing to put on an act for the weekend will do.”

“Dude, what the hell is going on?”

“There’s a big mess with Ashley, and I basically told her parents I was married in an attempt to prove how stable I am.”

“So let me figure this out. To prove you are a stable, law abiding, responsible adult, you lied to them and made up a wife?”

“Shit, when you put it that way it sounds bad.” I laughed as I fell back onto my couch and tried to figure a way out of the mess I had just made for myself. “Seriously, I just need a girl who can go this weekend. I’m sure once they see how stable I am, I can work things out on my own from there.”

“So you need to hire a woman for the weekend.” Jacob laughed. “I’m sure there’s a service for that.”

“Not like that! I need a nice girl. Stable, reliable, you know.”

“Basically, no woman you or I would date.” He continued laughing. “Ask Cindy, maybe she will do it.”

“That’s a perfect idea!” I said as I jumped up. “She’s smart, reliable, and totally stable. I mean she’s not all that pretty, but I’d settle for her.”

“Maybe don’t use that as your sales pitch,” Jacob said. “You might want to actually rethink that wording. She’s a pretty woman, just in a casual kind of nerdy way.”

“Yeah, yeah, she is pretty. Okay, I’m going to call her.”

“Good luck!”

Chapter 7

Lilli

“So you were in his house, what was that like?” Anna asked as we sat waiting for our turn at the tattoo parlor.

“Surprisingly calm. He’s actually a really nice guy.”

“Yeah, I got that from the whole not sleeping with you thing. He’s got to be a decent guy to have said no to you.”

“I know. So what tattoo are you getting?” I asked as we paged through a book showing pictures.

“I don’t know. I’ll just wing it. How about you?”

“I’m getting a rose with stars around it.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s pretty,” I joked. “No really, it has some sentimental meaning to me.”

“Ahh, that’s a good idea. You don’t want to get a tattoo for the rest of your life that means nothing. Like I’m about to do,” Anna said as she pretended to laugh. “I’m just going to get a star or something cute.”

“So anyways, I can’t figure out what was going on with his ex, though. She seemed pretty crazy, but he was still so calm talking to her. I’d like to know more.”

“I can’t believe he’s got a daughter. That’s pretty crazy. I’ll need to get a better look at this guy. I’ve only seen him from up in his bedroom while he was stalking us as we got home.”

I didn’t have any plans to introduce Anna to Devin anytime soon. She was a wild child and a very bad influence on me. She definitely didn’t need to be hanging around Devin while I was still trying to figure out if there was something going on between him and me.

“Ms. Cook, I’m ready for you,” the tattoo artist said as he stood looking at us from the counter.

He was decked out in a short-sleeved black T-shirt and had arms covered in a variety of artwork. His hair was clean cut, but he also had huge gauge earrings. The tattoo artist was a unique combination of clean-cut and trouble maker.

“Eww yes, this is going to be fun,” Anna said as she put her finger up to her lip and bit it sexually.

“Do you know what you want?” he asked.

“You,” she teased.

It was amazing to me how much she teased and tortured men, yet she was still a virgin. I chalked up the unending sexuality to the fact that she was storing it up for the last few years and hadn’t gotten her release yet.

“You can have me, but how about for your tattoo?” he asked without losing a beat.

“I was thinking of getting a teddy bear,” she said out of the blue.

“What happened to the star?” I asked.

“I changed my mind,” Anna said as she continued to flirt with the tattoo artist.

I followed the two of them into the back, and we continued to talk while he drew up a sample for her before he got to work. It was a quick process, and within fifteen minutes, Anna had agreed to the design and had her shirt pulled up so he could put it on her upper hip.

“I don’t think I’m going to go out this weekend. Last weekend was a bit much for me.”

“I gotcha, are you going to stay home?”

“I have no idea, but I just don’t want to be that girl who is just wild and partying all the time. That’s not me. I mean it is me because I’ve been doing it since I got home. But I’m getting a little tired of it all.”

“Then do something different,” Anna said in a matter of fact tone. “You can be whoever you want to be. Be wild. Be tame. Be a nerd, it doesn’t matter. Just be happy.”

For such a wild and crazy girl, Anna hit the nail on the head with that comment. All I wanted was to be happy, and my partying wasn’t making me happy any longer. I still had no real idea what I wanted to do with myself, but staying up all night and getting sick from drinking didn’t seem to hit the spot for me any longer.

“Do you know what you want for your tattoo?” the artist asked as he continued to work on Anna.

“Yeah, just a red rose with some small stars around it. Like this,” I said as I pulled out a picture of exactly what I wanted.

“A woman who comes prepared, perfect.”

“Can you do this?”

“Honey, I could do that with my eyes closed. Where do you want it? Your tit? Lower back? Inner thigh?” he asked in a creepy way as his eyes veered toward my inner thigh.

“Um, no, I was thinking of my ankle.”

“That area hurts pretty badly. Might not be a good place for a newbie to start out with.”

“What about your arm?” Anna offered.

“I don’t know. I kind of had my heart set on my ankle.”

I’d imagined getting a tattoo for a few years and just never got around to it. So when Anna suggested going to get her tattoo, I was excited for the opportunity to finally get mine. I was tired of thinking about stuff and not doing it.

“If you can handle the pain, I’m fine with doing the work,” the tattoo artist said.

“I’ll make it work,” I said without having any confidence in my ability to actually handle the pain.

I was able to work through pulled muscles and other aches and pains from working out, but I couldn’t think of a single time when I’d been in real pain. I’d never broken a bone, so this was going to be a new and interesting experience for me.

When it came time for my turn in the tattoo chair, my hands were sweating and shaking as I climbed into the leather torture spot. Anna held onto my hand tight as the man prepped the area and showed me a drawing of what he was going to do. Despite my dislike of the man and his crude way of looking at me earlier, he did do very good work, and that put my mind at ease as I leaned back and covered my eyes to prepare for the pain.

The first touch of the needle against my skin didn’t seem as painful as I thought it was going to be. It wasn’t until about a minute into the process that my brain seemed to register the extent of the pain, and I squeezed Anna’s hand tightly as the tears rolled down my face.

“What was the meaning of your tattoo?”

“It’s my favorite flower, and my father told me a story about it once that stuck with me.”

“Are you okay,” Anna asked as she stayed close to me.

“Yep,” I lied.

The pain was radiating throughout my leg, and I swore I could feel it all the way up to my kneecap. It took everything I had inside of me not to move my leg while he was working, but I knew that would make things worse and would ruin the work he was doing.

For a full hour, I held onto Anna and tried not to sob from the pain. I was clearly crying, but my tears were silent, and that was about as good as I could do considering the situation. Some spots on my ankle were downright excruciating as the needle glided over them, while other areas were just painful and not quite as bad.

“I’m almost done,” the man said as he grabbed some more color and went back to work. “It’s turning out very nicely. You’re doing a great job.”

“Thanks,” I managed to mumble.

When it was over, I had a beautiful three-inch red rose with a dozen small gold stars around it. Exactly what I wanted. The relief flooded my emotions, and I handed the man his money and quickly made my way out to Anna’s vehicle.

“I think we need a delicious smoothie as a reward. I mean if you’re not drinking yet.” Anna laughed.

“Considering it’s noon, no I’m not drinking yet. Let’s go to The Juice Bar on Williams Street. They do this amazing smoothie with fresh strawberries and lemonade, it’s to die for.”

“Deal,” Anna said as we climbed into her Range Rover.

“Didn’t that hurt you at all? It was so painful for me,” I continued to complain as she drove us for our drinks.

“No, it wasn’t so bad for me. But I could tell yours was really painful. You did great, though.”

There was a familiar car in the parking lot as we pulled into the juice bar. I was pretty sure it was Devin’s but didn’t want to say anything in case I was imagining it. There were a lot of black Infinities in Chicago so I couldn’t be sure this was his.

My eyes darted back and forth throughout the juice bar the second we walked in. I was looking for Devin but didn’t see him. Relief washed over me as we made our way to the ordering area and put in our desired drink orders.

“Can we have two shots of wheat grass too,” Anna added as we waited for our drinks.

“Eww, Anna, I’m not drinking that.”

“You should try it,” I heard Devin’s sexy voice say as he walked up behind me. “It’s invigorating.”

“Wow, hi hot neighbor dude,” Anna said as she thrust her hand out to shake Devin’s hand.

“Hi, I’m Devin,” he added.

There was no avoiding the introductions now. I reluctantly gave in and introduced the two of them properly.

“Devin, this is my friend Anna. I’m sure you remember her from all the nights she’s screamed from the driveway and woken you up.”

“Yes, very nice to meet you, young lady,” Devin said as he shook her hand again. “This is my friend Jacob; he loves to be woken up in the middle of the night by young girls causing chaos. Jacob this is Lilli,” he added as he motioned toward me.

“I do,” Jacob said as he shook hands with Anna. “It’s nice to finally meet you,” Jacob said to me.

Anna and I both looked at each other as we processed what Jacob had said. The word ‘finally’ stuck out to me. It implied that Devin had talked about me before. Perhaps he had mentioned me, and Jacob was interested in meeting this person that Devin had mentioned many times before. Or I could have been imagining the whole thing.

“Would you girls like to join us?” Devin asked as he pointed to his table.

“No, we …” I started to say before Anna interrupted me.

“Of course, we’d love to.”

I rolled my eyes at the way she instantly started to fawn over Devin’s friend. She grabbed her drink and followed the two men straight to their table, leaving me to grab the two wheat grass shots and my own drink.

“We got tattoos today,” Anna offered right away. “Mine’s in a spot that I can’t really show you here,” she teased Jacob.

I smiled at Devin as we both eyed the two of them and how flirty they already were. There was no stopping Anna once she got started flirting with a guy; I knew better than to try. Instead, I just leaned toward Devin so I could hear him over the busy store.

“You got one too?” he asked with a little look of surprise in his eyes.

“Yep, but it’s just on my ankle, not anywhere exotic like Anna.”

“It’s covered up.”

“Yeah, it’s supposed to stay covered to heal. I didn’t get anything crazy. Just a rose.”

“I’ve got a couple tattoos.”

“Really? I don’t remember seeing them.”

“I don’t remember showing them to you.” He winked. “They are in exotic locations.”

I laughed an uncomfortable laugh at the thought of where his tattoos could possibly be. He seemed like he was teasing me, but I wasn’t sure yet. I didn’t know Devin well enough to know if he was teasing or being serious.

“What are you two lovely ladies up to this weekend?” Jacob asked.

“Nothing much. Lilli says she’s staying home, but I’m probably going out dancing. How about you guys?”

“Devin is going to Jacksonville and needs some company. Maybe you’d like to join him, Lilli,” Jacob said.

The question threw me off, and it seemed to have caught Devin off guard too. I didn’t think Devin would have invited me for a weekend getaway anytime soon. We hardly knew each other, although I was very interested in getting to know him more.

“Jacksonville?” I asked as I tried to figure out what was going on.

“No, don’t worry about it. I just got myself into a little bit of a pickle, and big mouth over there was trying to help out.”

“A pickle?” I laughed. “Explain yourself.”

“No, don’t worry. It’s nothing,” Devin said, but his friend Jacob quickly butted in and added to the conversation.

“He needs you to be his wife. Not in the bedroom or anything kinky like that, unless you want to,” he said with a wink. “But could you go with him and just pretend to be his wife so he can visit his daughter without causing a bunch of trouble.”

Ah, the whole story was definitely not out yet, but at least I got a better picture of what was going on and why Devin needed a date. I looked over at Devin, and he hid his head in his hands, and I couldn’t help laughing, the whole thing seemed pretty outrageous.

“So why do you need a wife?” I asked genuinely trying to figure out what was going on.

“I’m sorry. My big mouth friend shouldn’t have said anything. Let’s get going Jacob.”

Devin grabbed Jacob by the shirt and practically dragged him out of the juice bar. They were nearly at the door when Anna grabbed me so hard that I cried out in pain.

“Ouch, stop that hurts.”

“You said you wanted to do something different. Help the poor guy out! Go tell him you’ll do it.”

“Be his wife?” I laughed. “No thank you.”

“Oh, come on; it’s pretending, and he must be desperate if it involves his daughter.”

I sat there for a minute as I watched Devin and his friend get into Devin’s car. The two men were arguing for a minute, and suddenly I decided that I did want to do something different. I got up and ran outside the restaurant and stood in front of his car. Jacob saw me first and shoved Devin to come and talk to me.

My heart pounded as the cool breeze of the afternoon blew my hair all over the place. Devin slowly got out of his car, and he didn’t seem to have the high level of confidence I’d seen him with the last time we had talked.

“I’ll be your wife,” I said as a smile pulled my lips up.

“It’s just for a weekend. You don’t have to do anything naughty. I’ll even pay you for your time.”

“You don’t have to pay me, and I might want to do something naughty,” I teased in a sudden burst of confidence.

His eyes widened, and a look of relief crossed his face. He appeared genuinely happy that I’d said yes to his offer, although I still had no idea why he needed to bring a wife in order to visit with his daughter.

“I’ll pick you up in the morning. We will take a private jet down and be back by Sunday evening. Does that work for you?”

“Sure,” I said. “Do you want to tell me why you need a wife?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you all the details on the plane ride, and I am going to pay you. Not because you want me to, but this is a business deal. I can’t have romantic drama this weekend, and I genuinely need someone to come with me. Is that alright?”

I did need money so I could get my own car and move out of my parents’ house. It was a weird situation, that was for sure, but turning down his money wasn’t going to make it less weird.

“How much money are we talking?”

“Is ten thousand dollars enough?”

“What!” I yelled. “That’s crazy. This isn’t Indecent Proposal. Geesh. How about five thousand?”

“You’re really bad at negotiating.” Devin laughed.

“Five or I’m not doing it.”

“So if I pay you less than what I proposed, only then will you agree to do it?” He seemed to see a lot of humor in my offer.

“Yes, I need five thousand for a decent car. That’s all I’ll take. I really don’t want any money though it’s kind of weird. I’ll do it as your friend.”

Devin ran his fingers through his hair and let out a big sign as if I was driving him crazy. He might have a lot of money, but I wasn’t interested in him because of his money, and I’d do the whole thing for free just to be nice. The money actually made me not want to do it at all.

“What if I buy you a car, and we don’t have any money involved.”

“A used car, with dents and lots of miles,” I said firmly as I held my hand out to shake his hand.

He laughed and looked at Anna as she joined me on the sidewalk. He shook his head in frustration before he finally extended his hand and agreed to my terms.

“You drive a hard bargain Miss Lilli. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“What’s your last name?” I said as he started to climb back into his car.

“Graham.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Graham,” I teased.

“See you tomorrow Mrs. Graham,” he teased me back.

Anna didn’t wait until Devin was gone before she started jumping up and down and grabbing me. She was clearly excited about the whole ordeal. I was terrified.

Chapter 8

Devin

After loading some luggage into my car, I went over to Lilli’s house and knocked on her door. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting, but when Lilli opened the door, my mouth literally dropped open.

“That bad?” she asked as she twirled around in her floral floor length dress.

“Um, not bad. You look beautiful.”

Her hair was curled into lovely loose curls, and her makeup was done much softer than I was used to seeing her. She didn’t have her bright lipstick on, and instead, just a glossy sheen covered her lips. Suddenly she’d transformed herself from a club hopping wild child into a high-class soccer mom.

“My mom bought me this dress for Easter a few years ago; I’ve never worn it,” she said with a giggle.

“You look perfect,” I managed to say as I finally closed my mouth. “Are you ready to go?”

“As ready as I can get.”

“Do you have a bag?”

“Oh, crap. I didn’t pack anything else,” she said as she looked terrified at me. “I’m sorry. I was so busy trying to look more like a wife.”

“I appreciate the effort. Don’t worry; we can pick you up another outfit in Jacksonville.”

“I’ll pay you back,” she insisted.

“Of course you will.”

I’d already learned that arguing with Lilli took a lot of time and didn’t lead me anywhere. It was nice that she made such a clear point of not wanting to take things from me, which was unusual for the women I typically brought on trips. Paying for trips, clothes and everything else wasn’t a big deal to me, but I did appreciate a woman who wanted to be independent.

It was a gorgeous day out and nearly eighty degrees as I drove us to the airport for our flight to Florida. Lilli fidgeted in her seat the whole drive and couldn’t seem to get comfortable. Occasionally I caught her gaze, but mostly she kept looking out the window and avoiding interacting with me. There was a distinct awkwardness between us that I knew had to be fixed by the time we landed in Jacksonville; I just didn’t know how I was going to fix it.

We seemed more like co-workers who hardly knew each other than a couple that was in love. This whole plan was ridiculous, and I was mentally kicking myself for saying something as stupid as I had to Ashley’s parents. I wasn’t the marrying type, and there was a reason her family thought of me as irresponsible, and one of the biggest reasons was that I hadn’t married Ashley while we were together. My news must have been shocking to her mother, especially considering Ashley and I hadn’t gotten married even after we had a child together.

“Are you nervous?” I asked as we pulled into the private jet area of the airport.

“I think I might puke.”

“Ha, I’m sorry. Don’t be nervous. We are just going to be happy and have a nice conversation with my ex’s family. Nothing too exciting.”

“Should I kiss you?” Lilli asked.

“Do you want to kiss me?”

I was teasing but certainly not opposed to the idea of kissing Lilli. She was a beautiful girl and even more beautiful with her little transformation she had made for this trip. I really appreciated the effort she had put in.

The plane turned on, and the loud noise made it impossible for me to hear what Lilli was saying when she answered my question. Her eyes turned to the ground, and she pulled away from me a little, though, so I thought she had said she did not want to kiss me. We both leaned against the car as we waited for the staff to say it was clear to head over to the jet. Once the jet engines had been tested and everything cleared, it should only be a few more minutes before we could take off.

I reached out and held onto her hand as it vibrated with nerves. Lilli was clearly uneasy over what was going on with this trip. A little panic washed over me as I hoped I could calm her down over the couple of hours we would be in the air.

“You can board the plane now,” a man yelled at us as he waved some orange batons in the air.

Lilli held on tight to my hand as we walked behind a young man carrying our luggage. He stored it in the overhead compartments and then went to talk to the pilot for a moment before getting off the plane. We sat next to each other in two oversized leather chairs and each put our seatbelts on as we sat there quietly waiting for the plane to begin moving toward the runway.

“Did you say yes, you wanted to kiss me?” I asked as I leaned in and playfully puckered up my lips.

“No, I said no, we don’t have to do that.”

“I seem to remember not so long ago you wanted me to kiss you in your bed,” I joked.

She playfully pushed me away and laughed which was a relief to me. She looked so beautiful in her sweet floral dress and brown sandals. As she laughed, I noticed she still had her tongue ring in, though, and it caught me a little off guard. In fact, it made me hard thinking about what that tongue ring was for and how her tongue would feel on the shaft of my body.

“You need to forget about that night,” she said through her laughter.

“I will never forget.”

“I’m not a very good actress. I’m afraid these people are going to see right through anything I do. Maybe you should tell me a little about yourself so I don’t get caught off guard.”

“That’s a perfect idea. And you could tell me a little about yourself too?” I said as I leaned in closer to her. “I’d love to know more about that tongue ring.”

She lightheartedly pressed her tongue out of her mouth at me and wiggled it around.

“I bet you would like to know more about this,” she joked. “Do you want me to take it out for our trip?”

“Hmmm, I don’t know. On one side, it makes you a little mysterious and obviously a very sexual creature. On the other side, it doesn’t fit well with this beautiful outfit and your updated hair and makeup.”

“I’ll take it out,” she said as she stuck her tongue out and used her fingers to unscrew the ball at the end of the piercing. “It doesn’t work with my character.”

“When did you get it?”

“About a year ago. It was a surprise for my boyfriend.”

“One hell of a surprise. I hope he appreciated it,” I said.

The plane door was closed and soon after our jet was being pushed back so it could turn and make its way to the runway. Lilli smiled playfully at me as she stuck out her tongue and then pulled it back in. Her eyes lit up with the playful movement, and for a brief moment, she didn’t seem nervous to be there with me.

“He appreciated it.” She giggled. “Have you ever dated a girl with a tongue piercing?”

“Nope, but it’s one of those things I think every guy fantasizes about.”

“You fantasize about my tongue?” she joked.

“Yes.”

My definitive answer caught her off guard, and her playful flirting quieted as she turned and looked out the window. Her dark red hair shimmered in the sunlight as it radiated through the window. I couldn’t stop looking at her.

Slowly our plane made its way to the runway and accelerated quickly as we took to the sky. I was so used to flying in the jet that I could hardly remember what flying commercial was like for domestic flights.

Lilli’s hands gripped the seat, and her head pressed into the back as she closed her eyes while we climbed to the elevation that we needed to be at. She bit her lip and tensed up at the smallest of movements, so I reached out and wrapped my hand over the top of hers.

“Have you flown on a private jet before? This is all normal. We will be at our elevation soon, and then it will feel normal.”

“I’ve never flown before.”

“Oh, wow, okay, then this is probably really exciting.”

“Terrifying. It’s terrifying.”

“I’m sorry; I should have warned you that the take off is a little rough in this plane. It’s totally safe, though. It just feels like we are going straight up into the clouds.”

Her breathing was labored as she took in a deep breath and seemed to hold it for a long time before she finally let the air out. The color had drained out of her face, and she looked like she might actually pass out.

“Breathe,” I said slowly. “Take a deep breath in and then let it out.”

I mimicked some slow, long breaths so she would follow me. Her eyes finally opened, and she focused on me as we continued to take deep breaths and let them out. Over and over again we took in breaths as I did my best to help her calm down.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m not normally scared of new things.”

“It’s okay. This is something a little crazy and out of the ordinary. Take your time. Try to relax.”

“Do you think your daughter will hate me?” Lilli blurted out as her eyes darted from mine to the clouds outside her window and then back again.

“No, I think you will get along just fine.”

“I’m not really a step-mom type. She might not like me. Kids don’t really like me. I’ve never even babysat before.”

I had to laugh at how nervous she was about meeting my sweet little girl. Izzy was going to get along just fine with Lilli. In fact, I thought the two of them might get along better than Izzy and I got along.

At Christmas, Izzy was more interested in opening her presents than she was with talking to me. She stayed near her mother almost the whole time I was there, and I felt like a stranger. It was gut wrenching to see how much she had pulled away from me over the years, but I wasn’t blaming her for it. Obviously, if I had continued to come and visit her more often, she would have known who I was better.

“She’s going to love you.”

“I hope so. I know this is important to you. I don’t want to let you down.”

“Lilli, I’m so thankful that you said yes. It was a stupid mistake for me to lie like I did, and you had no obligation to come. But I really appreciate it. Whatever happens this weekend, please know that I’m very grateful for the effort you are making.”

“Thanks.”

“Do you want a drink to calm you down before we get there? Your hands are still shaking?”

“I better not drink. How about a 7-Up?”

“Sure, I’ll go get you one,” I said as I unbuckled my seatbelt and started to get up.

“No, you can’t get up. It’s dangerous,” she exclaimed in genuine fear that I would be hurt by getting up and walking around.

She grabbed a hold of me so hard that I fell back into the chair. Her arm flung across my chest as if that would prevent some sort of injury from occurring.

“Lilli,” I said as I tried to hold back my laughter. “It’s a plane, not a car.”

“Just stay here, please.”

“Fine, but I thought you wanted a drink?” I said as I held onto her hand.

“Um, no. I’m fine. Why isn’t there one of those people that gets drinks for you and takes care of you while you’re on the plane?”

“A stewardess?”

“Yeah, a stewardess.”

“It’s a short flight. I didn’t think we needed one. But there’s plenty of food and drinks in the galley if you’ll let me go grab us some.”

“Um, I don’t know,” she said as I felt her arm release a little of the tension. “You’ll be right back?”

“You’ll be able to see me the whole time,” I said as I pulled her hand up to my lips and kissed it. “I promise.”

“Okay, then.”

“By the way,” I said as I continued to talk to her while I went to grab our drinks, “what is your tattoo of?”

“It’s a rose with stars around it,” she said quickly.

I’d expected her to make a little more of an explanation about the tattoo, but she seemed really distracted by the whole flying thing at the moment. Her hands went back to holding on tightly to the chair she was in, and her eyes didn’t look away from me at all as I gathered us some snacks and drinks for the flight.

“Does it have special meaning?”

“Yeah, my father always told me to reach for the stars, and my mother told me to treat life like a rose because it can bloom or die depending on our decisions.”

“Wow, that’s really awesome.”

“Where are your tattoos?” she asked without flirting at all, just genuinely wanting to know where they were.

“I actually don’t have any. I know, it’s lame.”

“You don’t?”

“Nope, I’ve never loved anything enough to have it put on my body.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m the same way.”

Her delicate skin looked even paler than it normally was as our plane leveled out at a comfortable cruising altitude. Lilli’s innocence showed through even more than when I’d helped her into her room. Her white dress with the flowers looked so naive and sweet on her.

“You know, I’m not sure Ashley’s family is going to buy this whole marriage thing with you,” I joked.

But Lilli’s face dropped into a sad expression at my words. Her eyes went from shining to dull, her lips from a smile to a frown, and she turned away from me.

“Why? Because I’m not pretty enough?”

“Holy, hell no! Because you’re way too beautiful and sweet. They might have expected more of the party girl type for me.”

“I’m sorry,” she said with genuine regret. “I thought this was a better look for a wife.”

“No, no, I’m sorry. I just seem to keep putting my foot in my mouth. I mean you’re better than a guy like me would get. They might think you’re too good for me.”

“Oh,” she said as a smile filled her face. “But that’s not true. I’m sure you could get any girl you want.”

“That’s sweet of you to say. Would you like to talk a little about the people we are going to meet? Do you want more information about my ex or my daughter? I’m willing to fill you in on anything and everything.”

“I don’t think I’ll need it. Basically, I’ll just follow your lead and try to act like I think a wife would act.”

“How about you just act like you? I think that will be just fine.”

“So I should get my tiny skirt on and guzzle some vodka before we get there?” she teased.

“Man, I can’t tell you the number of naughty thoughts I had about you as you’d come home in those tiny dresses. Then that night when you were bent over the car … wow …” I said as I trailed off.

Lilli smiled and turned toward me in her chair. Her hands weren’t shaking for the moment, so I decided to continue.

“I almost went downstairs to introduce myself to you that night.”

“Really?” she asked.

“Oh, yeah, but I didn’t want you to think I was weird.”

“Could you see everything when I bent over?” she said as her confidence built up and a seductive look crossed her face.

I took a deep breath as I felt my body react to the lust I had for Lilli. She was clearly starting to feel more comfortable on the plane and even in conversation with me. This was good for our weekend; a good level of comfort between the two of us could overcome any suspicions that Ashley’s family might have.

“I couldn’t see everything. It was too dark, but my imagination filled in the places that I couldn’t see.”

“Hmm, how about the night you helped me up to my bed? I noticed I was nearly naked when I woke up. Was that your doing?”

“Oh no, that was all you. You tried to convince me to come to bed, and as you slid that dress off, I nearly agreed, despite my moral obligation to deny the offer.”

She bit her lip and then took a sip of her drink as she looked me over, her eyes moving from my lips, to my hands and then down to my groin. Her gaze warmed my body, and I let her look for a minute while I took the time to look her over.

I noticed the dress she had on had small straps, and it didn’t seem like she had on a bra. My eyes looked closely and saw her nipples pressing up against the delicate fabric as my body pulsed with more desire.

“I feel better,” Lilli said softly as she uncrossed her legs and then crossed them again as she rotated toward me even more in her chair.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” I said as I let my fingers trace their way down her arm toward her fingertips.

“Where are we staying this weekend?”

“A hotel downtown by the water. It’s got some great views.”

“One bed or two?” she asked as our eyes locked.

“Um, well …” I stumbled as I tried to figure out what to say. “Actually, I don’t know. I just reserved the room. I forgot to check to see. Which would you prefer?”

“One bed.” Her answer was so definitive that it threw me off for a moment, and I got excited about what she was implying. “You can sleep on the floor.” She giggled.

“Oh, you’re horrible.”

“I’m teasing. I’m sure we can make it work no matter what sleeping arrangement there is. I trust you.”

“Oh, you shouldn’t. I’m not always mister polite. I don’t know if I could keep my hands to myself if we were in the same bed.”

“Really?” she asked as her face flushed red and her gaze moved away from me.

Lilli was this perfect mixture of confidence and coyness. One minute she was flirting and making me hard with the way she looked at me, and the next she looked like a schoolgirl who was embarrassed by the simple mention of my desire.

Suddenly, I started to worry that she was more innocent than she had me originally believing. She played this tough, sexy goddess when she was drinking and even tried to do it occasionally when sober. But was she perhaps really a sweet young woman without a history of naughty behavior at all? I couldn’t help wondering if that was the case.

“How long did you and your boyfriend date?” I asked somewhat randomly.

“About six months. Why?”

“No reason. I was just thinking you could use that as a guide for how to act around Ashley’s parents.”

“Well, my boyfriend and I were more like roommates, but I’ll do my best.”

Damn, that didn’t clear anything up for me at all. Was Lilli really the party girl I’d watched from my window? Or was she something totally different? I was starting to see that different side of her – the sweet, soft side that seemed more naive than trouble.

“We will be landing soon; please put your seatbelts on,” the pilot said over the speaker.

Lilli quickly grabbed her seatbelt and made sure it was pulled tightly. She watched me closely while I put mine back on as well. Our time of casual conversation was officially over as I saw her hands grip the chair tightly in anticipation of our upcoming landing.

“Once we land, there will be a car waiting for us. I’ll drive us to the hotel so we can get checked in, and then I’ll call Ashley’s family to set up a time to stop by.”

“Okay,” Lilli said as she looked out the window and didn’t turn back toward me.

“Just go with the flow. I’ll try and make sure I answer most of the questions, but if they ask you something that you don’t think you have the answer to, just look at me, and I’ll jump in. Okay?”

“Yep,” she said still looking outside. “Where did we meet?”

“Um, I don’t know. Let’s keep things as real as possible, maybe just say we live in the same neighborhood.”

“Okay. How did you ask me out?”

I had to laugh at how she was suddenly thinking of all sorts of questions she wanted answers to. The whole flight out there she hadn’t seemed worried about the visit with Ashley’s family, but now that we were getting closer, she was getting nervous.

“I bumped into you while running.”

Lilli smiled and finally looked away from the sky as she turned toward me.

“So the truth?”

“Yep, sort of. I mean I didn’t ask you out that day because I was too caught off guard.”

“You weren’t going to ask me out?” She laughed.

“Oh, yes, I was. But something came up.”

Lilli burst into laughter, and I replayed the comment in my head and saw how silly it sounded.

“Something came up?” She continued to laugh.

“No, not like that.” I laughed with her. “I just saw how young you were and didn’t think you wanted an old guy hitting on you.”

“I wouldn’t have minded.”

“Really?”

“Um, I agreed to be your wife didn’t I?”

“Ha, very true. See, isn’t this a better date? Private jet to meet my ex-girlfriend and daughter. I mean, how many people can say they’ve gotten to do this on their first date,” I sarcastically joked.

“I know. I mean the only thing would be better if I had my wisdom teeth pulled on the same trip.”

“I think we could arrange that.”

The plane continued moving toward the ground, and I tried to keep Lilli talking since it was preventing her from panicking like she had on takeoff. Our conversation was playful and silly, but exactly what we needed before heading over to Ashley’s family.

As the wheels of the plane touched the pavement of the runway, the plane lurched forward, and Lilli grabbed my hand. Her eyes widened as we quickly slowed down. Then there was a huge sigh of relief when the plane started taxiing toward the unloading area.

“That’s it?” she asked and leaned toward the window so she could see what was going on outside.

“Yep, wasn’t too difficult was it?”

“I mean, I almost threw up ten times, but yeah that was fun.”

“Thanks again for coming with me. I really appreciate this.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’m really nervous to see my daughter.”

“Don’t be nervous. She loves you. No matter what else is going on in her life, she is going to be excited to see you. I guarantee it.”

“I hope so,” I said as the plane parked, and we waited for the stairs to pull up so we could de-board the plane.

“I can’t wait to meet her.”

“She’s such a great kid; I’m nervous because I don’t know what Ashley has told her about me.”

“It doesn’t matter. Kids are smart. She’ll know you care about her when she sees it in your eyes.”

Chapter 9

Lilli

One moment I was totally out of control and unable to feel my fingertips out of fear, the next I was totally engrossed in Devin’s handsome eyes. His tanned skin and chiseled jaw literally made me wet to look at him. When I happened to make eye contact, I felt my body warm, and my desires rise as I started to think about his hands touching more of me than just my hand.

I’m pretty sure Devin had no idea just how handsome he was. He joked and laughed like he had a hard time getting women or something like that, but I knew that couldn’t be true. Any woman I knew would love to have Devin in their bed, and that was my problem.

I had to remind myself that the only reason I was there with Devin was because he was desperate for this fake wife. He didn’t like me in that sort of way, or at least that’s what I kept replaying in my head during most of the flight. But as we were getting ready to land I saw the sexual tension between us and realized he might be interested in more than just my acting skills over this weekend.

“Should I come in with you?” I asked as he pulled up to the Omni Hotel on the waterfront.

“Sure, would you like to freshen up before we head over there?”

“Yes, that would be nice,” I lied.

I didn’t want to freshen up. I could care less if I was fresh for this visit to his family. I did want to see how many beds were going to be in our room, though. I was also eager to figure out a place where I could pick up an extra outfit for the next day. I couldn’t exactly wear the same outfit I was wearing today.

“Welcome to the Omni, Jacksonville,” the front desk woman said.

“Hi, Devin Graham.”

“Yes. Hello, Mr. Graham. We have your suite ready for you. I’ll have someone help you up with your bags.”

“That won’t be necessary, thank you.”

Devin grabbed his suitcase and the key, and I followed closely behind him as we went to the elevators. The glass elevators looked out over the water, and as the door closed behind us, the sexual tension flared up, and Devin took a step closer to me.

His arms wrapped around me slightly as he pointed off in the distance.

“See that housing complex way out there?”

“Not really.” I laughed.

“Well, that’s where we are going. I think there is a mall out that way, and we can stop off there after our visit if you’d like to get some clothes.”

“Perfect, thank you. But don’t forget …”

“You’re paying me back. I know, I know,” he said almost under his breath. “You know, I enjoy buying things for my friends. Not because they can’t afford them, but because I like making sure they know how much I appreciate them.”

I chose not to say anything. Devin clearly had so much more money than I could even imagine; I just didn’t want him to think that I was taking advantage of him in any way. I wasn’t that sort of girl, and as much as possible, I wanted not to accept his money or gifts. Obviously, I might have to cave in a little bit, but I was trying to hold out.

The elevator doors opened, and I grabbed the small piece of paper that had the room key folded up in it.

“Race you to the room,” I said as I took off down the hallway.

It was the perfect way to get out of the conversation about money. I ran as fast as I could, but I heard his footsteps close behind me. By the time I got to the door, I had the key out but couldn’t get it into the door before he crushed me between him and the door.

His body pressed against mine, and he pulled the key playfully out of my hand and slid it into the door lock. With one hand he held me back and then slid into the room ahead of me.

“I win,” he said happily.

“I’m pretty sure there was a lot of big fat cheating going on there,” I said as I walked into the lavishly appointed room.

The wallpaper was an elegant shade of gold with white crown molding. There was a nice mahogany desk by the window and a huge lounge chair sitting next to the king sized bed. I playfully threw myself onto the bed and spread my arms and legs out as I took up as much space as possible.

“I’m sure that chair will be really comfortable,” I teased. “This bed is heaven.”

“Scoot over,” he said and pushed me to the other side of the bed. “Oh, yeah, this is nice. I’m totally sleeping here.”

“Maybe.” I smiled at him.

Devin looked younger than ever as he leaned up onto his arm and laid on his side while looking at me. I did the same and looked at him from the other side of the bed. There was at least three feet of distance between the two of us and plenty of room if we decided to both sleep in the same bed, even if we weren’t going to be playing any naughty games together.

The silent moment grew as we continued to eye each other. His big brown eyes started at my lips and then followed the curves of my body all the way down to my toes. Then he let his gaze move all the way back up my body. He was clearly taking in every inch of me, and the glint in his eye made me think there were some pretty naughty thoughts running through his mind.

“That is a very beautiful dress,” Devin said as he moved a few inches toward me.

“Nope, stay over there mister.” I laughed.

“What? I just wanted to feel the fabric,” he said as he reached his hand out and touched a bit of the fabric.

“We should get going. I think that would be a good idea.”

He shook his head to deny that my idea was good.

“I think we have some time.”

“Nope, we should get going.”

I couldn’t help smiling as he lay next to me, though. We hadn’t come all the way from Chicago to play in a hotel bed, though.

“Go call them so we know when to be over there,” I motioned toward his phone he had set on the desk.

“Yes, Mrs. Graham,” he teased.

I finally lay back onto the bed as he went to the desk to make his call. Wow, this was going to be one hell of a weekend if the sexual tension between the two of us stayed this high. I could hardly imagine keeping my hands to myself once we were back in the room after visiting his daughter.

“Hi, Mrs. Edwards, we just landed. What time would work best for us to stop by?”

There was a long pause.

“We will be right over,” Devin said as he shrugged over toward me.

“I guess we better get going. I’ve got an acting gig,” I teased and jumped out of bed.

“Apparently, we need to come now so we don’t interrupt Izzy’s bedtime routine.”

“Devin, it’s fine with me. I’m all yours this weekend. Wherever you need me, I’m there.”

“Wherever?” He smiled and looked over toward the large bed and then back at me playfully. “I’m teasing.”

He grabbed the room key, and we made our way back down the long hallway toward the glass elevators. This time, both of us walked silently. I played over what I would say when I met his daughter and her grandparents. This all seemed like a bigger deal than it had been when I originally said yes. My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt my head getting a little dizzy as I tried to remember to take in some deep breaths.

Devin reached his hand over and gently held onto mine. Without a single word, I felt his comfort through the touch of his fingers and mine together. We both stood and looked out the glass elevator toward the water and rode in silence all the way back down to the ground floor.

It dawned on me that this was my first real adult date. My ex-boyfriend and I had been college kids. We didn’t go on dates in the traditional sense. Instead, we went to pizza with our group of friends or sat on the couch and watched Netflix together. Even when he had first asked me out, it was to a concert with a bunch of our friends.

I wasn’t as nervous about the date part as I was about meeting Devin’s daughter, though. Everything I’d heard about little kids was that it was impossible to lie to them. Kids could see through a story, and they knew the truth, even if you weren’t telling them the truth. I had seen it on some PBS show and couldn’t exactly remember what the news story had been about, but I did remember the newscaster saying that adults always thought they were tricking kids.

“Izzy’s grandparents are Bonnie and Dan, but I just call them Mrs. And Mr. Edwards. You can use either.”

“I’m going to try not to talk to them much at all.”

“That’s fine. And if it’s alright, I’ll probably hold your hand a little while we are in there.”

“Yes, that’s fine,” I said and looked down at our hands as they were wrapped together still from the elevator ride.

“Um, there’s probably a lot more, but I guess we will have to wing it. Wow, I’m getting nervous now.”

We pulled out of the hotel parking lot, and Devin made his way onto the highway and toward the Edwards’ home. The two of us were mostly silent on the drive except for when Devin pointed out the mall that we passed as we got closer to where we were going.

“That looks nice,” I said to try and make some conversation.

“Yep, we should have time to stop by afterward.”

“Sounds good.”

When we finally pulled into the driveway, Devin’s hands were shaking instead of mine. He even had a few beads of sweat around his temple. I grabbed a Kleenex from my purse and gently dabbed his forehead.

“Are you ready?” I asked.

“I think so.”

He climbed out of the car and then hurried around to let me out of my side. Devin gallantly held his hand out for me, and I grabbed hold of him as we walked toward the front door. I think Devin was even more nervous than I was, and I was the one who had to pretend to be someone I wasn’t.

“Daddy!” Izzy screamed and darted out the front door before we even had a chance to knock.

I let go of Devin’s hand and stood aside while the two of them had a moment together. One thing was for certain, Izzy was pretty darn excited to see her dad. I couldn’t even imagine that she had ever had any problems interacting with her father before. She seemed overjoyed to see him, and nothing else mattered at all. Izzy certainly hadn’t noticed that I was even there as she wrapped her arms around Devin, and I noticed tears in her eyes.

“She’s had a rough couple of weeks since Ashley has been away,” Mrs. Edwards said as she stood in the doorway.

“Hi, I’m Lilli, it’s nice to meet you,” I said as I went over to talk to her and continued to give Devin and his daughter time.

“It’s nice to meet you too. I have to say I’m not sure who I was expecting Devin to bring, but you look like a very nice young lady.”

“Thank you.”

“How long have you two been married?” she asked.

Right away I panicked as I didn’t know if Devin had told her a time frame or not. Luckily, Devin also heard the question and quickly made his way over to the two of us.

“Izzy, this is Lilli. I’m so excited that the two of you get to meet,” he said and then leaned into Mrs. Edwards. “I think we should let the girls meet first before we overwhelm Izzy with all the details.”

“Sure,” she agreed.

“Hi Izzy, it’s nice to meet you. Your dad has been talking about you a lot.”

“That’s funny because I know nothing about you,” she said as she put her little hands on her hips and gazed in my direction.

I opened my eyes wide, looked at Devin and then back to Mrs. Edwards. It was definitely a true statement; I couldn’t fault her for that.

“Well, I guess he needs to catch you up a little.”

“Sweetheart, I’d love to see your room,” Devin said in an effort to save me from the uncomfortable conversation.

“Would you like to help me in the kitchen?” Mrs. Edwards offered me.

“Yes, that would be great.”

Hanging out with an adult who didn’t like me somehow seemed more comfortable than a ten-year-old girl. Izzy was intimidating. Probably because she held Devin’s heart in the palm of her hands, and I had really hoped she would like me.

I followed Mrs. Edwards into the kitchen where she was cutting up a variety of fruit. The kitchen was small but filled with newer appliances. There was a large picture of a beautiful young blonde with fake boobs and obvious plastic surgery; she had Izzy in her arms. It had to be Ashley, and I was instantly even more intimidated than I had been before.

It wasn’t unusual that Devin would have had a relationship with a beautiful woman. That was a given, but Ashley appeared very fake with her caked on makeup, Botox, and lip plumper. She just didn’t seem like Devin’s type. But then again, maybe that was why they were no longer together.

“I don’t think Izzy likes me,” I said to make conversation as Mrs. Edwards handed me a knife and a cantaloupe to start cutting.

“She’s just a little sassy. It’s nice to see she was excited about Devin. You know he hasn’t come to see her very much.”

“I know.”

“Of course, we didn’t expect him to come visit. He’s very busy with his work and his travels, that’s why Ashley left him. No time to stop partying and spend time at home with his family.”

Mrs. Edwards seemed like a nice enough women, but the way she was bad mouthing Devin wasn’t sitting well with me. From what I knew, she hadn’t spent any quality time with Devin in years. Of course, he was a different person now than he was ten years ago; weren’t we all?

Well, technically I was an awkward pre-teen ten years before. I couldn’t help chuckling at that notion. I was basically in the middle school when Devin and Ashley were having Izzy. I wasn’t sure if Devin wanted me to say my real age though because it seemed like his daughter and her family might not take our relationship seriously if they knew just how young I really was.

“I know Devin really missed Izzy, but he wanted to abide by Ashley’s wishes.”

“What wishes?” Mrs. Edwards asked me firmly.

I panicked at the way she was looking at me. I could have sworn that Devin said something about Ashley not wanting him to be around Izzy or something like that, but by the way Mrs. Edwards was looking at me, I wasn’t sure I should say anything.

“Oh, I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Devin,” I finally managed to say. “All I know is Devin is a great guy; he’s really changed from what I’ve heard about his younger days.”

“Speaking of young, how old are you?”

Lying had never been my thing. Even when I was sneaking out of my parents’ house as a teenager, I inevitably told them where I had gone if they simply asked me a question. I was a horrible liar. How could I have thought I would be able to help Devin with this whole acting thing? I stared at Mrs. Edwards and tried to think of something honest I could say.

“Obviously I’m younger than Devin, but let’s be honest, he was a big kid himself up until a year ago.”

Mrs. Edwards laughed, and I felt a little more at ease. We continued cutting up fruit and talking while Devin and Izzy played in her room and then went out into the backyard and played. It was nice to see that Izzy was so excited to see Devin, and he didn’t have anything to be worried about in regards to their relationship.

“So do you think you guys would like to take Izzy for the night? I’m sure she would love to hang out at the fancy hotel and go swimming in that rooftop pool.”

“Really? Yeah, I think Devin would love that.”

“How about you guys eat some dinner, and then we will pack an overnight bag for Izzy. She needs some fun; it’s been very hard for her having her mother away.”

“I’m sorry about that. I’m sure it is very difficult for her. I can’t even imagine.”

“You know, Ashley isn’t a bad person.”

I stopped cutting the fruit and turned toward Mrs. Edwards. Sadness filled her eyes, and I instinctively reached out and gave her a hug. No matter what was going on with Devin and Mrs. Edwards daughter, the necessary human emotion of comforting someone in pain was clearly there between the two of us.

“You know, I’ve never heard Devin say a single bad thing about Ashley. From what I’ve heard, he thinks she is a really good mother and trusts her ability to raise Izzy.”

Tears rolled down Mrs. Edwards face as she finished hugging me and then pulled away. She turned away and wiped her tears without saying another word. I could only hope that my words had felt truthful to her because they were the truth; at least from what I knew of Devin.

Devin and Izzy played out in the backyard for almost an hour before Mrs. Edwards called them in to come and eat. The two literally hopped all the way inside and to the sink to wash their hands. I couldn’t help smiling at how at ease the two of them seemed to be after such a long period of time apart.

“After dinner, if it’s alright with your father, I think you should go with him and Lilli to the hotel and swim in the really cool pool there,” Mrs. Edwards said to Izzy as she scooped some mashed potatoes onto her plate.

“Really?” She looked to Devin for an approval, and he looked toward me.

I nodded my head yes and even caught a smile from Izzy before she turned back to Devin.

“Yep, I think that will work.”

“And you guys can bring her home in the morning after church if that works for you?” Mrs. Edwards added.

Church? I hadn’t even gone to church with my parents in the last three years. I wasn’t so sure I was ready to go with a fake husband and his child. Even though I wasn’t a religious person, walking into church in the midst of such a big lie seemed a little like taunting God.

“That sounds great, thank you,” Devin said to Mrs. Edwards. “We will have her home by noon.”

“Really? I get to come,” Izzy screamed as she jumped up and hugged Devin. “I’m going to go grab my swimsuit.”

Izzy started to leave the table, but Mrs. Edwards put a stop to her excitement fairly quickly.

“Izzy, get back to your seat. It’s dinner time. You can pack your things when you have finished what’s on your plate.”

The firm tone of her voice caught me off guard, but Izzy listened to her right away and sat back down in her seat. She didn’t seem upset by the rule that was set for her either. Instead, she simply started to eat her dinner quickly so she could go do what she wanted. It was a small peek into what it would someday be like to be a parent. Setting rules and enforcing them wasn’t something I was prepared to do at this point in my fake marriage to Devin, though.

After dinner, Devin and I sat on the couch while Mrs. Edwards helped Izzy pack a small backpack with her things. It all felt so grown up as we walked back out to the car and loaded in to head back to the hotel. I was no longer just pretending to be Devin’s wife, but I was also pretending to be a step-mom. The lie was starting to give me an upset stomach. Lying to a grownup was something I was alright with, but lying to Izzy wasn’t sitting well with me.

“Should we stop at the mall so you can get an outfit?” Devin asked as we got on the interstate.

As much as I didn’t want to spend any of Devin’s money, I hadn’t gotten my paycheck before I left Chicago, and I did need something to sleep in and something to wear the next day.

“Sure,” I answered.

“I’ll give you my credit card, and you can run in and grab what you need. Will that work?”

“Um, no. I don’t want your credit card,” I protested.

Devin looked at me and then clearly looked back at Izzy as if to tell me not to protest his offer in front of his daughter. I had no choice, so I agreed.

“Okay, sorry,” I said.

It only took me about twenty minutes to run into the mall and get back to the car. I grabbed a casual pair of jeans, some leggings, and a T-shirt. I figured I could mix and match them as needed to get through the evening. I purposely did not get a swimsuit though because I wanted Devin and Izzy to get some time alone in the pool.

“Here you go,” I said as I handed him back the card. “I spent thirty-three dollars and eighty-five cents.”

I handed Devin the receipt for what I had purchased, and he laughed at me and then crumpled it up and threw it into the back seat. This made Izzy laugh as it ended up landing right next to her.

“You don’t need to give me your receipt.”

“I’m sorry, I just wanted you to know how much I spent so you could balance your checkbook.”

Devin continued to laugh, and I wasn’t sure what was so funny.

“I don’t balance a checkbook.”

“Then how do you know how much is in your account?” I asked.

It was a genuine question I had. Even if he had a lot of money, I thought everyone balanced a checkbook either on paper or digitally. Obviously, I was young and didn’t know that much about finances, but I knew what it was like to have a bounced check on my bank account, and I didn’t want something like that to happen to Devin because of the money I spent.

Before pulling out of the parking lot, Devin pulled his phone out and pressed his finger onto the home button. The phone unlocked, and he opened his banking app.

“I’m not worried about how much is in there.” He laughed and handed me the phone once he had his banking app open.

The number on the screen took a good twenty seconds for me to register. I counted the zeros and then counted them again. Devin had $87.017.760 in his checking account. The number was beyond anything I had ever seen on a digital bank account app. My personal account had never reached more than $400 at any one time.

“Oh,” I managed to say as he took his phone back and put it in his pocket.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be cocky. Was that cocky? Sorry.”

“Ha, well I think that was a little cocky, but I’ll let it slide.”

“What does cocky mean?” Izzy asked from the back seat.

Devin and I both widened our eyes in the realization that we certainly weren’t paying attention to what we were saying.

“It means someone is full of them self or bragging too much,” I said.

“Oh, what does full of yourself mean?” Izzy asked.

I pointed to Devin to take this question. I wasn’t about to figure out how to explain that funny little phrase.

“Um, it means someone who is cocky.” Devin laughed and so did Izzy. “Basically, I shouldn’t have shown Lilli my phone.”

“Lilli, are you coming swimming with us?” Izzy asked as she quickly changed the subject.

“I’m not. I’m really tired, so I was going to take a shower and then go to bed. Is that alright? I also don’t have a swimsuit. I forgot to bring mine with us.”

“That’s fine. Dad, will you throw me up in the air while we are in the pool?”

“Sure honey,” Devin said, and Izzy finally went silent for a few minutes as we drove the rest of the way back toward downtown and our hotel.

When we arrived back at the hotel, Devin and Izzy quickly changed into their swimsuits and made their way to the rooftop pool. I was exhausted and didn’t even bother showering as I slipped into my new leggings and T-shirt and climbed into the bed. I moved all the way over to one side of the bed and closed my eyes.

It was very tiring trying to be something I wasn’t. Everything I did, or said, was replayed in my mind as I tried to get to sleep. Had Mrs. Edwards believed the lie we were portraying? Did Izzy believe us? Did Izzy even understand what being married was or that Devin and I were saying we were married?

There were so many questions that I didn’t think I was going to be able to fall asleep at all. I tossed and turned for a while, but about thirty minutes after crawling into bed, I finally drifted off to sleep.

Click here to read the complete story!

Preview of “The Deal”

Chapter 1

Jason

“Nice swim suit,” I said with a chuckle as I noticed my neighbor Anna in her back yard.

“Thanks. Are you seriously mowing your yard again?”

“It’s a weekly thing. Are you seriously tanning again?” I teased her.

“Nah, I was actually going to jump on the trampoline,” she said with a wink.

Anna Cook was my extremely tempting neighbor. Her long blonde hair and young bikini clad body were a constant in my late-night fantasies. When she put up a trampoline in her backyard, I couldn’t help laughing at the idea. What sort of adult would actually play on a trampoline? But then again, Anna was only a year or two into her adulthood, and she did love to torture me with that body of hers.

“Don’t you dare,” I playfully protested. “I’ve got mowing to do, and then I actually need to get work done today from home.”

“Where’s Clyde today?” Anna asked as she jumped up from her lounge chair and came over to the open gate.

My body instantly throbbed as I took in every inch of her body. Anna’s tiny frame was accentuated by the tight strings of her bikini. Her voluptuous breasts were barely covered by the white triangular fabric that stretched over them. I closed my eyes for a moment as I took a mental picture of her licking her lips and tossing her hair back on her walk over to me.

“Rosie took him to school today.”

“Come on Jason, school? It’s August. Why would you do that to the poor kid?” she asked as her hand wrapped around my forearm, and she leaned in toward me.

“Yeah, he actually really likes his summer program. It keeps him busy and gives him something to do. He’s only five. Being home with me is actually boring when I’ve got business to do all day.”

“So, you’ve got the house all to yourself?” she asked as she pressed her delicious tits against my arm.

I held onto the fence with my arm firmly planted in front of me. She wasn’t coming over. Anna Cook wasn’t setting a foot in my house, and not because I wouldn’t love to throw her on my bed and have my way with her. No, she was off limits because her father was the chief financial officer at a company my firm was looking to purchase. The deal I was doing with her father’s company was only in place because he and I were friends. Not to mention he happened to be my neighbor. Anna was one hundred percent off-limits to me.

Edward Cook trusted me and had let me in on the company’s financial difficulties in an effort to get my help. The deal I was working on with his boss would help all of us. The reorganization I could offer them would keep the Cook, Sparser, and Conner Building Company operational. But succumbing to the primal temptation I had for Anna could seriously ruin everything.

“I’m going to go mow now,” I said with the last bit of willpower I had.

“Sooner or later, I’ll have you, Jason,” she yelled after me as I walked away with my lawnmower.

God, I hoped that was true. Somewhere down the line when all the business dealings were done I’d relish the chance to have Anna in my bed. But until that time came, I’d have to avoid her as much as possible.

I started the mower, put my sunglasses on, and turned my headphones on just to separate myself from Anna as I watched her climb up onto her trampoline. The white fence between our two homes allowed me to see her yard only at certain angles, but as she started jumping up and down on her trampoline, I saw every bit of her. Her blonde hair flung around, and as much as I tried not to look, her perky young tits were bouncing as well. She bought that damn thing just to torture me, I knew it.

With my head lowered and eyes forward, I pushed my mower up and down the back yard and looked away as I approached her side of the yard. My heart raced from the combination of heat in the air and the vision of Anna bouncing next to me in her tiny white bikini. Penthouse had nothing on me at that moment—this fantasy was strong, and I started to sweat as I thought more and more about it. How easy it would be to just grab her and bring her into the house. We could have a hot, sweaty afternoon together and then go about life as normal. But I knew better than that. A young girl like Anna would get attached, she’d blab to her father, or tell her friends. No, I couldn’t give in. No matter how hard she made me or how desperately my body ached for her. I just had to avoid her as much as possible.

When I finally finished the backyard mowing and turned the mower off, Anna was no longer jumping on the trampoline. I didn’t look toward her house, though. Instead, I pushed the mower back toward the garage with a small sense of relief that she wasn’t jumping anymore.

“How do you like my trampoline?” she said as she suddenly appeared in the open gate between our houses.

“I think it’s horrible.”

“Oh, come on now. You know you want to try it out,” she said as her hand grabbed mine, and she pulled me over. “Look, I put the sprinkler on it. Won’t that feel good after all that hard work you just did?” Her hands pressed against my chest as she tried to pull my shirt up and over my head.

“No, I better get going. I’ve got to shower, and then I have new assistants coming for interviews today.”

“Hmmm, shower? I could help with that,” she teased.

“No, you are not helping with that. Come on now Anna, I need to go in.”

“Just one minute on the trampoline. Trust me; it’s impossible to be grumpy after just a minute.”

“I’m not grumpy,” I protested.

“Well… I disagree.” She giggled. “Come on. One minute.”

As Anna turned the sprinkler toward us, the cool water felt magnificent. I stood still as the water moved from one side of the trampoline to the other. I glanced at her driveway and saw that both her parents’ cars were gone. And then, I did the one thing I knew I shouldn’t have done.

“One minute,” I said firmly and jumped up onto the bouncing backyard toy.

Anna’s smile grew to twice its size as she held her arms up for me to help her onto the trampoline. Her tanned skin was wet from the sprinkler, and I had to grab her forearms to get a good enough grip to pull her up. Of course, she pressed herself against me as she made it up to the top of the stretched fabric. Her plump chest ignited my body instantly as she stayed there for a moment before pulling away.

“I’ll be your assistant,” she said seriously as she started jumping.

“Absolutely not.”

“Why? I’m great with my hands. Not too bad to look at. And I’ve got some mean typing skills.”

“No, no, no.” I laughed. “I have to get the work done, and you know damn well you’d never allow that.”

“What do you mean?” she asked as she jumped toward me and grabbed onto the waist of my shorts. Her hands slid in, and I felt her fingers next to my skin. Only inches away from my throbbing body, and she wasn’t letting go. Her fingers grabbed tightly as she and I bounced playfully.

“This, this is exactly what I mean.”

“Oh, I can be a hard worker too,” she teased as she let go of my shorts. “I’d be the best damn assistant you ever had.”

“Well, I’ve never had a personal assistant, so yeah, you probably would. But Anna, seriously, I have to hire someone who I’m going to boss around, and they will have to listen.”

“Tell me what you want me to do,” her seductive voice said. “I’ll do whatever you’d like.”

Every inch of me was throbbing at the idea of Anna doing what I’d like. Maybe it was just as much me as it was her that couldn’t be trusted. No matter what the reason, Anna wasn’t going to work for me. That was the end of it.

“Stop jumping in that damn swimsuit,” I joked.

“Stop doing this?” Anna said as she continued jumping.

“See, you can’t even listen. It would never work.” I laughed and moved toward the edge of the trampoline so I could get off.

“Jason, you know you want to tell me something else to do. Come on, try it again.”

I sat down with my feet over the edge of the trampoline and was just about to climb off. There were so many things I’d love to have Anna do, and every single one of them was dirty and deliciously perverted. “I’m going to head inside now. Enjoy your afternoon in the sun.”

“Stay,” she said as she thrust her body onto my lap and straddled me. “Stay here for a minute.”

“Anna Cook, you are killing me. Certifiably killing me right now.”

“Hmmm, it feels like you are getting a little stiff.” She laughed as her hips wiggled on top of me, and she pressed against my obviously hard member. “I think you really want me to stay right here.”

As her hand slid down and rubbed against me, she repositioned so my throbbing dick was pressed against her clit through her swimsuit. Anna hadn’t been this bold before. She’d never had me in a position like this, but then again, I’d normally avoided coming into her yard.

There were only a couple thin layers of fabric between the two of us, and I wanted to rip them off and thrust my body into hers. My hands wrapped around her ass, and I squeezed it hard as she thrust her hips in a grinding motion against me. I couldn’t help it. As much as I wanted to say no, every inch of my body throbbed for this girl, and I couldn’t walk away. I wasn’t actually screwing her, there was fabric there. We were separated by my shorts and her swimsuit.

“Anna…” I started to say but couldn’t come up with any other protests.

“Jason,” she responded as her mouth moved to my earlobe. “I want you inside of me.”

“You should go find yourself a nice boy your age.”

“I want you. No one has to know. I’ll just come over for a little bit.”

Her damn sexy body was literally irresistible as I held onto her and didn’t make a move to leave at all. It had been a whole year since I’d had a naked woman, or nearly naked woman, on top of me like that. As much as my mind told me to push her away, my body wanted her. I ached for the closeness and primal delight I knew could happen if I’d just say yes to her.

“Anna, you know I can’t,” I finally muttered.

“Yes, just say yes, Jason,” she said softly into my ear. “Think about what it would feel like. Think about how tight I am and how you’d love to slide inside of me. Think about how I’d scream out in pleasure with each of your…”

Just then, a car pulled up into her driveway. We couldn’t see it, but it was close enough that I knew it was either her mother or father. I quickly lifted her off me and climbed off the wet trampoline. I hadn’t noticed just how soaking wet the two of us had gotten. “Shit, Anna, I’ve got to go.”

“Let me be your assistant? Or let this happen,” she asked one last time as she pointed between the two of us.

“Absolutely not. You can’t be my assistant. I’ve got to do this deal with your dad right now. We can talk about this when that business is all done.”

We heard the front door to her house close, and I quickly grabbed my mower and pushed it toward my garage. I had to get some space between the two of us. I needed to just make it into my house, and then my willpower would return.

“Fine, fine, I guess I’ll have to just keep teasing you into submission.” She laughed as she leaned against the fence.

I stopped and looked at her one last time as she smiled back at me. Then I pushed the mower into the garage and shut the door. Being around Anna was intoxicating. She was young, vibrant, and so full of life. Her upbeat personality could literally make anyone smile, and she’d done a great job of distracting me over the last year after my wife and I divorced.

The harmless flirting that marked most of our interactions had escalated over the last few months. I ran into her and a friend once while out walking and literally couldn’t stop staring at her breasts while she and her friend talked to me. Up until that day, I’d successfully limited our conversations to a minute or two. But after that day, I started seeing her more often when I was coming or going from the house. She was fun to talk to; I was admittedly a little isolated because of my divorce and trying to care for my son. Our fun conversations did make me smile, and she always left me in a great mood.

The trampoline had ratcheted things up to a level that I’d never intended, though. My late—night fantasies were right there with her in that moment. The line between the things Anna and I did in real life and in fantasies was starting to blur. In an effort to stop thinking about her, I dialed the nanny as soon as I got into the house.

“Hi Rosie, how was Clyde on the way to school?”

“He was good.” She seemed a little thrown off by my phone call. I normally didn’t bother her during the day when I knew Clyde was at school because it was Rosie’s time to herself.

“Um, okay, good. I just wanted to remind you I’m working from home this afternoon. But I’ll probably head into the office around three.”

“Okay, is there anything else?”

“Yeah, I’ll call Clyde at five to talk, and I should be home by seven.”

“Like usual?”

“Oh, yeah, yeah, just like usual. Okay, um. Have a good day. Sorry for bothering you.”

“You too. I’ll see you around seven tonight.”

“Yep, seven it is. Okay, bye.”

The utter stupidity of that conversation had me laughing as I fell back onto my couch. I’d literally made a fool of myself in an effort to forget about Anna. This girl was driving me crazy, but crazy in the sort of way that I liked.

Since my wife decided she was going to run off with a musician and be his groupie, I’d had a bit of low self—confidence in recent months. Not enough of a matter to actually think about, but Anna’s flirting made me happy, without a doubt. What man didn’t like to be wanted by a young woman? It was a surefire way to boost my confidence as I rambled along and back into the world of dating.

My phone rang, and I welcomed the distraction as I picked up the call from my business partner, Kevin. “Yo, what’s going on Kev,” I said in a hip-hop gangster tone, jokingly.

“Nothing much, dog. What’s up with you, homeboy?” he said with a laugh.

“I just had a nineteen-year-old grinding on top of me while water sprayed down on us until her parents came home and I ran into my house and am now hiding. How’s your day?”

“Dude, what the hell? Don’t tell me about your scandalous neighbor again. I can’t take it. I’ve got a wife and two kids. My fantasy life consists of dreaming about having the television to myself for one whole hour this weekend.”

“I don’t know if I can say no to this girl much longer. She’s impossible to resist.”

“Jason Hartley, you can’t screw that girl. We need this deal. It’s the only thing we have on the schedule this year, and it has to be perfect.”

“Her ass is perfect. When was the last time you had your hands on a nineteen—year—old’s ass? I can tell you—it was perfect.”

“Dude, I was nineteen the last time I had my hands on a nineteen—year—old, and it was my wife. Just stop talking to the girl for now, please. I need this deal. We are buying a new house, Jason. I can’t have this deal fall through. Plus, we need the reputation for being easy to work with so we can get new projects. You understand, right?”

I understood exactly what Kevin was talking about, but I wasn’t sure he understood just how unbelievably hard it was to say no to Anna. I was going to have to hire someone to do my yard work and totally avoid her if I was ever going to make it through to the end of this deal.

“I gotcha, man. I’ll avoid her.”

“Yes, make sure you do. By the way, how is the legal paperwork coming for the buyout?” Kevin asked as he expertly changed the subject.

“It’s good. The lawyer made a few changes to the wording, but otherwise, it is ready to go.”

“Great, we will have a meeting at the first of next week, and if all goes well, we could have things wrapped up in no time. Then you can sow your wild oats with that hot piece of ass.”

I had to laugh at Kevin and his effort to be hip. At forty years of age, he certainly wasn’t old at all; he was only two years older than I was, but Kevin typically acted like he was closer to eighty. His life revolved around his wife and kids, and he never had time for anything but work and being with his family. It was annoying, yet I sometimes missed the sanctuary of having a family and marriage to come home to.

“Sounds like a deal. I’ll send over the numbers, and I’ve got calls to make with a few companies that are interested in supporting the venture. We can talk later.”

“Dude, seriously. Stay away from that girl, okay?”

“Yeah, I’m a grown man. I can resist a little temptation,” I said with much more confidence in my abilities to resist than I actually had.

Our business was thriving, but our cash was all tied up in other projects we had invested in. This particular project was more about using our contacts to build up the Cook, Sparser, and Conner Buildings. We stood to gain a huge commission, and then we could step away from the deal when the time was right.

So, Kevin was right, I had to stay away from Anna. I couldn’t have my way with her and expect things with Edward Cook would go over smoothly. She was his youngest daughter, and I was his business partner—those two worlds had to stay separate for now.

Chapter 2

Anna

Jason was absolutely going to be mine. I had no doubt about it at all. The way he looked at me made me horny, and I knew he could barely resist me. I wasn’t even sure why he kept trying to resist at all. I was more than happy to have a fun fling with him and leave it at that, nothing major, nothing like a commitment or anything. I just wanted Jason to be my first. After fantasizing about him since he and his wife had moved in next door, I couldn’t help but keep thinking about him as I grew into adulthood and his wife left him.

It was perfect. We would be perfect together. I’d saved my virginity for the right man, and deep down I knew that man was Jason. I couldn’t describe it; I just knew he was the guy for me. I had to call Patrick and tell him all about my afternoon.

“It’s the middle of the night, why are you calling me?” Patrick said in his usual grumpy voice.

“What are you talking about? It’s the middle of the afternoon. Did you go out all night without me?”

“I had a date with that new guy. You know the really tough guy that surprised me by asking me out? I swear he’s the perfect gay man. He’s a fitness model… can you even imagine me dating a fitness model? We would seriously be the talk of the town.”

“Was he nice?”

“Oh, yeah. I mean he’s perfect. Nice, smart, amazingly handsome. I’ve hit the jackpot, Anna. The total jackpot.”

“That’s so amazing. I can’t wait to meet him.”

“Well, I was thinking I might wait a little bit to have him meet everyone. I don’t want to rush things like I normally do.”

“Oh, um. Okay...”

“It’s not that I don’t think you’re amazing, Anna. You know you are the most amazing friend in the world. I am just trying to do things a little differently this time. What’s that saying about when you do things over and over and expect a different result?”

“It’s the definition of insanity,” I said as I climbed up the stairs in my house and then into my own bed as Patrick and I talked.

“Yeah, that was it. I don’t want to keep messing up. I’m getting old, you know. It’s hard for a guy like me to find a good match here in Chicago. It’s not like we live in San Francisco or someplace amazing like that.”

The idea of Patrick running off with a boyfriend and not including me made me sad. It was silly that I was thinking about it and even sillier that I didn’t want him to be totally happy. But Patrick was my go-to guy when everyone else was working or out with their boyfriends. Patrick was perpetually single, like me, and therefore always available.

My best friend Lilli had run off with her new boyfriend and was traveling the world. I had plenty of other girlfriends, but they were perpetually dating guys and hanging out with them. The only other friend I could count on being available was Summer Edwards, but she drove me crazy with her whining and always trying to get a rich boyfriend so she didn’t have to work.

“Speaking of doing something new…” I giggled as I thought of how I’d jumped into Jason’s lap. “I may have done something a little crazy this morning.”

“May have? That implies you don’t know if you did or didn’t do this crazy thing. We both know you did it. Now tell me what happened. Was it that hottie dad that lives next door to you? Did you bone him? Please tell me the two of you finally knocked boots.”

“No!” I protested as if he had just suggested something vulgar. “But I did tease him and force him onto my trampoline.”

“You got a trampoline?”

“Yeah, I told my dad that it was to help prevent backaches.”

“Your dad believed that? How can such a smart man be so absolutely stupid when it comes to anything you want from him?”

“My dad just really likes it when I’m happy,” I said proudly. “He’s the best dad in the world.”

“He is a pretty damn good father to you. I wish my father were half the man yours was. But seriously, a trampoline? How does he not know you are trying to seduce that hot neighbor of yours?”

“I don’t know, but he doesn’t seem to have a clue. I even ran into Jason and was talking to him in the front driveway when my father got home from work. Not a clue at all.” I laughed at the memory.

My father really was oblivious to what I did with my time. He and my mother traveled often with his work and left me home to fend for myself. My four older brothers were all out of the house and living their own lives, and I swore my parents couldn’t wait for me to finally decide to move out. At nineteen years of age, I had put off going to college because I didn’t know what I wanted to do with myself yet, but sooner or later I’d have to make some life decisions.

“I feel bad for your hot neighbor. He’s got to have blue balls by this point.”

“What?”

“Never mind. I just can’t believe he hasn’t given in to you yet. I mean he seems like a pretty stand-up guy for refusing your flirting. Does he know you’re nineteen or does he think you’re jailbait?”

“Oh, he knows. Since the day I turned eighteen, I made sure he knew it was my birthday, and I was an official adult. I’m almost twenty now, Patrick. For nearly two years, he’s been avoiding my flirting.”

“Some girls would have taken that as a hint that he wasn’t interested,” Patrick snickered.

“Shut up. He’s interested. His shorts were about to burst open as he was so hard for me today.”

“Really? How do you know?”

“I straddled him and ground up against him on my trampoline.” I couldn’t help laughing at what I had done. It was a bit strong even for me.

“Anna, really?” Patrick said with a huge hint of disappointment in his voice.

“What Patrick? What’s that tone about? He liked it. He could barely keep his hands off of me, and he almost kissed me.”

Patrick was quiet for a minute, and I knew that was a really bad sign. Patrick was never quiet, and he never had an issue with telling me exactly what he was thinking. One time when I’d used my fake ID and we went out drinking, Patrick told me I looked like I was twelve because the dress I had on was too childish. Sure enough, we got turned away at the club door, and my identification was confiscated as a fake. Another time, I’d been dancing with this dude who I liked, and Patrick told me he was married. I argued that he couldn’t tell such a thing by looking at someone, but sure enough, the guy ended up being married. Basically, I knew Patrick had something he wanted to say to me and was biting his tongue instead of saying it.

“Come on, just tell me. What do you want to say?” I urged him.

“You know I love you. I’d never say anything to hurt your feelings, and this is coming from a place of total love,” he said as he paused again. “You’re acting like a slut.”

“Patrick!”

“I’m not saying you are a slut. I know you aren’t. But what kind of self—respecting woman chases after a guy and basically accosts him like that? Why not let him chase after you?”

“Because he won’t chase after me. He’s not that kind of guy. He’ll just keep going about his busy life and not show any interest at all.”

“Well…” Patrick started to say and then stopped himself.

“Well, what?”

“Maybe he’s not really interested in you then.”

Patrick’s words hit me hard, and I sat up in my bed as I tried to come to terms with what he was saying. I wasn’t acting like a slut. I was just teasing Jason. He obviously wanted me and was just saying no because of my father. There was no other reason for him to deny his attraction to me.

“He is too interested,” I protested.

“Anna, don’t you want a guy who will do anything to have you? Who will go out of his way to make you feel special? This guy won’t even give you the time of day.”

“That’s not true. We talk all the time. He is just in the middle of a business deal, and it involves my dad, so he’s keeping his distance.”

“I wish you’d back off a little and see what he does. If he wanted you, he’d come after you and let you know it.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. When this deal with my father is over with, I know he’s going to be asking me out. Like a real date and everything. And I know he likes it when I flirt with him. He smiles and laughs and can’t keep his eyes off me.”

“I’m sorry if I sounded harsh. I just want you to find that fairytale man for your first time. You deserve that.”

“Well, you don’t know him like I do. Anyways, I better go. I have to help my mom with cleaning up. I’ll talk to you later,” I said curtly and hung up without giving Patrick time to respond.

Patrick meant well. If there was anything in life that I was sure of, it was his intent. I wasn’t angry with him. I just didn’t like the idea of looking at the situation from his perspective. Never had I thought I was throwing myself at Jason. Instead, I was seducing him and teasing him so he couldn’t refuse me.

Jason wasn’t saying no to me because he didn’t want me—that wasn’t it at all. I might have been inexperienced in sex, but I knew men, and Jason wanted me. It wasn’t something I could explain to Patrick, but I knew Jason wanted me just as badly as I wanted him.

The way his hands grabbed my ass, that wasn’t the grip of a man who was being forced into anything. Sure, I’d been a little more aggressive than I probably should have, and I was going to back off a little when I saw Jason the next time. I wasn’t going to be one of those girls who kept throwing herself at a man who didn’t make any effort to go after her. Patrick was one hundred percent right about that. I deserved a guy who couldn’t resist me and wanted nothing else in the world than to be with me.

But, I didn’t want Jason to think I was a cheap girl who didn’t respect herself and perhaps throwing myself at him wasn’t the best way to show him I liked him. Then again, I hadn’t even had a regular boyfriend yet, so I really didn’t know what I was doing when it came to Jason. I acted like I had all the answers, but the truth was, I was just pretending because it was easier than being vulnerable and honest with people.

“Your father is going to be home at six o’clock. Do you want to help me get the grill going so he can cook?” my mother said from the bottom of the stairs.

I jumped out of bed and sat on the top step as I looked down at my beautiful mother. I was the spitting image of her with blonde hair and blue eyes and a petite frame. My mother and I could wear some of the same clothing, and if we did our hair the same, we practically looked like sisters.

“Mom, what is the purpose of getting all the food prepared and ready, but then waiting for Dad to come home to grill it? I can just grill it and have everything ready for when he gets home.”

“Oh, no! Your dad likes to do the grilling. We can’t touch the grill.”

“Are you serious? Is this the eighteen-hundreds and women can’t touch the grill?”

“Anna, I’m a happily married woman who knows that her husband really enjoys his grill and takes pride in making his family food on it. That’s part of being in a relationship—sometimes you do things purely because it makes the other person happy. Now come help me already.”

“Fine, fine, but someday I’m going to get my hands on that grill,” I joked as I came downstairs to help my mother get dinner ready, or semi—ready since we had to wait for Dad to come home to actually start the grilling.

She pulled the hamburger meat out of the fridge and all the extra ingredients she liked to put into the patties. My mom was a little fanatical about her cooking and added chia seeds and other antioxidants to just about everything. She insisted that we couldn’t tell the difference in the taste, and all her extra ingredients made us healthier. My father and I learned a long time ago not to question Mom’s ideas around the super foods she wanted us to eat.

“So, how are you?” Mom asked as she tried to weasel in some typical Mom questions while we worked.

“I’m good.”

“How’s Lilli doing? Did she run off with that man?”

“Yeah, and she says she’s in love.” I laughed.

“Well, love is a sneaky creature. You never know when it will bite you,” she said under her breath as she kept squishing the meat with her hands to work in the ingredients.

“Yeah, well I wouldn’t know anything about love.”

“Oh, honey. Someday you’ll find a boy that knocks your socks off.”

“That sounds dirty, Mom.” I laughed.

“You know what? I don’t care.” She giggled, and her face totally turned red. “You’re an adult now. We can talk about naked stuff.”

“Oh, God, Mom. No, we cannot.”

I refused to look at her and moved to the other side of the kitchen while I cut up the tomatoes and onions for our burgers. There was absolutely no way I was talking about sex with my mother. It had been nearly eight years since the dreaded ‘you’re a woman now’ talk, and I was still traumatized from that.

“Have you had sex yet?” my mother blurted out.

“Mom, I swear to God, I’m not having this conversation with you.”

“Because I know you haven’t had a steady boyfriend, but girls are having sex, and I want you to know you can talk to me about anything.”

“Mom!”

“I’m serious. We can talk about the oral sex. Or the anal, I’m ready. We can talk about any of it.”

“I’m going to die right here. Please stop talking, Mom.”

“Okay, but you know I’m here for you whenever you want to talk.”

“Please, someone save me,” I mumbled as I put my head into my hands.

“I’m here to save you,” I heard my father say from the other side of the kitchen. “What do you need saving from?”

“Nothing,” I hurriedly said before my mother could announce what we had been talking about. “We have the food ready so you can grill. I was wondering if you would show me how to use the grill?”

I had never offered to help with grilling before, but I was desperate to get out of the kitchen and away from my mother and her questions. The pure fact that she had uttered the word ‘anal’ was too much for my mind to handle. No child should be subjected to hearing that from their own parent.

“Not today honey,” my father said as he kissed me on the forehead. “Maybe next time.”

“Please Daddy, I’d really like to learn,” I lied.

“Fine, you can come watch, but that’s it.”

“Deal,” I said excitedly and grabbed the platter of meat.

I hurried outside so fast that I nearly tripped over my own feet. My Dad was behind me though, and as we stood in front of the grill, I knew my mother hadn’t told him what we were talking about. He looked at me sweetly and gave me a big hug as he started the gas grill.

“This is nice. We haven’t spent much time together lately.”

“I know, Daddy,” I said as I hugged him.

My father was the kindest man I knew. He was the best father to me and my brothers and a pretty damn good husband to our mother as well. The only downfall I could ever see was his dedication to his job. For many people, they wouldn’t see work dedication as a downfall at all, but for my father, it was his first family, and we were left to be his second family. He traveled constantly growing up and was still doing that. At least as we grew older he was able to bring my mother with him so they got more time together, but growing up there had been a constant emptiness in our house.

“So, what’s new with you? Have you decided what you’d like to do with yourself yet?”

“No, Daddy.” I laughed. “But I did talk with our neighbor, what was his name again?”

“Jason Hartley, I’m actually working with him now to help our company out. Don’t tell your mother, but if this deal goes well, I should be able to retire with a sizable bonus.”

“Really? Why not just retire now?”

“I’d like to make sure the company is okay when I leave. Jason’s company is the best at helping people reorganize so they can stay profitable.”

“So, they are buying your company?” I asked, a little confused.

“Not exactly. They are investing in us and helping to make some changes. Then we will be more profitable, and they will get a percentage of that profit. It’s a win, win for everyone involved.”

“Ahh, I bet that takes a lot of hard work. That’s probably why Jason was hiring an assistant.”

“Yeah, it’s a tremendous amount of work. I don’t know how he ever gets to spend time with his son.”

This was my moment, I felt it. Over the years, I’d learned how to test my father and find just the right moment to ask for what I wanted. It was a gift that I’d been given being his only daughter and the youngest child. My brothers got the benefit of our father pretty much giving them any car they wanted and paying for their extravagant lifestyles. He never questioned their love life and certainly didn’t care what they decided to study when they went off to college, but he cared about all those things for me.

I was my father’s sweet little girl, even if I was anything but sweet. No one could ever tell my father that I wasn’t an innocent darling girl – he just wouldn’t hear of it. He trusted me to be home alone while he and my mother traveled. He gave me a credit card to use for expenses and a nice BMW to drive. I was spoiled; there was no question about it. But I still didn’t get everything I wanted. Sometimes I had to deploy a high level of sucking up to get what I wanted.

“I actually asked him if I could apply to be his assistant,” I said as I turned away from my father.

Even with my skills at persuasion, I still couldn’t look him in the eyes when I lied to him.

“Oh, well that sounds like a nice idea. But I didn’t think you were interested in a business career.”

“You know I was actually thinking I might go to school and get my MBA or something like that. I mean I could always run a business that interested me, but building a solid background would be helpful before I started something.”

I’d just given my father the present he’d been dreaming about for years. In one quick moment, I’d said I wanted to be a businesswoman and that I wanted to get a Master’s degree. My father had harped on every single one of us children about the importance of a graduate degree in the current marketplace. Of course, none of my brothers had probably even heard him. I had heard him but never actually considered a degree in business.

“What did Jason say about you working for him?” my father said excitedly as he put his spatula down and focused on me for a minute.

“Oh, he said it wouldn’t work. He didn’t think you’d be okay with it. You know, since you two are working together and all. It’s okay, I’m sure I can get experience somewhere else.”

“So, before you said you still didn’t know what you wanted, was that because he said no to you? And you are giving up on the idea?”

“Yeah, he wasn’t all that nice about it. I don’t think he has many women working with him. He’s probably one of those guys who doesn’t think a woman can understand his business. He implied he was interviewing mostly men who were in college for business degrees.”

It was a lie, a blatant lie. Jason had never said a single thing to me about women and their ability to do his job. But my father was a huge proponent of women and always told me I could literally be anything I wanted. I was manipulating him and molding him so he would go to bat for me with Jason. It was horrible, and I even felt a little bad about the lie, but if I got to work with Jason, it was all going to be worth it.

“Really? He said that? I’ve known Jason for a while. He never struck me as that type of a guy.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll check out some other companies. It’s no big deal. It was just an idea so I could get some experience and references to apply to school.”

“Let me talk to him. I’ve got a meeting with him in a couple of days. I’ll see if I have any pull with him and this assistant position.”

“Oh, Daddy, don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“It’s no big deal. Maybe he’s got someone already lined up. I’ll just check in with him.”

“Thanks, Daddy,” I said as I gave him a big hug.

“This is really exciting, Anna. I think you’d make a great businesswoman. You’re such a smart young lady,” my father said as he held me tightly.

“I hope your deal works out well, and you get to retire.”

“It’s not just retiring. I really could use the payout money, and I want to know that the company is going to thrive. I’ve worked my whole life helping to build this organization. I’m not just the CFO—I’m like a father to the people who work there. I have to make sure they are taken care of before I leave. I can’t leave them a company that would sell off the pieces and fire the staff.”

That was my father. He wanted to retire, but his first family was so important to him that he was going to stick around and make sure they were alright. When I was younger, I could have gotten myself pretty worked up over my father pledging his allegiance to his work family, but I was old enough to understand there was nothing I could change about my father at this point in his life.

Chapter 3

Jason

“It’s finally the big day, dude. Are you excited?” Kevin said as he stood in the doorway to my office.

“Contract day is always my favorite. Everyone is hyped up on adrenaline and trying to negotiate what they want. I feel like I can practically touch the tension with my hands.”

Signing a contract to go into business with another company was huge. We were basically buying out The Cook, Sparser, and Conner Building Company debts. If things went poorly, we could go bankrupt in a matter of months. But if our business expertise and knowledge of the current markets worked in our favor, then we could turn this company around and walk away with millions of dollars in our pockets. It was worth the gamble.

The truth was that any one of our business deals could have bankrupted us. It was only because of our team of employees that researched the market and did an in—depth analysis of the company that we were able to make the deals we did. I couldn’t have made all the decisions myself, and neither could Kevin, so our team worked together and trusted each other’s opinions.

If one employee came to me and said a company was a bad purchase, I trusted them enough to make sure we researched and analyzed what their concern was. With Edward Cook’s company, the biggest concern was their lack of diversification. They dealt with high—rise buildings almost exclusively. This meant that they weren’t able to expand outside of the Chicago area at all unless they wanted to push other large building organizations out of the cities they claimed as their own. This was a possible option for the company, but Kevin and I saw another possible option as well. Our vision was to stay local but expand into other commercial buildings.

A rename of the company was also in order. Cook, Sparser, and Conner Building Company was long and confusing. Although people in the high—rise business knew who they were, no one else did. My goal was to add a few different divisions for a housing group, a warehouse group, etc. and use their expertise to continue building in the Illinois area. It was going to take a lot of work. We were going to have to hire a huge marketing team and probably bid on thousands of upcoming jobs, but it was possible to turn this company around, and I knew it.

“Edward Cook is here to see you,” the front desk secretary said over the speaker on my desk.

“He’s probably here to shoot you for feeling up his daughter’s butt.” Kevin laughed as he left and went to his office.

My heart pounded at his words, even though I didn’t believe that was why Edward had come to see me an hour before our meeting. I quickly picked up my messy office by grabbing things and throwing them under my desk. Cleanliness was certainly not something I valued in the workplace.

My small dark office wasn’t exactly the best place to be meeting with Edward, though. I typically preferred to meet new business partners in the large conference room. It had the feel of a thriving company with its fifty-person giant conference table. On the opposite end of the spectrum was my small office with a desk and only one small chair in it. I wasn’t usually at the office and worked from my house or on the road consistently. I’d felt horrible when I had a huge office and was never in it. Kevin spent much more time in the actual office and deserved to be comfortable.

“Jason, sorry for surprising you like this. I just wanted to have a visit with you before everyone arrived,” Edward said as he pressed his chubby hand out to shake mine.

“No problem at all, Edward. I’ll always make time for you,” I shook his hand and held the door for him to come into my office.

Edward looked a little out of breath as he sat down and his breathing labored for a few minutes. He was probably in his sixties, but I had no idea for sure. He still had a full head of hair, and his belly was rounder than it had been only a few years before. I knew he was hoping this deal would work out so he could retire.

“So, I’m a little nervous about this deal and hoped we could talk about one particular issue I have a concern about,” Edward said.

“Of course, what’s up?”

“You know I’ve worked with this company for over twenty years now. I would have retired years ago if I weren’t concerned for our employees and how we could keep the doors open. I just want to make sure we are on the same page about the future here.”

“Edward, I’m here to help your company. Only if I help you guys make money will I make money on this deal.”

“I know, I know, but there’s been some talk about you guys and Green Industries,” Edward said as he maintained eye contact with me.

Crap. I had really hoped that this wasn’t going to come up with Edward and his team. Green Industries was a company we made a deal with two years earlier. The deal was similar to this one, but when we got into the company, we realized it was so poorly run that we had no choice but to sell off the pieces as we tried to recoup our money. Unfortunately, they ended up going out of business, and hundreds were unemployed after that disaster. It wasn’t just our choice though—the Green Industries’ owner had been willing to leave his company as well. I didn’t expect anything like that to happen with Edward’s company.

“Edward, that was a unique situation,” I started to say. “The owner of that company wasn’t interested in working with us to make the changes. He wanted to get the money and run.”

“Oh, I know it was different. I’m just putting it out there that we aren’t interested in that sort of deal, and our employees are really concerned that this will end poorly.”

“I can’t guarantee our deal is going to be successful. Of course, we put our money behind you guys, and we will do everything possible to ensure a profitable business will arise. But it’s in our contract that we can suggest selling off pieces of the company if it is the most lucrative and savvy business move. It isn’t what I expect for your company, though.”

Edward looked extremely annoyed with me and what I’d just said. In fact, his face turned beet red as he processed for a minute before responding to me. I admired that in him, and any business person – taking a minute to really think about something was always useful and could prevent a huge blow up over something small. “That wasn’t the answer I was looking for,” he said. “I have to say it’s a little disappointing.”

“Edward, I can’t promise you’ll like everything I have to say, but I will be honest with you. I can promise you that much.”

“That’s not going to be much consolation if my employees end up laid off,” he retorted.

“No, it wouldn’t be.”

“I need to go talk to my business partners before the meeting. Thank you for your honesty,” Edward said as he got up and stormed out of the office.

That hadn’t gone at all like I’d hoped it would have. I waited for Edward to get on the elevator and hurried down to Kevin’s office.

As I waited for Kevin to get off the phone, my face must have told him that something was wrong. He hurried and said goodbye to the salesman he was on the phone with and gave me his undivided attention. “What did you do?”

“Me? Why does it have to be my fault?” I laughed nervously.

“Because it is always your fault.”

It was a true statement, I couldn’t exactly argue with Kevin about it. Most of the time, it was something I said or did that caused trouble in our business. Kevin was the laid back, quiet one who never seemed to put his foot in his mouth at all.

“Okay, so he brought up Green Industries…”

“No,” Kevin put his head in his hands and then plopped it down onto his desk. “Please tell me you didn’t blow up at him?”

“I didn’t blow up at all. I was calm and not defensive. But I may have told him we had the right to break his company up if we wanted to.”

“No, you did not!”

“I said it nicely. I just meant that we would do whatever was best for the company and everyone who was financially involved.”

“Where did he go? Did he pull out of the deal? I can go talk to him.”

“He’s not pulling out of the deal. He will be back for the meeting. Edward just said he had to go talk to his partners.”

“Damn it, Jason. You have to think about others’ feelings sometimes. He’s been part of this company for years, and he’s already afraid about this deal. You’ve just scared him even more. This isn’t a high school popularity contest. You don’t have to put him in his place. Damn, I wish I had been in the room with you.”

“Well, you weren’t. So, I guess we will have to go from here.”

As much as I loved Kevin as a friend and a business partner, he sometimes turned more into an angry father than an equal partner. Of course, I didn’t purposely upset Edward. I was simply being truthful with him.

“So how did you leave it?”

“He’s still coming to the meeting. I’m sure they will be really defensive, though. Let’s bring the whole team in on the meeting to show we have the numbers.”

“No, I think it’s enough having you and me and the lawyers.”

“Whatever you think,” I agreed.

“Jason, this deal could bankrupt us if it goes wrong. You understand this, right? It’s not like we can throw everything into this company and keep going. We have to make this work, or we need to step out now. Tell me you can be dedicated to this. Please tell me you understand the gravity of it?”

“Of course, I do. I don’t want to be groveling for employment any more than you do. I’ll be more accommodating in the meeting, I promise.”

I knew, just as well as Kevin did, this was an important deal. I could see that my direct approach with Edward might not have been the best, even though I honestly didn’t think it was all that bad. But business deals weren’t just about money, they were about people. I had once backed out of a deal simply because the owner of the company consistently refused to say, ‘bless you’ to his employees. I’d witnessed it a dozen times in our interactions together before the deal, and in the final boardroom I sneezed to see his reaction and got nothing. It was obvious the owner was too self-absorbed, or at least in my opinion he was, so I backed out.

“Okay, let’s take some time to center ourselves, and I’ll meet you in the boardroom. We need to close this deal.”

“I got it. No worries here,” I said as I left Kevin to stew about how our meeting was going to go.

By the time everyone started to arrive, I had gotten myself a little nervous too. Although I had no worries about myself if I happened to fall on hard times, I did worry about my son. Clyde was only five, and he needed me more than ever. His whole world was wrapped up in me, and I certainly couldn’t dislodge the norms that he had just become accustomed to. He’d already been through so much since his mom decided to run off with that musician. I simply couldn’t put him through anything else.

I waited for everyone to get into the meeting before making my way down to the large rectangular room at the end of the hallway. Kevin was already standing outside waiting for me, and our lawyers were inside handing out the proposals. Nothing about this meeting was intended to surprise anyone. We had provided the full proposal ahead of time and were hoping to simply check through each of the items before everyone signed off. Well, that was before I offended the chief financial officer of the company.

“Hello, everyone,” I said with a chipper smile as I went around and shook hands with the other team. Kevin followed right behind me and took a little extra time to chat with each of the people which allowed me some extra time to talk with Edward when I got to him.

“I apologize if I offended you, Edward. Please know that it wasn’t my intention.”

“Thank you for the apology,” he said dryly and then turned back toward his portfolio. “I’ll have a favor to ask of you when this is all done,” he said without turning around to look at me.

I’d known Edward for a few years as my neighbor, and I’d never seen him like this before. I’d obviously stepped into a mess with him, and the contention he felt toward me was palpable by the coldness in his tone. Whatever his favor was, I suddenly felt like I was going to have to say yes to him, no matter what it was.

After shaking hands with the rest of the team, I made my way to one of two chairs at the end of the table. Kevin and I had never felt the need to fight over who led a meeting, and luckily our table was large enough to offer plenty of room for us both to look like a man in charge.

“Thank you all for coming; hopefully, we can get through this quickly and get everyone going before lunch,” Kevin said in his normal upbeat tone.

As he continued to take the lead, it was clear to me I had the back seat for this meeting. It was probably for the best. I didn’t want to cause any more trouble than I already had. I sat back and paged through the proposed deal as Kevin and the lawyers took turns talking about items. Most of the first pages were basics like which companies were involved and how much ownership we would have.

Then, about twenty minutes into the meeting, one of the lawyers read the paragraph that I knew was in there—the paragraph that I dreaded, and the paragraph that I knew Edward Cook was going to hate as well.

“Pursuant to the general purchase agreement, Industrial Management Brothers LLC has the final say in decisions of liquidation,” Steve, our contract lawyer read aloud.

I winced and kept my eyes down as I looked at the document and hoped we would be able to get past that paragraph and move on. Of course, that was not going to happen. And I heard Edward’s boss speak up.

“I think we need to discuss this one,” Marcus Connor, the CEO of their company said. “We can’t have you guys gutting us and selling off the pieces. The whole purpose of this deal is to ensure we are strong enough to stay together and move forward.”

I understood his point, and if I worked for them, I would have felt the same way. But I wasn’t about to agree to keep their company together if we found it was hemorrhaging cash like Green Industries was. Both Kevin and I were businessmen – we had our own company to run, and it wouldn’t help anyone if we went bankrupt at the same time their organization did.

“What is your concern? That we will find a financial reason to dismantle the company?” Kevin asked calmly.

“That you will dismantle it at all,” Edward said as his face turned red again.

“What would you like us to do if things go south and the company is bleeding cash? Should we continue to put our money into a dying company?” I blurted out.

“This company will never be dying if it’s run right,” Edward said as his face got even redder. “Why would you want to partner with us if you think we are a dying company?”

I was about to answer him when Kevin butted in. It was probably a good idea I had a partner who was so cool under pressure because I was about to lose it. Who did Edward think he was? We were trying to help their company. We were saving them from bankruptcy. I would have thought they could understand we had to protect ourselves.

“Okay, okay, let’s cool down for a second. This is a good partnership for everyone involved. Of course, we want your company to thrive, that’s why we are here. You are innovators in the industry, you are respected and admired, and this partnership should start off on a positive note, without negativity.”

Kevin was smooth. Nowhere in his comments did he say we would take that clause out of the contract. Instead, he dazzled them with compliments and distracted them with his quick talking. Before long, the meeting was back on track, and Edward and his team had agreed to wait until the end of the meeting to discuss that issue.

They had seen the document ahead of time. If they had issues, their lawyers had already brought them up and worked out everything. Ninety minutes into the meeting when we had reviewed everything, there was only one issue remaining—the one issue that me and my big mouth had brought up.

For hours, the lawyers talked and hashed out the issue of what to do if the company had to be sold. Finally, well after lunch, they had come to a compromise. I’d sat dutifully quiet while everyone else talked, and it was a relief to have some sort of conclusion.

“Mr. Cook, does this sound like the best option financially?” Kevin asked.

“If Marcus is alright with it, I am alright with it. At least we will have to vote on the final sale.”

“I’m good. I think if we have all five parties involved, then we will always have the majority, so nothing to worry about. To be honest, I thought we were going to have to fold this year, and I’m excited about this teamwork we have going on here,” Marcus said to try and bring everyone back onto the same side. “Let’s sign this thing, and I’d like to have Harley and Cook sign last. It will be good to close on a positive.”

It took all my willpower not to roll my eyes at Marcus and his idea of a bonding moment. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to look Edward in the eyes again and not think about this meeting and his willingness to throw everything away because he thought I was the kind of guy who would try and lie to him. He had actually been pissed off at me because I’d told the truth. It was ridiculous. But I was a team player, and after a whole day of hashing things out, I was happy to finally have some sort of solution. This was a clause we would likely never use, as our goals were the same, and we all wanted to make money.

“Sorry about earlier,” I said as I shook Edward’s hand after it was my turn to sign the document.

Everyone was up and mulling around the room visiting with one another, and it was just Edward and me at the head of the table. As much as I hated how he had treated me, we had a business to run together, and I happened to live right next door to the man so we couldn’t argue forever.

“My daughter Anna is looking for a job or an internship before she heads to college. With the turmoil going on with my company, it just doesn’t seem best for her to come work with me. I heard you were looking for an assistant?”

My heart flipped at the mention of Anna, and a tingling sensation rushed through my body. How did he know about my assistant position? Why was he asking me to hire Anna? My mind raced as I tried to figure out a way to say no to him without sounding like an ass or telling him just how seductive his daughter was. “Um, actually, I’m not sure I’ll be hiring someone—it’s kind of me just being lazy,” I said as I tried not to look him in the eyes.

“Anna is a really hard worker. She got straight A’s in school, and I’m really excited to see her finally taking an interested in something. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but she’s a bit of a wild child. As her father, this is exciting for me to see her showing some initiative.”

“Your daughter is looking for a job?” Kevin said as he joined our conversation.

“Yes, I heard Jason was looking for an assistant and thought it might be a good place for her to start. You wouldn’t have to pay her; she could do it as an internship or learning experience. Plus, let’s be honest here—I’d feel better knowing I had an ally on your team, and it would be doing me a huge favor,” Edward said as he talked to Kevin.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Kevin responded in his fake excited voice. “She’s hired. I’m sure she and Jason will get along great. Let’s say a three-month internship, and of course, we will pay her,” Kevin shook Edward’s hand before I could even gather my jaw from off the ground.

“Well then, it’s decided,” Edward said with the first smile I’d seen on his face all day. “She’ll come tomorrow so you all can work the details out. Thanks to both of you, and I’m sorry we had that scuffle earlier. This company is my baby, and I was just a little nervous, but all is well now.”

“Thanks to you, Edward, and congratulations on our deal. I can’t wait to see what we build together,” Kevin said and walked Edward out as everyone else was leaving.

I literally couldn’t find the words I wanted to say to Kevin. I stood in the same spot at the end of the conference table and waited for everyone to leave before I finally was able to piece together some sort of coherent sentence. “What have you done?” I asked Kevin.

“Oh, come on. She’ll be some eye candy to look at, and it made the old man happy. Just go with it.”

“You don’t understand, Kevin. This girl isn’t like normal women, at least not to me. I can’t work with her. I can’t have her around here every day.”

“Too late, you’re going to have to keep your sausage in your pants and deal with it. I’m not going to have this deal falling apart because you can’t get along with a twenty-year-old blonde. That’s ridiculous.”

“I can get along with her just fine, that’s the issue here.”

“It’s done, and you’re taking one for the team. Did you see how happy he was?”

“Yeah, he did look excited,” I admitted.

“Just avoid her. Give your list of jobs to her via email and have one of the secretaries check in with her as needed. I mean if you play your cards right, you could have life pretty easy with her around doing all your little jobs.”

Logically what Kevin was saying made sense. The problem was that just thinking about Anna made me hard. I couldn’t imagine being able to concentrate on work at all with her anywhere near me. This was going to be an exercise in resisting temptation, and I’d never done well with that.

Chapter 4

Anna

“Darlin’, this doesn’t even look like you,” the bouncer said as he looked at my fake identification.

The funny thing was that the picture on the ID was me, just all the information included was false. It didn’t help that I looked young, and that meant we might not be getting into this club.

“Well, it’s me,” I said nonchalantly as I tried to play it cool.

“Sorry, I can’t let you in. Everyone else is free to go in,” the large man said firmly.

“Seriously? That’s me on there, how could it not be?”

“You don’t look like a ‘Pam,’” he said with a chuckle. “Come on now. I’ll let you have the ID back, but you can’t come in.”

Reluctantly, I took the ID and turned to walk away. My friends Rebecca and Amy followed, but Summer and Patrick had already gone into the club. Knowing Summer, she wasn’t about to leave a club just because I couldn’t get in. We sent them a text message about where we were heading next and hoped they would decide to come find us.

“Sorry, Anna. It sucks that you’re not old enough yet,” Rebecca said.

“It’s okay, I’ll be twenty soon enough. How about we just go to Club Lively? I know it’s got a little bit of the older crowd now, but at least they don’t bug me about my ID there.”

“Yep, let’s do it,” Amy said as she threw her hands up in the air.

Amy had been pre-gaming with a flask of her own vodka, and she was ready to party. She was able to drink more than any of us and hated how much it cost to buy drinks in the club. I wasn’t much of a drinker but certainly didn’t pay for my drinks very often.

“I can’t wait to just get out on the dance floor and let some steam off,” I said as we loaded into an Uber.

“What steam do you need to let off?” Amy laughed. “Your daddy pays for everything, and you don’t have a job.”

“My mother wanted to talk to me about anal sex,” I said flatly. “Can you even imagine? It was so embarrassing.”

“What the hell? Why?” Rebecca asked.

“Because she was trying to prove how she was open and willing to talk to me about anything. I seriously couldn’t even look at her for the rest of the day. It was crazy.”

“Maybe she just wants to make sure you are having fun with all your boy toys,” Amy said as she took another sip from her flask.

“What boy toys? I don’t have a boyfriend or even a reasonable prospect at this point. I’m so single I feel like one of those old spinsters.”

“Yeah, and in that dress, you look like one,” Amy joked as she pulled on my body—clinging dress and let it slap back against me. “My grandma has one just like this.”

We all laughed at the insanity of what she was saying. My dress looked damn good. I had on this black body-hugging dress that showed off every one of my curves. It was fun to get dressed up and go out with my girlfriends and Patrick, and just party and dance. But I wasn’t delusional—partying wasn’t exactly the best place to meet guys, and that was about all I’d been doing lately while I tried to figure out what I wanted to do with myself.

As we pulled up to Club Lively, I saw the bouncer who was normally there and knew we’d be able to get in just fine. I’m not sure if he knew how old I really was, or if he even cared, he just liked to flirt with us and let us into the club when we flirted back. It was a small price to pay to make it into the club.

“What is it with bouncers? Why are they all twice our size?” Amy laughed as we walked up to Jerry.

“Hey, Jerry. How are you?” I asked as I gave him a quick hug. “Is it busy tonight?”

“It’s picked up since earlier, but not sure it’s the crowd for you girls.”

“Whatever, I’m all about finding a sugar daddy,” Amy joked as she started to strut into the club.

“Thanks, Jerry,” I said as he let the three of us in without checking our ID’s.

“I’ll come say hi later, have fun.”

As I made my way into the club with Amy and Rebecca, I felt my phone vibrating in my purse. Normally, I wouldn’t have bothered to check it, but since Summer and Patrick were still at the other club, I wanted to answer and make sure they got over to us. But it wasn’t my friends, and instead, it was my father calling, so I backed out of the club and stood around the corner as I answered his call.

“Hey, Dad, what’s up?”

“I know you said you were going to the movies with your friends, but I just wanted to tell you Mr. Hartley agreed to hire you as his temporary assistant. It’s just for a few months, but it will give you some great experience for your college applications.”

“Really? He agreed?”

“Yes, it’s sort of a favor to me so please do your absolute best.”

“Wow, I really can’t believe he agreed,” I said as I tried to find the words.

It was terrifying and exciting all at the same time. Jason was so much of what I wanted in a man that I could hardly imagine being around him every single day. The sexual tension between us would likely kill the two of us if we didn’t give into it sooner or later. But my heart raced out of control because I’d been so forward with him only because I didn’t think I’d actually get to work with him, so I’d teased him because he’d always said no. I wasn’t prepared for the news my father gave me, and I certainly hadn’t expected Jason to agree to have me as his assistant.

“He was very reluctant, but he’s doing it as a favor for me.”

“Oh, he was reluctant?” I asked disappointedly.

“Yes, I don’t think he was excited about the idea at all. But that doesn’t matter now. He has agreed, and I need you to keep an eye on things. This business deal has gotten a little more complicated, and I’ll need you to keep your eyes and ears open.”

“Dad, I don’t know what I’m keeping them open for,” I said as my nerves started to take over.

“Just anything unusual. I don’t want them tricking us or trying to steal from us,” my father said bluntly.

“Would he do that? I thought they were helping you guys out? I really don’t know much about this stuff at all, Dad. Maybe I shouldn’t take the job,” I said as my nerves started to get the better of me.

“Anna Marie Cook, I just put my reputation on the line to get you the damn job. You’re not backing out now. Did you really even want this or was this just some line you gave me? You said you wanted to go to college, was that a lie too?”

“No Daddy, it wasn’t a lie,” I totally lied to him. “I’m excited about the job opportunity, I’m just scared too.”

That wasn’t a lie. In fact, I was terrified of what I’d managed to get myself into. My flirting and dirty talk was fun because I knew Jason was always pushing me away. The fun of it was that I knew he wasn’t going to agree. I could push the envelope more and more, and he always said no. Even though he clearly wanted me, or at least I thought he did, he always turned me down. It was part of our thing, but now that a door was figuratively opening up, I was pretty scared about what would come next.

“Well, you haven’t worked before, so it’s normal to be a little scared. I think you’ll do great, though. It’s a good opportunity for you.”

“Yeah,” I mumbled.

“It’s only for a few months, and it will give you a great opportunity to see if you really want to pursue your MBA. Plus, I could really use your help with keeping an eye on things while we go through with this merger. Okay, honey?”

I wanted to say no. I wanted to back out and just forget all of this had even happened. I’d obviously pushed things too far, much farther than I’d thought they were going to go. Sometimes I did go a little too far like when I’d insisted I wanted to be a professional ballerina and forced my parents to sign me up for a summer dance program. After only one dance class, I was thrust into an eight—week intensive program that was horrible. It was by far the worst summer of my life. Yet I’d begged my parents to get into the program so they refused to let me quit, and I was stuck there for the summer.

I knew there was no way out for me now. My father had gone out of his way to get me the job, and even Jason had gone out of his way to say yes. I was stuck with it and going to have to make the best out of things. But I did have one last option, one last idea that might save me from taking this job.

“I understand, Dad. I think it will be fine. I’m sure I’ll love it. But since Mr. Hartley lives next door, it might not be appropriate for me to work with him. I hadn’t thought about that before. You know… I’d see him all day, and he’s right next to us at night. He’d probably get sick of me, and we wouldn’t get along.”

“I thought about that too. I think we should go ahead with your plan to move in with your friend Patrick like you had asked about last winter.”

Shit.

“You said he was too wild for me to live with, and you didn’t want me living with a man at my age.”

“Yeah, but now that I know he’s gay, I’m okay with it. Plus, it will give you a chance to be independent, and I know how much you’ve wanted that.”

“Really? You’re okay with me moving in with Patrick?”

“Yep, I’ll even cover rent for you two for a few months. I’m sure that will help him out too. This is going to be great Anna, you’re going to have a job and your own place,” my father said with a level of excitement I did not share at all. “Okay, we can talk more later. Enjoy your movie.”

I stood there totally stunned as the conversation soaked in. In one phone call, I’d been pushed out of my house and forced to take a job. This wasn’t at all what my life was like. Normally, I got to decide when and where things happened. I got to spend the week alone at the house while my parents went on business trips. I did what I wanted, and they paid for it. Now all of a sudden, I was going to have a boss and an apartment and have to be responsible for myself. This was a lot to take in all at once.

“Anna, are you okay?” Patrick said as he and Summer pulled up to the club. “You look like you’re sick?”

“I just got a job, and my father said I can move in with you.”

“Oh, honey, I’m sorry,” Summer said as she gave me a hug.

Summer was my only other friend that could truly understand what I was feeling. Sure, I wanted to be an adult and didn’t want to live at home forever. But it was happening so fast. It was way too fast for me, and I wasn’t ready.

“I thought you wanted to move out?” Patrick asked.

“I did, in the winter, but I changed my mind. It’s nice being at home and having dinner made and the whole house to myself when they are gone. And there’s a housekeeper. I don’t know, it just feels like it’s all happening too fast.”

“What’s the job?” Summer asked.

“I’m going to be working for Jason Hartley, my super-hot neighbor and the guy who is buying into my father’s company.”

“Oh, you are? Girl, this is perfect,” Patrick said as he jumped up and down with excitement. “This is what you wanted. Right?”

“Yeah, but I don’t know. I think I’m in over my head.”

“Not at all. I’ll help you.”

“Me too,” Summer added. “This is going to be one hell of a fun time for you.”

“So, you think I can do it? I mean, working and all? I’ve never even had a job,” I said as we made our way into the club to find Amy and Rebecca.

“Yeah, I mean I wouldn’t want to have to work, but you can do it,” Summer said. “What exactly will you be doing? Like filing papers and answering phones or something? You can do that.”

“I’m going to be his personal assistant.”

“Ooooh girl, this is getting good. You’ll have so much access to the man that he won’t be able to refuse you.”

“I know, but I’m not sure I can keep that kind of confidence up around him. It was an act. I was playing. He actually terrifies me and makes me really nervous.”

“Do you want to be a virgin forever?” Patrick practically screamed as we stood in the club.

The people in our vicinity looked at me, and one guy even winked.

“Patrick, you don’t need to tell the world.”

“Why not? It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Actually, you should be proud of it. You’re not easy like so many other girls,” he said as he dramatically looked at our other friends. “At least you’re waiting for a guy you actually care about.”

“Yeah, but…”

“But, nothing!” Patrick exclaimed. “This is you growing up. We are going to get you a kick ass wardrobe, and you are going to be the best damn assistant this guy has ever had.”

“I doubt that since I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“You got a job?” Amy asked as she stumbled up behind me.

“Yep, she’s going to be the personal assistant for that super-hot neighbor of hers,” Patrick said. “And she’s moving in with me.”

“Oh, my father said he would pay the rent for our place for a few months to make things a little easier on us,” I said as we all gathered around.

The club was packed, but the crowd was a mix of older businessmen and late twenty—something women who were after them. It wasn’t the hip place it used to be, and hardly anyone was out dancing on the dance floor.

“Drinks are on me then,” Patrick exclaimed. “That’s awesome.”

Patrick got us a round of drinks, and we all made our way onto the dance floor to celebrate. We had our little corner of the floor all to ourselves, and it actually ended up being a pretty fun night. We laughed, danced, and talked until the late hours of the morning and didn’t have to worry about a crowded dance floor.

“Maybe we should come here more often.” I laughed as we waited for our Uber. “At least we got to hear ourselves when we talked.”

“And the guys pretty much left us alone, so that was fun,” Summer said.

“I thought you guys wanted men to hit on you?” Patrick asked a little confused.

“No, we like to hang out with each other. It’s not always about the guys,” Amy said as she let her head rest on my shoulder.

“Yeah, sometimes it’s just about friends,” I said.

“I’m going to pick you up tomorrow, and we can go shopping for business clothes,” Summer suggested. “You need to be sexy but professional. It’s a hard balance.”

“Okay, thanks, because I have no idea what to buy.”

“Neither does Summer,” Rebecca laughed. “I’m coming with you two. There’s no way I’m letting Summer pick your work clothes.”

“Deal,” I said as we pulled away from the club. “I’ll need all the help I can get.”

Chapter 5

Jason

“How you feeling?” Kevin asked as we ran into each other in the parking lot.

“Oh, you mean after my weekend on the water or how am I feeling about the devastatingly hot neighbor girl coming to torture me today?” I asked.

Kevin laughed. “I was thinking about your weekend sailing, but maybe we should talk about Anna starting today.”

“Seriously, I’m not going to talk to her or interact with her at all. I’m going to keep my head down and get a shit ton of work done. That’s my only option.”

“Hell, if the side effect of having this hot girl around is that you’ll do more work… I’m game,” he said with a laugh.

“I know you think this is funny because you’re married, and there’s no temptation for you, but it’s not funny. Young girls like her get obsessive, and then work is going to be terrible, and things with her father will be even worse. This has disaster written all over it.”

“I’m sure you’re just exaggerating. It will be fine.”

“Wait and see. I don’t think you understand what we are dealing with.”

“Come on,” Kevin said as we made our way up to the office. “She is barely an adult. How hard could it be to say no to… shit is that her?”

We had just made it into the building as a red convertible drove past and into the parking lot. Anna had on a black suit, and her blonde hair was expertly pulled up into some sort of elaborate hairstyle.

“That’s her,” I managed to say as we both watched her climb out of her car and adjust her skirt.

“Damn dude, you’re screwed.” Kevin laughed and hit me on the back. “She looks dangerous.”

“Shit is exactly what I was telling you.”

“I thought you were talking about some young teenager, not a full—grown woman. That girl is going to be trouble.”

We stayed in the lobby, and both stared at Anna as she smoothed out her skirt and buttoned up her blazer. She looked professional and perfectly dressed for an office setting, yet every curve of her body was teasing me as she started her walk into the building.

“Let’s get upstairs before she sees us ogling her like a piece of meat,” I suggested and hurried to the elevator.

“Dude, you are so screwed.” Kevin laughed as he slugged me in the arm. “You aren’t going to last a week with that girl around. Maybe I should start doing all the work with Edward, you know, just in case he ends up hating you.”

“No, stop it. I’m going to be just fine. I’m staying away from her, and that’s the end of it.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

I didn’t believe a word that was coming out of my mouth, but I sure was going to do my best to keep things professional in the office. I hurried into my office and shut the door while I waited for the secretary to buzz me and let me know that Anna had arrived.

I grabbed some water out of my small fridge and tried to calm my racing heart. She looked good. Damn good. The Anna I was used to seeing was always wearing club gear, workout gear, or a swimsuit. I’d never really seen her wearing normal clothing and certainly not business clothes. She looked all grown up.

My phone buzzed. “Ms. Anna Cook is here to see you.”

“Okay, I’ll be right out.”

“I already sent her your direction,” Zelda said and then hung up.

I didn’t want to be alone in my office with Anna, especially after our last encounter on the trampoline. Anna had a way of getting what she wanted, and if she wanted me, I doubted I’d be able to resist.

I threw open my door in an effort to catch her in the sitting area outside my office, but instead, I was face to face with Anna. Her aqua blue eyes dazzled as she smiled at me, and I couldn’t help smiling back.

“Well, hello there, stranger,” she said and stuck her hand out to shake mine. “I’m Anna Cook, your new personal assistant.”

“Hi Anna, it’s nice to see you again.”

“Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I really appreciate it, and I won’t let you down.”

“Okay, great. I’m glad I could help.”

“I’m going to be applying to college soon, and I’d like to get some business experience under my belt.”

“Ah, okay, that makes sense. Do you know what you’ll be majoring in?”

“Right now, I like the idea of getting an MBA, but who knows, maybe I’ll really hate it here and decide against the whole college thing.” She laughed. Her laugh was soft, and yet it radiated through my body. Her head tilted up slightly, and I took a quick glance at how her silk pink blouse fit her body like perfection. I only looked for a moment before her eyes caught me, and I quickly looked away.

“That sounds like a good plan,” I mumbled. “Okay, well you can sit at this desk here, and I’ll have Zelda show you around the office. She’s the secretary for the floor and does most of the office work, but I’ll have some specific projects I’ll need you to do. Are you familiar with Microsoft Office?”

“Yes.”

“This is how you reach me, and then this button calls Zelda,” I pressed the button to ring Zelda even though she was only on the other side of the hallway. “Zelda, can you take Anna around the office and give her a quick tour?”

“No, sorry, I’m helping Kevin with a project right now.”

“Oh, okay. I can do it,” I said reluctantly. “I’ll just give you a quick run through for now.”

“Sounds good,” Anna said. “Can I leave my bag here?”

She had a small pink bag in her hand, much smaller than the bags of other women who came into the office. All the other women carried huge satchels that seemed to have everything in them from tennis shoes to curling irons.

“Yes, it should be safe under your desk.”

I stepped toward the middle of the hallway to give Anna some room to put her bag down. I wasn’t at all prepared for the jolt of excitement that shot through my body as she leaned over and her ass pressed toward me. Even fully clothed, I could still see the perfection of her body and instantly longed to have my hands wrapped around her and grabbing that incredible ass of hers.

As she stood back up, I quickly looked away and then started walking down the hallway for her to catch up with me. I was going to have to stay a step ahead just to ensure I could focus and wouldn’t be distracted watching the sway of her hips as she walked.

“So, tell me a little more about what you’ll be needing from me? Am I your secretary or assistant or what will you call me?” Anna asked as we approached the small meeting room at the west end of the floor.

“I consider you my assistant, but if you prefer to be called something else, I’m open.”

“Hmm, I’m fine with assistant,” she said as she smiled, and her eyes moved down my body and quickly away.

“This is our small conference room. I meet with Kevin and some of our other staff in here. Sometimes we meet in the big conference room even when there aren’t many of us, though.”

“Okay, this is a nice table,” she said and pressed her full body weight on it.

I couldn’t help it, my body got hard as she leaned slightly over the table. She could have innocently been commenting on the table, but all I could think about was how delightful her body would look bent over that wood table as I took her from behind.

We quickly moved out of that room and toured the rest of the offices and break room on that side of the floor. I introduced her to the other employees that worked with us and made sure I stayed at least one step ahead of her to prevent my bodily reactions to her ass.

“Kevin, this is Anna, my new assistant,” I said as I opened the door to his office and found him sitting at his desk with glasses on.

Kevin didn’t even wear glasses, but he had them on, and his hair was all messed up. He barely looked up at us and waved while mumbling something and then putting his head back down to work.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Anna said as she strolled right into his office and put her hand out to shake his.”

Anna had done something similar with each of the people I’d introduced her to, but as she approached Kevin, I saw panic wash over his face. His eyes latched onto her breasts, and he stared at her blankly as she held her hand out. Finally, he shook her hand and then went back to work without saying another word.

“Sorry, he’s not all that friendly,” I said as Anna came out of the room, and I shrugged my shoulder at Kevin. He clearly had been trying to avoid having to talk with Anna, and it was really funny to watch.

As we approached the final room on the far end of the floor, I almost didn’t take her in there. I knew she was going to love the conference room just as much as I did. The long wooden table was amazing, and something to admire. “That’s the large conference room, nothing too exciting in there,” I said as I opened the door and then tried to quickly close it.

“Oh, my gosh that table is amazing,” Anna said as she pushed past me and touched the table. “Hmmm, this wood, it’s so smooth. Have you ever felt this wood?”

“Yeah, it’s really nice. I love it,” I said. I stood in the doorway and did my best not to look at Anna as she admired the wood, but it was utterly impossible. She leaned over the table and let her hands glide outward and then back toward her as they caressed the shiny, hard table. She was letting out soft moans of delight as her fingers moved down the table, and I could hardly stand it another second.

My primal instincts took over, and I took a few steps toward Anna, leaned next to her and let my hands glide up and back on the table. “Yeah, it’s amazing wood.”

“It’s so smooth. I love that feeling under my fingers, don’t you?” she said as she turned around and we were face to face.

The conference room door had closed behind me, and every part of my body wanted to throw Anna onto the table and just take her right then and there. That was what she wanted. That was why she had asked to be my assistant. I could give her exactly what she wanted at that moment even though that was a bad idea. “Anna,” I said softly as I moved a few inches closer.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said and took a step back. “I’m going to be professional here. I understand you went out on a limb to hire me, and I appreciate it. I promise I’ll behave.”

I laughed out loud at the notion that Anna could behave herself. It wasn’t as if she had ever been a bad person; she was a wonderful girl, and her naughtiness was endearing and seemed more like part of her personality than something she was doing maliciously. “Well, since you brought it up,” I said as I smiled at her. “We do need to keep things professional while we are working together. And maybe no more wet trampoline time?”

“Oh, of course. I’ve actually moved out and into my own place, so I won’t even be around the house much anymore.”

“You moved out?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a place with a friend. You know, it’s time to move on with life.”

“That’s got to be exciting.”

“It is, and terrifying.” She laughed. “But there’s a lot of change going on all at once.”

“I hope you will like it here; I think now that we have some ground rules, things will be great. I already know we get along,” I said as we made our way back toward my office. “And you know me and my family well, so I’d feel comfortable with you helping with Clyde if there was an emergency.”

“Oh, yes, please let me help with that cutie. I can’t even handle his smile. You know he’s going to be a lot of trouble when he gets older. Like when he becomes a teenager, girls are going to be after him like crazy.”

I couldn’t imagine Clyde as a teenager. My sweet little five—year—old was still so innocent and adorable. But the truth was, the next ten years were going to fly by, and he’d be a full—fledged teenager, and I wouldn’t be that cool dad anymore. Instead, I’d be the guy he makes fun of with his friends when I can’t figure out some new technology gadget. “That will be wild. I can’t even imagine it.”

“Okay, so what would you like me to take care of today? Do you have dry cleaning? Word processing? I’m ready, so give me what you’ve got.”

“Actually, this is going to sound like a totally horrible task, but I desperately need it done,” I said as I winced at the idea of asking her to do it.

“What is it? Anything, I’m game.”

“So, you know we are working with your father’s company, and I have this huge file that shows all their previous projects, the budgets, and the final costs. I really need them organized so we can analyze everything better.”

“I’m on it. Do I have an official email? Send it to me, and I’ll get started.”

“I’ll get an email going for you today, but for now, I can give you the disc with the files on it. Actually, there are ten disks total.”

“Wow, okay, so do you want me to make you a spreadsheet?”

“That would be great. The files came over as scanned copies of their bids. I’d love to have that information transferred into a working spreadsheet. That would be amazing.”

“Then consider it done,” Anna said as she walked with me into my office, and I grabbed her the stack of disks.

“It might take you a few weeks, and that’s fine. I’ll probably have other jobs I’ll need help with, and you can just work on this in the background.”

“I’ll get to it,” she said and quickly turned toward the door. “Thanks again for the job. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome.”

As she took a seat at her new desk, I felt relief that we had straightened things out between us. She was on the same page as me about keeping things professional. It was such a huge weight off my shoulders. I was still going to be thinking about her and that day on her trampoline, but I was pretty sure I could behave myself if she behaved herself.

***

Our first week together had gone off amazingly well. Anna was working diligently on the file I’d asked her to put together, and I was avoiding looking at her ass as much as humanly possible. I was extremely grateful that she was dressing modestly and hadn’t been flirting with me too much, but I still went home at night with dirty thoughts of Anna filling my mind.

As Friday rolled around, I had to meet with Anna’s father, Edward about a pretty delicate topic, and I knew he wasn’t going to be happy about it. Kevin and I had gone through the preliminary numbers, and we were going to have to let about a half dozen people go from Cook, Sparser, and Conner Buildings. They were redundant midlevel employees and really served no purpose that the higher-level managers couldn’t take care of.

In general, Kevin and I weren’t a fan of midlevel management anyways, and in this case, we also weren’t a fan of the million dollars in salary these employees were eating up from the bottom line. A million dollars a year, plus health benefits and retirement was a hell of a lot of money for a company to be throwing away when they were already sinking fast.

Logic was where Kevin and I came from, but Edward and his team weren’t going to see this logically at all. It was going to be emotional for them. Highly emotional, and we might not even get them to agree to our plan. Since our relationship was so new, I’d probably have to suck it up and not fire the employees for the time being, but I had to give Edward a try and see if he’d agree.

“You look nervous,” Anna said to me as I was pacing back and forth in my office.

“I’ve got to suggest to your father that he fire six people that work for his company. I’m not looking forward to it. Your father scares me.”

“He scares me too.”

“Oh, come on. I know you’ve got him wrapped around your little finger.”

Anna laughed because she knew it was the truth. Her father would do absolutely anything for her. He adored her. Perhaps he even adored her so much that he wouldn’t flip out if she were in the room when I had to tell him the news about the people we needed to let go?

“I do a little bit,” she said laughing.

“How would you like to sit in on our meeting?”

“With my father? No way!” she exclaimed. “I don’t want any part of that.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know… it would be weird. I’ll help you with anything you need, but please don’t make me sit in on a meeting with him.” There was genuine fear in her voice as she begged me not to make her sit in on the meeting.

No matter how much I thought it might help me out, I couldn’t bring myself to ask it of her. “Okay, if you really don’t want to. That’s perfectly fine. It’s going to be an uncomfortable meeting anyways.”

“Yeah, it is.” She laughed and shook her head. “I’ve seen him angry like twice in my life. I’m not about to purposely put myself in that situation again.”

“I got it. Well, how about you head out early tonight then? I’m going to meet with Edward, and then I’ll be done here.”

“Thanks. I am going out with my friends later, it would be nice to take a shower and freshen up first,” she said as she looked at her computer and then back toward me. “But I should stay the whole day and work on the spreadsheet. It took me awhile to figure it all out, and I’m just getting going.”

I’d walked past her desk a few times throughout the week and seen her working on the spreadsheet. I had zero doubts that she’d be able to finish it in a timely manner. Taking off a few hours early on a Friday night wasn’t going to be a very big deal. “Go ahead and take off for the night. You did great this week. I’ll see you next week,” I said firmly.

“Really?” Anna said as she started to get excited. “Are you sure?”

“Yep, I’m sure. It might be best if you got going now before your father arrived.”

“Okay, I’m going then. Call me if you need anything, and I’ll come back. Thank you so much for letting me off, though. I’m so tired. You don’t know how hard it is to wake up at seven o’clock every…” she trailed off and then giggled a little. “Well, I guess you do know. Okay, thank you. And have a good weekend.”

“You too.”

Anna grabbed her small purse and hurried to the elevator. She was clearly very excited to be taking off early. It was cute to see her nearly jumping up and down with excitement as she got on the elevator and made her way downstairs.

About twenty minutes later, Edward arrived to talk about the staffing issues. I’d asked Kevin to do the talk originally, but one of his children were sick, and his wife couldn’t get them to the doctor. So, I was left alone to have this difficult conversation. Deep down, I held out hope that everything would go smoothly, and Edward would understand where we were coming from. I secretly thought he might understand the financials of the situation and agree with me about letting these six people go.

“Edward, it’s so nice to see you,” I said with a huge fake smile as I leaned in to shake his hand.

“Man, I’ve got to thank you a million times over. This has been the best week of my life.” Edward pulled me toward him and hugged me. His big arms held onto me for at least three seconds, and I wasn’t sure what the hell was going on. The standoff guy I’d dealt with at the signing of the papers was totally gone, and instead, there was this uber-friendly man who I hadn’t seen in months. He reminded me of what Edward had been like before he knew the business I was in, and we were just friendly neighbors.

“Really?”

“Yes, I have a huge load of anxiety lifted because you guys are in on the company. Plus, my daughter who normally spends all my money is actually out of the house and thinking about her future. This has been one epic week.”

“That’s good to hear,” I said cautiously. “I really hope the news I have today doesn’t ruin your weekend, though.”

I’d never been the sort of businessman to beat around the bush. I couldn’t pretend like everything was fine when I knew Edward was going to be upset by the news I needed to discuss with him. Honesty was still the best way of doing business.

“Shit, don’t ruin my weekend.” Edward laughed as we sat down in my small office.

“Well, we could talk about it on Monday if you’d like.”

“No, let’s get it over with. Let me guess, we do need to get rid of some staff?”

“Did Anna talk to you?” I asked totally shocked at how blunt he was and the pure fact that he knew what needed to happen.

“No, I’ve been hearing it from my own HR department for a while. Who do you want to let go?”

I slid the list of names over to Edward and waited for a minute as he looked them over. He certainly didn’t seem happy about what had to happen, but he didn’t seem enraged either, and that was a huge relief.

“Hey guys, sorry I’m late,” Kevin said as he burst into the office. “How are things going?”

“Well, your man here wants to fire six of my best employees, but other than that we are fine.” Edward had a stern tone to his voice, and he wasn’t making much eye contact with either of us. The only good thing I could think of was that at least he wasn’t yelling at us.

“Sir, I know it will be difficult to let these people go, but we did crunch the numbers and even with a sizable severance package, you’ll still save tons. It’s necessary no matter how much is saved, but you will save their salary at the very least.”

Edward was silent for nearly thirty seconds as he looked over the list one more time. I watched his chest as his breathing increased, and he appeared to get more and more agitated. His fingers twisted around the corner of the paper, and his jaw clenched as he held his mouth shut tightly. “Fine, but you guys fire them. I’m not doing it,” he said firmly.

Kevin and I looked at each other a little in disbelief. We hadn’t imagined that Edward or anyone from their company would actually want us to do the firing of their employees. It actually seemed a little disrespectful to the employees and their time with the company.

“If that’s what you want,” Kevin offered. “But we’d like to do it as soon as possible.”

“Hell, it’s only one in the afternoon. Why not get it done today?” Edward said as his face started to turn red.

“I think we could do it next…” I started to say.

“Yes, today would work well,” Kevin said. “Let me get the severance packages printed up. You two call the employees over here. Set up the meetings every half of an hour starting at two o’clock,” he added as he got up and left the room.

“Shit,” I mumbled under my breath.

“There you go. You get to fire six of my longest employees. Enjoy your Friday,” Edward said as he stood up. “This better be the last of the firings. You promised we’d keep these employees and their jobs. I won’t take kindly to another meeting like this,” Edward said firmly and then left the office.

What had started out pretty pleasant had ended on a sour note. Even though he knew we were going to have to let some people go, seeing the list with the six people’s names on it was where Edward’s mood changed drastically. These were people he knew very well. He probably even knew their spouses and children. I didn’t fault him at all for making us fire their employees. It would be easier on us than it would have been on him.

“Okay, so we are doing this,” Kevin said as he came in with a stack of papers. “Edward left?”

“Yep, he’s not interested in being the bad guy. I guess that’s us today.”

“Shit, okay. Well, take a look at these offers. They are pretty much the same. Most are voluntary retirement offers since four of the six have been with the company twenty years. For the other two, I added a full six months of severance.”

“Wow, that’s really generous.”

“These guys are just getting the raw end of this deal. I bet a lot of them were thinking of retiring anyway, and these packages will help. I put them in at full vested amounts and gave them their yearly bonuses too.”

“Geeze, can I retire too?” I laughed as I looked at the deals. “How are we saving money here? It looks like we are still doling out a million dollars?”

“Actually, the accounting group said this money can be amortized or something weird. Plus, we won’t be paying the money out beyond this year, so that’s helpful.”

“Whatever works, I’m fine with it. Are you going to stay for the firing?” I asked as I winced at the idea of having to do it alone.

“Yeah, let’s do it together and in the big conference room. Where’s your assistant, we could have her bring them into the room one at a time.”

“I let her go home so she didn’t have to be here when her father came in.”

“How are you doing? It seems like she’s a really hard worker and getting a lot of stuff done. She’s making me think that I want a personal assistant for myself. But then again, I’ve got my wife,” he joked.

“Oh, better not let Amy hear you saying that.”

“I know. Don’t you dare tell her either.”

We took a few minutes and called each of the employees with a time to show up. It would take us at least three hours to make our way through the list of people, and I couldn’t imagine things would go very smoothly. These people hardly knew who we were, yet we were going to be the ones changing their lives with one short meeting.

“Someone’s here,” Kevin said as he looked out the conference room window. “Shit, I’m nervous.”

“Me too,” I said as I moved to the other side of the table to force Kevin to stand at the doorway and motion for Alfred to come this way.

“Alfred?” Kevin said. “This way, we can meet with you in here.”

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi, I’m Kevin, and this is Jason. We are with Industrial Management Brothers and recently bought part of your company.

“I know who you guys are. So, I’m here to be fired? Is that what this is?”

“Well, I’d rather use the term retirement,” Kevin said through a shaky voice.

“I’m sure you would rather use that term. But you’re basically canning me. Right? Because I’d like to hear the truth instead of some caked-over bullshit. After twenty-two years with my company, you’re laying me off? Is that it?”

The tension in the room was so thick I felt like I was breathing it in. Alfred wouldn’t sit down and instead insisted on standing behind one of the chairs as Kevin went over the details of our offer.

“It’s more like an early retirement offer,” Kevin said without any confidence in what he was saying at all. “You’ll get fully vested in your retirement and severance pay. Plus, you get to keep your health insurance as long as you want to keep paying your monthly premiums.”

“Really?”

“Yes, sir. You can keep your health plan for your entire family at the exact same rate you are paying right now. Plus, the severance package and the retirement money.”

“So basically, I can tell my family I am retiring early? I don’t have to say I was fired.”

“Sir, you are not being fired. You’ve served your company for over twenty years, and we are offering you the opportunity to retire early. That’s all this is,” Kevin said as he started to regain his confidence.

“So, I’m retiring?”

“Yeah, your record will show you have retired. You’ll have all your benefits, plus the sweet bonus severance money.”

“This seems a little too good to be true,” Alfred said skeptically. “I thought you guys were firing me.”

“Here’s the deal, Alfred. The company isn’t doing well, and we will need to release some employees. But you and a few other guys have reached retirement level, and we’d much rather give you the opportunity to take advantage of that. You only live once, so might as well retire early and enjoy life,” I said as I moved in on the conversation.

We ended up spending the rest of the half of an hour talking about Alfred’s family and his plans for retirement. He was only fifty years old, definitely younger than he wanted to retire, but also young enough to decide if he wanted to get another job or not. With the package we had put together for him, Alfred wouldn’t have to make a decision anytime soon, though.

One after another, the employees came in for their meetings with us. We gave them the bad news, and some of them didn’t take it as well as Alfred had. A couple threatened to kill us before we had even had the chance to tell them about their package. A couple were happy, like Alfred, but the last two were definitely not happy. Even offering six months of severance wasn’t enough to soothe their agitation over being one of the people let go. But eventually, we made it through all six firings and finally collapsed into our chairs.

The first two had gone off within the half of an hour range, but the last four had dragged on for well over that time frame. It was nearly eight o’clock when we could finally relax.

“How’s your daughter?” I asked Kevin.

“She’s good. Amy finally got off work and met me at the doctor. It’s just an ear infection, nothing to worry about.”

“Can you grab a drink, or do you need to get home?”

“I can definitely grab a drink. I’m going to need one to calm all this nervous energy. That was definitely not a job I enjoyed doing. I really hope we don’t have to let anyone else go.”

“You and me both. I doubt most people are going to be as accepting as these guys were. How do you feel about that Club Lively place? I’ve heard a few other guys were checking it out the other day and said it was pretty hip.”

“Then I’m there. You know how hip I am,” Kevin joked as he started doing this horrible dance.

“Wow, you should do that dance at the club. I bet the ladies would be all over you. They’d probably assume you were a millionaire or something and that was the only way you were comfortable with being such a horrible dancer.” I laughed as I teased him.

“Can we swing by your house so I can shower? I don’t want to go home; I’m sure I’ll get thrown onto dinner duty.”

“Sure, let’s get cleaned up and go get me a lady for the night,” I joked. “I do need to make sure Rosie can stay late. Sometimes she has plans.”

I totally wasn’t going to pick up some random girl and bring her home, although I was pretty sure that was what Kevin thought I did all the time. With Clyde at home, it just wasn’t practical to bring strangers home with me, even if we’d be in my bedroom, and Clyde would be in his.

“Doesn’t she have a room at your house?”

“Yes, but she doesn’t stay with us all the time. Only when I need to go out of town or something like that. Normally, she heads home as soon as I get there. I’ve actually not had much time with Clyde the last few weeks, so I’m excited to get to have some time over the weekend.”

“Are you two doing anything special?” Kevin asked.

“Yep, going to see the Wiggles in concert.” I laughed.

“Oh, man I’m sorry. I can’t believe they are still around. I still have nightmares about the time I took my kids there. Totally freaked me out.”

“The Wiggles? Aren’t they just a children’s singing group?”

“Yeah, but they are grown men singing children’s songs and dancing around like maniacs. I couldn’t stop thinking about how that would be you and me if we lost our company.”

“Really? You are such a dork. I would only be Barney, never a member of the Wiggles,” I protested, and we both broke into laughter.

“Hope it never comes to that,” Kevin said as he turned serious. “This deal is going to work. I just know it is going to work out great for us. I have a feeling it will be a little rough these first few months, but then things are going to turn around.”

Kevin always had feelings about things, and he was right about half of the time. But I never argued with him. He had his ways of dealing with the pressures we were under, and I had my ways. But in the end, we were both interested in building a brand that others could watch. We wanted integrity to guide us, and that was exactly what we were doing.

Chapter 6

Anna

It was after nine o’clock when we finally walked through the doors to Club Lively. I had a little zip in my step from completing my first full week of work. For many people, this might have seemed something so small, but for me it was huge. I was finally independent and in charge of my own life.

Even though I hadn’t actually considered going into business, my little lie about going to college to get my MBA was actually starting to feel like an option. I loved being in the office, and I really enjoyed learning about the numbers and business side of everything. There was a lot to learn, though, and I knew it.

“Are you actually going to party tonight?” Summer asked as if my one week of not partying had been torture for her.

“I’m down to party all night long,” I exclaimed as I pulled her onto the dance floor.

“Don’t you want to get some drinks?”

“Nope, I just want to dance right now. Can we just dance?”

Summer reluctantly stayed with me, and we danced. The club wasn’t the coolest in town, but it had become ours over the years, and I felt comfortable there. The DJ had the music blasting, and Summer and I danced until we were about to fall over from exhaustion. It was a blast but sort of sad that the other girls hadn’t shown up yet. They had insisted that Club Lively was too boring, and they were only going to come after they finished at the much more popular Club O.

Of course, I wouldn’t be able to get into Club O because I’d already heard they were sticklers about the IDs. Luckily for me, Summer had agreed to come hang out at Club Lively, so I didn’t have to wait until midnight for everyone else. Patrick had planned on coming too, but he was held up with his work for a bit and wouldn’t be around until later.

“Drinks, now?” Summer asked as the music paused and a slow song came on.

“Yeah, good plan.”

Summer ordered us a few glasses of Vodka Sours, and we grabbed a table near the bar. My feet were already throbbing, and I was seriously dehydrated as I sucked the drink down much faster than I should have.

“Shit, I’m going to grab some ice waters,” I said as I threw my shoes under the table and stood up much too quickly. I lost my balance, colliding into a man as he walked past me. I wasn’t smashed drunk or anything like that, it was simply the combination of dehydration and drinking my drink too quickly.

“Are you alright?” the man asked as his hand wrapped around my arm and steadied me. “Where’re your shoes?” he asked with a laugh.

It took me a minute to steady myself and realize that the man I’d bumped into was Jason. He probably thought I was some sort of alcoholic with the way I’d just stumbled into him like that.

“Oh, hey, it’s you,” I said as I tried to stand up straight. “I’m okay; I just stood up too quickly.”

“Yeah, that’s probably it,” he said as he smiled down at me. “Celebrating a week of hard work?”

“Something like that. This is my friend, Summer,” I said without slurring my words and trying to seem as sober as possible. “I was just heading up to get some ice water.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Summer,” Jason said as he shook her hand.

Summer just sort of looked at Jason and laughed a bit before she went back to sipping her drink. I stood there for a minute trying to figure out if there was anything else to say to Jason but then decided it was best to just get away from him. Being this close to him made my knees week and my head spin.

“Okay, well, I better go. Have a good night,” I said as I walked toward the bar and stood there waiting to order some ice waters.

“You’re not old enough to be drinking,” Jason said as he slid next to me at the bar.

His arm pressed up next to mine, and the touch of his skin vibrated throughout my body. My nipples hardened, my center got wet, and every part of my body was on full alert with him touching me.

“I’m not?” I asked with a questioning look. “Hmm, that’s interesting.” The bartender came up, and I looked over at Jason who was smiling with amusement at me. “I’d like two ice waters,” I said as I raised my eyebrow at Jason.

“Nice choice.”

“I’m not drunk,” I protested. “I was out dancing, and I’m just a little dehydrated.”

“Okay.”

“Really, I’m not drunk.”

“Okay,” he said more earnestly. “I’ll be around for a little bit. I’m having a drink with Kevin over there,” Jason said as he pointed to Kevin sitting in the corner. Kevin waved to me. “Come get me if you need a ride home or anything. I mean, if you end up drinking and not being able to drive. Since you’re not drunk right now.” He laughed.

“I really am not drunk,” I protested.

Jason just laughed and leaned in close to me. I could smell his cologne, the same cologne that had been driving me crazy throughout the week at work—the same smell that I went home with, thinking about well into the evening. That damn cologne.

“Just promise you’ll come get me if you need a ride.”

“Fine, I promise. But I can order an Uber like a normal person.”

“Enjoy your night,” he said as he pulled away and the bartender handed me two ice waters.

“You too.”

I watched as he sat down with Kevin, and the two of them looked over at me. It was weird seeing them outside of the office. Since I wasn’t living at home any longer, I had only seen Jason in the office, and things had been really professional there. But as he stood next to me, I didn’t feel like things were professional at all between us. There was a desire inside of me that boiled up almost instantly as he stood there. When his muscular arms pressed against mine, I wanted him. At that moment, all my promises to behave myself were slipping away as I sat back down with Summer and imagined what fun it would be to dance with Jason.

“He’s cute. Who is he again?” Summer asked.

“My boss and my neighbor. Well, when I lived at home.”

“Oh, yeah, the guy who you want to take your virginity. I remember. He’s really handsome. Maybe you should dance with him?”

“Summer, I can’t. He’s my boss now. It’s so complicated. I think I’ll have to find someone else.”

“That’s ridiculous. You’ve been fantasizing about this guy for years. He’s the one. You just need to make it work.”

“Ha, if only life was that simple. I’m starting to realize things are a lot more complicated than I thought. But I’m definitely going to keep my eye on him. Maybe when I’m done with my internship thing? Who knows?”

I wasn’t about to admit to Summer that I wanted Jason even more than I had before. This week I’d gotten to see him in his element and admired the way he worked and how he treated everyone around him. Before this week I’d only known Jason as the hot dad from next door. There wasn’t much substance to my crush at all, but now I’d learned more about who he was, and it drove my desire hotter than before.

The funny thing was that we didn’t even spend much time together throughout the week. He was really busy, and I’d been trying to prove myself and get the job done. I also didn’t want to be that girl who was throwing herself at him anymore. It had been fun when he was my neighbor only, but now I was going for something totally different. It was exciting having a job and building this life as an adult.

“Can we please go dance now?” Summer said as she dragged me out of my chair and back to the dance floor.

The music filled the room, and the bass thumped through my body. Our bodies moved and gyrated to the music as I let go of the stress from the week and had fun with my friend.

“When are Amy and Rebecca coming? And Patrick?” I yelled as we danced.

“I’m not sure, but that hottie sure hasn’t stopped looking at you,” Summer said as she grabbed me and pulled me closer to her. “He’s seriously been staring at you this entire time. Don’t look, but I think he likes you.”

“Nothing I can do about it now. I promised to behave myself since we are working together.”

“Did you promise to behave at work or all the time?” Summer’s arms stayed wrapped around me, and we laughed and laughed.

It was fun to hang out with Summer. She was all about having a good time, and that made it easy to forget the day to day boring stuff and just have let go. My other friends were fun as well, but not nearly as carefree as Summer was.

“I think I promised to behave while I was at work.” I laughed.

“Then you’re golden. Just be naughty outside of work.”

“Hey, you girls, let me in here,” Patrick said as he wrapped his arms around the both of us.

Patrick kissed me on the cheek and twirled me around, and sure enough, I saw Jason staring right at me. I couldn’t help it—I wrapped my arms around Patrick and kissed him on the neck while Jason looked on. Jason smiled and went back to talking to Kevin, but as I continued to dance with Patrick, I kept seeing Jason looking over and seeing what we were up to. It was a bit presumptuous to say he was jealous or anything like that, but Jason certainly was interested in what I was doing with Patrick.

“You’re drunk, aren’t you?” Patrick laughed as he grabbed my ass, and we playfully danced together with Summer.

The three of us were certainly an interesting sight to see if you didn’t know the dynamics of our relationship. Summer was kissing me and then kissing Patrick on the neck. She was always like that, and I’d probably been kissed by her more than by any guy in my life. She didn’t kiss me or Patrick on the lips, but she was drunk and laughing and loving on us.

Patrick was gay; he didn’t even like girls, but he loved to dance with us and have fun. He was an affectionate guy and probably wouldn’t have been kissing on me like he was except that I’d started it by kissing on his neck. He was having a good time, as were we all.

“I’m totally not drunk.” I laughed. “I’m just so happy to be done with my work week. And guess what?” I said without leaving him enough time to respond. “Jason is here with my other boss, Kevin. Can we play with them a little?”

“Oh, that’s what all this touchy—feely stuff is. You’re trying to make him jealous. I am a pretty handsome hunk of a guy,” he said laughing. “I can play the part of the hot heterosexual stud,” he said and then picked me up off the ground.

My legs wrapped around him as his muscular arms held onto me, and we danced to the beat of the music. Summer found herself another guy to dance with, just some random guy in the club, and the four of us were basically dirty dancing in the middle of the club.

Patrick played a straight guy pretty damn well as his hand ran down my body from my neck to my waist, and he pushed me backward and pulled me back toward him again. He was lifting me and moving me around like he owned me, and it was actually very hilarious. Patrick and I danced for at least twenty minutes before he finally leaned me nearly upside down and then pulled me back up toward him.

Then out of nowhere, he planted an erotic kiss on me that caught me so off guard. Instead of kissing him back, I pushed him away as I tried to gather my balance. My knees wobbled from all the dancing and jumping around we had been doing.

“Sorry.” He laughed. “I was getting a little too much into it.”

“It’s okay. I’m just a little nauseous. I’ll be right back,” I said as I went over to the bar.

I was extremely light headed. Maybe it was from Patrick tipping me upside down and back up again or perhaps it was just too much dancing. I climbed up onto a barstool and ordered another ice water to see if I could calm my stomach.

“You okay?” Jason said as he was quickly by my side. “Do you know that guy?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

“Kevin had to leave. Can I keep you company?”

“Sure,” I said as I sipped on my water. “I think I might have overdone it.”

“Quite the dancer. I enjoyed watching you,” Jason said as he leaned in closer so I could hear him over the music. “Is that your boyfriend?”

“No.”

“Good.”

My heart flipped right over in my chest. Then I realized he was close enough to smell, and I took in a deep breath of his perfect cologne. I tried not to look at him and did my best to keep that invisible wall up between us, but eventually, I turned to him, and that was it. I melted. His hands twisted my chair toward him, and he moved my legs so they were in between his as we sat there looking into each other’s eyes.

“I’m feeling a little better,” I managed to say.

“Good.”

“You say that a lot.” I laughed as I tried not to look him in the eyes.

He smiled at me, and I realized I had placed my hand on his thigh by accident. I quickly pulled it back, but Jason grabbed it and placed it back on him. He kept his hand on top of mine and leaned down so I was forced to look at him.

The heat between us was undeniable, and I felt it radiating from my hand through his body and back to mine. I wanted this man so desperately that I couldn’t see anyone else in the room besides him. My vision was tunneled in on him and how his muscular leg felt under my hand.

“Let’s dance,” he commanded me as he grabbed my hand and pulled me out onto the dance floor.

The music was pulsing with a fast beat, but Jason pulled me close to him and held onto me as if we were about to do some sort of ballroom dance. One hand was wrapped around my waist, and the other held my hand up to his chest. We swayed with the music, and I was lost in his blue eyes. No words, just desire—unhinged desire like I’d never felt before.

It was different than when I’d been teasing him on the trampoline. In my backyard, I’d been playing a part, teasing him and trying to get him to cave in. But in the club, Jason was clearly in charge, and there was a connection between our touching and movements that drove my desire through the roof. If this was what it was like to have a guy like Jason, I wanted him. I wanted him right then and there.

There was no talking as we moved together on the dance floor. Our movements weren’t overtly sexual and probably even looked boring to anyone else who was watching us, but I felt the connection. The sexual attraction built up between us as his hand gently moved up and down my back while his eyes gazed intently into mine.

When I looked away from him, Jason slid his hand over and touched my chin so I would look back up at him. The way he demanded my attention while also giving me his full attention, it drew me in. He made me want to be better than I was, but not out of some sort of feeling of being lesser. Instead, I felt empowered just being around Jason. It was ridiculous to have all these thoughts as we stood together not saying a single word, but I was realizing that if I wanted a guy like Jason in my life, I had to be a woman that a guy like him could fall for. Jason surely was worthy of a powerful, strong woman that had a life of her own, and I was worthy of being that kind of woman.

When the music turned to a slow song, we were already in a delightful embrace. I felt his body throb as he adjusted his stance and pulled me even closer. He was throbbing for me and longing to have me like I was longing to have him. I moved in closer and wrapped my arms around his neck, daring him to kiss me; urging him to let our lips press together and deliver pleasure to both of us.

His eyes looked longingly at my lips for the duration of the song with only short breaks away. I was much too short to just jump up and kiss him—Jason was going to have to make this move; he was going to have to lean down and move his lips toward me. The ball was in his proverbial court.

“I might regret this,” he whispered in my ear before moving his lips to mine.

I wasn’t going to regret a damn thing as Jason’s soft lips moved with mine. His arms pulled me closer as our mouths played together for a whole song. I let my hands untuck his shirt and rest on his waist as I pulled his hips closer to me. I felt the bulge of his throbbing body and the satisfaction of knowing he wanted me, and not just because I had thrown myself at him like I did in my backyard. Jason clearly was attracted to me in this situation as well.

He pulled in a deep breath and took a small step away from me while he continued to hold onto my body. As Jason shook his head back and forth, I couldn’t help smiling.

“You’re killing me,” he mouthed without actually saying the words.

“Then let me finish you off,” I said as I got on my tiptoes and moved my mouth close to his ears.

“I thought you promised to behave?”

“I thought you only meant while we were in the office.” I laughed as we continued to dance.

Jason just kept shaking his head back, and it was utterly adorable. I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched him contemplating what to do next.

“Can I bring you home?” he asked. His hands moved softly up and down my back as his blue eyes looked deep into mine.

I wasn’t sure if he was asking to take me home because he wanted to come home with me, or if he was just trying to be nice and make sure I got home safely. “I’m living with Patrick now,” I said as I motioned to Patrick and Summer at the other end of the club. “He’s gay,” I added just to make sure he didn’t think I was dating him.

“Are you sure? He seemed pretty interested in that body of yours while you were dancing.”

“I’m sure.”

“I’d still like to take you home,” he said as he leaned in and kissed me again.

What started as a soft, gentle kiss, slowly moved into an erotic exchange. My breathing increased, and I felt my hips grinding up against his as our bodies took over. His hips were moving against mine, and I felt his throbbing body with each thrust. I didn’t have experience in the bedroom, but something told me this man was going to be amazing in bed.

“You can take me home,” I said through my kisses with him.

“Really?”

“Yes,” I replied with a sly smile.

My heart pounded with excitement as we hurried out of the club and to his car. He made a quick phone call to check up on Clyde who was sleeping and make sure the nanny was doing alright.

“Everything okay?” I asked as we pulled out of the parking lot.

“Yes, Rosie has a room at the house. She was already planning on staying the night.”

“Does she stay there all the time?”

“No, she has her own family. She just stays when I need her too. She’s so amazing with Clyde, and I’m really lucky I found her after Elizabeth left.”

There it was, the dreaded Elizabeth. I knew very little about what had happened between him and her, and I didn’t want to know. All I had heard was that she had run off with another man and left her son with Jason. She sounded like a terribly selfish woman, and I couldn’t even imagine Jason being with someone like that. I chose to change the subject so we weren’t talking about his ex-wife.

“Rosie does seem really nice. I’ve seen her out with Clyde, and he’s always smiling and having a great time.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, she’s very patient with him.”

“That makes me feel really good. You know it’s impossible to know for sure if a Nanny is good or not. Thanks for telling me.”

“Of course.”

The mood in Jason’s car had changed quickly. I sat back in the seat and let my head rest as he started to drive, and then I realized he had no idea where Patrick lived and started to laugh.

“I guess I should give you the address,” I said as I grabbed his phone.

“Eighteen-seventy-six,” he said as the password screen popped up.

I paused in total shock at the level of comfort between the two of us at that moment. I couldn’t remember ever having a guy give me the password to his phone. Actually, I couldn’t even remember grabbing a guy’s phone before. It shook me for a moment.

“I’ll just put it into MapQuest for you,” I said as I came back to my senses.

“You have to stop doing that,” Jason said without looking at me at all.

“What? Putting the address in?”

“No crossing and uncrossing your damn legs. You are killing me. I’m going to crash the car.”

I burst into laughter as I realized I was in the middle of uncrossing my legs as he said that. It was a nervous habit I had, and I only noticed it when I was sitting at a desk or someplace uncomfortable. My mother noticed it all the time and told me to stop fidgeting, but I supposed my tiny skirt was probably making it look like I was teasing him with my fidgeting.

“I’m sorry,” I finally said through my laughter. “I’ve got a little ADHD and can’t sit still.”

“You are torturing me.”

“Oh, you don’t want me to do this?” I teased as I slowly opened my legs and then put them back together. I let one of them slide over the top of the other and then moved them up and down as I teased him.

Jason pulled the car over quickly, and before I knew what was happening, he had us parked on the side of the road. He threw his seatbelt off and leaned over and kissed me as his hand pressed between my thighs. He didn’t move it up my thighs; he didn’t force himself on me at all–Jason simply let his hand feel my skin as our lips moved together.

I uncrossed my legs for him.

“Sorry for teasing you,” I lied as I breathed out and took in a deep breath between our kisses.

“I want you, Anna. I want you so bad I…” he trailed off.

“I want you too.”

Our lips urgently pressed against one another as our hands explored each other’s bodies. Jason let his hand move up and down my thigh as I anticipated him moving to feel how wet I was. I pulled on his shirt to get him closer to me. I did want him. I just didn’t want him in a car on the side of the street.

Slowly, I crossed my legs and trapped his hand as it was only inches away from touching me. He groaned playfully and then moved his fingers to the outside of my other thigh as he pulled me toward him.

“This was a fun night,” he said between kisses. “Basically, neither of us know how to behave.”

“I guess so.” I laughed.

“I’ll get you home now,” he said as he moved back over into his seat and put his seatbelt back on.

“Thank you for the ride,” I said as his fingers stayed on my thigh for just a minute longer.

We were quiet the rest of the way. It felt as if Jason had found some sort of willpower, though, and he wasn’t looking over at my legs any longer. I even uncrossed them and crossed them again to see if he was looking, but he wasn’t.

As we pulled up in front of the apartment complex, I pointed to the top floor where I was staying with Patrick. It was a beautiful complex, and I couldn’t imagine how Patrick had been paying for everything himself. I was really happy to be staying there, though, and loved the neighborhood.

“I’ll walk you up,” Jason offered.

“No, I think I can handle it. You better get home to your little man. Thanks for the ride, and I promise to behave at work when I see you.”

“Maybe not all the time,” Jason said with a wink and a smile.

“See you on Monday.”

“I can’t wait,” he said as I walked away and toward the stairs to my apartment.

I didn’t look back as I walked up the stairs, but when I got to the top, near my apartment door, I saw Jason still sitting in the parking lot. He waved up at me and seemed to be waiting to make sure I got into the apartment alright, so I went inside and waved at him from the window to my room. Only then was he satisfied that I was safe, and he pulled out of the parking lot.

I fell back onto my bed with a permanent smile on my face as I replayed the night I’d just had. It was like nothing I could have dreamed of. The flirting was outrageous. The kissing still made me tingle. I couldn’t wait to get to work on Monday and see where things between us were going to lead.

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Dear reader, you find a new and complete standalone novel called “Uncovering The Truth” on the next pages - my special gift for you! Enjoy!

Uncovering The Truth

An Alpha Billionaire Romance

By Sarah J. Brooks

Copyright © 2017 by Sarah J. Brooks

Published By: Sarah J. Brooks

Copyright and Disclaimer

Copyright © 2017 by Sarah J. Brooks

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Facebook: Sarah J. Brooks

Chapter 1

Jesse

Jesse chewed on the end of her pen and thought for a moment. With a smile and a soft laugh, she restarted the recording, pinching the bridge of her nose as she listened, trying to get the best word for word transcription that she could.

Jesse Clarke was an aspiring journalist, and like every aspiring journalist, she was desperately searching for a story that could propel her to the top tier of the writing community. She dreamed of one day coming across the perfect person, or happen upon the perfect string of events that she could really delve into and uncover a larger part of the whole. That way, she could devote herself to truly writing an incredible story and making a name for herself.

Until such a time as she found her groundbreaking story, though, Jesse had to make enough money to live from. So, she took up every job she could find. She had written articles for all manner of newspapers on a variety of topics from endangered animals to local bands, and even some interviews with minor celebrities. Jesse enjoyed her work, but it was certainly scarce. She was more than grateful when she was offered a job at a magazine called The Edge.

It had taken her over two years out of college to land the job, but she knew it had been well worth it. There had been many a time that she had wanted to call it quits and take up a job in retail. There were times when she had nearly defaulted on her rent and wound up homeless. Instead of quitting, though, she decided to buckle down and keep her nose to the grindstone. Eventually, her accomplishments had all added up, and her writing had finally caught the attention of one of the editors of the company for which she now worked.

Jesse had immediately hit the ground running in the company. She was shocked to find that the other writers at the company valued her opinions, and in turn she valued theirs. Jesse had been working with them for about six months and had finally secured a stable spot writing in the entertainment section. She had a knack for putting interesting spins on the lives of celebrities without spreading outright lies and gossip. She was oriented more around snide humor and definitely sprinkled her own opinion all over her work.

Just now, she was working on a short article about yet another child star who had grown up and gotten into trouble. Allegedly, this young girl had been caught cheating on her boyfriend, who was yet another child star. What had caught Jesse’s attention, though, was the fact that the girl had been drunk at the time, which made the situation even more interesting, if only because she made a very entertaining drunk dial.

Jesse was in the process of transcribing and then dissecting the recording phrase by phrase, going through all the various reasons it was so hilarious. She could easily identify the things herself, but it was even more fun to write them out for other people to enjoy.

Once Jesse was finished with the transcription of the recording, she began to flesh out her comments. This was a rough draft of course, and she didn’t have much time to finish much else for the day. Her days were often filled with meetings on the various other areas of the magazine. Today, there was a meeting between all the various sections of the business department with their boss, a woman named Elaine Beck.

Elaine was eccentric and formidable. She put off an air of happiness and flexibility, but Jesse knew very well that she was not a woman to trifle with. Elaine was exceedingly demanding, and her expectations made her cheery demeanor almost threatening. Jesse couldn’t help experiencing a dark feeling of apprehension every time she had to be in the same room as the older woman.

As Jesse wrapped up her draft, she gathered up her things and moved toward the large meeting room where they held their meetings. It was complete with a large table and a flat screen TV, which allowed them to play over hot topics of the week so that they could all discuss what each of them would cover for that particular edition of the magazine.

Jesse was one of the first to arrive, and she settled down into her usual chair near the middle of the large table. As she got her notebook and computer arranged on the desk in front of her, people began to filter in around her. Jesse kept her eyes on the door, and she smiled as her best friend and coworker, Mark came in.

Jesse had met Mark upon moving into the city, as they lived next door to one another. As soon as Jesse had moved into the apartment, Mark had been there to greet her, along with his boyfriend, Tony. Jesse had immediately taken a liking to the two men, and they easily adopted her as their friend. Jesse knew that she never would have made it this far in her career if it hadn’t been for their constant friendship and support.

It was partly due to Mark that Jesse was able to land her job at The Edge. Mark had read over some of her work and praised it. He insisted that she let him show it to one of the editors, a close friend of his. At first, Jesse had been reluctant, but eventually relented and let him show the work to his friend. After all, it certainly couldn’t hurt.

The next thing Jesse knew, Mark was excitedly telling her that the editor had loved her work and was interested in setting up an interview with her. Jesse had been immediately nervous but also excited. She had gone into the interview with confidence and her sense of humor as her guide, and the editor, a man not much older than Jesse and Mark, insisted that she come to work for them that Monday morning.

And so, largely thanks to Mark, Jesse was now a writer for one of the most popular magazines on the West Coast.

Jesse scooted her chair over to allow Mark to settle into his seat beside her at the table. He sighed heavily as he put his satchel down on the large table, and Jesse frowned slightly as she noticed the bags under his eyes.

“Rough night?” Jesse asked him gently as he sat down beside her. Mark heaved a breath and gave a slight sniff.

“Just another Tuesday evening,” he said, his voice sullen.

“Did you have another fight with Tony?” Jesse gently rubbed her friend’s shoulder, and his face broke a little as he nodded.

Jesse shook her head. Mark and Tony had been together for as long as she had known them. Most of the time, the two were buoyant and full of energy, always positive and bubbling with happiness. It seemed, though, that they always balanced out their normal happy exterior with horrible fights that sometimes lasted for days. It always took an immense toll on both of them. Jesse was more often exposed to Mark’s sadness during fights, but she knew that Tony had a hard time when they fought as well. Jesse knew that it would pass as it always did, but in this particular setting, she focused on consoling Mark for the time being.

“Do you want to come over tonight and watch a movie?” Jesse asked, rubbing his back comfortingly.

“Yeah,” Mark said with a nod.

Jesse gave Mark a friendly kiss on the cheek and turned in her chair to face the front of the table. She spotted Elaine entering the room and heard a hush fall over the assembly of coworkers.

“Great to see you all here,” Elaine said in her usual cheery tone. “Let’s get a few items out of the way.”

And so the meeting proceeded. All the writers jotted notes down and typed a few things into their computers as Elaine spoke about the various goings on involving various celebrity figures. Jesse took note of incidents that sounded like she could make a funny take on and listened as Elaine addressed a few other general areas.

Once the more common issues were covered, Elaine moved on to the more in-depth bits of information. These were the things that she was able to uncover through her connections with other members of the press, and her celebrity status herself. She was close with quite a few famous actors, and she was able to dig up quiet a lot of interesting items that gave their magazine a bit of an edge over some of the others. Jesse listened intently as Elaine shared some of the things she picked up on.

Jesse hoped that one day she would be as keen on finding information as Elaine. As intimidating as she was, Jesse really looked up to her boss. She was a smart, independent and successful woman, and Jesse would do just about anything to get in her position.

“That should be about it for the day,” Elaine finally wrapped up the meeting. “As always, my door is open if, and only if, you find something worth my time.”

With those closing words, Jesse stood up from her chair at the table and began to gather her things. She turned to Mark to say something to him but was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder from behind. She turned and blinked in surprise to see Elaine facing her, a bright smile displayed on her face.

“Jesse,” she said cheerfully in greeting. “I have something to share with you. Do you have a minute?”

“Of course,” Jesse said, knowing very well that the question was more like a command.

“Great!” Elaine smiled ever brighter. “Follow me into my office.”

Chapter 2

Jesse did not hesitate to follow, sticking close to Elaine’s heels as she headed through the hallways of the building and to the enormous office where Elaine spent most of her time. The office had an entire wall of window that overlooked the city. The office furniture was white and pristine, with dark red accents, and fresh red flowers brought in every morning.

Elaine led Jesse toward a set of white couches and gestured for her to take a seat. Jesse did so, unable to relax, although Elaine seemed to have no trouble as she crossed her long legs and leaned into the back cushion of the couch.

“Jesse Clarke,” Elaine mused to herself, looking up and down Jesse’s body, seeming to be measuring her up. Jesse felt suddenly very self-conscious, and she worked hard not to shy away from her employer’s roving eyes.

“You’ve been with us for a while now, haven’t you?” the woman asked.

“A little over six months,” Jesse answered promptly.

“How lovely,” Elaine smiled. “And is it everything you had hoped it would be?”

“I like it here very much,” Jesse answered, beginning to feel very uncertain about the direction in which this conversation was going.

“Excellent, and we love having you here,” Elaine said, and Jesse relaxed a bit. “I read your work, along with everyone else’s here, and I truly enjoy it.”

“Thank you.” Jesse incline her head as she accepted the compliment.

“You have a real knack for wit,” Elaine pointed out. “I love it. It gives your writing a flair that most basic tabloid writers never really achieve.”

Jesse merely listened, deciding that it would be easier to just sit back and let Elaine direct the conversation as she saw fit, and then catch up to her.

“Was it always your aspiration to write humor pieces?” Elaine asked her.

Jesse suddenly felt as though she was being backed into a corner. If she said no, it might be interpreted that she did not appreciate her job. If she said yes, then Elaine might think she was perfectly content with her place in the company, and she would not see fit to ever promote her to any higher level of writing.

“I think I’m very good at it,” Jesse answered carefully. “But it was more like something I stumbled upon when I was still trying to get established and really just noticed as a writer. People seemed to respond well to it, and I just stuck with it.”

“Interesting,” Elaine said thoughtfully. Jesse felt herself grow more nervous each passing second.

“You must know that this life isn’t cut out for everyone,” Elaine mused, looking down at her manicured nails. “It takes a level of grit and tenacity that most people just don’t have.”

Jesse could not decide if Elaine was praising her or insulting her, and her stomach began to knot with anxiety.

“You have made it this far, and that speaks a lot of you already,” Elaine said, her tone approving. “But I’m more curious to see where you’ll go from here.”

Jesse remained silent, still unsure of how to respond.

“I guess what I’m saying with all this,” Elaine said with a sigh, “is that I have uncovered a very interesting topic, but I’m not very interested in it myself. However, I think it would make a very good story with some investigation. Though I must say I am the only one I fully trust to handle an investigation like this. But, as I already said, I am not the least bit interested.”

Jesse felt her interest increase. Was Elaine offering her a story?

“I actually thought of you from the moment I found out about this little mystery,” Elaine said. “I don’t know why, but I always pegged you for someone who was more of a player than they let on. There’s more to you than sarcasm and wit. I’ve read some of your other published works. You have a very intuitive side and a knack for subtle interrogation.”

Jesse felt flattered, and she blinked in surprise to think that Elaine had ever even seen her work outside the magazine, much less read it.

“But,” Elaine sighed. “I figured I should at least ask you if that was something you were even halfway interested in. I know a lot of people aren’t interested in real journalism. A lot of your coworkers would not hesitate to turn this down.”

Jesse felt a brief moment of doubt and apprehension, but she felt it fade away in an instant. She suddenly found herself wanting this assignment without even knowing what it was over.

“Should I let you in on my little project?” Elaine asked, her voice nearly teasing.

“I’m very interested to know what it is,” Jesse admitted, and Elaine bared her teeth in a wolfish smile.

“If I tell you,” Elaine said, her tone warning. “I’ll take that as a commitment.”

Jesse experienced a further moment of apprehension. She knew that she wanted to be taken more seriously as a journalist and that this story from Elaine would likely be her chance. She knew that if she turned Elaine down, she would likely not get another chance like this for a long time, if ever. Elaine looked at her expectantly, and Jesse knew her answer.

“Then yes,” Jesse said, a feeling of finality overcoming her.

“Excellent!” Elaine clapped her hands together and stood, moving over to her desk. Jesse hastily stood and followed.

“Have a seat,” Elaine gestured to one of two white chairs in front of her desk, and Jesse sat as Elaine slipped into her own large chair behind it.

“Are you familiar with an actor by the name of Hal Roberts?” Elaine asked.

Jesse frowned at the question. Of course, she was familiar with Hal Roberts. Roberts was an incredibly famous movie star, known for his roles in action and drama movies. He was the very definition of tall, dark and handsome. He was often featured in their magazine, as well as many others across the country.

“I am,” Jesse answered shortly.

“Cute, right?” Elaine flicked her eyebrows up. “If I were just a little younger and about half as busy, I would follow him to the ends of the earth.”

Jesse offered her employer a polite smile.

“Anyway,” Elaine said with a wave of her hand. “As you, and everyone else around here knows, he had a pretty big movie come out recently.”

It was true. Roberts had decided to begin his directing career to add to his already flourishing life as an actor when he opted to produce a film by the name of ‘Yes’. The film documented the life and trials of a man with severe anxiety, and it was supposed to highlight the difficulties of living life with any kind of emotional health disorder. Critics were calling it a revolutionary movie.

Roberts had spared no expense on the film. He called in the best of the best to collaborate on it musically, visually, and in every other aspect as well. The advertising campaign had also been phenomenal, and by the time it premiered in theaters, so much interest had gathered that it became an instant box office hit. The numbers were still climbing and climbing, and it was speculated that soon, it would become one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

People had been astounded by the artistry and the deep meaning of the film. Roberts had also shown a side of himself in his acting that people had never seen before. He had worked intensively on the movie for almost six years. Throughout the movie, he gradually lost weight to the point that he looked ill, all for the aesthetic of the film. He deprived himself of sleep to look bedraggled and worn, and it was rumored that at times, he was incapable of filming due to his weakened state.

In the end, though, it seemed that all his efforts had been worth it. His film was popular with the masses and the media, as well as with the critics. He had made film history, in addition to millions of dollars. If he wasn’t rich and wildly successful before, he certainly was now. Jesse wondered why Elaine was bringing it up.

“As you know,” Elaine continued. “Hal would not take any questions about the movie before it came out, and somehow he kept all of his team on lock as well. It made for a great surprise when the movie came out, and that’s fine. But now, the public is hungry for answers to all their questions.”

“You’re right,” Jesse said. “But hasn’t he been refusing interviews even now?”

“He has,” Elaine nodded, but her eyes glinted as she smiled. “But that’s where you come into the picture.”

Jesse frowned, somewhat confused.

“You see,” Elaine purred. “I am a woman with all manner of connections, and one of those said connections has her own connections, one of them being Hal Roberts’ personal assistant.”

Jess couldn’t help being impressed by the connections that Elaine had. Then again, she was well established as a member of the press, so Jesse was hardly surprised.

“Through this lovely chain of information,” Elaine continued, “it has come to my knowledge that Hal Roberts is going to grant interviews to a select group of magazines, and ours is on that blessed list.”

Jesse’s ears perked up a little at that news.

“As you can probably already guess,” Elaine went on, “this interview could really go over well for our magazine.”

Jesse couldn’t help agreeing, and she nodded. The Edge interviewed all manner of celebrities all the time. But it was rare for a celebrity to keep quiet on a popular topic for so long, and to be included in the limited number of magazines that would get to interview him was very exciting.

“My first notion was to handle it myself,” Elaine explained. “But, I’m just so horribly busy. And frankly, I’m not interested in his inspiration for the film, or whatever it is the public wants to hear. So, as usual, I decided to pass it off to one of my lovely employees.”

“I’m very flattered,” Jesse said honestly.

“Well, we’ll see how it goes and then we’ll see where you go.” Elaine smiled. “Anyway, I’ll send you an email with the times and dates. Oh, and have you watched the movie?”

“I haven’t,” Jesse admitted, her expression apologetic.

“Well, you probably ought to do that,” Elaine said frankly. “Here, I got a bootleg for you, just in case.”

Elaine reached into one of her drawers, withdrew a disk in a sleeve, and slid it across the desk toward Jesse. Jesse immediately took it up and put it into her bag so she didn’t forget or lose it.

“Watch it tonight, and come up with a list of questions, then email them to me,” Elaine instructed. “I’ll look over your list and possibly add a few questions of my own, and then we’ll see where we need to go from there. That’s all.”

Jesse stood immediately and put the strap of her bag over her shoulder. “Thank you,” she said, her mind already whirling from the magnitude of the assignment she had just been given.

Elaine merely granted her a smile and looked back down at her desk. Jesse took that as her cue to leave.

Upon leaving Elaine’s office, Jesse headed across the building to Mark’s office. The day was nearly out, and there was no chance of getting anything more done when she had this exciting news to tell her best friend. She moved through the large building on auto-pilot, vaguely acknowledging her coworkers as she passed them by.

Chapter 3

Jesse finally arrived at Mark’s open door and knocked lightly on the frame.

“Yeah?” Mark called over his shoulder as he busily typed away at his desktop.

“Hey,” Jesse said softly as she breezed into the office, sitting down at one of the chairs near his desk.

“Hey,” he answered her. “What’s up with you?”

“Not much,” Jesse answered quietly.

“What did Elaine call you into her office for?” Mark asked, still typing away.

“She gave me a piece,” Jesse answered, feeling numb.

“Really? That’s great!” Mark said excitedly, shooting her a quick smile. “Over what?”

“Hal Roberts,” Jesse answered. Mark stopped typing and swiveled in his chair to look at her, his expression sober.

“Hal Roberts?” he asked, his brows knitted together in a frown. “The Hal Roberts?”

“The very one,” Jesse confirmed, and Mark gasped aloud.

“What’s the piece over?” Mark insisted, moving to sit closer to her.

“The movie,” Jesse answered, trying to sound low-key.

“Oh, my God!” Mark cried out with excitement, grabbing Jesse by the shoulders. “He’s never talked about that movie!”

“I know,” Jesse laughed lightly.

“Jesse,” Mark said seriously. “This is going to make your career.”

Jesse said nothing, but her stomach fluttered. She knew very well the impact that this interview could have on her career.

“This is great!” Mark laughed aloud.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Jesse laughed a little herself. “Elaine wants me to send her a list of interview questions, and she said she might add in a few of her own.”

“Well, that won’t be hard at all.” Mark laughed. “Honestly, I was really expecting you to be more excited about news like this.”

“I mean I am,” Jesse said hastily. “It’s just … I don’t know, it all seems so sudden.”

“Well, success doesn’t always move at a leisurely pace.” Mark shrugged. “Have you started working on the questions?”

“No,” Jesse answered, shaking her head. “I want to watch the movie first.”

“Good idea.” Mark nodded. “You want me to run a quick search for ticket prices for you?”

“No need.” Jesse smiled slowly and pulled out the disk from her backpack. A bright smile spread across Mark’s face.

“I was thinking we could watch it tonight at my place,” Jesse said, slipping the movie back into her bag.

“Hello? Yeah!” Mark said as if she hadn’t needed to ask a question like that in the first place. Jesse laughed and shook her head.

“Okay.” Mark clapped his hands together. “Let me just wrap up what I’m doing here. Then we can go out and get some popcorn and wine and whatever else we need.”

“Sounds good.” Jesse nodded. “I’m going to get all my stuff and then I’ll come back here, and we can leave whenever you’re ready.”

“Okay! See you soon!” Mark said cheerily and turned back to his computer, once again typing to beat the band.

Jesse moved back through the building toward her desk. Her nerves were finally beginning to subside, and she felt excitement bubbling up inside at the prospect of her assignment. She returned to her desk, hurried to collect all of her personal items and then made the trip across the building back to Mark’s apartment.

“Just got finished,” Mark said as he began the process of shutting down his desktop. “Just let me put my things together.”

Jesse nodded and waited for him as he gathered some things off his desk and put them in his satchel.

“Okay!” he smiled brightly as he finished. “Let’s get out of here!”

Mark enthusiastically linked arms with her and allowed the door of his office to close. Jesse was glad to see that her good news had served to lift his spirits a little. She knew that her two friends would stop fighting soon, if only because Mark wouldn’t be able to keep from telling Tony about Jesse’s good news.

It didn’t take long for Jesse and Mark to exit the office. Once outside, they immediately headed toward their apartment. On the way, they stopped at a small grocery store and picked out a bottle of wine, some crackers, cheese, and popcorn.

Jesse could tell that Mark was excited for their night in, and she couldn’t help feeling excited as well. She was interested to see the movie that had garnered so much critical attention, and she was excited to get to work on her interview questions.

After the two friends left the store, it did not take them long to arrive at their apartment building. They hurried toward the elevator and got in, allowing it to take them up to their floor. Once there, Jesse led the way down the hall to her door, digging in her bag for her key.

She quickly found it and turned the key in the lock, noticing Mark looking over at his own door. Jesse knew that he was thinking about Tony, and her heart rang a little in sympathy. She got the door open and stepped inside.

“You coming?” she asked gently, leaving room for him to opt out and just go home.

“Yeah!” Mark said, instantly looking over at her and shooting her a smile as he moved into her apartment.

The place was small but very cozy. The living room was home to a large, flat screen television that sat on a short bookshelf. There was a large, soft couch that Jesse had bought from another friend, as well as a couple of chairs. One wall was occupied by a large window that led out to a small balcony that overlooked some of the city. Her kitchen was modest, with a few dishes in the sink at all times and a tea kettle always on one burner of the stove. The bedroom was small and tidy, with a full size, metal frame bed and nightstand.

It was certainly small, but after living there for so long, it definitely felt like home. Jesse closed and locked the door behind them as they moved into the room, and she set her bag down on the counter of her kitchen as she entered. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, feeling a little exhausted from her surprisingly eventful day.

“Hey, don’t fall asleep on me,” Mark called to her from the living room.

“I’m good.” Jesse waved him off. She reached into one of her cabinets, took down two wine glasses and the wine opener from a drawer, then moved into the living room with Mark.

“Do you have the movie?” Mark asked.

“Oh,” Jesse blinked. “Yeah, I’ll go grab it; you pour the wine.”

Mark nodded, took the items from her and set to work as she moved back across the room to get into her bag. She took out the small sleeve, returned to her television and slid the disk into the DVD player before being greeted by a menu screen.

“Here, come sit down!” Mark said excitedly from behind her. He had obviously been busy, as all the food they had bought was already neatly arranged on the coffee table in front of them.

“I’ll go make the popcorn real quick,” he said.

As Mark went about his task in the kitchen, Jesse went ahead and sat down in the living room, grabbing the blanket she kept thrown over the back of the couch. She wrapped it about herself and snuggled into the couch, waiting patiently for Mark to return.

He did so in short order, returning with a bowl full of popcorn. The scent rose up through the air and filled Jesse’s nostrils. She sat up and immediately took a handful out of the bowl.

“Hey,” Mark scolded her, frowning. “Don’t eat it all before the movie even starts!”

“Well, start the movie then!” she countered, throwing a piece of the popcorn at him. Mark swatted at her playfully, but then picked up the remote and pressed the play button.

Chapter 4

Jesse watched every minute of the movie with the utmost attention. Of course, she sipped at the wine and at the various snacks they had bought, but for the most part, her eyes and ears were glued to the screen. Fortunately, it wasn’t hard to focus.

Just as the critics had claimed, the movie was an absolute masterpiece. The music was truly artful, and the cinematography was on a level that no film had ever even aspired to before.

The plot was absolutely heart-wrenching. It was extremely relatable, and it highlighted the various struggles that people with mental disorders face. It almost painfully illustrated the difficulties that occur in what would seem to anyone else to be just an ordinary day. There was minimal dialogue, and it allowed each individual viewer to essentially interpret the movie in their own way.

But the best part of the movie by far was Hal Roberts’ acting. Though he was known for his roles in action and drama movies, this role showed him in a completely new light. He was sensitive and raw, and each shot of him seemed to be dramatic and climactic all at once. It was hard to remember that in real life, he was a very successful, and very rich man.

The movie was an emotional rollercoaster, as the main character slowly succumbed to his disease, unable to find the help that he needed due to a lack of understanding support from those closest to him. The movie ended on an ambiguous note, with no real conclusion. It was as if the life of the character would continue. Watching the movie was like you had met an actual person and had to leave them before you got any real closure.

At the end of the film, the screen went black. There were not even any credits.

Mark and Jesse stared at the dark screen in silence for quite a while, at a loss for what to say. It was obvious that they had both been profoundly moved and changed by the film. Silently, Jesse moved across the room, turned off the television, and took the disk from the DVD player. She slid the DVD into its sleeve and returned it to her bag so she could give it back to Elaine the next day when she turned in her interview questions.

Jesse returned to the living room, began gathering up the remains and trash that had amassed on her coffee table, and Mark rose to help her. Together, they cleaned up the living room, and then poured themselves each another glass of wine, finishing up the bottle as they sat on the couch.

“I know they said it was good,” Mark said softly, still lost in thought. “But you really can’t understand it until you see it for yourself.”

“Yeah,” Jesse said quietly.

The friends sat beside one another for a little while longer. As Mark finished his glass of wine, he stood up from his place on the couch.

“I think I’m going to head home,” he said.

“Okay,” Jesse answered, rising and giving her friend a tight hug.

“Thanks for coming over,” she said as she walked him over to the door.

“Thanks for having me,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“See you,” Jesse gave him a small smile as he left, then closed the door behind him.

As soon as the door closed, Jesse let out a pent up breath and ran her hand over her face. She was still absolutely numb from the movie. The longer she dwelled on it, though, the more questions began to enter her mind. She took her small laptop out of her bag and moved back over to the couch.

She immediately began typing up a document full of her questions. Not only did she have questions about the production of the movie—she had questions about Hal Roberts himself. Until this movie came out, nobody had any idea that he was capable of such depth, and even genius. This was arguably one of the greatest films in history, and he had yet to say a single word about it.

Jesse suddenly felt the pressure of her situation fully weigh on her. She would be giving voice to the mind of the creator of this enormous work. She somehow found herself very nervous at the idea of being in the same room as him. Even so, she knew that she had a job to do, and she would certainly do it.

Jesse finished writing up all her questions and printed them out. She put them in a file folder and made them ready to hand into Elaine when she went to her office early the next morning. She also sent them over email in an attachment. She was nervous to hear what Elaine would have to say about her choice of questions, and if she would think they were overly invasive or not invasive enough. Jesse had put all manner of questions on the paper, so Elaine certainly had a range of things that she could potentially complain about.

Still, at least Jesse had done what the woman had asked. Now, she found herself incredibly tired. She closed her laptop, left it on her coffee table to charge, and then went through the process of getting herself ready for bed. Jesse stripped out of her clothes and tossed them into the hamper in her bathroom, then turned on the water to heat it up.

Once the temperature of the water was to her liking, Jesse got in and went through the process of bathing. She shampooed and conditioned her hair, then washed her face and body. All the while, she let the hot water run over her body and soothe some of the tension that had built up over the day.

When she was rinsed off, she turned off the water and grabbed a towel from the rack just outside the shower curtain. She scrubbed at her hair with it, getting all the residual droplets out of the way before she toweled off her body. When she was largely dry, she wrapped up her hair in the towel and then applied lotion all over her skin.

She put on an oversized T-shirt and took the towel off her head, then combed through her hair and braided it so that it wouldn’t tangle in her sleep. She felt her eyes begin to droop as she pulled back the covers of her bed. She nestled herself onto her soft mattress and looked through a few things on her phone, being sure to set her alarm and plug it in to charge. Finally, content that she was finally finished with all she had to accomplish, she allowed herself to drift off into sleep.

Jesse’s alarm rang in the morning, and she hastily turned it off. She blinked several times and stretched, then rubbed a hand over her face. Finally, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up, wandering over to her drawers to pick out a set of clothes she could run in. Finally settling on a pair of shorts and a racer top, she dressed herself. She took up her phone and headphones, putting on a playlist of random songs she liked.

Jesse took the elevator down to the street level, and once outside, commenced her run. She enjoyed starting her day off with a good run, it allowed her mind to wander, and she went through a mental list of all the various things that needed to be accomplished within the day. She felt a layer of sweat form over her skin and reveled in the sensation of her blood pumping fast and hard through her body.

Her runs were certainly hard, but they energized her, and she felt like they gave her just the sort of boost that was needed to start her day. When she reached her half distance, Jesse turned and ran back to her apartment, finding her breathing was a bit labored as she took the elevator back up to her home. Once inside, she stripped and tossed her clothes into the hamper, then took a quick shower, keeping her hair up so that it would stay dry.

When she was clean, Jesse selected an outfit for the day, a pair of black slacks and a yellow blouse with some black flats. She dressed well, but not extravagantly like some of the women she worked with. She preferred to keep things simple and not worry about her appearance so much in favor of putting more thought into her job.

When she was dressed, Jesse brushed on a light layer of makeup and gathered up her laptop and some of the other things that were needed for her day at work. When she was ready, she stepped out of her apartment and locked the door behind her, stepping over to Mark’s door and knocking.

“Just a second!” Jesse heard Mark shout through the door, and she leaned against the frame while waiting for him.

It did not take him long to step out, and they headed down the hall together before riding the elevator to the street level. Then they began to trek over to the office. Along the way, they stopped at a small coffee shop to get their caffeine fix before starting their day.

“How was the rest of your night?” Mark asked as they got their drinks.

“Pretty full,” Jesse answered. “I typed out all the questions for the interview and sent them over to Elaine.”

“Oh good.” Mark nodded.

“How was yours?” Jesse asked.

“It was actually really good,” Mark said brightly. “Tony and I made up.”

“Oh, that’s great!” Jesse said. “How did that go?”

“Well, he came home after work and apologized, and then so did I, and we talked everything through,” Mark explained. “Pretty much just like it always goes.”

Jesse nodded and smiled. She had no idea what the fight was about but was surely glad that it had gotten resolved.

When the two friends finished their drinks, they proceeded down the street until they arrived at their office. The pair greeted their coworkers as they all began to filter in, each of them getting ready for their work for the day. Jesse and Mark were headed toward the elevator, along with another group of their coworkers.

“Jesse!” Jesse heard Elaine’s voice from behind her and immediately turned with wide eyes to see her boss coming toward her.

“Yes?” Jesse asked, feeling nerves creep over her body.

“I got your questions last night,” she said, her voice taking on its usually crisp and cheery quality. “Why don’t you come into my office with me right now, and we can have a small chat.”

“Of course,” Jesse said. She knew that it was a direction, not a request.

Jesse looked over at Mark, somewhat worried, and he gave her an encouraging smile. Jesse took a breath and then followed Elaine.

Chapter 5

The older woman led her once again into her office and gestured toward her desk. Jesse sat and waited for Elaine to get herself situated. When she was finally seated, Elaine looked over at Jesse and gave her a smile.

“I have to say,” Elaine said, “I was very impressed with your questions.”

“Thank you,” Jesse returned, her nerves escalating.

“I couldn’t think of anything I would add to them ...” Elaine sighed and shook her head. “Who knows? Maybe I’m just losing my touch.”

Jesse was not bold enough to make any comment on that statement.

“Anyway,” Elaine waved off the last words. “I wanted to go ahead with the interview as soon as possible, so I made a few calls, and managed, as usual, to strike oil. So, your interview with Mr. Roberts will be tomorrow at nine-thirty, over in one of our smaller conference rooms.”

Jesse had to work to keep from letting her jaw drop, feeling her stomach clench as nerves overwhelmed her. She had no idea that the interview would be so soon. A part of her wanted to protest and insist that she needed more time to prepare. Deep down, though, she knew such a request would be pointless and didn’t want to let Elaine think that she was not up for this task.

“Jesse?” Elaine said, and Jesse blinked, snapping back to attention.

“Yes?” Jesse asked, once more giving her boss her full attention.

“Does that interview time work for you?” Elaine asked, raising one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows.

“Yes, of course,” Jesse confirmed with a nod. “I’ll put it in my calendar as soon as I get to my desk.”

“Perfect.” Elaine smiled smoothly. “I’ll send you an email regarding which conference room you’ll be using probably within the hour so you can know where you’ll be holding the interview.”

“Alright, thank you.” Jesse nodded.

“I know you’ve conducted interviews before,” Elaine said, her tone slightly odd. “But I don’t think you’ve ever interviewed someone of this status, correct?”

“No, I haven’t,” Jesse admitted, a flare of nerves jolting through her again.

“Well,” Elaine sighed. “There’s a first time for everything. Just act like you’ve done this a million times. Fake it till you make it, right?”

“Right,” Jesse nodded, swallowing and trying to keep from shaking with the force of her nerves.

“Good girl.” Elaine smiled at her. “Well, I think that’s about everything I have for you. I’ll send you that email, of course. You can go ahead and go.”

“Thank you.” Jesse stood and adjusted her bag on her shoulder. Elaine turned away from her, and Jesse took that as her opportunity to leave.

No sooner had Jesse left the office than she picked up her phone and dialed Mark’s number.

“Hello?” she heard her friend’s eager voice after the first ring.

“I need to talk to you,” Jesse said, her voice strained with the force of her anxiety.

“Okay, come up to my office,” Mark immediately offered.

“Okay, be right there,” Jesse said and hastily hung up the phone. She moved through the building hurriedly until finally arriving at her friend’s door.

Mark looked up as soon as he saw her in the doorway.

“What happened?” he asked as soon as he saw her, standing up and moving to close the door behind her, securely locking it.

“The interview is tomorrow,” Jesse said, her face revealing the shock she was in.

“Tomorrow?” Mark repeated, every ounce as taken aback. Jesse could only nod numbly as silence stretched between the two of them.

“I don’t even know what to say.” Mark shook his head. “Are you ready for it?”

“Of course not,” Jesse let out a strained laugh. “I thought I would have at least a week to get ready for this!”

Jesse braced her hands on the edge of Mark’s desk and took in several deep breaths as she tried to collect herself. She felt Mark’s hand on her back rubbing slowly up and down. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing thoughts.

“Come on Jesse,” Mark said softly. “I know you can do this. You’ve done interviews before.”

“Sure,” Jesse scoffed. “But this is Hal Roberts.”

“So what?” Mark scoffed in return. “You’re Jesse Clarke.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.” Jesse shook her head and ran a hand over her face.

“Not yet,” Mark said firmly. “But this interview could be the very interview that starts off the rest of your career. People will know your name after this.”

Somehow, that knowledge didn’t make Jesse feel any better. If anything, it only made her feel even more nervous.

“What if I mess it all up?” Jesse said, her voice soft and shaky.

“You have never messed up anything in your life,” Mark said with certainty.

Jesse could only swallow drily. She knew that Mark was being very logical, but somehow his rationality was not helping her in the least. Somehow, she could not get over her own fears and insecurities. She felt his hand on her shoulder, massaging her gently, and she once again tried to keep herself calm.

“Jesse,” Mark said firmly, turning her to face him. Jesse looked up into his eyes, hoping to finally find a measure of comfort.

“You can do this,” Mark said, a faint smile on his face. “I know it’s a big step, but it’s definitely one that you have to take. This is how people become successful—by doing things that make them nervous. And that’s why some people never make a name for themselves because they can’t get past their fears. Don’t let yourself be the inhibitor to your own success.”

Jesse heard all the sense in his words and felt herself calm exponentially. This was something she had wanted her whole life, and she knew that now, it was finally close at hand. A chance like this one was rare for anyone, and she had gotten it. She knew there were other people in this very office who would be madly jealous of the opportunity she had been given. She knew, also, that there was certainly someone just waiting for her to fail.

Jesse knew that eyes were on her, and she was going to really have to succeed. She knew that this was the time to gather up all her fortitude and push through to finish strong. Suddenly, she felt stronger and knew that she had to succeed in this area, for the sake of the rest of her career.

Besides, if there was anyone she knew that was capable of doing this, it was her. She was smart and competent. She knew how to spin words and also knew that she could write an article that would serve to push her own name into the spotlight, as well as grant insight to the most incredible film of their time.

“You know,” Jesse said, “you’re right.”

“As always,” Mark said with a humorous snort.

“I don’t know what I would do without you,” Jesse said, her tone softer.

“Probably end up living under a bridge.” Mark shrugged. “Now get out of here, go get ready for your interview!”

Jesse smiled at him, and he returned it, just before she headed out of his office and down the hall toward her own desk. With a new sense of resolve, she mentally prepared herself to make all the necessary edits and preparations to conduct her interview.

Chapter 6

Hal

Hal briefly looked over his collection of ties before selecting a simple black and gray paisley pattern to go with his gray suit. He easily tied it and adjusted it in the mirror before letting his eyes sweep up and down his whole body. Satisfied, he gathered up his wallet and headed out the door.

“Good morning ...” He was greeted by his friend and bodyguard, Adam, as he stepped out into the parking garage.

“Good morning,” Hal responded, Adam falling into step beside him as they headed out into the garage, Hal’s eyes scanning his vast collection of cars.

“What’s on the agenda for today?” Adam asked as they approached Hal’s Jaguar.

“I have that interview for The Edge,” Hal answered with a tired sigh.

“Is this the one about the movie?” Adam asked as they both got into the car, Adam in the driver’s seat and Hal in the passenger’s.

“Yeah,” Hal answered.

Adam was quiet for a moment as he pulled out of the parking space and then out of the garage.

“I guess it’s about time that you allowed interviews about it.” Adam shrugged.

Hal grunted in response. The movie had been an exhausting and very involved affair for him. His body was still not fully recovered from the things he had done for that role. A part of him wanted to simply disappear from the spotlight. He certainly had the money for it, after all. Still, he vowed to himself that this was a one-time thing. He had gotten it out of the way, and he would spend the rest of his life advocating men’s shampoo for all he cared. He had left his mark, and that was enough. Now he just had to feed other people’s curiosity.

“You can’t be successful without throwing people a bone every once in a while,” Adam said.

“Yeah, I know,” Hal sighed. “I’m just ready for this to go ahead and die down so I can move on with my life.”

“I don’t get you, man.” Adam laughed and shook his head. “You spend years on this project and then you just want people to ignore it.”

“Not exactly.” Hal shook his head. “It’s complicated.”

“Whatever,” Adam murmured, his tone wry. “I guess I’ll just read the article and get my answers like everyone else.”

Hal let out a harsh bark of a laugh. He had known Adam since they were in high school together. While Hal had taken the more artistic route, Adam had gone into the military. And while Hal had been successful in his pursuits, Adam had been equally as successful in his own. Adam had been trained as a member of the Special Forces and had earned high ranks in the military.

The two had been reunited at their five-year class reunion, and really hit it off. Adam had mentioned that he was working as a bouncer for some club, and Hal had immediately offered to give him a job as head of his personal security. Though he had been reluctant at first, Hal had eventually succeeded in convincing him to take the job. Adam had really succeeded in the task of organizing Hal’s security team, which had until then been poorly managed by somebody Hal’s agent had hired.

Especially as Hal rose to even greater heights in his fame, Adam’s expertise in organization and personal protection became invaluable. It only helped that they were such close friends. Adam often served as Hal’s personal consultant, and Adam kept an apartment in the building that Hal owned.

Adam was also a huge part of the reason that Hal was able to stay grounded, even as he became more and more successful. Every time Hal got too self-important, Adam was there to remind him that not everyone was so fortunate and that luck had indeed played a large part in Hal’s success. Adam never failed to give Hal a swift reality check whenever it was needed.

Now, they arrived at the building from which The Edge magazine was run. Hal looked up at it and scowled. If he was honest with himself, he knew that granting this interview was the last thing he wanted to do. Chances were, it would be conducted by the ever-famous Elaine Beck, who was nothing short of an absolute nuisance. He had to admit that she was good at her job, but certainly at the cost of his peace. It seemed that for the past several years he had been all but harassed by either her or one of her contacts.

Still, he knew that he had to appease her somehow, and it seemed that this was the only way to do so. So, once Adam had parked the car in the expansive garage, they both entered the building.

“Don’t look so grim,” Adam smirked at him. Hal huffed his irritation.

“It must be so hard to be in such high demand,” Adam quipped, and Hal felt his irritation subside.

The two men made their way into the building, and Hal glanced around at the various journalists running around. Some looked incredibly frazzled, clutching cups of coffee as they bustled about the building. Only a few even bothered to look up at him, and those that did seemed to look in shock, and then hurry away in alarm. He couldn’t help chuckling to himself as he observed their behavior.

He followed Adam over to a receptionist’s desk, where they were greeted by a young woman in a blue dress. Hal glanced up and down her body, noting that she was fairly attractive, and gave her a soft smile. The woman looked at him open-mouthed, her lashes fluttering as she blinked up at him.

“Hal Roberts is here for his interview,” Adam spoke strongly, his expression flat, and his tone brooking no room for any unnecessary conversation.

The receptionist snapped to attention.

“Of course,” she said, her fingers busily typing at her keyboard. “You will be in conference room D, on the eleventh floor. One of our interns, Tiffany, will escort you.”

Hal watched as the woman nodded toward another young woman that was seated at a smaller desk behind the main one. The other woman looked up, both parts alarmed and excited. She rose from her desk and moved toward them. Adam gave her a stony glance even as Hal smiled warmly. The woman looked between them, and her eyes were wide. Hal enjoyed watching people struggle with how to react to his presence.

“Right this way,” the woman finally said, her voice high and shaky.

The men followed the woman as she led them over to the elevator. They stood together in silence, and Hal couldn’t help being amused by the whole situation. Adam’s face was stony, having donned his bodyguard persona, and the woman seemed a nervous wreck.

Finally, the elevator reached the eleventh floor, and the woman led them out and down the hallway to a small conference room. It had been set up with two comfortable chairs facing one another, with a table between them.

“Here you are,” Tiffany spoke again, gesturing to the chair. “I am sure someone will be with you very soon. Is there anything I can get you in the meantime?”

“Could you bring me three coffees and three bottles of water? And another chair for the gentleman here,” Hal requested with a smile. The woman gaped up at him, momentarily at a loss for words. Hal raised an eyebrow, and she shook her head.

“Of course,” the woman said with a faint smile of her own, and with that, she was off.

Hal chuckled to himself, and Adam shook his head with a scowl.

“What?” Hal laughed, pacing into the room to take a seat on one of the chairs.

“You know what,” Adam groused, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

“What’s the good of being famous if I can’t fluster pretty young women,” Hal joked, and Adam rolled his eyes.

“You know, you would have better luck with women if you didn’t look so intimidating all the time,” Hal said with a shrug, crossing his legs.

“If I didn’t look so intimidating all the time,” Adam snapped. “You might not be alive.”

Hal held up his hands in surrender and let out a chuckle.

“Okay, you got me.” He laughed, and Adam looked off into the distance, content to brood in his irritation. It was not long before Tiffany returned with their drinks, and a young man came bearing a chair.

“Anything else?” the woman asked, seeming more composed now.

“No, thank you,” Hal answered picking up his cup of coffee. “What about you, Adam?”

Adam merely looked at them both with a stony expression, and the young woman gulped.

“That’ll be all,” Hal said kindly.

“Alright.” Tiffany nodded. “If you need anything, just be sure to send word for me.”

With that, the young woman scurried out the door, making sure to give Adam a wide berth.

“You know,” Hal said once she was gone, “you scold me for enjoying people’s reactions to me, but you have just as much fun as I do with your intimidation tactics.”

Adam said nothing but gave Hal a shrug and a smirk as he moved to sit in the third chair that had been brought up for him. Hal laughed and handed his friend one of the cups of coffee.

“I am not looking forward to an interrogation from Elaine,” Hal grumbled.

“Well, that’s just the price of fame.” Adam shrugged as he mixed sugar and cream into his coffee.

The men sipped at their coffee for a few minutes, and finally, Hal glanced down at his watch. It was only nine twenty-five yet, but he fully expected Elaine to be there within the next five minutes, or he would be leaving. Hell, maybe even within the next three. That woman should know better than to play games with him.

The three minutes elapsed, and Hal released a sigh.

“Well, this was a waste of time.” Hal stood and buttoned his coat.

“It’s not even nine-thirty,” Adam sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Well, maybe I’m just being overdramatic.” Hal shrugged while Adam grumbled and moved to stand as well, placing his half-finished coffee on the table in front of him.

No sooner had both men headed toward the door than it began to open. In the doorway stood a young woman, obviously not Elaine. Hal looked down at her and smiled.

“Tell Elaine that if she can’t be on time, she cannot have this interview,” he said simply, moving to exit the door.

“I’m sorry,” the woman said boldly, blocking his path. “Elaine won’t be joining us today. My name is Jesse Clarke, and I’ll be conducting your interview this morning.”

Hal was slightly taken aback. He looked the woman up and down. She carried herself with strength and confidence. Additionally, she was exceedingly attractive. She had light brown hair that was pulled up in a nice, low bun off to the side of her head. She wore a beautiful, and yet very appropriate burgundy dress. Her eyes were a gray-blue, and they looked up at him with confidence, rather than the scared awe of most other women. Hal couldn’t help feeling slightly in awe himself. He racked his brain, wondering if he should know who she was.

“Oh,” he finally managed to say. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Clarke.”

“Would you care to take a seat?” the woman asked, gesturing to the chair. “Or are you still intent on leaving?”

Hal glanced back over at the chair, his mind whirling a bit. He was not used to facing a confident, assured woman.

Hal raised an eyebrow as he returned to his chair, knowing this interview was about to get much more interesting than he anticipated.

Chapter 7

Jesse

Jesse’s heart pounded as she looked up at Hal Roberts. She could not even think for how nervous and sick she felt at this encounter, but she locked onto Elaine’s words for her and used them to give her strength. Until she found her own, true, strength, she would just have to fake it through.

“This is my head of security, Adam,” Roberts said, gesturing to the other man in the room. Jesse looked over and granted him a smile, only to be met with a brief nod and a flat expression.

“I can ask him to step outside for the duration of the interview if you’d like,” Roberts offered.

“That shouldn’t be necessary,” Jesse smiled up at him, shocked that her voice had remained so steady as she spoke.

She watched as Roberts took a seat across the table from her, taking up his cup of coffee. Jesse took great pains to beat her anxiety and calmly arrange her materials in front of her.

“Do you mind if I record the interview?” she asked, withdrawing her recorder from within her bag.

“Not at all,” Roberts answered, and Jesse felt her stomach clench at his smooth voice.

In all honesty, she had no idea how she was being so calm and collected on the surface. Inside, her heart was pounding, and her stomach was fluttering. Hal Roberts was attractive onscreen, but in real life, he was absolutely immaculate. He was tall, at six foot two, and broad. She could easily tell his muscular frame from his well-fitted gray suit. In addition to his appearance, his smell was overwhelming, being exceedingly masculine and distinctly spicy. It was all Jesse could do not to swoon.

In fact, she was somewhat grateful for the presence of his bodyguard with them. Somehow, Jesse felt less pressure than she would have if it had been a one on one situation, and she felt a sense of relief knowing that this man was here with them, making the whole experience much less personal and more businesslike, as well it should have been.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Jesse said, hitting the record button on her recording device and gathering up her notebook and a pencil, setting them in her lap as she leaned back in her chair.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Roberts flashed her a smile of blindingly white teeth, and Jesse had to work hard to keep her jaw from dropping.

“Perfect,” she said and looked over at her list of questions on the table before her. “As you know, everyone is really raving about your movie. You spent years on this film, and you committed yourself so much to your performance. How did it feel when you finally wrapped it up?”

Jesse watched as Roberts’ eyebrows met in a frown.

“For the most part,” he started, “it was just an immense relief. It was very stressful to work on such a large project, and it was very taxing for me. I had played roles in movies before, but I had never really directed one or produced one for that matter. It was really just a lot more than I had originally anticipated, and in retrospect, I’m not sure I should have made such a big leap as young as I am.”

“Well, I don’t think anyone will be second guessing your capabilities after the success of this film,” Jesse remarked, and Hal gave her what seemed to be a rueful smile. Jesse couldn’t help noticing the expression, and her mind erupted with questions. She knew, though, that it would be best to stick to the questions she had brought and keep deviation to a minimum.

“Which brings me to my next question,” Jesse continued. “Do you have any plans to direct any more films any time in the future?”

Roberts blinked once at the question and seemed to think for a minute.

“Well, the future is very ambiguous,” he answered. “But as of now, no. I have had my fill of that particular endeavor for the time being.”

Jesse scribbled his answer into her notes. She felt Roberts’ eyes on her as she wrote and felt a small flush creep over her cheeks.

“And why not?” She proceeded with the interview, looked across the table at him and saw his brows meet again. It was obvious that he was not happy to be answering these questions.

“As I said before, it was extremely taxing,” he said, his voice short and clipped.

Jesse felt a spark of irritation at his tone, but she decided to keep herself calm for the time being and move on to the next question.

“This movie dealt with an extremely sensitive subject,” Jesse said smoothly, simply moving on to the next of her questions. “What was the personal inspiration for this film?”

Jesse saw Roberts clench his fist on top of the table.

“There was none,” he said, his voice tight. “I wanted to make the movie to bring light to a much larger issue than the issues of just one person. The issues dealt with in the movie are universal, and an enormous problem in our society. There doesn’t have to be any personal reason for making a movie like this when the state of society lends itself to making these problems so widespread.”

Roberts seemed to spit his answer out at her, and Jesse felt her annoyance with his tone reach an all-time high. She decided to deviate from her specified questions after all.

“If that is the case,” Jesse responded, keeping her tone as level as possible, “I think a lot of people will be very disappointed.”

Jesse saw a flash of anger pass through Roberts’ green, gold-flecked eyes.

“And why is that?” he retorted, resting his elbows on the table and leaning toward her.

“This movie spoke to people in a very personal way,” Jesse said.

“As it was meant to,” Roberts said shortly.

“And yet here you are,” Jesse heard her voice rising in pitch and volume. “Telling me, you have no personal connection with this movie at all.”

“I’m an actor,” Roberts snapped. “I connected with this movie like I connected to all the others. You have to throw yourself into a film, no matter if you directed it or not.”

Jesse gritted her teeth. Somehow, she knew that Roberts was lying. She could see it in the way his eyes flashed.

“Why have you been avoiding an interview for so long?” Jesse asked.

“I haven’t been avoiding them,” Roberts said. “I have been refusing them.”

“Again, why?” Jesse pressed. “It definitely gives the impression that there are personal reasons for doing so.”

Jess heard Roberts release a huff of breath.

“It’s called advertising,” he finally answered. “It was a new technique devised by me and a highly competent marketing staff. And I think it paid off, don’t you?”

“That’s all well and good,” Jesse said. “But that doesn’t explain why you refused one for so long after it came out.”

“What you seem to fail to understand,” Roberts said, “is that when you devote so much of yourself to one thing for so long, you get a little tired of it being the only subject of conversation. Did you ever stop to think that I needed a break from it for a while?”

“No,” Jesse said frankly. “Because that would imply a level of personal connection, of which you have claimed to have none.”

Jesse saw Roberts’ eyes narrow, and she felt her stomach clench as his face took on a very predatory look.

“Next question,” he bit out through clenched teeth.

Jesse gulped and looked down at her notes to gather her thoughts. She had indeed deviated far from the original list of questions. Maybe it was time that she finally got back on track. She took a breath and readied herself for the rest of the interview.

Fortunately, the rest of the interview passed much more calmly. The questions were far more general, and fortunately, Roberts seemed to become much more agreeable as the questions veered away from a personal inquiry. Jesse took good notes, and she, too, calmed as the interview progressed.

Still, her mind lingered on his strong reaction to the more personal questions. She wondered why he had been so offended and could not shake her instinct that there was more to that story. Still, she knew she had already overstepped the bounds of the interview and was determined to finish it out in a more professional manner.

It didn’t help, though, that she found herself ever more attracted to the man in front of her as the interview progressed. It seemed that he was more than just a pretty face. He was very smart and knew how to get what he wanted. He had succeeded in his field not just due to his talent and money, but due to his intelligence. She could even tell that he was trying to push the interview his way, rather than let her lead it.

He was also obviously very dominant. It took a lot for Jesse to keep from letting him take charge. Several times, he had responded to her questions with questions of his own, and it took a lot for her to refocus it on him. She could see his power and dominance behind his eyes, and she had to admit that a large part of her wanted to succumb to him.

After all the questions had been answered, Jesse was mentally exhausted. Her nerves were still racing, and she was experiencing a measure of irritation from the earlier part of the interview. She put down her notebook and pen and turned off the recording device.

“That concludes our interview.” Jesse sighed, partly in relief and partly in frustration. “Thank you for giving us some of your time this morning.”

“My pleasure.” Roberts gave her a smile from across the table. “I have to admit, this whole experience was much more pleasant than I thought it would be.”

Jesse cocked her head.

“And why might that be?” she asked, genuinely curious.

“Well, to be plain,” Roberts said. “Primarily because I didn’t have to put up with Elaine Beck.”

Jesse couldn’t help releasing a short burst of laughter. She definitely shared the same feelings about dealing with Elaine.

“Do you two have a history?” Jesse asked, somewhat teasingly.

“Is this question going to be in the article?” Roberts raised his eyebrow.

“Oh no,” Jesse shook her head. “I’m sure I wouldn’t have a job here if Elaine’s name wound up in this article.”

“Well, then I guess it can’t hurt, to be honest.” Roberts shot her a devious smile. “She annoyed the living hell out of me.”

“Oh?” Jesse raised her eyebrows. “Do you interact with her often?”

“No, fortunately,” Roberts answered. “But she harasses me relentlessly. I have to give her my respect for being persistent and pushy, but to be honest, those are not traits that I particularly admire in a woman.”

Jesse felt a flicker of irritation.

“So what are traits that you admire in a woman?” she retorted, crossing her arms and tilting her head. Roberts smiled at her, and she saw his eyes travel up and down her form. She saw some kind of intent in his gaze and couldn’t deny the way her body slightly responded to the look.

“In truth?” Roberts spoke. “I prefer respect from everyone I interact with, regardless of their gender, and pushiness does not go over well with me.”

“Some would say that respect must be given before it can be received,” Jesse said, feeling her ire begin to rise again. Roberts raised a brow and looked her over once again. Jesse had to work hard not to shrink under his scrutiny.

“And some would say that respect must be demanded,” Roberts said, his voice taking on a darker tone.

For the first time, Jesse openly blushed, unable to contain her body’s attraction to him. She stood from her seat across the table.

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Roberts,” she said, holding out her hand for him to shake.

“Thank you,” he said, rising slowly. He took her hand in his and gently squeezed it in his own. He leaned closer to her.

“You can call me Hal,” he said.

“Thank you,” Jesse repeated, feeling her heart pound in her chest. “Hal.”

He smiled down at her, and Jesse felt her heart flutter.

“It was a pleasure, Jesse,” he said, her name rolling easily off his tongue. “I can’t wait to read the article.”

“I’m sure.” Jesse granted him a smile. She saw his bodyguard stand from the corner of her eye and turned toward the door to watch them leave.

As soon as they exited the room and were out of her line of sight, Jesse collapsed into her chair with a loud huff of air, relieved to finally be finished with that ordeal.

Chapter 8

Hal

Hal brooded as he and Adam made their way out of the building. That interview had not gone at all like he expected. He had been thrown off from the start when it wasn’t Elaine who was interviewing him, and then it seemed like he lost even more control as the interview went on. If there was one thing he relished in his life, it was control, and to know that he had lost it was a blow to his ego more than anything else.

He arrived with Adam in the parking garage in short order. The men exchanged no words as they both got in the car, and Adam pulled out of the garage and into the street. Hal looked out the window, his brows furrowed as his mind played over all that had just happened. At length, he heard Adam chuckle from the driver’s seat.

Ha turned to look over at him scathingly.

“Just what’s so funny?” Hal bit out, his irritation plain to see.

“Oh nothing,” Adam shrugged. “Just think it’s funny for you to get so worked up over some girl, that’s all.”

“I’m not worked up,” Hal spat, crossing his arms.

Adam shrugged.

“Sure, whatever you say,” Adam mused, his eyes steadily on the road in front of him.

Hal grunted. He knew Adam was right. Somehow, Jesse Clarke had managed to get under his skin, and he couldn’t keep from thinking of her. It certainly didn’t help that he found her extremely attractive, and he wondered if that was why she had been able to catch him off guard so easily.

Hal thought on it even as Adam pulled back up to his building. Hal got out of the car without a word to Adam and moved immediately into the doors. He was greeted by the sight of his personal secretary, Liza.

“Good morning,” she greeted him pleasantly. She was older than him, almost into her forties.

“Good morning,” Hal said. “Anything else on my agenda for the day?”

Liza looked down at a clipboard she held in her hand.

“Nope,” she answered easily.

“Perfect,” Hal grumbled.

“Rough interview?” Liza asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You could say that,” Hal answered as he moved down the hallway, removing his tie as he went.

“Well, I hope you feel better,” Liza called over her shoulder, as she, too, went about her business for the day.

Hel felt himself relax more and more as he strode down the hall. No, the interview hadn’t gone quite as he thought it would, but at least it was over. Now, he could move on with the rest of his day and the rest of his life.

Hal could hear Adam walking along beside him as he headed for his room and felt a surge of excitement as he mentally prepared for their workout. As well as being his head of security, Adam was his personal trainer.

Adam had not been very happy with Hal’s treatment of his body during the making of his film. Truth be told, Hal hadn’t been very happy with it, either. But now that it was over, Hal was back on track, eating well and working out to gain back all the muscle that he had lost during the making of the movie.

Hal changed into a T-shirt and a pair of shorts and then headed to his personal gym with Adam. The two started the workout with a fast couple of miles and then went on to work their legs. As they worked out, Hal’s mind cleared, but somehow Jesse Clarke stayed on his mind. It was slightly irritating, but even his irritation was eventually replaced by simple curiosity.

The men finished their workout and parted ways, each of them heading toward their own apartment dwellings within the large residential building. Upon entering his home, Hal headed straight for his bathroom and stripped off his sweat-soaked clothes, then hopped into his shower. He heated the water up to a nearly unbearable level and allowed his body to get used to it, releasing a sigh as he let the water work on his muscles. He washed his hair and his body and then turned the water cold. He ground his teeth as the water cooled off his overheated muscles. Then, he turned off the water and got out of the shower, dripping onto his soft mat.

He picked up a towel from the rack beside the shower and roughly ran it over his hair before wiping off the droplets that had accumulated on his body. Then, he hung the towel back up and moved back into his room.

Hal dressed in a pair of boxer briefs, jeans, and a T-shirt. He strode over to a chair in front of his window and sat down. He picked up his laptop from his desk and set it on his lap, opening it up. Immediately, he ran a search for Jesse Clarke on the website for The Edge. He quickly scanned her bio, taking in the information that he found on her. His eyes lingered on her picture. She smiled broadly, to the point that her eyes crinkled. Her blue-gray eyes seemed to shine with intelligence. Hal smiled slightly at the sight.

After reading her bio, Hal went on to read the work she had done for The Edge. He was disappointed to find that most of her articles were just pop culture garbage, though he had to admit that they were at the very least amusing. Her style was witty and sarcastic. Still, Hal had hoped for more depth from her for some reason.

Hal continued to peruse her page until he found links to some of her other work. Curious, he clicked on them and was much more pleased with what he found there. Just as he had suspected, she was capable of much more depth. She had written articles on real political issues, as well as topics such as climate change and environmental matters. She was highly expressive in her writing, and more than a little bold. She had a very distinct flavor. Hal knew that some people didn’t particularly care for that in a writer, especially for more corporate magazines or manufacturers.

Hal was somewhat relieved that she would be the one writing the article over his movie, and not Elaine. He did appreciate Elaine’s writing, but she had not written herself for years, and even when she wrote, it was in the same annoyingly persistent style in which she spoke. She had an elevated sense of self-importance, and it annoyed Hal to no end.

Jesse, on the other hand, seemed to strike him differently. Much like Elaine, she came off as confident and collected. Unlike, Elaine, though, Hal could see a sense of genuine innocence and curiosity in her eyes. Hal had no way to tell it, but he strongly suspected that Jesse had never really interviewed someone as famous as him before. She had done a good job of covering it up, but the more Hal thought about it, the more he was convinced that this was her first big-time interview.

Hal suddenly realized that this article would probably be very important for her career, and he felt somewhat ashamed of himself for his snarky attitude toward her when she asked questions that hit too close to home for him. In retrospect, he had answered all of her questions in a half-assed manner, and now she had to somehow create a quality article from them.

Without another thought, Hal went back to The Edge’s website. He scrolled through Jesse’s information until he found her number. He picked up his cell phone from his desk and dialed the number, then had only to wait.

Chapter 9

Jesse

Jesse sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She rewound her recording again, jotting down notes from the interview she had conducted with Roberts. She wanted to record every nuance of his response in her article to give it the authentic feel that it deserved.

It was hard, though, to focus on writing an excellent article when her mind kept wandering back to the interview, and the intense memory of being in the same space as one of the most rich and famous men in the world. It certainly didn’t make it any easier that he was incredibly attractive. His face was clean-shaven, and his dark auburn hair had the slightest wave. Of course, she had seen this all on screen before, but seeing it in real life gave it a whole other dimension of absolute attractiveness.

Neither could the screen truly capture the depth of his green eyes or the power in his voice. It was one thing when you knew he was reading lines off a script, but when he was delivering his own, authentic responses, it was even more potent. He carried himself with absolute authority, not just the cockiness that most movie stars had about them. It was as if he was truly the ruler of his own fate. Jesse supposed that in reality, he actually was. She didn’t think he had to answer to anyone at all in his life.

Jesse, however, did, and she was horribly stressed by this whole article. She knew that if she let Elaine down with this piece, she would likely never get another chance to do something so important again, even if she did manage to keep her job. She tried desperately to focus her mind and keep from being distracted by the memory of Roberts. Still, she found it incredibly hard when a subtle hint of his scent lingered on her dress …

Jesse was suddenly wrenched out of her thoughts when the landline on her desk began to ring. Her first response was confusion. Usually, if people needed to contact her, they would send an email, or call her cell phone. It was very seldom that this phone actually rang. Jesse settled herself down. It was probably just someone who needed a call to be transferred.

Jesse picked up the phone and answered with the usual company line.

“This is The Edge; I’m Jesse Clarke. How can I help you?” she spoke into the phone with manufactured cheeriness.

“Hello, Miss Clarke,” Jesse heard a smooth, familiar voice respond from the other end of the phone, and she felt her stomach clench. “This is Hal Roberts. We had an interview earlier today.”

Jesse felt a rush of confusion and anxiety. What could he possibly be calling about?

“Yes,” she finally managed to respond. “And thank you once again for sparing your time. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“There might be,” Roberts said, and Jesse listened intently. “You see, it strikes me that I wasn’t very … amenable during our interview today.”

Jesse’s mind whirled at the statement. She had no idea what to say but knew she had to at least say something.

“Well, we here are just grateful that you granted us an interview in the first place,” Jesse said honestly, glad that she was able to come up with such a diplomatic response.

“Well, grateful or not,” Roberts continued, “I feel that I spoke to you disrespectfully, and I would like to make it up to you by taking you out to lunch, so we can have a more in-depth conversation in a less formal setting about the movie and all of my involvements in it. You can, then, of course, feel free to include any of that conversation in your article.”

Jesse couldn’t believe her ears. Hal Roberts had just asked her out to lunch. Granted, for an article, but he had certainly asked her to lunch.

“I assure you that isn’t necessary,” Jesse said, unwilling to believe that his offer was legitimate.

“Well, in that case, it would be my pleasure to take you out,” he said smoothly. “Please, I insist.”

Jesse was quiet for a long time. The idea of having an interview with him was nerve-wracking enough. Having lunch with him would be downright horrifying. She seriously entertained the idea of simply turning him down. She certainly had enough material to write the article already.

Another part of her, though, acknowledged the fact that he had skirted around all of her more personal questions, and that as it stood, her article would be very lacking in the depth she had originally sought out. Maybe, if she went to this lunch with him, she could get the answers she had actually wanted in the first place.

A part of Jesse, though, was suspicious that this was all just a ruse. It did seem very wild to her that such a famous man would be so intent on supplementing answers for a small-time journalist. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips.

“Do you really mean this?” Jesse asked over the phone, her tone hard and unyielding. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I can’t afford to waste my time if we’re going to basically have the same thing happen as before.”

“I am absolutely serious,” Roberts said from across the line. “I assure you that I will do my utmost to answer any questions that you might ask of me in a sincere and in-depth manner. And I will not speak to you as disrespectfully as I did this morning.”

Jesse was quiet for a moment as she processed his words. The nervous part of her rebelled against the very idea. The professional part of her insisted that this needed to happen to fully write the best article possible. And yet another part of her was equal parts nervous and excited to see him again. That part, she hurried to stifle before it got her into deeper trouble than she was already in.

Jesse wondered vaguely if she should tell Elaine about this development, but she decided against it, not at all eager to involve her boss any more than was absolutely necessary. She was also more than a little afraid that Elaine would disapprove of this meeting on the whole and try to keep her from going. And Jesse had to admit that in the deepest parts of her, she truly wanted to go.

“Okay,” Jesse said over the phone. “I’ll go.”

“Great,” Roberts drawled from his end. “I’ll set up a reservation somewhere quiet and private. Make sure you’re dressed at least as well as you were in our interview today, or you will feel very much out of place.”

Jesse blushed at being instructed on what to wear, and she felt a vague tingle in the pit of her stomach.

“Got it,” she said into the phone.

“Excellent,” Roberts said. “I can pick you up from your office at one if that’s agreeable.”

Jesse hurriedly checked her schedule to make sure she had no important meetings or events. She was half relieved and half exasperated to find that she was completely free. She had freed up quite a lot of her time to really focus on writing this article and never realized that she would be going quite so in-depth.

“That should be fine,” Jesse finally answered, her voice tight with the anxiety she was beginning to experience.

“Wonderful,” Roberts said. “I’ll have Adam, my head of security, drive me over. He’ll accompany us to the restaurant, just so we don’t take any chances. Hopefully, though, nobody will notice me, and we will be able to have a nice quiet lunch, and I can answer more of your questions. Agreed?”

Jesse’s thoughts were running wild, but it seemed that it was now too late for her to simply turn tail and retreat at this point.

“Agreed,” she said into the phone, feeling her heart pound heavily in her chest.

“Great,” he said, his voice relaxed and easy. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I am truly looking forward to it.”

“Okay,” Jesse managed. “Have a wonderful afternoon, Mr. Roberts.”

“It’s Hal,” he said, his voice firm, and Jesse felt her hear flutter at his insistence.

“Hal,” she repeated, and she couldn’t help the slight breathy tone in her voice.

“Have a wonderful afternoon, Jesse,” he fairly purred into the phone, satisfaction clearly evident in his voice. “See you tomorrow.”

With that, the line went dead, and Jesse numbly put the phone back on the receiver, feeling her mind whirl.

Jesse’s eyes were locked on the phone, and she sat for a moment in silence, trying to process the conversation that she had just finished. Overwhelmed with what had just happened to her, Jesse hastily rose from her desk and headed straight for Mark’s office, intent on telling him every detail of her bewildering day.

Chapter 10

Jesse

Jesse paced up and down the sidewalk in front of her building. She wrung her hands together and took in several slow, deep breaths to try and steady her racing nerves. She was about to have a private lunch with Hal Roberts, and she could not quite decide on how she should feel about it.

Some part of her was excited. It was not every person who got to sit down and have lunch with a movie-star billionaire, much less a young and attractive one. And it certainly wasn’t everyone who got to pick and pry at his personal motives for directing one of the best-selling films of all time. Her stomach lurched at the thought of his green and gold eyes boring into her as she asked him all the questions she had.

Jesse resisted the urge to run her hands through her hair, lest she ruin her up-do that she had worked so hard to create so that she would look decent for this lunch. Jesse repeated in her mind that this was just an interview. There was no reason for her stomach to be fluttering the way it was. She looked up and down the street, only to realize that the action was futile as she had no idea what kind of car they would be driving.

Jesse looked down at her watch, which read twelve fifty-eight. She had been outside since twelve fifty-five, just in case they were early. She schooled herself not to feel so anxious, but a part of her couldn’t shake the thought that this was all a ruse, and she was standing out on the sidewalk waiting for a ride that would never come.

Soon, though, those thoughts were all banished. A silver and black Range Rover pulled up to the curb. The back door opened, and Jesse’s stomach clenched as Hal stepped out of the car with a faint smile. She caught a whiff of his cologne and blinked to clear her mind as she moved over toward the car.

“Good afternoon,” Hal said smoothly as she approached the vehicle.

“Good afternoon,” Jesse responded, as composed as she could sound.

Jesse got in the car as Hal held the door open for her and buckled her seatbelt as he shut the door and moved around to the other side. She looked out of the car and could see the eyes of the various passersby lingering on the celebrity that had just appeared there. It was not long until Hal was safely and securely back in the car, and Adam pulled back out into the street. Jesse could see the eyes linger on the car until it had long abandoned the sidewalk in front of her office.

Jesse looked over at Hal to see that he was smiling at her.

“Yes?” she asked, raising an eyebrow, trying not to let on how incredibly unsettled she was just by being in his presence.

“Nothing.” She shrugged as his eyes twinkled. “You seemed a little overwhelmed.”

“Well, I guess it’s a little overwhelming,” she admitted.

“You get used to it,” he smirked. “You’ll have to deal with it too when you become the journalist extraordinaire of our time.”

“Right,” Jesse scoffed.

“That is what you want, isn’t it?” Hal asked, and Jesse frowned a little.

“I mean I guess everyone wants recognition for their work,” she said. “But honestly, I feel lucky enough just to have a job in the first place.”

“I know the feeling.” Hal chuckled. “It’s always rough going at first, and you get lucky enough if you manage to stay out of the porn industry along the way.”

Jesse couldn’t help laughing, if only because it was quite true.

“But once things get going ...” He shrugged. “It makes everything else worth it.”

“Well, I can’t speak from experience,” Jesse said. “But I can see that it’s certainly true for you.”

Hal smiled over at her and then turned to face forward in the car. Jesse did the same and silence reigned in the vehicle. Adam soon pulled the car into a parking garage. Once the car was parked, Hal immediately got out, and before Jesse could even move to open the door, Hal was there getting it for her.

Jesse gave him a slight smile as he offered his hand and helped her get down from the car. Then, he easily placed her hand on his arm and led her toward the entrance of a building that Jesse was unfamiliar with. Jesse hesitated for a moment, feeling a rush of insecurity, and Hal looked back at her, raising an eyebrow.

“Sorry.” Jesse laughed nervously. “Am I … am I dressed well enough to go in with you?”

Jesse had put on her nicest dress, a very nice shade of dark blue, as well as a pair of nude heels and a gold necklace that her mother had given her. Still, though, she had no idea what the level of sophistication was for this venue and didn’t want to go in and embarrass herself.

Jesse blushed lightly as Hal’s eyes traveled over her body, and a small smiled lighted upon his face.

“You look very lovely,” he assured her, his voice carrying amusement, but also sincerity. “Relax. You have nothing to worry about.”

Jesse nodded, appreciative of his assurance, though she did tighten her grip on his arm out of her lingering anxiety. Hal gently patter her hand and proceeded to move toward the entrance yet again.

They stepped through the doors, and Jesse was overwhelmed by the rich, savory scents that filled her nostrils. The ambiance of the place was quiet and private. The largest table was set for four, and there was a great deal of space between each table. The lighting was dim, and the furniture was dark, with the floors a deeply stained hardwood. Jesse suddenly felt more comfortable and more nervous all at once.

The host smiled at them as they entered.

“Good afternoon Mr. Roberts,” he said, his voice crisp and courteous. “Your table will be right this way.”

Hal smiled and followed the host over to a booth in the very back of the restaurant. Jesse slid into one side and Hal into the other. The host handed them each a small menu. No sooner had the host left them than a waiter appeared.

“Good afternoon.” The man inclined his head to them. “How may I get you started this afternoon?”

“We’ll each have a glass of water,” Hal said easily. “And we’ll also each have a glass of your house red.”

“I’ll get all that right out to you,” the waiter said with a small smile and promptly turned to go get their drinks.

Jesse had yet to speak a word, and she was beginning to feel quite odd. Hal looked over at her and tilted his head.

“Everything alright?” he asked her.

“Oh, fine,” Jesse nodded. Hal raised an eyebrow at her, and she blushed.

“I’m just not used to having people order for me,” she explained slowly, and Hal’s face spread into a somewhat playful smile.

“You must not have met very many gentlemen in your time,” he said, his tone carrying a bit of an edge to it.

Jesse opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by the return of the waiter. He set down a glass of water in front of each of them, as well as a wine glass. He then poured each of them a glass of wine.

“Actually, leave the bottle,” Hal said as the waiter made to withdraw it. “One of us will probably need more before this meal is over.”

“Of course.” The waiter gave him a nod and set the bottle on the table. Hal gave Jesse a wink from across the table, and she couldn’t help blushing a little at the mischievous flicker in his eyes.

“Are you two ready to order?” the waiter asked them.

Jesse was at a loss, having no idea what was on the menu. Hal seemed to be able to read her thoughts exactly, and a slow smile spread over his face.

“We’ll have two orders of your lunch special today,” he said softly. “Both medium.”

The waiter gave a single nod.

“Will that be all?” He looked between them.

“For now,” Hal confirmed, and with another nod, the waiter turned and left them.

Jesse fidgeted in her seat for a moment, beginning to feel a strange mixture of emotions. She was certainly unused to having people order her food without so much as asking what she preferred. A part of her was annoyed, but another part of her was grateful, and yet another part of her was somewhat excited.

“So,” Hal said, snapping Jesse out of the private dwellings of her mind. “I suppose there’s no better time to start all this than now.”

For a moment, Jesse was confused. Then, she recalled that the only reason they were having lunch in the first place was so that she could continue their interview.

“Right,” she breathed. She reached into her purse and took out her recording device and a small notebook.

“Is this alright?” she asked, regarding the recorder.

“Of course.” Hal smiled at her, and Jesse hastily looked down at the recorder and began fiddling with it.

“Alright then,” she breathed out. “Here we go.”

Jesse hit the record button and then settled back in her seat to look across the table at Hal.

“Back to where we left off,” she prefaced. “These questions will be in regard to your personal involvement in the movie.”

“Yes, of course.” Hal gave a slow nod.

“Alright,” Jesse sighed, ready for opposition no matter what he claimed. “What were some of your more personal reasons for choosing such a sensitive topic for your movie?”

Hal seemed to think for a moment, and Jesse waited with bated breath for his response.

“I suppose …” Hal said, frowning for a moment as he thought. “Well, before I was an active actor, you have to understand that there is the part that includes getting out there and getting noticed. Well, I think that’s the hardest part. It exposes you to your own vulnerabilities. And more than that, I was exposed to the insecurities and vulnerabilities of others.”

Jesse scribbled furiously in her notebook. She looked up at Hal to see an uncomfortable expression on his face. She waited expectantly for him to continue, and at last, he sighed, running a hand over his face.

“Another thing you have to understand,” Hal said, “is that this path isn’t an easy one to take. I made it, but not everyone does. But the links you form with the people you meet are incredibly strong sometimes.”

Again, Jesse wrote hastily in her notebook.

“I assume that’s where you drew most of your inspiration?” Jesse asked, prompting him to continue.

“Well, yes and no,” Hal answered. “A good deal of my inspiration came from inside myself. I drew upon the time I became depressed. That’s easy to talk about for me; in all honesty, I just haven’t let people really know about it because it seems silly to dwell on my own mental illness, especially now that I have recovered, and I am, in fact, quite successful in my endeavors now.”

Chapter 11

Jesse’s mind whirled. This was wholly new information. Nobody had ever had an indication that Hal Roberts had suffered from depression. This was going to be game-changing news. Jesse was beyond ecstatic that she was going to get to be the author of the article that revealed this snippet of information.

Beyond the professional gains this would bring her, though, Jesse was also curious personally about the issue, and more than a little concerned. She noticed that Hal had been silent for a long moment, and she decided it was likely time for some more questioning on her part.

“Well, surely your own mental illness played a large part in your creation of the film,” Jesse prompted, eager to continue the conversation.

“Oh, no doubt.” He nodded, taking up his glass of wine to sip at it. “It especially came in handy when I had to actually act out the part. It was a rough ride and brought back a lot of horrible memories. But truthfully, I am grateful to have revisited that part of my life. It offered up a lot of closure for a lot of things that were in the back of my mind through my whole career.”

Jesse got down his comments on her notepad and was eager to listen to them again as she went over the recording later.

“Now,” she spoke again as she finished jotting down her notes. “You said that your own struggles played a part in your inspiration; you were more influenced by the bonds you made with others, yes?”

“Absolutely.” He nodded. “It’s definitely a very profound experience when you spend so much time with someone and then your life just turns in a different direction. And then you have to make the choice to leave them behind or take them with you. And you know there are consequences to both these actions, and doing one or the other will change your life forever.”

Jesse once again felt a thousand questions run through her head, and she let out a soft chuckle.

“These responses are still very vague,” Jesse remarked, and Hal gave her a soft smile.

“Sorry,” he laughed lightly and took yet another sip of his wine. Jesse felt his eyes darken as he looked up and down her body across from him. She blushed, then cleared her throat and looked back down at her notes.

“Now, help me figure this out here,” Jesse pressed. “Would you say this happened to you multiple times, or was there one case in particular that really stood out to you and made such a profound impression in your life?”

Hal’s eyes darkened further, and he looked down into his glass of wine, his face somber.

“Just one,” he said softly. Again, Jesse scribbled into her notes. She was quiet for a moment as she looked up at him, her eyes searching his face for any hint of the answers she was looking for.

“Would you …” Jesse started and then cleared her throat a little. “Would you care to elaborate?”

Hal looked up at her, and for a moment, he looked as if he was going to refuse her. Then, he let out a long sigh and ran his hand over his face.

“Sure,” he sighed, letting out a harsh chuckle. “Why not, right?”

Jesse was silent and waited expectantly and somewhat hesitantly for him to continue. Hal released another ragged sigh and finished off his glass of wine.

“It was a woman that I met when I first came out here,” he started, and Jesse carefully took notes. “She was younger than me by a couple of years, and I was already young enough, so I couldn’t imagine what she even thought she was doing. At first, I thought she was absolutely crazy. But as I got to know her better, I started to see things the way she saw them.”

As he spoke, Jesse saw Hal’s eyes glaze over a little as he became completely lost in his memories.

“We lived together in this … just awful little house,” he said, shaking his head, an expression of abject disgust on his face. “It was horrible, but we sort of protected each other, you know? I didn’t want anything bad to happen to her, and she didn’t want anything bad to happen to me.”

Jesse, too, was becoming very drawn into this story, and she put down her pen and notebook. She could tell that Hal really was opening up to her as a person, and for some reason, she felt that she needed to be there for him as an individual, not just as a celebrity in an interview.

“We really only spent the nights in the house,” he explained. “By day, we spent our time out on the streets. I hate to say this, but we ended up committing some crimes. I was an okay criminal, but there was no way I would have made it without her. I really had no need to steal. I was just there for the experience. I could have picked up and gone back home whenever I wanted, to be perfectly honest. But she … she was a professional.”

Hal was silent for a long moment.

“She really was,” he said, shaking his head. “She could pick a pocket clean before you could blink an eye and would just carry on down the street like nothing had happened. Nobody ever suspected her. She would just look through a wallet like it was her own. She’d take the cash, and then drop it. If there were no cash, she’d just try again. It was truly artful. I tried a couple of times myself. Those were the times we ended up running from the cops. But she would never criticize me. She’d just say, ‘we’ll try again tomorrow’, and we could go home, or do whatever.”

Again, Hal was quiet, and he poured himself another glass of wine from the bottle. At about that time, Jesse and Hal both noticed their waiter returning, their food in tow. Jesse’s mouth watered a little at the sight of their meal, a steak with a side of roasted vegetables. She suddenly remembered just how hungry she actually was.

“Perfect.” Hal chuckled across from her. “It’s about time a guy got a break around here.”

Jesse blushed a little, feeling slightly bad about the progress of her interview and just how invasive it was getting. She was having serious doubts about whether she should actually put any of this in her interview. Those were thoughts for later, though, as the scent of her lunch wafted up and filled her nostrils. No sooner had the waiter left than she had gathered up her silverware and taken the first bite of her steak.

Jesse nearly moaned at the flavor that filled her mouth and was suddenly aware of Hal’s eyes on her. She blushed and heard him chuckle.

“I thought you might like it,” he said, his tone low. Jesse looked across the table at him and frowned as she took in the sight of his dark eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Jesse said in a rush. “I know this must be quite painful for you.”

Hal’s eyes flashed with emotion, but he gave her a rueful smile.

“Yes, well ...” He shrugged. “This is what we agreed to, isn’t it?”

Jesse looked down at her plate, collected a forkful of roasted vegetables and began to softly chew them.

“Let’s just finish our meal,” Hal said with a sigh. “And then we can resume our interview. Alright?”

Jesse nodded and gave him a small smile. Hal gave her a smirk and then looked down at the food in front of him. Jesse couldn’t help looking up at him every now and again, and she noted that he made it through another glass of wine as he ate. Eventually, they both finished their meals, and the waiter appeared to clear their plates off the table. Jesse drew up her notebook and waited expectantly as Hal drew a deep drink from his wine.

“Well, on with the show I suppose,” Hal drawled out, his tone darker. “Where were we, again?”

“Um …” Jesse rifled through her memory, as she had stopped taking notes to listen more attentively. “You and your friend were running from the cops?”

Hal laughed long and low.

“My ‘friend’…” he repeated darkly, lifting up his wine glass to catch the dark liquid in the light. He was quiet for a long moment, seeming to contemplate the color of the wine before he finished the glass in a single swallow. He placed the glass back down on the table with a sharp clink, and Jesse couldn’t help flinching at the sound. Hal smiled darkly, seemingly at her reaction.

“Yes, yes.” He sighed, leaning back in his seat. “We were inseparable. We had other friends, of course, but at the end of the day, it really was just us against the world, and that was the way we liked it. Honestly, a part of me wishes that nothing had changed …”

Hal was quiet for another long moment, and Jesse waited silently for him to continue. His eyes looked up at her, and he seemed to regain his focus.

“Nevertheless …” He sighed, waving his hand through the air in a curt gesture. “Things did change. For me, anyway. We were both auditioning all the time, of course, and I was actually getting some attention. I was landing small roles, and eventually, even larger ones. I had a more solid income. To me, it seemed like things were looking up for the both of us. But … she didn’t see it that way at all.”

Jesse felt her stomach sink.

“When I really started to make some money,” Hal continued, “I started renting a nice little apartment. It took some convincing on my part, but I finally got her to go ahead and move in with me. Of course, I was completely in love with her at this point and wanted to make life better for the both of us. I was so intent on creating this new life that I was failing to see that she was very much trapped by her own mentality, and indeed by her own mental disorders. God only knows what they all were, but as I look back, I can plainly see they were there. At the time, though, I was too young and couldn’t have done anything about it even if I had seen it.”

Jesse felt an immense amount of pity for him, and she had half a mind to stop him, not sure if she would like how this story ended up.

“It got to the point where I had developed a stable career,” he said. “Which was wonderful for me, and I have to admit, I was very committed to making a name for myself. That was why I had left home. That was my whole goal. I thought she would be happy for me, but it seemed that she was always discontent. I suppose that’s probably why she never really got out of old habits. She still stole for money, even though we had plenty to eat and drink at the apartment. There was just some part of her that wouldn’t let go of her past situation. One day, I just confronted her about it.”

Hal took a moment to collect his thoughts, and Jesse could see his jaw working as he thought.

“I told her that she needed to give up all of that,” he said. “She needed to just take it easy and let me take care of her and everything else. She lost it. She laughed at me and spat in my face. She accused me of looking down on her and belittling her for her lack of success. I told her that was absurd. It went back and forth for a little while. Eventually, it ended up that she left the house. At the time, I was furious, so I resolved to let her go. She had made her decision, and I had made mine, and that was all fine.”

Hal shook his head and laughed.

“As you probably could have guessed,” Hal continued, “that lasted a grand total of about three days. I would say those were the worst three days of my life, but those days were nothing compared to the weeks and then months I spent looking for her afterward. It’s funny that my career chose that exact moment to escalate when all I really wanted to do was drop everything and find her. In the end, though, I had to make a decision. And in the end … I chose what was best for me.”

Jesse was silent as she took in all that Hal had told her.

“Well,” he sighed. “That’s more than I’ve ever told anyone before. DO you need anything else?”

Jesse took in the sight of Hal. He looked ragged and worn. It reminded her of several scenes from his movie, and she felt a pang of guilt at having inspired such raw emotions from him. Still, she did have one question that was nagging at her.

“So …” she started hesitantly. “You looked for her … but … did you ever find her?”

Hal’s eyes grew distant, and Jesse could tell that he was dwelling on memories that he wished he didn’t have.

“No,” he finally answered her, his tone odd and dark. “I never did.”

Jesse’s heart broke for him. Silently, she looked over at her recording device and pressed the ‘stop’ button. She looked at the device long and hard and pursed her lips. Then, with a deep breath to fortify herself, she moved her hand over and pressed the ‘delete’ button. She knew she was throwing away the article of the century but knew that everything on this recording was far too personal to ever be shared on any record.

Hal, who had been watching her motions the entire time, looked up at her in alarm.

“Whoa there,” he said. “That’s a hell of an article you just deleted there.”

Jesse was silent as she looked up at him.

“Yeah well …” She shrugged. “I can make it work with what I already have.”

The truth was, Jesse didn’t think she could bring herself to relive this heartbreaking story to try and write about it in an article. Hal obviously suspected her true reasoning and smiled at her sympathetically over the table.

“Pretty heavy, right?” he asked, his voice still slurring. “Pretty dark and deep?”

“Yeah …” Jesse answered, feeling her own emotions beginning to sink.

Hal looked over at her, and his eyes narrowed as he searched her face for emotions.

“What are you doing for the rest of the day?” he asked her, his voice filled with quiet urgency.

“Well,” Jesse blinked, taken off guard by the question. “I really should be getting back to work.”

“Take the day off,” Hal pressed her. “Don’t worry; I can have my people smooth things over with Elaine if she starts asking questions.”

Jesse’s mind whirled at the suggestion.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.” Jesse frowned and shook her head.

Suddenly, Hal reached across the table and lightly clasped her hand in his. Jesse couldn’t contain a gasp as the soft touch sent a spark of electricity through her whole body.

“Come on,” Hal urged her, his voice still a little slurred. “Spend the day with me.”

“I have to get back to work,” Jesse whispered urgently, though her insides were already tingling with excitement at the idea of spending any more time with this incredible stranger.

“Tell me, and be honest with me ...” Hal narrowed his eyes at her and gave her a delightfully playful smirk. “Who exactly is going to notice if you don’t show up for the rest of your workday?”

Jesse thought for a moment, trying to think of any pressing obligations she had, but could find none. In fact, it seemed like her entire schedule had been entirely cleared so that she could focus all her attentions on this article. It appeared, after all, that she was actually free.

“Nobody,” she answered honestly, the idea of skipping the rest of her day seeming more appealing than ever.

“Then what are you waiting for?” he asked her, his eyes dancing with mischief and excitement.

Jesse considered her answer carefully before she gave it.

“Okay,” she breathed out, and a wide grin spread across Hal’s face.

“Excellent,” he said slowly.

Jesse watched as he got up from his seat and moved to her side of the booth. He extended his hand to offer it to her, and Jesse hesitated only a moment before taking it. She wondered briefly about the check but quickly dismissed the thought. He was, after all, Hal Roberts. The restaurant likely trusted him to pay off his bill for a simple lunch.

Jesse felt a mix of anxiety and excitement as Hal led her through the parking garage and toward the car that they had arrived in. He withdrew a key fob from his pocket and clicked a button to unlock the car. After holding the back door open for Jesse, he then went around to the other side to get in.

Jesse watched as he pulled a phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.

“We’re in the car,” Hal said simply, and hung up the phone.

In a matter of minutes, Adam had made his way back to the vehicle and into the driver’s seat.

“Where to?” the burly man asked as he started the engine.

“Well, I’m a little drunk, as you can tell,” Hal said, the twinkle of amusement evident in his voice. “So I propose some place where I can walk this off for a little while. A park, maybe. Have any suggestions, Jess?”

Jesse looked over at him, feeling somewhat taken aback by his sudden use of a nickname.

“Um ...” She blinked, racking her brain for an answer to his question. “I mean, there’s a fairly large park not far from my apartment complex. Not a lot of people actually go there, but I think it’s nice.”

“Well, I suppose I’ll just have to see for myself.” Hal shrugged and sighed, shifting slightly to make him more comfortable in the back seat of the car. “You’ll have to give Adam directions as we go along. I have no earthly idea where we’re going right now.”

So, Jesse directed Adam toward her own apartment complex, and then to the park that was not far away. When they arrived, they pulled into a parking space, and each member of the party got out of the vehicle.

“Go home Adam.” Hal waved his bodyguard away.

“Sir, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Adam protested with a slight shake of his head.

“Oh, relax.” Adam waved him off. “I’ll be fine. Jesse will be with me the whole time.”

Adam looked over at Jesse, and Jesse’s stomach clenched at the responsibility that had suddenly landed on her.

Chapter 12

Hal

Hal’s head was hazy from the amount of alcohol he had consumed. He just wanted to take a walk and take some time to sober up. He was also, though, on a bit of a mischievous streak already so figured he should milk his condition for all it was worth.

For now, though, he had to convince Adam to go and leave them alone. He wanted to spend some time by himself with this Jesse Clarke, and he knew that would be impossible if his bodyguard were hanging around.

“Adam,” Hal sighed. “A word.”

With that, Hal walked over to another car in the parking lot, and Adam followed him.

“Just let me spend the rest of the day with her,” Hal pleaded his case.

“I really don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone,” Adam protested, crossing his arms.

“Come on,” Hal pleaded a little more. “I just want to spend one day with her, okay?”

“You’re drunk.” Adam pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

“So?” Hal waved him off. “I get drunk all the time, and I’m always fine at the end of the day.”

“Yes,” Adam said with a shrug. “Because I’m there.”

Hal scoffed, and Adam scowled at him.

“Laugh all you want,” Adam said darkly. “I’m personally in charge of your well-being. And my answer is no.”

“What?” Hal laughed. “You don’t trust Jesse?”

“No,” Adam answered shortly, and Hal gave a long sigh.

“Look,” Hal said. “I didn’t want to take things to this level, and I know we’re friends, but at the end of the day, I’m your boss. And I’m telling you to take the rest of the day off.”

Adam scowled and shook his head.

“I feel like you aren’t in the right mind to give me the day off,” Adam said frankly.

“I feel like that’s not up to your discretion,” Hal rebutted, his mood darkening by the second. “Look, I just want to spend some time with this girl.”

Adam sneered and glanced over his shoulder before moving closer to Hal. “Well consider this,” he said softly, “what if I’m concerned for her safety as well? Do you think that you could properly protect her in your current state?”

Hal felt as though he had sobered considerably in an instant.

“I feel as though I could properly protect her in any state,” Hal all but growled, and Adam raised his eyebrows.

“Well, you’re not half as drunk as you were letting on,” Adam smirked.

“Maybe not.” Hal shrugged, feeling his temper subside.

“Well, why the pretense?” Adam pressed, and Hal felt his irritation mount a little again.

“It’s just a tactic,” he said. “If she feels obligated to stay, she really can’t leave. Especially if you’re not here either.”

“That’s a little deceptive too, isn’t it?” Adam frowned and raised an eyebrow.

“Look,” Hal huffed. “I’ve never had a problem with women before, and I certainly am not having one now.”

Adam chuckled and held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright,” he said, backing away. “I’ll leave you two alone to get acquainted. But if you get into any trouble, just be sure to call me the second you’re in trouble.”

“Okay, okay.” Hal nodded. “Now can you please just go already?”

Adam laughed and nodded.

“Okay, I’m leaving,” he said as he walked away. “Here are your keys. Don’t drive drunk.”

Adam tossed the keys over to him, and he easily snatched them out of the air.

Hal huffed to himself and shook his head. He couldn’t fight the surge of excitement that had risen inside of him. Feeling more positive, he moved back over to where Jesse was still waiting for him by the Range Rover.

“Well, finally got rid of my mom,” he chuckled as he approached Jesse.

“Are you sure that’s the best idea?” Jesse said, and Hal could hear the nervousness in her voice. “I mean, if something happens, I really won’t be able to do much to …”

“Stop right there.” Hal held up a hand. “Nothing is going to happen. And if it does, I am more than capable of getting us both out of the situation. Is that perfectly clear?”

Jesse nodded, though he could still see the concern on her face. He let out a sigh and shook his head.

“Look,” he said slowly. “I go out without my security detail all the time, okay? I promise we’ll be alright.”

“Okay,” Jesse nodded and gave him a small smile.

“Good.” He smiled down at her. “Now show me this park.”

Jesse nodded and Hal followed as she led him onto a small gravel trail that led deeper into the park from the parking lot. Hal listened as Jesse described various plants around them, and he took in the various sights and smells of the natural life around them.

Hal didn’t take much of his time to dwell in parks, getting most of his exercise from indoor gyms. Now, though, he was beginning to rethink that decision. He enjoyed the scent of the fresh air as it filled his nostrils and his lungs.

He also enjoyed listening to Jesse talk. For now, she seemed to be intent on narrating their path, and it certainly served to amuse him. It was little wonder she was a writer if she could so easily conjure up words the way she was doing now.

At length, though, she became quiet, and it gave Hal enough of a break to really take in her appearance. Hal couldn’t help being attracted to her. She was petite, with dark hair that fell into her face in spite of the time she had obviously spent putting it up. Her skin was pale and a little freckled, as she probably had no choice but to go out into the sun without the proper protection. What stood out most to him though were her bright blue eyes that always seemed to hold some level of genuineness and curiosity. It was a wonder anyone ever resisted her in an interview.

Hal finally noticed once again that she had become quiet, and he couldn’t help being slightly concerned.

“Are you alright?” he asked her, frowning slightly.

“Oh, I’m fine,” she assured him with a short laugh. “It’s just not very comfortable to be walking around a park in heels, you know?”

Hal suddenly felt very foolish. He took in her state of dress once again and had to remind himself that though she looked incredible, she was surely not dressed for an outing in the park. She wore a pair of heels that were certainly not at all comfortable to walk in. She also wore a beautiful dark blue dress that was absolutely stunning on her but was also not the best thing to wear for an outing in the park.

“I’m so sorry.” Hal shook his head and laughed.

“Oh, it’s fine.” Jesse shook her head. “Really, I mean I’m getting used to it.”

“How ridiculous.” Hal laughed. “Look, there’s a bench right here. Let’s sit down.”

Jesse did not protest as Hal led her toward the small bench, and they both took a seat on it.

“I’m really sorry,” Jesse apologized, her words coming out in a rush. “If I had known we’d be spending time here at the park, I would have worn more practical shoes, at least.”

“Please, don’t apologize,” Hal said. “Besides, I like your shoes. But I can definitely see that they’re not much good on a little gravel walkway.”

Jesse laughed lightly, and Hal could hear some strain there.

“You’re not nervous, are you?” Hal asked her, a wry smile forming on his face.

“Well,” Jesse cleared her throat. “I guess I am.”

“Relax,” Hal said, trying to reassure her. “I’m just a person like anyone else around here. Nobody has even said anything to us.”

“Well, no offense.” Jesse shrugged. “But it’s not just you.”

“Oh?” Hal blinked, somewhat taken aback by her admission. “Well, what is it, then?”

“I don’t know ...” Jesse let out a long sigh. “I guess it just takes me a lot of time to really get entirely comfortable being around just one specific person.”

“Oh.” Hal nodded in understanding. “So it just takes you a while to warm up to people.”

“Definitely,” Jesse affirmed and looked over at him out of the corner of her eye. “Although it certainly doesn’t help that you’re probably the most famous person in the entire world.”

Hal let out a loud laugh, and he felt yet another tingle of attraction toward her down in his stomach.

“Well, no, I’m sure that certainly doesn’t help.” He laughed lightly and looked down at her with a smile. Jesse glanced back up at him with a small smile of her own, and Hal felt his stomach clench a little as he looked down at her.

Chapter 13

“So what do you usually do with your days after work?” Hal asked pleasantly, though he was genuinely curious about what her answer would be.

“Oh, not much.” Jesse shrugged beside him. “Sometimes I’ll watch a movie. Most of the time I watch all the media reels and the news, just to be sure that if something major happens, I catch it. Usually, Elaine does a good job of keeping us in the loop with everything that’s going on before it actually happens, but every now and then something will slip through the cracks.”

Hal nodded but frowned a little. It seemed that Jesse noticed.

“What?” she asked him, and he saw her narrow her eyes.

“Nothing.” He shook his head. “It just seems like you spend all your time working is all.”

“Well, not all of it.” Jesse thought for a moment. “I hang out with some of my friends, Mark and Tony, a lot. They’re a couple, and they live right next door to me. They’re the first people I met when I came to live up here after school. Mark actually got me my job at The Edge.”

“Oh, well that was good of him.” Hal nodded.

“Well, what about you?” Jesse asked, and Hal was slightly taken aback.

“What about me?” he asked, leaning in toward her slightly and delighting in the way he could clearly see her confidence falter.

“Well,” she said and licked her lips as she gathered up her scattered nerves. “How do you spend your free time?”

“How do I spend my free time …” Hal wondered aloud as he thought through the question. “Well, I definitely work out a lot. You know, Adam is my trainer as well as my bodyguard.”

“Well, that still seems related to work,” Jesse remarked.

“I mean, maybe,” Hal admitted. “But it is also just therapeutic.”

Hal thought for a long moment, trying to think of how he spent his days when he wasn’t doing some sort of publicity or sorting through something or other from his past projects or prospective projects in the future. Most of his recreational activities were somehow wound up in his job.

“I guess you got me there …” He shrugged. “Maybe we both need to pick up a couple more hobbies.

Hal looked down at Jesse and gave her a smile, and he couldn’t deny the satisfaction he felt at seeing a bright blush spread across her features.

He was certainly becoming very interested in Jesse Clarke.

Chapter 14

Jesse

Jesse couldn’t help the way her heart beat furiously in her chest. She had only had one glass of wine, and most of the effects of the alcohol had worn off, and yet her head was still spinning. She had no choice but to attribute this to the presence of Hal Roberts so close to her.

She had to admit that she had never anticipated being quite so close to him for such an extended amount of time and had certainly not accounted for the way their interview had gone. And she really, really never imagined that she would be babysitting the drunk celebrity on a park bench. Although, from the progress of their conversation, she had the sneaking suspicion that he was not quite as drunk as he would have her believe.

Still, drunk or not, she was in a park with him, having to divulge the details of her horrifically inactive life. She was only mildly comforted by the fact that his own personal life seemed to be every bit as inactive and work oriented as her own.

This was small comfort, though when she had to take into account the way her heart was frantically beating in her chest. All through lunch, she had gotten a lot of insight into this man’s personal life and the deep struggle he had endured in the early parts of his career. While she didn’t have the heart to include all these details in her article, they were still rattling around in her brain, and Jesse knew that she would likely not ever be able to forget them.

It certainly didn’t help that every time she looked into his deep, green eyes, they seemed to reflect a whole new dimension of emotion. It was certainly a level of him that she had never even imagined before, and she couldn’t help wondering what had become of the young woman that he had lost before his career. It seemed to Jesse that he was still very much in love with her and that her memory haunted him to this day.

“Jesse?” Hal’s smooth voice called her out of her thoughts, and she shook her head to clear it.

“I’m sorry,” she said, blinking a couple of times to focus herself. “What was it you were saying?”

“I was asking if there were any coffee places around here,” he said. “I haven’t had any today, and my head is starting to hurt a little.”

“Oh, sure,” Jesse confirmed. “Once we get through the park, there’s actually a little place just around the corner, pretty close to my apartment.”

“Oh, yeah,” Hal said as if it was a revelation. “You did say this park was close to your apartment.”

Jesse vaguely nodded, feeling a slight sense of unease at the fact that he remembered such a detail.

“Yeah ...” Jesse cleared her throat and moved to stand. “We can head over to the café right now if you’d like.”

“Oh, sure,” Hal said with a smile and made to stand. Jesse felt both parts excited and somewhat nervous by just how much taller he was than she, but she worked hard to ignore her emotional reactions to him.

“This way,” Jesse said, moving further down the path and ignoring the prevalent ache in both her feet.

“Whoa, whoa ...” Hal chuckled from behind her. Jesse felt a moment of guilt and stopped in her tracks.

“There’s no hurry,” he said, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. “A little headache isn’t going to end me.”

“Yeah, sorry.” Jesse let out a soft laugh. “I guess I’m still just a little nervous.”

She looked up at Hal as she gave her admission and saw his face soften.

“Like I said,” he started, his voice considerably softer. “There’s no need for you to be nervous, okay?”

Jesse nodded with a small smile and then continued down the path, this time at a much more reasonable pace. She took a few deep breaths of the fresh air and felt herself calm.

After a short distance, they finally arrived on the other side of the park and back onto the sidewalk of the street. Jesse did enjoy the park, but she could not deny that there was a certain level of safety and comfort she found from being surrounded by concrete. She breathed a sigh of audible relief and heard Hal laugh beside her.

“I know how you feel.” He laughed softly as they proceeded down the sidewalk. “Nature is nice, but the city is home.”

Jesse thought that his words were nearly poetic, and she couldn’t help a smile spreading across her face as he said them. She said nothing, though, as she continued down the sidewalk toward the café that was less than a block from the entrance to her apartment.

Once inside, Jesse looked around in some surprise to see that the place, for the most part, was fairly packed. She guessed that she must not usually spend her time there during its busiest hours. Now, though, there were only two seats available in the whole store, and they were both on a small leather couch in a dimly lit corner in the back.

“Here, we order at the bar,” Jesse informed him, and he nodded.

Hal began to place his order, and Jesse looked around the café, somewhat paranoid that someone would recognize Hal. It seemed, though, that for the most part, people were busy on their phones or computers or talking amongst themselves. They were too busy to be bothered with another two people in the already crowded space of the café.

When Hal had finally finished placing his order, Jesse turned to order her usual drink of a caramel Macchiato. She heard Hal chuckle from behind her as she ordered.

“What?” she pressed, raising an eyebrow.

“Just so typical of you,” he said. “Just seems like a drink you would drink.”

“Well,” Jesse sighed. “You can’t judge a person by what they order at a café.”

“Well, you may be right about that,” Hal accepted and gave her a smile that made her stomach flutter. “Come on, let’s go sit down before that couch gets taken by some hipster couple.”

Jesse couldn’t help laughing at his all too accurate joke and followed him toward the single couch in the back of the café. Hal held out his hand, helped Jesse to take her seat and then settled into the couch beside her.

Jesse’s heart pounded. The couch was not exactly large enough for both of them, so the two were forced to sit very close to one another. So close, in fact, that Hal saw fit to put his arm around her, and Jesse suddenly found herself pressed against his side. She hoped vaguely that he couldn’t feel the rate at which her heart was pounding.

“Wow,” Hal said after taking his first sip. “This is actually really good.”

“I’m glad I didn’t disappoint you.” Jesse laughed. “I have to admit I’m a bit of a coffee snob, so I was pretty lucky to end up with such a lovely little shop so close to where I live.”

“Lucky indeed,” Hal remarked. “Is your apartment any good, though?”

“It’s good enough,” Jesse commented. “The walls are actually really good. I can’t hear anything going on around me, and nobody would be able to tell what I was doing inside either.”

Hal gave her a wry smile.

“Do you take advantage of that fact often?” Hal flicked his eyebrows at her, and Jesse felt her cheeks heat up almost instantly at his insinuation.

“Um, well, I guess,” Jesse stammered. “I mean, when I watch movies … loudly …”

Hal laughed and took another drink of his coffee.

“What about you?” Jesse tried to refocus the conversation. “Are your walls pretty good?”

“Very good, I should think.” Hal nodded. “Though it helps that I live in my own building with no other people. That way, I can have loud, incredible sex whenever I want.”

Jesse blushed at his crass remark but couldn’t help laughing aloud at his humor.

“I’m joking, of course.” Hal chuckled, mostly to himself. “Mostly.”

“Well, we’re grown.” Jesse shrugged, wiping a little at her eyes as she recovered from her laughter. “You’re entitled to do anything you want in your house.”

“That’s true,” Hal accepted and fingered the rim of his coffee cup.

Silence passed between them for a long moment, and Jesse took that moment to try and take stock of her situation. One of the most famous men in the world was sitting beside her, and though she was having a hard time believing it, she could tell that she was growing ever more comfortable with his presence there. A part of her mind counseled her to be careful and to guard her heart against the emotions she could already sense developing there, but another part was actively telling her to relax and just enjoy this while it lasted, for all too soon everything would be back to normal.

“Oh no,” Hal leaned over to whisper into her ear, and Jesse felt a shiver travel down her spine as his lips brushed against the shell of her ear. “Someone spotted us.”

“Someone spotted you, you mean,” Jesse clarified.

“Well, me and you together.” He chuckled.

Jesse looked up across the room, and sure enough, there was someone across the small café with their phone out. Jesse’s heart sank a little bit as she realized they must have taken a dozen photos by now.

“Oh no,” she murmured. “We have to get you out of here.”

“Don’t worry,” Hal said, his voice calm and rational. “I do this sort of thing all the time.”

Hal tossed his head back and finished off the last of his coffee, leaving the empty mug on the small stand beside the couch. Jesse likewise finished her own drink and set it down. Hal offered her his hand to help her up, and she took it. She couldn’t help noticing that around the small café, more and more people had begun to whisper and look in their direction.

Hal leaned down, put his hand on her shoulder and whispered into her ear. “Are you ready?” he asked, and she could hear the excitement in his voice.

“For what?” Jesse asked, somewhat frantically.

“Run!” he whispered into her ear.

With that, Hal tightened his grip on her hand and took off. Jesse could only lurch after him as he dashed out of the small café. Once they were out, Jesse immediately headed toward her apartment out of habit. She didn’t dare to look back and see if they were being followed, as caught up as she was in the moment.

Once they were in the lobby, the two burst into laughter. The receptionist looked over at them with raised brows, but they both ignored her easily.

“That was fun.” Hal laughed as he stood up from his crouched position. He looked around the small lobby for a moment, and then looked back at Jesse.

“So this is your apartment?” he asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling wryly.

“Um …” Jesse stammered for a moment but then decided there was not much use in lying. “Yeah, this is it.”

There was a moment of awkwardness that passed between them, and Jesse felt like she was the only one who could really relieve it at that point.

“Would you …” Jesse started, then paused for a moment to collect her nerves. “Would you like to come up and see my place? I mean, we’re here, so you might as well …”

“Sure,” Hal answered with a smile. “It’s good to see how the other half lives every now and again.”

Jesse could tell he was only teasing, and she laughed a little, in spite of just how nervous she was.

“Well, we’ll have to take the elevator,” Jesse said, gesturing toward the metallic doors.

“Ah, yes,” Hal nodded as they walked over to it. “I have one of these in my home as well.”

Jesse laughed. She couldn’t help it. It seemed that this man had a very charming sense of humor. It certainly didn’t help the tenderness she felt developing toward him. They got in the elevator together, and Jesse pressed the button to her floor. The doors slid shut, and silence reigned between the pair.

“Ah, who knows what sorts of things happen in here …” Hal said and flicked his eyebrows at her, giving her a wry smile.

“Should I be concerned for my safety with you?” Jesse asked teasingly and was somewhat taken aback by the suddenly serious expression that crossed his face.

“You never have to be concerned about your safety around me,” he said solemnly.

Jesse felt her emotions suddenly cloud, and she felt a blush rise in her cheeks again. Hal’s eyes were full of sincerity and intensity, and she knew that he wholeheartedly meant what he said. She looked down at the ground between her feet to spare herself the trouble of giving him a response.

Fortunately, shortly after he said that the elevator door slid open.

“Here we are ...” Jesse laughed nervously and stepped out into the hallway.

Jess could hear Hal’s footsteps behind her as she moved down the hallway toward the door to her apartment. Her heart pounded in her chest as she reached her door. She reached into her purse to withdraw her keys, but before she could find them, she heard Mark’s doorknob opening from within.

“Oh no,” Jesse whispered to herself as the door swung open and revealed her two neighbors leaving their house.

“Hey!” Jesse flinched as Mark smiled at her, and Tony waved.

“Hey,” she laughed nervously.

“What’s the matter with you?” Mark frowned in concern, obviously taking in her nervous state.

“Nothing,” she shook her head even as her stomach threatened to turn itself inside out.

“Okay then …” Mark said strangely as he and Tony stepped out of their home.

Jesse could only watch as Mark’s expression changed abruptly when he saw Hal standing in the hallway. His jaw dropped, and his eyebrows raised as he took in the sight of the celebrity figure occupying the hallway of the small apartment complex. Jesse was silent for a while as her friends’ eyes traveled between her and Hal.

“Mark, Tony,” Jesse finally spoke after clearing her throat. “Allow me to introduce you to my … to Hal Roberts.”

Chapter 15

Hal

Hal stood, horribly amused by the whole situation, as Jesse’s neighbors came out to see him standing in the hallway behind her. He couldn’t help smiling and chuckling to himself as they looked between him and Jesse. Finally, he decided to bring the awkward moment to a close.

“Hal,” he said, introducing himself and extending his hand to the two gentlemen. “Jesse spoke about you briefly.”

“Oh?” Mark answered as he shook his hand.

“She is very fond of the two of you.” Hal smiled as he turned to Tony and shook his hand as well.

“Well, we’re fond of her as well,” Mark said, and Hal raised his brow at the hint of protectiveness he heard in the other man’s voice.

“I am getting there myself,” Hal said, flashing both of the men a smile, making sure to make it just so slightly unsettling. As he had hoped, he saw both of the men bristle a little.

“We were just heading out to the store,” Mark said to Jesse but still keeping his eyes on Hal. “Did you need anything?”

“No, I’m fine,” Jesse said, and Hal nearly laughed at the strained awkwardness he could clearly detect in her tone.

“Okay,” the man said. “We should be back in a couple of hours. Just give me a call if you change your mind.”

Hal could clearly see that the man was reluctant to trust him and could hardly blame him. He was sure that having a random famous person appear in one’s hallway was a bit of a shock.

“I will,” Jesse said from beside him. “I was just going to show Hal around for a second.”

Hal could feel both of the men sizing him up for another moment. He knew that he could take both of these men down within the span of a second, and it seemed that they, too were coming to the same realization. Hal knew, though, that they were just concerned for the well-being of their friend, and he forced himself to relax.

“Okay,” Mark said, his voice still harboring a lot of reluctance. “We’ll see you later, then.”

“See you,” Jesse said softly, and Hal could tell that she was feeling incredibly awkward about the whole situation.

“It was nice meeting you both,” Hal said as they passed him.

“Good to meet you, too,” the other man, Tony said while Mark appeared to simply ignore him.

Hal could feel their eyes on him until the elevator slid closed. He watched as Jesse opened the door to her apartment and moved inside.

“Well,” here we are, he heard her say. “It isn’t much, but it’s mine. Well, as long as I keep paying the rent, anyway.”

Hal chuckled at her even as his eyes traveled over the small apartment. It was indeed small, but it was very homey and incredibly clean and well organized.

“This is a nice little place,” Hal said, looking around, and hearing Jesse laugh from behind him.

“If you say so,” she remarked. “Can I get you anything? Tea? More coffee?”

“No, I’m fine.” Hal refused her offers. “I really appreciate you showing me around a little.”

“Oh, it’s no problem,” she said dismissively.

“I’m sorry my friends were so rude,” Jesse said, and he could hear the embarrassment in her tone.

“I’m sure they just care about you,” Hal answered as he lowered himself onto her soft couch.

“Yeah, they do,” Jesse said. There was a long moment of silence. Hal took a moment to imagine the sight of Jesse moving about in her small home, getting ready for work or just curled up watching a movie. The very thought brought a smile to his face.

“What are you thinking about?” Jesse asked as she went to sit down on the other end of the couch.

“Just you,” he said smiling, feeling a rush of satisfaction at the blush that spread across her cheeks.

“You know,” Jesse sighed and shook her head. “I’m already going to have to deal with the Spanish Inquisition when those two get back.”

“Oh,” Hal nodded. “Well, we may as well give you something interesting to tell them, then.”

Again, Jesse blushed, and Hal chuckled.

“You know, if you keep telling me things like that,” Jesse started, “you may actually have to back them up.”

Hal felt his mirth disappear, and he gave a stern expression.

“Likewise,” he said, putting a bit of a growl into his voice. He felt a hint of amusement as she looked down into her lap.

“You know I would never do anything to you that you didn’t want,” Hal said sincerely, hoping that she understood that he was just teasing with her. “I’m sorry if I’m coming off as rude. I haven’t interacted with women in a very long time.”

Jesse laughed out loud.

“Somehow I find that very hard to believe.” Jesse shook her head.

“Easier than you think.” Hal shrugged. “Usually, I just tell them to meet me in a dark corner. And they do. And we fuck. And then we part ways. And they get to tell the whole world about how they fucked Hal Roberts in a dark corner. It’s a win-win situation.”

“Oh,” Jesse said meekly. “I had no idea you had such … degrading interactions with women.”

“Some women are all too happy to be … degraded, as you say,” Hal said defensively, his eyes narrowing. “Some women are just as eager to get laid at a social event as men are.”

“Probably more so,” Jesse murmured. Hal raised an eyebrow, intrigued and slightly amused by the comment.

“Is that so?” he asked. He was rewarded with yet another violent blush from her.

Hal suddenly got the idea that it was going to be very fun to interact with this woman.

Chapter 16

Jesse

Jesse coached herself to remain calm and reasonable even as her emotions were in turmoil. Hal Roberts was in her house, and Mark and Tony had seen him come in. She had no doubt that she would be faced with all manner of questions on the matter later.

For now, though, she had to deal with an extremely attractive man sharing the same small area with her and had no idea how to deal with that situation. So far, she felt that she was merely lending herself to a lot of amusement on his part. As far as she was concerned, that was probably for the best. At least, she wasn’t saying anything offensive.

“Would you …” Jesse offered. “Would you like to watch a movie?”

“Sure, sounds like a perfectly mundane pastime,” Hal said with a flick of his eyebrow. Jesse couldn’t help blushing.

“Well, what would you like to watch?” Jesse asked as she moved toward her collection.

“Anything is fine,” Hal answered easily. “As long as I’m not in it, of course.”

“Oh, nothing to worry about there,” Jesse said, flipping through her boxes. “I don’t have any of your movies.”

Hal was silent for a long moment.

“Seriously?” he asked, his tone a mix between hurt and disbelief.

“Seriously,” Jesse confirmed, a small smile slipping onto her face.

“Wow,” he said, mostly to himself. “I guess not everyone is as fascinated by me as I thought.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Jesse said in mock comfort. “I’m sure there are a lot of people who have nothing better to do than fawn over some hot celebrity.”

“So you think I’m hot?” Hal said from the couch, his tone full of mischief, and Jesse couldn’t help laughing.

“You would think you would know that without my opinion,” Jesse remarked, finally settling on some cheesy romantic comedy.

“Well, a little affirmation never hurt anyone,” he said.

“But a lot can make them famous,” Jesse said, and she heard Hal laugh.

“True enough,” he said.

Jesse put in the movie and turned on the television to start it. She moved over to the couch, sat down, and then picked up the remote from the coffee table to select ‘Play’ from the menu. She heard Hal groan from the couch beside her.

“What?” Jesse asked, raising her eyebrow. “Don’t like this movie?”

“Never seen it.” Hal sighed. “But I read the reviews and decided it wasn’t worth my time.”

“Well, now you’ll just have to live through it somehow.” Jesse shrugged, leaning back into her portion of the couch.

Hal groaned again, and the movie started playing. Jesse had seen the movie before, but even if she hadn’t, she would have had a hard time paying attention. She couldn’t get over the fact that Hal Roberts was sitting beside her in her own home, watching some B-movie that she had randomly picked from her collection.

Every now and then, Hal would give some comment or other about the main actor.

“He must have just graduated from the porn industry,” Hal grumbled, and Jesse couldn’t help agreeing.

“Well, the writers didn’t really give him much to work with,” Jesse commented.

“It’s not always about the words.” Hal sighed, shifting his positions on the couch.

“Well,” Jesse turned toward him. “I mean, I’m sure they at least play a small part.”

“Oh, sorry.” Hal laughed. “Forgot you’re a writer. What I meant to say was, the words are only as good as the way they’re delivered. A bad actor can make the best script in the world sound like it was written by a six-year-old.”

Jesse couldn’t really argue with that, so she could only lean back and continue to watch the movie.

“In this case,” Hal continued to remark, his eyes fixed on the screen, “I think we have a strong mixture of both problems.”

Jesse rolled her eyes and shook her head. Fortunately, the movie was shortly over.

“Well, that was an adventure, wasn’t it?” Hal said as he stretched.

“Definitely.” Jesse sighed and moved back over to the television to put the movie back in its box.

“What exactly does your movie collection consist of?” Hal asked, his voice teasingly hostile. “I mean, you don’t have any of my movies, and you decide to show this nonsense when the most famous actor of our generation comes over to your house.”

“Well ...” Jesse sighed. “Had I realized you would be visiting, I would have definitely stocked up on all your films so I could stroke your ego.”

“Perfect, just the way I like my afternoons,” Hal said, and Jesse looked back to see a soft smile on his face but dark circles under his eyes.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah.” Hal nodded with a slow blink. “I think I’m finally sober. I should probably get out of your hair.”

“Oh,” Jesse blinked, feeling a little bit blindsided by his decision. “Well, at least let me walk you back to your car.”

Hal looked her up and down, and Jesse felt vaguely violated.

“What are you looking at?” Jesse asked, her tone defensive.

“Oh, nothing.” Hal held up his hands. “You’re just dressed the same. I thought you might want to change. We’ll have to walk through the park again. And I know you were uncomfortable the last time … so …”

Jesse was somewhat surprised that he had remembered and a little embarrassed that she had openly complained about her discomfort to him.

“Um, don’t worry,” Jesse laughed lightly. “I’ll be fine.”

“Nonsense,” Hal said with a wave of his hand. “I’ll wait here, and you go change. And I’m not going anywhere until you do.”

Jesse scoffed at his ultimatum.

“Well, this is my apartment,” Jesse said. “I could always kick you out and then just conveniently follow you.”

“Well, I am a celebrity.” Hal crossed his arms and seemed to contemplate the scenario. “I could always just refuse. And then you would have to call the cops to help enforce your demand. And you would have to, seeing as I hardly think you have the strength to throw me out yourself.”

Jesse let out a long sigh.

“If I change, can we go?” Jesse asked, and Hal smiled, showing off his brilliant white teeth.

“Yes,” he answered. “Don’t worry—I’ll wait.”

Jesse rolled her eyes but moved back into her room. She hastily took off her dress and put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, then a pair of converse sneakers. She looked herself over in the mirror, satisfied that Hal would be content with her level of comfort. She let out a sigh, bewildered by her own actions. Finally, shaking her head, she moved back into her living room.

“Well,” Jesse said, gesturing to her outfit. “Is this acceptable to you?”

Hal’s eyes traveled over her body, and they held a look of intensity that she couldn’t help but noticing. Her stomach fluttered in response, and she cleared her throat.

“Well?” she asked again, raising her eyebrows.

“Stunning,” he said, his voice almost a whisper.

Jesse felt a blush rise in her cheeks yet again.

“Um … great,” Jesse managed to mutter. “Let’s get you to your car.”

A slow smile stretched across Hal’s face, and he rose from his seat on the couch with a long stretch.

“Um …” Jesse frowned.

“What?” Hal asked, raising his brow at her.

“Are you still drunk?” Jesse asked, concern in her voice.

“Not at all,” Hal shook his head. “Why?”

“You said I look stunning,” Jesse said. “In jeans and a T-shirt.”

“So I’m not allowed to have my own opinions?” Hal said, raising both brows at her.

“I mean, I guess everyone has their own tastes ...” Jesse shrugged as she moved toward the door.

“Well, what do you expect?” Hal said, slowly following her. “Did you think I would only be attracted to supermodels in short skirts?”

“Something along those lines.” Jesse nodded with a curt smile.

Hal chuckled.

“Maybe for quick fucks in dark corners.” Hal chuckled. “But not for anything long-term. I find models don’t have the appreciation for food that I find very attractive in a potential mate. Plus, I generally like my women on the shorter side as well. It helps to inflate my ego further.”

Jesse couldn’t help laughing.

“Come on; you need to go home.” Jesse shook her head as she opened the door and moved outside of the apartment.

“Aw, and here I thought we were just starting to have a good time.” Hal smirked as he followed her out into the hallway.

Jesse laughed and shook her head, then closed and locked the door to her apartment. She led Hal out of the apartment, back down the sidewalk and made to head into the park, but Hal seemed to hesitate.

“What’s wrong?” Jesse asked, turning around to face him.

“It’s getting a little dark,” he said slowly. “Are you sure it’s safe to go this way?”

Jesse looked around in confusion. The sun was at least an hour away from setting, and there was hardly anyone to be seen on the streets or around them.

“I think we’ll be fine,” Jesse said, looking back at him with raised brows.

“Alright, I trust you,” Hal said warily. “But you should probably stay closer to me. You know, just in case.”

Jesse narrowed her eyes suspiciously. With a sigh, she relented and stepped back to stand beside him. He offered her his arm, and she rolled her eyes and set her hand on his forearm.

“There,” he said with a smile. “Much safer.”

“You know, if I didn’t know better ...” Jesse looked up at him. “I’d say you were flirting with me.”

Hal laughed aloud.

“Now that is an absurd notion,” he remarked. “You see, you of all people should know that celebrities don’t flirt. We just offer exorbitant amounts of money to people so that they will agree to be seen with us in public. That way, there are no real attractions formed, and nobody gets their feelings hurt. It’s all much simpler that way, see?”

Jesse sighed and shook her head.

“You know,” Jesse said. “I have no way to tell if you’re telling the truth. So I guess I’ll just have to believe you.”

Hal laughed at her.

“I like you, you’re funny,” he said, smiling down at her. “The next time I need to be seen in public with someone, I’ll have to call you up and offer you an exorbitant amount of money.”

“Well, my rates are pretty high.” Jesse shrugged. “But I wouldn’t charge you for the phone call.”

“Oh, how gracious of you.” Hal laughed.

The two spent the rest of their walk in agreeable silence until they finally made it through the park and back to Hal’s Range Rover in the parking lot.

“Well, thank you for escorting me back,” Hal said.

“You’re most welcome,” Jesse said with a smile.

“And thank you for taking care of me in my drunken state,” he said with a soft smile.

“No trouble,” Jesse offered him a half smile. “I’ve dealt with drunks much more rowdy than you.”

Hal’s joking smile was replaced by a look of concern.

“Not recently, I hope,” he said, his tone dark.

“Oh no.” Jesse shook her head. “Just an ex of mine. He had some real issues.”

“Hmm,” Hal grunted and frowned. “Nothing too severe, I hope.”

Jesse frowned at the sudden change in topic.

“Honestly, this isn’t something I’m comfortable discussing,” Jesse said, making her feelings on the subject very plain.

“I understand.” Hal nodded. “We should probably wait until we’re better acquainted for such serious questions about your past.”

Jesse did not miss his innuendo to their interview earlier in the day, and she let out a long sigh.

“Look, about that …” Jesse started.

“Hey, it doesn’t matter,” Hal cut her off. “We’ll call it even if you let me give you a ride home, alright?”

Jesse looked up at him and saw sincerity shining in his green eyes. She smiled and gave him a nod.

“Alright,” she said softly.

“Great,” Hal said and moved to open the passenger side door for her. He helped her into the car before getting into the driver’s seat.

Jesse was silent as he turned on the car and pulled out of the parking space, then headed down the street toward her apartment.

Chapter 17

Hal

“Goodnight,” Hal said as he held Jesse down from the passenger’s seat. “I really had a good afternoon.”

“So did I,” she said, smiling up at him. Hal couldn’t help smiling back.

“Should I escort you directly to your door?” Hal asked, raising his eyebrow and tinting his tone with humor. He was rewarded with a laugh and couldn’t help the feeling of satisfaction that it gave him.

“No,” she shook her head. “I think I’ll be alright getting upstairs.”

“Alright,” Hal said, feeling a rush of warmth in his chest.

“Well,” Jesse muttered, shifting back and forth on the sidewalk. “Goodnight then.”

“Goodnight Jesse,” Hal said. He smiled at the blush that spread across her cheeks and watched as she quickly scurried away into the lobby of her apartments.

Hal shook his head with a chuckle and got back into his car. He headed back in the direction of his building and allowed his thoughts to run free for a while. There was something about this woman that intrigued him.

She plagued his thoughts all through his drive home, and even as he parked his car, he could not entirely rid his thoughts of her. He was so deep in thought, in fact, that he barely noticed Adam standing immediately in the doorway of the building.

“Well, look who it is,” Hal heard his friend say.

“See?” Hal shrugged, tossing the man the keys to the Range Rover. “Safe and sound, just like I promised.”

“And the girl?” Adam asked, his tone still rough.

“She’s fine,” Hal informed him. “Dropped her off right outside her apartments and made sure she got inside safely.”

“Good,” Adam groused. “That’s the least she deserves after having to spend the whole day with you.”

“Hey!” Adam laughed and held up his hands innocently. “Some people think I’m great company!”

“Only because you pay them to,” Adam quipped with a smirk.

“Remind me to dock your pay,” Hal said with a wink, already removing his tie as he walked toward his room.

“Very funny,” Adam grumbled as he followed Hal down the hall. “What did you two do all day anyway?”

“Oh, the usual.” Hal shrugged as he took off his jacket. “Found a nice roach motel and had hot sex until she couldn’t walk.”

“That’s not funny,” Adam growled.

“Oh, you used to have such a lovely sense of humor.” Hal sighed wistfully. “If you must know, we spent the afternoon at her apartment watching B-rated romantic comedy.”

“Disgusting,” Adam said, scrunching up his face. “I’d almost rather the motel.”

“Well ...” Hal shrugged. “I left it up to her choice.”

“Oh well,” Adam pondered, “maybe she was just testing your patience.”

“If she was, I failed.” Hal laughed lightly. “I talked through the whole thing. You know, she doesn’t own a single one of my movies.”

“Wow.” Adam blinked. “That must have been a pretty heavy blow to your pride.”

Hal scoffed and rolled his eyes, though he had to admit that a part of him really was a bit wounded by the fact.

“I’ll have to buy all of them and give them to her,” Hal said flippantly. “Maybe for Christmas or her birthday. Whichever comes first.”

Adam chuckled and Hal saw him shake his head from the corner of his eye.

“What’s so funny?” Hal asked as he put on a fresh T-shirt.

“Nothing.” Adam shook his head. “It’s just you seem to be really interested in this girl.”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” Hal shrugged. “Do you think I’m too good for her?”

“Trust me; that’s not the problem at all,” Adam said derisively, and Hal couldn’t help smiling. “But if you’re serious, I will remind you that she is a reporter.”

“So?” Hal asked. “We can’t judge people purely by their profession. That’s not right.”

“Well, right or not,” Adam crossed his arms. “I would caution you to guard what you say, or it may or may not end up in an article in The Edge.”

Hal frowned as he took off his belt and hung it up in his closet. As much as he wanted to dismiss his friend’s concerns, he knew that he had a point.

“Well, I’ll be careful,” Hal said decisively.

“Good,” Adam grunted out. “But on the other hand, I like her too.”

Hal scoffed and laughed.

“You like her?” Hal looked over his shoulder at his friend. “You’ve hardly said two words to her.”

“You’re right,” Adam mused, stroking his chin. “Maybe I’ll ask her on a date myself. Take her somewhere real nice and say a few more words.”

Hal laughed but couldn’t ignore the slight anger that rose up within him at the mere suggestion. For some reason, he already felt a strange sense of possession over Jesse, and the idea of anyone else taking her out bothered him more than he liked to admit.

“Geez boss,” Adam murmured. “Nothing to say?”

“Why should I have something say?” Hal snapped. “If you want to take her on a date, who am I to stop you?”

Hal noticed that his words had turned to a low growl as he spoke them.

Adam released a low whistle and a chuckle. “No need to get so huffy,” Adam approached and put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry; I won’t ask her out. I would hate to steal her away from you.”

Hal took a deep breath, forced himself to relax and clear his head. He really had no reason to be getting mad at his friend for what was clearly a joke.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

“True love,” Adam said with a smirk. “Clearly.”

Hal shook his head and chuckled.

“So are we going to work out or not?” Hal asked roughly, turning to look expectantly at his friend.

“Whatever you want.” Adam chuckled, moving to follow Hal down the hallway.

As they headed toward his gym, Hal frowned as he tried to understand his own feelings about Jesse Clarke.

Chapter 18

Jesse

Jesse made herself a hot cup of tea as soon as she made it up to her apartment. She felt numb from her interactions with Hal that afternoon and had spent a considerable amount of time trying to quash the feelings she could feel developing for him. He was funny and charming, and at some moments, he seemed to display a real concern for her.

Jesse shook her head. She knew that he was most likely just doing all those things because he’d had too much wine. It would be best if she just forgot the whole afternoon had even happened in the first place.

Jesse had just settled onto her couch when she heard an urgent knock on her door. With a sigh, she stood and went to answer the door. She opened it, and before she could see who it was in the first place, Mark and Tony pushed past her into the small apartment and sat down on her couch.

“Tell us everything!” Mark said, and Jesse sighed as she shut and locked the door before moving back into her living room to take up her corner of the couch.

Once Jesse was settled, she began her narrative of the afternoon, starting from when Hal had picked her up for lunch and all the way to where they had all met at the door of her apartment, and past then to when he had dropped her off at the door to the lobby. All the while, the two were riveted to her, soaking in every detail of her story.

“And that’s all that happened.” Jesse shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of her tea.

The two men looked between one another and raised their eyebrows.

“So let me get this straight ...” Mark held up his hand and scowled at her. “You’ve barely known this man for a whole day, and you thought it would be some great idea to go ahead and invite him into your house?”

Jesse looked down into her tea.

“Well, I had some reservations…” Jesse murmured.

“Reservations?” Mark said incredulously. “Jesse, he could have done anything!”

“But he didn’t,” Jesse pointed out.

“But what if he had?”

“If he had,” Jesse raised a finger. “I could have sued him for every dime that he was worth.”

“She’s got a point.” Tony smiled and gave Jesse a wink.

“Thanks for having my back, babe,” Mark spat, and Tony chuckled.

“Look,” Jesse sighed. “I can’t explain it either. But I really didn’t feel like anything bad was going to happen.”

“Whatever ...” Mark flicked his wrist. “This whole situation is just unbelievable. I never would have thought I’d be having to warn you about inviting international celebrities into your home. Especially incredibly hot ones.”

“Yeah,” Tony shook his head. “You know, I can’t believe it either. I always thought he was gay.”

Jesse felt herself blush.

“Come on guys,” she ushered them. “Nothing happened, and this will probably never happen to me again, so can we just let this go.”

Mark huffed at her and crossed his arms. Tony gave her a smile and patted her gently on the knee.

“Don’t worry about it, Jess,” he said gently, his dark eyes sparkling good-naturedly. “After tonight, you won’t hear a word about it from us. Right, Mark?”

Mark eyed them both, and Jesse could clearly see that he had no desire to comply.

“Please?” Jesse folded her hands on his knee and pouted a little. “Can I have just this one free pass?”

Mark looked down at her for a long moment and finally released a huff.

“Fine!” he said with exasperation. “But if you bring home anymore A-list celebrities, I want a week’s notice first, alright?”

“Deal,” Jesse nodded and leaned back into the couch.

“Spectacular,” Mark growled as he rose from his place on the couch. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got to go home. It’s getting late.”

“Excuse me,” Jesse laughed, rising to follow the two men as they headed out the door. “You’re the one who nearly broke down my door to get in here.”

“Well, the past is the past,” Mark said dismissively, almost as if he was literally waving her comment away.

“Whatever you say,” Jesse rolled her eyes. “Goodnight guys.”

“Goodnight!” they said in cheery unison, and Jesse smiled as she shut and locked her door behind them.

Jesse heaved a sigh and leaned against her door as she suddenly felt the weight of the day’s activities crash down on her. She rubbed her eyes, and a yawn tore its way out of her mouth. She decided that it would probably be in her best interest to go to sleep.

Jesse moved through her small home making sure all the lights and appliances were turned off, then shut herself in her own room. Once inside, she stripped out of her clothes and changed into a pair of cotton shorts and an old T-shirt. She flopped down into her bed, made sure her phone was set to charge and then turned her alarm on.

As she slowly fell asleep, she allowed her mind to go over the strange events of her day.

The night passed in peace, and the next morning, Jesse was awoken by her alarm. She got up easily, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. She stretched her arms out over her head and then tossed her legs over the edge of the bed, moving to stand and get dressed for her morning run.

Jesse felt even more refreshed as she breathed in the crisp autumn air along her usual route through the city. She felt her body warm from her exertion, and it wasn’t long before she had worked up a healthy sweat in spite of the chill in the air. When she finally made it back to her apartment, she was short of breath, but feeling energized as usual.

Jesse took the elevator back up to her floor and entered her apartment, heading straight for the shower. She found she was in a particularly good mood and had a feeling that this would be a good day. She would start taking her information from her interviews with Hal and put them to use as she began to write her article. She figured she could have a full draft completed by the end of the day, and then she could get that whole project behind her.

When she finished her shower, she went through the usual process of fixing her hair and putting on her makeup. Then, she selected a dark green blouse and a pair of black pants, as well as a pair of black flats. She had worked her hair into a long braid and was altogether quite satisfied with her appearance.

Jesse gathered up a light jacket and left her apartment to go next door and knock at Mark’s door.

“Just a minute!” Mark called from inside, his voice sounding somewhat uneasy.

“Okay …” Jesse called back. “Take your time.”

It seemed that Mark was taking more time than usual to come out, and she was beginning to worry that they would be late for work. Jesse had just raised her hand to knock again when the door finally opened and a nervous looking Mark stepped out into the hallway.

“Good morning!” he said, perhaps a little too eagerly.

“Hey ...” Jesse greeted him with a frown. “What’s the matter with you? Are you alright?”

“Well, it’s just …” Mark said in a rush. “You know how you never read or watch anything until you get to work in the mornings? Well, I do. And I saw something. And I know we agreed to drop the issue. But I just thought you should find out from me before anyone else told you.”

“Mark, Mark, hold on,” Jesse stopped him, as her head was whirling with confusion. “What happened, what are you talking about?”

Mark gave her a long look, and then sighed.

“It’s a picture that popped up,” he said. “Just some amateur picture—probably taken from someone’s phone.”

Jesse shook her head and squinted her eyes.

“Will you just show me the picture?” Jesse said, holding out her hand for Mark’s phone.

“Just, don’t freak out or anything okay?” Mark counseled her as he withdrew his phone from his pocket and tapped at the screen, pulling up the image in question.

Jesse rolled her eyes as she took the phone, sure that this was just another episode of Mark’s dramatism. It was only when she actually saw the picture that her expression dropped.

In the picture, she could clearly recognize the café where they normally got their morning coffee—and the café that she had taken Hal to the previous night.

She could clearly see Hal in the picture, looking directly into the camera.

And beside Hal, in crystal clear quality, she could clearly see herself.

Chapter 19

Jesse

Jesse seized the phone from Mark’s hand and peered closely at the image on the screen.

“Where did you find this?” she asked, looking up at her friend with wide eyes.

“That other pop magazine, The Vibe, or whatever it’s called,” Mark said, his voice solemn.

“Oh no …” Jesse’s head was spinning. If Elaine saw this image and recognized her, there was no way she would get out of that situation intact.

“Look, I’m sure it won’t be that big of a deal,” Mark tried to calm her, but even his words rang with falseness.

“That’s it,” Jesse said, mostly to herself. “I’m done.”

“No, you’re not.” Mark took hold of her shoulders and forced her to look up at him. “This is going to blow over just like everything else. Just like it always does, okay?”

Jesse nodded and took a few deep breaths to calm her raging nerves. She knew that images like these were often swept under the rug just as soon as they came up. Still, she had never been in one of them before, and the idea of being seen in a photograph with one of the most famous men in the world was somehow entirely unwelcome.

“Come on,” Mark urged her quietly. “It certainly won’t help your case if we’re late to work.”

Jesse nodded again, certainly in agreement on that point at the very least. She followed her friend on their usual path down the hall and allowed him to lead her through the streets. They selected a different coffee shop than their usual, as Jesse was horrified that someone would recognize her there.

Fortunately, the two made it to the office without incident, and Mark escorted Jesse all the way to her desk.

“See?” he said as she set her things down on the desk. “Everything is going to be fine. See you at the meeting?”

“Yeah, sure.” Jesse nodded and offered Mark a small smile before he turned and left her.

Alone, Jesse propped her elbows up on her desk and buried her face in her hands. How could she have been so stupid? She knew that spending an afternoon with a celebrity was about to have its repercussions, but she had thrown caution to the wind. Now, she regretted every second.

Still, she knew that she would only make matters worse by sitting there just wringing her hands. She got her laptop out of her bag and set to work organizing her notes into a typed document detailing the progress of her article thus far. It calmed her somewhat to be working on something, but it also reminded her that the time was coming where she would have to go to the meeting and come face to face with all her coworkers, and beyond that, her boss.

Jesse wished she could have stayed hidden at her desk for the next week, but she knew she couldn’t do that. The time finally came for the morning meeting, and she did her best to stay fairly well hidden among the crowd of her coworkers as they all filtered into the larger meeting room.

Jesse quickly scanned the room, and her eyes easily landed on Mark, who had, of course, saved her a seat. She kept her eyes on the ground as she moved over toward Mark and took her seat. Shortly thereafter, Elaine entered the room, and the meeting began.

Jesse felt her heart pounding and her face flushing with each and every scrap of gossip and news that was being brought up. She had the horrible feeling that she was not going to escape this meeting without being called out, but with each piece of news that wasn’t about her, she felt a mixture of hope and relief build within her. Maybe she would be able to get out of this situation unhurt after all.

“And lastly,” Elaine’s voice rang out over the congregation of vocalists. “We have, of course, the category of celebrity love stories.”

Jesse felt her stomach sink. She knew her time had finally come.

“And today,” Elaine dragged it out. “We are fortunate enough to have one of our own featured in the latest photograph that was captured of Hal Roberts in a small coffee shop. Let us all give Jesse Clarke a round of applause for her accomplishment.”

The room broke out into a soft bout of clapping, but it ended quickly, much to Jesse’s gratitude.

“That’s all for this morning.” Elaine dismissed the group. “Good luck to you all. Miss Clarke, you will follow me to my office directly.”

Jesse swallowed drily and looked up at Mark, who gave her a weak smile of encouragement. Jesse took a shaking breath and gathered up her things. She vaguely noted that she was becoming entirely too familiar with the route that led to her boss’s office.

It did not take long for Jesse to cross the building and arrive at the door to Elaine’s office. Elaine was already there waiting for her, and the woman silently held the door open for her. Jesse kept her eyes fixed on the ground as she advanced into the room.

“Jesse,” Elaine said, her tone seeming bored. “Have a seat.”

Elaine gestured to one of the chairs in front of her desk as she took a seat in her own chair behind it. She said nothing as she sat and waited for whatever Elaine was certain to unleash upon her.

“As you probably already expected,” Elaine said, casually looking over her perfect manicure, “I am incredibly interested to hear all about your romantic coffee date with Hal Roberts.”

Jesse blushed to hear it called that, and she hurried to protest.

“It wasn’t like that,” Jesse protested. “We had just gone to lunch, and …”

“Lunch?” Elaine raised an eyebrow, and Jesse felt foolish at having disclosed yet another sliver of information.

“Well, it wasn’t lunch, exactly,” Jesse stammered hastily. “It was more like a continuation of our interview.”

Elaine raised her eyebrows again.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Was the initial interview not sufficient for you?”

“It was …” Jesse said, looking for a way to get herself out of her situation. “I just thought we could benefit from a less stiff setting.”

“Interesting,” Elaine noted drily. “Go on.”

“So, we went out to lunch,” Jesse continued. “And we both had a few drinks. So we decided to go for a walk just so we could both sober up?”

“And this was after lunch?” Elaine cocked her head and peered over the desk at Jesse.

“Yes,” Jesse confirmed.

“And correct me if I’m wrong,” Elaine leaned back and crossed one leg over the other, “but this was on a work day?”

“Yes, it was,” Jesse confessed, looking down into her lap.

“I see,” Elaine’s brows met in a frown. “And it didn’t occur to you that you should probably get back to the office? To, you know, do your job?”

“Well yes, but …” Jesse struggled to justify her actions the previous day. “Well, I was hoping that I could get more information for the article.”

“Right, the article,” Elaine said, unconvinced. “Well, by all means, go on.”

“After we had walked around a while, we decided to go grab some coffee,” Jesse said.

“I was wondering where that would come into the picture,” Elaine’s expression perked up, and she gave Jesse a predatory smile. “Given that the picture was taken in a coffee shop, after all.”

“Yes,” Jesse nodded. “Well, we got the coffee, and we were talking for a while … and then he spotted someone with their phone out, taking a picture. So … he took my hand, and we ran out.”

“I see,” Elaine said simply and was silent for a moment as she looked at Jesse from across the desk.

The silence stretched on, and Jesse feared that she would soon break out in a sweat if Elaine kept looking at her that way. Finally, though, Elaine blinked and shook her head with a sigh.

“And that was the end of your little adventure, I presume?” Elaine asked as she leaned back in her seat.

“Yes,” Jesse answered. She was half-worried that Elaine would be able to tell that she was lying, but her boss merely nodded.

“Good,” Elaine said. “Well, fortunately, this isn’t such a big issue.”

Jesse released a sigh of pure relief. After this interrogation, she had been seriously worried that her job was on the line. She had definitely not expected Elaine to say anything of that nature.

“However,” Elaine said sternly, and Jesse felt all her tension return, “I really do expect this article to be a real piece of work.”

At that, Jesse felt her stomach drop. She knew that she had enough insight into his life to create the article that Elaine was really wanting, but she also knew that she had given her word to Hal that none of it would be used in the article. Normally, Jesse would have had no problem lying to a celebrity about the use of their interview, but this time, she couldn’t shake the guilt she was experiencing.

“Jesse?” Elaine’s voice called her out of her thoughts.

“Of course.” Jesse nodded and gave Elaine a grateful smile.

“Another thing,” Elaine said, seeming to be lost in thought. “We might be able to create a spin-off of your relationship with him. So, if you’re going to keep seeing him, it wouldn’t hurt too much to get a few more candid shots with him every now and then. Then I can put someone else on covering your relationship. We can really keep the media moving. Maybe we’ll get to interview you at some point!”

Jesse couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable with the idea, but she had to admit that the notion of being in a relationship with Hal Roberts definitely carried quite a lot of appeal for her, though she did not appreciate the idea of it being used to create stories for the magazine.

“I don’t really thing that will happen,” Jesse confessed, and Elaine raised her eyebrow, seeming genuinely curious.

“No?” the older woman asked, a slight grin blooming on her face.

“Um, no.” Jesse shook her head and felt a blush rising up on her cheeks. Elaine laughed at the obvious color in her face, which only served to make her blush deepen.

“Oh, youth,” Elaine said with a sigh. “Let me guess, you’re horribly self-conscious, and you couldn’t imagine any man falling for you, much less the billionaire celebrity Hal Roberts?”

Jesse made no comment and looked down into her lap.

“Trust me, honey, from woman to woman,” Elaine said with a knowing smile. “You’re not giving yourself half the credit you deserve. I don’t want this to get too personal, but you have a spark about you. Hell, it’s a part of the reason that you’re even here.”

Jesse looked up at her boss and blinked. Elaine had never been so personal in conversation with her before and to hear her give her praise so frankly and essentially tell her that she had a chance with Hal was certainly unexpected.

“So,” Elaine clapped and gave Jesse a wide smile. “Are we back on track now? Shall I expect the article from you soon?”

“Yes,” Jesse said with a vigorous nod. “Absolutely.”

“Excellent,” Elaine said with a smile. “That’s all.”

Jesse nearly collapsed from relief right there. She rose from her seat and began to make her way to the door of her employer’s office.

“Oh, and Jesse?” Elaine called, and Jesse tensed as she turned to face her.

“Yes?” she answered, waiting for the other shoe to fall.

“Try not to take any more extended lunch hours,” Elaine said as she flicked through some papers on her desk. “We don’t pay you to go gallivanting with celebrities.”

“Right.” Jesse nodded, once again relieved.

“Very good,” Elaine said and turned her full attention to the items on her desk.

Jesse lingered a second more just in case there was something else Elaine had forgotten, but when she was sure the other woman was finished speaking, she wasted no time in dashing out the door. She moved down the hall quickly and found solitude in the elevator. She leaned against the wall and let out a long breath of relief. She could feel her heart still pounding in her chest, and she could feel her hands shaking.

She scolded herself for ever letting herself get caught up in a situation like this, though she had to admit there was no way she could have ever anticipated such a thing actually happening to her.

Jesse marveled at her situation, but eventually shook her head. The elevator reached the floor where her desk was situated, and she cleared her mind, determined to get to work on the article that she had been neglecting for so long.

Chapter 20

Jesse kept focused as she began to compile her notes into a document and started the process of creating an article that was fit to be displayed in their magazine. She read it over and over as she wrote, and she couldn’t help feeling dissatisfied with the article as a whole, especially after she had gained so much knowledge about the personal life of this incredible celebrity.

At length, Jesse sat back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. She knew that even after adding quite a lot of ornamentation, it left a lot to be desired. Sure, there were little snippets here and there that the public had never seen before, but it was mostly just a reiteration of things people already knew. It was certainly not the breakthrough in her career that she had been anticipating.

Jesse sighed in frustration and tapped her fingernails against her desk. Unable to think of anything better to do, she allowed her mind to wander to the subject of the article. She vaguely wondered what Hal was doing with his time just now and imagined he was having lunch at some other fine dining establishment. As she thought of food, her stomach growled, and she reached into her bag to withdraw the apple and sandwich that she had brought along for lunch.

As she nibbled, she pondered over what else someone like Hal could be doing in their spare time. She wondered if he was even in the country at this point, for surely he could afford to go off wherever he wished and whenever he wished to do so. She released a long stream of air and couldn’t help imagining him strolling about in all manner of different places that she could barely even afford to visit.

Jesse shook her head quickly and blinked her eyes, embarrassed that her thoughts were so actively occupied with Hal Roberts. She had spent one whole afternoon with him, and suddenly she couldn’t get him out of her head. She felt like a high school freshman with a crush on the senior quarterback. In a lot of ways, the situation was indeed similar, except that it was magnified tenfold.

Jesse also couldn’t clear her mind of the compliments and optimism that Elaine had expressed to her about the potential of beginning a relationship with Hal. She would never have wasted time even thinking about that if Elaine hadn’t said something about it. Now, though, it seemed that it was all she could think about. She imagined other photos of them making their way into the papers. Maybe at dinner, or maybe just taking a stroll along the sidewalk.

Even at the mere thought of it, Jesse felt warmth rise up in her stomach, and a small smile lifted the corners of her mouth. She hadn’t experienced what it was like to have a crush in a very long time, and her employer even said that she might have a legitimate chance.

All of a sudden, something snapped in Jesse’s brain, and she felt exceedingly foolish for having those thoughts.

Jesse looked around to see if anyone had noticed her—as if they could somehow read the contents of her thoughts and daydreams. Of course, nobody found anything out of the ordinary, and all of her coworkers were busily typing away at their desks.

Jesse sighed and resolved to finish her sandwich and get back to work. It did not take her long to finish the small meal, and then she was eagerly typing away. Jesse found as she worked, though, that she surely did not need as much time as she had originally anticipated to finish this article and that she could likely have it edited and ready to publish by the end of the next day at the absolute latest.

Jesse felt a little disappointed with her work and annoyed that she had let her momentary reaction to an emotional story compromise her entire article, and as a result, the progress of her career. The more she dwelled on it, the more irritated she became. She huffed to herself and shook her head as she read over the article. She wanted to take a break and perhaps work on something else. Unfortunately, she had no other obligations, as she had expected to be entirely engrossed in this project for a much longer period of time.

Jesse had little choice but to press on and keep working. She found herself constantly looking over at the clock on her desk, praying for time to move faster so that she could at last go home. Finally, there was only an hour remaining until she could do just that.

Jesse propped her elbows on her desk and buried her face in her hands. She rubbed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was becoming increasingly frustrated and put out with her situation, and she would have considered just taking off early if it hadn’t been for her escapade the previous day. Unfortunately, she really felt that option was not on the table.

Jesse was about to resume her work when her office phone rang. Again, she was somewhat perplexed that she was being called there, but she answered it anyway if only to quiet the ringing of the phone.

“This is Jesse Clarke at the Edge,” she answered as cheerily as she could muster.

“Hi there, Jess …” Jesse sat bolt upright as she recognized the voice of Hal Roberts. “How are you doing today?”

Chapter 21

Jesse’s mind whirled, and for a long moment, her mouth merely moved as she struggled to come up with words to reply.

“Hello?” she heard his voice from the other line, and she quickly assembled her scattered thoughts.

“Yes, hello,” she finally replied. “I’m very well, how are you?”

“Fairly well,” he said in a slow, relaxed, drawl. Jesse couldn’t even imagine how it must feel to be so relaxed.

“That’s very good to hear,” Jesse said, struggling to find words to say.

“I’m sure,” Hal responded from the other end, and Jesse could hear the slight amusement in his voice.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” Jesse asked, wondering why on earth she was receiving this phone call from him.

“No, not really,” he answered easily.

“Oh,” Jesse blinked. A moment of silence stretched between them over the line, and Jesse felt her heart beating hard in her chest.

“So, I heard we made the papers,” Hal said, humor dripping from his tone. Jesse felt a blush spread over her face.

“I suppose,” she said, feigning a lack of care.

“I’m sure Elaine was just thrilled,” Hal said, sarcasm clearly evident in his observation.

“Well, it was a bit of an interesting development,” Jesse said, trying to keep her tone disinterested.

“Oh, is that so?” Hal said from the other line, and Jesse could hear the edge of irritation in his voice.

“Yes …” Jesse confirmed, somewhat perturbed by his irritation and confused about its source.

“Was that all it was for you?” he pressed her. “An interesting development?”

Jesse frowned, perplexed by his irritation and indignation on the matter.

“Would you rather it be something else to me?” Jesse returned.

“Well, it certainly was for me,” Hal said simply, and Jesse was yet again taken aback, and she blinked as she tried to come up with some sort of reply.

“Well,” Jesse replied awkwardly. “I’m glad you feel that way.”

“Are you?” Hal asked, his tone gradually growing in irritation. “I’m really getting the feeling that I’m barking up the wrong tree over here.”

“I’m sorry,” Jesse shook her head. “This is just a little strange.”

“Strange?” Hal asked, seeming to relax a little. “How so? It’s just a phone call.”

“Well, maybe for you,” Jesse explained with a nervous laugh. “I mean, you’re you, and I’m me.”

“Well, I didn’t expect to be anyone else when I called you,” Hal said, his voice one again calm and relaxed. “And I had hoped that you would be you as well.”

Jesse gave a shaky laugh and again searched for words with which to reply, but she could find none.

“Well, anyway,” Hal cleared his throat on the other end of the line. “I was just curious to see what your reaction was.”

“Oh,” Jesse replied simply. “Well, I guess that was it.”

Jesse felt a little bit awkward from stretching the truth. In reality, she had been stressed beyond belief and even worried that she would lose her job because of this. She vaguely wondered if he had been just as worried about his image as she was about her job.

“Yeah,” Hal said slowly. And another silence stretched between them.

“Well,” Jess said somewhat uncomfortably, “I guess I’ll let you go then.”

“Right, right,” Hal said with certainty, and Jesse could picture him nodding.

“Thanks for the call,” Jesse said, her tone polite. “It was a pleasure, as always.”

“No problem,” he said. Again, there was a silence, and Jesse wished he would just hang up the phone.

“Okay, goodbye then,” Jesse said and moved to hang up the phone.

“Jess?’ she heard Hal’s voice, and she put the phone back up to her ear.

“Yes?” she asked.

“I actually have a question for you,” Hal said, his tone carrying slight concern.

“What is it?” Jesse asked, once again glancing around the office to make sure that nobody was looking her way, though she hardly imagined it was possible for people to hear her conversation on the phone.

“Well,” Hal said, and Jesse could hear some hesitation in his voice. “I was actually wondering what you were doing today after work.”

Jesse blinked in surprise and once again looked around to ensure nobody was trying to listen in on her phone conversation.

“Well,” she said, still somewhat off guard, “I didn’t have anything in mind, to be honest.”

“Perfect,” Hal said from the other line, his voice much brighter. “Well, perfect for me anyway.”

“Is it?” Jesse pressed, her heart rate accelerating as thoughts ran through her mind.

“Yes,” Hal said immediately. “Well, hopefully anyway.”

“Right …” Jesse said, as he still had not elaborated.

“You see,” Hal said, “I was hoping you would be able to join me for this small social gathering I have to attend. Not overly formal, more casual.”

Jesse listened, and as Hal went on, she felt her heart beating faster. Was he asking her out? She knew she had to at least try to play it cool or she would come off as a completely easy conquest.

“What do you mean by social gathering?” Jesse inquired, trying her best to sound reluctant. “And what do you mean by small? Only a hundred people? A thousand?”

Hal laughed at her from across the line, and Jesse felt warmth in her stomach.

“Much smaller,” he said, his voice still warm from his laughter. “Just a couple of friends of mine if you must know.”

“I see,” Jesse said, still working very hard to come off as overly intrigued right off the bat. “Well, I’m just not sure …”

“You’re not sure?” Hal said, sounding mildly offended, which served to amuse Jesse more than a little.

“Oh well, I mean it’s just a little sudden,” Jesse offered up as an explanation.

“Well, I would have asked you sooner,” Hal said, and she could hear the irritation that had crept into his voice. “But before yesterday, I didn’t even know I wanted you there.”

Jesse was silent for a moment as she took in his words. She couldn’t help feeling a little flattered by what he had said, and she wondered if he was being sincere. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a little guarded, and she decided it would certainly be best to simply proceed with caution.

“Well …” Jesse sighed, and she shuffled a few papers around on her desk to delay her response and hopefully keep Hal on edge. “Actually … you know—do you think I would even have a good time?”

“I would personally make sure that you had a very good time,” Hal said, his voice slightly dark.

Jesse gulped, and yet again, silence stretched across the line.

“In that case,” Jesse said, a little more softly. “I would be delighted to go with you.”

Jesse heard Hal release a pent up breath and a chuckle from the other end of the line.

“Great,” he said, his tone sounding much brighter. “I can come by with Adam and pick you up at around seven.”

“That would be nice,” Jesse said, and a smile lifted the corners of her lips. “And you remember where my apartment is?”

“Come on now,” Hal chided her good-naturedly. “I was drunk, Jess. Not that drunk.”

Jesse laughed, and she felt a flutter in her stomach at his nickname for her that he was beginning to use ever more often.

“Besides,” Hal spoke up again. “If I forgot, Adam would be able to remember.”

Jesse could clearly hear the humor in his voice, and she laughed in response to him.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find your way there somehow,” Jesse said, feeling a warm sensation in her center.

“I hope so, at least,” Hal said with a chuckle. “So, seven?”

“Yeah, sounds great,” Jesse said pleasantly.

“Perfect,” Hal nearly purred. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

Jesse could clearly hear the sincerity in his voice, and she felt a soft shudder roll down her spine.

“Me too,” she said and hung up the phone.

Jesse sat silently at her desk and let her mind whirl. She wondered vaguely how on earth any of this had ever happened to her. She could feel her excitement for the upcoming night slowly but surely building up within her.

Chapter 22

Hal

Hal hung up the phone and took a deep breath. A beaming smile had taken its place on his face, and his mind whirled as he anticipated his date with Jesse.

Hal hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her ever since he had gone home from her apartment the previous night. There was something about her that was different from other women that constantly flocked around him.

Granted, Hal was constantly surrounded by superficial women who relied on their beauty to get them through just about any situation they found themselves in. He had always conceded that they had wit and intelligence, but they always seemed intent to use those gifts to manipulate others.

That was something he didn’t sense in Jesse at all. He could tell that she was very intelligent and also very ambitious. And yet, she was not manipulative. There was something about her that was reserved and intelligent. She knew how to command a room, but she would not sink to deception to get the things that she wanted.

She was sincere in her words, and playful, with a very good sense of humor. The more time that Hal spent with her, which he did admit was very little, the more he found that he was more than a little entranced by her. While this was perplexing to him, it seemed to serve as a source of immense amusement for Adam.

“How’d it go?” Adam asked as he strolled into the room, an apple in hand.

“Very well,” Hal said, hoping that Adam would soon abandon the topic.

“Are you sure?” Adam raised an eyebrow and gave his friend a smirk. “It sounded like she was giving you a bit of a hard time over there. I wasn’t sure you were going to be able to manage it.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Hal dismissed his friend.

“Me?” Adam scoffed and laughed. “You were the one getting all puffy and huffy when she almost turned you down.”

“Well, I like getting what I want.” Hal shrugged and turned in his chair to cross his legs.

“I take it that she said yes, then,” Adam guessed.

“Of course she did,” Hal said simply, and Adam rolled his eyes.

“Don’t act so self-assured,” Adam chided his friend. “I heard at least one half of that talk, and I know that she put up a good fight.”

“She was just surprised is all,” Hal easily dismissed his friend.

“Whatever you say.” Adam shrugged and took a large bite out of his apple.

Hal was quiet as he pondered the conversation that had just unfolded. She had seemed reluctant, and he hated to let his status get in the way of his feelings for her, but he had the strong suspicion that she was reluctant because of his money and success. He hoped that didn’t make her feel like she had to be with him if she didn’t want to, and he was sure that Adam was having the same misgivings that he was.

“Do you think she feels pressured to accept?” Hal asked, voicing some of his uncertainty.

“Well, of course she does,” Adam answered simply. “But all men pressure women when they’re asking them out on a date. That’s just how the story goes.”

“Well yes,” Hal admitted. “I just mean because of my status and who I am. You don’t think she was intimidated, right?”

Adam raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

“Of course she was,” Adam said with a sigh, shaking his head.

Hal frowned and was lost in his thoughts for several long moments.

“Look,” Adam sighed and moved to give Hal a hefty pat on the back. “I wouldn’t be too worried about all this. If she hadn’t wanted to go, she wouldn’t have said yes, no matter who you are. Got it?”

“If you say so,” Hal said, still feeling largely insecure about the situation.

“Now if you’ll excuse me …” Adam sighed, moving toward the door and taking his jacket off the coat rack. “You may have your billions working for you, but I have my looks.”

“Right,” Hal said derisively. “Just be sure you pick someone up. You can drop my name if you want to.”

“Please,” Adam said with a bark of laughter. “I don’t want to scare her off.”

“Hey, money talks if nothing else,” Hal said with a grin.

“Well, money can talk for you,” Adam said, opening the door. “I’ll catch you later.”

“Great,” Hal said. “Be careful out there.

Adam did not respond, but Hal heard the door close. He smiled to himself. He knew that Adam would have no trouble picking anyone up. Hal couldn’t be too sure, but he suspected that Adam had singled in on one woman for quite some time. She was a beautiful Latina named Maria. Her petite stature was in stark contrast to Adam’s large frame, but Hal had to admit that they made for a cute sight.

Again, Hal was overcome by a rush of worry that this evening would not go well. He hadn’t told Jesse that the small group was, in reality, just Adam and his date. He had brought in a chef that was going to make a meal for all of them in the comfort of his own home. He had brought up some of the best wine from his cellar and had no doubts that the food and drink would be excellent. He was simply nervous that Jesse would not take kindly to his small deception.

In reality, he had not actually lied to her. He was meeting all the stipulations that he had made in his phone call. Regardless, he had not said that it would be at his home or that it was a double date. He had not exactly lied, but he had not told the whole truth.

Hal sighed, stood up from his chair, and immediately moved to his room to look through his wardrobe. He had all manner of suits, and he wondered which of them would be suitable for this evening. He didn’t want to overdo it, but at the same time, he wanted to look nice. Suddenly, he found that he had no idea what he wanted to wear, and he released a long sigh, running his hand through his hair.

He scowled at the thought of a woman making him feel so overwrought and unsure. It had been a long time since he had ever felt so strongly for a woman. A part of him wondered vaguely if he was ready for this sort of thing, but he quickly dismissed that question. After all, there really was nothing going on between them as of yet.

He knew there was no reason for him to be feeling so flustered, so he abandoned his pursuit of the perfect outfit and decided to go for a drive. He knew that would likely take his mind off of the woman that had been so actively haunting his thoughts that day.

At least, he dearly hoped so.

Chapter 23

Jesse

At last, the day was over, and Jesse heaved a grateful sigh as she began to collect her things from her desk and pack them up in her bag. She shut down her work computer and eagerly shoved her chair back under the desk. She then headed straight for Mark’s office, eager to tell him about the phone call she had just received from Hal Roberts.

By the time she made it to Mark’s office, he had finished gathering up his things as well. He greeted her with a smile as she appeared in the doorway.

“Hey,” he said pleasantly. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah,” Jesse said, nodding eagerly, and Mark raised his brow at her.

“You seem to be in a hurry,” he remarked, looking her body up and down as he took several steps toward the door. “You got a date tonight or something?”

Jesse said nothing and looked up at her friend with a sly smile.

“What?” Mark’s jaw dropped. “You do!”

“Shush!” Jesse cried frantically, looking around them to make sure nobody had taken notice of Mark’s exclamation.

Mark glanced back at her in exasperation and excitement, and Jesse returned his look pleadingly, urging him to contain himself.

“Look, I’ll tell you all about it once we get outside.” Jesse studied the crowd of journalists knowingly, that were even now swirling around them.

“Oh, okay.” Mark nodded and quickly shut the door behind him. “Let’s go.”

Jesse led the way through the building and down the elevator to the first floor. She could tell that Mark was nearly bursting from eagerness to hear what she had to say, and she was every bit as eager to tell him. When they finally made it all the way out the office, Mark immediately turned to her.

“What happened? When did it happen? Who is it?” He immediately assaulted her with his questions.

“Calm down.” Jesse laughed, though she was bursting with excitement herself. “Well, I’m afraid you might not be too happy about it.”

Mark looked puzzled.

“Why not?” Mark asked, looking a little more suspicious.

“Well …” Jesse sighed, trying to find the best way to summarize the phone call she had received. “I was sitting at my desk working on the article, and I got a phone call. From Hal.”

As Jesse had expected, Mark’s expression dropped.

“Hear me out …” Jesse held up her hands as they walked. “He called and asked if I was free tonight.”

“Really?” Mark asked, his expression returning to one of interest and surprise.

“Yeah,” Jesse confirmed, her own excitement intensifying as well.

“Well, what did you say?” Mark asked, growing ever more insistent.

Jesse laughed lightly. “Hmmm … I really didn’t know what to say at first. But eventually … I agreed.”

“Yeah?” Mark nodded excitedly. “So where are you guys going?”

Jesse blinked and thought for a moment, but she couldn’t recall if he had said where they would be going or not.

“I can’t remember,” Jesse said as she thought. “Actually, I’m not sure that he ever did say where we would be going.”

“Hmmm,” Mark grunted and frowned.

“Well,” Jesse hurried to calm her friend. “We won’t be alone. He said we’d be out with a few of his friends. And it’s not a date, exactly. He said it was an event or something.”

“Sure he did.” Mark rolled his eyes.

“Come on, why do you say that?” Jesse asked. She hated that Mark could not seem to share in her happiness.

“I don’t know.” Mark sighed, and his expression softened. “You seem really excited, and that’s great. It’s just …”

Mark trailed off, and Jesse waited for him to finish, but he didn’t seem like he was going to.

“Well?” she pressed, feeling more and more anxious with each passing second.

“I don’t know.” Mark shook his head and ran a hand over his face. “I just don’t trust him.”

“Why?” Jesse asked.

“I’m not sure …” Mark’s brow furrowed. “Something about this guy just doesn’t seem to add up to me.”

“Well,” Jesse said with a sigh. “It’s just a date.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Mark nodded. “And I’m really excited for you! So I really do hope you have a good time.”

“I really hope so too,” Jesse said, her excitement undiminished in spite of Mark’s trepidations. “And don’t worry, I’ll have my phone on me the whole time so that I can call you if I ever feel like I need to get out of there.”

“Good,” Mark said. And I can bring Tony over if we need to rough anybody up.”

Jesse laughed. Mark and Tony did do a good job of staying in shape, and Tony especially. She had little doubt that the two of them could easily take on Hal and win. Jesse highly doubted, though, that they could take out Hal’s bodyguard, Adam.

“Well, hopefully, it won’t come to that,” Jesse said, and her feelings were genuine.

“I hope the same.” Mark sighed. “Just be careful, okay? Don’t do anything crazy or stupid, alright?”

“Okay, I won’t,” Jesse said with a laugh and looped her arm through Mark’s as they walked.

Soon, the two friends arrived at their respective apartments, and they both began to unlock their doors.

“Let me know before you head out,” Mark said, looking over at her. “I want to see how you look.”

“Okay,” Jesse agreed. “He said it wasn’t a formal occasion or anything, so don’t expect some kind of evening gown.”

“Oh, okay,” Mark said with a smirk. “I’ll be sure to keep my expectations nice and low.”

Jesse laughed, and the two friends went into their homes. Jesse put her bag down and sighed thoughtfully as she wandered over to her closet and started to think about how she was going to fix her hair. It was already five-thirty and Hal had said that he would be there by seven, so she wouldn’t have a very long time to get herself ready.

Jesse decided to consider what dress she wanted to wear while doing her hair and freshening her makeup. She applied a little more of the cosmetic products than she usually did, really working to highlight the contours of her face so that she would really look nice, without looking over the top. She selected a bold shade of lipstick to really stand out as well. She studied herself in the mirror and smiled at her much more striking appearance.

Then, she did her hair. She considered putting it up but figured that would take more of her time than she was willing to invest. Besides, she had just worn her hair up for their outing yesterday, and she decided she would do well trying something different. She opted for a half style, clipping some of her hair up and leaving the rest to hang down her back. She used her curling iron to apply some gentle curls to her already wavy hair. Jesse once again checked her mirror when she had finished her work, and she was pleased with her appearance.

Jesse finally recognized that she could stall no longer, and she moved over to her closet. Fortunately, it did not take her long to decide on a dress. She had a very simple, and yet elegant dress of deep maroon, and she knew it would be perfect for the evening and would go well with her shade of lipstick.

Pulling the dress out of her closet, she laid it on her bed. Before she could put it on, though, she knew she had to select a different pair of underwear. She knew that if she didn’t change what she had on, her bra straps would show, as well as her panty lines. So, she moved over to her dresser and selected a black strapless bra, as well as a black thong.

She wasted little time in putting on her underwear, and then she slid the dress on, struggling a little to pull up the zipper in the back, but other than that not taking up much time. She looked at herself in the mirror once more and made several adjustments to the dress, smoothing out the bunched up fabric and the faint wrinkles.

Jesse took a deep breath and could not ignore the excitement that was bubbling up in her stomach. She glanced over at one of her clocks and felt another surge of excitement as she read six forty-five.

Jesse sauntered about her house and collected a few items to put in her clutch, including her phone, some lipstick in case she needed to refresh it, and her debit card, just in case she needed to call a cab and get out of her situation. She was excited about her evening, but she wasn’t stupid, and she was not about to put herself in a situation that she knew she couldn’t get out of.

Once she had collected the things she needed, she gathered up her keys and stepped out of her apartment, taking care to lock the door behind her. She then stepped over to Mark’s door and knocked on it, wringing her hands as she waited for him to come out.

It did not take long before Mark, along with Tony behind him, were stepping out of their apartment, eagerly looking over her apartment.

“Wow, Jesse,” Tony said, his tone always very polite and respectful. “You look stunning.”

“Absolutely.” Mark nodded and circled around Jesse, who could only stand and blush as her friends looked her over thoroughly.

“Thanks, guys,” she said.

“So where are you going?” Tony asked with a faint smile.

“I’m actually not sure,” Jesse admitted, and she felt slightly nervous as Tony’s smile faded.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” he asked, raising one of his dark eyebrows at her.

“Well, I don’t see why it would be dangerous,” Jesse said, stammering slightly as she tried to justify her adventure to her protective friend. “It’s an event, really, not exactly a date.”

“Sure it is,” Mark interjected, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms as he leaned back against the wall to peer down at Jesse.

“Guys, I’ll be fine,” Jesse said with a smile. “And besides, if anything goes wrong, I have my phone, so I could always just give you guys a call. And I also have a debit card with me in case I need a cab.”

Mark let out a soft grunt and shook his head, but at least Tony seemed to warm up with that new information.

“Well,” Tony said with a sigh as he raised a hand to scratch the back of his neck. “I guess you have this pretty well planned out.”

“Yeah,” Jesse nodded. “I mean come on, I don’t look that naïve, do I?”

“It’s not you that we’re worried about,” Mark huffed and began to pace back and forth. “It’s Mr. Bigshot Hal Roberts.”

Jesse let out a laugh at his behavior, and he scowled at her.

“Relax,” Jesse urged him. “I’m not going to let him get the best of me just because he’s rich and famous.”

“Sure,” Mark grumbled, seeming unconvinced.

“He may have riches and acclaim,” Jesse said, moving closer to her worried friend to wrap an arm about his waist and still his erratic motions. “But I definitely have brains. Probably a lot more than him.”

“Probably a lot more than most people,” Tony interjected with a smile.

“Well, be that as it may,” Mark snapped, “be extra careful. Smart people can still get taken advantage of in questionable situations.”

Tony gave a knowing nod of agreement, and Jesse sighed, offering them both a soft, comforting smile.

“I promise I’ll be careful,” Jesse said, reaching to take hold of Mark’s hands. “And I will call you both if anything goes wrong.”

Mark looked at her suspiciously for a long moment, but at length, he sighed, and all his irritation was replaced by pure concern. He dropped her hands and pulled her close in a tight hug that made it nearly impossible for Jesse to breathe.

“Try to have a good time,” Mark said softly. “We’ll be here, worrying about you.”

“Don’t worry guys,” Jesse looked between them as Tony wrapped his arm around Mark’s waist and pulled him tight to his side. “I won’t let anything bad happen to me, okay?”

“Okay,” Mark finally said, though his brows were still meeting in a frown.

Jesse sighed, shook her head, and then looked down at her small watch to check the time. Her stomach lurched as she read six fifty-five on the face of the clock, and she looked excitedly between her friends.

“Well,” she said, her voice tight with her slight anxiety. “It’s about that time. Here goes nothing!”

“Please be careful,” Mark said as she headed down the hallway.

“Have a good time!” Tony urged her.

Jesse watched as the men went back into their home as she waited for the elevator. The elevator came, and Jesse stepped into the sliding doors. Once inside, she took a deep breath, and her heart began to pound in her chest as she began to get nervous about her upcoming evening.

She reminded herself to be at least a little professional. After all, he had said this was an event. He probably just needed a plus one, and he knew that she would likely say yes. That thought slightly saddened her, and she didn’t want to be his backup plan. But what more could she really expect? She was just a small time journalist for a tabloid magazine, and he was a big time celebrity. She really should be grateful just to be going anywhere at all.

Jesse straightened up and tried to appear more dignified and less like an overeager school girl. The elevator finally settled, and the doors began to slide open to let her out.

No sooner had the elevator doors opened than Jesse saw Hal in the lobby waiting for her, leaning against the door.

Jesse could have sworn that her heart stopped.

He was dressed in a tan suit that, of course, fit him perfectly, with a pair of black shoes and matching belt, with a white shirt and no tie. It was the perfect mix of dressy and casual. His dark hair was slightly less polished and perfect than usual, and it curled slightly rather than lying against his head. He shot her one of his dazzling smiles as he moved closer and closer to her, and she felt her heart pounding in her chest.

No matter what happened that night, Jesse knew that it was going to be very interesting.

Chapter 24

Hal

Hal’s jaw nearly dropped as the elevator doors opened to reveal Jesse Clarke in a deep red dress, looking every bit as dazzling as he could have imagined. Hal even felt that he was underdressed in comparison to her, and he cursed himself for choosing against wearing a tie. Jesse looked as though she was ready to go out on the town, and he looked like he had just gone through an entire day at some office without bothering to change. Though he berated himself in his mind, on the outside he was sure that his face displayed his admiration for her wardrobe choice, and indeed, for her in general.

Hal couldn’t remember the last time that he had felt actual excitement at having dinner with a woman, but he was certainly excited now. He could see, though, that Jesse was nervous, and he knew that he had to take some action to relieve her of that feeling.

He took a breath, stood up from where he had been leaning against the wall and began to approach her, smiling all the while. As he neared her, his mind restlessly sorted through the array of compliments he could give her, but none of them seemed as though they would even meet the way he was feeling by half. Soon, though, he had to pick something because he was standing in front of her, just smiling down at her like an idiot.

“Good evening,” he finally said, berating himself for his all too average greeting.

“Good evening,” Jesse replied, and Hal relaxed as he realized that at the very least he wasn’t even half as nervous as she was.

“You look incredible,” he said softly, running his eyes up and down her body, to which her beautiful dress clung and in all the right places. Hal felt a new rush of emotion as he took in the way she looked, but he quickly stifled the all too physical reaction to her body, not wanting to make her think that was all he was interested in. After all, it was only their first actual outing together, without the pretense of an interview.

“Thank you,” Jesse said softly. “I hope I dressed appropriately. I wasn’t really sure what kind of dress I ought to wear …”

“Don’t worry, you look perfect,” Hal immediately spoke up to reassure her. He saw her beautiful, blue-gray eyes soften at his words, and he felt warmth bloom in his chest as she smiled up at him.

“Well …” Jesse said, and Hal watched her shift uncomfortably for a moment, delighting in her nervousness. “Should we be going?”

“Of course, of course.” Hal nodded and offered her his arm to lead her out through the lobby.

Hal watched her with amusement as she looked back and forth between his face and his arm before gradually taking a small breath and taking his arm. Hal smiled down at her and proceeded to make his way through the lobby. He could tell that Jesse was nervous, but he gently tapped her fingers, and he felt her relax beside him. She would get used to it eventually, just as he had.

It did not take them long to reach the car, and Adam was waiting there for them. He nodded at Hal, and then gave a soft smile to Jesse.

“Good evening, Miss Clarke,” he said to her as he held the door open.

“Good evening,” Jesse said back, giving the man a smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re most welcome.” Adam returned her smile as she got in the car and he shut the door behind her.

“That was very sweet of you,” Hal said, a mocking edge in his voice as he walked with Adam to the driver’s side of the car. Adam merely grunted in response.

“What?” Hal said, clutching his chest as though hurt. “You’re not going to hold the door open for me?”

“You’ll be lucky if I don’t drive off without you,” Adam said with a smirk.

Hal laughed, got in the car, and immediately noticed Maria in the passenger’s side of the front.

“Hello, Maria,” He said to her with a smile.

“Good to see you again, Hal,” the woman said, turning back to him and smiling.

“As always,” Hal purred teasingly, and Maria laughed, rolling her eyes. Hal glanced over at Jesse, who was wringing her hands in her lap nervously. He reached over and took one of her hands, squeezing it lightly in his own. She looked up at him, and he gave her an encouraging smile.

“I don’t believe you’ve met,” Hal said to Maria. “This is a new friend of mine, Jesse Clarke. She is a writer at The Edge.”

“Oh, wow,” Maria said. “That sounds like a really interesting job. I’m sure it’s a whirlwind to work for Elaine Beck.”

“You know Elaine?” Jesse asked, intrigued.

“Oh, yeah,” Maria rolled her eyes. “She comes to the restaurant where I work. That’s how I met these two as well.”

“Maria is the manager of a very fine establishment downtown,” Hal clarified, hoping to save Jesse the embarrassment of asking if she was a server.

“I probably have never been there,” Jesse said with a light laugh.

“Don’t worry,” Hal said, shooting her a smile. “We can fix that.”

Hal delighted in the blush that spread across Jesse’s face. She was so reactive, and he loved it. He was constantly thinking of things to say that would bring that look to her face. He wondered if he should feel perturbed by that fact, but he dismissed the thought before it could take a stronger hold on him. He had not felt this way in a long time, and he wasn’t going to let wayward thoughts mess that up for him.

“So …” Jesse spoke and softly cleared her throat. “Is that where we’re going tonight?”

Hal felt Adam look back at him through the rearview mirror, and he also caught Maria looking at him from the corner of her eyes. He felt irritation at their silent accusation, but he also felt a little guilty for not being entirely transparent with Jesse.

“No,” Hal said, shifting in his seat to turn and face Jesse.

“Well, where are we going then?” she asked. Hal could see the wariness in her eyes. Hal felt slightly guilty once more at her reluctant expression, and he sighed.

“We’re actually going to my building,” he explained. “And … it’s not so much an event as it is a double date.”

Hal was relieved that the truth was finally out in the open between them, but he was somewhat nervous to see her reaction to the truth.

“Oh,” she said softly. Hal watched as she frowned and seemed to process her thoughts. Hal was quiet for a long while as they drove, and it seemed that the entire car was eagerly waiting for what she would say.

“Jess?” Hal looked over at her, concerned. Jesse looked back at him, a small frown on her face.

“Are you okay?” he asked, seeing that she was clearly a little upset with the conversation. “If you want, we can take you back home. There’s no pressure here at all.”

Hal waited for her to respond, and he had to confess that he was more nervous than he would have liked to be.

What was it about this woman that was undoing him?

Chapter 25

Jesse

Jesse racked her mind, wondering how she should react to his slight deception. A part of her was highly annoyed, and another part of her was flattered that this was a date after all. She was still incredibly nervous, and she was aggravated that her emotions were clouding her ability to make a rational decision about this situation.

“Jess?” Hal said again, and Jesse looked back over at him. She was torn between giving him a smile and slapping him in the face.

The longer she looked at him, though, the more she realized that she had no desire to slap him at all. She could see in his eyes that he was struggling with his own emotions. She could tell that he had deceived her for reasons of his own nervousness, as ridiculous as that seemed. He was a celebrity. He could easily have anyone he wanted. Asking her on a date shouldn’t have been a problem for him.

Jesse could also clearly see that he was truly worried that she would ask to go home. She could tell that he genuinely wanted her there and that he would be disappointed if she asked to go back home for the night. His gold green eyes looked at her expectantly, and she knew that she would have to give him an answer in short order.

“It’s okay,” she said softly, her voice barely a mumble.

“It’s okay?” Hal asked, raising his eyebrows hopefully. Jesse had to admit that she was more than a little thrilled that her response could have such an effect on him.

Jesse nodded, and she was rewarded with a wide, bright smile.

“Thanks, Jess,” he said softly, once again taking up her hand in his own. “Again, I’m really sorry. But I really think you’ll have a good time tonight.”

“Okay,” Jesse said, giving him a small smile and then turning to look back out the window of the car. She couldn’t help feeling slightly oppressed by the silence that lingered in the car after she had made her decision and watched the city pass by as they all headed toward their destination.

Jesse could feel herself becoming increasingly eager as they went along. She wondered what Hal’s building looked like and how the evening was going to progress. She wondered if he had set up this whole event for her, but then quickly dismissed the thought. It wouldn’t do her any good if she started believing that his every move was centered on her.

Soon, though, she did not have to wonder, as they pulled into an underground parking garage. It was dark, and Adam had to flip on the headlights so that he could see. As they went on, though, lights began to brighten the underground space, and Jesse nearly gasped aloud as she saw the rows and rows of luxury vehicles that were parked in the expanse of the garage.

“Do you like them?” Hal asked from beside her. She looked over at him and saw a boyish delight in his eyes as he glanced between her and the cars outside the window.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Jesse admitted, giving Hal a smile before turning to look at them.

“Those are some of my favorites,” Hal said, pointing to a particular row.

Jesse had to admit that the brands were ones she didn’t even begin to recognize.

“I don’t know much about cars,” Jesse said softly, suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed. Hal laughed and gently patted her hand in his.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “It’s not very useful knowledge, to tell you the truth.”

Jesse looked at him again and saw that he was giving her a gentle smile. She felt her insides nearly melt at the expression on his face. She could hardly believe the way he could make her feel with a single look.

Adam drove further through the garage, and they parked in a space near to what Jesse suspected was an elevator. Adam and Hal got out of the car, and both moved around to the other side to open the doors for Jesse and Maria. Hal smiled at Jesse as he opened her door, and she felt herself blush. For some reason, she couldn’t keep from reacting that way.

She allowed him to help her out of the car and to lead her over toward the doors. Just as Jesse thought, they slid open, and the small group moved in. There was plenty of space, and the ride was easy as the elevator began to take them to the floor of their choice.

Again, Jesse felt her nerves gathering up, and she released a pent up breath. The other occupants of the elevator turned to look at her, raising their eyebrows at her noise. Again, Jesse blushed furiously.

“You alright?” Hal asked her, a smirk hanging at the edges of his mouth.

“Yeah, sorry,” Jesse said with a laugh, shaking her head.

“It’s fine,” Hal said. “Just try to relax and have a good time, alright?”

Jesse nodded and took a deep breath. She reminded herself that she had her phone, and that she could always give Tony and Mark a call if anything went south, and that she had her debit card so that she could call a cab if she needed to. Additionally, she was glad that Maria was there. She didn’t know her at all, but even so, she felt more comfortable having a woman around.

The elevator opened, and Jesse was awed by the sight of what it opened up to. It was a nice foyer, much like one to be found in the entrance of a large home. It led into a small sitting area, and then into a hallway.

“This way,” Hal said to her as he led her down the hallway, and then to the right, into a large dining area that led into a large kitchen, with a breakfast bar separating the two.

On the table in the dining room, a meal was already set out and prepared for them. The smell, delicious and savory, wafted into Jesse’s nostrils, and she felt her mouth beginning to water. It was a simple meal of baked chicken over quinoa and a side of steamed carrots with red bell pepper. They each had wine and water glasses as well. Hal led her to her seat and pulled out her chair. It was all Jesse could do to keep from delving into her dish right there and then.

She did manage to control herself at least long enough for the other people to take their seats. Maria sat in front of her, and Hal sat down beside her, with Adam diagonal to her. As everyone took their seats, Hal poured each of them a glass of wine. Hal took his seat last, and Jesse watched as he looked around at everyone with a broad smile.

“Well,” he said, clapping his hands together. “No point in wasting any more time! Let’s eat!”

As eager as Jesse was to taste the food, she was hesitant, and she waited for everyone else to take up their silverware and take their first bites before she finally decided to cut into her chicken. Just as it had smelled, it was delicious and juicy. Jesse loved chicken, and this was probably some of the best she had ever had in her life.

The vegetables and the quinoa were every bit as good, and even when Jesse was contemplating setting aside the rest, she couldn’t seem to stop eating. She gradually sipped at her wine and finally felt herself relaxing as she enjoyed her meal. By the time she was finished, she felt very satisfied but not overly full. She nursed her wine and sipped at it occasionally.

Chapter 26

The whole group had been very quiet through dinner, and Hal let out a sigh as he finished his food, setting down his knife and fork on his plate.

“Well …” He sighed, giving them all a smile. “I thought that was delicious.”

“An excellent selection,” Maria agreed and likewise set her fork down.

Adam followed suit, and Jesse picked up on their cues. As if on cue, a young man in a waistcoat appeared from around the corner to pick up their trays while another brought out a small plate with a piece of cake on it. It looked delectable, just like the dinner had been, and again Jesse soon felt her mouth start to water. Hal looked at her expectantly, propping up his arm on the table and resting his chin in the palm of his hand as he looked down at her.

“Take a bite,” he encouraged her.

Jesse vaguely noted that nobody else had eaten theirs, and she became suddenly suspicious.

“What’s wrong?” Hal frowned at her, seeming concerned and puzzled by her behavior.

“Oh, nothing,” Jesse shook her head, feeling fully ridiculous. “I just, it’s … I’m still a little nervous about all this, I guess.”

Hal laughed.

“Here,” he said and turned to his own plate. He picked up his dessert fork, took a small piece of his own cake and brought it to his mouth. Jesse was fascinated by the way his lips wrapped around the fork and how he drew it gracefully back out of his mouth. Such subtle motions, but somehow they were captivating to her. She felt a shiver go down her spine, vaguely noticing that everyone else had taken a bite out of theirs as well.

“Don’t worry,” Hal said, giving her a soft smile. “There’s no reason to be nervous.”

Jesse looked up at him, and she actually did feel comforted by his words. She looked back down at her plate and took up a small forkful of her cake. She brought her fork up to her mouth and closed her lips around the cake. As soon as it touched her tongue, she nearly released a moan at how delicious and soft the cake was. She slowly chewed and swallowed it, reveling in its delicious taste.

“Well?” Hal asked, leaning in closer with a sly smile.

“It was …” Jesse though for a moment to find the best word to describe the wonderful dessert. “Divine.”

Hal laughed and so did the other people at the table. In spite of herself, Jesse relaxed. She took up another bit of the cake and slowly chewed before swallowing, washing down the dish with the dessert wine that Hal poured. It was a perfect mixture, and the cake and the wine complemented each other perfectly. Unlike the main course, as they ate dessert, they all chatted with one another.

“So tell me again, Adam,” Hal spoke. “How did you and Maria meet, exactly?”

Maria laughed, settling her hand on Adam’s arm, and Adam scowled across the table at Hal, who simply grinned back at his friend, chewing his food.

“We all know very well how I met Maria,” Adam growled and vengefully dug his fork into his piece of cake.

“On the contrary,” Hal protested, holding up a finger. “I don’t believe Jess has ever heard this story.”

Jesse immediately blushed at being brought into the issue.

“It’s alright,” she said, made nervous by Adam’s dark glance in her direction.

“No, no,” Hal insisted. “She really should know the story. And besides, if you don’t tell her, I sure will.”

Adam glanced at Jesse again and then scowled at Hal.

“Go ahead, tell them,” Maria lightly smacked Adam on the arm. “I’m sure she’d love to hear it from you and not Hal.”

Adam released a grunt and then a sigh. He used a napkin to wipe off his mouth, tossed the napkin back on the table, and then released a long sigh.

“We met at her restaurant,” Adam began the story, his voice gruff. Jesse could tell that he had told the story multiple times.

“I was trying to make a reservation for Hal with an associate of his,” Adam explained. “They had to discuss casting for his film, I think. It’s not really important.”

Adam looked directly at Jesse, though his eyes were bored, and Jesse nodded to let him know that she was being attentive, though he would certainly rather not be telling the story in the first place.

“I tried to make the reservation over the phone,” he said. “But I wasn’t having any luck. I tried to keep from using the Hal Roberts card for as long as possible, but as usual, I had to pull it out. Unfortunately, not even that worked. So, I went to plan B. I told the punk on the phone that I would go there myself if he didn’t make this reservation happen for me. Well, the punk obviously didn’t know who I was or what I was capable of. So he still didn’t make the reservation.”

Maria and Hal smiled on either side of her, and Jesse couldn’t help wondering where this story was going to go.

“Well, you don’t know much about me,” Adam said. “But I am a man of my word, if nothing else. So, I got off the phone and got in the car, and I headed over to that little restaurant to give this little punk a piece of my mind. When I got there, I saw this little host at the front, and I knew he was the punk from the phone right off the bat. So, I asked him again about the reservation. Arms crossed, real intimidating, you know the drill.”

Maria laughed lightly and placed her hand on Adam’s arm.

“Well,” Adam shrugged. “Just like I thought, the kid got real intimidated. That was the plan, you know. I never really would have touched the kid. Maybe. But he told me to hold on for a moment, and I thought that he must surely be going to get me my reservation. Little did I know at the time that he was going to fetch the manager. If I had known that, I probably would have laid hands on him.”

The three listeners at the table laughed, but Jesse still couldn’t find the idea of Adam hurting another person very funny.

“So the boy comes back, and this beautiful woman is in his wake,” Adam said. “And you know, a pretty woman has a way of taking a man off guard. So, she explained to me very kindly that their restaurant was at capacity for the evening, and that they would have a vacancy the next day, but no sooner. Very polite, very simple.”

Jesse nodded and looked over at Maria, who had a soft smirk on her face.

“Well, I just don’t know what happened from there,” Adam said. “I went in ready to fight a little punk host, not have a verbal debate with a beautiful manager. So I sort of just let go of the reservation and changed tactics. I posed that since she couldn’t get me the reservation I needed, she should go on a date with me, instead, just to make up the difference.”

Jesse nodded eagerly, ready to hear where the story would go.

“She turned me down,” Adam said. “And I have to admit, I was a little crushed. And she let me think that I had no chance for a long while.”

“He forgot about the reservation entirely, mind you,” Hal interjected.

“Well, that’s not really my job now, is it?” Adam snapped, cocking his head and raising an eyebrow. “Anyway. I kept at it, and eventually, I wore her down.”

“He came to the restaurant every day for weeks.” Maria rolled her eyes. “And I kept turning him down. But he never did take the hint. And then he started bringing flowers. And after a week of that … well, what woman could resist that?”

Jesse smiled as Maria looked over at Adam and gave him a soft peck on the cheek. She saw Hal looking her way out of the corner of her eye, and she looked in his direction to see him giving her a soft smile. Again, she blushed, and she turned back to her cake and her wine.

Soon, they were all finished, and again the small team of waiters appeared to clear their plates.

“Thanks, guys,” Hal said to them as they moved away. “You can go ahead home whenever you finish up.”

“Yes sir,” the two said and turned back to their task.

Jesse looked after them. She wondered how they had gotten to this point in their lives, and how they had landed a job working for Hal Roberts.

“All of my employees live here in the building,” Hal explained. “Expense-free, of course. But under the condition that they have to be ready for anything and always on call. I try to give appropriate notice, but I do expect prompt response at all times.”

Jesse was surprised by his revelation. She had wondered what all this building was used for, and why he needed an entire building to live in himself. She saw now that she probably couldn’t begin to imagine what all this building was used for, and she realized that she would probably never find out.

“Why don’t we take this into the living room?” Hal suggested, and Adam and Maria nodded.

Both men stood and drew back the chairs so that the women could stand. Hal gave Jesse a smile and offered her his arm, and Jesse took it, allowing him to lead her back into the hall and across into a large living room. It was a very elegant space with sleek leather couches and a glass coffee table.

Hal led Jesse over to one end of the couch and gestured for her to sit. He left the room for a moment and returned with yet more wine glasses and a bottle of what Jesse guessed was a very fine wine. She was already fairly tipsy, and she knew that another glass of wine would likely be enough to get her drunk. She found, though, that she had finally relaxed enough to have a good time in her present company, and she wasn’t intent on ruining the mood by refusing to drink.

It seemed, though, that Adam and Maria were not shy about refusing at all.

“I’d better not,” Maria held up a hand and gave Hal a tight smile. “I’m a bit of a lightweight.”

“Oh, come on,” Hal smirked down at her and raised a brow.

“You heard the lady,” Adam said, crossing his arms. “She’s had enough.”

“Well, your defender has spoken.” Hal sighed and reached to pour Adam a glass.

“That’s enough for me as well,” Adam shook his head. “I need a clear head to do my job.”

Hal scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Well, then, I hereby give you the night off,” Hal tried, but Adam shook his head.

“Sorry, Hal,” he said with a smile. “I’m done.”

Hall shook his head, let out a long sigh and looked over to Jesse with a shrug.

“I guess it’s just up to you and me now,” Hal said with a sly grin as he poured her glass. Jesse looked at the filling glass with trepidation, and she sighed, knowing that she would likely have a headache to show for her indulgence. Nevertheless, she raised the glass and took a sip, enjoying the richness of the wine as it swirled around her mouth.

Hal poured himself a glass, and once again the four companions became engrossed in conversation. Hal and Jesse explained the circumstances under which they had met to Maria, and Maria explained how she had come to manage the restaurant. Just as she had suspected it would, the wine went straight to Jesse’s head, and she became ever more amicable as the night passed.

Jesse found herself increasingly less inhibited, and she allowed her eyes to wander over Hal beside her. He had taken off the jacket of his suit, and she could see more of his neck than usual. With how close he was sitting to her, she could smell his clean, crisp, and spicy scent wafting toward her, and she couldn’t help breathing it in.

Jesse could feel herself becoming increasingly excited by his presence. She knew it was the wine, but she found herself becoming more and more restless. Her skin was tingling, and she could feel her blood pounding in her veins. She barely paid attention to the conversation going on around her, so focused was she on taking in all of Hal’s appearance that she possibly could.

“Well, I think it’s about time that we headed out,” Adam said, about to stand.

“Yeah, it’s about that time,” Maria said, taking Adam’s hand and allowing him to help her stand.

Hal stood, and Jesse too prepared to stand. She swayed on her feet, and Hal moved quickly to gather her against his side, steadying her. Jesse could feel his solid frame against her side, and she felt her heart beat even harder in her chest.

“Well, you two take it easy tonight,” Hal said, shaking Adam’s hand and bending to kiss Maria’s cheek.

“You too.” Maria smiled. “It was nice to meet you, Jesse.”

Maria extended her hand, and Jesse shook it.

“It was nice to meet you as well.” Jesse smiled and then released Maria’s hand. Jesse glanced over at Adam, who gave her a nod and a smile.

“Goodnight, Jesse,” he said.

“Goodnight,” she replied, giving him a smile and now feeling more comfortable and less intimidated with him around.

The other couple made their way out of the room, and Jesse heard a couple of doors shut. She was keenly aware of the fact that she and Hal were alone in the room together. Hal helped her sit back down on the large couch, and he remained standing for a little longer to pour them each another glass of wine.

Chapter 27

“I guess it’s just you and me now,” Hal said, giving her a smile and sitting back down beside her, swirling his wine around in his glass.

Jesse’s eyes were fixed to the dark, swirling liquid in the glass, if only to keep her eyes from being glued to Hal. Her heart was pounding, and she could feel herself becoming ever more restless the longer she was with him.

“How did you enjoy your time?” Hal asked, smiling down at her.

“I had a very good time,” Jesse said, giving him a soft smile. Hal laughed and placed his hand on her knee. Jesse felt her stomach jump at his soft touch, and she nearly started squirming as he softly rubbed his hand along her skin.

“I’m definitely glad to hear it,” Hal said quietly. Jesse was nearly panting from the feelings she was experiencing from his gently touch. She could feel the heat of his hand through her dress and vaguely wondered how his bare hand would feel against her thigh.

Jesse quickly felt herself losing control over her situation, and she scrambled to find a way to get out of the situation she had found herself in.

“So …” Jesse said, racking her brain to see what topic of conversation she could bring up. “This was a date all along wasn’t it? I mean … there was never any event, was there?”

Jesse watched Hal’s face fall, and he ran his hand over his face and looked back at her, raising his brow.

“No,” he answered her honestly. “There was never any event.”

“So …” Jesse thought hard, trying to figure out what exactly she had been invited to. “Were you just going to tag along on their date? And you decided to invite me?”

Hal laughed and shook his head.

“No, that’s not it,” he said, leaning against the back of the couch. “Actually … none of this would have ever happened at all if you had said no.”

Jesse was somewhat puzzled.

“What do you mean?” Jesse asked, tilting her head, the wine keeping her from understanding exactly what was happening and what Hal was explaining to her.

“Well, if you had said no,” Hal said, “I would have had dinner somewhere alone. There would have been no perfectly cooked, chef-made meal. Adam would have gone to his apartment for the night, and I would have been here. The whole double date was just so you wouldn’t be intimidated by the idea of going on a date alone with me.”

Jesse blinked at his explanation and began to process the lengths to which he had gone to secure an evening with her. She couldn’t help laughing at all the trouble he had gone through just to have dinner with her.

“That seems like a lot of trouble,” she noted as she raised her glass to finish off the wine that was left there. Hal did not hesitate to top it off again.

“Well, I would definitely say without question,” Hal said, finishing off his own wine, “that is was worth every second.”

Jesse felt herself blush at his words, and she took a sip of her latest glass. The room was starting to spin around her, and she knew that this glass would definitely make its mark on her.

“Truly, I am glad you decided to come,” Hal said softly, and he gave her a soft smile.

“I’m glad I decided to come too,” Jesse said honestly. “But … there’s just one thing … one question …”

“Ask it,” Hal said simply, searching her face for her emotions. Jesse looked back and mustered up the words with which to frame her question.

“Why didn’t you just …” Jesse paused, feeling embarrassed at the mere notion. “Ask me on a date? You know, without all the extra frills and setups.”

Hal looked at her as if the answer was obvious.

“Well,” he said with a chuckle, shaking his head. “I … I was nervous. There, that’s it. I wanted to create a situation that was low pressure so that you would say yes without much question. And I think it was pretty successful because here you are.”

Jesse nodded. She could understand how that would be a convenient tactic to use to get someone to agree to a date.

“Well, it worked,” she agreed. “But does it really count?”

“Excuse me?” Hal asked, leaning back and frowning at her,

“I mean,” Jesse shrugged, “I was brought here under false pretenses. And even then, it wasn’t a real date, it was a double date. For all I know, you’re in love with Maria and trying to make her jealous.”

Hal laughed aloud and shook his head.

“First of all,” he lifted a finger, “don’t say that too loud. If Adam heard you, he might rip my limbs off, whether he’s supposed to keep me safe or not. He really does care for her, whether or not he cares to admit it.”

Jesse smiled at the comment. The pair of them looked cute together, with Maria’s petite stature in comparison to his broad bulk. She had to admit that all throughout dinner he had seemed entirely enamored with her.

“And on the other matters,” Hal continued, “I told you it was a double date in the car, and you could have left, but you didn’t. We could have turned around right there, and we would have … but you stayed.”
Jesse had to admit he had her there. At that point, she had known that it was a date, and she was not at all offended by the idea. Indeed, she had been overeager if anything.

“And on your last point,” Hal said, his tone growing serious, “yes, it was a double date … but now it’s just you and me …”

Jesse was stricken by his statement and by the intense look in his eyes. He finished off his wine and set the glass on the table, focusing entirely on her. Jesse did the same with hers and turned to face him as well, choosing courage instead of meekness in his presence.

“I’m sorry,” Hal said softly, raising his hand to cup her cheek, gently running his thumb along her cheekbones and sending shivers down her spine.

“For what?” Jesse asked, her whole body shivering as he looked down into her eyes.

“That I didn’t have the courage to ask you out,” he said. “I mean, without all the frills and accessories.”

Jesse laughed, and he gave her a small smile and a chuckle.

“It’s okay,” Jesse said softly, nuzzling her face into the palm of his hand. Her whole body felt alive, and she felt pressure building up between her legs as she heard Hal’s breath catch in his throat.

“Jess …” Hal said, and he lowered his head to rest it against hers. Jesse felt herself beginning to pant, and she felt her world spinning around her once more.

She knew she had had too much to drink. She knew that she was letting her body get the best of her because she couldn’t think straight. She knew that if she did anything with Hal right now, she would only blame the alcohol in the morning. But in spite of all that, she could not muster up the will to pull away from him. She reveled in this moment, and she could not deny the way her body was responding to him and aching for him.

Jesse let out a soft laugh and shook her head slowly.

“What is it?” Hal asked softly.

“We’re drunk …” Jesse said in a whisper.

“Yeah.” Hal laughed. “We are.”

Jesse laughed again, and she felt heat rising up in her body once more.

“You’re beautiful,” Hal said softly. He pulled back his face from hers and looked her up and down. Jesse flushed and shifted restlessly.

“So are you,” Jesse said. “Well, maybe like the masculine version of beautiful … but, still …”

Hal laughed again and smiled down at her before his expression slowly became more serious again.

It seemed to Jesse that she was stuck in limbo for an eternity. They just looked between one another. Jesse ached for him to do something. She tried to muster up the courage to lean up and kiss him, but she was too nervous. So, they simply stared.

“I want …” Hal said but trailed off for a moment.

“What is it?” Jesse asked, eager to hear what it was he would say.

Hal looked down at her and smiled slowly.

“I want to kiss you,” he said softly, his thumbs running along her cheekbones all the while.

Jesse felt a rush of heat low in her stomach to hear him say that. She knew that her eyes must have flashed with emotion, for Hal’s eyes darkened as he looked down at her.

“So kiss me …” Jesse urged him quietly.

In the next second, Jesse felt his grip tighten on her face, and his lips pressed against her own. She felt another shudder pass through her body, and she opened her mouth slightly, allowing his lips to part and his tongue to slip inside of her mouth.

Jesse was still and more than a little nervous, but after a moment, she relaxed. She moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, running her hands up his back. She buried her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck, and she released a soft whimper into his mouth. He responded with a dark growl, and she felt his hands move to grip her hips.

Suddenly, Jesse felt Hal move over her so that she was pressed into the couch. She gasped loudly as she felt his hardness against her thigh. Hal must have felt it too, for he immediately pulled back, his eyes searching her face.

The two were quiet for a long moment, both of them panting heavily as they tried to catch their breaths and take stock of the situation. Jesse ached to keep going while she was still uninhibited by her wine, but she knew that such actions would only lead to regret.

“I … I should go …” Jesse whispered breathlessly. Hal blinked and quickly shook his head as if to clear it.

“I … yeah …” Hal nodded. “I’ll call you a cab.”

In an instant, Hal had disappeared into another room. Jesse sighed and buried her face in her hands. She could not believe that had just happened. She heard Hal come back in the room, and she raised her head.

“The cab’s on its way …” he said crossing the room. “I’ll take you down to the street.”

Jesse simply looked at him for a moment, but then nodded. She tried to stand on her own, but the room spun around her, and she would have fallen if Hal had not come to her aid.

“Steady there,” he said with a chuckle while Jesse smiled up at him gratefully.

Jesse allowed Hal to lead her back through the room and down the hall to the elevator doors. Hal took up her clutch from the stand in the doorway, and Jesse thanked him with a nod.

They were quiet as they rode the elevator down, and Jesse was somewhat surprised when they came out on the street level and not in the parking garage. She was also surprised to see the cab already there waiting for her.

“Well, there you are,” Hal smiled, gesturing to the cab. “It won’t cost you anything; I took care of it.”

“Oh,” Jesse blinked. “There’s no need, I can …”

“Jess,” he cut her off. “I’m too rich for my own good. Let me get it.”

Jesse smiled and nodded.

“Thank you for dinner,” she said with a shy smile.

“It was my pleasure,” Hal said softly.

“Goodnight.” Jesse smiled at him as she headed toward the taxi.

“Goodnight, Jess,” Hal said in a near whisper, his expression dark and longing.

Jesse felt a flare of desire for him, and she blushed furiously as she got in the cab. She shut the door without a word. The cab driver seemed to know where she was headed, and he drove immediately. Jesse’s eyes stayed locked on Hal as they drove, and he stayed looking at her. It wasn’t until they turned a corner that he left her line of sight.

Jesse finally faced forward in the cab, her world still spinning from the wine. She still felt the excitement from all the activities of the night and could still feel the warmth of Hal’s lips pressed against her own.

Jesse knew that she owed Mark and Tony quite a story in the morning.

Chapter 28

Jesse

No matter what she did, how hard she tried, or how often she reminded herself that she had work to get done, Jesse could not seem to stop thinking about Hal.

She knew, deep down, that what they had shared was more than just a culmination of spontaneity and too much wine. At least, it was for her.

Jesse shook her head at the mere thought. She tried to focus on her breathing and her heart rate as she pounded the pavement on her morning run. She inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth, just as she had been taught however many years ago. Usually, that simple rhythm was enough to keep her calm. This morning, however, that was not the case at all.

Her mind had one sole occupation, and she knew that it was going to prove detrimental to her in one way or another. She dwelled on that foreboding thought as she drew her run to a close and headed back upstairs to her apartment.

Once safely inside her home, Jesse shucked off her sweaty running clothes, tossed her phone on her bed, then got in the shower. She schooled herself to try and focus on what she would do at work that day and to her aggravation, she remembered that she had to finally finish her article on Hal.

Jesse felt her stomach clench as she thought of handing the altogether subpar piece of work to Elaine. She knew that her boss would not be pleased with it and that there would likely be a long talk regarding her future at the company. Jesse only had herself to blame. She had been suckered right into Hal’s touching coming of age story and had made him a promise that she never should have. Now, she had to deal with the consequences.

The thought of the demise of her career served to sober her up quite a bit. Jesse was in a much more morose state of mind as she dressed for work and gathered up all her things, then waited, as usual, for Mark outside of his door after giving it a few knocks. She only vaguely acknowledged his response to her knock.

“Hey, good morning!” Mark greeted her cheerily upon coming out of his door, but his expression fell as he saw the look on Jesse’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“I have to turn in my article to Elaine today,” Jesse said softly, and she saw Mark stiffen.

“Oh,” he said softly.

Silence stretched between them as they made their way down the hall and to the elevator.

“Well,” Mark sighed at length, and Jesse could tell that he was having trouble coming up with words to console her. “I’m sure it’s good even if there is some content shortage …”

“It’s subpar.” Jesse shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. “And Elaine is going to be able to smell that from a mile off.”

Mark gave Jesse a sympathetic glance, and she knew that he knew she was right. The elevator doors opened, and they began their usual trek to work. Mark made to step into their usual coffee shop and held the door open for Jesse.

“You go ahead,” Jesse waved him on. “I’m just going to go ahead to the office.”

“Are you sure?” Mark asked her.

“Yeah,” Jesse nodded and gave him a small smile. “I want to be alone for a while.”

Mark nodded and stepped further into the café.

“I’ll see you at the office,” he said, and Jesse nodded, then went along their usual course.

Her steps were a little slower than usual, as she had the nagging notion that she was approaching her own funeral, or at least the funeral of her career. She was so young. She had hardly gotten the chance to be seen or heard, and it was about to be over with one mediocre article.

She became angry at the cause of her strife. What was it about Hal that had prompted her to throw everything away anyway? She was supposed to interview him, gather up information on him, and then move on with her life. What spell had he managed to cast on her that made her so suddenly a sympathetic friend instead of an ambitious reporter?

She barely had to think those questions before the answers came rushing back to her in the form of Hal’s pained green eyes and the slight downward turn of his lips She remembered the pain in his voice as he spoke of his first love and of losing her.

And as those images came to mind, others followed. She remembered his easy smile after he’d had too much wine and ended up at her house. She remembered the way his eyes smoldered as he had hovered over her last night. He remembered the way his fingertips had felt against her skin and the softness of his lips against her own …

Jesse gasped as she felt a hot pang of desire shoot from her center throughout the rest of her body. She shook her head and tried to rid her mind of those thoughts. It was no wonder she had thrown away the article, she wasn’t sure there was anything she wouldn’t do just for another moment alone with Hal.

Jesse scowled at the thought and had to admit that she felt more than a little insecure, as well. She had little choice but to acknowledge her feelings for Hal. It was incredibly obvious that she was falling for him. After all, he was the very model of male perfection both physically and financially. She was just one of the many women who were fawning all over him.

She, however, had absolutely nothing to offer him. A small part of her tried to protest the self-degrading thoughts, remembering the words he had said to her the previous night, and how he had claimed to arrange the whole evening just so that she would have dinner with him. The more cynical part of her brain, though, was quick to object.

Hal Roberts was good looking, but his brain was sharp as well. She had no doubt that he could manipulate her into wanting him and thinking she was the center of his life, only to drop her in the very next instant. She felt bitterness rise up in her heart toward him, but also a sadness that she could not easily dismiss. In spite of herself, she was growing very fond of him, and she hated that it could only end in heartbreak for her.

As she had gotten lost in her thoughts, though, Jesse had steadily neared her office, and when she saw it looming just ahead on the sidewalk, she felt a sick feeling in her stomach upon remembering the imminent demise of her career. She paused for a moment just before the doors and closed her eyes. She could feel her hands shaking, and she closed them into fists before finally entering the office.

All she could do was get this over with. The sooner she had the article turned in, the sooner Elaine could chew her out, or fire her, or whatever else was her pleasure to do.

Chapter 29

Jesse moved quickly through the building to her desk and arranged her things, pulling up the article on her computer. She made sure that it was at least edited to perfection, even if the content was lacking. If nothing else, it would be a work of formatting perfection.

It did not take long, and she printed it out, moving across the office to the printer to collect the document. Then, she returned to her desk and put the papers in a file. She looked at it for a long moment, feeling a weight like a stone in her stomach. She couldn’t help feeling a sense of relief looming somewhere in her mess of emotions, that at least the stress was over, and she could focus on something else.

Then again, if Elaine were truly unhappy with it, her next item of focus would simply be finding a new place of employment.

Jesse was vaguely aware of her coworkers beginning to pass her desk, and she realized that it was time for their daily meeting. She shook her head and gathered up the file. She would give it to Elaine after the meeting and then disappear. Elaine could read it on her own, and that way Jesse would be out of the immediate line of fire.

Jesse followed her coworkers to the meeting room and immediately took her place by Mark. Mark looked first at Jesse and then at the file clutched tightly in her hand.

“Is that it?” he asked her, gesturing to the file.

Jesse gave him a slow nod. Mark put his arm around her shoulder, gave her a tight side hug, and then turned his attention to the front of the room. Jesse looked up as well, and she feared for a moment that she would vomit as she saw Elaine smile broadly, giving a sweeping look across the room as she began her morning address.

Jesse barely heard a word of what was said in the meeting. Her heart pounded hard in her ears, and she fought the urge to vomit. She felt her hands shaking beneath the desk and clasped them together to try and stop it. She felt like she was slowly swirling into madness and wished that she had never been given this assignment at all.

“Jesse?” she heard Mark from beside her and looked up at him distractedly. “The meeting is over.”

“Oh!” Jesse gasped and immediately hopped to her feet. She scanned the crowd of her coworkers and finally spotted Elaine. She pushed and rushed through the congregation of journalists until she finally managed to catch up with Elaine.

“Elaine!” Jesse said hastily as she finally caught up with her, and the older woman turned around, smiling at her in her usual unsettling way.

“Ah, Miss Clarke,” Elaine fairly purred at her. “How good to see you. What can I do for you?”

Jesse gulped and offered up the file.

“This is the Hal Roberts article,” she said. “It’s edited and ready for print.”

“Excellent,” Elaine’s eyes lit up, and Jesse’s stomach sank further. “I have a few things on my plate this morning, but I will read through it as soon as I possibly can.”

Jesse forced out a smile and nod, trying to keep herself together for at least a little while longer.

“Thank you,” Jesse managed to say, and Elaine turned to head back toward her office.

Jesse waited until Elaine was out of her sight and then released a shuddering breath. She ran a hand over her face and slowly began the short walk back to her own desk. She knew it was only a matter of time before Elaine read the pathetic article she had managed to write, and until then all she could do was wait.

In spite of how slowly she walked, Jesse did arrive back at her desk at length, and she sat down into her chair with a deep sigh. For a while, she merely looked down at the surface of her desk, her mind feeling vacant and numb. There was nothing she really had to work on, and she didn’t want to allow her mind to wander too far lest she become weighed down with the graveness of her situation.

Eventually, though, Jesse needed a distraction. She briefly contemplated going to see Mark in his office but dismissed the idea. She didn’t know what she would say to him anyway and didn’t need to distract him from his work. In addition, she felt as though she had let him down. He had played a large part in securing her job, and now she felt sure that she was about to lose it.

Jesse stewed over that a while more, feeling her heart sink ever deeper into her stomach. She browsed the internet for a while, hoping that some light humor would help to lift her spirits, but nothing seemed to be able to bring her out of her haze of misery.

She vaguely considered reaching out to Hal. They had, after all, spent the previous evening together. She could call him up just to thank him again. She quashed that idea as well. She knew that if he didn’t answer, she would feel dejected. She was more fearful, though, of how she would feel if he did answer.

No. All she could do was wait. She didn’t need to drag anyone else into her state of emotional distress. This was all just her penance for her failure as a reporter, and she would bear it alone.

Jesse managed to calm herself somewhat. She knew that she didn’t want to be an absolute nervous wreck when Elaine finally called her in. Jesse largely looked through various pop articles online and vaguely wondered who was covering which of the latest stories, as she hadn’t been paying an ounce of attention to the meeting that morning.

Time passed, and before Jesse knew it, the lunch hour was upon her. She was eager to take the excuse to get out of the office, but the anticipation of what was to come with Elaine weighed heavily on her and prevented her from being able to stomach a meal.

Reluctantly, Jesse made her way back to the office as the lunch hour drew to a close. People around her were settling into their desks, and Jesse had just pulled her chair up when her desk phone rang.

Her stomach dropped, but she didn’t dare let the phone ring a second time before she answered it.

“This is Jesse Clarke at The Edge,” she spilled her customary line into the phone, trying to keep her shattered nerves from being evident in her voice.

“Hey Jess,” she heard a warm, male voice on the other line. “Are you okay? You sound a little shaken up.”

Chapter 30

Hal

Hal frowned as he heard Jesse release a long, shaky sigh from the other end of the line. She had sounded tense, and her reaction to his call had made him all the more worried that something wasn’t right.

“Hey,” he spoke again, letting his concern seep into his voice. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing,” Jesse snapped her answer quickly. “Just something here at the office.”

“Oh,” Hal said, relieved.

“Yeah,” Jesse sighed again, and Hal clearly identified anxiety in her tone. “Look, this is a bad time for us to talk. And you can’t keep calling me here at the office.”

Hal was taken aback at her sudden brusqueness, but he recovered quickly.

“Well, if you don’t want me to call you on this phone, you’ll have to give me the number to your cell,” he said easily. “And if this is a bad time to talk, we’ll have to set up a time to talk later.”

Hal heard Jesse sigh again, and he smiled to himself at being the cause of her irritation.

“Fine,” she said and began to rattle off a chain of numbers. Hal scrambled to jot them down as she listed them off.

“There,” she said as she finished. “Are you done?”

“No,” Hal said in return, allowing some of his own irritation to creep into his tone. “We haven’t decided on when we’re meeting up to talk since you’re so busy.”

There was silence on the other end of the line, and Hal briefly worried if he had come on too strong and overplayed his hand.

“Alright, okay,” Jesse said, her tone much more docile. “What if you came to my place around six?”

“I can do six,” Hal said, allowing a satisfied smile to creep over his face.

“Okay,” Jesse said, her voice sounding more subdued and somewhat defeated. Hal frowned at the tone, and he got the nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked again.

“Like I said, it’s work,” she said quickly. “Can we please just talk about this tonight?”

Hal was dissatisfied with her answer, and he wanted to know what was going on right here and now. He could tell, though, that she was in a real state of distress, and he knew that if he had to, he could wait for her explanation.

“Yes,” Hal answered, keeping his tone soft. “Yes, of course.”

“Thank you,” Jesse breathed into the phone.

A brief silence passed between them, and Hal searched for words to say to fill the gap.

“Well …” Jesse beat him to it. “I’ll see you tonight then.”

“See you to …” the phone went dead before he could finish his goodbye, and he scowled down at his phone before shoving it roughly back into his pocket.

Hal braced his hands on the edge of his counter and shook his head. Before he knew it, though, his frown of irritation had transformed into a smile, and a soft chuckle passed his lips.

“What’s so funny?” Hal turned as he heard Adam’s familiar voice as he entered the kitchen.

“It’s funny that domestic animals live a higher quality of life than most humans,” Hal quipped.

“It’s Jesse, isn’t it?” Adam raised his eyebrow, and Hal let out a long sigh.

“Of course it’s Jesse,” he freely admitted, opening up the fridge to withdraw a plum from the bottom drawer.

“And what have you done to her now?” Adam pressed, crossing his arms.

“Why am I always the villain with you?” Hal diverted the direction of the conversation, feigning hurt in his tone. Adam let out a short bark of laughter and shook his head.

“Because I know you,” he shot back. “So what’s going on between you two now?”

“I’m going over to her place tonight,” Hal said simply.

“And?” Adam prodded, and Hal frowned.

“She seemed a little bit unsettled,” Hal said.

“Happens to the best of us, I suppose.” Adam nodded, sitting down at the breakfast bar.

Hal grunted and bit into the fruit in his hand. He had a feeling that this was more than just an instance of being slightly unsettled, but he couldn’t really figure what it was.

“She said it was work,” Hal offered after he swallowed the bite he had taken.

“I’m not surprised,” Adam said flatly.

“No?” Hal raised an eyebrow, and Adam gave him an odd look.

“Wouldn’t you be a little unsettled if you worked under Elaine Beck?” Adam pointed out.

Hal frowned. Even the mention of Elaine’s name was enough to get him irritated. She knew how to get under anyone’s skin, and she never hesitated to do it. He hated the idea of her being anywhere near Jesse.

Hal suddenly remembered that the only reason he had met Jesse in the first place was so she could interview him for Elaine’s magazine. He had only done that to get the woman off his back, and it had somehow turned into one of the most intriguing instances of his life. In reality, he had no real respect for The Edge, and he thought it was a shame that Jesse was working there when it was very clear to him that she was capable of so much more.

“Elaine should be working for Jesse,” Hal murmured, mostly to himself.

“Well, be that as it may …” Adam shrugged and left Hal to fill in the rest.

Hal brooded about Jesse’s unfortunate circumstances. He wondered if there was anything he could do to change her situation. Even if there was, she was highly unlikely to accept any help from him. She took a lot of pride in her work, and she would never allow him to pave the way for her. He couldn’t help admiring her for that.

“I wouldn’t worry myself too much,” Adam spoke up again. “She’s got a lot of spunk. She’ll get through whatever it is that’s got her down. And then she’ll have plenty of time to keep putting you through the ringer.”

Hal laughed at Adam’s words. His friend was absolutely right. Jesse certainly kept him on his toes, and he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Since he had been with her the previous night, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He was glad they had stopped where they did. He didn’t want her to think that he only wanted her physically, and he knew that if he had acted on his desire, that was the very impression she would have gotten.

Still, it had taken a lot for him to call the cab and watch it take her home. He was achingly hard, in spite of all the alcohol in his system, and he had spent quite a bit of time last night with his cock in his hand, imagining the feeling of her soft skin against his own, and wondering how her voice would sound in a throaty moan.

Hal felt his cock surge a little even at that memory, and he shook his head to keep himself in line. He vaguely wondered if it was a good idea to go to her home later that evening.

Even so, good idea or bad, they had made the arrangements, and at six in the evening, he would be at her door, just as she had said.

He could hardly wait.

Chapter 31

Jesse

Jesse could practically feel her mind unraveling. She had the sick thought that Elaine was dragging this out on purpose just to antagonize her. She had half a mind to go up to her office and just get it done with. She knew, though, that she didn’t actually have the courage to take the first step. So, she remained at her desk, simply waiting for however Elaine would summon her.

Time continued to pass, and finally, the work day was over. Jesse looked around in utter disbelief as her coworkers began to gather up their things and filter out.

She hadn’t gotten a call, an email, or even a summoning from one of Elaine’s assistants. It felt to Jesse like an eerie, unwelcome silence—like a silent rebuke. Somehow it was even worse than a scolding. Jesse knew that she would never be able to rest if she didn’t get some form of feedback from Elaine, and she knew she had to act.

Jesse quickly gathered up her things from her desk and made a straight path to Mark’s office. She bumped into several people along her way and muttered out flustered apologies to them as she moved through the building. She arrived at Mark’s door just as he was standing from his desk.

“I’m going to see Elaine,” she said resolutely. Mark blinked over at her and shook his head, her blunt statement obviously catching him a little off guard.

“Wait, what?” he uttered. “Did she not call you in today?”

“No,” Jesse answered in a rush. “I’m going to go talk to her right now; I can’t wait any longer.”

“Oh … okay.” Mark nodded. “I’ll be right here …”

Jesse heard his words, but she had already turned her back on him, making for Elaine’s office. She hoped dearly that Elaine hadn’t for some reason packed up and left already. Jesse knew that she couldn’t stand to go home without at least some word from her employer about this article.

Jesse arrived at the door to Elaine’s office and saw her sitting at her desk. Jesse knocked on the door three times, and Elaine looked up, both of her slender brows raised in an expression of graceful surprise. Elaine waved at her to enter, and Jesse did not hesitate to do so.

“Miss Clarke,” Elaine leaned back in her chair. “What a surprise to see you. I certainly wasn’t expecting you.”

Jesse could clearly hear the veiled disapproval in her boss’s tone, and she suppressed her crippling anxiety enough to say the words she needed to.

“I was just wondering if you had read through the article,” Jesse managed to say.

Elaine frowned a little and tilted her head as if she was trying to remember something she had forgotten.

“The article, the article …” she mumbled to herself and tapped a manicured finger on her lips. “Oh, yes, the Hal Roberts article.”

“Yes.” Jesse nodded eagerly. She knew that Elaine was having a grand time digging and twisting her long claws into her, and there was nothing she could do but stand there and take it.

“That one,” Elaine said with a nod. “Yes, I read it. Nothing wrong with it. I submitted it to the publicists this morning. Should be out in the magazine tomorrow.”

Elaine said this with an easy smile. Jesse felt sure that she was about to explode. She could see in Elaine’s eyes that the other shoe was about to drop, but Jesse couldn’t take any more of the cruel game.

“I know it wasn’t what you were expecting it to be,” Jesse went ahead and confessed. “And I know it’s not good enough to justify the mess I’ve gotten into with Roberts.”

“No,” Elaine said in a clipped tone. “It wasn’t.”

Jesse blinked and looked at Elaine in confusion.

“Then … why did you submit it to the publicists?” Jesse asked, feeling lost.

Elaine gave her a wolfish smile and slowly began to rise, bracing her hands on the edge of her desk.

“If I had not submitted it,” Elaine said slowly, “then nobody else would get to see what a generic, dime a dozen little journalist you are.”

Jesse felt the words like a knife to her stomach.

“Now,” Elaine continued, “everyone will see the article, and they will see who wrote it. They will see that we had an opportunity to get diamonds, and the best we could come up with was some shiny coal.”

Jesse looked down at the ground, truly feeling shame creep over her.

“I could have brought you in here, given you a scolding.” Elaine nodded and then shook her head. “But where’s the lesson in that? No. I think this is for the best. And it will serve as a reminder to you as well. Now, whenever you start to think that you could really be someone, really do something … you can just read your Hal Roberts article and remember who you really are, and where you really belong.”

Elaine’s tone was icy by the time she finished her tirade, and Jesse felt an unbidden tear trickle down her cheek. She didn’t dare to look up at Elaine, but she heard her sit back down behind her desk.

“Now,” Elaine’s tone had resumed its usual quality. “If that’s all, you may go on home for the evening. I’ll keep my ears open for anything that might be more suited to your abilities for tomorrow’s briefing.”

Jesse recognized the dismissal, and she promptly made her way out of the office. Tears trickled down her face as she headed back to Mark’s office, but she didn’t really feel anything. She knew that Elaine was right, and that she had deserved every one of the woman’s scathing remarks.

As she arrived at Mark’s door, she found him leaning against his desk, looking up eagerly at her.

“Well?” he pressed immediately, eager and anxious to hear how it had gone.

“She said it’s mediocre … that I’m mediocre,” Jesse said softly. “And she published it so that everyone will know just how dime a dozen I am.”

“Oh, Jesse …” Mark’s face fell, and he opened his arms as if to embrace her. “I’m so sorry …”

“Please,” Jesse held up her hands to stop him. “Don’t … let’s just go home.”

With that, Jesse turned away from her friend. She waited for him to close the door behind him, and then they began the walk back to their apartment. Jesse could feel Mark’s eyes on her every now and again, and she knew that he wanted to say something to comfort her. There was nothing he could say, though, and Jesse was grateful that he remained quiet as they walked along.

Finally, they reached their separate doors. Jesse put her key in the lock and turned it. She made to step into her apartment, anxious to be alone.

“Jesse?” she heard Mark’s voice and turned to face him.

“I’m right here if you need anything,” he said, sympathy evident in his tone.

Jesse gave him a weary smile.

“Thanks,” she said, her voice cracking a little. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Mark gave her a small smile, and then a wave, and Jesse turned and entered her home, shutting the door and bolting the lock behind her.

For a long while, Jesse just stood in the entry of her home. She felt purposeless. She had failed at her assignment. And now everyone would see it.

Finally, Jesse stepped into her living room and sat down on the couch. She looked down at her coffee table, not really seeing it. She felt drained and numb. She couldn’t bring herself to do anything but sit there, her mind empty, and her body unresponsive.

Time passed, but she was unaware of it, and when her doorbell rang, she barely even realized it. It rang out twice more before she even looked in the direction of the door. It was only when she heard knocking that she rose with a sigh to get the door.

She slowly crossed the room and moved to the door. She undid the bolt and then the sliding lock, and then opened the door. There, she saw Hal Roberts standing, looking slightly irritated.

Jesse could only blink up at him. He looked down at her expectantly, but she had nothing to offer him. Without a word, she turned her back and headed back to her couch. Whether or not he came in would be up to him.

Chapter 32

Hal

Hal frowned as he took in Jesse’s despondent state.

“Hey,” he called after her as she turned and headed back into her apartment without as much as a word to him.

Hal turned and shut the door, locking it promptly behind him.

“Jess,” he said, concern rising up to the forefront of his mind. Still she did not answer him, instead taking up a seat in the middle of her couch.

Hal approached so that he was in front of her, and she looked up at him, though she seemed disinterested at best.

“Hey,” Hal crossed his arms and looked down at her. “What’s wrong with you?”

Jesse merely shrugged, and Hal had the urge to shake her if only to get that blank look off her face.

“Look, you’ve been acting weird all day,” he said, sitting down on the coffee table in front of her. “I came her so we could talk. Now talk. What happened at work today?”

Jesse looked at him vaguely for a moment before releasing a long sigh.

“That article,” she said dully. “That I wrote about you … I turned it in today. It was a piece of shit.”

Hal frowned in confusion.

“What do you mean?” Hal pressed, confused as to why this article was wreaking such havoc on her life.

“It was a generic, mediocre, dime a dozen article,” she said. “And she sent it to the publicist.”

Hal was more confused now than he was when he started.

“Well, then that’s obviously not true,” he tried to justify. “She wouldn’t publish anything that she didn’t think was at least good, certainly nothing dime a dozen.”

“Yes, she would.” Jesse sighed again. “So that everyone can see that I’m nothing more than a two-bit journalist who can’t even make an interview with Hal Roberts sound interesting. Even after being caught at a coffee shop and skipping a day off work to spend with him.”

Hal took in her words, and he was filled with a mixture of rage and guilt as he came to understand what was going on here. Elaine was selling Jesse as some sort of amateur, and showing it to the whole world, which would effectively keep Jesse from ever getting noticed as a reputable journalist.

Hal also knew that it was largely his own fault. He had revealed things to her that would have surely sent her article to new heights and allowed her to meet all the standards that Elaine had certainly set for her. She, however, being the person that she was, had decided to strike it from the record. And now she was suffering for it.

Hal was furious.

“Look,” Hal said through his teeth. “You and I both know what really happened with that article. And it’s too late to go back and change all of that. I know you’re better than this whole job.”

“No, I’m not.” Jesse shook her head, looking even more dejected. “Don’t you see? I should have just stuck to writing humor clips …”

“Jess, you know that’s not true!” Hal took Jesse by the shoulders and made her look at him. He registered alarm in her expression, and he was glad for that change if nothing else.

“Jess,” he said more calmly, loosening his grip on her. “You’re an incredible writer, and Elaine knows it. She feels threatened by you. That’s why she gave you this assignment in the first place. She knew I wouldn’t ever give you anything to work with. Little did she know, I did give it to you, but you decided not to use it because you’re an actual, caring human being, and not a sociopath like her.”

As he spoke, Hal could see some emotion rising back up into Jesse’s eyes, and he felt encouraged that he was making a difference.

“She’s just trying to cut you down so that you can’t cut her down later,” Hal said decisively.

He watched as Jesse seemed to process his words. Her eyes flashed with all manner of emotions before they settled on dismay again.

“Well, she cut me down.” Jesse shrugged. “Nobody is going to take me seriously as a writer after this article gets out.”

“That’s not going to be the defining article of your career.” Hal scoffed. “Articles about me come and go. Elaine was only tricking you into making you think I was even halfway interesting. I am just like everyone else. There are no stones to be unturned.”

Hal felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that what he told her wasn’t entirely true.

“You’re not just like everyone else,” Jesse said softly, and Hal felt a surge of panic before he saw the blush that had risen up in her cheeks, and he realized that she was talking about something else.

Hal relaxed and smiled down at her.

“Hey,” he said and lifted her chin so that she was looking up at him. “Why don’t we forget about all this for a while, okay?”

“Okay.” Jesse nodded. Hal heard a deep rumble, and he saw Jesse blushed violently and press a hand to her stomach.

“Hungry?” he asked her, raising his brow and giving her a smirk.

“Yeah,” she admitted softly. “I haven’t eaten anything today; I was too nervous.”

Hal frowned at her admission.

“Well, we’ll just have to take care of that, then,” Hal said, moving to stand and offering her his hand to help her up. “Dinner’s on me.”

“Oh, you really shouldn’t.” Jesse shook her head as she allowed him to help her stand.

“Jess …” He looked down at her. “Let me buy you some food. I have more money than I will ever be able to spend on just myself.”

Jesse looked reluctant, but she finally nodded.

“Great.” Hal smiled down at her. “Brilliant. How does Chinese sound?”

“Amazing,” Jesse said, and Hal heard her stomach release another growl in agreement.

He couldn’t help laughing.

Chapter 33

Jesse

Jesse knew that her career was likely being flushed down the toilet even as she existed, but somehow she couldn’t care about any of that as she was walking down the street, Hal at her side. And especially not when her hand was clasped tightly in his.

People looked at them, of course, but Hal seemed not to care at all. He kept his usual relaxed, confident air about him as he allowed Jesse to direct him to a nearby Chinese food place. Jesse was glad that she was finally going to get some food, and she was sure that would help her anxiety levels finally go down as well.

At length, they made it to the restaurant, and a hostess led them to a small table along the wall. They both perused the menu and ordered their food. The waitress looked wide-eyed at Hal as she brought out their waters, and Hal merely gave her a calm smile. When the awed waitress walked off, Jesse looked over at him.

“What?” he asked with a shrug.

“I think she recognizes you,” Jesse pointed out.

“A shame,” Hal sighed wistfully. “I don’t recognize her at all.”

Jesse rolled her eyes but couldn’t keep a smile off her face. Hal gave her a smirk and a wink.

“At least she didn’t pull out her phone and snap a picture,” he quipped, and Jesse shook her head.

Hal looked across the table at her and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Jesse asked, concerned.

“Does it bother you to be seen with me?” Hal asked plainly, not bothering to beat around the bush.

Jesse thought about it for a moment before she answered, “Not exactly in that sense. It bothers me to know what people will think. And it’s unnerving to think that I would ever be a topic of conversation in terms of being a celebrity’s … well, I don’t know what.”

Hal nodded. The waitress returned with their food and offered both of them a nervous smile before once more scurrying to the back of the restaurant. Jesse watched her leave, and she had to admit that she could definitely sympathize with the girl.

“Well …” Hal sighed as he picked up his chopsticks. “I suppose we have two options.”

“Yeah?” Jesse asked, picking up her chopsticks as well. “And what are those?”

“Option one,” Hal held up a finger as he spoke to illustrate, “we only interact with each other in private, so nobody sees us together, and so nobody can snap any secret photographs of us.”

Jesse nodded, amused by the notion of a secret correspondence with him.

“A viable option,” she noted with a nod. “Option two?”

“Option two,” Hal went on, adding another finger to the first one. “We go out together so often that the media gets tired of seeing all the photographs of us together that they move on to the next cycle.”

Jesse had to admit that the idea was appealing to her, and she felt her face warm a little to know that he had even brought up either of those ideas. She remembered, though, her insecurities about her feelings for him. So, she decided to play it safe, even though she wished she could laugh along with him as if it was as natural as it felt.

“You’re forgetting the third option,” Jesse said, her voice somewhat soft and reluctant.

“Oh?” Hal raised his eyebrow, quickly took a bite of his food and swallowed it. “And what would that be?”

Jesse closed her eyes for a moment to steady herself.

“That we cut all this off,” she said softly. “That way we would really never be together, and there would be no opportunities for us to be photographed together.”

She looked up at Hal across the table and found him looking back at her with intensity.

“Is that what you want?” he asked her sincerely. Jesse thought she saw a hint of sadness in his eyes.

“I mean …” Jesse began to stammer and shrug. “I just don’t know if you … I mean you surely don’t want to have to deal with the rumors and speculation and everything …”

“Jess, stop,” Hal said softly but firmly. Jesse shivered at his nickname for her, and she let out a shaky breath as she looked into his steady green gaze.

“Do you want to cut this off?” he asked her slowly and carefully. “Me, you … do you want to cut it off?”

Jesse felt slightly panicked that he was asking her. She was sure that he was a man that took what he wanted. And now he was asking her if she wanted to cut ties with him. Jesse felt a horrible knot in the pit of her stomach at the very idea of cutting him out of her life now that she had almost gotten used to him.

“No,” Jesse answered before she even realized it, and she blushed violently.

She heard Hal release a soft sigh, and she could have sworn it was one of relief.

“Good,” he said, looking up at her with a small smile. “That’s not what I want either.”

Jesse felt her stomach flutter at his words, and she turned her attention back to her food, focusing on it until her plate was completely empty.

They were silent for the rest of the meal, and when they were finished, Hal paid the ticket and left a generous tip for the waitress who had been eyeing him for the majority of the night. Then, he rose and held out his hand, which Jesse was all too glad to take. He led her out of the restaurant, and Jesse began to lead them back in the direction of her apartment.

“Thank you very much for dinner,” Jesse said graciously. “I really was starving.”

“My pleasure, it was a very nice little place,” he said. “You really should try to remember to eat, though.”

“I usually do,” Jesse said, feeling a bit like a scolded child. “It’s just today I was a bit of a wreck.”

“Well, don’t worry about Elaine or that silly magazine,” Hal said with a derisive snort. “I never liked that woman, and now I actually have a good reason not to. She’s too afraid to take care of her talent.”

“Regardless …” Jesse sighed. “She’s my boss. “I’m kind of stuck doing what she says for a while.”

“Why?” Hal looked down at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Well …” Jesse faltered a little. “I mean, I work for The Edge, and she runs it, so …”

“No,” Hal shook his head. “I mean why should you stay there?”

Jesse looked up at him as if the answer should be obvious.

“I am lucky to even have a job at all,” she pointed out. “She could replace me with anyone …”

“No, she couldn’t,” Hal interrupted her. “But that’s what she wants you to think.”

Jesse was getting more than a little frustrated with her situation.

“Well, what do you think I should do?” Jesse asked as they made it back to her apartment and crossed the lobby to her elevator.

“You should quit,” he said simply.

Jesse could have sworn her heart stopped just from those words.

“Are you insane?” Jesse asked as the elevator doors slid shut.

“Well, I am a bit of a diva at times,” Hal noted with a shrug. “But no, I’m not insane. You have to demand that people treat you the way you deserve to be treated, or they will treat you any way they like.”

Jesse let his words sink in for a moment, a frown on her face.

“All that you have to do,” Hal went on, “is decide how you deserve to be treated. Do you like the way Elaine treats you or anyone in that office?”

“No,” Jesse admitted softly, moving out of the elevator as they arrived at her floor.

“Well, you can’t act on behalf of everyone that woman abuses,” Hal said, “but you can certainly act on your own behalf. Demand to be treated well, and if she can’t meet the demand, you leave. Simple as that.”

Jesse said nothing as she unlocked the door of her apartment. It was easy for him to say such bold words. He was the most sought after actor in the world. He could easily start and stop entire productions with the click of his heels. She, however, was nobody.

“Hey,” Hal said as they both walked into the apartment, and Jesse locked the door. “You’re quiet …”

“Yeah,” Jesse looked up at him and shook her head. “I mean … you can do all that … you’re Hal Roberts. But if I do that, I don’t have a pool of dollar bills to catch my fall.”

“You don’t need it,” Hal said, “but if you think you do, I would have no problem …”

“No!” Jesse said insistently. “I don’t want to just take your money.”

“See?” Hal crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “That. That right there is exactly why you don’t need a fallback. Because you have drive and integrity, and that will always keep you moving forward. I mean, come on. You didn’t want to be working at The Edge your whole life, did you?”

Jesse had to acknowledge that he made a good point. She did not imagine working at The Edge her whole life, but she hadn’t imagined leaving so soon either.

“I mean, this is your life,” Hal said, striding across the living room to sit down on one end of the couch. “You have to do what you think is best for you. I’m just letting you know that you’re worth a lot more than you let yourself believe.”

Jesse took in his words and looked at him from across the room. Her mind was whirling. She had barely even started talking to this man, and he was giving her better advice than anyone had given her in her entire life. In spite of his empowering words, though, Jesse had her reservations.

“I don’t know.” Jesse sighed as she sat down on the other end of the couch, curling her legs up beneath her. “I also feel like I owe it to Mark to stay. He’s the one that got me the job, after all …”

“I think Mark would be far more interested in your happiness than you keeping a job that you can barely tolerate.” Hal laughed lightly and gave her a soft smile.

Jesse sighed. She knew he was right.

“I guess …” she shifted a little on the couch, starting to feel a little more vulnerable than she really wanted to. “I’m also just scared.”

Hal’s expression softened, and he moved closer to her on the couch. Jesse felt a flash of heat go through her body as his long leg brushed against hers.

“I know,” he said softly. “Change can be pretty terrifying.”

Jesse could only nod. The biggest change in her life so far was sitting not three inches away from her. She looked up into Hal’s eyes, and she heard her heart pounding hard in her chest.

“Just do what you think is best,” Hal advised, his tone becoming huskier. “Then everything will turn out right …”

His voice trailed off, and Jesse found herself getting lost in his eyes as they looked down at her. They were smoldering, and she found her breath catching. Their bodies were already so close to one another, and she felt as though there was a magnetic force pulling them closer still.

“And what do you think is best?” Jesse asked breathlessly. “Not about my job … but … about us …”

“What I think …” Hal whispered and moved his face so close that she could feel his breath on her skin. “Is that I can’t think at all when I’m this close to you …”

Jesse felt Hal’s hand cup her cheek, and she felt him trace his thumb over her lower lip, and a shudder passed through her body. She had no idea how on earth their conversation had escalated to this point, but she was too caught up in the moment to analyze it.

“I’ve never met anyone like you …” Hal whispered to her and leaned his head forward to rest it against hers.

“I find that hard to believe.” Jesse laughed lightly as her head began to spin from his proximity.

“Why don’t you ever believe me?” Hal whispered into her ear, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear.

“Because … because …” Jesse stammered, overwhelmed by sensation and at a loss for words either way. “You’re … an actor …”

“Oh, I see …” Hal sighed and leaned back. “You think I’m just stringing you along for my own amusement.”

Jesse felt the mood shift, and she cursed herself for ruining the moment.

“Well, can you really blame me?” Jesse asked with a soft shrug. “You could have anyone in the world you want, and you just happen to pick this two-bit journalist who happened to push your buttons in an interview?”

“I suppose it does seem a little too good to be true,” Hal said, and she detected a bit of a sting in his words.

“And I mean, it just doesn’t make sense that someone with your status and wealth would want …” Jesse searched for words to describe herself.

“Someone smart, funny, and sweet?” Hal filled in for her. “Someone who blushes every time she gets flustered …”

Hal placed his hand on her thigh, and almost as if to prove his point, her cheeks filled with a flush of blood.

“Someone who I can’t get my mind off of—after one single kiss and too many glasses of wine …” Hal nearly growled, and Jesse gasped as he buried his face in the curve of her neck, planting a hot, open kiss to her flesh.

“Hal …” Jesse hissed out as desire surged throughout her body.

Hal’s grip tightened on her leg, and she arched off the back of the couch as he fairly devoured her. She felt his teeth drag across her flesh. Instinctively, she buried her hands in his dark auburn hair, torn between holding him closer and tearing him away. Her heart pounded in her chest and small whimpers and incoherent pleas escaped her lips. Her hands traveled all over his shoulders and back, and she was unsure of where to put them.

Soon, though, the decision was not hers to make. With a growl, Hal seized her waist and tipped her over so that she was lying down on the couch. He then seized her wrists and pinned them up above her head with one hand. Jesse felt a surge of warm wetness between her thighs at his touch and at the sound of his ragged breathing. She looked up at him with wide eyes and panted heavily as his eyes blazed into her. She saw his expression calm and his breathing regulate until he looked once more that he was in control of himself.

With his free hand, Hal cupped her cheek. He slowly lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers in a slow, deep kiss that sent wave after wave of desire rolling through her body. Hal pulled back from her, and his eyes searched her face. Slowly, he leaned back, and he gently guided Jesse back into a seated position. She saw him examine her wrists to make sure she had not bruised.

“Someone who can make me lose myself …” he whispered.

Jesse felt her heart pounding, and she clamped her legs together tightly as her sex throbbed in absolute need. She had never felt so much intense arousal at once, and one part of her feared that he would continue and the other part feared that he would stop, and she had no idea how to make those parts neutralize one another. She felt her heart slow as he pulled back, and she was finally able to catch her own breath.

“I want you, Jess,” Hal whispered urgently, his eyes bright with the strength of his words. “And not just your body. Even eating Chinese with you is enough to send me into a whole other universe. I’ve never felt anything like this before in my life …”

As he spoke, Jesse couldn’t help remembering when he had told her about his first love, and she wondered vaguely if he had said all these things to her as well. In spite of herself, she felt the prick of jealousy.

“Never?” Jesse asked with a small smile.

Hal’s expression faded, and a frown took the place of his bright smile. It seemed that he realized where he had gone wrong, and his mouth worked as he tried to come up with words to say. Jesse felt somewhat guilty for bringing up what was a painful subject, but she didn’t want him to be saying things he didn’t mean. Still, she hated that he was hurting because of her.

“I’m sorry …” Jesse shook her head. “That was underhanded; I shouldn’t have used that against you.”

“No,” Hal said firmly. “Don’t apologize … you’re right. I … I loved someone else before I knew you.”

Jesse suddenly felt very insignificant, and she wrapped her arms around herself. She felt Hal cup her chin in his hand and raise her face up so that she was looking directly at him. Just one look from him was enough to make her feel valuable and safe, and an involuntary shudder passed through her whole body.

“But that’s over now,” he said softly and urgently. “That whole part of my life is all just a sad memory to me. You … you’re my here and now … and I hope you’ll be in my future as well …”

Jesse looked back into his eyes, wishing that she had the words to say to him. She wished she could just let him care for her the way he professed. She wished she could just succumb to what both of their bodies so obviously wanted. But there was still something that was holding her back, and no matter how hard she fought it, she couldn’t manage to destroy that which she couldn’t identify.

“I hope I’ll be in your future too,” Jesse said softly. “And I … I do want this. I do. It’s just I can’t process all this so suddenly, so fast …”

Hal released her jaw, and Jesse’s face immediately dropped, and she looked down at her hands that she was wringing in her lap. She was ashamed that she couldn’t commit to him the way that he seemed to be ready to commit to her.

“Jess, look at me,” Hal said softly, and Jesse sheepishly lifted her head to meet his eyes.

“We can take this as slow as you want,” Hal said with a soft smile. “I want whatever bits of you that you are willing to give me, and nothing more. And if I ever overstep any boundaries, please, please just tell me. I don’t want to take from you. I only want to give you what you need.”

Jesse felt her heart melt at his words. She leaned forward slowly and allowed her lips to barely brush his in a chaste, sweet kiss.

“Thank you,” Jesse said. “That … makes me feel a lot better.”

“Good,” Hal smiled down at her and ran his hand along her arm in a soothing stroke.

A silence passed between them, and the atmosphere was still exceedingly heavy. Jesse could still feel her sex aching; a part of her longed for him to rip off her clothes and take her right there and another part of her craved that time that he had offered her. In the end, the latter won out, and she simply sat in her agony and tried to enjoy his company.

It seemed to her that Hal was having an equally difficult time, and Jesse nearly whimpered aloud as she caught a glimpse of a swelling in his pants. She felt another rush of wetness between her thighs and didn’t know if she was going to be able to hold out for much longer. She looked up to see that Hal had followed her line of sight and was now looking at her ravenously.

“I think I’d better go home,” Hal said roughly and moved to stand.

Jesse could only nod, and she rose as well to walk him to the door.

“Thanks again for dinner,” Jesse said meekly, feeling awkward as she stood in her doorframe.

“And thank you for your hospitality.” Hal smiled.

“You’re welcome any time,” Jesse said, mostly for the courtesy of it.

“I’ll be sure to remember that,” Hal nearly growled, and Jesse felt a bolt of hot desire pierce her abdomen.

“Have a good evening,” Jesse said in a rush, eager to get this torturous farewell over with.

“Goodnight, Jess,” Hal said, his voice husky and low. “Sweet dreams.”

Hal turned and strode down the hallway to the elevator, and Jesse hastened to shut and lock the door.

Jesse wasted no time in heading to her bedroom to take care of the pressing need between her legs.

Chapter 34

Hal

Hal’s erection throbbed between his legs as he made his way out of the apartment and back to his car where Adam was waiting to drive him back to his own house. Hal made straight for the door, and Adam got into the driver’s seat and promptly headed that way.

Hal fairly growled as he ran his hands through his hair and tried in vain to shift so that his member would not be so uncomfortable. There was almost no chance of it diminishing on its own. Even when he wasn’t with her, he couldn’t get the image of her pressed beneath his body on that couch out of his mind. If he had just gone a little further, he could have slipped his hand underneath her shirt and run his hand up her stomach to cup her soft breast …

Hal’s cock throbbed at the mere thought, and he took a deep breath to try and settle himself. He tightly gripped the handrail on the inside of the car. He closed his eyes as he felt himself finally beginning to relax, though his erection still raged in the confines of his pants.

“You alright?” Adam asked, and Hal could hear real concern in his friend’s voice.

“She’s driving me crazy.” Hal sighed, letting his hand fall to rest on his thigh.

“Is she alright?” Adam asked.

“Yeah, a little worried about her job,” Hal answered.

“And physically?” Adam pressed.

“Beautiful …” Hal breathed, and his head was filled with images of her and her beautiful blushing cheeks. He caught himself wondering how other parts of her body would blush if he touched her just right.

“I mean she’s not physically hurt,” Adam rephrased, and Hal pulled himself out of his vivid fantasies.

“She’s not hurt,” Hal said. “It’s just dealing with that bitch Elaine Beck.”

Adam gave a short grunt and shook his head. Hal seethed as he thought of the woman having the upper hand on Jesse. His anger did have a welcome side effect, though, as the mere thought of Elaine had his erection flagging.

“I want her out of business,” Hal growled. “She’s a nuisance to the entire world, and now she’s starting to attack the people I actually like. And after I threw her a bone!”

“That’s a tall order, boss,” Adam noted. “But you’re right, she shouldn’t have done anything sneaky after you granted her the interview. Still, a very tall order …”

“True,” Hal conceded with a sigh, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “But not impossible …”

Hal saw Adam glance at him from the corner of his eye.

“What are you thinking?” Adam said hesitantly, and Hal smiled deviously.

“I’m not thinking of anything yet,” Hal said. “After all, Jesse is still an employee at The Edge, for now, at least. I’ll wait until Jesse finally drops that shit magazine, and then I’ll take Elaine down. She thought she was the top dog, but she has no idea what that even means …”

“Just don’t do anything illegal or anything that will endanger your physical well-being, because then I have to get involved,” Adam groused as they pulled up to Hal’s building.

“Don’t worry,” Hal said as he got out of the car. “I won’t have to move a muscle.”

With that, the conversation was over. Hal left Adam to take care of the car while he made straight for his bedroom. He allowed thoughts of Jesse and the sounds of her soft, fast breathing to fill his ears. He allowed himself to remember the taste of her lips and the way she had arched into his touch. His cock was throbbing hard and fast now, to the point that it was almost too distracting and painful to keep walking.

Hal almost kicked open the door to his bedroom when he came to it. He tore off his shirt and unbuckled his belt, sliding his hand into the waistband of his boxer briefs to take hold of his hardness and free it from its cloth prison.

Hal moaned when he was finally able to wrap his fingers around his achingly hard cock and pump, reveling in the intense pleasure that the mere thought of Jesse brought to him.

Chapter 35

Jesse

When Jesse fell asleep that night, her dreams were filled with images of Hal. She slept peacefully to the thought of him wrapped around her offering his warmth. She dreamt of his smile and his eyes when they were sparkling with mirth, and when they were burning with lust.

By the time she woke up, she was in dire need of her morning run.

As she ran, she went over all the things he had said to her the previous day. She lingered particularly on Hal’s opinions of Elaine. Did Elaine really just want to put her down so that she couldn’t rise to the top and overtake her one day? The idea began to gnaw at her mind, and by the time she was finished with her run, it was all she could think about.

As Jesse took her morning shower, she dwelled on the thought even more, and she decided that she really couldn’t keep working with Elaine if it was going to be a constant effort on her part to keep her from succeeding.

Jesse also recognized the fact that while it was all well and good to say these things, it was another thing entirely to actually confront someone and give voice to these thoughts. Jesse remembered that yesterday she had been physically ill at the thought of Elaine criticizing her work.

Now, though, Jesse felt invigorated by Hal’s encouragement and his perspective. Why should she allow herself to be treated so poorly, at the cost of her career, while Elaine went untouched? It hardly seemed fair, and as Jesse dressed herself for the day, she resolved to confront Elaine.

When she was finally ready, Jesse stepped outside to find Mark already waiting for her.

“Good morning,” he said tentatively.

“Good morning, Mark,” Jesse smiled at him, and he blinked in surprise.

“I see someone’s feeling better,” her friend remarked, his mouth turning up in a small smile.

“Much better,” Jesse confirmed. “I’m going to talk to Elaine again today.”

Mark was silent for a moment.

“Are you sure?” Mark asked her, his tone reluctant. “I mean, you did that yesterday, and it didn’t turn out so well for you.”

Jesse had to admit that resolve faltered a bit at the reminder. But then she remembered all that Hal had told her, and she felt herself grow confident again.

“I know,” Jesse said. “But I really need to talk to her about my future at The Edge.”

“Your future?” Mark asked, his tone suddenly anxious. “Did she threaten to fire you?”

“No, not at all,” Jesse shook her head. “But if she’s going to try to make sure I stay trapped in obscurity at her magazine, then I will threaten to leave.”

Mark blinked at her again.

“That’s a really bold strategy,” Mark said skeptically.

“Yeah, I know.” Jesse sighed, and she felt some of her own anxieties build up. “But if my career has to die, I don’t want it to be at her hands.”

“Yeah, I can definitely understand that,” Mark snorted.

“I know that you got me the job there,” Jesse said more softly. “And you’ll never understand how grateful I am to you.”

“Jesse, this isn’t about me.” Mark laughed. “If you feel like you need to play your hand, then by all means play it! You don’t need to stay anywhere where you feel manipulated and undervalued. And frankly, that’s how we all feel working for Elaine.”

“So it isn’t just me?” Jesse laughed lightly.

“Not at all,” Mark shook his head with a snort. “She thinks everyone would be absolutely delighted to lick the dirt off her shoes.”

Jesse logged that information away in her mind, just in case it would prove to be useful for her argument with Elaine. Hopefully, they could both be reasonable adults, and it wouldn’t come to low blows. But Jesse knew that Elaine had all sorts of weapons in her arsenal, and Jesse wanted to be equally as prepared.

When Mark and Jesse arrived at the office, they parted ways as usual to go to their separate desks. Jesse felt her heart beating a little faster as she arranged her things on her desk. She knew what she had to do, but she was also not afraid to admit that she was intimidated by Elaine, and she wasn’t going to have an easy time of this. She would definitely have to do a lot of faking and just hope that she would make it.

Soon, they all headed to the morning meeting and got settled in their usual seats. Jesse listened respectfully to the morning briefing. She listed off everyone’s various assignments, and Jesse couldn’t help shrinking a little as Elaine’s eyes fell on her and her mouth twisted into a purely predatory smile.

“And Miss Jesse Clarke,” Elaine paused for a moment as if in thought. “You will head up the article on that riot at the American Idol audition. That’s all!”

At their dismissal, everyone began to rise to return to their desks. Jesse, however, made a straight line to Elaine. Jesse felt her heart pounding, but she was intent on using her nervous energy to power her argument rather than deter it.

“Ms. Beck,” Jesse called out, and Elaine turned around to face her.

“Miss Clarke,” Elaine said silkily. “My, my, we do seem to be spending a lot of time together these days.”

“I need to speak with you,” Jesse said firmly, but still respectfully.

“Is that so?” Elaine raised her eyebrow, and her tone seemed bored. “In the future, I really must insist that you make an appointment like everyone else.”

Jesse ignored the cheap jab and stayed her course.

“I will not waste much of your time, I assure you,” Jesse said, keeping her tone dignified.

“Well, come along then,” Elaine said and headed toward her office.

Jesse’s thoughts raced, and she struggled to wrestle them into order before they reached their destination.

They reached Elaine’s office and Elaine immediately went to her chair and sat down, turning it to face Jesse.

“Well, I’m listening,” Elaine said, crossing her legs and looking up at Jesse with pursed lips.

“Ms. Beck,” Jesse started, keeping her voice strong in spite of her nerves. “Once again, I apologize for the lack of quality on the Hal Roberts article. However, I think that you said things to me that were disrespectful, and upon further consideration, I believe you owe me an apology for them. Furthermore, I don’t think that the Hal Roberts story was significant enough, not even by half, to warrant the importance that you placed upon it. I don’t think that I’ve missed my shot in this line of work. However, I do suspect that you intend to deliberately prevent me from proving my worth by giving me bottom rack stories to dig into. As you can understand, I cannot continue to work in that kind of toxic environment.”

Elaine listened to Jesse’s words with a raised brow, and when she was done, she was silent. Jesse waited, getting more and more nervous each second, but she knew better than to say any more. She had carefully chosen her words, and to add any more would weaken her claim on the argument.

“Well,” Elaine finally spoke and gave Jesse a mocking round of applause. “I’m sure that was very … brave of you to come to me with your feelings.”

Jesse blinked at the condescending tone, but other than that, she gave no evidence that Elaine’s words had harmed her.

“Now, let’s dissect all your little grievances point by point, shall we?” Elaine rose from her chair and began to slowly pace around the room.

“Your apology,” Elaine started, keeping track of the points on her fingers. “I do not accept on the grounds that it wasn’t a real apology based on the fact that you followed it by saying it wasn’t a significant project. Next point. The things I said to you were not rude, they were true, and I will repeat them to you anytime I find necessary. Next point. It doesn’t ever matter what you think because I am your boss, and you do what I say, under any circumstance. I could have you covering rat races if I wanted to. Am I deliberately hindering your career? No. I am merely giving you the level of material with which you can work. That Hal Roberts story was your chance, and you blew it. And honey, if you think you can’t work in this environment, then there’s no way you’d ever survive in an office full of men who won’t give you a damn thing unless their cocks have been in your mouth. So you’d better take your little power trip right back wherever you found it, go back to your desk, and write me an article about that riot. We’re through here. Get out.”

Elaine sat back down at her desk after her tirade, and for the first time, Jesse saw something. Elaine looked frazzled. She looked as though something had been taken out of her. She had seen a little spark of something in her eye—panic that comes from lack of control.

And where Elaine lacked in control, Jesse picked up the slack.

“Ms. Beck,” Jesse said calmly, feeling a warm surge of power course through her. “I regret to inform you that I must leave your employment.”

Elaine looked up at Jesse, and she could see the older woman grinding her teeth.

“Alright,” Elaine said slowly. “I will give you one chance, and only one chance, to retract that statement and go back to your desk and do your job. We will put this entire conversation behind us, and you will continue to get paid a regular, and very reasonable amount of money. Is that clear?”

Jesse allowed a smile to pass over her face, and she delighted in the way that Elaine’s face fell.

“Have a wonderful day, Ms. Beck,” Jesse said simply. “It’s been a pleasure working for you, but our time together is through. I wish you and The Edge all the best.”

With that, Jesse turned and left the office.

Jesse had to work hard not to turn back to get a better look at Elaine’s reaction to her news. Then again, she also had to work hard to keep herself from having a panic attack. She had just quit one of the best jobs she was ever likely to have. She would no longer have a steady source of income, and she was doing it based on the faith she had in a man she had only recently had a full conversation with.

Jesse felt like her life was flipping inside out and upside down all around her. And yet she was completely in control of all of it.

Jesse returned to her desk and gathered up all the meager things she had collected to decorate it with. She was glad she didn’t have a mountain of items on her desk like her coworkers. She was grateful that she could fit everything into her satchel and wouldn’t have to endure the indignity of leaving the office with a cardboard box full of her belongings.

Once she had gathered up all her effects, Jesse headed to Mark’s office to tell him the news. She knocked on his doorframe and waited for him to look up. His brows raised eagerly, and he hopped up from his desk as soon as he saw her.

“Well, how’d it go?” he asked, practically vibrating with excitement.

“I quit,” Jesse said simply, offering him a small smile.

“That’s …” Mark moved his mouth as he searched for the proper words to say. “I … I don’t really know what that is. Jesse, are you sure you made the right move? I’m sure Elaine would forgive you if you …”

“No, she wouldn’t,” Jesse said simply. “She gave me my chance to repent in the office, and I didn’t take it.”

“Wow,” Mark breathed and ran a hand through his hair. “Well … I guess this is goodbye … well, here at the office anyway.”

Jesse laughed.

“I’ll never forget that you got me this job,” Jesse said, moving to wrap Mark in a tight hug.

“I know,” Mark said softly. “But you did your thing here. Now it’s time for you to take off and fly somewhere else.”

Jesse smiled up at Mark, and he smiled back. She was truly thankful to have such a wonderful friend to share life with.

“Maybe you can come over later tonight,” Mark suggested. “That way you can break the news to Tony about your new lease on life.”

“Yeah, that sounds great!” Jesse said enthusiastically.

“I mean, if you’re not celebrating with anyone else, that is,” Mark gave her a sly smile.

“Please,” Jesse rolled her eyes. “That situation is a whole different can of worms.”

“I’m sure,” Mark said sarcastically, and Jesse swatted him playfully on the arm.

“Well, I’d better get out of here.” Jesse sighed. “I’m sure Elaine already has her assistants on the hunt for me to escort me off the premises.”

“You’re probably right,” Mark agreed. “I’ll see you tonight, then?”

“See you tonight,” Jesse confirmed and then set off for the exit of the building.

As Jesse approached the doors that led outside, she felt a rush of exhilaration. She imagined it was the same feeling that a captive animal got when it was finally released back into the wild. The second she stepped outside, she took in a deep breath of fresh air. She felt young and free. A little scared, too, but certainly young and free.

Jesse wondered what she ought to do with all the time she suddenly found on her hands. A part of her felt pressured to immediately go in search of another job. A part of her wanted to just go home and collapse onto her bed. In the end, she simply started walking.

Jesse wandered the city, really taking time to observe and enjoy the various sights and sounds and smells around her. She stopped to pick up a small fruit cup when she got hungry and sat down on a bench to enjoy it. Even when she had finished her small meal and thrown away the package it had come in, she remained on the bench, content to observe the people passing by in front of her.

Jesse found herself thinking of Hal. She pulled out her phone and realized vaguely that she didn’t have his number. She would have to wait for him to call and then put it in herself. She felt a small tingle in her stomach even at the thought of him followed by a small moment of fear. What if he never called her again?

Jesse sighed and shoved her phone back into her satchel. She looked around and suddenly felt weary. She hailed a cab and gave him the address to her apartment. She had already walked what felt like a hundred miles that day. Now, it was time to reward herself with a luxurious bath before she celebrated her newfound freedom with her good friends and neighbors.

Jesse leaned her head back against the headrest of the cab and smiled to herself. She had a bright future. She was young. There was a handsome, thoughtful man in her life. He also happened to be rich and famous, but those were things she could certainly live without.

She smiled deeply and sighed. Life was finally just a little bit brighter.

Chapter 36

Hal

Hal gathered up the droplets of water off his skin with a towel and then roughed it over his hair, hand drying it as best he could. He noted vaguely that it was getting a bit long and hard to manage, and he knew he would have to schedule a trim for it soon. He would toss around some items in his schedule and set up an appointment with his usual barber.

When he was dry enough, he put on a T-shirt and a pair of boxer briefs and jeans. He ran his hands through his hair to tame it and then sat down on the edge of his bed. Taking his phone from his nightstand, he shuffled through his contacts until he came upon the most recently added number. Jesse’s number.

Hal bit his lip as he considered calling her. She had made it clear that she didn’t want to be contacted on her work phone any longer, and he took that to mean she didn’t want to keep getting disturbed while she was trying to work. So, in spite of his desire to speak with her, he held off. He didn’t want her to feel like he was smothering her, even though he really did crave her nearness.

Hal had done everything in the world to distract himself. He sorted through all his finances, he checked out some potential investments, and finally, he had gone running and worked out. Now that he was out of the shower and feeling refreshed, it was past five.

Hal was sure that Jesse would be off work by then. So, he took a deep breath and clicked the call button. He held his breath as the phone rang several times. It kept ringing, and ringing, and finally, Hal couldn’t take it anymore, and he hung up. He let out a whoosh of air, and he suddenly felt like a foolish schoolboy.

He vaguely wondered if she had given him the wrong number. He knew he shouldn’t be so worked up about a girl, but then again, this wasn’t just some girl. Jesse had come to mean more to him than he ever would have anticipated.

He would never tell Jesse this, but he had actually vowed never to love again after he had lost his first love, Olivia. At the time, though, he thought he would never be capable of love again. When he met Jesse, however, everything had changed. He was like an entirely different person that he thought had completely died after everything that had happened with Olivia.

He felt the same spark of initial attraction, and then the warmth of something deeper. At first, he had been eager to deny it. But then, he realized that there was no reason to continue to deny himself such a pure and wonderful feeling. He had to mature enough to realize that he couldn’t simply go through life in a bubble without feeling emotions. Especially now that he had met Jesse.

Now, though, he realized that Jesse doubted the sincerity of his feelings for her. He could hardly blame her for it. Celebrities like him did have a tendency to use girls for their ends and then toss them aside like so much trash. If he was in her position, he knew that he would be hesitant as well.

Hal racked his brain trying to think of ways that he could prove to her that he genuinely cared for her. He didn’t want to scare her away with the word love. He knew he had to prove it with his actions before words could ever come into play. She was a writer, after all, and she knew just as well as he did that words were the ultimate weapon for manipulation.

No, he had to find another way. And for now, that way was to simply stay the course and prove to her that he could take things slow and that he was not solely interested in her for physical reasons. Though he most certainly was interested in her for those reasons as well …

Hal was suddenly torn out of his thoughts by the ringing of the phone. He quickly snatched it up and was thrilled when he read Jesse’s name on the caller identification. He didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Hey, Jess,” he said eagerly.

“Hal?” she asked.

“Yeah …” He laughed lightly. “Who else?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Jesse said, and he smiled as he imagined the blush that was spreading across her cheeks at this very moment. “I just didn’t recognize the number so I didn’t really know who to expect.”

“Well, it’s me,” Hal said easily. He couldn’t keep a ridiculous smile off his face. He was elated just to be talking to her, even if only on the phone.

“Sorry I didn’t pick up,” she said. “I was taking a bath.”

“A bath?” Hal perked up a bit at that information. He couldn’t help himself from imagining her still damp skin with a towel wrapped around her middle with her hair still dripping down her back. He felt his cock stir a little at the imagery, but he quickly abandoned that train of thought so he could focus on his conversation.

“Well, I mean—I got home early, so …” Jesse was stammering nervously, and he knew that she was embarrassed to have disclosed that information to him so flippantly.

“Well, I certainly hope you enjoyed it.” Hal chuckled, eager to relieve her of her embarrassment. “You said you got home from work early?”

“Oh, yeah …” Jesse trailed off, and he detected an odd note in her voice.

“Any particular reason?” he prodded, though he suspected it was because she had been able to breeze through the substandard articles she was being given.

“Actually,” Jesse laughed lightly. “I quit.”

Hal’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe what she had just said.

“You what?” he whispered into the phone, his excitement almost through the roof.

“I went to Elaine and demanded an apology.” Hal smiled brightly as she explained. “And I told her that if she refused to give me one, then I wasn’t going to be able to work in that sort of environment. So, she basically insulted me up one way and down the other and told me to take it back, and I wouldn’t. So I wished her the best and left.”

Hal’s cheeks hurt from how much he was smiling. Everything was working out more perfectly than he could have ever imagined. He was ready to take Elaine down, and now with Jesse out of the line of fire, he would have no trouble stirring up some dirt on Elaine and ruining her reputation in the industry. Her world was going to come crashing down around her. Now, it was simply a matter of time.

“I wanted to tell you earlier,” Jesse went on. “But I didn’t have your number in my phone. But I have it now, so in the future, I’ll be sure to give you a call … if I ever quit another job …”

Hal smiled as she started to ramble, and he knew she was probably fidgeting from nerves.

“Jess, that’s incredible,” Hal said. “There’s nobody in the world who actually has the kind of guts it takes to stand up to your boss and then actually follow through when you threaten to quit.”

“Yeah, well …” Jesse laughed nervously. “Now I have no job security, no benefit, and I don’t know how I’m going to keep paying my rent. But I have to say … I do feel really good.”

“I’m sure you do,” Hal said warmly, happy that Jesse had found the courage to take her fate into her own hands.

“And I have to say,” Jesse started. “Thank you.”

“Me?” Hal laughed aloud. “For what?”

“For telling me that I’m worth more than what Elaine says,” she said softly.

Hal felt his heart melt.

“You didn’t need me to tell you that,” he said with warm certainty. “You would have figured that out for yourself in no time.”

“Well, in any case,” Jesse said. “Thanks for speeding up the process.”

“Anything for you,” Hal said gently, and he absolutely meant it.

A silence stretched between them, and he hurried to end it before Jesse felt uncomfortable.

“So,” he said broadly, “are you planning on celebrating your freedom?”

“I am actually,” she said, her tone much more perky. “I’m going over to Mark and Tony’s. You know, those guys next door.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember them.” Hal nodded, though she couldn’t see. “They’re not too fond of me.”

Jesse laughed.

“They’re just overprotective,” she said lightly. “Yeah, I’m going over there. We’ll probably throw a few back, and I’ll give Tony the firsthand account of what happened in the office.”

“Be sure to let him know what a bitch she is,” Hal growled.

“Oh, he already knows,” Jesse said emphatically. “He hates her. He thinks she puts way too much on Mark’s plate. Which she does.”

Hal narrowed his eyes at that information.

“Interesting,” Hal murmured, tucking that knowledge away for safekeeping. “Well, I won’t keep you from your friends.”

“Oh, wait!” Jesse said suddenly.

“Yeah?” Hal asked, suddenly on high alert at her change in tone.

“We got so caught up in talking about me I forgot to ask why you called me in the first place!” she said, laughing lightly. Hal smiled at the sound.

“Well, relax,” Hal said gently. “I just called to see what you’ve been up to.”

“Oh,” Jesse said. “Well … thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Hal laughed. “Have a good night Jess.”

“You too,” Jesse said. And then the phone went dead.

Hal smiled down at his phone and shook his head, amused.

Chapter 37

Jesse

Jesse smiled as she looked down at her phone and then scowled as she noticed the puddle that had gathered on her bed. She had hastily thrown a towel on as she got out of the bath and hadn’t bothered to do anything with her hair.

She had been hoping that it would be Hal on the line and had been delighted to hear his voice. She was even happier when he said he had called just to check up on her.

Jesse really couldn’t deny that her feelings for Hal were really growing into something that she could not ignore. As scary as it was, she knew she was developing feelings for him.

Jesse began the process of getting dressed, and all the while she could not stop thinking about Hal. She knew that without him, she would have likely stayed at The Edge cowering under Elaine Beck for many years in the future.

Now, she had a future for herself. She could do whatever she wanted. She could create her own journal about what she wanted to write about. She could even head up her own company.

Of course, this was all very optimistic and very far in the future. But it was much closer now that she was out from under Elaine’s umbrella. And without Hal’s support and encouragement, she would have felt too meek and fearful to ever oppose anything Elaine said.

Jesse found herself wondering what other wonders Hal could work in her life. She remembered the feeling of his lips on her and the way it had felt when he hovered over her.

She wondered how long she would last resisting him physically. In spite of her best efforts, she was incredibly turned on by almost everything about him, from his eyes to his smile to his dark copper hair. She wondered how it would feel to have his thickness pressed against her thigh as he prepared to slide into her …

Jesse shook her head and tried to focus on something else. She still had to go to a party with Tony and Mark. She certainly did not want to be hot and bothered in the company of gay men who most certainly would be able to tell.

Jesse also remembered that there was so much more to Hal than his looks and his sex appeal. He was also very charming and sensitive, and a very intelligent and capable man. And it had been inspiring to see him open up around her and turn into a very loveable, wonderful part of her life.

She pictured him in her future guiding and supporting her with his kindness and knowledge about the industry. More than that, though, she pictured herself as a successful young woman with a loving man at her side.

Jesse shook her head again. She was taking things way too far at this point. For now, she needed to take things one day at a time, but all that was going to be so much easier now that she had taken the step away from The Edge.

She smiled, knowing that Hal had been the one to inspire her to do it.

Chapter 38

Jesse

Jesse woke groggily and groaned at the headache she felt pressing against the back of her head. She glanced over at the clock on her bedside table and shot up as she experienced a moment of panic on seeing that it was ten in the morning, and she was late. She almost leapt out of bed to hurry and get ready for work when she remembered that she was, as of yesterday, unemployed. \

With a relieved sigh, she laid back down and ran a hand over her face, gently massaging her temples to ease away her headache.

As she became more awake, she slowly began to remember the events of the previous night. She had gone next door to celebrate quitting her job where Tony and Mark had thrown her quite the party. Tony had cooked a dinner of excellent lasagna, and they had gone through several bottles of wine together, which certainly explained the headache she now boasted.

Still, she had had a good time with them, and she was grateful that she only lived next door. No sooner had she made it into her room than she passed out. Even now, she was still dressed in the clothes she had worn over there.

Jesse allowed herself to linger in bed for a while longer and then finally got up and moved into her bathroom to alleviate the pressure in her bladder. When she had relieved herself and washed her hands, she reached into her medicine cabinet, withdrew a bottle of pain relievers, then put a couple of pills into her mouth.

She turned on the sink, cupped her hands under the flow of water, and then brought it up to her mouth. She drank several handfuls of the water and then turned off the faucet and dried her hands. Satisfied that the medicine would soon offer her some relief, she turned on the water in her shower.

As the water heated up, she took off her clothes and tossed them into her hamper. Then, she adjusted the cold water so that the temperature was bearable and stepped into the shower, letting the water wet her hair and run down over her body. She lingered there for a while, letting the water trickle over her skin, then began the process of washing her hair and body.

As she bathed herself, Jesse allowed her mind to wander. She wondered what on earth she was going to do with the rest of her day and felt an unfamiliar sense of adventure and excitement with the knowledge that she could pretty much do anything that she pleased.

With that sense of freedom, though, came a little bit of dread. She now had no source of income. She had enough money put back to get her through the next couple of months of rent, but after that, she was in serious trouble. She knew that she needed to find another job and very quickly.

Jesse came to the natural conclusion that she would simply have to begin job hunting. She finished up her shower and then dried herself off, putting her hair up in the towel so that it would soak up some of the water, and then moved into her bedroom. She looked through her closet, seeking out attire that was professional enough for her to look both modern and professional.

As Jesse dressed, she began to experience regret about her decision to quit her job at The Edge. Especially knowing that she could have really progressed there if it wasn’t for all the events surrounding her latest assignment. She felt a sense of loss, knowing that if she had just produced a high-quality article, she could have had an incredible job somewhere with ease.

Now, she was basically back where she started. She would have to go to all manner of magazine offices, and whatever else she could find, with her resume ready to hand out, and little chance of being selected. She sighed as she felt her stomach tighten with anxiety.

She had felt so liberated, but now she was very sure that she had made a mistake.

Still, there was little she could do about that now. So, she finished getting herself ready, blow drying her hair and letting it fall however it liked around her shoulders. She brushed on a light layer of makeup and gave herself a once-over before deciding that she was content with her appearance.

When she was done getting herself ready, she strode out of her bedroom and crossed through the living room into her kitchen. She looked through her refrigerator for something to eat and eventually settled on an apple. She looked over at her usually ignored coffeemaker and figured that it was about time to make use of it. She figured she spent way too much buying coffee on the street when she could really just make it in her home. Now that she was going to have to start cutting back with her finances, she reckoned that was at least a good start.

She set her coffee to brew and took several bites out of her apple as she watched the stream of brown liquid drip into the waiting coffeepot. By the time she finished her apple, the pot was about half full, and she poured a cup for herself. It felt somewhat odd drinking coffee in her own home, and she sauntered over to her breakfast bar to sit down and try to enjoy her morning drink.

Jesse sipped at the dark liquid and went through a list of magazines and newspapers in the city that she would need to apply to. She knew that a lot of the applications were ones that she needed to fill out online, but it still wouldn’t hurt to go in and schedule some in-person interviews as well. She also tried to think of any connections that she had from the past and if they would be helpful for her in her search for a new job.

Jesse decided that she would likely end up asking Mark if he knew anyone that could be helpful in her job search. She knew that he probably had connections somewhere else in their line of work. He had set her up at The Edge, and he probably knew somebody that could help set her up somewhere else. She really didn’t know if there was anything available for her, but the least she could do was ask him to put his feelers out.

Jesse continued to ponder possibilities for her future employment as she finished up her coffee and rinsed out the mug in the sink. She then gathered up her briefcase with her laptop inside and picked up her keys, stepping out of her door and locking it behind her, wondering where she was going to actually go. She had been in a set schedule for so long that she felt somewhat uncomfortable with this kind of uncertainty. Still, as uncertain as she was, there was also a measure of excitement.

She entered the elevator, and when it let her out in the lobby, she left her apartment and began to walk aimlessly down the street. For some reason, she felt more than a little exposed as though people could somehow tell that she was unemployed, and she felt more than a little self-conscious. Jesse knew she was certainly being ridiculous and that there was no way for people to tell that about her, but her rationality couldn’t very well help her emotions.

After walking for a while, Jesse decided that she really ought to sit down somewhere and start her job search online. She thought about where she should settle down to start the process and figured that a library would be the most logical place to be for any length of time. So, she pulled out her phone and looked up libraries in her area. There was one quite a way away, and she vaguely considered calling a cab before thinking better of it. She couldn’t bring herself to spend the money on it, and it was a beautiful day so she wouldn’t mind walking.

Jesse set off toward the library and took in the sight of the city bustling around her. She felt strangely out of place next to the people who were undoubtedly headed straight to or from work. She felt helplessly aimless in comparison and was more eager than ever to get settled into a new job as soon as possible.

Jesse picked up her pace a little and settled herself with a deep breath. She had been in similar situations before and felt strongly that with a positive attitude and a lot of determination, she could get through this. So she pressed on down the sidewalk and tried to keep herself in a positive state of mind.

Chapter 39

Jesse

As Jesse proceeded down the street, she began to relax more and more and allowed her mind to wander to less stressful topics. More specifically, to Hal.

Jesse couldn’t help feeling a little conflicted whenever she thought of him. A part of her still felt that she really had no business at all interacting with him on the level that she was. Her relationship with him was supposed to be strictly professional. She was supposed to interview him and be done with him. Her career was supposed to launch out of her article on him.

That, though, had gone out the window the second he had invited her to lunch for a repeat of their first interview. She should have simply declined. She could have told Elaine that the interview had not gone well, and she would have likely been a little disappointed, but understanding. And she would certainly still have had her job.

The second he had started talking about his personal life, though, all of her professionalism had gone out the window. Perhaps that was an indication that she was bad at her job anyway. Any other journalist wouldn’t have felt any level of sympathy. They would have jumped on a juicy story, and their career would have leapt up to the next level because of it.

Jesse imagined that Elaine wouldn’t have hesitated to take all of Hal’s personal information and put it straight into her magazine. There would have been no reluctance or remorse. She was effective, and moreover, she was successful.

Jesse, though, could have never brought herself to do it. Maybe she just wasn’t aggressive enough for the job. Maybe it was just a lack of ambition. Maybe it was an excess of compassion. Either way, she was beginning to doubt her ability to succeed in the field of celebrity journalism.

Jesse sighed at the thought of what else she could do, but she could hardly keep her mind on her career when she had just thought of Hal. He had proven to be quite the distraction ever since she had met him. Even so, she could not bring herself to regret the bond she had built with him. Especially now that it really seemed to be turning into something that was truly incredible.

Jesse’s mind wandered back to the tender moments they had shared, and she shuddered as she remembered the times that her judgement had been clouded by pure arousal. She remembered the sensation of his teeth dragging along her flesh, and she felt warmth gather between her legs.

She shook her head and took a breath to steady herself and clear her thoughts. She remembered, though, that along with her intense feelings of arousal, she had moments of genuine, exposed emotion, where he had looked at her and told her that he had feelings for her.

Jesse could hardly bring herself to believe him when he said he had feelings for her as well. It just seemed too foreign for anyone to truly be attracted to her, especially when it was someone as famous as Hal Roberts.

She knew she should trust him when he said those kinds of things to her, but there was a part of her that wouldn’t completely give in to him. She wanted to, but there seemed to be something that was holding her back. It was frustrating, but perhaps she just needed more time to fully trust him.

As Jesse thought more and more about him, she had the urge to call him. She had his number now and felt a rush of excitement at the thought of being able to simply pick up the phone and give him a call whenever she wanted to. At the same time, that thought gave her an overwhelming feeling of anxiety.

What if he didn’t answer her? What if he was busy, and she interrupted him? She was jobless, but he was an important man with likely important things to do. She was also leery of the feeling of disappointment she would undoubtedly feel if he did not answer the phone.

It did not take long for her to make the decision not to call him, but she still couldn’t keep her thoughts from wandering to him. She contemplated the chances of him actually being attracted to her when put against the probability that she was just a means of entertainment.

Jesse sighed. She knew that she should have more faith in him, and she had to admit that he had been very patient with her as she processed the growth of their relationship. He had told her that they could take it slow, and she intended to do just that. The last think she wanted was to rush into a relationship with him and end up taken advantage of. That was going to be hard, though, when she couldn’t keep her mind off of him unless she was incredibly stressed out about something else.

Jesse was pulled from her thoughts as she reached the library. She stepped inside through the doors and looked around. The place was fairly large, and fortunately, there was a section full of workstation-style desks with barriers on each side. She headed immediately to one of the desks and proceeded to set up her laptop, plugging it into an outlet beneath the desk.

She cleared her mind of thoughts of Hal for the time being and began her search for jobs to apply for. She took a deep breath and released a sigh as she vaguely wondered where on earth she was supposed to begin.

Chapter 40

Hal

Hal glanced down at his phone for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. He huffed in irritation to see that, once again, it was void of any notifications of missed calls or texts.

“Why don’t you just call her?” Adam said offhandedly, not even looking over as he played some game or other on Hal’s Xbox.

“I don’t want her to feel like I’m trying to smother her,” Hal said with a sigh, but his eyes stayed affixed to his phone as he hoped for it to light up with the indication of a notification.

“You sound like a teenager.” Adam chuckled.

“Well, you look like one.” Hal glanced over at his friend, leaned over with the controller clutched in his hand.

Adam snorted but otherwise didn’t react to the jibe. Hal knew it was a weak shot anyway. Moreover, Adam was right. He shouldn’t be acting so nervous over the fact that Jesse hadn’t called him. Their interactions as of late had edged on the intense, and he was sure she needed her space to try and sort things out.

In fact, he wondered if he should take some time to sort some things out for himself as well.

If he thought about it, all of this really had happened rather quickly. H could understand her trepidations when he, too, was a bit bewildered. Even so, he was having a hard time really getting a hold over his feelings when all he wanted to do was be with her.

“You need to do something,” Adam suggested. “You can’t just sit around looking at your phone.”

Hal sighed. He knew that Adam was right. He was wasting a lot of valuable time sitting around thinking of Jesse.

“Well,” Hal huffed and ran a hand over his face. “What do you suggest?”

Adam hummed for a moment as he seemed to think.

“Two player?” Adam suggested, and Hal laughed.

“All you can think about is playing this damn game,” Hal pointed out.

Adam shrugged.

“Fine,” he said shortly. “It’s not any worse than being caught up on a girl.”

Hal scowled at his friend and gave his phone another glance. Again, there were no notifications. Hal’s scowl faded into a more thoughtful look, and at last, he sighed, shaking his head.

“Fine,” he relented. “Let me get a controller.”

Adam smiled up at him and slid over to one side of the couch while Hal strode over to the TV stand, picked up one of the other controllers, and then sat down next to Adam.

Hal quickly numbed his thoughts with the video game. It was some first person shooter, and he and Adam soon started shouting and interacting with each other as they played. It turned out to be a very effective method of distracting him from thoughts of Jesse, and he was grateful for it. He hadn’t played video games in quite a while, and it was a welcome simplicity to enjoy one with his friend.

When they finished up their game, Hal stood up.

“Feeling better?” Adam asked him as he moved back over to the TV stand to put up the controllers and turn off the console.

“I am, actually,” Hal confessed, his voice sounding much more relaxed than before.

Hal moved back over to the chair he had been occupying and picked up his phone. As he looked down at his screen, his heart leapt.

There was a text message from Jesse.

“Get anything?” Adam asked, a mocking smile on his face.

Hal ignored him and promptly opened the message.

‘Hey’ it read.

It wasn’t very substantial, but it was something at the very least. And something he could work with.

Chapter 41

Jesse

Jesse had never regretted a decision so instantly.

She had been thinking of messaging Hal for quite some time, and she had typed the message, then simply looked at it for quite a long time before she dared to actually send it.

When she finally gathered the courage to press the send button, she wished she could withdraw it. Now, all she could do was sit and wait to see if he would even respond to it at all.

She tried not to look over at her phone every few seconds, but she was largely failing not to do so. She kept up her work on an application she was filling out for the post of public relations consultant at some major company. She hardly cared what she would be advertising as long as she was getting paid.

Now, though, she could hardly keep her mind on her applications. She felt foolish but couldn’t help hoping that Hal would text her back. She knew that she was the one being confusing, and she wouldn’t blame him if he were aggravated by her perplexing mixture of pushing him away and then seeking attention. It was something she could barely understand herself.

Still, she couldn’t help it as she looked back at her phone and felt a pang of disappointment each time she saw that he hadn’t responded. She could hardly blame him, though. He was likely busy doing something important. She could hardly expect him to be on call on her whim.

No sooner had she had that thought, though, she heard her phone vibrate against the wood of the desk.

Jesse snatched up the phone, and her heart leapt as she saw that is was a reply from Hal. She hastened to open the message and read it.

‘Hey! What are you up to today?’ the message read.

Jesse simply sat and smiled after she read it. She was mostly just glad that he had bothered to reply to her message at all. She wondered what she ought to say to him in reply. At length, she figured that she may as well just tell him the truth.

‘Started the job search,’ she typed. ‘I went to a library, and I’m filling out a bunch of online applications.’

She finished typing the message and pressed send. She wished she was doing something more eventful, but it just wasn’t the case.

‘What about you?’ she followed up with a second message, hoping to divert their conversation to a more interesting topic.

She waited for a moment, and then her phone buzzed as she received another message.

‘Not much,’ it read. ‘I just played a video game with Adam for a little while.’

Jesse read the message and was relieved to find that she hadn’t interrupted him or anything.

‘That sounds like fun,’ Jesse noted in her message.

‘It was fun enough,’ Jesse read the message that came in promptly after she sent hers. ‘I was really just playing to keep myself distracted.’

Jesse frowned as she read and began typing her response.

‘Distracted from what?’ she typed out and sent her question.

‘I couldn’t stop thinking of you.’ Jesse blushed as she read his reply. She thought for a moment about what an appropriate response to that confession would be.

‘Really?’ she typed and sent, feeling stupid for being unable to come up with a more intelligent response.

‘Really,’ Hal responded instantly. ‘You shouldn’t be so surprised.’

Jesse thought for another moment before typing out her response.

‘Just not used to it,’ Jesse admitted.

‘Well, you should probably start getting used to it ☺,’ Hal replied, and Jesse couldn’t help blushing and smiling at the message. Before she could reply, she got yet another message from him.

‘So,’ it read. ‘You’re not going to take at least a few days to be free before you start looking for another job?’

Jesse felt a surge of stress rise up in her chest at the reminder that she was unemployed.

‘I think that’s a luxury I can’t exactly afford,’ she replied. ‘The sooner I get another job, the better off I’ll be in the long run.’

Jesse sent the message, and it was a few moments before she got a reply.

‘Well, I salute you for your commitment to finding work again so soon,’ the message read. ‘I think that wherever you end up working will be a far better option than working for Elaine.’

Jesse smiled at Hal’s jab at her former boss.

‘Well, we’ll just have to wait and see,’ Jesse sent her response, and she typed in a few more things on her application before looking back at her phone and the waiting message from Hal.

‘Of course,’ it read. ‘Well, what are your plans for the day other than filling out applications?’

Jesse’s heart quickened. She knew that this would most likely lead to an opportunity to spend time with Hal. She wondered for a moment if she wanted to do that, and felt the tightness in her chest. She bit her lip as she typed out her next message.

‘I didn’t have anything planned,’ it read. ‘I’m not running on a very strict schedule these days.’

She sent the message, and her heart raced as she waited on his reply.

‘Haha, I suppose you’re not,’ his reply read. ‘Well, would you be interested in letting me take you out?’

Jesse read that message, and she felt a lump form in her throat. She frowned, though, at the thought of him spending more of his money on her. At the same time, though, she did want to see him. She wondered how she could have her cake and eat it too. After a moment of thought, she finally composed her message.

‘I don’t really feel like going out for dinner,’ Jesse answered honestly, hoping that he would believe her. ‘What if we hang out later in the evening?’

She sent the message, hoping that he would be willing to compromise. She did want to spend time with him but was sure that she would never feel totally comfortable allowing him to spend money on her all the time, even if he certainly had enough of it to go around.

A few moments seemed to stretch on and on before her phone buzzed and she read the message he sent.

‘I would love to!’ it read. ‘What if you come to my place? We could hang out, get some snacks, watch a movie. We could go on a walk. Just whatever you want.’

Jesse contemplated the idea. It sounded like a great time. They wouldn’t be spending a lot of money, and she would be spending time with him. She did not waste too much time in thought before she gave her response.

‘Sounds great,’ she typed. ‘I was thinking at eating at about six, so I could head over around seven if that’s alright.’

‘Of course,’ Hal replied almost instantly. ‘I can come and pick you up if you like.’

Jesse frowned at the idea.

‘No thanks,’ she replied. ‘I can just take a cab.’

‘Are you sure?’ Hal typed. ‘It’s really no trouble.’

‘I’m sure,’ Jesse hastily replied, hoping that he would simply let her have this.

There was a moment of silence before the phone buzzed again.

‘If you insist,’ it read, and Jesse could practically hear his irritation.

Jesse hesitated before typing her response, which allowed time for another message from Hal to reach her inbox.

‘Either way,’ she read, ‘I am excited to get to see you tonight.’

Jesse felt her heart warm, and a smile lifted the corners of her lips.

‘I’m excited to see you too,’ she typed.

‘Well,’ Hal replied. ‘I guess I’ll let you focus on your applications for now. See you soon.’

‘See you soon’ Jesse typed her response, feeling a mixture of relief and sadness that the conversation was over.

Jesse sighed and let herself ponder her situation and her emotional state. She was grateful that she had not simply been ignored by him she found herself becoming steadily more excited for the coming evening.

She wondered what they would do with all the time they spent together and found herself getting excited in an entirely different way. She was reminded of the last time they had been alone together, and she felt warmth gathering between her legs.

Jesse was both nervous and excited about the possibility of physical intimacy between them. She knew that it was completely within her capabilities to initiate such an interaction between them, but somehow that made her more nervous. She only hoped that she would be able to goad him into taking charge.

She shuddered at the memory of his lips hungrily pressing into hers and blushed as she squirmed a little in her seat. She glanced around briefly to see if anyone had seen her. Fortunately, it seemed that everyone was pretty much committed to their own business and were not paying her any attention.

Still, she had no desire at all to be seen hot and bothered by anyone else who was in the library. So, she did her best to clear her mind of any thoughts of Hal and focus on finding more and more jobs to apply for.

The task soon consumed her, and she buried herself in the process of filling out as many applications as possible. Stress built up inside of her at the prospect of not getting a job, and she ended up even applying for low-level jobs at fast food restaurants, just in case her other opportunities fell through.

After what seemed like an endless stream of blank spaces to be filled, Jesse decided to stop for a moment. She sighed, rubbed her hands over her face and looked down at her phone, shocked to see that the time was just past five.

She had been in the library for hours, which was about what she had intended, but it was still shocking to see it illustrated by the time on the clock. The time she had spent was also confirmed by the stiffness in her joints and the pang of hunger she felt in her stomach.

Jesse decided that she may as well call an end to her search. She knew the library was quite a walk away from her apartment and that she had better start heading that way if she wanted time to eat and get herself ready for her evening with Hal.

Her heart fluttered as she remembered the date she had scheduled with him. She found herself growing even more excited as she gathered up her things and slung her bag over her shoulder, then headed out of the library. There was an undeniable skip in her step as she set off back to her apartment.

Jesse couldn’t keep a small smile off her face as she walked. She went through a mental inventory of her closet, and she already knew exactly what she was going to wear. Now, it was just a matter of getting home, having her dinner, and taking a shower before she called a cab and headed over to Hal’s building.

Jesse hadn’t been so excited to see anyone in a long time. As much as she tried to resist it, she felt an undeniable connection to Hal, and whenever she was with him, she felt happy.

Jesse could hardly wait to see what the rest of the evening would hold.

Chapter 42

Hal

As the clock ticked closer and closer to seven o’clock, Hal felt his excitement mounting more and more. He couldn’t wait for Jesse to get there.

It was currently six forty-five, and he had no idea how he was going to make it through the next fifteen minutes. He had been looking forward to this all day, and now that the time was so near, he worried he wouldn’t be able to contain himself when she finally arrived.

Somehow, this young writer had captured him in a way that only one person ever had before. He frowned even at the memory and wished that he had never told Jesse about her at all. That was a dark time in his life.

Now, he was successful and more than capable of getting any woman he wanted. He had been unimpressed by the social climbers that had accosted him after his rise to success as an actor, and then again after the success of his film. All in all, he felt rather exhausted by the notion of romance as a whole. In fact, he had come close on more than one occasion to calling it all off and spending the rest of his life as a single man.

Then, Jesse appeared.

He would have never guessed it at their first interview when he had mistaken her for an intern, but she had become a focal point of his life. There was seldom a moment that passed that she wasn’t at the forefront of his mind.

Hal huffed impatiently and paced back and forth across the floor. He strode over to a mirror and appraised himself. He had opted for more casual attire since they would be staying in. He wore a black T-shirt and a pair of jeans, with matching brown shoes and a belt. He wondered vaguely if he should change into something nicer but dismissed the idea fairly quickly. He knew that she wouldn’t care.

Hal’s attention was pulled away from the mirror when he felt a vibration in his pocket. He snatched his phone out and looked eagerly at the screen, and sure enough, there was a message from Jesse, which he hastened to open.

‘Hey!’ it read. ‘Just got in the cab, be there soon.’

Hal smiled as he read and immediately began typing his reply.

‘Great!’ he answered. ‘I’ll be waiting for you outside.’

Hal sent the message and immediately checked to make sure he had put on deodorant after his shower. Assured that he did not smell, he headed through his home and over to the elevator. The doors closed as he stood in the center of the box, and he hastily pressed the button for the first floor.

Hal fidgeted in his excitement, unable to keep still now that Jesse was finally getting close. He only had a little while longer to wait.

The elevator opened into the lobby of his building, and he gave a nod to one of his security guards that were stationed on the inside of the door as he passed out of it to stand on the sidewalk.

There, he stood, waiting ever impatiently and jumping at the sight of any cab, each time hoping that it was the one that Jesse was in.

Chapter 43

Jesse

Jesse clenched her fists in her lap. She had gotten into the cab not knowing that the driver would be so insistent on having conversation with her.

“So what are you doing heading out to the other side of town?” the driver asked, his New York accent horribly thick and nearly unintelligible.

“Just visiting someone,” Jesse answered, not wanting to be rude.

“Visiting who?” the driver asked, scoffing as though he didn’t believe her.

Jesse was silent, beginning to really get annoyed with the man. She crossed her legs and moved to look out of the window of the cab, fixing her eyes on the buildings passing outside.

“Alright, alright,” the man waved her off. “None of my business, I know. I’m just asking is all. I know it’s a pretty high end side of town.”

“It is,” Jesse agreed shortly, still not looking over at him.

“I’m just saying,” the man went on, holding up one hand in a gesture of innocence. “I mean I don’t see it a lot. I don’t come this way a lot, you know.”

Again, Jesse declined to respond. She saw that they were getting close to Hal’s building, and she could see him standing out in front of the building on the sidewalk, waiting for her.

“Hey, ain’t that the movie star guy?” the driver asked. “What’s his name? Hal Rogers?”

“Roberts,” Jesse corrected.

“Yeah, yeah, Roberts,” the driver nodded excitedly as they pulled up.

The cab pulled up to the sidewalk, and Jesse reached into her purse to pull out money to pay the man.

“Oh, I see what you’re coming over here for now,” the driver said, his voice dropping.

Jesse ignored him and made to hand him the amount that read on the meter.

As she reached between the two front seats, she gasped as the cab driver took hold of her wrist.

“When you’re done taking care of him,” the cabbie said, his voice low and his eyes sparkling with intent. “Why don’t you give me a call …”

Jesse blushed furiously and gaped at the insinuation. She was just about to protest when suddenly her door of the cab flew open, and Hal peered into the cab. The cabbie immediately dropped her arm as he saw the rage flickering in Hal’s green-gold eyes.

“Is there a problem here?” Hal asked, his voice hard and his jaw set as it clenched.

“No, no problem,” the driver quickly replied, and Jesse could see the apprehension in his face. “Just—just caught me a little off guard, see …”

Jesse looked up at Hal, who narrowed his eyes at the cabbie’s lame excuse. It was obvious that he didn’t believe the man. Instead of contesting his claim, though, Hal looked down at Jesse.

“Is everything alright, Jess?” he asked her, his eyes intense.

Jesse nodded, feeling anxiety roil up in her stomach at this encounter. She saw Hal relax a little, and she, too was relieved. He held out his hand, and she took it, allowing him to help her out of the cab.

Once she was standing, Hal leaned over into the car to address the driver again.

“In the future,” Hal uttered, his voice icy, “you ought not to be surprised when someone makes to give you your fare.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course.” The driver nodded eagerly, his hands tightly gripping the wheel.

“Very good,” Hal said softly, standing up. “Go.”

With that, Hal shut the door of the cab, and the wheels of the taxi screeched against the pavement as the driver pulled back out onto the street as he drove away. Hal looked after the cab, and Jesse could see his fists slowly uncurl from the balls they had been clenched into. Jesse looked at him apprehensively as he turned to face her.

“Are you alright?” he asked her gently and maintained his distance from her.

Jesse nodded and stayed still as Hal began to slowly move toward her, placing his hand gently on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry I startled you,” Hal said, his eyes downcast. “I saw the way he was looking at you. And when he grabbed you I … I had to do something.”

“It’s alright,” Jesse said softly. “I … I’m actually glad you said something to him …”

“He wasn’t just taken by surprise, was he?” Hal narrowed his eyes, and Jesse could see the anger simmering deep in them.

Jesse looked down at the sidewalk and shook her head, offering Hal a grim smile. She heard a hiss of breath from between Hal’s teeth, and she watched as he shook his head.

“No matter,” Hal said dismissively. “I’m sure not all the cabs in the city are driven by men like him. But just know, you never have to take a cab again if you don’t want to. I can always send someone for you or even come get you myself.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary.” Jesse shook her head, smiling softly up at him. “But thank you.”

Hal smiled down at her and cupped her face gently in his hand.

“Shall we go up?” Hal asked her, his mood already drastically improved. Jesse smiled a little brighter as well and nodded excitedly, feeling a soft flutter in her stomach.

Hal took her by the hand and easily led her into the building. They crossed through the floor and Hal ushered her into the elevator. The doors slid open as they arrived on the floor of Hal’s living space. Taking her by the hand one more, he led her into the hallway.

The place looked different than when she had last visited. The furniture was arranged differently, and the couches in the living area were oriented so that one was facing a large television mounted on one of the walls, with a coffee table in front of it, and the other was adjacent to the wall.

On the coffee table was a plethora of snacks and drinks, some alcoholic and some not.

“I don’t know what you like to eat,” Hal explained as they drew closer to the couch, and Jesse took a seat. “So I just got a bunch of stuff.”

Jesse laughed.

“You didn’t have to do all that,” she said, though she beamed up at Hal, very flattered to know he had put so much effort into their meeting.

“Well,” Hal shrugged, “you can have anything you like, just in case you get hungry.”

“Thanks,” Jesse offered him a smile as he sat down beside her, and he smiled back pleasantly.

As he sat down, Hal stretched, opening his mouth in an audible yawn as he raised his arms up over his head. Jesse’s eyes flicked down to the hem of his black shirt, which had risen to reveal the belt threaded through the loops of his jeans and the dark trail of hair that stood out against his skin and disappeared beneath his waistband.

Jesse felt her face flush as she averted her gaze to look into her lap. Her heart rate had already increased, and she worked hard to keep her breathing steady.

“Jess?” she heard Hal’s voice, and she turned to look up at him, feeling like a kid who had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “You okay?”

Jesse floundered for a moment and ended up releasing a nervous laugh. Hal looked down at her, his eyes sparkling with amusement and a small smirk on his face.

“I’m fine.” Jesse nodded, shifting her weight a little on the couch. Hal raised his eyebrows, but he did not press the issue for which Jesse was eternally grateful.

“Okay …” Hal said though she could hear the lingering suspicion in his tone.

Jesse could hardly breathe, much less gather her thoughts. She had no idea that being alone with Hal again was being so hard. It seemed to her that their relationship was moving incredibly fast, and each time she saw him, she wanted more of him, emotionally and physically.

Jesse took a quiet breath and tried to collect her thoughts. She knew that she had to reign herself in and act like an adult, not some teenage girl with a crush. Still, she couldn’t help feeling that was the most accurate representation of her feelings for him. Even as she sat so close to him, his nearness was driving her crazy. She could feel her skin tingling and her heart beating erratically in her chest.

She wasn’t quite sure how she was going to get through the rest of the night with her sanity intact. Somehow, though, she knew that there was no way she would rather feel.

Chapter 44

Hal

Hal had to work hard to keep from laughing because he knew it would embarrass her. He had seen her looking at his exposed lower stomach as he stretched, and he knew that she was flustered.

He was glad because he was every bit as flustered as she was. In fact, he didn’t know how he was going to keep the flow of their evening going smooth with just how agitated he was becoming.

Even so, he was an actor by trade. He knew he could fake it, at least for a little while.

“So how did the applying go today?” Hal asked smoothly, easily moving his arm so that it rested behind Jesse along the back of the couch. He nearly chuckled as he saw the way her body stiffened with his motion.

“It was fine,” she answered, and he heard a subtle catch in her voice. “Boring.”

“I figured,” Hal chuckled, and Jesse responded with a laugh of her own.

“Oh, well …” she sighed, and Hal saw her relax a little. “That’s just a part of it, I guess.”

“Well, it doesn’t have to be,” Hal said with a shrug, and Jesse looked up at him, frowning.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked.

“You could pick up a job working for me,” he said, giving her a smile. Much to his amusement, Jesse rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, I’m sure that would be very professional,” she said sarcastically, and Hal laughed.

“I think we could make it work,” Hal said, lowering his voice a little suggestively. He saw Jesse’s eyes widen, and he saw her throat bob as she swallowed.

“Thanks,” she said softly. “But no thanks.”

Hal chuckled. He had expected nothing less.

“Seriously, though,” Hal went on. “My secretary, Liza, has more than a few connections on the journalism side. I could put you in touch with her, and maybe she could set you up with a few interviews. I mean, I can’t make you any solid promises, but it would at least be something to work with.”

Jesse blinked over at him.

“Actually …” she murmured, her brow creased in a small frown as she appeared to think about the situation. “That doesn’t seem like a bad idea.”

Hal’s ears perked up.

“Really?” he asked.

“Really,” Jesse confirmed with a nod, looking back toward him. “I mean, that’s not you just handing me a job, it’s just getting me set up with a connection. I mean, that’s just networking. And I would have a couple of interviews and just see where they go.”

“That’s great!” Hal said, more than a little surprised that she hadn’t shut down that idea as well. “I can talk to Liza about it first thing tomorrow, maybe take you both out to lunch or something.”

“Whatever you want,” Jesse said, smiling.

Hal beamed at her. He knew that Liza would be able to set her up with way better places than The Edge. Liza had been a journalist herself in her younger days, and she could set Jesse up with actual newspapers instead of some half-baked tabloid magazine. He knew that Jesse would definitely have a good shot of making something of herself, and having seen her in action in a professional capacity, he knew that she would excel in any interviews that Liza set up for her. She would have her pick of an excellent job.

She certainly deserved it.

“Thank you,” Jesse said softly, and Hal pulled himself out of his thoughts.

“Me?” he asked, laughing a little. “For what? Liza will be the one setting everything up. You should thank her whenever you get the chance.”

“Yeah, of course.” Jesse nodded, her voice soft. “But … I mean … there’s no way we would have ever crossed paths if it wasn’t for you … and a lot of people wouldn’t understand how important it is to me to have a job …”

Jesse trailed off, and Hal waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts a little.

“So I guess I mean,” Jesse picked up, looking up at him. “Thank you for understanding.”

“You’re welcome,” Hal said softly, smiling down at her gently. He cupped her face in the palm of his hand, and he felt her shiver a little under his touch.

Hal felt his smile fade from his face as he was overwhelmed with a feeling of tenderness for the woman beside him. He had never met a woman that was so determined to honestly make a way for herself without accepting handouts from others, without taking the easy way out.

Moreover, he had never met a woman that was so grateful for the things he did for her. That was, when she let him do them.

Not to mention the softness of her skin beneath his hand. He had barely touched her, and it already felt like her skin was searing his hand where they touched. He could feel a fire roaring to life in his belly. He knew that if he didn’t actively work to keep himself in line, he would lose it just like he had the other day at her apartment.

The way she was looking at him, though, he wondered whether or not that was exactly what she wanted.
Hal removed his hand from her face and placed it in his lap, clearing his throat.

“So …” he trailed off. “What did you want to do?”

“I don’t know,” Jesse shrugged, and Hal noted that her voice sounded tight.

“Well,” Hal made to move the conversation along. “We could take a walk, watch a movie …”

Jesse hesitated for a moment, seeming to be thinking it over.

“A movie sounds good,” she finally said, a small smile lighting up her face.

“Great,” Hal nodded, getting up and moving over to his collection of DVDs. “What movie would you like to watch?”

“Hm …” Jesse seemed to ponder for a moment. “I don’t know … surprise me.”

Hal shrugged, and he reached blindly into the rows of DVDs to withdraw a box. He didn’t even bother looking at the title before he put it into the player and returned to take his seat by Jesse. Once he was seated, he pressed play on the menu.

As the opening credits began to roll, he glanced over at Jesse, noting that her eyes were locked on the screen already, her posture stiff. He, too, was feeling a little bit of nerves.

He already knew that neither of them was going to be paying too much attention to whatever movie was playing.

Chapter 45

Jesse

Jesse could feel her stomach tying itself in knots and her heart threatening to pound out of her chest as the movie began to play. It looked to be an artsy sort of film, the kind that would win awards at obscure festivals. Not that she cared very much. Her attention was not so much on the screen but locked on the man seated beside her.

Jesse vaguely noted that he seemed too far away and too close at the same time. All at once, she wanted to scoot closer and run frantically from the room. She glanced up at his face. His green eyes reflected the characters and scenery moving around on the television, but it looked as though he was gazing into space more than paying attention to the plot unfolding in front of him.

She wondered if he was going through the same things that she was.

Jesse forced herself to pay attention to what was going on, but she had already missed some vital piece of information. This situation was becoming entirely too frustrating for her, and she barely managed to conceal a huff of aggravation.

Jesse allowed her eyes to wander elsewhere, and they ended up landing on the coffee table in front of them lined with food and drinks. Her eyes immediately wandered to a bottle of wine near Hal’s end.

She felt a little bit of anxiety at the idea of asking him to pour her a glass, but she knew that if she was going to make it through the rest of the night, she needed to loosen up a little at least.

So, she worked up her courage, took a deep breath, and resolved to speak to him.

“Hal?” she asked, her voice sounding soft and weak in her own ears.

“Yeah?” Hal immediately turned to face her, a small frown creasing his brow.

“Would you mind if I had some wine?” Jesse said, glancing over to the bottle on the other end of the table. Hal glanced over at it, blinking for a moment.

“Of course,” he said, giving her a smile as he moved to retrieve the bottle. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a pocket knife, and she watched as he flipped out the corkscrew extension, then began to methodically wind it down into the cork of the wine bottle.

Soon, the bottle was open, and Hal reached under the table and withdrew two glasses and poured them each a healthy portion of the deep red liquid.

“Here you go,” Hal offered her a glass.

Jesse swirled the liquid for a moment, watching the way it sloshed inside of the glass. She finally took the first sip, and she could already feel the alcohol going to work to relax her body. She released a soft sigh and saw Hal raise his brow from beside her. Jesse glanced over at him, and she felt a flutter in her stomach at the curious expression on his face as he watched her.

Jesse offered him a small smile, and steeling her nerves, she moved closer to him on the couch. Much closer. So close, in fact, that their thighs were pressed against one another. Jesse then settled back into the couch so that she was leaning more against his torso than the back of the couch.

Jesse’s heart fluttered as Hal brought his arm about her shoulders to pull her tighter against him. Her eyes flicked up to his face, and she saw a small smile there.

Jesse could feel her skin tingling and goosebumps spreading all along her body as they were in such close contact. She allowed her hand to rest on his knee, and with her other hand she raised her glass and took a long drink of the wine. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hal do the same.

For a while, they remained that way, looking at the screen. Jesse had no way to know if Hal was paying any attention to the movie, but she certainly wasn’t. All she could think about was the closeness of their bodies and the memory of the last time they had been in such close proximity to one another.

Jesse bit her lip before taking another long draught of her wine, this time draining the glass. Beside her, Hal glanced over at her and raised an eyebrow. Jesse blushed.

“Sorry,” she said weakly. “Thirsty.”

Hal looked at her for a moment, the corner of his lip raising in a small smirk.

“Another?” he offered, holding his free hand out to take her glass.

“Please,” Jesse replied.

Jesse moved to hand Hal the glass, and as she did so, she felt her fingertips brush against his hand. She released a soft gasp at the contact and immediately blushed as Hal’s eyes snapped to her face. Jesse dropped her hand into her lap and averted her eyes to the bottle of wine.

She watched as Hal easily refilled her glass, and she was careful to avoid touching him as he returned it to her. She wasted no time in taking another long drink.

“If you want to get wasted,” Hal said, his eyes passing across her face, “I have some harder stuff in the cabinet …”

Jesse laughed nervously and took yet another drink of the wine.

“No, no,” she shook her head, clutching the glass in both hands to keep it from displaying the way she was shaking.

She took a breath to steady herself and looked up at Hal.

“Sorry,” she said, her voice near a whisper. “I just … I feel so … distracted …”

Jesse spoke, and as words trailed out of her mouth, she found her eyes wandering over Hal’s torso and finally landing on his face. He looked down at her patiently, a soft smile on his lips.

“Hey,” Hal said softly. He leaned closer to her and took the wine glass from her hand, setting it on the coffee table along with his own. “I feel distracted too …”

Jesse felt herself begin to tremble as Hal looked down at her, his green eyes flickering with soft emotion. He raised his hand, and Jesse followed it with her eyes as he moved to cup her face. She exhaled softly as his fingertips brushed her cheekbone, and his thumb traced along her bottom lip.

Jesse squirmed on the couch a little as her body began to react to his touch. She felt hopelessly excited and felt warmth pooling low in her stomach, as well as a wetness between her legs. She gently squeezed her thighs together, hoping to ease some of the pressure she felt in her core.

Jesse bit her lip, and she saw Hal’s eyes darken and watched as his throat bobbed. Slowly, she moved her hand to rest on his thigh and gently traced it up and down, edging closer and closer to his crotch. Jesse felt his hand shift so that he was cupping the back of her neck, and he buried his fingers in the hair at the nape of her neck.

Jesse whimpered a little as he tilted her head back by her hair to look up at him. Her body responded instantaneously, a jolt of hot desire shooting through her. She gripped his wrist in one hand, and with the other she buried her fingers in his shirt.

Hal looked over her body, and she could see his eyes lingering on her chest. Jesse had chosen to wear a simple, soft blue dress that was comfortable and fit her nicely, showing off the assets of her body. That included revealing a modest amount of cleavage that Hal was clearly enjoying. She had also opted to go without a bra, and she was certain he could see the outline of her hardening nipples against the thin material of the dress.

Jesse was more thankful than ever that she had made the decision to wear panties. She had briefly entertained the idea of going without but had ended up going with them. Now, she was grateful, for if she had gone without, she may well have been soaking through her dress and ruining Hal’s couch with her wetness.

Hal’s eyes slowly moved back up to her face, and they remained there for what felt like an eternity.

Jesse breathed heavily as Hal’s eyes burned into her, and she vaguely wondered what on earth he was thinking.

Chapter 46

Hal

Hal could feel his cock throbbing in the confines of his jeans. In front of him was a horrifically enticing woman, and here they were alone together in his home, with nobody around to hear or catch them.

It was an incredible temptation, but Hal knew he had to handle this delicately. He didn’t want to push things too fast. He and Jesse had already had that talk, and he would hate for her to think that he was pushing aside what she wanted in favor of satisfying his sexual urges.

At the moment, though, that was exactly what he wanted to do.

The dress she wore accentuated her form perfectly, and he wanted to run his hands up and down her sides, memorizing every curve of her body. His cock twitched at the very idea, and he heard Jesse gasp as his grip involuntarily tightened in her hair.

Hal blinked, and he loosened his grip.

“Sorry …” Hal murmured, his voice low and rough. He could feel his blood pounding in his veins, and if he didn’t know better, he would have sworn that his vision was blurry.

“Don’t be …” Jesse breathed, and Hal nearly growled at the words. He could clearly see the lust in her eyes, and the sounds she made as he touched her only proved to verify that she wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her.

He knew he would have to handle this very, very delicately.

Hal tilted her head to the side, exposing the long column of her neck. He could see her pulse throbbing, and he could feel her eyes on him as his eyes traced along her throat. Slowly, he lowered his head, and he pressed his lips to her skin and relished the softness he encountered there. He heard her release a soft moan, felt her body shiver and her hands tighten on his arm and in his shirt.

“Hal …” Jesse whispered his name, and it had never sounded so sweet. A surge of lust passed through his body, and he couldn’t help growling as he opened his mouth and ran his tongue along her neck, his teeth grazing her skin as he nibbled at her.

Hal heard her gasp and felt her back arch, pressing her skin even further into his mouth, encouraging him. Hal lifted his other hand and tightly gripped her waist, just below her ribcage. He heard her soft whimper at his ear and pulled away from her neck, holding her head upright so she could look up at him. His eyes moved down to her lips, which were parted as she panted.

Hal tightened his grip in her hair and at her waist and again she released a whimper that only served to inflame him further.

Hal ground his teeth as his cock began to pulse quite painfully. He shifted to try and offer it some relief, but to little avail.

Jesse was absolutely driving him mad.

Chapter 47

Jesse

Jesse couldn’t control her ragged breathing as Hal dipped his head and covered her lips with his. She whimpered into his mouth and kissed him back ravenously, releasing her hold on his shirt to bury her hand in his hair. It was soft, and she could feel the heat coming off his skin.

Hal increased the fervor of his kiss and pressed her back a little into the couch as he devoured her. Jesse allowed her eyes to close, and she held tightly to him to keep from falling backward. Again, he roughly broke off the kiss, and she opened her eyes to see him looking over her face.

“Are you drunk?” he asked her roughly, his hand moving from the back of her head to cup her face. His eyes were restless as they searched her face.

“No …” Jesse answered him breathlessly, shaking her head hastily back and forth. She saw Hal’s eyes narrow and knew he barely believed her.

“Really,” Jesse insisted, horrified at the thought of him withdrawing from her now when she was already so worked up and desperate for his touch.

Hal searched her face, his expression still disbelieving, but after some examination, he seemed to relax a little. His grip on her side softened, and he gently ran his hand up her ribcage, inspiring a rush of tremors down her body.

“I’m sorry …” Hal whispered, leaning his head forward to rest it against hers. “I just don’t want to take advantage of you …”

Jesse blushed and felt a feeling of tenderness well up in her stomach.

“I know…” Jesse said softly, moving her hand to cup his cheek in her palm. She repeated his motions from earlier, feeling the stubble on his cheek as she traced her fingertips over his skin. She heard him release a soft sigh as he nuzzled his face into her hand.

For a while, they remained that way, and Jesse fought to maintain control of her body’s fiercely powerful desire. Hal’s eyes opened a little, and they looked at her with a mixture of wariness and want.

“I don’t want you to think that I just brought you here for …” Hal trailed off, seeming to be searching for just the right word. “For this …”

“I know,” Jesse said again. “And that’s not why I came over either … it’s just …”

Jesse trailed off, and she bit her lip as her body once again reminded her of just how much she ached for Hal’s touch. It was proving difficult just to sit there with him and hold a coherent conversation when all she could think about was the throbbing desire between her legs.

“I know …” Hal sighed, and she felt his grip on her side tighten again. Jesse gasped softly and gripped Hal’s shoulder, involuntarily arching into his hand. She saw a flash of hunger pass through Hal’s eyes, and it served to inspire a pang of desire in her stomach.

Jesse could only pant shakily and squirm under his touch. For the moment, words were beyond her, and she could only look up at Hal, hoping that her eyes could relay what she craved.

“Jess …” Hal sighed softly, his voice sounding almost pained. “I want you …”

Jesse nodded frantically and tried to clear her head enough to respond to him verbally.

“I want you too …” she managed to say. She moved her body closer to him and rested her hand on his hip, gathering up the hem of his shirt. Hal gasped as she ran her fingernails over the bone of his pelvis, and she felt goosebumps rise up along his skin.

Hal seized her wrist and pinned it to her side. He let out a growl as he suddenly leaned forward and pressed his mouth against her, once again ravishing her with a searing kiss. Jesse squirmed helplessly. Every inch of her seemed to be on fire, and she nearly wept as she felt his teeth softly bite on her lower lip.

Again, though, it seemed to be over all too quickly, and Jesse groaned a little as he pulled back. Hal took in a shaking breath and shook his head, seeming to be trying to collect himself.

“Okay, okay …” Hal finally spoke, his voice sounding calmer. Jesse’s stomach clenched, and she feared that he was about to call the whole thing off. All she could do was hold her breath and wait for him to say whatever was on his mind.

“I want to do this,” Hal said, “but not if you feel like this is happening too fast. I don’t want you to get caught up in the moment and do something you’ll regret just because your body wants it right now.”

Jesse listened, and she was torn between a feeling of relief and panic. All in all, he was right. She didn’t want to act hastily and end up feeling ashamed of her actions. At the moment, though, her body was urging her to throw caution to the wind. Still, the rational part of her mind knew that what Hal was saying was true, so she slowly nodded.

“I agree,” Jesse said softly, though the ache in her legs seemed to grow more insistent even as she spoke.

Hal nodded, and they were both silent for a moment. Jesse was still acutely aware of the grip that Hal had on her side and of his hand wrapped around her wrist. The sensation of his skin on hers, even on such a mundane spot, was enough to send her into a frenzy.

“So …” Hal finally spoke again, looking up at her hesitantly. “Why don’t we just step back and slow things down a little bit. I don’t want anything to seem rushed.”

Jesse looked up at Hal, and she felt a rush of emotion at the tenderness she saw in his face. A smile slowly lifted the corners of her lips, and she nodded.

“I like the sound of that,” Jesse said softly, and she saw Hal smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling a little.

“Me too,” he said softly.

With that, he gently released his hold on her wrist and moved both of his hands so that they were resting softly on her hips, his thumbs gently tracing circles over her skin. Jesse shifted her hands to rest on his shoulders and leaned up so that their lips were once more joined in a much less demanding kiss.

As they kissed, Jesse took up the task of calming herself down. She knew that Hal was right, and it was likely taking just as much effort from him to keep things from moving forward too fast. So, Jesse decided that she would let him take control and lead for the rest of this interaction, even if her body was insistently begging her for more.

She had a feeling that if she was going to be involved with Hal, sexual desires and frustrations were just something she was going to have to get used to.

Having calmed down quite a bit, Jesse began to more fully enjoy the kiss she was sharing with Hal. She appreciated the hint of wine on his breath and the softness of his lips contrasting with his rough stubble. Unthinkingly, she lifted her hand from his shoulder and allowed her fingertips to graze against his cheek, and she shivered at the rough feeling of his stubble.

She felt Hal become more insistent with his kiss for a moment before he calmed once again. She could feel his hands kneading at her hips, and she gently arched them into his touch, encouraging him. She felt her blood still throbbing in her veins, slow and thick.

Hal pulled back from her lips, only to gently pepper kisses along her jawline. She gasped softly and felt a surge of heat as he pressed a kiss below her ear. She moved her hands back to his shoulders and bit her lip as she gathered up the material of his shirt in her grip.

Jesse felt her vision grow foggy, and again she felt as though she was losing her grip on her self-control. She became aware of Hal’s hands slipping lower to caress the curve of her thighs, and she released a soft moan. Hal drew his head back and his eyes searched her face briefly before his head slowly dropped.

Jesse felt his teeth scrape along her collarbone, and she ground her teeth together to keep from begging him for more. He moved slowly and gently, and in her mind, Jesse wanted nothing more than for him to tear off her dress and consume her.

But they were taking it slow. And she knew that was the most appropriate thing to do. It seemed, though, that her body was not so easily convinced.

Jesse didn’t know how she was going to make it through the rest of the evening, but for now she would simply grit her teeth and bear it.

Chapter 48

Hal

Hal had managed to calm the fire raging in his body, and he was now able to more fully enjoy the way Jesse was reacting to his touches. He knew they would have plenty of time for the hot and heavy later. Now, though, he was going to take full advantage of this opportunity to drive Jesse absolutely insane.

She could not hide the reactions of her body. He felt every shiver and every jerk as his hands ran slowly up and down her thighs. He focused entirely on her, completely ignoring his racing blood. It was far more compelling to listen to the soft gasps and moans that she was trying so hard to conceal.

Hal knew that she was trying to control herself. There was a franticness about her movements that told him she was trying with all her power to keep still and let things progress at their natural pace. He also knew, though, that her body must be positively aching for him.

And that knowledge alone was enough to fill Hal with a devious sense of power that he was all too ready to take advantage of.

Hal moved his hands so that they rested just below her pelvis, his thumbs dangerously close to her sex, so close that he could feel the heat there. He gently circled his thumbs along her inner thighs, and he was rewarded with a shiver that rolled through her body. He couldn’t help smiling to himself.

Hal lingered there a little longer until he could hear Jesse panting softly, and he felt her hand curl into the hair at the base of his head. Finally, he relented and let his hands travel back up over her hips to gently trace along her sides, brushing his fingertips over her ribs, sending wave after wave of shivers over her body.

His mouth, meanwhile, was still devotedly teasing at her collarbones and her shoulders. He alternated between nibbling, licking and sucking. He could feel the heat of her skin and could practically feel the hot blood pulsing beneath. Every now and then, he felt her skin bristle as she was overwhelmed with a rush of goosebumps.

Slowly, subtly, he began to move his mouth lower and his hands higher until he could brush his thumbs along the side of her breasts. Each time he did, he could feel her muscles stiffen in response to the soft touch. He lingered there for quite a long time as he kissed along her chest just above the swell of her breasts. He persisted until she was continually shaking beneath his ministrations, her breath coming in a series of ragged gasps and her fingernails digging into his shoulders.

Hal knew that she was already fighting to keep hold of her senses, and he was determined that before the night was over, she would lose herself completely.

He also knew, though, that the process would take time, and he was nothing if not patient.

With that in mind, Hal drew back to look down into her eyes, and his lips curled into a smirk as he saw the frazzled look on Jesse’s face. She bit her lip as she looked up at him, and he could tell that she was still working hard to take everything in stride. So far, she was not doing a bad job, but Hal knew that she wouldn’t be able to hold off for much longer.

Hal slipped an arm behind her back to support her, and he saw her eyes flick to his hand as he raised it to trace his fingertips up along her shoulder and then down to her chest. He felt her stiffen as he lowered his hand to gently cup her soft breast and barely suppressed a growl of his own as he watched her eyelids flutter closed.

Hal was deliberately slow as he circled his hand over her breast, feeling her nipple against the flat of his palm. He watched her expression subtly change and felt her back arch over his arm, and he took the opportunity to pull her closer. He lowered his head and gently nibbled on the shell of her ear, and she gave him a soft mewl.

“Are you alright?” he whispered into her ear, feeling her shiver as his breath caressed her skin.

Apparently unable to speak, Jesse gave him a soft whimper and a weak nod, her hands moving to grip the muscles of his upper arms.

“Do you like this?” he pressed, and he gave her breast a soft squeeze.

Jesse nodded more fervently, and Hal felt her begin to shift her hips as he teased at her. He shifted his hand so that his fingertips were tracing along the low neckline of her dress and began shifting the soft material down over her skin, slowly but surely revealing her breasts. Hal pulled his head back to watch, and he could see the rise and fall of her chest as she panted. When he finally revealed both of her rosy, hard nipples, Hal felt a bolt of pleasure shoot directly to his cock, which throbbed angrily in his jeans.

Hal situated the dress so that it supported her breasts, and he held his breath as he took in the sight of their perky fullness. His mouth watered at the thought of how it would feel to wrap his mouth around each of her nipples and slowly suck them deep into his mouth. He licked his lips at the thought, and he knew it would not be much longer until it became a reality.

Hal looked up at Jesse’s face, and another surge of heat passed through him at the desperation he saw there. He knew that she wanted him, and badly. He suspected that she wanted him to take her fast and hard, right there and then.

That, though, was simply not how he intended to play this out.

Chapter 49

Jesse

Jesse looked up into Hal’s face, and she could tell that it wouldn’t be long until she was crying simply from the intensity of her desire. It seemed that Hal was enjoying his game of slowly driving her to the breaking point.

She felt a rush of guilt at the thought. She knew very well that he was taking things slow specifically for her sake so that they didn’t end up rushing anything. And she certainly appreciated the sentiment. Now, though, she was aching, and she knew that the only thing that could quench her inner fire was him.

Jesse felt the cool air of the room swirl around her nipples, making them harder than she thought possible. She watched as Hal’s eyes traveled between her face and her breasts, and she thought he looked calculative, as though he was trying to figure out his next move.

Jesse knew that if it weren’t for his arm supporting her back, she would have fallen back on the couch by now. He looked down into her face, and he watched her carefully. She saw him lift his hand, and her stomach lurched in anticipation as he slowly lowered it.

When she felt his fingertips brush over the tip of her aching nipple, she could no longer keep herself quiet.

“Ah!” she cried out in a sob and buried her fingernails in his arm. “Hal! Please!”

She heard Hal release a soft chuckle and looked through blurry eyes to see a smile on his face.

“Shh,” he hushed her, and to her dismay, he moved his hand away from her nipple.

“No!” Jesse immediately protested, taking hold of his wrist in her hand and holding it in place. “Please, please don’t stop …”

“Hey, hey …” Hal soothed her, his voice soft, moving his head forward to place a soft kiss on her lips. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you …”

Jesse nodded at his words and worked to calm herself down. She felt Hal slowly lowering her so that she was laying down on the couch and gasped as he straddled her thighs, allowing her legs to stretch out along the couch.

“There,” he said softly, gently running his hand over her face. “Better?”

Jesse didn’t respond. It was already taking too much of her willpower to keep from releasing a senseless stream of pleas for him to go on. She could only look up at him, anticipation clawing in her belly as she softly rubbed her thighs together with the hope of alleviating the ache in her sex.

She watched as Hal looked up and down her body and could clearly see the desire in his eyes as he drank in the sight of her naked breasts. Jesse knew that her skin was flushed with a mixture of excitement and some embarrassment at being so exposed for him. Her nipples, though, were the focal point of her attention. They were like two pinpricks of raw sensation, and she knew even the slightest touch would have her nearly jumping off the couch.

It seemed, though, that Hal had other intentions.

Jesse watched and shivered as he slowly dragged his hands down her sides, and even down over the swell of her hips, then even lower, until he reached the hemline of her dress. Jesse’s breathing sped up as he began to pull the material up her legs, and then even higher to reveal her panties.

Jesse flushed a little as he stopped to trace his fingertip over her lower abdomen just above the waistband of her panties. He did not linger long, though, and he continued to raise the dress until Jesse had to raise her arms to allow him to remove the garment entirely.

Hal gently laid out the dress along the back of the couch so that it wouldn’t wrinkle. The small gesture was nearly lost on her as she realized that she was nearly entirely exposed to him. She blushed as she saw Hal’s eyes travel down over her body and felt suddenly very self-conscious, moving her arms as though to wrap them around her chest, but Hal took her wrists in his hand and gently pinned them on either side of her head.

Jesse looked up at him and saw a gentle smile on his face. He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss, and she kissed him back.

“Don’t be self-conscious …” he murmured softly as he lifted his lips away from hers and began to place soft kisses down her neck, trailing even further down.

Jesse began to squirm a little, but Hal’s grip on her wrists kept her from getting very far. He moved lower, and she could feel his lips travel down her sternum. She shuddered as she felt the rough stubble on his jaw brush against the side of her breasts. She watched him breathlessly, and he looked up at her, a dark mischief flashing in his eyes.

Jesse’s stomach tightened as he moved his head to the side, his lips trailing against the fullness of her breast until they finally brushed up against her nipple. Jesse felt a rush of wetness between her legs, and her back arched up off the couch as she gasped.

Undeterred, Hal drew it into his mouth, gently sucking on it. The sensation was at both times gentle and completely overwhelming, and Jesse arched up into his mouth. When he unsheathed his teeth to gently nibble at her, she whimpered. He gently released his hold on her wrists and traced his hands down, one lingering at her breast and the other moving to rest at her hip.

All the while, his mouth did not rest. Jesse felt herself slowly unraveling as he nibbled, sucked and licked at her, and then moved to the other breast to repeat the ministrations. His attention to her breasts, however, did little to reduce the ache between her legs, and she found herself arching her hips up into the air, hopelessly seeking out friction.

Hal seemed to notice, for he withdrew from her breasts to look down her body at her frantically moving hips. Jesse blushed, a little embarrassed, but she looked up at Hal longingly, hoping he would make a motion to avert his attentions. Hal looked up into her face and raised his brow, and she bit her lip.

Hal looked back down at her panties, and he slid his hands to her hips, dipping his fingers beneath the waistband. Jesse clenched her teeth at the shocks of sensation that came from his fingers brushing against her skin.

Jesse watched wordlessly, her breathing coming quickly as he dragged the garment down her legs, completely revealing her to him. He flicked the panties onto the floor and looked into her eyes for a moment before focusing his attention on her sex.

Jesse jerked and let out a soft moan as Hal pressed his hands between her thighs and gently spread them so that they were on either side of his own so that he was situated between her legs with a clear view of her sex. Jesse watched his face carefully as he looked at her womanhood, and she blushed as she saw heat flash in his eyes.

He looked back up into her face, and Jesse whimpered as she felt him drag the flat of his hands up her inner thighs, bringing them up high enough so that his thumbs were tracing along her outer folds. Jesse shuddered and arched her hips at the sensation, flexing them into his hands as he gently stroked at her.

Even as good as his gentle touches felt, though, Jesse yearned for more. She dug her fingers into the material of the couch beneath her as he teased at her. She wondered how much longer he intended to keep this up.

It was not long until she got her answer.

Hal moved one of his hands to press into her lower stomach, holding her hips perfectly still under his palm. He glanced up at her, and Jesse looked into his eyes, gasping as she felt him slowly run the tip of a finger along her dripping slit. Jesse whimpered as he dragged it all the way up to her clit, which he circled a few times, sending Jesse into a world of acute, though still teasing pleasure. Jesse’s eyes drifted closed, and the muscles of her hips flexed against his firm hold on her.

Chapter 50

He tormented her that way for what felt like hours, just running the tips of his fingers against her entrance but never moving past, every now and then teasing at her clit. He used his thumb to pull back the hood of her swollen nub and moved the pad of his finger in a tiny circle, pressing down harder than before.

“Hal!” Jesse cried out in a sob. The sensation was intense, overwhelming, and raw, and it had her head spinning.

In a desperate move, Jesse reached between her legs as if to take hold of Hal’s wrist, but before he could even get close, Hal’s hand that had been bracing her hips snatched up both her hands and pinned them easily above her head.

Jesse squirmed and whimpered in protest but grew silent when Hal lowered his face mere inches above hers. She felt him begin to palm her clit, and she closed her eyes as she arched her hips up into his hand. She released a soft, shaking sigh as she was overcome with the dull pleasure.

“Jesse,” she heard Hal’s voice, and her eyes flickered open to look up at him.

His eyes were filled with burning brightness, and he seemed more excited than anything else. She thought she could hear his breath catch in his throat, but Jesse could hardly hear it past her own ragged breathing as he continued to rub at her sex.

Jesse kept her eye contact with him, but the sensations that had so recently been pleasurable had turned torturous. He seemed to be keeping her just on the edge of her climax. She shifted every way possible beneath his touch to try and push herself over, but there just wasn’t enough pressure to get the job done. She was becoming desperate and flustered, and soon, she knew she could no longer take it in silence.

“Hal, please …” she whimpered, bucking up her hips into his palm as he mercilessly maintained his maddening pace.

“Please what?” he pressed, and as she looked up into his face, she saw mischief glistening in his eyes. He was doing this to her on purpose. The thought both agonized and excited her.

“Hal I- I …” Jesse stammered, flushing furiously at the thought of putting her need into words. Hal raised his eyebrow at her, a smirk lifting the corner of his mouth.

“I need to finish,” Jesse blurted out in a breath and moaned as Hal pressed his palm harder against her.

“Do you?” Hal murmured, and Jesse groaned as he removed his hand from her sex, and he looked down at her.

Soon, he resumed tracing his fingers along her slit, and Jesse let her head fall back against the couch. She jumped as he again pulled back the hood of her clit and circled his finger over it. Jesse let out a high keen at the sensation and felt tears in her eyes.

“Ah … please …” Jesse squeaked out as she felt her inner walls begin to twitch with the shadow of an orgasm that was not quite yet upon her.

Jesse heard Hal chuckle, and she was both parts grateful and disappointed as Hal diverted his finger from her clit to once again trace along her entrance.

“Jesse,” Hal spoke, and Jesse barely managed to crack her eyes open to see that his face was hovering just above her own.

No sooner than her eyes opened, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

And no sooner that he kissed her than Jesse cried out into his mouth at the sensation of one of his fingers slipping inside of her.

Jesse immediately let loose an incoherent stream of pleas and cries of pleasure as he gently pumped his finger in and out of her. He started slow and gradually increased his pace. At some point, he slid a second finger beside the first, deliciously stretching her and enhancing her pleasure.

Jesse felt tears streaming down her face, and she couldn’t control herself as searched up into his hand. With his other hand, he was still gripping her wrists, and she felt delightfully helpless stretched out beneath him.

Jesse felt him move and heard him growl as his lips attached themselves to her neck, and she cried out as his teeth grazed her neck. He licked and bit a line up the side of her neck until he was finally sucking on her earlobe. Jesse could barely stand it, and she continued to murmur out her senseless words of longing.

“Are you getting close?” Hal whispered into her ear.

“Yes!” Jesse cried out, her voice strained. She could feel her inner walls beginning to twitch.

“Good,” Hal hissed into her ear, biting down on it.

With that, he also pressed his thumb into her clit, and Jesse screamed as he continued to thrust into her as she lost herself in her orgasm, the waves of pleasure washing over her endlessly as Hal continued to minister to her. Jesse felt tears streaming from her eyes, and she panted and cried out as her pleasure reached a new level of intensity and a second orgasm was torn from her, leaving her trembling and whimpering.

Hal eased up and gently brought her down from her second peak, softly withdrawing his hand from her. Jesse breathed raggedly as her eyes began to refocus, and she shivered at the coolness of the air. Hal reached behind him, took up a blanket that was draped over the arm of the couch and gently laid it out over her.

Feeling warm and satisfied, Jesse began to drift off into sleep. She felt Hal curl himself around her and hold her closely from the outside of the blanket. He soothingly petted her head and placed kisses along the back of her neck. Jesse felt the soft throbbing of her sex from the aftermath of her orgasm, and she suddenly felt a rush of guilt as she realized Hal had gone entirely neglected.

“Hal, I’m so sorry,” Jesse turned to look up at him. “I completely forgot …”

“Jess,” Hal said simply, smiling down at her gently. “Relax. I’m fine.”

As he spoke, he gently ran his hand up and down her side, soothing her and sending her toward sleep.

Jesse’s eyelids grew heavy, and she released a contented sound as she relaxed against Hal’s body.

The last thing she felt before falling to sleep was him pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

Chapter 51

Jesse

Jesse’s eyelids slowly flicked open, and as her vision swam into focus, she frowned. She was certainly not in her own bed. It took her a moment to gather where exactly she was, and she blushed as she remembered the events that had transpired the previous night.

She only blushed more fiercely as she realized that she was still naked under the soft blue blanket that was covering her.

Jesse wrapped the blanket around herself securely as she moved to sit up and look around the room. The first thing she noticed was the simple fact that Hal was nowhere to be found. She listened carefully to try and see if he was simply in another room of his home, but she couldn’t hear anything except her own breathing. She frowned and sighed, feeling slightly afraid of being alone.

The next thing she noticed as she looked around the room was that her dress was missing. She stood up, holding the blanket to her chest, and walked around to the other side of the couch in search of her clothes. She still couldn’t seem to find them, and she sighed in frustration as she searched around the rest of the room, aimlessly looking under the couches and the coffee table for her missing dress and panties.

“Well, good morning …” Jesse blushed and shot bolt upright. She had been bent over checking underneath a chair for her clothes, completely revealing her naked behind when she heard Hal’s voice.

“Good morning,” Jesse said as she spun around, reaching behind her body with one hand to hold up the blanket and conceal as much of her skin as possible. She could see the amused smile twinkling in Hal’s eyes as he leaned against the doorframe, easily watching her.

“Are you looking for this?” he asked, and from behind his back he pulled her dress, hung neatly on a hanger.

Jesse felt relief pass over her body.

“Yes,” she said, releasing a pent-up breath as she approached him to take her dress back.

As she neared him, though, Hal lunged suddenly forward, and Jesse released a soft yelp as he crushed her body to his in a tight embrace. He chuckled as he lowered his face to hers and covered her lips in a soft kiss. Jesse fairly melted into him as she returned his kiss, though she tightened her grip on the blanket covering her so it didn’t slip off.

Hal pulled back from their kiss and looked down at her, a soft smile on his face. Jesse found herself getting lost in his eyes, and she blushed, feeling warmth spread through her body. She finally dropped her head, focusing on the carpet beneath their feet.

“Here,” Hal said softly, holding out her dress on the hanger, which Jesse took, tentatively releasing the blanket from behind her.

“I thought you might like it to be clean before you put it back on,” Hal explained. “Oh, and these, too.”

Jesse’s eyes widened as he withdrew her panties from the pocket of his pants. She noticed that he had changed into a pair of fresh jeans and a white tee. She blinked to clear her head of thoughts of his appearance, then,

“Thank you,” Jesse said, giving him a smile.

“Of course,” Hal smiled down at her. “I’ll just step out and give you a moment to change.”

“Wait!” Jesse spoke up, feeling somewhat embarrassed. “I actually … can you take me to the restroom?”

Hal’s face was blank for a moment before he shook his head as if to focus.

“Yeah, sure,” Hal said, turning to hold open his arms, directing her down the hallway. “It’s the second door down to the left.”

“Thanks,” Jesse said, ducking her face as she passed him and headed in the direction he had indicated. She made it to the bathroom and leaned back against the door as it closed behind her.

Jesse’s mind was spinning, and she could hardly believe the events that had led to this moment. She wandered around the bathroom taking care of her business. She allowed the blanket to pool on the floor, and she looked at for a moment.

Jesse glanced around the bathroom, noticing for the first time exactly how modern it was. The sink stretched all along one wall, and on the other was situated a very large shower with a glass barrier dividing it from the rest of the room. Along the third wall, opposite the door was the toilet and a large towel rack. The whole color scheme of the room was gray tile, and the sink and shower featured black marble.

Suddenly, Jesse felt the urge to take a shower. She moved over into the large shower and turned on the water, which began to pour from the back half of the shower like rain. She noticed there was also a removable shower head in the front half of the shower. A dial was available to alter the water pressure to the desired level.

Jesse stepped into the rainfall section of the shower once the water temperature was to her liking and allowed it to completely wet her hair and body before she stepped into the dry half and began to lather her hair with a mint scented shampoo that was one of many on the shelf built into the wall of the shower.

Jesse felt warmth in her stomach knowing that this was Hal’s shower she was using. She vaguely let her mind wander and couldn’t help imagining him in the shower with her. No sooner than the thought crossed her mind, she dismissed it. She had already gone much farther than she had intended to, and she didn’t need scandalous thoughts to drive things into overdrive any more than they already had been.

Jesse finished up her shower and dried her feet on the mat before she crossed the room to the towel rack and wrapped her hair in a fluffy, dark green towel. She dried off her body and then wrapped up her hair. She looked along the rack and quickly found a mint scented lotion that matched the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash that she had used.

She applied the fragrant lotion to her skin, and when she was done, she slipped on her freshly laundered panties and her dress. Looking along the sink for some deodorant, Jesse made use of it. She felt vaguely giddy to be using all of Hal’s things and ending up smelling like him.

Jesse shook her head to focus and let her hair down from the towel turban. She used a comb she found in one of the drawers to untangle her wet hair and then proceeded to style it into a long braid. She frowned that she had no makeup to wear, but she realized there was nothing to be done about it. So, she took a calming breath and gathered the blanket from the floor and opened the door to leave.

Jesse made her way back into the living room and found Hal seated on the couch. He looked up as she came in and gave her a smile.

“Thanks for letting me use your shower,” Jesse said with a soft blush and a small smile as she began to fold up the blanket that had served as her clothing for the night.

“Of course,” Hal said with a soft chuckle. “You’re welcome to use it anytime. That’s the guest bathroom anyway.”

Jesse blinked. If that was his guest bathroom, who knew what the master bathroom was like … she blinked repeatedly to clear her head.

When she was done, she laid the blanket out over the arm of the couch and then sat down beside Hal. He leaned in slowly, placed a soft kiss on her cheek and ran his hand over her damp hair.

“You smell nice,” Hal remarked as he leaned back.

“Thanks.” Jesse laughed. “You have good taste in beauty products.”

Hal laughed and smiled down at her.

“Well, you can thank Liza,” Hal said, turning sideways on the couch so he could face her. “She helped with a lot of the basic stocking of the place.”

“Oh,” Jesse said softly, almost disappointed by the news.

“Maybe you can tell me what you like to use,” Hal suggested softly. “And I can have the bathrooms stocked with it in case you ever end up staying over again …”

Jesse looked up at him and laughed nervously at the implication.

“Sorry about that …” Jesse said. “I guess I got caught up in the moment, and I just got really tired all of a sudden. I know I should have just gone home …”

“Jess,” Hal stopped her, placing his hand on her thigh. “Don’t apologize. I’m not sorry, anyway. I had a great time with you. If anything, I hope I didn’t push you too far, too fast. I know I told you we would take it slow, and I hope you didn’t feel overwhelmed with anything we did.”

Jesse took in a shuddering breath and felt a shiver as she remembered the feeling of his hands on her most intimate places.

“No, no …” Jesse shook her head, blinking as she tried to organize her thoughts. “I … I really enjoyed it, and … thank you. I never would have been able to initiate anything like that myself so … I’m glad you did it …”

Hal looked down at her seriously and searched her face for a moment.

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” he said, his expression somber. “I would hate to think that I pressed you into anything that you didn’t enjoy or want.”

Jesse could see the sincerity in his eyes and hear it in his voice. She could tell that he really meant what he was saying, and it touched her that he cared about her enough to say anything like that.

“That means a lot to me,” Jesse said softly. She drew closer to where he sat on the couch, leaned up, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. He kissed her back, his hands moving to tenderly cup her face.

Jesse pulled back, and Hal looked down at her, an easy smile on his face.

“Well, while you’re still unemployed and before you get too busy with a spectacular career,” Hal started, running his hand through his hair. “I was wondering if you’d like to spend a day with me.”

“Oh,” Jesse blinked, somewhat taken by surprise.

“You can always say no, of course,” Hal explained, offering her a shrug.

“Oh no,” Jesse quickly shook her head. “I mean I would love to. It’s just I worry that I would be keeping you from doing things you need to do.”

Hal frowned down at her.

“Things I need to do?” he repeated to her.

Jesse nodded.

“Yeah, like …” Jesse gesticulated with her hands and shook her head as she tried to think of things he could be doing. “I don’t know. You’re famous … isn’t there an interview you have to give or some fancy dinner you have to attend?”

Hal raised an eyebrow at her and frowned.

“Jess,” he said simply. “I have enough money to safely spend the rest of my life doing absolutely nothing. I’ll be getting money from my movie for the rest of my life. I’ll probably do a few projects here and there, but I don’t have to do anything.”

Jesse nodded as she took in his words.

“And today,” he said, going on. “I would really like to spend the day with you. But only if you want to. If not, I can go ahead and take you back home, and you can do whatever you like.”

“Oh, thanks,” Jesse said in response. “But … I think I’d rather spend the day with you than sit at my house worrying about getting an interview.”

Hal’s face lit up, and he immediately stood up from his place on the couch.

“What are we waiting for then?” he asked animatedly. “Let’s get out of here!”

Chapter 52

Hal

Hal led Jesse down to the street level of the building and then out through the doors. He breathed in the cool, crisp air of the city and looked down at the beautiful woman at his side. He couldn’t have been happier to be out with her, and he had a good idea of where exactly he wanted to start.

“Why don’t you let me get us some breakfast?” Hal suggested, looking down at Jesse beside him.

She seemed reluctant, but Hal was determined to have his way this time around.

“Come on,” Hal urged her. “I’m starving, and I imagine you could do with a good meal, too.”

Jesse hesitated for another moment, and Hal waited patiently to hear her decision.

“Okay,” Jesse finally conceded, and Hal smiled broadly. “But nowhere extremely fancy or expensive.”

“Deal,” Hal nodded in affirmation. “I know a nice little café not far from here. Come on, it’s this way.”

Hal led Jesse down the sidewalk to the small place. It was definitely smaller and cheaper than he would have selected for her, but it would have to do.

“Any particular reason you never let me treat you the way I want to?” Hal asked her, looking down and raising an eyebrow.

Jesse shrugged and her face lit up with that gentle blush that Hal couldn’t help enjoying.

“I don’t know.” She sighed and shrugged. “I just don’t want you to think I’m ever just using you for perks or for money.”

Hal’s heart softened, and he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head.

“Don’t worry,” Hal said softly, turning to take a look at the people milling around them on the city street. He could see that people were already shooting glances their way. Moreover, he could tell that Jesse was beginning to notice as well.

“Shouldn’t you have security out with you?” Jesse asked, and Hal could tell that she was nervous, as her eyes kept darting out to take in their surroundings.

“I do,” Hal said simply. “Look around, I can see three of my security detail as we speak.”

Hal watched with a smirk as Jesse looked at the sea of people around them, obviously seeking out men in black suits with headsets.

“You won’t be able to find them,” Hal explained. “They are dressed like anyone else on the street. You wouldn’t be able to tell unless you knew them personally.”

“Oh,” Jesse said, blinking. “Is Adam with them?”

“No,” Hal sighed. “It’s Adam’s day off.”

“He takes days off?” Jesse asked, her voice curious.

“Well, he wouldn’t if it was up to him,” Hal said. “But fortunately, it’s up to me. And I think he has more of an edge when he’s had his rest and personal time.”

“I’m sure,” Jesse agreed.

“Plus,” Hal went on, “he turns into a bit of a parental figure when he hangs around for too long. And I’m a big boy—I can take care of myself.”

Jesse laughed, and Hal smiled. He glanced down at Jesse to see that she was lingering close to him and that she was immensely tense. Again, he looked around and surmised that it was due to the people that were beginning to recognize him and were pulling out their phones to take pictures.

“Relax,” he nudged her gently. “They’re definitely more scared of us than we are of them.”

Hal set out to prove his point and waved at a passerby who was taking a picture of him. The man was simply shocked and only responded with a dropped jaw. Another group of teenage girls saw the occurrence and began to giggle and titter amongst themselves but made no move toward him.

“See?” Hal turned back to Jesse and gave her a smirk. “I’m not worried about any of these guys. If the paparazzi get here—that’s when we might have a problem.”

Jesse did not seem to relax much, and Hal frowned a little.

“Don’t worry,” he said more gently, “we’ll be inside soon.”

Hal walked a little faster, keeping Jesse close to his side, wrapping an arm around her waist. He felt her relax a little in his hold, and he smiled knowing that she felt safer when he held her.

As he had promised, they soon arrived at the café, and Hal ushered Jesse inside. He strode toward the back of the restaurant and pulled out the seat at a small table in the corner for Jesse. She took her seat, and Hal helped her to push the seat back in.

He took a chair across from her and frowned as he took in her state of being. She looked tense and worried, her eyes darting around the small restaurant.

“Hey, guys,” a waiter came up to their table, addressing them casually. “What can I get for you both to drink?”

“Coffee for me, black,” Hal ordered with a smile. The man nodded and jotted the order down before looking over at Jesse.

“Black coffee, please,” Jesse ordered and smiled up at the man.

“You got it,” the man said and turned to get their drinks.

As the waiter left, Hal once again looked at Jesse. She seemed to finally be relaxing, and in turn Hal relaxed as well. He watched as she perused the menu, and he glanced at his as well. Mostly, though, his attention was on Jesse, taking in each of her subtle movements.

The waiter returned with their drinks and took each of their food orders. Hal had raised his eyebrow at Jesse’s simple order of hash browns, but she had merely shrugged and taken a sip of her coffee. Hal couldn’t stay irritated for long, though.

There was something about her simplicity that attracted him to her, and he couldn’t bring himself to be aggravated with her for very long at all.

Chapter 53

Jesse

Jesse took her time eating her hash browns, savoring their salty, hot taste. She loved pretty much any version of a potato. Besides that, she wasn’t extremely hungry, and she didn’t want to be wasteful.

Hal had ordered an immense meal complete with bacon, eggs, hash browns, and a stack of pancakes. She watched in awe as he ate the whole thing without any difficulty, especially as she began to feel increasingly full just from her hash browns.

At length, they both finished their food, and they went back to sipping their coffee. Jesse was beginning to get anxious at the thought of going back out into the city streets. Suddenly, she wished they were just back at his apartment, or even hers. Just somewhere where they would not be in the public eye.

“Hey,” Hal’s voice brought her out of her thoughts. “You alright?”

Jesse blinked a few times and gave him a smile.

“Of course,” she said, though Hal’s frown let her know that he didn’t believe her in the slightest.

“You don’t need to worry about those people,” Hal said softly, and Jesse released a sigh.

“I know, I know.” Jesse nodded, looking down at the table in front of her. “I’m just really not used to it. And last time, we ended up in the papers.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” Hal asked her, and his eyes glistened with humor.

“I guess not,” Jesse sighed, shaking her head. “It’s just … I mean, you’re used to that, but me … I’m not exactly used to strangers approaching me in the street.”

Hal nodded and gave her a gentle smile as he reached across the table to take her hand in his.

“It doesn’t matter,” Hal said. “We’re going to get out of the city for the rest of the day.”

Jesse’s ears perked up at that information.

“Really?” she asked him, suddenly curious about how they were going to be spending the rest of the day.

“Well, this is just an idea I had,” Hal prefaced before he went on. “But I was going to take you out to my cabin, in-state. We can stay for as long as you like. I have people out there keep the place stocked, and I can take you shopping for a few outfits before we go.”

Jesse blinked and shook her head at this sudden onslaught of information. On one hand, it would be nice to get away from the population of the city. On the other hand, she would be alone in a cabin with Hal …

That idea alone was enough to make her stomach clench in both a good and bad way.

“I don’t know,” Jesse shook her head and sighed. “It’s just so short notice …”

“I know,” Hal said, nodding gently. “I shouldn’t have sprung it on you like this. It’s just … I can tell that having all these people around is making you uncomfortable. And … that’s not how I wanted it to be today. I just wanted to spend time with you. Just you, Jess.”

Jesse blushed as Hal spoke to her so honestly and warmth built up in her stomach. She was grateful that he was being so considerate of her needs. At the same time, she was almost as anxious about going out into the woods with him as she was about staying here in the city surrounded by hordes of people.

Jesse was about to decline when she looked up into Hal’s face and found her comfort there. His expression was soft, and his eyes were gentle. She could tell that no matter what she said, he would be accepting of it, and he would not pressure her to do what he wanted. He wanted her to make her own decision.

So, Jesse thought for a little longer. She knew herself, and she knew that she would never be able to relax while she felt like she was under the observation of people everywhere. She knew that the logical solution was to go somewhere remote. She had been nervous about being alone with Hal before, but that had not turned out badly at all.

On the contrary, it had actually turned out quite well for her.

So, having made up her mind, Jesse looked up at him and made to give him her answer.

“Okay,” she said slowly. “I want to go.”

Hal’s face lit up, and Jesse held up her hand to keep him from saying anything before she could finish telling him the completeness of her decision.

“But,” she continued. “I want to pack my own clothes.”

Hal seemed to blink for a moment before his face returned to its happy state.

“Okay,” he said, laughing a little. “Done, no problem.”

Jesse nodded and took a sip of her coffee.

“Oh, and also,” Hal held up a finger, “I will have a helicopter there on standby in case you ever need to get back into the city. I have internet at the cabin too, so you can take your laptop and anything else you might need to keep track of your applications, or whatever else you might need.”

Jesse had to admit she was impressed. She hadn’t even thought of that herself, and she was pleasantly surprised by his consideration for her needs.

“Thank you,” Jesse said, giving him a smile.

“Of course,” Hal smiled, and Jesse felt herself warm at the tender look in his eyes.

They finished up their food, and the waiter came back with their check, which Hal easily paid for. When the waiter returned with the receipt, Hal signed it, and both of them stood up, and Hal led her out of the café.

Jesse had already braced herself for another long walk down the sidewalk when Hal gently guided her toward a car that had been parked at the curb. As they approached, a man got out of the driver’s seat and moved toward Hal, handing him the keys.

“Thank you, Jack,” Hal said to the man, smiling, as he took the keys. “Oh, and this is Jesse Clarke.”

“A pleasure,” the tall, broad man looked down at her and smiled kindly, offering his hand.

“The pleasure’s all mine,” Jesse said, taking his hand and offering him a smile in return.

The man then left, and Jesse watched as he got into a car that was parked just behind Hal’s, a large, black suburban. The man got into the passenger seat and then the driver pulled out into the street and drove off.

“I texted them to bring a car,” Hal explained. “I didn’t want you to have to put up with any more people than you already have today.”

Jesse gave him a grateful smile and felt a flutter in her stomach in response to his kindness. He opened the passenger door of the car, and Jesse stepped in, allowing it to close it behind her. It was not a moment before he was in the driver’s side and had turned on the car.

“So,” Hal started as he pulled into the street. “To your place?”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Jesse confirmed. “I’ll just pack up a few things if that’s okay.”

“No problem,” Hal said, smiling over at her. “There’s no rush, take your time.”

Jesse felt another flutter at the smile he shot her.

“Thank you,” Jesse said softly. “You know, for being so accommodating for me.”

Hal laughed aloud.

“You’re more than welcome,” he said easily. “I want you to feel comfortable with me. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make that possible.”

Jesse listened to his resolute words and felt a chill roll down her spine. She could tell he was serious, and she could feel more of her walls being broken down each moment she spent with him.

In some ways, it unnerved her that he was able to so easily disarm her. But in other ways, she was extremely invigorated by the bond that seemed to be forming between them.

It was not long until they had crossed the city and pulled into the parking garage of Jesse’s apartment. Hal pulled into a spot, and Jesse stepped out of the car. Jesse still felt a little worried that people would see them, but she passed through the apartment with no incidents, and they made it to her home without confronting any fans.

Jesse was more than grateful.

Once they stepped into her place, Jesse shut and locked the door behind them, releasing a breath she had been holding. She hoped that one day she would be able to better tolerate the masses of people that seemed intent on surrounding Hal Roberts.

For now, though, she was content to take advantage of the opportunity to escape with him to a cabin far away from the crowds.

Jesse vaguely realized that she had no idea what on earth she ought to pack.

Chapter 54

Hal

Hal took a seat on Jesse’s couch and waited patiently as Jesse moved about her home gathering up various items of clothing. He was content to wait if she felt that she needed to take her own clothes. He figured they would likely have to pick something up for her anyway, like hiking boots or something of that nature, but he had nothing against her bringing her own clothes for the trip.

For the most part, he was just glad she had agreed to let him take her out there in the first place.

Hal loved his cabin. He he’d had it built for reasons just like this when he felt he needed to get away from his relentless fans and the fame that seemed to follow him everywhere. He took solace from the woods and the river near his cabin, and he had made sure to buy the land the cabin was sitting on as well as to keep unexpected visitors away.

Now, it was the perfect escape for him to spend some quality alone time with Jesse.

As if to remind him of the implications of time alone with her, his cock stirred a little.

Hal had not gotten the opportunity to satisfy himself the previous night. After he had finished with her, Jesse had fallen asleep nearly instantly. He had been amused by her half-asleep offers to take care of him, and had, of course, declined. He was content to watch her sleep and cuddle up to her on the couch.

His cock, however, seemed to be less delighted by his decisions and had refused to lose its aching hardness for most of the night. Even today, it did not take more than a look at Jesse for it to get riled up and start to twitch in his pants. Now, at the idea of being once again alone with her in a secluded cabin, he could feel his cock hardening to a distracting level.

“Ready,” Hal was pulled away from the distracting state of his manhood when Jesse appeared with a small duffel bag in hand, a backpack over her shoulders, and a bright smile on her face.

For the first time, she seemed genuinely excited about this endeavor, and Hal smiled back.

“Here,” he stood, and moved over to her. “Let me take this.”

He was glad that Jesse did not protest as he took her bag and strode toward the door. He waited for her as she opened the door for him and then lingered to shut and lock it behind him.

Hal was already more excited than he had been in a very long time. He felt almost like a little boy again as Jesse led him back out of the apartment and into the parking garage.

First, Hal moved to the passenger’s side of the car and helped Jesse into the car. Then, he popped the trunk of his Jaguar with the key fob and carefully placed the duffel bag in the storage area. When it was secured, he moved to get into the car himself.

He shot Jesse a smile as he started the car, and she smiled back. Hal felt his stomach flip.

He couldn’t wait to see how this trip turned out.

Chapter 55

Jesse

Jesse felt her stomach fluttering with excitement as Hal drove them back to his apartment and took hold of Jesse’s bag from the trunk while she put her backpack on. They crossed the parking garage and made their way to the elevator, and she watched as Hal pressed the button for the top floor. She looked up at him, and he gave her an excited smile.

The elevator opened, and Jesse was immediately buffeted by the wind that was blowing across the top of Hal’s building. She looked across the roof and was mildly surprised to see a helicopter waiting there for them.

“Here we go!” Hal said, and she could hear the excitement in his voice as he took up her hand and led her over to the large vehicle.

Jesse followed, slightly nervous as he helped her into the helicopter. Inside, the pilot gave them both a smile as they settled into the back seat.

“Jesse,” Hal gestured to the pilot, “this is Phillip, a friend of Adam’s.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Jesse smiled over at him. “I’m Jesse.”

“A pleasure to meet you as well,” the man returned a pleasant smile.

“Are we ready for takeoff?” Hal asked as he settled in and buckled up next to Jesse.

“Yes sir,” the pilot responded, his eyes sweeping over his instrument panel for a second.

“Let’s got going then!” Hal said, his voice ringing with obvious excitement.

“You got it,” Phillip said. In a second, he had flipped a series of switches, and the helicopter came to life. It became difficult for Jesse to hear, and Hal handed her a set of headphones complete with a microphone.

“Jess?” Hal spoke into his headset, and Jesse could clearly hear him as he looked her over, taking stock of her state of being.

“I’m great!” Jesse said, and she really was. She was slightly nervous, especially as the helicopter started slowly lifting up off the rooftop. She reached over and tightly gripped Hal’s hand, and he wove his fingers between hers, gently running his thumb along the back of her hand.

Jesse turned to look out the window of the helicopter as they rose up into the sky and began to move over the city. Jesse had never been so fascinated with a view before. She was barely aware of the passing of time as Phillip flew them out, heading toward their destination. She was fascinated with the changing life beneath them, moving from the buildings of the city to the beautiful mountains covered in green.

It hardly seemed like any time had passed at all when they began to lower toward the earth and ended up on a large concrete landing pad in the middle of the woods.

“Here we are,” Hal smiled over at her, taking her hand and pressing it to his lips.

Jesse looked around with wide eyes. She allowed Hal to take the headset off her head and place it on the seat between them. Jesse kept her head ducked as Hal led her out of the helicopter.

Once they were on the landing pad, Hal lingered to speak with Phillip about something, and Jesse wandered toward the edges of the landing pad. The pad was situated on top of a building of some sort and it afforded her a somewhat elevated view of the landscape around her.

“Like what you see?” Hal asked from behind her. She felt him slip his arms around her waist, and he rested his chin on the top of her head.

“It’s beautiful,” Jesse said, her voice hushed. They were both silent, and Jesse could hear flowing water somewhere in the distance.

Jesse was finding it hard to believe that she was really standing here with Hal in this moment. For the first time, she didn’t feel stressed or paranoid while she was with him, and she was truly able to lean back into his body and relax.

“So,” Jesse spoke up. “What … what do we do now?”

Hal laughed and placed an affectionate kiss on the top of her head.

“Whatever you want,” Hal answered her, turning her to face him. Jesse looked up into his eyes, and her heart melted at the way the corners of his eyes crinkled.

“Why don’t we head down into the cabin for now?” he asked her. “You can unpack some of your things, and I can show you around a little.”

Jesse nodded, and Hal took her and led her across the landing pad, which Jesse realized was the roof of the cabin. Hal led her to a door, which in turn led to a well-lit staircase. Hal led her carefully down the stairs and then opened the door into what was an incredibly beautifully decorated cabin.

Jesse appreciated the fact that it still retained the integrity of a small cabin, with wooden logs as walls. At the same time, though, there was a very chic, modern feel to all the appliances in the cabin, which made it extremely comfortable to stay there.

“You designed this?” Jesse turned to ask him, her face lit up with awe.

“Well, I gave a lot of professionals my ideas.” Hal sighed. “And then I paid them to turn it into a reality. But I suppose the general idea was mine.”

“It’s beautiful,” Jesse said, still looking around.

“Why don’t I take you to your room?” Hal suggested. “Then we can look around a little more.”

Jesse blinked and stifled the pang of disappointment knowing that Hal was putting her in a separate room. A part of her had truly thought they would be spending their time there sleeping in the same bed. Still, she wasn’t going to let something as simple as that mess up the rest of her holiday with Hal.

Hal led her into the room, and Jesse took in a small breath. There was a large window fixed into one of the walls that looked out into the forest. She was struck by the beauty of the sunbeams filtering through the trees to land on the floor of the forest, so much so that she almost completely overlooked the furnishings of the room.

The bed was simple, with a minimalist frame and a queen-sized mattress. There was a set of drawers set out across from the bed and a nightstand complete with an alarm clock and a lamp.

Jesse set her things down on top of the dresser and smiled over at Hal.

“Oh, and there’s a full bathroom right in there,” Hal explained, pointing to one of the two doors in the room. “And there is the closet, in case you want to use it.”

Jesse nodded, taking in the information.

“I’ll just leave you for a while to unpack, and then we can decide what to do,” Hal suggested.

“Sounds great,” Jesse gave him a small smile, which Hal returned as he backed out of the room.

Jesse waited and made sure he was completely gone before she released a faint sigh. She silently sauntered over to the dresser and began to unpack all of her things and put them in the dresser in the room. Her eyes kept wandering over to the window, and she smiled as she saw a small bird alight on the window sill.

Jesse finished putting away her clothes and walked into the bathroom. She was grateful that she had brought all of her products from home and brushed on a layer of makeup and generally freshened up before she went back out to meet with Hal.

As Jesse applied a fresh layer of her deodorant, she decided that she ought to change into an outfit more suitable for the great outdoors. She had no idea what sort of things they might end up doing, but she wanted to be prepared.

Of course, she had no real, intentional hiking gear but had brought some things she had gathered over the years that she used for exercise, and they would have to suffice. She was sure that Hal would offer to buy her more appropriate clothes, but it would just make her uncomfortable to be wearing brand new clothes only to get them dirty by hiking in the woods.

Jesse appraised herself in the mirror, and she felt a flutter go through her stomach just from the thought of going back out and seeing him again. She felt slightly self-conscious as she took in her appearance but forced herself to remain calm. Hal had never been shallow before, and she doubted he would judge her for her appearance now.

Jesse sighed as she looked herself over in her mirror, getting ready to go back out and find Hal somewhere within the near-magical cabin.

Chapter 56

Hal

Hal waited in the living room for Jesse to come out of the guest bedroom. He had experienced mixed feelings about putting her in the guest room but ultimately decided that he didn’t want her to feel anxious or pressured into staying in the same room with him. Maybe their rooming situation would develop into something more later, but for now, he would be content with the way they were.

Hal heard Jesse coming down the hallway, and he immediately rose from his seat on the couch in the living room. His easily excited cock twitched a little as he saw Jesse approach in a tight fitting athletic shirt and a pair of tight yoga pants.

He took a deep breath through his nose to collect himself and calm his hardening cock.

“You look ready for a great adventure,” Hal appraised her, his eyes flitting up and down her body once again. He was rewarded by her blush.

“So do you,” Jesse noted, and he was sure that her eyes lingered at his crotch. He vaguely hoped his arousal wasn’t evident.

Hal had changed into a pair of hiking boots, some durable shorts, and a breathable button-up shirt. He had counted on them going hiking and was glad that Jesse had been thinking along the same vein.

“Well,” Hal clapped his hands together, “we may as well head out while there’s still daylight. Maybe we could go down to the river?”

“Sounds great!” Jesse said excitedly, and Hal smiled.

He held out his hand to her, and she took it, and he led her through the cabin to the door that led outside. Jesse took a sharp breath as she saw the pool and Jacuzzi that were protected by an awning not far from the door. Hal loved that particular feature of the cabin.

“It’s salt water,” he explained to her. “So it’s a lot healthier for your skin.”

“Wow,” Jesse said, nearly breathless.

“Maybe we can hop in after we get back,” Hal suggested with a smile.

“I’d like that,” Jesse replied with a smile of her own.

With that said, Hal led her further away from the house and toward a narrow trail that would eventually take them out to the river.

“So,” Hal spoke up, “do you go adventuring a lot on your own?”

“Not really,” Jesse answered, laughing. “Usually, the closest I get to the great outdoors is a rooftop garden.”

Hal couldn’t help laughing.

“Same here,” he said softly. “I spent so much time in the city all my life. The first time I actually saw anything like this was when I was shooting for a film in New Zealand. I just fell in love with being outside all the time, and I decided that I needed a place like this where I could get away if I wanted to.”

“Have you used it as much as you wanted to?” Jesse asked, looking up at him with innocently curious eyes.

“No,” Hal answered, shaking his head with a sigh. “Most of the time, I stay holed up in the city. It’s my own fault, really. I let myself get involved with this event and that dinner. And I mean I guess I was really focused on my film for a while.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re a pretty busy man,” Jesse laughed, and Hal frowned to himself, brooding a little.

For a while, he was silent, and Jesse turned to look up at him.

“Hey,” she said and took his hand up in hers. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Hal nodded, shaking his head a little. “Just thinking a few things over, you know.”

“Oh, yeah?” Jesse raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Hal shrugged. “Just … my life. I mean, honestly, I have everything I ever wanted, everything I ever dreamed. It just … you know, when I think about it, I thought I would end up happier.”

Jesse was quiet and seemed to be thinking. Hal felt her gently rub her fingertips along the back of his hand.

“Well,” she finally spoke up with a sigh, “maybe you just want something now that you just never thought of before.”

Hal blinked at Jesse’s words, and they struck a chord in him.

“I think …” Hal stopped walking and stepped in front of Jesse to look her in the face. “You may very well be right about that.”

Hal smiled slowly as Jesse blinked up at him and blushed.

“But …” he went on, lifting his hands to place them gently on her upper arms. “I’m starting to think of something … someone … I really want …”

Hal heard Jesse take in a sharp breath, and her eyelashes fluttered as she took in his words. He felt his heart surge with warmth as she looked up at him. For the first time since he was a much younger man, he really thought he had a chance at true happiness. A chance he thought he had long since forfeited.

Now, though, he knew that his hope for a life filled with love had been revived. And he knew that Jesse was his chance at a life that he thought he would never have, a life full of happiness and love.

For now, though, he knew he had to reign himself in. Even for him, this was all unfolding very quickly, and the last thing he wanted to do was frighten Jesse away before they had a chance to grow into their own relationship together.

“All I want right now, though,” Hal spoke softly, “is to spend time here with you. Still want to see the river?”

Jesse seemed to take in his words slowly, and she blinked before nodding and smiling.

“Definitely,” she said, and Hal took her hand and led her further along the trail to where he knew they would soon meet the river.

Hal had to admit that he hadn’t felt so peaceful in a very long time.

Chapter 57

Jesse

Jesse felt more free and happy than she had in a long time. For years, she had felt oppressed by her own ambitions. She had been either searching for jobs, near to starvation on the streets or working for an employer who took advantage of her and didn’t allow her to stretch her wings.

Even recently, she was worried that she would never find a job as stable as the one she had just left at The Edge.

For now, though, she felt liberated of all her worries as she stood knee deep in a river with the man she was slowly falling in love with. Yes, she was definitely falling deeply in love with Hal Roberts.

She had been reluctant to admit that to herself for quite some time, in spite of what her heart was telling her. For so much of her young adult life, she had been fearful of not being good enough, and that was still the case.

In spite of everything that Hal said to her and did for her, she was still fighting her fears of being dismissed. She knew that if she really invested herself in her relationship with Hal, and he merely tossed her aside in the end, she would be absolutely broken-hearted.

The more time she spent with him, the more she was willing to let herself believe that she was worthy of something more than she ever thought. Little by little, she was starting to believe him when he said she was beautiful. She had even quit her job simply based on his opinion that she was worth more than what Elaine was allowing her to be.

So, she really felt that it was about time that she stopped letting her brain rule over the rest of her entire being, and for once let herself experience love at its fullest.

Jesse knew that to do this, she had to tell him.

The problem with that was that she didn’t really know how.

As they played around in the river, occasionally splashing each other and laughing as a soft breeze whirled around them, Jesse couldn’t help taking in just how incredibly handsome Hal looked. His shorts were nearly completely soaked from the water of the river lapping at his knees. His hair was not slicked back in its usual well-groomed look and seemed to be getting a little long, as it often fell into his face, leading him to toss his head like a horse to get it out of his face.

Jesse’s eyes seemed to be permanently affixed to him, and more often than not, he seemed to be looking at her as well. Sometimes, the mood seemed to shift from one of playfulness to something darker and needier.

Whenever the mood shifted that way, Jesse could feel heat brewing deep in her stomach. She could feel her heart pound a little faster, and her blood run a little thicker in her veins. She could not dispute the effect he had on her, and it seemed that he was aware of it as well.

Jesse felt completely exposed to him and a part of her delighted in it.

Jesse had no idea how much time had passed before Hal finally stood close to her and wrapped his arm about her waist, pulling her close to his side.

“It’s going to get dark soon,” he said softly. “Want to head back to the cabin?”

“Okay,” Jesse answered, looking up at him with a smile. Hal smiled softly back at her and offered his hand, which she gladly took.

Jesse allowed Hal to help her up out of the river, making sure she did not slip on the wet rocks that lined the bank. They both sat down on the dry dirt of the bank where they had left their shoes. They were quiet as they put their shoes and socks back on, and then they returned to the narrow trail that would lead them to the cabin.

It was not long before the trees began to subside and the beautiful cabin was revealed to them. True to Hal’s word, the sun had sunk low on the horizon and a set of automatic lights came on just as they began to approach the cabin, including the set of lights set into the awning over the pool.

Jesse thoughtlessly headed for the door of the cabin, but she was diverted from her path when she felt Hal take a grip on her hips and pull her back against his chest. She released a soft gasp at the hard planes of his body pressed against her, and she felt a sudden and acute pang of desire shoot through her body.

“Would you care for a swim?” Hal asked her softly, his breath tickling against the shell of her ear.

“I- I …” Jesse stammered as she searched for an appropriate response. “I didn’t wear a bathing suit under this.”

From behind her, Hal released a soft laugh.

“Neither did I,” he all but purred into her ear.

Jesse swallowed drily at the implication of his words, and she turned to face Hal as he slowly stepped back from her.

Jesse could only watch in awe as Hal began to slowly strip in front of her. She felt her breath catch as he took a grip on the hemline of his shirt. She bit her lip subconsciously as he revealed his muscular torso, then carelessly tossed his shirt onto a chair by the side of the pool.

As Hal proceeded to kick off his shoes and socks, Jesse could already feel her body responding to him as she saw him partially undressed for the first time. Well, for the first time in person, anyway. She had seen him shirtless in movies before and on a few magazines. In person, however, in spite of their past intimate encounters, she had never seen him in a state of undress.

Now, though, he seemed to be intent on changing that, and Jesse felt her heart quickening as Hal’s hands moved to the belt on his pants. When he pushed them down over his hips, allowing them to fall down to gather at his ankles, Jesse once again failed to withhold a soft gasp. Hal stood entirely naked in front of her.

Jesse felt her core begin to weep as she took in the incredible sight of his nudity. His chest was toned, a light dusting of auburn hair decorated his chest, and a trail of hair led down the middle of his defined abs, and led to a triangle of curly hairs just above his already half hard cock.

Jesse did not have long to look, though, before Hal gave her a smirk and then turned to jump into the pool.

Jesse watched, holding her breath, as he seemed to linger at the bottom of the pool for a long moment, and then shot up toward the surface. He tossed his hair out of his face as he broke the surface of the water and looked over at her and gave her a smile, his eyes glistening darkly as he watched her.

“Whenever you’re ready,” he called from the pool as he treaded water to keep himself from sinking.

Jesse shook her head to focus and gather the necessary boldness to trip as he had. Ultimately, Jesse decided that she had little choice and that it was truly what she wanted to do.

So, she took her time peeling off one item of clothing after the next, slowly but surely baring her skin. She could feel Hal’s eyes on her the entire time, and when she was finally naked, she could tell that she was sporting the blush that was quickly becoming her trademark, as well as a healthy layer of goosebumps.

She finally lifted up her head to look at Hal and saw that he had moved to the edge of the pool, his arms crossed and resting on the edge as his eyes devoured her hungrily. She could see that his pupils had dilated, and his mouth was parted slightly.

Jesse released a shaking breath, and she knew she could wait no longer. She took off in a run and effortlessly leaped over Hal and splashed into the middle of the pool.

Jesse easily took in the shock of the cool water. She appreciated the clarity that it offered her and the sharp contrast from the heat that was coursing through her veins. She lingered in the water for as long as possible before her lungs finally demanded air.

With that, she kicked off the bottom, rocketed toward the surface and gulped in a breath of air as soon as her head popped out of the water. Jesse smoothed her hair back and opened her eyes.

Only to see Hal floating less than a foot away from her. Jesse felt him take hold of her hips, and she let out a soft moan at the ravenous look in his twinkling green eyes.

Chapter 58

Hal

Hal could barely keep his wits about him as he watched Jesse strip at the side of the pool. The water had helped to soothe his persistent erection, but even that was not enough as he watched her slowly bare herself to him.

He had waited for her to get in the water, which was more than enough patience after a whole day of needing her. Now, he simply could not keep his hands off of her.

Hal relished her tiny moan as he pulled her close and dragged her toward the shallower water, where he could find purchase with his feet on the bottom of the pool, but she would not have the luxury. She would have to rely on him to stay afloat, just as he wanted it to be.

Jesse was currently keeping a tight grip on his shoulders so that she did not sink beneath the surface. Hal, meanwhile, kept a tight grip on her hips. He could slowly see her expression turning from one of anxiety and fear to one of wanting. He suspected that she was feeling every bit as aroused as he was.

Hal, however, was not a man to act solely on suspicion, and he intended to make sure that she was practically begging for him before he actually made any sexual advances.

So, he gave her a smile and pulled her in close to his body. He clenched his teeth at the sensation as his hardness rubbed against the softness of her thigh. It was more than worth the tempting rush of pleasure to see the way her face contorted at her own sensation.

Jesse squirmed a little in his grasp, and Hal had to work a little harder to keep her above water. He chuckled as she wriggled, and her only response was soft panting as she looked up at him with desperate longing.

“Come here,” Hal said softly.

Hal pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pushed one of his knees between her thighs and raised it, hiking her up, and causing her to yelp in a mixture of surprise and pleasure as his leg raked against her sex.

“Hal …” Jesse whimpered as she buried her face in the nook of his neck.

“Shh, you’re alright,” Hal whispered softly, allowing one of his hands to trail up her back to caress her neck, gently taking hold of the hair at the base of her neck and tilting her head back so she would look at him. Hal felt another hot flare of desire at her clouded eyes.

Without any further delay, Hal covered her lips in a hot kiss, and he tightened his grip on her neck and hips. He was taken a little off guard by the fervor with which Jesse responded to him. She kissed him back with vigor, and he could feel her begin to arch her hips and grind herself down against his thigh.

Moreover, he could feel her hand trailing down his chest and over his abs, finally trailing her fingernails through his pubic hair and then trailing the pads of her fingers gently over his raging cock. He could feel the hesitation in her touch, but the pleasure from the simple contact was still very real and intense. As Jesse wrapped her fingers around his cock and gave him a gentle, smooth stroke, his knees nearly buckled.

Hal released a moan, and his eyes fluttered closed. He couldn’t help bucking his hips a little into her touch as she began to linger at his tip, her finger gently tracing around his slit and tickling at his frenulum. She made a ring with her fingers and began to gently twist around the ridge of his tip, and he hissed.

“I- is that good?” Hal heard Jesse’s breathless and nervous voice. He opened his eyes to see her searching his face for a reaction as she kept up with her gentle and tentative ministrations.

Hal laughed breathlessly and leaned forward to kiss her softly.

“That,” Hal said slowly, hearing the raggedness of his own voice, “is so much more than good.”

Hal saw a flash of light in Jesse’s eyes, and his words must have given her confidence, for she tightened her grip and set up a quick, demanding rhythm. Hal held his breath and put all his concentration into not losing his cool. He had waited this long, and he didn’t want to shoot off in the pool.

“Slow down, please,” Hal urged her through clenched teeth, and he heard Jesse’s breath hitch, likely at the sound of his voice.

Jesse did mercifully slow her attentions, loosening her grip and slowing her motions. Hal took a deep breath and was finally able to think for himself. She had teased him, and now it was her turn.

Hal dragged his hand down her back and moved both of his hands to cup her shapely ass. He heard Jesse whimper slightly as he massaged the flesh there, and he felt her nails dig into his shoulders as she shuddered. Hal did not stop there, though. He hoisted Jesse up and allowed one of his hands to dip between her legs and toy at her sex.

It was not long at all before Jesse was practically melting into her touch. He became more persistent, and Jesse began to pant softly, once again burying her face into his neck and releasing soft whimpers. Hal was relieved, as her reactions were helping to distract him from his own pleasure.

“Please …” Jesse finally whimpered, “Please, Hal—I want you …”

Hal heard the words amid a string of nonsensical pleas as Jesse continued to arch her back and grind her sex into his hand and thigh. Hal was grateful she had succumbed as soon as she had because he was as close to the edge as he wanted to be.

It was time to go inside and give them both the satisfaction that they needed.

Chapter 59

Jesse

Jesse’s stomach lurched as Hal suddenly swung her up and cradled her in his arms as he resolutely marched into the shallow end of the pool. He easily ascended the staircase, and in no time, they were headed to the door of the cabin.

Jesse was suddenly struck with a thought, and she looked up at Hal worriedly.

“Hal, we’re dripping wet,” she protested softly, though her voice still shook with the force of her desire.

“And?” he asked, not even looking down at her as he pressed on toward the door and used one of his hands to open it.

Jesse watched with a strange mix of horror and excitement as Hal marched them both through the house. She was vaguely petrified that he would allow them to get everything dripping wet.

He carried her through the hallway of the cabin and nudged open the door of what she assumed was his room. She thought he was going to toss her onto the bed soaking wet, but she was relieved when he brought her into his bathroom, set her on the edge of the sink, and then reached for a towel.

Jesse gasped as Hal immediately began to run the towel over her, soaking up the droplets of water that coated her skin. She whimpered as he lingered at her breasts and then lowered the towel to gently trace over her sex. Jesse noted wryly that not all of the moisture he was gathering there was from the pool …

When her body was dry for the most part, he refocused his attention on her hair and gently roughed it up until it was relatively dry. He then ran his hands gently through it to work out the tangles.

Jesse watched as Hal hastily ran the towel over his own skin, and she started slightly as he braced his arms on either side of her on the edge of the sink, his face hovering within inches of her own. Jesse’s breath quickened, and she was acutely aware of the throbbing between her legs.

Jesse couldn’t bear the minute separation any longer, and she leaned forward to press her lips against his.

Hal responded immediately and took her legs under the knees and wrapped them around his waist, his hands supporting her under her rear. Their lips devoured one another’s, and Hal moved them back into the bedroom.

Jesse lost a little of her breath as Hal let her fall back onto the bed and immediately moved to hover over her.

Jesse’s stomach clenched at the flashing lust in his eyes, and she immediately bit her lip and placed her hands along his ribs, slightly digging her nails in. She heard Hal growl low in his throat, and she softly yelped as he ran the tip of his cock along her thigh.

Hal chuckled, then, and he moved her easily so that she was laid out in the middle of the bed. He then crouched low on the bed and spread her legs with his hands at her knees. Jesse watched as Hal looked at her exposed sex, and she blushed as he licked his lips.

Jesse, suddenly overcome by self-consciousness, slowly tried to put her legs back together, but Hal was having none of it. He tightly gripped each of her thighs in his hands, and once again wrenched them apart, locking his eyes onto Jesse’s as he did so.

“No,” he whispered to her, his voice low and somewhat predatory. Jesse could only let out a shuddering breath and watch, her fingers digging into the bed beneath her as she realized that Hal was in complete control, as usual.

Jesse shivered at the sensation of Hal’s hands running gently up her thighs and his thumbs stroking long the outside of her sex. He withdrew one hand but whimpered as it was suddenly relocated at her mound, his thumb pulling back the hood of her clitoris.

Jesse was already breathless with anticipation, knowing very well what part of her anatomy was going to be next to receive attention. Even that knowledge, though, was not enough to prepare her for the rush of sensation she felt as the hot wetness of his tongue brushed against her swollen clit.

Jesse squirmed and moaned as he licked at her slowly, and then quickly, alternating mercilessly back and forth. Jesse could feel wetness pouring from her to soak the bed beneath them. His ministrations were slowly driving her insane, and he finally lifted her hands from where they were tangled in the sheets to bury them in his hair and try to pull his head back from her over-sensitized clit.

“Please stop…” Jesse urged him breathlessly, squirming beneath him to try and divert him from her throbbing nub. “It’s too much, I can’t—I can’t …”

Jesse trailed off breathlessly as instead of pulling back as she wished he would, Hal merely redoubled his efforts. She cried out as his teeth suddenly grazed against her clit, and she drew up her knees in another effort to escape. Hal used one of his hands to secure her hips and keep her still, ensuring that she was completely at his mercy for as long as he liked.

For her part, Jesse could only squirm and sob as she was racked with wave after wave of pleasure that brought her ever closer and closer to her end. When Hal began to suck on her clit, she gasped loudly and knew that her orgasm was imminent.

“Hal!” Jesse let out in a high pitched cry. “I’m going to come!”

Hal only responded with a low hum as he continued to torment her with his mouth. It wasn’t long until Jesse finally felt contractions racking her inner muscles, and she gasped, gripping Hal’s hair tightly as her body bucked with the force of her orgasm.

Hal eased up, allowing her hood to cover her sensitivity and gently running his tongue along her bud as she went through the overwhelming pleasure of her orgasm. Just when she thought she had finally recovered, though, Hal seemed intent on revving her up again, and she felt his thumb gently massaging her inner walls and slightly stretching her open.

Jesse felt her insides clench at the idea of receiving yet more pleasure, but she knew she couldn’t let him go on. She had felt the heat of his erection, and his undeniable hardness against her thigh and she knew that it was high time he got some of the attention that he deserved.

So, Jesse took Hal’s wrists in her hand and began to pull him away. Suddenly, just like the last time she had tried to stop Hal from touching her, he took hold of her wrists and pinned them to either side of her hips. He looked up from between her legs and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Hal, please,” Jesse tried to sound rational and collected when in truth she was already aching for more from him. “Let me go, I—I want to …”

Jesse trailed off as Hal began to gently kiss at her folds, sending a wave of pleasure through her body. Jesse knew that if she didn’t stop him, she would end up letting him take her over the edge again, and she would be all but useless when it came to pleasuring him.

“Hal, please listen,” Jesse moaned out and tried to squirm away from him, her voice hitching as his tongue ran along her slit.

“What is it?” Hal asked, his voice low and dark. “Are you okay?”

Jesse let out an almost hysterical laugh at the question.

“Yes, I- I’m amazing …” Jesse laughed softly. “I just … I want to please you …”

Hal blinked up at her, an expression of surprise on his face.

“Oh,” he said, his tone matching the look on his face.

“If you would let go of my wrists …” Jesse suggested softly, “maybe that would be a good start.”

Hal nodded and instantly released his hold on her. Jesse then moved her hands to help support herself as she slowly sat up on the bed and watched as Hal sat up too, watching her carefully.

Jesse finally got to a point where she was sitting on the bed, and she then moved to sit up on her knees. She looked over at Hal and gestured to the area of the bed she had just vacated, indicating to him that he should lie down.

Hal kept his eyes locked on her as he followed her instructions, and Jesse felt her stomach flutter. She felt strange being the one in charge for once, and her eyes immediately dipped to take in the state of Hal’s cock. It was long, thick, and hard, so much so that it twitched with every beat of his heart.

Jesse’s stomach clenched, and she couldn’t wait to get started.

Chapter 60

Hal

Hal’s heart pounded furiously in his chest, and his cock felt particularly full as he looked at Jesse hovering above him, her eyes locked on his manhood. He wanted nothing more than to flip her over right there and then and take her fast and hard.

But she wanted the chance to please him, and he was going to let her.

Hal flinched slightly as Jesse’s hand alighted on his thigh and began to move slowly upward. She looked up into his eyes, and he saw fear and hesitation there. He gave her a nod, and she nodded back. He felt her hand move to cup his tight balls, and he released a moan. He saw a flash of heat in her eyes just before his drifted closed.

He felt Jesse’s hand gently massage him before it moved higher still, and he felt her wrap her fingers around the base of his cock. He sighed long as she began to gently pump him up and down. As she umped him, he felt one of her fingers trace up along the underside of his cock, almost tickling as she ran it over his frenulum, and then over his slit, gathering up the slick pre-come that had gathered there and spreading it around his sensitive ridge.

Hal’s back arched up off the bed at the acute pleasure, and he bucked his hips a few times before Jesse placed a hand on his abdomen to still him. He opened his eyes and saw that she was watching him intently, taking in every move that he made.

Hal was working hard to keep from losing it and shooting his load right then and there. He had been ready to go for a long while now, and it would only take one carefully executed stroke to send him over the edge. He longed for his release, but he also relished the pleasure of her soft hands wrapped around his cock. So, he was determined to hang on for as long as possible.

Hal knew that time was going to be cut much shorter when he felt Jesse wrap her lips around his sensitive tip.

Immediately, Hal hissed out and huffed a heavy breath. He buried his hands in the sheets beneath him, and he flexed every muscle in his body as she slowly moved her head lower to take in more of him. When she began to rhythmically bob her head up and down over his length, Hal knew that his time was short.

Jesse, however, seemed intent on pleasing him for as long as possible as well, so she kept her movements very slow for a good while. Though the sensations were incredible, they were becoming too much to bear. Hal’s balls ached from the unrelieved pressure, and he was pumping his hips and biting his lip to keep from whimpering pathetically.

“Jess …” Hal finally panted out loud. He couldn’t form any more words, but he dearly hoped that his message was received with his desperate plea.

He soon found out that she understood perfectly.

Jesse tightened her grip around the base of his cock, and she began to pump him there in small motions as her head moved up and down his shaft, making sure to move past his sensitive ridge with each pass. Hal groaned as he felt his muscles begin to tighten and a series of tingles begin in his extremities and move to his core as his orgasm approached.

Finally, it came, just as Jesse took him fully into her mouth. As gently as possible, Hal placed his hand on the back of her head and held her there as he shot himself into her mouth. He felt a rush of guilt, not knowing if she had intended to swallow, and immediately drew back his hand.

Jesse, though, stayed, and she sucked at him lightly, assuring that not a drop of his semen was spilled. Her lips were like a vacuum seal as she lifted her head off of him, and Hal’s hips bucked up off the bed at the intensity of the sensation.

Jesse moved up along his body, and Hal panted as she laid down beside him. He rolled onto his side and pressed a kiss to her lips. She hesitated but then kissed him back. As they kissed, Hal ran his hands down her body, relishing the feel of her soft skin as his hands came to rest, one at her breast, and one kneading the flesh of her behind.

Hal felt her shiver and press harder into his body, and even though he had only recently found his release, his cock was already twitching back to life. Hal ran his hand down Jesse’s body and slipped it between her legs. He traced his fingertips through her soft wetness and was rewarded with a shudder and a soft whimper.

“You’re still hungry …” Hal stated, whispering the words into her ear in a way that left no room for her to deny it.

Jesse did not respond with words. Instead, she ducked her head and bit her lip, that enticing blush spreading across her skin and sending another jolt of pleasure directly to Hal’s cock.

“Don’t worry, Jess …” Hal murmured, causing her to arch her back as he swirled a finger over her clit. “I’ll take care of you.”

With that, Hal suddenly flipped Jesse onto her stomach and situated himself so that he was on top of her. He rested his cock in the cleft of her ass, and he heard her release a long, high moan as he began to gently flex his hips, running his hardening masculinity against her soft behind. He felt her squirm beneath him, and he moved his hands to tightly grip her wrists and keep them pinned down on either side of her head.

Hal knew that now he was free to show her just how much she affected him and return the favor in full.

Chapter 61

Jesse

Jesse felt intoxicated by just how helpless she really was. Her wrists were pinned down on either side of her face, and Hal was pressing her down from behind, keeping her from moving an inch. She could feel the heat of his cock burning into her backside, and his gentle thrusts were driving her completely mad.

Nothing had even really happened yet, and she was already a whimpering mess beneath him.

A part of Jesse felt incredibly greedy. She had already received pleasure from him, and here he was getting ready to give her even more. He seemed to be as addicted to pleasing her as she was addicted to letting him. She couldn’t help pressing herself back against him, creating more friction against her body.

Soon, though, Jesse became distracted from his hardness against her behind by the sensation of his lips and teeth dragging across the back of her neck and then traveling even lower down her spine. Jesse gasped and squirmed in response to his licking and biting, but he had absolutely nowhere to go. She panted and pleaded softly, once again mindless in the wake of the pleasure he was bringing her.

Hal worked his way down, then back up her spine, and then all the way up her neck, bringing his lips to her ear, and then his teeth. Jesse could feel tears flowing down her face from the pleasure and slight pain of the touches. More than that, though, her core was aching to be touched, and she could only rub her legs together in a weak attempt to relieve the pressure there.

“You have no idea what you do to me …” Hal whispered intensely into her ear, and Jesse released a soft sob of a laugh.

“Yes I do …” she protested and arched her hips so that she created friction against his cock. Hal hissed in response, and Jesse whimpered as his grip tightened over her wrists.

“Is that so?” Hal asked, and Jesse felt a rush of wetness at the darkness she heard in his voice.

Jesse whimpered yet again as Hal repositioned his cock so that it was no longer resting in the cleft of her ass, but so that the tip was teasing at her entrance, trailing up and down, moving easily against her wetness.

The sensation quickly drove Jesse to a new level of frustration, and she desperately wriggled and squirmed to try and free herself of Hal’s grip so that she could move backward and impale herself on the length of Hal’s thick cock.

“Hal please …” Jesse groaned through her teeth, frustrated and yet completely turned on by the power he was exerting over her.

“Please what?” he pressed, and Jesse fairly growled at him.

“You know what,” Jesse snapped breathlessly. “You know exactly what I want. Please, please stop teasing me.”

Jesse said the word through clenched teeth, and she hoped Hal would give in, but he did not. Instead, she felt him flip her gently over. Confused, she looked up into his eyes and was surprised to see hesitation there instead of the lust she had been expecting.

“What is it?” she asked, immediately concerned. “What’s wrong?”

Hal looked down at her for a moment before he spoke.

“Jess,” he said, his voice sounding strained. “I want this. I really do. But I need to know … is this what you want? I mean like, in the long term. I know that right now we’re both ready to go, and we both want to do it, but … I don’t want this to just be a quick fling. I mean … this is our first time. And it means something to me and … I want it to mean something to you too.”

Jesse gaped up at him, shocked by the depth and sincerity in his words. His green eyes were locked onto her, and she could see how much it had taken for him to say that to her. It seemed as though he had more to say, for he opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it.

Seconds passed, and Jesse shook her head to focus her thoughts, knowing that Hal was waiting for her response.

“Hal I …” Jesse said, still searching for the right words. “This … this means something to me too. Here with you … or anywhere with you, you make me feel so incredible … and especially now. Hal, I want you, and I want you now. I want this to be our first time.”

Hal’s eyes darkened again as he looked down at her, and Jesse felt him move his hand up her side to gently caress her, sending shivers up and down her spine.

“Do you mean that?” Hal asked, his voice rugged.

Jesse could still feel his tip teasing at her entrance, but she forced herself to focus as she nodded, lifting up her hand to caress his face.

“Yes,” Jesse said solemnly. “Hal, I need you. Please, take me …”

“Just one more thing …” Hal still hesitated, and his eyes searched her face. “If we do this … do we … do we need to use a condom? I don’t have anything, I just … I’m not quite ready to start a family …”

Jesse blinked, and she nearly laughed until she realized that he was serious.

“I’m on the pill,” Jesse assured him.

Hal blinked for a moment, and she could have sworn there was relief in his face.

“Good, good,” Hal nodded. “That’s good.”

“Hal,” Jesse’s tone changed, and she was reminded of the throbbing need between her legs. “I’m aching … please …”

Hal looked down at her, and his eyes once again flashed with heat. Hal braced one of his hands at the side of her head and with the other he gripped her hip as she raised it up, giving him easier access. Hal locked his eyes on her, and they were both lost in that second.

Then, Hal flexed his hips and pressed into her, and Jesse drew in a sharp gasp at the mixed pain and pleasure that accosted her.

“Oh, God!” Hal groaned out as he completely sheathed himself within her, and she could feel all the muscles in his body tighten and shake as he fought for control.

Jesse, too, was fighting to keep herself composed. She tried to afford Hal the time he was obviously taking to make sure she could get used to him, but all she wanted was for him to move inside of her. She bit her lip and arched her hips, trying to create at least an imitation of the friction she was craving.

“Jess!” Hal growled out at her, and tightened his grip on her hips, causing her to yelp and crave him even more.

“Hal, please, please go on,” Jesse couldn’t keep quiet and wait any longer. “I need this, I need you, I need you now. I can’t wait anymore, please, please fuck me …”

Hal’s eyes darkened even further, and Jesse felt him seize her neck and pull her face up so that he could cover her mouth in a kiss. At the same time, she let out a soft moan as she felt him begin to slowly press in and out of her.

Hal pulled his head back to release a long groan, and he once again braced his arm beside her. Beneath him, Jesse panted and squirmed. He was finally moving, but at a torturously slow pace. She felt tears trickling down the sides of her face, and once again she realized she would have to beg him for what she needed.

“Hal …” Jesse pleaded breathlessly. “Please … faster …”

Hal released a low growl, but he seemed happy to oblige. Jesse gasped as he started to pound inside of her, and she whimpered as he gripped her hips and hoisted her up to a better angle as he thrust into her from on his knees.

Jesse could feel an orgasm rising up within her again. She gripped tightly onto Hal’s wrists and relished the tingling sensation that traveled up the insides of her thighs, heralding her orgasm. Her inner muscles soon began to twitch, and it was mere seconds before Jesse was gasping and jerking beneath him as she was racked by her second, powerful orgasm of the night.

Hal, however, was not quite finished. Jesse’s inner muscles milked him as he continued to pump into her until at last, he, too, met his end, sending his hot seed shooting into her. Jesse shuddered at the intimacy of the sensation, and she enjoyed each gentle pulse of Hal’s cock as he softened within her.

Hal gently lowered himself down to hover over her, and he placed a soft kiss to her lips, which she easily returned, burying her hands in his dark hair.

When they had both settled a little bit more, Hal pulled out of her, and Jesse winced at the slight sting. Hal laid down beside her, and she turned into his side, allowing him to wrap his arm around her and pull her close.

For a while, they laid there, and Jesse basked in the warmth of his body.

Chapter 62

Jesse

After laying with Hal for a long while, recovering from their intimacy together, she rose up, excusing herself to the restroom, where she cleaned herself up. She ran a comb through her hair so it wouldn’t get even more tangled than it already was.

Satisfied with her hair, she looked over her body in the mirror, shocked to see red marks where Hal had gripped her. In the heat of the moment, they hadn’t felt painful, and now they served as active reminders of their fervor. More than any other emotions she had felt, she was proud to have acquired them, and she was somewhat sad that they would eventually fade.

Jesse looked herself over again before she ran some water and rinsed her face. She dried herself off and then left the restroom to return to bed with Hal. She laid out beside him and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Thank you,” Jesse said, a soft smile on her face.

“Thank you,” Hal returned, turning onto his side and leaning on his elbow so he could face her.

A long moment passed between them, and Hal seemed to look Jesse over worshipfully. She couldn’t help feeling a little exposed and embarrassed.

“Jess …” Hal finally broke the silence, and Jesse waited patiently for him to continue. “There’s something we need to talk about.”

Jesse’s smile faded off of her face, and she felt a twist of anxiety in her stomach.

“It’s about us,” he said, and Jesse stayed silent so that she could listen better.

“I know that you want to take things slow,” Hal prefaced, “but being with you this past couple of days and having you here … I realized that the connection we share isn’t just a passing fling. I want to grow with you and be the kind of man that you deserve. I don’t want you to ever have to worry about finding a man who can take care of you because I know that I can be that man.”

Jesse gaped at his words. She had intended to address this issue as well, but she had worried that she would never know just what to say. She was grateful that Hal had been the one to make the move, but now she found herself in a new position unable to respond to the tender words he was speaking.

“Jess,” Hal went on softly, reaching to take up her hand. “I don’t want to waste any more of my time. For the first time in years, I feel really connected to the things going on around me, and I know it’s because of you. I already told you I had already gotten everything I ever wanted, but that was before I realized I wanted you.”

Jess felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes.

“I understand if you need more time to think it over,” Hal said, his voice softer. “But I just want you to know that whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here. I’ll wait as long as it takes. I want you, and I want to start a relationship with you.”

Tears finally trickled down Jesse’s cheeks, and she sniffled as Hal brushed them away with his thumbs.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he shushed her gently. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you …”

Jesse shook her head and took his hand so she could press a soft kiss to his palm.

“No, no,” she spoke up, laughing through her tears. “I’m not upset … I’m … happy …”

Hal’s expression perked up, and she could feel the excitement rolling off of him in waves.

“Hal …” she started, taking a breath to steady herself before she went on. “I want everything you just said. For so much of my life, I’ve been scared. Scared of finding a good job, scared of ending up homeless, scared of never making a name for myself. But since I met you, for the first time … I feel safe. I know that you’re a good man, and for some reason, I believe you when you say things to me. I … I want to be with you, too.”

Hal blinked for a moment before a broad smile stretched across his face, and he gathered her up in a tight embrace, peppering kisses all along her face and shoulders.

Jesse laughed, and she tightly gripped Hal in response. Neither of them seemed to have the words to express what they were both feeling, but Jesse truly believed they weren’t necessary. As long as they were both there in that moment, holding onto one another, there was nothing else that needed to be said.

That was until Hal leaned back and looked deep into her eyes.

“Jesse Clarke,” he said worshipfully. “I love you.”

Jesse was shocked by his admission, and once again her eyes flooded with tears.

“Hal …” she breathed out in a barely audible whisper. “I love you too.”

Again, Hal beamed and gathered her close. He whispered the words to her over and over again as he gently rocked her in his arms. Jesse, for her part, gently stroked the hair on his head.

She felt whole and complete with him like this. She didn’t know what she was going to do about her job or if she would ever turn into the journalist she had always hoped she would be.

She did know, however, that as long as she was with Hal, that he would take care of her, and she would always be safe and loved. She knew that she would be with a man that cherished and valued her for who she was and would never ask her to be anything else.

And to Jesse, that was the only thing that really mattered to her anymore.

Chapter 63

Jesse

Jesse woke the next morning to the feeling of Hal gently rocking his erection into her backside and the soft sensation of his lips brushing against her neck. She let out a soft sigh and immediately began to respond, arching her back so that her ass was pressed even further back into his hardness. She heard Hal let out a soft chuckle.

“Good morning,” he said, his voice already low and dark.

“Good morning,” Jesse managed to squeak out. She gasped as his cock slipped between her legs and began to rub smoothly against her folds, which were apparently already well lubricated enough to allow him to do so.

Jesse began to squirm, the teasing motion already starting up a fire in her core, and Hal’s arms snaked around her waist, holding her tight to his body. One of his hands moved to her breast, and he began to tweak and tease at her nipple.

Jesse’s mind was swirling already, and she moved her hands behind herself to tightly grip at Hal’s hair. In response, he bit down on the juncture of her neck and shoulder, and she let out a soft cry of mixed pain and pleasure.

Jesse heard Hal grunt, and in an instant, he flipped her over onto her stomach, pinning her down on the bed beneath him. His hardness was still lodged securely between her legs, pressed against her sex, but not entering, effectively driving Jesse mad with her need.

Hal’s hands began to travel up and down her sides and delicious shivers rolled down Jesse’s body. She panted lightly and propped herself up on her elbows, allowing Hal’s hands to slide beneath her and his fingernails to drag over her breasts.

Hal flicked at her nipples and then took her breasts in hand and began to roughly massage them. Jesse panted darkly at the heat that spread through her body in response to his painful touch.

“You alright?” she heard Hal’s voice in her ear and then felt his teeth take hold of the shell of her ear, lightly tugging at it.

“Yes,” Jesse whimpered out, arching her back and once again pressing her backside up into his abdomen.

Hal laughed aloud, and his hand buried itself in the hair on the back of her head. Jesse yelped as he jerked back, bowing her back and tilting her head to force her to look over at him. In an instant, their lips were locked together in a kiss, and Jesse bit down on his bottom lip.

Hal chuckled darkly and drew back, releasing her hair. Jesse collapsed onto the bed beneath her, and she felt Hal lean up behind her. She groaned as she felt Hal’s hands begin to roughly knead at her backside, and she subconsciously pumped her hips against him from behind.

Hal kept her still, pressing her ass hard into the bed beneath her and trailing one of his fingers between her cheeks to tease at her pucker. Jesse shuddered, and she felt her stomach clench in apprehension. She began to whimper as he pressed into her there, grateful that he seemed to have lubricated his finger somehow, likely with his spit.

Jesse panted a little at the slight pain of the invasion, and she moaned as he began to slowly pump in and out of her. The sensation was intense, and it brought her little relief from the aching arousal she was experiencing, actually compounding it.

“Hal …” Jesse moaned out and once again began to squirm beneath him on the bed.

In way of response, Hal shifted his weight so that the head of his cock was lined up with her entrance, and he pressed slowly into her, gradually moving further into her until his length completely filled her. Jesse panted and whimpered at the slight stretch, as she was still more than a little sore from their activities the previous night. Still, the pleasure of the sensation easily outweighed the pain, and Jesse was eager for him to go on.

Fortunately, she did not have to ask him to, as he started up in a moderate rhythm, and Jesse tangled her fingers into the sheets beneath them as he thrust into her. She felt incredibly full as he slid another finger into her ass, and she felt the ring of muscles there pulse a little around him.

Jesse could feel herself drawing closer and closer to orgasm, and the only thing missing to accomplish her completion was contact with her throbbing clit. Jesse shifted and slid her hand beneath her body and managed to slide her fingers against her hot button. She moaned as she circled the center of her desire and felt her end coming closer and closer to being upon her.

Jesse felt her inner muscles begin to twitch and tighten, and she panted yet more, her muscles tightening as finally, her climax washed over her. She moaned as her inner muscles clamped down over Hal’s cock, and he groaned as he continued to thrust into her, going deeper and increasing his pace yet more.

Jesse’s mind was dizzy, and she felt a rush of intense sensation as Hal continued to pound into her just after her orgasm. She squirmed and bucked underneath him, releasing incoherent streams of protestation as her body was overwhelmed with just how sensitive she was. Soon, Jesse was reduced to whimpers, and she feared that Hal was torturing her on purpose.

Fortunately, the overstimulation did not last much longer, as Hal withdrew his fingers from her rosebud to more tightly grip her hips and pound into her with even more fervor. Soon, she felt him tighten up and heard him release a satisfied sigh as he reached his orgasm, bathing her inner walls with his hot seed. He stayed buried inside of her for a long while, and Jesse listened to his ragged breathing coming from behind her as they both came down.

Hal moved to lay down beside Jesse, gently pulling his softening member from within her. He gently ran his fingertips over her back, and she shivered from the gentle touch.

That was certainly one kind of wake up call.

Chapter 64

Hal

Hal smiled as he looked down at Jesse’s flushed face and listened to her labored breathing. He could tell she was not accustomed to such an abrupt awakening.

“You alright?” he murmured into her ear, pressing his lips to her forehead in a kiss.

Jesse let out a soft mewl and snuggled closer to his side. Hal felt his heart melt at the feeling of her warm, naked skin pressed into the side of his body. It had been a long time since he had felt quite this complete.

For a long while, they stayed pressed against one another. Hal gently ran his hand through her hair, which was flowing somewhat messily down over her back. He smiled at the image, safe in the knowledge that her eyes were still closed, and she couldn’t rebuke him for his amusement.

Hal was thankful that this trip was going even better than he had dared to hope. At best, he thought that he and Jesse would get to know each other more. That’s not to say he didn’t harbor physical desires for her, but he hadn’t just brought her out there in the hopes of getting her into his bed.

Hal was thinking all these things when he heard a soft rumble from beside him, and he felt Jesse stiffen where she laid alongside him and saw her eyes suddenly open. Realizing that her stomach had growled, Hal raised his eyebrows and turned to look down at her.

“Hungry?” he asked her, his voice amused. Jesse blushed and hid her face in his chest.

Hal laughed and shifted himself so he could cup her cheek and lift up her face to look at him.

“Let’s go make some breakfast, yeah?” he smiled down at her, and she slowly nodded.

Hal chuckled and kissed her on the forehead before rolling to the side and swinging his legs off the bed.

He moved across the room to his dresser and reached into one of the drawers to take out a pair of black briefs and stepped into them. When he turned back around, he was greeted by the sight of Jesse sitting up in the bed, the comforter wrapped around her shoulders. Hal couldn’t help laughing.

Hal watched as Jesse smiled and blushed, looking up at him somewhat awkwardly. Hal furrowed his brow and tilted his head.

“What’s the matter?” he asked her.

Jesse seemed to hesitate.

“I’m … naked,” she said in a near whisper, as though she was making a confession.

Hal let out a burst of laughter.

“Yes,” he nodded. “You are.”

Jesse blushed.

“My clothes are in the other room …” she said and trailed off. Hal noticed her pull the comforter tighter around her.

“Well,” Hal turned once more and opened one of his drawers, withdrawing one of his white undershirts. “Here, you can wear this.”

Hal tossed her the garment, and Jesse watched as it landed on the bed in front of her.

“Thanks.” She gave Hal a small smile as she reached out and took hold of the shirt, pulling it back into the shelter she had made out of her comforter.

Hal continued to watch her, perplexed, as she still sat there, merely staring back at him.

“Do you mind if I change?” Jesse asked, her voice a little hesitant and color once again rising into her cheeks.

“No,” Hal shrugged, crossing his arms and leaning back against his dresser, a smirk on his face. “I don’t mind at all.”

Jesse blinked at him, and Hal could swear he heard her gasp. He merely smiled at her as she proceeded to allow the comforter to fall back behind her, and she attempted to hide as much of herself as possible with the white shirt.

Hal had no idea why she was suddenly so intent on hiding herself from him. He had already seen and touched her quite intimately, and it seemed a little silly to him that she would be embarrassed.

Still, Hal could not deny that he got a sense of pleasure from unnerving her. In fact, if he thought about it, he had always liked that. From the very beginning, he had enjoyed the way he could unsettle her, at first with the difference in their status, and now just by watching as she changed.

Hal also had to admit, though, that he wasn’t just watching to unnerve her. Hal felt a stirring in his loins as Jesse raised up her arms to slip the shirt over her head, revealing her naked breasts. Even when the shirt was on her, the outline of her form was clearly visible, and Hal found he was not as hungry for breakfast as he was for her.

Hal crossed the space between the dresser and the bed with a couple of strides and delighted in the look of shock in Jesse’s eyes as he was suddenly crouched before her on the bed. Hal advanced still more, and Jesse had little choice but to lean back to avoid a collision, her weight supported by her elbows.

As a result of her position, Jesse’s back was slightly arched, and Hal could see the darker shade of her nipples through the white of the shirt, and he could see the shirt begin to tent as her nipples hardened. Hal looked back up at her face and saw the blush on her cheeks and a soft burning in her eyes.

Hal moved to straddle her thighs, and without hesitation, he slid his hands beneath the shirt along her soft skin. He ran his palms lightly up and down her sides, hearing her gasp as goosebumps broke out along her skin. Hal heard her breathing turn to soft pants.

He moved his hands once again to his hips, and while one remained there, softly gripping, the other traveled lower. Hal heard Jesse release a soft mewl as his fingertips brushed against her already dripping slit, and Hal felt his head spin as desire coursed through him.

Hal teased at her there, lightly running his fingers along her wetness before he withdrew. He leaned over Jesse and looked up into her confused eyes, smiled, and then planted a soft kiss on her lips before withdrawing.

“Breakfast,” he said simply.

With that, he abruptly moved away from her and left for the kitchen, smirking to himself in spite of his now prominent, throbbing erection.

Chapter 65

Jesse

Jesse struggled to even out her breathing and stop her head from spinning. Her core now burned with fervent desire, and it took her a long moment before she could clear her head enough to stand.

She blushed furiously as, upon standing, a trickle of her wetness traveled down her thigh. Though she wanted nothing more than to follow Hal into the kitchen, she felt like a complete mess. So, she made her way into the bathroom.

Jesse took care of her business, using the toilet and then cleaning herself up. After she washed her hands, she splashed some cold water on her face, and then toweled off. When she was done, she found herself looking at her reflection in the mirror. She cringed as she noted that her makeup was painfully absent but decided that she didn’t want to go through the ordeal of putting it all on.

She was just wearing a T-shirt, after all.

Jesse was also quite aware of the slight throbbing between her legs. It came from a mixture of soreness from the previous night and this morning and also from the arousal that Hal had inspired with his touches only a moment ago. Jesse had no idea why her body seemed so keen and eager to respond to him. She vaguely wondered if she even cared.

Finally, she decided that she shouldn’t linger in his bathroom any longer. Her stomach clenched a little with the knowledge that she would likely find him in the kitchen, and she felt another pang of desire as she recalled that he was wearing only his briefs, which clung to all his attributes in a way that was positively irresistible.

Jesse made her way out of the bedroom and down the hall. She was careful to keep her feet from making noise as she silently moved down the hall. The smell of fresh brewing coffee filled her nose as she approached the kitchen.

Just as she had suspected, she caught a glimpse of Hal from behind. Her eyes traveled down the broad expanse of his well-muscled back and rested on his well-toned backside. Jesse could have sworn she felt her mouth water.

Jesse heard a sizzling sound, and the smell of eggs cooking added on to the already prominent smell of coffee. Hal was at the far counter, seeming to be stirring something in a bowl.

Working hard to be perfectly quiet, Jesse tiptoed across the tile floor of the kitchen until she was directly behind Hal. Without a word, she slipped her hands around his hips and gently gripped his member through the front of his boxer shorts, biting her lip as it immediately began to harden.

Hal let out a mix between a groan and a chuckle as Jesse pressed her front into his back, gently kissing along his spine. With one hand, she began to gently massage his erection and slid the other further down to caress his weighty balls. She felt Hal’s hips press forward into her hand.

Jesse momentarily released him, and she grinned a little at the growl of frustration that escaped Hal’s throat. She did not leave him for long, though. She hooked her thumbs into the waistband of his underwear and gently tugged them down. She felt the resistance of his cock as it got monetarily caught in the elastic waistband before finally springing free.

When the briefs finally pooled down at Hal’s ankles, Jesse returned her hand to his weighty cock and balls. Jesse sighed as she felt the softness of his member and his tightening sack in the palms of her hands. She set up a slow, gentle pace, and gathered up the pre-come that leaked out of his slit to keep a light smoothness in her stroke.

Jesse was rewarded for her efforts by the soft pants that she heard escaping Hal’s throat. He had long abandoned stirring whatever mixture was in the bowl, his hands gripping the edge of the counter. Jesse tightened her grip a little and quickened her pace. She opened her mouth and dragged her teeth along Hal’s shoulder blade, drawing a growl from him.

Without warning, Jesse once again abandoned his genitals, and Hal protested with a moan. Feeling bold, Jesse took hold of Hal’s hips and used all her strength to turn him around and press his lower back into the counter. Jesse’s mouth watered as she looked down at Hal’s cock, eagerly waiting for her attention.

Without hesitation, Jesse dropped to her knees. She ran her fingertips along his underside, lightly holding it steady. Slowly, she lowered her head to his tip and gently ran her tongue along his ridge, eventually coming to linger at his frenulum, repeatedly flicking over it.

As she did, she also ran her hand gently along his shaft, gripping just hard enough to gather up his skin. He was so hard that there was hardly any slack between his skin and the hardness beneath. But Jesse persevered and kept a constant stream of sensation along his erection.

With her other hand, she continued to manipulate his scrotum. She alternated between tugging at him and massaging him, rolling his balls around between her fingers and her palms, making sure not to be too rough, lest she hurt him.

Hal seemed to be getting flustered, and he panted roughly, releasing the occasional growl. He gripped the counter behind him tightly, and Jesse guessed he was trying to keep himself from seizing her head and forcing her head down on his cock. As of yet, she had only teased him with her tongue, and she knew that while her hand offered some measure of satisfaction, she knew that he was likely eager for her to take him inside of her mouth.

Jesse waited a little longer. She slowed her strokes and other ministrations, though she tightened her grip to compensate for it. She felt Hal flex his thighs, and she diverted the attention of her tongue from his cock head to gently kiss at the muscle of his thighs. She loved the feel of the hard muscle under her lips, and she couldn’t help herself as she nipped at his skin.

Hal once again released a low growl and pumped his hips to the tempo that she was pumping him with her hand. Jesse released a chuckle of amusement and finally decided to take him into her mouth. Jesse lined up her lips with his cock and gently wrapped her lips around his tip, sucking lightly and flicking her tongue over his slit.

She dipped her head further, took him as far into her mouth as possible and then withdrew. She set about bobbing her head and pumping her hand in opposite directions and then returning them to meeting the middle. She added a twist in her wrist, and she heard Hal groan lowly.

Jesse sped up her ministrations and could feel the throbbing of his member in her lips. Jesse knew he was close, and she tightened her grip in her hands as well as in her lips. She quickened her pace and could feel Hal’s balls tightening in her hands.

“Ah!” Hal cried out and finally moved one of his hands to bury itself in her hair. “Jess!”

Jesse felt a rush of heat at the sound of her name on his lips, and she quickened her pace yet more. Soon, she could feel the twitching of his cock in her mouth and her hands, and she tasted the saltiness of his semen as it spurted into the back of her throat, nearly causing her to choke.

Jesse kept up her ministrations, gently coaxing him through his orgasm until he began to soften in her mouth. She swallowed his production and gently moved her head away from him. She could hear Hal’s ragged breathing and looked up to see his green eyes looking down at her, hazy from his recent release.

With her work done, Jesse was suddenly reminded of her own arousal. Her clit was throbbing, and she could feel wetness coating the tops of the inside of her thighs. As she moved to stand, she realized just how shaky her legs were.

No sooner had she made it to her feet than she gasped as she felt Hal’s hand bury itself in the hair on the nape of her neck.

Chapter 66

Hal

Hal promptly leaned down and covered Jesse’s lips with his own. She had just given him some of the best head he had ever experienced, and he’d be damned if he didn’t return the favor.

With Jesse caught off guard, Hal wasted no time in crouching down and tossing her over his shoulder, laughing at the soft shriek that escaped her lips. He quickly flipped the stove off before he carried Jesse out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Once there, he bent over and tossed Jesse down onto the couch. She looked up at him with bewildered, excited eyes, and Hal smiled down at her. He promptly knelt down in front of her and hooked his hands behind her knees, dragging her ass to the edge of the couch.

He spread her legs wide and gave Jesse a dark look as he clearly saw the wetness that had gathered at her sex and all along the insides of her thighs. Hal kept his eyes locked with her as he ran a hand up the inside of her leg and pressed his palm against her sex.

Jesse released a moan, and she arched her hips up into his touch as he began to move his hand in small, quick circles. All the while, he kept his eyes locked on her until they fluttered shut, a grimace of pleasure scrawled across her face.

Hal removed his hand, and Jesse whimpered, her eyes snapping open to look at him, confused. Hal said nothing but gave her a smirk and then sank two fingers into her hot wetness.

Jesse moaned and scooted even further off the couch so that the only part of her body really resting on it was her upper back and shoulders. Her back was tightly arched, and Hal was once again taken aback by the image of her hardened nipples prominently displayed against his white shirt. As one of his hands gently pumped into her, the other moved to slide inside of her shirt, trailing up her stomach and between her breasts, then moving to the side to gently massage one of them.

Hal relished the feeling of her soft flesh and the contrast of her hard nipple pressing into his palm. He diverted his attention to the nipple and twisted it between his thumb and forefinger. He heard Jesse release a soft gasp, and he felt her knees buckle for a moment, driving her deeper into his hand, which in turn inspired a cry from her.

Hal quickly took his hand away from her breast and rested it on her hips, gently pressing her to rest them on the couch, resituating her so that she wouldn’t have to strain so much. Still, though, Jesse kept arching her hips into his hand. Hal could feel the hot tightness of her channel, and he could feel the slight throbbing that revealed just how close she really was to her orgasm.

Hal knew it would be over far too fast if he kept up this pace, and he wanted to drag it out at least for a good while yet.

So, with a devious smile, Hal withdrew his fingers from inside of her and prepared to adopt a new tactic.

Chapter 67

Jesse

Jesse looked up at Hal in confusion for a moment as he took his fingers from within her and could see a dark gleam in his eyes. She knew just what the look was for as she felt Hal shift his hand, press against her mound and pull up the hood of her clit with his thumb.

Jesse felt a sharp spike of anticipation as Hal gathered up some of her wetness with his fingertips. She knew that the feeling of his fingers against her exposed clit was going to be intense, almost painful. She also knew that it was going to grant her extreme, blinding pleasure.

Jesse waited, her mind spinning as she tightened every muscle in her body. Her breathing quickened, and she felt her body begin to shake from the tension in her muscles. She didn’t dare break contact from Hal’s eyes, hoping that some part of his expression would give away his next move.

All the while, Jesse couldn’t ignore the way her core was aching and throbbing. His fingering had been intensely pleasurable and had served to relieve her of her need for touch but then only pushed her closer to an orgasm that she could not quite reach. When he withdrew from her, she nearly groaned in disappointment.

Now, though, Jesse could not decide if she wanted to beg him to touch her or not to touch her. Hal seemed to be an expert, and she felt helpless under his touch. She felt her muscles beginning to twitch, and she knew she couldn’t keep her muscles so strained for much longer.

Hal turned his head, keeping his eyes on hers, and Jesse flinched a little as he pressed a kiss to the inside of her knee. Hal laughed lightly at her reaction, and Jesse blushed, feeling foolish.

“Relax,” he whispered to her.

Jesse was reluctant to follow his instruction, but when several more moments passed without him touching her and growing quickly exhausted from her exertion, her whole body seemed to loosen of its own accord. Finally, Jesse broke her eye contact with Hal, her head dropping back onto the cushion of the couch and her eyes drifting closed.

No sooner had she done so, she felt one of Hal’s slick fingers drag slowly over her clit, and her entire body was once again as taut as a bow string.

Jesse was quickly reduced to a trembling mess as Hal ran his fingertips over her clit. He kept his touch feather light, sending tiny shockwaves of sensation through her sex. He moved at a quick pace, making the sensation intense but guaranteeing that she would not orgasm.

Jesse could feel her inner walls beginning to clench rhythmically, hungry for something to grip. She knew that it would not take much to send her over the edge, and she knew that Hal was keeping her there deliberately. She imagined how it would feel if Hal were to slide his fingers inside of her, if only for a moment.

Jesse released a whimper and an incoherent stream of words just at the thought as a wave of pleasure shot through her. Jesse bit her lip and moved her hands, dragging Hal’s white T-shirt up her body to expose her breasts. She took her breasts in hand and began to massage them, tweaking at her nipples, desperate for any sensation that might push her over the edge, or at least distract her from the soft, torturous sensations at her clit.

Jesse also harbored the hope that Hal might be distracted from his calculated caresses by the image of her fondling herself. It seemed, though, that her strategy was largely ineffective, as Hal simply continued at his own pace and intensity.

Jesse was finally unable to bear it, and she attempted to pump her hips up into his touch. Hal kept her still, though, pressing harder against her mound to keep her still. Jesse let out a soft sob and opened her eyes to look up at Hal. He locked eyes with her and smiled devilishly.

“Is there something you’d like to ask me for?” Hal purred out smoothly, the mere sound of his voice sending another wave of aching pleasure through her body.

“Hal, please …” Jesse panted out, her voice rough and ragged. “I need to come, please, I need to ...”

“Almost,” Hal assured her softly. Jesse cried out as he pressed harder against her clit and began to move in slightly slower circles.

“Hal!” Jesse whined out, her voice much higher than she was accustomed to.

Jesse could feel her inner walls begin to twitch as her orgasm slowly approached. She could feel herself inching closer and closer, and she longed for the feeling of her completion. Jesse let out a moan and began to struggle under Hal’s strong hand.

“Just a little more for me, Jess,” Hal whispered encouragingly, but Jesse could hardly hear him. Her mouth moved ceaselessly, and a tear rolled down her face as she pleaded with him in words she couldn’t even hear.

“Okay, okay,” Hal said comfortingly, his voice low and smooth. “Here you are …”

Jesse cried out as she felt Hal’s finger move away from her and then released a loud, heavy sob as he pressed three fingers into her and slid his thumb over her clit.

In an instant, Jesse exploded, her inner muscles clamping down hard on his fingers. She was silent as she came, her throat completely closing, preventing any sound from escaping. Her entire body jerked with each contraction of her inner muscles, and she felt sure that she had never experienced anything so intense in her life.

When her contractions finally began to subside, Jesse’s body finally collapsed entirely, her muscles still gripping at Hal’s fingers.

Chapter 68

Jesse

Jesse opened her eyes, and her vision came into focus. She looked up at Hal, who was watching her carefully as he withdrew his fingers from within her.

“Jesse?” he asked her, and Jesse couldn’t help finding it odd that he was using her full first name.

“Yeah?” she responded, her voice more than a little rough.

“Are you okay?” he asked her, genuine concern in his voice.

Jesse looked up at him and gave him a nod and a smile, and she felt her usual blush creep into her face.

“I’m good,” Jesse nodded, and she sat up. She winced slightly as she sat, becoming aware of just how sore her nether regions really were.

Hal frowned and searched her face, obviously noticing her discomfort.

“Sorry.” Jesse laughed lightly. “I just haven’t been in the scene for a while.”

“Don’t apologize.” Hal shook his head and moved to sit on the couch beside her. Jesse arranged her shirt so that it was once again covering her body.

“I really did enjoy it, though,” Jesse said. “I mean, you’re amazing.”

Hal laughed.

“Thanks,” he said. “It’s always nice to be appreciated.”

Jesse smiled, and she snuggled into his side. They stayed there for several moments, and Jesse looked out of the windows into the woods outside of the cabin. She felt incredibly sated and content, and she reveled in the warmth that was filling up her insides.

There was some part of her, though, that was not full, and the sound of her stomach growling once again met their ears.

“Oh, shit, Jess,” Hal said, seeming more than a little alarmed. “I’m so sorry. I forgot about breakfast!”

Hal immediately hopped up off the couch and moved back into the kitchen. Jesse could only smile to herself as she watched him move and then rose to follow him. She leaned in the doorframe and watched as Hal turned the stove back on and returned to the mixing bowl that he had been distracted from earlier.

Jesse sauntered into the kitchen and sat down on a barstool at the island in the middle of the kitchen, content to watch him work.

As she watched him busily cooking their breakfast, she couldn’t help replaying in her mind the events that had unfolded the previous night. Not only had they finally given into their physical desires for one another, but Hal had confessed that he loved her and that he wanted to be in a real relationship with her.

Jesse was elated, and she watched Hal with a small smile on her face. She felt a sense of elation at the fact that such an important man, or really any man at all, was interested in being in a relationship with her. It defied her notions that she wasn’t good enough to be in a relationship at all.

Jesse never could have imagined just how uplifting it was to spend her time with someone who cared about her and took pains to make sure that she realized just how much he cared about her. After all, he had secreted her away to his cabin in the woods just so that they would be sure to be out of the public eye.

As she thought of that, though, Jesse frowned a little. She thought of just how much she would be in the public eye if she were Hal’s love interest. Especially since he had not admitted to having any relationships in his career at any point until then. The press would certainly be all over them, eager to get answers about their situation, how they had met, and all the details of their lives together.

That made Jesse more than a little anxious. She worried that it would impact her professional reputation. She was still interested in getting a job, after all, and she knew that if she were the subject of interest of all the tabloid magazines in the city, she would not be taken seriously to any extent.

Jesse frowned a little, studying the swirls of marble on the countertop of the island. It seemed that all her life she had sacrificed her personal life for her professional life. She had not dated much, and she had very few friends. Maybe, just maybe, it was time for her to take a break and enjoy herself before she buried herself in yet another all-consuming job.

That idea, though, didn’t account for her everyday living expenses. She still had to eat, and pay her bills and rent, and you didn’t pay for any of those things simply through personal fulfillment.

A small voice in the back of her head chimed in, reminding her that Hal was rich, and he could likely take care of all her needs for the rest of her life. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, though, than she felt guilt wash over her. No matter how rich he was, she couldn’t expect him to simply take care of her.

He had asked her to be his girlfriend, not his child. The reminder of their relationship status once again sent a rush of warmth through her body.

Still, the knowledge that she needed money did not change, and she scowled as she looked down at the counter, anxiety slowly creeping through her body.

“Uh-oh,” she heard Hal’s voice and looked up to see Hal moving toward her with two plates of food. “You look upset. Is everything alright?”

Jesse shook her head, having been pulled from her thoughts.

“Yeah, just thinking about some things,” she said.

Hal set the plate of food down in front of her, then set his own plate down in the place beside her and strode toward the fridge. Jesse’s mouth watered at the array of food on the plate before her.

“What kind of things?” Hal asked as he set down a glass cup beside each of their plates and then placed a pitcher of orange juice and a jug of milk in front of them.

“Just like my job,” Jesse said with a sigh. “And … about us …”

“Well,” Hal said, reaching toward the glass of orange juice and pouring himself a glass before offering it to Jesse, who gratefully accepted. “Why don’t we start with your job?”

Jesse nodded, taking a sip of the sweet orange liquid in her glass.

“You’ve already put in applications all over the place,” Hal pointed out positively. “It’s really only a matter of time until someone contacts you.”

Jesse nodded again, taking what he said into account. He was right, after all. She had some good references and quite a bit of experience as well, so her chances were good to at least get an interview with some of the places at which she had applied.

“Besides,” Hal went on, “if you don’t get called back from any of those places, I will introduce you to Liza, and she can help you pick up a job somewhere really soon.”

“Okay.” Jesse nodded and released a sigh. “That sounds good. Thanks.”

“No problem.” Hal smiled.

For a moment, they both sat there and ate their breakfast. Jesse was amazed at the sheer quantity of food that had found its way onto her plate. There were scrambled eggs, a couple of pancakes, bacon, a biscuit, toast, hash browns, and even a small bowl of fruit. Jesse highly doubted that she was going to finish, but she was at least going to put forth a solid effort.

Jesse took her first several bites, being sure to try a little bit of everything on her plate. She let out a soft groan through the food in her mouth.

“This is amazing,” she told Hal. He laughed lightly.

“Thank you,” he said with a faint smile, seeming to Jesse a little embarrassed. “Breakfast food is sort of my forte.”

“I believe it,” Jesse said with a smile. “This is really great. I haven’t had a breakfast like this in years.”

“Well, eat up,” Hal encouraged her softly.

And so Jesse did. She focused all her energy on clearing the plate in front of her. It took quite a deal of concentration and some discomfort with the stretching of her stomach, but she was finally able to finish the food.

“Wow.” Hal blinked as he looked over at her empty plate. “I really didn’t expect you to finish all that.”

Jesse released a laugh.

“I didn’t either.” She shook her head and rested a hand on her extremely full belly. “But it was just so good, I didn’t want any of it to go to waste.”

Hal shook his head, standing and taking both of their plates before heading toward the sink. Jesse watched him start the water and then got up off the stool, following him so as to offer him some help cleaning up after the wonderful meal he cooked.

Chapter 69

Hal

Hal headed for the sink and put their plates, knives, and forks in the bottom of it, then flipped on the hot water.

“Here,” Hal heard Jesse from behind him, and he turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. “Let me do that.”

“No, you don’t need to do that.” Hal shook his head and did not move from his place in front of the sink.

“Please, it’s the least I can do,” Jesse protested. “You cooked, so it’s only fair that I clean up the mess.”

Hal scowled, but he could tell by the look on her face that she wasn’t going to back off until he let her do what she wanted. In all honesty, it amused him more than anything else, and her insistence on not letting him spoil her was part of what attracted him to her in the first place.

“Alright,” Hal relented with a sigh. “There’s the soap and sponge.”

Hal backed away from the sink and let Jesse take care of the dishes. He watched her for a moment, letting his eyes linger on the calm, happy expression on her face. He felt warmth inside of him at knowing that she felt so peaceful. It was much more relaxed than the slight tightness that she carried in her expression whenever they were out in public together.

Hal had his suspicions that that was what was weighing so heavily on her mind. He knew that she was likely extremely worried about always being in the public eye. Hal had to admit that he didn’t have much of an answer for that. And if he was perfectly honest with himself, it made him a little afraid that Jesse would change her mind about being in a relationship at all.

Hal tried to keep himself calm, and he set about cleaning the various things off the island and putting them back in the fridge. He took a paper towel from the counter behind him, wet it in the sink on the island, then cleaned off the counter.

When he was done, he tossed the damp paper towel into the trash and leaned against the counter as he watched Jesse dry the last of the dishes. When she had finished drying the last of them, he moved over and started to help her put them away.

“Hey,” she scolded him, frowning playfully up at him. “I can do that.”

“You don’t know where any of it goes,” Hal returned, smiling down at her. “And I don’t think you’re tall enough to reach the cabinets.”

“What?” Jesse scoffed, seeming a little outraged. “Of course I can.”

“Well,” Hal shrugged and let out a sigh. “My mistake then. Maybe you can get it next time.”

Jesse huffed. In the time it had taken for them to have their disagreement, Hal had already taken care of putting the dishes away. He smirked down at her, and she rolled her eyes. Hal leaned down, placed a kiss on her cheek and then wrapped his arm around her, holding her tight to his body.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go sit in the living room.”

Jesse nodded and allowed him to lead her out of the room. Hal couldn’t help noticing that she was still dressed only in his white undershirt. While it was certainly distracting, he had already spent himself quite a bit, and while it was certainly alluring, his arousal did not manifest itself in an erection.

They crossed into the living room, and Hal sat beside Jesse on the couch. He watched as she drew her legs up on the couch, curling them beneath her. She then laid down on her side, resting her head in Hal’s lap. Hal couldn’t help being a little surprised by her behavior. Even as subtle as this was, she never seemed to be the one to make the first moves.

However, that certainly wasn’t the first time of the day. Hal felt a shiver as he remembered her boldness in the kitchen.

Still, this somehow seemed more genuine as it wasn’t charged by sexual energy. So, Hal gently stroked her hair as her head rested in his lap, enjoying the simple, pleasant nearness of her.

Even so, Hal felt a pit forming in his stomach. He worried more than a little regarding her reservations about keeping her private life out of the public eye. He didn’t want that to be the reason that she didn’t stay with him.

Hal was a little surprised at just how much he was worried about it. He worked through the possibilities in his mind and wondered how he could convince her that it wouldn’t be an issue.

But if he was honest with himself, he knew very well that it was just going to be a reality. He could offer her false consolations and promises that the media would stay away from them, but in the end, he knew he had very little control over that. And in the end, he knew he couldn’t lie to her.

Hal was shocked at just how anxious he was becoming from just thinking about all this. He mentally calmed himself down, knowing that he was perfectly capable of coming up with a solution if he would just keep himself calm long enough to get the words out.

Hal was a little unnerved that even the thought of losing Jesse for any reason was so unthinkable to him. In reality, they hadn’t been seeing each other for very long, and they had only officially entered into a relationship the previous night.

Somehow, though, the time didn’t seem to matter. He wanted to be with her, and he would say and do whatever he had to do to keep her in his life for as long as possible.

Chapter 70

Jesse

Jesse was perfectly comfortable resting her head in Hal’s lap, silently digesting the wonderful meal they had just had. She felt like a cat, and the feeling of Hal running his hand through her hair was certainly enough inspiration to make her purr. She was so comfortable and contented, in fact, that she soon found herself starting to doze off.

“Jess?” Jesse heard Hal’s voice just as her eyes began to drift closed.

“Yeah?” Jesse rolled over onto her back to look up at Hal, but her playful expression vanished as she saw the look of concern on Hal’s face.

“Hey,” Jesse frowned and sat up, turning on the couch to get a better look at him. “What’s wrong?”

Jesse was completely befuddled. She couldn’t fathom how he had so quickly gone from joking and smiling in the kitchen to something so much darker now.

“You said earlier in the kitchen,” Hal started, his words coming slowly, “that you were thinking about us.”

Jesse’s face fell slowly, and she felt her stomach sink a little. Somewhere in the process of eating her spectacular breakfast, she had forgotten about her worries and her cares. Now, though, that Hal had reminded her, she knew that this was something they did need to address before they could really move any further in their relationship with one another.

“Yeah, I was,” Jesse confirmed with a sigh.

“What were you thinking about it?” Hal pressed further, and Jesse could hear the tension in his voice.

“I don’t know,” Jesse shrugged and shook her head.

“Jess,” Hal looked down at her, his tone serious. “This is something we really need to talk about. I think we could be able to work it out together but not if you don’t tell me what it is that’s bothering you.”

Jesse sighed and couldn’t help agreeing with him. She knew these issues were not going to go away on their own, and it seemed that it would be far better to try and get a handle on these things right here and now rather than wait until some later time and let all of her stress and anxieties about it build up over time.

“It’s just the whole celebrity thing,” Jesse confessed. “I don’t want to be a topic for tabloid magazines. And I just feel like that’s going to be unavoidable if I’m in a relationship with you. Somehow, the press is going to have to be involved in our lives together. And that bothers me for my personal life, of course. But it also worries me that if I’m all over magazines, that future employees won’t take me seriously. I know that all this probably seems a little self-centered. But honestly, I don’t want to be known as the girlfriend of the famous Hal Roberts. I just … I don’t know. I think I can be a lot more than that.”

Jesse finished and watched Hal quietly, letting him process her words. She couldn’t help feeling a little guilty. She knew that Hal could hardly help his celebrity status and that even if he dropped out of the scene now, he was likely going to be remembered by the press for his achievements for the rest of his life.

Jesse didn’t want to hold that against him, but at the same time, she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life just trying to be known for anything but their relationship. It was already hard to escape obscurity. She couldn’t even imagine how hard it would be to escape fame.

Jesse looked up at Hal, and she could tell that he realized all these things as well. His brow was furrowed, and he seemed to be thinking hard about something. Jesse, too, was thinking hard. In spite of her reservations, she really was happy with him, and she didn’t want to leave him for that reason or any other. Still, though, they did need to come to some sort of agreement.

A long moment passed between them as they both tried to come up with a solution. Finally, Hal let out a sigh and shook his head.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Jess,” he said softly, his voice heavy. “I’m not going to lie to you. It’s not going to be easy, it’s just going to be a reality we have to face together. We could try to cover up our relationship for as long as possible. But the press would figure it out eventually, or worse, they would string along story after story of speculation, which would be even more annoying.”

Jesse frowned. She knew Hal was right. And if anything was worse than the simple truth, it was the wild stories that the media would spin about them. Aided by the photographs they were bound to collect over time, there would be little way to combat what they were saying.

“Well, you’re right about that,” Jesse finally agreed. “I think the best way to handle it would be to go ahead and tell the truth but only answer when there are questions asked.”

Hal raised his eyebrows and nodded.

“That’s a good strategy,” he said. “If we don’t make a big deal out of it ourselves, they won’t be as insistent about getting anything out of it. Surely, someone else will do something stupid at some point anyway, and then the media will be all about that. Man, if only we had met during an election year, then nobody would care about us at all.”

Jesse couldn’t help laughing. It was true. If everyone were focused on something else, they would hardly even blink at the news of some garden variety celebrity romance. Unfortunately, they were not quite so lucky as that.

“Well,” Jesse said, “other than that, we could just work hard to get as little attention as possible.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Hal nodded. “But I’ll be honest with you, Jess. I don’t want to stay holed up in my apartment with you all the time, or even at yours.”

Jesse knew, too, that that wasn’t a viable option. She would soon find herself going stir crazy if she felt the need to stay inside all the time. Plus, if she found another job, she would have to go to and from work no matter who was snapping pictures of her.

“And besides,” Hal said, “it’s not like we spend every waking moment together anyway. I bet it will take a while for the media to catch on to it at all unless someone tips them off.”

Jesse felt her stomach lurch. She hoped that nobody in her small circle of friends would do anything like that. She trusted Mark and Tony, but there were other people she had worked with that she was sure would be eager to throw her under the bus if it meant they got a good story out there. The world of journalism could be pretty cutthroat at times, and Jesse was not eager to be next up on the line.

“I know none of my people will let anything loose,” Hal assured her. “Or they know very well I would cut them loose without a second thought.”

Jesse nodded, but frowned.

“I know a lot of people I worked with would kill to be the first to know about a story like that,” Jesse said, her voice lined with stress.

“Hey,” Hal said softly, wrapping his arm around her. “You don’t even work with them anymore. And besides, even if it does get out, I have a lot of people that I can put out there that can either deny it or confirm it in such a way that it doesn’t draw much attention.”

Jesse nodded and released a tense sigh.

“I just …” she trailed off and shook her head. “I know this is going to sound bad, but I just wish you were … you know, not famous.”

Hal was silent for a moment.

“I don’t,” he finally spoke up. “If I weren’t famous, I would have never met you. I never would have even seen you. And honestly, I’d rather deal with managing the press for the rest of my life than have never met you in that little meeting room at The Edge. You know, I’ve never really liked Elaine. But I have to admit that if it wasn’t for her, or if it wasn’t for you having a job there, or if it wasn’t for me being famous enough to give an interview in the first place, we may have never met. And that’s something that I never even want to picture. Because just in the short time I’ve known you, I feel like my life has been changed forever. And I don’t know just what we’re going to do about this situation with the media, but I promise that I will do whatever you want me to do as long as you are right there by my side when I do it.”

As she listened to his words, Jesse felt warmth fill her. She could tell that Hal really meant what he said and suddenly she was no longer stressed. She knew that together they would work toward a solution and that while it may be hard for her to adapt to a new way of life, it would be worth it if she got to share her life with a man like Hal.

After a moment, Jesse smiled, sat up to place a soft kiss on his lips and then wrapped her arms around his strong torso.

“That’s what I want too,” she said simply and snuggled closer to him.

Chapter 71

Hal

Hal felt a rush of relief wash over his body, and he collapsed back into the couch with a sigh, feeling as though he had just talked someone down off the ledge of a building. He was grateful that he had been able to comfort Jesse, and he was glad that, at least for the moment, she was content to simply sit with him and enjoy the present.

“I promise we’ll think of something,” he assured her softly, gently stroking his hand up and down her arm.

“I know we will,” Jesse said, all aggravation and tension gone from her voice. “Let’s just try to enjoy the rest of our little vacation before we try to tackle any more bears.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Hal chuckled and turned his head to place a kiss on Jesse’s lips. As he pulled back, he looked into her eyes, and he felt a sense of warmth at the happiness he saw there.

Just as he was reveling in his pure emotions, they both heard a loud rumble of thunder. No sooner had they both looked out the window than they saw rain begin to splatter upon the leaves of the brush outside the cabin. They both watched as gradually the rain intensified, and the thunder grew louder and more prolonged.

“Well,” Hal sighed, frowning a little. “I guess we won’t be going outside today.”

Jesse laughed.

“That’s just fine by me,” she said, her voice growing slightly darker.

Hal raised his brow and smirked down at her.

“Goodness,” he chuckled, abruptly tightening his grip around her waist. “You would have thought you’d had enough for one day.”

Jesse hummed and looked up at him with a mischievous smile.

“Well …” she sighed somewhat longingly. “I must admit I am a little sore.”

“Oh,” Hal’s face fell a little, and he felt a surge of guilt. “I’m sorry. I should have been more sensitive.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jesse waved his concerns away. “We didn’t do anything I didn’t thoroughly enjoy.”

“Well, that’s certainly good to hear,” Hal murmured darkly, nuzzling his forehead against hers. “Even so, I’m sure your body could use a chance to recover, and I’m sure we can find ways to amuse ourselves outside of sex.”

Jesse rolled her eyes, and Hal laughed aloud at her expression.

“I suppose,” she said, seeming rather put out about it.

“Come on,” Hal laughed. “Why don’t we both go take a shower and put on some fresh clothes, okay?”

Jesse seemed to consider the offer for a moment.

“Fine,” she finally conceded much to Hal’s amusement. “But only if we shower together.”

Hal rolled his eyes, but he could hardly deny her when her eyes were already sparkling so deliciously. In spite of himself, his cock twitched a little and began to slightly harden.

“I don’t believe you would behave yourself if we showered together,” he said frankly. “And I highly doubt either of us would do much cleaning.”

“Hmm,” Jesse scoffed at him, tossing her hair and extracting herself from his grip. “I guess I’ll just go shower alone, then.”

With that, she stood up from the couch and took hold of the hem of his shirt, effortlessly lifting it up over her head and tossing it down beside him on the couch. Hal felt his mouth water as her naked body was displayed to him, and she gave him a catlike smile as she turned and walked away, heading straight down the hall. Hal could not tear his eyes away from her plump backside as she walked away.

When she finally disappeared from his sight, Hal all but jumped off the couch to follow her. His mind was spinning more than a little. Jesse had never been so brazen before, and he couldn’t deny the fact that he liked it. She was truly flourishing out here in his cabin. He vaguely considered moving out here permanently if this was what she was like when he relaxed.

Maybe he would consider it more seriously when she wasn’t so intent on tempting him.

When Hal finally caught up to her, Jesse had already turned on the water in the shower and stepped into it. Hal watched in admiration as she wet her brown hair, causing it to darken and flatten against her back. Droplets of water began to stick to her skin, and more than his arousal, Hal felt a sense of deep attraction and appreciation for just how purely beautiful she really was.

With that thought on his mind, Hal pushed his briefs down his legs and stepped out of them, slowly walking across the bathroom and stepping into the shower behind her. He heard her sigh as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and he relished the sensation of her relaxing into his hold.

He lightly traced his hand down her stomach and was rewarded with a soft sigh as he cupped Jesse’s sex and another as he situated his member between her legs. He didn’t waste much time in pressing it inside of her and gently dragging it in and out. Jesse moved gently as well, and her soft moans informed him that she was enjoying it.

“Does it hurt too much?” Hal asked her, gently running one hand up to massage her breast while the fingers of the other slowly circled her clit.

“No, no,” Jesse shook her head. “It feels so good …”

Hal could only grunt his agreement. In contrast with their fervent lovemaking over the course of this morning and the previous evening, this felt much calmer, and he could really savor the connection that he felt between them.

He kept up his pace for quite a long while until he and Jesse were both close. He took care of Jesse first, circling her clit in just the right way to send spasms through her core. Then, he gave a few sharp thrusts and sent himself over the edge as well.

They both panted for a moment, leaning against the wall of the shower and allowing the hot water to wash over them. When he had calmed, Hal gathered up the shampoo, poured some over Jesse’s head and began to wash her hair. Jesse joined in, lathering some soap onto his chest.

The rest of the shower proceeded in a much more normal fashion.

Hal had never had a better shower in his life.

Chapter 72

Jesse

When the two had rinsed off and at last gotten out of the shower, Jesse headed straight for the guest bedroom, her towel wrapped around her hair to soak up some of the water. Upon arriving in the guest room, Jesse walked over to the dresser, where her clothes were.

She smiled to herself as she selected a cotton tank top and a pair of shorts. Since it was raining and they wouldn’t be going out, she saw no reason to dress for any intense outdoor activities. She slipped on a pair of her socks, just so that she wasn’t too cold inside.

When she had dressed, she took hold of the towel and unwrapped it from her hair, using it to rough her hair up and catch any lingering moisture there. When she was done, she entered the en suite bathroom and found a comb, which she used to untangle her hair.

Jesse then began the process of working it into a braid so that it would stay out of the way but also remain untangled throughout the day as it dried. As she was working at this, she saw Hal slip into her view of the mirror, and he lingered there, leaning on the doorframe. She smiled at him and saw his return smile in the reflection.

Jesse quickly finished up her braid and then turned to lean against the sink and look at Hal. He had dressed in an earthy green T-shirt and a pair of shorts. His hair was still damp from the shower, and Jesse could smell the scent of his soap rolling off of him.

Jesse regarded him silently, and he did the same to her. Jesse figured it was because neither of them really had anything to say. It seemed that they were both largely content to remain in silence. At length, Hal held out his hand to her, and she took it.

They made their way back into the living room and both resumed their places on the couch. With her hair still wet, Jesse felt a chill go down her spine at the temperature of the room, and Hal wasted no time in gathering a throw blanket from the back of the couch and draping it over her.

Jesse smiled up at him and then pressed herself closer into his side. Hal smiled down at her in return and wrapped his arm around her, drawing her close to him. He leaned his head down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“So now what do we do?” he asked her softly.

Jesse shrugged.

“I don’t know,” she answered quietly. “What else can we do here?”

“Well,” Hal sighed and rubbed at his chin. “We can’t go outside. So … why don’t we put on a movie?”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Jesse smiled up at him in approval.

“Okay, great.” Hal smiled and stood up. Jesse watched him cross the room to stand in front of the entertainment center that contained the TV and open a door on the side to reveal a large collection of DVDs.

“What do you want to watch?” Hal turned to ask her.

“I don’t care.” Jesse shrugged.

Hal laughed and rolled his eyes. Keeping his eyes locked on her, he reached into the shelf and withdrew a random DVD. He opened the box and turned on the TV and DVD Player. Jesse watched as he slid the disc into the machine and then returned to join her on the couch.

From there, Hal picked up the remote and navigated through the menu until the movie started. Jesse had never seen it before. It was some crass comedy that she had seen advertisements for but had never bothered to actually watch.

“Do you like this movie?” Jesse asked him.

“It’s alright.” Hal shrugged. “Not very artistic if you ask me.”

Jesse couldn’t help laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Hal raised his brow and looked down at her.

“I mean,” Jesse started, still laughing a little as she spoke. “I guess coming from the king of artistry himself, nothing is ever quite as artistic as you are.”

“Well, that’s not true,” Hal said with a shrug. “There are plenty of people more artistic than I am.”

“Oh, yeah?” Jesse prodded. “Like who?”

“Just to name one,” Hal said easily, “Quentin Tarantino. He makes incredible movies.”

Jesse was a little surprised by that answer.

“I didn’t peg you as a Tarantino kind of guy,” Jesse noted, more than a little surprised.

“I guess we’ve never talked about it before.” Hal shrugged. “But come on. His movies are really undeniably ingenious.”

“I guess so.” Jesse shrugged in return. “I’ve never really seen one, so …”

“What?” Hal said suddenly, freezing beside her. “Not one?”

Jesse blinked, a little surprised by his outrage.

“No,” Jesse shook her head. “I guess I never really had any interest.”

Hal gaped at her for a moment before abruptly standing up and going back to the shelf. Jesse watched as he went immediately to a particular section and began browsing through the titles there. He finally selected one and proceeded to replace the disc that was already in the machine with the new one.

When he was finished and had returned the other movie to its place on the shelf, he strode back across the room to Jesse and sat back down beside her with a heavy sigh.

“And now we begin the supplemental course on Quentin Tarantino movies,” Hal said, and Jesse was amused by the gleam in his eyes.

No sooner had the movie, Inglourious Basterds begun than Hal was narrating for her, relaying the details of the movie that impressed him and some that he simply enjoyed, perhaps most notably the tendencies of particular actors.

Jesse nodded, smiled and pretended to watch the movie for his sake. For the most part, though, she was completely taken by the clear excitement in his eyes as he explained various aspects of the life on set during the filming of the movie. She could tell he knew a great deal about the subject, and Jesse noted that this was really the first time he had ever even talked to her about his field outside of an interview, even if it was in a roundabout way.

Jesse vaguely wished that the movie would never end. She loved the light in Hal’s eyes as he went on and on about the entire process of making the film. She wondered if he went into this much detail studying every movie he watched. It was not very far out of the realm of possibility. This was, after all, his profession.

Jesse stayed quiet and observant all through watching the movie with Hal, and when it was finally over, he stood up to place the movie back into the box and then back on the shelf. He then returned to sit beside her on the couch.

“Well, I wouldn’t say you’ve reached proficiency yet.” Hal sighed teasingly. “But I’d say this was a good start in your education.

Jesse couldn’t help laughing, and she snuggled up closer to him on the couch. On one hand, she was amused, but on the other, she was in serious thought.

Seeing the excitement and sparkle in his eyes as he described every aspect of the movie they had just watched, she was quiet as she contemplated these things. Hal had said he was ready to drop the business, but she was beginning to wonder if he had even started to accomplish what he wanted to attain.

Unable to wonder about it in silence any longer, Jesse shifted her position to look up at Hal.

“Do you think you’ll ever direct another movie?” she asked him.

Jesse saw his face darken and felt his body stiffen beside her. She suddenly wondered if it was a topic she shouldn’t have brought up.

Chapter 73

Hal

Hal frowned at the unexpected question. He hadn’t even been thinking about his career in what felt like years to him. His mind had been entirely preoccupied with Jesse. In fact, even the last professional action he had taken had been his interview with her. He had not been active in his career for what felt like an eternity.

And why should he be active? He had enough money at this point in his life to live the rest of his life without lifting a single finger and even more was being raked in every day with each sale of his movie.

Truth be told, Hal had hardly even given it any thought at all. More than anything, her question just brought up unpleasant memories of the past, and Hal couldn’t help the way his heartbeat started to increase even at the memory of the personal level at which he had been committed to his film.

He was reminded of the physical and mental stress he had put himself under while making the film. He had done it for that purpose, of course. The making of the film was almost cathartic to him. It was cleansing. He had made it so he could reveal those parts of himself to the whole world, even if he did not confess it.

Hal could not describe the relief and exhaustion he had felt when he was done. Even now, he could still very clearly remember the ache that seemed to fill his very core. He wouldn’t ever go as far as thinking he had gotten Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from working on the movie, but the mere memory did fill him with anxiety and discomfort. It had been one of the most arduous times in his life, and he wasn’t thrilled that Jesse had brought it up when they were supposed to be getting away from everything.

In fact, he was quite irritated with her. He moved away from where she was cuddled up to him on the couch and peered down at her suspiciously. It seemed odd that she would ask him such questions right here and right now. Unless, of course, that had been her intention all along.

Hal narrowed his eyes and felt a scowl form over his features as he was filled with a mixture of disgust and hurt. Jesse was a journalist, after all, and a smart one, to make matters worse. It would certainly not be beyond her mental capabilities to come up with this scheme on her own. And with the help of Elaine, it was almost too much evidence to dispute.

Hal should have seen it all along. Everything had happened so suddenly, after all. Her sudden conflict with Elaine, her leaving the magazine. After all, what journalist in their right mind would actually leave such a well-paying job?

It was finally clear to him that this was just a ruse to manipulate him and to trick him into revealing his personal life to her little by little. The first article had simply been to gain his trust and set her up for her final masterstroke. He had to hand it to her—it was an excellent plan, and he had been a more than willing participant.

Hal was slowly becoming consumed by anger, and it was only made worse by the look of concern that was written across Jesse’s features as she looked up at him.

“Hal?” Jesse spoke, and Hal felt a surge of rage just at the sound of her voice. “Are you …”

“What?” Hal snapped at her. “Am I what? Okay?”

Hal accented his accusing question with a harsh laugh, and he lauded the look of confusion that passed so suddenly over Jesse’s face. He had to hand it to her, she was good. Maybe she should have been an actress instead of a journalist.

“I don’t understand …” Jesse trailed off, and Hal scolded himself for almost feeling a little guilt at the hurt in her face.

“What don’t you understand?” he snapped at her, abruptly standing from his place on the couch to pace up and down the room. “I’ve caught you! I’m onto your little scheme. I have to admit you had me, you really did.”

Hal stopped in his vicious pacing to turn suddenly toward her and stand close to her. He saw fear flash through her eyes, but he didn’t care. If she was afraid, good, but he highly doubted it. She had known the risks when she started all this, so it was about time she met them head on.

“So what’s the story about then?” Hal pressed her through clenched teeth. “More details from my sordid past? Or is it a scoop about future projects I have coming up?”

Hal leaned down close to her face, and he nearly flew off the handle when she hastily stood up from the couch to back away from him. Still enraged, all Hal could do was laugh.

“Come on, Jess, give it up,” he urged her. “You’ve been caught. I can see right through everything. The first article? Leaving your job at The Edge? Very, very clever of you. You almost had me. But I’m not quite as stupid as you thought, am I? I can see through everything.”

Hal could hear his voice growing darker, and he could feel blood pumping through his veins as dark emotions swirled in his chest. There was of course anger, but the predominant emotions raging within him were hurt and betrayal. He had really fallen in love with her and all it had gotten him was this. It was all he could to keep himself angry, if only to keep him from succumbing to tears.

He was so angry, in fact, that he could hardly tell that he had effectively backed Jesse up against the wall.

Chapter 74

Jesse

Jesse felt a mixture of shock, confusion, and an ever-growing sense of fear as Hal continued to approach her. When her back hit the wall, she realized just how trapped she really was, and one look into Hal’s flashing green eyes revealed that he was filled with very real rage.

Jesse didn’t know what she had said that had sent him into this downward spiral into pure anger or had inspired all these suspicions. She did know, though, that he really believed them, and Jesse was truly worried that she would not be able to convince him otherwise.

She knew she shouldn’t have brought up his career before she had even voiced the question. She could have never guessed, though, that it would have upset him quite so severely as this. Jesse knew, though, that she had to say something to convince him that she had no ill intentions with her question or she would lose everything they had built together right here and now.

Jesse couldn’t deny, though, that she was afraid. He stood within inches of her, and she could practically feel the rage burning off of him in waves.

“Hal …” Jesse spoke meekly and raised her hand to try and touch his chest.

“Don’t touch me,” Hal fairly hissed at her, taking a quick step back.

“Please, you have to listen to me,” Jesse implored him, taking a hesitant step toward him.

“Do I?” Hal growled at her, advancing and causing Jesse to take a quick step back, once again flattening herself against the wall behind her. “I’ve been listening to you, and look where it’s gotten me.”

“Hal, stop,” Jesse said more sharply, gathering all her courage to put some bite into her voice. “I don’t know where all this is coming from, but your accusations are not only false but ridiculous.”

Hal’s jaw dropped and then clenched. She saw Hal’s fists clench at his side. Jesse’s eyes, though, were mostly locked onto his, and she felt a spark of hope as she saw a flash of doubt cross his face.

“Hal, please,” Jesse softly entreated him, taking advantage of the moment. “I am not trying to trick you.”

Hal’s eyes traveled over her, seeming to try and see if she was lying or not. Jesse could only imagine just how she must look, her body pressed back against a wall, her hands up as if she had been caught committing a crime. She could feel her heart pounding but did her best to keep calm and still.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I shouldn’t have asked you about your work.”

Hal’s eyes flashed angrily, and Jesse stiffened as his head snapped up to look her in the face.

“You’re just sorry that I figured everything out,” Hal snapped, and Jesse heard his voice become more and more deranged, and she saw his chest heaving as his breath came faster, and he seemed to be struggling to keep himself composed.

“There’s nothing to figure out,” Jesse insisted, her voice gaining a little frustration and anger of its own. “Everything I have said to you, everything we’ve done together was real. I haven’t lied to you. I’m not trying to deceive you.”

Hal shook his head and scoffed, moving away from her to once again pace around the room, his hand frantically running through his hair and rubbing at his face. Every so often, he would look back at her, growl, and shake his head.

“Hal …” Jesse spoke again, pushing away from the wall to try once more to approach him.

“No!” Hal stopped, pointing directly at her. “Stop! Just stop …”

Hal trailed off, and Jesse watched as his eyes traveled over her once more, his expression transforming from one of anger to one of desperation, and then finally Jesse’s heart nearly broke as his expression plunged to one of sadness.

Jesse waited in silence as Hal’s jaw worked, and he just looked at her. Jesse remained perfectly still, waiting for whatever it was he had to say to her. His face fell even more than she thought possible, and Jesse nearly broke the silence herself.

“I really loved you …” Hal said softly, his voice cracking slightly, and his rigid form slumping down into a posture of defeat.

Jesse couldn’t take it anymore, and she slowly but steadily approached him.

“Stay away from me,” Hal snapped at her, once again overtaken by his anger and adopting an aggressive stance.

“No,” Jesse said, her voice cracking with her own sadness. “None of what you are saying is true.”

“Stop,” Hal held up his hand to try and halt her advance, but Jesse ignored it.

“No,” Jesse repeated. “Hal, I love you. That’s the reason I’m here right now. Because I love you, and I want to be with you.”

“Stop lying,” Hal hissed at her, and his tone was angry, but Jesse could see in his eyes the part of his being that was dying to believe her words. Jesse knew that was the part of him that she had to appeal to.

“I’m not lying,” Jesse insisted softly, shaking her head. Finally, Hal started backing up from her, shaking his head.

“I don’t believe you …” Hal said, his desperation once again creeping into his voice and apprehension entering his eyes.

Jesse advanced still further, and at last it was Hal who found himself cornered and backed into a wall, unable to escape.

“Hal …” Jesse said gently. “Just listen to me … I’m telling you the truth …”

Jesse raised her hand to try and cup his cheek. Suddenly, Hal seized her wrist. His grip was hard, but not crushing, and his eyes were wary as they looked down at her. The combination of all those things only served to give Jesse even more conviction.

In spite of his hold on her wrist, Jesse quickly moved forward, aiming to press her body against his.

“Stop!” Hal commanded loudly, suddenly releasing her and moving to the side, completely dodging her approach, inadvertently backing himself into a corner as he did so.

Jesse frowned, hating that he was refusing to be reasonable with her.

“Hal,” Jesse sighed. “Please …”

“Please!” Hal entreated her. “Just stop! I can’t … I can’t …”

Jesse frowned as Hal seemed to disappear inside of himself, shaking his head silently, his eyes going completely hazy. While her fear and irritation were still present, her concern for Hal was beginning to override them. She knew that she had to do something.

Jesse once again approached him, and Hal looked up at her, seeming to dread her approach.

“Jesse, stop,” he said, trying to throw as much command into his voice as possible. In spite of his attempts, though, she could easily hear the apprehension in his tone.

Jesse merely shook her head at him and continued her approach.

“Hal, I love you,” Jesse said insistently as she moved closer to him.

“No, you don’t,” Hal insisted, shaking his head and screwing his eyes shut.

“Yes, I do,” Jesse said firmly yet softly. “I love you.”

“No, no,” Hal shook his head, and ran his hands through his hair.

Jesse was close to him now and held her breath as she once again raised her hand to touch him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and his eyes snapped open to look at her.

“Stop,” he said, his voice a raw plea.

“No,” Jesse shook her head and closed up to him, raising her other hand to cup his bicep. “I love you …”

Jesse looked up into his eyes and saw the turmoil brewing there, the betrayal and hurt finally at the forefront instead of his anger.

“Hal, listen to me,” Jesse said. Hal hadn’t made a move to stop her, so she moved closer to him, allowing her front to lightly brush against his side. She could feel the tension in his muscles as he stood stiffly backed into the corner.

“This isn’t you, Hal,” Jesse said softly, looking up into his reluctant eyes as she lightly shifted her hand to rest against his chest. “You know me, Hal. You know I wouldn’t do anything like that.”

Hal eyed her and clenched his teeth, seeming to try and completely ignore her.

“Don’t shut me out,” Jesse insisted, raising her hand instead to cup his face. “You know none of that is true … this isn’t you talking. Please, come back to me … I love you …”

Jesse looked up at him and saw that his eyes were once again open, though he was trying to look anywhere but at her.

“I don’t believe you,” Hal said, though it sounded to Jesse like he was trying to convince himself more than her.

“Hal, please, this isn’t you talking, thinking those things,” Jesse repeated emphatically. “Please … come back to me …”

Jesse moved slowly and cupped his face in both of her hands. Slowly, she moved up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss.

Chapter 75

Hal

Hal was at war with his mind. His fists clenched at his sides as she kissed him, and he worked hard not to respond to her. In spite of what the dark parts of his mind were insisting, he couldn’t help the way his body responded to her, which was exactly what he had feared would happen if he let her touch him.

He warred with himself, fighting between tearing himself away or succumbing to her. More than that, though, he longed to know who was telling the truth, the demons in his mind or the woman who they told him had betrayed him.

A more rational part of him realized that Jesse was right, and this behavior was not him. Indeed, it was a part of him that he thought had been buried when he made his movie. A part of him that was depressed and anxious, a part of him that he pushed to the farthest reaches of his mind.

It was a part of him that delighted in latching onto his deepest fears and convincing him they were his reality. Right now, he was horrified of losing Jesse, and it was only logical that he would panic at the thought of him deceiving her.

Jesse pulled back from him and looked up into his eyes. Hal returned her gaze, staring deep into her clear eyes. He could see no hint of deception there and slowly but surely the rage burning in his stomach began to dissipate into a small smolder.

“Jess?” Hal said weakly, looking up hopefully.

Jesse nodded and gave him a smile, gently stroking his face with her fingertips.

“Hal,” she said softly. “I promise I’m not trying to manipulate you or get a story out of you. I am here because I want to be alone with you. And because I love you.”

Hal took a deep breath as he took in her words. Slowly, he felt the anxiety that had been brewing in his stomach let up, and he realized that Jesse was being honest with him, and he had blown this whole issue out of proportion. He felt suddenly weak all over, and he slowly sank down the wall.

Jesse knelt down in front of him, concern once more crossing over her features.

“I’m sorry, Jess.” Hal shook his head, hearing the weakness in his voice as well. “That question just really caught me off guard … I didn’t know why you would ask something like that, and it just took me back to a really dark place …”

Hal knew that was the understatement of a lifetime, but it was the best he could come up with. Jesse simply moved to kneel between his legs and rest her hands on his torso, looking down deeply into his eyes.

“I know that you’ve been through a lot of heard things,” Jesse said. “And I know there are a lot of people … people like Elaine and like my coworkers … who would be able to do something like what you thought I was doing. But me? I … I just don’t think I could ever commit to that kind of deception.”

Hal listened as Jesse spoke, and he clung to each of her words, still eager to hear her deny all his accusations.

“I know that probably means I won’t make a very good journalist.” Jesse sighed. “But nothing like that ever crossed my mind. I really am out of a job. The article that I wrote is the only article on you I will ever write. If I have to put a complete halt on my journalism career to prove that to you, that’s what I’ll do. I will do whatever it takes to make you believe me.”

Hal was silent as he took in her words, letting her wash away all of his fear and doubt about her integrity. There was one more thing, though, that he desperately, desperately needed her to say.

“I believe you,” Hal finally spoke, feeling his anxiety begin to creep back in. “But … tell me again.”

Jesse paused, looking more than a little confused.

“Tell you what?” she asked, and he could tell that she was eager to deliver what she needed.

“Tell me you love me,” he urged her softly, his voice tense and his throat sore from the lump that had formed there.

Jesse’s face formed a mask of sincerity.

“Hal Roberts,” she said, raising her hands to take hold of his and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “I love you.”

Relief flowed through Hal’s body, and he could no longer sit still. He lurched forward and took Jesse’s face between his hands, gently holding her there as he peppered kisses all along her face. Finally, he pulled her in closer to his chest, wrapping his arms around her and tucking her head under his chin.

“I’m so sorry, Jess,” Hal said softly and felt a tear running down the side of his face. “I was so scared that you …”

Jesse shushed him as he trailed off, running the flats of her palms up and down his back comfortingly.

“I know,” Jesse said, her voice vibrating softly against his chest. “It’s okay; you’re okay …”

Hal took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He forced away the last lingering bits of anger and anxiety that had risen up inside of him and assured himself that Jesse really was here because she loved him. She had said as much repeatedly and had given him no reason not believe her.

“I love you,” Hal said softly.

“And I love you,” Jesse said as she moved in his grip, shifting her head to press a hot kiss against his neck.

Hal drew in a sharp breath and felt heat rush over his body. Suddenly, he needed her, and desperately.

Without preamble, Hal rose and scooped Jesse up, heading straight for the bedroom, needing to feel her closeness and the heat of her skin against his.

Once there, neither of them wasted any time in stripping off their clothes, and Hal didn’t bother with foreplay before he maneuvered himself between Jesse’s legs and sank into her, relishing the wet heat of her inner walls around his hardness.

Hal delighted in Jesse’s soft pants as he immediately set up a steady rhythm. He looked down into her eyes and felt himself shudder at the connection he felt there. He felt their togetherness deep in his gut and knew it was far more than physical or mental, but transcending into the spiritual realm.

It didn’t take long for either of them to finish, and Jesse’s walls clamped around his erection just as he began to shoot his load inside of her, panting as he found his release.

Hal then laid down beside her and held her closely, needing her closeness more now than ever. He could feel her placing soft kisses along his neck and chest, and he allowed the soft feeling of her lips against his naked skin to calm him and lull him into a deep sleep.

Chapter 76

Jesse

The pair remained at the cabin for two more days. After the unfortunate incident their second night there, things seemed to regulate and return to normal, except that Jesse was especially careful not to bring up topics that included Hal’s work or his career.

For the most part, though, Jesse had a wonderful time, and based on her observations, so did Hal. The rain finally died down sometime after the second night, and they went out into the woods once again and lingered at the creek, eating sandwiches and drinking wine that Hal had packed. Hal had even taught her to fly-fish.

Jesse enjoyed the things they did together, and she enjoyed being alone with Hal. If it had not been for an email she received, she would have likely been content to stay there for weeks on end.

Alas, when Jesse had opened her emails to see a message from one of the magazines to which she had applied when she left her job with Elaine, she had been both shocked and elated. They said they had been impressed with her resume and her portfolio, and they wanted to schedule an interview with her as soon as she could arrange one.

Jesse had not hesitated to email them back, telling them that she would be available for an interview at nine o’clock in the morning the very next day. She was too eager to schedule it for any time later.

After sending the email, Jesse closed up her laptop and put it back in its traveling case. Then, she went to find Hal. She crossed from the guest room and into the living room, where Hal was seated on the couch. He looked up at her as she entered the room, and his eyebrows raised as he saw the excitement on her face.

“What’s up?” he asked, keeping his eyes fixed on her as she sat down beside him on the couch.

“I got an email from one of the places I applied to,” Jesse explained, her voice brimming with excitement.

Hal blinked and shook his head a little.

“Wow, that was soon,” Hal noted, surprise on his face. “Congratulations!”

“Thanks.” Jesse laughed, blushing a little.

“Where is it from?” Hal persisted, seeming genuinely curious.

“It’s some blog.” Jesse shrugged. “To be honest, I’ve never even heard of it before.”

Hal frowned a little at the news.

“And you want to work there?” he asked her, raising an eyebrow.

“I mean, at this point, I’m not going to be too terribly picky about who offers me a job,” Jesse explained.

Hal grunted and didn’t seem to be appeased.

“Besides,” Jesse went on, “it’s just an interview. It doesn’t mean I even have the job at all.”

Hal sighed, shook his head, but seemed to be a little more open.

“I guess that’s true.” Hal shrugged. “I just feel like you are better than working for some unheard of blog.”

“Maybe.” Jesse shrugged. “But right now this is what’s on the table for me, and I’m not just going to overlook it. I mean, who knows when something else will come my way at all.”

Hal nodded, seeming to at least understand, even if he wasn’t particularly excited about it.

“So when is the interview?” Hal asked, his voice much lighter.

“That’s actually what I came to tell you,” Jesse said, her voice a little remorseful. “I scheduled it for nine o’clock in the morning. I was too excited to have it any later.”

Hal blinked a little in surprise.

“Wow,” he said softly. “Well, I better put in a few calls, and we’d both better get packed up, don’t you think?”

Jesse felt a sense of relief that he understood.

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m sorry; I know this was all really sudden.”

“Don’t apologize,” Hal waved her off. “I told you we could leave whenever you needed to, and now you need to. I’ll put out a call to Phillip, and by the time we’re all packed up and ready, he’ll probably be here already. Sound good?”

Jesse nodded and smiled up at him. He smiled in return and leaned down to press a soft kiss to her lips.

“I’ll call Phillip,” Hal said, and Jesse nodded once more. “You go ahead and start getting ready to go.”

Jesse wasted no time and hurried into the guest bedroom to gather up all her clothes and pack them up. While she had slept in Hal’s room for the most part, her things had managed to stay in the guest bedroom. Now, though, Jesse made haste as she packed up.

Jesse couldn’t help being excited as she wondered how the interview would go. It was definitely very little time to prepare for an interview, but she had no one to blame for that but herself. Still, she had gone through interviews before, and they had all gone just fine.

It did not take Jesse long to assure that she had packed up all her belongings, and she took her bags to set them by the door that would open up to the stairway leading to the roof. No sooner had she placed them there than Hal emerged from his room and placed his things alongside hers.

“I haven’t heard back from Phillip yet,” Hal said. “But he is definitely on his way.”

“Okay.” Jesse nodded. Truth be told, she wasn’t horribly worried. She knew that the pilot would soon be there and they would on their way back to the city.

Jesse couldn’t help being a little sad and more than a little anxious at the thought of returning to the heavy population of the city they had been able to escape from, at least for a little while. She was not excited about being once more surrounded by people all the time and about worrying that she and Hal would be discovered.

“Jess?” Jesse shook her head as Hal’s voice ushered her out of her thoughts. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Jesse nodded, but Hal’s brow raised, and she knew that he wanted a more truthful answer. “I just wish I could stay here with you forever, away from everyone else.”

Hal’s expression softened, and he gathered her up in his arms, pulling her close to his chest, nuzzling the top of her head with his chin.

“You know what your problem is?” Hal spoke, and Jesse could hear the humor in his voice. “You want too much. You want to stay here, you want to go back, you want to be with me, you want to be a journalist. It seems the only thing you don’t want is for people to know you’re with me.”

Jesse frowned as Hal’s voice hardened a little at the last part of his statement.

“Hal?” she pulled back from him and looked up into his eyes, letting her facial expression voice her concerns.

Hal released a sigh and shook his head, then chuckled lowly.

“Sorry,” he said. “But I mean you have to admit, it’s a little frustrating that the person you love wants to keep your relationship a secret when a part of you wants to just tell the whole world.”

Jesse’s face wilted.

“Oh, Hal,” Jesse sighed and cupped his cheek with her hand. “I don’t want you to think I want to keep us in the dark. It’s just … I’m not excited about being in the public eye, is all.”

“I know, I know.” Hal nodded, seeming to relax a little bit, though he still seemed to be a little put out.

“I just …” Jesse started and trailed off, trying to find the right words to say. “I just need a little time. I’m sure things will take a perfectly natural and logical course if we just let them. I’m sure I’ll get used to everything as it comes.”

Hal nodded and stroked her face.

“I admit, it’s a lot to take in,” Hal agreed, “but I promise, it’s not as overwhelming as you might think, and you get used to it really fast.”

Jesse nodded, smiling gently up at him. A part of her was still horribly nervous about being out and open in the public eye.

“And no offense,” Hal started again, his voice carrying an edge of humor. “Nobody really knows who you are, so for a while, people are just going to be waiting for me to confirm what your name is, which I can drag out indefinitely.”

Jesse couldn’t help laughing a little at that because it was certainly true. Celebrity gossip was usually centered around more than one celebrity and thus magnified. At least since she was pretty much unknown, the press would wonder if they were in a relationship at all for a while.

“Well, no matter what happens with the press,” Jesse said, “it will be worth it if I can be with you.”

Jesse smiled up at Hal and was rewarded with a soft kiss.

Warmth flooded over Jesse, and she knew that no matter what the media said about them, she could put up with it as long as she got to share her life with Hal.

Chapter 77

Hal

It wasn’t long before Phillip arrived in the helicopter and was waiting for them on the roof. Hal wasted no time in gathering up his and Jesse’s things and carrying them up the stairs onto the landing pad. The blades of the helicopter were whipping up the air, and he smiled at the sight of Jesse’s hair flying around her face.

Hal loaded up their things and then he helped Jesse into the aircraft before getting in himself. He helped her buckle in and then buckled in himself before giving Phillip the signal that they were ready to go.

The two of them were quiet as they made their flight back into the city. Hal could tell that Jesse’s mind was on her interview. Hal’s mind, though, was on her.

Hal was certainly happy for her that she had gotten an interview. He had been able to see the excitement and relief on her face when she first told him that morning. Even so, he could not deny that he was more than a little saddened by the fact that she would soon be working again.

Hal knew that it was a little archaic of him, but a part of him wished that she was content with him simply taking care of her needs. He certainly had the money for it. Still, he knew that Jesse’s career was important to her, and he didn’t want to keep her from it.

Still, while he tried to be happy for her, he couldn’t ignore the gnawing dread in his stomach. No matter how many times he tried to rationalize with himself, he couldn’t make it go away.

Ever since he had nearly lost his mind and accused Jesse of trying to deceive him, the feeling had been there. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe her when she denied all his claims. Contrarily, the fact that he did believe her only made it that much harder to explain why the dark feeling inside of him wouldn’t go away.

For now, though, he was able to keep it at a minimum. What he feared, though, was that he wouldn’t be able to keep it at bay when Jesse was not with him. There was just a part of him that was terrified that everything would fall apart and slip through his fingers even as he tried to hold it all together. Just as it had before …

Hal clenched his teeth and pushed those thoughts away as hard as he could. He felt sweat break out on his forehead and ran his hand across it in annoyance to wipe it away. He was falling apart for no reason.

Jesse loved him and wanted to be with him. He repeated that like a mantra in his head as they flew.

When Jesse reached across the seat to rest her hand on his thigh, he took her hand in his own, holding it like a lifeline for his sanity. Fortunately, even that small touch was enough to calm him for the rest of the way home.

Chapter 78

Jesse

The helicopter landed on the top of Hal’s building, and Jesse allowed Hal to help her out of the chopper to stand on the landing pad. No sooner had she gotten out of the helicopter, Jesse saw someone standing a little way away from them on the landing pad.

Jesse squinted at him and was soon able to make out Adam’s features. She smiled over at him and gave him a wave, which he kindly returned as he started to make his way over to where she stood, waiting for Hal to get her things down from the helicopter.

As Adam neared them, Hal turned to face him, and a smile spread across his face.

“Adam,” Hal spoke, his voice amicable. “I have to say, I’ve actually missed you.”

Adam only returned the comment with a tight scowl, and Hal laughed easily.

“Oh, don’t be so uptight,” Hal waved at him dismissively. “Now here, take my things into my room and then find the keys for the Rover and bring them up to me.”

“I really must insist that I drive you,” Adam said, his voice hard, and Jesse felt a little intimidated by him again.

“Nonsense,” Hal dismissed the idea once again.

“Sir,” Adam protested. “The cabin may be relatively safe, but here in the city, there a myriad of dangers to your person that you seem to have completely forgotten about. I, fortunately, have not.”

Jesse looked up at Hal and saw a scowl cross his face. It seemed, though, that he was at a loss for an argument to make.

“Alright,” Hal conceded. “Go ahead and wait for us in the Rover. We’ll be down in just a few minutes.”

Adam gave Hal a stiff nod and Jesse a soft smile before he gathered up Hal’s bags and turned to go back toward the elevator that would take him all the way down to the garage.

When Adam had gone, Jesse turned back to look at Hal, only to find that he had moved over to converse with Phillip, who was just now getting back into the helicopter.

Jesse smiled at Hal as he began to return to her, and he returned the smile. Hal gathered up Jesse’s bags in one arm, and with his free hand, he took hold of Jesse’s.

As they headed toward the elevator, Phillip took off behind them on the landing pad.

Jesse allowed Hal to press the button for the elevator, and the two stepped in. Jesse was grateful for the quiet that this indoors offered, as opposed to the sound of the wind produced by the helicopter.

Jesse released a soft sigh, relaxing a little, and Hal turned to face her.

“Glad to be home?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Jesse let out a sarcastic laugh.

“Not really,” she answered with a sigh. “But I am excited about this interview. A little nervous, but excited.”

Hal nodded and then was quiet.

“Are you?” Jesse asked in return. “Glad to be home?”

Hal blinked and seemed to think for a moment.

“Not really,” he said with a soft smile. “I like having you all to myself back at the cabin.”

Jesse flushed a little at the statement, and she felt butterflies in her stomach.

“I mean it’s not like you have to share me with anyone here,” she pointed out gently.

“I will if you get this new job,” Hal said, his sadness evident in his tone.

“We’ll still be able to spend plenty of time together,” Jesse said and stood closer to him, pressing her body into his side.

They were quiet for a moment more before Hal turned his head to look down at her.

“Are you sure you just don’t want to spend the night here?” he asked, and Jesse heard the edge of a plea in his voice. “I can make sure you have clothes for the interview, and I can take you there myself.”

Jesse felt a little spark of guilt, but she knew she couldn’t accept his invitation. She knew she needed to spend some time by herself to collect herself for the interview and prepare the answers to any of the questions they were liable to ask.

“You know I’d love to,” Jesse smiled regretfully and looked up at him. “But I really need to spend some time getting ready for the interview, and you know I don’t want you to go out and buy me clothes.”

Hal released a sigh and smiled down at her.

“It was worth a shot,” he said with a shrug, wrapping his arm around her. “Will you at least let me take you out to dinner before you abandon me?”

Jesse laughed at his terminology.

“Not tonight.” Jesse shook her head, and she heard Hal release a soft breath through his nose, though he did not protest verbally. Jesse felt a twinge of guilt in her stomach, and she looked up at Hal.

“Hey, I’ll tell you what, though,” she spoke, and Hal raised an eyebrow as he listened. “Tomorrow, after my interview, I’ll call you up. Maybe we can go get lunch or something, okay?”

Hal smiled and nodded. Jesse did not miss the way the tension seemed to leave his face.

“That sounds great,” he said.

Just as he spoke, the doors of the elevators slid open and revealed the expansive parking garage.

Hal took her hand and led her out toward the Range Rover that Adam had already pulled up close to the elevator so they could easily get in.

Jesse watched as Hal strode toward the back and opened the rear of the vehicle, putting her minimal luggage there before returning to her side and opening the back door to help her into the car.

Jesse was left alone in the car with Adam for a moment while Hal crossed to the other side, and Jesse thought it would be rude not to speak to him.

“How have you enjoyed your few days off?” Jesse asked.

“Honestly?” Adam turned back to give her an aggravated look. “I haven’t. I worry about Hal when he’s gone for so long.”

Jesse was a little taken aback. She had never seemed Adam’s face quite so distressed, and she was also sure she had never heard him say so much in one sitting.

“I’m sorry to worry you,” Jesse with concern.

“Don’t be,” Adam said with a chuckle. “I just don’t do well with time off.”

Jesse would have pressed further if it hadn’t been for Hal getting into the car at that moment.

“Alright,” he said as he got into the car. “Let’s get Jess home.”

“Right on it,” Adam said and began the process of pulling out of the parking garage.

Jesse was silent all along the ride home, and once again she slipped her hand into Hal’s as Adam drove. Her mind was partially going through a mental checklist of all she had to do to prepare for her interview, but another part of her was thinking about Hal, and how she would miss him over the course of the night. She could hardly remember what it was like to sleep alone.

Even so, she knew that she had to focus, even if just for one night, and that she would probably see him for lunch the next day. So, she decided that they could probably both survive.

Jesse was prepared to give Adam directions to her apartment, but it seemed that there was no need as he remembered the route on his own. In no time, they were parked on the street outside the doors to her building.

Hal immediately got out of the car, and as he moved around, Jesse looked to the front to address Adam.

“Thanks for the ride,” she said. “I hope you’re feeling better now that Hal is back under your care.”

Adam let out a quick bark of a laugh.

“Thanks,” he said with a smile. “And you’re welcome.”

Jesse smiled up at him just as Hal opened the door to help her out.

“Hey,” he scolded playfully, “stop flirting with Adam. I might get jealous.”

Adam grunted in response, and Jesse blushed as she took Hal’s hand and allowed him to help her out of the car.

Jesse lingered on the sidewalk while Hal went and gathered up her things, then they joined hands and stepped into the building. They were quiet as they crossed the lobby and then rode the elevator up to Jesse’s floor. Hal escorted her all the way to the door of her apartment.

“Thanks for bringing me home,” Jesse said. “I had a lot of fun with you these past few days.”

“Of course,” Hal said. “I had a lot of fun with you too.”

Jesse smiled and wrapped her arms around Hal’s torso. After she pulled back, Hal leaned down and softly kissed her lips. Jesse looked up at him and felt guilty once again at the sadness she could see in his eyes.

“I’ll call you tomorrow after my interview,” Jesse said. “And then we can go get some lunch, okay?”

“Okay,” Hal said softly, offering her a small smile. “Good luck, Jess. Have a great interview.”

“I will,” she said with a smile. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Hal said and turned to walk down the hallway. Jesse watched until he disappeared into the elevator and then released a sigh.

She would miss him for this little while. For now, though, she had an interview to prepare for and didn’t want to waste time worrying about Hal when she knew very well she would see him the next day.

Resolved to stay focused, Jesse unlocked her door and carried her things into her apartment.

Chapter 79

Hal

Hal got into the passenger seat of the Range Rover and leaned his head back against the headrest as he buckled his seatbelt, staying quiet as Adam pulled out onto the street. For a while, neither of them said anything to each other, and Hal simply looked out the window.

“Did you two enjoy your romantic escapade into the woods?” Adam asked him, and Hal could clearly hear the annoyance in his voice.

Hal sighed. He was in no real mood to put up with Adam’s ridiculous overprotectiveness.

“We did, thank you,” he said simply. “And I trust you enjoyed your time off as well.”

Adam grunted at him.

“You know I worry about you,” Adam said simply, and Hal felt a quick tinge of guilt, knowing his friend’s concern for him was coming from a good place.

“I know,” Hal said softly and fell quiet. He returned his attention to looking at cars as they passed outside the window.

“What?” Adam asked, his voice a mix of suspicion and concern. “No quips about my mothering care?”

Hal couldn’t even muster a smile and only responded with a small shrug.

Silence lingered between them for a few moments more before Adam finally spoke.

“Hal,” he said, and Hal turned to face him. Adam’s brows were furrowed, and his lips curled into a frown. “Are you alright?”

Hal frowned a little as well as he did his best to come up with an honest answer for that question. Actually, he knew very well that the answer was no. He had not felt completely at rest emotionally since he had snapped at Jesse the other night. That episode had impacted him deeply, and a part of him had been wound up, tense, and anxious ever since. What he really couldn’t decide was whether or not he really wanted to discuss any of that right at this moment with Adam.

At length, he decided that it would be far better to talk to a friend about this issue rather than let it build up inside of him.

“No,” Hal finally answered. “I’m not.”

Hal watched Adam blink at him for a moment. The other man was probably surprised at his openness, and Hal could hardly blame him. They very seldom talked about serious matters and much less emotional ones.

“Well …” Adam said, seeming to struggle for words a little. “What’s wrong, then?”

Hal was quiet for another moment, trying to figure out how best to voice what was going on inside of him.

“I don’t know,” he finally said, running a hand over his face. “I think I might just be paranoid that Jesse won’t want to be with me in the long run.”

“Oh,” Adam said, and Hal could tell that he felt like a fish out of water. “I mean, I guess that’s a concern when you’re in a relationship with anyone, right?”

“Right,” Hal mumbled. He did agree with Adam, but somehow he felt no consolation from his words. In reality, he knew that wasn’t exactly what he was afraid of, but he didn’t dare to even think of what his deepest fears were, lest he think them into existence.

Adam gave Hal a nod, and it seemed that they were done with the conversation. They were silent for the rest of the ride home and even after Adam had parked the Range Rover.

Hal walked with Adam to the elevator, and they waited together.

“Anything else you need tonight?” Adam asked him, and Hal could hear the concern in his friend’s voice.

“No, I’m good.” Hal smiled over at him and clapped him on the back. “Sorry I’m so emotional. I guess hanging around women had that effect.”

Adam chuckled.

“Don’t worry about it, man,” Adam said. “Just give me a call if you change your mind.”

“Sure thing,” Hal said. “We’re on for our workout tomorrow, right?”

“Right,” Adam nodded. The elevator doors slid open, and Adam stepped out onto his floor of the building. “See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow,” Hal replied, giving his friend a smile as the elevator doors slid closed.

Alone, Hal released a sigh and leaned back against the wall of the elevator. With nobody around to distract him from his thoughts and emotions, he could already feel them creeping up and starting to overwhelm him.

When the elevator doors opened on his floor, Hal wasted no time in heading into his kitchen and opening up the cabinet of liquor he kept fully stocked in case he had to host guests and provide their preference of booze.

For now, though, he needed the alcohol for a different purpose. He got out a tumbler from another cabinet and opened up a bottle of Scotch, pouring himself a healthy helping.

Hal easily tossed back the liquid, enjoying the way it burned his throat on the way down. He was eager for the alcohol to begin the work of numbing his mind and his emotions.

Without a second thought, he poured himself another glass.

Chapter 80

Jesse

Jesse was awoken by the sound of the alarm on her phone and blinked hazily as she reached over to turn it off. She sat up on the side of her bed and stretched her arms over her head with a yawn.

The clock read seven o’clock, and Jesse’s stomach fluttered with a mix of nervousness and excitement as she realized that in about two hours she would be walking into an interview for a new job.

First, though, Jesse knew that she had her whole morning routine to get through. So, without too much preamble, Jesse put on some yoga pants and a tank top, gathered up her keys and went out for her morning run.

From there on out, Jesse’s morning routine unfolded without a hitch. She got back to her apartment, showered, and dressed, and she was out of the house by eight-fifteen. She opened up the information about her interview on her phone and was pleased to note that the office was not very far from her apartment at all. In fact, it was a little closer than where she had worked before with Elaine.

Jesse took her time walking over, and she even stepped into her favorite shop to fetch herself some coffee. She was a little tense at first but relaxed as soon as she realized that everyone was on their phones and had no interest in who she was at all.

Once she collected her drink, Jesse moved out of the shop and headed toward the office where the interview would be held. She stepped into the building at eight-forty and headed straight to the receptionist’s desk.

Jesse stood in front of the desk, and a young man, likely around her age, looked up at her. His nametag identified him as ‘Scott’.

“Good morning,” he said pleasantly. “How can I help you?”

“Good morning,” Jesse said with a smile, “I have an interview for a journalist position at nine o’clock.”

“Wonderful.” The man smiled. “Your name?”

“Jesse Clarke,” Jesse responded, and Scott proceeded to type her name into his computer.

“Alright,” he said, “you’ll need to go to the top floor. The receptionist there will take it from there.”

“Thank you.” Jesse gave him a nod and looked around the room to find the elevators, which she then strode toward.

Jesse stepped into the elevator and pressed the button on the top floor. The doors to the elevator closed and then began to take her up to the top floor. People filtered in and out along the way, but finally the doors opened to allow Jesse to step out and find the desk of the new receptionist she needed to meet with.

Jesse moved toward the desk, and this time a young woman looked up to greet her.

“How may I help you?” She smiled at Jesse, and Jesse returned the smile.

“I’m here for an interview for a journalist’s position,” Jesse said. “My name is Jesse Clarke.”

The receptionist looked down at a list or a moment and then glanced back up at Jesse with a smile.

“You’re a little early,” the receptionist noticed. “You can take a seat right over there, and I’ll go check to see if you can go ahead in.”

“Alright, thank you,” Jesse said with a nod.

Jesse moved over to the small waiting area that the receptionist had indicated. She watched the other woman step into the office that she had indicated earlier.

Jesse felt a little bit of nerves as she eagerly waited for the woman to return. Jesse knew very well that she had been through all this before many times. For now, she just sat quietly, keeping herself collected.

Jesse kept her eyes fixed on the door of the office, and it was not very long before the receptionist came out, smiling broadly at Jesse.

“You can go ahead and come on in,” she said, holding the door open just a little bit as she spoke.

Jesse felt a lurch in her stomach as she stood. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder as she strode toward the door.

“Thank you.” She nodded at the receptionist, who stood holding the door open for her.

“Good luck,” the other young woman whispered back as she allowed Jesse to step into the room. Jesse couldn’t help feeling reassured.

The door closed behind Jesse, and she advanced further into the room and looked around for whoever it was that she was supposed to be having this interview with. Finally, she spotted the silhouette of a woman against the window.

Jesse watched the figure nervously, not quite sure what she should do.

“Oh, come now,” the figure spoke, and Jesse felt herself stiffen involuntarily as she recognized the voice. “Don’t you think we’ve moved past all these formal rituals?”

The figure turned around, and Jesse felt her stomach sink as she recognized the sharp features of her former boss. Now, they were made even more fierce by the cruel smile that was stretched across her lips.

Jesse not only felt bewildered but suddenly very tired and defeated. More than that, she felt as though she’d been had. She should have somehow known that Elaine was behind all this, though how she could have possibly known that still escaped her.

Nevertheless, Elaine stared her down pompously from across the room, and Jesse knew that it was her turn to make a move. She wished she had not been taken off guard, so she would have been prepared for this, rather than the interview she had planned for.

Mostly, Jesse was confused at why Elaine was here and not at The Edge.

“What are you doing here?” Jesse finally spoke. She was a little annoyed that the first words out of her mouth in this situation were so mundane, but she felt that she needed to know just how she had fallen into this trap and why Elaine was there.

“Oh.” Elaine laughed and strode toward the desk, where she sat down in the chair behind it. “I thought you might have caught on by now, but this is one of the little … subsidiary projects of mine. It’s definitely not as mainstream as The Edge, but it caters to a different audience and ultimately makes me money. Granted, I don’t spend very much time here because I oversee a highly competent staff.”

Jesse listened to the woman speak and felt herself descend into a little bit of misery. She should have researched the blog better, and it would have been easy to see that Elaine was the forerunner of the company. Even so, she had not, and now she was in one of the most awkward and miserable situations of her life.

“Naturally,” Elaine continued, “I oversee who is hired and fired here. I can’t have just anyone putting material out there for me. Every position here, from columnist to receptionist, is first approved by me.”

Jesse shifted on her feet, and she came to the bitter realization that this had all been a ruse and some kind of mind game that Elaine obviously enjoyed, but she did not.

“Imagine my surprise,” Elain purred out, “when I saw your name on the list of applicants. At first, I didn’t believe it. But after I looked through your resume and your portfolio, I recognized your work immediately. Usually, I don’t involve myself in this part of the process. Interviews, as I’ve told you before, really tend to bore me.”

Jesse nearly rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“Well, I’m sorry to have wasted your time,” Jesse said, trying to be as polite as possible. “I’ll see myself out.”

“Nonsense!” Elaine protested, smiling devilishly up at Jesse. “Come have a seat. There are some things I’d like to discuss with you.”

Jesse stiffened and narrowed her eyes as she glared across the room at Elaine. A part of her wanted to simply spit in the woman’s face and be done with it. Another part of her, still taken a little aback by the strangeness of her situation, was curious as to why Elaine had bothered to come meet with her. Especially after the way they had parted.

After a moment of consideration, Jesse slowly crossed the room and sat down in one of the large chairs opposite the desk. Jesse couldn’t help feeling a little anxiety. She felt like she had been in this place more times than she was comfortable with and shifted a little in her chair. She was sure Elaine was enjoying every bit of her discomfort, as her catlike smile seemed to widen.

“Now,” Elaine clapped her hands together, and Jesse nearly flinched at the sound. “I know that the last time we spoke it wasn’t under the best circumstances.”

Jesse nearly scoffed. That was the understatement of the year.

“And I don’t do this often,” Elaine said, holding up a finger. “But I have to admit that everything you said to me, while bold, was correct.”

Jesse blinked, taken aback by Elaine’s confession.

“You are a fine young journalist,” Elaine said. “I’ve always recognized that. But you know how it is as a superior when your subordinates try to put you in a compromising position. Really, most of what happened between us was just so I could assert myself. I tried to call your bluff but you actually had the guts to go through with it. Honestly, it caught me off guard. And I applaud you. It’s much like something I would have done in your position.”

Jesse offered Elaine a stiff nod, wondering where on earth Elaine was going with any of this. She was certain that the older woman had not brought her in to reminisce about the conflict between them. However, she was not at all interested in leading the conversation between them, so she simply waited in the hopes that Elaine would eventually circle back around to some sort of point.

“I would be happy to extend a job offer to you,” Elaine said, and Jesse felt a rush of surprise. “Back at The Edge. A promotion, if you will. I would give you a raise, and a lot more freedom with your hours, as well as the topics you choose to write on, and you could even work from home. I know you weren’t interested in writing comedic strips for the rest of your life. Now I’m giving you a window to get out of that.”

Jesse was taken aback by the offer, and while the idea sounded good at first, Jesse knew Elaine, and she knew that none of this was as cut and dry as Elaine was making it sound. Still, it was too good an offer to just refuse without at least inquiring into what would be required of her to attain it.

“It sounds like a great offer,” Jesse admitted drily. “So what’s the catch?”

Elaine bared her white teeth in a predatory smile, and Jesse’s stomach clenched a little in anxiety.

“Always so smart.” Elaine chuckled softly. “There is only one condition you must meet if you want to accept the position. A non-negotiable condition.”

“And what might that be?” Jesse asked, more out of courtesy than actual curiosity.

Elaine turned to face Jesse, her usually relaxed and cocky expression transformed into one of absolute seriousness. It only served to make Jesse even more suspicious than she already was.

“All that I want from you,” Elaine said, “is the Hal Roberts article that I assigned to you in the first place.”

Jesse felt her blood begin to boil, and she stood up from her chair, intent on leaving this entire situation behind.

Chapter 81

Jesse

“Wait, stop!” Elaine called out as Jesse reached the door. Finally, too angry to maintain her composure, Jesse whirled back around to look at the older woman.

“I already wrote you an article on Roberts,” Jesse said through clenched teeth. “And I will not write another one. Ever.”

“You and I both know that you threw that article,” Elaine hissed at her, and Jesse was embarrassed to be a little frightened by the tone of her voice. “Look me in the eye and tell me right now that the article you gave me was the article that was supposed to get your name out there and start your real career as a journalist.”

Jesse clenched her teeth and shifted uncomfortably where she stood. She could say a lot of things about the article she had written, but Elaine was right. It had been a toss out.

“That’s what I thought,” Elaine said, her voice softer. “Now please, sit down and listen to what I have to say.”

Reluctantly, Jesse did sit.

“Now, I can understand why you did it,” Elaine said, nodding in understanding. “I know how easy it is to get swept up in the charm of an alpha male and forget what you were even doing in the same room with him in the first place.”

Jesse stiffened, and she felt her stomach drop.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jesse denied. “Every encounter we had was for interview purposes.”

“Really?” Elaine raised her eyebrow. “A restaurant and a coffee shop are hardly the proper places for an interview, wouldn’t you agree?”

Jesse blushed a little, embarrassed that Elaine had brought up her brief appearance in a photograph with Hal.

“Besides,” Elaine waved off the previous comment. “If you were interviewing him, why did your article consist of facts and figure that anyone could have found in an unedited Wikipedia article?”

Jesse was a little stung by the comment, and it must have shown on her face.

“You and I both know that you probably had more than enough material to write the article that I wanted,” Elaine said ominously. “And now, I can guarantee you have even more.”

Elaine bent down behind her desk to withdraw a file, which she then slid across the desk to Jesse. Jesse looked up at Elaine before slowly opening the file.

Jesse’s stomach dropped at what she saw. The file was full of pictures of her and Hal at his cabin. Jesse blushed as she realized that they had caught them outside in the pool, from the first night they had been there. They seemed to have pictures of just about everything that had transpired out of doors and even a few shots through windows.

Jesse closed the file and looked up at Elaine, who was once again smiling over her, looking for all the world like a wolf descending on a flock of sheep. Or rather, one sheep in particular.

“How did you know?” Jesse asked, her voice blank.

“A little … birdie let me in on your little vacation,” Elaine smiled, and with her finger, she mimicked the action of a helicopter propeller.

Phillip.

Jesse felt sick.

“People will tell you just about anything you want to know if you have a little bit of change to offer them,” Elaine said smoothly. Jesse clenched her teeth and said nothing, merely waiting for Elaine to continue.

“Now you see,” Elaine spoke again, her tone as imperious as ever. “I have all the leverage here, but you still have what I want. I can see that you’re torn, and I can hardly blame you. But if I were you, I would maybe take a step back and ask myself: is this really the type of man I want to be in a relationship with?”

Jesse narrowed her eyes and looked up at Elaine, who smiled wider.

“Aren’t you curious as to why I wanted the article in the first place?” Elaine raised a brow. “I mean sure, he’s rich and famous, but there are so many others like him. No. Ever since his movie came out, I suspected that there was something else going on with him. Maybe something in his past or just some kind of mental illness. And I think that surely, you’ve realized that too. And at this point, you’re in the perfect position to find out all the things I want to know. All the things the world wants to know.”

Jesse’s eyes widened a little, and she felt sick. She was taken back to the night in the cabin when Hal had snapped. She was also very well aware of how similar what she was doing now was to what he had initially accused her of. She was filled with immense guilt just by being in the same room with Elaine.

More than her guilt, though, she felt an eerie sense of truth in the words Elaine had said. She already knew that Hal had experienced severe loss and strife in his past, and it was surely enough to leave anyone with scars. When she thought back on the night he had raged at her, she remembered the crazed, vacant look in his eyes.

It had almost been like it wasn’t him.

Jesse felt sickness in her stomach that was not completely related to the disgust she felt at Elaine’s proposition.

“Oh, and of course,” Elaine went on, pulling Jesse from the recesses of her thoughts, “if you won’t come back to work for me, I’ll have little choice but to post these photographs in the next volume of The Edge and leak them to every other major magazine in the city as well. But of course, in the end, the choice is yours. However, I think the pros far outweigh the cons in this situation, don’t you?”

A long silence filled the space between them, and Jesse’s thoughts were actively racing through her mind. Elaine was simply waiting on her response, and as of yet, Jesse didn’t know what on earth she was going to say.

Jesse glared across the desk at Elaine, a feeling of pure rage and hatred bubbling beneath the surface. The older woman sat with her fingers set in a steeple in front of her face, smiling as though she had already won this battle. The woman was right. She had a full house, and Jesse knew very well that she was not bluffing.

Jesse had seen the pictures herself, and she knew that Elaine had the means to offer her a better position at The Edge. She knew that Elaine had all the means to ruin the rest of her career, and while a part of Jesse was deeply disappointed by the knowledge that she seemed so completely trapped, she was at the same time empowered with the knowledge of what she was about to do.

Jesse knew that there was not enough money that could be offered to her or enough scandalous pictures to expose her in the world to make her turn her back on Hal.

Jesse also knew, now, that all of Elaine’s chips were on the table, set out as bait just to trap Jesse.

And Jesse was not about to take the bait.

Jesse allowed a smile to cross over her face, and she delighted in the bewildered look on Elaine’s face as she uttered a single syllable.

“No.”

Elaine blinked at her, her mouth dropping open.

“Excuse me?” the woman pressed, narrowing her eyes at Jesse.

“I said no,” Jesse said, reaching to collect her bag.

“You can’t be serious,” Elaine said shortly, obviously in denial. “If you don’t do it, I’ll just find someone else who will.”

“Find them, then,” Jesse said with a shrug as she arranged her bag to sit more comfortably on her shoulder.

Elaine seemed to gape for a moment before she hastily picked up the file from her desk.

“The photos!” Elaine interjected a little desperately. “I will have them released. Every single one of them. Do you really think any respectable magazine or paper would really hire someone who behaved so scandalously with an A-list celebrity?”

“Release them,” Jesse said simply. “I won’t even blink. I’m not ashamed of what I’ve done. And if going without work at some paper or magazines means that I don’t have to worry about working for someone like you, then I couldn’t be happier.”

Elaine’s expression grew dark.

“This was me giving you a second chance,” Elaine fairly growled at her. “And believe me, if you turn me down now, there will never be another shot for you. Not just with me, but across this entire industry.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Jesse conceded. “But it will all be worth it, just because I get to leave here with the knowledge that I was the one who put that desperate look on your face.”

Elaine bared her teeth at Jesse’s words, and Jesse could see veins in her neck beginning to protrude.

With that, Jesse gave Elaine one last smile before turning her back on her and heading straight out of the office, not even hearing whatever Elaine spat at her as she opened the door and left the office.

Chapter 82

Jesse

Jesse made her way down the elevator and then out of the building. Once she was outside, she released a breath that she hadn’t fully realized she had been holding. A swarm of emotions descended upon her, and she had to lean back against the building for support so she did not fall over.

There was no way she could have prepared herself for what ended up happening in that office. She had been so sure that she would never see Elaine again in her life, much less be intimidated and manipulated by her.

Jesse felt a little sick at the knowledge that Hal had almost been justified in his accusations. If she had taken Elaine’s offer, she could have easily drawn from all the time that she and Hal had spent together. She could have taken information from all the times they had lingered in bed, talking, deep into the early morning hours before falling asleep in one another’s arms.

It made Jesse numb to think of just how easily she could betray him, even now. Jesse was certain that if she went right back upstairs, she could go back into that office, apologize, and Elaine would offer her everything she had at her disposal if she could have even one snippet of the information that Jesse knew.

Jesse suddenly remembered that Hal had already been betrayed by someone close to him, as she remembered Elaine’s revelation that Phillip had given her a lead on their location. Jesse knew how much it was going to pain him to find out that someone in his inner circle had gone behind his back for something as arbitrary as money.

Jesse was able to settle her emotions enough to straighten up from where she was leaning against the wall and start slowly walking down the sidewalk, thoughts still swirling wildly around in her mind.

More than anything just then, Jesse wanted to be with Hal. She knew that she needed to tell him about Elaine, and about Phillip and about the photographs. He deserved to know the truth, and she wanted to be completely transparent with him, lest he once more become overtaken by his fears about her deceptions.

More than that, though, she needed the intimacy and connection that he offered her. She needed to feel his hands against her skin and feel the connection between their souls.

Jesse pulled out her phone and read the time. It was only a little past nine-thirty. She had told Hal she would call him, and that they could have lunch, but she suddenly found she couldn’t wait any longer.

Without hesitation, she selected his contact from her recent calls list and pressed the phone to her ear, waiting anxiously as it rang.

Chapter 83

Hal

Hal winced at the sound of the ringer of his phone, and he groaned as he flipped over in bed to see who it was that was calling him. His head pounded in his ears, and if this was Adam calling about their morning workout, he was just going to have to cancel it.

Hal picked up his phone from the nightstand, turned the screen to face him, and felt a jolt of excitement when he saw Jesse’s name in the caller ID. He abruptly sat up in bed as he answered, barely suppressing a bout of nausea as the room spun around him.

“Hello?” he spoke gruffly into the phone, a little embarrassed at the roughness of his voice.

“Hi,” Jesse spoke, and Hal felt a feeling of calm and serenity as he heard her voice. “Sorry to call you so early.”

“Oh no, you’re fine.” Hal shook his head and cleared his throat. “What’s up? How did the interview go?”

Hal heard Jesse sigh on the other end of the line.

“It’s a lot to explain,” she said, her voice sounding tense. “And I know it’s sooner than I had planned, but I was wondering if maybe I could come over. I mean, if not, I totally understand …”

“What? No!” Hal immediately protested, feeling a momentary panic at the thought that he wouldn’t get to see her. “Of course you can come over. Do you need me to send Adam to come pick you up?”

“No, no,” Hal heard her hasty response on the other end. “I’ll just take a cab.”

“Okay,” Hal said reluctantly. “I’ll send Adam down to the street so he can bring you up, alright?”

“Alright,” Jesse said, and Hal was sure that he heard relief in her voice. “I’ll be there soon.”

“Okay,” Hal said gently. “I’ll see you soon.”

With that, Jesse hung up, and Hal was left staring blankly at his phone for a moment.

Hal set the phone back on the nightstand and suddenly realized just how much of a wreck he was. He had drunk late into the night, and even when he had stopped drinking, he couldn’t sleep. The half empty bottle of Scotch and his tumbler were still on his nightstand, and he hurried to take them back into the kitchen.

Hal quickly put away the bottle of Scotch and hurried to the sink to wash and dry the tumbler so he could put it away. In his haste to do so, though, and in his still partially drunk state, he accidentally knocked it against the hard countertop, and it broke in his hand. He instinctively tightened his grip on the broken glass as if to keep it from falling, and he let out a loud curse as a sharp pain lashed across his palm.

Hal immediately flipped on the water of the sink, letting it wash away any remnants of the glass that may have been there. The cut wasn’t deep, but it sure was bleeding.

With a growl, Hal gathered up a fistful of paper towels and gripped it so that they would absorb the blood. With his uninjured hand, he gathered up the shards of glass and tossed them into the garbage.

Hal lingered in the kitchen for a moment, and after a while, he drew back the paper towel, wincing a little as it peeled off of his wound. It wasn’t bad, but it still needed bandaging.

As Hal made his way back to his room, he vaguely realized that he smelled of booze and sweat and needed to shower and clean up. He made it to his bathroom and stripped out of his clothes, careful to avoid getting blood on them. He awkwardly turned on the faucet with his left hand and got in the shower, not bothering to adjust the temperature.

Hal proceeded to wash himself hastily with his good hand, wincing when soap accidentally got into his wound. When he finished in the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist as best he could and proceeded to tend to his hand. He poured some iodine over it, hissed at the sting, and then put an antibacterial gel over the wound.

He dug into his first aid kit and withdrew an absorbent pad that would be sure to catch the blood from his hand. Then, he secured the pad with gauze and a strip of tape. It was a rough bandage, but it would have to do for the time being.

With his hand taken care of and his body clean, Hal gingerly brushed his teeth, trying his best to scrub away the smell of Scotch and morning breath.

When he was finished, he ran his left hand through his wet hair to tame it and then hurried into his room to find some clothes. He opted for a black T-shirt and a pair of chino shorts and then examined himself in the mirror. He was certainly not up to his own standards of appearance, but there was only so much he could do with the time he’d been allotted.

In fact, it seemed that he had managed his time perfectly. No sooner had he walked out into the living room than the elevator doors slid open, and Jesse stepped into the front hallway.

Hal smiled, and he felt his soul lighten a little just from the sight of her.

“Hey Jess,” he greeted her and then frowned a little as he saw the strained look on her face. “What’s the …”

Hal was abruptly cut off as Jesse advanced on him, wordlessly pulling his face down to hers and devouring him in a heated kiss. Hal felt her hand move to cup between his legs, and he felt a bolt of hot desire as she roughly gripped his member and it began to respond.

“I need you,” Jesse whispered, and Hal locked his eyes onto her frenzied blue ones.

All Hal could think to do was nod and immediately make for his bedroom.

Chapter 84

Jesse

Jesse barely managed to contain herself as Hal hastily led her into his bedroom. She wasted no time in roughly pushing Hal back onto the bed and then undoing the button of his shorts. She jerked them down his thighs to gather around his knees, and her eyes locked onto his cock as it sprang free of them. Jesse’s mouth watered, and she eagerly took him between her lips, dipping her head and taking him fully into her.

She heard Hal groan as she worked at him, and her body delighted in the sound, a shudder rolling through every limb and wetness pooling between her thighs. She did not get to stay there long, though, before Hal gathered her up under her arms and dragged her up his body.

Hal’s hands easily found the hem of her dress, and he yanked it up over her hips. She saw his eyes lock onto her panties, and she gasped as he took hold of them and tore them off of her as if they were made of spider webs. His hands then gripped her hips, and she released a sharp cry as he pierced her with his erection, his thickness stretching her in just the right way.

Jesse groaned and gasped as Hal held her hips tightly, thrusting up into her with fervor. Jesse braced her hands on his chest and fought against his grip so that she could ride him at her own pace, which at the time was a demanding one.

Hal groaned beneath her, and he shifted his grip on her hips to instead caress her breasts through the material of her bra and her dress. Jesse released a long moan at the sensation, feeling whole and complete as he buried himself inside of her and manipulated her swollen flesh.

Jesse’s eyes drifted closed, and she released a soft cry as Hal suddenly flipped Jesse over onto her back and pinned her down to the bed. He gripped her ankles and stretched them up over her head to give himself a better angle.

Hal set up a furious pace pumping in and out of her, and Jesse slipped a hand between their bodies and circled her clit.

Jesse let out a sob as she came hard around Hal’s cock, and she murmured incoherently as Hal continued to pound into her, and she shuddered at the sound of the grunts he was releasing.

Finally, he too found his release, and Jesse whimpered at the intimate sensation of his seed filling her up. She heard Hal release a long sigh, and after a moment, he gently lowered himself on top of her, rolling to the side and gathering her up to his chest.

They stayed that way for a long moment, content to hold each other close in the aftermath of their impromptu lovemaking.

“I missed you,” Jesse heard Hal murmur, and she smiled a little.

Her smile quickly faded, though, as she remembered why she had come over here in such a frenzy in the first place. She knew that she would have to tell him the details of what had happened between him and Elaine, but she had to admit that she was worried about how he would react.

“How was your meeting?” Hal spoke again, and Jesse felt a twinge of anxiety in her stomach.

“It was fine,” Jesse said and then felt guilty for the incorrect abbreviation.

“Fine?” Hal responded, his voice rough and a little scratchy. “What does that mean? I was a little surprised that you called so early. What happened?”

Jesse suddenly found herself too nervous to really answer the question, and she looked around for anything that would provide her some distraction. In the process of doing so, Jesse was alarmed to see that Hal had a bandage wrapped around his hand and that it was even a little soaked through with blood.

“Oh, my God,” Jesse murmured and gingerly took up his hand in hers. She had no idea how she had missed it before, and she felt more than a little guilty that it had somehow escaped her notice.

“What happened?” she asked, looking up at his face in alarm. It was then that she noticed it wasn’t just his hands that were in bad shape.

Hal’s eyes seemed sunken deep into his face, and there were dark bags under them. His face was not shaven clean as it usually was.

“Nothing,” Hal responded, stiffening a little. “I cut my hand on a glass I was trying to wash. Don’t worry, I already cleaned it and put some antibacterial on it.”

As Hal spoke, his breath washed over Jesse’s face and past the layer of mint that surely came from his toothpaste, she detected the stench of alcohol. Jesse frowned at him, suddenly very worried. More than that, she felt guilty that in her haze of lust she hadn’t noticed it before.

“Have you been drinking?” Jesse asked him, though she already knew the answer.

Hal released a sigh, and he ran his uninjured hand over his face.

“Yes,” he answered. “I just … I had a lot on my mind. And I couldn’t even fall asleep either.”

Jesse frowned, and she gently laid his hand in her lap, gently stroking his face. He smiled and turned his face to press a kiss into her palm.

“Don’t worry about me,” Hal said, waving a hand in dismissal, an easy smile on his face. “I feel much better now that you’re here.”

Jesse couldn’t help feeling a little flattered at the admission. Still, she knew that Hal needed to recover from his hangover and that he was in no position to do it himself.

“You must feel awful,” Jesse said softly, looking over Hal’s body. He shrugged and grinned, though his eyes dropped considerably, and he yawned widely.

“Sorry,” Hal said with a chuckle.

“Don’t apologize,” Jesse said softly and ran her fingernails through his hair, pleased at the way his eyes drifted shut. “Here, let me go get you some painkillers and water.”

Jesse made to get up out of the bed, but Hal placed his injured hand on her thigh to halt her. Jesse was surprised at the tightness of his grip, and she knew it must be hurting him. She made to loosen his grip and looked up into his tired eyes, surprised at the hint of anxiety she saw gleaming there.

“Don’t go,” he said, and his tired, rough voice was clearly tense. “Just stay here with me.”

Jesse considered it for a moment, but her resolve hardened when she realized how much his head must be hurting, not to mention his hand.

“I’ll be right back, I promise,” Jesse assured him. “Where do you keep your medicine? The bathroom.”

Jesse could see Hal’s jaw tighten, but he nodded.

“Are there glasses in there,” she asked him gently, hoping to coax out at least a few responses from him.

“There is a tumbler,” Hal offered. Jesse nodded. It would certainly do the job.

“I’ll be right back,” Jesse repeated and finally managed to remove his hand from her thigh, being careful not to irritate his injury.

Jesse hurried into the bathroom and opened up the large cabinet that was situated over the toilet. She soon found a bottle of painkillers and opened it up, putting a few of the pills in her hand. She found the tumbler and turned on the water, filling it up with as much water as it would hold.

With the pills and the water in hand, Jesse returned to the bedside. Hal sat up in the bed, and Jesse handed him first the pills, which he quickly tossed into his mouth, and then the water, which he soon polished off. He set the tumbler on his nightstand and then turned to Jesse, looking over at her expectantly.

“You need to eat something,” Jesse said, and Hal frowned. “It will make you feel better.”

Hal grumbled.

“You stay here,” Jesse said. “I’ll just go make you some toast or something, okay? I’ll bring it right back here.”

Jesse didn’t allow Hal any time to protest, and she headed into the kitchen.

As she rushed over there, Jesse’s mind spun, and she wondered why on earth he had decided to drink so much last night. She couldn’t help feeling a little guilty. She was sure that if she had been there with him, he wouldn’t have done anything like that.

Jesse felt darkness in the pit of her stomach. She felt foolish for putting stock into anything that Elaine ever said, but she was reminded of what she had said about her suspicions about Hal’s past and the possibility that he was suffering from mental illness. Jesse was taken back to the first time they had eaten lunch together and the story he had told her about his past.

She wondered if he had left anything out, and if so, what exactly those details might be.

Chapter 85

Hal

Hal tried to do as Jesse had asked him and just stay in bed. But even with the knowledge that she was only a few rooms away, he couldn’t stand the distance between them.

With a soft groan, he rolled off the side of the bed, pulling his shorts back up and buttoning them at his waist. Silently, he made his way down the hall and toward the kitchen. True to her word, Jesse was waiting at the toaster while a couple of slices of bread were browning, her back turned to him.

Hal smirked to himself as he silently crossed the room, sneaking up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist.

Jesse gasped and jumped in his arms, and Hal chuckled at having surprised her.

“You scared me,” Jesse said, some amusement in her voice, but also a lot of tension.

“Sorry,” Hal said a little sarcastically.

“You shouldn’t be out of bed,” Jesse said. “I’m sure you feel awful.”

Hal shrugged. He had dealt with far, far worse.

The toast popped out of the toaster, and Hal had to admit that he was hungrier than he had let on at first, as his mouth began to water at the scent of the food.

Jesse slipped out of his arms to rummage through his cabinets, and she eventually found a plate, which she put the toast on.

“Do you want anything on it?” Jesse asked him.

“I’d better not,” Hal said, briefly acknowledging the instability of his stomach. Jesse set down the plate on the counter and folded her arms, watching him expectantly.

Hal rolled his eyes and laughed a little at the look on her face. It reminded him of a mother who had told her child he couldn’t leave the table until he had finished his food. So, like an obedient child, Hal took up one of the slices of toast and took a bite out of it.

It didn’t take him long to finish up the small meal, and Hal was relieved that his stomach didn’t seem to be reacting negatively to the plain foods. He made to put the plate in the sink, but Jesse took it from him.

“You’ll ruin your bandages,” she said by way of an explanation. “It looks like they’ll need to be changed soon anyway.”

“They’ll be fine.” Hal dismissed her worries with a smile, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter, watching as Jesse washed, dried, and put away the dish. When she was done, she looked over at him and gave him a worried glance.

“Let me look at your hand,” Jesse said, looking down at the bandages.

Hal groaned.

“It’s fine,” he insisted. “Come on, let’s go back to bed.”

Jesse seemed hesitant.

“I don’t want it to get infected …” Jesse trailed off and reached out as if to take his hand.

Hal gently took hold of her wrist in his good hand and looked her in the eye.

“Jess,” he said softly. “My hand is fine. I already cleaned it up. It won’t get infected.”

Jesse looked up at him, and a scowl was still worked across her face.

“I’m tired,” he explained further. “I couldn’t sleep last night. All I want to do is go back to bed, curl up with you, and take a nap.”

Jesse’s face transformed into an expression of pity. Hal didn’t necessarily want her pity, but he knew that he could work with it in order to get what he wanted in this situation.

“After that,” he went on. “You can look at my hand, fix me food, whatever you want. Okay?”

Jesse seemed reluctant, but he saw her expression relax, and she eventually nodded.

“Okay,” she said, and Hal released a small sigh of relief. He placed his good hand in the small of her back and led her out of the kitchen back toward the bedroom.

Hal was becoming increasingly aware of just how very tired he really was. Even as they walked, he could barely keep his eyes open. And now that Jesse was here with him, he knew that he would be calm enough to sleep, knowing that she was with him and not somewhere else doing who knew what.

They made it back into his bedroom, and Hal did not hesitate to lay down on one side of the bed, gathering up his blankets to cover him, and then holding them up to allow Jesse to crawl in. He looked up at her, though, and she seemed hesitant still.

“Jess,” Hal said, looking up at her. “Please come lie down.”

“Are you sure you don’t need anything?” Jesse asked, seeming anxious. “More water or something else to eat…”

“No,” Hal cut her off gently. “I just need you right now. Please, come lie down.”

Hal kept his tone gentle and his words slow, and finally Jesse got into the bed beside him. Hal immediately drew her close to his body sliding his arm under her small figure, and burying his good hand in her hair. He felt himself relax as he laid there with her, and unable to keep them open any longer, his eyes drifted closed.

“Are you comfortable?” he asked her in a low mumble, his voice once again revealing just how tired he truly was.

“I’m good,” Jesse said softly, and Hal released a relaxed sigh as he felt her begin to run her nails along his back, then up through his hair and back down again.

Hal released a long, contented sigh, and he knew that if he were a cat, he could have certainly been purring.

“I love you,” Hal managed to mumble as he drifted off.

“I love you too,” Jesse’s breath tickled his ear as she whispered into it.

With a contented smile, Hal was finally able to fall into a much-needed sleep.

Chapter 86

Jesse

As Hal fell asleep, Jesse continued to run her fingers through his hair as she ran through a long string of thoughts in her head.

She was concerned for Hal, of course. She was almost positive that there was something going on with Hal. She admitted that she hadn’t known Hal for very long, but in that span of time, she hadn’t known him to be a heavy drinker. So the fact that he had been sleeplessly drinking was at least enough to warrant concern.

He seemed fine now that she was here, but that, too, inspired concern in Jesse.

She tried to think back on all the conversations they had had over the time they had been seeing one another, and she looked back especially on the night at his cabin when he had been so utterly outraged with her. She also remembered that he had asked her to spend the night with him. She felt bad, knowing that if she had just agreed, he would likely have been able to put his thoughts to rest and sleep.

Jesse wondered just what kind of bad thoughts he was having, and if they were entirely related to her or if they were hinged upon events that had occurred in his past.

Jesse looked down at Hal’s peaceful face as he slept, and she felt a surge of protectiveness for him wash over her. She didn’t want him to ever feel anxious or scared, especially not because of her. She wondered how she would ever be able to relay to him that she was devoted to him and that she wanted to be with him.

She could also understand, though, how he would have a hard time understanding that. From what she could remember of what he told her about his past, he had already gone through the horrible process of losing someone that he deeply loved. He had told her of his decision to go on with his career rather than to keep up his search for the woman he had loved.

Jesse could see now where his fear of her abandonment came into play. He obviously felt as though he had abandoned the woman that he once loved, and he was afraid that now, through some twist of fate, that the same thing would happen to him.

Jesse wished that she knew the words to say to convince him that his worries were baseless and that she wouldn’t abandon him because of his success, or for any other reason. She knew, though, that there was really nothing she could say to convince him and that she would just have to prove it by staying with him.

Jesse decided that the best answer to this problem would be if she moved in with him. She was sure that he wouldn’t take issue with it, as he had already offered it up to her on many occasions. At first, she had been reluctant to accept, not wanting for him to feel crowded or smothered and to allow their relationship to have some room to breathe.

Now though, she came to see that what she saw as breathing room, Hal saw as a smothering distance. The last thing that she wanted was for Hal to worry about what she was doing when they were apart. Especially given his particularly sensitive state for the time being, she would probably bring up that issue with him whenever he woke up.

Jesse felt a sick feeling, though, as she remembered the other issues she would have to discuss with him whenever he woke up. She had been so taken aback by the revelation that he was sleepless, hungover, and injured that she had forgotten what had happened that morning.

Jesse felt bitter hatred toward Elaine, which she had never imagined she would ever feel toward another human being in her entire life.

Jesse had no idea how Hal would even react to what she had to tell him. More than that, Jesse was horribly afraid that he wouldn’t believe her when she told him that she wanted nothing to do with it. She knew he had already voiced his suspicions once, and now that reality was so close to what he accused her of, she was afraid that this would be a repeat of the other night at the cabin.

Jesse didn’t know that he would believe her a second time, and Jesse felt a sharp pain at the idea that she would lose him. Unconsciously, she buried her hands in Hal’s hair and held him a little tighter, pressing her lips against his forehead. She couldn’t help being afraid that this might be one of the last times that she got to hold him.

At this point, Jesse didn’t know what she would do without Hal. She had fallen completely in love with him to the point that she was ready to completely give up on her journalism career if that’s what it took to keep him. Now, though, she feared that not even that would be enough to persuade Hal that she was faithful and not just another writer intent on revealing his past to get a good story out of him.

Jesse laid there, her emotions working themselves into knots in her stomach for a long while. At length, she began to try and plan out what it was she was going to say to Hal and how she would convince him that this had all just unfolded, and that it hadn’t been a long time in the making. No matter what words she came up with, though, the fear of his rebuke still gnawed at her, and she couldn’t seem to dismiss it.

In the end, after playing what seemed like a thousand scenarios over in her mind, Jesse decided to just be still and enjoy the feeling of him in her arms and the feeling of being wrapped in his.

Chapter 87

Hal

Hal’s eyes flickered open, and he was immediately greeted by the welcome sight of Jesse’s blue eyes watching him intently. He gave her a smile and tightened his grip around her, bringing her close to his chest and pressing a kiss to her head.

“Hey,” he said, his voice dry but much less tired than it had been before.

“Hey,” Jesse repeated. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better,” he answered. He shifted his weight and released her so that he could stretch and yawn. He blinked his eyes, still heavy with sleep, but he did have to admit that he felt a lot better. His headache was nearly gone, and he felt like a new man after having finally gotten some sleep.

“How long was I out?” he asked as he turned back to look at Jesse.

“A little under three hours,” she said, giving him a soft smile.

Hal blinked, but he wasn’t too surprised, considering that he hadn’t slept even a little the previous night.

“Did you sleep any?” he asked her, raising his hand to brush his fingertips along her cheekbones.

“A little,” she said, but Hal didn’t believe her. Her eyes were still filled with worry, and he was sure she had been up the entire time he slept, watching over him.

Hal grunted and sat up in the bed, wincing a little as he used his bandaged hand to help him. Jesse was immediately beside him looking down at his hand.

“Is it alright?” she asked him, her eyes searching his face.

“Yeah, it’s okay,” Hal said. “I’ll probably change the bandages here in a little bit.”

Jesse nodded, and she seemed to relax.

They lingered in silence for a moment, and Hal took that moment to collect his thoughts a little bit. As he recalled what had transpired between them when she arrived at his home, he realized that they had never really talked about her meeting. She had gotten caught up with his hand, and he had forgotten to ask her about how it had gone.

“So how did your meeting go?” he asked her, turning to face her.

Hal saw her stiffen, and he frowned.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, tilting her chin up to look at him. “What happened?”

Her eyes seemed wary as she looked up at him. Hal worried that the interview hadn’t gone very well and that it was weighing heavily on her.

“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” he assured her.

“No, it’s not that,” Jesse shook her head. “It’s just … it wasn’t really an interview.”

Hal frowned, confused.

“What do you mean?” Hal asked, searching Jesse’s face to try and guess what had happened.

“The blog that I thought I had an interview for,” Jesse started, “was actually a subsidiary company of The Edge. And the meeting was actually with Elaine.”

Hal blinked and felt himself become more than a little uneasy. He felt his anxiety well up within himself, and he worked hard to keep it at bay so that he could have a rational conversation with Jesse. The last thing he wanted to do was fly off the handle and make everything into a much bigger issue than it actually was.

“Well, what did she want to meet with you about?” he asked, working to keep his voice level.

“She asked me to go back to The Edge,” Jesse said.

Hal considered it for a moment.

“Is that what you want?” he asked her softly.

Jesse laughed a little bitterly.

“That’s not all she wanted,” Jesse said and looked up at him with a sad expression.

Hal stiffened and waited for her to further explain.

“She said she wanted me to write the article about you that she had asked for in the first place,” Jesse said, her voice tight. “The one that I had copped out of. She offered me a raise and a better position if I just wrote the article.”

Hal clenched his teeth and remained quiet, trying not to jump to any conclusions. His heart pounded in his chest and he felt his headache begin to roar back into his head.

“Did you take the job?” Hal asked her, hoping that her answer was the one that he need to hear.

“Of course not,” she said. “I told her no. She told me that this would be my last chance, but I told her no.”

Hal felt a surge of relief.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, though in truth he wasn’t sorry in the least. The last thing he wanted was for Jesse to be working for that snake of a woman.

“That’s not all,” Jesse said, and Hal frowned, once again tensing up. “She tried to blackmail me.”

Hal froze, a dark feeling of anger simmering just beneath his skin.

“She what?” he seethed, his voice soft.

“She had photos,” Jesse said, her voice barely audible.

“Photos?” Hal pressed, wanting a little more information than that.

Jesse seemed to hesitate.

“Photos of us,” she elaborated. “At the cabin, and … and in the pool.”

Hal’s stomach dropped, and he felt a little caught off guard. He had been absolutely certain that nobody would know they were at the cabin.

“How?” he asked, bewildered and confused.

“Phillip,” Jesse said softly. “Elaine told me he tipped her off.”

Jesse’s voice was quiet, and Hal released a growl as he threw off his covers and stalked up and down the room. He was enraged that one of his own employees had had the nerve to tip off the press about their location.

Firing Phillip would be simple enough. But undoing the damage these photos would do to Jesse’s reputation if they were released was another issue altogether.

For now, though, he had to deal with the issue that he actually had a solution to.

Hal moved to his bedside table and picked up his phone, dialing Adam’s number.

Chapter 88

Jesse

Jesse was filled with anxiety as she watched Hal pace across the room, growling to himself, and she flinched as he snatched up the phone from the bedside table, roughly tapping on the screen before pressing it to his ear.

“Adam,” Hal barked into the phone, “your pilot tipped off the press about my trip to the cabin. He’s fired, and I want him taken care of.”

With that, Hal hung up the phone, slammed it back down on the side table and stood with his hands on his hips, his eyes distant as he stared down at the ground. Jesse noticed he was flexing his injured hand, and it seemed as though he would combust at any moment.

Jesse couldn’t fight the fear and anxiety that had peaked within her at this point. Hal had hardly said a word to her, and she had no idea how much of his anger was directed at her or what thoughts were going through his head just now.

Jesse couldn’t remain silent any longer. She slowly knelt on the bed and looked up at him hesitantly.

“Hal?” she spoke softly and jumped a little as he looked sharply up at her. “I’m … I’m really sorry. I had no idea that this blog had anything to do with Elaine. And I … I don’t want you to think I did any of it on purpose.”

Hal’s face softened a little. Jesse was still apprehensive as Hal sat down on the bed and turned his head to face her.

“I’m sorry that all this is happening to you, Jess,” Hal said softly, remorse in his eyes. “I know that none of this is your fault.”

Jesse felt an overwhelming sense of relief at his words, and she let out a breath that she had been holding for what seemed like forever.

“I know how much your reputation means to you,” he went on, looking down at the bed as he spoke. “And I’m sorry that I was careless in taking you out to the cabin without making sure that we were absolutely alone first.”

Jesse hardly heard what he was saying past the relief she felt that he wasn’t angry with her; all she could do was shake her head.

“I don’t care about any of that, Hal,” she said softly, looking up at him. “I don’t care about Elaine, or the photographs, or any of it. All I care about is you and what you think of me. I don’t ever want you to think that I would just use you to write an article and then just pretend that none of this ever happened.”

Jesse felt tears welling up in her eyes as she spoke, and Hal lifted his uninjured hand to wipe away the tears that had trickled down her cheeks.

“Jess, I love you,” he said softly. “I know that as long as we’re together people are going to manipulate you and try to get information about me from you. I know that wherever you get a job, especially as a journalist, people are going to hound you for stories about me. I know that it’s a lot to have to deal with.”

Hal’s voice grew sadder the longer he spoke, and Jesse shook her head.

“I don’t care,” Jesse said. “I won’t be a journalist, then. I’m never going to have you think that I would do anything to betray you. I promise,” Jesse insisted, using one of her hands to press his against her cheek and nuzzling her face into it.

Hal looked over at her carefully, and his eyes searched her face. Jesse hoped that he could see her honesty as he looked her over, and her heart beat as she waited for him to respond to her. Finally, he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

“I know,” he said softly. “And I love you. And I would do anything to protect you from what people are going to say about us, from the scrutiny that we’re going to be under. But I can’t protect you from everything.”

“I don’t need you to,” Jesse immediately protested. “I knew this was a risk from the beginning. I’m a big girl; I can handle a few rumors.”

Jesse looked up at Hal and saw a smile flicker across his face before his eyes fell once more to look down at the bed. Jesse frowned as long moments of silence passed between them. For a while, she was too anxious to say anything. Finally, though, she gathered up the courage to gently cup his cheek in her hand and tilt it so that he was looking at her.

“Hal?” she said softly, running her thumb along his cheekbone. “What’s the matter?”

Hal looked up at her, his eyes a little pained, and he released a long huff of air through his nose. He nuzzled his face into her palm, and she allowed him to. Finally, he opened his mouth, and Jesse waited patiently for him to say what he needed to.

“Jess, I love you,” he said softly. “And I am so grateful for everything that you’ve already put yourself through for us and for the things that you may have to give up.”

Jesse opened her mouth as if to speak, but Hal held up his hand, stopping her. He took another long moment, and she heard him take a deep breath.

“But …” he said, his voice wary. “There’s something that I haven’t been completely honest with you about …”

Jesse frowned and dropped her hand from his face, a feeling of trepidation growing quickly in her stomach.

“What are you talking about?” Jesse asked, her voice soft, not knowing if she was going to like wherever this conversation was headed.

Hal took a deep breath before he spoke again, and Jesse clenched her teeth in anxiety.

“It’s about …” he said, and then stopped for a moment. “There’s more to my story that I didn’t tell you, and that you need to know. About what happened in my past.”

Chapter 89

Jesse and Hal

Hal covered his face with his hands, drew them slowly down his cheeks and let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re going to think it’s related to my previous girlfriend …” Hal searched Jesse’s face, his eye movement rapid, “I can see it in your eyes, but that’s not it—not for the most part at any rate.”

Jesse struggled to remain composed, to focus on what Hal was about to confess, and was she to admit it, yes, that was the thought that had blasted into her mind. But the look in his eyes spoke of something else, some other torment that lay at the heart of his bewildering behavior, and she grabbed his hands now firmly, silently pleading with him to continue.

Hal swallowed, and for a second, Jesse thought that he’d bottled it, that whatever was torturing him was too painfully personal for him to relay—but Hal took a deep breath and his hands tightened around hers. “People—people spend so much time praising me and the success of the film that they overlook one major factor … and … and … you know what that is?”

Jesse shook her head, wanting to throw herself into his embrace, to share what it was that was so distressing him, but she couldn’t—she needed to hear him out, so she allowed her hands to remain firmly in his. And then her eyes widened. She went to speak but held the words on the tip of her tongue.

“Go on,” Hal urged, “say what you’re thinking.”

Jesse bit her lip. “The film called ‘Yes,’ the one you directed, the one that drew Elaine’s attention … was …”

“Three years ago.” Hal nodded, beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead even though the air conditioning held the room at an even temperature.

“And nothing since—”

“Nothing since.” Hal’s confirmation was laced with bitterness and despair as he choked the words out, and Jesse could almost feel his pain.

“Yes was about a man with severe emotional problems. In some respects, it was like a documentary,” Jesse said quietly. “Are you saying …”

“What I’m saying is …” Hal began, his voice a tremor, “is that I went into that film unprepared …” he paused, broke free from Jesse’s grip on his hand and swiped the sweat from his forehead. “Unprepared …” he continued as she clutched it back once more, “for the emotional impact it would have on my life, not only during the making of the film but thereafter …” Hal took his eyes from her, looked to the floor like he was searching for words there that were difficult to find, but then, when he met her eyes again, his look was earnest. “That character consumed my identity,” he croaked, “I became that man, a shambling wreck, riddled with anxiety interlaced with bouts of deep depression.” Hal shook his head. “I put my heart and soul into it, and this is what came out … let me finish,” Hal said as Jesse went to speak. “I locked myself away, refused interviews and avoided contact of any kind in any way I could—that’s why Adam is so protective of me, he knows it well enough—and it’s also why I turned on you in the cabin. To this day, I can’t evaluate things logically, my mind blows things out of all proportion, and my emotions take over and rule my head.”

Hal shifted his stance so that he cupped Jesse’s chin in his shaky palm. “So you see, it’s not going to work, you and I,” he said, his eyes wet with deep sorrow. I’m just …”

“Stop right there.” Jesse surprised herself with the vehemence in her voice, but it wasn’t stopping her now. “I made a decision before I came here. A decision that no matter what, I was going to stand by you and nothing that I’ve heard from you now is going to make me change my mind.”

Jesse slid closer, hugged him tightly as she uttered, “In fact, it’s reinforced my determination to see you through this. You’ve opened up to me and …” Jesse held Hal at arm’s length, her voice steady although her heart was racing, “and I’m setting aside my career and my foolish notions about being seen in public with you—and I’m moving in if you’ll have me. And—Jesse raised a finger as Hal started to speak, “We’re going to work on getting you well, getting you treatment—how’s that sound?”

Hal withdrew, bit his lip as he searched her face, saw concern mixed with steely determination and felt anxiety overcome by pride in the woman he loved.

“I don’t deserve you,” Hal muttered.

Jesse put a finger to his lip. “Yes, yes you do.” No one said it would be easy, but together they could overcome any challenge. Because at the end of the day, that was what love is about. Jesse kissed Hal softly, and she felt a wave of gratitude flowing through her. Deep down in her heart she knew that they had a bright future ahead of them.

THE END

Dear reader - one last surprise for you! Enjoy my bestselling hot and steamy book “The Billionaire’s Hunt” - A Billionaire Bachelor Romance on the next pages! Happy reading!

The Billionaire’s Hunt

A Billionaire Bachelor Romance

By Sarah J. Brooks

Copyright © 2017 by Sarah J. Brooks

Published By: Sarah J. Brooks

Copyright and Disclaimer

Copyright © 2017 by Sarah J. Brooks

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Facebook: Sarah J. Brooks

Drake

Chapter 1

The kickoff party was for Leblanc Enterprises Incorporated’s new office building in downtown Los Angeles. Drake Leblanc, the 38-year-old CEO should have been downstairs greeting guests and talking about his company. Instead, he had a delicious blonde with her bright red lips wrapped around his cock.

He had been to enough kickoff parties to know that everyone was there for the free food and booze. No one actually cared about a big speech. Of course, he would give the obligatory speech, but only after he had his fun with the little blonde number on her knees in front of him.

She had eyed him from the second he walked into the party, so when she whispered in his ear that she wanted to fuck him it wasn’t a surprise. She promised to be the sweetest pussy he had ever had, so how could he possibly refuse that?

Drake was perfectly happy to take a little blonde detour. She was smoking hot if you liked the Barbie doll fake look. Blake didn’t particularly like that look over others, but her willingness was nothing to turn away from. Her huge DD breasts were well worth the detour.

As they made their way up the stairs, Drake had flashed the “Five Minutes” sign to his Vice President, Robert. Of course, it would take longer than five minutes, but that was the general sign to Robert that he could come get him anytime after that. Drake and Robert had worked out their signals, perfected them over the years, and Drake relied on Robert to rescue him from his sexual situations sometimes.

Robert Miller was the Vice President at Leblanc Enterprises and was well versed in how to handle Drake’s time during events. Drake often ran off with a hot little number that he picked up during the event and Robert’s job was to keep him on task. Well, it was Robert’s job when Drake’s assistant Samantha wasn’t around.

Of course, Robert had an actual job within the company also. He was the steady force that drove Leblanc Enterprises. Drake was the creative one, the person with all the ideas, and Robert was the man who could make those ideas a reality.

Drake closed his eyes and let the blonde feel in control of the situation for about two minutes. She wasn’t actually that good at giving head or he would have allowed her to continue on for a bit longer. His patience was running low and he needed to feel himself inside of her. Plus, he really did need to get downstairs to the party pretty soon.

The feeling of a tight young thing wrapped around his cock was nothing that Drake could resist. But the feeling of having his cock inside of her was much better and he needed to feel himself thrusting inside of her. Drake grabbed her hair gently and slowed her sucking motion.

“Come here, sweet thing,” Drake said as he pulled the woman into a standing position.

She willingly moved in front of him and stood there in her four-inch stiletto heels. It was an honor to be in the room with Drake and she couldn’t get past her admiration for him. He loved the way women looked at him when they fucked him, their desire for him was a combination of lust and excitement.

“Drake Leblanc, I can’t believe I’m here with you. This is so fucking exciting,” the woman said as she let Drake look at her naked body.

Drake Leblanc was the 6’1” hot bodied bachelor of the town. Every woman wanted to fuck him and some of the men too. He ran one of the hottest telecommunications companies on the west coast and spent his nights partying with the biggest celebrities. His multi-billion-dollar lifestyle was something everyone admired.

Drake was also very well known for the parties he would throw and the celebrities who had been at his house. Parties at Drake’s house were often known to end with naked women and lots of sex and that was just fine with everyone who came. Being part of his world was something everyone wanted, even if it was only for a night.

“Turn around, baby,” Drake demanded of the blonde.

The mental pictures that he took of his women were something that Drake made regular use of. He loved to look at the anticipation in their eyes. The pure bliss that they felt just before getting to fuck him. Many of the women he slept with were like super fans who just wanted to be able to tell all their friends about their night with the most eligible bachelor of the city.

“You like my ass?” She giggled as she turned around and shook her tiny firm ass in Drakes' face.

Yes, he liked it. Of course, he liked it. Who on earth wouldn’t like that sweet ass?

“Bend over that couch for me, sweetheart.”

The blonde looked back at Drake and giggled again, but then saw the serious look on his face. She stopped smiling and walked over to the couch and bent over as he requested.

Drake didn’t have time to waste and even if he did, it probably wouldn’t be wasted fucking a blonde who threw herself at him during a launch party. As much as he didn’t mind fucking these women, they certainly weren’t the type of woman he wanted to keep around for more than a night.

He walked over to her and stopped to admire her ass. It was delightful. Perfectly round and firm with just the right amount of curve to it.

Drake didn’t pause for long before he slid his erect member into her and savored the moan that she released. The moan of a woman during sex was one that he couldn’t get out of his system. No matter how much money he made, no matter how many business deals that happened, Drake lived for that moan from a woman.

He moved slowly at first and then let his thrust grow harder. She enjoyed it very much and he wanted to hear her moans become more epic. With a quick grab of her hair, he pulled her back toward him and let his cock thrust as deep as possible.

There was a knock at the door.

The blonde stopped moving and looked toward the door, but Drake just kept thrusting. Harder and harder he moved inside of her, willing her to pay attention to the pleasure that she must have felt by then. She didn’t need to stop just because there was a knock.

“Drake, five minutes until your speech,” Robert said as he walked right into the room.

Drake wasn’t fazed and he didn’t stop fucking the young blonde either. It was obvious they had done this before.

“Be there in five and find Samantha. She's supposed to introduce me and I couldn’t fucking find her earlier.”

“Alright. Anything else?”

“Grab me that water,” Drake said as he pointed to a bottle of water by the door.

Robert obliged his boss and brought the water over. He couldn’t help but stare at the young blonde who was bent over the couch and getting a thrashing from Drake. She looked embarrassed but tried not to look back at Robert as he came near.

“See you downstairs in five,” Robert said as he left the room.

Drake didn’t apologize for the interruption, there was no need to. He was Drake Leblanc and he would have a whole international phone conference while fucking someone, if he wanted to.

Business always came first.

As Drake finished thrusting into the blonde he pulled her up hard and gave her clit a few flicks of his thumb. Soon her body shook with an orgasm and he delivered his final thrust. It was quick, not because he couldn’t last longer; purely because he didn’t care to waste his time.

Gently Drake leaned her back over the couch and kissed the back of her neck.

“Very sweet indeed,” he said as he zipped up his pants, grabbed his bottle of water and made his way to the door.

“Can I call you?” She said as she grabbed her clothes off the floor.

“Sure thing, baby, my assistant Samantha will put you through when I’m available.”

What the blonde didn’t know was that Samantha had strict instructions to never put any of the women through to Drake unless he had specifically cleared it. There was no need for him to talk to them or have to deal with their neediness after a one-night stand. Of course, he didn’t want them to feel bad about their tryst; Drake wanted it to be a fun and exciting thing for his ladies. Often, he would have Samantha call up some of the women who left messages and invite them out to one of his parties. They felt excited to be invited and he had plenty of friends that liked to have the company of the hot women from Drake’s past.

As Drake made his way down the stairs to the party, he paused for a moment to check his hair in a hallway mirror. Primping and appearance weren’t a priority for him, mostly because they came naturally to him. His light brown hair had a soft wave to it that didn’t require upkeep; his body was ripped with muscles from his constant sexual cardio and regular fitness routine. Drake didn’t have to work hard at his looks at all, but he did like to give himself a quick glance before he had to speak.

“Drake where have you been? I’ve been looking for you,” Samantha said as she saw Drake descending the stairs.

“Me. I’ve been busy. Where have you been?”

“Screwing some waitress does not equal busy. I’ve been actually talking with our clients and telling them about our new products. That is what this event is for.”

Samantha Holt had been Drake’s assistant for the past five years. At twenty-five years old, she had one of the most envied jobs of any woman in L.A. She kept Drake’s best interest in mind in all his business and personal dealings, but Drake knew she didn’t condone his wild ways. She often told him he needed to settle down so he had a regular woman who would be there every night for him.

Drake had hired Samantha when she was twenty, purely because she turned him down when he wanted to fuck her during the interview. Although he admittedly thought she would have caved in shortly after. Now, after five years together, Drake liked that he could count on Samantha and that he knew she would never screw him. But he sure did like to try to convince her, still.

Samantha was a sexpot. Her 5’7” thin model like frame was something Drake admired every time she came into a room. She was tall, brunette and took care of herself very well. She had a smoking hot body and wasn’t afraid to show it off a little while at work. Drake often thought she purposely teased him with her short skirts and cleavage hugging blouses.

Having a fling with Drake wasn’t on Samantha’s radar, though. She liked her job and she wanted to keep it. Samantha was a smart woman and she knew the second she would give into Drake’s desires, he would have to get rid of her and find a new assistant. There was no way she was going to let that happen.

“Let’s not talk about me. How about you brief me on the speech I need to give,” Drake said condescendingly as they walked through the hallway to the large gathering of people.

“It’s the typical speech. Thanks for coming. We appreciate you all. We have lots of changes in store. Blah, blah, blah.”

“Got it.”

“Make eye contact with the older woman sitting to the side, It’s Susan Smith. She owns Smith Brothers Telecom and I think we should look into buying her out. She made it very clear in our conversation that she wants to retire soon. Pay some special attention to her so she likes you. And try to smile. You look like a WWE wrestler when you grimace all the time.”

“Anything else?”

“Nope.”

As they rounded the corner to the main room, Samantha went straight up to the small stage. She looked confident and sexy as she grabbed the microphone to introduce Drake. Samantha was more than just an assistant. Drake knew that his world would crumble around him if he didn’t have Sam there to take care of things for him.

“Thank you all for coming. This is a very special day for us and we are so glad you could all be here. Without further ado, our CEO Drake Leblanc.”

The room erupted in applause and Drake took control of the microphone. He looked around briefly to find the old woman that Sam had told him to say hi to. Drake had become numbed to the cheers and applause that happened at events like this and he moved right into the speech he wanted to give.

“Susan, you are looking wonderful tonight. After this, you’ll have to tell me your secret to staying so young. Mike, thanks for coming. Everyone, thank you so much for being here. As you know, Leblanc Enterprises is constantly working to be the leader in our industry and we couldn’t do it without all of you…”

Drake continued on with his speech and the audience was putty in his hands. He had a presence about him that made people love him. Even with his cocky and somewhat arrogant attitude, everyone loved Drake Leblanc.

Chapter 2

“Morning. Here’s your schedule for today,” Samantha said as she handed Drake his coffee and daily schedule.

It was a routine they had worked out perfectly over the years and Drake really relied on Sam to take control and guide him to where he needed to be throughout his days. Drake was the face of the company and he could go into any meeting and win people over, but he didn’t have time to manage his schedule or prepare for every meeting.

Sam was the best assistant Drake had hired since he had started his company. She was also the only assistant he hadn’t screwed. As much as he hated that Sam refused him all the time, he did understand her thought process and admire her for it.

“Thanks. Anything exciting today?”

“Well, you do have a meeting with the FTC at ten o’clock. Read my notes before you go to that. Also, you look like shit. Did you even shower this morning?”

“It was a long night.”

“Drake. You have to take care of yourself. Come here.”

Samantha pulled Drake toward her and straightened his tie and smoothed down his hair. She got so frustrated with him when he spent his nights boning random chicks and not taking care of himself. Sooner or later all that partying was going to catch up with him.

“You’re a doll. Thanks, Sam.”

“So, who was your overnighter? The same blonde you brought upstairs?”

“No. What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It was the brunette bartender! Wasn’t it?”

Drake made his way into his office and started up his computer as he tried his best to ignore Sam and her pestering questions.

“For someone who doesn’t like my sexual habits you sure do ask a lot of questions,” Drake said as he winked at her.

It was fun to flirt with Sam, probably because he knew it would never lead anywhere. Sam had made it perfectly clear to Drake that she wasn’t going to fall into bed with him. With that clarity came the freedom to flirt and make sexual innuendo without consequence, and Drake liked that.

Sam knew Drake very well. She took his sexual escapades in stride, although she didn’t think he needed to sleep with every woman who offered herself to him. It had become just as much a part of their work relationship as any other aspect of her job. Sam had even taken to occasionally hooking Drake up with a pretty girl that she had met while out with her own friends.

“I’m just looking out for you. Sooner or later you’re going to want to settle down.”

“I don’t have time to do the whole dating thing. I don’t have a problem settling down when I find the one.”

“You seriously think you’ll find her behind a bar or serving your dinner?”

“Don’t be judgmental Sam; there are good women all over the place.”

“Speaking of good women, you have a date with Rose tonight. I put it on your calendar. Don’t forget and don’t be a jerk.”

“Rose?”

It wasn’t often that Drake actually had a real date, but when he did it was usually someone that one of his close friends had set him up with. He really couldn’t remember who Rose was, or who had set up the date.

“Yes. Rose Stein. Your brother set you up with her.”

“Oh, God. Devon always finds the homely girls. Do you know what she looks like? Maybe she’ll be a firecracker in bed. You know there is something to say about fucking a woman who doesn’t get laid much; they sure are eager to please.”

“No, and I don’t care. You told him you would go out with her, so just do it. Show her a good time. Wine and dine her, you know the drill.”

“When is it?”

“Look at your calendar. It’s at eight o’clock. Plenty of time for you to finish up your meetings, get your workout in and shower before you meet her at Giorgio’s.”

“Alright. Make sure they have the wine I like. Don’t let that jerk who waited on me last time be there at all tonight and call ahead to my driver to make sure he brings the car with the solid partition. If this girl is homely, I don’t need him watching me while I fuck her in the back of the car.”

“Drake!”

“What?”

“Don’t fuck her. How about you go on just one date where you actually talk to the girl and don’t spend the whole night thinking about when you get to stick your cock into her.”

“Well, that seems stupid.”

Sam sighed deeply and then left Drake in his office to do his work.

Their relationship had grown tremendously over the years and Sam was one of the only people in Drake’s life who could actually talk to him realistically. Robert, his VP, was the other person, and, of course, his family. But most of Drake’s family had no idea about his sexual escapades. Drake was pretty sure his mother still thought he was a virgin.

The day to day business of running Leblanc Enterprises was what Drake lived for. The fast-paced non-stop action drove him to work harder and harder each day.

Drake was known in his industry, not because of his good looks or charm; he was known because of the hard work and dedication he had to the telecommunications world. His good looks and charm just helped everything out. His persona was what got the press for his company, but the company and its product were excellent once people got to work with them.

Drake had the ability to read through Sam’s notes in the five minutes before a meeting and then walk in and kill it. He owned the meetings and always appeared as if he had spent weeks preparing for them. It didn’t hurt that he dressed in custom suits and was always the sharpest dresser in the room. There was a level of admiration that people had for Drake, no matter who they were.

Looking the part was something Drake had learned long before he owned his company. His father had taught him before his very first job, “look at what your manager is wearing and make sure you dress better than him.” It was some of the best advice his father had ever given him.

His first job in college was at a small law firm, so dressing better than his boss was pretty difficult. Drake took his first few paychecks and invested in a nice suit and some stylish ties. Within a month, people around the office were complimenting his ties and he had done exactly what his father had intended with his advice; Drake had been noticed.

Now as a CEO, Drake used his notoriety as a playboy to drive the view of his company and its products. People saw Drake Leblanc as a trendsetter and so they also saw Leblanc Enterprises as a trend setting company.

“Thank you all for coming, I look forward to your review of our new products,” Drake said as he shook hands with the group of magazine editors who he met with at his eleven o’clock meeting.

“Lunch?” Drake said to Sam as he walked back to his office.

“It’s on your schedule. You and Robert have a working lunch. Meet him at Wilmer’s across the street.”

“Why does he insist on eating at the place? Doesn’t he know everything they sell is full of fat?”

“He does and that’s exactly why he likes it. Remember his wife has him on that low-fat diet at home. It’s the only real food he gets to eat.”

“Fine, but next time you tell him no and that we need to eat someplace normal.”

“Alright.”

Sam had learned not to argue with Drake about his eating. As much as Drake was willing to forgo his healthy lifestyle when a woman was involved, he absolutely wouldn’t forgo his healthy eating lifestyle for anyone. Sure, he would drink too much, stay up all night long and screw anything in a skirt; but don’t ever make him eat a burger.

“I have to go do some running around. I won’t be back until after three. Please do not forget about your date tonight.”

“Yes, yes, I remember it’s with Robin.”

“Rose.”

“Are you sure? I could have sworn you said Robin.”

“No, it's with Rose.”

“Oh, Robin was that girl from the gym. Yeah, yeah, she was a freak. Totally wanted me to pee on her.”

Sam just rolled her eyes and grabbed her things to head out of the office. She had heard plenty of Drake’s stories about his women. Enough to last her a lifetime. She had no desire to listen to any more of them.

“Wait, where are you going?”

“Errands.”

“You have a secret boyfriend, don’t you? Can I meet him? What’s his name?”

“First of all. She’s a woman. Secondly, no you can’t.”

“What? Wait you’re fucking a woman. How is this the first time I’ve heard of this? I want to come. Cancel my day. Let’s all have a fun afternoon.”

“Drake. I’m going to meet a girlfriend of mine. Stop making everything about sex.”

“Aww, so you’re not doing the sliding lady dance with her?”

“Oh my God. I’m leaving. Go have lunch with Robert. Then don’t forget your date later.”

“I’m thinking about you doing the sliding lady dance.”

Sam just shook her head and continued to walk down the hall. As she waited for the elevator, she tapped her watch and pointed to across the street to signal to Drake that he was late for his lunch with Robert.

“We can talk about your lesbian affair after lunch!” Drake yelled down the hall as Sam got into the elevator. It was certainly going to be something that he had on his mind for a while.

The idea of Sam and another hot brunette was a long-time fantasy of Drake’s. It would never come true, and he knew that, but that’s why it was such a great fantasy.

Chapter 3

Drake walked into Wilmer’s across the street from Leblanc Enterprises. It was a dive of a lunch location and filled with people who loved their food. Drake hated the place. Robert, on the other hand, loved it so much that he ate there almost daily.

“Robert, I can’t be responsible for the heart attack you’re going to have because of this food. Cindy is going to get mad at me.”

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Robert said as his eyes were glued to the menu.

Drake liked to joke about Robert’s wife Cindy and how tough she was on him all the time, but the truth was they had been married for many years and were extremely happy. Drake had even been Robert’s best man.

“Let me guess, cheeseburger and fries.”

“Double bacon cheeseburger,” Robert said as he licked his lips.

“Seriously dude, Cindy would kill you.”

“Nah, as long as I don’t actually keel over from a heart attack she’ll be alright.”

“And if you do die…well you’ll be dead so it won’t matter anymore.”

Robert paused for a moment to contemplate what Drake had said. Certainly, dying wasn’t something he wanted to do. He had a beautiful wife and kids that he couldn’t leave alone.

“Maybe next week I’ll skip a day or two of greasy food.”

“Hey, do you know anything about Smith Brothers Telcom?”

“That old lady from your party owns that, right?”

“Yep,” Drake said as he ordered the only salad on the menu.

“What about it?”

“I want to buy them.”

“Drake, seriously? We are in the middle of too much transition right now we need to take it easy. Why don’t you go on vacation or something? Try and relax a little bit.”

“Robert, you know me. I don’t do vacation.”

“Well, we don’t have the resources or time for a takeover right now so find something else to do with yourself.”

“Like what?”

Robert was used to Drake bucking at the idea of any sort of break from work. That just wasn’t who Drake was. He liked to work hard and continually wanted to grow his company. Unfortunately, it was often all work and a little play, but no real relaxation for Drake.

“I don’t know, Drake. What do your other friends do for relaxation?”

Drake had to think about it. He wasn’t sure he knew anyone who worked as hard as he did.

“I’ll try to figure it out.”

“Grab one of those sexy ladies of yours and hole up in your house for a week-long fuck fest. I’m sure that would be as close to a vacation as you could get.”

Drake stopped to think about that for a second. It wasn’t a bad idea. A whole week of endless sex might actually be pretty fun. The problem was Drake didn’t know any women that he liked enough to keep them for a whole week. Two dates were about the threshold of what he could handle, then the women he knew started to get really boring.

“Well, if I could ever find a woman that was fascinating enough to me maybe that idea would work.”

“You have to actually get to know a woman if you want to decide if you like her or not. Two sentences of conversation before you bone her does not equal a get to know you session.”

“They want to fuck. Am I supposed to say no?”

“Drake, how many women have you slept with? Dozens? Hundreds? You still haven’t found what you were looking for. Why not try a different way?”

“Like your way. Boring same old woman every single day.”

“Oh Drake, you’re missing out on a lot if you don’t try some monogamy. The sex is tantalizing, your body will crave it. It’s a totally different world than one-night-stand sex.”

Drake just laughed. The idea that Robert was having hotter sex than he was just was ridiculous. Drake spent most nights with a different woman. He had the pleasure of enjoying every position imaginable with some of the hottest women in the world. He just couldn’t imagine that Robert’s sex life with his wife of seven years was anywhere in the realm of the encounters he was having.

“Alright, Robert.”

“Oh, you think I’m kidding. You think because the women you fuck have perfect bodies that your sex is special. I’m telling you, Drake, when a woman feels comfortable she turns into a wild freak.”

“Cindy?” Drake said with a smile.

“Oh yeah. Like a crazy freak. It’s a whole different game when you get to come home to the same woman every night and fuck her brains out.”

“It would be a better use of my time. But there really isn’t a woman with a sex drive as high as mine.”

Robert laughed as he bit into his huge burger.

“You might be surprised what you’ll find when you pause to get to know someone.”

“She would have to be pretty fucking fantastic to keep me interested for more than a couple of nights.”

“You have that date with Rose tonight, right? Why don’t you try getting to know her?”

“And not sleep with her?”

Drake made a face at Robert like something smelled bad.

“Yes, Drake. Go on a real first date. Dinner, wine, all that romantic bullshit.”

“Not even a blow job?”

“No blow jobs. No eating her pussy. No fucking her. Just a nice normal first date. Ask her questions about her life. Let her ask you questions. All that good stuff.”

Drake just shook his head up and down as he finished his salad. He was up for giving it a try. A normal date wasn’t too much for Drake. He actually liked the idea of a little bit of a challenge.

“So, let me get this straight. So far at lunch we have decided that I won’t take over another company and I shouldn’t have sex with my date tonight. We are definitely eating somewhere else next time.”

As the two men left the restaurant and made their way back toward their office. Drake couldn’t help but contemplate what Robert had suggested.

Maybe it was time to settle down just a little bit. Of course, Drake didn’t want to get married or anything crazy like that. But perhaps dating a few regular girls would be a better way to go about things instead of picking up a new girl every night.

Drake spaced off a little bit as he thought about some of his past women and if any of them would be good for a little semi-regular nighttime fun. He quickly recalled his past conquests all blended together and it wasn’t likely that he would be able to differentiate them enough to tell which ones he liked and which ones he didn’t.

He hadn’t had a woman around in a long time that would even stand up to him. Drake, of course, liked a woman in bed that would do anything he wanted. But in real life, he needed intelligence mixed with a hot body and unstoppable sex drive. That was what he wanted. If he could find that in a woman, then maybe he could sort of settle down.

“You could always be one of those progressive guys who kept a couple of women,” Robert said jokingly as they headed back to the office.

“Yeah, that would be better.”

“No, Drake, I was joking. Trust me. Two women would be way too much to handle on a daily basis. Plus, they wouldn’t get along and would always be fighting. It doesn’t work that way.”

“I like it. Maybe two really hot, smart, sexy women. Mmm, yeah that would be perfect. I could take turns with them. Maybe they could take turns with each other. Perfect.”

Robert just rolled his eyes as he stopped walking altogether.

“Drake, that’s a porno film, not real life. You can’t even find one hot, sexy, intelligent woman to keep around. How do you expect to find more than one?”

“Alright. Let’s say I wanted to find just one. We need to figure out the most efficient way to just get this over with. I don’t have time for dating a million women and wasting time.”

“Have Sam help you. She has known you for five years. The two of you could go to one of those fantasy matchmakers or something,” Robert didn’t seem very confident in his plan.

Robert could still remember the time Drake did go to a matchmaker service and he ended up fucking the matchmaker. She was totally into it, but then refused to help set him up with any of her clients. Pretty much she just wanted to keep him for herself.

Drake stood still and stared at the movie poster on the building they were in front of. He had a fantastic idea.

Chapter 4

“I would settle down if I could have women battle over me like in that,” Drake said as he pointed to the latest movie poster.

It depicted a group of people battling to the death as they were held captive on an island. Drake smiled as he thought about how much fun it would be to be held captive on an island with a bunch of beautiful women fighting over him.

“So, would they fight to the death? The last one standing is the one you’d keep?”

The two men laughed as they thought about the outrageous plan. It had to be something most men had pondered. A little fight to the death among hot women. A lot of sex and battles to see who was the best.

“Yeah, why the hell not. I’d love to see some women fighting over me like that. Full-on chick fights are hot.”

“Drake, you’re talking craziness,” Robert just brushed him off as the two of them continued toward the office.

“Instead of a battle to the death, I’d like to do a sex battle. Oh, fuck. yeah. Can you imagine? Stuck on an island and each woman fucking my brains out until I was too exhausted to move. Now that would make a good fucking movie.”

Robert just rolled his eyes as the pair continued into their building and waited for the elevator.

“Maybe you could set up some rules, or give out points based on their sexual abilities.” Robert clearly was just humoring Drake by that point.

“Yes, perfect!”

“No, Drake it isn’t perfect. Woman don’t like to be looked at as a game to win. You’d never get a woman to agree to such a thing.”

“Oh, you underestimate the women that I sleep with,” Drake laughed. “I do think we should keep the killing in our little island game, though. That would make it much more fun.” Drake laughed.

“Yeah, maybe they could be naked too. That would really be hot,” Robert added as he really started to get into the idea.

“Fuck yeah, and have them do some naked competitions. Maybe compete for my affections. Oh, that would be hot.”

“I feel some Jell-O wrestling coming on.”

The two men just laughed and laughed as they continued to plan out their fictitious sex island that Drake would use to find his perfect woman.

The funny thing was, the more they talked; the more Drake actually wanted to figure out a way to find the woman of his dreams. He was kind of tired of using all his energy to find one-night stands. It would be so much more efficient if he had one amazing woman around.

“I’d love to fuck a group of women. Like a full-on orgy but with all women who wanted me. God that would be so fucking hot. Let’s find an island and get this party started,” Drake winked at Robert.

“That’s exactly the problem, Drake. If you filled an island with the women you sleep with, you would be the one running for the nearest boat. You can’t even be around those women longer than one night.”

Drake had to admit Robert was one-hundred percent right. He really couldn’t stand to actually be around most of the women he fucked. But those were the women he was attracted to. He would never settle for a woman who wasn’t smoking hot. The sexual attraction had to be there, it was extremely important to Drake. Sexual attraction did come in many forms, though. A woman didn’t have to look like a model, but she did have to be confident and proud of her body. That meant Drake would fuck a woman of any size, if she had the sexual confidence he liked to see.

“Well it was a fun idea at least...”, Drake said, a little dejected as they made their way up to their offices.

“Perhaps you could do something for real though, Drake,” Robert suggested.

It wasn’t a totally horrible idea to bring a few women around and see which one Drake could actually stand for longer than a night. Of course, there would be no fighting to the death or anything like that. But they could certainly do something more similar to those wild dating shows that were on television.

“You just got done convincing me it was a stupid idea. Now you like it?” Drake said as he playfully shoved Robert out of the elevator.

“Hear me out. Yes, you could do something like have the women come to your house, maybe spend the week there.”

“Yeah, I could do that. It would be the best way to get to know a group of women and find one that I wanted to keep around. But there’s one problem.” Drake looked at Robert and started to pull on his hair.

“What? Why are you pulling your hair?”

“That many women in one place is sure to cause some serious cat fights.”

Drake pretended to pull on his clothes and scratch Robert. He continued to tug and pull as he pretended to have a cat fight with himself. Robert couldn’t help but laugh as Drake made fun of their planned way of getting him a a woman.

“I think it’s a good idea. We should run it past Sam. Obviously, we would not have the killing in our little plan. But we could make this work.”

“Oh, no. There is no running this past Sam. We don’t need to, we are doing this, Robert. I’ve decided. I need a regular woman and this is the most efficient way of making things happen.”

Drake was a very decisive man. He really didn’t like to sit around and plan things and much preferred to just make his decision and then move forward with things. He also knew that Samantha wouldn’t approve. She already hated how he had one-night stands all the time; she surely wouldn’t appreciate his plan to have a bunch of women live with him for a week so he could fuck them and get to know them.

“Well, you’ll need her help in picking the women. We can’t leave it up to you. You’re horrible at it.” Robert shoved Drake back as they stood in the lobby of their floor.

Robert really did think this plan was a good one. Drake needed a woman in his life. All the one-night stands weren’t going to get him anywhere in life. All the big executives had women in their lives. Having a woman around softened up the persona of a leader and she was also the perfect partner to attend business meetings and charity events. Drake would love it, Robert just knew it.

But as much as Drake wanted to just plan it all himself, Robert knew he didn’t have time for that and Samantha was going to have to do a lot of the work. They were going to have to figure out a way to convince her it was a good idea. She needed to be on board with the plan before they could get started with it.

Oh, Sam would do anything that Drake asked her to. She was an excellent assistant. It was her job to make Drake’s life easier. Plus, if Drake really wanted something he knew that Sam would back him; she always did. But getting her on board with the plan would ensure the ultimate success.

“I think she’ll like my plan. Let’s go ask her.” Drake moved quickly down the hall toward Samantha’s desk.

Samantha had returned from her errands early and sat at her desk and watched the two men as they walked toward her. She had to laugh when she saw the childish grin on Drakes' face. He only got that look when he was up to no good. She knew that look very well. It was often the look she saw just before he did something stupid.

Chapter 5

“What are you up to, Drake? I’ve seen that smile before,” Sam said as she met his gaze.

“I have a job for you. It’s going to be a fun one.”

Samantha hated when he said stuff like that. Drake was notorious for the way he went about business and life. Full throttle, non-stop without worry for anyone at all. It made Samantha very nervous. She lived life within the boundaries of rules. Yes, she had fun. She actually had a lot more fun than Drake probably thought she did. But she always lived life by the rules…her own rules. Samantha used logic to make her decisions and hated that Drake always seemed to not stop and use his own logic.

Drake was clearly a very bright man. He ran his business with insight and creativity that Sam envied a lot, but Drake had an extremely difficult time living by the rules. Anyone’s rules.

“Alright Drake, I’ll bite. What would you like me to work on?”

By this time, Robert had also joined them and he was smiling just as broadly as Drake was. Samantha was nervous. Robert was normally the level-headed one of the group. He typically could talk Drake out of things. If Robert also thought this was a fun job, Samantha was certainly interested in hearing more about it.

“I’m going to host a group of women at my house and have a fight to the death for me!” Drake said excitedly.

Sam couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the preposterous idea.

“Oh yeah, a fight to the death?”

“Remember, we decided no death,” Robert added as he and Drake made their way into Drake’s office and Samantha followed them.

The three of them sat around the conference table and Drake tried to explain what he wanted Samantha to do.

“Alright. We will have to work out the details, but basically this is what I need. I want you two to find me like five to ten of the most amazing women. I don’t just mean beautiful. I mean sexy, smart, basically the whole package.”

“Oh, because that will be easy to find,” Samantha said as she took notes.

Samantha had learned from working with Drake that she always had to take notes when he got one of his wild ideas. Often, he would forget what he said and ask her about it, so she always took notes, it just made it easier on her later when he decided he wanted to do whatever his crazy idea was.

“I believe in you, Sam. Alright, so let’s just say you are able to find these women. The two of you will know who I’ll like. Then we will set up some rules and they will come to my house for a week.”

“What will they do while they are at your house for a week?” Sam asked as she kept taking notes.

Sam looked skeptically from Robert to Drake and then back again. The two of them were so excited that it made Sam smile as she waited for Drake to tell her all the details about his plan.

“Fuck me.”

“Oh, come on, Drake.” Samantha threw her pen across the room. “You’re going to go to all this trouble to find these fantastic women and all you want to do is fuck them?”

“Alright, what do you suggest?”

“If you want the caliber of woman you say you do, they are going to need more from you. You’re going to have to talk to them, have a date with them, and get to know them.”

“Then fuck them?”

“Yes, then fuck them.” Sam smiled as she wrote it all down with the pen she took from Robert.

“He really does need to fuck them, Sam. It’s an important part of knowing if they're a good match.” Robert added.

“I know you guys think I never have sex at all. But believe it or not, I understand the importance of having a fulfilling sex life. I just think Drake has to have some sort of emotional connection with these women. If we are going to do this, we should go all the way. Isn’t that what you always say, Drake?”

Samantha was so right. Drake never did anything halfway. His whole life was spent pushing the envelope, taking things as far as they could go and then going even further. He wouldn’t settle for an employee who was mediocre and he certainly wasn’t going to settle for a mediocre full-time girlfriend. Drake needed a woman that had it all.

As much as Drake didn’t want to admit it, he started to get excited about this little adventure that they were planning. Of course, it would be exciting to get to know some gorgeous women, but he was also excited at the idea of finding a woman that might actually be his match. He wasn’t sure she was out there, but the thought of her was exhilarating.

“So when would you like to do your little matchmaking game?”

“Let’s say in one week?” Drake said as he scratched everything off his calendar.

“Drake, seriously? One week? You want me to find you a group of perfect women who can give up their entire schedule for a whole week and you want me to do it in less than seven days?”

“Robert will help you.”

“What? Me? No, no, no, I can’t help with this matchmaking game. Someone needs to run the business.”

“Oh, you know you want to interview some sexy women, Robert.”

Robert didn’t argue. It was a good excuse to get to hang out with some gorgeous women. He was a 100% faithful husband, but looking certainly wasn’t cheating. And boy did Robert like to look at the women that Drake dated. Drake always had the women that were so beautiful you didn’t even need to ask why Drake fucked them; Robert knew exactly why.

“Are we looking for level ten women with big boobs? Or what are we looking for?” Samantha continued to take notes like the dedicated assistant she was.

“Sam, I want women who will be my equal. I’ll let you pick some nines if necessary. I’ll let you pick any woman you think will give me a run for my money.”

“Any woman?”

“Fuck it. Yes. I love women. I love smart ones, blonde ones, big ones, short ones. You find me a woman who has a sex drive as high as mine and a brain for business, I’ll be in heaven.”

“I think we should find some really kinky ones. Drake isn’t going to be happy with plain women,” Robert added as he sat back in his chair and thought about the types they should find.

“I don’t know, Robert. A nice sweet girl with an MBA might work pretty well if she was open to experimentation.”

“I like how you guys think,” Drake remarked. “Go, get to it. I’d like to have them at my house by Saturday.”

“You want me to get started now?”

“Yes, Sam, now. You only have less than a week to bring me a group of women that would be perfect for me.”

“Are you still going out with Rose tonight?”

“Sure, what the hell. I’ll go out with her.”

“Why don’t you try actually getting to know her? Practice for your week-long matchmaking game.”

Drake liked that idea. It would be fun to pretend like Rose was one of the contestants and Drake could practice going on a real date and trying to get to know her. He really didn’t do that very often in a real sense, probably because he didn’t actually go on dates. Most of the women he met were simply interested in nailing him and then bragging to their friends. After the sex, then they started to contemplate what it would be like to officially date Drake.

Sure, he pretended to get to know women so he could get enough information to get them back to his place. But he didn’t often actually get to know them. It would be a good night to practice that.

“I’m game for this date tonight. I’m going to totally knock her socks off. You just wait and see.”

“I really hope you two hit it off, Drake. She’s a really nice girl.”

Chapter 6

Drake arrived at Giorgio’s Italian Restaurant totally prepared to work on his real dating skills. He was more determined than ever to show this girl that he could have a conversation and not just sleep with her.

Secretly, Drake hoped that Rose was ugly so he could concentrate on his questioning skills and his listening skills and not have to worry about lusting after her. Maybe not totally ugly, but just enough that he would be able to resist himself. But who was he kidding, Drake knew he had a hard time resisting any woman.

Drake looked around the restaurant for a homely woman just sitting and waiting for someone. Typically, when he was set up by his friends, the women would be so excited to meet him that they were always at the restaurant early waiting for him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find anyone at all, in fact, there were no single women sitting around anywhere in the restaurant.

“Table for Leblanc,” Drake said to the man at the front of the restaurant.

“Oh yes sir, this way.”

Drake sat down and ordered his favorite wine while he waited for Rose to arrive. He looked at his watch and started to get a little annoyed as the time flew by. When it hit 8:15 pm Drake was about to leave, or at least order some food and eat.

Then he saw her.

She was beautiful. Nothing like the women his brother typically set him up with. Rose had long dark brown hair and the perfect hourglass body. She had on a navy blue dress and stunning red shoes with matching red lips.

Although she certainly wasn’t a size two, Rose was perfectly proportioned and very slim. He thought she reminded him of one of the Victoria Secrets models. Curvy in all the right places. She was a delectable sight to see and Drake knew right away he was going to struggle on their date. He knew his mind would spend most of the night thinking about having her in his bed.

“Well aren’t you cute as a button” Rose said to Drake as she came up to his table.

She had a southern accent that just drove Drake wild. He loved a girl with any kind of accent that was different than the typical girl. It was something special that just really turned him on.

“Thank you, young lady. You are as delicious looking as apple pie.”

Drake pulled the chair out for Rose and the two sat there and chatted a little to get to know one another. At first Drake went right into his normal conversation where he flirted and didn’t really listen to what she had to say. But then he started to think about his upcoming competition and he really wanted to practice getting to know a woman.

“So how do you know my brother Devon?”

“He’s a regular at my bookstore. We love to talk about old classics.”

“My brother reads?” Drake joked.

Rose got the joke instantly and laughed. She knew Devon didn’t look like the reading type. He looked more like the Playboy type like Drake did. Devon and Drake had been quite the pair as they were growing up.

“Your brother speaks very highly of you. I bet you two were very close growing up. Did you two get along?”

“For the most part. As much as two brothers so close in age can get along. He’s two years older than I am, so he picked on me a lot.”

“I have an older brother. He was an ass to me.” Rose laughed as she looked Drake in the eyes.

He liked what was happening. There was an actual connection between the two of them. Certainly, there was a sexual chemistry also, but the connection was making it a great date. For the first time in a very long time, Drake wasn’t hurrying to get a woman up to his bed.

As they ate dinner and drank a bottle of wine the conversation continued to flow perfectly between the two of them. They really hit it off. Drake, of course, thought it was because he had finally put some effort into getting to know her.

Most of his previous dates lasted about thirty minutes before things moved to one of their bedrooms. The date with Rose had already lasted almost two hours as Drake paid the bill and walked Rose out of the restaurant. But before he could offer to take her home, she had her arm up and hailed a cab.

“I had a fun night. We should do this again sometime,” Rose said as a cab pulled up.

“Do you mind if we share a cab?”

Drake wasn’t about to let her get away so quickly. He didn’t care if he had to ride around in a cab for an hour. He wanted to at least get to feel her plump lips up against his. It was something Drake had never experienced, a woman who wasn’t waiting to come home with him was just not something Drake knew what to do with. He needed to at least get a good night kiss from her.

“Sure thing, darling. Where do you live?” Rose asked as they got into the cab.

“No worries. Let’s just get you dropped off first.”

Rose gave the cab driver her address and then leaned back in the seat of the cab. Her eyes looked a little glossed over from the wine, but then again; so did Drakes. She looked over at him several times throughout the drive and Drake felt his body throb with desire for her.

He couldn’t tell if he wanted Rose so badly because she appeared not to want him... or did they actually have a connection? It was all so new to Drake.

“I really did have a good time tonight, Drake. Your brother did good.”

“Yeah, I’m glad he thought we would work out together.”

Drake just wanted a kiss. He wasn’t going to sleep with her. He was going to be a perfect gentleman, but he needed to at least give her a kiss goodnight. It was all he could think about as the cab made its way towards Rose’s apartment.

“Well this is me,” Rose said as they pulled up in front of her apartment complex.

“I’ll walk you up, if that’s alright?”

Drake was working overtime to be polite. Normally he wouldn’t ask a woman if it was alright. He didn’t have to, they wanted him and he knew it. This idea that he needed to get to know someone first wasn’t perfect when it came to saying goodnight. Drake really wanted to bring Rose back to his place and have some fun with her. His body throbbed to be inside her.

He had just spent the night getting to know Rose and he actually liked her. It was more than he had ever done in the past, but now he had to try and keep it together and just walk her to her door and give her a kiss. One good night kiss, that’s all he needed to do.

He fought his urge to screw her and instead walked with her politely up to her door.

“Thanks for dinner. You were a perfect gentleman.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I enjoyed our evening.”

“Now come in and fuck me” Rose said as she grabbed a hold of Drake and pulled him into her apartment.

Her lips smashed down on his and Drake stumbled as she pulled him into her living room. His mind raced as he tried to figure out what was going on. Rose had turned form a sweet southern woman into a total seductress. Drake liked it, in fact he loved it!

“Well now, I should probably get going.” Drake said quietly as he tried to pretend like he would be able to refuse her.

He really did try the best he could, but Rose had something else in mind. She wanted him and she wasn’t going to stop until she had her way. Maybe he could have tried harder, but really, he said he had to leave. That was more than he had ever done with a woman before.

As Rose took off her dress, Drake couldn’t hold back another moment. Every manly cell of his body screamed for him to fuck Rose. He just couldn’t stop himself. His hands moved and didn’t wait for his brain to tell them to stop. Drake decided he had tried enough of the new way, now he needed to have Rose’s naked body next to his.

“Ok, now that looks like an invitation for fun,” Drake said as he moved toward Rose.

Drake pulled Rose’s naked body next to his and loved how her soft skin felt beneath his hands. She was curvy in all the right places and he was desperate to have her. Not desperate in the traditional sense, just desperate to let his body release the built-up anticipation for her.

“Let’s go to my room,” Rose said as she guided Drake down the hallway of her condo.

The lavishly appointed two-bedroom apartment was filled with fine art and expensive furniture. Drake realized he hadn’t really asked her much about her book store. He had spent the whole evening trying to get to know her; yet he didn’t know much at all. He made a mental note to do better on the next date with Rose.

The next date with Rose!

Drake had never told himself something like that before. He typically didn’t go on dates in the traditional sense and he never thought about going out with the girl again. This was all totally new territory for him. Drake needed a lot more practice with women on the emotional connection and he would love to try it with Rose. But then Drake thought about the game that Robert and Sam were planning for next week. The game would be a much better place for him to practice all his skills at once.

He watched Rose’s perfectly round ass as it walked down the hallway and Drake moved in step right behind her. The perfectness of her ass mesmerized him and he wanted to taste her. He wanted to feel his tongue on every crevice of her body. He needed to taste her, immediately.

Drake reached behind him as they went into her bedroom and he slammed the door. They moved over toward the bed, but then Rose pulled him past her. She had a weird looking chair sitting in the corner of the room and as they got closer, Drake realized what it was.

The Duramotion Lounger.

Only seen in magazines by most people, the Duramotion Lounger was a top of the line sex chair. It had curves in all the right places to support even the most imaginative of positions. Drake stood in front of the chair in awe, his jaw slightly opened as he looked at Rose standing naked next to the chair and then back at the chair.

“You know what it is?” Rose said with a smile.

“Fuck yeah, I do.”

Drake grabbed Rose and flipped her over one of the ends of the chair. Her back flush against the leather as her legs went straight up in the air. Drake held onto them and spread her wide open so he could see her glorious center. The chair made it so her hips were up high and Drake easily leaned over and let his mouth devour her.

Her pelvis was tilted up and opened and it left her clit exposed in a way that just didn’t happen on the bed. Drake took full advantage of this and went to town on her delicate orgasm spot. He started slowly and moved his tongue in a small tight motion around her. Then he continued to move it faster and faster in hopes that he would get a better reaction from her.

She didn’t moan out loudly and that frustrated Drake, he knew she was enjoying herself; but she had some sort of self-control over her moans that Drake did not like at all. He slid a finger inside of her in the hopes that she would let out a loud approval of him entering her, but again she was quiet.

Drake didn’t like not getting a reaction from a woman. Her quiet moans did nothing for him; he wanted to hear her sweet voice scream out in pleasure. It became a challenge to Drake that he needed to overcome. He had to make Rose scream out with desire for him. Drake craved the release that he got when he knew the woman he was with was sexually satisfied.

Drake took three fingers and worked them into her center as he sucked hard on her clit. This time she moaned. She let out a delicious call of pleasure as she arched her back and pressed her pelvis toward Drakes' mouth. She liked it. Rose wanted more and Drake was prepared to give her anything she wanted.

As he watched her breath in deeply and moan loud, Drake noticed the other end of the Duramotion Lounger was lower. He put each of Rose’s legs over his shoulders and reached under her to lift her up into the air.

She straddled his face and he continued to eat her as he walked around to the other side of the chair to give it a test run. He intended to try out as many positions as possible on the sexual love chair that Rose owned.

He slowly laid her on the leather but only let her back touch for a moment before he flipped Rose over and pulled her back toward him. Her stomach slapped against the leather and Rose let out the quietest of moans as she delighted in Drakes ability to take charge.

“Damn, such a fine ass you have here,” Drake said as he slapped it gently.

“It’s yours for the night.”

“Oh, I like that.”

Drake let his fingers guide his cock as he entered Rose from behind. The chair acted like the perfect support and prevented Rose from moving away as he thrust into her. Drake knew he would have to buy one of the Duramotion chairs as soon as he could.

It felt better than he could have imagined to have her in the perfect bent over position. Her ass sticking up in the air, the chair under her hips to support her. Drake felt able to thrust hard and deep as he held onto Rose and finally he heard the true reaction he had hoped for from Rose.

“Harder,” she screamed out.

Oh, how he loved to hear them ask for more. Oh, how Drake loved to have an excuse to thrust into a woman with all his might.

Instead of holding onto just Rose, Drake felt a lip on the chair that acted as the perfect handles to hold his position. It was like they thought of absolutely everything when they designed the chair.

“As hard as I can?” Drake questioned Rose before he moved on with his thrusting.

“Yes, baby. Fuck me.”

It was strange to hear those words coming from Rose, but Drake loved them. He lived for the times when a woman wanted it with all her might. There was something so primal about thrusting deep into a woman and having her scream out as he did it.

Thrust after thrust he delivered until he finally released his ultimate thrust.

Rose moaned out over and over and appeared to have several orgasms before Drake had finished with her. Her body shook with ecstasy and she had a hard time talking at all as the last of her orgasms rocked her body.

She held on tight to the chair and screamed out her appreciation for the orgasms she got.

“Oh, fuck yes.”

“Yes, yes, yes. Give it to me, Drake.”

As he finished, Drake pulled Rose up to stand with him and her legs wobbled from exhaustion. He wrapped his arm around her and held her close. With a soft kiss to her lips he looked into her eyes and saw that she had already closed them.

“Let me get you to bed,” he said as he swept her legs up into his arms and carried her.

Drake gently set her into bed and brought her some water for her bedside. Rose had her eyes closed, but she hadn’t fallen to sleep just yet.

“Stay,” she whispered.

“I have to go. I’ll call you.”

Drake got dressed and made his way out of her apartment and down to the street. For the first time in a very long time, Drake felt bad for screwing a girl and then leaving. He wasn’t sure the idea of getting to know a girl before having sex with her was really all that great. It just meant he would actually feel bad when he never called her again.

But he actually liked Rose. There was always the possibility of actually calling her and asking her out on a date later.

Chapter 7

“Where are we going to find all these women?” Robert asked as he and Samantha sat around the conference room and tried to figure out how to get the best caliber of women to come interview.

“I have some contacts, but I think we should reach out to a few of our international contacts and see who they can recommend. There has to be some amazing women who would like a chance to be matched up with Drake.”

Samantha knew there would be thousands of women who wanted a chance with Drake if the news got out about their little casting call.

The trick was to find these women without some major announcement being made. The last thing she wanted was a bunch of half put-together women showing up and trying to date Drake.

As much as Samantha didn’t approve of Drake’s one-night stand lifestyle, she did know his taste in women. She had spent the last five years with Drake and had seen a number of the women he dated. Some were blonde, some brunette and some redheaded.

He dated tall women and short women. Thin women and voluptuous women. From the outside, many people wouldn’t know what it was that Drake liked; but Samantha knew. There was a certain essence that a woman had to have in order for Drake to go after her. Samantha would make sure all the women who showed up for this one-week event were perfectly suited for Drake.

“Alright, I’ll call that matchmaker we know in London and see if she can get a couple of her best women over here for Thursday. Does that sound good?” Robert asked.

“Yes. We need to do some initial screening of the women on Thursday and then on Friday we can do the final interviews. Then everyone can move into his house for the week starting on Saturday.”

“Sam, do you think we can really find all these women and convince them to do this within a week?”

“Yes, these women are going to be willing to drop everything and come here. You don’t understand Robert, women want the fairytale. Drake is that fairytale.”

“Alright, if you say so. When will Drake be back from his trip?”

“Thursday night. I’ll sit down with him and go over some of the things he is looking for in the women and hopefully that will help us settle on the final group that will go into his house.”

Robert shook his head and couldn’t stop smiling. It was like they were casting their very own game show, yet there wasn’t a host and were no cameras. Robert had a bad feeling about it all, but he also thought if anyone could pull it off it was Drake.

For as long as they had known each other, Drake and Robert had taken an opposite approach to things. Robert was always the rule follower and conservative businessman while Drake didn’t live by anyone’s rules and was aggressive in business and life. The two of them were opposite, yet worked very well together.

Drake trusted Robert’s opinion and often listened to him. Robert could see trouble in the business arena long before something actually went wrong. It was Robert who had guided the business into the telecommunications world and away from computers. The telecom business boomed and Leblanc Enterprises led the pack in innovation and technology.

Robert knew that Drake trusted his business sense, but there were times when Drake went off on his own and decided things for himself. Those decisions were gut feelings that Drake just had to follow and they typically were right on point with building their business.

Finding a long-term woman to have a future with was an important task and Robert was excited that Drake was making the effort. He wasn’t so excited about the way Drake was going about finding his forever woman; but then again…sometimes Drake had to follow his gut. The week-long game that Drake wanted to do seemed fun when they had joked about it, but as it approached Robert had reservations.

Robert didn’t feel like Drake truly understood how chaotic it would be in his house with a bunch of women who wanted to marry him. Any woman who would be willing to drop her life just to come meet Drake was bound to be quite the handful when Drake had to deal with her. Imagining a house filled with these strong personality and driven women made Robert feel nervous about the whole situation.

Robert and Samantha spent three full days recruiting women to come to the casting call. They called every matchmaker in the States and several of them overseas. Samantha had made a list of requirements for the women and she insisted that all the women who were sent to interview understood this was a one-week game and they would have to interview for a spot.

It was also important that the women understood this game would have a very big sexual component to it. Of course, Samantha didn’t want to give away all the details, there would be no way to keep them confidential. So, Sam simply made sure that all recruiters understood that the one-to-one time would be as intimate as the contestants would like and there would be no camera crews.

Samantha wasn’t looking for just gorgeous women for Drake, he could get any number of them right there in Los Angeles. Sam wanted women that were amazing, top notch women and would be the only type she would even consider interviewing.

These women would need to show up with their hair and makeup looking flawless. Sam didn’t care if they just got off the plane and showed up straight for the interview, the women would need to be perfectly put together. It was a necessity.

Whomever Drake picked would be flying with him on trips and photographed by paparazzi, they had to look amazing all of the time. There would be no time for excuses and Sam wouldn’t accept any for the interviews, either.

Absolutely no pants would be allowed!

If any of the women showed up wearing pants of any sort, Sam wanted them escorted out of the waiting room and not allowed to interview. What kind of woman would wear pants if she was trying to win over a billionaire?

As Thursday arrived and the women started to show up to Leblanc Enterprises, Sam was excited to see the striking women as they arrived. These weren’t just beautiful women, though, Sam and Robert had specifically only brought beautiful and successful women to interview. These women looked confident, successful and ready to win over the man of their dreams.

Success was the one thing that Drake was most attracted to.

Women could be successful in many different ways and Sam wasn’t going to be judgmental about the genre of their success. But Sam knew that a woman had to be confident and successful if she was ever going to tame Drake. There was only one type of woman that would be suitable for a long-term relationship with such a successful billionaire, and Sam knew it.

Of course, there would be a range of women still, not every woman carried success in the same way. Some women were successful in business while others might be successful in design or another field. Each woman would bring to the table something special and a passion for what they did. The trick was going to be to find a way for a successful woman to be able to mesh with Drake. Many successful women were not willing to make changes in their life for a man. Sam needed to make sure that all the women who showed up to interview were ready to make those necessary sacrifices.

As the waiting room filled up, Sam and Robert made their way around the room. Robert had talked with Sam and knew exactly the type of women that could stay for the interview and the type that he would have to tell to leave. Although, Robert didn’t like the part about having to tell someone they needed to leave. Some of these women had traveled for over twenty-four hours straight to be there.

“Stand up,” Samantha said to a young blonde woman. “Who invited you?”

“My friend Jen works at Forever love.”

“You’re dismissed” Sam said coldly as she moved on to the next group of women.

Sam had a scowl on her face as she looked over every detail of the women. She wanted to see if their hair was done nicely, if their nails were manicured, did they have their legs shaved; it was all important to Sam.

“You. Please stand up.”

Sam stood in front of a beautiful woman from India. She had on an elegant traditional outfit and her makeup and hair were perfection. As Sam examined her the woman looked more and more nervous.

“You may go to the conference room. Through those doors and find a seat. There is a table of fruit and water if you would like.”

The woman breathed a sigh of relief and the others around her seemed surprised. Perhaps most surprising was the kindness in Samantha’s voice as she talked to the woman. Sam did not present herself as a nice person and often looked like she was two seconds away from yelling at someone, so it often surprised people when she was kind to them.

“Samantha, come here” Robert yelled out.

There was a beautiful woman sitting in a pair of tailored white shorts. Robert had to hold back his laugh as he called Samantha over. He knew how much she despised the idea of women wearing those tailored shorts in the workplace.

“What’s your name?” Samantha barked out at the woman.

“Cindy,” the woman said as she looked down at the ground.

“No, and no. You don’t wear shorts when you’re trying to impress the man of your dreams. That goes for every woman in here. If you have on shorts or pants, just stand up and leave right now. Come on ladies. This is Drake Leblanc, you couldn’t pull a dress out of your closet for the most eligible bachelor in the city?”

There were about eight women who stood up and stared at Sam as she carried on about pants and the inappropriateness of them on a date. The women looked afraid to move, but certainly knew that they were not going to get to move forward in the interview process.

“You women can leave now,” Robert added as Samantha stormed off down the hall.

“It’s ridiculous. Dress to impress, ladies. It’s the number one rule of dating!”

The morning continued on as Robert looked through the women in the lobby and waited for Sam to come back out. When she did, Robert pointed out some of his choices to continue on. Yes, they were picking the women totally for their looks, but that was exactly how they had to start things. No woman would get past the first day with Drake if his cock didn’t get hard by looking at them. Samantha and Robert both knew that looks were the first key to choosing the potential women.

By lunch time, Samantha and Robert had chosen a group of thirty women that they would do the initial interviews with. They also wanted to share the rules of the game with the women. Drake had decided on most of the rules and Samantha had added a few that she thought were essential to making the game a success. It was important for the women to understand all the rules and be excited about them. This process was supposed to be fun, freeing and exciting and all the women that went into the house needed to believe that as well.

Samantha and Robert entered the conference room and Samantha stood in front of the women while Robert handed out their packets with the rules. Although Robert was the senior member of the company, Samantha was clearly much more suited for leading this particular task.

“Please read through your packets as I talk, to ensure you understand what will be expected this week.”

Samantha paused as she opened her own copy of the packet.

“As you are aware, Drake Leblanc is looking for a woman to date and, eventually, marry. You thirty women, were chosen from around the globe because you exemplify the high caliber of woman that Drake usually dates. But this week is going to go beyond the typical short dates and frivolous conversations. Drake wants a woman who can wow him with her conversation as well as with her skills in the bedroom.”

Samantha was relieved to see that none of the women looked shocked at this statement. She had made it very clear to everyone who had scouted for the women that this was not just a week in a house with Drake. It was an erotic week that would allow the women to go anywhere and everywhere their desires had ever imagined.

The woman had been told to think of the week as an intense exercise in their tantric skills. They should only come if they were prepared to practice their sexual skills with Drake and find out if their bodies were as compatible as their minds. As much as Drake wanted to find a woman that he could keep around and marry, he also needed her to be open in the bedroom.

Drake couldn’t have a woman who was shy in the bedroom. He needed excitement. He needed adventure, or at the very least a strong willingness to try some adventurous things. Obviously, not every woman who had made the cut so far was going to be wild in the bedroom; that was alright. Their goal was to find women who were sexually free, not who had a history of doing any particular sex acts.

Samantha continued on to describe all the rules of the house. One by one she went down the list and was excited when none of the women got up to leave. She had picked them well. Sam didn’t go into details about the rules yet, she just wanted everyone to understand the basics; they could ask questions later as they went through their individual interviews.

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime, ladies. The seven women we choose to spend the week with Drake will definitely be sleeping with him. You will get twenty-four hours of time alone with him to do with however you please. During that time, you will talk, dine and, of course, explore your deepest desires together. As the week ends, Drake will summon you all to the main room and he will choose the winner.”

Sam took a drink of water and nodded to Robert to continue on with the explanation of the last day. Sam certainly could have continued, but it was fun to watch Robert squirm. Sam sat down and pretended like she needed a break so Robert would take the lead.

“Drake is very sexually open and he expects all the women that join him for this week to also feel the same way. He may choose games and other group events that will involve touching and as much as you are interested or willing to do in a group setting. Please only continue on with this process if you are comfortable with this idea.”

The women all looked around at each other and whispered a little among themselves. But none of them left. They all clearly understood what this week would entail and they were still interested.

It was possible that the prospect of fucking Drake Leblanc made the women forgo their normal sexual rules. Or perhaps they had gathered a group of women that were indeed very sexually open. No matter which it was, none of the women seemed too shocked by the rules or the idea of sex with each other and Drake. It was funny how a billionaire could make women more willing to explore their sexual freedom.

“We are really excited to talk more with each of you. We will bring you each back into the interview room and ask some more questions. By the end of the night, we hope to have the group cut to under twenty girls. Then tomorrow we will do one last round of questions before settling on the final seven. Please save your questions for during your interview.”

Samantha and Robert got started right away and one by one they asked the women to sign their NDA agreements and complete their first interview in the process. The women were all eager for the opportunity and not many of them flinched at the questions they were asked.

“Have you ever participated in a threesome with two men? What about two women?”

“What is the weirdest location you have had sex?”

“In business, how do you get your way in a negotiation?”

“Self-care is important to staying at the top of your game. What is your daily regimen to keep yourself fit and healthy?”

“If Drake asked you to have sex in a public location, would you?”

Samantha had specifically geared many of the questions to a sexual nature, purely because she already knew a lot about each of the women and their businesses. Each woman had a file that Samantha was handed when they walked into the room. The file contained all the specifics about the women, their work, where they lived and other important information. The sexual preferences and styles were something that you couldn’t tell by looking at a booking package.

As they finished the first round of interviews, Robert and Samantha were very optimistic about their options. There were several women that they thought Drake would adore and they hoped he would find the match he wanted.

Sam was particularly pleased with the choices she had made of women as they narrowed down the field to twenty. The women that were cut seemed uninteresting or very dull, Sam and Robert knew that Drake would not have an interest in a woman like that. Even a sexy and smart woman could have a dull personality.

The interviews had concluded for the day and Sam still planned to meet up with Drake to discuss some more details about the weeklong event. They made plans to have a late dinner and some drinks.

Often Drake and Sam would have drinks together. It wasn’t a dating thing, it was purely a way to relax and discuss work without the confines of the work environment. It also was partly because neither Drake nor Sam usually had anything else to do but work. If Drake hadn’t found himself a woman for the night his only other choice was to work or go to the gym. Meeting up with Sam was a welcomed escape.

Chapter 8

It was almost ten o’clock when Drake’s flight landed, but Samantha was at the airport and waiting for him. She needed to talk to him about some more particulars of what he wanted in these women. Not their personality specifically, but Sam just wanted to know what Drake felt his perfect woman would look like.

They went to their favorite bar, Sin, and sat in the corner booth to discuss what Samantha should be looking for in the final seven women. Drake had plenty to say about what his perfect woman would look like and act like.

“I want an intelligent woman,” Drake said as they started to drink.

“Of course, Drake, I’m not going to get you some ditz who doesn’t have a brain.”

“No, I mean like rocket science genius.”

“Drake, you can’t be serious. We are trying to find you a wife, not a business partner. You can’t expect to find a perfect ten woman who is also a rocket scientist.”

“Well, you know what I mean. I don’t need her to actually be a rocket scientist. I just want a woman who is smart and can hold an amazing conversation. I want a woman who I can talk about technology with and she won’t think it’s boring.”

“Drake, I'm not sure there are many sexy rocket scientists out there. It’s too much technology and most women just don’t like that stuff. Neither do most men.”

“I am not crazy, Sam. There are incredibly smart, sexy women out there. Just look at you. You’ve got the brains of a scientist and the body of a Playboy bunny.”

Samantha couldn’t help but blush a little. Drake always knew how to give a good compliment and Sam had seen him do it a million times. There was just something different when he said it to her. She felt like he was sincere.

“Thanks, Drake, but I’m not going to date you,” Sam winked at him.

Drake had tried to get Samantha for years, but she always denied him. He couldn’t figure her out. She looked at him with desire, but the second he flirted she would turn away and become all business again.

“I also want a woman who can be submissive.”

“Like whips and chains submissive?”

Samantha raised her eyebrow and pretended to whip Drake. She couldn’t help but laugh as she did it. Drake had never really been into the whole S & M scene. It was funny that he wanted a woman who was submissive.

“Well, no, not like that. I just want a woman who is willing to try things. I want her to trust me and be willing to give herself to me anyway we decide is fun.”

“Alright, that’s reasonable. Perhaps a quiet girl that wants to explore with you?”

“Yes, something like that. Oh, and they have to like anal.”

“Drake! Seriously, what if they have never tried it before?”

Drake scrunched up his face as he thought for a minute. He really did like a woman who was experienced and willing to try every position possible. But the idea of having an inexperienced woman was exciting too. He just couldn’t decide.

“Well at least willing to try it.” Drake put his hands onto his head. “Sam, I like all women. I don’t know who it is that I will like enough to marry them. Seriously, just pick someone who is carefree and fun.”

“No. I’m not just going to pick girls that you can fuck for a week. I think you can make this worth the week of your time. But you’re going to have to work hard. These women are all intelligent and confident women. You will need to be on your best behavior.”

Drake let a sly sideways smile out and Samantha couldn’t help but laugh. He was amazingly handsome and funny too. She knew all of the women would fall for him, it didn’t really matter what he did throughout the week. But Sam wanted him to find a match that would actually work for him and in order for that to happen he would have to actually get to know the women. She hoped that she would be able to find a woman who challenged Drake and that all the women didn’t just bow down to him. Drake needed a woman who could stand up to him every now and then.

“Think back to all the women you have been with. Which ones were most memorable?”

“All of them! I remember each one of my lovely ladies like it was yesterday,” Drake said as he finished off his second drink.

Sam laughed and shook her head.

“Don’t lie to me. I know you don’t remember all of them. But I want to know which ones are the most memorable in your mind. Who can you still remember the feel of? Which woman would you invite over right now if you had her number? What were their personalities like? Why did you like them? Think about that stuff, Drake.”

“Well, I like witty women. Someone who can joke and have fun makes a good impression on me. And confidence, she has to be confident in who she is. I don’t really care about if their ass is the perfect size or any of that; I just want them to be confident with who they are.”

Sam had to smile. She knew Drake so well.

“How about big boobs?” Sam laughed.

“Well, of course! If they are funny, confident and have big boobs that would be the best combination ever.”

Drake knew that Samantha was teasing him, but that was alright. Their relationship was a weird combination of business, friendship, and flirting.

“I’d also like to find someone who was a bit playful. Maybe didn’t take life too serious and knew how to have fun. I’m not just talking about fun in the bedroom either. I would like to take vacations and do sporty activities. I want to have a woman who can do those things with me. I can’t have a woman who is so worried about her hair and nails that she won’t go hiking with me.”

“Duly noted.”

“Robert and I interviewed about thirty women today. I think we have a good group to choose from. We will do another round of interviews tomorrow and should have the final group ready to move into your house on Saturday.”

“Wow, you are awesome, Sam. I can’t believe you really made this happen so fast.”

“Really? You can’t believe it?”

“Oh fuck, yes I can. You can obviously do absolutely anything.”

“Yes, I’m like wonder woman, but in stilettos.”

“Mmmm, and with damn fine legs too.”

Drake reached over and let his hand slide up Samantha’s silky thighs. In any other work environment that type of behavior would be despicable. But Sam didn’t mind when Drake flirted with her, it drove her to want to work harder and impress him more. She knew she couldn’t give in to her own desires for him; so she would just settle for their occasional flirting.

“If your hand goes up my thigh any further I’ll squeeze them together and chop off your circulation.”

“Oh yes, squeeze those delicious thighs around my hand. I’m alright with that.”

Drake let his hand continue to move up Sam’s thigh and she did exactly as she had promised. Sam squeezed her thighs together and pinned his hand tightly.

“Ouch. Sam Jesus Christ.”

“I do Pilates”, Sam smiled as she grabbed Drake’s hand and pulled it away from her. “Don’t mess with a girl who does Pilates.”

“Fuck, I bet you could snap a man’s neck if he was eating you out wrong.”

Sam just laughed and they paid their bill and grabbed a car to head back to their houses. Drake and Sam often had drinks together and then Drake would have the car drop Sam off at her place and then it would take him to his. Their friendship was strong, just like their business relationship.

Both Drake and Sam had had several drinks throughout their night and were definitely feeling the alcohol. The warm buzz filled their bodies and they both flirted a little more than usual.

Sam felt the warmth pack her body and she also felt her ability to ignore Drakes advances dwindling. It was hard to say no to Drake when she was sober; it was close to impossible when she had been drinking. But deep down, Sam knew her job was more important to her than a fling with Drake. She wouldn’t give in; she couldn’t give in.

As the car pulled up to her place, Drake leaned over and held onto the door. His face only inches away from Sam as she tried to resist him. He looked down at her breasts and watched her for a moment as she took a couple deep breaths. His desire to suck on her tits overwhelmed him and he could hardly think straight. Drake was tired of the endless flirting, he needed Sam; he had to convince her to be with him.

“Come home with me,” Drake said as he moved in closer to her.

Sam could feel her body as the warmth flowed between them and she breathed in deeply. She had to close her eyes to get the strength to say no to him.

“No Drake, you know I can’t.”

“Fuck that Sam, yes, you can. Come home with me.”

“No, I’m going to go inside.”

“Samantha Holt, I want you.” Drake leaned in and his lips softly touched Samantha’s.

She kept her eyes closed and tried not to give in to him. Samantha knew she couldn’t give in. There was nothing she could do about it. If she ever gave in to her desire for Drake, she knew it would be the end of her job. Drake didn’t have the ability to keep a woman around and he certainly wouldn’t be able to work with his woman. She couldn’t give in. No matter what.

Drake let his lips move from her lips down the side of her neck. He wanted to taste more of her. Drake wanted to pull her breast out and wrap his lips around her nipple.

“Sam, I’ve wanted you for so long. Don’t deny me again. Come home with me.”

Sam just shook her head no. Her whole body worked as hard as possible to avoid giving in to Drake. She kept her hands at her side as she refused to let her hands feel the strength of his arms as he wrapped her up and pulled her toward him.

“Just one night. We will never speak of it again.”

That was all Sam needed to give her the final push to say no. That was all Drake was capable of. One-night stands. She knew it and that statement clearly reminded her of why she had to say no to him.

“I’m going inside now, Drake. We have a big day tomorrow. I’m going to choose the group of women that you will hopefully find your wife in.”

Drake sat back in his seat dejected again. He had tried so many times with Sam and so many times he had been turned down. Drake started to think that Samantha was a lesbian or something. He couldn’t figure out how she could continue to deny him.

“Alright. But some day, Sam. Someday, you will be mine.”

Drake said it like he was a super evil mastermind and Sam was the good guy he had chased after for years. He even used the evil mastermind voice. Samantha couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’ll never catch me, pretty. Never. Wahahaha,” Samantha said as she got out of the car and headed to her apartment.

She still felt the soft touch of his lips on hers and the moistness of her desire for him on her panties. Sam wanted Drake and if there was any possible way she could let it happen without ruining their relationship and business she would have given into him. But there just wasn’t any way to make it work. Sam would have to find her prince charming somewhere else. For now, she would find him the girl of his dreams.

Chapter 9

Friday was the final interviews and Robert welcomed all the women who had been called back to take part in the final questions. Robert was firm with the women and told them they should leave right then if they were not ready to make a commitment to Drake when all was finished.

“Drake’s goal is to find a woman that could be his power partner. Although this week will be a lot of fun, the end goal is very serious. Drake needs someone by his side as he continues to literally take over the world. Will that someone be you?”

Sam walked in while Robert spoke to the women and she had her eyes covered by very large sunglasses. Robert knew exactly what that meant; she and Drake had been out late drinking. It was sort of their thing together. Robert always had to get home to his family and Sam was the only other person around that Drake trusted himself around to drink with. Some of the best business ideas came to Drake when he had consumed one or two too many.

“Hello everyone,” Samantha interrupted Robert as she moved to the front of the room. “Today we will not be holding back at all. Robert and I will be interviewing the hell out of you to see if you will crack. By the end of the day, we will have our seven women. So, let’s get started. Victoria, come with us.”

Sam hadn’t even taken off her sunglasses yet as the three of them made their way down the hall to the room where they would be interviewing each of the women.

“Victoria, tell us a little about you,” Robert said.

Victoria took a deep breath and looked at Samantha and then over to Robert. She wanted to impress them, but her logical side said the best thing to do was to just be herself.

“I’m a Harvard professor in History. I have my head stuck in books when I’m not doing Pilates or teaching kids at the local youth center.”

Samantha perked up when she heard that Victoria did Pilates. It was certainly something that a woman should do if she wanted to take care of her body. And Victoria looked like she took really good care of herself.

Victoria was very thin, probably barely a size zero. Sam felt herself get a little jealous of the svelte frame that Victoria had. Victoria’s short brown hair was impeccably styled and although her makeup was very simple, it fit her personality perfectly.

Victoria had on a sensible black dress, but at least it was a dress. Sam noticed that Victoria didn’t look all that comfortable wearing a dress, but she commended her on the effort. Obviously, if Victoria spent her days teaching college, she probably didn’t go around wearing fancy dresses to work. That was alright with Sam, she just wanted to know that each woman would make an effort for Drake.

“How well do you handle conflict with other women?” Samantha asked as she took some notes on Victoria.

“I don’t usually fight with women, or men for that matter. But I have also never been in a situation like this one before. I’m confident I will be able to handle the tension between the other women.”

“Our first rule is that there will be no physical violence against the other women. It is essential that everyone feel safe in the house, even if you are not getting along.”

Victoria just smiled; there was no way she would ever fight with women over a man or anything else. She thought it was a little silly that it even needed to be a rule. There was obviously a lot of very well educated and sophisticated women there for Drake; it didn’t seem like a group of women that would fight over a man. These were not the type of women who would fight at all; or at least that was what Victoria thought.

“Of course, I would never lay my hand on any of the other women. I would work with them to discuss our issues. You certainly do not need to worry about any violence from me.”

Samantha was happy with that response and they continued to discuss the other rules that Victoria would need to abide by if she was chosen to stay in the house.

Victoria didn’t have any concerns except for one. There was one question she had meant to ask during their interview the day before, but she hadn’t gotten the courage up to ask Samantha or Robert.

When the interview was almost over, Victoria got the courage to ask her question.

“Are we going to have to have sex with the other women?”

Victoria appeared extremely nervous as she asked her question. It didn’t seem like she was afraid enough to leave the process, but she really did want to know the answer so she could prepare herself mentally for the week.

“Would you have a problem with that?” Samantha asked in response.

“Well, I have never slept with another woman. So, I don’t know. I’m not really attracted to women. I don’t think I would have a problem with a threesome. But I don’t think I would want to kiss another woman or have sex with her.”

“You’re not attracted to a woman like me?”

Samantha uncrossed her legs very sexually. Robert’s eyes almost bulged out of his head. He had never seen Sam act like that before. He sat next to Sam and looked between her and Victoria. Sam rubbed her legs very seductively and Robert felt his cock get hard as he observed the interaction between the two women.

“You are a very beautiful woman,” Victoria swallowed hard as Sam got up from her chair and came over to her.

Sam delicately let her hand slide down Victoria’s face and rest on the crescent of her breasts. Victoria was turned on, Sam could tell.

“Women are beautiful creatures, Victoria. I encourage you to be open to the idea that you might enjoy having fun with another woman if that is what Drake asks of you.”

Victoria stared at Sam and licked her lips. As she looked at Sam, Victoria couldn’t help but think that it was possible that she would enjoy a sexual experience with another woman. She would especially enjoy the experience if the woman looked and acted anything like Samantha.

“Yes, I’ll be open to the idea,” Victoria said as Sam returned to her seat.

“Thank you for coming. You can return to the hotel and we will call you in the morning and let you know if you will be moving into the house for the week.”

As Victoria left the room. Robert couldn’t hide his shock anymore.

“What the fuck was that, Sam?”

“Oh Robert, you know Drake is going to want a woman who swings both ways. I just had to see if Victoria would be open to the idea.”

“Um, do you swing both ways?” Robert asked curiously.

Samantha just laughed as she walked out of the room and down the hallway to get the next woman. She wasn’t about to give away any of her own personal sexual secrets to Robert, or Drake for that matter.

“Emily,” Samantha called out in the conference room. “Well, aren’t you just adorable,” Samantha said as Emily stood and followed her back to the interview room.

Samantha couldn’t help but smile as they walked to the room. She knew Drake would love this girl. Samantha had found Emily through a friend and she knew the girls story very well. She was very young, only twenty-two years old. Emily was also very inexperienced when it came to sex. Samantha had heard she was with her high school boyfriend up until earlier in the year.

The thing Samantha loved about Emily was how she had answered all the sexual questions they had posed to her during the first round of interviews. Emily was ready to be explored sexually and open to anything.

Chapter 10

Emily entered the interview room and she looked too adorable to even date Drake. Robert really couldn’t understand why Samantha picked this girl. She was innocent and not experienced like Drake had asked for. Robert thought for sure Emily would leave before she was able to finish the interview process.

Emily was 5’1” tall with a delicate frame and short blonde hair. She was obviously confident as she sat down across from Sam and Robert, but there was a shyness about her too. Robert looked over at Sam and shook his head as he hoped that Sam would need to show this girl how much fun flirting is with other women. Robert definitely thought Sam should show all the women her flirting. It had turned him on a great deal.

“Thank you for coming, Emily” Robert started the interview. “We would like to start off by getting to know you a little more and discussing your past.”

“Sure. I’m an open book. You can ask me anything you would like.”

“Your profile says you’re a writer. Can you tell me more about that?” Robert started to take notes but quickly stopped when Emily began to answer her question.

“I write porn. You know those sexy little stories in Penthouse and such. That is what I write.”

Robert just sat there and looked at Emily as what she said sunk in. She looked like the girl next door. Sweet, young, blond and shy; he couldn’t imagine that someone who looked like her could have the ability to write the smut that he secretly read in those magazines.

“Um, did you say porn?” Robert asked.

“Yes, I know it’s weird. But I actually am one of the top-selling writers in the field. I have three of my own books and I get paid to write several monthly columns.”

Samantha had known this about Emily and that was why she saw the potential in her. Even though Emily hadn’t actually experienced many of the things she wrote about, Emily was clearly very sexually open to suggestion.

“Tell me about something you have written recently,” Robert asked.

“In Playboy, I just had an article published that talked about the benefits of mutual masturbation in the bedroom.”

Robert choked a little on his coffee as he heard what she said. He just couldn’t get over how sweet and innocent Emily looked and yet she wrote the filthiest filth there was. It excited Robert and he knew that Drake would like her a lot.

“That sounds quite interesting. What was your advice based on in the article?”

It was a fair question. Emily had admittedly only been with one man her entire life. It was unlikely she had experienced all the things she wrote about. Robert was intrigued to hear where she came up with her advice and ideas.

“Well, I just know it. I know that masturbation is healthy for each of us to do individually and masturbating with your partner will give them the ability to learn what gets you excited and how they can please you. It’s only logical that it would be the perfect learning experience for both partners.”

“Seems reasonable to me. I’ll have to tell my wife about that when I get home” Robert joked.

There was no way in hell he was going to tell his wife about mutual masturbation. Robert’s wife was definitely a firecracker in the bedroom, but he didn’t think she would appreciate hearing sexual advice from a woman Robert had interviewed to sleep with Drake.

The whole process was sort of embarrassing and Robert didn’t want to tell his wife about any of it. Drake didn’t care if Robert talked to his wife Cindy about things that went on in the office. It was Robert who didn’t like to tell her things. Sometimes it was better to just leave things as a mystery.

They continued on with the interview process and Emily had plenty of questions about the rules and day to day schedule in the house. She seemed very detail oriented and that appealed to both Robert and Sam. Drake really did need someone around that was detail oriented; it would help him when Sam and Robert were not around.

“Can I ask why rule number two says that there is no outside sex?”

“Yes, that just means that there should be no other sexual encounters with people outside the home. It goes for you women as well as Drake. For this week, you all will be committed to this game and figuring out if you are the perfect match for Drake.”

“Oh, thank you for clarifying. I thought it meant we couldn’t have sex outside.” Emily laughed and Samantha took a note to update that rule and clarify it.

They continued on with their questions and made sure that all the other rules for the week were very clear to Emily. She was the youngest of all the participants, but Robert and Samantha really liked her. They weren’t sure if she would be the perfect match for Drake, only time would tell that, but she was certainly a fun match for him.

“Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to come here, I know it was very short notice,” Robert said as he stood up to walk Emily out of the room.

Robert liked Emily and thought Drake would like her too. He wasn’t so sure Sam would agree to pick her, though. It was difficult to know for sure. Emily’s age was a definite factor in why Sam might not like her. Drake didn’t have a good track record with women, but especially with young women. There had been a young twenty-one-year-old that totally turned into a stalker when Drake had fucked her at a party and then never called her. That memory was still very fresh in Samantha’s mind; Robert knew she would be concerned about choosing Emily.

“Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Drake is one of those guys that you fantasize your whole life about. I’m so excited to be here and possibly get to spend time with him.” Emily turned back and shook hands with Samantha. “Thank you again for the opportunity. I’m very excited.”

“Yes, you are welcome. We will let you know in the morning. Please enjoy your night in the city.”

“Do you need to show her anything?” Robert said to Samantha with a smile.

“What?”

Robert used his hand and traced it down his chest to his pecks. He circled his nipple with his finger and then brought it back up to his lips and sucked on it.

“I mean, she might need you to show her,” Robert said as he continued to smile.

“Oh shut up, Robert. No, I’m not doing that again. Just take her back out to the lobby and bring in the next girl.”

Robert had to tease Samantha a little. Their relationship was mostly like that of a brother and sister, but the way Sam had acted around the first interviewee that totally turned Robert on. He would be game if she wanted to have a make out session with any one of the women they had to interview that day.

Chapter 11

Sophia is their next interview and both Robert and Samantha can’t stop staring at her. She is a redhead bombshell with curves in all the right places. She has confidence and seemed to flirt just a little with both Robert and Samantha as she walked into the room.

Her gaze was intense and Robert found himself needing to hide a hard-on as Sophia’s eyes made contact with his. The whole day had turned out to be very arousing; he wished he had worn some more supportive pants to hide his reaction to all these women.

Although Sophia appeared to be a shy, quiet girl, she had answered her sexual questions very openly and seemed to be interested in some of the things that Drake also liked. Sophia also made eye contact with Samantha, which was something many of the women struggled with. It was a huge positive in Sam’s mind that Sophia was confident enough to actually look at her.

“Did you have a good evening? Were you able to explore the town at all?” Samantha asked Sophia.

“Yes, I went to dinner across the street. It was really nice, thank you.”

Robert thought he caught a glimpse of Sophia as she looked at him, but then she looked back to Sam very quickly. It wasn’t a regular glance; Sophia looked at Robert with an eye of desire. He hadn’t seen a woman look at him like that in a very long time and couldn’t figure out why Sophia had. She was a very attractive young woman and not the type of woman he would have even dated when he was on the market. He would have loved to have dated someone as sexy as Sophia, though.

There was something about the way Sophia held herself that was so sensual. She rubbed her ankles together slightly; she bit her bottom lip every now and then; both Samantha and Robert noticed.

“Where did you grow up and how did you end up running a clothing store in Chicago?” Samantha asked.

Sophia slowly bit her lip again as she contemplated what she wanted to say to them. She had lived a rough life and it wasn’t necessary to share all of her history with people. In fact, she hated to share any of her history at all. Sophia was quiet about her past and thought diligently about the best way to describe it to her interviewers.

“Growing up was difficult for me. I felt out of place from a very young age and always wanted to fit in. I found fashion when I was a teenager and started to work at the clothing store that I now own. It was my outlet and my place of serenity when life got crazy. I valued every moment I got to go to work. I learned so much growing up the way I did and I really wouldn’t change any of it.”

“Did you grow up poor?” Robert asked.

It was a reasonable question. Many of the women they interviewed had grown up with very little money and now had multimillion dollar businesses. It certainly wouldn’t keep a woman from being considered to date Drake if she didn’t have much money. Robert thought he had read that Sophia’s clothing business was pretty small and didn’t bring in much net income each year.

“I wouldn’t say poor. Both my parents worked, but we just never had money. My father struggled with gambling and my mother worked hard to make the money that was left last for the month.”

What Sophia didn’t share with Samantha and Robert was how many nights she had gone to bed hungry because her father had gambled away their grocery money. She didn’t talk about the reason she had a part-time job the second she turned sixteen was so she could afford to buy groceries for her mother and herself when her father didn’t show up for days at a time. Sophia didn’t feel it was necessary to share all those details with them.

As they went through the list of rules, Sophia understood them and was more than willing to sign the non-disclosure agreement regarding them. Rules didn’t bother her, in fact Sophia felt comforted by rules. Probably because she had spent so much of her life without them and the order that came with rules was very comforting to her.

“Rule number three is that you will not disclose the details of this game to anyone at anytime,” Samantha said as they checked off each rule from this list.

“Does that mean forever?” Sophia had to wonder.

Forever was a really long time. It was hard to imagine that was even a plausible rule that anyone would be able to enforce. How would they know if anyone actually did talk about the game, unless it became the news or something like that?

“Yes Sophia, that means forever,” Robert responded. “That means even if you and Drake end up together, have children and are there with your grandchildren, you are never to talk about this game or how you met.”

Sophia obediently nodded her head in agreement and they continued down the list of rules. One by one, Sophia initialed next to each of the rules and attested that she understood them and was willing to abide by them.

“Can I ask a question?” Sophia said as she looked Robert directly in the eyes.

“Yes, of course, you can,” Robert responded.

“Does Drake like anal sex?”

Robert’s eyes almost bugged out of his face and he turned to Samantha to let her respond. Robert was not comfortable with all the sex talk that had happened so far, the last few days and he certainly couldn’t talk about anal sex with a gorgeous red-haired woman who flirted with him. He immediately refused to look back at Sophia and instead let Sam answer the question.

“Drake is an open man. I’m sure you will be able to discuss any of your sexual desires with him. I encourage you to talk to him and ask him yourself,” Sam said as she stood up and motioned for Sophia to do so as well.

Samantha escorted Sophia out of the room and turned back to Robert and shook her head yes. They were definitely going to pick Sophia. Any woman who eagerly wanted to talk about anal sex was going to be a good match for Drake. He needed a hot fiery redhead in his life. Samantha couldn’t wait to see his response when she asked him if he liked anal.

“Thank you for coming, Sophia. Stay close to your phone tomorrow. We will call you in the morning and the finalists will be moving into Drake's house by the afternoon.”

“Thank you for the chance, Samantha, Robert, it was very nice to meet both of you,” Sophia grabbed Samantha’s hand and shook it delicately, seductively, slowly.

As Samantha went to grab the next girl, she couldn’t help but think that Sophia was going to be much fun for Drake.

Chapter 12

“Allison,” Samantha called from the doorway to the conference room.

“That’s me,” a vibrant blonde woman with huge blue eyes popped up and made her way over toward Samantha. “My ass was starting to hurt from sitting there so long’” she joked as the two women made their way down the hallway.

“I know. It’s been a long day,” Sam responded.

“Oh, hell no, I’ve had to sit on a plane for almost twenty hours straight. This is a piece of cake.”

“Why such a long flight?” Sam asked as they entered the interview room.

“I was working in Thailand and got booked a movie role out here in L.A. I had to fly all night and then look camera ready when I got off the plane. It was good practice for how my career has been going the last several years.”

Samantha sat down next to Robert and looked through Allison’s bio book. She remembered thinking that she wouldn’t like this woman. The model type really wasn’t what she had been looking for to match Drake up with, but Allison was different. She had a down-to-earth personality that Sam liked right off the bat.

Allison was tall, at least 5’10” plus she had on some killer heels. Her body was proportioned perfectly and she wasn’t a stick thin model at all. Samantha suspected that Allison probably did a lot of swimsuit work and other very revealing pictures. Sam continued to look through the bio book as Robert took control of the conversation.

“So, Allison you have plenty of money and probably meet tons of men who want to date you. Why are you interested in dating Drake?”

“It’s not as easy as you think to find a decent guy to date. Most of the guys just want to fuck you so they can say they slept with a model. I want more than that.”

“Like what?”

“I’m looking for a partner. Yes, I like sex just as much as the next person. But I want more than just physical chemistry. I want my man to make my vagina sing when he walks into the room.”

Both Robert and Samantha had to laugh at Allison. She was refreshing and irreverent; certainly both personality traits that they thought Drake would enjoy. Samantha couldn’t help but picture the tabloid papers and how they would go crazy for a match between Allison Reynolds and Drake Leblanc. They would have a cute little nickname for them and the press would be insanely helpful for business.

Allison did ask that her attorney look over the contract before she would sign it, but she promised she would have it signed by the next morning if she was chosen. She was the only woman who actually had an attorney that she wanted to review the rules. It wasn’t a problem for Sam and Robert, it was a good idea for someone who also lived her life in the public eye.

They went over each of the rules in detail and Allison took notes. She was the only one of the girls who actually took notes on each of the rules and she asked the most questions about them, as well. Sam continued to be surprised by Allison and her diligence in the interview process. Allison didn’t seem like a businesswoman, but the way she presented herself throughout the interview showed that she actually knew a lot about business.

“Safe word? What kind of things are we going to be doing that need a safe word? I’m not opposed to getting kinky with my man, but in the game, what are we looking at?”

“That’s a reasonable question Allison,” Samantha answered. “Drake will get to decide games and other things that will go on throughout the week. They might involve you being with other women and he may want to do a little light kink. Drake isn’t into anything too heavy and we just want to make sure everyone has a safe word so Drake will know when he needs to slow things down.”

“Can my safe word be 'don’t stop'?” Allison said as she winked at Samantha.

“Well that’s my kind of girl” Samantha said as she wrote down some notes.

“I’m very sexually open. I usually say yes to everything, just no weird bodily fluids.”

“Yes, to a threesome?” Robert asked.

“Of course, two guys or two girls either way are totally hot. Although I prefer to have my man all to myself.”

“How about anal sex?” Sam asked.

“Think of my sexual preferences like this; if I can have an orgasm, then I’m going to think it is a good idea.”

“That’s good. Is there any other questions you have?” Sam said as she looked toward Robert to see if he had anything else to add.

“Yes, I would also have a Non-Disclosure agreement that my lawyer would want Drake to sign. Nothing as fancy as yours just the basics that we agree to talk positively about each other in the press; basic celebrity stuff.”

“Sure, Drake would be more than happy to take a look at it if you are chosen.”

Robert got up and walked Allison out to the front lobby. He couldn’t help but feel like she had a very good chance of being one of Drake’s top picks. Her personality was bubbly and fun and she didn’t take life too seriously. It also helped a lot that she was already familiar with the paparazzi and all the chaos that comes with being in the spotlight. She actually almost certainly knew that chaos much better than Drake did.

“Thank you again for coming, we will call you in the morning if you are chosen. Will you be heading back to the hotel for the night?”

“Oh, I just live down the street. I’ll be there getting my affairs in order for next week, just in case you guys decide I’m a good fit for the game.” Allison winked at Robert as she left.

She was a confident woman and already felt like she and Drake would get along great. She had watched him in the media and he seemed like her type. Allison wasn’t the type of girl who waited around for the things she wanted; she liked to go after them.

Although she was very laid back in life, she worked hard for the things she had and she was willing to work just as hard to find the love of her life. Allison was sick and tired of dating losers and was excited at the chance to date someone she felt was on the same level socially as she was.

It also excited her to think that if she and Drake worked out they could be one of the power couples in L.A. Allison wasn’t about to settle for just any guy, she wanted the whole package and Drake certainly fit what she wanted.

Chapter 13

Robert paused in the conference room and looked around. They had interviewed almost everyone and were down to the last three women. He was exhausted and couldn’t wait for his part in this game to be over.

“Cynthia,” Robert said as he smiled at her.

He knew exactly which one of the women was Cynthia because he had personally done her initial interview. She was the only plus sized woman and Robert felt like her curves would drive Drake crazy. Drake really didn’t care what size a woman was, he’s had women of ever shape and size before.

Robert remembered Drake telling him about a super plus size woman who he had picked up one night. She was over 250 pounds and nothing like what Robert would have thought Drake would go for. But Drake couldn’t stop raving about how good the woman could suck his cock. He wanted to keep going back to her over and over again just for the excellent head she gave.

Cynthia was probably barely considered a plus size woman. She was tall at 5’9” and perfectly proportioned. Her curvy hips and breasts were delicious for any man to look at. Robert found himself admiring her hips as they swayed back and forth down the hallway. His eyes locked onto her sensual motion and again his cock stood at attention. Robert couldn’t help but think about the fact that Drake would get to sleep with all of these women if they were chosen for the game.

At first sight, Cynthia seemed sweet and innocent. Her long brown hair was down and tucked behind her ears. She had on a form-fitting blue dress and her shoes were low heels. Cynthia shook hands with Samantha and then Robert as she sat down to get ready for her interview.

“So, you say you’re a... dominatrix. Tell me more about this,” Samantha said right off the bat.

Cynthia smiled innocently and then looked Samantha straight in the eyes as she answered. Cynthia knew that many people had questions about what a dominatrix really was. The movies and porn world had made everyone think of a dominatrix as someone who was deeply into the S & M world. The reality was that Cynthia had “regular” sex most often and only got into her dominatrix persona if the man she was with liked it. She thought of it as a fun way to play during sex and didn’t take it all that seriously.

“Yes, I enjoy being in charge in the bedroom. I don’t need a submissive though; I like a little give and take with my man. Typically, I only bring out my dominatrix personality if a guy is really into that sort of thing.”

“What type of guys do you normally date?” Robert asked.

“Usually executives and other businessmen. I own an investment firm and they are the type of men I am normally around during the day. Many really powerful men enjoy being with a dominatrix woman. There is something very freeing about not having to think about or be in charge during sex.”

“So, you’re a take-charge woman in all aspects of your life?” Robert continued on.

Robert was fascinated by the idea of a dominatrix and he thought Drake would be too. In fact, Robert knew Drake would be all for having a little fun with a woman like Cynthia. As much as Drake liked being in charge in the bedroom, he also really liked to play games and have fun.

“For the most part, I do like to be in control of life and I don’t let others control my destiny. I do like a man who can take control also, so I only date very strong like-minded men. It seems to work best with my personality.”

“Yes, Drake is a very strong-willed man. He likes women who are in control of their life, but he also likes a woman who can submit control to him in the bedroom. How do you feel about that?”

“I’d love to meet a man who could control me in the bedroom. It excites me to think that there is such a man out there. Typically, men find me so intimidating that I end up being the one in charge. I doubt it would be that way with Drake, though.”

“Do you have any issues with the rules for this game?” Samantha asked as she gave Cynthia a copy of the rules to sign.

“No issues, but I did have a question on rule number five; each date is to last twenty-four hours but has no limit to what occurs or where it occurs. Does that mean we can leave the house for our dates?”

“If necessary, you can leave the house, but you have a finite amount of time and I would encourage you to design your date with Drake to make the most of your time together. You will want to get to know each other on every level and you may want to stick close to the house to do that.”

“I understand. Thank you for clarifying.”

“It is very important that each woman is committed to this process as well. During the other women’s dates, you may want to spend time with each other and Drake may also ask for time with everyone during a portion of your date. You have to be open and flexible to all the possibilities that may happen.”

“Yes, I understand. I’m willing to give myself to this process for the whole week. No distractions and no worries about me not being committed. I have an intense sense of control in my life.”

“Great, thank you so much for coming Cynthia, I’ll walk you out.” Samantha brought her to the front room and then went back to the interview room before grabbing the next girl.

“No, absolutely no. Drake will not like her to be in control,” Sam said to Robert.

“Oh, well maybe you don’t know him as well as you think. I know he will like her. He loves a nice voluptuous woman who can take control.”

“What? No, he doesn’t.”

“Oh yes, he does. He has told me stories about some of his women and I know he will like this one.” Robert was insistent on Cynthia making it to the final cut. He knew Drake would like her and was willing to push hard to get her in.

“Alright, but that’s your only pick then. I get to pick the other six girls.”

“No way, I get three and you get four” Robert said defiantly.

“Not happening, Robert. You can have two picks, but that is it. I definitely don’t see why you think Drake is going to like a woman who wants to control him. You know he is a control freak.”

Robert knew he wouldn’t win this battle with Sam so he caved in and accepted her offer. Two picks was better than not getting any.

“Oh, he likes it when a woman takes control; just trust me on this one. I know it for a fact. And fine, I will take two picks but Cynthia is for sure one of them.”

“That’s fine.”

Samantha went to grab the next person to be interviewed and smiled all the way down the hallway. She was fine with Cynthia coming to the house; it would mix things up a bit. Cynthia was a beautiful woman and certainly intelligent; Drake would probably get along very well with her. Although Sam was pretty sure he wouldn’t pick her as his final woman.

Sam just wanted to get Robert to give up some of his picks. She had so many of the women she liked already and she knew it would be impossible to make the final decisions of who came into the house. But Sam also knew that she wanted to have the final say on as many of the choices as possible. She didn’t want Robert picking women just based on their flirting with him or if they have him a hard on. There were much more important traits that Sam wanted in the women she would choose to spend the week with Drake.

Chapter 14

As Lauren was brought in for her final interview, it was hard for Sam to remember if she was the youngest one in the group or not. She had thought one of the other girls was, but Lauren seemed to be. The way she walked and smiled at Samantha certainly made her look much younger than the other women. Sam wasn’t really sure why she had originally picked Lauren; she would have to look at her notes to jog her memory.

When they got back to the room and Sam looked at Lauren’s file she remembered why they had picked her to continue to the next round of interviews.

Lauren had big green eyes and a cute little surfer’s body. She was actually one of the most famous female surfers in the world. Her bubbly personality had attracted both Sam and Robert to pick her for the second round of interviews. Although she was extremely shy at first, she did warm up throughout her first interview.

She was 5’4” tall and barely one hundred pounds. Her tiny frame was nothing compared to her big personality. Lauren hugged Samantha when she called for her to come do her interview. She also hugged Scarlett, the last girl who waited to do her interview. She started to come out of her shell more and more as they got to know her during the interview process.

“I’ll see you in the house,” Lauren said to Scarlett.

“You think both you and Lauren will make it into the house?” Sam asked as they walked down the hallway.

“For sure. We bonded and I know Drake will like us both. Maybe he would even like us both together if he’s into that kind of thing.”

“Oh, what man isn’t?” Sam asked jokingly.

“I know. Right? Every man I’ve ever met is totally into it when I ask if he’d like to have a threesome with one of my friends.”

“Do you often ask if people want a threesome?” Robert jumped in when the two women entered to room.

“Sure, I like women and men. I think all people are beautiful and we should enjoy each other the best we can.”

“So, you wouldn’t have any problems if Drake wanted to have two or even three girls in bed with him?” Sam asked curiously.

“No way, all these girls are super cool. I think Scarlett and Sophia would be the most fun, though.”

Sam took a moment to write down some notes. She agreed with Lauren that both Scarlett and Sophia seemed like a lot of fun in the bedroom. But she wasn’t sure they had enough substance to really keep Drake interested.

“How old are you?” Sam asked as she started to flip through the bio book.

“I know everyone always thinks I’m super young, but I’m actually twenty-three.”

“That is super young” Robert said as he smiled at the young blonde.

“Oh, I know for someone like your age, I probably seem young, but I feel like an old soul,” Lauren said. “Oh, I mean… I don’t mean you’re old or anything. I was just saying that someone a little older than me would think I was very young. Oh, gosh, I’m sorry. I hope you know what I meant.”

Robert just smiled and they continued on.

“Do you think you are emotionally stable enough to make it through this whole week? There is going to be a lot of chaos with the other girls in the house.”

“Oh yes. I was in a sorority. I know how girls can be when we are together. Most girls really like me so I don’t think there will be any problems.”

“One of the important aspects of this week is going to be your sexual relationship with Drake. Do you have any concerns about that?” Sam asked as she handed Lauren a copy of the rules.

“Oh no, I remember all the rules. I like rule number seven that says each player will need to use her sexual skills to win Drake over. I’m going to show him how flexible I am.”

Lauren grabbed both of her legs and put them behind her head. Her dress flew up and she exposed Sam and Robert to her very tiny underwear. Lauren giggled throughout her show of flexibility. Sam couldn’t help but think Lauren might not be ready to live in a house with all these other strong women for a week.

Lauren had not been through as much in her life as many of the other women, that would be a downfall to her success in the house; or at least that was what Sam thought. Drake liked to fuck women like Lauren but it would be hard for him to take her seriously. And Sam didn’t think that Lauren was put together enough to keep Drake entertained for more than a night. On the other hand, Sam didn’t want to populate the house with a bunch of high maintenance intellectuals, she did want the house to have some variety.

“I’m glad you remember the rules. Do you have any other questions about them?” Robert asked.

Both Robert and Sam looked at each other as Lauren giggled again. She seemed to giggle and laugh pretty much the entire interview. It was hard to take her seriously, although she certainly was fun to be around. Sam remembered that having someone who was fun had been one of Drakes requirements. She thought that Lauren certainly would fit that description very well.

“Nope, no other questions. Thanks again for having me, guys. I’m super excited to be here,” Lauren said as she jumped up and again hugged Robert and Samantha.

Sam certainly wasn’t the hugging type of person and undoubtedly not with strange girls. She preferred to keep herself distant, well, except when she was testing out a woman’s comfort level with other women. But Sam really only did that for Drake, she wanted to make sure all the women where a potential match for him. There was no use bringing a woman into the game if she wasn’t going to be adventurous in the bedroom.

Sam motioned for Robert to take Lauren out of the room; mostly because Sam didn’t want to have to hug her again when they got to the end of the hall.

“Robert, thank you again for inviting me. What time will you guys be calling in the morning? I’ll make sure I am up and ready to talk to you.”

“We probably will call around ten o’clock or so.”

“Oh gosh, this is so exciting, I really can’t wait. I’m going to be up all night thinking about Drake and just how much fun this is going to be. I think all the other women are fabulous, though, and I totally understand if you don’t pick me. But at the same time, I really do hope that you pick me. I think Drake will like me too and…”

“Lauren, let the man finish his work. They will call you in the morning,” Scarlett said gently as she interrupted Lauren.

“Alright. Thanks, Scarlett, good luck on your interview,” Lauren hugged Scarlett as she said it.

“Well I guess it’s your turn finally, Scarlett,” Robert said as he motioned for her to head down the hallway to the interview room.

“Thank you so much, Robert.”

Robert had to let Scarlet go before him because his cock had become engorged when he saw Scarlett’s huge tits as she stood up and interrupted Lauren from talking. He really couldn’t believe just how much his body had reacted to all the women they interviewed that day. Robert knew for a fact that Drake was going to really love the seven women they ended up choosing. He probably would have loved all twenty of the women they had interviewed that day.

Chapter 15

“Wow, now those are some beautiful breasts. What size are those?” Samantha said as Scarlett walked into the room.

Only another woman could be so forward and ask such a question. Robert was one hundred percent sure that he would not have been allowed to ask such a thing.

“That was a little rude...” Robert whispered.

“Oh no, don’t worry. I get asked about them all of the time. I don’t mind. They are double F’s.”

“Ok, yeah, those are some great tits,” Sam said as Scarlett sat down.

“Thanks.”

“Tell us a little more about your company.”

“I own a big advertising agency in Atlanta, Georgia. We do mostly print work but have recently started to branch out and do some films. Georgia offers huge discounts to companies who want to film in our area so it seemed a logical expansion of my company.”

“That sounds like a busy company, are you sure you would be able to adjust your lifestyle for Drake if he chose you?” Robert asked.

“Well nothing in life is certain, but I believe things work out the way they are supposed to. If Drake and I were meant to be, then we would make things work in our relationship.”

Scarlett was by far the most mature of all the women they had interviewed that day. She might not have been the oldest of the interviewees but Sam really liked how Scarlett presented herself. Everything about Scarlett was put together and elegant. It was hard to find anything about her that Sam didn’t like.

“That is a very good way of looking at the world. Why do you think you are able to see things so calmly when you have no control over them?” Sam added.

“Well I’m probably the oldest woman here, I’m twenty-nine. I’ve had enough time to live some of my life and really see what was important and what was not. Last year my father passed away from a heart attack and then my mother died shortly after that. I never take people for granted because I understand how quickly they can be gone.”

“We are sorry about your loss. That sounds very difficult. How were you able to get through it all and still have such a positive attitude?” Robert asked as he wrote down some notes.

“I’ve always been a positive person. I think that people who like to be negative are just unhappy with themselves.”

Scarlett and Robert continued to talk about all the rules and Samantha looked through her bio book. It was interesting to see just how normal Scarlett was, yet she was drop dead gorgeous. Not only did she have huge FF size breasts, but Scarlett had a tiny waist and beautiful skin. Her long brown hair was waved with curls and she had on a very stylish pink A-line dress. Sam couldn’t help but admire Scarlett’s sense of style. If they had met outside of the game, Sam was sure she and Scarlett would get along fabulously well.

The interview with Scarlett lasted longer than any of the other interviews of the day. Robert wasn’t sure if that was because Scarlett was so articulate and easy to talk to or if it was just out of pure exhaustion, but neither he nor Sam wanted to get up and walk Scarlett out of the interview room. Scarlett was also fun to talk to and seemed like a very interesting woman.

“Um, I did have a question about rule number seven.”

“Sure, what is your question,” Sam answered.

“It says that each player needs to commit to staying in the home of the billionaire until the game’s final decision has been rendered. Will the game’s final decision happen next Saturday or next Sunday? I’m just trying to make sure I have my business affairs in order.”

“It will happen on Sunday. It is very important that all the women stay until the last day. Drake may decide to do some final competitions, parties or any number of other games before he makes his final decision,” Sam responded as she stood up to walk Scarlett out of the office.

“Great, I’ll plan accordingly.”

Sam really did like Scarlett. She looked a lot like Sam but with giant breasts. Sam also liked that Scarlett was closer to Drake’s age. Neither Sam nor Robert liked the idea of setting Drake up with a very young woman. It would be too difficult for them to have much in common. Drake was in a different spot in his life than a woman who was 19 or 20 years old would be, so it just didn’t make sense to even interview any of those younger women.

There had only been two women under 21 years old that had been referred to them. One of the women was a professional athlete and was training to be in the Olympics. The other woman was an actress who spent a lot of time filming. Sam cut both of the women almost instantly after she had their first interview. There was no way those young girls would be a good match for Drake.

Scarlet. on the other hand, seemed like almost the perfect match for Drake. Sam actually felt bad that Scarlett had to even be involved in the game; Sam thought for sure Drake was going to choose Scarlett.

Robert didn’t know at all who Drake might choose out of the women. He didn’t even know how they were going to decide which of the women actually made it into the house. They were all so nice and Robert thought any one of the twenty women they had interviewed would be a very good choice for Drake.

“We will be making the phone calls in the morning about who will be invited to the house. Please have yourself ready to come to the house by noon if we give you a call,” Robert said as he stood up.

“Great, I’ll be ready.”

Sam let Robert walk Scarlett out while she started to go through her notes on each of the women. They had interviewed a total of twenty women in the second round of interviews and Sam had her list of seven women to make. Although she kept one spot open for Roberts’ favorite pick, Cynthia; she didn’t leave him any other picks. Hopefully, they would just agree on another woman and Sam could count that one as his pick.

“How are we going to decide?” Robert yelled as he walked back into the interview room.

“I know they are all insanely beautiful and really smart, Drake will be lucky to have any one of these women.”

“Let’s start off with both of us making a list of our top seven girls and we will just see how close our lists are. Perhaps we will agree on most of them and it won’t be as hard as we think it’s going to be.” Robert really did hope they could decide quickly, he wanted to get home and fuck his wife.

All the interviewing of hot women had put Robert in the mood to devour herwhen he got home.

Robert had always been the optimist of the group. He was sensible, financially responsible and an optimist. He really was a good catch and his wife Cindy was a lucky woman. Sam wished she could find herself a nice guy with all those qualities; except she also wanted a man who loved to get a little freaky between the sheets. Sam was all business at work, but when she was on her own time she liked to get pretty wild. It was a good think Drake didn’t know very much about that side of her; he would work even harder to get her to give in to him.

Chapter 16

“That was completely exhausting,” Sam said as they packed up their things. “I’m glad we were able to finally agree, though.”

“Do you think Drake will like our picks?” Robert said as the two made their way to the elevators.

“I’m sure he will. Let’s head to his house and give him the basics on each girl. I also want to make sure the rooms are all set up and he actually has food at his house. I don’t think I’ve ever been over there when he had a fully stocked refrigerator.”

Sam sent a text message to Drake to let him know they were on their way over. There was nothing worse than arriving at his house and finding him screwing some woman on his dining room table. That had happened before and Sam didn’t want to have to see that again.

“Did he have someone come over and help with the preparation of his house?” Robert asked.

“Yes, I hired someone. Half his house was empty. It really was unnecessary for him to have such a big home. But you know Drake, there was no talking him out of it. He wanted the best of the best, even if that meant he had a house that was too big.”

“Well, you know what Drake would say,” Robert paused. “Bigger is always better.”

Sam couldn’t help but laugh. It was true, that was something Drake liked to say all the time. He said it about office furniture, office space, even about his own home. Money wasn’t an issue for Drake and he didn’t think about the cost of things at all before making a decision. To him, it was most important to have the best of everything.

Sam and Robert went straight into Drake’s house and unloaded the groceries they had purchased. They made sure to buy a lot of extra food to ensure all the women would be accommodated if any had special diets.

The next item they needed to get completed was checking on the women’s rooms. Drake’s house had ten bedrooms so it wasn’t really an issue to have them all staying at his house. The actual issue was that most of those rooms were totally empty at the beginning of the week.

Sam had hired an interior decorator to fill the rooms with furniture before Saturday, but they still needed to go through each of the rooms and ensure they had everything they needed.

Each bedroom had its own bathroom and there was a king-size bed as well. But as they started to go through the rooms, Sam and Robert noticed that several of the rooms did not have towels in their bathrooms or sheets on their beds. One room didn’t even have pillows on the bed.

They went to work and reorganized the rooms to ensure each room had a little bit of everything they needed and that none of the rooms were totally bare. It took them much longer than expected.

Sam hated that she had hired someone to do the setup of the rooms and they had not been finished. It was one of her biggest pet peeves when it came to hiring people; not finishing the job correctly. Sam made a mental note to call the woman they had hired in the morning and and chew her out.

By midnight, Sam realized that Drake still had not texted her back and she became worried. She hoped he wasn’t getting cold feet about this week-long event. They had gone to so much work to get the women there. It was impossible to imagine what they would tell the women if Drake decided to back out now.

“I’m going to call Drake again. He hasn’t responded to my text from a couple hours ago,” Sam said as she left one of the bedrooms and headed toward the stairs.

As she dialed the phone, she walked down the stairs toward the kitchen for one last walk through of the area. But as the phone rang in her ear she heard Drake’s phone in the house. Sam followed the ringing toward the den.

“Drake, are you here?”

Same flung open the double doors to the den and found Drake sitting in a chair and a beautiful blond woman bouncing up and down on his cock. She faced the door and looked at Sam as she stood in the entryway. The woman didn’t seem fazed at all by the fact that Sam had just walked in on them. The woman did slow her bouncing for a moment, though.

Sam shut the door and stood on the other side as she hollered at Drake. She had seen enough of Drake’s sex scenes to last a lifetime; she didn’t need to see another one.

“You do know your game starts tomorrow, right?”

“Yep,” Drake answered

“Are you still good with everything?”

“Yep. All good. See you in the morning.”

“Alright, Robert and I are going to head out, then.”

“Sounds good, have a good night.”

“Tomorrow we are going to go over your rules for this week,” Sam yelled into the room.

“What? I don’t have rules.”

“Oh yes, you do. This week won’t go well at all if you don’t have a few rules to follow. I’ll be over in the morning to go over them. Try and actually get some sleep tonight.”

Sam turned and went upstairs to grab Robert. It was certainly not the first time she had burst in on Drake fucking some woman and it probably wouldn’t be the last time either. It did bother her that he took sex so lightly, though. Sam thought he should really try to build some sort of connection with women and not just screw them and leave them. But hopefully, things would be better after he found a woman through his week-long game.

Chapter 17

“Good morning, sleepy head. Time to wake up; we have a big day today. You are going to meet your future bride,” Sam said as she stood over Drake in his bedroom.

Drake heard Sam but tried to pretend like he was still sleeping. He hated to get up in the morning when he had been out late. Although he did get up without a problem when he had work, but if there wasn’t anything important to do, then Drake wanted to sleep until at least eight in the morning.

Sam had entered Drake’s room at seven in the morning and it was just too early, considering Drake had just fallen asleep at four o’clock.

“Drake, I’m not joking. It’s time to get up. We have a lot to get done today.”

“What time are the women coming over?” Drake managed to ask as he slowly sat up in his bed.

“The women will be here at noon. We will have a welcome lunch and I’m trying to organize some ice breaker games. Then I will leave you guys to get to know each other and relax around the pool for the evening. Your first date will start tomorrow.”

Drake closed his eyes again and lay back down.

“Drake, what are you doing? You have to get up. Aren’t you excited at all? We found you some of the hottest and most intelligent women in the world. You should get your ass up out of bed and at least pretend to be interested.”

Sam felt herself getting frustrated with Drake and she just wanted him to pay attention to what they were talking about. In just a few hours, Drake would be left alone in his house with seven women, so it was essential that he understood the rules. The game wouldn’t work well if Drake didn’t follow his rules. It wouldn’t work well for him or for the women.

“I’m interested, Sam. Trust me, I am very excited. This is my excited face.” Drake made a crazy looking face.

“Stop, Drake, I’m serious. Robert and I worked really hard on all of this.”

“Alright. Tell me what you want me to do.”

“We need to go over your rules. Can we do that?”

“Sam, you do know that it is my game and I don’t have to follow any rules, right?” Drake said as he got up and walked to his bathroom to pee.

Sam couldn’t help but notice his erect cock as it pressed on his boxer briefs. It was quiet the sight to see. She had seen it before while walking in on Drake getting a blow job, but it looked especially impressive when another woman’s lips weren’t in the way.

“You need to follow some rules, Drake, or the game will just be chaos. Can we at least talk them over a little bit?”

“Sure.”

“Alright, first of all, there is no outside sex. I don’t want you having sex with any other women than the ones who are in the house already. That means if one of your one-night stands ends up on your doorstep you need to tell them no. I want you to concentrate on these women and only these women. Understand?”

Sam was pretty sure that Drake wasn’t listening at all, but she had to keep going with the rules. There needed to be some sort of order or none of the women would want to stay. Drake was going to have to put a little effort into keeping the week organized, whether he liked it or not.

Sam shook Drake and tried to get him to acknowledge that he had heard her.

“Sure.”

“Are you even listening to me?”

“Yes, please continue on.”

“Ok, here is the list of safe words that the women wrote down. If you are doing any crazy sex events, please remember these words. You don’t want anyone to feel unsafe. If they say their word, you have to stop.”

“Safe words, Sam, really? That’s not my kind of thing and you know it.”

“It's just in case. Keep these around.”

“Ok, what else? What other rules do you have?” Drake seemed amused by Sam and all her rules for him during the game.

He knew she knew him better than to think he would stick to some rules that were set out for him. Drake liked to do things his own way, because it was better for everyone. Although, he did think that Sam was adorable as she talked so seriously about this week of fun he had planned.

Of course, Drake hoped he would find a woman that he could have a relationship with. Drake wasn’t holding his breath, though. It would take a pretty amazing woman to keep his attention for more than a day or two.

“No date can last longer than twenty-four hours. Please make sure you stick to that schedule. They can last less than that, but not more.”

“Understood, Captain. Anything else?”

“You need to make an effort to spend time with each of the women at some point on each day. You can do that over meals, a party, some sort of sex game. Pretty much whatever you decide, but please make sure you are interacting with everyone. We want all the women to feel like they had an equal chance with you.”

“Oh, I choose sex games. Alright, is there anything else?”

Sam could tell that Drake was getting tired of talking about the rules and they would need to move on soon. She didn’t feel totally confident that Drake had actually listened to her at all while she discussed the rules, but hopefully he did. His rules were pretty straightforward and Sam thought Drake wouldn’t have a problem following them.

“You should start thinking about the games and other activities you want to do with the women. I suspect you will get bored in the house very quickly if you don’t think of a lot of really fun games to play.”

“Sex games?” Drake asked with a sly smile.

“Of course, all of the women are prepared to play and have fun throughout their week with you. You could do other things to get to know them also. Like ask them questions. Go for walks. Maybe even jump in the pool for a bit.”

“I can’t wait to fuck them all. This is going to be a great week.”

There was something about the arrogance in Drake’s voice that made Sam angry. She tried to hold it in but that only lasted about thirty seconds before she exploded.

“Drake! This week is about you finding a woman you can marry. Let’s worry less about the sex and more about their personalities.”

“Can I look at both their personality and the sex I have with them?”

Sam couldn’t take another minute with Drake. She stormed off downstairs to talk with the cook who was making the lunch meal. Sam couldn’t waste another moment on trying to get Drake to have actual feelings about any of the women. All she could hope for was that he had actually listened to her during their conversation.

Chapter 18

At noon, the group of seven women arrived at the house escorted by Robert. He brought them into the main living room and had them all sit down while he went to talk with Sam and Drake.

“This is so fucking exciting!” Drake said as he jumped up and down to get rid of some of his excess energy.

“We worked really hard to find you an outstanding group of women. We've gathered the best of the best here, Drake. Don’t fuck it up.” Robert shoved Drake jokingly.

Robert knew that Drake was notorious for messing up his dates with good women by sleeping with them. But this week-long game was totally unique and seemed perfect for Drake’s personality. He really was supposed to spend the week fucking these women and having fun. There wasn’t much that Drake could mess up about this weekend.

“So how should we do this? Do you want to meet them all at once or would you prefer that I bring them in one at a time?” Sam didn’t have a preference; she just wanted to get things moving.

“I’d like to just go out there and visit with all the women for now. Perhaps have some small group conversations. What do you think about that?”

“Sounds good. Let’s get everyone a glass of wine and we can get started. How long do you want Robert and me to stick around for?”

At Sam’s words Drake stopped dead in his tracks. Suddenly he realized that Sam and Robert had not planned on coming to his house to help Drake get to know these women. Sam and Robert were going to leave Drake with the seven women and then go. He didn’t like that plan at all.

“I really think one of you should come each day to help ease some of the tension and coordinate an event or something.” Drake smiled as he poured a very large glass of wine for himself.

“Drake, the purpose of this was so you could have an uninhibited weekend alone with the women. I don’t think it would help anything to have Robert or me here every day.”

Drake looked a little lost as he waited for Robert to offer to come over each day. He looked at Robert and then looked at Sam; one of them had to come.

“I need to have one of you here for at least a little bit each day.”

There was a definite tone in his voice that Robert and Sam knew meant that he wasn’t going to waiver on his decision. Neither of them liked the idea of having to come to the house during his little competition, though.

“We will take turns, but we are not staying for long. How about each day we will come over in the morning to help get things going for the day? Will that work for you?” Robert suggested.

“Yes, I think that will work great. Sam, I’ll call you throughout the day if I need anything else.”

Drake always seemed to ruin any possibility that Sam or Robert would get to take a real vacation. They had both thought the week of his game would make the perfect opportunity for them to relax. Unfortunately, Drake seemed allergic to allowing Sam or Robert actual time off from work.

“Let’s get this party started. I know the women are very excited to meet you and discuss the week ahead of them.” Robert grabbed two bottles of wine and walked toward the main room.

As Robert went around and poured some wine for the women, Sam stood in front of the room and introduced Drake to the group of women.

“You all know who this is…” Sam paused as the women all cheered. “Drake Leblanc has been my boss for over five years and I know him better than anyone. I know that he is ready for love and that’s why he is doing this game. Although it is going to be a fun and exciting week, it will also serve a purpose. At the end of this week Drake hopes to have found the woman he will marry.”

Sam motioned for Drake to step forward and again the room erupted in cheers and applause. The women were so excited to see Drake. It was fun to watch them try to be calm, but then explode with excitement when Drake stepped forward.

“Hello, ladies. I am excited to meet you. I can’t wait to have fun this week and do all the wild and crazy stuff that we have all fantasized about. You are all extremely beautiful and I have to thank you for taking the time out of your schedules to be here with me. I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

The women all smiled at Drake and looked at him with longing. It was thrilling for them to be there and they all wanted a chance to talk with him individually before the night ended. A conversation with Drake would be their best opportunity to let him get to know who they were.

“Let’s mingle a little bit and then Drake will pull each of you aside to talk with you just a little bit. He will walk you to your room and your luggage should all be ready for you. After you get to your rooms you will have until six o’clock to relax and get ready for dinner.” Sam said as she read the schedule she had made for the women.

Robert handed out the tentative schedule to everyone and then he packed up his things to head home. He had spent most of the last week trying to get ready for the weeklong event. Robert really needed to get home to his family.

As the women and Drake got started socializing, Robert said his goodbyes to Drake and Sam.

“I’ll be back tomorrow morning if that works for everyone. About nine o’clock work for you, Drake?”

“Yes Robert, just come wake me up if I’m not awake.”

Sam and Drake turned back to the crowd of women as the women talked amongst themselves. Many of them were obviously thoughtful as they tried to get together what they wanted to say to Drake when it was their turn with him.

“Do you think I’ll find my wife out of these women, Sam?” Drake asked.

“Yes, I do. All seven of these women are unique, beautiful and intelligent. I think you will have a really hard time making any sort of decision at all about them.”

“Well here goes nothing. Wish me luck,” Drake winked at Sam and then went over to talk with a group of women who were together.

Drake took his time and pulled each woman aside to talk to her for a little bit and then walk her to her room. He was a gentleman and tried to remember the details that each woman told him about her life. It was very difficult to remember each of the women and the task of remembering details about their life was even harder.

“I’m Victoria,” she said as Drake walked her to her room.

“It’s nice to meet you. Tell me a little about yourself.”

Drake liked Victoria already. She was quiet and seemed very well educated. He of course, also really liked her tight little body. She had on a skin tight black dress that showed off her ass and made Drake crazy thinking about fucking her later in the week.

“I’m twenty-six years old. I teach history at Harvard. I’m much wilder than that sounds, though.” Victoria laughed and her face turned bright red.

“I think we will have to test out your wild side while you are here.”

Drake kissed Victoria on the cheek and went downstairs to get another of the women and walk her to her room.

“Who else is ready to go to see their room,” Drake joked as he walked into the living room.

“Yes, sir. I’m ready,” Emily said as she stood up.

“Hello there, young lady, you look magnificent,” Drake said as they started to walk up the stairs.

“Hi, I’m Emily.”

Emily instantly became shy and couldn’t look up at Drake at all. She kept her eyes on the ground as they walked down the hall toward her room.

“It’s nice to meet you, Emily,” Drake said as he stopped in the hallway.

Emily tried to look up at him but could only glance for a second. She just couldn’t believe she was standing there with Drake Leblanc.

“You too,” she whispered.

“Young lady,” Drake said as he tilted her chin up into the air. “You are going to have to look at me if we are going to spend the week together.”

He held her chin up so she was forced to look at him, but her eyes kept looking away.

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

“You are sweet as hell. I can’t wait to taste you.”

Emily looked down and Drake pulled her face back up. He grabbed her face on either side and let his lips crush down on hers. He couldn’t resist, he needed to kiss her sweet lips right then and there.

She kissed him back and he felt the chemistry between them. Drake couldn’t help but hope Emily was one of his first dates. He really wanted to get to know her better.

He let her go and she walked into her room, and with one last shy look at him, Emily closed her door. Drake made his way back down to the living room and grabbed another woman.

“I’m Sophia, nice to meet you Drake,” Sophia had no problems looking Drake in the eyes.

In fact, Sophia had a confidence about her that outshone all the other women. She sat confidently, and walked and talked to Drake with confidence.

“Hello Sophia, you look exquisite tonight.”

“Come in to my room and we can talk about just how exquisite I look,” Sophia said as she winked at Drake.

“For tonight, I’ll say no. But I promise I won’t say no to you any other time while you are here.” Drake kissed Sophia on the cheek and went back downstairs.

“Young lady, I think you look tired. Shall I walk you to your room?” Drake asked Allison.

“Oh, yes,” she giggled. “I’d love that.”

Allison smiled from ear to ear as they walked upstairs. Then at the top of the stairs she got a huge case of the giggles that just wouldn’t go away. Drake even had to laugh as he watched her.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself,” Drake said as they reached her room.

“I just can’t help but think how these women are going to turn so nasty by tomorrow. It’s going to be a scene out of a horror movie.”

“I hope not, but you’re right, it could get pretty crazy.”

“I’m not that kind of girl. I’ll try to keep things light hearted.”

“I appreciate that. It’s nice to meet a woman who can have fun.”

Drake kissed Allison’s hand before he turned to go back to the main room.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Cynthia was there waiting for him. She grabbed his arm and turned him around and they started back up the stairs.

“Oh, a take charge kind of gal. I like that.”

“I go after what I want,” Cynthia said slowly as they walked up the stairs.

In her four-inch heels, Cynthia was just as tall as Drake. He liked that. She seemed much more his equal in both height and personality.

“I look forward to you coming after me,” Drake winked as he dropped Cynthia off at her room.

When he reached the living room again there were only two women left. He stopped and watched as they seemed to get along very well.

“Who’s next?” he asked as he opened up his arms.

“We can go upstairs together, you are probably getting tired by now,” Scarlett said.

Lauren laughed and stood next to Scarlett, she held onto Scarlett like a child.

“I think that’s and excellent plan,” Drake opened up both of his arms to let each of the women link their arms with his.

“This is so exciting. I feel like I’m on one of those television shows,” Lauren said.

“I think our show would be X-rated,” Scarlett said quietly.

“Yes, I don’t think we could be a network show,” Drake added.

The three made their way to Lauren’s room first.

“What was your name, young lady?” Drake asked.

“Oh, gosh I’m so sorry. I am Lauren. It’s so nice to meet you, Drake.”

“Thank you for coming, Lauren, I can’t wait to get to know you more. I’m going to walk Scarlett to her room now, but I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yes, alright. Goodnight.”

Lauren laughed as she went into her room.

“You know my name already?” Scarlett asked as they walked down the hall.

“Yes, I paid close attention when you talked earlier.”

Drake had his eyes on Scarlett from the moment she arrived. Her body was insane and made him want to throw all the other women out and just keep her. But as she talked and he got to know her more he was even more impressed. She was beautiful and smart as hell, definitely a contender in this wild week they had ahead.

“I’m impressed,” Scarlett said as they reached her room. “I look forward to our time together.”

Drake made his way down the hall and back downstairs. Drake slid down onto his couch in exhaustion. It was going to be a really long week if he couldn’t pick up his energy level a little bit. He needed to get some sleep.

Drake went down to talk with Sam and convinced her to stick around until the dinner at eight o’clock. After the dinner had started then Drake would be alright with Sam leaving, but not until then.

“Drake, what am I supposed to do between now and the dinner?” Sam asked.

“Well, you could come take a nap with me in my room,” Drake said with a wink.

“No. I don’t think so. How about I just leave and come back at dinner time?”

“No. What if one of the women has a question or something like that? I’m not going to know what I’m supposed to say. You’ll need to stay here.”

It was a losing battle and Sam knew it. She decided to just curl up on the couch while the women got ready for dinner and Drake went upstairs to take a quick nap. She was just as exhausted as everyone else and wanted to go home, but she knew Drake needed just a little more help.

At dinner, he would just sit there and not talk at all if there wasn’t someone to help him. Sam suddenly got very nervous about Drake’s ability to socialize with all the women in the house.

He would do fine fucking them all, but actually having conversations and getting to know them might be a much harder deal for him.

Chapter 19

After a few hours of resting, the women were called down to dinner. They all looked refreshed and ready for a good time.

Drake had dinner served slowly over the courses, so they all had time to talk and get to know each other. He found each of the women attractive and saw specific traits in each of them that he liked. He definitely could tell why Sam and Robert had picked the women they did.

Dinner went well and wasn’t as awkward as Drake thought it was going to be. He enjoyed talking with the women and they all seemed to enjoy talking with each other just fine. None of the women were overly dramatic or trying to hog all the conversation time. Drake was optimistic that the week ahead was going to go very good.

“How about we play a little drinking game,” Sam suggested as the dinner started to calm down.

She just wanted everyone to loosen up and have some fun. Sam also wanted to be able to go home and she knew Drake wouldn’t let her leave until he felt comfortable with all the women. Although the night had been filled with great conversations, there was a formality to everyone that Sam thought needed to be fixed.

Drake thought it was weird how uncomfortable he felt around these women. Perhaps it was because they were all intelligent and sexy women. He was so used use to spending time with airheads that the caliber of women Sam and Robert had picked for him was probably not something he was used to.

“Yeah, let’s do it!” shouted Scarlett.

Scarlett was probably the last one of the women who Sam would have thought would be so eager to play a drinking game. She seemed so proper, so put together, he liked that she wanted to loosen up and have fun.

“Ok, here are the rules. We will go around the table and tell two truths and one lie about ourselves. After you have said your three things, the other people will have to guess which one was the lie. If they guess correctly, you have to drink; if they guess incorrectly they have to take the drink.”

“This sounds like a fun game,” Drake said as he grabbed some shot glasses from the cabinet.

“I’ll go first,” Sam announced as she gave everyone a moment to pour themselves a drink. “I’m twenty-five years old. I once got arrested for public sex in France. And I grew up in New York.”

The women took turns saying which thing they thought was the false statement. Most of them chose the public sex in France. When it came to Drake’s turn he just stared at Sam. He knew how old she was and he knew she grew up in Seattle and not New York, so that meant that the public sex statement was true.

“You didn’t grow up in New York,” Drake said. “But I think you should tell us more about this public sex in France thing.”

All the other women clapped and egged on Sam to tell more of the story. They were willing to do anything that would make Drake happy and he really seemed interested in finding out more about the story behind Sam’s French arrest.

“Well first, everyone who guessed wrong needs to take a drink. I will take a drink since Drake guessed right.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to hear this story,” Drake said as he leaned in to listen. “You girls don’t understand, Samantha here is the most straight-laced woman I know. She has refused me for five years, and I can be pretty darn convincing.”

The women laughed and then looked at Sam to hear her story. They were happy to have the attention off them for just a brief moment.

“I was there with a boyfriend at the time and we thought it would be exciting to have sex under the Eiffel Tower. We waited until the middle of the night and then went there, but about two minutes into it, a security guard caught us and we were arrested. See, that wasn’t so exciting.”

Drake’s eyes were wide as could be as he listened to Samantha’s story. He didn’t think she would ever do something like have sex outside. He certainly didn’t think she would do such a thing at a public landmark. It made him think totally differently about Sam.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough about me. I’m going to leave. You guys can continue this game or make up a different one if you would like.”

Sam grabbed her things and headed for the door. Just as she was about to leave, Drake showed up behind her.

“Was that a true story?”

“Yes Drake, that was the idea of the game.”

“Wow, you surprise me.”

“Alright, well I’m going home. You enjoy the rest of your night. Remember that tomorrow is your first one to one date and it is with Victoria. I already talked with everyone about the rules and they will each plan their own date and talk to you about them. Call me if you need anything.”

“Wow, really…you had sex under the Eiffel Tower… I’m impressed.”

Drake just couldn’t get the picture of Sam fucking some guy under the Eiffel Tower out of his head. He would never have thought she would do something like that. Not in a million years. He couldn’t stop staring at her as she stood there and waited for him to acknowledge he was alright with the women for the rest of the night.

“Ok, I’m leaving. Good night, Drake.”

Even after Sam left Drake couldn’t get the idea out of his head that she had fucked a guy in public. Maybe he really didn’t know her as well as he thought he did.

Drake returned to the dinner table and felt much more confident in handling the women for the rest of the night.

“Who is next?” Drake asked as he looked around the table.

“Fuck it, I’ll go,” Scarlett said.

“I once worked with Donald Trump, I was Miss Alaska 2010, and I have size E breasts.”

The women took turns guessing first and their choices were a little of each of the items. No one seemed to have a consensus of which one was really the lie.

“I think the Miss Alaska 2010 is a lie,” Drake picked.

“Only Lauren and Cynthia got it right. My breasts are actually double F size.”

The table erupted in chatter as the women discussed the size of Scarlett’s breasts. Drake seemed impressed. He was eager to get his chance to play with them.

“Everyone who guessed wrong, take a shot,” Drake announced.

The games continued on and Drake and the women got pretty drunk. Scarlett was the first one to give up and head to her room; Lauren, Cynthia, Emily and Allison were quickly done as well.

Drake sat with Sophia and Victoria as they decided they were all too drunk to continue the game.

Sophia grabbed Victoria and whispered something in her ear.

“It was nice meeting you, Drake, I saw the schedule and I’m your first date tomorrow. I’m going to get some sleep for now.” Victoria kissed Drake on the cheek and left him alone with Sophia.

“Pretty sneaky how you got all those women to leave you alone with me,” Drake said as he moved over to sit by Sophia.

“Why, whatever do you mean?” Sophia pretended to be a southern bell with a thick accent.

“Miss Sophia, I think you are going to be trouble.”

“If you mean trouble to stop thinking about, yes. Or trouble to get up in the morning after making love to me all night, yes to that as well.”

“Fuck yes, girl, I like how you think.”

“Are there any rules about who you can fuck tonight?” Sophia asked.

She got up from her seat and sat on the table. Drake grabbed her and slid her over so she was right in front of him. Sophia’s red hair was swept up in a fancy ponytail and her dress was tight in all the right places.

Drake tried to spread her legs and put one on either side of him, but her dress was too tight. He had to settle for swinging them both to one side and he moved in closer to her.

“I don’t think there were any rules about tonight,” Drake said as he grabbed her ass and pulled her even closer.

“I hate rules anyway.”

Sophia wrapped her arms around Drake’s neck and kissed him. He couldn’t help but respond as her soft lips met his. He grabbed her dress and pressed it up so he could spread her legs. As he stood up, Drake pulled Sophia’s body tight against his.

She could feel how hard his cock was as she sat on the table with her legs spread. Sophia wanted him; she wanted him to take her right there.

“I think we should head upstairs,” Sophia said between kisses.

Drake wanted to go upstairs, but he also became acutely aware of all the other women in the house and he didn’t want to mess that up. He stepped back from Sophia.

“How about I walk you to your room, young lady?”

Drake extended his hand and led her upstairs toward her room. Sophia thought that Drake was going to come in. She wanted to play with him. But when they got to her room he kissed her one last time and then left her for the night.

Sophia was frustrated and wanted more of Drake.

Chapter 20

After dinner Drake was exhausted as he thought about how he was going to manage to get to know all of the women in such a short period of time. Drake thought he might have taken on a little too much in such a short period of time.

As he went around and turned off all the lights downstairs. there was a buzz at the front gate.

At first Drake thought it must have been Sam and she had forgotten something. But when he looked at the camera he saw that it was Rose. He buzzed her in and met her on the front porch. He didn’t want her to come in the house and see all the left-over glasses in the living room.

“Hi Rose”, Drake said cautiously as she came up the main walkway.

“I needed to see you.”

Rose came straight up to Drake and pushed him up against the front door. He didn’t resist as she let her tongue thrust into his mouth and her hand started to rub against his cock.

Instantly he was hard for her and wanted to bring her into the house. But the voice of Sam was in his ear about the rules of the game and he remembered that he wasn’t supposed to fuck anyone else except the women who were in the house.

But the dates didn’t really start until tomorrow; maybe it would be alright for him to have one last night of fun with Rose.

“Just a second Rose, I’m sorry. I have to make a quick phone call.”

Drake moved inside the front door and dialed Sam quickly.

“Can I fuck Rose?”

“What? No. You have a house full of women. Why would you want to fuck Rose?”

“She showed up at the house.”

“Drake, No. Send her away. You have plenty of other women to choose from.”

“Are you sure? She is a sexy and intelligent woman too.”

“No Drake, send her away right now.”

“Sam, come on, you’re such a hard-ass.” Drake opened the front door and continued to talk to Sam. “Alright, I’ll send her away. But I’m blaming you.”

Sam hung up the phone and Drake turned to Rose to try and explain why he needed to tell her to leave. But he couldn’t think of any good reason.

“I just can’t tonight. I’ll definitely call you, though.”

Drake went back inside quickly and left Rose on the front porch. She eventually turned and left the grounds, but she really had no idea what was going on at all.

Drake hated that he had just sent Rose away. He really had enjoyed his night with her and wanted to get to know her better. He thought about asking her to join their little game for the week, but then he decided she wouldn’t want to do that.

Rose had already had her night with Drake and she didn’t have to fight with six other women to get her time with him. Drake decided that she would not like the idea of now having to share Drake with other women.

As Drake headed up to his bedroom he thought about the week ahead and how much fun it was going to be. It was going to be a very memorable week, he knew that for sure. He went into his room and finally got to lay down. Sleep couldn’t come fast enough for him, Drake was physically and emotionally exhausted from trying to get to know all of the women.

He closed his eyes and tried to think about each of the women and what their names were. He went through them one at a time and then tried to remember what they had said they did for work. It was too much to remember for one night, though and he hoped he would be able to do better after spending another day with them.

Then from the back yard, Drake heard a loud noise. He jumped up and looked out the window to see what looked like a person sneaking into the pool house.

Drake didn’t know if it was Rose trying to sneak in or if it was someone trying to rob him. He grabbed his handgun and made his way downstairs.

No way was he going to let some lowlife rob his house again. That had happened before and he wouldn't allow it this time.

Drake kicked down the door to his pool house and turned the light on. He wasn't prepared for what he saw.

“Oh, it’s you,” said Drake with playful smile. “Let the games begin!”

The Billionaire’s Hunt

Victoria

The Billionaire Bachelor Series 2

Chapter 1

Drake walked into the pool house expecting to see a burglar, but instead found Victoria naked lying on the couch. It was a pleasant surprise that Drake instantly got excited about. Not very often did he have the pleasure of having a naked woman waiting for him. He could get used to something like that.

Typically, Drake was the one who brought the women back to his place, so they never really had the opportunity to surprise him.

“Oh, it’s you,” he said as he stood in the doorway.

“Well, it’s midnight and I was scheduled as your first date. So, I didn’t want to waste any time. I think we should get to know each other,” Victoria said.

“Smart thinking,” Drake said as he walked over to her.

Drake couldn’t stop staring at Victoria’s thin body as it lay on his couch. Her skin was like porcelain and she looked like he could break her in half, she was so tiny. The confidence in her eyes made up for how frail her body looked. Victoria was certainly a woman who knew how to go after what she wanted.

There was a book next to Victoria, it appeared she had been reading while she waited for the clock to strike midnight and Drake to come to her. He couldn’t help but glance down and saw she was reading Bill Bryson’s book A Short History of Nearly Everything. Drake couldn’t help but smile. He remembered reading that book on a business trip once and thinking how much he wished he could find a woman that enjoyed history as much as he did.

Victoria being naked and having that book next to her was just enough to send Drake right to her side. They could get to know each other later, for the time being he wanted to feel that delicate skin of hers under his fingertips.

Drake kneeled down next to Victoria on the couch and let his hands explore her body. Most women would have closed their eyes at the intimate nature of the moment, but not Victoria; she continued to look at Drake and take in the passion in his eyes. She wasn’t about to take any moment she had with him for granted.

“You are a very beautiful woman,” Drake said as his hand moved from her toes up her thigh.

“Thank you.”

Victoria felt the power in his touch and wanted more of Drake. She wanted all of him. Her hands wrapped around his neck and pulled him toward her so they could kiss. Victoria wasn’t normally as forward as she was in that moment. But she knew there was only 24 hours of time for her to spend with Drake and she wasn’t going to waste a single moment of it.

She rallied all of her old high school acting classes and did the best she could to pretend like she was full of confidence. Drake wasn’t going to fall for a woman who wasn’t confident, Victoria knew that. But she also knew she was very far away from being fully confident in herself. Most evenings she wondered if she would ever find a man that would love her. But on that night, Victoria threw aside all of her self-doubt and made an effort to be the confident woman she always wanted to be.

Many of the other women in the house were more beautiful than Victoria, or so she thought. There were women of all shapes and sizes. But Victoria felt like she was the outcast in the group. As a Harvard history professor, Victoria was a quiet woman by nature. But in the bedroom, she was open for anything and she wanted Drake to know that up front. She wasn’t about to throw away the opportunity to form a long-lasting connection with the most eligible bachelor in Los Angeles.

As Victoria took control and pulled Drake toward her, he couldn’t help but remember the words of advice from his assistant. Samantha had reminded Drake that the week was supposed to be different than his usual one-night stands. Drake needed to concentrate on getting to know the women. For Drake, it was out of his comfort zone to actually try and get to know a woman instead of just fucking her.

So as Victoria wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, Drake hesitated. His assistant Samantha’s words replayed in his head over and over. “You won’t find your wife if you’re just fucking the girls. A long-lasting relationship is built on your mental connection.”

Drake wanted to listen to Samantha’s advice, he really did. But as Victoria reached her hand into his pants and he felt her delicate fingers wrap around his throbbing cock. There was just no way he could stop what his body needed to do with Victoria. He would have to get to know her after he made her scream with pleasure.

Drake had devised the week-long experiment with all the women so he could make a concentrated effort to find a woman that fit what he was looking for. He wanted to have someone by his side when he went to movie premieres and got followed by the paparazzi. Drake needed a partner that could travel with him and attend charity functions with him. He was determined to put everything he had into the week with the seven women that had been chosen.

His fingers moved to her center and he slid one inside as their mouths continued to play with each other. Victoria’s lips were soft and delicate, just like the rest of her body. Drake could tell she took very good care of herself and he liked that. Whichever woman he chose at the end of the week would have to spend a lot of time in the public eye. He needed a woman who could withstand the scrutiny of the tabloids and other constant media attention.

A smart woman like Victoria might be just what Drake needed. She had the looks, the brains, and the personality that he was looking for. Plus, there was a definite connection between the two of them both physically and mentally. The fact that she was reading a history book instead of some fluffy fiction novel really had Drake interested.

His fingers continued to play with her as she used her hands to undress him. Slowly she released him from his pants and pulled them down. Then she took his shirt off and threw it across the room. For such a petite woman, Victoria certainly had power when she wanted to. Her hand thrust up and down his cock in a distinctive effort to show Drake just how much she could take control.

Victoria didn’t want the other girls to outshine her as the week continued on. She wanted to prove to Drake right away, on the first night, that she was the best match for him. Victoria felt that her physical and mental connection with Drake would outshine all the other girls in the house.

As much as Drake enjoyed a woman who could take control, he was used to being the one in charge. Quickly he turned the tables on Victoria and had her moaning with pleasure as he thrust his fingers inside of her. Their mouths continue to take each other in and Drake wanted desperately to feel his body thrusting inside of her.

Ideally, he would have drawn out the playing and made it more of an event, but Drake couldn’t control himself. He needed to feel his cock inside of her.

In one quick movement, he grabbed her and lifted her small frame on top of him as he sat down on the couch. She was lighter than he imagined and for a minute he worried that his large size wouldn’t fit comfortably inside of her.

Victoria couldn’t help but laugh at the ease in which Drake lifted her. His strength was exciting. His hands were so strong around her hips; it felt like he could wrap them all the way around her with ease.

Her body perched over his erect cock as she waited to slide onto him.

“Protection?” she asked.

“Shit, I don’t have any. I thought you were an intruder.”

“I’ve come prepared,” Victoria said as she stood up and went over to her purse.

She quickly pulled out a string of condoms and threw them onto the table as she ripped one of them off and opened it. But before she pulled it all the way out of the wrapper, Victoria got on her knees and looked up at Drake.

“Wow, you must have been a girl scout. You are certainly prepared,” Drake joked.

His cock throbbed with desire for her and Drake couldn’t help but want her lips around him. Her eyes looked up at him as she did exactly as he hoped and let her lips take him into her mouth. The pleasure of the warmth of Victoria’s mouth was exactly what Drake loved.

He had to fight his normal urge to rush the moment and hold her hair as she thrust on top of him. This week was a marathon and he needed to be more patient with the women. Each of the women would be seen over and over throughout the week, so Drake needed to make sure he was kind to them all.

His typical behavior of fucking them and leaving them just wasn’t going to work for the situation he had set up for himself. All seven women were going to be in the house all week. Drake had planned it that way, but it was something entirely out of his normal routine. Normally, he wouldn’t have to see a woman the day after they had a one night stand. Normally his assistant Samantha would be stuck giving them the bad news that he wasn’t interested.

Victoria watched as Drake pulled his hands up and placed them behind his head. His eyes continued to watch her intently and she knew exactly what he was doing. Victoria wanted to feel him explode, but she didn’t want the moment to end so quickly. Instead, she slowed the thrusts of her mouth and took Drake in slowly and deeper than before.

He moaned out with pleasure and that only drove her to continue the deep movements. Her lips were tight around his cock and she slid down his shaft slowly as she kept a firm pressure on him. Deeper and deeper she took him into her throat, much deeper than Victoria had ever been able to take a guy before.

As she moved back upward, it was apparent that Drake wasn’t going to last much longer without exploding. Victoria decided she wanted to torture him a little more, though and she moved her mouth down again on his shaft. Slowly and deliberately, Victoria took Drake into her throat again and reveled in the deep moan that he released.

The moment was perfect and Victoria could have finished him off right there, but she wanted to feel him inside of her. Her body needed to feel the pleasure that he could deliver to her.

She pulled the condom out and slid it over his throbbing member. It was already wet from pre-cum and Victoria could see in Drake’s eyes that he was ready to devour her the second she got the condom on him.

Sure enough, as Victoria finished rolling the condom down his shaft, Drake pulled her up on top of him and guided his throbbing cock into her as she sat down in his lap.

He was large and filled her up totally. Victoria took a deep breath as she moved down onto him and let her body adjust to the size of his body.

Drake watched as Victoria adjusted her body to take him in and felt the girth of his manhood inside of her. As much as he wanted to start thrusting hard inside of her tight body, Drake could tell his size made her a little uncomfortable.

He moved slowly at first and let her body adjust to him.

With both of his hands, Drake pulled Victoria’s lips toward him and kissed her with the passion he knew she wanted. A woman like Victoria didn’t just read about history. He expected that she read a lot of books and probably had wild fantasies about what she would do with her perfect man.

Drake liked a woman who read and who had deep thoughts. Although, he didn’t often run into women like that in the places he picked up his dates. The novelty of fucking a smart woman was intriguing to Drake, though, and he was happy that Samantha and Robert had picked Victoria to be in the house that week.

Their lips and mouths continued to work together as Drake felt Victoria become more comfortable with his size and thrust against him. Her body wanted to feel the pleasure of him deeper and deeper inside her and that was his sign that he could start thrusting his own hips.

He continued to kiss her as his hands moved to her ass and pulled it tight against him. As they moved together, Drake felt Victoria’s body tighten as she prepared to release with a delightful orgasm.

She held on tight to his shoulders as Drake thrust into her harder and harder. Soon Victoria couldn’t keep her desire quiet and she screamed out with pleasure as her body gave in to her desires. Drake took her orgasm as his cue to finally release the pleasure that he had built up from fucking her. With one final thrust, he released his pleasure and held onto Victoria as she shivered on top of him.

Victoria stayed on Drake’s lap with her legs wrapped around him and her arms around his neck. She laid her head on his shoulder and they both felt each other’s breath as their bodies tried to calm down.

“Nice book,” Drake said as he held onto Victoria and waited for the both of them to catch their breaths.

“Have you read it?”

“Yes, it was very interesting.”

“I’m impressed.”

Drake couldn’t help but laugh. There they were in the pool house of his multimillion dollar home and Victoria was impressed more by the fact that he had read a history book she liked. Something about that really hit Drake in just the right way. He liked that Victoria was more interested in his mind than his money. It was something totally different than what he was used to with the women he usually slept with.

He could tell that spending time with Victoria was going to be much more interesting than most of the women he had dated in the past.

Victoria was definitely someone Drake wanted to get to know more about. He kept hearing Samantha’s voice in his head, telling him he needed to work harder at getting to know the women at the house. So that’s what he wanted to do next with Victoria.

Chapter 2

“Should we shower?” Victoria asked after she had finally caught her breath from their hour of fun.

Drake couldn’t help but watch her as she breathed heavily on his chest. She was delightful to watch. Her dark brown hair was slightly sweaty and he brushed it away from her face. He looked into her deep brown eyes and had a better idea than a shower.

“How about a bath?”

Victoria shied away at first; she had never taken a bath with a guy before. Plus, Drake didn’t really seem like the kind of guy who normally took baths. But she was open to trying something new and really would say yes to anything that Drake wanted to do. A bonus to taking a bath together was that they could talk and get to know each other a little more while they relaxed.

“Let’s do it,” Victoria said as she stood up and pulled Drake with her to the bathroom.

Drake’s pool house bathroom was bigger than most people’s normal bathroom. It had a huge soaking tub in the corner which Victoria started with some warm bath water. She threw in some bubble bath and then sat down on the side of the bathtub. The whole room was enormous and she couldn’t help but think that she could live very comfortably in the pool house of his home. It was probably bigger than her apartment was back in Boston.

“It’s nice to meet you, Victoria. Tell me a little more about yourself,” Drake said as he sat at the edge of the bathtub with Victoria.

It was an oddly intimate moment. Both of them were naked, they had just made love, yet neither of them knew all that much about each other. Victoria knew enough about Drake from the tabloids, but she really didn’t know how much was true. With Drake being on the west coast and Victoria on the east coast, she just never spent much time following news stories about Drake. Although, she always knew who he was.

“I’m a teacher at a University on the east coast. Twenty-six years old, never married, no kids; all that good stuff, how about you?”

Drake had to laugh. Not very often did women ask him who he was or ask him to describe himself. It put him on the spot and he didn’t know how to answer the question. The women he normally met knew him very well and were typically after him because of what they knew about him.

“Thirty-eight, I run a company called Leblanc Enterprises, I’m looking to find a woman who can keep up with my busy life. Also, I really like women who lay naked on couches,” Drake laughed.

“That’s convenient. I happen to be very fond of couches and nakedness.”

Drake pulled Victoria’s naked body close to him and kissed her as they waited for the warm bath to fill up some more. He had never been one for romance, probably because he didn’t typically want to deal with the women after he fucked them. It was very calming to know that this woman was going to be around for the week.

The intimacy of the moment was intense, though. Drake felt connected to Victoria even before they had more of a conversation. Plus, his cock was starting to get erect again as he looked over at her perky breasts only a few feet away from him. Drake slid his body closer to Victoria so he could feel the power between them. There was definitely sexual chemistry between the two of them.

Their lips moved together gently but they kept their hands to themselves, for the time being. Neither of them had enough energy to go another round just yet. They wanted to enjoy the softness of the moment, without getting too worked up with excitement. Slowly their mouths played with one another as they waited for the bath water to finish filling up.

“I have something else I really like that you should know about,” Drake said.

Victoria got nervous for a moment. He talked as if he had some sort of kinky thing that he really liked. Although Victoria was ready to do anything that Drake wanted during their time together; she wasn’t typically into anything too kinky.

“What’s that?”

Drake grabbed Victoria and pulled them both back into the large tub filled with bubbles. Water splashed all over the place and Victoria started to laugh hysterically.

“I like to surprise people,” he said as he held onto Victoria and pulled her into the corner of the tub with him.

“Oh, my gosh, Drake. You almost drowned us,” she said as they both laughed.

“This is a pretty big tub.”

Drake wrapped his arms around Victoria as she sat in front of him. He let his hands move up and down her naked body as he moved the soapy bubbles from one place to the next. His hands weren’t specifically trying to be seductive, but Victoria couldn’t help but feel the desire as he moved them around her chest.

Slowly his hands took her breasts and fondled them, and then one hand moved down to clean the rest of her body. She let her head lay against his chest and for a moment Victoria realized just how much she wanted Drake to pick her.

Before coming on the trip Victoria hadn’t thought much about the interview. She figured she would meet Drake’s staff and do her interview. Victoria hadn’t planned on getting picked. In fact, she really was surprised that she had made it to the second interview and even more surprised she had made it into the house.

Originally when she had been asked by her dating matchmaker if she would consider coming out to Las Angeles for Drake’s interview, Victoria had said no. Not because she didn’t want to meet Drake because she definitely did. But Victoria was afraid of what it would be like to be in a house with other women who also wanted him for themselves.

Victoria knew that Drake was a powerful businessman who was also sexy as hell. She didn’t feel like her life as a history professor was anything that would interest a man like Drake. So, when the matchmaker came back almost instantly and said Drake’s assistants liked her and wanted her to come out for an interview, it was crazy. Victoria felt like it was meant to be and just couldn’t turn down the opportunity.

Drake was certainly a man that every woman was attracted to. Victoria just never thought she would be the type of woman that he liked. As they sat naked in his large bubble bath, Victoria finally relaxed as she assured herself he did like a woman such as herself.

“Why did you decide to do this whole week-long thing?” Victoria asked.

Typically, Drake wouldn’t answer such an intimate question when women asked, but Victoria had signed up for the week-long experiment with him and he wanted to be honest. Drake wanted to be honest with all the women throughout the week. He was going to go way outside of his normal comfort zone with his relationships during that week. Drake hoped it would result in him finding a woman he could keep with him and grow a long-lasting relationship with.

“I was tired of never finding a woman that I could keep around. I know it seems odd that a guy like me couldn’t find a decent woman. But the truth is, I expect a lot from any woman that I date. So instead of dating I typically pick a short-term arrangement.”

“Like one-night stands? What are you looking for?”

“I want it all. I want an intelligent, sexy woman who is a total sex kitten in the bedroom. But she can go out to events with me and socialize with my peers,” Drake said as he let his hand slip between Victoria’s legs.

“A sex kitten huh?” She laughed.

“Yes, I like to play in the bedroom. I have to have a woman who’s willing to try new and exciting things. By the way, I loved that you were bold enough to lay naked on that couch.”

Victoria tilted her head down as she felt the red flush of embarrassment come over her. She had never done something so outrageous to get a man before. It was way out of her comfort zone and she hoped that he had liked it. She had used up all of her energy trying to have confidence, so as they sat in the bathtub she didn’t have enough energy to pretend anymore.

“I don’t normally do things like that.”

“I’m glad you did it for me,” Drake let his lips move to Victoria’s neck.

She tilted her neck to the side and let Drake’s lips have full access while she spread her legs so his hand could have full access also.

Drake loved how delicate and sweet Victoria was. She was like no woman he could remember being with before. Her willingness to lay naked in the water with him when he knew she seemed very shy, it was a huge turn-on for him. Victoria obviously was willing to go out of her normal comfort zone for Drake and he liked that.

She moaned as his hands fondled her and she could feel her body ignoring how tired she was. It didn’t matter that it was now well past two in the morning. Victoria wanted to be everything that Drake needed in a woman. She wanted to be there in that tub with him and having his hands exploring her body.

The more she moaned, the more Drake let his fingers play with her. His cock was hard and pressed up against her back as his fingers dove deeper into pleasing her body. Feeling her naked soapy body up against his was more than Drake could contain and he needed to feel himself inside of her again. The only problem was they were both exhausted. He knew that.

He continued to pulse his fingers on her clit as he watched Victoria’s body move in pleasure. The faster he moved his fingers the more she moved. It was delightful to watch as she gave in to her desires and forgot about her shyness. She reached back and grabbed a hold of his shoulders to give herself something to hold onto as her body started to rock with excitement.

More and more he gave her until he felt her thighs latch tight around his fingers and her body shiver with a wave of orgasm. It was a first for Drake, having a woman in the bathtub like that. The intimacy felt new and exciting to him though and he wanted to make it last.

Any sort of intimacy was pretty new to Drake. Although he had dated the occasional girl for more than one night, most of the women he dated were not people he was interested in getting to know on a long-term basis. The originality of the whole week was exciting to Drake. He was going to build relationships with seven women. The week was going to test all his abilities and probably even teach him some new tricks on how to fully connect with a woman.

As they both got out of the tub, Drake wrapped Victoria in a large towel and then himself. They made their way to the bedroom where they both slid in under the covers. Victoria tucked herself in next to his shoulder as Drake pulled the blankets up over them.

She felt safe with Drake. It was an odd feeling to have with a man she had only actually known for a few hours. But Victoria instinctively felt safe as she lay next to him in the bed. Drake had an aura about him that made her whole body relax.

It had been a long night and as much as they both wanted to spend their entire twenty-four hours making love, they were smart enough to know when they needed sleep. A few hours would go a long way and would help them both as they took on the rest of their twenty-four hours together.

“Where do you teach?” Drake asked.

His arm wrapped around Victoria and pulled her close to him. Drake felt like asking questions was something new to him, but he remembered his company Vice President, and friend, Robert, had told him that women really loved it when you asked them questions.

Typically, Drake didn’t like to ask women questions because he did feel like they became more bonded with him. He didn’t want more than a one-night stand so why would he want to know anything about them. Things were changing, though, and this week of having all the women in his house was also about him deciding what he wanted and didn’t want in a woman. The intensity of the situation was going to make Drake more decisive and also force him into finding the woman he wanted to keep with him and grow a relationship with.

“Harvard,” Victoria said with a smile.

“What? You teach at Harvard,” Drake sat up in surprise.

“Yep.”

Victoria couldn’t help but laugh at the look of utter shock on Drake’s face. He certainly hadn’t expected that to be her answer. Most people didn’t expect it when she told them where she teaches.

“So, you’re telling me I just slept with a Harvard professor,” Drake laughed.

“Yep. You are part of the few. The proud. The Harvard professor sex partners.”

They both laughed and Drake laid back down and pulled Victoria in close to him. He reminded himself he had to call Samantha and Robert in the morning and tell them just how fucking happy he was with their choices so far.

Victoria was everything Drake didn’t even know he wanted. She was smart, funny, gorgeous, and that was just what he knew about her in the first couple of hours. Drake couldn’t wait to get to sleep and wake up and spend the rest of the day with Victoria.

Drake also couldn’t help but think how hard it would be for the other women to live up to how he felt with Victoria in his arms. She was sweet and kind and definitely the type of woman he would love to have by his side at events. Victoria was exactly what Drake wanted in a woman. At least at that moment she felt like the perfect fit for the future he was looking to have.

He pulled Victoria in tight against his body. Both of their days had started at dawn and lasted almost twenty hours. Victoria and Drake needed sleep and closed their eyes. It wasn’t long until sleep had taken over and they both fell asleep out of exhaustion from their very long day.

Chapter 3

Victoria started to stir as the sun came up and she quickly realized just how tired her body was. She hadn’t spent a night making love to a man in a very long time. It had been fantastic, but she was sore also. Every muscle in her body hurt as she started to move around in the bed.

It wasn’t like she purposely avoided men. But many of them were intimidated by Victoria’s intelligence. It took a very confident man to date a woman who was a Harvard University professor. Unfortunately, those men were hard to come by. Victoria had found herself relegated to dating fellow professors and business professionals in the Boston area. None of which had the flair for excitement that she secretly longed for.

She slipped out of bed and grabbed a clean outfit as she headed to the main house to try and make some breakfast. The morning was perfect and filled with a small amount of dew that covered all of the furniture around the pool. Victoria was sad that she hadn’t had the opportunity to jump in and swim yet, but she figured she would have plenty of time when Drake was out on his dates with the other women.

When she walked into the building she was quickly jolted back to reality as she found Sophia and Allison sitting and talking at the breakfast table. They were both dressed in their workout clothes and appeared ready to head out for a run.

Both of the women were stunningly beautiful. Sophia with her long red hair and voluptuous body. Allison with her similarly long blonde hair and thin model-like figure. Victoria had a hard time understanding how Drake could like women like that and also women like her.

The awkwardness was palpable as Victoria walked in from the pool house, instead of from her bedroom.

“Did he spend the night out there with you?” Sophia asked.

Victoria froze, unable to analyze what the best way to respond to the question would be. Obviously, she didn’t want to lie to any of the girls, but disclosing the intimate information about her time with Drake wasn’t a possibility either.

“Good morning, Sophia,” Victoria said as she avoided the question all together.

“Sophia, I don’t think we want to get into the habit of asking each other what happened during our time with Drake,” Allison said. “You don’t want to have the girls asking you when it’s your day. Do you?”

Sophia seemed extremely annoyed at first but then seemed to soften up a bit.

“Very true. You guys would be too shocked by what I did during my time,” Sophia said snarkily.

Both Victoria and Allison chose to ignore Sophia’s comment. Sophia was a redheaded bombshell and very confident. Victoria instantly felt her self-esteem diminish just by being in the same room with Sophia. Allison wasn’t ugly either, in fact Victoria was pretty sure she was actually a model. Victoria instantly regretted coming into the main house. Not because of Drake, but because of all the other women. She couldn’t imagine that he would pick her over the other women in the house.

At least out in the pool house Victoria could pretend like what she and Drake had going on was unique and special to them. But faced with the reality of the situation and two of the six other beautiful women that were in the house, Victoria did not feel confident at all anymore.

“Do you ladies want some eggs,” Victoria asked.

She tried to put aside her insecurities and be nice to the other two women.

“We were just about to go for a run,” Sophia asked. “Would you like to join us?”

Victoria felt like there was an undertone of sarcasm in Sophia’s voice. Or perhaps Sophia was just trying to get Victoria away from Drake for part of her day with him. Either way, Victoria wasn’t about to fall for it and she politely declined the offer.

“I’m going to stay here and make some breakfast. Thanks for the offer,” Victoria said.

Sophia and Allison got up and made their way out of the kitchen, just as Drake entered the back door. Victoria involuntarily rolled her eyes when the two women stopped dead in their tracks and turned back to Drake. Suddenly they both acted like the sweetest women in the world.

“Good morning Drake,” the two workout clad women said as they went over to Drake and gave him a hug.

Sophia leaned in to kiss him, but Drake turned his head so she kissed his cheek instead. He wasn’t about to get caught kissing Sophia when the other two women were right there. Drake suddenly couldn’t remember the rules that Samantha had given him and he didn’t want to break any of them.

Navigating a house full of women was going to be difficult, especially the emotions that came along with seven distinct individuals. Drake knew how angry women got when he decided he didn’t want to go on a second date with them, he could only imagine what the reaction was going to be by the women that he didn’t choose after the week was over.

“Good morning. ladies. I hope you had a good night of sleep.”

“Yes, perfect,” said Allison.

“Delightful,” said Sophia.

“I hope you enjoy your day; I look forward to sitting down with everyone around dinner time tonight.”

“You too,” the women said as they made their way out the front door for their run.

Both Sophia and Allison were absolutely delightful around Drake. Victoria didn’t see a hint of the personalities she had seen when she was alone with the women. She knew those two were there to play a game and they were going to play it as hard as they could. Victoria didn’t feel like she would be able to keep up with their dirty tricks as the week wore on.

Victoria breathed a deep sigh of relief as the women left and she had Drake to herself again. The moment was a huge revelation for her, though. She certainly wasn’t alone with Drake for the week and she was going to need to up her game a little if she was going to keep his attention and not let his time with the other women pull him away.

“Good morning,” Victoria said as she started to eat a banana.

Her lips moved slowly around it and she was purposely being seductive, but she couldn’t help but smile. Victoria just wasn’t use to being a seductress and it was hard for her to do those things without smiling.

“That banana is making me jealous,” Drake said.

He looked around the kitchen and then pulled Victoria in for a quick kiss. She couldn’t help but smile at his willingness to kiss her in the main house. Especially after seeing how he hadn’t kissed Sophia.

It was strange for Victoria, when she was with Drake he made her feel confident and like he genuinely liked her. But the second she saw the other women in the house all of Victoria’s confidence left her. She expected it was going to be a really long week. The idea of watching Drake with the other women wasn’t something she looked forward to at all.

“Would you like some eggs?” Victoria asked as she put the banana down and pulled the carton of eggs from the fridge.

“I have a chef for that. Let me call him in and have him make us some breakfast.”

“No, no, no. I’m perfectly capable of making my man eggs.”

Victoria gently pushed Drake into the chair at the counter and she got to work making him a delicious omelet.

Drake loved that Victoria had called him ‘her man’ it was a term of endearment that he didn’t usually hear. The connection they had was growing and he liked that Victoria felt comfortable enough to take charge in the kitchen.

Although she looked like she never ate food at all, Victoria was actually a very good chef and enjoyed cooking very much. She just had a high metabolism and burned off everything she ate.

She watched Drake out of the corner of her eyes as he watched her. It was an intense feeling to have his eyes on her and know he wanted her like he had her the night before. She wanted him just as badly. But she really did want to have some conversation with him to get to know him a little bit.

As much as Victoria wanted Drake to just pick her and not talk to any of the other women, she also wanted to know if there was a genuine bond between them or not. It wasn’t worth it to ‘win’ the week, if there wasn’t a true connection between them. Victoria was certainly smart enough to know that the physical connection they had might not be enough to sustain a relationship.

“You look really comfortable in the kitchen,” Drake said as Victoria handed him the omelet she made for him.

“I love to cook. I guess I would even consider it a bit of a hobby for me.”

Drake couldn’t help but look Victoria up and down. She was by far the most petite woman in the house and looked like she barely weighed one hundred pounds. Nothing about her looked like she liked to eat. In fact, she looked like she hardly ever ate at all.

He laughed a little as he looked Victoria over.

“You look like you never eat.”

“I know! But trust me. I do eat. I love to eat. I just can’t seem to gain an ounce of fat ever.”

“Oh, the other women are going to hate you for sure,” Drake laughed.

Victoria knew it was true, though. Many women hated it when Victoria told them she couldn’t gain weight. But to her it was a body issue just like women who wanted to lose weight; unfortunately, it was really hard for other women to understand. Victoria often found herself feeling like the outcast when her friends talked about their weight issues or trying to lose a few pounds.

“Yes, I try not to make comments like that around other women. I understand my issue is unique and not something they are comfortable with.”

“This omelet is delicious,” Drake said as he changed the subject.

He could tell Victoria didn’t feel all that comfortable talking about her slim figure and he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable at all. Drake enjoyed being with Victoria and was excited to see what else she wanted to do with their day.

“Thank you, sir. Now let’s talk about my plans for the rest of our day.”

“You mean we aren’t going to stay held up in the pool house fucking all day?” Drake said with a wink.

Victoria was actually perfectly happy with that as an option. She was willing to do whatever he wanted to do with their day. Although her plan to go to the zoo seemed like a lot of fun too.

“We can do whatever you would like. I did get us a private tour of the San Diego Zoo if you’d like to go explore a little bit today.”

Drake’s eyes got wide with excitement at Victoria’s date idea. He had just been talking to a friend about how he hadn’t been down to that zoo, ever. They had asked him for a donation and he was happy to give it but he did really want to go check them out. Ever since he was a kid, Drake had loved the tigers. They were calm, yet able to keep an entire jungle in their control. He often felt like he was a tiger in the world and trying to control all the other animals around him.

“That sounds like a great way to spend the day,” Drake said as he pulled Victoria in again for another quick kiss.

“I read somewhere that you love tigers,” Victoria said with a smile.

“You read up on me?” Drake said with a crooked grin.

“Not in a creepy way. I just wanted to know more about you.”

Victoria felt so embarrassed that she had told Drake she read about him. How embarrassing! He probably thought she was some weird super fan or something. She really had not read that much information about him. In fact, she just remembered the one article where Drake had talked about his love for tigers. She wanted to take the comment back almost instantly after she said it.

“It’s alright. I read a whole file on you,” Drake said with a wink.

“Oh, really. What did you learn about me?”

“Mostly I learned that I don’t pay attention when I read. Because I didn’t see that you were a Harvard professor,” he laughed.

“I feel like I have a bit of an advantage, then. I usually remember everything that I read.”

Victoria couldn’t help but smile as they looked into each other’s eyes. There was definitely chemistry between them and a mental connection. Victoria felt more connected with Drake after only a couple hours than she had felt with her last boyfriend she dated for months. She had instantly become a believer in the idea of love at first sight.

No, she didn’t think she loved Drake, or anything that dramatic, but Victoria did see how love of that strength could be possible when you first met someone. The chemistry between two people was different all the time, but if it happened to be just right when you ran into the man or woman of your dreams; perfection could happen.

“You definitely have the advantage.”

“One point for me,” she joked.

They both gathered up their things and made their way out the front door to a car that was waiting to take them down to San Diego. Victoria had asked the rental company to bring them a fun car; she wasn’t exactly prepared for the car that arrived.

“Wow,” they both said as they stood in the doorway and looked at the car that was there.

“I call dibs on driving,” Drake said as he raised his hand.

In front of them was a 2016 Tesla. Drake was a big fan of cars but hadn’t gotten around to purchasing a Tesla for himself yet. The all-electric sports car was certainly something fun for them to drive down the coast.

“Yes, you are for sure driving. This thing looks like it’s from the future. I wouldn’t trust myself to drive it at all.”

“Let’s get going. I suspect I’m going to want to drive this baby all day long,” Drake said as they both slid into the car.

Chapter 4

“I feel like I’m Julia Roberts in the movie Pretty Woman,” Victoria said as they made their way onto the highway.

“This car corners like it’s on rails,” Drake said as an ode to the movie.

“Well, I guess sort of like Julia Roberts, without the prostitution part of the movie. I never did understand why I liked that movie so much. considering the character they had her playing.”

“It’s the idea of meeting someone outside of your normal comfort zone and feeling a connection with them.”

Drake was entirely right on the money with his comment. Victoria had analyzed that movie over and over and why she, as well as other women, loved it so much. She even dedicated part of her history course to having her class analyze the role of women in historic films. She loved to hear the classes’ explanations for why they all loved the role in that movie.

“Yes, sometimes you can be surprised when you meet someone out of your normal comfort zone.”

“What kind of men do you normally date?”

“Professors. Really, boring professors,” Victoria said as she laughed. “How about you?”

Victoria knew from the tabloid coverage that Drake didn’t seem to have any particular type of woman. She also knew that he didn’t usually have the same woman around for more than a couple of days. She was very interested to see what kind of woman he said he liked.

“It’s hard. Most of the women I meet want something from me. They don’t want a relationship, they want a bragging moment.”

Victoria felt an instant sense of sadness as she heard Drake talk about his life. She hadn’t expected the sad tone in his voice at all. When she watched all the media coverage of Drake it usually showed him at some party or walking to his car with some hot woman. Never did he seem sad or like that wasn’t the life he wanted for himself.

He actually seemed to really enjoy the one-night stands and fun he had. But Victoria could tell that the more he thought about his future, the more Drake wanted to have something a little different. He seemed pretty tired of the same old one-night stand lifestyle that he had been leading.

“I’m sure you have your pick of women, though.”

“It’s really very difficult to meet a decent woman. There are so many that are only interested in my money. I don’t think I’ve been on very many real dates lately. Except for ones my friends and family set me up on. And those are difficult because I want to be polite, but there often isn’t very much chemistry between us.”

“I never thought about you having a hard time getting a date,” Victoria said.

“I wouldn’t say it’s difficult to get a date. I could have a date every night of the month. The difficult part is finding a woman that I feel interested in. I’m into more than just big boobs and tight asses.”

Drake reached over and squeezed Victoria’s hand as they continued their two-hour drive. It was an intimate thing to discuss his dating life with another woman and Drake usually only did that with his assistant Samantha.

“Oh, I forgot. I was supposed to call my assistant this morning. Do you mind?” Drake asked as he pulled into a lookout point that sat over the Pacific Ocean.

“Of course, you do what you need to.”

Victoria grabbed her light sweater and went out toward the edge of the lookout point as Drake dialed his phone. He hadn’t asked her to leave the car, but he did appreciate her willingness to give him privacy for his phone call. Drake didn’t want a woman who was jealous or obsessive and that small gesture from Victoria showed him that she was more confident than she thought she was.

“Hello,” Samantha said through the phone.

“Samantha, you really kicked it out of the park with Victoria. She is great.”

“I’m glad you like her. But why are you calling me instead of fucking her?”

Drake couldn’t help but laugh. Samantha’s humor was right in line with his. She had a filthy mouth and dirty mind, the perfect assistant for him.

“We did plenty of that last night. We are driving in a Tesla she rented on our way down to San Diego Zoo.”

“Tesla…Zoo…that sounds like a really fun date. I think I even like her at this point. Which one are you with again?”

“Victoria. Petite, brown hair, Harvard professor.”

“Oh, yes. She was one of my top choices. She’s really smart and loves all that weird history stuff that you like.”

“Weird. Are you saying my joy in watching the history channel isn’t a normal thing?”

“No, not unless you’re an eighty-year-old; then it’s normal.”

“How’s the office? Any big emergencies?”

“Things will run fine without you, Drake. I know you think the world will fall apart the second you are not in control, but Robert is really good at his job and so is everyone else.”

“I don’t think everything will fall apart. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need me for something.”

“I don’t need you. Go have fun with your date today. Oh, and talk to her about Paris. She really wants to go there someday and loves to talk about it.”

“Do I even need to go on dates with the other women? I like Victoria. She’s mentally stable, sexy as hell and smart.”

“You’re the boss. You can decide what you want. But I do have to tell you that I am positive you will like all of the women. They each have qualities that will make you happy. I’d really like it if you’d take the week and get to know them all. Then at the end you can certainly choose Victoria if she’s still your front runner.”

Drake appreciated Samantha so much. She always had his best interest in mind and was more than dedicated to the company. He made a mental note to give her another raise as soon as the week was over. Sam was probably already the highest paid assistant in L.A. but he thought of her as more than just an assistant, she was like one of the executives in the office. In fact, Drake thought maybe he should give her a new title, even. She certainly earned it for all the things she did for him all the time.

“I’ll try to tough it out,” Drake joked.

“Trust me, Drake, all the women are wonderful. Do you have anything planned for tonight to get to know them better ? I’m sure the other women are going to want to talk to you some.”

“I was just going to do a dinner party with them tonight.”

“You should play a little old-fashioned spin the bottle. That might be a good way to break the ice.”

“Samantha, it’s a house full of women who want to date me. They aren’t going to want to watch me kissing the other women.”

“Drake, just have fun with it. They can kiss you, each other, whatever happens with the bottle.”

Samantha had no problems with sexuality and was more than willing to discuss Drake’s sex life whenever he needed to. At first the whole week-long experiment seemed like it was crazy. But as she got to know the women that were going into the house, Samantha felt like having one of them around was just what Drake needed.

Plus, if Drake had a woman by his side, he wouldn’t need to bother Samantha nearly as much as he normally did.

“Oh, you think they are going to be alright kissing each other?”

“I happen to know they are all totally open to the idea of kissing other women,” Samantha said.

Drake adjusted in his seat as he took in the information Sam had just told him. If what she said was true, a little game of spin the bottle could turn into a whole lot of fun. Drake closed his eyes for a minute and imagined all the women making out in the living room as he spun a bottle to see who he would get to make out with next. It was a beautiful idea and he wasn’t opposed to making it come true, if any of the women were interested as well.

“Don’t tease me like this, Sam.”

“I’m dead serious. I almost kissed one of the girls to make sure, but decided against it.”

“You’re killing me here. You were going to actually kiss one of the girls? Which one?”

Samantha laughed and sounded like she was getting into her car. Drake couldn’t tell if she was serious or not, but he loved the idea of thinking about Samantha kissing one of the girls in the house.

“Just trust me; all of the women are very open to any sexual things you’d like to try.”

“Alright, now this is going to be a fun week.”

“Go and have fun with Victoria. Enjoy your day and treat her nice. She’s a good possibility for you, Drake.”

“Thanks for everything, Sam.”

As Drake hung up the phone he looked out the window at Victoria as she stood overlooking the water. She had a peacefulness about her that instantly made Drake feel calm. He loved that about their connection. Drake really did want a woman in his life who could help him feel calmer and he loved that she was sexy as hell as well.

Victoria turned around as Drake came out of the car and walked toward her. She could feel her heart pounding with excitement as he looked at her with his deep blue eyes.

Drake was about twelve years older than Victoria, but she felt perfectly matched with him. She couldn’t help but think that she had been dating men that were way too young for her. Maybe that was why she never felt a good connection with the men she dated. The maturity and life experience that Drake had was a much better fit for her.

“Everything go alright with your call?”

“Yes, surprisingly, my company isn’t falling apart without me there. I’m a little disappointed.”

“I know the feeling. Well, sort of, when I take a vacation from work I always think the kids aren’t going to learn anything and will hate the new teacher. It’s slightly disappointing when I return and find out they had a good time.”

“You look so beautiful in the light of the ocean.”

“Thanks,” Victoria said as she grabbed Drake’s hand. “Look down there. We should go check that out.”

Victoria pointed to a group of surfers who had set up a small little camping spot at the base of the cliff. She wasn’t exactly sure how they had gotten down there, though. The cliff was far too steep from where they were standing.

“I’m slightly opposed to climbing down cliffs.”

“Only slightly?”

Drake had to laugh; Victoria certainly had a great sense of humor. It was another quality that he liked and he was starting to think there was no way any of the other women was going to be able to compare to her.

“Should we get going? I’m itching to drive that car again,” Drake said as he held onto Victoria’s hand and guided her back to the car.

“Yes, we better. I have a surprise for you at noon so we can’t be late to the zoo.”

“A surprise?”

“Yep, you’re going to love it.”

Drake pulled back onto the highway and they continued their journey to the San Diego Zoo. He was excited at the idea of a surprise. As the CEO of his own company, Drake didn’t often get surprises. Typically, he was involved in every aspect of his life and there just wasn’t a chance for anyone to surprise him.

“Did I tell you that dress looks amazing on you?” Drake said as he let his hand slide in between Victoria’s thighs.

“Eyes on the road, mister.”

Drake made a point to keep his eyes on the road while his hand continued up her thigh and then moved up her body to her chest. He slid his fingers into her bra and held onto her nipple tightly until he heard her moan with the pleasure of his touch.

“My eyes are on the road,” he teased her.

When they pulled into the parking lot of the zoo, Drake leaned over and kissed Victoria softly. Their connection was strong and he just wanted to practice showing her he was interested and paid attention to her. It wasn’t something he was used to doing, so it took a concerted effort on his part.

What Drake really wanted to do was pull Victoria onto his lap and fuck her. Every nerve in his body wanted her and the two-hour drive had just magnified his desire. He started to regret agreeing to the trip. If they had stayed back at home he could have been inside her body all afternoon until they collapsed from exhaustion.

“We need to get inside, it’s almost noon,” Victoria said and jumped out her door.

She moved around to Drake’s side of the car and opened it and pulled him out.

“I think we should stay here and play for a little bit,” Drake offered.

“Nope. Sorry, we have an appointment inside. Can’t miss it. Let’s go.”

Drake didn’t know what they were doing inside the zoo, but he saw the excitement on Victoria’s face and he was perfectly happy to follow her into the zoo.

It wasn’t very often that Drake was surprised by people. There weren’t that many people in his life that could surprise him. Mostly just Samantha or Robert and both of them were too busy to think about surprising Drake.

Chapter 5

They walked into the zoo and Victoria bounced with excitement. Drake enjoyed watching her and how elated she was to have a surprise for him. Victoria was more reserved typically and it was fun to see her let loose and show some excitement.

“We are here to meet with Edward,” Victoria said to the woman at the ticket counter.

“Oh yes, Miss Harting?”

“Yes, Victoria Harting.”

The woman turned around and made a phone call. It only took a few short minutes before Edward was at the front gate to greet them. Drake was impressed. He was familiar with people going out of their way for him, but to have them do it for Victoria was pretty impressive. Drake couldn’t help but wonder what she had done to get them to be so nice to her. A teacher’s salary probably wasn’t enough to bribe them and she lived on the other side of the country so he didn’t think she knew any of the people.

“Victoria, it’s so nice to finally meet you,” Edward said as he came straight toward Victoria.

It was another unique situation that Drake wasn’t familiar with. Normally people were excited to meet him, they would go out of their way to impress him. Sometimes they even wanted to take photos with him or have him sign autographs. It felt really comfortable to let someone else stand in the spotlight for a change.

“Hello, Edward, it is so nice to finally put a face to the name. This is my friend Drake Leblanc, he is the one I told you about.”

“Oh, yes, Mr. Leblanc. It is a pleasure to have you here.”

“Thank you.”

“I have everything ready, come this way,” Edward said as Drake and Victoria followed him into the zoo.

Victoria held onto Drake’s hand and squeezed it with excitement as they followed their guide.

“Where are we going?” Drake asked like a school kid on his first trip to the zoo.

“If I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

Drake accepted that answer, for the moment, and they continued their trek into the zoo. It was a very large zoo and they walked past several exhibits that were much nicer than Drake had expected. Suddenly he wished he would have remembered what his donation had gone toward. He gave money to several charities and just couldn’t remember what the zoo had said the money was going to go toward.

“We’re here,” Edward said as he opened a small gray door on the side of a building.

As they entered the hallway, Drake looked on either side of him and saw that they were in the tiger building. He couldn’t contain his excitement. He could feel the giddiness of being a child and getting to see the tigers for the first time. This was a great gift that Victoria had arranged for them.

“The tigers. Oh, shit, yeah this is awesome. We get to walk back here and see them up close. Wow, Victoria, this is just perfect.”

Victoria didn’t answer him and smiled as they continued to walk down the hallway. She looked behind her and saw Drake with his face pressed against the glass in excitement as he looked at the biggest tiger of the group.

“What’s this one’s name?” Drake said from the end of the hallway.

“That’s Cinder, she’s our oldest tiger.”

“She’s beautiful,” Drake moved across the hall to the other tiger. “What’s this one’s name?”

“He is Rory, the leader of our tiger clan. Come down here and I’ll get you ready.”

Drake came down to the end of the hall where Edward and Victoria stood in the doorway to a room. As he looked into the room he saw a huge pile of red meat and a couple buckets on the ground.

“Once you are done cutting it into manageable sizes, I’ll take you into the cage,” Edward said.

Drake looked at Victoria and then back at Edward. The shock and fear on his face made both of them laugh.

“Surprise, you are going to feed the tigers,” Victoria said as she put on the thick apron next to the table.

Drake continued to stare at Victoria and then looked back at Edward. He looked shocked, or like he didn’t understand what was going on.

“Go in there and cut that meat up, Drake, the tigers are hungry. The longer they wait the feistier they will be with you when you get in there.”

“Victoria…” Drake started as he looked at her.

She seemed perfectly at ease as she started to butcher the large stack of red meat. She also seemed very amused at the fear she had put into Drake. He wasn’t the kind of guy who was afraid to do many things in life, but getting into a cage with a tiger was apparently one of the things that he was afraid of.

“Drake, come play with this meat,” Victoria teased.

Drake reluctantly put on the thick apron and gloves and watched as Edward left the room. He wasn’t prepared to go through with actually feeding the tigers, though. As much of a daredevil as he was, Drake wasn’t stupid. He only took calculated risks and being in a cage with a tiger seemed like too much of a risk even for him.

“Victoria, this is insane. We can’t feed the tigers.”

“We can’t, but you can,” she laughed.

“Oh, I see how it is. You are going to have me in that cage with the tiger while you’re out here perfectly safe.”

“Yep, that was my plan.”

“I think you should come with me. It’s only fair.”

They continued to butcher the meat into fist sized bites and throw it into the large plastic buckets next to them. Victoria couldn’t help but laugh when she noticed all the color had drained out of Drake’s face. She knew her surprise was going to shock him, but she didn’t think he would actually be afraid to go in there.

Victoria actually thought it would be very exciting to feed the tigers, but she needed to ask Edward first if it would be alright for both of them to be in there. Edward and Victoria had collaborated on a research project about the tigers of Kenya a few years before. Although they never got to work in the same room with each other, they did talk on the phone and share hundreds of emails while they had finished that project together.

They continued to cut up the meat and Victoria couldn’t help but think the moment was erotic. They each grabbed a big hunk of meat and then used their extremely sharp knives to cut it while looking up and into each other’s eyes. She was pretty sure there was some sort of fetish that would enjoy what she and Drake were doing at that moment.

“I’ll come with you if Edward says it’s alright.”

Victoria looked at Drake without even a drop of fear on her face. It surprised him. Especially because he was certainly afraid of getting into that cage with any of those tigers. It was a little scary that Victoria was so confident and unafraid.

“So, you’re perfectly fine with getting into a cage with man-eating tigers?” Drake said with a little chuckle.

“Yep, I’m comfortable with the idea.”

“You’re crazy.”

“I know. I feel like that sometimes too.”

“Alright, well let’s get Edward and do this. I’m excited to get eaten alive with you,” Drake joked.

They finished the last pile of meat and took off their protective gear and washed their hands. It was exciting to think that they were about to be literally right on the edge of death. Drake felt his chest beat with excitement and he watched Victoria in hopes of seeing some sort of fear in her eyes. He was disappointed that she didn’t seem to be afraid at all.

“Nothing about this scare you?” Drake asked her.

“I have researched tigers a lot. I feel confident in my ability to feed them without being eaten. I mean as long as you behave yourself.”

Victoria smiled at Drake and then wrapped her arms around him to kiss him. If it was their last few minutes on earth, she didn’t want them to be spent apart. Even though she was very confident in her skills, there was a tiny part of her that was worried about actually going into the tiger’s cage.

“You two love birds ready to do this?” Edward said when he entered the room.

“Edward, I’m all for a little excitement, but I really don’t want to die. This is safe, right?”

“No, it’s not safe. You’re going into a tiger’s cage with fifty pounds of raw meat. Come on, man, this is some dangerous shit.”

They all laughed and then Edward got serious.

“The two things I want you to remember are to maintain eye contact and don’t tease them.”

“Of course, I won’t tease them,” Drake said.

“As soon as you get the meat in your hand I want you to toss it to the other side of the cage. If you stand there holding it for too long, you’re likely to get your hand eaten and maybe the rest of you, too.”

“Edward, are you alright with me coming in with him?” Victoria asked.

Drake was impressed. He had been joking that Victoria should come in there with him, but he really liked that she wasn’t shying away from the idea. Her willingness to get into the tiger cage with him showed just how much strength she had. It was a metaphor for life too. In life, there would be difficult events and Drake wanted a woman that would be willing to stand by his side during those events.

“Sure, she can hold the meat container. But if you notice at all that Rory is getting too close to you guys, simply press this button and his outside cage will open. I’m going to put a large piece of meat out there so he’ll want to go for that over you guys if the situation gets out of control.”

“Or he’ll eat us first and then go out there for the rest of the meat,” Victoria said with a bit of sarcasm.

Neither Edward nor Drake seemed amused by her humor.

The three of them walked back down the hallway in silence as they approached the door to Rory’s cage. He was out near the front of his cage waiting to go outside, but must have smelled the meat when they got near. With his long stride, he made his way right up next to cage door and stood there waiting for them to enter.

Both Victoria and Drake froze and were unable to move. There was a small entrance area with a caged spot for them to enter the room, but then the tiger was right there. Really, even once they were inside the first door, Rory could swipe at them with his claws if he really wanted to. The caged area only served as a spot to slow the tiger down so he couldn’t escape easily out the door.

“Let me go around the front and put the large meat outside really quick,” Edward said.

Drake and Victoria just stood at the window in silence as they watched the tiger pace in front of them. He looked hungry, really hungry and Victoria couldn’t help but think the tiger was going to want to eat them more than the meat they had cut up.

“Do you think we look better than this meat? I mean to a tiger?” Victoria asked.

“You look delicious. I’d eat you over that meat in a second,” Drake joked as he pulled Victoria toward him.

Finally, she looked like she was at least a little afraid. He didn’t want her to be afraid, it wasn’t about that. But he didn’t like that she had been so stoic while he had been petrified. Her fear made it easier for Drake to show how manly he was. He suddenly felt much more confident about their interaction with the tiger.

“Ok, you two. Now remember. Slow, steady movements. I’ll come into the first caged area and let you into the main cage. This should only take a minute or so. Just start throwing the meat to the other side of the room, slowly and at the same pace so he isn’t startled.”

“What if he’s startled,” Drake asked.

“Let’s just try to avoid that.”

“Do you have a gun or something? Anything to protect us with?” Victoria asked as the fear of the moment finally set in.

“No, trust me. If he wants to kill you. It will be over with before I can shoot him.”

Victoria and Drake held onto each other as they entered the first small cage area behind Edward. The intensity of the situation was crazy.

Chapter 6

Once they were all in the entrance to Rory’s cage, it became apparent that this fun little adventure was actually extremely dangerous. The idea of danger had been there before, but as they stood only a few feet away from the tiger, both Victoria and Drake started to second guess what they were about to do.

“Can’t we just throw the meat from here?” Victoria asked.

“No, he will become more hostile if he thinks you are keeping it from him. We really aren’t safe here at all. He could just swipe his claws through these bars and kill us all.”

“That is not reassuring,” Victoria added.

“He’s a good boy. Rory’s been here for many years. As long as you do exactly as I told you, there won’t be any problems. He’s come to expect his food this way and he will likely just stay on the other side of the cage and wait for you to throw the meat.”

Edward seemed confident and his confidence rubbed off on Drake. These were the types of situations that Drake loved, when he got to stand up and do things that scared others. Drake took a couple of deep breaths and then he was ready to enter the cage with the tiger.

“Alright, should I open the door?” Drake asked.

“Yes, go ahead and move in slowly. Let Victoria hold the meat bucket and start by throwing a piece right away as you enter the cage,” Edward said.

Edward held the cage door open and Drake walked in first, Victoria held the meat bucket and stood right behind him. Drake did as he was told and grabbed a big piece of the meat and instantly threw it across the room.

Rory, the tiger, ate the meat so quickly that neither Victoria nor Drake were ready when he turned right around and faced them again. They both stood there frozen for a second before they realized they had to grab another piece and throw it.

Luckily, Drake was less frozen than Victoria and he threw piece after piece across the room with only a few seconds in between each of them. Victoria stood still, holding onto the bucket and trying her best not to pass out. Her breathing had almost stopped as she held her breath between each throw of the meat.

“Do you want to throw a piece?” Drake asked her.

Victoria shook her head yes and reached into the bucket to grab a piece of meat. Unfortunately, they did not communicate well and Victoria thought Drake was going to throw one more piece before it was her turn.

She stood there with the piece of meat in her hand as Rory, the tiger, turned around and faced them. The tiger waited for them to throw another piece of meat. At first, he waited patiently, but that only lasted about fifteen seconds. Then Rory took a step toward Victoria and Drake.

“Throw it,” Drake said calmly.

But Victoria was stunned into frozen silence and couldn’t move. She stood there with the meat in her hands and just stared at the tiger as he took another step closer. Her whole body felt out of control and Victoria couldn’t help but feel like she was going to pass out. She could hear her own pulse as it pumped in her head. There was nothing she could do to stop the pounding and she certainly couldn’t move at all.

Drake took control of the situation and quickly threw another piece of meat across the room. Then he gently placed his hand around Victoria’s and helped her throw her piece of meat to the other side of the room.

Drake kept his hand wrapped around Victoria’s and reached into the bucket to grab the final couple of pieces of meat and they threw them together. When they had finished, Edward opened up the gate and Drake gently pushed Victoria into the holding area and then they all moved out of the cage together.

Victoria was pale as a ghost and really didn’t look well at all. Her breathing was labored and Drake was afraid that she was going to pass out. He had seen that look on a person before and it was much better to get them to a place so they could sit down than to have to try and catch them when they fell.

“Can she sit down somewhere?” Drake asked.

“Yes, I’ll grab a chair and some ice water.”

Victoria continued to watch Rory from the window in silence. She seemed captivated by him and Drake didn’t want to interrupt that, at least not yet. He watched her as she stared at the tiger and he couldn’t help but smile at the fact that she did indeed get scared.

“Here you go,” Edward said as he brought the chair and ice water.

“Thank you,” Drake said.

He settled Victoria into the seat and handed her the ice water to sip on. Her skin tone seemed to come back after a couple minutes.

“Wow, that was much scarier than I thought it would be,” she said.

“I’m glad we didn’t get eaten. I think that has to be the most dangerous date anyone has ever invited me on.”

“Did you have fun?” Victoria said as a smile flashed across her face.

“Yes, this was crazy. Thanks for planning it.”

They finished the tour of behind the scenes with the tigers and then Drake and Victoria decided to walk around the zoo and see what else was there. Neither of them had ever been to the zoo and since it was rated one of the best in the world, they figured it deserved a little of their time.

The walk was a great way to help calm their nerves and get to know each other better. Victoria felt like she still had so many questions for Drake. Of course, she didn’t want to seem pushy or like she wanted to know too much information, though, so she tried to keep her questions light-hearted and not super personal.

“How long have you and Samantha worked together?” Victoria asked.

“She’s been with me almost since the beginning. Maybe around five years.”

“I like her. She seems to really have your best interests at heart.”

“Thanks. I like her too. She’s the only assistant that ever turned me down for sex. I knew I needed to keep her when that happened.”

Victoria laughed and Drake was relieved that he hadn’t offended her. Typically, the women he dated got very uncomfortable around Samantha. Probably because she was such a beautiful woman, it was hard for people to believe that Drake and she were not sleeping together.

“Do you think you’ll find the woman you are looking for?”

It was a tough question and Victoria didn’t mean it in any way to trap Drake into saying he wanted to pick her. She genuinely wanted to know if Drake felt like he had a group of women that he could find a match from.

“I think I will,” Drake smiled and grabbed Victoria’s hand. “I’ve never been surrounded by such amazing women before. I’d be a chump if I wasn’t able to settle down with one of you.”

Victoria and Drake continued their walk and got to know each other for most of the afternoon.

***

“By far the best date I’ve ever been on,” Drake said as they walked back to the car.

It was six o’clock in the evening and time to make their way back to the house. Victoria felt bad that they had spent so much time away from the house and she also felt like she hadn’t had enough time with him yet. She knew they had dinner planned with all the girls and didn’t think there would be much time after that for her to actually have alone time with him before midnight.

It sucked to only get twenty-four hours with Drake. Victoria wanted more. She wanted all of the other girls to just go home and she could spend the whole week getting to know him. There was an undeniable connection between the two of them and it was more than just a physical connection. Victoria felt the mental connection and she hated that just as she finally found a connection with a man, she had to give him up to another woman.

“Can we make a quick stop?” Victoria asked on the drive home.

“Of course, what do you need?”

Victoria had the perfect idea to ensure she would get some more alone time with Drake. She looked up the address to a fun sex shop on the way home and guided Drake to pull in to the parking lot.

“I’ll just be a minute,” she said as she got out of the car.

“Oh, I’m coming in with you.” Drake said as he started to get out.

Victoria pushed the door closed though and wouldn’t let him out.

“Nope. I’m getting a surprise.”

“This doesn’t seem like fair playing. I should at least get to help choose the surprise. How about I come in and help just a little bit?”

“It won’t be a surprise if you help. You stay here.”

Victoria was only in the store for a couple minutes before she came out and slid back into her seat next to Drake. The smile on her face was huge and Drake couldn’t help but smile back at her when he thought about what must be in that bag.

“Let me see,” he teased as he leaned over and tried to grab the bag.

Victoria pushed it all the way next to the door so Drake couldn’t reach it. Then leaned in and met his lips with hers. The power of their connection was instant and Drake grabbed her and let his lips maneuver around hers.

The excitement of the day, maybe the adrenaline of being around the tiger. It was all too much for him and Drake needed to fuck Victoria. He didn’t want to nicely make love to her like before, no; he wanted to fuck her.

“Let’s go get a hotel room over there,” Drake said as he pointed across the street.

“Nope, we have dinner with the rest of the girls. You’ll have to wait until after dinner.”

Drake grabbed Victoria’s hand and placed it on his throbbing cock. He didn’t want to wait for dinner. He needed to feel the sweet release of her body right then. Drake wasn’t used to having to wait for anything and he certainly wasn’t used to a woman telling him no. The moment was a little difficult for him to wrap around his brain.

“You’re seriously going to let this go to waste?” Drake teased.

“Just start driving. We needed to get back before those ladies start a giant cat fight over us being late.”

Drake pulled out of the parking lot and maneuvered the car to the interstate, but looked down and saw Victoria’s hand was still on his bulge. She moved it up and down his shaft and Drake could tell she was contemplating pulling his manhood out and playing with him some more. He decided to sit quietly and let her make that decision on her own.

Sure enough, about five miles down the interstate; Victoria unbuckled herself and got onto her knees. She bent over the middle of the car and let her mouth touch the side of Drake’s cheek.

“I’m going to make you cum now,” she teased him.

Drake had been with aggressive women before who took control, that wasn’t something new to him. But it was erotic coming from Victoria because she wasn’t the type of girl who normally took control like she was. Drake could tell she was way out of her comfort zone, but she still wanted to play with him.

He knew that driving and getting a blow job was not safe, but there was no way he could turn her down. It was his fantasy and although he’d had other women offer such a fun experience, never had he been willing to risk his life and accept the offer.

Drake held his eyes tight to the road and vowed not to be distracted by her lips as she slid them around his cock. Of course, that was instantly impossible when she started to move her mouth up and down him.

She took him into her mouth quickly and thrust her mouth up and down his shaft in a fast effort to make him cum. Drake suspected Victoria was nervous about giving a blowjob on the interstate and was struggling with the internal safety issue of also having her seatbelt off.

He kept his eyes on the road and let out a moan as her mouth moved faster against his bare body. Harder and harder she moved and within two minutes he felt his body gearing up to release.

“I’m going to cum,” he said as a warning.

Drake knew some women really didn’t like to swallow and he didn’t want her to be surprised when he finally released his load. But he was pleasantly surprised himself when she took him in even deeper as he prepared to cum.

Victoria thrust his cock deep into her throat until she felt him release and the nectar of his body shot into hers.

“Oh, my God.”

Drake had only imagined a moment like that one in his dreams. Driving a Tesla at seventy-five miles an hour down the interstate getting a blow job and having the girl swallow. It was by far a memory he would hold onto for his late-night fantasies.

“I’m going to put my seatbelt on now,” Victoria said as she smiled sweetly.

She reached over and put Drake back into his pants but didn’t zip them up. There was an unwritten worry about any girl zipping up a man and catching his cock in the zipper, Victoria didn’t want to be the person who did that to Drake.

“You are full of surprises, aren’t you?” Drake teased.

“Normally, I’m not. But you bring something out in me.”

“I like whatever it is I bring out in you. Now show me what’s in that bag.”

“No way. You’ll have to meet me by the pool after dinner tonight.”

“What time?”

“Eleven o’clock. Don’t be late though. We only have an hour before our day is up.”

It felt like more than a day they had been together. Drake couldn’t imagine having any more fun with the other girls than he had with Victoria. It was going to be really hard for them to live up to the first day he had just shared with Victoria.

But their night wasn’t over yet. They still had dinner, a game of spin the bottle and Drake had one last private hour with Victoria that he couldn’t forget about either. It was going to be a busy night.

Chapter 7

When they pulled into the driveway, Victoria saw several of the girls look through the window. It was obvious they had been waiting for them. It took everything she had to put a smile on her face and walk into the house and be nice to the girls. Victoria knew just how bad they all wanted Drake and she already felt protective over their relationship.

“Are you ready for some dinner, Drake?” Emily said as she was the first to greet Drake at the door.

Victoria instantly got pushed aside as all the women made their way over to Drake and wanted to talk to him. She took her cue and went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. It had been a long day, but having dinner with all the other women was going to make it even longer. Victoria knew she was going to need some wine in order to make it through that dinner without leaving.

All she wanted to do was grab Drake and bring him up to her room and show him what she had purchased at the store. It wasn’t anything too wild, but it was a first step for her in the wild department. Victoria wanted Drake to know that she was willing to try new things and get a little freaky with him.

She sneaked up to her room with her bag and tucked it away in the drawer next to her bed. It felt nice to be alone up in her room for a little bit and Victoria knew she had to push herself to go back downstairs. Being around that many women was going to be difficult and knowing they wanted to fuck the man she had just spent the day with was going to be even tougher.

Victoria hopped into her shower and relaxed for a little bit before she finally made her way back downstairs. It felt refreshing to have a fresh start to the night and she knew she would need that if she was going to be able to deal with all the ladies and the festivities of the night.

“There she is,” Sophia said as Victoria made her way into the dining room for dinner.

“Sorry, I had to freshen up a bit.”

“It’s good to have you joining us,” Drake said.

A smile flashed across his face and Victoria instantly felt more at ease. The way his dark blue eyes looked at her, she felt like she could have been the only person in the room with him. Obviously, she wasn’t, though. As she looked around and saw all six of the other women sitting around the table.

Victoria made her way to the opposite end of the table so she was sitting at the head of the table and looked directly toward Drake. It was an oddly comforting place to be opposite him, even though all the other women sat between the two of them.

“What did I miss?” Victoria teased.

She knew very well that none of the women missed her at all. She was sure they would all claw her eyes out at the first opportunity when Drake wasn’t around. But for the time being, they were being nice to her and that was perfectly fine with her.

“We were just talking about our favorite meals,” Drake offered, when no one else decided to fill Victoria in on what was going on.

“Oh, great. What is your favorite meal, Drake?”

“I was just telling all these lovely ladies that I couldn’t decide. I really like steak but I currently feel like I’ve played with enough red meat for a while.”

Victoria and Drake both laughed out loud and everyone in the room knew that the two of them were laughing at an inside joke. Some of the women sat nicely and seemed to enjoy the joke, but a few of them seemed really annoyed.

“Oh, yes, I will also avoid red meat for a while too.”

Victoria loved that Drake had been willing to throw in a private joke just for her. It made her feel comfortable almost instantly. She needed anything and everything that Drake could do to make her feel more comfortable. Just sitting at the dining room table with all of the other women had her feeling very out of control.

“You two look like you had a great day together,” Scarlett said.

Scarlett was the only one of the women who seemed perfectly comfortable with Drake spending the day with Victoria. There was something about her that seemed comfortable with all of the women.

“Yes, it was lots of fun,” Victoria said.

She felt like she had a friend in Scarlett, or at least not an enemy and that was really helpful to her. Victoria made a mental note that she would have to talk with Scarlett the following day when they were at home all day long. Scarlett wasn’t scheduled to have her date with Drake until the last night. Victoria felt bad for her, that was a long time to wait for some private time with Drake.

“So, ladies, what did you all do around the house all day today?” Drake asked as he looked at Emily sitting next to him.

Drake did a great job of paying attention to each of the women and Victoria admired that a lot. In a normal situation, it might be weird that he was paying attention to several women at once, but in their circumstances, it was necessary. Each of the women was there for him and they had spent the whole day without him, so it was nice of Drake to take the time to talk to everyone.

While Emily and Drake talked a little bit some of the other women joined small conversations with each other. Victoria could hear some of the women getting snotty about the others, but she also could hear the women who seemed much more mature and able to handle the whole situation.

Scarlett and Lauren seemed to be like best friends already and Victoria watched as the two of them laughed and talked together. Lauren looked like she had a crush on Scarlett and Victoria couldn’t help but watch the interaction of the two of them.

Lauren was bubbly and full of energy; she also seemed pretty ditzy, at least from what Victoria could see so far. Maybe she also liked women? From the way she kept batting her eyes at Scarlett it sure looked like she did.

Not that Victoria cared at all. She was actually freer sexually than most people thought she was. Just she normally only showed that side of herself when she was in a committed relationship. Victoria didn’t feel like it was necessary to do outlandish things to show people how sexually free she was. She was perfectly happy with regular “normal” sex, and if the man she was with wanted to try other things she would talk about that with him.

Suddenly Victoria started to worry about what Drake was going to do with each of the other women on his days with them. She realized that those women were going to want to sleep with him too and her stomach turned over. She couldn’t imagine Drake being with each of them and being as comfortable as he had been with her, it made her sick to her stomach.

Just like that, Victory lost all of her confidence and decided to sneak back off to her bedroom. She didn’t need to be around everyone else while they were eating and talking. She tried to tell herself it was the grown-up move to make. Let Drake have some time with the other women over dinner, but deep down she knew she had left because of her own insecurity.

About ten minutes after she got up to her room there was a knock at the door.

Victoria jumped up to answer it, thinking it had to be Drake coming to talk to her. She was disappointed when she saw Samantha standing at the door.

Victoria hadn’t expected Samantha to come to the house at all during the week. It seemed a little odd that she was so comfortable helping Drake set up his week with all seven women. But then again, Samantha had probably been involved in many different things for Drake over the years. There was a certain level of confidence that Samantha had and Victoria was mesmerized by it. Victoria wished she could present herself with the level of self-assurance that Samantha always seemed to have.

“Oh, hello Samantha. What are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to check in with you and see how your day went?” Samantha said as they both sat down on the couch in the corner of Victoria’s room.

“It was a lot of fun. One of the best days of my life for sure.”

“Then why aren’t you downstairs with everyone having dinner?”

Victoria looked down at the ground. She couldn’t help but remember how Samantha had touched her face seductively during the interview. Never, before that moment, had Victoria ever thought she would have found a woman attractive. Now she was certain that she did find Samantha attractive.

It was a unique feeling and Victoria didn’t really know what she wanted to do with it. She still very much found Drake attractive and all of her sexual fantasies were about men, but when Samantha was around there was a little bit of excitement and Victoria thought it might be fun to try sleeping with a woman some time.

“I just wanted to give him time with the other women, I guess.”

Victoria looked down at the ground and Samantha lifted her chin up. She was firm with the movement and forced Victoria to look at her.

“You need to be down there. If you want him, you’re going to have to fight for him. All those women down there are going to fight for him.”

It was a good point and Victoria knew it was, but she just couldn’t see herself fighting for Drake’s attention. That just wasn’t the type of woman she was. Victoria would let Drake know she cared about him and wanted to get to know him more, but then it would be up to him to make the next move.

“I don’t know how to act around all those women.”

“Just be yourself. There will be some that you’ll get along with and some that you won’t. Spend some time talking to the ladies, I bet you’ll be surprised at what you have in common.”

“I’ll try. Did you come all the way up here just to give me a pep talk?” Victoria jokingly asked.

“I came over to help Drake facilitate a little get to know everyone game tonight. I wasn’t about to start the fun without you down there. I think Drake really likes you and you need to step up and stay focused this week so he doesn’t forget that.”

Victoria felt comforted by Samantha’s pep talk. It was nice to hear from her that she thought Drake liked her, because Victoria certainly felt like he did. At least when they were alone together she felt like they were perfectly matched.

Samantha stood up and pulled Victoria up with her. The two women made their way down the stairs with Samantha holding Victoria’s hand and leading her all the way.

“What is the game we are playing?” Victoria asked.

“Spin the bottle.”

Victoria’s hands instantly started to sweat as every bad high school memory jetted through her mind. It was impossible to forget all the parties she had gone to and never been picked for the silly high schooler games. Even as a somewhat confident adult, Victory felt herself getting nervous at the idea of playing such games.

“But there’s only one guy,” Victoria managed to say as they reached the living room.

“Very true. It’s going to get interesting tonight.”

“Are you going to play?” Victoria asked.

She instantly regretted asking the question. Victoria didn’t want Samantha to think she wanted to kiss her or something like that. She genuinely just wanted to know if Samantha was going to join them for the activity.

Samantha laughed and stopped at the bottom stair. She let her hand come up to Victoria’s face and gently moved it down her cheek like she had done at the interview. Victoria felt a strong urge to kiss Samantha, but not strong enough to force her to move forward with the action.

“Would you like to play with me, Victoria?” Samantha said quietly.

Victoria’s eyes got big and she didn’t know how to respond. She had never kissed a woman and in any other situation she would never think it was a good idea, but there was something about Samantha that did excite her. Victoria wouldn’t have minded spending “7 minutes in heaven” with a woman like Samantha. But she also didn’t want to come out and say she wanted to kiss her, Victoria instead just turned her eyes toward the ground again.

“You need to stop looking at the ground all the time. Drake likes a confident woman. I know you are confident. Don’t let this situation take away the self-confidence you have inside of you. Keep those eyes up and focused on Drake. Got it?”

“Yes,” Victoria said with a smile.

Samantha didn’t wait for Victoria to answer the question about if she wanted to play with her. Sam already knew that Victoria would definitely be willing to play a little kissing game with her if that situation came up. As much as Samantha was totally up for playing with any of the women at the party, she didn’t want Drake to know that she was, so she would have to keep that side of her to herself for the time being.

Chapter 8

“Let’s gather in the living room everyone, it’s time to play some games,” Samantha said.

Drake was so grateful that Sam had decided to come back over to his house and help facilitate a little game time. He was exhausted and couldn’t imagine trying to wrangle all the women together for any sort of evening activities. He was going to ask Samantha to come every night so she could give him a little bit of a break from the women. Plus, she was much better with socializing than he was.

The women made their way into the living room and sat on the couches on either side of Drake’s big chair. It was exciting to have all of the women in the same room, but at the same time, Drake was a little scared of what could happen with so many women. Tensions weren’t very high yet, but Drake suspected as the week wore on some of the women were going to become much more difficult to manage.

“To get this party started today I think we should play a little game of spin the bottle,” Samantha said as she held up an old-fashioned glass soda bottle.

The women all erupted with excitement and even Victoria felt herself getting a little excited about the game. She hoped she was matched up with Drake and could spend some more time kissing him. There was only a couple hours left in their day together and Victoria didn’t want to waste it.

“Who wants to get started?”

Samantha sat quietly for a moment as the room became total stealth. As much fun as the game seemed to be at first, the women must have realized that with only one man to play; the game was going to be a little different than the games they normally played.

“I’ll go first,” Scarlett said.

Scarlett got down onto her knees and leaned over to spin the glass bottle. Everyone in the room stared at her giant breasts. It was impossible to avoid them with the low-cut dress she was wearing.

The other girls seemed to get a little more excited since they didn’t have to go first. Many of them cheered and got excited for Scarlett as the bottle spun in the middle of the room.

It started to slow down and Victoria it was sure it was going to land on her, but it kept moving and ended up landing on Lauren.

The squeal that came out of Lauren was crazy loud and everyone looked at her at first. They weren’t sure if she understood that she was going to have to go in the other room with Scarlett. Maybe she thought she was going to get some private time with Drake or something?

Victoria knew the truth though, she knew that Lauren liked Scarlett, so when they two women walked into the other room; Victoria couldn’t help but think that they were actually going to make out. They spent their seven minutes in the other room and then both Lauren and Scarlett walked casually back into the living room.

Everyone just watched them and stared. They wanted to ask what happened, but the rules of the game were that you didn’t ask such things.

“Does anyone have any chapstick?” Scarlett teased.

Everyone erupted in applause and the night was off to a fun start.

Drake started to take notice of Scarlett for sure that night. He watched her as she cheered along the other girls and even humored them when she got picked and had to go in the other room with them. He wasn’t sure if she was really making out with the women or not, but he loved her humor about the situation.

When it was Drake’s turn he felt the pressure of all the women’s eyes on him. He couldn’t stand the thought of disappointing one of them or making them feel bad when he brought one of the girls to the other room. But he was a good sport about it and continued to play the game with the rest of the group.

As he spun the bottle Drake looked up at Samantha and saw the humor of the situation. He was literally on his knees spinning a bottle playing a high school game with a bunch of the most eligible women in the country. His life was pretty damn good.

The bottle started to slow down and ended up stopping on Cynthia. Everyone cheered for her. Cynthia had been very quiet throughout their first full day there. She was the only plus sized woman and also seemed very uninterested in the group activities. Well, she was uninterested until Drake picked her, then suddenly the game seemed much more like a good idea.

Drake stood up and grabbed Cynthia’s hand to bring her to the other room. He was delighted to get to spend a moment with her and was happy the other women didn’t seem to upset by the bottle’s decision.

“You look beautiful,” Drake said as they walked to the other room.

“Thanks,” Cynthia said quietly.

As they rounded the corner to the other room Cynthia pushed Drake up against the wall and held his arms up in the air over his head.

Drake instantly got hard as a rock at the forcefulness that Cynthia had over him. Obviously, he could have moved his hands if he wanted to, but he loved the way she tried to control the situation. It was exciting and totally unexpected.

“I’ve been wanted to kiss you since we first met,” Cynthia said as she planted her lips on Drakes.

She moved her body up against his and he felt his cock getting harder and harder. Before he could think of what to do next, Cynthia had her hand inside his pants and was rubbing his cock with it. Her lips continued to kiss him and Drake loved every moment of it.

When the buzzer sounded and their time together was up, Drake felt like he was in a daze as they walked back to the group of women. Cynthia had certainly surprised him and he was excited to see what their time together would be like on her day.

Victoria had a horrible sinking feeling when Cynthia and Drake walked back into the room. She could tell they had been kissing and it made her sick. She took a couple deep breaths and then tried to put on a smile for the rest of the evening.

As childish as the spin the bottle game was, the longer they played the more fun everyone seemed to have. Samantha stayed off to the side and acted as the announcer for the game and it seemed like the alcohol was continuously flowing. By ten o’clock everyone was pretty tipsy and having so much fun, even Victoria.

Drake kept his eye on Victoria and could tell she wasn’t really interested in the spin the bottle game. But she also hadn’t had her turn yet. He secretly hoped it would land on him as he watched intently as she spun the bottle.

Both Drake and Victoria seemed to be the only ones paying attention as the bottle spun and finally landed on Scarlett. Victoria looked over at Drake with sad puppy dog eyes. Drake had to smile though, he didn’t know what Scarlett was going to do but he wanted to be there for it.

“Scarlett,” Samantha announced.

Without hesitation Scarlett grabbed Victoria’s hand and led her into the other room. But by the time they got there, Victoria was practically in tears. The anxiety over the whole night was too much for her.

“Darling, what’s the matter,” Scarlett said as she gave Victoria a hug.

“I’m sorry. It’s all just too much. I’m just a history teacher. I don’t want to make a scene but I’m barely keeping myself together.”

“I understand. Let’s sit down for a minute.”

Scarlett and Victoria sat down on the couch and talked for their entire time in the room. When the buzzer sounded, neither of them got up and instead finished their conversation.

Victoria was so happy to have someone to talk to and Scarlett seemed like a very put together woman. She was also much friendlier than any of the other women.

“Can I join you two?” Drake said as he walked into the room.

He had expected to see some sort of elicit event going on between the two women, but when he saw the serious nature of their conversation he knew he was wrong. Drake sat down on the coffee table in front of both of the women.

“I’m sorry Drake, I’m really trying,” Victoria said as the tears started.

Scarlett instantly had her arm around Victoria and started rubbing her back.

“It’s alright Victoria, Drake understands,” Scarlett said as she looked at Drake and urged him to show some compassion for Victoria.

Compassion certainly wasn’t something Drake had much experience with though. Most of his life was spent avoiding emotional women like Victoria. Although, Robert had clearly warned him that having seven women in the house all at the same time was surely going to cause some conflicts.

“We had a great day today, Victoria. Why don’t you just go relax out by the pool for a little bit and I’ll come out in about twenty minutes so we can say goodnight.”

At Drake’s words, Victoria started to feel a little better and her tears cleared up.

“Ok, I’m going to get a drink and I’ll wait for you out there,” Victoria said as she gave Scarlett a hug and then Drake.

“You were very kind with her, thank you,” Drake said to Scarlett.

“I’m all about women power. She seems like a really great girl, I think all these big personalities are just a little too much for her.”

“I appreciate you going out of your way with her. You didn’t have to do that, but you did. That’s impressive to me.”

Drake moved over and sat with Scarlett on the couch. He wasn’t going to kiss her or make any moves on her, at least not at that moment. But he did really want to see her on their one to one date.

“I think this week is going to bring many more nights of tears. Are you prepared to deal with all of that?”

“No. Absolutely not,” Drake said honestly.

“It seems like everyone is going to fall in love with you by the end of the week. How are you going to choose at the end?”

Drake paused and just stared at Scarlett. He really had no idea how he was going to make his decision. During his date with Victoria he thought for sure she was going to be the one he would pick. As the night continued on and he had the chance to talk with all of the other women, Drake became more and more nervous about how he was going to make his decision. All of the women were a match for him in one way or another. Samantha and Robert had done a really good job of picking the women.

“I have no idea.”

Scarlett stood up and kissed Drake on the cheek as she walked out of the room and left him there to think about it.

Drake sat there for a minute a little dazed by the interaction. Scarlett could have spent that time talking to him or getting to know him more, but she just left him there on the couch. He wasn’t exactly sure what to think about it.

The idea that she might not even be interested in him ran through his mind. She seemed much more mature than the other women and certainly beautiful. Drake was sure she had plenty of men who wanted to date her. He felt a little less than adequate for her, which had absolutely never happened to him before in all of his life. Drake had never met a woman that he felt like was on the same level as he was. It made him want Scarlett very badly.

Chapter 9

After saying goodnight to the rest of the women, Drake pulled Samantha aside to talk to her. He needed her advice on how he was supposed to deal with the tears and emotions of the women.

“How do you deal with emotional women normally?” Samantha asked him.

“I don’t. I let you deal with them.”

“So if I wasn’t around to talk to them. What would you say?”

Drake thought about it for a moment and he couldn’t figure out what he would say to them. Emotional women overwhelmed him and he didn’t want to have to deal with them at all. He really had not been prepared for the emotions that the women were going to have toward him after spending the week together.

“I have no idea.”

“How did you handle it with Victoria?”

“How did you know Victoria got emotional?” Drake said as he and Samantha walked toward the back porch.

“I just assured her that I had a great day with her and we would talk some more before the end of the night.”

“See, that was perfect. You know what to do. The problem is you’ve spent most of your life avoiding any sort of emotional connection with women.”

“I like Victoria. I don’t want her to feel bad.”

“Oh, Jesus Christ. Thank the Lord. Drake has real emotions!” Samantha screamed out.

“I know, it’s weird, isn’t it?”

The two of them finished talking about some specifics regarding the schedule for the rest of the week and then Samantha left so Drake could spend the last hour of the evening with Victoria.

***

“Hello there beautiful,” Drake said as he came out and sat on the lounge chair with Victoria.

“Hi, Drake.”

Victoria looked like she was feeling a little better about everything and Drake felt like he didn’t want to bring all of that up again. Instead, he decided to try and lighten things up.

“Should we take a bath?” Drake teased.

“I was thinking we should jump in the pool and go for a swim. How about that?”

“Sounds like a perfect plan,” Drake said.

He stood up and started to take off his clothes to get in the pool. At first Victoria thought maybe he had a swimsuit on under his clothes, but then he pulled down his pants and stood there totally naked.

“Drake!” She laughed. “We can’t swim naked.”

“Actually, we can do whatever we want. It’s my house.”

Drake looked around the yard and pointed out that there was no one else out there. He grabbed Victoria’s hand and pulled her up to stand with him. She couldn’t help but notice his cock had started to get hard with excitement as Drake began to take off her clothes.

“I’ll leave my bra and panties on,” Victoria said.

“What fun is that? No one is out here. Let’s go for it.”

Victoria looked around the yard and then looked up at the house. She wanted to be spontaneous and go skinny dipping, but she was so anxious that the other women would see.

“Ok,” Victoria finally said as she covered her eyes.

“Ok, we’re doing this?” Drake said.

He reached around Victoria and unhooked her bra. Then slid her panties off and stood back to look at her.

Victoria continued to stand but had her eyes covered. She felt so embarrassed and really hoped none of the other women came out to the pool area.

“Let’s swim,” Victoria said and she pushed Drake into the pool and jumped in right after him.

At least in the pool she could feel like she wasn’t totally exposed.

The water was cold and shocked both of their systems as they swam around to try and warm up. It was bitter sweet to have their day together ending, but both Victoria and Drake were exhausted.

“I had a really great day today Drake,” Victoria said.

She swam up to him and wrapped her arms and legs around his body. Drake carried her around the pool as they continued to talk and kiss in between their conversation.

Victoria shivered from the cold of the water and Drake tried to keep his arms around her to keep her warm.

“It was by far the best date I’ve been on in a very long time. Granted I don’t actually go on a lot of real dates, though.”

“You don’t?”

“No. I don’t usually find very many women that I truly like.”

“The women here seem mostly nice. Do you think you’ll find your match here this week?”

Drake didn’t want to lie to Victoria, after meeting the other women he wasn’t sure at all who he might pick at the end of it all. But he did feel very confident that his match was among the women in the house with him.

“I hope so.”

“Oh, no!” Victoria exclaimed as she pushed herself away from Drake.

“What?”

Drake had no idea what was going on. Everything seemed to be just fine between them then suddenly Victoria was pushing herself away and trying to get out of the water.

“I forgot to bring my secret present that I purchased at the store,” Victoria said as she got out of the pool and wrapped herself in a towel.

“It’s almost midnight. We can do it another time,” Drake said calmly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. It would have been so much fun.”

“You should tell me what it is. I mean since I can’t actually see it or play with it. Just tell me.”

Victoria smiled and sat down on Drake’s lap in the lounge chair. She sort of liked that they had something that they could talk about throughout the week. Unfortunately, he was going to have dates with all the other girls and she didn’t think she would get the chance to have any more alone time with him, though. She vacillated as she tried to decide if she should just tell him what she bought.

“I think,” Victoria said and then stopped to kiss Drake softly. “I think that I’m going to keep it a secret from you.”

“Well that seems like a horrible plan.”

They both smiled and continued to kiss softly for a few more minutes. It was the end of their time together and Victoria knew that Emily was going to want to see Drake at least for a little bit before bed that night.

“It will give us something to look forward to,” Victoria kissed Drake one last time and then saw Emily as she walked out to the pool area.

“I’m so sorry you two, but can I interrupt?” Emily said as walked up to the two of them.

“Hi, Emily,” Victoria said as she tried to be nice to her.

“Do you two mind if I join you for a little bit?” Emily sat down next to Drake and Victoria, who was still in his lap.

“I was just heading up to bed,” Victoria said as she stood up.

“Stay for a little bit,” Emily said and pulled Victoria back down to sit on the chair across from them.

Drake’s eyes got big and he looked at Emily and then over to Victoria. He didn’t know what this was all about but he was certainly surprised by Emily, her sweet voice and quietness seemed to be hiding something much more fun.

“You want me to stay with you and Drake?” Victoria said, not sure if she had heard correctly.

“Yes, it will be more fun with three of us,” Emily said.

And with that comment, Drake knew the rest of his week was going to be pretty fucking amazing.

The Billionaire’s Hunt

Emily

The Billionaire Bachelor Series 3

Chapter 1

“Yes, it will be more fun with three of us,” Emily said to Victoria as she pulled her back into the pool lounge chair.

Drake looked at Emily with utter surprise. She didn’t seem like the kind of girl that would be interested in a threesome, not that Drake was complaining at all. The first time Drake had seen Emily she couldn’t stop looking down at the ground and seemed terribly shy. Something either changed in her, or she was putting on an act and trying to be more sexually open than she really was.

“I can stay for a little bit,” Victoria said as she looked at Drake.

Victoria and Drake had just spent the entire day together and as midnight approached they were both a little sad to have to call it a night. But those were the rules, one full 24-hour period with each of the seven women. Drake couldn’t make an exception for one woman and not the next. He had to stick to the schedule or else, Samantha, his assistant would give him a ton of flack for it.

But Drake figured if both women were alright with some shared time, who was he to stop them? He also couldn’t refuse the idea of having both of the women all to himself to play with.

Drake didn’t get to participate in threesomes as much as he wanted to and the few times he had participated they turned out to be a bit of a cat fight. He was eager to see if these two women would be able to have some sexual fun without turning the whole event into a brawl. Sexy between three people could be extremely enjoyable and Drake was happy to let the women play for a little bit and decide if they would like to go further.

Speaking of schedules and rules, Drake tried to remember if threesomes were even allowed according to the rules. Fuck it! He was in charge and if he wanted to have a threesome he was damn well going to have a threesome.

“Did you two have a fun day?” Emily asked as she watched the connection between Drake and Victoria.

Instantly Emily felt herself confidence dwindling as she looked back and forth between the pair. She didn’t have anything even close to that kind of relationship with Drake yet. Obviously, she hoped that after her day with him was up she would feel better about things, but at that moment she couldn’t have felt more like an outcast at all.

“Yes, we went to the zoo,” Drake said.

“Hmmm, that seems fun.”

“Yes, it was exhilarating. We did a little shopping afterward too,” Victoria added as she winked at Drake.

Neither Drake nor Victoria went into detail about their dangerous visit to the zoo. They also didn’t share any of the other more personal fun things they did with their day.

Victoria still had not shown Drake the sex toy she had purchased when they made a stop at the adult store on the side of the road. It was their little secret and as much as Victoria wanted to show Drake, she kept it a secret in hopes that she would get to sneak some more time with Drake at some point during the week.

“Let’s get this party started,” Emily said as she jumped up and started to kiss Victoria.

Victoria instantly pulled away from Emily and a nervous laugh took over. She wasn’t at all prepared to be involved in a threesome, although she did really feel pressured to show Drake that she was willing to go outside her normal comfort zone.

After she had pulled away, Victoria looked over at Drake and then returned to kissing Emily. Both of the women had one hand on Drake’s legs as they looked at him and then back to each other as they continued to kiss.

Drake couldn’t get over his shock. Two of the shyest women in the house were currently making out practically on top of him. He leaned in and pulled Victoria away from the kiss so he could let his lips touch hers. But he didn’t linger long before he turned and kissed Emily as well.

The three continued to play and kiss with each other as Drake let the women test their boundaries of what they felt comfortable with. Victoria seemed surprisingly comfortable kissing Emily, but Emily seemed very uncomfortable. It was an interesting dynamic and Drake loved every second of it.

Drake let his hands slowly move up each of the women’s thighs as they sat on either side of him and leaned across his lap to kiss each other. He started by letting his fingers slide under Victoria’s clothing so he could feel her wetness. She let out a moan and the sound of her breath made Drake instantly hard with excitement.

He wasn’t unfamiliar with the threesome, but there was something extraordinarily hot about having two shy women like Victoria and Emily making out with each other. The normally taboo nature of the threesome was amplified because he knew neither of the women had ever participated in such an event before.

After only a minute or so Drake’s right hand made its way under Emily’s clothes and to her wetness. It was a different kind of excitement as he touched Emily. She was sweet and shy and looked so young. He wanted to get on his knees and taste her so badly that he could hardly think straight.

Emily opened up to him and let Drake touch her sweet center as she pulled away from Victoria and started to kiss Drake. It was when her lips touched his and his fingers were on her that Emily realized she wasn’t interested in a threesome at all. Yes, she had tried to pretend that she was super hip and into the threesome thing. But the truth was that Emily was very inexperienced. She had only had one boyfriend her entire life and trying to pretend like she was more sexually experienced just wasn’t working for her.

As Drake and Emily continued to kiss, his attention was drawn away from Victoria and more to Emily. It was understandable, Emily was the new girl, the girl of the next day; Victoria felt like the moment had passed and it was time for her to head back to her room. She would have loved to spend more time with Drake, but she wasn’t really sure she was up for a threesome either.

Victoria leaned in and kissed Drake on the back of his neck. Her lips as they touched his skin reminded Drake that she was still there so he turned toward her and started to kiss her again. By this time Victoria was standing and already looked like she was ready to leave the pool area.

“I’m going to head up to my room,” Victoria whispered between kisses. “You two enjoy your day together.”

Victoria kissed Drake one last time and then gave Emily a soft peck on the lips as well. She was surprised at her willingness to leave Emily with the man she felt was hers, but Victoria also knew that he couldn’t truly be anyone’s…not until the week was over. So, there was no use in fighting for him, she just had to let the other women have their time with him like she had.

“Are you sure?” Emily said, very unconvincingly.

“I’m sure.”

Victoria smiled as she walked away and used every last bit of willpower she had not to turn around and look at Drake and Emily. Jealousy overwhelmed her, but it was hard to be mad at all. She knew the rules of the game and Emily was just abiding by those rules. Victoria knew if it was her night with Drake, she wouldn’t have wanted to share him at all.

“You look a little relieved,” Drake said to Emily.

“I was prepared to take that girl for a ride on the Emily train.”

They both laughed. Emily was a sweet looking young girl. At twenty-two years old she was sixteen years younger than Drake. Normally that would have been a bad fit for what Drake was looking for. But Drake had read Emily’s file and was fascinated by what she did for a living. He was excited she had been chosen by Robert and Samantha to be part of the weeklong event.

Her 5’1” petite frame, short blonde hair and enormously sweet smile, made Emily look more like a sorority girl than a writer for sexy men’s magazines. On their first night together when Drake had walked her to her room, Emily couldn’t even look at him without blushing. But there she was in front of him throwing down the option for a threesome. Something just wasn’t mixing well and Drake wanted to get to the bottom of things.

She was either a brilliant writer trapped in this young hot body, or she wasn’t the one who actually wrote those sex stories.

“How about we sit and talk for a minute,” Drake offered as he patted the chair next to him.

A look of disappointment washed over her face, but there was also a look of relief. Emily had waited all day to see Drake and get time with him. She didn’t really care what they did with their time together, as long as she got to see him.

“So you don’t want to have a threesome with me?” Emily said with her bright smile.

“I’d be happy to have one with you. But I don’t think that’s what you want. Is it? Because if it is, I’ll get Victoria back here right now.”

Drake stood up and pretended like he was going to go and grab Victoria; Emily grabbed his hand and pulled him back into the seat.

“No, we can talk.”

Drake knew that Emily wasn’t interested in a threesome. He suspected she was trying to put on an act and pretend she liked that just so she could get his attention. But Drake genuinely wanted to get to know each of the girls on their own. He wanted to know who they really were so he could make a decision that would be best for him as well as for them. There was no use falling for a girl who was pretending to like things that she really didn’t like.

“You don’t have to pretend to be into all that stuff just to get my attention,” Drake spoke sweetly as his hand brushed the hair away from her face.

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to get lost in the shuffle of other women.”

“You certainly couldn’t get lost; my eyes are always on you.”

Drake let his hand gently stroke Emily’s cheek and then move down her neck toward her breasts. His eyes looked into Emily’s and she could tell that he was sincere.

It was hard to understand where she fit in among the other women, but as she sat there with Drake, Emily knew she needed to try and be herself. She had to show Drake who she really was and just let things go from there. It was impossible not to make choices based on the situations, but Emily decided she would do her best to keep her own personality out and not slip into what she thought Drake was looking for.

“Your hands feel cold,” Emily giggled as Drake continued to move his hand inside of her top.

He grabbed her nipple gently and it stood erect from the shock of his touch.

“I’ll warm them up,” he said as he continued to play with her nipple.

Emily leaned back onto the pool chair and pulled Drake down with her. Her body wanted Drake and she was prepared to play with him right there next to the pool. If she only had twenty-four hours with him, Emily didn’t want to waste any of it.

Living on the edge of life had not really been Emily’s best quality. She typically planned things out down to the very last minute. So just the fact that she was there with Drake and Victoria was way out of her comfort zone. Especially out of her comfort zone was the idea of making out with another woman or even having sex with her.

She guided Drake’s head toward her nipple and he switched from tugging on it with his fingers to tugging on it with his lips. The harder he pulled, the more Emily moaned out in delight. She wanted to feel more of him; she wanted to do all the things she had written about in her sex stories, right there with Drake.

Drake took in the soft delicate nature of Emily’s skin as his lips held onto her breast. The moment brought instant hardening to his cock. His body wanted Emily, but there was something holding him back. There was something about Emily that Drake felt protective over, something he didn’t want to destroy by fucking her on a lawn chair. Drake pulled away and sat next to Emily in the chair.

“If you don’t mind, I’m exhausted. Could I walk you back to your room?” Drake asked.

Emily smiled from ear to ear at the thought of bringing Drake back to her room. That was a much better solution than lying outside for their first time together. Emily got excited and couldn’t help but jump up.

He grabbed Emily by the hand and led her back into the house. They made their way up to her bedroom and Emily opened her door and started to lead Drake into her room.

“I’m going to head to bed, Emily. We can meet up again bright and early in the morning.”

Drake kissed Emily on the cheek and then walked down the hall without giving her much of a chance to talk at all. She just stood there in shock as she watched him and wondered what it was that she had done wrong that sent him away.

Emily felt a pit in her stomach as she went to her bed and sat and thought about Drake. She had tried so hard to be outgoing and to try and get his attention, but he still went to bed without even asking to stay with her. Basically, eight hours of their time together was going to be wasted sleeping, Emily hated that. She hated it but she also knew that Drake needed to sleep at some point each day.

It was frustrating though because she knew he was so tired from spending the entire twenty-four hours with Victoria. Jealousy seemed to rear its head pretty good throughout the night and Emily struggled to get to sleep. Finally, well after two o’clock in the morning, Emily fell asleep with thoughts of Drake filling her mind.

Chapter 2

Sleep had not come easily to Emily and even after getting to sleep she woke up several times thinking about Drake. She wondered if she had done something wrong to push him away. But she couldn’t dwell on it, that wouldn’t fix the situation at all. Instead, Emily got up bright an early and got herself ready so she could start her day with Drake.

Winning over a billionaire like Drake was obviously going to take more than just sex. Emily had been entirely under-prepared when she went into the previous evenings meeting with him. But she was ready for the new day and ready to take advantage of the rest of their twenty-four hours together.

As the sun started to rise, Emily made her way down the hall to Drake’s bedroom. She couldn’t remember if there was a rule about going to his room, but she hoped there was not. Gently she knocked on the door and waited to see if Drake was awake. Her knock was so light that he certainly would not have heard it if he was asleep.

“Good morning beautiful,” Drake said as he opened the door.

He looked down the hallway and grabbed Emily and pulled her into his room. Emily couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear at how eager Drake seemed to see her. Suddenly her concern over him was lessened and she could concentrate on the rest of the day.

“Good morning to you,” Emily said as she leaned in to kiss Drake. A giggle surfaced as the two kissed and Emily was instantly over her fear that she had done something wrong the night before.

“Ugh, let me brush my teeth first. Have a seat anywhere, I’ll be right back.”

Drake made his way to the bathroom and cleaned up a bit before returning to Emily. She was sitting on a small couch near the foot of his bed. He slid into the seat next to Emily and let his arm wrap around her and hold her close to him.

“Did you sleep well?” Emily asked.

“Yep, I’m ready to take on the world. What do you have planned for our date?”

“It’s a surprise. But you should wear something nice today. Oh, and bring a swim suit just in case I take you on the Emily water train.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but you’re friggin’ adorable as hell.”

Drake looked slyly at Emily as he tried to figure out where they were going and what they might be doing with their day. He wasn’t use to dressing up very much outside of work, but he was willing to do anything Emily needed him to.

In fact, during the whole week Drake was really willing to do what the women wanted to do during their time with him. He wasn’t picky at all and just wanted to see them expressing themselves during their time together. Drake wanted to get to know the real women, not the perceived people that they thought he wanted them to be. Drake preferred honesty over fakeness all the time.

None of the women had seemed particularly fake, which was a surprise to Drake. Typically, when he picked up women from the club, they always seemed to be putting on a fake persona instead of being themselves. He didn’t know if the women he had in his house were just more evolved than that; or if he just hadn’t gotten to know them well enough to judge their personas yet.

Emily’s bubbly personality and constant smile were exactly what Drake needed to brighten his day. He couldn’t help but imagine what life would be like with a woman who was naturally happy all the time. It might just be the best fucking life ever.

“Are you going to get dressed up too?” Drake asked.

He let his hands linger on her pajama shorts and then moved them up to the deep V-neck in her shirt. Surely if he was dressing up, Emily would need to dress up as well.

“Yes, of course. I’m taking you to a place that’s been very important in my life this last year.”

“That sounds serious.”

“You read my file, right?”

“Yes. You write short stories.”

“Sort of. I write columns and sometimes stories for people like Penthouse and Playboy.”

“It just seems weird.”

“Writing about sex or the fact that it is me who is doing the writing?”

Emily couldn’t help but laugh; most people she talked to didn’t think that she was actually writing about sex for a living. She just didn’t seem like the type of girl who would do that. Her level of sweetness was off the chart, certainly not how you would picture a sex writer.

“You look sweet and innocent.”

“I actually am pretty sweet and pretty innocent. I have only had one boyfriend most my life. My high school sweetheart.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“So…I’m confused. How do you write all that hot sex stuff? It doesn’t seem like you could write from experience.”

“That’s a great question. I think we should get on the road to where we are going and I’ll explain more to you.”

“Or we could lay here in bed for a minute and discuss it,” Drake said as he picked Emily up and walked with her over to his bed.

His lips moved in to kiss hers and she wrapped her arms tight around his neck. The feeling of his muscular arms around her ass made Emily want to have Drake right then and there. But she didn’t want to throw herself at Drake and have him refuse her; she didn’t think her ego could take that again.

“I’d be happy to take a few minutes before we go,” Emily said softly. “I mean if you can’t resist the Emily train.”

“You are incredibly beautiful, just in case I didn’t tell you that before.”

“Thanks.”

Their mouths worked together and Drake brought Emily slowly down to the bed. His lips left hers and made their way to her neck where he kissed gently as she leaned back onto the bed. The girth of his body on top of hers was delightful. Emily found herself moving her hips against Drake as she felt his body hard with excitement for her.

She bit her lip sweetly as Drake lifted her cotton t-shirt and kissed the soft skin of her abdomen. She closed her eyes and took in a few long deep breaths in anticipation of what was next. Her body longed to feel Drake’s lips all over her. She didn’t care if they were late to their party. She wanted his lips on every inch of her. She wanted to feel the pleasure that she knew that Drake could deliver to her body.

His lips moved gingerly along her body and pulled down her shorts ever so slightly. Emily moaned in anticipation of him taking her shorts off and his tongue playing with her sweet body.

She had spent most of her sexual life with an utterly boring boyfriend. The excitement of being with Drake felt like she was a virgin about to give up her treasured gift. Although, Emily knew that she really wasn’t a true Virgin. She had gone almost three years without sex; so she felt pretty damn close to virginal status.

But as his lips moved along her waist, he let her shorts go and moved back up her body toward her breasts. The weight of his muscular frame just barely sat on her and she couldn’t help but hold onto him. Drake was the man she had fantasized her whole life about, the man she had in her thoughts when she wrote her dirty sex columns. And right at that moment she had him there all to herself.

The feeling of his firm chest was delightful under her fingers. Her whole body was overwhelmed with the new sensation that was Drake. His power was exciting and she couldn’t help but pull him closer and closer to her. To have a man like Drake want her was delightfully indulgent. Emily hadn’t even imagined that a guy like Drake existed in the world; to have him right there in front of her was amazing.

“I…think…we…should…get…going,” Drake said between kisses to Emily’s body.

“No, we have plenty of time. Let’s stay.”

Emily moved her hands up and down Drake’s chest and wanted more of him. It was her first experience with another man besides her first boyfriend. She wasn’t ready to let him go just yet. His muscles had obviously been worked out over the years to get to where they were. The strong girth of his pecks made Emily want to touch them for hours.

Her lips moved to his in an effort to keep him right there with her. Just as they were starting to feel close, he pulled away. Emily couldn’t figure out what it was that she was doing wrong. She was really out of practice, but she didn’t think it was possible that she was that bad of a kisser. Surely, there had to be some other explanation for him pulling away.

“I’m excited to see where you are taking me,” Drake said as he stood up. “I’m going to hop in the shower. Is thirty minutes enough time for you to get ready?”

Emily tried to hide her disappointment as she slid off of the bed and stood next to Drake. She had intended to spend a lot of time in bed with Drake over their day together. But she understood that he wanted to take a shower before they went out, she just hated that she understood so well.

“Sure, I’m pretty much ready. I already took my shower,” Emily said and then kissed Drake softly.

When they kissed, she could feel the chemistry between them, but there was something that happened when they got going. Something that made Drake pull away from her. She couldn’t dwell on it though; she needed to get her sexy ass dress on so she could take Drake to the party of the year.

“Since it’s an afternoon party, are you thinking a light linen suit or something similar?” Drake asked as he made his way to his bathroom.

“Perfect. That is exactly perfect. I’ll see you in thirty minutes. Just come knock on my door when you’re ready. If we could get going by ten thirty or so that would be great.”

Emily had to leave the room quickly because she felt tears welling up in her eyes. It was horrible to think that she had already become so emotionally attached to Drake. They had hardly talked or really gotten to know each other at all. That wasn’t like Emily, she didn’t usually become attached to guys she dated. In fact, since breaking up with her high school sweetheart, Emily hadn’t really liked any of the men she had been out on dates with.

Typically, the guys she dated were far too immature for her taste. Naturally at twenty-two years old, most of the men that were similar to her age were not going to be as put together as Drake was. But it was more than just having financial stability; Drake had a confidence in who he was. He didn’t need to change for anyone and he clearly seemed to know what he wanted out of life.

Some people might have looked at the week of women in his home as some sort of sexist game. But Emily saw it as a great way for Drake to really get to know some awesome women on a more intimate level than just one date could show him. By spending the whole day with them and living with them for the week, Drake was showing that he wanted to find a partner. Drake knew what he wanted and Emily could only hope that it was her.

As she slid into her barely there party dress, Emily couldn’t help but look in the mirror and think that Drake was really going to love the dress she had picked out. But he was also going to love where she was taking him.

Emily had worked with Playboy magazine for a little over a year and she had finally accepted an invitation to one of their parties. It was a bit intimidating to think about going to their party, but Emily was excited to bring Drake with her. With Drake by her side she was sure that the day was going to be full of tons of fun.

It was a spring charity party for one of the many groups that Hugh Hefner supported. Emily thought out of all the parties that happened at the Playboy Mansion, this was probably more up her alley.

As she slipped on her heels Emily heard the knock at her door. She slowly opened the door and watched in delight as Drake’s mouth fell completely to the ground. It was a reaction she could have only dreamed of. The utter delight in Drake’s eyes was exactly what she had hoped to see when she purchased her dress.

“That is one hot dress,” Drake managed to say as he continued to stare at Emily.

“Oh, this old thing. Do you like it?”

Emily twirled around to show off the low cut back and the utter shortness of the hemline. She relished in the gaze that Drake gave her as he looked at her. It was just another reminder that there was definite chemistry between them. But Emily couldn’t help but think that there was something holding Drake back.

“Should I drive? Or would you like me to have someone take us?”

“Hmm, I think you should drive.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Drake let Emily go ahead of him as he continued to ogle her body. She had the perfect little ass that Drake wanted to touch so badly. Her skin had tasted so sweet under his lips and Drake couldn’t help but think that the day was going to be really long if he didn’t get to touch her sweet skin again.

He wanted Emily, there was no denying that. But she was so sweet and pure, Drake didn’t like the idea of sleeping with her and hurting her feelings if she was not the one he chose at the end of the week. Something about Emily drew him in, but that same something made him want to protect her.

Drake wanted Emily. Everything in his body wanted her, but he wasn’t about to give into his temptation unless he was sure she was a real contender for him to pick at the end of the week.

Having only slept with one other man in her life, Emily might just be too young and inexperienced for what Drake was looking for in a partner.

Chapter 3

The drive was initially awkward as both Drake and Emily tried to think of something to say. Emily watched Drake out of the corner of her eyes and saw him continually glancing over at her. His eyes were fixated on her thighs and the dress that barely covered them.

She took the opportunity to tease and entice Drake a little bit. She liked the look on his face as she let her hands slide up and down her thighs. His breathing caught and she could tell that he looked away from the road longer and longer each time he looked at her. She of course did not want him to get into an accident, but it was fun to watch his desire.

“So where should I drive?”

“I’ll tell you when we get a little closer. Just take I-5 south for now.”

“Tell me more about your writing, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure. I had just broken up with my boyfriend and out of frustration I wrote a short story for Playboy magazine. They liked it and asked me to write a column for them on a monthly basis.”

“That’s pretty fantastic. What was the column?”

“Good girls like sex too.”

“That sounds like the kind of column I would like to read. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

Drake waited for a moment and found a spot to pull the car over. He ended up pulling into a deserted Dairy Queen. As he put the car into park, Drake turned so he faced Emily and could talk to her a little better.

“What did the first story say?”

“It was a story about a young girl who had a boyfriend that always wanted to have plain boring missionary sex. She got tired of it and asked for more from him, but he wouldn’t give it to her.”

“Is that what happened to you?” Drake asked as he leaned in closer to Emily.

“Yes. My boyfriend and I had dated since we were sixteen years old. I wanted to experiment and try new things out and he didn’t want to do any of it. He was happy with the boring sex we had and I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

“So, you didn’t go wild after you two broke up? Didn’t sleep with other guys? Didn’t try out all the things you wanted to?”

“I went on dates with other guys. But I wasn’t interested in meaningless sex. I still want a connection with a guy. So, nope, I still haven’t gotten the chance to try out any wild and crazy things.”

“So last night, when you invited Victoria to stay with us, were you excited by kissing her?”

Emily blushed and took a moment to think about how that kiss had made her feel. It had excited her, but not nearly as much as kissing Drake made her feel. She had learned one really good lesson from that kiss with Victoria; Emily liked men much more than she liked women.

She did still want to try a threesome someday, but she hoped she would find a woman that she found attractive and wanted to be with. Emily wasn’t sure there was a woman out there that she could go for, but if she ever did find her that would be the perfect opportunity for a threesome.

“It was exciting. I liked it because it was something new. But what really got me excited were your kisses.”

Drake leaned in close to Emily and let his eye move down her body to the top of her tiny dress. Slowly he let his hand slide from her knee up her inner thigh toward where her dress touched her body.

“I got really excited kissing you too.”

“Oh, you did?”

“Yep, and I think I should do it again.”

Drake pulled Emily toward him and let his hands pull on her hair a little as their lips locked together. His rough grip on her hair and hand on her thigh made Emily want to jump in Drakes lap right there. But it was way too open of a place and she certainly didn’t want to get them arrested for doing something like that in public.

Although the idea of public sex was something she had talked about in her column, Emily wasn’t sure she was a fan of it. There were too many consequences involved in getting arrested and she felt like that was enough to keep her away from pursuing a hot sex event in public with any man.

She reached down and held onto Drake’s hand to prevent it from moving any further up her thigh. She couldn’t have him getting her too excited before they got to the party. She had planned a fabulous day with Drake and couldn’t wait to invite him into her world and her work. Emily hadn’t let very many people into her life as a writer. It felt really nice to know that Drake knew what she did and he didn’t seem to care at all.

“Do you think we should get going? I don’t want to be too late to the party,” Emily said as she pulled away from Drake.

Disappointment filled his eyes but he smiled and gave Emily one last kiss before pulling the car back onto the interstate. Drake liked how much he was drawn to Emily. How his body longed to touch hers. It was a unique feeling to want someone so badly, yet also not want to take them just yet.

“Where is this party? I think you should give me a clue,” Drake said as they sped down the interstate.

“It’s at the home of my boss.”

Emily let that information set in for a minute and watched Drakes face as he processed what she had said. He started to smile as he realized just where they were going.

Every man fantasized about going to The Playboy Mansion. It was a place men dreamed of. Drake had actually been invited to attend a few parties over the years but none of the scheduling had ever worked out with his life. He didn’t care that much about missing the parties, but it was exciting to get to go with a person who actually worked with Hugh Heffner.

“The Playboy Mansion?” Drake asked with a smile like a school boy ‘s across his face.

“Yep.”

“Holly shit, girl. I’ve always wanted to go there and just never got around to accepting an invitation. What kind of party is it? I know he likes to have those theme parties all the time.”

“This one is a charity event for one of the groups he supports. It will turn into a big party after all the snobby people leave in the evening. But for this afternoon it will be food, music and an auction to benefit epilepsy.”

“I’m excited. This is great. What a perfect date, Emily,” Drake said.

He grabbed her hand and pulled it up to his lips and kissed it. She was sure surprising him. He had thought about her as just a sweet innocent young girl, but the more he was getting to know her the more he really felt like they were a better match than he had thought before.

The gate to the Playboy Mansion was iconic as they pulled up and waited their turn to get onto the grounds. It felt like a movie scene as all the people poured into the event and Drake drove them toward the front of the line to get in.

“Name please,” the security guard said.

Emily leaned over Drake and handed her driver’s license to the security guard. She seemed like an old pro at going through security gates and Drake had to wonder which other magazines she was writing columns for. Did the other magazines have as big of a following as Playboy did? It wasn’t likely, but perhaps they had strict security to get into their buildings as well.

“Emily Daniels and Drake Leblanc.”

“Oh, Miss Daniels, I heard you were coming tonight. Here is a priority parking pass. You can pull right in front of the main house.”

“Thank you,” Emily said as she took her license back.

Drake had to smile a bit as he looked over at Emily. It wasn’t often that people were more excited to see others than they were to see Drake. It had happened to him twice in the last two days and he really liked it a lot. It showed that Samantha and Robert had picked women who were every bit Drake’s equals and he liked that.

The whole thing of getting the women together at his house and getting to know them all before picking one did seem like a great plan now. All of the women were phenomenal. Both Samantha and Robert did a fantastic job of picking them and Drake made a mental note to give his two top employees a bonus when everything was completed.

Although Emily had not seemed like a great match for him at first, because of her age. Drake sure felt like she was at that moment. Pulling into the Playboy Mansion was something that not many women would like to do. But Emily worked for Playboy; her life was so different than many other women’s.

The idea of dating a put-together woman that was as sexually free as Emily certainly had its appeal. Drake liked that he felt comfortable talking with her about sex and he hoped that Emily and he would have a great day and even a little sex of their own later in the evening. Drake didn’t want to break Emily’s heart if he wasn’t going to choose her in the end, but he really had no idea who he was going to pick when all of his dates were done.

Drake had flirted with plenty of Playboy bunnies and surely could have come to any number of parties at the house before. But coming with Emily to a charity event there was something much more special. This was the life he wanted to transition into. He was tired of being known as a party animal and someone who didn’t take life as seriously as he should. Drake wanted a family and a future, but he still wanted to come to cool places like the Playboy Mansion. Emily seemed like she might be just the right person for him, after all.

As they walked up the path toward the charity luncheon, Drake let his hand sit gently on the small of Emily’s back. Her skin radiated through his hand to the rest of his body and he felt his cock throb with a longing to have Emily.

Getting to know her more had only intensified his need to have her. He didn’t have to worry about ruining her pureness. Emily wanted to have fun, she wanted to play with him and Drake couldn’t wait until the party was over so he could have his way with her.

Something switched in Emily as she walked up to the party. She put on a more vibrant persona as she looked everyone in the eyes and introduced Drake to people. She was proud to be there with him and to get to have him meet some of the people she worked with.

Her confidence was up and she couldn’t help but smile and laugh as they interacted with all the business people at the charity event. Emily had always wanted to be taken seriously. She hadn’t expected a charity event at a porn empire would be the place where she would feel so at home. But she did, walking around in her sexy dress with Drake by her side, Emily felt like she could take on the world.

“Emily,” said a man’s voice from behind her.

“Hugh! Hi, how are you?” Emily said as Hugh Heffner approached her.

“I’m well. Thank you so much for coming. I’m glad you could finally join us.”

“I know. I’m sorry it has taken me so long to come out and see you,” Emily smiled and hugged Heff as she reached back for Drake’s hand and pulled him toward her. “Heff, this is my friend Drake…”

“Oh, I know who this is. Drake Leblanc. Nice to meet you, man. Now this looks like a good choice in ladies.”

“ Thank you, sir. Emily sure is a nice woman.”

“You two enjoy the party and please stay afterward and enjoy the grounds. I’ve got quite the swimming pool if you would like to play for a bit.”

“Thanks, Heff. See you soon,” Emily said as he walked away.

“I just fucking met Hugh Heffner. Wow, that was pretty damn amazing,” Drake said.

His arms wrapped around Emily’s tiny waist and he held her close to him. They started to sway to the music from the band and Drake looked into her eyes. After his date with Victoria, Drake wasn’t sure any of the other women would meet his high standards. He got excited as he stood there with Emily and realized she was exceeding everything he wanted in a woman.

Emily looked around at all the business professionals in the garden and wondered how many of them would be sticking around later for the party. She bet there were a few wild people in the group that was there.

“Should we go find our seats?” Emily asked.

She pulled Drake behind her as they made their way to the dining area.

It was a beautiful party with purple accented colors and white linens all over the place. There were silent auction items at the back of the garden and a band set up to the side. There were dozens of large round tables around with ten chairs at each table. Emily estimated that the party had at least 300 people. Which was probably a small party in the world of Heff.

“I’m excited about the auction. I hear there will be some Julia Roberts memorabilia here. She’s my favorite,” Emily said as she looked intently at the stage and waited for the announcer to start.

“Welcome to the sixth annual epilepsy fundraiser put on by Hugh Heffner. I know you all were expecting some naked bunnies around here. But I think for now we will all keep our clothes on.”

Everyone laughed as the announcer continued to talk about the schedule of events and when the party would be over.

“Like any good party, we don’t have an end time. So please feel free to stick around and dance the night away with us when we are all done.”

“This is going to be a great night,” Drake said as he leaned into kiss Emily on the back of her neck.

“Yep, I think it will be too.”

“Ok, so we are going to start with food and then please feel free to bid on the silent auction items. Later we will have a regular auction with some really big-name items up for grabs.”

Drake grabbed Emily’s chair and pulled it closer to him. He didn’t like that she was a good foot away from him. He wasn’t going to be able to play with her under the table if she was that far away during the night. It was fun to think about how wrong it would be to play with Emily while they were at a charity auction. Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time Drake had behaved poorly in public, but he suspected Emily had never done such a thing.

Chapter 4

“Up for auction next is a trip for two to the Virgin Islands. We will start the bidding at five thousand dollars,” the auctioneer said.

“Wow that’s a good price,” Emily said as she looked at Drake.

“Should we go?” He teased.

“I think we should wait and see how the week turns out first, don’t you?” Emily smiled and squeezed Drakes hand.

Drake had tried throughout dinner to slide his hand up her legs and under her dress, but Emily was adamantly holding onto his hand to prevent this. She wanted Drake, but a public event like they were at just wasn’t her thing. The people all around her were her co-workers and friends, she wasn’t about to get caught with Drake’s fingers under her skirt.

“Alright, I’ll try to hold back from bidding,” Drake laughed. “But you should put your hands on the table. Aren’t they tired?”

Emily smiled as she looked at the mischievous nature in Drake’s eyes. She suspected he was perfectly comfortable playing around in public and probably didn’t worry at all about getting caught. It would just perpetuate his current public persona and get even more people interested in his company.

“My hands are staying right where they are, mister.”

Drake leaned in and kissed Emily and for a brief moment she let his finger slide up past the hem of her skirt. Drake rubbed his finger sweetly against her panties and wanted to feel more. He wanted to watch her face as he excited her out there in public. Drake wanted to feel Emily on his fingers and he wasn’t about to give up that fantasy.

“We should find a place in private. I bet there’s tons of hideaways around here.”

“No, we are not going to have sex at my boss’ home.”

“Well, maybe not sex, but we sure could play around and have some fun.”

“Shhh, watch the auction,” Emily said as she looked away from Drake and back to the Auctioneer.

He was pretty sure there was typically a lot of public sex going on at Heff’s house, but perhaps he would have to wait until after the charity auction was over. There was no need to rush things; they had the whole day to spend together. But Drake wanted to at least get a good make out session in with Emily on the grounds of The Playboy Mansion, it was the right thing to do. Heff would want them to have sex, at least that was what Drake told himself while they continued to watch the auction.

The sexual tension built as Drake and Emily watched the end of the auction and silently flirted with each other. Drake rubbed his rugged hands up and down her legs as Emily tried her best to pay attention to the auction. Finally, in an effort to quiet Drake’s petting of her leg, Emily reached under the table and let her hand feel the bulge in Drake’s pants.

She was pleasantly surprised to feel just how hard he was for her. Emily also liked what she felt. Drake was definitely larger than her last boyfriend. It aroused her a great deal to feel his throbbing member in her hand.

“It’s been that way for hours. I don’t know how much more I can take,” Drake leaned in and whispered to Emily. “I think this is dangerous to have me this aroused for this long of a period of time.”

“I hope you don’t die,” she said with a smile and giggle as she brought her hand back to her own lap.

“Our final auction item is something very special. This is a lunch date with none other than Julia Roberts. We will start the bidding at ten thousand dollars.”

“Oh, my God!” Emily said under her breath as she looked up at the auctioneer.

Her hands withdrew from protecting herself as she was totally focused on the auction. Emily looked around the room to see who was going to bid. It was her dream, Julia Roberts was her absolute favorite actress in the world.

“Ten thousand,” said a man in the back of the garden.

Drake watched intently as Emily focused on the auction. He could tell she loved Julia Roberts and would have loved to of spent the afternoon with her favorite movie star. It was endearing to see someone so excited about something like meeting a star. Drake felt like he had become so jaded to celebrities and such. He was also distracted by the fact that Emily had stopped preventing his hand from moving up her skirt, she was just too damn excited about the auction.

“Eleven thousand dollars,” a snooty looking older woman bid.

Drake didn’t like the idea of a rich woman winning the date with Julia Roberts, it seemed like a total squander of Julia’s time. The older women who was bidding didn’t even look like she was that interested what she was doing at all. She looked more like she wanted to take a nap than she wanted to win the Julia Roberts auction.

“Eleven thousand, five hundred dollars,” the first man countered.

Emily couldn’t believe how much people were willing to spend just to sit with Julia Roberts for a few hours. Sure, she would love to have the opportunity, but Emily wasn’t about to spend her entire life savings on a few hours of time with a celebrity. But she was excited to watch the auction go on.

“Twelve thousand,” chimed in a new bidder.

“Twelve thousand, five hundred,” the first man said again.

There was a long pause as the other bidders thought about how high they were willing to go. When the pauses started, typically the auction was going to be over soon. Twelve thousand, five hundred dollars was sure a lot of money for one afternoon with a celebrity.

“Fifteen thousand dollars,” said the snooty woman in the back.

Everyone made noise as they looked back at the woman. She seemed pretty determined to win the date with Julia Roberts and she surely had quieted the men who she was bidding against.

“We have fifteen thousand dollars to the woman in the fur coat. Do we have sixteen?” The auctioneer said as he looked around at the bidders.

No one was looking at him though and it appeared that the snooty woman had just won herself an afternoon with Julia Roberts.

“We have fifteen thousand dollars, going once… going twice…”

“Twenty thousand dollars,” Drake said.

Emily’s eyes got wide and she slowly turned around to look at him. He had a huge grin on his face that looked similar to a kid in a candy store. She wasn’t exactly sure why he was willing to spend so much money on a lunch with Julia Roberts, but Emily liked the idea of Drake winning the auction instead of that woman.

“Twenty thousand dollars going once…going twice…sold to Drake Leblanc.”

The auctioneer seemed to also be annoyed with the other bidders and had no problem hurrying the bidding along so it could close and Drake could be announced as the high bidder.

“Actually, can you put Emily Daniels down as the winner please,” Drake said loudly.

“Yes, sir.”

“Drake, No! What are you doing? No, no, no.”

“Too late.”

“I can’t accept this. Twenty thousand dollars is insane.”

“It’s for charity, Emily. Don’t you want the charity to benefit?” Drake didn’t give Emily the chance to answer him as he leaned in and kissed her.

Everyone around started to clap as they cheered on Drake. It was a romantic gesture that all of the women at the auction seemed to appreciate and all of the men were envious of. Not very many women had the pleasure of going on a date with someone like Drake Leblanc and they certainly didn’t get $20,000 gifts from him.

Emily looked around as she pulled her lips away from Drake and her face turned bright red. It was so weird to have people clapping while you kissed someone. Certainly nothing she had ever experienced before.

“Let’s get out of here,” Drake said as he stood up and pulled out Emily’s chair.

She held onto his hand as they made their way out of the auction area and behind some bushes.

“Drake, I really can’t accept the gift, you know that, right?”

“Why not?”

“It’s too expensive.”

“Would you loan me a dollar if I needed one?” Drake asked Emily as they stood just outside the crowd.

“Sure.”

“Would you give me a dollar if I needed it?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Would you help me to meet my idol if you could?”

“Yes, but Drake, I just don’t get how any of this is related to you spending so much money just so I could meet Julia Roberts.”

“Well it is done and it is yours, you will have to come to terms with it,” Drake said with a huge smile on his face.

They took off walking down a trail that led through the grounds. It was like a secret escape that the two of them had made from the realities of the world. Very quickly after they started down the path, the real world melted behind them and they were transformed into the altered reality of the estate.

The estate was absolutely beautiful and Drake couldn’t help but be a little bit envious. The grounds were perfectly cared for and every single plant had its place. They all grew next to each other, yet they were all one large botanical garden.

Emily couldn’t stop giggling as they walked around the grounds and found small little spots where Drake pulled her aside and kissed her. They found so many benches that were hidden from everyone around: there was no guessing just what those areas were actually used for. Emily thought for sure they were little sex benches that Heff had installed throughout the property. None of them were the same shape, but all of the benches seemed rather elegant.

Chapter 5

“Let’s go in here,” Drake said as he pulled Emily into a dark room around the corner.

The room looked like the most comfortable movie theater in the world. It had big soft red couches throughout the room and plenty of pillows and blankets. Drake pulled Emily onto his lap and kissed her passionately.

His large hands cupped her ass as he held onto her and Emily loved every second of it. She was happy to be there with Drake, even though she didn’t like thinking about getting caught making out with him in her boss’s house.

“Thank you so much, Drake,” Emily said between kisses.

“I’m sure we can figure out a way for you to pay me back,” Drake laughed.

“Um, I brought you to The Playboy Mansion. That should be enough.”

“I’d feel better if I got to ride on the Emily Train.” They both broke out in laughter. Emily’s little joke about taking Veronica on the ‘Emily Train’ had become their own little inside joke. “Choo choo,” Drake said between laughs.

“I might be able to give you a ride; we will just have to see how the day goes. I don’t think I can give you a ride on the Emily train right now, though. We’re in someone else’s house.”

Emily looked around the dark room in anticipation of someone walking in on them at any moment. It was hard to concentrate on Drake because she kept thinking they would be caught in the movie room and asked to leave.

Drake held on tight to Emily and let his hand move up her thighs. She sat on his lap with her arms wrapped around him and kissed him gently, this time she didn’t stop his hands from going where they wanted to go.

Even though she was afraid of getting caught, Emily did want to try things that were outside her comfort zone. A fun make out session with Drake was exactly what she wanted to try. She loved the touch of his hands on her body and longed for later in the day when she could be naked on his bed and have his hands running all over her bare skin.

The anticipation of her wetness was almost too much for Drake to handle, yet he liked it very much. His fingers gingerly played with the outside of her panties before he slid under them and met her delightful center. He held his breath so he could hear every last sound that Emily made as he touched her.

Emily leaned back onto the couch as Drake let his fingers play with the outside of Emily, he watched her as he moved his fingers. He could tell where she liked it; just by the breaths she took. Slowly he moved around the outside of her wetness and played with her, toying with her desire for him. Making her want him more and more, Drake loved how he had total control over her.

He had experienced many women, but because his lifestyle typically consisted of one-night stands, Drake was almost always in charge. Occasionally he would find a woman who wanted to exert control over the situation, but almost always Drake was in control. The difference with Emily was that he didn’t feel like he was controlling her, he felt like they were there together and she was just waiting for her moment to pounce on him.

“Drake, I don’t want to get caught, maybe we should go home,” Emily said sweetly under her breath.

The deep breaths she took and smile on her face told Drake that she was just saying what she needed to say to herself. Emily didn’t want Drake to stop any more than he wanted to stop.

“No,” Drake replied firmly. “We will stay for a little bit.”

He continued to play with Emily as her hips rocked back and forth in anticipation. He could have let his fingers enter her, but it was just as much fun to watch her wanting him. Drake loved the anticipation she had for him, the longing she had to have his fingers slide inside of her. He wasn’t sure it was time for that just yet.

Drake moved his thumb up to her clit and rubbed it gently as he continued to watch her face. The pleasure she got from his fingers was erotic and fulfilled his instant gratification of wanting to feel her. But Drake wanted more. He wanted to feel his hardness slide inside of her wet body. He wanted to hear her moan in delight as he filled her up. But Drake knew that Emily would never relax enough to let that happen where they were.

His fingers move out from her panties and Drake pulled Emily back up and kissed her lips softly. He moved his hands delicately through her hair as their eyes locked onto one another. It was easy with Emily, eye contact; that wasn’t something he did very well with women when he was in the throes of passion. But with Emily, it felt so easy.

“You know there was one thing I always wanted to do here,” he said eagerly.

“You want to go swim in the grotto, don’t you?” Emily said as she stood up.

“Yes.”

“Well, me too. That’s why we brought our swimsuits. Let’s go down there. No one will miss us.”

Drake and Emily made their way out of the movie room and grabbed their swim suits from the car before they walked down the long path toward the pool area. The path had decorative bushes and benches all along it and Drake had to stop himself from pulling Emily into his lap and hiding out on one of those benches.

They could see the charity party up on the hill near the house, but where they were it was mostly covered by trees so they couldn’t be seen by the party goers. Short stubby bush trees surrounded the pool and provided the necessary privacy that any naked swimmer would want. Although, Drake suspected most of the people who swam in The Playboy Mansion pool didn’t care if people saw them naked.

“We probably don’t even need swimsuits here,” Emily said as she laughed and stepped behind a few large bushes to get changed.

“Well, then don’t put your suit on.”

“Oh, I’m wearing mine. You could certainly go commando if you would like.”

“If you get to wear clothes, so do I.”

Drake didn’t hide to get changed, but instead just dropped his pants to the ground right there and slipped his suit on. Emily was behind the bushes, but she could still see Drake. She saw all of him very clearly and loved every second of it. His ripped muscular stomach was a delight, but it was his erect cock that really had her attention, Emily couldn’t look away.

“Alright, let’s jump in,” Emily finally said as she came out from behind the bushes.

“You first, it looks cold.”

“Oh, is the famous Drake Leblanc afraid of a little water?” Emily teased.

“I’m not afraid; I just don’t want to freeze to death. You check it our first.”

Just then Emily grabbed a hold of Drake and pushed him into the water. Her attempt to force Drake to get in before her didn’t work quite trfgjhcx’,m\ bnbjklp as planned though as he grabbed onto her and pulled her into the water with him.

They both plunged under the water and then sprung up to catch their breaths. As their wet bodies entangled with each other, Emily couldn’t help but hold onto Drake and offer him another kiss.

There was a sexual connection between the two of them that seemed to grow exponentially by being in the water. The wet feeling of having their skin touch one another was sexual and filled their moment with passion.

“That was dirty,” Drake joked. “I don’t know if I want to ride the Emily Train.”

“Oh, no. You don’t, it’s full of dirtiness.”

Drake grabbed Emily and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked through the water toward the grotto. Emily held on with her arms wrapped around his neck as well and their faces only inches apart from one another. He could feel her breath as she tried to calm it from the excitement of jumping in the pool. Her mouth was so close to his that he knew there wasn’t much longer that he could resist her.

“You are one of the sweetest men I have ever met,” Emily said softly as they tucked themselves away into the grotto area of the swimming pool.

“You must not have met very many men in your life.”

Emily softly let her lips touch Drake’s as they held each other and gently made out. There was nothing urgent that needed to happen. Just the sweet touch of each other was all they needed. Emily was young and sweet and Drake didn’t want to ruin that. He wanted to be there with her and wanted to have a great date with Emily; but he knew that the day would have to be slow moving.

Unlike Veronica who wanted to jump into bed the second they met. Drake knew that Emily was going to require more time and attention. The thing about time and attention was…Drake actually wanted to give it to Emily. He liked having her in his arms and liked the way she looked at him. Emily was young, but she was incredibly smart and funny as well.

Drake relished their time together and didn’t rush himself like he typically would have. Alone, in the grotto, it was peaceful and he didn’t want to disturb the moment. He had already decided he wasn’t going to fuck Emily just anywhere; he wanted to have her in his bed at his house. She was delicate, sweet and she deserved to have an experience that was equal to her.

The feeling of her plump lips against his drove him crazy and Drake couldn’t help his hard cock. Emily was wrapped around his waist and didn’t need to know just how aroused he was for her. Instead, he kept that part of the moment away from Emily; he chose instead to concentrate on her lips and their softness against his.

Time seemed to fly by as they kissed each other in the dimly lit grotto. Soon the daylight started to fade away and it was just the two of them in the afternoon air. It was an unusually cold spring day and Drake didn’t want to get caught out in the cold as the sun finally disappeared into the evening.

“Maybe we should get going, before it gets too dark out,” Drake whispered as he kissed the small of Emily’s neck.

“Maybe.”

“We could hurry home and still get a good six hours in bed.”

Emily didn’t wait for Drake to finish; she was out of the pool and running toward the pile of towels near the edge of the area. She was eager to get back to the house and spend time with Drake in bed.

“Let’s go, don’t you want to ride on the Emily Train?” Emily teased as she dried herself off.

“Oh, yes. I certainly do want a ride on the Emily Train.”

They dried off while they walked back to his car and carried their clothes. It took a few minutes to get their clothes back on, but as soon as they did it was time to head home.

Both Drake and Emily seemed in a new hurry to get home. The sexual tension between the two of them had increased to such a level that Drake didn’t know if he would even be able to make it home before he grabbed Emily and made love to her.

As they pulled out of the driveway, the ringing of Drakes phone distracted them both. It was an unusual ring and Emily remembered thinking that it reminded her of someone’s wife or girlfriend calling them.

“Do you mind?” Drake asked as he handed the phone over to Emily to answer.

She looked at him like he was a crazy person. What kind of man actually hands his phone to a woman he hardly knows to answer it. He hadn’t even looked to see who it was. What if it was some girl trying to get a hold of him? What if it was his mother? She had never met a man who would so easily hand his phone over to another woman to answer. There was a lot of risk in doing something like that. It endeared Drake to her even more than before.

Emily sat still and looked at the phone and then back at Drake. Did he really expect her to answer it?

“Answer it. It’s Samantha, I can tell by the ring.”

“Um, hello…” Emily said with trepidation.

“Hello, is this Emily?”

“Yes.”

“Hi, it’s Samantha. Is Drake available?”

“He’s driving, how about I put you on speaker?”

“Sure,” Samantha said as she tried to hide her level of agitation. “Hello….Drake?”

“Hey, what’s up?” Drake said.

“You were supposed to lead the event tonight. I’m here at your house with the ladies and we were wondering when you would be back.”

Drake made a face like he had just gotten in trouble and Emily couldn’t help but laugh. Samantha certainly sounded like she was in charge of a lot in Drake’s life. Emily had to wonder if anything more had ever happened between the two of them. Samantha was a beautiful woman; tall, brunette, slim figure. It was hard to imagine that Drake hadn’t gotten her into his bed at least once over the years.

“What was the event tonight?”

“Poker, remember. You decided on poker,” Samantha said in utter exhaustion from Drake.

“Oh, yes. We will be home shortly.”

Drake hung up the phone and instantly reached for Emily’s hand. He pulled it over to his lap and held onto it for the rest of the drive to his house. The drive was quiet as Drake thought about how they could get out of the group activity for the night.

“Sorry, Samantha insists that we do one thing as a group each night. I promise we can make it quick though. Because I want to ride the Emily Train.”

“Oh, we better make it really quick then. The Emily Train doesn’t stay in town forever.”

Drake squeezed her hand and pulled it up to his lips and kissed it gently. He was perfectly fine with making a very short appearance with the other women. He felt like he and Emily hadn’t really had that much time together at all. The whole idea of having only 24 hours with each woman was starting to feel like a really bad idea.

Perhaps he needed to talk with Samantha about changing the rules?

Or perhaps it was a good sign that he liked Emily enough to want to change the rules. Maybe she was the one he was going to choose in the end. Drake did feel like she was a real contender. Her combination of sweetness and sexiness was exactly what he wanted in a wife someday.

Chapter 6

“Hello, ladies,” Drake said to the crowd of women that greeted him as he and Emily walked into the living room.

The women quickly gobbled Drake up and pulled him in to sit down with them while Emily was left standing by the front door. Luckily, Samantha came over to her quickly and kept her company.

“Did you two have a good day?” Samantha asked.

“Yes, I took him to a charity auction at my work.”

“Your work?” Samantha raised an eyebrow, she remembered very well where Emily worked and the playboy Mansion didn’t really seem like the type of place that had charity auctions.

“Yes, Heff was doing a fundraiser for Epilepsy. He does it each year.”

“That sounds rather nice. Did you both enjoy the date?”

“I think so,” Emily said as she watched Drake with the other women.

“Hey Emily,” Victoria said as she came up the steps toward the entryway.

“Hey.”

“Welcome to the day after club. Well, almost at least,” Victoria joked. “These girls will push you to the ground and stomp on your head to get to Drake.”

Both Emily and Samantha laughed as the three women stood and watched over the chaos that was going on in the living room. There were two women sitting right in front of Drake on the coffee table and another woman on either side of him. The only woman who wasn’t standing by the doorway or swarming Drake was Scarlett.

“She seems pretty level headed,” Samantha said, sort of under her breath.

“Yes, she’s a smart woman and doesn’t seem too caught up in everything that’s going on. I like her a lot,” Victoria added.

“Me too. She’s been nice to me since day one,” Emily said.

“Good to hear, because her date isn’t until last. I think she’ll be able to handle the wait, unlike some girls,” Samantha said as they all watched Sophia.

Sophia, the redheaded bombshell, had just leaned in and tried to kiss Drake right in front of everyone else. Drake pulled back and twisted his head so she landed her lips right on his cheek. The women by the front door laughed, but Sophia certainly didn’t look like she thought it was very funny.

“That one is a wild one,” Victoria told the other two women. “When’s her date with Drake?”

“Tomorrow,” Samantha answered.

“Be ready tonight at midnight Emily, I can guarantee Sophia will be watching the clock,” Victoria chimed in.

“I will, thanks, Victoria.”

“I guess I should get things moving so we don’t have to spend the night watching Sophia and Drake kissing,” Samantha said as she made her way down to the middle of the room. “Alright, let’s all grab a seat so we can get started.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but how long will this be?” Said Robert as he peeked his head in from the kitchen.

“We can eat buffet style; just put the food out on the table, thanks, Robert.”

“We are going to play a little game of strip poker, how does that sound to everyone?” Samantha asked.

Most of the women cheered as they looked over at Drake, but a few didn’t like the idea at all. Scarlett, the well-rounded and put together one of the group, did not seem amused by the game idea. Although, she didn’t specifically protest. Scarlett just sat back in her chair and observed all the other women and the situation.

Emily was also not that thrilled about the idea of taking her clothes off in front of all the other women. And none of the women should have liked the idea of Drake getting to see everyone naked, or so Emily thought. She was a very free thinking sexually, but she felt the jealous of the moment as the idea of strip poker sunk into her mind.

“Robert, do not leave me,” Samantha said to her co-worker as he hurried and stocked the table with all the food.

“My job was food. Yours is entertainment, my wife would kill me if I stuck around for strip poker!”

“Drake is seriously killing me this week. It’s like he wants all these women, yet he wants me to manage them. Remind me never to agree to something like this ever again.”

“Alright Samantha, I’ll remind you. But you and I both know you’ll do it again in a second if Drake asks you.”

Samantha had to admit defeat with Robert’s answer. It was true, she was a dedicated assistant to Drake and if he wanted to spend his time with a house full of women, she would help make it happen. There was a connection between Samantha and Drake that went beyond co-workers and much deeper than friendship. Yet the two of them had managed to keep their relationship professional throughout Samantha’s term in his employment. Surely only due to her own morals about the situation though; if it was up to Drake he would have had his way with Samantha the first week she worked for him.

“Ok, everyone find a spot at one of the poker tables and let’s get started,” Samantha bellowed from the middle of the room.

Robert flashed a quick smile and then finished loading the food onto the main table and made his exit from the back of the house. The only thing that kept his marriage going was how much his wife trusted him. She knew about what a playboy Drake was and she knew that Robert was part of keeping him in line. Robert knew for a fact if his wife found out he stuck around for strip poker; it would be the end of him for sure.

“Sam, where would you like me to sit?” Drake asked.

Drake made his way to stand next to Samantha and let his hand press on the small of her back. She hated when he did that! Not because she hated his touch, exactly the opposite. Samantha felt electricity in her body every time Drake touched her and it was more than enough to distract her from what was going on.

Samantha reached back and gently pulled his hand from her back and set it back at his side. Drake was used to Samantha removing his hand, but he still loved the touch of her body and subconsciously always touched her when he was near. Sometimes she would let his hand linger, he felt her longing to have more from him; it was undeniable. Yet, somehow, Samantha always denied him.

“You can sit right here,” Samantha said as she pointed to the table next to her. “I also need Scarlett, Cynthia and Emily at this table, please.”

The disappointment in the other women’s faces was obvious, but Samantha didn’t care. The three women she sat at Drake’s table were the top of her list for him and that was all that mattered. Yes, the other women were great women, but Samantha had a plan for Drake and it had to involve the women that she thought would be best for him.

Samantha wanted a long-term match for Drake, not just a quick fix to his relationship problems. If Drake was ever going to settle down it would only be with a woman who had everything he desired. Samantha thought she might know those desires even better than Drake himself. Often he was distracted by the physical appearance of women and his lust for them; that made him miss women that he could have a real relationship with.

Of course, all of the women were beautiful; there was no denying that. So Samantha had to look beyond the physical beauty and find the women who would build Drake up. A partner for him that could be his equal in every way.

The rest of the women found their seats and Samantha continued with the rules of the game.

“If you lose a hand you take a piece of clothing off, simple as that. Drake, would you like to add any other rules?”

“Yes, if they don’t want to take a piece of clothing off, they can complete a dare,” he said with a mischievous smile as he looked at his table of women.

“I like that rule. Ok, so either a piece of clothing or complete a dare. For you women who aren’t at Drake’s table; let’s try and get along. These women have a lot in common with you. You might try to get to know them a little.”

Victoria, Sophia, Allison and Lauren looked extremely annoyed that they were stuck at a table together. Only Victoria had received her date day with Drake already and the other three women hadn’t had much time alone with him at all.

“It sucks to be stuck with you ladies,” Lauren said as she pouted with her arms crossed.

“We can behave like spoiled brats or we can show Drake and those other women how to have a good time,” Allison said as she looked at Sophia.

Sophia had already labeled herself as the wild one of the group. Everyone in the house dreaded the day that she got her date with Drake. Sophia was constantly walking around the house naked and talking about how she is going to keep Drake in bed for the entire 24 hours.

“Yes, we can’t be bitches about this,” Sophia added.

Victoria just sat quietly, she didn’t really see what could be gained by her participating in the night of events. But she also didn’t want to be seen as a prude who wouldn’t play along.

“Let’s just play some poker and have fun. Who cares what they are doing, girls just want to have fun,” Lauren added as she giggled.

The four women started their poker game, but continued to keep one eye on what was going on over at Drake’s table at all times. Drake seemed enamored by his women and it was difficult to watch for all the women not at his table.

“Alright ladies, let’s get this party started,” Drake said as he looked at the women who Samantha had seated with him at his table.

He was extremely happy with the group of women he had to choose from, but he was particular to the three women who were at his table. Emily had been his long shot, but the day with her had proven they got alone very well. She was much more mature than he had expected and he really felt a strong connection with her.

Cynthia had caught his eye since the very beginning, she wasn’t the typical L.A. woman and he liked that. She had curves for days and she was smart too. He remembered reading her profile and seeing that she owned her own investment firm, that meant she was also really good with money. Drake couldn’t wait to spend the day with her, Robert had told him she was a little big of a dominatrix as well; that sounded like a hell of a lot of fun.

Then there was Scarlett, her quiet elegance enticed Drake more and more every day. She didn’t seem to fit in at all with the other women; yet she seemed perfectly content to be there. She also owned her own company and had some kick ass breasts that Drake wanted to get his hands on. He thought Scarlett might be a little too subdued for him in the end, but he knew they would have a fun date at least.

“You deal us a good hand now, no cheating,” said Cynthia.

“Now, now, do I look like the type of guy who cheats?”

“You look like the type of guy who likes to get women naked,” Emily teased.

Drake didn’t respond and just smiled as he continued to deal the cards to the women. Scarlett grabbed her cards and looked like a pro as she sat there eyeing her cards and Drake, he actually couldn’t help but be a little intimidated by her.

“So, do we bet or how does this work?” Scarlett asked Drake.

“I think if you want to play the hand we should have to put a piece of clothing into the pile. If you win, you get the clothing. Or we could play it safe and do a dare.”

“I can handle a little skin if you all can,” Scarlett said as she looked at the other women at her table.

“Then let’s play,” Drake said as he watched all the women start to take a piece of their clothing off.

Drake took his shirt off, Emily did as well, Cynthia took her shorts off and Scarlett had a dress on which she took off. It was clear that Scarlett was going to end up naked the quickest out of all of them. She only had her bra and panties left to take off.

“I’ll take two cards,” Scarlett said.

“Just one,” added Cynthia.

“Thee here,” said Emily.

Drake took his cards too and then smiled. He looked at the women and then back at his hand, there was no way any of the women could beat him. Even Scarlett had stopped making eye contact with him, probably in an effort to hide her horrible hand.

“Does anyone feel like increasing the pot,” Drake joked.

“What do you mean?” Emily asked as she looked dreadfully at her cards.

“Maybe throw another item in and sweeten the pot?” Drake said with a smile and he stood up and took off his pants and his sock and threw them into the middle.

“I fold,” Emily laughed.

“Me too,” added Cynthia.

They all looked over at Scarlett who stood up slowly and slid her panties off, then she unclasped her bra and threw them both in.

“If I’m going all in you need to as well,” Scarlett said to Drake, who still had his boxers on.

“Deal,” Drake laughed.

Everyone in the room paused to observe the little show that was about to happen. Scarlett sat down and watched with the other women as Drake slowly did a little strip tease and took off his boxers. He glanced over at Samantha who he noticed was also enjoying the show with the rest of the women.

“Very nice,” Scarlett whispered. “But I think you’re going to be naked for the rest of the night.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. Full house,” Drake said as he slammed his cards down on the table and started to grab the pile of clothes.

“Not so fast there. buddy,” Scarlett grabbed his hand. “I don’t know much about poker but I’m pretty sure my hand with all these cards of the same suit in order is called something like a Royal Flush.”

Scarlett gently set her cards onto the table as everyone in the room started to laugh and talk. It was delightful to see Drake lose, both at the game and his clothes. The women couldn’t stop their laughing.

“Well played, but I have a feeling I’ve been hustled,” Drake said to Scarlett.

“Oh, you know. I’ve had some experience at a card table now and then.”

Scarlett stood up without an ounce of shyness and slipped her panties back on and then her bra. Drake couldn’t take his eyes off of her, but neither could the other women in the room. Scarlett was a beautiful woman, plus she had so much confidence it was hard not to envy her. She slipped her dress over her head and then turned to make Drake zip her up. Then she handed Cynthia and Emily their clothes, but grabbed Drake’s clothes.

“I suppose I’ll just keep these for now,” she said as she smiled and walked away with his clothes.

“Samantha, is that allowed in the rules?” Drake joked.

“Oh, yes. I think that is allowed,” Samantha said as she smiled at Scarlett. “Okay everyone, time to eat.”

Drake just sat still and watched as the women rushed up to the table and started to load their plates. He was really going to have to go up there naked and he couldn’t believe it. He looked at Samantha for help, but it was clear she relished the moment and wasn’t about to help ease his uncomfortable feelings.

The women stopped dead in their tracks as Drake stood up and walked slowly over to the table. He couldn’t help but smile at the ridiculous nature of their night, then he saw Sophia as she put a piece of food in her mouth and purposely licked her lips.

“That’s not cool,” Drake said teasingly.

“Oh, you don’t want us to get you aroused,” Sophia said loudly.

Then all the women started doing the same thing. The slowly took a bite of their food and then sexually licked their lips as they looked at Drake. There was no resisting it and soon Drake felt his body hardening with their teasing.

“Now that’s more like it,” Sophia said as she walked by and kissed Drake on the cheek. She made sure to take an extra glance down at his hard cock as it stood erect with excitement.

Samantha looked on from the edge of the room and she couldn’t stop laughing at how uncomfortable Drake seemed. For a man who always had the women in the palm of his hands, it was really refreshing to see that even he could be embarrassed.

“Are you ready to head upstairs yet?” Drake said as he came up beside Emily.

She looked down at his hard cock and instantly put her plate onto the table and grabbed his hand. They walked straight past the group of girls who started to tease and heckle the couple as they made their way up the stairs.

Chapter 7

“Finally, we are alone,” Drake said as he opened his bedroom door and pulled Emily in with him.

He held Emily up against him as they kissed in the warm air of his bedroom. Drake knew it was going to be a night full of lust and lovemaking and he couldn’t wait to get started. Originally when he had planned the week with Samantha and Robert, Drake hadn’t expected to let any of the women into his room. Surely it would make the others jealous if they knew Emily was in there, but Drake wanted the comfort of his own room as they played.

Slowly he reached for the hem of Emily’s shirt and tugged it up over her head. He delighted in the soft touch of her skin as his hands grazed her body. It was like touching satin for the briefest of moments.

Soon Emily decided she wanted to take control and she let her hands engulf Drake’s hard member as it pressed up against her body. Her hands moved slowly up and down his shaft as she kept her eyes locked onto his. The anticipation of having Drake inside of her was so much that Emily felt her legs get weak underneath her. She had dreamed about the moment when she would want a man in her bed again. The moment had come and it would be Drake that she made love to for the first time in years.

Drake closed his eyes as he let his body give in to the touch of Emily’s hands on him. He wanted to throw her onto the bed and thrust himself inside of her that instant, but he thought it would be best to try and move slowly with her. He still felt guilt over the idea that she had only been with one man before him. Drake wasn’t sure he had ever been with a woman who was that close to being a virgin.

He unhooked her bra and then reached down to remove the rest of her clothing; all the time Emily still had a hold of his throbbing cock. Her delicate hands on his hard body was the perfect combination for an explosion. Drake had to think about something else to prevent his body from giving in to the touch that Emily brought him.

“Sixty-nine,” Emily said quietly as she looked up at Drake.

There was an innocence in her eyes that he couldn’t look away from. She had written about all these different sexual encounters, but Emily had yet to experience them. Drake felt a responsibility to make her night memorable. Even if he didn’t pick her at the end of everything, Drake wanted to make sure Emily had a night that she quiet literally could never forget.

It excited him to have a woman who wanted to try new positions and was eager to play with him. Since many of his relationships were short one-night events, it was difficult to convince women to do too much playing with different positions.

Drake could imagine what life would be like with a woman like Emily. Always fun things in the bedroom as she tried out new ideas for her columns. The high activity of their sex life would surely make their relationship last much longer than any of his past relationships had lasted.

“Yes, let’s try that one,” Drake said as he walked Emily to the bed. “Top or bottom?” Drake said with a smile.

“Um, I don’t know. Which one would I like best?”

“Top seems best.”

Drake lay back onto the bed and pulled Emily up on top of him. His hand wrapped tightly around her body and held her as their lips gently touched one another. Drake did his best to move slowly and not rush Emily, but it seemed that Emily was the one who was ready to be rushed. She sat up on top of Drake with his bulging member just under her.

Emily teased Drake and rubbed herself against him in a move that felt as close to torture as Drake could imagine. He was just inches away from being able to slide into her wetness and have the relief his body craved. His hips moved up and down as he tried to decide if he should just take his ride on the Emily Train right away.

No. He decided he needed to let her tease him a little bit more. And he certainly needed to try the 69 position with her.

He couldn’t take her teasing another moment and expertly grabbed her and flipped her around so her legs straddled his face. He dove in with all the delight of a teen boy getting his first taste of a girl he had longed to be near.

Her moans were delightful and caught Drake a little off guard. She pressed herself deeper on top of him as she adjusted herself so she could lean over and wrap her lips around his hard body. It felt good to have her body naked next to his. It felt more than good, it felt comfortable. A feeling of comfort with a woman he hardly knew, that was totally out of the norm for Drake and he was surprised by it.

Emily wasn’t about to let Drake have all the fun and she pulled his cock into her mouth with an eagerness to please him. She held her lips tight and pressed down as far as she could, which quickly made her gage on his long body part.

She coughed and pulled herself up a little. The actual skill of giving a blow job was still new to her. As much as she had read all the articles and even written about the act; it was a whole different thing when she tried to do it herself.

“Geesh, this is harder than it looks,” Emily laughed as she tried again.

“That’s what she said,” Drake teased.

Drake didn’t stop licking and sucking on her wetness and instead became more diligent in his efforts to feel her cum with ecstasy. His tongue moved quickly and occasionally he thrust it inside of her as deep as he could go. Drake loved the feeling of hearing her moan as her mouth held on tight to his body. The more he thrust his tongue into her, the more vibrations from her moans teased his cock.

“Ok, ok, let’s try something else,” Emily said as she tried to pull away from Drake.

But Drake wasn’t about to let her off that easy. Part of the fun of the 69 position was that he could hold her body on top of him and she couldn’t wiggle away. He wrapped his arms around her legs and held her delicate body smack dab on top of his face.

Drake pressed his mouth hard against her clit and felt her try to pull away. He couldn’t help but delight in her effort. But at only 100 pounds or so, Emily really didn’t have enough strength to wiggle her way out of this one.

“Drake,” she laughed as he held her tight and continued to work on her body.

Drake didn’t answer because he was far too busy trying to get Emily to orgasm on his mouth. He continued to lick her and hold onto her until she realized she could torture him just as well from her end of things.

Emily wrapped her lips tight around Drakes ragging erection and thrust her mouth up and down his shaft. She didn’t relent even when he finally let go of her hips and released her from his hold. No, Emily could play the same game that Drake was playing.

She reached down and gently tugged on his balls after remembering an article she had written about the perfect blow job.

“What the hell,” Drake shouted.

“Oh, do these sensitive bad boys not appreciate some attention?”

Drake took a moment and then decided he actually really liked having her hand on his balls. It felt fantastic and he was perfectly happy to have her continue.

“I’m just saying, payback is a bitch,” Drake teased.

Drake grabbed Emily again and pulled her hips back toward his mouth. The two of them started to work on each other in a furious need to win their battle of orgasm. Neither of them willing to give up and both of them wanted to see the other relent.

Emily was the first to lose control of her body. She felt the tightness coming in her thighs first and tried to tighten them to pull away from Drake’s magnificent tongue. But the more she struggled the more Drake insisted on feeling her full orgasm on his tongue. She thrust her hips against him as her body gave in to the pleasure and she couldn’t resist for another moment.

“Oh, fucking hell Drake,” she yelled out, much to his delight.

Emily didn’t seem like the kind of girl that typically did a lot of yelling or swearing. It was delightful to hear the pleasure in her voice. Drake estimated that she probably didn’t have that many true orgasms in her life.

By the time Emily’s body had calmed down from the orgasm, Drake had delivered, she collapsed on top of Drake. His hard cock only inches away from her, but her body was too exhausted to make much of an effort. Emily felt like she was going to die of exhaustion as she took deep breaths and tried to calm her body.

The orgasm she felt with Drake was by far more intense than anything she had experienced before. She had to wonder if she had even experienced a real orgasm in her past, because nothing had felt as good at that moment she just had.

Drake took her and flipped Emily onto the bed next to him. He was content to wait for his turn at release. Emily’s chest heaved up and down as she tried to calm the pleasure that continued through her body. Drake felt a bit of pleasure in knowing that he had delivered such an intense experience for Emily. It was like a conquest in satisfaction and he hoped he would get to deliver more to her throughout the night.

“I’d love to see how you do at seventy,” Emily laughed.

“Is seventy even a thing?”

“Yep, oh it’s supposed to be lots of fun.”

“What the hell is it? Wait, I don’t think I want to know,” Drake laughed and leaned down to gently kiss Emily.

He grabbed the blankets and pulled them over Emily as he left his hand under them to gently glide up and down her body. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her as she lay with her eyes closed and recovered from their love making.

“You are seriously beautiful, Emily.”

“Wow, thank you.”

“I mean it. I know there are so many different kinds of beauty in the world. But you, you are for sure beautiful on the inside and out.”

Emily grabbed Drake by the head and pulled him over on top of her as she gently kissed him. His lips pulled away and slightly bit her lip as he felt the unfinished passion of their moment build back up again. Slowly they let their mouths mingle together as the gentle touch of each other’s lips helped to calm Emily’s breaths and bring her back to a state of relaxation.

“What should we do next?” Emily said with a little giggle under her breath.

Drake thought about it for a moment and he knew just what he wanted to do with her. It wasn’t any fancy move or crazy idea. He wanted to simply see her on top of him as she rode his throbbing body. The thought of having his hands on her breasts as she moved up and down on top of his cock was way too much to ignore.

He leaned back onto the bed and let his bouncing hard cock entice Emily. She looked at his body and then back up at his eyes. She knew right away what he wanted and Emily was happy to give it a try. She knew that riding on top of him was going to give her the pleasure she wanted and it would also be fun for him as well.

“Oh, you would like me to ride the Drake Train?” She laughed.

Drake couldn’t help but laugh as well. He certainly wouldn’t have worded it like that, but coming from Emily it was absolutely adorable. In fact, he was pretty sure one of the things he would remember most about his day with Emily was her comment about the Emily Train.

“Yes, I think you should ride this train.”

Chapter 8

For almost thirty minutes Drake was able to resist exploding as Emily rode his body. The pleasure in her eyes was almost too much for him, but Drake wanted to see her have another orgasm and refused to release himself until she did.

Finally, as she thrust her hips against him and let her clit rub on his body, Drake watched as the buildup started to come. He could see the pleasure as it increased and he finally gave his body permission to thrust hard and build up to his own final explosion.

Harder and harder he thrust as he watched Emily’s breasts bounce up and down in his face. She looked so delightful on top of him. Her little frame and slight curves were easy to hold on to and even easier to help in her thrusting. But as they both finally came to their explosive finishes, Drake still knew there was one more position he wanted to try. One more thing that he needed to do with Emily before their night was over.

“Oh…my… God…I think I’m going to die of exhaustion,” Emily said as she fell onto Drake’s body.

There were both sweaty by that point and neither of them cared at all. It wasn’t sexually enticing to have their drenching wet bodies next to each other. The hot mess of sexual desire spilling out all over them.

“You are going to write about this in one of your columns, aren’t you?” Drake teased.

“Yes, I’m sure I will have to use my personal experience to write a few columns from this night. But don’t worry, I won’t use your name.”

“Hmm, what will you call me then? Mr. Big?” Drake laughed hard at his own joke.

“I was thinking more along the lines of, Mr. Sensitive. Maybe I should go with Mr. Always Hard or Mr. Naked.”

“I’m thinking we should negotiate my fictitious name.”

“Why, what would you like to be called? Besides Mr. Big; we can’t use that one.”

Drake pretended to think long and hard about the fictitious name he wanted to be called. As he held his hand to his chin and look out into the distance Emily climbed off his body and snuggled up next to him. They were both so sweaty that all she wanted to do was hop in the shower, but she wasn’t about to waste any of her precious time with him taking a shower. She would happily take a shower at midnight when her day had completed.

“I seriously think Mr. Big is the best name, but if you won’t let me have that one…How about Mr. Fine?”

Emily propped herself up and look at him, Drake actually didn’t have too bad of an idea. Mr. Fine wasn’t so provocative that she would have to explain it and it was just the right balance of sexy.

“Okay, Mr. Fine it is.”

“I like it.”

“Me too, I can be a new Carrie Bradshaw.”

“Babe, don’t ever try to be anyone else. Be you. Emily, you are already successful and people love what you do. Don’t change a damn thing.”

Emily felt a tear start to roll down her cheek. She quickly wiped the tear away and set her head back down on his chest before he could comment. But she knew he had seen it.

Drake let his hand stroke her hair and Emily couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. The idea that she was going to have to sleep alone the rest of the night did not sit well with her at all. She didn’t want to give Drake up to Sophia and she certainly didn’t want him in bed with her the next day.

Suddenly, the gravity of what they were doing was much harder for her to handle. It hadn’t been that hard when Victoria was on her date; but that was because Emily hadn’t gotten to know Drake very much yet.

Now that she knew him, Emily also knew that he was a really great guy. The kind of guy she wanted to keep around and definitely not the kind of guy she wanted to sit back and watch five other women sleep with throughout the week.

The whole game and staying in the house for the rest of the week did not sound fun at all. The more she thought about it, the more Emily wished she hadn’t come on the trip at all. She actually was going to be devastated if Drake decided to pick another girl. But then she thought about what it would be like if Drake picked her.

She smiled at the thought of her and Drake living together and being happy in California with each other. Emily hadn’t ever wanted to live in California before, but if she had Drake with her she would certainly make the move. Plus, her job was so flexible; she could easily travel with him when he needed to. They wouldn’t have to do the long-distance relationship thing and instead could build a family together.

A family…

Emily hadn’t really asked Drake any questions at all about his life or what he was looking for. She didn’t know if he wanted to get married or wanted to have children. She didn’t know at all what he was looking for.

“Did you have a good day?” Drake asked.

“Yes, actually I did have a good day. Very good date for sure.”

“Anything else you want to do with our last hour of time?”

“Oh, no there’s only an hour? I still have at least three positions I want to try.”

Drake sat up and laughed as he looked at Emily. There was no way he could get three more positions in, he was exhausted. He couldn’t imagine that Emily wasn’t just as tired as he was.

“Now?”

“Well, I’m not so sure I have it in me for tonight. Perhaps another time,” Emily said, totally aware that there might not be another time ever.

“Oh, thank God. I cannot even move right now.”

“Me neither!” Emily laughed. “How about we take a shower and talk?”

Taking a shower had seemed like a waste of her time with him, but as the exhaustion of the night set in. Emily figured standing naked in some warm water would probably be a great way to have some intimate conversation.

“I’m game if you are.”

Drake grabbed Emily’s hand and led her into his enormous shower. It was large enough for the two of them to dance in. But Drake didn’t have any plans to dance with Emily while they were in there. What he hoped was that the shower would rejuvenate him and they would get to try one last position out before the end of the night.

Slowly Drake turned the water on and let it get warmed up before he walked in. As he reached his hand out for Emily to join him, she felt connected with Drake like she couldn’t even imagine.

In all the years she had been with her boyfriend, Emily never felt like they had a true connection. She never felt like he was there for her no matter what happened and she certainly didn’t feel like he had the ability to let her be the person she wanted to be. Yet, there she was with a man that she had only met a few days before and now she was naked in the shower with him; and felt absolutely confident and comfortable.

She snuggled up to Drake under the warmth of the shower and decided she had a few things she wanted to ask him. Nothing too crazy, just regular first date questions that she wanted to know the answers to.

“Where did you grow up?”

Drake had to laugh, being asked that question while he was naked in the shower seemed like a very odd place. But on the same token, it was probably the best place in the world to answer some common questions that people had.

Most of the other women had researched Drake enough that he didn’t have to answer many questions about his past with them. He really liked it that Emily didn’t already know everything and was coming to their date with an open mind and no preconceived ideas about who Drake was.

“I grew up here in Los Angeles, nothing too fancy. Just working parents who did their best to support me and my brother.”

“You have a brother? Is he as handsome as you are?”

“He’s even better looking.”

“Should I get his number? Just in case…you know…”

Emily didn’t get a chance to finish what she was saying as Drake pressed her against the wall and covered her mouth with his. The warm water fell down around them and Emily pressed her hands up against Drake’s chest.

“No…you cannot have his number.” Drake said firmly.

Emily started to laugh. It was fun to tease Drake. She liked to see him getting a little worked up over the idea of her being with his brother.

“Are you sure? Maybe he would like to ride on the Emily Train.”

“Oh, that’s it. You’re going to get it now,” Drake teased as he turned Emily around.

His hands reached around her and played with her breasts as his body hardened with excitement. Even being as tired as he was, he couldn’t resist the feeling of their naked wet bodies pressed up against each other.

“Oh, no…I don’t want to get it,” Emily laughed.

She pressed her ass back against Drake and felt his hardness near her. Without even a second thought she bent over and put her hands onto the bench at the side of the shower. Her glorious ass up in the air, just waiting for Drake to enter her from behind.

“Anal?” he asked.

“Oh, no, I’m not ready for that yet. Let’s do doggie style.”

“Perfect.”

Drake held onto Emily’s hips and let his rock-hard member slide into her wet body. She felt his girth fill her up and the different sensation that was caused by the angle in which they were positions. Now she knew why people like to try so many different positions. It wasn’t because of the fun of trying a different position, no; it was because some positions could bring you to orgasm much quicker than other positions.

Emily felt his body thrust against just the right spot in her and she quickly started to feel the buildup of pleasure. She pressed herself hard against Drake in the hopes of feeling more and more of that pleasure throughout her body.

His hands held firmly to her hips and Drake moved slowly and firmly into her body. His strokes were seductive, mesmerizing even as he moved. Emily felt him pull back, just to the point of exiting her; but then he thrust back inside of her body. There was a rhythm to his thrusts but sometimes he went deep and sometimes he didn’t. She loved it. Emily loved every second of doggie style and thought it might be her favorite position so far.

“Harder,” Emily moaned as her body begged for more.

Drake did as he was told and thrust his pelvis harder into Emily. Within moments he felt her legs start to wiggle as her body shook with orgasm. It didn’t take long after that and Drake let his body release in its own display of excitement.

They were both exhausted. Beyond exhausted. It had been a long day and even though they had gotten to sleep the night before; both Emily and Drake couldn’t wait to get another good night of sleep.

By the time they dried off and made their way to the bedroom, Emily was preparing to say her goodbyes. It was well after midnight and her time with Drake had finished, she didn’t want to go against the rules of 24 hours so she gathered her willpower and kissed Drake goodnight.

“I’ll see you in the evening tomorrow,” she said as she got onto her tip toes and kissed Drake.

“I think you can sleep here. We didn’t even start our date until eight in the morning.”

“Well Samantha said it was midnight to midnight.”

“Let me worry about Samantha. Let’s get some sleep.”

Drake convinced Emily to climb into bed with him and they both quickly drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 9

The feeling started when a hand rubbed against her leg, Emily reached for the hand which she thought was Drake’s and gently grabbed it. But there was something off, the hand that she grabbed was far too small to be Drake’s hand.

Normally Emily wouldn’t have continued. She would have stopped right away at the feeling of another person’s hand in bed with her and her man. But she suspected it was Sophia who had come to join Drake in bed because it was after midnight.

Drake was still asleep but as the mystery hand reached over him and touched Emily’s breast, she didn’t push it away. Instead, Emily let the hand play with her. The fingers gently moved around her nipple and lightly squeezed them.

The hand was soft and seemed to know just the right amount of pressure that would bring pleasure. The hand most definitely had to be from a woman, as no man could know how exactly to touch a woman and get her aroused.

Emily tried to decide if she wanted to wake Drake up or not. Or perhaps he was wide awake and just enjoyed feeling the woman reach across his body to play with Emily? She decided not to wake him and instead let the hand move from her breasts down her body to touch her soft middle.

The fingers thrust inside of her without warning and Emily sat up in Drake’s bed and looked to the other side to see what was going on. Drake was lying there, but on the other side of him Sophia had climbed into the bed with them.

Sophia sat up and smiled from ear to ear at the shock that was on Emily’s face. It seemed to pleasure Sophia a lot to see Emily feeling out of her element.

“Sophia!” Emily exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

Emily wasn’t actually mad at Sophia but having her fingers thrust inside of her was nothing Emily had ever experienced. The feeling of pleasure was instant and she didn’t like knowing that Sophia had been the one to bring that pleasure instead of Drake.

“It’s one o’clock, I couldn’t wait. I needed to see Drake.”

“And where did my pussy come into play?” Emily demanded.

By now Drake had also woken up and sat up to look at the situation he was in. On one side of him was Emily and on the other side was Sophia. He felt pretty damn happy to be in his king size bed between the two of them.

“Oh, come on now. There’s room for the three of us. You know I could show you a thing or two about how to make your body feel pleasure.”

“I’ll leave,” Emily said as looked at Sophia and then started to get out of the bed.

“No,” Drake grabbed her hand. “Sophia, I’m too tired to do much of anything tonight. How about you stay and we all just go back to sleep.”

Emily’s eyes widened at his proposition. She was happy to stay in bed with Drake, but she wasn’t so sure she wanted Sophia to stay with them. On the other hand, technically it was Sophia’s time and Emily should leave them; so, if she agreed to stay then she got more time with Drake. Emily also didn’t think that Sophia was going to be alright with the idea of just going back to sleep.

“I’m alright with that,” Emily said as she looked at Sophia.

Emily wanted Sophia to agree to the idea as well. She was exhausted and really needed to get some sleep. She didn’t even care if Sophia was on the other side of Drake, Emily just wanted to sleep. Emily also didn’t care if Sophia’s hands wandered during the night onto her body, although she wasn’t about to tell Sophia that.

The idea of a threesome with Sophia seemed more exciting to Emily than it had with Veronica. Probably because Sophia seemed like the kind of girl who had lots of experience with threesomes. Sophia seemed like the kind of girl who would take control and guide the night into fun and excitement so Emily could sit back and enjoy her first experience.

“I suppose I can go along with things, I’m tired too.”

Sophia reluctantly turned over and put her head on the pillow. She quickly grabbed Drake’s hand and pulled it across her in a forced cuddle that made Emily laugh. She thought Sophia was trying to make her jealous or something, but she was too tired to care. Emily wrapped her arms around Drake and tucked herself in next to him as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

For a brief moment Emily thought they might all actually go to sleep like that. A happy little threesome all tucked into bed with each other. But very quickly she realized that Sophia had no intention of going to bed that night. Sophia didn’t care at all if Emily and Drake were tired; she had plans for them that night.

Sophia flipped herself over in bed so she was face to face with Drake. Emily watched and prepared to leave if Sophia and Drake started to make out. She didn’t want to see that. Emily didn’t want to watch on the sideline as Drake and Sophia started their night together.

Emily was surprisingly fine with being in bed as the three of them, but she didn’t want to just be on the sidelines while Drake and Sophia did their thing. Her jealousy over Drake being with another woman would be horrible if she was right there in the same bed as they played with each other. No, she couldn’t remain in the bed if anything started to happen between Drake and Sophia, that would be the time when she had to leave.

Then she felt it, the hand…Sophia reached over Drake and let her hand move along Emily’s breast again. This time Emily knew that Drake was wide awake. Drake didn’t stop Sophia’s hand; in fact, Drake moved his own hand toward Emily’s thigh and let it slide up her smooth skin toward her center.

As Sophia and Drake moved their fingers along Emily’s body, she realized there was no way she was going to get any sleep that night. Her fantasy of a threesome was about to come true.

Emily was excited and scared all at the same time. She had written about threesomes, she had even dreamed about having one, but she really hadn’t thought it would ever feel right. But in that moment, in bed with Drake and Sophia; the moment did feel right.

“Stay, don’t go,” Drake leaned over and whispered in Emily’s ear.

Emily kissed Drake gently and moved her mouth to his ear. She could only think of one thing to say.

“See, everyone wants a ride on the Emily Train,” she giggled.

Drake held back a laugh as he heard her words.

“Yes, they do.”

The Billionaire’s Hunt

Sophia

The Billionaire Bachelor Series 4

Chapter 1

Sophia had crawled into bed with Emily and Drake at the end of their date. She had no problems with sharing Drake, and Emily was one of the coolest girls in the house. Sophia wanted to show Drake that his idea of having seven women in his house was a good one. She had plans to prove to Drake just how wild life with her could be.

As she slid into bed with Drake and Emily, Sophia thought about how interesting it would be to have a relationship with the two of them. Nothing about traditional relationships had ever appealed to her, and an open relationship or one with a woman and a man was much more interesting. Women were much more fun to hang out with than men, and having another woman around to go shopping and play with was the perfect solution, at least, in Sophia’s eyes.

Men were sometimes boring and often too busy with work. Women were emotional and often t00 clingy. “If I could just have them both,” ' she thought. It would be the perfect relationship for her. Sophia liked the idea of having a big, strong man around, as well as a sweet, delicious woman.

“Everyone wants to ride on the Emily train,” Emily said to Drake.

“Yes. Yes, they do,” he responded.

It was some sort of inside joke that Sophia had not been included in, but Emily was a sweet girl, and Sophia was thrilled to be in bed with her and Drake. Emily’s petite frame was so much different than hers. Emily was probably only a little over five feet tall and barely weighed 100 pounds. Although Sophia wasn’t much bigger, she did have some banging curves that she loved to show off.

Throughout the week so far, she had walked into the kitchen naked almost every single morning. Not because she was particularly fond of being naked, but because she just loved to get the other girls all worked up.

Most of the girls in the house knew that Sophia swung both ways. There was just too much sexual energy around her to be contained by one man. But it was still a bit of a shock to Emily that Sophia had felt so comfortable to climb right into bed with them.

Sophia had a lot more guts than Emily thought she ever would have. Sophia wanted something so she just went after it. She didn’t care if it was the proper thing or the right thing, Sophia just wanted it; so, she got it. There was a piece of Emily that was very jealous of the person that Sophia was. But then there was another piece of Emily that was angry at Sophia for interrupting her time with Drake.

There were seven women in the house, and Drake had to spend a day with each of them to decide who he wanted a further relationship with. It was hard for Sophia to think that any of the other women would keep him entertained in the long run. Especially a girl as sweet and innocent as Emily. Sophia just couldn’t imagine that Emily was woman enough to keep Drake entertained.

Victoria was a prudish Harvard professor. Unless she was a freak in bed, it didn’t strike Sophia as someone Drake would keep around at the end of things. Sophia liked Victoria enough, but there just wasn’t a spark from her. She seemed so dull and boring all the time. Drake needed someone who was full of life and vibrant. He needed someone who really knew how to have a good time like Sophia did.

Emily had been his second date and she was far too young for Drake, but that didn’t keep men away from the young ones very often. Plus, Emily worked at Playboy, so that was a bonus in Sophia’s eyes. Emily did seem super shy though, and that contradicted the knowledge that she wrote for a sex magazine. Sophia was intrigued by Emily, which was for sure. Plus, Emily was cute as a button and Sophia liked her women cute and petite; just like Emily.

The other women, Allison, Cynthia, Lauren, and Scarlett, all had their pluses and minuses. Sophia could see why they were chosen, but not that Drake would be satisfied by them. The only one that really made Sophia nervous was Scarlett. Scarlett was absolutely beautiful, and her stunt at the poker party had upped Sophia’s opinion of her. It had also made Sophia much more nervous about Scarlett and how Drake might feel about her. Originally, she thought Scarlett wouldn’t be Drake’s type, but after the way he looked at her during poker, she saw Scarlett as her biggest competition.

In bed with both Drake and Emily, Sophia knew the best way to get things started. Women needed the attention on them when starting a threesome. The other woman needed to know you were just as interested in them as you were the man in the bed. Otherwise, the woman would leave and not stay for the exciting stuff. The positive side of having a threesome with Sophia was that she was genuinely just as interested in the woman as she was in the man.

Sophia loved sleeping with women. She just had a hard time having relationships with them. To her, a man was easier to have a relationship with because he was more affected by her charms than women were, and a bit less complicated. Although a woman could be seduced into bed easily, the day to day relationship stuff was much, much harder to work out with a woman. At least, in Sophia’s experience.

Emily didn’t move away when Sophia started to touch her. Actually, her body reacted and looked like she really enjoyed the feeling. When Drake turned his body to join in, Sophia knew the night was going to be a hell of a lot of fun. She had hoped that Drake would be into having a threesome, and Sophia had guessed that Emily might be willing, but she was really excited that they both seemed ready and willing to have some fun.

It was pleasurable to watch the bliss on Emily’s face as both Sophia and Drake played with her. The novelty of the situation had Emily in a bit of a fluster, but Sophia knew that she would soon calm down and enjoy the moment. The first threesome was always nerve-wracking for a girl.

Drake knew about threesomes. Sophia had heard about some of the ones he had participated in. His adventurous side seemed to have died down in recent years, but that might be because he was more careful. Drake was probably more sexually experienced than all of the women in the house combined. But a man just didn’t get the true enjoyment of a threesome. He typically thought it was all about the women getting him off. Yet Sophia was going to make sure Emily got to experience a much better threesome, with both Sophia and Drake getting her off.

Sophia climbed over Drake and landed herself between Emily’s legs. She kissed up her thighs and let her tongue linger on her soft sweet flower. Drake turned and started to suck on Emily’s nipples. It was fun to have a girl there who had never experienced a threesome; it was even more fun to have both people delivering the ultimate pleasure to the new girl. That was the best way to get a woman hooked on threesomes: make sure she had a fantastic time.

Emily moaned and moved against Sophia in delight as she expertly brought her to climax. The joy of having your pussy eaten out by another woman was that they knew exactly how to make a woman orgasm. There was no need to give direction or ask for something different, especially when Sophia was there.

Emily was surprised by the comfort level she felt being in bed with both Sophia and Drake. It was much different than when she had tried to get Victoria involved in a threesome. The level of comfort Emily had with Sophia was just like she had with Drake, which was surprising since she didn’t know her all that well.

All Emily really knew about Sophia was that she enjoyed being naked, having sex, and getting lots of attention. But in Drake’s bed, Sophia seemed quite capable of showing attention to others as well. Perhaps Sophia was just one of those highly sexual women who did whatever the hell she wanted to do with her life.

Drake actually seemed a little left out in the fun as Sophia played with Emily. He was alright with it. It was fantastic to see sexy Sophia in bed with Emily, but selfishly Drake wanted some attention from the women too. He wasn’t the type of guy who enjoyed staying on the sidelines for too long. Eventually, he was going to make sure he got a piece of the action.

He leaned over and kissed Emily while Sophia played with her. His hand cupped her breast and he squeezed her nipple tightly between his fingertips. Emily began to moan and moan with all the stimulation. She had already cum once from Sophia’s quick tongue work, but now Sophia seemed intent on inducing a really big explosion from Emily. His eyes fixated on her body as Sophia played with Emily. Her breasts heaved as she took in her breath and then slowly let it out again.

Drake looked down at Sophia and watched as she slid two fingers into Emily. He kissed Emily and felt her breath catch as the fingers moved inside of her and Sophia started to suck on her clit. Emily’s face was flushed with pleasure as Drake felt her moans as she released them straight into his mouth.

Emily’s body shook slightly from all the excitement, and Drake couldn’t help but peek out of the corner of his eye and admire Sophia’s work. He had never been able to make a woman orgasm so quickly, and certainly not someone he hardly knew. He took mental notes of Sophia’s technique so he could try them on her later that night.

As Sophia stroked Emily and sucked on her clit, she pressed Emily’s thighs even farther apart. The wider the thighs, the less control a woman had on slowing her orgasm. Sophia didn’t want Emily to have any control left at all. She wanted to see the cute young thing totally let loose.

Emily seemed like the type of girl who never really let go during orgasms, or, at least, that was what Sophia thought. She wanted to give Emily permission to totally enjoy the moment and feel the absolute delight of letting loose and giving in to the feeling of pleasure that would sweep through her body.

Sophia curled her fingers inside of Emily and held onto her clit in her mouth. Faster and faster she moved until Emily finally screamed out as a huge orgasm washed over her. The involuntary body movements were a sign that Sophia had given Emily the night she had dreamed of. Sophia didn’t stop to relish her work, though, she had other plans to continue their fun for the night.

As her body started to calm down, Emily pulled away from Drake and pulled Sophia up to kiss her. It was an erotic move that Drake watched in total awe. Then the two women turned their sights on Drake. The look in their eyes was seductive and a little scary. Drake was exhausted, but never too exhausted to play with two beautiful women. His eyes fixated on the women, and he was instantly thankful for the life he had and the moment he was having right at that time.

Emily pressed Sophia toward Drake so she could start kissing him while she moved down and put his throbbing cock in her mouth. It was finally Drake's turn to be tortured, and he couldn’t wait. His body throbbed with the desire to be inside of one of the women. Sophia, Emily, he didn’t care at that moment. All he knew was he needed to feel the sweet relief that only getting inside of them could offer.

His whole body wanted more and more from Sophia and Emily. He couldn’t take it another minute as he thought about how he wanted to be fucking both women. His mind whirled, and he finally gave in to the idea that he wasn’t actually in control of the moment. Sophia and Emily were.

Chapter 2

Drake closed his eyes and let Sophia and Emily play with him. He got confused about which girl was in which location as the women took turns touching and kissing him. Soon, he felt a condom being slipped over his hard cock and looked up to see as Sophia climbed on and started riding him. Emily was next to her, and the two women were kissing and fondling each other as Sophia thrust her hips hard against Drake’s pelvis.

The scene was straight out of an erotic movie, and Drake took a mental picture so he could remember later on down the road. Because as much fun as he was having at that moment, it wasn’t actually the reason he had gathered all the women together at his house. Drake genuinely wanted to find a woman who he could connect with. He wanted someone who drove him to be a better person and someone who he could commit to. So, in his future, mental pictures might be the only time he had a threesome.

Although Drake understood that if he wanted two of the women to stay with him, when all was said and done, they would likely agree, he wanted something that would last longer than a few months of hot sex. He wanted a deeper relationship. The last two days of dates and dinners with the women in the house had taught him that he actually craved a deep connection with a woman.

But there was something about Sophia that ignited every last impulse in his body. He lost the ability to think straight when she was around and that was pretty damn appealing to him. A passion like that between a couple was something most people only dreamed of.

He laughed to himself at the thought of a deep connection. Never in his younger years had Drake ever thought he would be seeking out a deeper connection. He loved women, he loved having sex with different women. He had spent his last twenty years exploring all the beautiful women the world had to offer. But something had changed recently. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was getting closer to turning forty years old, or perhaps it was because Robert was so happily married. But something had definitely shifted in what Drake wanted for his future.

Drake had plans to be one of those hot celebrity couples that the tabloids gave nicknames too and followed around. He wanted to build an empire, and that would mean he had to choose just one of the women. So he was going to make sure it was the one woman who could keep his undivided attention. Someone who partnered with him perfectly both in and out of bed. If he could have a crazy intense connection with her as well, that would be even better.

Drake, of course, still wanted to have wild and raw sex, but he was alright with it being just between him and one other woman. But that would all be decided at the end of the week. For the moment, Drake was perfectly happy watching Sophia ride his cock while Emily played with her.

His mental pictures were not enough for the moment, though, and Drake let one of his hands rest on each of the women’s breasts. He played with them and fondled them as the women kissed each other. This was by far the best threesome he had ever participated in. Typically, the women were in some sort of competition and never really were that interested in each other, but by watching Sophia and Emily … they seemed very happy to be playing with each other.

Drake was pleased that Emily got to have her threesome. She was such a sweet girl and wrote about sex all the time. It was perfect that she would now have some real experience to write about. He couldn’t wait to read her next article in Playboy magazine.

As Sophia rode him and Emily played with her, Drake realized that he had only uncovered a small bit of Emily. There was obviously much more to getting to know her. Their date had been perfect, and the threesome was just the right way to end their night together. He also couldn’t stop thinking about Sophia., though. Her seductive smile drove him wild and made it hard to imagine he would be able to pick any of the other women.

The group continued on with their orgasm-filled frenzy well into the morning until they finally fell asleep exhausted. Drake slept with his arms spread out, and each woman tucked in next to him. It was a pleasant way to sleep, certainly nothing he would ever complain about. If it was more socially acceptable, Drake thought he might try having two women as his girlfriends. But of course, it wasn’t socially acceptable. One of them would always be left out of the pictures and publicity, and that was why it would never work for him.

A few hours had passed before Sophia started to wake up. She groggily opened her eyes and stretched her arm over Drake’s body to touch Emily, but she was gone. As Sophia lifted her head to look at that side of the bed, she could only smile. Emily had disappeared sometime while the group was sleeping, and Sophia was left there alone with Drake, which was perfectly exciting for her. She looked forward to some alone time with Drake and had a day full of nakedness and sex planned.

She snuggled herself in even closer to Drake and tried to close her eyes to go back to sleep, but the excitement of having the day alone with Drake was just too much. She was hungry for him. She wanted to have every piece of him all day long. But she was also hungry for food, as she realized when her stomach made an incredibly loud growling noise.

“That sounds like a hungry tummy,” Drake joked.

“I think I could use some breakfast. How about you?”

“I could, but it’s actually closer to lunch time.” Drake lifted his wrist to show Sophia what time it was.

“Two o’clock! It’s already two o’clock. We wasted the entire morning,” Sophia said as she jumped out of bed and headed straight for the shower.

“Do you have plans for our date today that we missed?” Drake asked.

“Yes, hurry, we need to shower.”

Drake jumped up and made his way to his shower. He stopped and watched as Sophia tested the water temperature before she walked into the large shower stall. It was plenty big enough for the two of them, but Drake really enjoyed watching the water as it fell over Sophia’s curves.

Drake was excited for the new day with Sophia and couldn’t wait to see what she had planned. The week with all seven women was surely going to test the limits of his endurance. Each of the women was so unique, the idea that he could pick just one of them was getting harder and harder.

Sophia was a naturally erotic woman. It seemed like since the first night he met her she was constantly sexual. Even as she stood in the shower simply rubbing shampoo into her hair, she looked like a goddess. Her tan skin and perky breasts were what Drake had dreamed about in his ideal woman. He had always hoped to find a woman as sexual as Sophia, as free with her body and as open to living a fun life as she was. Perhaps Sophia was the woman he was looking for. They would make a perfect couple for red carpet events.

Drake jumped in the shower as his cock started to harden. He turned his back to Sophia and started to wash himself as he felt Sophia’s hands reach from behind and grab a hold of his body. He felt the exhaustion of the last couple of days, and for a brief moment, he hoped that they could just take a shower and go to whatever the next thing on the agenda was.

“Now, now, if we have somewhere we need to be, you can’t be touching me like that,” Drake teased.

“Oh, we are exactly where we need to be.”

“Your schedule called for us to take a shower together?” Drake asked suspiciously.

“Yep.”

“What else is on your schedule?”

“We are going to eat some sushi next,” Sophia said as she walked around to the front of Drake.

“I love sushi.”

Sophia knew Drake was going to love the sushi she had planned even more than any other sushi he had ever eaten. She had arranged to have a late lunch in her room at 2:30 p.m. She had also planned for a morning of sex and a nice long shower, but she felt like they were cutting things pretty close to her schedule.

“Come to my room in fifteen minutes and we will eat,” Sophia said to Drake as she wrapped herself in a towel and walked toward the door.

“Don’t you want to get dressed before you go back to your room?”

“No,” Sophia said, dropping her towel and walking out of Drake's room into the hallway.

Drake absolutely loved the openness and freedom that Sophia had about her sexuality and nakedness. It was definitely refreshing to have her around; a woman like that was just what he wanted in his life. A partner; someone who could go to social events and be his sidekick as he planned to take over the world. Drake had a feeling that the world would really love Sophia.

Drake finished getting dressed and took a moment to call Samantha to check on the business affairs. It was harder than he thought to be away from the office for a whole week. Though he had tried to limit any important business events for those seven days, there was one meeting that Samantha and Robert were going to have to attend without him.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Samantha said as she answered the phone.

“It’s exhausting. I literally have only slept for eight hours in three days.”

“You know you can tell them no, right?”

Drake just laughed. The idea that he would turn any of the women down was outrageous. He had planned for them to all be at his house, and he could sleep after they left. There was no way he was going to deny himself or the women the chance to fully experience their time together.

“I know,” Drake said through his laugh. “So far they are pretty irresistible. I have no idea how I am supposed to be able to just pick one of them in the end.”

“Drake, this is your life, and you can end the game however you want to, but you did say you wanted to get married and have kids, eventually. I know it’s fun to have the women throwing themselves at you, but at least, keep your goals in mind.”

“You’re right. I want someone who can be my partner.”

“Keep your eye on the ball.”

“There better not be any balls around here,” Drake joked.

“Oh, you know what I mean. Who is today’s date? Sophia?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I doubt you will be caught up on your sleep today,” Samantha said with a laugh.

“What do you know that I don’t?”

“I don’t know anything. But I was at her interview, and I saw how she acted when I was in the house. She is full of energy and likes your attention.”

“I’m perfectly fine with giving her my attention.”

“I’m going to get back to work now; I’ll be by later for a little pool party fun.”

“See you then.”

As Drake got off the phone with Samantha, he found himself wondering more and more about what she thought of his choices so far. Samantha wasn’t a prude; she knew almost everything about Drake’s life, and none of the details seemed to shock her. But Samantha was a very private woman, and she had continually turned Drake down for the five years she had worked with him.

She was his type of woman. Strong, assertive, smart, sexy, and she knew what she wanted in her life and wouldn’t settle. That was what Drake hoped to find in one of the women staying at his house that week. Drake trusted Samantha more than anyone else in his business; even more than Robert. Samantha knew Drake's deepest secrets, and she still took great care of him. He loved that.

All the women in the house were really beautiful, smart and fun. They were sexy and turned him on when he had them alone in his bed. Samantha and Robert had picked some pretty amazing women. He was starting to believe that his decision wouldn’t be that easy, after all.

Drake laughed to himself at all the mushy love stuff that had been occupying his mind. It just wasn’t normal for him. The normal Drake would spend his time thinking about all the different women he could play with and all the fun he would have doing it. Drake hated that his thoughts were changing. He didn’t understand it but knew that his view of his future was slowly evolving.

Chapter 3

Sophia’s room was one of the larger rooms in Drake’s house, and it had plenty of space for the six-foot table Sophia had brought in for the lunch she had planned. The sushi had been made by Drake’s personal chef, and Sophia knew he would be surprised as hell when he showed up.

Drake knocked on the door, but Sophia couldn’t get up to open it. She had a bit of a surprise planned for Drake, and he was going to have to let himself into the room if he wanted to see it.

“Come in,” she yelled from the table.

Drake walked in and his jaw plunged in total surprise. Sophia was naked, a few leaves covering her body, and those leaves had sushi on them. She held very still as she tried not to spill their delicious lunch.

“You were right. I’m going to really like this sushi,” Drake said as he came up to Sophia’s head and kissed her gently.

“I have never felt a California roll on my pussy before.” Sophia laughed.

As she laughed, a sushi roll from her breast started to tumble down the side of her body. Drake reached over and grabbed it and quickly popped it into his mouth.

“Mmm, this is delicious. I think I need more.”

Drake started to kiss Sophia’s naked body and moved between her breasts to her stomach. He slowly grabbed the sushi from her body and placed it on a plate near her. But he placed the strategically located California roll right into his mouth.

There were a lot of things Drake had done in his life, but eating sushi off a naked woman was not one of them. He liked the idea, though and was totally into it. Sophia was so wild, and he loved that. It was going to be one hell of a day.

Sophia grabbed Drake’s hand as he pulled her up to sit on the table. She straddled him with one leg on either side of his chair at the head of the table. Her naked body teased him, and Sophia saw his eyes glance down at her pelvis and then back up toward her eyes.

One thing that Sophia was good at was sex and seduction. Drake couldn’t keep his mind off her. She loved sex and having fun with people. Her life had been hard, and there was never enough time to just have fun. When she was young, she figured that it was easiest to get a man’s attention if she was sexual. But as she got older, Sophia realized it was easy to get anyone’s attention, either male or female, with sexuality.

Even women who didn’t think they liked other women would pay attention to Sophia. She loved the attention. She actually craved it. When she went a couple of days without having sex, Sophia often found herself at one of the nightclubs near her work, dancing the night away with a hot young guy. Sooner or later, she would bring him home and have her way with him. Sometimes, she would even find a girl to bring home.

But for the moment, Sophia was excited by having the rest of the day with Drake. She had heard so many things about him. Sophia was thrilled to have a man around her who was just as into sex as she was.

“Should we eat first and play later?” Sophia asked.

Her hands moved slightly on her thighs, and Drake desperately wanted to have the energy to dive right into her delicious center, but he was exhausted. Drake was also starving, and there was no way he could turn down the delicious sushi meal that was spread out on the table behind Sophia ... who was spread out in front of him.

“If you don’t mind, I’d love to eat and talk a little,” Drake said, shifting his eyes to the chair next to him in hopes that Sophia would slide over there.

If Sophia was disappointed, she hid it very well. Drake watched as she slid off the table and into the chair next to him. Sophia grabbed the soy sauce and a few sushi rolls and started eating. She was a girl right after his own heart. Drake loved how easily she slipped into eating and didn’t care at all that he had denied her the sex she seemed to be craving.

“Oh, my God, this is delicious,” Sophia said as she ate a piece of their lunch. “I’m so hungry.”

“Me too, I can’t remember when I ate last,” Drake joked.

“Well, you have been busy as hell, I’m sure. All of these beautiful women are so hard to resist.”

“You are very beautiful too, Sophia,” Drake added.

“Oh, I know.”

Sophia just smiled back at Drake as if to tell him he didn’t have to give her compliments. But Drake loved to compliment his women. He wanted them to always know that they were special to him. It was something his father had taught him when he was very young. “Compliments have to be genuine and from the heart,” his father had said. Drake always remembered that. Plus, it was good advice; every woman he had ever met seemed to enjoy being complimented.

Every woman he had ever slept with was beautiful. Drake loved women. Their delicate features, beautiful scents, and perfect curves were all things he loved about them. Every single one was unique and special in her own way, and he didn’t want any woman he was with to ever feel like she wasn’t special.

“Tell me a little more about yourself,” Drake requested as he also started to eat.

His chef really was one of the best around. He could make everything from hamburgers to sushi, to steak, with them all turning out absolutely perfect. Drake hadn’t been too keen on hiring a chef, but Samantha insisted he use one at least a couple of times a week.

His chef, Lou, was always available at short notice and had been more than willing to drop his other plans to provide some of the meals during the week. He didn’t make all the meals, and he certainly wasn’t staying at the house, but Lou had outdone himself with the sushi lunch he made for Sophia. It was total perfection.

“You don’t want to hear about my boring life. I’m sure you have much more interesting stories you can tell me.”

Sophia’s life wasn’t one of happiness. She hid behind her sexy clothes and outgoing personality, but any time she started to talk about her real life, Sophia inevitably got emotional. Sophia could see the look in Drake’s eyes, though and he wanted some information about who she was. It was a delicate balance that Sophia often walked. She wanted to be honest with Drake but certainly didn’t want to tell him so much that he felt sorry for her. She didn’t need anyone’s pity.

“I grew up in Chicago. I have my own clothing store now, and I just like to chill and hang out and grow my business.”

“Do your parents still live in Chicago?”

“My mother does; my father has passed away.”

“Oh, Sophia, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s life. We live, we die, and everything continues on.”

Drake saw the sadness in Sophia’s eyes and decided he shouldn’t continue to ask questions about her life. Perhaps, she would be more open to talking later in the day. Drake didn’t want to push her away as he was happy to be there with Sophia. They had all day to talk and get to know each other. He didn’t need to rush her.

“I’m still starving,” Drake said looking at the empty table.

“Me too,” Sophia laughed. “I guess we depleted all our energy last night.”

Drake picked up the phone in the room and dialed Lou to see if there was any more sushi available. But Drake didn’t care if it was sushi or a sandwich; his body was starved for some nourishment. Throughout the last few days, he had been caught up with the women and hadn’t been eating regularly at all. Normally, in the office, he had a schedule that was easy to keep. But in the house, with seven women, it was much harder to keep a normal schedule.

“Any more of this sushi around? We are both starving today.”

“I’m sure I can pull together some more for you two. Anything else you would like?”

“Wine, strawberries, chocolates, and anything else you have around.” Drake laughed.

“Certainly, sir.”

Drake didn’t know Lou all that well, but what he did know was that his chef would not disappoint them. Drake expected within thirty minutes Lou would be back in the room with trays and trays of food for both of them.

“Since we need to wait, should we talk or fuck?” Sophia asked, smiling.

The fucking was appealing for sure and so was Sophia. It was refreshing just how open Sophia was to talking about sex. Drake really found that attractive. She was unique and certainly not like any of the other women in the house.

All of the women in the house seemed genuinely open to discussing sex. Although each of the women had their own personal experiences or inexperience with sex, Drake was pleased that Samantha and Robert had found so many opened-minded women for him.

There was one thing Drake had always wanted to do, and he secretly hoped that it might happen at some point during his week with all the women. So far, he hadn’t even gotten close to making it happen, but maybe by the end of the week, everyone would feel more comfortable with each other and his fantasy could come true.

“Is it horrible if we take a nap?” Drake laughed.

“Of course not! I’m tired too.”

“How about I give you a massage with my expert masseuse hands?” Drake asked.

“Yes, yes, and yes.”

Drake grabbed Sophia by the hand and walked her over to the bed. He helped her onto it and instructed her to lay facing down so he could massage her. First, he started at her calves and moved up her legs as he straddled her thin frame. He wasn’t actually very good at massaging women, but he loved the feel of their soft skin on his hands. Sophia's skin felt so soft he was starting to forget about that nap.

Sophia's ass was absolute perfection, and he felt himself get aroused at the idea of sliding inside her perfectly round cheeks. Not many women were into anal sex, though, so Drake knew he had to be delicate if he brought up the idea. Even though Sophia was very free about her sexuality, that didn’t mean she was so free that she was alright with a cock up her ass. Drake had met many women who said they were sexually free, but still weren’t into anal sex.

His hands moved slowly up her body and past her ass. He didn’t want to linger too long there and instead went right to her lower back where he started to apply firm pressure.

“Oh, God that feels so good,” Sophia said.

Drake moved his large hands slowly up her spine and continued with firm pressure. He wasn’t an official masseuse, but Drake sure did love to give a great massage to a woman. The sensual intimacy was perfect to help any woman relax.

“Do you get to see your mother very often?” Drake asked as his hands continued to move over her body.

“Yes, we visit almost every weekend. I just bought her a new home, so we have been decorating it recently.”

“That was really sweet of you. Does she still work or is she retired?”

“She worked three jobs most of my life. When my store started to do well, it was like torture to get her to finally stop working. She was just so used to working hard. She’s not officially retired, though. She works at the local fabric store, but I’m hoping to convince her to retire soon.”

“You sound like you have a close relationship.”

“Yes, she’s struggled and sacrificed for me a lot. She’s the only person in the world that I feel deeply connected to.”

Drake let the silence of that thought sit in the air for a little bit. It was sad to him that Sophia didn’t have anyone else she felt connected to. She was a beautiful girl with a beautiful soul, and he felt she deserved more happiness than she had probably had in her life.

“How is your store doing without you this week?” Drake continued with his questions as well as his massage.

“From what I’ve heard, they are doing great. I hired a manager a few months ago, and this is a good test for her. Hopefully, soon I’ll be able to concentrate on opening the next store and let her run the first one.”

“That is exciting for sure.”

Drake didn’t want to get too much into the business talk, but he liked that Sophia seemed to be actually answering his questions. She had a lot she kept hidden, but Drake felt it was a bit of a victory that Sophia had talked even a little bit with him.

He had read her interview and some background information on her from Samantha and Robert, but none of it went into very many details. Samantha had made one note that really intrigued Drake. “Tough as nails” was noted at the bottom of Sophia’s interview paper. Drake could see that statement was probably pretty damn accurate.

The knock came on Sophia’s door only twenty-five minutes after Drake had talked with Lou on the phone. He made a mental note to give Lou a bonus when this was all done. He certainly had proved himself already throughout the week.

“I’ll get it, do you want to cover up?” Drake asked as he pulled a blanket from the end of the bed.

“It’s not necessary. Lou already placed all that sushi on me naked, he’s seen the goods.”

Sophia and Drake laughed as they opened the door.

Chapter 4

Lou stood there with a couple of assistants and three huge trays of food. They quickly came into the room and unloaded it all onto the table. He had also brought a couple of cappuccinos, sodas, champagne and red wine to choose from. Drake couldn’t help smiling at all the options.

“Thank you so much, Lou,” Drake said, shaking his hand.

The two assistants stared at Sophia, standing there naked, as she looked over the food. Drake had to smile at the thought of their first day on the job and being exposed to such a beauty like her. It was just part of the job when working at his home, and why Drake insisted on all staff signing a confidentiality agreement before they came onto the premises. There was often a lot of nakedness going on at Drake’s house. He didn’t want specifics getting out to the press.

Of course, people still talked about the crazy parties he had at his house. There was no way to keep the chatter from going on. But no one ever gave away specific details about who was there or what was going on. That was all part of the confidentiality agreement.

“Mr. Leblanc, this is Ralph and Jonah. They will be helping with the pool party later tonight,” Lou said as he tried to get the boys' attention off of Sophia.

“Hello young men, it’s nice to meet you. I’m sure you will have a blast at the party. Thank you for your help.”

“Yes, sir, thank you too,” one of them said and then punched the other in the arm.

“Oh, yes, thank you, sir.”

Lou grabbed the two men and guided them out of the room. Drake heard Lou start to chastise them as they walked down the hall. Lou earned some points right away with Drake for the way he took control of the situation.

“You can’t stare like that. You need to be professional,” Lou told them.

Drake didn’t blame the boys, though. They looked to be barely twenty-one years old, and Drake knew he would have been staring at a woman like Sophia as well. It was just something that came with the territory when you had beautiful women at your parties. Drake was satisfied that Lou would give them a good reprimanding and talked to them about behaving better at the party.

“You need to taste this,” Sophia said, dipping a strawberry in some chocolate and bringing it up to Drake’s lips.

She didn’t wait for him to open and instead pressed the chocolate onto his lips and moved in to lick it off. Again, Drake felt his body react in excitement as Sophia pressed her naked body up against his and their lips touched each other.

“I like this taste,” Drake whispered.

He lifted Sophia onto the table and spread her legs as he pressed in close to her. His hands held on tight to her thighs as he reached over and grabbed the strawberry out of her hands and ate it. The juices dripped down from his chin and onto her body; the sweet pink juice looked delectable as it slid down her stomach.

Drake reached behind Sophia, grabbed the closest piece of food he could find, a ham and cheese sandwich, and started to feed it to Sophia. As she chewed her bite, Drake ate the rest of it and then leaned her back so he could grab something else off of the table.

She felt the cold bottle as Drake held the champagne up against her back while he positioned his hands around her to open it. The cold glass forced her to arch her back and press her breasts toward Drake, and he quickly took one of them into her mouth.

His mouth pulled her nipple into him hard as his hands continued to fumble with the champagne. It was more difficult than he thought it would be to open a bottle without looking, but finally, he felt the cork and pressed hard on it.

The champagne cork shot across the room, and Sophia felt the cold liquid as it streamed down her back.

“It’s all over my ass,” she giggled.

Drake promptly flipped her over and let her ass stare at him from the edge of the table. He poured a small bit of champagne on her ass, then leaned over and sucked on her ass as he brought the champagne into his own mouth.

“Do you like to play like that?” Sophia asked as she pressed her ass into Drake’s mouth.

“I like everything to do with your ass.”

“Show me,” Sophia said.

She reached back and grabbed her ass and pulled the cheeks apart to expose herself to Drake. Instantly, he flung his shirt off over his head and dropped his pants to the ground. Any woman who was interested in some fun ass play was certainly interesting to Drake.

He reached over Sophia’s body to one of the cappuccino cups, took a few swigs of it, and then let it gently drip onto her ass as well. It tasted utterly delicious, and Drake brought it back up to his mouth to drink some more of it. Not only did he want the caffeine, he wanted to taste more of the sweet, rich flavor.

“Does it hurt?” Drake asked.

“It hurts just right.”

Sophia pressed her ass even more into the air so Drake could do it again. He obliged and dripped some more of the cappuccino onto her ass, but this time, he leaned over and let his tongue lick it off of her. He had never been too much into the food play type of stuff, but at that moment with Sophia, Drake was loving it. His body was rock hard in anticipation.

The coffee drink was hot, but not too hot. Drake had tested it when he took a few sips. He continued to alternate between dripping the drink onto Sophia’s ass and then drinking it off. Sophia moved and moaned with delight with each rotation of dripping and licking that Drake offered her.

Then Drake moved back to the champagne and dripped a ton of it over Sophia’s ass. She squealed with the shock of the chilled drink as compared to the warm coffee. Her body bucked a little, and the liquid rolled off her back and onto the table and floor under her.

Drake moved the champagne around her ass with his hands and settled his thumb on her tight center. Slowly, he pressed it inside of her and closed his eyes as he heard her moan out in delight. There was something so erotic about playing with a woman’s ass. It wasn’t something that many women were into, but Drake loved it. He was excited that Sophia seemed to be enjoying herself that much.

Soon, Drake had his hard cock pressed up against her and held onto Sophia’s hips as she flexed her body back toward him. He could tell she was comfortable with this because she continued to press toward him even after his throbbing member entered her.

Slowly, he moved as her body adjusted to him and he felt the tight wonder of her ass around him. It was hard not to lose his load right away, but Drake wanted to cherish the slow sensual explosion that he knew would come soon enough.

Sophia moved her body back toward Drake and then forward again. She appeared to enjoy their adventure together very much and moaned in delight with each thrust. Harder and harder, Drake moved until he felt himself on the brink of explosion.

He grabbed her hips as he thrust deep one last time and Sophia screamed out with pleasure. But Drake had more in store for her. He flipped Sophia over on the table and kneeled down as he put her legs over his shoulders.

His mouth wrapped around her dripping wet center as Sophia took in a deep breath of excitement. His tongue moved quickly, and he flicked and licked her until her breathing became rapid and he felt her thighs tighten. Drake spread her apart as he continued with his tongue, working every inch of her center until she screamed out with one last final moan of pleasure.

“Oh, God. Oh, yes, fucking yes!” Sophia screamed as her body tightened and the pleasure rolled over her.

Sophia’s legs shook as Drake picked her up and took her to the shower with him. The water was warm; just what they both needed as they quickly washed off their adventure.

“This feels amazing,” Sophia muttered as she hung onto Drake to steady herself.

“I know. It’s perfect.”

Drake did all the work and soaped each of them up and rinsed their bodies off. Sophia had been covered in champagne and cappuccino, and it had made quite the sticky mixture on her body. He could only imagine what the table and carpet looked like. The thought made him laugh, though. He was glad he had staff that could come clean it up for them later.

“I’m exhausted,” Drake said, turning the water off and wrapping Sophia and himself in a towel. “Should we lay down for a bit or do you have something else planned?”

Drake desperately hoped Sophia was tired enough that she would agree to them taking a bit of a nap. He couldn’t believe just how tired he was. The whole week had been exhausting, but his time with Sophia was especially tiring.

“Nap,” she whispered.

Drake picked her up, quickly dropped her into the bed and then crawled next to her. He wanted to sleep so desperately, he could hardly keep his eyes open. Sophia’s legs shook from exhaustion, and Drake slowly rubbed them as they tried to go to sleep. The combination of sexy and sweet that Sophia had was by far more enticing than any of the other women. As they lay in bed, Drake felt Sophia lean into him, and he was comfortable. So comfortable that he let his mind wonder about what life would be like if he picked Sophia at the end of everything.

The week of having seven women in his home was extraordinary. Drake was doing his best to ensure he devoted himself totally to the woman that he was with, but it was hard to fit a whole month worth of dating and intimacy into one day.

The combination of sex, food, and warm water was by far too much for the two of them, and they quickly drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms. It was only four o’clock in the afternoon, but Drake’s body was not on any normal time clock that week. He was up at weird hours, sleeping at weird hours, and he didn’t care at all. All he cared about was he finally got to get a decent nap in, and he was exhausted.

Samantha would come wake them up when the pool party started. Drake was sure of that. If there was one thing he could count on, it was always that Samantha would take care of things for him. She had been one of the best decisions he had ever made in his business. The dedication she had to Leblanc Enterprises as well as to Drake personally was far beyond something he would ever be able to find in another person.

As Drake drifted off to sleep, he was actually grateful that Samantha had continually turned down his sexual advances early on. She was a smart woman and knew their friendship and work relationship never would have lasted if they had slept together. Drake would have destroyed it with his poor decision making for sure.

“That was fun,” Drake whispered to Sophia.

“Yes, it was. I like spending time with you,” she said quietly.

“Me too.”

Sophia was amazing, sweet and so perfect. Drake felt his gut tighten at the thought that he was going to have to make a choice at the end of the week. He couldn’t imagine that he would be able to give Sophia up. He closed his eyes and smiled at how perfect their day had been.

Drake pulled the covers up over as he tried to get the thoughts of the other women out of his head as well. There were so many beautiful and intelligent women in his home that week, it weighed heavily on him that he would have to make a decision eventually.

Drake hoped that later in the evening, he and Sophia could talk even more. He loved getting to know her and seeing her open up to him.

Chapter 5

“Where is everyone ?” Samantha asked as she walked in the front door to Drake’s house.

Only two of the girls were in the living room, and the house was extremely quiet. It was unusual to find so much calmness in the house. On all of her other visits to the house, Samantha had been greeted by several girls and lots of noise. Perhaps the women were not as eager to come out of their rooms and socialize with each other now that the week had really started.

Samantha could only imagine the level of jealousy and hatred that the women were feeling toward each other. Especially the women who hadn’t had their dates yet. But that was why Samantha wanted to get everyone together each night. She thought it was important for Drake to get to meet and talk to the women throughout the week and not just on his night with them.

“I’m not sure where everyone is. There are a couple girls out at the pool,” Scarlett said.

“Alright, I’ll get things ready, can you run upstairs and grab anyone who’s in their rooms?”

“Sure,” Scarlett said as she walked up the winding staircase.

Scarlett had enjoyed her time at the house so far. It was like a vacation for her. She ran a busy advertising firm, and it wasn’t often that she totally unplugged from her work. But before coming on this trip, she had done everything she could to step away from the office and leave things in the hands of her capable vice president.

The purpose of coming to stay at Drake’s house was very clear to Scarlett, and she was serious about her search for her match. Scarlet was about to turn thirty years old soon, and she had big plans for her life that included a partner. For most of her early twenties, Scarlett had been too busy with work to even look for such a thing. She dated and had fun; she even had a few long-term boyfriends, but none of them were her equal.

Now she was serious about her search and was excited when she had been invited to come out and interview for the unique experience with Drake. Even if nothing came out of it all, at least, Scarlett knew that there were men like him out there, and she wasn’t going to settle until she found her match.

She made her rounds on the upper floor, gathered up all of the girls and headed back downstairs. Scarlett didn’t knock on Sophia’s door, though, because she knew that Drake and Sophia had been in her room all afternoon and she wanted to give them their privacy.

“Well, I gathered most everyone. I left Sophia’s room alone, though,” Scarlett said with a smile.

“Oh, do you think I should go knock and see if they want to come down?” Samantha asked.

“I think they will hear all the excitement and come down if they want to. Let’s just go have some fun with all the girls.”

Samantha really liked Scarlett and her laid-back personality. She was not like many of the other girls and didn’t force time with Drake. From what Samantha could tell, Scarlett was just fine waiting for her turn, and she wasn’t going to interrupt anyone else’s time with Drake just to get more face to face time with him.

“Do you need help with any of this?” Scarlett asked.

“You know, I kind of do. There are tons of platters that Lou prepared in the fridge, and I’m not sure where he is. Would you mind grabbing one and bringing it out to the big table on the patio?”

“Sure thing.”

Scarlett expertly grabbed three trays and balanced them on her hands as she started to walk out the back door toward the pool. Samantha couldn’t help thinking that Scarlett had probably been a very good waitress at some point in her life.

“Oh, my goodness, let me help you,” Lauren said as she giggled and watched Scarlett walk toward the pool.

“Thanks.”

Lauren and Scarlett had bonded since the very first day of interviews. They really didn’t have much in common at all, but Scarlett liked how happy Lauren was all the time. Lauren didn’t seem to let anything bother her, and she was always very nice to the other girls in the house.

Cynthia, Allison, and Sophia were not as nice to each other or to Lauren and Scarlett. It was like a sorority house, though, and Scarlett knew that she had to take the high road on all the arguments. She felt like the mother of the house, but that was simply because all the fights and arguments were about such stupid things.

Early in the day, Cynthia and Emily had fought over a pair of leggings that they both thought were theirs. It was extremely odd to Scarlett that there was even an argument going on among grown women, but especially over leggings.

“OK, ladies, it’s nice to see you all again. Tonight, we are going to just relax and have some pool time. Maybe play some games, drink, and just have fun,” Samantha said as she stood up on one of the pool chairs.

“Where’s Drake?” Cynthia blurted out.

“I’m not sure, but we are going to continue without him.”

“Is he coming at all?”

“Cynthia, I don’t know. Let’s just try to have a good time.”

Cynthia looked majorly annoyed that Drake wasn’t around, and so did Emily and Allison. The women were in the house to get to know Drake and not to hang out with each other. Samantha understood that. But she also knew that having a good meal and relaxing would help all of the women loosen up a little bit. She had heard that things had gotten heated in the house on more than a couple of occasions, and it was important for them all to learn to live with each other for at least a few more days.

“Hello, ladies, would you like to hear about what’s for dinner?” Lou said as he came out with a sizzling plate full of steak.

The smell was insanely delicious, and all of the women clapped as Lou and his two assistants carried the last bit of food out to the main table.

“We have some filet minions here and sautéed vegetables, plus a pan full of glazed sweet potatoes. Then on the table, you will find some sushi, salads, desserts, and vegetables. Please enjoy and let me know if there is anything special you would like to see for tomorrow night’s dinner.”

It was a free for all as most of the women swarmed the table and filled their plates with food. For a house full of women, it surprised Samantha how willing they were to eat. She was really glad that the women they had chosen for the house weren’t hypersensitive about what they ate. Drake didn’t like women who were always watching their figure. At some point, as a grown woman, you had to just accept the body you were given.

“You’re not hungry?” Samantha asked Scarlett.

“Oh, I’m starving, but I can let the girls go first. I won’t die if I wait five minutes.”

“How is the house working out for you?”

“It’s been great. I typically work on all my vacations, and for this trip, I decided I was going to be totally present here at Drake’s house. I’ve rather enjoyed the time away from my busy life.”

“Have you had much time with Drake yet?” Samantha asked as the two women slowly walked toward the food table.

“We have had a few conversations, plus, of course, we had poker last night.”

“Yes, who could forget about your poker skills?”

Both the women laughed as they remember Scarlett getting naked and having absolutely no shame about her body as she stood in front of the other women and Drake. It had been quite the evening for everyone there.

“I think I’ve just moved past the age where much scares me,” Scarlett said as she and Samantha filled their plates.

“That sounds wonderful. I think I’m getting closer to that point. Working with Drake certainly has opened my eyes to the world. I feel much more capable of handling myself and anything that comes my way.”

“As women, we need to feel confident that we can handle our own life. Even if we have a partner, it’s still essential that we feel in control of the life we have,” Scarlett said.

“Why don’t I ever hear about you getting involved in any of the fights between the women?” Samantha asked curiously about why Scarlett was so level headed.

“I don’t think there is much that I would be willing to argue about. I’m just beyond all the sorority house behavior.”

“I feel like we could have been college friends. Well, if I had actually gone to college.” Samantha laughed.

“Any woman who can keep Drake in line is certainly the type of woman I want to be friends with. It can’t be easy caring for him all the time.”

Scarlett and Samantha grabbed a spot at one of the tables as they continued their conversation and their meal. It wasn’t very often that Samantha found a woman she actually enjoyed talking with. Typically, women annoyed Samantha, and the very few that didn’t annoy here were her friends.

“It’s been a long journey. I think the smartest decision I ever made was turning him down when he tried to get me to sleep with him.”

“Oh, God, I bet that happened after the first day you were hired,” Scarlett joked.

“He made it a few weeks before he went full force. It was hard to say no; he’s pretty irresistible. But I wanted a career more than I wanted him.”

“But you did want him?” Scarlett said, raising one of her eyebrows.

“Oh yeah, he’s a good man. That’s why I’ve worked so hard with Robert to find all of you. I want him to find happiness. He really is a great guy and deserves his version of happily ever after.”

“That’s really sweet. You are a true friend to him,” Scarlett couldn’t help smiling at the thought of her and Drake possibly being a match for his happily ever after.

“Well, I guess I should get this party started. It was good talking to you.”

“You too, Samantha.”

Samantha made her way to the pool house, turned the music on loudly and dimmed the lights from the porch. It was time to let loose and party.

The girls loosened up with the help of the abundance of alcohol that was flowing throughout the evening. A couple women were dancing by the pool and a couple inside the pool. Samantha was happy that everyone seemed to be getting along really well. But as the evening continued, she started to worry about Drake a little bit. Surely he and Sophia had heard the music by then and would have come down to join everyone.

“Scarlett, would you mind knocking on Sophia’s door to see if Drake and she would like to come join us?” Samantha asked.

“Sure.”

Scarlett didn’t want to interrupt Drake and Sophia, but she was willing to give the door a light tap and just let them know that there were food and drinks downstairs if they wanted to join. As she got to Sophia’s door, it was still extremely quiet in the room. Scarlett knocked lightly and waited, then she knocked again.

There was no answer.

Out of curiosity, Scarlett turned the doorknob slowly and opened the door. She was careful to be quiet so she wouldn’t interrupt them if they were in the middle of something. But Scarlett didn’t even know if they were home or not. They could have left when no one was paying attention.

As she peered into the room, she saw Drake and Sophia curled up on the bed. There was a mess of food on a table near the door and some shower towels near the bed. Scarlett couldn’t help smiling. They looked like they had had quite the afternoon.

She made her way back down to the party and over to Samantha.

“They are passed out on the bed. Looks like they had themselves a little food sex and then collapsed from exhaustion. I didn’t wake them up.”

Samantha just laughed.

“I guess it’s just a girls’ party for tonight. Drake did say he was extremely tired earlier. I’m glad he’s getting some sleep.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think Sophia was going to let him sleep at all today,” Scarlett joked.

“Me neither.”

The two women grabbed a drink from one of the trays that Lou’s helpers were walking around with. For a brief moment, Scarlett forgot that she was in a house trying to get the attention of a billionaire away from six other beautiful women. For that brief moment, Scarlett felt like she was just there with a friend.

“Should we make a toast?” Scarlett asked.

“To new friendships.”

“To new friendships and exhausting nights of sex,” Scarlett teased.

The two women clanged their cups together and downed their drinks as they walked and laughed together. Neither Scarlett nor Samantha were the type of women who had a lot of female friends, but the ones they did have, they kept around for a very long time.

Chapter 6

As Drake woke up, he felt his whole body ache from the last few days. It was dark outside, and he groaned as he swung his feet over the edge of the bed and glanced at his watch. It was nearly nine o’clock in the evening, and he and Sophia had slept almost five hours. It was just what he needed, and he stretched to get his blood flowing again.

“What time is it?” Sophia asked, starting to wake up as well.

“It’s almost nine o’clock.”

“What? No!”

Sophia jumped up out of bed and looked out the window at the party going on down near the pool. She had slept right through all her evening plans with Drake and now it was time for the pool party. She couldn’t hide the disappointment on her face.

“It’s alright. Let’s go grab some food, and then we can do whatever it was you had planned next,” Drake said as he stood next to Sophia by the window.

Drake grabbed Sophia’s face and pulled her lips up next to his. Gently he kissed her and their mouths moved together in harmony.

“Let’s stay here,” Sophia said shyly.

“Anything you want,” Drake said, going back to kissing her.

Sophia didn’t want to give up their time together and loved the way he looked right into her eyes when he kissed her. It was like he was looking into her soul. Not very many men in her life had ever looked so deeply into her, and Sophia really wanted to stay there with Drake forever.

They both looked down at the pool party, trying to decide what to do next.

Victoria looked up from the pool at the two of them and waved for them to come out to the pool. Sophia and Drake waved back. They had been seen, now they had to make an appearance.

“OK, but we can’t stay down there too long. I don’t want to waste our time together,” Sophia said as she kissed Drake gently on his neck.

“Sophia,” Drake said, pulling her naked body closer to his. “We haven’t wasted our day at all. This was one hell of a day.”

Drake leaned down and kissed Sophia. He could tell she was upset about missing out on time together and wanted to make sure she didn’t feel bad about their night at all. It had certainly been a memorable day, and he wanted her to feel that as well.

Their day together had been filled with intimacy and excitement. They bonded and got to know each other; Drake needed Sophia to know he wanted her and would give up an evening with all the other women just to stay with Sophia.

“Let’s stay here. We don’t even have to go down there,” Drake said, falling back onto the bed.

Sophia looked out at the pool and remembered what it was like on the days that she did not have a date with Drake. She had wanted desperately to see him, even if it was only for a few minutes. She wanted to be a bitch and keep the other women from seeing him, but she decided against it.

“Alright, let me get dressed really quick, and then I’ll be down. Why don’t you go ahead without me?”

Drake slipped his jeans and T-shirt on and gave Sophia one last kiss before making his way down to the party. He felt refreshed and was excited to say hi to the other women. Especially Emily, who had slipped out of his bed so early that he hadn’t even had the chance to say goodbye to her.

“Look who decided to join the party,” Victoria said as she greeted Drake near the back door.

“How are you, Victoria?” Drake said with a quick hug.

“I’m doing good. I still have that gift from the sex shop I want to show you some time, you just come see me any time you get a chance,” she said with a smile.

Drake hadn’t forgotten about that sex shop. He still wanted to know what it was Victoria had purchased there. Yet he didn’t imagine that he was going to have much free time for the rest of the week.

Each of the women had become very territorial over their time with Drake, and he totally understood where they were coming from. But it meant that dinner or other events in the evening were getting increasingly difficult to attend. He was glad that Sophia had decided to stay upstairs for a little bit so he could make the rounds and say hi to the other women without feeling bad about it.

His next stop was a straight line to Emily, who he found sitting and talking with Allison. Drake hadn’t spent much time at all with Allison yet, and he was looking forward to having a quick conversation with her before their day together tomorrow.

“Hello ladies,” Drake said, sitting down with them.

“Oh, we were just talking about you,” Emily said as she looked at Allison and her face flushed red.

“Hopefully, it was all good?”

“Yes, of course,” Emily replied.

Drake turned his attention toward Allison for a moment.

“Allison, I hear we have our date tomorrow. Do you have anything special planned?” Drake asked as he gently touched her hand.

Emily watched their encounter and suddenly felt much less shy about what she and Allison had been talking about.

“I can’t tell you what I have planned or it wouldn’t be a surprise. But I can tell you that Sophia won’t be invited,” Allison said as she nudged Emily.

Drake saw that it was pretty obvious that Emily had told Allison about at least part of their night together. He didn’t mind at all. It was actually pretty nice that Emily had a friend in the house that she could talk to about their date. On the other hand, it was also really strange that Emily had told Allison, since their date was coming up next.

But everything about the week in the house was strange. There was no normal way to have a week-long date with seven different women. Drake wasn’t about to worry too much about anything the women chose to say or not say to their fellow housemates over the week they were there.

“I’m excited to see what you have planned,” Drake said, kissing Allison on the cheek. “Would you mind if I talked to Emily for a moment?”

“Oh, of course not. I’ll see you in the morning, bright and early,” Allison said.

Allison knew that Drake was going to be exhausted from all the women waking him up and keeping him up all night. She was perfectly fine with getting a good night of sleep and then seeing Drake in the morning. She also thought it set her up as an understanding woman, which she was, and she wanted Drake to see that.

“Emily, you left before I woke up this morning. How are you?” Drake asked as he held her hands.

“I’m sorry for telling Allison, but I just had to tell someone. I had so much fun last night.”

Drake instantly felt relieved as he saw the smile cross Emily’s face. He had worried that the evening was overwhelming to Emily and she had left because of that. It was nice to see her smile and that she had had just as much fun as he had.

“No worries. It’s your experience; you feel free to talk to whomever you would like. I also expect to read a tantalizing tale about it in Playboy soon.”

“Of course. It will be the first article I write after this week is over. I might even start writing it with some of my free time the next few days.”

Drake rubbed Emily’s hands as he looked into her eyes. He really did like her, but there was still something missing. He had liked all three of the women he had been on dates with so far, but none of them left him sure of his decision. Drake hoped that one of the women would leave him with no doubt about what decision he should make.

“I’m going to go visit with some of the other women for a little bit. You enjoy your night.”

“You too,” Emily said as she watched Drake walk away.

Drake approached the other pair of women sitting together; Cynthia and Lauren. Cynthia had her dark brown hair pulled up into a bun and was wearing a bikini that showed off all of her curves. She was a plus-sized woman, but she had all the right proportions and all the curves that Drake liked. Then there was Lauren. Her bubbly personality shined, no matter what time of day it was. She had platinum blonde hair and green eyes. Drake couldn’t remember a time she hadn’t been giggling.

“How are you lovely women doing tonight? Looks like you have been enjoying the pool,” Drake said as he sat across from them.

It was the first time he felt like he had time to actually talk with some of the women since the first evening and the dinner party. Also, it was nice to get out of his bubble from his day with Sophia and share some time with the other women.

Lauren just giggled and shrugged, but Cynthia looked Drake right in the eyes. She had powerful eyes that really could command Drake’s attention. He was drawn to her and was excited at the prospect of spending some time with her on their day together.

“Yes, we had fun tonight. Hopefully, you did too?” Cynthia said as she grabbed a drink that sat next to her.

“Well, Sophia and I decided to take a bit of a nap because I was exhausted and we just woke up. I’m glad we didn’t miss the whole party.”

“Me too,” Lauren said, grinning from ear to ear.

“What did you two do with your day today?”

Cynthia wanted to make sure the topic of her argument with Emily didn’t come up, so she quickly took control of the conversation.

“We had a fabulous day. All of us getting to know each other and talking about life outside of here. It was great,” she said as she stared Lauren down.

Lauren knew instantly that she wasn't supposed to speak at all about the argument that had happened earlier in the day. But Lauren didn’t really care at all; she figured Drake had much bigger things to worry about than whether the women got along or not.

“How was your day?” Lauren said with a little giggle under her breath.

Drake couldn’t tell if she knew what he had done with Emily or if she was just her normal giggly self. It was hard to tell with Lauren. He had to remember to look in her file before their date so he could get to know her better. Drake suspected she was giggling out of nervousness, but she also seemed like a genuinely happy person.

It was refreshing to be around so many cheerful spirits. Drake was again very proud of the choices Samantha and Robert had made.

Just then, Drake looked up and saw Robert coming out the back door of the house with a stack of papers he handed to Samantha. Robert turned and tried to leave, but Drake wasn’t about to let that happen.

“I’m going to catch up with Robert now. You two have a great night,” Drake said, not waiting for a response before jogging over to catch Robert. “Dude, where are you going? I haven’t seen you in days.”

“I just needed to drop some papers off with Samantha for you to sign later; I can’t stay,” Robert said as he continued to walk into the house.

“You can at least have a beer and a conversation with me.”

“No, I need to go. I’ll see you next week. Good luck.”

And just like that, Robert was gone. Drake had a pit in his stomach and instantly wondered if there was something going on. Robert never acted that way, and it was clear that he was trying to avoid Drake. He needed to talk to Samantha.

Samantha was engrossed in conversation with Scarlett, and Drake paused to watch them as they talked. Both women were oblivious to the fact that he was watching them. He loved it. They laughed and talked with each other like they were old friends. Scarlett seemed very comfortable with Samantha.

“It looks like you two are having way too much fun,” Drake said as he approached them.

“Yes, Scarlett was just telling me about her last date,” Samantha said.

Drake looked intently at Scarlett and her breasts. He couldn’t help himself. The size FF breasts were like beacons guiding his eyes to look at them. He tried desperately to look away, but his eyes just kept going right back to them.

“I can’t imagine you have ever had a bad date.”

“Oh, I’ve had lots of them. The last one was a man from my building. He was an accountant. He started jerking off under the table at dinner,” Scarlett said as she and Samantha both broke out into laughter.

“What did you do?” Samantha asked, tears starting to form as she was laughed so hard.

“I unbuttoned one of my buttons so he could finish faster, and we could leave.”

Drake just sat in awe as he looked at Scarlett and her response. Then he broke out laughing with both of them. Scarlett sure did have a good sense of humor, which was a huge plus for him. At first, he had thought she was a bit of a prude, but he was starting to think she was just a very put together woman who kept quiet a lot of the time. He was eager to see what she was like when they had some more alone time together.

“I better let you two talk business. It was nice seeing you again, Drake,” Scarlett said as she got up.

“I’ll see you tomorrow for breakfast,” Samantha said.

Drake looked at Samantha and raised one of his eyebrows.

“Are you playing favorites?”

“No, I’m coming over to the house to make breakfast with all of the women in the morning. But I do really like Scarlett. I don’t think she’s right for you, though.”

“What? Why not? I thought you picked her?”

“I did. But the more I get to know her, the more I realize your lifestyle is not something that will suit her at all. She’s not out partying and going to clubs. She is all grown up, Drake.”

Drake took offense to what Samantha said, but he couldn’t figure out a way to tell her without sounding like a total hypocrite. Just because he had spent the last few years partying and sleeping around, didn’t mean he wasn’t interested in finding a woman like Scarlett or any other woman from the house that might want to settle down.

Drake didn’t know what settling down was going to look like for him yet, but the whole reason he had all seven women in his house was because he wanted to find that partner that could complement him. He hated that Samantha thought Scarlett was too good for him.

“So, you think I’ll ruin her or something?” Drake said defensively.

“No, I don’t think she’ll like you after your date. I think you will have fun, and I think she’s a wonderful woman and you are a wonderful man, but I just don’t think the two of you are right for each other.”

“I don’t think you get to decide,” Drake said, raising his voice a notch.

“Don’t get mad because I'm honest, Drake. She’s got her life together. She’s not looking for a man to lead her. Scarlett can lead herself and needs a man who can be a partner to her.”

Drake felt his blood pressure increase as he listened to Samantha talk.

“So basically, I’m too much of a loose cannon, and I shouldn’t even bother going on a date with her? Should we just send her home now? Scarlet!” Drake yelled out.

Scarlett turned from her conversation with Lauren and started to walk back toward Drake and Samantha.

“This is exactly the kind of crap that makes me think you aren’t the right fit for her,” Samantha said as she stormed off.

“Yes,” Scarlett said as she sat down next to Drake. “Is Sam alright?”

“I’m sorry, I think I got her mad. I just wanted to say thanks for the story, and I can’t wait for our date later this week.”

“Well, isn’t that sweet of you. I’ll see you then,” Scarlett got up, kissed Drake on the cheek and walked back to her conversation with Lauren.

Drake thought that maybe Samantha was right as Scarlett walked away. Any of the other women would have sat there with Drake until he had to move onto another woman. But Scarlett just kissed him on the cheek and walked away, leaving him sitting by himself. Perhaps she didn’t like him at all and was only being kind and staying until her date.

Victoria eyed Drake sitting along and made her way over to him, but at the same time, Sophia had come out of the house and was also making her way toward him.

Sophia had on a barely there string bikini that got Drake’s attention instantly. The tiny triangles of fabric left very little to the imagination, and Drake unconsciously licked his lips as she walked to him.

Unfortunately, Drake didn’t notice that Victoria had sat down next to him at all. His eyes were glued on Sophia, and by the time she made it to his side, Victoria had gotten up and decided to leave the two of them alone. She certainly didn’t want to be competing with Sophia.

“Did you miss me?” Sophia said as she straddled Drake and started to kiss him.

Drake pulled away, though. As much as he loved to have Sophia’s bikini clad body on his lap, he was very conscious of all the other women that were there. He made a point of only kissing the women on the cheek when he was around everyone. There was no need to make any of the other women feel bad on the nights that it wasn’t their turn for a date.

Sophia took it in her stride, and instead of getting mad at Drake, she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the swimming pool.

“Should we swim?” she said as she started to take off his T-shirt.

“Let me get my trunks on,” Drake said.

“No need for trunks,” Sophia said, untying the top to her swimsuit. “Skinny dipping!” she yelled out and jumped into the water.

Surprisingly, Lauren and Allison were right behind her after they had untied their tops. Victoria, Emily, and Cynthia jumped into the water as well although they left their swimsuits on until they got into the pool and then took them off.

Drake looked back at Scarlett as she sat in one of the chairs. Scarlett softly shook her head back and forth.

“I’ll go if you go,” Drake said.

Scarlett looked at all the girls in the pool and then back to Drake. She wasn’t about to be known as the girl who didn’t participate. So, she stood up and unzipped the sundress she had on. As she walked toward Drake, she took off her bikini top and then slid her bottoms off and threw them at him.

Instead of jumping right into the water, Scarlett stood intimately close to Drake and started to unbutton his jeans. Drake was mesmerized by her and so were the other women. They all stopped and watched as Scarlett slid Drake’s bottoms down to the ground, and then his underwear too.

She grabbed his hand and the two of them stood at the side of the pool together and contemplated jumping in.

“One, two, three …” Drake said before they both jumped into the water.

Samantha watched from inside the house and couldn’t help smiling. She knew that telling Drake Scarlett wasn’t right for him was the perfect way to get him to like her even more. Samantha didn’t want to leave anything to chance, she secretly wanted Drake to pick Scarlett.

Chapter 7

Although the pool party was exciting, Sophia really needed to get Drake away from the other women and back up to her room. She wasn’t done with him yet, and it was near ten o’clock. Sophia only had two more hours with Drake, and she wasn’t about to spend them in the pool with all of the other women.

“Should we head back upstairs?” Sophia whispered in Drake’s ear.

Drake felt his body instantly react to the thought of being alone with Sophia in her room again. The sex between the two of them was intense, and he was all rested up for some serious fun. The sexual connection between them was strong, but Drake didn’t know if it was strong enough to make up for the emotional connection that Sophia seemed to block off.

He was not used to caring too much about the emotional connections, but Drake knew that was going to be important for him in picking the woman he wanted to get to know more. He needed someone that was going to challenge him both physically and mentally. He needed that sexual connection, but also the emotional and intellectual connections were a necessity for him.

“Ladies, I had a great time tonight. I hope you all sleep well and Allison, I’ll see you bright and early in the morning.”

Allison blew Drake a kiss and turned around as he and Sophia got out of the pool together. She couldn’t stand to look at Sophia at all with Drake, and it made her sick to think that the two of them were going upstairs together.

“Aren’t you going to go talk to him at midnight?” Emily asked.

“Nope, I think he needs to sleep one good night.”

“But what if Sophia keeps him in her room and doesn’t let him sleep all night long?” Emily asked with worry in her eyes.

“You can’t police his behavior,” Scarlett added.

“Well, I think it’s stupid. I’d at least go say goodnight to him to make sure he was in his room instead of hers,” Emily added.

“I think you’re making a good decision. Get a good night’s sleep and just have a fun day tomorrow with him,” Scarlett said to Allison.

“Thanks, I’m just not going to worry about it. I need my sleep, and I’m not going to stay up and wait for him. I’m actually going to head to the shower and then bed right now,” Allison said, wrapping herself in one of the large plush towels.

“Goodnight,” Scarlett said.

Scarlett was nice to all of the women. There just wasn’t any reason to be catty or rude to them. That wasn’t who Scarlett was. Plus, the rules of the week were clear; every girl got twenty-four hours with Drake. There really was no need to police the situation at all, and she was happy that Allison agreed with her on that.

Drake and Sophia made their way upstairs to her room, both of them wrapped in towels. The cold evening air had them shivering by the time they got there, and Sophia went straight to the bathroom to turn on the hot water again.

“Another shower?” Drake asked.

“I think we can find something else to do in the warmth of the shower stall if you’d like.”

“Oh, I’d like.”

Drake grabbed a hold of Sophia and brought her into the shower with him. The warm water pounded down on their bodies and his body slowly rose to greet hers. It surprised him just how willing his body was to go another round with the beautiful Sophia. That went to show just how much a man really craved sex. Even when his mind told him to rest, his body told Drake to have more sex.

Her fingers wrapped around him as her lips touched his. They moved slowly at first, but then Sophia started to move faster, her fingers sliding up and down his shaft to tease him and get him as hard as possible.

“I can’t wait to feel you inside of me again,” she said breathlessly. “My ass is waiting for you.”

Drake raised his eyebrow at the idea of having anal sex with Sophia again. She certainly did like sex, that was a big advantage for him. For a moment, he flashed to a picture of what their life might be like if he chose Sophia. They would be thin and fit through having so much cardiovascular activity that the amount of sex would provide them with.

He grabbed her and bent her over the bench at the edge of the shower. The warm water beat down on them as he slid inside of her easily. His body pressed in and out of her as she moaned out with the echo of the bathroom offering an additional moan to them.

Emily held on tight to the bench and thrust her hips hard back against Drake. She wanted it harder and moved with him to get him to thrust more and more. He read her signs and did as she requested. Soon he found himself thrusting into her with all his might.

She screamed out in pleasure with his movements, and it just fueled him on more and more. Soon he felt his body as it got ready to release. He didn’t have any control over himself anymore. His body was exhausted, yet fully aroused and ready to give in to the pleasure of the moment.

“When you’re ready to cum, slap the back of my head hard,” Sophia said as she felt Drake getting close.

“Why?” Drake asked with a shocked expression. He had never had such a request from a woman, and it had really thrown him off.

Drake slowed his thrusts and instantly felt his impending orgasm disappear. Was Sophia one of those women who liked to be hurt during sex? Drake was definitely not into anything like that.

“It will make my ass tighten, and your orgasm will be insane.”

Drake didn’t like the sound of that at all. He certainly wasn’t going to slap a woman, even if she wanted him to. That was just one of those things Drake wouldn’t do during sex or any other time. There weren’t that many things about sex that Drake would say no to, but hurting someone was a definite one in his book.

He continued to thrust, and just as he was about to cum, he reached down, grabbed Sophia’s long red hair and pulled on it roughly as he came with a hard thrust. He knew it wasn’t what she had asked him to do, but he really didn’t feel comfortable at all with her request.

Drake had been with plenty of women who liked to play a little and tie each other up and do those kinds of things, but he had never been asked to hit a girl before. That was a huge no-no for him. He just didn’t get off on that kind of thing at all.

“It’s called a donkey punch,” Sophia said as she stood up.

“It is?”

“Yeah, you’ll have to try it sometime. I hear it makes the guy’s orgasm absolutely insane.”

“I don’t think it’s for me. I’m more of a gentle guy,” Drake said.

Sophia just laughed and slid back under the warm water of the shower. Drake joined her for a moment before getting out, making his way to the large bathtub, and turning the water on. He still couldn’t believe that Sophia had asked him to hit her while they were fucking. It actually had started to bother him, and he needed to wind down and hopefully talk with Sophia a little before their time together was over.

“Are we taking a bath?” Sophia asked.

“Yes, I’d love to take a bath with you.”

Drake poured some bubbles into the bath, and before they knew it, there was a huge pile of fluffy bubbles filling the bathtub.

“I don’t usually take baths,” Sophia said as she watched Drake get in. “I’m afraid I’ll fall asleep and drown in the bath.”

“I’ll keep you safe.”

Drake held his hand out as Sophia climbed in and sat right in front of him. The intimacy of the bathtub instantly made Sophia uncomfortable. She wanted to run out as quickly as possible, but she also knew that there wasn’t that much more time with Drake, and she couldn’t miss out on that.

“How did you think of this idea to have all these women here at your house?”

Drake laughed a little and remembered back to his lunch with Robert and how they had first started to talk about the idea. Drake had wanted a fight to the death, he snickered under his breath. It was probably much better that Robert had stopped that idea.

“Robert is married and so happy. I’m getting close to forty years old and thought I should try to find a good match for me. But it’s not like the clubs are a good place to meet quality women, so most of the women I meet are purely for one night of pleasure.”

“Do you have a lot of one-night stands?”

“Yes.”

There was no use in lying to Sophia. He wanted a woman who was alright with his past and was still willing to work with him on a future. No matter which one of the women he picked during the week, Drake was going to be honest with them about everything. He knew that the only way it would work out with a woman was if he were honest.

“Did you pick us all, or did Samantha?”

“It was actually Samantha and Robert, but they know me very well. I’ve worked with both of them for years. I think they did a pretty damn good job.”

“Of course they did, they picked me,” Sophia said, reaching behind her and starting to stroke Drake’s cock.

He reached his hand under the water and stopped her. Drake was starting to see Sophia much more clearly. She used sex to avoid any sort of real intimacy. Through sex, she could distract people and avoid answering questions or even having to deal with her real emotions.

“I’d love to get to know you more,” Drake said as he started to kiss Sophia’s neck. “Tell me about your mother.”

Sophia froze at the mention of her mom. Not only did she not want to talk about her mother, she really didn’t want Drake to ask about her childhood or family or anything about her past.

“My life is pretty boring, how about your mother?” Sophia said, quickly changing the subject.

“My mom is one of the sweetest women I know. She is what inspires me to find my partner. She and my father are still very much in love.”

“That is inspiring,” Sophia said as she continued to avoid talking about her family.

Drake let the silence fill the room as he moved his hands up and down Sophia’s arms. He could tell she had a lot of walls up, and there was no way he was going to break through them all in one night. But he was willing to let their final hour together be total silence if that was what needed to happen to get Sophia to actually open up a little.

Two minutes passed, and the silence continued. Soon, it had been a whole fifteen minutes without either of them talking. Sophia felt so uncomfortable, but she wasn’t about to ask any more questions because she knew that would mean that Drake would ask her more questions as well.

“Why don’t you want to talk about your family?” Drake finally asked.

Sophia took a deep breath and then decided she was just going to go for it. She was going to tell Drake about her family and just hope that it didn’t totally scare him away.

“My mother worked harder than any woman I know, all because my father gambled away our money on a consistent basis. The only reason I started to work so young was because we didn’t have money for food because of my father. It was a tough life, but my mother was always there for me.”

Drake continued to stroke Sophia’s arms as she talked. It felt like a small victory in her giant wall that she had built up around her. It was something new to Drake, a deep conversation with a woman who actually just wanted to have continuous sex. But Drake was really happy that Sophia had decided to give it a try and trust him.

“So you get your strength from your mother,” Drake said sweetly.

Sophia tried to hold back the tears, but before she could stop them, they were flowing like they hadn’t flowed in years. Sophia wasn’t the type of girl that cried, in fact, she hated girls that cried.

She got out of the bath before Drake could even comfort her. Sophia quickly moved to the bedroom and dried off and started to put some sweatpants on. She made sure not to look at Drake as he came out of the bathroom and stood near the bed, watching her.

“It’s OK, Sophia. You don’t have to be strong all the time.”

Sophia looked up at Drake and saw such understanding in his eyes. As he walked toward her, she felt safe; she had never felt safe to show her emotions with a man before. Sophia let the tears come and wrapped her arms around Drake’s neck as he stood next to her.

Her tears were so genuine, and Drake thought they had probably been saved up from years of doing things all alone. He held on tight to her and didn’t let go. More than anything, Drake just wanted Sophia to know that there were people in the world that wouldn’t hurt her. There were people that actually cared about her, and he was one of those people.

They stood at the edge of the bed for the last fifteen minutes of their time together. Drake was prepared to stay with Sophia if she needed him. He didn’t need to leave her. He could stay all night long if she really needed him, but as Sophia pulled away from him, Drake saw in her eyes that she wanted him to leave. The emotions of the moment were a lot for her, and she needed some time alone.

“Thank you for a great day, Sophia, I’ll never forget it.”

Sophia grabbed Drake’s hand and walked with him to the door of her room. Her face was coated with her own tears, and she just looked up at him and smiled. There wasn’t much she could say after totally crying like she just had done.

“Me too,” Sophia finally was able to get out.

“You sleep good tonight, and I’ll see you tomorrow,” Drake said as he opened the door and started down the hall toward his room.

He stopped and turned back to look at Sophia as she watched him walk down the hall. She looked beautiful and vulnerable, and much more like the person Drake thought she was. He waved to her one last time before turning and continuing down the hall.

“See you tomorrow,” Sophia managed to say.

As Sophia closed the door, she collapsed into tears up against it. She had spent her entire adult life trying to avoid talking about her past, and in the last week, she had done it twice. Sophia couldn’t stop the tears, and she didn’t know if she really wanted to stop them. It felt good to finally get some of that grief out of her.

Chapter 8

As Drake walked back to his room, he heard a loud crash come from Lauren’s room. He knocked on the door and then opened it quickly without waiting for her to answer. It sounded like she had fallen from something really high up, or something else had fallen.

“Are you alright?” he said, noticing a surfboard on the ground.

“Sorry, it just fell over while I was waxing it. It’s a bit of a beast.”

Drake hadn’t had the chance to read through Lauren’s file yet, but he suddenly remembered Robert telling him about Lauren. She was a famous surfer. It seemed like a fun lifestyle, and suddenly Drake could see why Lauren was always so dang happy.

“That sure does look big,” he said as he helped her pick it up.

“That’s what she said,” Lauren said as she started to laugh.

It took Drake just an extra second or two to get the joke, but then he started to laugh as well. He really did like how upbeat and positive Lauren was. It was a bit of a shock to go from Sophia, who was crying, to a conversation with Lauren, who was obviously upbeat and happy.

“You are funny; I like a good sense of humor,” Drake said.

“Thanks, I like a good ride.”

Drake was shocked at the sexual innuendo that was coming out of Lauren’s mouth. He certainly hadn’t heard such forward talk from her when she was around the other girls. He liked it, she was intriguing him more and more.

“Well, I’m going to go back to my room and think about you riding something big,” Drake said as he winked at Lauren.

“Have a good night.”

“You too, Lauren.”

Drake made his way to his room, and the first thing he did was call Robert. It had been bugging him all night long as to why he had been in such a hurry to leave and why he didn’t feel like talking at all when he was in the house.

“I’m sleeping,” Robert said as he answered his phone.

“No, you aren’t. What’s going on? Why did you rush out of here?”

Robert was quiet for a moment, and it sounded like he was walking or moving or something. Drake just waited for him to respond.

“My wife freaked out when she knew I was over there with you and the seven women the other night. I’m going to have to keep my distance this week.”

Drake started to laugh. Robert was one of the most loyal people Drake knew, and there was no way he would ever cheat on his wife. Never! Drake knew it one hundred percent. But he could see why Robert’s wife might not have felt very comfortable knowing that he had been around all those women.

“Why did you tell her?” Drake said through his chuckle.

“I’m not about to lie to my wife,” Robert said.

“So, cheeseburgers you can lie about, being at my house you can’t?”

“Exactly. I can’t fuck a cheeseburger,” Robert said seriously.

“Technically you could, but I don’t think you’d get that much out of it.”

“Drake, I’ll see you next week. I’m going back to bed. By the way, I’m waiting for a call from Charter Enterprises, they have a proposal they are sending over first thing in the morning. I’ll call you back when I get it.”

“OK, thanks. Goodnight.”

Drake was about to make another wise remark, but Robert had already hung up the phone. It was clear that Robert had a solid relationship with his wife and didn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize it. Drake thought that was pretty damn cool of him.

As Drake climbed into his bed, he wanted to call Samantha and convince her she was wrong about Scarlett, but the truth was, he thought she might be right. Scarlett made Drake feel uneasy around her. She did feel like she was one step out of his league, and Drake loved that. He loved the quiet confidence she exuded and the fact that she got naked and went skinny dipping, even though he could tell she didn’t want to.

But as Drake lay in bed, he thought about the other women as well. There were a couple others that seemed like a much better match for him. They didn’t seem out of his league and were quite easy to talk to.

Lauren was super sweet, and her laugh made him smile every single time he was around her. She was laid back and relaxed, and that was exciting to him. It was a novel idea to date a woman who didn’t take life too seriously.

Then there was Victoria. She was funny, kind, and had her life together. She had planned an outstanding, great date where they fed the tigers. He liked the stability that Victoria offered and her willingness to think outside her normal comfort zone and try new things.

Emily’s date had been one of Drake’s favorites so far. She had taken him to the Playboy mansion, and they had made out in Hugh Heffner’s pool. It couldn't get much better than that. Plus, the way she reacted when Sophia had joined them in bed was something that Drake couldn’t get out of his mind. She had never experienced anything like that, yet she was ready and willing to enjoy herself.

At first, Drake had thought that Sophia was just too wild for him. She couldn’t hold a conversation and just wanted to fuck all the time. Drake felt like he had moved past that in his life and wanted more. But the last hour with Sophia had opened up a piece of her that Drake really wanted to get to know more about. He felt like she had just barely started to open up to him and getting to know her more was something that interested him immensely.

Cynthia seemed promising as well. She was a take-charge woman and really had a way of keeping Drake’s attention. He could certainly see that the two of them would be able to have some interesting conversations at the very least. Drake liked a strong woman, which was another change from the type of woman he had chased after in his younger days. When he was in his twenties, Drake just wanted women who would agree to sleep with him. He hadn’t cared at all if they had a plan for their life or a future, he just wanted them for one night.

Allison, she was one of the girls he could definitely see himself picking. But he didn’t know if it was because of her celebrity status or because he really liked her. He would just have to wait until their date to see if there was a real chemistry between them. Allison had a jet-set lifestyle, and there was a small part of Drake that was a little jealous of her. He wanted to travel more than he had been, but he had been stuck close to home so he could run his business.

Of course, he had the means to travel as much as he wanted to, but it was so much easier to get work done when he was at the office. Drake also couldn’t help thinking that Allison and he would surely have a lovely couple name in the press as soon as they were seen together.

His phone rang, and Drake saw Samantha’s picture pop up. His excitement surprised him, especially because of their little fight they’d had earlier in the evening.

“Hi, Sam,” Drake said softly. “I’m sorry we fought.”

“Me too; I’m sorry I told you that Scarlett was too good for you. I think you should pick whichever woman you want.”

“What are you doing right now?” Drake said seductively.

“I’m in my bed talking to you.”

“What are you wearing?” Drake teased.

“Oh, stop it, Drake. I’m not going to tell you what I’m wearing. How do you even have enough energy to flirt with me? I would think you would be exhausted by now.”

“My sleep cycle is all off. I slept all afternoon and now I’m not tired.”

“I’m wearing a T-shirt and my favorite panties,” Samantha said seductively into the phone.

It caught Drake totally off guard, and his cock instantly got hard. Samantha had always been so reluctant to flirt with him too much. She would flirt just enough, but then something would switch in her and she would pull back.

“What color are your panties?” Drake asked, hoping that she would keep going and answer him.

“They are red. Red satin. And they are so soft to touch,” Samantha said in a sultry and seductive voice.

Drake could hardly take it. His whole body felt like it was going to explode and his precum was already seeping out of the end of his cock. He had no choice but to pull himself out and stroke it to get some relief from the throbbing.

Her breath was heavy, and Drake imagined that Samantha was also playing with herself on the other end of the phone. He closed his eyes, listened to her breath and felt himself getting more and more excited.

“Touch it for me,” Drake said on a whim.

He didn’t expect her to actually do it. In fact, Drake thought his comment would be the end of their flirting, and Samantha would stop and pull away. To his utter shock, she did not stop.

“Okay,” she whispered into the phone.

Drake was done. His cock throbbed in his hand, and he wanted nothing more than to have Samantha there with him. She had tortured him by denying him for the last five years, and the one time she caved into his flirting, she was miles away from him.

“Are you touching yourself?” Drake asked.

“I am. My fingers are sliding up and down my wet pussy, and I’m thinking about your tongue being here.”

Drake moved his hand faster and faster as Samantha talked. He couldn’t bring himself to say another word, but he listened to every single breath that came out of her.

Her breathing became more labored, and he could tell she was moving around more. He wanted to be there more than anything else. He almost got into his car and drove right over to her house. But he didn’t want to miss what was going on right at that moment.

“Sam, come here. Come be with me tonight,” Drake said softly.

“Ohh, my fingers feel so good,” Samantha said as she totally ignored Drake’s request to come to his bed.

“Tell me what they feel like.”

“Ohhh … they feel like your fingers inside of me.”

Drake heard Samantha pull in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. He listened intently as her breathing got more and more labored, and he heard the pleasure in her exhales. She was there, in her bed, playing with herself and talking to him on the phone. Drake couldn’t believe it. Suddenly, everything that was going on in the house didn’t matter at all. He would love to have Samantha in his bed. He would give up every single other woman if she would just have him.

Her moans came faster, and Drake felt himself getting close to exploding as he listened to her. Neither of them spoke, and instead, they exchanged long, drawn out breaths that excited both of them. His eyes were closed as he heard Samantha cum from the touch of her fingers. She took in one last deep breath and then grunted in total delight.

“God, I’m so drunk,” Samantha giggled into the phone.

It all started to make sense to Drake. Samantha wouldn’t have called him and done that if she was sober. She had set up a firm boundary with him and wasn’t going to break that boundary, ever. Drake couldn’t help smiling at the thought that Samantha had finally caved in to her desire for him.

He knew she liked him; he had known it for years, but finally, he had just a small bit of proof that his feelings for her were in fact reciprocated by her. Unfortunately, in the light of day, Drake didn’t think Samantha had actually changed her mind at all about being with him.

“That was fun, Sam,” Drake said softly. “You should get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast.”

“Okay, see you in the morning.”

As Samantha hung up the phone, Drake felt a huge pang of sadness wash over him. Nothing was turning out quite the way he wanted it to. He went back to his thoughts of the seven lovely women he had in his house and smiled. His life was pretty damn good at that moment. There wasn’t anything that Drake could complain about.

Drake sprung up out of bed and made his way down the hallway.

Chapter 9

“Show me what you bought,” Drake said to Victoria when she opened her door.

She tried to hide the shock of seeing Drake at her door, but there was just no way she could. A smile spread across her face, and she pulled Drake into her room as she looked down the hallway to make sure no one had seen Drake. The last thing Victoria wanted was for the other women to get mad at her for spending extra time with Drake.

“Close your eyes,” Victoria said, walking Drake into her room and over to a chair near her bed.

“I’ve been thinking about it for days. You are seriously killing me. What is it?” Drake demanded in a playful tone.

“Oh, well, you will just have to keep waiting.”

Drake heard Victoria moving around the room and opening the bag that he assumed was from the toy store. His imagination went wild as he tried to think of what could be in that bag. He was so horny after talking with Samantha, his cock felt ready to thrust inside Victoria that very instant.

Victoria flipped the cock ring on that she had purchased at the store and let it vibrate a little so Drake could hear it.

“Is it a vibrator?” he asked.

“Sort of.”

Victoria smiled as she took off her clothes and walked over to where Drake sat in the chair. She unzipped his pants and pulled his throbbing member out, letting her fingers play with him a little bit. He was already so hard for her that she had a difficult time holding herself back; she wanted to jump right onto him and feel his girth inside of her.

Drake felt the vibration from the item as Victoria kneeled between his legs. He couldn’t wait to have her put it on him and was eager to feel himself inside of her with it around him.

“Is it a cock ring?” Drake asked smiling.

Victoria didn’t talk anymore, and instead wrapped her lips around his cock to get him nice and wet. Then she slipped the buzzing plastic ring around him and all the way down to the base of his shaft.

Drake felt the vibrations, but what he really wanted to feel was Victoria straddling his cock and bouncing up and down on top of him. He couldn’t wait another moment and grabbed Victoria and practically lifted her off the ground and onto him.

As her tight body slid over his cock, he exhaled with relief. He finally was going to get the explosion he needed.

Victoria wrapped her arms tight around his neck and thrust herself against the vibrations of the cock ring. It didn’t take long before they were both tightening up and hoping for the sweet release of orgasm.

“Oh … my … God …” Victoria screamed as her body released.

Drake had held on only barely until that moment, and he released his deep thrust into her and finally felt the orgasmic relief that he needed. His body felt calm again, and he was happy to have finally seen what it was that Victoria had picked out at the store.

“That was a pretty good choice for your first sex toy,” Drake said as he held Victoria close to him.

“I’m glad you liked it. I really couldn’t decide. There were so many things that looked like fun to try.”

Drake just held onto Victoria. His mind was quickly swimming with all the women in his life and all the interactions he had participated in over the last few days. The conversations mixed in his head, even the dates themselves were mixing in his memory. He wanted to make Victoria feel special since she had just gone out of her comfort zone for him, but Drake also wanted to go back to his room and have the rest of the night alone.

He compromised and stayed with Victoria for about a half hour as they cuddled and talked about their week so far. Drake tried not to give too many details about his dates, and Victoria tried not to ask too much. She was just excited that Drake had chosen to spend the extra time with her.

As Drake finally made it back to his room, he had to wonder why it was Victoria he had gone to right away. He hadn’t thought about any of the other women, not even Sophia, who he had just been with all day long. Instead, the first woman he thought of and the first woman he went to was Victoria.

He took his third shower of the day and then climbed wearily into his bed. It felt good to have some time all to himself. But Drake couldn’t get his mind to stop thinking.

His eyes were closed, and he wanted to sleep desperately, but all he could see were the women and all he could feel was the enormous weight of his decision that he had to make that week. It was getting harder and harder to see a front runner among the group of women. Plus, Samantha had totally messed with his head by her little phone sex display.

Drake had eight absolutely beautiful women that he wanted to be with. How would he ever make a choice of just one of them? What if the one he chose didn’t want him back?

His mind swirled with those questions as he drifted off to sleep. Only to be woken up just before dawn by his phone ringing. He could tell it was Robert by the ring.

“We have a problem … you need to leave the house and get to the office right away,” Robert said in an urgent tone.

The Billionaire’s Hunt

Allison

The Billionaire Bachelor Series 5

Chapter 1

“Robert, you know you could have handled this without me. I trust you.”

Drake had rushed from his house into the office mainly because of the panic he heard in Roberts' voice. It wasn’t very often that Robert lost control like that and Drake didn’t want to sit at home and try to figure out just what Robert was trying to say.

But once he got into the office, Drake realized that Robert was throwing a giant fit over an international client who had refused to deal directly with Robert. Clients were fickle creatures and especially the ones who were about to be taken over. They wanted to hold onto the last bit of control they had and if that meant they weren’t going to finish a deal unless Drake was in the room; that was exactly what would happen.

Drake had spent years dealing with people in the eleventh hour before a takeover and they always panicked and tried to exert their right to take up as much of his time as they possibility could. He wasn’t angry about it, but he wasn’t happy about it either.

“The client said he wouldn’t deal with me, only you. I’m not going to throw away a multi-million-dollar client without talking to you first. I would hope you wouldn’t do that to me either,” Robert said when he had finally calmed down.

“Alright, I’ll talk to the client. Get me a video conference going and the notes on his company.”

Drake was a professional and he knew that some other CEOs were not interested in dealing with anyone except him when they talked about contracts and deals. It was ridiculous though, because Robert probably knew more about the contracts than Drake could ever know. But it was all about the face of the organization and Drake was certainly the face of Leblanc Enterprises.

“Hello Mr. Sukimoto, it is nice to see you,” Drake said into the large television in his conference room.

“Mr. Leblanc, it is a pleasure to see you too. I have concerns about your buy-out contract and I would like to address each of them with you.”

Drake took in a deep breath as he looked at his watch, it was almost two in the morning and he was looking at a long night of contract negotiations. He wasn’t about to get stuck going through the whole contract alone.

“Certainly, Mr. Sukimoto, I’m going to invite my partner Robert to sit in with us on this. He was the one who drew up the contract so he will be best to answer any of our questions. Let’s get started.”

Robert came into the room and sat next to Drake, he made sure to flash an apology smile at Drake as they started to work on the contract. Robert knew Drake wasn’t the type of boss to get upset about things like that, but Robert still hated that he had called Drake all the way into the office in the middle of the night just to go over the contract that Robert had written.

“Item number one,” Mr. Sukimoto started. “I’d like to add a clause that states my name will be removed from all business identifications.”

“Of course,” Drake said as he looked at Robert and waited for him to write down what needed to be changed.

Contract negotiations were one of the things Drake dreaded the most. He had always thought email was a much better way to do the negotiations. The client could simply submit the changes they were requesting and then Robert would make the changes and get back to them if they had any other concerns.

Obviously, there were times when the clients wanted changes that Drake wasn’t willing to agree to and during those cases a teleconference was the perfect way to settle things.

But even then, Drake preferred in-person meetings when it came to contracts. It was much harder to argue about a small point if Drake was right there in the room with someone. He just had the ability to put people at ease and they wouldn’t argue with him very much.

Drake, Robert, and Mr. Sukimoto spent the entire evening together as they went line by line through the contract. There were some areas where it was important for Drake to be there so they could negotiate, but most of the changes were simple things that Drake and Robert didn’t have a problem with changing.

As other office employees started to arrive in the morning, Mr. Sukimoto noted that it was getting late for him and he would have to leave for the evening. It hadn’t occurred to him at all that Drake and Robert had just stayed up all night long to talk with him.

But they were buying his company so Drake was going to make any necessary concessions to make sure the deal went through without a hitch. Buying Textron Industries out of Tokyo was going to be a huge deal for Leblanc Enterprises. Drake was going to have a footprint in Asia and that was a big start for his company over there.

“I’m sorry Drake,” Robert said as they hung up the conference call.

“It’s alright. It isn’t like I have seven beautiful women at my home just waiting for me to spend time with them or anything,” Drake laughed.

“How is that all going? Have you found one that you like the best?”

Drake had to think about the question a little bit. He liked them all for vastly different reasons but he wasn’t sure he had found one that he liked so much more than the rest. It was going to be a horribly difficult job when he had to decide on just one girl at the end of the week.

“Man, I really don’t know who I’ll pick. Every girl is better than any other woman I’ve dated before. You guys did a really good job picking them.”

“It was mostly Samantha. She knows you very well.”

“Speaking of Sam, I better get my ass back over to the house before she gets here,” Drake said as he started to pack up his laptop and notes so he could head back over to his house.

But just as he was leaving the conference room Drake ran into Samantha as she came in to work. Her short skirt and hi-heels still made his heart flutter, even after working together for years. It was a real shame that she continues to deny him his desire to have her.

“What are you doing here!” she exclaimed as she walked toward her desk.

“Robert needed me, I’m just leaving now.”

Drake always laughed at the serious nature by which Samantha always took things. She was so by the book about rules and work, but every once in a while, Drake got a glimpse of her when she relaxed. Man, oh man, did he love to spend time with Samantha when she let loose and actually relaxed.

“You aren’t supposed to be here, Drake. You are never going to learn work/life balance if you keep coming into the office or doing work. Take a vacation, damn it.”

As much as Drake loved Samantha, he didn’t like when she yelled at him like he was some sort of child. He ran a multi-billion-dollar company; he didn’t need her telling him what to do. She was wound up too tight and he wasn’t going to let her tight-ass attitude rub off on him. Plus, she needed to know that it wasn’t alright to talk to him like that. He didn’t care if they had been together for years; she needed to respect him.

“Samantha, I understand what you’re saying but please remember that I’m the boss around here and if I need to come into work, I’m going to come into work.”

Robert looked away as the intensity in Drake’s eyes made it clear that he wasn’t joking around.

“Don’t be a jerk, Drake. You have women that stopped their lives to come stay at your house with you and see if you were a match. Did you bother to tell any of them you were here? Did you tell Allison? It’s almost nine o’clock in the morning. She’s probably been waiting for you for hours. Get back home.”

Drake took a step toward Samantha and placed his hand on her arm. He always felt more effective with her when he touched her. Plus, she was damn nice to touch; even if it was in an appropriate work manner.

“If you order me around again, I’ll fire you.”

Samantha looked shocked at the words that came out of Drakes' mouth. It wasn’t normal for him to be so short with her and usually didn’t mind when she took control of things and told him what was going on. But Samantha knew right away she needed to back down. Whatever was going on with Drake wasn’t worth her losing her job over.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “Do you want me to call the house and let them know when you will be there?”

“No need to call them. They can wait,” Drake said and then made his way out of his office and down to his car.

By the time he reached his vehicle, Drake felt bad for the way he had talked to Sam. He knew she just wanted what was best for him and that she was looking out for the best interest of the women at his house.

Drake didn’t know if it was because of the business deal or just all the craziness that had been going on at the house, but he needed to take a few minutes to himself. He felt his blood pressure boiling up and his head pounded with a headache. Things certainly had not gotten off to a great start that morning.

As he left his office, Drake made his way down to the beach and slipped his shoes off to go for a walk. He had a lot of life decisions that needed to be made and things were piling up in his head.

Not only would he need to choose one of the girls that were in the house, but he was also going to have to tell the other ones that he hadn’t chosen them. That was going to be the hardest thing for sure.

He thought about all the women and which one he might be willing to let go. The problem was, he wasn’t sure he would be willing to let any of them go. When he had started the whole process, Drake was positive there would be one woman that would stand out above all the others, unfortunately; that had not been the case so far.

Every single woman was significantly better than the women he had dated outside the house. They were funny, independent, and great to be around. Each had their own unique personalities that Drake was attracted to as well as unique bodies that he was also attracted to.

Victoria had been his first date, she was a Harvard professor; there was no one smarter in the house. Emily was young, but she worked for Playboy and had brought Drake there for their date. Sophia was playful and sexy, she had kept Drake occupied and exhausted on their date. He couldn’t believe there were still four women left to spend time with. It was overwhelming to think about all the greatness that he had in his home waiting to spend time with him.

He decided to stop wallowing in his thoughts and get his ass back home. Allison was his date that day and he had been really excited to spend the day with her. Drake made a conscious effort to get the negative thoughts out of his mind so he could go on his date with Allison full of enthusiasm and excitement; she deserved that.

As he pulled up to his house and started to walk up toward the front door, Drake glanced down at his watch and realized that it was almost noon. He felt a pull of guilt in his stomach as he walked through the door and made his way to the kitchen to see who was around.

“Do you know where Allison is?” He asked Scarlett.

She made a funny face and then pointed outside.

“She’s been waiting a long time,” Scarlett said sweetly.

“I know, she’s probably angry.”

“Nope, I think she’s fine. Probably the best one of the bunch if you had to pick one of us to stand up.”

“I didn’t stand her up. I was working,” Drake said as he grabbed the sandwich out of Scarlett’s hand and took a big bite.

“You’ll be alright. Allison’s a pretty cool chick.”

Drake gave Scarlett a wave and then turned to go out to the back yard while he finished chewing the sandwich he had in his mouth. She was such a beautiful woman and it was hard to pull himself away; but he knew he needed to see Allison.

Scarlett was a pretty cool chick as well, Drake thought as he made his way outside. She could have said any number of things that would have had Drake worried about being so late for his date with Allison, but instead, talking to Scarlett had eased his worry.

Chapter 2

Allison woke up early filled with excitement on her day with Drake. She felt like it had been the longest week of her life. Watching the other women get their time with him had killed her. But it was finally her turn.

She wasn’t use to waiting for anyone. As a model, typically people had to wait for her. It was funny to her that she was stuck waiting for her chance to spend a day with Drake, it was certainly a role reversal that she found the humor in.

Her heart fluttered as she got ready in her private bathroom, this was going to be the day she got to spend every moment with Drake. Her morning ritual when faster than normal and she found herself ready to go see Drake much earlier than she had planned.

Allison sat down at the table in her room and watched the clock as she waited for it to be eight. She had already decided that eight o’clock was the most reasonable hour for meeting up with Drake and she wasn’t going to deviate from her plan even though she was up and ready by 7:30 am.

Finally! When the clock struck eight, Allison left her room and made her way toward Drake’s room. Her feet barely touched the ground as she moved quickly down the hall. It was like Christmas morning for her and she couldn’t wait to see Drake and have fun with their time together.

She knocked on the door and waited for him to answer. Surely it wasn’t too early in the morning for a guy like Drake. He struck Allison as the type of guy who was always up early and ready to go. She felt herself getting more and more self-conscious as she waited outside his door. It was starting to feel really desperate as she stood there and hoped for him to open the door. But by the same token, she didn’t want to leave and he was just in the shower or something like that. She agonized over what she should do as she continued to stand in front of his door.

Her excitement started to dim the longer she stood there and he still didn’t answer. It wasn’t like Allison was a surprise to him. Drake knew it was her day, they had discussed it at the pool the previous evening.

She knocked one last time and then turned to head downstairs figuring that Drake had probably chosen to spend the evening with Sophia. She had been his date the previous night so it was an obvious possibility that they had just slept together.

Sophia was very pushy and Allison knew she would have convinced Drake to stay with her for the evening. As much as Allison wanted to hate Sophia, she just couldn’t. Sophia was a nice girl but she just had a mission in her mind to land Drake. Sophia didn’t care all that much about the other girls or even being all that nice to them. She wanted to land the prize of Drake and was going to do whatever she needed to in order to make that happen.

It didn’t bother Allison though; she knew what it was like to feel like you were being pulled in a million directions and never had enough time. Her entire life was like that. Even the day she came to interview with Samantha and Robert had been one long day that stretched into two full days awake because of her schedule. So, there was no way she could get angry at Drake for succumbing to the same issues she had.

Instead of getting agitated or angry, Allison went down to the kitchen and made herself a delicious omelet. Egg whites, ham, and spinach filled her plate and she took the dish out to the pool to sit back and enjoy the morning sun.

“No Drake yet?” Scarlett said as she came out to join Allison.

“Nope.”

“It’s alright I’m sure he’ll be down soon.”

“Thanks. But I’m not too worried. It’s a beautiful day out, maybe I’ll get grab my workout clothes and go for a run. Would you like to join me?”

“These boobs are lethal weapons if I start running,” Scarlett joked. “But if you’d be interested in swimming some laps I’d join you for that.”

Allison liked Scarlett, although she seemed really laid back and not like she was all that interested in Drake at all. It sucked that Scarlett didn’t get to have her date with Drake until the last day. Allison didn’t think she could have handled waiting that long, it would have drove her completely nuts.

“Sure, I’m not the best swimmer but I’ll give it a try,” Allison said. “Can I doggy paddle?”

“Any swimming is better exercise than sitting out here on our butts. I’ll go get my suit.”

“Me too. Do you think he stayed with Sophia last night?” Allison asked as she tried to look like she didn’t care.

“Probably. That girl is ruthless. But if you want my advice, just be above it all. Don’t let yourself get wrapped up in these girls’ games. He’s smart enough to see through all of that.”

“Thanks, Scarlett.”

As Scarlett went to get her swimsuit, Allison finished her breakfast and continued to watch the door to see if Drake was coming or not. She saw Cynthia, Lauren, Emily and Victoria all make their way to the kitchen to get breakfast. The only two missing were Sophia and Drake. She took a deep breath as she realized he must have spent the night with Sophia.

It was alright, though. Allison reminded herself that it wasn’t a competition. The only goal of staying at the house for the week was so she could get to know Drake and he could get to know her. If things worked out and they wanted to spend more time together that would be great; if they didn’t work out, that was also alright.

Coming to stay with Drake for the week had been a fluke anyway. At first, Allison thought it was a joke. She had a lot of friends who liked to play jokes on her. But after she talked with Samantha and realized it was the real deal, Allison couldn’t help but come in for an interview and see what it was all about. Drake was a handsome guy and had experience with publicity and the media just like Allison did. It was hard to find a guy who truly understood her struggles as a model.

Most men thought it was cool to date a world-renowned model, but it was only so they could tell their friends they dated Allison. Once the reality of her schedule and travel life hit home, most men decided they weren’t all that interested in her after all. Allison had gotten better at weeding the men out early on, but that was why she was so excited to meet Drake. He had similar life problems as she did and they would have a lot to talk about. That was if they ever got any alone time to talk.

As Allison and Scarlett started to swim laps, a few of the other women came out to the pool to eat their breakfasts and talk. The mornings around Drake’s house had become much more comfortable over the last couple of days. Probably because a few of the women had the chance to spend some time with Drake. Even if it hadn’t been their day with him, he did make an effort each day to spend a little time with the women.

Then, as Allison took a break from her laps, she looked up and saw Sophia as she walked out to the pool area. Sophia had on 4-inch heels and her hair and makeup was done impeccably. She didn’t look like a woman who was coming to the pool to enjoy an afternoon of relaxation. Sophia looked like a woman who was coming to the pool to seduce a man. The problem with that scenario was that it was Allison’s day and she had already missed the whole morning and didn’t want to miss any more time because Sophia was trying to pull Drake away.

“Is Drake coming?” Allison asked.

She surprised herself at how eagerly the words came out; she hadn’t meant to sound that eager. Allison felt out of her normal element all morning long as she waited for Drake to come down. She had finally waited long enough that she was getting a little annoyed.

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since last night,” Sophia said rudely.

Allison looked over at Scarlett and the other women as they all tried to figure out what the heck was going on. Where had Drake gone? It was very clear that none of the women knew where Drake was.

“Let’s swim some more laps and then I’ll make us some sandwiches,” Scarlett said to take Allison’s mind off of the news that Drake wasn’t coming out.

For the next couple of hours, they swam and laughed. Some of the other girls decided to jump in the water as well. And they all had a great time, well everyone except Sophia.

Sophia decided she didn’t want to ruin her hair or makeup so she sat on the side of the pool and sunbathed while the other women played and got to know each other. It was very clear that Sophia had no intentions of being very friendly with the women.

When Scarlett went to make everyone some sandwiches, Allison got out of the pool and decided to lay in the sun for a little bit and soak in some rays. She wasn’t allowed to suntan according to her modeling contracts, but she just covered her face with a towel to keep the sun from damaging her skin. The warmth of the sun felt too good to ignore and she ended up closing her eyes and falling asleep underneath the warm sun rays.

Drake stood near the pool and looked around to see where Allison was. He looked in the pool and out of the pool until he found a woman lying down with a towel over her face.

“Is that Allison?” he asked Cynthia.

“Yep, she got tired of waiting and took a nap.”

Drake and Cynthia laughed together as he gave her a kiss on the cheek and then went over and sat down on the chair next to Allison. He was prepared to sit there until she uncovered her face and looked up at him.

He let his hand stroke her arm slowly up and down the length of it while he looked at her delicate skin. It was clear why Allison had been so successful as a model. Her skin was flawless. Her body was equally flawless with all the best curves going on.

Allison had been a Victoria Secrets model and Drake remembered seeing a picture of her runway performance in her file. He was lucky that Samantha and Robert had been able to convince her to come spend the week with him. Drake suspected she was a very busy young lady and probably had to cancel some big clients in order to spend a whole week off the grid at his house.

“Scarlett, if that’s you I’m not going to eat your pussy again. I’m too tired,” Allison said through her towel.

Drake was shocked and stopped stroking Allison’s hand almost instantly. She sat up and pulled the towel away from her face and pretended to be surprised that it wasn’t Scarlett. Allison loved to joke with people about being a lesbian, although she actually didn’t like to sleep with women at all. Allison did find it fun to shock and surprise people whenever it was possible.

“Oh, so you and Scarlett were keeping each other company this morning?” Drake asked.

Allison couldn’t keep a straight face, but she sure did love teasing Drake and making him wonder just what she and Scarlett had been doing together all morning. She tried to hold back for as long as possible before she burst into laughter. It was difficult not to laugh because Drake seemed so eager to see if what she was saying was true.

Ever since Allison was in high school she had been known as a jokester. It was just one of the things that she really enjoyed doing. Even when she was on a set of a movie or doing a photo shoot, Allison tried to keep things fun and light. It was the only way she had found to get through stressful situations.

“We were bored. You know how girls get. One minute we are bored, the next we are eating each other out.”

“Actually, I didn’t know that that was what women did when they were bored. Let me leave and come back again,” Drake teased.

Allison smiled and she was just happy that Drake was finally there. She really didn’t care if they missed what she had planned for the day. As long as they got to spend the day together, that was all that was important to her.

“Were you busy saving the world this morning?” Allison said as she leaned in and whispered to Drake.

“Yes, but I forgot my Superman cape in the car. I can go get it if you’d like.”

“Nope, but you should go get your suit on and we can hang out here for a little bit.”

Allison didn’t mind if they just sat in the backyard and talked. She was just happy to get some time with him. She also hoped that the women would give her some personal time with him and they all wouldn’t decide to stay out there just because Drake was going to be there.

“Yes, ma’am I’ll go get my suit right now.”

Allison watched as Drake made his way back to the house and stopped to say hi to each of the other women in the house. She was happy he was saying his hellos for the day at that moment because later in the day she hoped she could have him all to herself and he wouldn’t feel obliged to come back out and spend time with the other women.

“Do you mind if I stay out here with you two?” Sophia said as she started to slip off her clothes and expose a teeny tiny bikini.

Allison just rolled her eyes. Of course, Sophia was willing to go swimming now. Only because Drake was there.

“You can stay out for a half hour, but then give me some time with him. Deal?” Allison said.

“I’ll do my best.”

Ugh, Allison wished she was a meaner person and had told Sophia to just go inside. It was going to be horribly hard to keep Drake’s attention when Sophia was out there trying to distract him.

Chapter 3

One of the most important things Drake learned in running his business was the skill of being present in the moment. Even if you had two hundred other tasks that you had to accomplish, you had to be present in the moment you were in or nothing would ever get done to the level that you want it to.

Drake could show up at a meeting, but if his mind were on something else, the meeting would last twice as long. He would end up asking more questions than normal and not guiding the meeting at the pace he needed it to go.

He had learned that same skill was useful in his private life, women loved it when you could give them undivided attention. The more he was able to focus on the woman he was with, the better the experience was for both him and her.

The week of having seven women at his house was the ultimate test of his skills of paying attention to one person at a time. Even when all the women were down to have dinner or they were playing poker, Drake made a specific point to look them in the eye and pay attention when they were talking. If it was only for a minute, or five minutes, that was better than not paying attention to them at all.

As Drake came back out to the pool area with his swimsuit on, all of the women stopped what they were doing to pay attention to him. Drake had movie star good looks with a chiseled body that was naturally tanned. His brown hair was a little shaggy, but he had it impeccably styled. Every single one of the girls couldn’t resist watching him as he made his way to the pool. They were all intent on staying out there and spending time with him, for as long as Allison would allow it.

Drake sat back down next to Allison, who had covered her face back up with the towel again.

“Scarlett, is that you again?” She teased.

“Yes,” Drake said in the highest pitched voice he could come up with.

Allison pulled off her towel and threw it at him. It was finally time for them to get to know each other. She could hardly contain her excitement that he was there and they were going to get to spend the whole rest of the day together.

“Let’s swim,” she said as she stood up and made her way to the pool.

But there was one thing that Drake needed to take care of before he could give Allison his undivided attention.

“Ladies,” Drake said in a loud voice. “I’d like to spend some time with Allison. You can have the pool back in an hour or so. Enjoy your day.”

The women were understandably disappointed that Drake was kicking them out of the pool area and back inside, but they went willingly. Most of them did, at least. The women who had already spent time with Drake still wanted to spend more time with him and the women who hadn’t had their dates with him just wanted a chance to talk to him more. But they all made their way back into the house…except Sophia.

Sophia stayed in the pool and didn’t seem fazed at all by what Drake had just asked of all the women. The same rules didn’t apply to her, or at least she thought.

“Sophia, you too please,” Drake said.

“Oh, it’s ok. Allison said I could stay out here with you guys.”

Allison was standing behind Sophia and she just shrugged her shoulders out of despair. She wasn’t use to telling people no and she wasn’t about to get on Sophia’s bad side by telling her she couldn’t stay out there with them.

Drake saw the look of despair on Allison’s face and knew exactly what it was about. He had seen a similar look on Emily’s face when Sophia had joined them in the bedroom.

The difference in that situation was that Emily had a fantasy about having a threesome that she had already shared with Drake. But Allison hadn’t shared any such fantasy and Drake thought it was only right to let Allison have his undivided attention.

“I think I’d like some alone time with Allison. Could you please head inside?” Drake asked as he held out his hand for Sophia to use for assistance as she climbed out of the pool.

Allison looked at Drake and couldn’t help but smile. She was extremely grateful that he had taken it upon himself to ask Sophia to leave. Surely, she wouldn’t get mad at Drake for asking her to give them alone time.

“Of course,” Sophia said as she climbed out of the pool.

Allison couldn’t even look at Sophia as she walked toward her towel in her swimsuit that left nothing to the imagination. It was just a few strings and some triangles of fabric. Allison was a model and didn’t have a single thing to complain about when it came to her body…but she would never wear something like that swimsuit around other women. It seemed very disrespectful.

But then again, Sophia had said more than once that she wasn’t in the house to make new friends; she was there to snag Drake.

“Come see me later,” Sophia whispered in Drake’s ear as she pressed her wet body up against his.

He couldn’t help but get a little erect as her breasts touched his skin. Sophia was certainly a very erotic woman. She had a way about her that just made Drake melt. He felt pretty proud of himself for asking her to leave so Allison and he could have some time together.

“I hope you’re alright with me asking her to leave,” Drake said as he climbed into the pool and made his way over to Allison.

“I don’t know. I really did want to spend some more quality time with Sophia,” Allison joked.

“I could go get her again if you’d like,” Drake said as he started to walk back toward the house through the pool water.

Allison swam up behind him and wrapped her arms around Drake. He felt so good next to her body and she would have been happy to spend the entire day right there in the pool. The only thing she didn’t like was that she kept seeing women peeking their heads out of the windows of the house to see what they were doing.

“Stay,” she whispered into his ear.

Drake grabbed Allison’s body while they walked in the water and he flipped himself around. Instead of putting her down, though, Drake wrapped her legs around him and made his way over to the steps so they could sit down and talk.

With Allison still wrapped around his waist, Drake sat down on the steps and wrapped his arms around her. He could also see that the women were looking out at them from the house, but he didn’t care. They all knew that it was Allison’s turn with him and he wasn’t doing anything too outrageous with her. They were simply sitting and talking and enjoying each other’s company.

“Are you mad that I abandoned you today?”

“Yes, you are going to have to spend the next twelve hours making it up to me,” she said as she kissed him.

Drake felt pretty confident that Allison was teasing him about being mad at him, but he did intend on spending the rest of the day giving Allison his undivided attention. She was a good sport about him being out during the morning and that was something he really appreciated.

The water was warm around them and it instantly reminded Drake of the water at the Playboy mansion that he had been in with Emily. Having more than one girl around was starting to get really difficult for him.

Drake continued to kiss Allison in an effort to get Emily off his mind. He couldn’t stand feeling like he was always cheating on the other women. By the end of the week, he suspected he would either be over that feeling or it would be horribly overwhelming.

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” Drake said between kisses.

“Really?” Allison said as she started to get excited. “Anything? I like that.”

“Did you have something specific in mind?”

“Yes, but let’s hang out for a little bit first.”

Drake and Allison walked over to the deep end of the pool and sat down in the specially designed love seat he had in the pool. It was simply a concrete ledge that was submerged in the water, but Drake liked to think of it as a love seat.

“Tell me more about you,” Drake said as he grabbed Allison’s hand and wrapped it up in his.

Relaxing and talking wasn’t something that Drake did that well. He was better at work or sex, but he could tell that Allison wanted to take things a little slower and that was perfectly alright with him.

“Well I’ve only been to jail three times,” Allison started as she gave Drake a little side glance.

He loved that she joked so much. It was fun to be around someone who didn’t take life so seriously and knew how to have fun. Drake could use more fun in his life. He did good at going out to clubs and drinking, but it wasn’t all that much fun anymore.

“You’ve got me beat on the jail time,” Drake laughed.

“I just got back from a trip to Thailand. It was fun, I had to get dressed up in some wild makeup and outfits. I travel a lot so it’s hard to have anything close to a real relationship. Surprisingly men don’t actually like to date supermodels.”

“I beg to differ,” Drake said as he pulled Allison close to him.

“I'm serious. The idea of a supermodel is fun, but when I’m gone for weeks at a time, then things don’t seem as much fun anymore.”

“You just haven’t met the right guy yet.”

Allison was willing to agree that she hadn’t met the right guy yet, that was why she was there with Drake. That was why she had canceled a huge photo shoot with Guess Jeans to be there in that pool with Drake.

“So what kind of guy do you think would be right for me?” Allison said as she snuggled up to Drake in the warm pool water.

“I’m pretty sure he’d be tall…maybe six foot one inches or so.”

“Oh, really? And what else?”

“He’d know how to use Skype so when his woman was away they could play over video chat. There’s no reason to miss your guy with the technology we have nowadays.”

“So he’s tall and tech savvy, got it,” Allison said as she pretended to write down notes on her hand.

“It’s going to be important that he has a good job. Something where he could travel freely, maybe he’s even the CEO of his company or something like that.”

“Hmm, I don’t know. Those CEO types can be really full of themselves,” they both started to laugh.

It was easy to talk with Allison and Drake really liked that. He was interested in getting to know her to see if their connection could last past the first few minutes.

As his hands weaved with her fingers, Drake felt an energy between them. Simply by looking at him, Allison had his full attention. He didn’t have to pretend to be interested in her; Drake was actually extremely interested in what she had to say.

“Do you have trouble with the paparazzi?” Drake tried to change the subject a little.

“Yes, they always know when I’m landing in L.A. it’s really hard to avoid them. I’ve just given in to the fact that I’ll need to walk through a group of them every time I land. They aren’t as bad overseas, though. Sometimes I can travel for weeks without anyone taking my photo. But it also depends on who I’m dating.”

Drake laughed, he could only imagine how crazy the paparazzi would get if he and Allison were dating. They would be all over the place trying to snap photos and giving them cute nicknames.

Drake had been lucky though and he had never really had to deal with the paparazzi very much. They kept a respectable distance when he was out in public and never really seemed all that interested in him at all. Only when he would show up to movie premiers and things like that did the paparazzi really come out and try to get his picture and dirt on him. Otherwise, he was relatively left in the shadows of the trendy paparazzi world.

“I’ve had a few run-ins with them, but they are pretty respectful of my time. Probably because I’m just a businessman who has people writing stories about me. I’m not in any movies or commercials.”

Allison swam out into the middle of the pool as she continued her conversation with Drake. She needed to get a little physical separation from him, if only for a moment. It was becoming too hard to control herself as she sat next to Drake and she didn’t want to take things any farther with all the girls from the house looking out at them.

“You’d have a lot of paparazzi if you went out in public with me. I’m sure they would love you.”

Drake sat back and watched Allison as she swam around the pool. She was a beautiful girl. More of a traditional beauty but certainly still one of the most beautiful women he had known. Her long blonde hair tangled around her arms as she floated in the water, her big blue eyes sparkled when the sun hit them. But the thing that struck Drake the most about Allison was her huge smile. She seemed to have a thousand-watt smile that could be seen from a mile away. He loved looking at her as she smiled, it gave him a sense of calm.

“Would you mind if I went and showered?” Drake said as he swam out to meet Allison in the middle of the pool.

“That sounds good. Do you have a tuxedo? You should put that on today. I think we are going to try and make an event.”

Drake’s interest was raised right away. A tuxedo was a pretty big event, even in Los Angeles. It was the afternoon though and only charity events and movie premieres had tuxedo attire in the middle of the day.

“Will you join me in the shower?” Drake asked in hopes that Allison would actually come with him.

“I need to call the organizers and tell them I’ll be there. I had canceled this morning when I didn’t know when you would be back.”

Instantly Drake felt horrible for not being around, but the very least he could do was make it up to Allison by coming with her to her event. He didn’t mind at all. In fact, Drake was happy to do whatever Allison wanted to do with her time. It was exciting to see what each of the women planned for their days and how they wanted to spend their time with him. Drake felt like it gave him real insight into what was important to each of the women.

“Then we better get looking fabulous for your day of fun. I’ll brush the cobwebs off my tuxedo and be downstairs in 30 minutes. Is that enough time for you to get ready?”

“I can be down in twenty,” Allison said as she swam to the side of the pool, jumped out and started to run upstairs.

Drake grabbed his things and chased after her up the stairs. He almost caught her but she slid into her room just before he made it to her.

“See you in fifteen minutes,” Drake teased.

Chapter 4

“I’m going to be able to make it after all,” Allison said over the phone to the event organizer.

“Oh, Allison that is so wonderful. The girls would have missed you horribly. I hadn’t announced that you canceled yet because I was hoping to find someone else to fill your spot, but I haven’t had any luck.”

“I’ll be there within the hour, is that enough time to rehearse?” Allison asked as she pulled her gown out of the bag she had it in.

“No, but it doesn’t matter. You can wing it; the girls won’t care. We are just so excited that you are coming.”

“Me too! I’m going to bring Drake Leblanc with me. Is that alright?”

There was silence on the other end of the phone and Allison knew exactly what was going on. The organizer of the event was probably jumping up and down going crazy with excitement over the news. Drake was probably a bigger deal amount the volunteers at the event than the girls that were there.

“Susanna?” Allison asked.

“Oh, yes. That would be just fine.”

Allison laughed a little as she thought she heard her friend Susanna a little out of breath. It was so fun to get to surprise them and their group and Allison was devastated when she didn’t think she was going to be able to make it.

“We will have a special table there for you and can’t wait to see you,” Susanna said as the women hung up their phones.

Allison knew that her conversation with Susanna had probably cost her the winning moment of getting ready faster than Drake, but it was alright. She took her time and pulled her dress on and then added a touch of makeup and pulled her hair up into a messy bun. The girls at this event weren’t’ going to be too concerned about Allison’s hair and makeup, they were just going to be excited to see her there

She descended the stairs slowly and looked around the living room for Drake. She expected to see him there and ready to gloat at how quickly he had gotten ready, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Then she looked around the corner at the base of the stairs and saw Drake laying on the couch and pretending to sleep. He started to snore loudly when she reached the bottom of the stairs and Allison couldn’t hold it together. She burst out laughing so hard that she had to cover her mouth so she didn’t spit all over the place.

“Oh, hey, that was a great nap,” Drake teased as he got up and stretched his arms.

“You weren’t down here that long, don’t even try it!”

“I am well rested at least,” Drake said as he put his arm out for Allison to hold onto while they walked down the steps toward his vehicle. “Are you alright with me driving?”

“Um, I don’t have a driver’s license so you’ll have to drive.”

Drake stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Allison with his eyes about as big as they could get. He had never met a grown person who didn’t have a driver’s license. Allison was 24-years old he couldn’t fathom why she didn’t have a license.

Allison had seen that look of wonder on people's faces before. She knew it was unusual not to have a license, but she had been a model since she was a teenager and people always sent cars to pick her up. She just never got around to studying for the test or going into the DMV and taking it. She used UBER, taxis, or had a car service everywhere she went.

She had vacillated between wanting a license and not needing one for many years. But the opportunity never presented itself for her to get her license. She never had the time to go wait at the DMV or to try and take the test. Although she felt like she probably could drive, she had watched others do it for so many years; how hard could it really be?

“It’s ok, I’m not a leper, I just don’t drive,” she laughed.

“I would offer to teach you, but I’m not that great at it myself. I’ve had a few tickets this year alone.”

“I don’t really feel like I need it right now in my life. I’ve always got a way around. This is the age of UBER, we don’t need licenses anymore.”

“You keep telling yourself that,” Drake joked as he opened the door for Allison to get into his SUV.

Allison just laughed. She knew that people didn’t understand her choice about a driver’s license. It wasn’t something new to her. Even her own mother hounded her to get her license. Someday she probably would, but for the time being she was just going to let Drake do all the driving.

“If you take Interstate 5 north I’ll let you know where we need to get off.” Allison leaned toward Drake and kissed his cheek “You do want me to tell you where to get off don’t you? Or would you prefer to MapQuest it?”

Drake felt his cock throb at Allison’s words and the idea of her getting him off. He knew she was talking about directions but his body just loved having her so close to him. She was a tantalizing beauty with a hilarious sense of humor. Drake wouldn’t put it past her if she were bringing him to some weird alternative movie premiere or something like that.

His driving was fast, but that was how Allison liked it. She never felt uncomfortable when people drove fast. It was a rush that she couldn’t get anywhere else. She leaned back in her seat and enjoyed the drive as they made their way north toward the event venue.

“What kind of charity work do you do?” Allison asked.

“Not nearly enough,” Drake said. Embarrassed to admit that he hardly did any. Only when Samantha arranged something and practically placed him at the event did Drake participate in any charity events. He did, however, donate a lot of money to charities that he thought were doing a great job. “Mostly financial donations.”

“It’s alright. I wasn’t asking to make you feel bad. I know you’re busy.”

“I really would like to do more events. I just get so caught up with work. I need a partner that I can do things with. Show up to events together and have a little date night while we do good.”

Allison reached over and held onto Drake’s hand. His words were like they had been taken right out of her mind. That was exactly why she had wanted to meet Drake. She thought it would be great to attend charity events, and other events, together as a team.

“Get off here and then turn toward the Chinese Theater,” Allison said as she pointed to the huge theater surrounded by cars and paparazzi.

“What is it?”

“It’s a beauty pageant, I’m the MC for the night,” Allison said with a huge smile on her face.

She could have told him that the event was a beauty pageant for girls with disabilities, but she didn’t want to take the fun out of it for him. Allison still remembered the first Miss Amazing pageant that she had watched and how exciting it was to see the women as they walked across the stage.

The girls were between the ages of 5 and 55 and all had significant mental or physical disabilities. The Miss Amazing pageant made it possible for them to feel beautiful and participate in a program that built them up. It was near and dear to Allison’s heart.

Drake smiled an awkward smile as they parked and made their way quickly through the crowd behind the building and to the stage. Allison didn’t have time to practice at all and was just handed her cue cards and pushed up onto the stage.

The stage manager grabbed Drake and brought him out into the audience so he could sit in the front row and watch the show up close. He looked around the audience and saw a lot of families there. They all looked so excited.

It was cute to see all the mothers and fathers dressed in their best clothes. Drake was happy to see that he wasn’t the only person wearing a tuxedo though, as many of the men in the audience had one on also.

As the lights dimmed and Allison came onto the stage, the audience erupted in applause. They were so excited to see her that they stood up and Drake did too. He couldn’t believe just how excited everyone was to see her.

“Hello everyone,” Allison began. “I’m so excited to be here hosting the Miss Amazing pageant today. You know it was six years ago that I first became a fan of this amazing organization and I’m a changed person because of all the wonderful girls I’ve met. Today, we are going to start with the little princesses.”

Drake looked to the edge of the stage where he saw a little girl about five or six years old standing near the curtain with a walker. There was a woman standing next to her and talking to her.

“First up we have Miss Abigail. This is her first year with Miss Amazing, let’s all give her a big applause.”

Drake felt his eyes start to water as the sweet little blonde-haired girl pushed her walker onto the stage. She stood in one pose and then moved her walker so she could make another pose. It was the most precious thing he had seen. Even as a guy, Drake felt his heart clench as the little girl moved across the stage and the audience clapped for her. She was so excited to be up there that her face literally beamed with light.

“Next up we have Ronna, she’s an old pro at this pageant and is ready to show us a little sass today.”

Ronna walked on the stage with the help of a man that appeared to be her father. He guided her to the center of the stage and then whispered something before he took a step back so she could do a few poses. When she was done, Ronna reached out for her father and his arm was instantly there for her to hold onto and walk back to the spot on the stage where she would stand while the other contestants did their walks.

Drake felt the tears pouring down his face by the time the fifth girl was brought out on stage in a wheelchair and unable to lift her arms or head. She was dressed in a beautiful dress and had a huge smile on her face as her mother twirled her chair around the stage. Drake couldn’t stop himself from crying. He wasn’t sure why the little girls had touched his heart strings so much, but he just couldn’t stop himself.

Crying and emotions weren’t something that Drake normally gave in to. Most of his life he had been the tough guy who didn’t cry, not even when he fell and broke his arm as a child. But as an adult, Drake was open to crying a lot more. He found himself sometimes watching an emotional commercial and tears rolling down his face. But tears, and emotions, were certainly something that was new to him as he approached forty years of age. He definitely wouldn’t have been crying in that audience when he was in his twenties; no matter how cute the girls were.

As the first group of girls left the stage and Allison prepared to read the names of the next group, he caught her focus and wiped his tears away. She playfully mocked him by pretending to wipe her own tears away and then brought him a small container of Kleenex that she had under the podium.

“I’m always prepared at this event. Sorry, I should have given you some of these before you sat down,” Allison said as she kissed Drake on the cheek and then went back up on stage.

Chapter 5

As the event continued on, Drake watched Allison in awe. She was so at ease on the stage, nothing appeared to faze her at all and she showed the ultimate kindness to all the contestants.

He didn’t think he could be surprised by someone as much as Allison had surprised him that day. The Miss Amazing pageant put so much of life in perspective. Here were girls that could hardly walk and they were on stage smiling and showing off their outfits. It wasn’t about who was prettiest, it was purely about having fun and recognizing girls.

While on stage, Allison kept looking at Drake to see if he was getting bored. A beauty pageant wasn’t probably the best date in the world, especially since Allison couldn’t even spend time with Drake for the first few hours they were there. But every time she looked at Drake he was smiling and enjoying the show; even though he was sometimes smiling through tears.

It was moving to see how much Drake appreciated what the young girls were going through to be up on stage. Allison had participated in traditional pageants when she was young and they were nothing like the non-profit she was helping with.

Finding a man who could share her passion for volunteering was important for Allison. She didn’t always have a lot of time to give to organizations, but Allison felt strongly about making some time each month for the groups that she felt strongly about.

There were so many celebrities, business people, and models who had the financial means to donate to organizations. But what many of those people didn’t know was that actually showing up to a function was much more powerful for the people involved. Allison had learned that lesson very well over the last few years.

Helping with the pageant was just one of the groups that she felt strongly about. It was essential for young girls to feel confident and empowered and that was why Allison loved that particular program so much.

As a teenager, Allison felt bullied by her peers in the pageant and felt like she could never be thin enough or pretty enough. But the Miss Amazing pageant wasn’t like that at all. Everyone there cheered for each other and came together to make the other girls feel good about themselves. It was certainly an amazing organization.

By the time the pageant ended and the winner had been crowned, Allison and Drake had been at the pageant for almost three hours. When she came out from behind the stage to get Drake, one of the girls wrapped her arms around Allison’s waist and wouldn’t let go.

“I love you so much Miss Allison,” the girl said.

Her mother was quickly right behind her and trying to get her to release her grip on Allison.

“I’m so sorry,” the Mom said. “She follows you on Instagram and just loves everything you do. It will just take me a second to convince her to let you go.”

“Hi there,” Allison said as she looked down at the young girl. “Would you like to take a photo with me for my Instagram page?”

The girl instantly released her grip on Allison and started to shake her head up and down to say yes.

“Drake, could you take our photo?” Allison said as she motioned for him to come over.

“Now that is a good-looking couple of girls,” Drake said.

It was clear that the young girl’s mother instantly knew who Drake was, she smiled and couldn’t stop staring at him. As Drake took the picture of Allison and the young girl, the mother took a picture of Drake.

“Would you like me to take your picture with Drake?” Allison asked as she noted the fondness for Drake.

“Only if you wouldn’t mind, Mr. Leblanc,” the Mother said.

“Absolutely, I love getting my picture taken with pretty ladies,” Drake said as he wrapped his arm around the young girl’s mother and they snapped a photo.

As the young girl and her mother made their way back into the crowd, Allison pulled Drake toward her and wrapped her arms around him in a giant hug. There weren’t very many men in the world who could actually enjoy a day at a beauty pageant. She felt very lucky to have Drake there with her for the event.

“Should we get going?” Allison asked.

“I think we will need to wait for a little bit,” Drake said with a huge smile on his face.

“Why?”

“Because you have some admirers who would like to talk to you first,” Drake turned Allison around and she was face to face with a half-dozen young contestants who wanted to talk with her and get pictures.

For the next hour, Allison graciously talked with the young contestants and took photos with them. Drake had been her designated photographer for a while but then some of the fans and their families started asking him to sign things and take photos with them as well so Allison had a volunteer from the pageant take photos.

It was quite the scene as girls lined up in front of the couple. First, they wanted Allison’s picture and then Drake’s, by the end of the afternoon people were asking to have their photos with the couple together.

As Allison wrapped her arm behind Drake and smiled for the dozens of photos, she realized it would be one hundred times worse if they were with paparazzi. The girls and their families were gracious and waited for their turns. They didn’t push or force themselves on Allison and Drake. Nothing like what the paparazzi would do to the couple if they showed up to an event together.

“I need to get you alone,” Drake whispered into Allison’s ear.

“Oh, you do? Well I’m starving, can we sit down to dinner with everyone first?”

“Nope,” Drake said with determination in his voice. “Hi, everyone. We are going to go use the little boys and girls room for a minute. We will be right back.”

Drake grabbed Allison’s hand and pulled her behind him and down the long corridor in the back that lead to the restrooms. But he had no intention of stopping at the restrooms. Instead, he was bringing Allison to a small quiet room he had seen when they first walked in the back door.

“Where are we going?” Allison giggled as she tried to keep up with Drake.

As they reached the small closet of a room, Drake pulled Allison in and shut the door behind them. It was filled with shelves of toiletries and cleaning supplies. Not the most romantic place in the world, but he had been consumed with a need to have a moment alone with Allison.

“I needed to get you alone,” Drake said as he held Allison close to his body.

The look in his eyes was intense and she couldn’t help but think he had some naughty plans for them later in the evening. Or maybe his plans were intended for right there in the closet.

“You have me alone, now what?” Allison whispered as she let her mouth move to his and they kissed gently.

Her fingers tingled with excitement as she pressed up against Drake’s chest. He was built like a Greek God and she loved feeling his muscular form under her hands. Her hand moved slowly against his muscles as she took in the firmness of his body and tried to remember each moment. She might not get to touch Drake again after their day was over; Allison was going to take advantage of every moment she had with him.

“Now, I’m going to show you something,” he whispered as his lips took a break from her mouth and moved to gently kissing her neck.

Slowly he kissed from her ear down the side of her body. He didn’t stop at her neck but continued to kiss down the length of Allison’s arm and then back up again.

Her shimmering dress glimmered in the dim light of the closet they were in and Drake couldn’t wait to get Allison away from the charity event and back to the house. He wanted to spend some quality time with Allison; without clothing.

“We need to go eat,” Allison said as she gently pressed on Drake to push him away.

“I’m starving,” Drake said as he slid to his knees and pushed her dress up around her waist.

His mouth moved her panties out of the way and before Allison knew what was happening, Drake had his tongue on her warm wet center.

She grabbed onto the shelving unit behind her as Drake grabbed one of her legs and put it up over his shoulder. She held on to try and balance herself but Drake grabbed the other leg and put it on his other shoulder. Allison no longer had her feet on the ground and was left to hold onto the shelving and Drake’s head for balance.

His tongue moved deep inside of her and Allison felt her body shiver with excitement. The whole thing was beyond anything that Allison would have thought she would do. Never had she even considered having sex in a public place before, although the closet was admittedly pretty private.

The excitement of the moment and the touch of Drake’s tongue had Allison dripping with excitement. She had to bite down in her small handbag to prevent her from screaming out in delight as his tongue made her body tremble. Each flick and lick of his tongue touched her in a way she wasn’t prepared for.

Drake had her in the perfect position for him to deliver enjoyment. Her legs were spread wide, her body was in his control. He moved diligently to lap up her juices and bring her body to orgasm. Slowly at first but then as her body trembled Drake increased the speed and pressure that he applied.

Faster and harder he moved his tongue until he felt the muscles of her thighs tighten up and her body arch in a final attempt to prevent the orgasm. Surely, he wasn’t going to let her stop the big moment from happening, though; Drake pressed Allison up against the shelving unit and used it to hold her while he slid his hands to her knees. Gently he spread her body open wide as his tongue finished her off with a delightful thrust in and out of her body.

Finally, Allison released her body and gave in to the orgasm that shot through her. She thrust her thighs in tight around his head and held onto his hair as she shook with delight. Her whole body trembled from her fingers to her toes as she released the energy of the orgasm.

Drake used his arm strength to gently lower Allison back down to the ground and steady her as he slid her panties back up her shaky legs. For a minute or so he felt bad that he had exhausted her and they still needed to go socialize throughout the dinner meal. But the look in her eyes made him quickly feel better. Allison’s eyes were glazed over with happiness as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed Drake with more passion than he could have imagined.

“Wow, I needed that,” she laughed as she steadied herself and opened the closet door.

Drake followed behind as they made their way back out to the main hall and found their table to sit down to dinner.

Immediately after sitting down, Allison grabbed her water glass and drank every drop of water in the cup. She motioned for the waiter to bring her more and when he arrived she requested that he just leave the pitcher there for him.

“I’m so thirsty,” she said as she drank the water and looked at their fellow table mates.

Drake couldn’t help but smile as he thought about how she had shook from excitement with her orgasm. It was fun seeing her smiling and exhausted. He couldn’t wait to do that some more when their event was over.

Chapter 6

“Hands to yourself, mister,” Allison said as Drake slid his hand under the table and up her thigh.

“Shhh, we are listening to the speaker,” Drake said as he continued with his hand.

The speaker was a mother of last year’s winner. She talked about all the opportunities her daughter had and the significant changes that happened with her daughter’s health because of the new positive attitude. But as much as Allison wanted to listen to the speaker, she couldn’t stop thinking about Drake. He had totally destroyed her concentration and there was no way she would be able to think about anything but him for the rest of their dinner.

She felt his strong fingers as they moved up and down her thigh and all Allison could think about was how much longer she needed to be polite. How much longer did she need to sit and listen to the speakers? How much longer did she have to be sweet and kind with the lovely girls that had come to attend the pageant that day?

She wanted to be polite and fulfill her duty as the MC for the event. Allison wasn’t the type of person who would just bolt on an event because the main part was finished. She knew how much the girls wanted to talk to her and take pictures, but Allison didn’t know how much longer she could hold back her desire for Drake.

With their little closet incident, Allison’s brain had gone full-force into thinking about being in bed with Drake. She couldn’t help but imagine him naked on top of her. Their bodies moving with each other as she screamed out in delight. Allison needed to finish up the event so she could get her hands on Drake. She wanted to torture him like he had tortured her in that closet.

To keep herself entertained, Allison let her hand slide over to the bulge that was in Drake’s pants.

“No,” Drake said firmly as he stopped rubbing Allison’s thigh and moved his hand on top of Allison’s.

“Shhh, we are listening to the speaker,” Allison said with a huge smile as she turned to face the speaker but left her hand rubbing Drake’s hardness through his pants.

He was large -- a significantly large member that enticed Allison to rub him harder. She wanted to slide her hand inside of his pants or unzip him and pull him out right there under the table, but she decided not to. The last thing she needed was some young girl seeing his raging hard cock exposed and outside of his pants. But inside of his pants, well that was fair game.

Drake held onto Allison’s hand as she moved it up and down his hard cock. He couldn’t take it though and he had to make her stop. His body had been hard for almost a half an hour and he needed to get some relief soon.

“When can we leave?” he whispered into Allison’s ear.

“After dessert,” she said as her hand continued to stroke him.

“Then you need to stop, I can’t take anymore.”

“You’re a big tough man, you can handle it,” she teased him.

But she did slow down her strokes and eventually stopped to give him a small amount of relief while they listened to another speaker and waited for the dessert to come.

“How much longer?” he asked as he looked around desperately for the waiter.

“I don’t know. You won’t die, though,” she laughed.

“I might. I just might die right here with this raging cock and no relief.”

Allison giggled and then caught the eye of a young girl who had been watching them. She was probably about thirteen years old and she was sitting with her parents at the table right next to them. Allison quickly pulled her hands over to her own lap and turned her attention to the speaker again.

When the speaker finished, the young girl came over to Allison and Drake with a huge smile on her face.

“Are you two getting married?” She asked.

Allison turned and looked at Drake in terror, hoping that the girl had not seen anything that had been happening between the two of them. She desperately hoped the little girl had not been looking at them when Allison had her hand on Drake’s pants and was playing with him. Allison was so mortified that she couldn’t even say a word as she looked at Drake and hoped he would do the talking.

“She is really pretty isn’t she?” Drake said as he leaned in and took control of the conversation.

“Yes, she’s the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”

“I’m really lucky she’s here with me, aren’t I?” Drake said as he wrapped his arms around Allison and continued to talk with the girl.

“So, are you getting married?” the girl said again.

Her parents stood behind her and let her ask the questions she wanted. It was interesting how they didn’t interrupt her or try to apologize for her asking questions. Drake paid attention to them and remembered thinking that it was a good thing her parents let her have some independence.

“I’m not sure. Maybe we will,” Drake said. “Would you like to get a picture with us?”

The girl didn’t answer, but she did turn around and look at her parents. One of them quickly whipped out a camera and took a picture of the couple with the girl.

“Mommy, I think they are going to get married,” she said as they walked away.

The parents mouthed the words ‘thank you’ and then followed their daughter across the dining area to another table where she went to talk to another group of people.

“That was really sweet,” Allison said as she watched the girl and her family.

“Dessert?” The waiter said as he appeared behind the couple.

“Oh, thank God!” Drake exclaimed. He appeared overly eager for dessert and the waiter decided to leave a couple extra slices to make him happy.

“That chocolate cake does look delicious,” Allison said as she sat back and looked at the chocolate cake that was now at the table.

“Eat it,” Drake said as he pushed one of the plates in front of Allison.

“Oh, no. I don’t eat dessert. I have a swimsuit photo I need to take in a week. I’d have to run for like six hours straight to burn that off.”

Drake just laughed and continued to eat his piece of chocolate cake, but then he grabbed a fork full and brought it up to Allison’s mouth.

“How much exercise would one bite cost you?” he asked with a mischievous look in his eyes.

“What kind of exercise are we talking about?”

“The horizontal kind.”

“Hmm, I’m not sure, maybe fifteen minutes.”

Drake pressed the cake toward her mouth and Allison opened up and took it in. Fifteen minutes of fun in bed would be well worth a bite of the cake. But then Drake grabbed another fork full and brought it up to her mouth again.

“No, no, no,” she laughed as she covered her mouth.

“Open,” Drake demanded.

His voice was firm but he had that same smile on his face. Allison couldn’t resist and she opened her mouth again. The chocolate tasted like heaven to her lips. She had avoided things like cake for years and it was so good to taste the forbidden deliciousness.

Again, Drake grabbed a fork full of chocolate cake and brought it up to Allison’s lips. She couldn’t resist and she opened her mouth to take it in. Over and over again Drake fed Allison a whole piece of the rich, delicious chocolate cake.

“So that’s six hours worth of fun, right?” Drake smiled as he gathered Allison’s bag and pulled her chair out for her.

“It’s five thirty in the afternoon. We won’t get back to your place for at least an hour and a half with all this traffic. I guess I won’t get to burn off all those calories after all,” Allison teased him as they made their way out the back entrance.

At the car, Drake pressed Allison up against the door and kissed her. She was surprised by his passion and appreciated his excitement. Having Drake with her for that event had made her night and Allison couldn’t wait to continue their date some more. Drake was fun to be around and sexy as hell, he was just the kind of guy she had been looking for.

“Thank you,” Drake said.

“For what?”

“For today. I feel like I grew as a person because of these girls. Thank you so much for bringing me here with you today.”

“I’m glad you had fun. I was nervous that I would bore you to death and you wouldn’t have enjoyed yourself.”

“Where do you live?” Drake said as he suddenly appeared to have an idea.

She couldn’t help but laugh at the look that came across his face. Drake appeared to have been graced with a fabulous idea and he could hardly contain his excitement as he waited to hear where Allison lived.

“I’m just down the street, maybe five miles or so. I’m near the coast.”

“Show me,” Drake said as he handed her the keys to his car.

“I can’t drive silly, remember.”

“Sure you can. I’ll teach you.”

Allison felt the sweat as it rushed across her brow. The idea of driving hadn’t been something she thought too much about before. But as he handed her the keys she really did want to try it. Being able to drive would give her some increased independence and that was always a good thing.

“What if I crash your car?” she said as Drake walked her around to the driver's side and opened the door.

“Then you’ll buy me a new one,” he teased. “I have car insurance, don’t worry.”

“What if I hurt someone?”

“You aren’t going to hurt anyone. I’m here to teach you. We will go nice and slow. Well, not too slow. We need to get to your house in the next half an hour.”

Drake smiled from ear to ear as he saw Allison’s face as she figured out what he had planned. He wanted to take her back to her place so they could spend their time together there. It would be fun to see Allison’s house and see how she lived. All the women got to see his house and look through his things; it would be a good change of pace for Drake to see hers.

“Ok, I’ll drive for a little bit, but if I am horrible, you are going to take over!”

Drake agreed to her terms and got into the passenger side of the vehicle. They both put their seatbelts on and Drake showed Allison where all the controls were to his car. She actually seemed very comfortable in the vehicle and he didn’t feel too afraid to have her driving. Allison was twenty-four years old; she really needed to know how to drive.

“Put your foot on the brake and pull that gear shift down to the letter D,” Drake said as he looked around the parking lot to find the easiest way out.

“Which pedal is the brake,” Allison asked.

Drake’s eyes got wide and he instantly feared what he had started. But when he looked over at Allison she was laughing hysterically.

“Oh, God, I thought you were serious.”

“Ok, brake, and then move it to drive,” Allison said as she followed his directs closely. “I’m pretty good at this aren’t I?”

Allison moved slower than an eighty-year-old grandma would drive as she inched through the parking lot. Drake sat and smiled as he watched her steer with precision around other parked cars and out toward the street.

“We are going to need to speed it up as we pull out into the street here,” Drake said. “Wait for this last car and then pull out into the far right lane.”

Allison held onto the wheel tightly and waited for the car to pass then she pressed hard on the gas and they flew out into the street. She quickly regained control of the vehicle and lifted her foot off the gas as she moved down the street in her lane.

Drake held on tight to the handles of the car and tried to keep himself from laughing. She was by far the worse driver he had ever been in a car with. He had to keep reminding himself that she was like a young teenager who was learning for the first time.

“Remember to watch your speed,” he said calmly. “Stay in your lane and keep your eyes out for the other drivers.”

Luckily the drive to Allison’s house was only a few minutes away from the event they had attended. As she pulled into her driveway, Allison put the car into park and started to scream with delight.

“I’m a driver!” She exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Drake and kissed him. “Thank you for teaching me to drive!”

“It was a good start. Do you think you’ll try and take the test to get your license now?”

“Yes, I can’t wait to buy a convertible and cruise through town,” Allison said as she climbed out of the SUV and they made their way up to her house.

“Let me know when you’re on the road so I can stay off of it,” Drake joked.

“Oh, you know you want to be my co-pilot,” Allison said as she unlocked her door and brought Drake into her house.

Chapter 7

As they made it into Allison’s house, Drake slammed the door behind them. They could hear music in the other room, but he just assumed she had left it on before she left the house the last time.

“Do you hear that?” Allison asked as she looked toward her bedroom.

“Did you leave the music on?”

“I must have,” she said as Drake pressed her up against the wall and turned her around.

He let his hands slide her zipper down and the gown she had on slid to the ground. Drake kissed her bare back and let his hands move around to cup her breasts.

“That was fun,” Allison whispered as she held her breath with each of Drake’s kisses.

“Yes, it was, now we need to burn off that chocolate cake,” he teased.

His hands grabbed a hold of her lace panties and pressed them to the ground as he made his way down her body with light kisses. She bit her lip with excitement as each kissed moved closer to her ass.

When his lips finally made it to her round cheeks, Allison let him kiss her a couple of times and then she turned around and pulled him back up so his lips were on hers. Allison pulled Drake toward the living room and they leaned up against the couch as she started to untie his tuxedo tie. It proved to be more difficult than she had expected and Drake ended up untying it himself.

As Allison stood naked in her living room she worked with Drake to get all of his clothes off. Each piece of his tuxedo seemed to trip her up, though and Drake ended up removing most of it himself. In all the excitement, the intricate buttons of his tuxedo were just too much for Allison. Plus, she did love watching Drake take off his clothes. Kind of like her own personal strip tease.

“That’s a tricky outfit you’ve got going on there,” Allison said as she grabbed his hand and walked him back toward her bedroom.

“It’s gone now. Nothing to hold me back,” Drake said.

He pulled Allison into the hallway and pressed his naked body up to hers. The feeling of her soft smooth skin against his body was delightful and his friend the hard-on, was instantly back and ready to show off.

“Shh, get out before she sees us,” a man’s voice said.

Drake looked at Allison and they both looked toward her bedroom. Allison stormed off toward the room and flung the door open to find her assistant and his boyfriend running around the room trying to find their clothes.

“Michael, you have a house of your own! Why are you here?” she said firmly.

Michael and his boyfriend stopped to look at naked Allison as she stood in the doorway, but then they quickly looked at naked Drake who stood right behind her.

“Drake Leblanc!” Michael exclaimed as he rushed over and tried to hug Drake.

Allison put her hand out to prevent what she assumed would be a pretty awkward encounter. Drake didn’t strike her as the kind of man who was so comfortable with himself that he could hug another man while they were both naked.

“Put your clothes on, Michael,” Allison said firmly.

Drake slipped back out to the living room and took a moment to put his boxers back on too. He found it hilarious that Allison’s gay assistant was sleeping with a man in her bed. It was much more exciting than anything that ever happened with him and his assistant.

“Allison, please introduce me. I love him,” Michael was saying when Drake returned. “Oh, my God. He’s right there. I’m going to tinkle.”

“I’m not introducing you until you both are fully clothed. Get your clothes on and come out to the living room and I’ll introduce you.”

Allison walked into her room and pulled open a drawer with some t-shirts. She slipped one on over her head and pulled on a pair of clean panties from her drawer. She certainly wasn’t afraid to be naked, but figured it was only proper that she put some clothing on too, since she was making everyone else in the house get dressed.

“I’m sorry,” Allison said as she made a sad face when she walked back out to the living room with Drake.

“Don’t be. I wish I could catch my assistant boning someone in my house. It would be much more exciting than her always yelling at me. I think she’s too responsible to do something like that. though.”

“Your assistant is Samantha?”

“Yep, she’s been with me for years. And before you ask, no we haven’t ever slept together. We have kept it professional since we met.”

“That’s surprising.”

“Why? I don’t seem like the kind of guy who can keep things professional?”

“No, she just looks at you like she is in awe all the time. I would have thought she would have thrown herself at you at some point in your working relationship.”

Drake thought back to a previous night when Samantha and he had flirted on the phone, it was the closest they had ever been to actually having sex. Samantha just wasn’t interested in him and he had come to accept it. He didn’t like it. But Drake accepted it as her boundary and he wasn’t about to press her to go against what she thought was best.

“Drake Leblanc, we are huge fans of yours,” Michael said as he and his boyfriend made their way toward the couch where Drake and Allison were sitting. “I think I’m going to tinkle all over the place.”

“Huge,” said the friend as he looked at Drake’s boxer shorts.

Allison couldn’t help but laugh at their sexual innuendo and the little bit of shyness that came across Drake’s face. Allison didn’t think gay fans were something new to Drake; he was a very handsome guy. But she suspected he wasn’t used to having to talk with them while he was sitting in his underwear.

Drake was gracious and continued to talk with the two men for at least twenty minutes before he looked over at Allison in hopes that she would rescue him.

“Ok, boys, I’m all for a fun threesome, but foursomes are too much for me. Why don’t you call me on Sunday, Michael, and we can discuss some things. Take the rest of the week off, or at least stay at your house please,” Allison said as she hugged her assistant.

Michael and his boyfriend said their goodbyes and gave both Allison and Drake a kiss on the lips before they left. Allison laughed as Drake’s eyes got big when Michael kissed him. They all stood in the doorway of her house and waved goodbye at the men as they finally left for good.

“He’s a friendly guy,” she said as the guys left.

“I see that,” Drake said as he closed the door and they made their way back over to the couch.

“Is that your first man kiss?” Allison joked as she grabbed Drake’s hand and walked with him back toward her bedroom.

“No, I get kissed by guys all the time. You should see Robert, that man is crazy with the kisses.”

Allison almost doubled over with laughter as she thought about Robert kissing Drake. Robert seemed way too uptight to be kissing anyone, even his wife. So, to imagine him kissing Drake was just such a wild idea. Robert was a really nice guy and Allison thought he was probably a really good business partner; he just didn’t seem like a good kisser.

“Should we pick a different room?” Allison asked as they stood in the doorway and looked at her messy bed.

“How many rooms do you have?”

“Three other bedrooms and an office,” Allison said with confidence.

She had worked hard for her house in Hollywood and was proud that she had been able to buy it herself. There weren’t many girls her age that owned multi-million-dollar homes in the Hollywood hills.

“We better get started,” Drake said as he lifted Allison up off the ground and carried her into the room across the hall.

She laughed at first, but then saw the look in his eyes as Drake laid her down onto the bed. He was sincere and sweet as his muscular arms gently set her down.

Allison looked up at Drake and admired his frame as he stood over her. His body was chiseled with just the right combination of muscles and firmness. She smiled as he lowered his boxer shorts and exposed himself to her.

She couldn’t look away from his throbbing cock as he stood there. But then she burst out into laughter at the thought of his poor body being excited the whole time they were at the pageant dinner.

“Now, that’s not the reaction I like to get,” Drake said jokingly.

He was obviously confident in his size enough to joke with Allison. But it was true, he had never made a woman laugh when he seductively removed his clothing before.

“Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh at you. I mean your size is perfect. It’s obviously nothing to laugh about…”

“Shhh,” Drake said as he held his finger up to her mouth to get her to stop talking.

“I was just thinking about the dinner and when I was playing with you and then turned around and that little girl was looking at us. Then when she came over and asked if we were going to get married I almost died.”

“Shhh,” Drake continued as he pressed his own lips against Allison’s in an effort to get her to stop talking.

“I’m sorry. I talk when I get nervous. It’s nothing to do with you. Well actually, it’s you that has me nervous.”

Drake just looked at Allison and made the motion with his finger to shush her again. This time she listened and pulled him back toward her and kissed him back. His lips were so soft, but she could feel the stubble from his growing beard around his lips. It was sexy and she loved the feeling of his manly roughness.

He grabbed her shirt and pulled it up over her head while his mouth played with her nipples. She couldn’t help but let out a release of delightful moans as her body took in the feeling of his lips. He pulled hard against her nipple and the harder he pulled, the more she moaned.

Drake loved to hear Allison talk, but he loved to hear her moan even more. His body throbbed with a need to be inside of her. The talking was going to stop for the night and Drake was going to make Allison moan and scream with absolute pleasure.

Slowly he moved his mouth down her stomach and grabbed her panties with his teeth. He pulled on them hard as he moved them down her legs and finally released them from her body. In one quick motion, he threw them across the room and looked down at her sweet center and remembered the sounds she had made when he made her cum in the closet at the pageant earlier.

He started by kissing her ankle and then moved up her calf to her knee. Drake took his time and let his hands explore her curves while his lips touched each and every spot he wanted to on his way up her legs.

They weren’t in a hurry, they didn’t have to worry about anyone coming in to the room. Drake was happy they had decided to come to Allison’s house instead of returning to his. There was a sense of freedom they had while at her home which they wouldn’t have had at his house.

As he kissed up her legs, Drake thought about what life would have been like if he had met Allison outside of their current situation. Would they have even talked to each other? He wasn’t sure, but he was grateful that she had presented herself into his life and was there with him in bed at that very moment.

His mouth was warm and Allison wanted to feel it on her center again. She didn’t care that they had already done that in the closet. Allison wanted to be selfish and feel the release of another amazing orgasm at the undoing of Drake’s tongue.

She opened herself up to him as he moved up her thighs; the anticipation overwhelmed her as she waited to feel his wet tongue on her wet center. But Drake had different plans for Allison this time.

Drake had been thinking about Allison and her body all night long. There were so many things he wanted to do to her that he couldn’t stop to give a repeat performance of the oral sex orgasm he had given earlier in the day.

Chapter 8

With his body positioned between her spread-open legs, Drake teased Allison with his hard member. He moved in close to her and then pulled back again reveling in how her body moved in anticipation of him.

Allison loved looking up at his body and how he waited for her to take him in. She couldn’t get enough of Drake and wanted to stay there making love to him all day long and even into the next day.

Allison had spent the last several years dating guys that left much to be desired. Some were great looking guys on the surface but absolute jerks when she got them alone. Other guys were just plain jerks from the get-go but she hadn’t thought enough about herself to refuse them. Long days, weeks and months on the road had sometimes had her accepting offers from men that she normally wouldn’t have said yes to.

But Drake was different. Just the little bit of time she had spent with him throughout the week had already shown her that he was something special. She didn’t know if that was how he always was or if he had changed recently, but he was certainly different than she had expected him to be.

As they prepared to make love, Allison wanted to remember the moment for as long as possible. Even if Drake wasn’t the guy she ended up with in the long run. She wanted to remember the feeling she had around him. He was the kind of man she wanted to find to spend the rest of her life with. Someone who made her laugh but made her nervous as well. Someone who was manly, but yet could sit with disabled girls and watch a pageant all afternoon. Allison knew that someone like Drake was in her future for sure. But she hoped it would actually be Drake and that she wouldn’t lose him to one of the other women in the house.

His eyes locked onto her and Drake couldn’t take the anticipation another moment longer and he pressed himself deep into her. She gasped for air as he entered her and her arms reached up and pulled his body down on top of her. Soon Allison had her lips pressed up against Drakes as he moved inside of her.

They moved slowly and sweetly together as their bodies both pressed perfectly into one another. Drake took his time as he stroked deep into her and Allison wrapped her legs around his waist to get him to push even deeper inside of her.

Soon they were both drenched in sweat as their bodies continued to thrust against one another. Harder and harder they moved as each of them breathed heavily against one another. It was a much harder workout than Allison ever got when she went to the gym.

Allison, wanted to feel the explosion like she had earlier in the day, but she loved every stroke of having Drake inside of her. His arms held his body firmly above her and she used his strength as leverage while she moved against him. She felt weak from exhaustion but she couldn’t stop herself. She wanted more and more from him. Allison wanted to keep going until her body released again with the ultimate orgasm.

She felt his pelvis rubbing against hers and closed her eyes as her body started to let go with desire. But Drake wasn’t done yet and he didn’t want her to be done yet, either. He quickly lowered himself on top of Allison and started to move much slower than he had been. His hips thrust deep and slow and he took the time to catch his breath and look into Allison’s eyes.

Allison was beautiful, he had already established that and so had the world. But with her there underneath him, Drake realized that she was more than just beautiful on the outside. There was a happiness that radiated from her and made him excited that he had the chance to be with her. Just being there for that moment was something that he knew would change him. The feeling of contentment he had with her as they made love. It was more than he had expected.

Instead of rushing to feel himself orgasm, Drake found himself locked in a desire-filled moment with Allison. His body and hers were together in something deeper than just sex. They were making love. It wasn’t very often that Drake felt the need to actually make love with a woman; but it felt absolutely perfect with Allison. He could have stayed in that moment all night long if she would have let him.

Allison wiggled under him as her body wanted more and more of him. But Drake liked the feeling of being pressed up against her. He liked that she wanted him so desperately that she pressed her legs even farther apart to try and pull him in.

She tucked her arms under his and pulled on Drake in an effort to force him to thrust harder. Drake just smiled and continued his small movements as he looked down at her beautiful smile. He was content there with her and didn’t feel the need to rush things. His body and soul were enjoying Allison and Drake didn’t want to stop that enjoyment even if it stopped after an explosion of delight.

But Drake saw a desire in Allison’s eyes that he wanted to satisfy. He wanted her to get everything she wanted from him. She looked at him with such intensity that he knew she wanted to be fucked. Allison wouldn’t ask for it but she wanted the passion of loving making and the intensity of a hard fuck.

“I’m going to fuck you now,” Drake said while he looked her directly in the eyes.

“I thought that was what we were doing?”

“Hold on,” he said as Drake reached down and grabbed her legs and put them up onto his shoulders.

She let out a yelp of excitement as he repositioned himself with her legs up in the air. His thrusts came hard and deliberate as she let out screams with each one he delivered. Allison closed her eyes as the intensity of his thrusts sent her body into overdrive and she couldn’t stand the abundance of sensations.

Then she said it, the words she couldn’t remember ever saying in her life. Never had she wanted something so badly from a man and actually been able to get the words out at the right moment so he could give it to her.

“Harder,” she moaned. “Fuck me as hard as you can.”

Drake smiled down at her and her desire for more. He loved that she had felt willing to ask for what she wanted and he was more than happy to give it to her. He pressed her legs up higher and his hips deeper as he released one after another of deep thrusts.

Allison screamed out as her body took in the feeling of pure bliss that he delivered to her. She had never been with someone who she felt comfortable with enough to ask for sex to be harder. Normally she just went with what the guy was doing and had fun, but never to the level that she would have two orgasms in the same day.

But with Drake thrusting on top of her, Allison felt her body release and her legs start to shake. The orgasm was deep and more intense than the one she had had earlier in the day. She grabbed onto Drakes waist and held onto him as he continued to thrust until his body released in excitement of its own.

“I think I’m going to pass out,” Allison whispered as her body shook and she smiled up at Drake.

He jumped up and ran to the kitchen and got her a cup of water and brought it back to her. As she sipped on it, her body continued to shake with delight as it tried to calm from the exertion of orgasm that it had just undertaken.

“Are you alright?” Drake asked with a sympathetic smile.

“Let’s do that again,” Allison said as she put the water down and pressed Drake back onto the bed.

“I think you should rest. I don’t want you to pass out,” Drake said.

“I’ll rest when I’m dead,” Allison said as her mouth wrapped around Drake and started to suck on him.

He closed his eyes and then leaned over and took a big drink from the water. He was going to need to hydrate if they were going again. It was clear that Allison wasn’t interested in resting at all. She was on a mission to experience as many orgasm as she could and Drake was happy to be along for the ride.

Drake was surprised at how quickly his body reacted to Allison’s lips. He really was having a blast with her. Before he knew it, she had slid on top of him and was riding his cock like she owned it.

Allison looked down at Drake and smiled at the boyish grin on his face. She couldn’t help but hate that they would have to go back to his place soon and wouldn’t be able to spend much more time together.

The idea of having all the women over to his house was a good one. It was a great way for him to meet some amazing women and get to know them. The problem was that Allison actually started to have feelings for Drake and she didn’t want to share him with any of the other women in the house.

Before they had spent their day together, Allison was fine with letting everyone have their time with him. But after having a wonderful day with him, she was more certain than ever that she wanted to keep him all to herself. The rest of the week was going to be torture for her and she knew it.

For the time being though, Allison had Drake with her in bed and she wasn’t going to get ahead of herself. She was going to enjoy every last moment they had together before they returned to his house.

As her body rode on top of his hard member, Allison pressed her hands against his chest for stability. He rocked under her and thrust with her as she felt her body getting exhausted. Her hips moved slowly and she leaned over and rested her bare body against his.

Drake grabbed her around the waist and let his hips thrust into her as he moved his lips to kiss hers. Again, they found themselves moving slowly and deliberately as they romantically made love to each other. Drake had to admit that he liked making love to Allison even more than he liked fucking her. It just seemed like love-making was the pace that Allison felt the most comfortable with. She was the most like herself as they thrust slowly with each other and Drake wanted her to be herself. He didn’t want her to try and be anything or anyone else. Drake liked Allison for who she was.

The moment was genuine and sweet as they held each other and moved their bodies slowly together. His arms held onto her and their lips stayed pressed up against each other until Drake felt himself ready to deliver a few final thrusts. Without saying a word, Allison shook her head up and down to give him permission to cum as they finished off their afternoon of love making and she collapsed on top of him in exhaustion.

“I should have rested,” she teased as she tried to catch her breath. “I can’t believe you still have energy.”

“Oh, I don’t,” Drake laughed with her.

They stayed wrapped up in each other’s arms as they drifted off to sleep, both of their bodies riddled with exhaustion from their day together.

Chapter 9

“I don’t want to go back. Let’s just stay here. You can move in, we will start fresh in the morning,” Allison joked.

Drake wasn’t that far from agreeing to her plan. They had spent a great day together and he liked the idea of spending more time with her. Allison was certainly one of his top picks from the week and he couldn’t think of a single thing that he would change about her.

“How about we rest our eyes for just a moment before we go back?” Drake said as he pulled Allison next to him and yanked the covers up over them.

“We do have a few more rooms we need to christen,” she joked.

“Oh, God I can’t even move.”

“I know, I know, I was kidding. I think I’d fall over if I stood up right now. Let’s just stay right here and not move at all.”

“Allison,” Drake said in his manliest voice.

“Yes.”

“I need to tinkle.”

They both broke out laughing uncontrollably. Drake certainly couldn’t pull off the ‘tinkle’ word at all. It was so funny that he had made the effort, though. But Drake wasn’t able to carry off the word quite as well as her assistant Michael had done.

“You should definitely make that part of your vocabulary,” Allison said through her laughter that turned into tears.

“I think I’m going to throw it out there and see if I can surprise some people.”

Drake made his way to the bathroom and Allison hurried out to the front door to lock it and grab her cell phone. She was paranoid about being in her house without the door being locked because she’d had a few incidents with stalkers. They had been harmless fans who just wanted to get close to her, but Allison was still worried about them.

If a harmless fan could get into her house then someone who wanted to do her harm could easily get into the house as well. She had heard some wild stories from her friends about people and the lengths they would go to in order to get close to a celebrity.

“Put that thing down,” Drake said went he came out of the bathroom and saw Allison flipping through her phone.

“Just one more second. You can grab yours too, if you want,” she said as she flashed him a huge smile.

“That thing is super dangerous,” Drake said. “I think your smiles should be registered as weapons. You could get a guy to do just about anything.”

“My legs are insured for a million dollars. Maybe I should check into getting my smile insured, just in case.”

Drake made his way out to the living room to get his cell phone and check his messages. It was appealing that Allison also had a busy life like he did and had to check her phone every now and then. It would be difficult to be with a woman who didn’t truly understand what his life was like.

“Are you expecting someone?” Drake said from the living room.

“No, why?”

“There is a car in your driveway that just pulled in.”

Allison jumped up and threw her t-shirt back on as she ran out to the living room. She looked out the window and saw one of her least favorite people in the world. There weren’t many people that Allison could honestly say she hated. But the person sitting in her driveway was probably as close to hate as Allison had ever felt.

“Crap, it’s the Sun News Tabloid. Anytime I have someone over, even if it is just to visit. They come and run the license plate to see who it is. They are the biggest jerks in the world.”

Allison had dealt with the media and paparazzi for years and had thought she could handle them. But their underhanded tricks and ability to twist the truth made it impossible to even trust one of them.

Even when the story was very simple and clear, the paparazzi twisted it to their favor so they could sell it or make more money. Nothing they did was about sharing real honest facts with the public. Because the truth was that Allison’s life was really boring and that didn’t make for very good news stories.

Drake pulled his tuxedo pants on and before Allison knew what was going on, he had the door open and went straight up to the vehicle that was parked out there. Allison couldn’t hear what was said, but the conversation seemed pretty friendly and ended with Drake shaking the man’s hand and the man pulling out of the driveway.

As Drake walked back into the house he smiled from ear to ear at how easy it had been to get the man out of her driveway. He really didn’t know why people complained so much about the paparazzi. That man had been more than willing to have a decent conversation and said he had no problems with staying on the sidewalk next time.

“Geeze, what did you say to him?”

“I just reminded him that your driveway was private property and he could be arrested for being there. I suggested in the future that he park on the street and read your visitors license plates from there.”

“Drake! I don’t want him reading anyone’s license plates. And did you tell him who you were? Is that why he left so quickly?”

“No, I didn’t tell him, but I’m sure he’ll find out soon enough when he runs my plates.”

“You don’t understand. Those paparazzi are vultures. They won’t stop just because you asked them to.”

“He’s gone for now. Let’s get some rest and we will head back over to my house in a little bit.”

They climbed back into bed and within moments both Drake and Allison had fallen asleep. It was comfortable to be at her house and have the peace and quiet they both wanted. They didn’t have to worry about what time it was or where everyone else was at.

Unfortunately, they were so comfortable that they ended up sleeping right through the night and all the way to the next morning when the sun came up.

Drake was the first one to wake up and he looked at his watch and just smiled. He didn’t feel bad about spending the night with Allison. She had missed out on time with him all morning because he had been at work. But Drake did have a bad feeling about something and he just couldn’t figure out what it was. He felt like he was being watched or something like that.

He tried to shake the feeling as he looked around the room to see if Allison had a security system or something like that. But he couldn’t see anything that looked like a security camera. As he moved and adjusted himself in bed, Allison started to wake up as well.

“Good morning,” she said as she stretched her arms over her head.

Her hand hit the blinds and there was a quick movement outside the room. Drake jumped up and looked out the window just in time to see a man running away.

“I’ve got him,” Drake yelled as he ran toward the front door and flung it open.

“Drake, be careful. I’ve had stalkers. They can be dangerous,” Allison yelled after him.

She slid a pair of sweat pants on and made her way out to the front door to see if it had been a paparazzi or a stalker who had been looking in her house. But the closer she got to the living room the more noise she heard and it sounded like the click of cameras.

“Get back in the house,” Drake said as he stepped backwards from the front porch back into the house and shut the door.

He started to laugh at the crazy scene that was going on in Allison’s front yard. Obviously, the paparazzi didn’t care about threats of getting arrested. The man he had threatened was now in the front yard with a dozen of his friends taking photos of shirtless Drake as he ran out of the house to chase the man who had been looking in Allison’s window.

“Oh, yeah, that sometimes happens when they know the person who is staying over,” Allison said as she calmly went to the kitchen to get some coffee.

“That is insane!” Drake said as he looked out the window. “Does this happen often?”

“Not too much, but they all know I don’t drive, so when there is a car in my driveway they get excited. And seeing you last night probably got them really worked up. I bet they will get a couple thousand dollars for those shirtless photos of you.”

Drake couldn’t believe what he saw outside and he was impressed with just how well Allison handled it.

“So, what do we do now? How do we leave?”

“Oh, we can wait them out and stay in here, or just go out there and get our picture taken for them so they will leave.”

“That’s blackmail!” Drake said in disgust. “They can’t just stay out there until we come out.”

Drake obviously hadn’t been exposed to the level of paparazzi-hounding like Allison had. She knew that he was being naive but she just didn’t know how to describe just how ruthless they were to her. Most people thought that paparazzi were just like normal people and would follow normal people logic; but they weren’t normal people. The paparazzi followed their own rules and didn’t listen to the confines of society’s.

“Oh, yes. Actually, I’ve had them stay out there for two whole days before just waiting for me and a friend to leave. They are determined. If you actually want to get back to your house today we should just get dressed and go out and pose for a picture.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

Allison laughed at how angry Drake was about the paparazzi. She was so used to them that it wasn’t something that bothered her at all anymore. Instead, she had learned to deal with it.

“There is one other option,” Allison said with her huge smile.

“What’s that?”

Just as Allison was about to tell Drake about her plan to distract the paparazzi, one of them jumped up from behind the couch and started taking a ton of flash photos before he ran out of the house.

“I’m calling the police,” Drake yelled out after the man. “Are you alright? He must have gotten in the house when I ran after the other one. Do you want me to call the police?”

Allison had shrunk down to the floor of the kitchen out of shock when the man jumped up. She had been in the home when a stalker jumped out before and tried to kiss her. It was scary as hell and she felt her body start to shake as she thought back to that incident. Luckily, this time it was just a paparazzi.

“I’m okay,” she said as she stood back up and steadied herself against the counter.

Drake locked the front door and made his way over to Allison. She trembled in his arms and he just wanted to do something that would help her calm down. Her hands shook as he wrapped them up in his.

“I’m sorry, that was all my fault. I shouldn’t have gone out and talked to that guy last night.”

“No, no, it’s alright. They are jerks. There is nothing I can do to change that.”

Drake held onto Allison as he pondered the situation. He hated that she felt so exposed to those paparazzi. They treated her much differently than they treated him anytime he had interactions with them.

“Is that your phone?” Allison asked as they both acknowledged the buzzing noise coming from the couch.

“Hello,” Drake said

“Turn the television to NBC, what the hell are you doing, Drake?” Samantha said into the phone.

“What do you mean?”

“Just turn it on and get back to the house, we need to do some damage control.”

“Where’s your remote?” Drake asked as he looked at the television.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, Samantha just said to turn on NBC.”

As Allison flipped the television on and turned it to NBC they both covered their mouths in shock as the entertainment news show of the night blasted their headline story.

“Drake Leblanc found having sex with two men in Hollywood,” the reporter said as a picture of Allison’s assistant and his boyfriend popped up on the screen.

“Oh, shit,” Drake said as he dropped his phone.

The Billionaire’s Hunt

Cynthia

The Billionaire Bachelor Series 6

Chapter 1

“Well that was an interesting day,” Drake said as he and Allison pulled back up to his house.

After spending the night with Allison, they had just finished watching a news story stating that Drake was having sex with two gay men in Allison’s home. Of course, the story wasn’t true, and Drake had just been talking to Allison’s assistant and his boyfriend as they left, but the news media didn’t care about the truth. It was a salacious story that had a lot of people’s attention, and that was all that mattered to the people who made television.

“Yes, it was an interesting day for sure,” Allison said as she cuddled up to Drake in his car.

Their day together had been as close to perfect as she could have wanted. Allison had worked with the local charity group that she loved, and she and Drake had gotten a small taste of what life would be like if they were to date for real. People asking for their signatures, paparazzi at her house and lots of people wanting to know more about them at all times. It was exhausting, but Allison liked that she had someone who at least knew what she was going through.

They stayed in the car for a little bit while they talked one last time before going into the house. Allison knew that she wasn’t going to get much more alone time with him after that day, so she wanted Drake to know just how much she had enjoyed their time together.

“I know that the news was a little crazy, but I did still have a great time with you today,” Allison said, leaning over to kiss Drake.

“I enjoyed our day as well. It was lots of fun. I’m sorry about the fiasco with the press.”

“Drake, it’s not your fault; they are always like that.”

As the two of them made their way into the house, Drake paused to give Allison one last kiss before they walked in the door. He knew that the women in the house had probably seen the news story already and hoped they knew it wasn’t true. Obviously, he didn’t like men, he was living in a house full of seven women at the time. But he was prepared to explain to them what had happened if they needed that explanation.

“Drake, come over here,” Samantha said the second they opened the door.

“Yes, ma’am,” he teased.

Drake walked into the office just off of the main living area, finding both Samantha and Robert waiting to confront him about the current press coverage..

“This isn’t good, Drake; you work with some very traditional companies and they aren’t going to like even the hint of you having sex with men. Not just one man, the news story says you were having sex with multiple men,” Samantha said, reading from the notes she had.

Drake couldn’t help laughing at how worried Samantha was about the press. There he was in a house with seven women that he had been dating, and sleeping with, over the last few days. He couldn’t help wondering what kind of stories the press would be running if they knew what was going on in his house at that very moment.

“So, you’re not worried about the seven women I have in my home and I’m sleeping with, but you are worried about the two men that are not in my home and I’m not sleeping with?” Drake said as he continued laughing.

“You know what I mean, Drake. It’s bad publicity.”

“Why? I bet I’m getting great ratings with the gay community.”

“Drake, this is serious, you need to listen to Samantha,” Robert added.

“Robert, it’s not serious. We aren’t talking about world hunger here. We are just talking about a tabloid story that isn’t true. Let it cycle through at least one news cycle, and then let’s talk about it if it’s still a story.”

“Drake I’m not sure why you think this is alright.”

Drake understood why Robert and Samantha were so worried, but in the scheme of things, it really wasn’t that big a deal. Drake really didn’t care if people thought he was gay; it didn’t bother him at all. In fact, he found it rather humorous.

“I’m done talking about this; I’m going to go talk with Cynthia and the other women for a little bit. Why don’t you two discuss what needs to happen and then let me know what you decide.”

Drake turned and left the room before either Samantha or Robert could respond. He really didn’t have time to worry about things like the two of them did. He had a life to lead, and he had to talk with Cynthia. It was already almost 9 a.m., and he didn’t want her to feel like she had missed out on her time with him.

Cynthia was sitting with Scarlett and laughing when Drake walked into the living room. He paused and watched the two women as they talked and laughed before realizing that Drake was there. Both Cynthia and Scarlett seemed oblivious to the gossiping going on around them. The other girls appeared to have the news on and were watching as they talked to each other.

Drake didn’t really care if people were watching the news story, even the women he had living with him. Anyone that knew him had to know that the story wasn’t true. There couldn’t be any doubt in anyone’s mind about whether Drake was gay or not. He loved his women and had been seen with more than any of those news reporters could even count.

But the news and tabloids weren’t interested in the real story; they just wanted something interesting to say on television. It was actually kind of sickening how little they cared whether a story was true or not.

“Do you ladies mind if I join you?” Drake asked, facing Cynthia and Scarlett.

The other ladies in the living room suddenly realized he was there and turned their attention to him. But when they realized he wanted to talk with Cynthia and Scarlett, the others resumed their conversation.

“You two look rather cozy over here,” he said as he sat down between the two women.

Scarlett was well put together in a flowing teal colored dress with her ample breasts pressed up against the top of the dress. It was impossible for Drake not to pay attention to her breasts when Scarlett was anywhere near him, but the more he got to know her, the more he realized that she was much more than just her boobs. She was a smart, level-headed woman who never seemed to let anything get to her.

Cynthia was Drake’s date for that day, and he was really quite excited about the opportunity. She was going to be a unique date for him and not for the reasons that Samantha or Robert might think. Drake was excited to have a date with Cynthia because of her professed love of being a dominatrix. He had never dated or been involved with a woman who liked that sort of thing, but Drake had secretly been attracted to that lifestyle for a long time.

It wasn’t like you could just come out and tell a woman that you wanted to try some S&M stuff, though. Either a woman was into that stuff or she wasn’t, and if you asked a woman who wasn’t into it, they got scared off and didn’t want to talk to you much more. Although, Drake LeBlanc knew that any woman who he told would probably still stick around because of his money. He did genuinely want to talk with a woman who found the S&M lifestyle exciting. He was intrigued by it and couldn’t wait to have a real conversation with Cynthia during their day together.

“We were just talking about your fondness for the gay man,” Cynthia said as she and Scarlett laughed.

“Yes, we like how sexually free you are,” Scarlett added.

Drake couldn’t help laughing at how easygoing both of the women were. They obviously didn’t care if the news was true or not, and that was exactly why he liked them. It didn’t really matter what the truth was, Drake wanted to pick a woman who was sexually free enough to not care about homosexuality.

“Scarlett, how was your day? I’m sorry that I didn’t get much of a chance to talk with everyone yesterday.”

“My day was good; I’ve enjoyed getting to know all the other women,” Scarlett said sweetly.

Cynthia couldn’t help laughing a little.

“You haven’t enjoyed getting to know the other women?” Drake asked.

“No, most of them are way too high-maintenance for me. That’s why I’m over here talking to Scarlett.”

Drake didn’t have to ask for any further explanation, he knew that the women were all very strong-willed and probably a little hard to get along with when they were all cooped up in the house.

“If you don’t mind, Cynthia, I was going to say hello to everyone before we start our date,” Drake said, standing up.

“That’s fine, I’ve got a pretty exhausting day ahead for us, though, you should grab yourself some breakfast,” she said with a wink.

Scarlett gave Drake a raised eyebrow at the news. She knew what Cynthia had planned and thought it was a great idea for Drake to give Cynthia’s lifestyle a try.

“I’m a little afraid now,” Drake added as he walked off to the next group of women.

Scarlett and Cynthia went right back to laughing and chatting as Drake walked away. He couldn’t help looking back at the two of them and admiring how comfortable and laid back they were. It was clear that they were both very comfortable with who they were and didn’t need to pretend to be something else around the other women in the house.

“Hello Lauren, would you like to come sit with me for a moment?” Drake asked as he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the women she was talking to.

Lauren instantly became excited and practically bounced as she walked behind Drake. They found a sitting area near the stairs where they started to talk. Drake liked Lauren a lot, he liked all the women a lot; it was getting increasingly more difficult to make a decision between the women.

“Hi Drake, how are you?” Lauren asked.

“I’m good, I’m excited about our date tomorrow. Do you have any big plans?”

“I was going to surprise you with it tomorrow,” Lauren said, looking down at the ground and giggling.

“As long as it’s not surfing, man I hate surfing.”

Lauren instantly looked up at Drake with wide eyes that seemed about to cry. She had planned to take Drake surfing; it was her profession, and she loved it. Lauren couldn’t wait to spend the day with Drake on the water and relax in the sun.

“Um, well …” she stuttered.

“I’m kidding, darling. I know you surf professionally. I’m just kidding. I really would love to spend the day at the beach with you.”

“Oh, my gosh. You scared me so much.”

“I’m sorry; I’m just in a funny mood today.”

“Okay, so you are good with surfing?” Lauren asked, trying to figure out if her plans were still alright.

“Yes, beach, surfing, and all that fun sounds perfect to me.”

“Great, because I can’t wait to get out of this house.”

“I bet you feel a bit like a caged animal here. At least, there is a decent pool.”

Drake and Lauren finished talking after a few more minutes, and he moved on to talk with Sophia, Emily, and Victoria.

“Oh, Drake, how are you?” Sophia said, jumping up and kissing Drake right in front of the two women.

Drake did his best to try and push her away, but there was no keeping Sophia away from him. He finally just gave in and kissed her so he could converse with the other women.

“Hi Sophia, it’s good to see you too,” Drake said as he pressed himself away from her and made it over to sit next to Emily and Victoria.

“So, you’re gay?” Victoria asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m just sexually free,” Drake joked.

But when he saw the serious look on Emily’s face, Drake knew he needed to clarify himself.

“No, I’m not gay. That was Allison’s assistant and his boyfriend leaving her house. She’s just got a lot of paparazzi who were a little agitated with me so they are trying to get back at me.”

“It was quite the story,” Victoria added as she leaned in to talk to Drake.

“I know, that’s how those stories work.”

“Well, I think it’s bold,” Sophia said, squeezing in and sitting next to Drake. “You are a liberated sexual man and should sleep with whomever you want to.”

Drake knew that Sophia was going to like the idea of him sleeping with other men. She had mentioned to him she liked to have threesomes with two guys and herself much better than she liked two women and one guy. But Drake just couldn’t keep going with the conversation at all. He was exhausted.

“Alright ladies, you behave yourselves and I’ll be back for dinner tonight. Try to be nice to each other,” Drake said, noticing that Samantha and Robert were finally ready to talk to him again.

Samantha and Robert looked like upset parents who were about to reprimand their teenage child for his wrongdoing. It was hilarious to Drake that two of his best friends and co-workers were that upset over a silly tabloids story. He could only imagine how stressed out their life would be if he chose Allison, when everything was said and done.

The combination of Allison and Drake would certainly mean that he would need a full team to handle his public relations issues. It would be too much for Samantha and Robert to have to deal with along with their normal duties.

“Go grab Cynthia, this is going to have to do with her as well,” Samantha said as Drake approached her.

He didn’t like the sound of what Samantha and Robert had going on at all. Drake didn’t want to take away another minute of Cynthia’s time because of the silly news story. But he obliged them and grabbed Cynthia so he could at least hear what it was they had to say before he told them no. Because the truth was, Drake was in charge, and he could decide for himself what was best.

Chapter 2

“Come in and sit down,” Samantha said, motioning for Cynthia and Drake to have a seat on the couch in the corner.

“Before you get started, I just want to remind you both that I’m your boss,” Drake said with a smile as he found a seat next to Cynthia on the couch.

Drake didn’t mind humoring Samantha and Robert, though. He knew they always had his best interests at heart. They certainly were only trying to do what would keep the company and Drake looking good to the public. But he wasn’t about to let them ruin his date with Cynthia. She had already lost so much of her time with him, it wasn’t alright with Drake to keep taking time away from her day.

“Yes, Drake, I know you’re in charge,” Samantha said, her attitude a little snarky.

Drake loved her attitude and how she always wanted to take care of him, yet she would never agree to sleep with him. It was like she was perfectly fine being his partner in the business, just not willing to take the leap and be his partner outside of the office.

“Okay, as long as that is clear.”

“We think you two should go to the opening for the new movie Black as Night. It will give you the opportunity to refute the news stories without actually making a public statement.”

“So, you think if I show up all dolled up with Cynthia to a movie premiere that everyone is just going to forget that they were calling me gay all morning long?”

“Yes,” Robert confirmed.

“I don’t want to take away from Cynthia’s day. I’m sure she had things planned, and it wouldn’t be fair to her.”

“Cynthia, would you mind getting dressed up and hanging out with celebrities for the afternoon? You would be back by 7 p.m., and you all could enjoy the rest of the evening together after that,” Samantha said, ignoring Drake’s comment and looking directly at Cynthia.

Drake didn’t really enjoy it when Samantha went around him like that, but he was interested in hearing what she had to say. If she was indeed fine with it, Drake had no problem spending the afternoon at a movie premiere.

Cynthia looked at Drake and then back to Samantha as a huge smile came across her face.

“I’d love to go to a movie premiere, but I didn’t really bring any dresses for that,” Cynthia said.

“Oh, no worries. I can have a dozen dresses here within the hour for you to choose from. Are you sure you are alright with this?” Samantha asked.

“Yes, I’m fine with it. I would really like it if you could spend the evening with me tonight, though,” Cynthia said, looking earnestly at Drake.

“Of course, I’ll sleep with you in your room tonight. I know that Lauren was just planning a day at the beach tomorrow, so I don’t think it will be a problem at all.”

Drake hated the smug look that crossed Samantha’s face as she relished the fact that Cynthia was on her side. Well, he didn’t exactly hate any look from Samantha. But he didn’t like when she tried to take charge of things and they worked out so easily for her. Drake was still the one in charge, and he didn’t need Samantha running around thinking that she had control over the women in the house.

“Okay, get Cynthia her dresses right away, and we will get going. You have us on the list already, don’t you?”

Samantha ignored Drake’s comment and marched out of the room with her cell phone already up to her ear. Drake knew it was true, Samantha had already made arrangements for them to attend the movie premiere long before he had said yes to the idea.

That was the good thing about Samantha, though, she was always prepared. If Drake had insisted that it was a bad idea, Samantha would have balked for a minute or two, but then she would have agreed to do whatever it was that Drake wanted to do with the day.

“Well, I better get my hair and makeup done if I need to be camera-ready today,” Cynthia teased.

“Let me walk you up to your room,” Drake offered.

The two walked past the crowd of girls in the living room and up the stairs. They didn’t talk at all as they strode down the hallway and stood in front of Cynthia’s door.

“You know I overheard a couple of the girls talking about your news story, and they actually thought it was real. I could hardly keep a straight face when the story came on. Do you get lots of weird news stories like that?”

“Not really, I think it was mainly because I was with Allison. She seems to have a lot of paparazzi following her.”

“Well, if you want to invite your boyfriends to come to the movie premiere with us, I’m totally fine with it,” Cynthia joked.

“I’ve got a better idea,” Drake said, starting to open Cynthia’s room door for them both.

“Wait,” Cynthia said as she tried to stop him.

But it was too late; Drake had already walked into her room and stopped dead in his tracks as he looked around in awe at everything that was going on in there.

“I should probably explain,” Cynthia said. She was embarrassed but only because Drake seemed so shocked by what was happening.

Drake grabbed her and pulled her all the way into the room and then shut the door behind them. He wasn’t shocked by the dominatrix equipment that Cynthia had around there, but he was interested to learn more about it all.

“Tell me more about this,” he said as he pointed to the bed.

Cynthia had some leather straps tied to the bed and ready to get to work with Drake later that day. She also had a riding crop, whip, and large feather near the bed. Next to the bed, she had some rope, a blindfold, and other random items. She wasn’t sure Drake was going to be interested in very much of what she had brought with her, but she wanted him to have the chance to at least experience what she found fun.

“You want to know about the tie-down straps?” Cynthia said as she walked over to the bed.

“Yes, show me,” Drake said, jumping up onto the bed.

“Well, first of all, I would have you naked if you were in my bed. But for right now, I’ll show you with your clothes on.”

“Yes, I want you to tie me to your bed,” Drake said as he smiled up at Cynthia and moved to the middle of her bed.

Slowly, Cynthia pulled Drake's left ankle toward the bedpost and wrapped the furry end of the strap to his ankle. She pulled the strap firmly as her hand slid up his leg and gently brushed against his bulging organ on her way to his arm.

As she grabbed his left wrist, Cynthia pulled it out and tied another furry cuff around it and pulled the strap tight on him. She moved slowly and deliberately as she maintained eye contact with Drake the entire time.

She could have walked around the bed to get to the other side and tie off his right wrist and ankle, but instead; Cynthia climbed over Drake and straddled him for a moment as she looked down at the smile on his face. He seemed to be enjoying the idea of having some S&M fun with her. That was exciting for sure.

After climbing off him, Cynthia reached up and wrapped the furry cuff around his right wrist and then the last one around his right ankle. She pulled the straps tight, but not too tight; it was Drake’s first time being tied up like that and she didn’t want to scare him off.

“Then what would happen?” Drake asked as he moved and pulled on the straps.

“Then, I would most likely take my mouth and start kissing and licking around your body. I would tease you until you begged me to get on top of you and ride you.”

“Get on top of me now,” Drake said, thrusting his pelvis into the air in the hopes that Cynthia would just ride his cock right then and there.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because in my bedroom, I’m in charge. I get to decide when and where things happen,” Cynthia said in a very authoritative voice.

“Yes, ma’am,” Drake said sensually as he looked at Cynthia standing next to him. “Do you want me to call you anything specific?”

“I like ma’am just fine.”

“Ma’am, will you please ride my cock?” Drake said with a smirk on his face.

Cynthia loved how cute he was all tied up, and if they didn’t have other plans, she would have certainly let things develop between the two of them much quicker. But for the time being, she needed to just let him wonder about what it would be like to have her dominating him. She wasn’t going to let him see it all right away. Drake needed just a small taste for now and later, after the movie, she would give him much more.

“I’m actually going to go get ready for our date now,” Cynthia said as she leaned down and kissed Drake on the lips. “Be right back.”

Cynthia moved into the bathroom and started to do her hair and makeup. She could hardly keep a straight face as she waited for Drake to ask her to come untie him. She had expected he would say something when she went off to the bathroom, but he stayed silent for a good five minutes before he finally said something.

“Should I just wait here?” he teased. “Yeah, I’ll just wait here for you.”

Cynthia was in the bathroom and almost doubled over with laughter as Drake talked basically to himself out in her room.

“I’ll be done in a minute,” she said laughing.

“No, it’s fine. I’m totally comfortable. I could stay here forever.”

Then there was a knock at the door and Cynthia ran out of the bathroom, looking between the door and Drake, who was on her bed. She didn’t have time to untie him before she answered the door.

“Hello,” she said as she peeked her head out of the door.

“Here are your dresses,” Samantha said, standing outside Cynthia’s door with a clothing cart filled with sequined gowns.

“Okay, great, you can leave them there. I’ll grab them in a minute,” Cynthia said as she held onto the door without allowing Samantha into the room.

“I’ll just bring them in and set them up for you,” Samantha said as she pushed past Cynthia.

As soon as she made it into the room, Samantha broke out into laughter when she saw that Drake was tied up to Cynthia’s bed. She was happy that he, at least, had clothes on.

“That’s one way to keep him in one spot. Maybe I should get some of those for his desk at work,” Samantha added.

She quickly pulled the cart over toward the open area by the window and then left the room. Drake couldn’t even bring himself to give a comeback, and instead, just closed his eyes and tried to ignore Samantha. He knew for sure that he wouldn’t hear the end of that moment for a very long time. It was highly likely that Samantha had filed that moment away in her memory and would bring it out again anytime she wanted Drake to stay in his office and work.

Chapter 3

“Should I untie you so you can go get ready?” Cynthia asked.

“I’m fine right here. Why don’t you get ready first?” Drake asked as he looked at Cynthia and then the gowns she had next to her. “I’ll help you pick one.”

Cynthia almost took him up on the idea, but she didn’t want Drake to see the undergarments she was going to have to put on to keep her voluptuous curves in check as she wore one of the evening gowns that Samantha had brought in. No, it would be better to keep that part of the outfit a secret for the time being.

“I’m going to untie you,” Cynthia said as she started to unbuckle each of his fuzzy cuffs. “But we will try this again later, without clothes.”

“I’d really like to try it with you,” Drake said as he was finally released from the cuffs.

“Oh, no. I’m the dominatrix, I get to be in charge.”

Drake wasn’t going to argue with Cynthia right then, but he knew that by the end of the night, he was going to convince her to let him tie her to the bed. If she was always the dominatrix, then she never got to experience that feeling of having someone else control her. Drake thought it was only fair that she got to undergo what she liked putting her men through.

“Alright darling, I’m going to get dressed. I’ll see you in a few minutes,” Drake said.

Before he left the room, though, he grabbed Cynthia and pulled her tight against him. He held onto her and showed her how in control he was of the moment. He was totally willing to let her be in control later that night, but for that moment, Drake had all the control.

He pressed his hard cock up against her to show just how excited he had gotten by her little game of tying him up. It certainly was a turn-one for him and something he couldn’t wait to explore more in-depth that evening.

His lips pressed firmly against Cynthia’s, and at first, he felt her pull away from him. It was clear that she wasn’t used to having a man take control like Drake was doing. But he didn’t let go of her. Instead, he pressed harder into her and held onto her tighter. She was a delicate woman, and she wasn’t as tough as she pretended to be; Drake could tell that right away when he kissed her. He had to wonder if she had become a dominatrix to feel some sense of control over the men in her life. Perhaps she didn’t feel safe with them and controlling them gave her that safety.

Whatever her reasons were, Drake knew that it was something that turned Cynthia on, and he was excited to give it a try. But he was also excited to let her try letting him be in control. It was only fair.

***

There was something about getting dressed up that Cynthia dreaded. It was probably her body and how no dresses ever fit her. But there was another dread that Cynthia had, getting her picture taken with Drake. She felt like people would be asking why Drake was with a woman like her.

Up until she met Drake, Cynthia hadn’t really felt like she had any self-esteem issues, but when put into a house with six amazingly beautiful and thin women, Cynthia had started to second guess herself. She wondered what exactly Robert and Samantha had seen in her to pick her to date Drake.

She grit her teeth as she pulled the first dress on. It was highly unlikely that Samantha had grabbed very many dresses that would fit Cynthia. She was more than familiar with people thinking they knew her size but then being well off the mark.

To her surprise, though, the first dress pulled up over her curves perfectly, and Cynthia admired it in the mirror. It was a lovely shade of blue and certainly flattered every curve she had. Cynthia was about to stop trying on dresses right then and there but decided she wanted to see if any of the other dresses fit her.

Dress after dress Cynthia tried on, and they all fit her just right. She was amazed at Samantha’s skills and how she had been able to find such a wide variety of dresses that actually fit her.

She slid into the black gown, and just after she had zipped it up, there was a knock on the door.

“How is everything going?” Samantha asked.

Cynthia threw the door opened and gave Samantha a huge hug. It wasn’t every day that Cynthia felt beautiful when she tried on clothing, and Samantha had just made the moment absolutely perfect for Cynthia.

“Thank you, all the dresses were so beautiful. I picked this one. What do you think?”

“That is one stunning gown, Cynthia; I bet it will knock Drake’s socks right off.”

“Damn, is that knockout my date or a celebrity?” Drake said as he walked in.

“You look pretty good yourself,” Samantha added.

“Can I take a picture of you two?” Samantha asked as she pushed Drake over next to Cynthia. “I might just leak this to a few tabloids so they have a good picture of the true people you like to date.”

“No, please don’t leak anything. We are going to the premiere, there will be plenty of press. I don’t want to seem desperate or like we are purposely trying to hide something.”

Samantha didn’t like it when Drake took a backseat to publicity. She liked to get out ahead of everything and make sure it was all taken care of. But she could tell by the look in Drake’s eyes that he wasn’t at all interested in negotiating or discussing what was going on. Drake always got that look when it was time for Samantha to just go along with whatever he said.

“Well, you two better get going. I have a limo downstairs waiting for you.”

“A limo?” Drake asked, looking annoyed with Samantha. “Was that really necessary? You know how much I hate those things.”

“Yes, you are supposed to take a limo when you show up for movie premieres, that is the way this celebrity thing works. I know you don’t like to be a celebrity, but for tonight, will you please just play along?’

Drake held his arm out for Cynthia to grab a hold as he looked deeply into her eyes. Cynthia looked really nervous, and Drake made a mental note to discuss that with her after they got into the limo. He had been to a few of the movie premieres, and there really wasn’t anything to worry about. They were actually a lot of fun.

“Our chariot awaits,” Drake said dramatically, leading Cynthia down the stairs.

The rest of the women were all in the living room and had already been looking out the window at the limousine that had arrived. They didn’t say a thing as the two descended the stairs, but they seemed a little shocked at how beautiful Cynthia looked and how handsome Drake was in his black suit. The women also looked extremely jealous that they weren’t the ones that got to go with Drake to a movie premiere and get their photos taken on the red carpet with him.

“Wow, Cynthia, you look amazing,” Scarlett said as she broke the silence and tension in the room.

A few of the other women followed with similar comments, but only after realizing how rude they had been not to make a comment in the first place.

It hadn’t surprised Drake at all that Scarlett was the one who spoke up and offered an uplifting comment to Cynthia. Scarlett seemed to be the kind of woman who wasn’t threatened by other women and instead really enjoyed uplifting her peers. That was one of the things that Drake liked about Scarlett already.

“I’m so nervous,” Cynthia said as they made it outside and into the limo.

“Lots of deep breaths and remember, they want to hear from you. If you are asked a question, feel free to respond. It will make the media feel much more human to you.”

“Oh, there is no way I’m talking to these people. Remember I run an investment firm. I like numbers more than people.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be right there with you. I’ll make sure absolutely nothing goes wrong. We are going to have a fabulous time.” Drake flipped his wrist and then fixed his hair excessively.

“You are funny. I wouldn’t do that overly flamboyant wrist flipping at the event,” Cynthia laughed.

“I can’t stop thinking about your bed,” Drake said, letting his hand wander over to Cynthia’s leg. “It was a huge turn on. Maybe we should just blow this movie thing and go back to your room.”

As much as Cynthia would rather go back to her room with Drake, she also knew how important it was to Samantha and Robert that they showed up at the movie. Plus, it wasn’t every day that Cynthia got the opportunity to go to a movie premiere. Her life in investments was very dry and boring, it certainly didn’t include any nights out with cameras or celebrities.

“I think we should stick to the plan. But you should continue to think about my bed all night long,” Cynthia said as she leaned in and kissed Drake.

Her hand found its way onto the bulging cock in Drake’s pants, and it took all the willpower Cynthia had not to unzip him and let her hand wrap around the smooth skin of his body. Drake turned her on more than any man she had been with. The way he held himself, his funny personality, even how he was with his assistant; it was all part of the man that she couldn’t stop thinking about.

“You should keep your hands to yourself unless you’re willing to go for a ride before we get to this event,” Drake said as he placed his hand over Cynthia’s and pressed firmly so she could feel just how hard he was.

“Oh, I love public displays of affection,” Cynthia teased.

They were in traffic by that point and only minutes away from the theater. The lineup of limousines was long, but within twenty minutes or so they would arrive at the red carpet. Drake didn’t hesitate for even a moment after hearing Cynthia’s offer. He quickly pressed the privacy window up between them and the driver, and in one quick motion, he pressed Cynthia’s dress up and pulled her over onto his lap.

“Okay then,” Drake said, pulling her lips down to kiss his.

Cynthia wasn’t bluffing at all either. She quickly let her hands go to work unzipping Drake from the confines of his pants and pulling him out.

“I think you are much naughtier than I first imagined,” Cynthia said as she slid her body down over his cock. “You do know we are almost at the theater, right?”

Drake didn’t answer her. Instead, he grabbed her ass and pulled her hips as close to him as possible. She let out a moan of delight as his body thrust into her and he used his hands on her hips to maneuver her to thrust against his body. Harder and firmer he thrust as Cynthia let out a loud moan.

“Shhh,” Drake said with a smile, reveling in the orgasm he was delivering to Cynthia.

He didn’t slow down at all as she moaned, instead he thrust harder and pulled her body harder against his. Drake felt his body build up to a release, and he quickly pulled her down tight on top of him as he let go. Cynthia felt his release and it triggered her body to give in as well, and she tightened around him with pleasure.

“Holy fuck,” Cynthia said as she wrapped her arms tight around Drake’s neck and shook with pleasure. “How the hell am I supposed to be able to walk down a red carpet now?”

Drake just smiled as the two of them got cleaned up and they pulled up to the red carpet. There wasn’t a minute to spare before the staff at the movie premiere was opening their door and a hand reached in to offer assistance to Cynthia as she climbed out of the vehicle.

Drake was shortly behind her and instantly wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her as he kissed the inside of her neck. It was a sweet and endearing moment between the two of them, which happened to have been caught by all the cameras that were taking pictures of the red-carpet arrivals.

“You look much more relaxed,” Drake whispered in her ear.

It elicited a broad smile from Cynthia, and she couldn’t help leaning in and kissing Drake right there in the street. They hadn’t even ventured into the theater yet and Cynthia already felt like she was going to have the time of her life on the date with Drake.

“Everyone is taking our pictures,” Cynthia whispered. “Do they all know who you are?”

“Probably not, they usually just take a ton of pictures and then figure things out later. We will just walk slowly, take a few steps and then smile for some pictures. Then we will walk some more and do it all again. Usually, no one asks me questions at these things, but they might today. You can just stay beside me if you don’t want to talk. Okay? Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’m going to be,” Cynthia said as she moved tightly to the side of Drake and held on for her life as they made their way into the fast abyss of the red carpet area.

“Mr. Leblanc, Mr. Leblanc, do you have any comment on the rumor that you are gay?” one news reporter blurted out as they walked into the first area for pictures.

Drake first stood still with Cynthia on his arm and smiled and hugged her as everyone took pictures. Then he casually walked over to the reporter with Cynthia in hand. He wasn’t about to make a scene; although celebrity events weren’t his cup of tea, he did know how best to deal with reporters.

As he stood in front of the reporter, he looked like he was about to make a comment, but instead, he pulled Cynthia over to him and dipped her over his knee as he kissed her passionately. The cameraman panned down, zoomed in on the kiss and the followed the couple as Drake led Cynthia down the walkway to the next set of cameras without even a word to the reporter.

“Wow, now that was a kiss,” Cynthia said as she tried to catch her balance.

“I’ll do it again if someone asks me the same question,” Drake said with a huge grin. “I have a feeling you’re going to get kissed a lot today.”

Chapter 4

After continually being kissed for the entire length of the red carpet, Cynthia wore a permanent smile by the time they made their way inside the theater. It wasn’t every day that she let a man be in control like she had done with Drake. It certainly wasn’t something she was used to, but Cynthia had to admit, she felt happier than she could remember feeling in a very long time.

“Wow, I think I need some chap stick,” she joked as they made their way to their seats for the show.

“Me too, but that was one hell of a fun red carpet.”

Drake held onto Cynthia’s hand the whole time they were in the theater. They walked side by side through the crowd and stopped for brief chit-chat sessions with people Drake knew. When they finally made it to their seats, it was just about time for the movie to start.

Drake felt like their red-carpet walk had been the best it could possibly have been. He really didn’t care that everyone wanted to ask him the same questions, and he sure as hell didn’t care that it annoyed them when he ignored their question and just kissed Cynthia. Drake had learned a long time before that the news cycle didn’t last very long, and people would quickly get tired of a story if you didn’t feed them additional information.

“What is this movie about again?” Cynthia asked as she leaned in close to Drake in their seats.

Cynthia just wanted another excuse to be close to Drake. She really didn’t care at all what the movie was about. They had just walked the most epic red carpet ever, and she was flying high on cloud nine from all the kissing she and Drake had done.

“It’s a psychological thriller and has lots of sex in it,” Drake said with a wry smile at Cynthia.

“Oh, there’s lots of sex? That’s my kind of movie.”

Throughout the movie, Drake found his hand wandering up and down Cynthia’s leg. He gently massaged her thigh as they watched the film, but when the scenes became more sexual, so did Drake. He would let his fingers slide ever so slightly higher up her thigh before Cynthia pressed his fingers back down to a more appropriate location.

When a dark sex scene came on screen that had the female tying up her man and blindfolding him, Cynthia let her hand linger on Drake’s thigh to tease him. She paid attention to the screen and didn’t look over at Drake, but she continued to slide her hand higher and higher until she felt the throb of his body under her fingertips.

Instead of stopping Cynthia, Drake slid his suit jacket off and placed it on his lap to give some semblance of privacy to the moment. Cynthia still didn’t look over at him, but she did quickly unhook his pants button and slide his zipper down. She heard Drake let out a long deep breath as she pulled him out and let her fingers slide up and down his smooth, hard member.

It was hard to repress her smile as she thrust her palm up and down against him and felt his body move under her. He really hadn’t thought the whole thing through, Cynthia considered. She was going to keep playing with him until he exploded right there in the theater, and that was going to be hard to hide from the people sitting next to him.

Faster and faster she moved as she felt the drip of pre-cum slide down her hand. She waited for Drake to put his hand on hers and ask her to stop; Cynthia expected him to shy away from any sort of completion, but Drake didn’t. He moved his eyes to the movie screen and leaned back to enjoy the moment.

It was hard for Drake not to thrust his hips in motion with Cynthia’s hand, probably harder than he had imagined it would be when she first started stroking him. But he had always had a fantasy about having sex in a movie theater, and the fun they were having was about as close as he suspected he would ever get; so, he let her continue.

When his body was ready to release, Drake bit his lip and closed his eyes, and the warm fluid slid down Cynthia’s hand. He had successfully not moved enough to draw attention to himself, but he really needed her to stop stroking his sensitive member or he was going to scream out at any moment.

Finally, she drew her hand away from him and then her dark eyes glanced at Drake to see the power of what she had done. Unable to resist, he quickly grabbed her and pulled her to him so he could kiss her deep and hard. Drake didn’t care at all if his kiss was going to cause a scene with the other people near them.

Kissing Cynthia was filled with tenderness and passion, which Drake loved. She didn’t pull away from him after a few seconds, and instead, she continued to kiss him just as long as he wanted to kiss her.

There was a chemistry and comfort level between the two of them that Drake wasn’t sure he had with any of the other women. Perhaps it had developed from their hour of kissing each other on the red carpet or perhaps the two of them just had a different kind of connection than he had with the other women; Drake wasn’t sure which was the truth. All he knew was that he was enjoying his time with Cynthia quite a lot.

“You know I’m going to pay you back for that,” Drake whispered into Cynthia's ear before settling back into his seat.

Cynthia smiled and slightly bit her lip at the anticipation of letting Drake have his way with her. She had never been so turned on by the idea of a man being in control of her before. She really couldn’t get over just how much she loved letting Drake be in control when they were together. Something about Drake seemed so right to her, and she didn’t feel uneasy at all in letting him take control later that evening. Of course, she still wanted to have him tied up to her bed for at least a little bit.

Seeing Drake spread out on her bed totally naked and waiting for her was quickly becoming a fantasy she couldn’t get out of her mind. She couldn’t wait for the movie to be over and for them to get back home to his house.

“I still get to play with you first,” she whispered back into Drake’s ear.

Her words elicited a massive smile on Drake’s face as he zipped himself back up and tried to make it seem like nothing had just happened between them. The movie couldn’t finish fast enough for Drake; he was excited to get Cynthia back up to her room and to see what all her toys were used for.

When the movie finally finished, Drake was one of the first people standing, and he helped Cynthia up and pulled her close to him. Cynthia felt her heart flutter at how passionately he was looking at her. It was like he could see right through her and all the way into her soul.

The traffic was horrible leaving the theater, and Drake was considering having another go at it with Cynthia in the limo as they waited. But instead, he decided he wanted to talk and get to know her a little better. So far, he really only knew what was in her portfolio, and that was pretty minimal compared to some of the other women in the house.

It was clear that Cynthia kept to herself and was very private in her life. Although she ran a hugely successfully investment firm, she didn’t have a lot of public information available about her at all on the web. Robert had even included a personal note in Cynthia’s folder commending her for her ability to keep her information private. It was a testament to Cynthia’s intelligence that she knew how to protect herself from the prying eyes of the public.

Anyone who ran a company or had a semi-public life had to keep their information very close to them. Even well-meaning friends and family could let critical information slip to the public that could change your whole business model. Drake had a friend who was developing a new way of recording business expenses. This friend had developed a new app for smartphone users but was then posting a preview of his app to all his followers on social media. Within two weeks, a competitor had dumped a ton of money into developing the same program and actually ended up coming to market before Drake’s friend. It was a huge eye opener about the dangers of social media.

Luckily for Drake, he had a whole team of people that helped him keep his mouth shut when he was supposed to. And even luckier was that his team were people he actually considered to be friends in his life.

“I’m exhausted,” Cynthia said as she leaned in close to Drake and yawned.

“What is your company doing without you there this week?”

“Probably going bankrupt.” Cynthia laughed.

“I hope not. Do you have someone you trust to take care of things?”

“Oh, yes, I’ve got a good team. I just wanted them to avoid buying or selling during this week, and I’ve already heard they have done both.”

“Well, maybe they made a good deal?”

“Hopefully.”

“How long have you had your company?” Drake queried, tucking his arm around Cynthia and pulling her close.

“Over ten years. Finance was always my passion. I really loved learning about the stock market when I was younger. Now all I do is spend every day learning more and more.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you get into the whole dominatrix thing?”

Cynthia paused as she tried to decide how she wanted to answer Drake’s questions. It wasn’t like she was a total fetish girl and being a dominatrix was the only way she got turned on. But she did really enjoy taking a powerful man and being in control of him. There was something so sensual to her about a man who was willing to relinquish his control to her, even if it was only in the bedroom.

“I dated an executive once that was really into it. I had never really experienced anything like it before. I had fun, and so did he. We relieved our stress from the day, and I felt more connected to him afterward.”

Drake seemed to take in the words that Cynthia had spoken and was thinking about them as they continued to drive back to his house. He wasn’t really sure he fully understood what turned Cynthia on so much about being in control like that, but Drake was excited to play with her and test those limits.

Sex had always been something that Drake knew as fun. He didn’t want to limit himself to a certain style or position just because something was taboo. In Drake’s mind, all sex was good sex, and he was perfectly happy to try out new fetishes, positions, and experiences.

“Are you going to let me tie you up to that bed tonight?” Drake asked as he cuddled with Cynthia.

She paused and thought about it for a long moment. It was a simple question, but Cynthia had never felt so comfortable so quickly with a man. She really wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to allow Drake to take control of her or not, but she was willing to give it a try.

“I’ll try to let you. But I’m not so comfortable with letting others be in control.”

“I promise to be gentle,” Drake said, kissing the inside of her neck and then moving up to her lips.

The taste of Cynthia’s lips on his had become very familiar to Drake, and he was more than happy to keep tasting them as long as she would allow him. Having Cynthia near him made Drake hard all the time. He loved it. There was just something about the two of them together that sent his body into overdrive.

Perhaps it was the idea of her dominating him? Or maybe how she let him take control when he knew how much she liked to be in control? Drake didn’t know exactly what the reasoning was, but he was loving every minute of being with Cynthia.

Cynthia leaned back near Drake and let her head rest on his shoulder as they continued their drive back to his place. It was a nice moment between the two of them, and something Cynthia wanted to remember.

It was a feeling that she wanted to remember most. The feeling of letting a man be in control and not feeling fearful that he was going to break her heart. It was somewhat comical to Cynthia that the one man she let have some control in a relationship was the man who had six other women living in his house. But there were rules and honesty in the situation with Drake. Cynthia didn’t have to try to figure out what the underlying game was, it was spelled out very clearly in her paperwork she received before entering the house.

Cynthia had been with other good men before. It wasn’t like she only dated men that she didn’t trust to tie her up. But there was always a game at play, and it was normally not spelled out quite so clearly as the game was with Drake.

In a normal dating situation, Cynthia had to find men who were into S&M and wanted to be dominated. They were the only men that she found she could play with in the bedroom. Other men would say that they were interested in playing around with the idea of a dominatrix, but they never really liked it at all.

Cynthia liked dominating her men. She had grown accustomed to enjoying a bit of role play before she would take her man and fully devour him. It just wasn’t the same when a guy couldn’t get into the game and have fun. It wasn’t as much fun when they were just waiting for it to be over.

When a man truly liked being dominated, he got excited from the whip when Cynthia lashed him. His body would physically swell with the urge to explode more and more as she took control. The look in her eyes when she told him what to do and he willingly did it purely to please her; that was what Cynthia loved so much about being the dominatrix in a relationship.

Because she liked being the dominant one so much, it was a bit rattling to her that she enjoyed letting Drake be in control while they had been at the movie theater for the premiere. She hadn’t expected that she would ever really enjoy a man being dominant around her, but with Drake, she did.

Of course, Drake wasn’t being a true dominant. Drake hadn’t told Cynthia to follow him or abide him. He hadn’t prepared her for their trip by telling her what she could and couldn’t say to the press. But it had still been a unique opportunity for Cynthia.

“Do you think the other girls will want to talk to you some more when we get home?” Cynthia asked without lifting her head from Drake’s shoulder.

“I’m not sure. But I’ll keep it short. I’d like to give you all my time tonight.”

Drake squeezed Cynthia’s hand and pulled it up to his lips. He had already taken away the whole morning from Cynthia and had canceled the day she planned and replaced it with a day that Samantha and Robert had planned. He wasn’t about to let the other girls take much more of his time from him that evening.

If he had to, Drake would say a quick hello to the women and then head upstairs with Cynthia. If he kept moving and didn’t stop for any long conversations, he expected they could be up in her bedroom by a little after 7 o’clock.

“That would be perfect,” Cynthia said.

“Actually, I was going to spend the night with you as well. If that is alright with you?”

“Yes, of course.”

It was the first time Drake had offered to spend the night with one of the women. Sure, it had happened that his dates had run long and he ended up falling asleep with a woman earlier in the week. But this time, with Cynthia, he genuinely wanted to spend the evening with her. Drake wanted to be with her all night long.

He wanted to try out all her fun accessories and leather straps. It had been a long-time fantasy of his to get to be with a woman who actually knew what she was doing with a flogger and other items. Drake wasn’t quite sure why it turned him on so much, but it did, and he couldn’t wait to experience a fun night ahead with Cynthia.

“Okay, here’s the plan … you head up to your room. I’ll say a quick goodnight to the ladies and then be up there to meet you in five minutes,” Drake said as they got out of the limousine and stood in front of the front door.

“I’ll be timing you, and you’ll get punished if you’re late,” Cynthia said with a sinister smile.

Chapter 5

Cynthia didn’t say a single word to the other women as they walked in the door. She just waved hello and went straight upstairs. There wasn’t a single thing she wanted to say to the other women. It was her night with Drake, and they had just finished an amazing date at the movie premiere. She wasn’t about to let any of the women get into her head before she got her alone time with Drake.

It wasn’t that Cynthia didn’t like other women, because she did like the women she worked with and her friends back home. But in the house, there just wasn’t anyone that she truly felt connected to. The other women all seemed to be much different than Cynthia. They were outgoing and vivacious. The only two women that Cynthia felt somewhat comfortable talking with were Victoria and Scarlett.

As she entered her bedroom, Cynthia used her phone to set a five-minute timer. She was going to stick to her promise to punish Drake if he didn’t get up to her room in five minutes or less. Although she was almost positive that he wouldn’t be able to push past all six other women fast enough to make it upstairs and to her room in time. But she was willing to give him a chance.

She unzipped her gown, went to place it on the rack with the others and then realized that the rack of gowns had disappeared. Samantha must have come back into her room and gathered the dresses after they left for their event.

Under normal circumstances, it would have made Cynthia nervous to have another woman going through her things or being in her room, but Samantha didn’t seem to care at all about Cynthia’s fetish fun. Samantha seemed like the perfect assistant for Drake, but Cynthia couldn’t help thinking that the two of them had probably slept together.

Cynthia slid into a black satin robe as she watched the clock to see if Drake was going to make it. Just as the clock ran out of time, Drake pressed open the door and let himself into the room.

“Did I make it?” he asked out of breath from obviously running up the stairs and to Cynthia’s room.

“I can’t believe it, but yes you made it.”

Drake smiled as he crossed the bedroom to Cynthia. The satin of her robe felt delicate and sensual as he pulled her toward him. A mischievous smile swept over his face as he watched her try to pull away from him.

“I still get to play with you,” Cynthia whispered as she gave into his pull.

“Of course, I can’t wait to have you tie me up again.”

Drake slowly kissed Cynthia as his hands explored the delicate fabric she had on. He wanted to rip her robe off and expose her silky-smooth skin beneath. But Drake also wanted to experience being dominated by Cynthia, so he wasn’t going to try and be in control.

“Where would you like me, Mistress?” Drake said as he fell to his knees and looked up at Cynthia.

A vast smile crossed her face as she saw Drake on his knees. He was such a dominant man, it was fabulous to see him kneeling and asking for her to control him.

Immediately Cynthia switched into her dominatrix mode and felt the power flow through her. She stood up straighter than before, she felt more in power, she loved the feeling of being in control.

“Take your clothes off and get on the bed,” she said as she stroked the side of Drake’s cheek. “I’ll be right there.”

Cynthia grabbed some clothes out of her dresser and made her way to the bathroom so she could change. She brought a special outfit for her time with Drake and couldn’t wait for him to see her in it.

Drake dutifully did as he was told, removed all his clothing and climbed into the bed. He felt awkward, sort of like a high school kid getting ready to have sex for the first time. But it was exciting, and Drake couldn’t wait to experience Cynthia as a dominatrix. His eyes looked over toward the bathroom as she walked out, and Drake instantly felt his body harden with desire.

Cynthia had on a black leather corset that pressed her breasts together and up. She had on a tiny pair of black leather panties and a pair of black pumps. As she walked across the bedroom, she grabbed a black leather flogger off of the table and played with it on her way to Drake.

His body throbbed with each step she took. He wanted to grab her and throw her down on the bed and have his way with her, but he resisted the urge.

“Mistress, you look amazing,” Drake said as he slid off the bed toward Cynthia.

“Get back on the bed,” Cynthia said firmly.

She tried to keep a straight face, but the surprise on Drake’s face was hard for her not to laugh at. He wasn’t used to any of this, and Cynthia could tell that right away, but she also knew that it was important to give him the full real-life experience so he knew what it was she was into. He couldn’t make a clear decision at the end of the week if he didn’t truly understand what Cynthia liked in the bedroom.

“Yes, Mistress,” Drake said quietly.

“I want you to feel what this flogger is like. I’m going to have you lay on your stomach on the bed, and I’m going to hit you five times. Do you understand?”

Drake nodded his head yes as he followed her directions and laid flat on the bed. He was more aroused than he had expected he would be; it was exciting and new to Drake.

“Tell me you understand.”

“Yes, Mistress,” Drake said as he tried not to laugh.

It was entirely clear to him that he wasn’t going to be able to do the whole dominatrix thing, but he really didn’t want to hurt Cynthia’s feelings.

“I feel like I want to fuck you,” Drake said as he quickly turned around and grabbed Cynthia.

In one quick motion, he flipped her onto the bed and felt his body spring to attention with an urge to thrust inside of her that he could not ignore for much longer.

“Oh, you want to feel your hard cock inside of my wet body?” Cynthia teased him.

“You’re wet?” Drake said as he lifted his head up and smiled at her.

“Shhh, turn back around,” Cynthia laughed back at Drake. “This is serious, I’m dominating you right now.”

Drake couldn’t help laughing, and by that point, Cynthia was laughing as well. Everything with Drake was new and exciting to her; she wasn’t really sure what to do with him next. But flogging him didn’t seem to be working for her.

“I’m going to tie you up again,” Cynthia said, pressing Drake over onto his back.

His cock had sprung up to attention as he lay on his back. Cynthia instantly looked at it and wanted to play with it. She wanted to wrap her lips around him and play with him, but she waited.

Although Drake wasn’t into the flogging idea, he liked the idea of having Cynthia riding his cock while he watched. He was willing to give her a little leeway and allow her to put the leather straps on him. It was only for a short time; he would make sure of that.

Drake wanted to allow Cynthia the freedom to believe she was in charge when the whole time he was actually guiding her right to the activities he wanted from her. Drake wanted to feel her lips around his throbbing member, and what better way to get that delicious feeling than to lay back on her bed and expose himself and his member to her lovely lips.

“You look excited,” Cynthia observed as she started to strap Drake to the bed.

“I am.”

“What happened to calling me, Mistress?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Mistress,” Drake said as he watched Cynthia move to the next cuff on his ankle. He stifled the smile that inevitably was going to shine across his face.

He couldn’t imagine any man seriously being into the whole dominatrix thing. A man should be in charge. A man should take his woman and have the power to give her everything she needed without her ever feeling like she had to take control.

Drake was going to work with Cynthia during their evening together. He believed deep down that she didn’t really want to be a dominatrix at all; she just needed a strong man that she could trust. Cynthia was just a woman with a wall up that Drake had to show her she didn’t have to pretend to be in charge. And to show her why her way didn’t work; Drake was willing to allow her to try her way just a little bit.

Cynthia smiled as she continued to buckle the rest of his limbs to the bed. It was a beautiful sight to see Drake Leblanc naked with a hard on and strapped to her bed. She stood at the end of the bed and observed him for a moment before she climbed up onto the bed and let the tip of her fingers move up and down his body. She lingered near his hard member but didn’t play with it too much.

Knock, knock, knock.

The both looked toward the door and Cynthia realized it was unlocked. She jumped up from the bed and ran over to the door.

“It’s Samantha, I just need to talk with Drake for a few minutes.”

Cynthia laughed as she looked at the door and then back to Drake. He was also laughing. It was clear they were going to need to take another break from their fun games.

“Give me five minutes,” Drake yelled from the bed.

“Okay, I’ll meet you downstairs,” Samantha said from the other side of the door.

Cynthia ran back over to the bed and jumped onto it with a schoolgirl smile across her face.

“How are you going to meet her downstairs? You’re tied to my bed,” she said as her hand played with Drake’s naked body.

“I promise I’ll be right back, but will you please untie me?”

Cynthia loved that Drake needed to be untied, and she wasn’t about to let him off the hook too easily. It was the perfect opportunity to have some fun with him. She loved a captive man in her bed.

Her lips slowly moved down and wrapped around Drake’s cock. Without a single word, she started to stroke up and down his body with a tight pressure from her lips.

“Oh, no, no, no,” Drake said as he let out a slight moan. “We don’t have time for this. We can do this in a minute.”

“I think you forgot to say ‘Mistress.’ Wasn’t that what we decided you should call me?” Cynthia said as she went back to stroking his cock with her mouth.

Faster and faster she moved as she felt his body getting harder and harder. But what Drake didn’t know was that she had no intention of letting him actually get the relief that he wanted from her blowjob. She wasn’t about to let him have a quick release like that, there was no fun in something like that.

“Okay, okay, Mistress … Can I please go downstairs to talk with my assistant?” Drake begged.

Cynthia stopped immediately as she felt pre-cum release from his body. It was the perfect opportunity to stop. Drake was excited; he was ready to explode.

“Yes, you may,” Cynthia said, making her way around to the edge of the bed and untying Drake from his four-point restraints.

“Thank you,” Drake said as he grabbed Cynthia and threw her onto her back. He quickly climbed on top of her with his hands and knees on either side of her to pin her down to the bed. “I’m going to pay you back for that when I get back.”

Cynthia felt her body get wet at his words. The intensity of them, the look in his eyes. She didn’t doubt at all that Drake was going to torture her sexually as soon as he returned.

“I look forward to it,” she said with equal intensity.

Chapter 6

“So how did the movie premiere go?” Samantha asked when Drake finally made it down to the office.

“It was good.”

Drake wasn’t about to admit to Samantha that he had just kissed Cynthia at every interview, and he didn’t actually participate in any questioning. It wasn’t necessary to fill her in on all the details. He knew that his plan had worked because everyone laughed and enjoyed it. They would have thought he was defensive with practically any comment he made, but actions spoke much louder than words.

“What kinds of questions did you get asked?”

“They asked if I was gay? If I had more than one boyfriend? How many years I’ve been a homosexual? If it bothered me, that people thought I was gay? Was I just experimenting? They really asked a ton of questions.”

Samantha’s face went pale as she listened to all the questions Drake said he had been asked. She had not prepared Drake at all to deal with those types of questions, and he wasn’t that good at fending people off when they were attacking him or his character. She flinched as she listened to everything he was asked and then braced herself as she asked another question.

“What did you say?” Samantha said as she held her hands up to her face to prepare herself for his response.

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean nothing?”

“I mean I didn’t answer them.”

“Oh, crap, Drake. They are going to hate you. You seriously didn’t answer any of their questions?”

Samantha grabbed her phone and made her way into the kitchen as she called Robert to discuss what they should do next. Drake just laughed at how serious she was taking everything. He thought the kissing had gone over very well and couldn’t wait to see what the tabloids had to say later that evening on their shows. Hopefully, Samantha would feel a little better after seeing some positive stories.

“I’m going to go grab some dinner with the ladies, let me know if you need anything else,” Drake said, making his way into the living room.

Cynthia had come downstairs, much to Drake’s surprise, so he went directly to her first. It was her time with him, and he wanted to spend it as much with her as possible. But he was also starving and couldn’t head back upstairs until he got some food in his stomach as quickly as possible.

“I need food,” Cynthia said as she relished the fact that Drake had his arm wrapped around her in front of everyone.

“Me too.”

They entered the dining room, grabbing a plate each as they sauntered down the line of food that had been set out. The other women were surprisingly polite and left Drake and Cynthia alone while they ate their meal. It was highly unusual, and Drake quickly felt like something was going on. He didn’t know exactly what it was that was happening, but something was for sure occurring.

“Why aren’t the women fawning all over you?” Cynthia asked, practically mimicking what Drake had been thinking.

“I have no idea.”

They finished their meal and then looked into the living room before they went out there. The women were sitting quietly together and talking to each other. The usual high level of excitement was nowhere to be found.

“Where’s Sophia?” Cynthia asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Scarlett, where is Sophia?” Cynthia asked as she walked right out into the living room.

“She wasn’t feeling well. I think she’s still in bed. We decided to just let her sleep and have a relaxing evening.”

Drake smiled at the thought of all the women feeling a sense of relief because Sophia wasn’t there. It was probably nice for them not to have to compete with her. Sophia was certainly intent on winning Drake’s attention any time he was around.

“I hope she isn’t feeling too ill,” Drake said.

“No, I don’t think she is. I checked on her just a few minutes ago, and she doesn’t have a fever but said her stomach was hurting. Don’t worry, I’ll check on her again before bed,” Scarlett said with a smile.

Scarlett was like the mother hen of all the women in the house, yet she really wasn’t much older than any of them. There was just a sense of calmness about Scarlett that Drake suspected made the other women feel like she was there to help and care for them.

“That’s so nice of you, Scarlett,” Cynthia said as she hugged her. “You are the sweetest person ever. When this is all over, I want your number. You seem like you would make a really great friend.”

“Okay, Cynthia, now you two go have a good night.”

“We were going to spend a few minutes down here,” Drake added, not quite willing to leave Scarlett yet. “Do you all want to play a quick game?”

Drake looked over at Cynthia to make sure it was alright, and she smiled while nodding her head. Cynthia wasn’t about to try any sex with her stomach full of dinner, it would be fine to hang out with the rest of the girls for a little bit while they relaxed. Plus, having Sophia in bed sick was a bit of a blessing. Cynthia didn’t mind her all that much, but she did tend to monopolize Drake’s time when she was in the room with him.

“I have an idea,” Emily said as she overheard the conversation. “How about we play Cards Against Humanity?”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard about that game. It’s supposed to be a lot of fun,” Cynthia said.

Cynthia was actually excited about the prospect of playing the game. She hadn’t had much of a chance to play games with her friends. None of them were into having dinner parties or anything like that. Instead, her friends wanted to go out for drinks and talk about stocks.

“Let’s do it,” Drake said as he grabbed a seat in the chair near the couch and pulled Cynthia down to sit next to him. “I don’t have the game, though.”

“Oh, I brought it with me just to keep us all entertained if we needed it,” Emily said as she made a mad dash upstairs to her room.

“I’ve heard it’s really fun to play,” Victoria said as she sat down next to Scarlett and Lauren.

“Me too. All my friends say it’s so fun. I’m excited to play too.”

“What’s the basic concept?” Allison asked.

“Basically, one person is the Czar of each round, we rotate that position. Then everyone else gets ten white cards. The black card might say something like ‘Detroit’s new tourism campaign says it eliminated blank’ and we all turn in a white card to fill in the blank. The person with the funniest answer wins a point,” Emily said as she came back down the stairs.

“That doesn’t seem very fun,” Allison said, looking totally unimpressed with the game idea.

“Oh, it’s a lot of fun. Just trust me,” Emily assured her.

It took Emily and Cynthia a few minutes to reorganize the furniture how they wanted and get the game set up, so Drake took the opportunity to talk with Victoria and Scarlett a little bit. He really hated just how quickly the whole week was going; before he knew it, the week was going to be over, and he was going to have to pick one of the women. He genuinely had no idea which one he was going to pick.

When he was with each of the women, he felt like they were the right ones for him, but the moment he was around the other ladies, he started to second guess himself. A sudden sense of dread rushed through Drake’s body.

How was he going to choose just one of the women?

Obviously, he couldn’t have them all, but how was he going to let six of the wonderful women leave his life forever? It made him feel ill just to think about it.

“Drake, do you think the news will keep talking about you being gay?” Victoria asked as Drake seemed to be staring off into space. “Drake?”

“Oh, um, no. I think they will get over it rather quickly. Are you ready to play?”

Emily dealt each person a stack of ten white cards and then put the black pile of cards in front of Drake.

“You are the Czar,” Emily said. “Draw one black card and read it.”

“During sex, I like to think about blank,” Drake read from the black card in his hand.

“Okay, now each of us needs to look through our white cards and pick the funniest answer. Then turn it upside down and slide them all over to Drake in a pile. Drake will read them out loud and then decide which is the best one.”

The women followed Emily’s lead and each picked a card and slid it over to Drake. By this time, Samantha was standing in the doorway watching them and seemed amused by the game as well.

“Okay, here we go. During sex, I like to think about Shaquille O’Neal’s acting career,” Drake read the first card and everyone started to laugh, even Allison. Drake continued to read the rest of the cards.

“During sex, I like to think about Toni Morrison’s vagina. Oh, my God.”

Again the group burst into laughter.

“During sex, I like to think about All-you-can-eat shrimp.”

“During sex, I like to think about sanding off a man’s nose.”

“During sex I like to think about free ice cream,” Drake read the last of the cards.

“Okay, now Drake, you need to decide which one of those cards was the best. Then the person who turned that card in will get one point,” Emily said.

“Oh, for sure, it has to be Toni Morrison’s vagina,” Drake said as she laughed.

The room erupted in laughter as all the women looked at each other to see who had put that card into the pile. Then Scarlett raised her hand slightly and all the women continued to laugh. She was so prim and proper, yet that answer had been anything but proper.

“Scarlett gets the point. Now let’s rotate the black cards to the next person and this time, Drake gets to play the round and Scarlett will decide which card is best.”

Samantha had just finished a long conversation with Robert about what they could do to help Drake, but she couldn’t help sitting down in the living room and watching as everyone played Cards Against Humanity. It wasn’t a game she had planned ahead of time, but it did seem like lots of fun.

“Where’s Sophia?” Samantha asked.

“Upstairs, she had a stomach ache,” Scarlett answered. “Do you want me to go check on her?”

“No, that’s alright, I’ll go up. Drake, will you come with me?” Samantha asked.

Drake decided it wasn’t a good idea to fight with Samantha in front of all the women so he obliged her and followed her up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, Samantha stood with her hands on her hips looking at Drake like he was in trouble. It was all he could do to keep a straight face when he saw how serious she looked.

“Did you seriously just kiss Cynthia in front of every news reporter instead of answering their questions?”

Drake tried to keep himself from smiling as he responded, “Yes, are the news stories starting to come out? How are they?”

“Drake, you are like a public relations nightmare,” Samantha said, storming off toward Sophia’s room.

“You love me and you know it,” Drake said as he hurried quickly after her.

He didn’t mean to really say ‘love’ but he wasn’t about to correct himself. She knew what he meant. Drake was a lot of work, and he paid Samantha a very good salary to deal with him.

“I’m not in love with you!” she yelled as she stopped in the middle of the hall.

“Oh, that sounded very defensive,” Drake said, goading her on.

He didn’t think she was in love with him, up until that very moment when she got so defensive at the idea of it. Up until that moment, Drake had thought Samantha was amused by him and perhaps even attracted to him, but never attracted enough to give in to his advances.

“I’m not in love with you,” Samantha said more calmly as she leaned up against the wall.

Drake moved in close to her but kept about a foot of distance between the two of them. He looked into her eyes, and they looked like the eyes of a woman that was in love with him. Instantly, Drake pulled away and took a step backward.

What was he thinking?

He had a house full of women who had traveled from around the world to be with him, and he was chasing after the one woman who didn’t want him. Drake couldn’t do it anymore. He was tired of chasing Samantha, and he was ready to move on. One of the women who was there with him was going to be his girlfriend, and he wasn’t about to mess it up by trying to start something with Samantha again. He didn’t care what their connection or history was, he couldn’t go there anymore. It was time to move on.

“We should check on Sophia,” he said quietly as he walked away.

Samantha knocked on the door first and then peeked her head inside. “Sophia, how are you doing? It’s Drake and I. We’ve come to check on you.”

“Oh, Drake is here? I look so horrible, oh my gosh,” Sophia said as she tried to sit up in bed.

Both Samantha and Drake noticed that she was extremely pale and had winced as she tried to sit up. It caused them to worry that she might need to see a doctor.

“I’m going to get the doctor to come over here,” Drake said right away.

“Oh, no, I’m fine. I’ve just got a stomach bug or something. I’m sure I’ll feel better by morning,” Sophia said as she grabbed Drake’s hand and pulled him down so he was sitting next to her on the bed. “I’m glad to see you. How was your day?”

Samantha took a few steps back to let Sophia and Drake talk and sent a text message to the doctor they used for house visits. She arranged for him to come first thing in the morning. There was no reason to rush her to the emergency room if it was just a stomach bug, but Samantha would feel much better after Drake’s regular doctor took a look at Sophia.

“You should rest; do you want me to have them bring you some soup?” Drake asked as he brushed Sophia’s hair out of her face.

“No, I don’t feel like eating. Thank you, though.’

“I’m going to check on you first thing in the morning,” Samantha said. “You sleep and drink some water. I’m going to have someone bring you up some Gatorade too, just to make sure you stay hydrated. Alright?”

“Thank you, Samantha, you are really the best assistant in the world,” Sophia said. “Drake, I think I want to steal her away for myself. But I would want my assistant to sleep in my bed with me.”

Drake and Samantha laughed at the sexual innuendo that Sophia managed even when she wasn’t feeling well. It was certainly part of her personality that she constantly made such comments, and Drake felt a little better about leaving her knowing that she was feeling a little like herself.

“I’m going to come with Samantha in the morning and check on you, you listen to her and get some rest,” Drake said as he kissed her forehead.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him tightly for almost a full minute before she let go. Drake didn’t mind, though, Sophia wasn’t the kind of girl that handed out a lot of hugs, and she didn’t seem to be used to people worrying about her or offering to care for her. It was nice to see she appreciated their worry for her well-being.

“I promise, I’m going right back to sleep. As soon as I finish this glass of water,” she said with a smile. “Thank you both for coming to check on me. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Samantha and Drake watched as Sophia winced again when she tried to lie back down. It was sad to see such a vibrant woman feeling so sick.

“Hopefully, she will feel better in the morning, but I have the doctor coming anyway,” Samantha said as they closed the bedroom door behind them.

“Great, yes. I was just about to say that. Thanks,” Drake said as he stood there and an awkward silence took over between the two of them.

“Alright, well, I’m going to go for now. I’ll see you in the morning,” Samantha said, starting to walk down the hallways.

“Love you, darling, good night,” Drake teased as he waved at Samantha.

She just turned around and gave him an evil glare before turning to go downstairs.

Chapter 7

“You’re needed upstairs,” Drake said into Cynthia’s ear.

With all the other women looking on, Drake certainly didn’t want to be disrespectful to any of them. But it was time to finish his evening with Cynthia. She had been very kind throughout the day and given up much of her day for the other women. Drake couldn’t disappoint her any longer.

“Sure,” Cynthia said without hesitation. “I’ll see you ladies in the morning.”

“Scarlett, would you mind checking on Sophia again before you go to bed? She was just heading back to sleep. There will be a doctor coming in the morning to check on her,” Drake said as he guided Cynthia up the stairs.

“Sure. Have a good night, you two,” Scarlett said with a wink.

It was interesting how Scarlett never seemed to mind Drake spending time with the other women. She even encouraged it. It was like she was one of his guy friends or something like that. Drake really was intrigued by Scarlett and couldn’t wait to sit down alone with her and just talk. She seemed like the kind of woman he could talk and talk to and never get tired of being around.

“How was Sophia?” Cynthia asked.

“She looks like she has the flu or something, but she says she is fine. Plus, she still found the energy to flirt with me when I was in there; so, I’m not as worried now.”

“She sure does have the flirting thing down.”

“I seem to remember you were pretty good at flirting earlier today,” Drake said as he opened Cynthia’s bedroom door and they walked in.

“I remember you lying on that bed begging me to untie you,” Cynthia commented with a wry smile.

Before Cynthia could suggest that Drake get tied back up to the bed, Drake had her pressed up against the door and her hands pinned over her head. He felt her chest as it rose and fell in excitement. He felt her breathing increase as she tried to slow down her excitement.

“There is something I wanted to do,” Drake said as he let his lips move in and kiss Cynthia gently. “I have some plans of my own for you tonight.”

Cynthia didn’t respond. Instead, she just looked up at Drake and nodded her head yes. She was alright with anything that Drake wanted to do. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute as she waited for him to kiss her again. There wasn’t anything else that she wanted more at that moment.

Again, he moved in slowly and gently kissed Cynthia as he released her hands and held her face passionately. His lips and hers moved together and their tongues jetted in and out of each other’s mouths. The passion between them built the more they kissed, and soon Drake felt Cynthia’s hands as they started to rub on his bulging cock.

But he wasn’t about to let her take control. Drake was done with that, he wanted to let Cynthia feel what it was like to have someone else in control. She was always so worried about being in charge in the bedroom, it was about time she let someone else deliver pleasure to her.

“I want to tie you to the bed,” Drake whispered in Cynthia’s ear.

He didn’t wait for her to respond before he started to kiss down her neck and pull off her clothes. He knew her answer would be yes. There was no way she would deny him the pleasure of playing with her.

Methodically, he removed each piece of her clothing and then let her stand there naked for him to enjoy. Her hands instantly went across her stomach to protect herself from showing off her womanly rolls. But Drake pulled her hands away. Cynthia was a plus-sized woman and beautiful. She had the most womanly body, with curves that drove Drake crazy. He loved how confident she could be when she wanted to, but hated that she felt like she needed to hide her body at all.

“I don’t think I can,” Cynthia said as Drake grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the bed.

“You can,” Drake said as he kissed her. “Don’t you want to know what it feels like?”

Cynthia had never thought that she would want to be on the other end of a flogger or riding crop. Most of her adult life she had been the one wielding them, but the idea of Drake slapping her ass with one of her toys was a total turn on. Much more exciting to her than the idea of him tying her to the bed; she wasn’t sure she could do that.

On the way to the bed, she grabbed the flogger off the table and carried it with her. She smiled widely as she handed it to Drake and then leaned over the bed in the perfect position for him to hit her ass.

“Your ass is beautiful,” Drake whispered.

“Thank you. Now hit me,” she said firmly.

She just wasn’t able to totally get the dominatrix out of her system as she ordered Drake to slap her ass with the flogger.

The moment was erotic and filled with anticipation as Cynthia closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She wanted to fully experience the moment. No vision to get in her way, no looking at Drake in anticipation.

“I’m going to slap your ass five times, baby,” Drake said. “One,” he moved the flogger gently and barely tapped her ass.

Cynthia didn’t even flinch at the first hit, and Drake knew he was going to be expected to do a better job. With each additional hit, he swung harder and harder to try and get some sort of reaction from Cynthia. But with each hit she stayed motionless on the bed with her ass pointed up at Drake.

“Did I do good?” Cynthia asked when Drake finished.

“Oh, yes,” Drake said as he fell to his knees and started to kiss the marks on her ass.

He let his hands move around to explore her wetness as his lips gently kissed each one of the marks on her bottom. He was gentle with his touch and soon found his fingers dipping inside her in an effort to bring Cynthia more pleasure.

She held onto the bed and remained bent over as Drake moved his fingers inside of her. Every part of her body screamed out for more and more from Drake. Cynthia didn’t know what was going on, but she wanted Drake to take her on the bed right away. She could hardly contain her longing for him and didn’t want to wait any longer.

As she climbed away from Drake onto the bed, she felt his hands wrap around her left ankle with the leather strap that was attached to the bed.

“No, you don’t need to tie me up,” Cynthia said as she flipped around and started to kiss Drake.

She wasn’t afraid of the straps themselves, or of Drake. Cynthia was afraid of feeling out of control. She had never been in a situation that she didn’t feel like she was in control and really wasn’t sure she could handle it.

“I think I do need to,” Drake said as he held Cynthia’s arms above her head and pressed her back onto the bed.

“I’m scared,” she whispered.

“Don’t be, I’m going to take care of you.”

Drake gently stretched each of Cynthia’s arms above her head and connected the leather straps to them. Then he connected the final one around her other ankle as he stood next to the bed and looked gloriously at Cynthia. Her body looked magnificent as it lay there stretched out on the bed. Her pale white skin in total contrast to the deep red sheets on the bed.

“You’re shaking,” Drake said as he took his clothes off, climbed onto the bed and lay next to Cynthia.

“I’m cold, or scared, or something, I’m not sure. But I’m fine,” she responded.

Drake leaned over and started to kiss Cynthia as his warm hands moved up and down her body. He explored every inch of her that he could reach while their tongues worked together in the perfect kiss. It was a sensual moment and so unique to Drake. Having Cynthia dare herself to push her own boundaries was beyond what Drake had expected from their evening. He loved that she was afraid but still wanted to move things forward.

“I’m going to make you scream now,” Drake said quickly as he moved his kisses from her lips, slowly down her body.

He stopped and paid special attention to each of her nipples before he traced a path down her belly to her delicious center. With her legs spread open and tied down, Cynthia couldn’t clench her thighs around Drake to make him stop pleasing her. She also didn’t have the use of her hands to stop him, either. Drake couldn’t help feeling excited about the endless pleasure he intended to give Cynthia that evening.

“Be gentle,” she teased him.

He started slowly and moved his tongue around the exterior folds of her core while he watched as she wiggled against his tongue. Each minute that passed, Cynthia’s hips moved more and more against him as the pleasure he provided her built up higher and higher.

When he finally slid two fingers, inside of her, Cynthia screamed out in pleasure as her body tightened down on him. But Drake wasn’t about to slow down just because she had released an orgasm. Instead, it drove him to thrust his fingers harder while he pulled her clit into his mouth. The more she moved, the more intensely he moved his fingers. Soon she was screaming out as another orgasm hit and thrashing around in an effort to move her clit away from Drake’s mouth.

Her moans were like music to Drake’s ears, and he wanted to hear them over and over again. It didn’t matter that she had just orgasmed twice; he wanted to watch her body shake and moan all night long. He even wondered just how many orgasms he could deliver to Cynthia before she would beg him to untie her.

“Have you ever squirted?” Drake asked as he slowed his fingers inside of Cynthia.

He started to curl them up toward the front of her pubic bone as he sat up and watched her body.

“No, I can’t do that,” she said, and then after a long pause, she added, “but I’d like to try.”

That was all Drake needed to hear, and he moved his left hand over her pubic bone and pressed down as his right hand continued to stroke inside of her. The moans were quiet at first, but much deeper than before. As she got comfortable with the movement, Drake started to move his whole hand up and down inside of her as his fingers thrust into the top and bottom of her opening.

The change in movement instantly had Cynthia quiet as she felt her body start to shake.

“It’s okay, close your eyes. Let your body release,” he said softly.

As his fingers continued their up and down movement, he watched Cynthia’s body as she finally closed her eyes and started to relax. He felt the muscles in her center release, and he quickened his movements to help her body release the best orgasm she had ever had.

Cynthia wasn’t exactly sure what happened, but she felt her body start to vibrate from near her belly button. It was a quick sensation at first, but then soon she felt a rush of fluid and her whole body started to shake. It was a twitching of an orgasm as her muscles tightened and she felt a sensation that she had never had before.

Her pelvis tightened as she screamed out in pleasure and tried to pull her thighs together to prevent the intense feeling from continuing. But with her legs tethered to the bedposts, that left her body exposed as Drake continued to move inside of her and stretched her orgasm even longer than she thought possible.

“Oh, please, please, untie me,” Cynthia moaned.

Drake felt her body releasing as she shook with pleasure, and he quickly went around to all four straps and unhooked them. He pulled Cynthia to one side of the bed and wrapped his arms around her as her body continued to shake with pleasure. It was an intense moment, and yet extremely intimate.

Cynthia had her eyes closed still but moved her face toward Drake’s, and he met her with a gentle kiss. He reached down and grabbed a blanket from the floor and wrapped it around Cynthia as he held her close to him.

Cynthia wasn’t sure why the moment had been so emotional, but she felt herself fighting back tears. It was such an amazing orgasm, and she had never been with a man that she felt so comfortable with. She kept her eyes closed as she felt the warmth of his body wrapped around her and the ultimate feeling of safety in every part of her body.

“I still want to ride you,” Cynthia said, pulling Drake close to her. “But my legs are too weak.”

Drake just laughed as he held onto Cynthia and let her rest. As much as he would have loved to slide inside of her and watch her bounce on top of him, Drake knew she was exhausted, and there was no way he wanted to push her any harder. They could certainly rest for a while and then pick things up again when they woke up.

He had already decided he was spending the night with Cynthia, so there was no big hurry in rushing through their night of fun.

As Drake closed his eyes, he remembered thinking how comfortable he felt with Cynthia. She was like a friend he had known for years and years without ever having the worry that he would say something or do something wrong. He liked how he felt when he was with Cynthia, he liked it enough to consider that she might be the one he picked at the end of the week.

Chapter 8

The night flew by, and before she knew it, Cynthia woke up and it was almost 3 o’clock in the morning. She was dying of thirst as she crawled over Drake and made her way to the bathroom. Her legs still felt wobbly from their earlier fun, but in a good way. The kind of wobble you got from having multiple orgasms.

Cynthia wasn’t sure why she felt so comfortable with Drake, but as she stood in the bathroom doorway and drank her water, she smiled at the thought. She was standing there naked and didn’t even care if Drake woke up and saw her. It was the first time she could remember ever feeling so comfortable in her own skin.

Drake hadn’t done anything specific to make her feel comfortable; it was just the way he looked at her. It was clear that he didn’t see the extra weight she carried around. Cynthia had looked at her own body so critically for so many years; it was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders when she stood there without the worry at all.

Cynthia couldn’t stop thinking about how wonderful their day together had been. It was nothing like any date she had ever experienced. Certainly, the circumstances were much different than anything Cynthia had encountered before, but it was much more than that. Cynthia and Drake had a connection that was stronger than she had felt with other men she had dated.

The other issue with those other men though, was that they weren’t nearly as funny as Drake. The men she normally went out with were boring money men who loved to talk about their money and how good they were at investing it.

Cynthia was pretty damn good with investing too. She had built her company up from hardly anything. It was now a multi-million-dollar organization with over a hundred employees. But just because she was smart and knew how to invest didn’t mean that she thought it was good conversation for a date. In fact, when a man started a date off talking about his investments or money, that instantly turned Cynthia off for the rest of the night.

It was comical to Cynthia that she had spent the whole day with Drake, and neither of them had mentioned money at all. That was something she had dreamed for in a man. She had even talked with her friends over drinks one night about how she would keep the first man who could make it through a meal without talking about his investments.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to be up to Cynthia on whether she got to keep Drake or not. He was going to have to make the decision at the end of the week. It made Cynthia horribly sad to even think about losing Drake, and she needed to find something to keep herself occupied really quick before she started to lament about her fears.

She returned to the bed and uncovered Drake slowly. She was trying not to wake him up, but as soon as the cold room air hit his skin, he started to stir. Cynthia quickly wrapped her lips around his member and stroked slowly up and down his shaft as she worked to wake him up. If she were awake, certainly Drake should be awake as well, she thought.

“Good morning,” Drake said groggily. “Or is it still nighttime?”

He turned toward the bedside clock and saw the time. It was a bit of a relief to him as he wanted more time with Cynthia. He wasn’t ready to give her up just yet. She was a special woman and someone he would have never found if Samantha and Robert hadn’t brought her to the house for the week.

As her mouth moved around him, he felt his energy surging, and the throbbing started to increase. It was so easy for her to arouse his energies, easier than he thought it would have been at such an hour of the night.

“Good morning,” Cynthia said as she climbed on top of Drake and sat near his stomach for a moment.

She was certainly planning to slide him inside of her, but first, she wanted to talk to him. They hadn’t spent much of their time talking at all throughout their day. It made Cynthia feel like she was at a disadvantage compared to the other women in the house. Most of them had talked in depth about all the conversations and bonding they had done with Drake. But Cynthia and Drake had hardly talked at all.

“You know, I could flip you back over onto the bed and tie you up again,” Drake said as she grabbed her ass and pulled her body toward him.

“Nope, I have something better planned.”

“Anything you want, babe,” Drake said as he let his hands massage her ass.

“I’m going to make you scream,” Cynthia teased him.

As much as she genuinely wanted to talk with Drake, she quickly found herself flirting with him and teasing him again. She just couldn’t stop herself. There was something about Drake that made Cynthia almost giddy with excitement. She couldn’t hold back from sexually teasing him and wasn’t sure she wanted to.

She had to hope that they would have time for conversation on another day before everything was over because for the moment, Cynthia wasn’t going to be talking with him much.

“Oh, you think so?” Drake asked as he raised an eyebrow at her.

“No,” she laughed. “But I am going to ride you like a cowboy.”

Drake had to laugh at her analogy. He wasn’t sure anyone had ever referred to him as a cowboy before. He was probably the farthest thing from a cowboy there was. He dressed in trendy clothes and didn’t really know how to work with his hands much, except in the bedroom. But it was a fun idea to be a cowboy for the evening.

“Yes, ma’am. I’m your cowboy and you should give me a good riding. You know the kind where I try to buck you off and you just hold on for dear life,” he teased her.

Cynthia looked intently at Drake as she lifted her body off him and moved over his throbbing member. As she slid down on top of him, she felt the release of his breath as he closed his eyes and took in the pleasure of the moment.

The feeling of him filled her up, and she pressed her hands against his chest to stabilize herself. Slowly she rocked her hips back and forth as she pressed his body deep inside of her. It was an intense feeling to have him all the way in her, and she felt her body tightening around him.

Soon, Drake started to move his hips with her thrusts in perfect unison as their bodies worked together to create pleasure for both of them. Harder and harder he thrust as he held onto her hips for leverage.

Her breasts moved freely as she bounced up and down on his body. Normally, the sign of her bouncing breasts would have worried her. She would have wrapped an arm around them in an effort to hide their movements. But with Drake, Cynthia didn’t worry at all. She relaxed and felt the sensation that was going through her body. It was a liberating experience for her and one that resulted in a far larger amount of pleasure for her.

Cynthia felt comfortable on top of Drake, and even felt fine with his hands on her hips as their bodies thrust together. It was a totally unique moment for her, and she knew she wouldn’t forget it. No matter what happened at the end of the week, Cynthia wanted to always remember how safe and confident she felt with Drake. That was what she wanted for her future.

The more they moved with each other, the more their moans increased as the climax built up inside both of them. Soon they were both ready to explode as Cynthia clenched her hands onto Drake’s chest and he pulled her hips even tighter to his body.

Their final release came in unison with a huge thrust from Drake and a moan from Cynthia that she was sure had to have been heard throughout the house. She thought it was loud enough that even the neighbors probably heard it.

“Oh, my gosh, I’m going to die from exhaustion,” Cynthia said as she collapsed onto Drake’s chest.

“Before you die, we should hop in the shower,” he teased.

“Yes, we should go right now before I decide I’m too tired to move.”

Drake quickly sat up and pulled Cynthia with him as they got out of bed and made their way to the bathroom. It was a few degrees colder in there, and he quickly turned on the warm water of the shower so they could get in.

“After you ma’am,” he said with a wink.

Cynthia couldn’t help smiling at the way he said, ma’am. Instead of him saying it like she was his dominatrix, he used a long southern drawl that made her smile. She slid under the warm water of the shower and let it rain over her while Drake watched from just outside the glass enclosure.

“Are you coming in?” she asked, letting her hands move over her breasts and spreading the water all over her body.

She took a moment to grab the shampoo and spread the soapy mixture throughout her hair and then down her chest. It drizzled over her hard nipple, and she knew that Drake was watching every move she made. It was fun to feel so sexually free around someone and not feel like she had to dominate her man at all. Drake’s eyes were glued to her body, and he was perfectly happy to stand there and watch her as she moved the soap around and rinsed herself off.

Drake didn’t care about her weight or any other silly body issues that Cynthia had obsessed about for years. She saw in his eyes at that moment that he was perfectly inspired by her body. It made her see herself in a whole different way than she normally did.

“Give me about ten minutes and I’ll come all over you,” he joked.

As he climbed in the shower, he pressed himself up against Cynthia’s wet body and let the warm water run down on him as well. He grabbed the soap and squirted it all over her again just so he could use his hands and wash her body one more time for her.

“Drake! I’m all slippery now,” she yelled out.

Drake went to work, washing every inch of her body and rinsing off all the soap so she wasn’t slippery any longer. He let his hands pay special attention to her breasts and nipples as he fondled them longer than any other area of her body.

“You can’t possibly have enough energy to go again?” Cynthia asked skeptically as she reached for the soap once more.

She squirted the soap all over Drake's chest and then let her own hands explore his muscular body as she washed him off. It was a delight to feel the firm muscles that he had stretched over each and every area of his body.

“You’re right, I’m just teasing you. But you never know; in ten minutes, I could feel fully recharged and ready to go again.”

As they both washed off their bodies with soap and warm water, they let the silence fill the room. It wasn’t an awkward silence, though, they both felt so comfortable with each other it was just another level of comfort in the silence.

“Do you think we could stretch our day out into three?” she asked. But Cynthia instantly regretted making the statement. She knew from the beginning what the rules were, and Drake had already stayed with her through the night. She felt bad for even mentioning such a thing.

“I am really regretting this idea to spend just one day with you,” Drake replied. “I think we could spend a whole week together and never get tired of each other.”

It was a politically correct answer if Cynthia had ever heard one, but she was happy that he didn’t make a big thing out of her comment. Cynthia really did understand the rules of their week together, and she was alright with those rules. She had just let it slip out that she wanted more time with Drake. All of the women probably wanted more time with him. One day wasn’t nearly enough time to get to know someone.

He certainly loved the idea of spending more time with Cynthia, but he also knew that it wasn’t going to happen. He had a big day planned with Lauren at the beach, and it was only fair to her that she would get her time with Drake as well.

Drake grabbed a towel and stepped out of the shower to dry off. He didn’t want to let their conversation go any further down the road it was on. He liked Cynthia a lot and knew it must feel horrible to spend the day with him and then have to watch the next girl get her time, but that was the way things had to be for that week.

“I’m going to dry my hair really quick, and I’ll meet you in bed,” Cynthia said as she got out of the shower.

Drake pulled the sheets off of the bed and put a fresh set on from the closet before he climbed in and waited for Cynthia to join him. It was close to morning, but they still had a couple hours of sleep they could get before the sun came up.

His heart jumped in his chest as Cynthia came out of the bathroom totally naked with her long brown hair blown dry and lying around her shoulders. She was a stunningly beautiful woman, and he really hoped she understood that.

She climbed into bed next to him, and he quickly pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her again. It was comforting to have him there, and he seemed to know just what she needed from him. Drake was like a dream come true to Cynthia, and she couldn’t wait to see if he picked her at the end of the week.

“I had an amazing day with you,” she said to Drake as she let her eyes close in exhaustion.

“Me too, I will always remember this day Cynthia; always.”

They both quickly drifted off to sleep with their arms intertwined and the covers pulled up over them. It was the end of an absolutely amazing day. They were both physically exhausted. Drake was sure he would have a very hard time waking up in the morning, but it was a day well worth the exhaustion he was feeling.

After only about an hour of sleep, Drake and Cynthia woke up to screams coming from down the hall. It took them a moment to come out of their sleep and figure out just what was happening.

“Help! Help! Help!” A woman’s voice screamed from down the hall. “Somebody, call 911.”

It sounded like it was Scarlett screaming. Drake sat up quickly in bed, grabbed his pants and slid them on while he rushed down the hall. He didn’t know where he was going or what was going on. All he knew was the voice that had screamed sounded frantic.

The Billionaire’s Hunt

Lauren

The Billionaire Bachelor Series 7

Chapter 1

By the time Drake arrived at the door to Sophia’s room, it was clear that something very wrong was occurring. But Drake didn’t really know what it was yet. He saw Scarlett holding Sophia’s hand, and Sophia was pale and moaning. Victoria was on her cell phone and talking to what Drake assumed was a 911 operator.

Although Scarlett had been the one who screamed for help, she was now totally in control of the situation. Her calm demeanor instantly calmed Drake down, but he could tell the situation was serious. Sophia’s face was pale, and she looked ghostly as she held onto her stomach and cried softly. It was obvious she was in horrible pain. Sophia didn’t seem to realize her room was filled with people and instead was latched onto Scarlett, holding her hand.

“What happened?” Drake said as he moved in closer to Sophia.

It was vividly clear she was not herself. She didn’t turn toward him, her eyes remained closed, and she held onto her stomach and moaned in pain, with Scarlett’s hand intertwined with hers. His hands reached out to her, but there wasn’t anything he could do.

“I think it’s her appendix. Victoria has the ambulance on the line. Can you go open the gate and make sure they get up here alright?” Scarlett said calmly and definitively.

“Yes.”

It was clear that Scarlett had taken charge of the situation. Whatever fear she had originally had when she found Sophia had died down, and her sense of control had taken over. Scarlett handed out tasks for everyone in the room as she tried to comfort Sophia while they waited for the ambulance.

Drake didn’t hesitate at all and quickly made his way out to the front gate and waited for the ambulance. It felt odd not to be in control. His whole life was about control, and at that moment, there was absolutely nothing he could do to control the pain that Sophia was feeling.

Even when Drake had made wild decisions to do things like Skydiving, he had still controlled where and when he would do it; he liked to remain in control in his life. But Scarlett was very in control in that situation, her calm voice and ability to give directions to everyone were impressive.

It didn’t take the ambulance long, and they were soon upstairs and loaded Sophia onto their gurney. She held on tightly to Scarlett’s hand, but as they came downstairs; Scarlett grabbed Drake’s hand and put it into Sophia’s. His eyes grew wide as he gazed at Scarlett.

Drake wasn’t prepared to be the calm one in this situation. He had never taken care of someone who was in so much pain and didn’t know what to do.

“Go with her, she’s scared,” Scarlett said softly.

Drake didn’t hesitate, but he certainly didn’t feel confident in his skills at comforting Sophia. If being with Sophia would make her feel better, then he wanted to be there with her, that was all he could think about. She was a vibrant and funny woman, and Drake hoped nothing bad was going to happen.

He truly had never seen someone in so much pain, though. The look on her face showed something that Drake had never seen a woman go through before. His heart ached for Sophia, and he held her hand to try and comfort her as much as he could.

Without a second thought, Drake stepped into the ambulance and continued to hold onto Sophia’s hand while they drove to the hospital. She continued to writhe around in pain, and the medic got an IV going and pushed some medication through it to make her more comfortable.

“I’m here Sophia. I’m here,” Drake said as he gently stroked her hair.

But Sophia seemed oblivious to the fact that anyone else was there with her at all. The pain was all encompassing, and she didn’t open her eyes to look at Drake. The drive to the hospital was one of the most uncomfortable few minutes of Drake’s life, which he felt bad about because obviously it was much worse for Sophia. Drake wasn’t used to being out of control. He wasn’t comfortable with providing emotional support for someone. Everything about those moments made him uncomfortable, but he knew he needed to be there for Sophia.

As they arrived at the hospital, Sophia was quickly whisked away and Drake was left standing in the waiting room. He looked around feeling lost as he tried to figure out what he was supposed to do next. He wanted to stay with Sophia. Drake wanted to hold her hand and let her know that everything was going to be okay.

“Are you family?” a nurse came and finally asked him.

“No. I’m a friend.”

“Stay here,” she said, starting to turn away.

“She is staying at my house. I came with her in the ambulance. I think she would want me to be with her. Can I please go back there with her?”

“Wait here,” the unsympathetic woman said and then turned away.

His heart beat fast, and he could feel his breath as he sat down in one of the chairs and tried to comprehend what was happening. He didn’t know Sophia all that well, but he was worried about her, just like he would have been worried about any of the other women if they had been found in pain and looking so ill. She was such a vibrant, fun woman; it had been hard to see that personality gone from her as she held his hand in pain.

Then Drake realized Sophia’s family should be notified. He didn’t have any of that information and quickly dialed Samantha. Since Samantha had helped with every step of the process, she would have easy access to the girls’ files and could call Sophia’s family.

“I know Drake; I’m on my way to you,” Samantha said as she answered the phone on the first ring.

“You know?”

“Yes, Scarlett called me.”

“Scarlett has your number?”

“Yes. I’m almost there. I’ll talk to you in a minute.”

Samantha was true to her word, and she walked through the doors about a minute after they hung up the phone. Drake’s breath caught in his throat as he saw her come through the automated doors, and he watched as she looked around the room for him. She was stunningly beautiful on any day of the week, but Drake hadn’t really had the opportunity to see her much outside of the work clothes she was normally wearing. His heart literally skipped a beat, and he grabbed his chest unconsciously as he watched Samantha walk toward him.

The normally formal Samantha was dressed in workout shorts and a tank top with her hair pulled up into a ponytail. The sight of her looking so casual caught Drake completely off guard. Her face was flushed and her temples were peppered with small beads of sweat. It was obvious that she had left some sort of workout class to rush to the hospital.

It was entirely normal for Samantha to drop what she was doing to take care of business. But typically, she had the time to change into her professional clothing and do her hair and makeup, or she was taking care of things and Drake wasn’t around. But her business suit was like her work armor that she wore, and Drake had become accustomed to it.

“Where is she?” Samantha asked.

Drake was too caught up admiring her breasts, which were pressed tightly into a sports bra, and he didn’t answer her quickly. Samantha seemed annoyed and turned and went straight to the nurse’s counter. She didn’t have time for Drake’s games, and she wasn’t just going to stand there while he stared at her tits.

“In there,” Drake finally managed to say, but Samantha was already at the counter.

“I’m here to see Sophia Marker,” Samantha said to the nurse. “I have her insurance information, and we need to contact her parents with the details of what is happening.”

Drake just sat back down as he watched Samantha. They weren’t going to let her back there if she wasn’t family. He had already experienced that. She was going to have to wait in the waiting room with him.

“Are you family?” the nurse asked.

“Yes.”

The nurse quickly opened the side door and let Samantha into the back room. What was she doing? Samantha wasn’t family; she had clearly said they needed to call Sophia’s parents with the information. But perhaps the nurse needed to hear a lie to let someone back there. Drake wished he had thought to answer “yes” when the nursed asked him.

He sat quietly in the waiting area for what seemed like forever but was probably closer to thirty minutes. When Samantha came back out, she had a grim look on her face, and Drake instantly worried that something horrible had happened.

“What? What is it? Did she die?”

“No! She didn’t die. Her appendix burst, and she needs emergency surgery, though. Things should be alright, but she’ll need to remain in the hospital for the next week. They brought her back for the surgery just now.”

“God, that’s horrible. Did you get to talk to her?”

“No, doctors were caring for her, though. I talked with her mother who is on her way here now and should arrive by the time the surgery is over. Was she the one you were going to pick?”

The question caught Drake off guard, but he instantly answered, “No.”

It surprised Drake that he knew right away that Sophia wasn’t the one he was going to pick. She was a beautiful girl and certainly a lot of fun, but deep down Drake knew she wasn’t the right one for him. He hadn’t known that he knew it up until that moment, though. But he had much stronger feelings toward other women that were in the house.

“Do you know who you are going to pick?” Samantha questioned.

Again, Drake was caught off guard. But he genuinely didn’t know who he was going to pick. All the women were such great matches for him; it was going to be one of the most difficult decisions he ever made.

“No.”

They both smiled and sat together quietly as they waited for the surgeon to come out and talk to them. The feeling between the two of them seemed different, awkward even. Drake wasn’t exactly sure what had changed, but he felt energy with Samantha that was growing. It was becoming harder and harder to be around her and not think of her in inappropriate ways.

Samantha felt it too. As she sat next to Drake, she couldn’t help being impressed that he was there for Sophia and staying until her surgery was over. As much as Samantha wanted to hate the week Drake was having with his seven women, it seemed to have changed him. He was different, and she liked it.

“Who is your date with today?”

“Lauren, I think she wants to go surfing. How old is she, anyway?”

Samantha laughed. Lauren did seem really young, but she wasn’t any younger than the other random women Drake had been dating over the last few years. She had a good career going and the flexibility to travel with Drake. Samantha had really liked her during the initial interview, although she didn’t think Drake would pick her.

“She’s twenty-three and very nice. You’ll have fun.”

“I’m sure I will.”

Drake wanted to add more. He wanted to ask Samantha to go out on a date with him, but after being turned down so many times over the years they had known each other, Drake didn’t dare ask her again. That opportunity had passed them by, and Drake was going to abide by their agreement to keep things professional.

“Tomorrow is Scarlett. I like her a lot,” Samantha added.

“Yes, she’s an amazing woman. I bet you two will make great friends. She reminds me a lot of you.”

Samantha looked down at her breasts, which were looking very voluptuous in her sports top. They were clearly nothing near the size of Scarlett’s, though, and Samantha couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh, I do?” she teased Drake.

“No, not because of your tits. I’m not that much of a jerk. Although, your girls do look lovely. I think you and Scarlett are both very independent, smart women, who other women look up to.”

“Thank you,” Samantha said and decided not to respond to the comment about her breasts.

They both looked up when the automatic doors opened, and a frantic looking red-haired woman came running in. It was obvious she was Sophia’s mother. Even at her age, the woman was a strikingly identical looking beauty to her daughter.

“Mrs. Marker?” Samantha asked, approaching the woman.

“Yes.”

“Hi, I’m Samantha. I’m Sophia’s friend who called you. She’s in surgery right now. I’ll have the nurses fill you in.”

Samantha walked Sophia’s mother to the nursing station, and they talked quietly to one of the nurses for a moment. As the two women stood there, a man in surgical gear came out into the waiting room, saw Samantha and walked over to them.

Drake jumped up and joined the group so he could hear what was going on. He could feel his pulse increase as the worry over what the doctor was going to say sunk in. Sophia hadn’t looked well at all, and Drake said a quick, silent prayer that everything went well with the surgery.

“Mrs. Marker?” The surgeon asked and then continued, “Sophia did great in surgery. We were able to get everything cleaned out from her appendix rupture, and she is resting comfortably in recovery. We will need to keep an eye on her for a few days to watch for infections, but things went well.”

“Thank you so much! Can I see her now?” Sophia’s mother asked.

“Sure, come with me. She’s still sedated, but you can be there with her when she wakes up.”

The two of them went through the doors and Drake was again left standing in the waiting room.

“I really would like to see her. I feel so bad that this happened at my house.”

“Don’t feel bad. Appendix burst sometimes. It’s alright. You got her here fast, and that’s all that matters. She’s going to be just fine now,” Samantha said, gently touching Drake’s hand.

He felt the electricity between them in a way he couldn’t remember feeling before. There was emotion behind her touch, and he suddenly wanted to wrap his arms around her and pull her close to him. The urge filled his body, and he had to physically hold his own hand to prevent himself from letting it wrap around her.

“Actually, it was all Scarlett. She was calm and organized. She got the help that was needed for Sophia. She’s a rock star.”

“Well, I’m glad everything worked out. I’ll stick around here for a little bit and make sure everything is going well when she wakes up. I’ll let you know later. Why don’t you head home and go on your date for the day? I don’t want Lauren to feel like she got a raw deal with her time with you.”

“Yeah, I’ll head home,” Drake said, his eyes locking in on Samantha’s.

She felt it too. The power between them was growing, and it was getting increasingly difficult for Samantha to hide her growing feelings for Drake. He was bad news in the love department, and she knew it. Samantha had been avoiding Drake for years, and there was a very good reason for that. She loved her job. There wasn’t a way that she could see a relationship working out with Drake, so she needed to keep things professional, no matter what her personal feelings were.

“Have a great date today,” Samantha said as she withdrew her hand from Drake’s arm.

“Thanks,” he responded reluctantly, turning to leave the hospital.

It seemed odd to be leaving one girl while going home to go out with another one. It was even odder that the woman that was currently occupying his mind wasn’t Sophia or Lauren; it was Samantha. Drake laughed under his breath. Of course, he was the guy who could mess up even when he had seven women to choose from.

He needed to focus on the women he had available to him. Even though Sophia was ill, there were still six pretty astounding women that he was getting to know, and any one of them would make a great partner for him.

Chapter 2

All of the women had been filled with worry over what was going on with Sophia. Sure, they were competing over Drake, but they were quickly becoming friends, and Sophia had looked so dangerously ill that concern was all they had. Jealousy and envy were gone for the moment, and they all sat around the living room, waiting to hear something about how Sophia was doing.

“My appendix burst when I was a teenager. It was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced. I’m pretty sure that is what happened with Sophia,” Emily said softly as they all sat there.

“I had mine out too, but it didn’t rupture. I was just feeling nauseated for days and went to see the doctor ,” added Victoria.

“Well, hopefully, everything goes well. I wonder if she was into drugs or anything, though. I had a friend who overdosed and his pancreas went out or something. It was crazy,” Cynthia contributed, avoiding eye contact with the other women.

Cynthia wasn’t so sure Sophia’s illness had even been real. Sophia was one of the most manipulative women she had met, and she wasn’t going to believe it was something real just because Sophia could scream loud and cry. This was a competition for one of the most eligible men in the world; there weren’t any rules about faking an illness so you could spend more time with him.

“I’m sure Samantha will inform us as soon as she knows anything. Let’s eat some breakfast for now and just try to relax until we know more,” Scarlett said as she got up and went to the kitchen. “Is everyone cool with some French toast?”

“Oh, yeah. I would kill for some French toast,” Allison said and then quickly gasped and covered her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“She’s not going to die, guys. She’s at a hospital with the best doctors in the world. Let’s move on to eating some breakfast,” Scarlett said, rolling her eyes at Allison. “Has anyone seen Lauren?”

“I think she went back to bed,” Victoria said.

“Go get her so she can eat something. She’s probably upset because it was her day with Drake.”

“Sure, mother Scarlett,” Victoria said cheekily.

Scarlett hated that she was becoming these women’s mother figure, but it was true. Many of the girls in the house were extraordinarily successful, but they had assistants and others who helped take care of them. Scarlett didn’t mind the part about being the mother so much; she minded that it was going to change the way Drake saw her. She suspected he wasn’t in the market for a motherly figure as a wife, and she was very mentally aware of needing to step away from that role when he was around. There was only one more day until her date with him, and Scarlett was going to make a true effort to see if they were compatible. It seemed like the chemistry was there, and she was hopeful that there would be the mental connection as well.

“Lauren!” Victoria started to yell from the stairway as she made her way up. “Lauren!”

The yelling continued until Victoria was at the door to Lauren’s room. Victoria knocked a couple of times and then went into Lauren’s room. Right away she noticed that the surfboard was missing. She made her way to the window and looked down to the pool, but Lauren was nowhere to be seen. Victoria grabbed an envelope with Drake’s name on it and brought it back downstairs.

“She’s gone. This was on her bed,” Victoria said as she handed the note to Scarlett. “Should we open it?”

“Is it sealed? Then no. We will give it to Drake when he gets here,” Scarlett said calmly without showing any emotion.

If Lauren had decided to leave, that meant there was one more girl out of the running for Drake, and the remaining women weren’t sad about that at all. They hoped Sophia was alright at the hospital and wasn’t using this incident to manipulate more time with Drake, though. It was a thought that all of the women had let creep into their minds a little bit.

When the front door opened, it was like a cluster of cats running toward the living room in anticipation. Only Scarlet stayed behind as she finished cooking breakfast. She had told the chef to take the day off. It seemed ridiculous that Drake was wasting money on a chef for them when most of the women hardly ate a thing.

“Drake!” the women screamed in unison. “How is she?”

“She is in surgery, actually just finishing up now. It went well, and she is going to stay in the hospital for a couple of days. Her mother arrived and is there with her, so is Samantha.”

“Wow, I was really worried about her. It’s great that she’s going to be alright,” Emily said.

A few of the other women echoed her relief as they all followed Drake to the couch area and sat down. They were hungry for time with him. Victoria, Emily, Allison, and Cynthia had all finished their dates with Drake and were desperate to hold onto the connection they felt with him.

But with each new day, a new girl got her opportunity with Drake, and the women who had already been out with him felt cast away. It was the nature of what they had signed up for, but none of the women were prepared for the emotional toll that dating Drake was taking on them.

Even Victoria, who thought of herself as very stoic and able to control her emotions, found herself feeling hurt that she didn’t get more time with Drake. The week was dragging out, and they all wanted it to be over and for him to choose them at the end of it all.

Drake felt a connection with each of the women too. In fact, he hated his plan more and more as the week had gone on. The women were all more than he had expected. They were confident, kind, successful and beautiful; he felt lucky to have gotten to know them all and would be happy with any one of them.

But he had to sort through all his thoughts before he was going to make a decision, and he wouldn’t have time for that until after his date with Scarlett the next day.

The problem with meeting seven beautiful, kind and successful women was that it made decision-making horribly hard. They were all the type of women he wanted in his life, but in different ways. The decision was starting to weigh heavily on him, and as he sat in his living room and saw the desire on all their faces, he hated that he was going to have to disappoint six women that he had grown to care about.

“So how was your morning? Where are Lauren and Scarlett?” Drake asked as he took count of the women who were sitting with him.

“Scarlett is making French toast, and I think Lauren left,” Victoria said.

Victoria hurried into the kitchen and grabbed the envelope with Drake’s name on it. She tried to hide the smile that was pressing on her lips, but it was difficult. She liked Lauren, but Victoria was perfectly fine with any of the girls going home. It only made it easier for her to get to know Drake.

“Did she leave for good?” Drake asked, concerned.

“We don’t know,” Scarlett said as she came out of the kitchen. “Victoria went up to her room, and this was there for you. Hopefully, she’s just waiting for you at a secret date location.”

“Most of her things were still there, but her surfboard wasn’t.”

Drake opened the envelope in front of the women and read the note as they all looked at him with anticipation. His face didn’t give them a hint at all to what was going on, and at the end of reading the note, he looked solemnly up at the women.

“She’s gone off to join a surfing monastery,” he said straight-faced.

Scarlett immediately started to laugh while the other women took a few seconds to get the joke. Victoria was the first, and then the other three began to laugh after her.

“Wait, why are we laughing?” Emily asked.

“Because a monastery is for monks and women wouldn’t join it,” Victoria said.

“And seriously Emily. Do you think there are surfing monasteries, anyway?” Cynthia joked.

“Oh, okay. I get it,” Emily said, laughing with the group.

Scarlett slipped back into the kitchen, and Drake moved from the couch to follow her. When he arrived in the kitchen, she was standing in front of the stove, and he stood close behind her. Although there was still a few feet between then, Drake could feel the warmth from the stove.

Drake felt the sexual energy between them, even from two feet away. He wanted to take a step closer, to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her body next to his, but he restrained himself. Scarlett wasn’t the kind of woman that he would treat t frivolously. In the days that he had known her. Drake learned that Scarlett was thoughtful, kind and giving; he wasn’t about to treat her like any of the other women in the house. She was special to him. The bond he felt with her was special, and Drake liked that feeling.

“You’re making breakfast for the girls? Where’s the chef?” Drake asked.

Scarlett felt his breath even from where he was standing, and it sent her body into overdrive. She wanted him just as bad as he wanted her, but she wasn’t going to make a move. This game of his meant that today was Lauren’s day, and Scarlett didn’t want to force herself onto Drake before it was time.

“I told him to go home.”

“And he listened to you?”

“Sure, why wouldn’t he?” Scarlett said, turning to look at Drake with a smile.

“Oh, well, I don’t know. Maybe because I’m his employer. But if you looked at him with that look, I’m sure he would do anything you asked of him .”

“Would you do anything I asked of you?” Scarlett said as she turned all the way around and faced him.

Drake’s blood started pumping hard, and he felt it go right to his cock. The throbbing he had for Scarlett was intense, and he wanted to feel himself against her. The urge to grab onto her suddenly outweighed his logic, and he swiftly grabbed her and pulled her toward him.

They stood close in their embrace, and Scarlett held her hands on the counter to steady herself. It would have been easy to lean in and kiss him, but she wasn’t going to give in. Scarlett wouldn’t want any of the other women trying to kiss Drake when it was her time with him, and she wasn’t going to try and kiss him during Lauren’s day.

“Yes, anything,” Drake said in a low husky voice, and Scarlett believed him.

As Scarlett took in a deep breath, Drake found his eyes drawn to her heaving chest. The urge to press his lips into the mounds of flesh was quickly filling his mind, and he was losing the ability to stop himself. He already had her body pressed up against him, and she wasn’t pulling away. Perhaps a small kiss against her breasts would be fine with her?

“Then you should go find Lauren; I bet she’s excited to spend her day with you,” Scarlett said coldly as she pulled away from him.

Drake felt the switch in her personality, and he didn’t know what to think of it. She wanted him; he knew she wanted him. But she had so quickly become cold that it scared him. Was that something she always did when she got close to someone? Drake had to wonder. Or perhaps the emotions of spending a week in his house with six other women were starting to get to her.

“Yes, I should probably go find her and get our date started,” Drake said coolly.

“Have a great day,” Scarlett said, turning back to her cooking.

“You too,” Drake said as he wandered out of the kitchen and tried to figure out what had just happened.

Scarlett was one of the front runners, at least in his mind. He wanted to get to know her more, and he needed to make love to her. There was no doubt that the sexual chemistry between them was intense, and their lovemaking was going to be off the charts.

But she was right about one thing; it was Lauren’s day, and he needed to concentrate on her. Her note said she went to the beach and wanted him to meet her there. So that’s where he was heading.

Chapter 3

“Hey, I’m on the way to meet up with Lauren; how is Sophia doing?” Drake asked Samantha when he got her on the phone.

“She’s doing well. Her mom is in with her now. Where is Lauren?”

Drake pulled her note out and read it one more time. The first time he read it, he thought she had said to meet him at the ocean, and she was surfing, but as he looked at the note again, it appeared he was supposed to meet her over at a private lake.

“Well, she said she went surfing, but I’m supposed to meet her over at Lake Edwards or something. I’m not sure what she has planned.”

“I thought for sure she was going to take you surfing,” Samantha joked, “and that I was going to have to pick you up from the hospital after you broke something.”

“Oh, come on. I’m a pretty fit guy. I think I can handle some surfing. It’s just balancing on a board. How hard could it be?”

“Yeah, you keep thinking that,” Samantha continued to tease him.

Their interaction was a little odd, and all Drake could think about was how things seemed different between them. He felt like a schoolboy trying to hold a conversation with her and worrying he was going to say something stupid. Drake certainly hadn’t felt like that around Samantha before. Something had definitely changed between the two of them.

When Samantha had first come to work for him, Drake thought she was going to be like all the rest of his assistants. He would have an affair with her, she would quit, and he would move on to the next assistant. But Samantha didn’t like that plan and had refused to sleep with him in favor of keeping her job. It had turned out to be a very successful partnership, and Drake was grateful to have her in his life, both personally and professionally.

“Alright, I better head off. Let me know if there is any news on Sophia. Thanks again for getting there and handling things. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I don’t know either. You’d probably be some poor hippy still trying to figure out how to use MySpace.”

They both laughed. Sure, Drake was technically savvy; there was no doubt about it. But when it came to mundane things like social media, he always seemed to mess things up. Samantha was the only one who could ever get him logged into all his accounts, and he still wasn’t really sure what the difference between Instagram and Snapchat were.

“I’m lucky to have you,” Drake said, and he was aware of the silence that followed.

Samantha didn’t respond right away. Her heart was pounding with thoughts of what it would be like to actually have Drake and to let him have her. She was thinking about it more and more, and it was driving her crazy. Nothing could happen between them. She loved her job, and she wasn’t going to ruin it by having a relationship with Drake.

“I’m lucky to have this job. It’s great. Have a great day,” she said as she hung up the phone.

Drake didn’t know what was going on with the women in his life, but they all seemed to be turning cold on him. Hopefully, his morning so far wasn’t a sign of how his date with Lauren was going to go. He didn’t think he could take much more rejection from the women around him.

He typed in the lake name to his GPS and made his way there. The music was turned up and the windows down as Drake tried to clear his mind so he could concentrate on Lauren for the day. It was difficult, though. Samantha, Sophia, and Scarlett were all on his mind. He had never dealt with so many emotions and so many women in all his life.

What had started as a fun way to screw a bunch of women and maybe find one he wanted to keep around, was quickly turning into an emotional explosion for Drake. He wanted to find someone that he could have a partnership with, and there had been a small part of him that hoped he would find that woman among the group that was chosen. But Drake never expected to have feelings for all of the women. Sure, his feelings were growing stronger for some over the others; but they were all good matches for him.

As Drake pulled into the parking lot at Lake Edwards, he tried to refocus himself so he could give Lauren the attention she deserved. It was hard to imagine he was going to be any fun at all to hang out with that day, though, and Drake was ready to tell Lauren they might have to put their date off another day. There was so much going on, and it had been such a crazy week. A good day of rest might be just what Drake needed to get his mind back and focused on the women.

He walked down toward the water and looked for Lauren. This was where she had said to meet him, but she was nowhere to be found. The beach was soft, and Drake pulled his shoes off so he could walk down the beach line and look for Lauren. It was a quiet morning and seemed a little odd that there were no other beachgoers there, but then it was a private lake, and it was a weekday; perhaps everyone was just working.

Drake was just about to give up and call Samantha when he noticed Lauren’s surfboard leaning up against a building. He looked around some more as he made his way to the building, but still Lauren was nowhere to be found.

“Lauren!” Drake yelled out.

He thought he heard something coming from inside the building, and it startled him and made him move quicker. He didn’t have time to form a scenario in his head as to why Lauren would be in that building; he just wanted to get over there and see.

“Lauren?” he asked curiously as he approached the building and grabbed the doorknob.

“I’m here,” she said with a giggle.

Drake opened the door, and relief came almost instantly. Lauren was in a tiny blue bikini and reading a book on a makeshift bed in the corner. He wasn’t sure exactly what he had thought was going on in the shed, but Drake had been afraid something bad had happened to Lauren. So, he was happy to see she was sitting there joyfully reading a mystery novel as she waited for Drake to show up.

“What the heck is going on here?” he asked as he walked into the rundown cabin.

It wasn’t one of those cabins that you would sleep in. It was what appeared to be an old rundown storage cabin. There were canoes and kayaks standing up against one wall and the paddles and oars against the other wall. Lauren was sitting on what looked like an air mattress with some beach towels on top of it. She was smiling broadly, and Drake instantly felt the stress leaving his body.

“Surprise,” Lauren screamed as she jumped up and moved quickly into Drake’s arms.

Her tiny body stayed off the ground as she wrapped her arms around him, and he held onto her. She was so full of happiness and energy that Drake couldn’t help smiling. Lauren was a sweet girl, perhaps a little young for what he was looking for, but she was certainly very nice.

“This is a nice cabin you have here,” he said sarcastically.

“First, tell me that Sophia is alright.”

“She is alright. Her mother is with her, and she had her appendix out.”

“Great,” Lauren said as she wrapped her legs around Drake’s body and pulled him in for a kiss.

It surprised Drake at first, but then he felt his body react, and he was perfectly happy with kissing Lauren. Their mouths moved quickly and Lauren took the lead. She pulled her body away from Drake, and he set her down on the ground as they walked backward toward the bed. She had been waiting all morning for Drake, and Lauren wasn’t going to waste a single moment of her time with him.

Throughout the week, Lauren had tried to be respectful of the other women and their time with Drake. But she had been looking forward to her date all week long. She liked Drake; he was a successful, fun and driven man. Lauren needed someone like him in her life, and she knew they would make a perfect couple.

“Let’s get you out of these,” she said with a sly smile.

Drake didn’t argue. How could he argue with a gorgeous blonde who was intent on having her way with him? Lauren’s smile was contagious, and Drake found himself smiling from ear to ear as she pulled his shirt off him.

Their lips went right back to kissing when his shirt was off, and Drake felt Lauren’s hands as they went right to his waist and started to unbutton his pants. No matter what else was going on in his life, at that moment he was alone with a beautiful woman who obviously wanted him; Drake was going to live in that moment.

The touch of her lips was intense, yet she was such a gentle woman. Her delicate body probably only weighed one hundred pounds, and her long blonde hair was golden from her time in the sun. Lauren was dainty, though she had muscles from all her surfing, and Drake let his fingers drag up and down her arms as he admired her body.

The culmination of stress and emotions were too much for him. Drake liked being there with Lauren and forgetting about everything else. His fingers gently untied the top to her bikini and then reached to the ties on either side of her bottoms. Within seconds, the small triangles of fabric had fallen to the ground and Lauren was naked in front of him.

“Come here,” she whispered as she pulled him toward the mattress on the ground.

Lauren knelt onto the mattress and pulled his pants down to the ground. As she looked up with her big blue eyes, Drake’s cock stood at attention for her. Lauren was exactly what he needed right then. Her sweet smile melted him, and his body throbbed, waiting to feel any part of her on him. It was going to be a pretty fabulous day, Drake thought.

Gently, she wrapped her fingers around him and let them slide up and down his shaft as she continued to look up at him. Her gaze was intense, but gentle, and Drake wanted to get lost in it. She had a slight smile on her lips as she licked them and then slowly wrapped them around the tip of his body.

The pleasure was instantaneous, and Drake fought the urge to close his eyes. Lauren continued to look up at him and her gaze was like a drug that he didn’t want to give up. As she took him deep into her mouth, he watched her and felt how much she wanted him. The throbbing of his body intensified quickly, and he thrust his hips lightly in motion with hers.

The gentle pressure of her lips around his body was quickly bringing his body to the brink, and he was sure that there was going to be an explosion any moment. He felt the need to give her a warning. Not every girl liked to have such an explosion thrust upon her.

“I’m going to cum,” he whispered as he watched her.

It was all up to her now. Either she would continue what she was doing and let his body burst into her mouth, or she would stop and pull him onto her so he could feel the thrust of his body inside of hers.

“No, you aren’t,” Lauren teased him.

She placed her fingers on the soft area between his throbbing cock and his ass. Damn these women and their skills, Drake thought. But he loved that the women he had with him that week were sexually experienced and willing to try those things with him. That was one of the important factors in choosing the right woman for him.

Drake wasn’t the wildest of men, but he liked to have fun with his woman in the bedroom, so that was important for him when choosing one of the girls from that week. A perfect partnership was not just great conversation and chemistry; he needed his woman to be adventurous, at least in the bedroom.

The pressure was still building, but there was nothing he could do. She was stopping his body from releasing and letting the pressure build up in such a torturing way that he finally closed his eyes as he dealt with the pleasure. Slow firm pressure made his cock feel like it was going to explode, but there wasn’t a way for him to release himself. He moaned and groaned as she played with him.

“I want you, Lauren,” Drake said deeply as his eyes were shut and his hips thrusting.

It was one hundred percent true. All Drake could think about at that moment was having Lauren’s body under him and thrusting hard into her. It was an urge that wasn’t going away, and he had to let it out. The primal feeling of orgasm was so powerful that no one and nothing else mattered at all to him.

“Come here then silly,” she giggled as she grabbed his hands and pulled him down onto the mattress with her.

Her sweet demeanor was a lifeline for him that day. Drake needed a break and had almost canceled their day together, but having her naked in his arms was a much better way of relaxing. Drake pressed Lauren gently onto the mattress and let his lips kiss her skin as he moved up her body.

“I thought we were going surfing today?” he said with some relief in his voice.

“Did you want to surf?” Lauren said, pulling a condom out of her bag next to the bed. “We could go do that instead.”

Her mischievous expression was adorable, and Drake just shook his head to say no. There was no way he wanted to get out on the water and embarrass himself surfing with Lauren. She was a professional; her skills in that department were bound to make Drake feel totally inadequate.

She moved like she was going to get up, and Drake quickly grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head. His strength was evident, and Lauren laughed at the look on his face. He certainly did not want to leave what they were doing to go surfing; there was no doubt about that.

“Don’t you move, young lady,” he teased, and his fingers pulled the condom away from her.

Lauren disobediently moved her hips below him and felt his bulging body pressed up against her. She wanted him. Lauren had wanted Drake since the moment she set eyes on him. She had waited patiently for her date, and she wasn’t about to waste it at the beach. She would have just stayed at the house, but the presence of all the other girls made it impossible to think that she and Drake would have gotten any privacy at all. It was somewhat comical that the privacy they had was in a storage shed at a lake, but Lauren wasn’t complaining.

The rustic shed around them and the cool breezy seeping in through the cracks in the wall made the moment unique and fun. That was exactly the feeling she wanted Drake to have when he was with her. Lauren wasn’t one of those girls who liked a lot of attention or needed money to make her happy. She was a quiet girl, who liked the fun stuff in life. She had genuinely come to Drake’s house because she thought they would be a good match for each other. It was a big emotional risk for her, but she was willing to take it.

Through her conversations with Scarlett, Lauren had learned that it was going to be best just to show Drake who she really was. Not to pretend she was someone else or try to win him over. The best connection would come when she was honest and true to herself. If it were meant to be, then it would be. So far, Lauren thought their connection was pretty damn great. At least, the chemistry was perfect.

“I think you’re moving,” Drake teased.

He pressed one of his legs between her thighs and forced her legs open as he looked down into her eyes. Lauren had stopped giggling, but she was still smiling as she looked up at him.

“I like that,” she whispered as she felt his cock press up against her opening.

Drake leaned down and covered her mouth with his as he quickly slid the condom on and then pressed his body into her. He liked the feeling of having her body under him, and her arms wrapped around him. Drake really was enjoying his time with Lauren, and it was making his decision even harder.

Lauren was the kind of girl you could just be yourself with. Drake didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. He didn’t feel like he had to worry about what he said or try to analyze what was going on between them. Drake felt totally like himself, completely at ease, and he liked that feeling.

With everything that had gone on that week, and especially that day, it was a relief to get to put his guard down for a moment. Drake was happy his day was going to be with Lauren. It was abundantly clear that they were going to have one hell of a date.

Chapter 4

Their bodies fit well together, and Drake was content to stay right there in the shed for the whole day if that was what Lauren wanted to do. It was nice not to feel the pressure to have a long conversation or go do some weird date. It was really nice that they didn’t have to go to a public appearance or talk to anyone else. The week so far had been exhausting, and as much as Drake was enjoying his time with the women, he couldn’t wait to get back to his normal day to day life. The life that involved business meetings and work and not the emotions of women.

Drake lay with his body pressed up against the side of the old storage building, and Lauren wrapped tight in his arms. Her tiny ass was pressed up against him as they both looked out onto the canoes and kayaks in the building.

“We should take one of those out today,” Drake said.

“I’ve actually got something planned.” Lauren giggled.

“Oh, no. I don’t like the sound of that laugh.”

Her laugh was infectious, though. Drake could tell a lot from a woman’s laugh, and Lauren’s said she was a sweet, kindhearted woman. There was a lightness to her laugh that showed him she didn’t take life too seriously. Certainly, any woman who giggled as much as Lauren did, couldn’t take life too seriously. He liked that about her. Drake liked that she was able to laugh at life and have fun, he needed more of that in his life.

“Don’t worry; you’re going to love it.”

Drake was worried. There was something mischievous in her voice. Something in there that told him he wasn’t actually going to like what she had planned at all. She was a sweet girl, but the way she said that had him thinking that they were going to be doing something a little out of his comfort zone. Man, was he tired from going out of his comfort zone all week long.

But Drake wasn’t complaining. His week spent getting to know all of the women had shown him so much about what he was really looking for. He wanted a strong woman; that was something he was positive about. He also wanted a woman who was passionate about her work. Drake didn’t really care what it was that his woman did for a living, but he liked seeing that passion in their eyes. It was the same passion he had for his own work.

“I’m fine with staying right here all day. Do we have to move?”

“Yes, we are going to have to move, in about an hour.”

Drake quickly let his hands move down the front of her body and cup her breasts into his. If he had another hour to fill, then he wanted to feel her body under his again. The combination of her light-hearted personality and the intense gaze she gave him had Drake feeling perfectly content. He enjoyed being there with Lauren and had only thought briefly about the other women in his life at the moment.

He worried for Sophia and if she was doing alright after her surgery, and he thought about Samantha and how much things seemed different between them. But those thoughts were only for the briefest of moments before Drake refocused himself back on the woman in front of him.

“Tell me about your surfing,” Drake said as his hands continued to play with her breasts.

“Well,” Lauren took a deep breath in and pressed her ass back against Drake, “I accidently fell into the world. My father brought me surfing when I was younger. I actually hated to surf, but I liked spending time with him, so I kept going. The better I got, the more he wanted to go. So, before I knew what was happening, he had me entered into competitions.”

“Well, I bet he’s proud of you now.”

“Yeah, he can’t stop telling his friends about everything I do. It’s annoying,” she said with a giggle. “What about you? Have you gone surfing?”

“I wouldn’t call what I do on a surfboard, actually surfing,” Drake laughed. “I’ve gone boogie boarding, but not really surfing.”

He let his fingers move down to her wetness as they continued to talk. Her voice got labored as she tried to continue talking, and Drake relished the control he had over her body at that moment.

“It’s harder than it looks to people. I think … I think most people think surfing is easy.”

Drake softly pressed her hair out of the way and let his lips press into the back of her neck. The feeling of his soft lips on her skin instantly made her body react, which Drake loved. His fingers played and worked with her as her hips started to thrust against him in pleasure. She held her breath as his fingers moved, and then let out a long deep moan as she released her breath.

“Yeah, it looks hard to me,” Drake said, pressing his own hard body against hers. “Are you sure we need to do anything else with our day? I’d love to stay right here.”

Drake was afraid of whatever it was that Lauren had planned for their day. He didn’t want to go surfing and would much rather stay right there playing with her delicious body all day long.

“I’m sorry, but plans are plans,” she said with a giggle.

“What if you’re too exhausted to do the plans you have set up?” Drake asked, reaching over Lauren and grabbing another condom from her bag.

“I’ve got a lot of energy; I think it’s you who will have a hard time keeping it up. Whoops, I mean you’ll have a hard time keeping up with me,” she teased.

Drake took that as a challenge and quickly slid into Lauren from behind. His body thrust against her sweet tiny ass, and he felt the buildup of desire coming faster than he wanted. He didn’t want to give in to her delicious body just yet. He wanted her to be exhausted. In an effort to prolong their lovemaking, Drake slowed his thrusting and went back to kissing Lauren’s neck. It was a sweet and gentle kiss.

Lauren would have been fine with spending the day in bed, but she hated to make appointments with people and then cancel them. People already thought she was too young to be responsible; she didn’t like to give them a reason to believe that stereotype was true. They could go back to bed after the Flyboarding guys arrived at the lake. As she thought about the company that was on their way, she started to get anxious that they wouldn’t be done with that round of lovemaking when the crew arrived. She was going to have to speed things up a little.

She pressed her body tight against Drake’s and started to thrust hard against him. Since he was up against the wall, she had all the leverage she needed to take control. Her hips moved hard against his thrust, and it was only a moment or two before Drake was holding onto her hips and thrusting with her. He couldn’t resist for long, and soon they were both drenched in sweat from the thrusting of their bodies together.

“I think it’s you that’s going to be tired,” Lauren whispered as she felt her body start tightening around Drake.

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”

They continued to move together until they both thrust deeply simultaneously, and Lauren let out a delightful moan. It was a sweet, sexy moan that Drake could have listened to for hours at a time. Everything about Lauren was sweet; it was a big contrast against some of the other women in the house, but Drake could see why she had been picked for him. There was a casual, confident relationship between the two of them already; it was nice, and he liked that feeling of comfort.

Not a minute had passed, and they heard what sounded like a big truck backing up. The beeping noise that came as a warning startled Drake, and he jumped up and looked out the tiny window to see what was going on.

“Who are they?”

“It’s our activity. Let’s get dressed and get out there.”

“What the hell is it?” Drake asked as he looked out the window and watched the weird contraption they were loading into the water.

It wasn’t a jet ski or any other water vehicle that he had seen before. It was something totally unique, and Drake felt a little nervous for whatever it was that Lauren had planned for the rest of their afternoon.

“It’s called Flyboarding. You’re going to love it.”

“Hmmm, something about this makes me think I’m about to break a leg.” Drake laughed.

“Nah, it only goes twenty feet or so in the air. You can’t break anything.”

“What! It goes in the air? Shit.”

They finished getting dressed and made their way down to the water to watch as the two men got the contraption ready for them to use. Drake wasn’t a shy guy, and he had certainly enjoyed trying daring things throughout his youth. But as he had gotten older, the idea of risking his life to increase his adrenaline was becoming less and less appealing. He still did some wild and crazy things, but they were much farther apart than they had been when he was young.

Drake watched quietly as Lauren seemed to be overjoyed at the anticipation of getting on the Flyboard. Her level of excitement was contagious, and it was one of the things Drake enjoyed most about Lauren. She wasn’t afraid at all; he could tell it in her eyes. Lauren loved being in the water and around it, so an activity like this was probably right up her alley. Drake prepared himself to be totally embarrassed.

“Mr. Leblanc, would you like to go first?” the owner of the Flyboarding company said.

“I don’t know what I’m doing. I could use an example.”

“Sure, I’ll get on and show you.”

“I can show him,” Lauren said as she ripped off her T-shirt and grabbed a lifejacket.

“Have you done this before?” the owner asked Lauren.

“No, but I’ve seen it a few times. I think I can handle it.”

Drake jokingly covered his eyes as Lauren suited up. They all loaded onto a couple of jet skis, and Lauren jumped into the water with her life jacket on. Drake felt his heart pounding out of his chest as he watched her get the Flyboard attached to her feet. She was a brave girl, much braver than Drake thought he was.

“Is it safe for her to be doing this if she’s never done it before?” Drake asked with concern.

“Everyone’s got to have a first time.”

“Is she going to get hurt?”

“No, it’s relatively safe. Most newbies are too afraid to get the board up too high. She’ll just hover over the water a little and then probably crash.”

Drake felt the anticipation growing as he watched Lauren. It seemed like a really dangerous contraption, and he wasn’t even sure how it worked. Lauren was either extremely brave or extremely stupid; Drake wasn’t sure which one yet.

The sound of the machine turning on was loud, and Drake flinched as he watched Lauren intently. The owner was holding onto her body in the water as the Flyboard tube filled with water. When it was ready, the owner helped Lauren to stand up on the water and instructed her on how to use the buttons that were in her hands. She quickly started pressing them, and a stream of water came out from below her skateboard-sized board that was strapped to her feet. The pressure from the stream of water forced Lauren up into the air, and she was hovering over the water.

“Oh, that doesn’t seem so bad,” Drake said to the man who was driving his jet ski.

The tube from her board was connected to the jet ski, so Lauren couldn’t get too far from them. Drake was impressed with her balance skills as she rocked the board back and forth and pressed the button so she could go even higher into the air.

“She’s pretty comfortable up there. Most people fall by now,” the owner said as he made his way over to the other two men.

They all watched as Lauren giggled and maneuvered the Flyboard around the water. She continued to go up higher and higher, but she was also testing her limits by rocking and moving the board. Drake could feel his blood pressure rising as he watched her and prayed that she wouldn’t crash and get hurt.

Not a moment later, Lauren let go of the throttles, and the water stopped for a moment, and she came tumbling down. But it didn’t faze her at all. She waited for the owner to help position her in the water again and she got back up into the air.

It was exciting to watch her as she balanced and then started trying to do turns and tricks in the air. She impressed Drake for sure and also the Flyboarding owner.

“She’s going to do a dive soon,” he said loudly.

“What do you mean a dive?” Drake asked.

“She’s going to go headfirst toward the water and then come back up before she hits.”

“Shit, that sounds like it’s dangerous.”

“Yeah, it can be. But she told me she wanted to do it when I was out there last.”

Drake’s stomach churned into a knot as he watched in anticipation. The last thing he wanted to see happen was Lauren getting injured while she was out there. Although they were just getting to know each other, he liked her and wasn’t about to just stand by and watch her hurt herself.

“We should make her stop,” Drake said.

“Can’t, she’s got all the control right now.”

His throat was dry as he watched Lauren go up as high as the tether would let her, and then she leaned her body forward. The first time it didn’t work; her Flyboard stayed up in the sky, but then she leaned forward quickly and flung herself toward the water.

“Oh, shit!” Drake yelled as he watched Lauren’s head come within inches of hitting the water.

She pulled up with only a moment to spare and then was quickly back up in the air. The smile that crossed her face had Drake smiling from ear to ear just looking at her. He realized that Lauren was a lot like he was. She wanted to push herself as far as possible just to see where that line was; where that stopping point in life was. Drake liked that. It was a trait that many people didn’t value, but he did. Sure, he was pushing the technology limit and partying limits, but it was all the same thing.

“Oh, my God did you see that?” Lauren said as she let the Flyboard plunge into the water and then swam over to Drake.

He jumped into the water, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Their fat lifejackets prevented them from getting too close, but it was still a very passionate moment for them. Drake felt the excitement in her touch, and he couldn’t wait to get on the Flyboard and give it a try himself.

“Drake, you are going to have so much fun! It feels like you’re flying. That was amazing,” Lauren screamed excitedly.

Drake wasn’t sure he was going to have quite as much fun as Lauren had, but he was excited to give it a try. Lauren had made it look so simple that Drake had much more confidence going into it than he had when they first saw the men putting the Flyboard into the water. With a new-found excitement for adventure, Drake strapped on the Flyboard and let the company owner help him get stabilized so he could give it a go.

“Hold both the triggers down at the same time, be gentle, though,” the owner said.

Drake pressed the triggers softly and felt his body come up off of the water about six inches. He pressed the triggers harder, and suddenly his body spun out of control, and he did a face plant into the water. It wasn’t graceful at all. Without hesitating, though, Drake gave it another try, and then another.

After about eight attempts at Flyboarding, Drake succumbed to the fact that he wasn’t getting any better. He continually went up into the air and then fell disheartened into the water. He finally gave up before all of his self-confidence was spent.

“I think I need to practice my superhero flying skills,” Drake joked as he climbed out of the water.

Chapter 5

Lauren wrapped her arms tight around Drake as they walked out of the water, and it was like they were meant to be there together. Her touch felt so genuine that it surprised Drake at first. Lauren wasn’t a girl who was pretending to be happy, or pretending to be proud of someone, she genuine showed affection, something that many other women struggled with. Heck, Drake even felt like he struggled to show emotions and genuineness toward others.

“You did really good, Drake!”

“Thanks, but you did amazing.”

“I spend my whole life balancing on boards. It would have been bad if I wasn’t good at it. Now you, you did amazing.”

Lauren kept her arms wrapped around Drake and gently kissed him as they stood at the side of the water. She was tiny compared to him, and he lifted her off the ground so he could kiss her more easily. Lauren was excited for the next thing in her plan for the day. So far things had gone perfectly, and she hoped the rest of her date would go off just as well.

Of course, she was worried about Sophia. But the second she knew that her surgery was over, and her family was there, it was much easier not to worry. Lauren wasn’t used to all the drama like she had seen in the previous few days. Her life was calm and relaxed almost every day. Even when she had events to participate in, the vibe was so relaxed, and everyone got along with each other; it wasn’t like living in the house with the other women at all.

She understood why Drake was doing what he was doing. He wanted to find love. That was what everyone wanted. But Lauren was positive she wouldn’t be able to participate in another experiment like the one she was in. She liked Drake, and she thought he liked her, but all the other women were just getting in the way. After waiting six days to have her turn with him, Lauren wasn’t about to play it safe at all. She was going to show him how much he would like life with her.

“We are going to the beach,” Lauren said with a giggle when she saw the look on Drake’s face.

He didn’t look thrilled to be going to more water. Drake had tried valiantly with the Flyboard, but Lauren could see it in his eyes; he did not want to go surfing. She held back a giggle as he looked grimly at her and questioned what they would be doing at the beach.

“Surfing?” he asked.

“Maybe,” Lauren teased as she grabbed her surfboard.

Drake quickly pulled it from her hands, carried it to the waiting vehicle and strapped it to the top. His vehicles weren’t really designed for carrying large surfboards, but they were able to make it work as they headed the thirty minutes to the coast.

“Are we going to a specific beach?”

“Yep, head down to Huntington Beach. I’ve got a little something planned there.”

The drive to the coast and then south on the Pacific Coast Highway was beautiful, and they both took the opportunity to enjoy the view. It was clear that Lauren was a confident woman who didn’t need to fill the empty space with conversation, and Drake didn’t feel the need to fill it either. He did reach over and grabbed her hand. Holding it made him comfortable.

The soft touch of Lauren’s hand in his had Drake’s mind suddenly racing all over the place. He felt comfortable with her; she was funny, kind and a great kisser. But Drake had so many great women at his home, and his mind started replaying all of his other dates and wondering if he liked Lauren more than the other women. It was starting to drive him crazy. Every date seemed to go better than the last one, and he thought he liked each girl more and more. They all stuck out in his memory, but the one that was next to him seemed to always be his favorite. Drake knew that making a decision on the final day was going to be horrible.

“What’s on your mind?” Lauren asked with a serious tone.

“I’m just thinking.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty messed up.”

Drake pulled into the parking near the beach and turned to face Lauren. She seemed to know what he was thinking without him even saying a thing. Her eyes looked into his with a deep understanding that surprised him. Lauren seemed like the fun, carefree kind of girl, not the type who could understand the deep emotional turmoil he was feeling the closer it got to the end of the week.

“It was a bad idea to bring you all here. I know that to be here with me you all are developing feelings, and I’m going to have to break six women’s hearts. That’s not my thing. I have kept relationships casual simply because I didn’t want to hurt people. Now I have you all here, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

Drake didn’t mind hurting people in business. He was often ruthless in that arena. But when it came to love, he was genuinely aware of women’s emotions and tried to steer clear of hurting anyone too much. Sometimes women would say they were fine with a one-night stand, but then clearly become attached. But overall, Drake was forward with his intentions and tried not to purposely make any woman feel bad.

“Stop it!” Lauren said firmly. “We are all grown women. We came here for a chance at making a connection. I know if it doesn’t work out I’ll be a little heartbroken, but I’ll get over it. So will the other girls. You go with your heart. After going through all this, don’t you dare second guess yourself! You have the opportunity to land an amazing woman … me,” Lauren joked.

“You’re pretty amazing.”

Drake leaned in and let his lips gently touch hers. Softly, they moved together as their mouths explored each other. The delicate nature of the kiss was exactly what Lauren loved about Drake. He knew when to push things hard and when to pull back and be sweet. He was a good man, and she could tell the stress of the week was starting to weigh on him.

“The sun is starting to set, we better get going,” Lauren said as she opened her door and climbed out.

“We aren’t surfing this late, are we?”

“Nope, I’m starving. We are going to eat.”

Drake wanted to ask more questions but figured it wasn’t any use. He was excited that they were leaving the surfboard on the car and weren’t going to be climbing into the cold water of the ocean. He just followed her out to the sand where there was a picnic set up and a young lady sitting on their blanket. Lauren hurried up to meet her, gave her a big hug then turned to introduce her to Drake.

“This is my best friend in the world. I thought you should meet her, just in case we hit it off. Ram, this is Drake, Drake, this is Ramsey.”

Lauren’s friend looked almost identical to her. It was clear that the two women spent a lot of time together; probably surfing together too. Drake reached his hand out to shake hers, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him instead. Ramsey seemed to be just as sweet and nice as Lauren was; Drake could see why the two women were friends.

As the two women stood in front of him, Drake couldn’t help thinking that Lauren was a good pick in her friends. This girl obviously cared about Lauren, and the two of them seemed to have remarkably similar personalities; at least from what Drake could tell in their short introduction. Drake liked knowing that Lauren had a good friend like this Ramsey girl.

“Man, it’s great to meet you. I hear you are like a rock star of the tech world. I love my technology. Great to meet you, man.”

“Thanks, it’s good to meet you too,” Drake said as he took a little step away from Lauren’s friend. “Are you eating dinner with us?”

“Oh, hell no. I’m not getting in between you and this kinky ass girl. Oh, by the way, Lauren; here are those handcuffs you wanted.”

Drake’s eyes got big as he looked at Lauren’s friend and then at Lauren. Her face was turning a deep shade of red, and Drake could tell her friend had just done that to embarrass her. But Lauren went along with it, grabbed the handcuffs and put them into her pocket.

“Thanks.” She giggled as she tried not to look at Drake.

“Yeah, we will use those later for sure,” Drake winked at Ramsey.

“Treat her right there, dude,” Ramsey said as she reached her hand out and shook Drake’s. “This girl is by far one of the most amazing people in the world.”

“I will treat her good, and I have no doubt she’s amazing.”

“Thanks for setting up our picnic,” Lauren said, hugging her friend.

As Ramsey took off down the beach, Drake and Lauren made themselves comfortable on the blanket. It wasn’t something Drake did very often, but he liked being there with Lauren. The sun was moving quickly down the horizon, and they were going to sip their wine and watch the sunset; it was rather romantic.

Lauren wasn’t normally a girl who valued romantic gestures. But the beach was her life, and it did seem to make sense to bring Drake there so they could spend the rest of their date talking and watching the sunset. Lauren had talked to the other women and knew a lot about Drake, but she wanted to give him the chance to get to know her a little bit more before he had to make his decision.

She had seen hundreds of sunsets on the beach, but never one so romantically as that moment. Drake was the perfect partner for her, and she knew it. His mix of business with her mix of fun would make them a super couple, and she just knew it. The problem was, she wasn’t able to fully let go and relax when she knew that there were six other women who had growing feelings for the same man.

“Do you want to have children?” Lauren blurted out before she could stop herself.

She didn’t want to ask him that question; she had just been thinking about it and it had come out. Lauren wanted children; she wanted a lot of them, though, and it was something that was very important to her in the man she chose. Even when she went on regular dates, she always got around to the question of if they wanted to have kids. It was no use continuing to date a guy if he wasn’t interested in having kids. Lauren was going to be a mother someday; she knew it and was excited for that part of her life.

“Yes, I do.”

She instantly smiled at his response. It was a relief. A man of Drake’s age could have easily decided he didn’t want to go down that path. But Lauren didn’t care that Drake was almost 40 years old. She would still like to get to know him more, and from what she knew so far, she thought he would make a pretty outstanding father.

“I do too. Family is really important to me. I can’t wait for that part of my life.”

“Well, you should wait. Have fun, do your career for a while. Kids will always be there.”

“Yeah, I mean I might wait for a couple of years. But I can’t wait to be a mother.”

Drake could see the happiness in Lauren’s eyes, and he certainly didn’t question that she would make a great mother. She was a kind soul that seemed to genuinely care for the people around her; those were traits of his own mother, so he knew they were good ones.

“When you pick the girl, do you plan on moving to where she lives? Or how is that all going to work when this week is done?” Drake hadn’t really thought about all of the specifics of picking the right woman. When he started the process, he really wasn’t sure he would find women that he even liked. The pure high level of women that were at his home had surprised him and picking one would have to be based on more than just her geographic location.

“I think it will work out no matter which woman I pick. If things are meant to be, they will be.”

“That’s a great way of thinking. I think that way also. If you find someone that you care enough for, you’ll make it work out, no matter where she lives. Plus, all of us women are pretty well traveled; a long-distance thing would certainly work.”

“Aren’t you located here in California?”

“Yes, but I mean if you picked someone else.”

There was a sudden sadness on Lauren’s face that felt like a knife going through Drake’s heart. He might not pick her, and that was the reality of the situation. It killed him to see that sadness in her eyes, though. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Lauren or any of the girls. He could see himself with Lauren, just as he could see himself with the other women. His heart was heavy as he tried to navigate what had turned into an awkward conversation.

“Well, this conversation has taken a turn for the worse,” Drake joked light-heartedly.

“Yes, let’s drink some more and have some sex,” Lauren said as she laughed and smiled.

Chapter 6

They spent hours on the beach watching the sun go down and talking. It was nice to see a more serious side of Lauren, but she was still sweet as could be. They talked about college, friends, food, and family. For Drake, it was one of the most real conversations he had had all week long. He felt relaxed and comfortable with Lauren and like he could say what was on his mind without worrying at all.

“Let’s get under the covers,” Lauren said, starting to shiver from the night air.

The beach was abandoned. They had it all to themselves, and as they tucked in under the blanket, the first thing Lauren did was reach for Drake’s pants and start unbuckling them. She had a bucket list item that she wanted to accomplish, and Drake was just the person to do it with.

After spending years and years on the beach, Lauren had always thought about how exciting it would be to make love there. She had tried it with a boyfriend once before, but they decided to stop before things got going too far. This time, Lauren was going to complete her bucket list item of having sex on the beach.

“No, no, no, not on the beach,” Drake protested, but only slightly.

“No one’s around,” Lauren said as she pulled a condom from her back pocket.

Drake looked around with a paranoid expression and then shook his head in agreement as Lauren slid the protection over him. Drake was a risk taker in some aspects of his life, but admittedly he was not a big voyeur. He was perfectly happy making love in a bed or somewhere else around his home. But the excitement of the moment was exhilaration, and Lauren was straddling him in no time.

They kept the blanket over them for some semblance of privacy, and Lauren moved her hips in motion with him as they made love on the beach. She had spent so much time on the beach over the years; of course, she had a fantasy about making love there. Her heart pounded with excitement and her body pulsed as it built up with excitement.

There was something so primal about making love outdoors. There were no fancy sheets and no fancy houses, just two people who wanted to be together. She thrust her hips harder and harder against Drake as her body built up with pleasure and she got closer and closer to exploding.

“Excuse me,” a deep voice said from the other side of their blanket.

Lauren immediately stopped moving, and Drake pulled the blanket back a tiny bit so he could see who was there. As he looked out, his heart sank when he realized it was a police officer. The officer had a small flashlight that he flashed on Drake’s face and then over the blanket that was covering him.

“Hello officer,” Drake said as he gently slid Lauren off him so she could get herself dressed while still under the blanket.

“You two do know that it’s illegal to make love on the beach, right?”

“Um, officer, we were just kissing,” Drake tried to say.

Lauren zipped Drake’s pants up and then pulled the blanket down so she could try and go along with the story. Her hair was tousled, and her cheeks flushed, but at least, they were both fully dressed.

The officer didn’t respond and instead moved the flashlight around the couple and on the ground near them. Lauren saw it at exactly the same time as the officer spotted the condom, but it was too late. He had all the evidence he needed; the condom was sitting on the ground, and they couldn’t argue that they weren’t making love.

“Please stand up and put your hands behind your backs.”

“Officer, there isn’t anyone around. Please, could we pay a fine or something?” Drake asked as he went to pull his wallet out of his back pocket.

“Are you trying to bribe an officer?” the officer said sternly.

It was clear that this police officer wasn’t interested in anything Drake or Lauren had to say. He was going to be arresting them, and that was all there was to it. They could either go with him willingly or cause a big scene, and he could start adding on additional charges.

“No Officer, I was just going to show you my identification.”

“I don’t care who you are or what film you’ve been in. You’re under arrest. You have the right to remain silent …” the officer continued with their rights, and neither Drake nor Lauren decided to talk as they walked with the officer toward his vehicle.

The officer didn’t handcuff them, and certainly one of the two of them could have run off and avoided being arrested. But both Lauren and Drake were relatively law-abiding citizens, and they followed dutifully to the police officer’s car.

By the time they arrived at the vehicle, there was a female officer there waiting to cuff Lauren after she patted down her pockets. Drake couldn’t help laughing as the female officer pulled the handcuffs out of Lauren’s back pocket.

“What’s in your pocket?” the officer asked when she felt the handcuffs Lauren’s friend had given her.

“Um, handcuffs,” Lauren said embarrassed.

Drake couldn’t hold his laughter for another moment, and he thought he saw both of the officers laugh as well, but they hid it as much as possible. The female officer grabbed an evidence bag and put the handcuffs in there before using a regulation pair to handcuff Lauren.

Lauren could feel the tears building as they put her into the police car with the female officer and Drake went with the male officer. She had never been arrested or had to deal with the police at all. Getting separated from Drake made it all too real, and she felt herself crying before the car door was even shut. Lauren didn’t know who to call or what she was supposed to do. Was she supposed to call a lawyer? She didn’t know any lawyers.

By the time she got to the police station, Lauren was in full crying mode and shaking because she was so afraid. What had been an almost perfect day had just ended in the most horrific way possible. Surely Drake wasn’t going to pick her after she got them arrested.

Lauren was upset with herself for pushing things so far; she was upset they got arrested, and she was scared. There weren’t that many times in her life that she truly could remember being afraid, but being put into a jail cell and having them close the bars behind her would go down in history as one of her most fearful moments.

“Am I supposed to call a lawyer?” she asked the female guard quietly.

“I’ll come grab you in a few minutes to do your processing, and you can call someone then.”

“OK, thank you.”

Lauren continued to cry on the bench in the cell and hardly noticed the other women in the room with her. It was clear they didn’t want anything to do with her since she was sobbing like a child. They all just stuck to their own area of the room. Lauren tried to get herself together and be tough, but the emotions were just so much for her.

Lauren looked up a few times to see who all was in there with her, and surprisingly everyone seemed pretty normal. She had pictured jail as a place where only scary murdering women went, so as she looked around and saw some normal looking women, it did put her at ease a bit.

Growing up, she had always been the good girl, even when she was out seeking thrills; Lauren didn’t break the law. She wanted to impress her father and make her mother happy. When her tears stopped, Lauren looked around the room again and tried to assess the situation. She needed to call her father. It would be better to call him than it would be to call a lawyer since she didn’t know any lawyers. Her father had always been there for her, and Lauren was confident he would be able to get her out of jail quickly.

Drake wasn’t having nearly as hard a time in his jail cell as Lauren. After getting booked, he quickly got to call Samantha, and she was down to the police station within thirty minutes. The look on her face was priceless as she tried not to laugh when they brought Drake out to be released.

“You’ll need to show up to court on the day noted here,” the officer said as he pointed to a piece of paper and then handed it to Drake.

“Thank you, sir,” Drake said with a serious expression, and the officer turned back toward the door he had come out of.

“Oh, my God, Drake how the hell did you get yourself arrested?” Samantha screamed and then quieted herself down.

It was exciting for her to see Drake getting in trouble. He wasn’t normally getting himself into this kind of trouble, and Samantha couldn’t help thinking that she had one more piece of evidence to secretly blackmail him with. She chuckled to herself at all the crazy dirty things she knew about Drake. But despite knowing all of those things about him, she still liked him. That was a sign of a true friend.

“Where were the paparazzi when I needed them? I could have used some more publicity for my sex life,” Drake joked. “We better get Lauren released too.”

“I’ve already paid the bail; they are getting her now.”

Drake looked at Samantha and had to fight the urge to grab her and pull her close to him. That urge was coming more and more often, and he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to avoid it for very much longer. Something had gotten stirred up between the two of them, and Drake wanted to see where it went, but he knew that was never going to happen.

Sure, he understood that Samantha didn’t want things to get awkward with them at work. But they were both grownups; surely, they could navigate a workplace romance without turning against each other. But then Drake thought about all of his previous ex-girlfriends. He wasn’t really friends with any of them, and they were all angry with him. Samantha was probably right in keeping their relationship as friends and business co-workers.

“Thanks for bailing us out,” Drake said as he let a finger graze against Samantha’s forearm.

It was a simple touch, but the jolt of longing that it gave Samantha wasn’t what she wanted to be feeling around Drake. He was off limits. No matter how bad she wanted him, no matter what thoughts went through her head, Drake Leblanc was totally and utterly off limits. But Samantha didn’t move her arm away as she looked toward Drake and smiled. His touch felt good, and for that brief moment, she wanted to feel good.

“Of course, I couldn’t just leave you in here.”

As Lauren walked out of the jail with the officer at her side, her heart sank when she saw the look that Samantha was giving Drake. It was a look Lauren knew very well. It was a longing for him that Samantha had in her eyes. Lauren could understand totally how Samantha could fall for Drake because Lauren herself was falling for him. And so were a half-dozen other women.

“Hey, there she is,” Drake said as he quickly pulled his hand away from Samantha and turned his attention toward Lauren. “I hope it wasn’t too bad in there.”

“Oh, darling, you’re shaking,” Samantha said, noticing Lauren’s tear-dried face and shaking hands.

Samantha quickly wrapped her arm around Lauren and walked with her out of the building. It was second nature to Samantha to take care of her friends, and Lauren was no different. Samantha could see that it had been a rough evening for her, and she hated that Lauren had to go through that.

“I’m okay; I was just a little scared.”

“God, yeah, I would totally be freaked out.”

Drake followed the women as he tried to get his mind straight again. Never in all of his business dealings had Drake struggled so much with making a decision. In business, he was decisive and quick. He knew right away what a good decision was, and he made it without hesitating. But his quick decision-making skills didn’t seem to be too helpful when it came to his love life. Love was such a harder thing for Drake to navigate. He wished he could have such a decisive decision-making ability with his love life.

Throughout college, Drake had dated plenty of women, but it was college; there wasn’t an end date where he had to make a decision. Now he did have to make a decision. There were only a couple days left until Drake needed to choose one of these women to move forward with and date. There wasn’t enough time. Drake wanted to spend weeks with each of them. He had loved getting to know them and spending time with each of the women in the house. There was no doubt that he would have asked each of them on a second date, probably even a third. The women in the house were the cream of the crop; they were the elite women of the world and all better than he thought he deserved.

Not that Drake really knew what kind of woman he deserved. But deep down, he didn’t think it was someone as great as the women in his house. Perhaps that had been what had held him back from seriously dating before. Maybe the idea that he wasn’t ready, or he wasn’t good enough to get married and be happy had always been in the back of his head. Drake wasn’t really sure at all anymore. He wasn’t confident in his choices and felt more wishy-washy than he could ever remember.

Chapter 7

As much as Drake wanted to talk with Samantha some more about what was going on between them, he didn’t want to take away time from Lauren. So, when Samantha pulled into the driveway and dropped them off, Drake didn’t make a move to talk to her. He needed to finish out his week with the women he had to choose from, and Samantha wasn’t one of them.

“Thanks for bailing us out. You’re a lifesaver.”

“No problem,” Samantha said as her eyes met Drake’s.

She held her gaze on his as she thought about saying something to him. Samantha wanted to tell him she had feelings for him. She wanted to tell him that she thought they should give at least one date a try, but she couldn’t get up the guts. Samantha had made the rules between the two of them; she couldn’t be the one who broke them. Plus, Drake was finally surrounded by women that Samantha actually liked. She would be happy with any one of the women from the house in his life, and Samantha wasn’t going to ruin that for him.

As Drake and Lauren walked up the stairs toward her room, Lauren seemed distracted. She normally had a huge smile, but it was noticeably absent as they made their way up toward her room.

“What’s up?” Drake asked.

She didn’t answer at first. This week was supposed to be about fun and just getting to know each other, but there was something bothering her. And Lauren couldn’t keep secrets very well at all. She spoke her mind when things bothered her, and she was going to have to speak her mind at that moment as well.

“Why aren’t you and Samantha together?”

The words hit Drake hard. It was the same thought that had run through his mind periodically over the years. But he and Samantha had a long-standing set of rules. They were not going to have a relationship. He was off limits for her and she for him. Drake agreed with the rules to an extent. Samantha had pointed out to him that none of his relationships ever worked out, and she was by far the best assistant he had ever had. Drake didn’t want to ruin that relationship, and he certainly didn’t want to hurt Samantha in any way. At the very least, they had become best friends over the years.

“Well, we just can’t. She’s my assistant, and that’s it. Why do you ask?”

“I saw the two of you look at each other. I saw a lot of love in that look. I know I shouldn’t be bringing this up, but I wouldn’t want to get in the way of something if you two had a thing going on.”

Drake tried to laugh it off, but he had felt that loving look from Samantha as well. It had frozen him in place and instantly made him think that he wanted to at least see where things could go between them. Sure, they might mess it all up and end up not being able to work together at all, but that feeling he had around her was hard not to agree with.

“Samantha made the rules a long time ago. She wanted to keep things professional,” Drake managed to say. “And I agree with her. She’s by far the best assistant I have ever had and a really good friend.”

“And you are okay with these rules?”

“I’m a ladies’ man. I wanted her just like I want all women. Women are such beautiful creatures; I can’t help but admire them all. But currently, I’m in a search for my partner, and you ladies are my number one concern.”

“Do you have feelings for Samantha?” Lauren asked as she continued her serious line of questioning.

“Of course, we are friends. She has worked with me for many years, and that’s it. We have boundaries in our relationship, and I’m comfortable with those boundaries. Now,” Drake said as he tried to change the subject, “let’s get you to your room.”

He reached out and grabbed Lauren’s tiny waist and tickled it as she ran away from him toward her bedroom. Lauren’s giggles echoed through the house, and Drake wanted them to hurry and get to her room before any of the other women got to them. The other women would certainly want some of Drake’s time if they knew he was back in the house.

“Hurry, get to your room,” he said as he chased her.

Lauren’s laugh was infectious, and by the time they closed her bedroom door behind them, they were both laughing. Drake held onto her and looked down into Lauren’s eyes. She was such a kind woman. Even asking about Samantha was a kind gesture. Most women wouldn’t have bothered to ask and instead would just spend their day with Drake.

It said a lot about who Lauren was, that she wanted to know if he loved Samantha. But Drake wasn’t going there at all. He and Samantha had decided a long time before that they weren’t going to let a romantic relationship happen. Even if he had those thoughts going through his head, he wouldn’t give in to them out of respect for Samantha.

“How did my surfboard get in here?” Lauren said with a look of surprise.

Drake just laughed at first, but then realized Lauren was truly perplexed by the appearance of her board. She probably wasn’t used to people taking care of things for her like Drake was. He often showed up at home and had his dry-cleaning sitting out for him or his dinner already made. It didn’t surprise him at all that her surfboard was there waiting for her.

“I’m pretty sure Samantha brought Robert with her to the police station. He must have driven my vehicle home.”

Drake wasn’t positive on how the surfboard had arrived back in Lauren’s room, but it was a likely option. Samantha and Robert worked well together to keep his life running smoothly. They often did tasks that he didn’t even realize they had taken care of until days later. Drake was tremendously lucky to have the two of them working for him.

Over the past week, Robert had taken on the huge task of stepping in for Drake at the business. He was handling all the major meetings and doing a great job. It was more than Drake had ever asked of Robert, and he wasn’t complaining at all. It gave Drake confidence that he could take more time off in the future and leave things in Robert’s hands without worrying about his company.

Drake’s business was like his baby. He had nurtured and grown it over the past decades, and there wasn’t a thing he wouldn’t do to keep it running and growing. But as much as his business had been his life over the past years, Drake did feel a change inside of him and his goals rotating. If nothing else came out of this week, Drake had decided for sure that he wanted to settle down and have a woman by his side. Life was too short not to spend it with a beautiful woman.

“Come here,” Drake said as he pulled Lauren toward the bed.

His lips pressed firmly against hers, and he pulled her hips against his body. The delicate touch of her mouth on his had Drake’s body reacting with a hard-pulsing member. He couldn’t wait to finish what they had started on the beach. His body wanted to feel her naked skin against it so badly that he had to try and slow himself down a little bit.

As Drake moved to take off his shirt, he stepped back and caught the edge of the surfboard, which then toppled down behind him making an enormous noise.

Lauren started giggling as she remembered when she had done the exact same thing and Drake had thrown the door open to check on her. It was a long board, so certainly nothing tiny. She had brought it with her that day because she thought they were going to have time to surf before they ate dinner on the beach. But the Flyboarding had been so much fun they stayed there much longer than she had planned for them to.

There was a knock on the door, and then it flung open without hesitation. Cynthia was standing there and ready to help with whatever emergency had caused the big commotion in Lauren’s room.

“Is everything alright in here?” Cynthia asked.

She looked around, assessed the situation and quickly saw that everything was alright. Drake and Lauren were in the early stages of undressing, and her surfboard must have toppled over. Cynthia smiled, started to close the door but kept her head peeking in at the two of them.

“Yes, we are okay,” Drake said with a huge smile.

“Enjoy your night, kids,” Cynthia said as she shut the door.

Lauren instantly started giggling. It was hilarious to her that she felt like a teenager who was getting caught with a boy in her room. For some reason, Lauren couldn’t get herself to stop laughing. Perhaps the events of the day had just exhausted her, and she didn’t have the energy to make herself stop. But her giggling continued as she slid onto the bed and lay down, rolling around and infectiously laughing.

“Today was the weirdest day of my life,” Lauren said through her giggles. “I hid in an old storage building, made love to a man I hardly know, almost killed myself on a Flyboard, got arrested on the beach, and now I just got caught making out with you ... by the women you made out with yesterday.”

Drake suddenly also saw the humor in the situation. Everything about his week with the women had been one long sitcom that he would have been laughing hilariously at if he had watched it on television. He crawled into bed with Lauren, and they laughed together as they thought about the absurdity that had surrounded their day.

“When that police officer pulled those handcuffs out of your pocket, I almost died,” Drake said through the tears of laughter that had started.

“Oh, my God, when Ramsey handed them to me, my face turned twenty shades of red.”

“That was adorable. I couldn’t imagine that you were into that sort of thing, not that I minded. But it was so funny to see your face and the shock on it.”

“And when you tried to convince that officer that we were just making out, and I was frantically trying to zip up your pants in the dark. Oh, my gosh, I was just praying I didn’t accidently get you caught in your own zipper.”

“Ouch.”

“I know. It’s hard to get a throbbing cock back into a pair of pants,” Lauren teased as she reached over and felt Drake’s throbbing body.

“It’s easy to get it out of the pants, though,” Drake joked. “You should try it.”

Lauren was thinking the same thing as she unzipped his pants and released his body from his clothing. Drake was such a beautiful man. Not only was he tall with dark hair and bright eyes, but he was perfectly proportioned. Lauren was sure there were no women complaining about the size of Drake’s body, all of it was generously sized.

Her hand moved up and down him as the giggling subsided and she started to think about the pleasure he was able to bring to her body. There was a primal need for pleasure that all humans had, and Lauren wasn’t any different than any other person. She liked making love to Drake; they got along great, and they laughed together and had some amazing conversations. Even if she never saw him after that week was over, Lauren was going to have Drake one last time.

Drake worked with Lauren to rid them both of their clothing, and then he pressed Lauren firmly back onto the bed. He had plans of his own for Lauren, and she was perfectly happy to let him have his way with her. Drake wanted to taste her. He needed to feel her body on his tongue as he worked her over and made her scream with pleasure.

He pressed her thighs open as his lips gently kissed around her body. He teased her for a minute or two by kissing her wetness gently, but not giving her the pleasure she desired. She moved her hips and moaned quietly in anticipation of his tongue, and the pleasure Drake was going to give her. He liked teasing her. Lauren was such a sweet and fun girl; it was fun to tease her a little more than he normally would.

Slowly, softly, Drake began licking her and building up the excitement in her core. Her hips thrust to meet his tongue, and Lauren relaxed more and more as she let him have his way with her. Drake was a gentle lover, one of the best she had ever had. It was almost perfect to be there with him at that moment. Almost, but not actually perfect. Lauren still couldn’t stop thinking about all the other women in Drake’s life. She did her best, though and closed her eyes to enjoy the pleasure.

Faster and faster, Drake moved his tongue as Lauren felt her body tightening with excitement. She wanted him. Lauren knew in her mind that she wanted Drake to pick her. She wanted to go on more dates with him, travel with him, and get to know him more. But she didn’t have any control over what happened next. Drake had all the control in their situation.

Lauren used her legs, pushed Drake back and then over onto the bed. She wanted a little control back in their relationship. After sliding protection over him, she thrust her body onto his and took what she wanted from him. She moved firmly with her hips as she straddled his hardness and let him fill her up. His body pressed so deeply into hers that her breath caught and she had to stop moving for a moment.

Drake pulled tight on Lauren’s ass as his body pressed deeply inside of her. She was a firecracker and so full of energy. He was throbbing and wanting to release, but he held off as long as possible. Watching her breasts bounce in front of him and the look of satisfaction on her face was just too perfect for him to end quickly.

Thrust after thrust, he let his body move inside of her. The pleasure would build up, and then he would let his mind think about work or sports to distract himself. Soon, he and Lauren were both drenched in sweat, and she leaned down to kiss him as she rested for a moment. He took the opportunity to grab her shoulders and pull her tight against him as he thrust harder and harder. He didn’t want to rest; he wanted to feel her body trembling on top of him.

“Oh, fuck yeah,” Lauren screamed out as her body started to give in to him.

Drake didn’t stop, though. He continued to fill her up, and soon she was screaming so loud that he was certain all the other women could hear her. But something comes over a man when he’s hearing the woman he’s fucking screaming with pleasure; all he wanted was to hear more and more of it.

Harder and harder, he moved his body deep inside of her as he held her body up to his. Soon, she released a final loud scream, and he felt her muscles tighten up around him. He delivered a final thrust and released himself at last with a deep moan of his own.

Exhausted, Lauren lay on top of him and couldn’t move. Her legs were shaking from the moment, and she was sure she wouldn’t be able to gather the strength to even push herself up and off of Drake. Luckily, she didn’t have to. He wrapped his arms tight around her and held her next to him as they both closed their eyes to rest for a moment.

Chapter 8

Sleep had been something that Drake was missing a lot of throughout that week with the women. And that night was no different. Drake woke up to loud laughter and voices outside Lauren’s window. It was after midnight, and as he looked down at the group of women huddled around the fire, anxiety filled his body.

These women had become friends to him, at the very least. He enjoyed their company and wanted to keep them all in his life. Drake had to start thinking about how this week was going to end and how he was going to make the final decision. He couldn’t stand the thought of hurting any of the women.

When he had come up with the idea for his week with all the women in the house, Drake thought it was going to be filled with orgies and never-ending sex. But he quickly learned that sex was complicated, and having sex with seven women who lived in the same house was enormously complicated. He had done well throughout the week and felt like he managed his time the best he could between all the women. But Drake didn’t want a giant orgy over the weekend. He didn’t want his week with the women to end in that way, but he wasn’t sure how he wanted it to end.

These ladies were all amazing women. Drake knew that he was going to have to come up with a remarkable way to say goodbye to them. It was important to him that everyone left feeling good about their time at his home that week. Sure, he was going to have to break some hearts. But perhaps like Lauren said, they would all be just fine in the end. Perhaps everyone would understand his choice; whatever that was.

Drake honestly didn’t have a clue who he was going to pick out of all the women. He still had his date with Scarlett ahead of him, but he knew that was going to go well. Drake already knew he liked Scarlett, and she was certainly going to be hard to say no to. But he liked all the women. His chest felt tight as he thought about making such a life altering decision. Drake wanted to call Samantha and talk about it, but after the awkwardness between them, he thought it probably wasn’t a good idea.

“What are they doing down there?” Lauren asked softly as she got out of bed naked and wrapped her arms around Drake.

He felt her skin press up against his, and instantly his body got hard. Her arms were around his waist and so close to touching him that he couldn’t think of anything else but throwing Lauren back into the bed and making love to her one more time.

“Drinking and eating s’mores it looks like.”

“Let’s join them,” Lauren said, starting to get dressed.

“Are you sure? We could just stay here if you’d like.”

“No, it looks fun. Let’s go visit with everyone.”

Drake couldn’t help smiling at Lauren’s willingness to give up the rest of her evening with him and go join the other women. The other women really hadn’t gotten much of his time that day, and he was happy to go and talk with everyone. He needed all the time he could get as he tried to make his final decision, but he would have been perfectly happy to spend a little more time naked with Lauren.

They made their way down to the main floor where Drake pulled Lauren to the side and gave her one last sweet kiss on the lips. It might be their last chance to have such an intimate moment together, and he wanted her to know that she had been a great date. Despite getting arrested, Drake really had enjoyed their time together. Spending the day with Lauren was absolutely what Drake needed to refocus himself for the rest of the week and make the decisions he had to make. Lauren’s positive nature had rubbed off on Drake, and he felt energized to finish the week out strong.

“I had a great date with you. A disastrous and perfect date.”

“Me too.”

Then they made their way out to the women and the roaring fire that was underway. He held onto her hand as they walked toward the group. It felt natural to hold her hand, and he didn’t want to let it go. He wanted Lauren there with him, yet he wanted to talk to the other women as well.

“Drake!” a chorus of women’s voices hollered out.

He couldn’t help smiling at the attention all the women gave him. He was used to women noticing him, that wasn’t anything new, but these women were genuinely excited to see him. They had waited all day to spend some time with him, and he was excited to visit with them as well. Dating seven women at the same time wasn’t something he would recommend to anyone. It was near impossible to give all the women the attention they needed. It was hard enough to give one woman the attention she needed.

Lauren pulled her hand away from Drake’s and let him go with the other women. It was clear that her day with him was officially over. She made her way to where the drinks were and grabbed one for herself. Before coming to the house with Drake, Lauren hadn’t been much of a drinker. She was always preparing for an event and trying to stay in tip top shape. But after the day she had just had, Lauren needed some alcohol.

“How was your date?” Emily asked as she walked over to talk with Lauren.

Emily wasn’t interested in swarming Drake and trying to get time with him right away. She was perfectly happy to talk with him some more later in the evening. Instead, Emily wanted to speak with Lauren and see what the two of them had done on their date.

“Well, we got arrested,” Lauren started to say.

“What? That’s crazy.”

“I know. I’ve never been arrested before. Did you know that they arrest you for having sex on the beach? I really thought they would just give a warning or pay a fine or something.”

Lauren could tell she had just made Emily very uncomfortable. It was weird that all the women had spent time with Drake, and everyone probably had feelings for him. Lauren knew she needed to change the subject.

“I didn’t know that,” Emily said softly.

“How is Sophia doing? Have we heard anything?” Lauren asked, grabbing a second drink.

“Yeah, when Robert came by earlier he said Sophia was doing very well and wanted to come back to the house. But her doctors won’t be releasing her until next week.”

“Well, I’m glad she’s doing alright.”

The two women stood silently drinking their drinks while they tried to think of something else to say. There wasn’t much they could talk about without bringing up Drake, though, so they decided to join the other women and sit around the fire and talk for a while.

“So, you guys got arrested?” Cynthia said with a smirk on her face.

“Yeah, it was my first time.”

“Oh, it gets easier. I’ve been arrested for public sex many times,” Cynthia joked with the group.

They all laughed. It seemed like Cynthia was kidding, but there was a wild side to her, and Lauren could see that she might get herself into trouble with her sexual fun side.

It was nice to sit around and relax with everyone. The week was winding down, and Drake felt the pressure immensely on him. As he sat and watched the women laugh and joke with each other, all he could think about was that he was going to have to pick just one of them. It was killing him. He wanted them all. But Drake didn’t want them in a weird orgy type of way. He really enjoyed each and every woman and didn’t want them to be forever out of his life. Obviously, he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to keep them all in his home with him forever.

As he looked around at the women, Drake tried to imagine what his life would be like with each of them. They were all so unique and different. He was certain each of the ladies would bring something special to his life. But which was going to be the best fit for him? That was what he had to decide.

Of course, the other thing was the chemistry between him and the women. There were a couple of the ladies that he had such intense chemistry with that he knew they would be able to work through anything else that might come up between them. Then there were a couple of the women who he thought were amazing ladies, but perhaps weren’t the perfect fit for him; still a very good fit, but not as perfect as the others. Drake had a lot of thinking to do, and he tried to get started as they roasted their marshmallows and drank together.

“Where’s Scarlett?” Lauren asked.

Drake stopped thinking and focused all of his energy on Lauren’s question. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t realized that Scarlett wasn’t there. She was one of the women that he had such an intense chemistry with, how on earth had he not realized she was missing?

“She left earlier this morning, just after you guys went on your date,” Victoria said. “I’m sorry, I thought Robert had told you.”

“What? Where did she go?” Drake said as he stood up to go look for her.

“I’m not sure. She just up and left.”

Drake’s heart pounded with a pain that instantly told him Scarlett was one of the women he wanted to keep around. He hadn’t even gotten to have his day with her yet. Why would she just leave like that? Why wouldn’t she at least finish out the week and see where things went?

The Billionaire’s Hunt

Scarlett

The Billionaire Bachelor Series 8

Chapter 1

It was ridiculous, but Drake knew he needed to have his date with Scarlett. Something deep down inside of him said that everything would change after his date with her, and he had to make sure it happened. But since she had disappeared, it was unlikely he would get his chance.

Scarlett struck Drake as the kind of woman who made up her mind and then did exactly what she wanted to do. If she had decided to leave the house before their date, then he didn’t think there was going to be much chance of him changing her mind.

“Sam, I need to know where Scarlett is. If you know, please call me,” Drake left on Samantha’s voicemail.

His assistant and Scarlett had become very close over the past week; if anyone would know where Scarlett was, it was going to be Samantha. Their relationship had been a safe haven for Scarlett throughout the week, and Drake knew it. The two women were very much alike, and he knew that they would likely remain friends long after the week of dating was over and no matter what the outcome was.

There were some people in the world that were meant to know each other. Scarlett and Samantha were two of those people. They had laughed together the first time he saw them talking and every time they had been in the same room together since then.

“Robert, any idea where Scarlett is?” Drake asked when Robert picked up his phone on the first ring.

“I’m sorry, I have no idea. I’m balls deep in running the company right now. Do you need me to come help you look? Is something wrong?”

“No, I’m sure I’ll figure it out soon. How are things going at Leblanc?”

There was a long pause while Robert drew in a deep breath. The week had obviously weighed heavily on Robert. As the vice president at Leblanc Enterprises, Robert worked extremely hard on any day of the week, but the last week had been particularly taxing on him. Drake had noticed his sunken eyes from lack of sleep and agitated tone of voice by Wednesday. He was sure that Robert couldn’t wait for things to return to normal the following week.

Overall, it had been a good experience for both the men, though. Drake had struggled to give up control and let others take action at the company, and Robert had been petrified that he wouldn’t be able to handle all the stresses that came if Drake ever was gone for an extended period. At the very least, the week had given them both confidence in their ability to move forward if adversity ever came up and Drake couldn’t lead.

“Everything is good, but I’ll be very happy to have you back at the steering wheel when you’re done with this nonsense.”

“Nonsense, you encouraged it,” Drake argued.

“That was before I knew how much work it was going to be for me.”

“It will be over as soon as I can find Scarlett and get this damn date over with,” Drake said. “Only a couple more days, Robert, and we will get everything back to normal.”

Drake finished his conversation, and they said their goodbyes before Drake took off in his car. He wasn’t sure he knew where he was going, but he thought the airport might be a good place to start. If Scarlett really had left, she would have to go there to make it home. But as he was driving, Drake remembered that the girls said Scarlett’s things were still in her room. She wouldn’t have run off leaving all her things behind, and Drake was convinced she would have left him at least a note if she had decided to leave.

Something deep down in his gut told Drake he should go to the hospital and check on poor Sophia before he continued his search. Sophia had been through an operation and would hopefully be recovering well, and the trip would give him time to try and get hold of Samantha again and see what she knew.

It was sad that Sophia had gotten appendicitis and needed surgery, but there was a small part of Drake that was extremely relieved. Sophia was a vibrant girl and a lot of fun to be around, but Drake was trying to build his own dynasty and needed a different sort of woman if he was going to do that. He needed a woman to be his equal and challenge him to be better every single day and not a woman who would just let him lead their life. Drake wanted a strong woman.

Drake wasn’t sure the right woman was at his home that week, but he was positive that Sophia wasn’t the one for him. When he walked into the hospital to check on her, it was as a friend and nothing more. He wanted the best for Sophia and would wish her well in her life after she had finished recovering from her surgery, but he wasn’t going to ask her to come back to the house.

At the door to Sophia’s room, Drake paused to listen to the voices coming from inside. He didn’t want to interrupt Sophia’s visit with her family. But there was something very familiar about the other voice in the room with Sophia, very familiar, yet Drake didn’t know who it was. It didn’t sound like Sophia’s mother, though; he had met her earlier in the day.

“I thought you hated me?” Sophia asked the woman.

“I don’t hate anyone,” the woman replied. “Now are you going to let me wash your hair for you or not.”

Drake moved closer to the room, trying to get a look at who was in there with Sophia. The door was almost completely shut, but there was a small crack that he peeked through. There he found Scarlett sitting at the top of Sophia’s bed with a bucket of water in her lap and pulling Sophia’s head down toward it.

“Thank you for coming,” Sophia said to Scarlett. “My mother was a mess, and I had to send her to the hotel to get some sleep. She would have stayed up all night talking my ear off and worrying about me.”

“She loves you. You’re lucky to have her. Now let me wash your hair so we can be done with this and you can get some sleep. If Drake comes to visit you, we will have you looking fabulous.”

Scarlett was firm and pulled Sophia’s head into the bucket as she started to wash her hair. Drake couldn’t take his eyes off of the two women as one bathed the other. It was like a delightful scene out of a porn movie, and Drake couldn’t help thinking they should both be naked while the whole bathing thing was going on. But he quickly snapped out of his fantasy and took a few steps back, waiting for them to finish. At least he had found Scarlett and didn’t have to worry about her anymore; that was a huge relief for Drake.

Scarlett was so kind with all the women in the house, Drake suspected she was kind to pretty much anyone and everyone she came around. Throughout the week, he had watched Scarlett from afar, and sometimes from pretty close up; he couldn’t wait much longer to spend his date with her. It was late in the evening, but his date with Lauren was over, and Drake was happy to wait for Scarlett and start their date right then and there.

Even when the women of the house had been very annoying or rude, Scarlett had handled them like a kind-hearted woman. Drake didn’t know many women who could deal with each other the way Scarlett dealt with the girls in the house. Most of the other women could often be heard bickering or fighting at random times throughout the day, but Scarlett never participated in any of that.

Waiting had never been something Drake was good at, though. He found himself pacing outside Sophia’s room, and on several occasions, he was going to just burst through the door. Finally, he pulled up a chair outside the room and leaned back against the wall as he drifted off to sleep. How long could it possibly take to wash someone’s hair? Scarlett would have to be finished soon enough, and they could get started on their date early.

It was close to midnight when Scarlett finally came out of the hospital room and found Drake sound asleep in the hallway. He looked adorable as he slept, and she hated to wake him up but knew he must have been waiting for her.

She hadn’t been able to just sit at the house and wonder how Sophia was doing. Scarlett wanted to go see her for herself. It had been very scary how sick Sophia had been when the appendicitis hit, and Scarlett knew she would feel better after seeing her housemate.

Scarlett hadn’t planned on washing Sophia’s hair, though. Only after watching Sophia fumble with trying to get out of bed and having the nurse tell her she couldn’t, only then did Scarlett make the offer. Sophia was a woman, and Scarlett understood that she wanted to feel like she looked pretty if Drake came to visit her. Scarlett decided to help her wash her hair so Sophia could feel like she was beautiful.

“Drake … Drake,” she whispered in his ear as she shook him awake.

His muscular shoulders were broad and heavy as she shook them. He looked extremely peaceful sleeping, and she felt a little guilty waking him up. But it wouldn’t have been very nice to just leave him there, so Scarlett continued to shake him until he finally roused.

“I think I need a kiss to wake me up,” he said, trying to hold back a smile.

“No.”

Her answer was so firm that he instantly opened his eyes and looked up to see Scarlett standing over him with her arms crossed. She didn’t look angry or annoyed, but she did look into Sophia’s room after her answer, and Drake could tell she didn’t think it was a good idea at the moment.

“I’ll take an I-Owe-You,” Drake said with a big smile.

“Fine, you have one. Now let’s go eat or something. I’m starving.”

“Your wish is my command,” Drake said as Scarlett rolled her eyes.

Their date seemed to be getting off to an awkward start, and Drake couldn’t quite put his finger on what the issue was. They had gotten along just great all week long. He still felt the incredible sexual attraction between the two of them, but something was off as well. Or maybe it was him who was a little off his game? Drake had been on a week-long dating marathon, surely, he could have been a little burned out by the whole thing. But Scarlett was the woman he had been waiting for all week long. She was the one he knew he would get along with and they would have a wonderful time together.

As she walked in front of him, Drake felt his body react to the way her hips swayed back and forth. It took everything he had not to just grab her and pull her into an empty hospital room and have his way with her. His body stood erect at the thought of having her under him. The day had finally come, and he was going to make it the best date possible.

Drake couldn’t wait to get Scarlett naked and in his bed, or her bed, or any bed; he needed to feel her naked body next to his, and at some point in the next 24 hours, it was surely going to happen.

“How is Sophia doing? Should I have said hello to her while I was here?” Drake asked long after they had left the unit.

He suddenly realized it was pretty rude of him not to have at least gone in and checked on Sophia. But honestly, he was happy she was doing well and didn’t feel like he needed to spend much more time with her. Of course, he would see her before she left the hospital, but hopefully, it would be after he had made his decision on who he wanted to date.

“A little late for that now,” Scarlett said sarcastically.

“I’ll stop by tomorrow or Sunday and check in on her.”

“Did you come to the hospital to see her or to find me?”

It seemed like a trick question to Drake. If he said he had come to see Sophia, Scarlett was certainly not going to like that. But if he said he had come to find Scarlett, he would look like an ass for not saying he had come to see Sophia. He chose his words wisely when he responded.

“I was out looking for you and realized I was in the neighborhood so thought I would stop by.”

“Were you waiting long?”

“Not too long. How is she doing?”

“She’s good. Seems really tired and not herself at all. But that was nice to see as well. I’m sure she will perk up when you go to see her.”

Drake knew exactly what Scarlett was talking about. Sophia appeared to be putting on an act all the time. Always trying to shock people or be seductive. It didn’t seem like that was her normal personality all the time, but Drake hadn’t seen too much of what he thought was her normal personality.

“That’s good.”

The silence filled the car as Drake drove them to a small diner down the street so they could eat and grab a coffee. The awkwardness would have to wear off sooner or later. They couldn’t go on like that all night long, Drake was sure of it. The two of them got along great, and the anticipation of their date weighed heavily on him. He just needed to help put her at ease and was sure everything would start feeling better between them. They were in an awkward place, but it could only get better.

Scarlett crossed her legs in the passenger seat, and Drake couldn’t take his eyes off her. The smooth complexion of her skin was mesmerizing as Drake stared for what must have been much too long, because they were interrupted by the honking of a car's horn. He quickly turned his attention back to the road, but out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Scarlett uncross her legs.

“The light is green,” Scarlett said with a huge grin as her eyes met Drake’s.

“Sorry,” he said with a laugh.

Drake felt every part of his body tingling at the idea of having Scarlett. He knew the second he had seen her at the beginning of the week that he would enjoy their time together. It had been torture to wait all week long before he had her alone and all to himself, but the wait had been a fun tease as well as torture.

As he drove to the diner, he couldn’t help smiling at the moments they had spent together over the last week. When they had kissed, when Scarlett had torn off all her clothes at the poker party; it was all so fresh in his memory.

“How was your date with Lauren?” Scarlett asked as they walked into the diner.

“You know, this is the weirdest week of my life.”

“You find it odd that you’re on a date with a woman who just gave your date a sponge bath and then asked about your date with another woman? Hmmm, I don’t think that’s weird at all,” Scarlett said through a giggle.

Scarlett and Drake both laughed. It was quite a unique situation; Drake was sure that he would never be in any similar situation in his entire life. He vacillated between regretting the week and being thankful for it.

The week dating seven women had been one of the most exhausting of his entire life. Of course, the physical exhaustion was there from meeting new women, interacting with them, having sex with them, and not sleeping nearly enough.

But the emotional exhaustion was what Drake felt weighed heavily on him. Each of the women was unique and beautiful. He spent many hours throughout the week getting to know them all and becoming friends with all the women. For Drake, he wanted to stay friends with everyone after they left the house; although he understood that the women he didn’t pick might not want to remain his friend when the week was over.

Out of all the women, Scarlett was the one he wanted to keep in touch with the most. Their conversations were witty and fun, and the way she looked at life made him see things differently as well. He knew that having Scarlett in his life would be a benefit to him, even if they were only friends.

After ordering some coffee and food, they sat quietly and watched the people around them. The quiet was a little less awkward than the car ride, but something still seemed off between them.

“So, did you plan anything exciting for our date?” Drake asked.

“You know, I’m not sure I like this idea that the girls have to plan everything. Normally, I wouldn’t go out with a guy at all if he told me I had to plan the date.”

“You ladies are twenty-first-century independent women ... I thought you would enjoy planning the date.”

“Yes, I’m sure some of the girls did.”

Drake decided to leave it and not push on to see if she had planned anything or not. Scarlett seemed to be in a terribly bad mood. Certainly, all their great communication over the week wasn’t his imagination. He knew that she had strong feelings for him, and he wasn’t at all sure if they had changed or not. But he was positive that something had to change, or their date was doomed to be one of his worst dates of the week.

“Have you had a chance to check in with your company while you’ve been here? Is everything going well?” Drake asked, trying to change the subject.

“One of the rules was that we weren’t supposed to do that. Although you obviously have still been dealing with your assistant and staying in touch. My business could be going under right now for all I know.”

Drake handed Scarlett his cell phone without hesitating at all. He knew what she was saying was the absolute truth. Although, their rules had been put in place so everyone could concentrate on the task at hand throughout the week. Drake had been breaking them almost since day one, there was really no reason Scarlett shouldn’t be able to touch base with her office. It was the least he could do.

“Call whoever you need to. Check in.”

Scarlett didn’t hesitate at all; she grabbed Drake’s phone and dialed a number. It didn’t matter how late it was back in Atlanta, she needed to get some updates from her assistant, and she knew her assistant would answer her phone. Scarlett stood up and walked away from the table as she started to talk. She walked to the other end of the restaurant and then right out the front door to the parking lot as Drake sipped his coffee and sent the waitress away while he watched Scarlett.

She was beautiful as she talked feverishly on the phone with whomever she had called. Her hands moved rapidly, and at one point she seemed angry or upset at the news she had heard. Later in the conversation Scarlett appeared happy, and things started to calm down a bit just before she terminated the call.

Chapter 2

“I’m so sorry,” Scarlett said when she returned to the table about thirty minutes later.

She had a huge smile, though, and it appeared as if the whole world had been lifted from her shoulders. Drake couldn’t help smiling back at her. A happy woman was the best kind of woman to be around, and he hoped that things would be better between them for the rest of the evening.

“Were there a lot of problems while you have been gone?”

“No, actually we got the go-ahead to expand, and my assistants were going crazy trying to figure out the details without me there. I’m so glad I got the chance to talk with them.”

“I know how it goes. Even when you have amazing people working for you, it’s still nice to stay in touch.”

“If there is anyone in this world who does know what I’m going through, it’s certainly you.”

Scarlett had softened up since her phone call and had her usual flirtatious smile back. Her silky-smooth skin shimmered in the glow of the nighttime diner. Drake couldn’t help letting his gaze flash down to her cleavage as she played with her food. Scarlett’s double F size breasts weren’t anything that Drake ever wanted to look away from. For some women, Drake would have instantly thought they were fake breasts, but Scarlett’s were real. Drake had seen her naked, and she looked 100% real, he was positive about that.

“I’m sorry,” Drake said as Scarlett’s eyes met his, and he knew he had been caught staring at her breasts. “I think you have special powers over me.”

“Oh, really? Do you give foot rubs with these special powers of mine?”

Scarlett slid her foot into Drake’s lap and started to massage him, moving her foot moved up and down. Drake looked around the restaurant, afraid that someone would see them at first, but then he didn’t care. The feeling of her touching him was too much for Drake, and his throbbing body felt like it was going to burst right out of his pants. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as he let his body enjoy the pressure of her touch on him.

“I think foot rubs are supposed to be given by me if you’re using your special powers.”

Drake grabbed her foot and repositioned it so he could use his hands and firmly massage her. As much as he had been enjoying her foot playing with him, Drake couldn’t be teased by Scarlett for another minute. His body wanted her too desperately for teasing to be useful; instead, it just made him feel like he was being tormented.

“Yes, that’s perfect,” Scarlett said, closing her eyes and letting Drake press firmly onto her feet.

He watched the look of pleasure on her face and immediately started to think about what she would look like as she came. It was a delicious idea to have her screaming out in orgasm as his body brought her’s pleasure. Far more exciting a thought than rubbing her feet, although Drake certainly didn’t mind that either.

Drake let his mind wander even more as he thought about Scarlett. Oh, how delicious she would taste when he finally got his tongue on all her delicate parts. His mind and body begged for more of Scarlett. She was the last woman out of his seven for the week, and he couldn’t wait to have his whole twenty-four hours with her. If he didn’t sleep until next week, that was perfectly acceptable to Drake, as long as he got to be with Scarlett that day.

His hands felt like they were warming up as he moved them around her foot. It was practically foreplay—well, in fact, it was foreplay to Drake. His body was still throbbing from her touch on him. Their meal couldn’t be over fast enough for Drake. He planned to rush them both home and bring Scarlett to his bed. It had been a very long week thinking about touching her naked body, and Drake’s mind could no longer stand the suspense.

“Should we get you home?” Drake asked.

“Mmm. I was thinking we should go get some drinks,” Scarlett said with a mischievous smile.

“Really? You want to go out?”

Scarlett didn’t strike Drake as the type of woman who liked to go out partying all the time, but he was happy to take her anywhere she wanted. He really was willing to do anything that Scarlett wanted to do with her day.

“Yes, I’d love to just go let my hair down and dance.”

Drake hadn’t been dancing in a long time, mostly because he hated to dance, and it was hard to meet decent women at the clubs. But he wouldn’t mind taking Scarlet and letting her press her body against him as they moved around the dance floor.

Scarlett let her hair out of the ponytail it was in and shook it around dramatically. Her long brown hair fell almost to her waist and had curls and waves throughout. His eyes again fell on her robust cleavage as he admired her body. Oh, how he loved admiring her body.

“Well, I think we should go dancing then,” Drake exclaimed as he dropped some money on the table for the check and stood up.

He extended his hand gallantly to Scarlett to help her out of the booth. Everything about Scarlett made him want to be the best he could be. Her calm demeanor had him always wondering if what he was doing was good enough. There was a feeling in him that nothing he could do would be just right for her, but he was going to put his best foot forward.

Out of all the women, Scarlett was the only one that Drake felt might have been unattainable outside of the situation they were in. Scarlett didn’t seem like the kind of woman who was interested in a man’s money or his place in society. To Scarlett, it seemed like a very high level of character was much more important to her.

The problem Drake was having was not being sure exactly what Scarlett wanted in a man. In fact, Drake couldn’t believe Scarlett had put up with all the chaos that had gone on throughout the week. Yet she had, and she was there with him and ready for their date. Whatever thoughts Drake had about Scarlett or what she wanted in a man had to be pushed away for the time being. Scarlett was there, and she wanted to go have fun, so that was exactly what they were going to do.

“Is there any particular place you’d like to go?” Drake asked.

“Oh, I’ll leave the dance club choice to you. I’m sure you are much more familiar with them than I am.”

“Very true, I’ve got the perfect place.”

As much as Drake hated going dancing, he still had been to several of the clubs in the area and had one in mind for them. It was an upper-class crowd, and things didn’t get too wild there. It would be the perfect spot for them to move and play with each other for a little bit, and they had some of the best vodka in the city.

Scarlett had certainly lightened up and seemed like she was back to her usual self, or at least, the person Drake had seen over the week. He clearly didn’t know her well enough to know what her usual self was.

That was one of the problems with his plan to have the women at his house all week -- there was no way to really get to know them all. The best Drake could do was try and get to know each of the girls a little bit and hope he would be able to figure out which one he should choose at the end of the week.

Although Scarlett was younger than Drake, she carried herself much more like his equal. Everything about Scarlett was grown up, and even in the few moments he had alone with her, Drake knew he wanted more of Scarlett. He liked talking to her and touching her. Drake liked the idea of getting to know Scarlett better and was looking forward to whatever the night might bring.

She was a challenge to him. Scarlett was someone he still felt he had to pursue, even though she had agreed to come to his house for the week. There were certainly no guarantees of love when it came to Scarlett. She had high standards, and although she hadn’t voiced them specifically to Drake, he knew she had them by the way she interacted with everyone around her.

“So you’re not tired at all?” Drake joked as he yawned on the drive to the club.

“No, I’m actually not. But if you’d like to go home, we could do that. I know how you old men love to get your naps in.”

Scarlett laughed and so did Drake. She was teasing him, and there was absolutely no way he would be going back to the house. Drake didn’t care if he stayed up all night long, as long as it made Scarlett happy. He felt like he would be willing to do just about anything if it made her happy. That was a pretty huge admission for Drake, but he felt like it was true.

“I’ll survive,” Drake said, reaching over and grabbing Scarlett’s hand.

He pulled her hand up to his lips and gently kissed the back of it. She looked over at him from the passenger seat, and Drake had to force himself to look away and back at the road. It was dangerous having her next to him in the car, all he wanted to do was pull over and kiss her.

As the idea ran through Drake’s head, he decided he didn’t want it to be just a thought. Why shouldn’t he pull over and kiss her? He quickly pulled into an empty parking lot as the car rushed to a stop, and Scarlett giggled.

“What are you doing?”

“This,” Drake said as he leaned over and gently kissed her.

The touch of her lips was like candy to his body. The rush moved through him, and he instantly felt energized and ready to dance the night away. Soft, gentle kisses passed between them, but as Drake let his hand move slowly up her thigh; Scarlett put her own hand on him and stopped him.

She didn’t comment on the action; Scarlett didn’t make a scene or say why she didn’t want his hand moving up her thigh, but it was very clear that Drake wasn’t going to be touching her delicate center while they were in the parking lot of a rundown business. It was probably best that way; Drake should have thought more of her and not tried such a thing.

Scarlett wasn’t the kind of girl who would fuck him in a parking lot, and Drake didn’t want her to be. She deserved to be laid out on delicious Egyptian cotton sheets while he devoured every inch of her.

Although Scarlett had stopped his hand from moving, she hadn’t stopped kissing him. In fact, their kiss intensified as it continued, and Drake couldn’t help enjoying himself. His tongue softly slipped inside of her, and their mouths danced together for what seemed like an eternity.

“Are you sure you don’t want to just go back to the house?” Drake offered.

The chemistry between them was too much to deny, and Drake felt his body building up with anticipation. His pulse throbbed with every second he had Scarlett next to him. The sweet scent that emanated from her body traveled to him, and he felt increasingly out of control the longer he was near her. Control had always been something he cherished very much.

Drake was the kind of man who controlled his business, his life, his love life even. To feel so out of control was certainly not in his comfort zone, yet he liked the feeling. He liked the man he was around Scarlett. He liked feeling like a high schooler and not knowing what to expect next; it made for a much more interesting time.

“I’d still like to go dancing,” she answered, gently pressing Drake back over to his seat. “I can’t wait to get you on that dance floor.”

“Then dancing it is.”

Scarlett’s eyes were huge. Their deep brown color made them look even bigger in the night light. It was evident that Scarlett could get whatever she wanted from Drake; he knew it at that very moment. Her touch, her sweet lips, the big brown eyes; they all culminated into a power of seduction that none of the other women had over Drake. The only other woman he knew who could direct him the way Scarlett was, had to be Samantha.

As they drove to the nightclub, Drake let his thoughts run to Samantha for just a moment. Scarlett and Samantha were so much alike. They were both strong women who knew what they wanted and could get it on their own without the help of a man. They also both knew exactly how to tell Drake no, which he wasn’t so sure he liked, but it was an admirable quality for a woman to have.

Samantha refused to be with Drake because she valued her job and loved to work with him. As frustrating as that was for Drake, he did admire Samantha for always sticking to her opinion and not backing down. Her clear decision never to let them be more than friends gave Drake the closed door he needed to move on.

Over the last week, Drake had gotten to know himself so much. With each new day, he could imagine himself with the woman he was on a date with. When he had been out with Victoria, he saw himself picking her. The same went with his date when he had Emily, Sophia, Allison, Cynthia, and Lauren.

He had always known that he loved all kinds of women, but over the last week he had really proved that point clearly. Even as much as he was enjoying his time with Scarlett, he knew he had enjoyed his time with the other women equally as much when he was with them. It was going to be very difficult for Drake to make a decision on which one of the women he wanted to continue to date.

The weight of the week was heavy on his mind as he pulled in front of the nightclub and let the valet take his car. It was going to be a long night, and Drake sent a quick text to Robert to have someone come collect the car in the morning since he was likely be taking a cab home.

“What’s the matter?” Scarlett asked as she wrapped her arm around his bicep and they walked in.

“Oh, nothing. Just too much thinking going on. Let’s get some drinks and dance.”

Chapter 3

Dancing had obviously been an outlet for Scarlett. Drake watched as her body moved seamlessly from one dance move to the next. He couldn’t look away. Her sexy curves had his full attention as the music pounded through the room while Scarlett danced for him.

Drake felt like Scarlett was dancing just for him, and there weren’t any other people in the room at all. His eyes locked onto hers, and she didn’t look away from him either. It was a delicious and seductive moment between the two of them.

He couldn’t dance. It wasn’t something that he tried to be good at, and no women he had dated before really cared. He stood on the dance floor with confidence and moved around a little with the music, but his full attention was on Scarlett. When he finally looked around at the other people on the dance floor, Drake realized that many people’s full attention was on her; in fact, there were at least six other men just waiting for Drake to step away so they could have their chances with one of the most beautiful women in the club.

He wasn’t going to step away, though. Drake was staying right there with Scarlett at his side as long as she wanted to dance. His original tiredness had worn off, and he was ready to dance the night away if that was what Scarlett wanted.

“You’re so delicious,” she said as her hands wrapped around Drake, and she kissed him.

After three drinks, Scarlett was in full party mode, and Drake loved it. She was letting herself loose a little, and he couldn’t have planned it any better. Scarlett always seemed so in control of everything she did; it was fun to see her having a good time. And Drake felt pretty damn privileged that Scarlett felt comfortable enough with him to let herself relax; he didn’t suspect she did that very often.

“I bet you taste delicious,” Drake whispered in her ear.

“Oh, shhh. You’re a bad boy.”

Scarlett turned around to go back out on the dance floor, but Drake grabbed her by the hips and pulled her ass up against him. She continued to move and dance, but he held her body next to his. Drake didn’t care who was looking at them. He had Scarlett’s body up against his, and he was going to enjoy it as much as possible.

Slowly, he moved her hair away from her neck so he could gently kiss the back of her neck while she danced. The touch seemed to please her very much because she stopped moving so much and just pressed her body into his as close as she could. Drake made a mental note of her pleasure so he could kiss the back of her neck again later when they were naked in bed.

He took in a deep breath of her delicious scent as his body firmly reacted to her being next to him. Surely, she could feel how hard he was for her, but she didn’t reach back to tease him and didn’t acknowledge just how excited he was for her. Scarlett was perfectly happy to keep dancing and enjoying the evening, but Drake was desperate to get her home and into bed with him.

“Home? Are you ready to go home yet?” Drake asked in her ear.

She nodded her head, yes, and every nerve in Drake’s body felt like it was going to explode. He had waited so long to have her in his bed— they couldn’t get home fast enough. He was going to do things to her that she wouldn’t forget. The pleasure he planned to give Scarlett was going to make her fall head over heels in love with him; he just knew it.

They grabbed a cab and were at Drake’s front door in less than twenty minutes. Drake could have driven, but he didn’t want to. The idea of sitting in the back of a cab with Scarlett wrapped up in his arms was much more appealing to him than driving himself home. Scarlett was still dazed and dancing as they made their way into the house and up the stairs toward Drake’s bedroom.

“Oh, I’m sleeping in the big boy bed tonight?” Scarlett teased.

“You can sleep anywhere you’d like.”

Drake opened the bedroom door and pressed Scarlett gently against the wall as he leaned down to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him in a deep passionate kiss. Her lips were full and soft, and Drake couldn’t help questioning how they would feel wrapped around his throbbing member. But he had many different ideas of what he wanted to do first. Drake needed to taste every inch of her. He wanted to feel her soft skin on his lips as he made her explode with desire for him. There was nothing else that he needed besides making her feel the pleasure his body could give her.

Scarlett reached back and started to unzip her dress, but her fingers fumbled so Drake flipped her around. He grabbed her hips and pressed her ass back against him as his hands started on the zipper. Slowly he moved the zipper down, going only centimeters at a time as he thrust his hips toward her body, teasing her. There was no doubt that she could tell how badly he wanted her.

His hands slid the dress from her shoulders, and it fell to her ankles. Then Drake grabbed her panties and slid them down as well. Scarlett wasn’t wearing a bra and stood naked in front of Drake with her body pressed against the wall and her voluptuous ass teasing him.

“I want every inch of you,” Drake moaned as he started to kiss her bare back.

“Every inch, that sounds exhausting,” she joked.

“It might take all night long.”

“We better get started then.”

Drake fell to his knees and flipped Scarlett around all in one swift movement. Before she could protest, he flung her legs over his shoulders and pressed her hard against the wall as he stood up with her straddling his face. She wrapped her arms around his head and held on tight as he made his way over toward the large king-size bed.

“Oh, my gosh. Don’t drop me.” She giggled as he walked toward the bed.

Drake didn’t drop her until he reached the bed. Then he gently laid her down as his mouth started to caress her inner thigh. He took his time on her legs, kissing up and down each of them while he teased her and even himself a little. The anticipation of having her was so much that he couldn’t help but want to prolong it just a little bit longer.

“Is that the sun coming up?” Drake laughed as a little light shot through the curtains and onto the bed.

Scarlett didn’t respond right away. He lifted his head from the kissing of her thighs and found that Scarlett had fallen asleep. As he moved, she reached for his head to press him back toward her thighs, though. She wasn’t fully asleep but obviously very tired.

“How about we rest?” Drake whispered as he grabbed a pillow and slid it under Scarlett’s head.

They were in the middle of the bed with their legs hanging over the edge, but Drake slid next to Scarlett and wrapped his arms around her. He could wait until the morning. There was no rush, and a good night sleep would serve them both well.

“No, no, keep going,” she mumbled tiredly.

“We will continue in the morning.”

Drake gently kissed her cheek and pulled her naked body next to his as they fell into a deep sleep. He wasn’t exactly sure what time it was, but they had been up all night long, and he was just as tired as Scarlett. A few hours of deep sleep would suit them both completely.

By the time the sun had risen, there was a knock at his door that just wouldn’t quit. Drake heard the noise in his dream, and it took him a few minutes to get woken up enough to actually move. Whoever it was, was about to get yelled at.

“What!” he sternly exclaimed, flinging the door open.

“You don’t need to be pissy with me.”

“Samantha, what are you doing here?”

“You left me a message that you were looking for Scarlett, but then never answered your phone when I tried to call you back. I was worried.”

“Oh, she’s here,” Drake said, opening the door and flashing a quick glance of Scarlett in his bed.

Samantha’s face turned from agitation to something that Drake wasn’t familiar with at all. Her eyes widened; she bit onto her bottom lip, and Samantha instantly looked away from Drake’s gaze.

“Oh, um … alright. Well, I’m glad you found her. I’ll … um … be back tomorrow for your final events.”

“Is there anything I need to know for tomorrow?” Drake asked.

“Just be careful. There are a lot of women’s hearts at stake, and everyone’s going to be a little sad. I originally had planned a big orgy of fun, but I think all the women are too wrapped up in their feelings. We will do something fun, but not an orgy. If that’s alright with you.”

“Oh, God yes. I can barely manage one girl. I don’t need an orgy.”

“Do you know who you’ll be picking?” Samantha said in a whisper.

“I thought I did. But every day it changes. It’s going to be a very tough decision.”

Samantha turned to leave but then stopped and came back to Drake. She stood close to him, close enough that it made his attraction to her recognizable in his eyes, at least. It was impossible to ignore the thoughts running through his head when Samantha was that close to him. After years of working together, Drake thought he had worked through all his fantasies about Samantha, but they seemed to still be there.

“Remember, it’s not just about looks, okay?” Samantha said as she looked up at him. “You need a partner. Don’t pick a woman just because she looks good in a bikini. Please promise me you’ll put more thought into this.”

It was insulting that Samantha thought so little of Drake, but he couldn’t really blame her. He hadn’t worked very hard over the years to make wise dating decisions, but the week with all the women had changed him profoundly. He wanted more, and one of the women in his house at that very moment was going to be his match in the next step of his life.

“I’m taking it serious, Sam. Trust me.”

“I do trust you.”

Drake thought he saw a hint of a tear in Samantha’s eyes. She was being serious. It was clearly very important who he chose and that he took everything serious, but that was odd because she hadn’t thought he was going to find a match at all. Samantha didn’t seem like herself lately, and Drake didn’t know what to do about it. She was one of his best friends and not just his assistant. They needed to work through whatever was going on between them so they could continue on with life as it used to be. Drake just needed things to get back to the way they used to be between them.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Samantha said quietly as she turned to leave.

Drake lingered for a moment as he closed the door. He was going to make time to talk to Samantha when this was all over. He needed to smooth things out so they were friends again. Samantha had to continue to be part of his life—there was no other option for him.

“Who was that?” Scarlett said softly without opening her eyes.

“No one, let’s go back to sleep.”

A couple hours of sleep didn’t seem enough for him to function on any longer, and Scarlett looked absolutely perfect all wrapped up in the sheets. Drake wasn’t sure what plans Scarlett had for their day but was pretty sure a few more hours of sleep would serve them both well.

As he climbed back into the bed and wrapped his arms around Scarlett, Drake couldn’t stop thinking about Samantha. Something had changed between them over this week. Her hard and fast rule about them not having a relationship was clearly still intact, but Samantha seemed to be wavering on her commitment to that rule.

A strong feeling started to fill Drake’s gut. It was a familiar feeling, but one that he hated to have. Second guessing himself or feeling uncertain just wasn’t something Drake liked to deal with. In business, it hardly ever happened. In his personal life, he felt that pain in his gut every time he dumped a woman.

The week had been much more emotional than he had thought it would. But he needed to get over it. It was finally Scarlett’s day, and Drake was going to give her the undivided attention she deserved.

He stroked her hair softly as she lay on his chest. The soft, luxurious strands of her brown hair slid seamlessly through his fingers as he drifted off to sleep. He didn’t set an alarm; he didn’t care at all how long they slept. He was finally feeling content and his day with Scarlett could be spent totally in the bed with her; he was perfectly fine with that as an option.

Chapter 4

“I’m going to sleep our whole date away,” Scarlett said as she rolled herself closer to Drake.

She had no idea what time it was, but she didn’t care. Unlike all the other women at the house, Scarlett hadn’t actually planned a date with Drake. She wanted to see where their time would bring them, and dancing the night away had been a pretty good start. Scarlett didn’t actually care how they spent their 24-hours; all that was important to her was that they had time together to see if they were a good match.

“I think we better get going if you have plans for today.”

“I don’t have plans,” Scarlett answered.

“You didn’t plan a date?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not really a date planner. I like to spend time with my man doing whatever strikes us as fun to do at that time. Like we did last night.”

Drake gently touched her cheek and pulled her closer to him so he could kiss her. The soft gentle kiss had Scarlett wet instantly, and she became quickly aware that she was naked in bed with Drake. Oh, it didn’t matter too much that she was naked with him, but Scarlett didn’t like the fact that she had no memory of the night before. Well, very little memory of the dancing and no memory of what they had done once they got back to his room.

Her mind raced as she tried to put together her thoughts, and the distracted look on her face caught Drake’s attention. He wasn’t exactly sure what was going through Scarlett’s mind, but he suspected she wasn’t normally much of a drinker. After only a couple drinks, Scarlett had been flying high and having a blast the previous evening.

“Is everything alright?”

“I’m not normally like this,” Scarlett said, pulling the sheet up around her breasts. “I don’t sleep with guys on the first date.”

“Never?”

“No, I never have. It’s okay. It’s not a big deal. I just think I had a little too much to drink last night.”

“You were pretty wild last night. Do you remember what happened when we got to the room?” Drake asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No.”

Drake pretended to be shocked by her answer, but he pulled her close to him and started to stroke her hair again. He didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable, and it was very endearing that she felt that way. Especially after the scene she had put on in the house during the poker game. Drake had really enjoyed her naked show, but the realness of that moment was much better for him.

“I can’t believe you won’t remember all those great acrobatic tricks I did. I mean I had you hanging from the chandelier.”

Scarlett instantly knew he was teasing her. Drake’s sense of humor was one of the things she liked about him, but it was a really big thing for her. She couldn’t stand it when guys took things so seriously. Life was short, and it was meant to be fun, no one should spend their life worrying or being unhappy if they had another option.

It had been hard for Scarlett to find a man that had the right combination of being hardworking and being fun. Most of the men she had dated were one or the other. They either worked constantly and took life very seriously, or they hardly worked and spent most of their time having fun. Scarlett wasn’t going to settle for a guy like that. She had to find someone who understood how to work hard as well as how to enjoy life.

“You’re teasing me,” she whispered as she looked at him seductively.

“Yes, I am. We didn’t have sex. You were way too exhausted, and I’m a gentleman.”

“That is for sure.”

The phone on Drake’s nightstand rang and startled the both of them. Drake reached over and grabbed it on the first ring. He chuckled at whatever the person on the other end said, and Scarlett was about to make her way to the bathroom when Drake handed her the phone. She hadn’t planned on staying wrapped up in his bed while he talked to whoever was on the phone, but she was pretty shocked when he handed the receiver to her.

“It’s for you my dear,” he joked.

Scarlett’s eyes got big as she held the phone up to her ear. She had given the house number as a way of contacting her in an emergency, but after talking to her staff the previous evening, she couldn’t imagine why they would be calling her at the house only a few short hours later.

“Hello.”

“Scarlett, I found a place, and you simply must go look at it today.”

“Today? I’ll take a look on Monday; it can’t be all that urgent.”

“Scarlett, this isn’t like Atlanta real estate. You need to look at it today, or it’s going to be gone. It literally matches every single thing you requested, and it’s below your price. I’ll text the address to the phone you called me on last night as well as your phone. No matter what, find the time to go look at it and don’t let it slip by. It’s perfect.”

“Alright, I’ll do my best. But today isn’t really a good day.”

“Make it a good day and go sign the contract on this place.”

“What would I do without you?”

“Probably be living in a shack in financial ruins,” Scarlett’s assistant teased her.

“I have no doubt.”

As Scarlett hung up the phone, she turned to look at Drake, who had a huge smile. He had only heard Scarlett’s end of the conversation, but it was enough for him to know they suddenly had plans for their date day. He liked listening in on Scarlett’s conversation a little bit; it gave him a small glimpse into her life outside of his house.

Drake knew very little about Scarlett’s business. The only thing he knew so far was that she ran a successful advertising agency and worked with film and studio people often. Atlanta had become a massive filming location because of Georgia’s tax credits, and Scarlett’s business had taken off over the last few years.

“Should I get dressed? Are we going to look at something?” he said with a vast grin.

“Yes, if you don’t mind; I think we better go look at it before my assistant flies out here and kidnaps me to take me there.”

“Samantha is like that with me too. I always have to listen to her, or I’m in big trouble.”

“She’s a smart woman. I think you’ll always go the right way if you’ve got her on your side.”

“You two have been very friendly this week. That’s nice to see,” Drake said, standing up and flashing Scarlett his naked body as he walked to the bathroom.

“Yes, she’s probably going to be my friend long after this is all over, and I’ve returned to my regular life.”

Her words hit Drake hard, and he froze in his spot. He turned around to face her and thought for a moment. He had been about to ask her how she knew he wasn’t going to pick her. He had almost told her she should make plans to be with him and be friends with Samantha, but obviously, he couldn’t say that. He hadn’t even finished his date with her, and there were several other women in the house who he had strong feelings for. Drake bit his tongue and turned back toward the bathroom.

“Care to join me for a shower?” he asked.

“I think I’ll run back to my room real quick. How about we meet downstairs in fifteen minutes?”

It surprised him that she didn’t want to join him for a little fun in the shower. He would have loved to feel her naked wet body pressed up against his to get their day started. There wasn’t much else he could think of while he rushed through his shower and made his way downstairs.

To his surprise, Scarlett was dressed and waiting for him when he arrived. She certainly was a no-nonsense woman, and that was sexy as hell. Scarlett was dressed in a tight pair of jeans, a white T-shirt, and a blue blazer. She looked sexy, casual and businesslike all at the same time.

As she walked toward the car, Drake couldn’t help watching her delicious ass move in the tight hugging jeans. His first inclination was to reach out and slap her ass, but he stopped himself. Scarlett wasn’t the kind of woman who would appreciate a gesture like that; Drake was sure of it.

“Thank you for humoring me and going along with this,” Scarlett said sweetly as they got into the car. “I’ll make it up to you later.”

“Oh, yes. I think that’s a for sure plan.”

Now that was the sexy, flirty girl that Drake couldn’t resist. Scarlett’s smile instantly made Drake smile. Just being near her had him smiling like an idiot and constantly worrying about what he might say or do. He hadn’t had that feeling around any of the other women. Scarlett made him nervous. She made Drake feel like he was a teenager again and that was exciting as hell.

Scarlett looked out the window as they pulled out of the driveway, and Drake let his eyes take in the full beauty of her breasts. It was only a quick glance as he turned to watch the road again, but Drake’s mind sped away with thoughts of his cock thrusting between her size double F breasts.

He could imagine her big brown eyes looking up at him and her sweet smile as she wrapped her tits around him. His throbbing cock would thrust slowly as she stuck out her tongue and touched the tip of him with it. She’d wait for him to build up so hard with excitement and then she would let him release all over her tongue. Oh, the thought filled his mind, and he couldn’t get it out of there for the entire drive.

His hands tingled with the idea of touching Scarlett’s naked body again. The anticipation thrilled him, though, and he found it hard to think of anything else as they made their way to the location Scarlett needed to get to.

“Thank you for spending our day like this. I’m sure it will be boring for you, but I appreciate it.”

“Sure, where are we going again?”

“I’m looking at purchasing a building here in town and expanding my advertising agency.”

“What? Really?”

Drake couldn’t hide the happiness and surprise that he felt. If Scarlett was going to be right there in Los Angeles, that would make things even easier than he could have hoped for if he chose her. Obviously, he wasn’t going to pick a woman purely based on her location, it was the twenty-first century and travel was easy, but having her close by was a definite plus.

“It’s not because of you,” Scarlett added. “I’ve been wanting to open a second location and my dream was L.A., so if it works out, that will be great. If it doesn’t, I’m okay with that as well.”

“Crush my dreams. I’m still going to choose to believe that you’re moving here all because of me.”

Drake’s pretentious smile would have turned away many of the women, but Scarlett knew he was joking. Drake understood business far better than most people, and he understood what a huge business venture it would be for Scarlett to add another office to her company.

Los Angeles was the obvious best choice for her second office, but it was going to be extremely expensive to set up shop there. Luckily, she had been doing very well and had enough money saved up to make a building purchase without straining her financials. Scarlett thought it was going to be much harder to staff the new location and get in good with the local film groups than it was going to be to find a building. But her assistant didn’t agree and had insisted they needed to move quickly, so there Scarlett was, looking at the building.

“My assistant says this building is the absolutely perfect place, so maybe you can help me decide if you think it is as well?”

“Of course, I will. I’ve bought many buildings in this area and sold just about as many. My one big mistake is never buying large enough. I always underestimate the amount of space I’m really going to need.”

“I thought men had more of a problem with overestimating size.” Scarlett winked at Drake.

“Touché.”

“Wow, this is a nice building,” Scarlett said as they pulled up to the address. “Are you sure this is the right place? I can’t believe a place like this is within my budget.”

“It’s the address you had. Let’s go in and talk to the realtor. Sometimes places like this have huge parking issues or infrastructure issues that will need to be worked out.”

Scarlett couldn’t help feeling extremely excited at the idea of opening her own advertising agency in L.A. The building was almost too perfect to imagine. The front was modern with floor to ceiling windows, and as they walked inside, it looked just as well maintained and modern. She grabbed Drake’s hand and held onto it, squeezing it with excitement.

“Welcome,” the realtor said.

The realtor took about an hour to show the two of them around the property and talked to them about all the positives the building had to offer. It was a great deal and Scarlett, as well as Drake, was waiting for the bomb to drop. There had to be something wrong with the property if they were selling it at that price. Certainly, they could have gotten at least half a million more than their asking price.

Finally, Scarlett got up the nerve to ask the question that was on her mind.

“Why is it listed at this price?”

The realtor laughed and then looked at Drake, who had a similarly serious expression and nodded for the realtor to answer Scarlett’s question. Suddenly the realtor didn’t look so confident. That was a huge warning sign to Scarlett, and she was instantly on alert for what was up with the deal. She wasn’t going to be taken in by some scam or by a property that wasn’t as it was described.

“Um, the owners are divorcing and the funds are needed for the estate. The wife cannot purchase her home from her husband without the funds from this property.”

“Thank you for your candor,” Drake added. “Is this property yours?”

Scarlett looked at Drake quickly and then at the realtor. She wasn’t exactly sure how Drake had figured out that the property was really the real estate sales person’s, but it was extremely impressive. She wasn’t nearly as good with people as Drake was.

“Yes, it’s mine.”

“We will take it,” Scarlett said firmly.

“Wait a minute, let’s talk about this,” Drake said in a very firm and superior tone. “Are you sure you don’t want to think about this?”

“There is no talking. Could you wait outside for a minute,” Scarlett said to the real estate saleswoman.

The saleswoman went outside quickly and got on her cell phone as Scarlett and Drake talked just inside the main entryway. She continued to glance back at the couple while they discussed the property.

“I appreciate your opinion, but this is my business, and I’ll be making my own decisions.”

“Yes, but you should check the property out more. She’s desperate; you could probably get her to knock down a few hundred thousand dollars with some tough negotiating. Don’t just say you’ll take it at the listed price.

Scarlett looked beyond annoyed at Drake and how he was talking to her. She was a very successful CEO of her own advertising agency in Atlanta, Georgia. Although Drake certainly had a lot of business experience, he didn’t run her company and had zero say in how she ran her company. She took in a couple of deep breaths as she tried to find the right words to say to him that wouldn’t ruin the rest of their day together.

“I believe this building is very fairly priced. If you’d like to wait outside while I finalize the details I will understand. I’m not going to take advantage of her misfortune and have no problem paying the asking price.”

Scarlett looked firmly at Drake, and there was no doubt in his mind that she could handle the deal on her own. He knew he shouldn’t have spoken up like he had, and his words had belittled her, but he couldn’t take it back now. Drake reached for the door and opened it.

“You can come back in.”

Drake kept quiet while the two women worked out the deal and agreed on the final details. It was an unusual place for him to be in, and Drake felt more uncomfortable than he could remember in a business situation. But Scarlett was right. It was her business and her decisions. The property looked excellent, and Drake had to admit he would have purchased it himself if Scarlett hadn’t wanted it. There would always be inspections and checks and balances to ensure there were no major problems.

Her business savvy attitude was refreshing, yet scary to Drake. He wasn’t used to the woman he was with being as strong as he was when it came to their business decisions. Quite frankly, he didn’t normally date business savvy women at all. It was new and unchartered territory for Drake, and he felt like it might take him a little bit to get used to allowing his partner to have just as successful a business life as he had.

When the deal was completed, Drake and Scarlett made their way down the coast. Drake felt a tension between him and Scarlett that was growing. How had things turned so awkward when she was the one woman he had waited all week to spend time with?

He knew what had caused it, though; it had happened when he butted into her business dealings. Drake didn’t know how to make things better, but he was sure as hell going to try.

Scarlett was beautiful, kind, and gorgeous. She was the type of woman who Drake could see himself making a life with. Yet, their date so far had not been what he had hoped for. He had put his foot in his mouth and clearly made comments he shouldn’t have made to her. He was going to use the drive as his opportunity to make up for his behavior up to that point. Scarlett was going to be laughing and flirting with him again in no time—Drake was sure of that.

Chapter 5

“I’m sorry,” Drake said as they drove up the Pacific Coast Highway. “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.”

“It’s alright. I’m sure you are used to calling all the shots in your business and were just trying to be helpful.”

“I was. Really, I was just trying to help.”

“How about we forget about that for now and just enjoy our day together. I’d love to drive up north on this highway a bit. I’ve heard so much about how beautiful it is.”

“Yes, it’s one of the most relaxing drives. There’s a nice restaurant about two hours north of here, would you like to go there for dinner?”

Drake felt so out of his comfort zone that he was stumbling over his own words. Nothing like this had ever happened to him on a date before. He wasn’t his normal confident self, and he felt like the date was running off into some horrible place. Scarlett and he had gotten along so well throughout the week; they were so suited to each other.

He had to figure out what was going wrong and fix it fast. There wasn’t time for making up for things later. Their date day would be over soon, and Drake would be left to make a decision about which one of the women he wanted to keep with him. He had to make the right choice.

The original idea for the week full of women had admittedly been a little perverse. Drake liked the idea of having a group of women all fighting over him. His ego liked the idea, his body liked the idea; everything seemed perfect until emotions started mixing into the situation. As the week had progressed, Drake had become tired, his view of the women had expanded to include so much more, though. Every one of them was unique and beautiful. It weighed heavily on him that he would have to choose only one of the women.

Even though the next day was going to be very difficult on Drake, he didn’t regret bringing all the women to his house. He would never have met this same group of women in any other situation, so Drake was very grateful that they had all decided to come.

“Dinner sounds great,” Scarlett replied. “Maybe we could stop and walk on the beach a little too.”

“Perfect.”

Scarlett reached over, grabbed Drake’s hand, and he instantly felt better. Whatever tension had been going on was released in that touch of hers. They might not have seen eye to eye on her business dealing, but Drake was trying to look out for Scarlett.

It wasn’t as if he had said something that wasn’t true. When it came to business, Drake knew what he was doing and was certain he could have saved Scarlett at least a hundred thousand dollars on the property. But he wasn’t going to dwell on it. Every business had to be run in a way that made the owner proud, and Drake was going to have to let Scarlett run her own affairs.

“You’re an amazing woman. I admire you. I’m sure the other women around you look up to you as well.”

“Thank you, I work really hard at being fair and consistent in my interactions with the world.”

“Did I mention you’re beautiful? I don’t want to forget that part as well.”

Scarlett laughed as she smiled at Drake. He was trying hard to make things work between them, and Scarlett couldn’t fault him for that. She wanted it to be a good match for them. She had stuck around all week long and endured the women of the house all because she wanted to give Drake the chance he deserved. She wasn’t about to let his slip up about her business deal ruin their entire date.

Many other men had tried to step on her business toes, so to speak—it seemed to be a man thing. They wanted to show off their knowledge or help out in some way; Scarlett didn’t hold that against Drake at all.

She was going to put every effort into making the rest of their night one to remember. No matter what else came after that day, Scarlett didn’t want to ever look back and think that she would have done something different.

As a strong woman, she often pushed men away from her. Scarlett knew this about herself and was working on getting better at it. She had strong opinions and that didn’t always sit well with the men she dated. One of her friends had told Scarlett that she emasculated men when she was on dates with them.

It was a devastating blow to Scarlett to think that she was doing anything that would make the men she knew feel like they weren’t worthy of her. She didn’t feel that way about the men, especially Drake. She liked him very much and had enjoyed watching him throughout the week. He had expertly handled the emotions of the women in the house while still working to enjoy himself. Scarlett appreciated Drake for the efforts he had put in, and she really, genuinely, wanted to get to know him better.

“Where’s your perfect vacation spot?” Scarlett asked as they drove on the beautiful coastal highway.

“I’d have to say New York or London. The excitement in those two cities is hard for me to give up. I love how much technology and innovation is always going on there. Oh, and Beijing. Have you ever been there? It’s so fast-paced and beautiful.”

“I’ve been to London and a lot of Europe, but never to China. I didn’t think it was all that safe to be traveling around there as a single woman.”

“I’ll take you sometime. There is this hotel that doesn’t rent out rooms, but instead just rents these capsules that have beds in them. It’s really cool.”

Scarlett couldn’t help smiling at the excitement in Drake’s voice. He clearly loved to travel, and so did she. Although, she tried to choose quiet beach locations instead of bustling metropolis cities. It did appear that they had different tastes in what their perfect vacation location would be.

“What do you do if you’re traveling with someone? Is the capsule big enough for two?”

“I don’t think they have double occupancy capsules. But it was a cool experience.”

“Did you go to the Great Wall of China?” Scarlett asked.

“No, that’s a little out of the way and in the countryside. I stuck to the city, and the business meetings I had kept me pretty busy for most of my trip.”

“So, you went all the way to China and didn’t see one of the great wonders of the world? You must have been pretty darn busy.”

Scarlett didn’t like the sound of that at all. What kind of man would travel all the way to China and not take one extra day to see the Great Wall? It seemed preposterous to Scarlett and such a waste. When she traveled, Scarlett loved to be part of the local community as much as possible. She didn’t like the big cities and, instead, preferred small cities or private beaches where she could mingle with the locals.

“Yeah, when I’m traveling for business I’m usually just in and out of a place as quickly as possible.”

Scarlett watched out her window as the houses rushed by the car. She had dreamt about a moment like that with a man. Romantically driving up the coast as they talked about life. But Scarlett had imagined the moment being much different. She had imagined she would be in love with the man she was traveling with and the moment would be filled with pure joy, but instead, she felt increasingly awkward around Drake.

The control she exercised over her life was hard for others to appreciate sometimes. It often made her seem like she was judging people or not enjoying herself. But Scarlett was just a tough, single woman trying to get by in life. She didn’t want things handed to her and was more than happy to work hard for what she had in her life. Even in the romance area, Scarlett was happy to work at any relationship.

“How much do you think houses on the beach cost?” Scarlett asked as she continued to watch the large homes on the cliffs and make small talk.

“It matters which side of the highway you’re on and how far north you go. Some of the smaller houses might only be a million dollars while the larger houses on the beach could go for well over twenty million dollars.”

“I don’t think I could live right on the ocean. I’d probably never get any work done.”

“Same thing I was thinking. I love to visit the beach, but if I lived out here, I’m sure my business would suffer.”

“Pull over,” Scarlett said softly, squeezing Drake’s hand. “I need to fix something.”

He found the next parking area near the beach and parked the car. But as he got ready to get out, Scarlett pulled him back in. The intense look on her face had him instantly concerned.

“What’s wrong with us?” Scarlett asked in frustration.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t pretend like things are going well. We can’t even have a conversation without it feeling forced. We got along so well this week. I can’t figure out what’s going wrong.”

Drake gave a huge sigh of relief as he grabbed Scarlett’s hand and pulled it up to his mouth to kiss it. Her words were exactly what he had been thinking and had been too afraid to say. There was something wrong between them, and it was new and awkward, and Drake wanted it to go away as quickly as possible. He needed things to return to the way they had been at the house when they were first getting to know each other.

“Perhaps we put too high expectations on ourselves for the day?”

“Well, we need to fix this.”

“I’m game. What do you think might work?”

Scarlett flung her seatbelt off and climbed into Drake’s lap. Her legs straddled either side of him and her breasts were only inches away from his mouth. Whatever her plan was, Drake was one hundred percent in agreement with it. Anything that involved her breasts being so close to his lips had to be a good idea.

She didn’t say a word, but instead leaned down and started to kiss Drake. He didn’t argue. Her sweet lips tasted delicious as he moved his mouth around to gently taste her. She moaned slightly under her breath, and he grabbed her ass and pulled her closer to him. The tight jeans she had on ensured that nothing more than a fun make out session was going to happen, but that was just fine with Drake. Scarlett was full of contradictions, and he was eager to learn more about what she liked and didn’t like.

While wearing a dress, she didn’t like him sliding his hands up her thighs. But in her jeans, she seemed liberated and excited by his touch. She obviously liked taking control of the moment and not letting things that bothered her fester and get worse. It was refreshing to see how much she was willing to do to make their date go better. He was already feeling like the tension between them had lifted.

He moved his hands from her ass to the front of her shirt as he pulled it out of her jeans. Drake let his hand move up Scarlett’s bare skin until he came to her delicious breasts. He felt like he might be pushing his luck if he tried to unbuckle her bra, so Drake pushed the cup from one of her breasts down and exposed her nipple to him.

His lips moved down her neck and wrapped tightly around her exposed nipple, and Scarlett let out the most delightful moan he had heard that day. The more he tugged on her nipple, the more she moaned. Drake felt like he had a secret key to delivering Scarlett some kind of pleasure and wasn’t about to give it up.

She moaned and arched back, just enough that the horn of the car sounded and everyone in the vicinity looked over at their car. Scarlett quickly pulled her shirt down and then buried her face in Drake’s neck out of pure embarrassment. She climbed off him and into the passenger seat as she ducked down and tried to hide from the eyes of everyone around them.

“Oh, my gosh,” she said, now practically on the floor of the passenger seat.

Scarlett continued to duck down farther and farther until she was actually sitting on the floor in the front seat. Drake had to try and hold in his laughter as he watched her dramatically trying to avoid the watchful eyes of people passing their vehicle and heading out to the beach.

“They are moving on,” Drake said with tears of laughter.

“I can’t believe that just happened. What if they call the police?”

Drake continued to laugh as Scarlett hid on the floor of the car. Her concern over getting caught making out in the car was so endearing. Scarlett’s cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, but the mood had certainly been lightened up quite a bit.

“No one is going to call the police. Come back up here.”

“Oh, I can’t. Not until everyone has gone away and stopped looking at us.”

“They aren’t looking. It’s safe. Come back up here.”

Drake held his hand out for Scarlett, and she pulled herself back up from the floor of the car. She kept her head down as she looked around out of the corner of her eyes to see if anyone was still watching their car.

Scarlett wasn’t the kind of girl who made out with guys in their cars. The previous night when they had pulled into the abandoned parking lot had been a huge step for her to give up on her anxiety and just kiss Drake like she wanted to.

Climbing onto his lap had also been way outside of her comfort zone. Scarlett still couldn’t believe she had done it and really wasn’t ever going to forget it after what had happened with the car horn.

“Can we go for a walk or something? I don’t want to be in the car anymore.”

“Of course.”

The pair made their way down the sandy beach, and the tension between them seemed to have totally disappeared. Scarlett held onto Drake’s hand as they climbed up and over some rocks and continued to walk down the beach. Their conversation went on for almost anything they could imagine, from business to dogs and everything in between.

It was a romantic evening, and they were lost in conversation as the sun started to set and they slowed their stroll. Scarlett breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn’t actually died from embarrassment, and they sat on the beach to watch the sunset and enjoy a little more time together.

Drake pulled Scarlett into his arms and held her close to keep the nighttime chill from getting to her. She was delighted to have his arms around her but wasn’t going to let things go any further than they already had. She certainly wasn’t going to get herself arrested for indecent exposure—that was for sure.

“Do you think this week was worth it?” she asked Drake.

He paused for what seemed like forever before he finally answered her. His answer seemed very well thought out and diplomatic for the situation they were in.

“I am a very lucky man to have gotten to know all seven of you. I wouldn’t change a thing from this week. No matter what happens tomorrow, I really do believe this week was worth it.”

Scarlett had a ton of other questions she wanted to ask him, but she wasn’t going to. She wanted to know if he had slept with all of the other women. She wanted to know if he already had his decision made of who he was going to pick. There were dozens of thoughts that she could have tortured herself with, but Scarlett decided not to.

She had never been the type of woman who was jealous because of other women and wasn’t going to let a week at Drake’s house change her. Certainly, it was awkward that Drake had spent time with so many other women so close to when she went out with him. But the truth was that everyone had a history before they met each other and that couldn’t be changed.

A couple could only move forward from the point that they decided to be an item. Scarlett was confident she would be able to move forward with Drake after their week of craziness. She liked most of the other women anyway, and if he picked one of them over her, well, Scarlett would be alright with that also.

Men weren’t something that Scarlett pretended to understand. She truly didn’t get them most of the time and wasn’t going to pretend she did. If Drake found a better match among the other women in the house, then she would be happy for him. But there was only one other woman that Scarlett really thought would be a perfect match for Drake; only one other woman besides herself, of course.

“I think this week was worth it as well. As wild and crazy as it has been, it was a huge learning experience for me.”

Drake started to laugh.

“What on earth could you have learned this week?”

“Don’t laugh, I actually learned a lot about myself this week and how I interact with other women. I’m not all that understanding to some women, and I worked really hard to be respectful of them and their spot in this process this week.”

“Sophia? You like her, right?”

“No. Actually, I don’t like her all that much.”

Drake was caught totally off guard. He had watched Scarlett washing Sophia’s hair in the hospital. She had been gentle and kind to Sophia, and it had certainly looked as though she liked her very much.

“But you went to the hospital to check on her. I saw you washing her hair.”

“I knew she would want to look beautiful for you when you came to visit her. I had just come to check on her and offered to help her. Sophia’s face lit up at the idea, so I went with it. I was happy to help her out. I know it was rough on her having to back out of the week with you. But she still hoped you would pick her.”

“You didn’t think I would pick her, did you?”

“No, I knew from talking to Samantha that you weren’t going to pick Sophia.”

“I like that you and Sam get along so well, but I must admit, it’s a little scary to me.”

“Because you think she’s told me all of your secrets?” Scarlett winked.

“Yes, or that she …” he trailed off.

Scarlett turned around to look at Drake. There had been something he wanted to say, but he stopped himself. Something about Samantha that he was only a moment away from blurting out; but Drake was too afraid to continue.

“It’s getting late, should we head back? I think the water has gotten pretty high,” Scarlett said as she saved Drake from having to finish his sentence.

Drake obviously had strong feelings about Samantha, and from the conversations Scarlett had with Samantha, she had similar feelings. But the two of them had decided their working relationship was more important. That was admirable to Scarlett, although she wasn’t sure she agreed with the logic. But clearly the two of them had worked together for over five years and nothing had happened yet, so it was highly likely nothing was ever going to happen between them.

Chapter 6

“I don’t remember having to climb so many rocks on our way out here.”

“That’s because we only climbed those,” Drake said, pointing to a small set of rocks that they had climbed earlier, which was now engulfed in water.

“The tide sure came in fast.”

“Yeah, I think we are going to be stuck climbing these rocks all the way back. Unless you want to jump into the water.”

Scarlett just shook her head and continued to move over the rocks. They weren’t hard to climb; in fact, they were large and round and rather easy to move over. But it was still taking them much longer than it had when they walked out to watch the sunset. Luckily, the moon was out and lit up the beach well enough for them to see where they were going as they climbed up and over one rock after the next.

“So I planned a nice rock climbing date for you,” Scarlett joked.

“Wow, that was a great idea. And the sunset and the drive; you are excellent at planning these dates. We should certainly do it again sometime.”

Both Scarlett and Drake couldn’t help laughing as the night wore on and they continued to climb over rocks. They still had at least a mile to walk back, and it was taking forever as they climbed up and over all their obstacles.

Scarlett liked how Drake was handling the situation, though. He wasn’t angry or agitated over having to climb over the rocks and didn’t care that Scarlett wasn’t willing to just jump into the water and walk back through it. His understanding was refreshing, and she was excited to get back to the house and bring Drake to her bed.

Scarlett had fantasized about Drake, probably just as much as he had fantasized about her. She couldn’t stop imagining his tongue on her body and was happy that nothing had happened between them the night before. She certainly wanted to remember when he put his tongue on her or any other part of his body.

“Did all your other dates go this well?” Scarlett started to ask but then changed her mind. “Never mind, I don’t want to know about your other dates.”

“I’ll tell you this much, I’m going to remember this date forever; I’m sure of it.”

“Do you mind if we rest for a minute?”

Scarlett was freezing and tired. The idea of climbing more and more rocks was exhausting, and she was second guessing the idea to just jump into the knee-high water and walk the rest of the way. She would get wet and be colder than she was at that moment, but at least, it would all be over in ten minutes or so.

“We can rest all you want.” Drake wrapped his arms around Scarlett, pressing his hands up and down rapidly as he tried to warm her up. “It would be a really beautiful night if we weren’t shipwrecked here.”

“I think we should jump in. The water isn’t all that high, and we could make our way ten times faster.”

“I’m game if you are.”

Scarlett looked at Drake and then at the water that was just below their feet. She knew if she didn’t do it at that moment, she wasn’t going to have the nerve to do it at all, so she jumped right in, without a warning at all. It was a bold move, and she yelled out with excitement as the water touched her skin.

The water was just above her knees, and she started walking along the coastline as quickly as she could. When she looked back, Drake was right behind her and grabbed her hand as they continued to walk quickly. He held onto her, and they took big steps through the knee-high water as they kept their eye on the shore up ahead and where their car was.

“This isn’t so bad,” Scarlett said through chattering teeth.

“If we survive the hypothermia, it will be great.”

Drake moved ahead of Scarlett and pulled her with him. They needed to keep moving if they were going to get back to the car and get warmed up. Then out of nowhere, Drake lost his footing and slipped into the water. He released Scarlett’s hand as he went down, but she still slipped with him and the tide pulled them both out into chest-high water.

“Oh, shit,” Scarlett yelled as the cold water came up high on her body.

“You alright?” Drake asked.

The water wasn’t nearly as high on him, but it was still as cold. The rush had shocked them both, and he held onto Scarlett tightly as they tried to make their way back into shore.

“Yes.”

A wave hit, and Scarlett lost her footing and was pulled out even more, but Drake grabbed hold of her hand again, and this time held it tighter. He was tall enough that he could touch the sand still, but Scarlett was too small to touch. She ended up bouncing up and down on her tiptoes as she tried to make her way into shore with Drake.

Drake pulled on her while she kicked to try to make it back into where they could both touch. It was a scary moment, but Scarlett had all the trust in the world in Drake. She saw the determination in his eyes and knew he wasn’t going to let anything bad happen to her.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” Drake said calmly.

It was the truth. Scarlett felt his hand holding onto hers and trusted that he would get her to safety. But she was still scared, wet, and freezing. There was no getting around that feeling.

Drake did an amazing job of taking charge, and he quickly had them both pulled back into a place where they could walk comfortably again. They continued down the coast until there was a clearing, and they could move up onto the sandy beach. The car wasn’t far away from them by that point, but Scarlett was shaking and scared.

Scarlett collapsed onto the sand in what Drake thought was exhaustion. He quickly went over to her. He felt so responsible for what had happened. Drake lived in California and knew how quickly the tide could rise; he should have been paying attention.

“Are you alright?” he said, kneeling down to Scarlett.

“Oh, I’m just fine,” she said as she started to laugh. “You finally got me soaking wet. Are you happy?”

She was nearly in tears, she was laughing so hard, and Drake couldn’t help laughing with her. He fell into the sand and wrapped her in his arms so he could plant a delicious kiss on her salty lips.

Scarlett had an amazing sense of humor. The fact that she was laughing instead of crying after she had been thrown into neck-high freezing water in the middle of the night—that said a lot about the person that Scarlett was. Drake had to wonder what there was that really could unsettle the woman.

“Yes, I’m happy,” he answered her between kisses.

Scarlett’s touch was electrifying, and it struck Drake that he finally felt like things were back to how they had been throughout the week between the two of them. He didn’t want the moment to end, but he also didn’t want them to get sick from staying out in the cold.

Her lips started to shiver while he touched them. The soft, gentle quiver that came from her body was becoming colder and colder from the wet clothes she wore and the cool night air. Drake had to get her dried off and warm; it didn’t matter how much he wanted to stay there kissing her. They needed to get moving.

He pulled Scarlett up into his arms and held her briefly to try and get her shivering to stop, and then they made their way back to the car. By the time they got there, all the other people from the beach were long gone, and their car sat alone in the beach parking lot.

“At least no one will see us now if I have my way with you,” Drake teased.

But Scarlett was obviously cold and in no mood to make out in the car. Drake grabbed a button-down shirt from a bag in the back of the car. It was an expensive shirt, but money didn’t matter to him. He just wanted Scarlett to get warmed up, and she wasn’t going to do that if she kept her wet clothes on.

“It’s not much, but if we get you out of those wet clothes, at least it’s a dry shirt.”

Drake pulled Scarlett to him and started to pull her T-shirt off before she stopped him. She cast her eyes around the parking lot and down to the ocean, clearly not comfortable with the idea of getting naked on the beach.

“I’m all sandy, though. It will ruin your shirt,” she said softly.

“It’s fine. Let’s get you out of those clothes.”

Scarlett gently nodded her head yes to allow Drake to finish pulling off her wet T-shirt. The shirt was heavy and soaking wet with a combination of ocean water and sand. He moved slowly and tried to prevent the sand from getting on her face as he pulled the wet clothing over her head. Then he let his hands slide down to the button on her jeans as he looked deep into her eyes. He felt the sexual desire she had for him just by looking at her deep brown eyes; Scarlett wanted him, and he wanted her.

His heart pounded as he knelt down and pulled her wet pants to the ground. Drake took a moment to kiss her thighs before he grabbed her soaking panties and pulled them down as well. Scarlett’s eyes darted back and forth as she watched to make sure no one was around and pulled Drake back up to her. He was just as wet as she was, but Drake had no intention of getting naked. He was fine and not even all that cold.

Lastly, he removed her bra and released her beautiful breasts into the nighttime air. They were covered with sand, as was the rest of her body, so Drake let his hands slide softly over her skin in an effort to wipe some of the sand off. Her nipples were at full attention, and Drake did his best to hold back his desire to suck on them.

Scarlett took in a deep breath as Drake’s hands moved around her and barely grazed her skin. The touch of his cold hands on her already cold body was erotic, and she anticipated each and every stroke. With her eyes closed, Scarlett leaned against the car and let Drake stroke her body. What started as a way of removing the sand from her skin had turned into something else entirely.

His hands were building up the sexual tension in her body with each new stroke. Scarlett thought for sure he was going to make her cum right there in that parking lot.

She swallowed hard as his hands moved to her hips and brushed downward to remove the sand from them. He then pressed them both between her thighs and let his fingers linger for a moment before pressing downward to remove the sand from her legs.

Again and again, his hands touched her before he flipped her around and pressed her up against the car. Drake moved in behind Scarlett and wrapped his hands around her breasts, holding them while his mouth touched the back of her neck in that way which had become familiar to him. The salty seawater and cold air had them both breathing heavily with anticipation.

His body was throbbing with a need for Scarlett, and all he could think about was unzipping himself and sliding inside of her. But not there, not like that, she wouldn’t want it that way, and he knew it.

“Time for you to get dressed,” he whispered softly in her ear.

Drake slid Scarlett’s arms into the dress shirt and then turned her around so he could button it for her. He started at the top and moved slowly and deliberately down her body until he got to the last button, which was strategically placed right over her delicious center. Every inch of Scarlett exuded sex appeal. Even as she stood naked, wet and covered in sand, Scarlett was one of the most beautiful women Drake had ever known.

Her beauty wasn’t just on the outside though. She had calmness, a peacefulness about her that drove Drake wild. He had always wanted to be more like that in his own life, so it was certainly an appealing characteristic in a woman. Even the way she handled her own business deal was sexy as hell to Drake.

“Should we get going?” Scarlett asked as a smile flashed across her face.

She was no longer shivering, and Drake liked to see that, but getting in the car and turning the heat on would surely be a better way to warm her up than with his mouth. Well, it would be a better way for Scarlett, at least; because Drake would have been perfectly happy to warm her up only with the heat from his body.

“Yes, let’s get you home.”

Within minutes of getting back into the car, Drake had the vehicle totally warm, and Scarlett had fallen asleep. It took all that he had in him to pay attention to the road.His shirt looked so damn sexy on Scarlett that his mind raced with thoughts of getting it off her.

The rest of the drive home was a combination of delicious thoughts about Scarlett and anxiety over what the next twenty-four hours was going to bring for him. He had a big decision to make the following day, bigger than any business deal he had participated in. Drake was going to decide on the woman who he might be spending the rest of his life with—that was a really big decision.

Chapter 7

When Drake pulled into his driveway, Samantha was waiting there for him. She did not look happy at all, but Drake couldn’t help laughing as he climbed out of the vehicle and let Scarlett stay sleeping. Samantha was absolutely relentless when she was angry. Drake knew it, and he was prepared to deal with the situation.

“Is there a reason you’re avoiding my calls?”

“Of course not. I was on the beach with Scarlett and then driving home; I didn’t check my phone.”

“I know things got uncomfortable with us. But you need to get over it. We aren’t going to have a relationship, and I’m still the best damn assistant you’ve ever had, so stop being an asshole.”

“Wait a second there. I’m not being an asshole. You knew what this week was going to be like, and you seemed perfectly all right with it earlier in the week. Now you’re yelling at me and acting like a maniac. I think you need to stop being an asshole.”

Drake didn’t like how Samantha was trying to turn everything around and make him out to be the bad guy. He had listened to Samantha and her plan to keep them apart for many years. It wasn’t his fault that things were changing between them.

“What?” Samantha asked as the anger fumed in her eyes.

“Yeah, you heard me right. I’m not afraid to call it like I see it. You’re being a girl asshole, Sam. I wanted you, yes, I admit that. But if you’re not interested, I’m going to respect that. But you’ve changed this week, and that’s not cool. Either get over it or don’t, but we need to figure this out.”

Just then, Scarlett climbed out of the car. She looked back and forth between Samantha and Drake and could obviously tell they were in the middle of a heated discussion.

“I’ll leave you two lovebirds to talk,” Scarlett joked as she made her way inside.

“We aren’t lovebirds,” Sam said. “I’m going. You two enjoy your night together.”

Scarlett walked back downstairs, wrapped her arms around Samantha and gave her a hug. There was a close relationship between the two of them, that was certainly clear in how Scarlett and Samantha hugged, but Drake had no idea what was going on.

“Stay, I need to shower. I’m covered in sand. Send Drake up in a few minutes,” Scarlett said to Samantha.

Drake looked oddly at the two women as he heard what Scarlett said. It was like a scene out of some weird ménage movie, and Drake felt like he wasn’t in on the secrets. Why were those two so close to each other? Why was Scarlett perfectly fine with Drake staying downstairs and arguing with Samantha?

Better yet, why was Samantha even arguing with him in the first place? It was like a scene out of a movie for sure, and Drake couldn’t wrap his brain around it. Things were changing all around him, and he didn’t feel like he had control over any of it.

“We will only be a few minutes. Tomorrow you’ll have to tell me all about how you ended up without your clothes,” Samantha joked with Scarlett.

“See you in a few minutes,” Scarlett said to Drake.

Drake stood in front of the house and stared at Scarlett as she made her way inside. Then he looked at Samantha, hoping that she would give him some sort of explanation for what had just happened, but Samantha was still angry with him and wasn’t going to be explaining anything.

“What did you do? Strip her down in the middle of the ocean or something?” Samantha said angrily. “I can’t believe you.”

Drake knew exactly where he was. He was in the middle of one of those “you can’t win” arguments. He’d had many of these before with women, but they were always with women he had slept with and was trying to break up with. This was the first time he actually felt bad for being stuck in the middle of a no-win argument.

“We got stuck on the beach at high tide and ended up in the water. Now, why don’t you tell me why you are so damn pissed off at me?”

Samantha turned around and stared at the house before she turned back and met Drake’s gaze. There was something that she wanted to say, Drake felt it as he looked at her; but Samantha was holding back. She bit her lip and looked at Drake as she contemplated what she wanted to say.

He hated when she bit her lip like that and loved it all at the same moment. Samantha drove Drake wild, and he loved to fantasize about having her, but he could respect her wishes to leave things as friends. The problem was, Samantha seemed to want to argue like they were in a relationship and not like she worked for him or like they were friends.

“I don’t even know. I just don’t like how things are going right now,” Sam said.

Drake felt the lie as it came out of her mouth. There was something else that Samantha wanted to say to him, something else that had her so angry, but she wasn’t going to tell him. Drake grabbed her by the arms and pressed her up against the house gently. His face was only inches away from her, and he wasn’t going to let Samantha go until she told him what was going on.

“You know. Tell me what’s the matter,” Drake demanded.

“I can’t. I just can’t.”

“Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, yes … oh, I don’t know. Things are changing between us, and I don’t like it. I knew that someday you would find a woman; I just didn’t think it would feel like this.”

“What does it feel like?” Drake asked.

His lips were so close to hers, his body pressed up against hers; Drake felt that familiar passion for Samantha as it rose up and took over. Without thinking, he leaned down and kissed her. His passion was firm and hard, and so was hers until she pushed him away from her. Drake knew it had been a mistake to kiss her, but he just couldn’t stop himself.

“No. Go up and be with Scarlett. She’s the right one for you. I know it. Go be with her,” Sam said as tears started down her face.

Drake hadn’t often seen tears from Samantha during their entire relationship, and it caught him totally off guard. She was upset with him because he was trying to find a woman, yet she didn’t want to be his woman or even give him a chance. It was beyond frustrating for Drake to contemplate what was going on in that moment.

“I think we should talk about us first.”

“There is no us. There will never be an us. You need to go upstairs and be with Scarlett. She’s the perfect woman for you, Drake. She’s smart, beautiful, and kind. I couldn’t have handpicked a better woman if I had made her from scratch. Don’t ruin this, Drake. Go be with her.”

Samantha turned and walked away from Drake, heading to her car. Drake waited to see if she would look back. He wanted to see her face. He wanted to know that she was alright. Samantha was hurting, and Drake didn’t like to see that at all. No matter what happened between the two of them, Drake couldn’t stand the thought of Samantha being hurt.

“Samantha,” he hollered after her. “Come finish the conversation. If we don’t have it now, we won’t ever resolve this.”

Samantha froze only a few steps away from her car. He could tell she was still crying, and Drake waited for her to turn around and come to her senses. She needed to give up the idea of them not dating; he wished she would have given it up years before. But then again, Drake probably would have ruined the opportunity years before.

If Samantha would only give them a chance at dating, Drake would hold off on making his decision to date any of the women in the house. Maybe things wouldn’t work out between Samantha and him, but maybe they would. All Drake knew was at that moment, Samantha was making it clear that she wasn’t willing to risk their working relationship for what might happen in a romantic one.

And what about that moment? It wouldn’t be any better if they decided to try and date then and there. Drake felt the pain of anxiety as it rushed through him. It would be easier if he and Samantha just forgot all about whatever it was that was going on between them. If they could just get back to the way things were, then everything would be fine again.

Samantha didn’t turn around. She didn’t come back to him. Instead, she simply climbed into her car and pulled out of the driveway without looking at him as she drove away. He couldn’t even see if she was looking at him in the mirror. Samantha had made it very clear that she wasn’t going to change her mind, and she certainly wasn’t going to let them take a stab at any sort of relationship. Drake just needed to accept it. He had to. There was no other choice.

“You’re soaking wet, come inside,” Victoria said as she opened the front door.

Emily and Lauren were both standing there as well. The three women were eager to talk with Drake, and he knew he should spend a few minutes with them, but he didn’t have much energy left. The emotions of the week had officially overwhelmed him. He couldn’t stay downstairs and pretend like everything was alright; Drake needed to go talk to Scarlett.

“Hi ladies, I hope your day was good. I’m going to run upstairs and take a hot shower. I’ll see you all in the morning.”

The disappointment on their faces was evident, but Drake couldn’t care about all that. He had to go see Scarlett. He had to straighten things out with her. She certainly must have felt like he had cast her to the side in favor of an argument with Samantha, which was exactly what he had done. But he didn’t want her to feel bad.

Shit, Drake didn’t want anyone to feel bad, and that was all that seemed to be happening. He made his way to his room and quickly showered before dialing Robert. If there were any man in the entire world that Drake trusted with what was going on at that moment, it had to be Robert. They had been friends for as long as they had worked together, and Drake trusted the man with his life.

“It’s almost midnight, what could you possibly need me for?” Robert said in a monotone voice as he answered the phone.

“I’m fucking everything up, man. All these women hate me, even Sam hates me.”

“What’s new? Women always hate you, they’ll get over it and love you tomorrow,” Robert said without any emotion.

“Shit, I can’t do this anymore. This week was supposed to be fun, and it’s turned into one big mess.”

“Are you seriously complaining about your week with seven beautiful women? Please don’t tell me you called me to complain about all the sex and women you have at your house right now. I’m serious. Don’t tell me that. I will come over there and rip your tongue out if you tell me that.”

Drake laughed at how serious Robert was. It was hilarious how Robert always joked about the women that Drake got, but Robert was very happily married and Drake was jealous of the relationship Robert had with his wife of seven years. It was a partnership, exactly what Drake wanted to find.

“It’s harder than you would think.”

“Oh, I thought it was going to be hard. I can’t keep my one wife happy for twenty-four hours; I knew damn well you were getting yourself in really deep with having seven women there. But bro, this is your battle. You need to figure this shit out and move on. Complaining isn’t going to help anyone.”

“I know. I just don’t want to hurt these girls. They are great women.”

“Drake, these women know what they got into. Just don’t fuck with them. Make your decision and move on. Listen to your gut and just go for it. Your uncertainty is just like fucking with them. You need to make your decision swiftly and stick to it. It’s that simple.”

Drake thought about Robert’s words. It was exactly what he needed to hear. There was a decision to make, and Drake worked well under pressure. He had to just follow his gut and that would show him exactly where to go. Things didn’t need to be as complicated as Drake was making them out to be. He just needed to follow his gut.

“Thanks. I can’t wait for next week and getting back to normal.”

“I’m going back to sleep now. Try not to fuck up.”

Drake was still laughing as he hung up the phone and heard a knock at his door. He knew Robert was right, he had to stop worrying so much and try to finish out the week strong. His gut would guide him to exactly where he needed to go.

“Oh, hey. How are you?” Drake said as he opened the door to see Cynthia standing there.

“It’s midnight. Does that mean you’re free for some play time?” Cynthia said, gently hitting a black whip on her hands.

“Not tonight. But you look beautiful,” Drake said as he leaned in and kissed Cynthia on the cheek.

“Enjoy your evening, but I’m going to get a hold of you tomorrow.”

“I look forward to it.”

Cynthia returned to her bedroom, and Drake walked the opposite direction toward Scarlett’s room. Even though it was after midnight, Drake wanted to spend more time with Scarlett. They hadn’t even had sex yet, that was what he had been looking forward to all day; truthfully, he had been looking forward to it all week long.

Drake knocked on the door and then waited for Scarlett to answer. It took her a few minutes, but she finally came to the door. She had on sweatpants, a T-shirt, and her hair was pulled up in a ponytail. Scarlett looked just as beautiful as she had with all her hair and makeup done. There was no denying that Scarlett had natural beauty and didn’t need all the bells and whistles to make her pretty.

“Ready for me?” Drake asked as he started to make his way into the room.

Scarlett held her hand out though and stopped him.

“Actually, I’m pretty exhausted. Why don’t we call it a night?” Scarlett said as she kissed Drake gently.

He couldn’t believe his ears. She was getting rid of him. She didn’t even want to spend the evening with him. It had to be because of what happened downstairs with Samantha. Drake wasn’t going to end his night on a bad note with Scarlett. She deserved better than that.

“Can I come in for a minute at least? We can talk.”

“What do you want to talk about?”

Scarlett held the door firmly and refused to let Drake inside. It was clear that she was no longer in a mood to kiss him or be very close to Drake at all.

“Samantha was just upset because I hadn’t been answering my phone. I’m sorry it took so long.”

“Oh, no worries at all. I’m not angry, Drake, I really am just exhausted.”

“Really?”

“Yes, we can talk more tomorrow. I had a great evening with you. I know you and Sam go way back, and I have absolutely no problems with that. Really I don’t.”

“So, you are really just tired and want me to leave you alone so you can sleep?”

Scarlett laughed at the trepidation in his voice. Drake looked so unsure of himself, so unwilling to believe that Scarlett really could be alright with whatever history he had with Samantha.

“Yes, I’m fine. Let’s get some good sleep, and we can talk more tomorrow.”

Scarlett stood on her tiptoes and kissed Drake one last time as she led him out of her room and shut the door behind him. Drake couldn’t figure out what exactly had just happened, but it felt like the one woman he had wanted all week long had just refused him.

The Billionaire’s Hunt

Samantha

The Billionaire Bachelor Series 9

Chapter 1

Drake woke up and instantly felt the anxiety of the day. It was the last day of his week with seven women, and he needed to make a decision. After spending the whole week with all the women, he thought he was ready to make the decision but really had no idea what he was going to do.

Having a ton of women in his life was much harder than Drake thought it was going to be. Simply paying attention to each of them and learning about them was exhausting. Drake was almost positive he had all their back stories mixed up together and was afraid he was going to accidently call one of the girls by the wrong name. He was ready for the multiple-women thing to be over and for life to get back to normal with just one woman.

Every one of the women had traits that he admired, and he could see a glimpse of his life with each of them. But the overwhelming decision process was having him second guessing everything. The second he thought he knew what he wanted, then he instantly had no idea again. It was torture. A woman would smile at him, and he suddenly thought she was the one he should pick.

When he had planned out the week, he had thought there would be a clear winner at the end of it. Instead, Drake felt more like there was a clear loser, and it was him. He had to break several women’s hearts. He had grown close to all of the women and knew they had feelings for him. It wasn’t going to be easy to tell them that he was choosing someone else. Drake didn’t want to do it; he wanted to just tell Samantha who he had chosen and have her send everyone else away.

Samantha was a whole different story too. Things were weird between them, to say the least. Drake felt like she was finally giving in to the idea of them being together, but then she pulled away again. Obviously, having seven other women around wasn’t really the optimum time for Drake to be thinking about Samantha, but he had waited for her so long that he didn’t want to miss his opportunity.

Samantha had been so resolute in her idea that she wouldn’t give in to Drake, and she had stuck to that plan for nearly five years. Why was she now giving in to her desires? Drake didn’t know the answer and wasn’t sure he really cared; he just wished she would stop pushing him away and let them have a go at a relationship.

Breakfast was already out on the large table when Drake descended the stairs and made his way to the table. The women were eager to see him, and their faces literally broke his heart. Suddenly, his fun dating experiment had turned into one of the worst dates of his life. He hated the awkwardness of a date when he knew he was going to break it off with a woman and tried to avoid them as much as possible.

“Samantha, could I talk with you?” Drake asked before he even said hello to the women.

She dutifully followed him to the den and shut the doors behind her. Drake knew she was the best assistant any man could have hoped for. She didn’t complain; she was comfortable sharing her opinions, and she made him a better CEO because people liked her.

Samantha was more than his assistant, though; she knew almost as much as Robert did and was much better at interacting with the clients. Drake made a mental note to show her his appreciation when the week was over. She deserved a bonus and a raise for all that she had handled over the last few weeks.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Could I just pick the winner and you could send the rest of the women home?”

The look on Samantha’s face instantly made Drake feel like crap. He knew it wasn’t the best thing to do but didn’t think it was all that bad when he had thought of the idea. Looking at Samantha’s face, though, Drake suddenly thought the plan was a very, very bad idea. She had an expression which was something between rotten eggs and anger.

“What?” Samantha said in total shock. “Why would you even think of something like that?”

“Um, because I don’t want to see their faces when I break their hearts. I thought it was pretty obvious.”

Drake tried to joke, but Samantha really was not interested at all. She was clearly very disturbed by Drake’s plan to just let her do all the dirty work. He thought it was a pretty brilliant idea; sure, it was a cowardly way of doing things, but at least he wouldn’t have to see the heartbroken faces of five women.

“No. Absolutely not! And it disgusts me that you would even think of such a thing. These women gave up their lives for a week to be with you. You’ve had sex with them ...”

“Most of them, not all,” Drake interrupted.

“You can have sex with most of them, or all of them, it’s still wrong Drake. It’s totally wrong. These women care about you, and I’m not going to let you be a jerk to them.”

Drake stood quietly for a moment while he tried to think of any other possible way he could get out of being there and having to deal with his decision. As well-versed as he was in breaking women’s hearts over the years, Drake didn’t want to do it to any of the women who were staying in his house. He had spent a week with them; Drake knew them so much better than he knew women that he randomly dated. It was a much different thing than breaking up with a woman after one date.

“I just can’t stand the idea of hurting them. Can I just keep them all?” he joked.

Samantha no longer saw the humor in the situation, though, as she stared him down. It was obvious she wasn’t in a good mood, and Drake wasn’t making it any better. Normally she laughed a little bit at his jokes, but he couldn’t even get her to crack a smile.

“Do you know who you want to pick?” Sam asked with a raised eyebrow.

The question made Drake pause. After all the work he had just put in trying to get out of hurting the women, he still didn’t know who he wanted to pick. His first option was Scarlett, but he hadn’t even slept with her. It seemed odd that he would want to pick her without even seeing if they had that intimate chemistry. He really did have amazing chemistry with Emily and knew they would have a long and healthy sex life, that was for sure. Drake’s mind spun with visions of all the women in his head. He didn’t know who he wanted to pick.

“I don’t know,” Drake reluctantly answered as Sam looked at him.

“So, all of this arguing, and you don’t even know who you would pick? Drake, you need to make a decision. We can ask girls to leave throughout the day once you are sure they are not the right one. But you should give each of the women a chance to spend some time with you before you make your decision. I don’t want any of them to feel like they didn’t get enough time before you made your decision. Now let’s go eat breakfast.”

Samantha didn’t leave room for Drake to add much to what she was saying, but Drake wasn’t sure there was more he would have added. He resolved himself to having to talk to each of the women at least one more time as he tried to finalize his decision.

“Fine, let’s eat.”

Drake followed Samantha out of the room and to the table where she went right to sitting by Scarlett and whispering to her. Drake certainly wasn’t the type of guy who got paranoid, but the way those two women were going on with each other, he was getting suspicious. They laughed and talked to each other like they were on some sort of sorority trip or something.

“Did you have a nice time yesterday?” Victoria asked Drake as they started to eat.

It seemed like ages since Drake and Victoria had been on their date, but he still remembered the touch of her body very well. Her slim frame had bounced on top of him with absolute delight. That first evening had been so full of adrenaline, Drake and Victoria were both hyped up from it. Their night had been filled with sex and passion, there was no doubting that.

“It was good. But I’m starting to get pretty tired. This whole week has been exhausting.”

“Yeah, it will be nice when we all get back to normal. If you have time later, I’d love to get you alone for a little bit,” Victoria said as she winked at Drake.

Instantly, his body stood at attention as he thought about what some alone time with Victoria might be. The funny thing was, he also started to feel very guilty. He certainly couldn’t sleep with any of the women on their last day there, that would be tacky, to say the least. Drake knew he had to make his decision so everyone could move on with their lives.

“Yes, I’m going to make sure and sit with each of you this morning and this afternoon. I honestly have no idea who I’m choosing yet. You are all such great women.”

Victoria tried to keep smiling at Drake’s words, but he could tell she was a little disappointed that Drake planned to talk with all the women one more time. It was the truth, though; Drake really had no idea who he was going to pick, and he had to at least sit down with each of the women.

“Maybe you should just keep us all?” Victoria said as she joked with Drake.

“That’s exactly what I told Sam!”

“I was kidding.”

“Yeah, me too,” Drake back- peddled.

“You couldn’t handle a house full of women for one week. What makes you think you could handle us for longer than that?”

“Very true; I’d probably pass out from utter exhaustion. My business would go under, and I’d be left a poor man with six beautiful women.”

“Well …” Victoria teased, “how likely is it that all these girls would stick around if you were poor?”

Victoria had just brought up a very interesting point that Drake hadn’t thought about at all. Would any of the women actually love him for who he was, even if he didn’t have money? The one woman that he was sure wouldn’t care was Lauren, she was a surfer. Sure, she had money, but she spent her days at the beach, and he was relatively confident she wouldn’t care if he had money or not.

He also thought Victoria wouldn’t mind either. As a teacher, Victoria would probably have been more comfortable if Drake had less money and lived a little less lavish lifestyle. It was an interesting thought that sure had him thinking about which woman would be right for him. Drake didn’t want to choose a woman who wouldn’t stick by him if he lost everything.

“Well, ladies, how has your week been?” Robert asked in an effort to break the ice a little.

“It was an interesting experiment,” Victoria spoke up after a moment of silence.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be,” Cynthia added.

“Yeah, I pictured it was going to be one big orgy,” Emily said.

“I have to say, ladies, this week has been one of the best weeks of my life, and I’m not just saying that because I got to kiss seven beautiful women,” Drake addressed the group, and they all laughed a little.

If he wasn’t going to get out of breaking their hearts, then he was going to make sure they all understood just how much he appreciated them. His view of the women had changed so much over the last week and so had his outlook for the future. What had started as a sexually charged plan to sleep with a lot of women and possibly find one he could date had turned into Drake wanting to find a woman he could keep for the long run.

“I will certainly always remember this week,” Scarlett said, looking at Drake and smiling.

The warmth in her smile instantly drove him crazy. How was it that one woman could make him so wild for her even without sex? Drake felt the chemistry between them as she sat at the other end of the table. He saw how she looked at him; how her eyes wandered to his lips and made him want to kiss her desperately.

Without being overtly sexual, Scarlett was always sexual; it was as if she didn’t try at all and was naturally just a sexual being.

“Oh, my gosh, yes! Like when we were playing poker, and you got naked,” Lauren said as she started to laugh.

Since Lauren and Scarlett were friends, it was funny when she brought up the incident. But Drake didn’t think the other women would have laughed if he had brought it up. The women sat around the table and were cordial to one another, but Drake knew that each one of them wanted all of the others to be gone. At least Samantha and Scarlett had stopped whispering in each other’s ears and had joined the conversation.

“Ladies, I have to say, I think this week went off rather well. It wasn’t nearly the disaster I thought it was going to be,” Robert added.

“I know, I pictured women trying to pull each other’s hair out and slapping each other around,” Allison joked.

“I attribute the success of this week to you women. You all have beauty, class, and brains. You are triple threats for sure. No matter what the outcome is today, I have to make sure you all know how much I’ve learned from each of you and that I will truly remember you all.” Drake stood up and held his glass out. “I’d like to propose an orange juice toast. To all of you, for putting up with me this week!”

“Here, here,” everyone at the table said as they raised their glasses.

“Now, let’s eat some good food, and then we can relax around the pool for a bit this afternoon. I’m going to pull you each aside so we can talk one last time before the end of the day.”

Drake didn’t want to say he was picking a winner, that sounded absolutely horrible. He didn’t know how to word it, but he knew that by the end of the day, he would have narrowed down his choices to just one woman. In only 12 hours, all the stress would be over, and he would be with the one he cared about most. The problem was, he had to clear his mind enough to figure out who that one woman was.

Chapter 2

The breakfast conversation was strained, but they all managed to make it through to the end and out to the pool to relax. Drake was no closer to making a decision on who to choose. Every time one of the women talked for a moment, he thought he could see himself with her. When the next woman talked, he could see himself with that person. His mind spun out of control with thoughts of each of the women.

When they all moved out to the pool area, Lauren brought up a topic that many of the other women had been thinking about but hadn’t wanted to say out loud.

“Is Sophia going to come back?” Lauren asked Drake.

“I’ve talked to her, and she’s not going to be coming back. It was great getting to know her, but I decided it was better for her to concentrate on getting better.”

“How are you going to announce the winner?” Cynthia asked.

Drake automatically froze in his spot. He hated that term, winner. It made it feel like all the other women were the losers. And were the women Drake didn’t pick really losers? They would probably have the man of their dreams right around the corner just waiting for them. Drake didn’t like the term winners.

The whole idea that Drake could change someone’s life by choosing them had started to add to his stress. Hell, he would be changing his own life too by choosing one of the women. Drake was getting increasingly overwhelmed as he sat at the pool with the women, and Cynthia and her questions weren’t helping at all.

He couldn’t bring himself to say how he would pick the final woman, though. He really hadn’t decided. While he stared at Cynthia and tried to think of what he wanted to say, the entire group of women stared at him. The uncomfortable silence grew and grew until finally Samantha stepped in.

“Let’s keep it a surprise for now,” she said calmly as she saved Drake from the stares of the women. “Drake, could I talk to you for a minute?”

Samantha strode inside and back to the study where they had been talking before. She didn’t look back at Drake and didn’t even wait for him to answer her when she asked if she could talk to him. Samantha just knew that Drake would be happy to get away from what had become very awkward with all the women.

Samantha had always been there to save Drake in times of need. It was her job, and she did it very well. Throughout the five years of working together, Sam had grown to understand Drake and know him probably better than he knew himself. At first, she thought she knew him so well because she had a crush on him, but as their relationship grew, she thought it was more because she wanted to be the best assistant possible.

If Sam was going to give up a relationship with a smart, good looking guy like Drake, she was going to make sure it was because she was damn good at her job. There wasn’t going to be a single assistant in the L.A. area that was better at their job than she was; Sam made sure of it. She wasn’t going to waste her chance at love and also suck at her job; that wasn’t a possibility.

Sure enough, Drake followed her into the room, again. This time, he was no longer in a joking mood. His face had lost a lot of color, and he shook his head as he ran his fingers through his hair. This was going to be a very rough day. His body clenched with the stress of what was going on. He was going to break a lot of women’s hearts in the next few hours, and that didn’t feel good at all.

“I have no idea. I can’t choose. I’m not sure at all.”

“Okay, let’s stay calm. How about we try something else? Sit down here and close your eyes.”

Drake didn’t have the energy to argue with Samantha, so he sat in the chair and closed his eyes. His heart was pumping hard as the anxiety over choosing just one of the women had started to build up.

“Picture a woman walking toward you right now. She’s coming to kiss you,” Samantha said, moving closer to Drake. “She’s putting her hand on your face and about to kiss you. Who are you visualizing?”

Samantha put her hand gently on Drake’s face as she talked sweetly to him to help him make his decision. She wanted Drake to be happy, and he knew it. But at that moment, an urge came over him that he couldn’t control. He pictured Samantha. Maybe it was because he knew she was the one standing there, or maybe it was because he fantasized about having her, but Drake pictured Sam.

He grabbed Samantha and pulled her into his lap, then he kissed her. Drake felt such an unquestionable pull toward Samantha as she had walked toward him while his eyes were closed. He couldn’t imagine any of the other women—all he could think about was her and how close she was to him.

He expected her to pull away, that’s what Samantha was going to do, and he knew it, but she didn’t. Samantha kissed him back. Her hands wrapped around him, and she pressed her body into his as their mouths moved with one another. Samantha was kissing him, just as much as he was kissing her.

Drake wasn’t about to let go of the moment. For whatever reason, Samantha had given in to her desire for him, and he wanted to take full advantage of it. Their kiss moved from passionate to gentle as he softly touched her lips with his. Drake felt the blood in his body warm with desire, and he wanted to carry her up to his bed and make love to her.

“What if I don’t pick any of them? What if I want you?” Drake whispered.

Samantha instantly stopped kissing him. He had brought her back to reality, and she didn’t like that at all. The look on her face was that of anger; not anger at Drake, though, Samantha was angry at herself for giving in to her desire for Drake.

“No, this was just a small lapse in judgment. It’s not going any farther. It’s too late for us.”

“What are you talking about too late? I’m not married, you’re not married; how on earth could it be too late?”

“Drake, we work together. I don’t want to lose my job because you suddenly had a whim and decided you didn’t want me anymore. I can’t risk that.”

Drake knew what Samantha was talking about. He often decided he didn’t want to date women, and he didn’t have any particular reason for changing his mind. But Drake had wanted Samantha for so long, the idea that he would ever decide he didn’t want her seemed preposterous to him. If she would ever let him have her, he wouldn’t let go of her, ever.

“What if I never decided I wanted to let you go? What if you just gave it a chance?” Drake asked.

“It’s too late, Drake, really. I’m sorry I kissed you back. I have no intention of letting this go any further. You need to pick one of these women. We aren’t right for each other. We argue all the time, and I can’t stand you a lot of the time.”

“We don’t argue that much, and I think you can’t stand me because there are things you want to say and do, but you don’t give in to them.”

“It’s too late for us, Drake.”

“Then who should I pick? I can’t decide. If you know what’s best for me, who should I pick? Scarlett? Is that who you want me to pick? You two are like best friends now. How would it make you feel if I picked her, and you knew she was in my bed every night instead of you?”

Drake had gotten himself worked up and angry at the situation. Basically, Samantha had just admitted that she cared about Drake, yet she still wasn’t willing to give them a chance. Even when he said he was willing to let all the other women leave, Samantha still wouldn’t give him an opportunity to make it work between them.

“Actually, I think Lauren is better for you.”

“Lauren? Really, why Lauren instead of Scarlett?”

“Because you asked me who I thought was best for you, and I think it’s Lauren.”

“Is there something going on between you and Scarlett?” Drake asked.

He sounded like a jealous boyfriend yelling at his girlfriend, and he knew it, but the way those two had been talking and whispering to each other seemed very odd to him. He was jealous of the way they laughed and talked so freely to one another. Drake wanted that with both Scarlett and Samantha, and he was getting denied.

“Really, Drake. Really? What do you think is going on?” Samantha said, starting to return Drake’s anger.

“I don’t know, maybe you two are turning into lesbians and falling in love with each other. Maybe we should all just have a big orgy and get all this sexual tension out before the end of the week.”

“Oh, my God, Drake. Really! You think Scarlett and I have turned into lesbians? Fine, I’m done with all this.”

Samantha stormed out of the room quickly and headed straight out to the backyard. Drake had to run to keep up with her. When they both got out to the pool, everyone was watching them. Samantha walked right up to Scarlett, whispered something in her ear, and then kissed her.

Everyone stopped talking as they looked at Samantha and Scarlett kissing. Robert looked at Drake with eyes that were as big as plums. Drake shrugged his shoulders, and both the men gazed back at the kissing scene. It was a beautiful scene watching his two favorite brunettes making out with each other.

It was every man’s fantasy to have two sexy women kissing in front of him. Drake wanted to be into it; he wanted to remember every single second of the erotic moment, but he didn’t feel excited at all. He knew Samantha was angry with him, and that felt worse than any sexual pleasure he could get out of watching her kiss Scarlett.

When Samantha and Scarlett separated, Samantha walked over to Lauren, whispered something in her ear, and kissed her too!

“Oh, come on, Sam,” Drake said. “Okay, I get your point.”

But Samantha didn’t stop. She kissed Lauren, and Lauren was kissing her back. Their hands moved around each other’s bodies, and again everyone was staring at the women. Robert had to sit down, he was so in shock; yet he wasn’t turning away at all. Robert was married, and it wasn’t likely he got to see women kissing very much; he was taking full advantage of it.

A few years before, Drake had convinced Robert to go out for drinks, but instead of taking him to a regular bar, Drake took him to a lesbian bar. It was one of the best nights of their lives. Not only were they surrounded by women and lots of eye candy, but none of them were interrupting their conversation or flirting with them.

Robert still talked about that night and often tried to get Drake to do it again. The timeline just hadn’t worked out for them, but Robert didn’t have to wait any longer, he was getting to watch a show for free right there in Drake’s house.

“Excellent,” Cynthia said as she sat down and watched the women. “This is the way to end a party.”

Samantha and Lauren seemed pretty into their kiss, but when they finally separated from each other, Drake tried to stop the madness that was going on. One thing he knew very well about Samantha was that she had a temper. She had a way of holding things in for so long that when she finally exploded, her temper was so large that she scared everyone around her.

“Sam, I know you don’t like women. You’re just trying to prove a point. I get it, okay. You can stop kissing everyone.”

“How would you know if I like women or not?” Sam asked defiantly as she walked up to Cynthia.

Cynthia didn’t wait for Samantha to whisper anything in her ear. She grabbed Sam and pulled her onto her lap. Cynthia wrapped her hands around Samantha and grabbed her ass firmly as the two women started to make out. Cynthia was obviously very into women.

“I’ve clearly missed something,” Robert said as he stood next to Drake. “Why is Sam kissing everyone?”

“Drake wanted to have an orgy,” Scarlett said with a mysterious smile.

“What? No, I don’t want an orgy.”

“Samantha is just showing you that she can kiss people, and it doesn’t have to mean something,” Scarlett said.

Drake was grateful Scarlett had added that tidbit of information. He really had no idea what Sam had been trying to prove by kissing all of the girls. If she was trying to prove she wasn’t into Scarlett in that way, it seemed like an odd way to go about it. But if she was trying to prove that her kiss with Drake really didn’t mean anything, then what she was doing seemed reasonable.

Drake’s heart sank. Sam was trying to prove that her kiss with him meant nothing, but he knew it meant something. He felt it in the way her lips pressed against his. He didn’t care if she kissed everyone in Los Angeles, Drake knew it meant something when she had kissed him.

“Sam, you can stop,” Drake said flatly.

“Okay, I’m going to leave now. It was great meeting you all. I’ll check in later tonight when Drake has finally made up his mind.”

Drake followed Samantha back into the house, but she stopped him just inside the door. She looked like she was going to cry, and all Drake wanted to do was hug her. Sam and he had argued a lot over the last week, and he didn’t like that at all. Perhaps the idea of them being together was what had been pushing them to argue so much, but Drake hated it. Maybe just seeing him with all the great women in the house was too much for Sam. He was making much better choices than he had most of his life.

The women in the house were all amazing compared to the women he normally dated. The chemistry he had with them was beyond perfection. There was a sense that Drake really couldn’t go wrong at all. Every one of the women was amazing, and he would be lucky to have them.

“Stop, you’re not following me. You are picking one of those women, and that is it.”

“Since when did you become the boss,” Drake tried to joke, but quickly saw that Sam wasn’t in the mood for it at all.

“I’ll be back at six. Pick who you want. Send girls home that you don’t want. I don’t care, but please be close to your final decision by six. I can’t take this shit much longer.”

Samantha didn’t wait for him to answer and stormed out the front door and to her car. She had made it very clear that there was never going to be any sort of relationship between the two of them. He was going to have to pick one of the women from that week.

There was a part of Drake that felt like he still wanted to send all the women home. It was exhausting to be so emotionally drained for such a long period of time. He couldn’t wait to get back to his normal day to day life when he didn’t have to worry about the emotional well-being of seven women and instead just had to make money in his business.

“Well, that was awkward,” Robert said from behind Drake. “What was that all about?”

“I kissed her, she kissed me back. I thought she was interested in giving us a go.”

“She clearly is not. You don’t want to go there, anyway. You two are great at working together; I don’t think you’ll be so great at anything else. So, you had a house full of seven women and that still wasn’t enough for you? Maybe you just want what you can’t have?”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Drake said.

“But it was friggin’ awesome to watch all that lesbian action tonight. I’m going to have that in my spank bank for years to come.”

Both the men broke out into laughter. Drake had to admit, he’d probably keep those visual images in his mind for years to come as well. It was sexy as hell to watch those women making out together. Drake imagined that when he saw Sam in the office, he might flash back to what he had just seen her do. The delicious kissing scene was burned into his memory.

“I think I’m going to take off and leave you to it,” Robert added. “Do you know who you’d like to pick?”

“That’s the million-dollar question of the day.”

“Can I give you a tip?”

“Of course, Robert. I trust you with my life. Who do you think I should pick?”

“Oh, I’m not going to tell you which one, but you should consider who made you laugh. After being married for so long, I can tell you that laughter is a huge part of happiness. You need a partner that makes you laugh.”

Drake shook his head as he tried to think about which one of the women had made him laugh. Emily was the one that came to mind first. The party at the Playboy Mansion had been a lot of fun. She was definitely a sweet girl. But then he thought about Lauren again. Lauren was always giggling, and her infectious laugh made Drake laugh as well.

“Could you stick around for a bit? I’m going to be talking to each of the girls separately and don’t want to leave the others unattended.”

“I guess if I am being forced to.”

As Drake made his way back to the party, he sat down next to Emily to talk with her for a little bit. She was such a sweet girl, he had enjoyed their date very much. It was exciting to know that he was an official friend of a writer for Playboy. Well, at least they were friends at the moment; Drake had no idea how things were going to go once the end of the day came.

“So that was interesting,” Drake joked to lighten the mood.

The other women were all excited to talk with Drake, but let Drake and Emily have a moment to talk with each other. They pretended to go about their normal conversations, although they were all very much paying attention to what was being said between Drake and Emily. There was no privacy in the house at all, nothing that could keep people from listening in on each other’s conversations.

“Everyone was a bit shocked,” Emily started to say, “but then again, nothing should really shock us after the week we have all had together.”

“Oh, I beg to differ; I was very shocked,” Lauren said with a huge smile.

“Samantha seems like a fun girl,” Cynthia chimed in.

Cynthia liked kissing girls and didn’t pretend that she didn’t. For her, sexuality meant experimenting and playing around. Drake had seen that first hand with their date. But he had learned a lot from all the dates with the women.

Each of the women was so different in what they valued and what they were looking for in a man. If Drake was really honest with himself, there was no way he was the right guy for all of the ladies in his house. He had to really look at each of them and see if he was the best fit for them or not. Sure, he was a good fit with each of them, but was he the best fit? That wasn’t possible. He couldn’t be perfectly matched with each and every one of the women. Drake was going to have to start looking closer at these relationships so he could make his decision.

“Do you think she was trying to tell all of us something? Are we supposed to be kissing one another?” Allison said with a grin.

“I think she was trying to prove something to Drake,” Scarlett said as she caught his eye. “Did she get her point across?”

The way Scarlett asked her question made Drake think that she knew exactly what Samantha had been doing. Scarlett probably knew more about Samantha’s mind than Drake even did. He was wrong to have said something about the two of them being together. It wasn’t like Drake to act in a weird jealous way. In fact, he was the least jealous person he knew.

But the whole situation was getting out of hand, and even the sexual tension between him and Samantha had exploded that week. There were just too many women and not enough Drake to go around. He had to start narrowing down the field. He had to start asking the women to leave.

In Drake’s mind, he wasn’t going to be able to pick the final woman until he started picking the women that he knew wouldn’t work for him. It wasn’t until he sat poolside and watched Samantha kissing the other women that he realized that he had been going about his decision making all wrong.

He had been looking for one woman that seemed absolutely perfect to him, but instead, he needed to let go of the women that he felt might not be perfect. He had to start comparing the women and letting one in each pair go home.

The first pair in his mind was Emily and Lauren. Emily made him laugh and so did Lauren, but which one made him laugh more? Which woman would he rather spend more time with if he only had one of those two to choose from? Instead of comparing all of the women, Drake was going to just concentrate on two of them. His own version of March Madness. A little tournament of sorts between the final six ladies.

“Emily, would you mind if I stole you away and the two of us talked for a bit?” Drake asked.

The other women all froze in their spots. They had no idea what to expect, and Drake certainly didn’t want to torture them throughout the process of the day. But he did owe it to each of the women to spend time with them and give them each the opportunity to talk with him one last time before he made his decision. It was only fair, especially since he still felt like he really didn’t know what he was going to do at the end of the day.

It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was something that lessened the stress on Drake just a little bit. He assumed that no matter what he decided to do, he was likely to feel bad about his decisions in that day when he looked back on it. But he couldn’t do anything about that. All Drake could do was make the best choice for him. He had to stop thinking about Samantha and whatever it was that he had felt for her. It was clear that she didn’t want him, and nothing was going to make that happen.

“I’d be happy to,” Emily said. “Should we go inside?”

“Yes.”

Drake grabbed her hand and held onto it while they walked into the house. It might very well be the last time Drake ever spent time alone with Emily; he was going to take advantage of every moment of it and didn’t want the other women to see.

Chapter 3

Drake held onto Emily’s hand and pulled her with him back into the house. He couldn’t wait to spend some alone time with her. Emily’s date seemed so long ago, although it had only been a couple of days.

The truth was that everyone’s dates seemed very far away to Drake now that he had reached the end. It was a little bit of a blur to him as he remembered each date, but there was no going back. Drake had to keep moving forward one step at a time until he came to the woman that he was going to pick to date.

When the whole contest started, Drake thought he might even want to get married to the woman he was picking. But then he second guessed that idea. Getting married seemed a little too grand for Drake. But he was interested in a long-term dating thing with whomever he picked. Certainly they could start there, and then if things went well, they could consider marriage.

“So, you have a big decision to make today,” Emily said.

“Yeah, I really hate it.”

“You didn’t think this idea through to the end, did you?” She laughed.

The truth was, Drake hadn’t thought about the idea much past thinking that it would be great to get to know some amazing women. Of course, his libido also liked the idea that he’d get to make love with those women too. Drake hadn’t prepared himself at all for what the end would look like. And when he thought about it, he hadn’t even imagined that he would find the woman of his dreams.

Sure, there had been a small hope in the back of his mind, but he didn’t think it would really happen. Drake genuinely thought he wasn’t going to find a woman that was up to his standards. Yet, instead, he found several women that exceeded his standards.

“If I choose you, what would your plans be? Would you want to move out here with me?”

“Of course, I’d love to come out here and be with you, if you decided I was the best match out of the women.”

Drake leaned in and kissed Emily. His lips felt comfortable with her, but there did seem to be something missing now that he had met all the other women. Emily was a great woman, but as he kissed her, Drake realized she wasn’t the right one for him.

It surprised him how easily he was able to come to that conclusion. He had been positive that it would take him hours to think about each woman and decide if they were right for him or not. But as Drake sat there with Emily, something came over him, and he knew what the right decision was.

Emily kissed him back, and as Drake pulled away, she climbed onto his lap. Her beautiful eyes looked down at him, and Drake felt the pain of the decision he had ahead of him. She was adorable, smart, fit and totally fun to be around. There wasn’t a thing wrong with Emily, only Drake felt that he had a stronger connection with Lauren.

And in his head, he was pitting the two of them against each other. If he could only have Emily or Lauren, Drake knew that he wanted Lauren.

He gathered up the strength and pulled Emily away from him. She instantly saw the look in his eyes, and Drake knew she could tell what was coming. It was a sad look. But it wasn’t as bad as Drake thought things could get.

Women were emotional creatures, and Drake knew that. He wasn’t prepared for tears or tantrums. He just wanted to tell the women where things stood and let them move on with their lives while he moved on with his.

“Emily, you’re a great girl. I mean seriously amazing,” Drake started to say. “I don’t think the connection we have is quite as strong as what I have with the other women.”

The tears started to well up in Emily’s eyes, and Drake felt totally unprepared to deal with them. Emily handled it well, and she certainly wasn’t making a scene or anything like that, but as she started to answer Drake, the tears flowed down her eyes.

“I understand,” she took a deep breath. “Should I go grab my things?”

Drake was instantly grateful that Samantha had told all the women to have their things packed up and ready to go that morning. He would have felt even worse if he had to tell them they were leaving and then wait for them to pack everything.

Samantha was a great assistant, she proved it more and more every single day. He couldn’t help thinking of her again and the kiss they had shared only an hour before. Samantha would have been Drake’s choice if she was one of the women in the house. He knew he would have picked her. But unfortunately, Samantha wasn’t one of the available choices. Samantha had made it very clear that she wasn’t going to change her mind. Drake couldn’t spend his life waiting for her, he wanted to be happy.

“How about I come up with you and help you grab your things? I’ll walk you out.”

Emily didn’t respond, mostly because she could hardly catch her breath through her tears. She knew what the rules were, and it wasn’t that she was entirely shocked, but it still hurt to have hoped that something was going to work out and then figure that it wasn’t working in your favor at all.

Drake stood at the door as Emily grabbed her things. He took the heavy bag from her and walked with her to the front of the house where there was a car waiting for her. She had stopped crying, but there was a defeated look on her face that Drake couldn’t stand to look at. He hoped that all the other women handled things as well as Emily did, though. Her exit had been pretty uneventful.

“Is there something I could have done differently?” she asked.

“Oh, my God, no. Absolutely not. You are an amazing woman, and I thoroughly enjoyed our time together. I’ll always remember that date, and I want you to email me after your lunch date with Julia Roberts. I bought that for you because I knew it would make you happy, and that’s all I hope for you. I hope you’ll find the man that’s the perfect match for you someday.”

“It was amazing getting to meet you. I hope whoever you choose ends up making you happy for the rest of your life.”

“Thank you, Emily.”

The two of them hugged, and Drake held onto her for a little longer than she held onto him. He wanted her to know that their time had been important to him. Even though he wasn’t choosing her at the end of it all, Drake really did love getting to meet her. Emily was someone that he knew who was going to be famous someday. Maybe she’d even be the novelist that she had dreamed of.

“I’m going to go now,” Emily said sadly as she moved toward the car. “It’s your last chance to change your mind,” she joked.

“Your humor is one of your best traits, never lose it.”

“I’ll let you know how my lunch with Julia goes. Thank you again,” Emily said.

She climbed into the car, and Drake felt his heart pound with guilt. It was going to be a very long day, he was sure of it. He waved good-bye to Emily as the car pulled away and took a minute to himself. He knew for a fact that he would choose Lauren over Emily, at least he had made that much of a decision.

The weight of the day had already started to drain Drake’s energy. The funny thing was that when everything started, Drake thought the week was going to be filled with orgies and craziness. It had been a much different week for him. Certainly, he had had some really fun times, but now it was time to make some decisions.

“Where’s Emily?” Robert asked.

“I sent her home. Could you grab Lauren for me?” Drake asked Robert before he had a chance to say anything else.

Robert turned right around and went back outside. He saw the glum look on Drake’s face and knew the rest of the day wasn’t going to be much fun. Samantha had totally disappeared and left Drake and Robert to run things, which seemed very out of the norm for her.

Robert knew how much Samantha and Drake cared for each other. It had actually surprised him very much that they never tried to have a go at a relationship. But whatever they were doing seemed to have been working over the years, and Robert wasn’t sure he liked the new tension that was between them.

Drake flashed a smile at Lauren as she walked inside from the pool area. Robert was obviously trying to calm her down, but she was still shaking like a leaf. Although she was able to make a little eye contact, Drake knew he was in for a rough conversation.

The truth was that five of the women were going to get broken up that day. There was no way around it. Drake just needed to keep things as much on point as he could while he navigated the next few hours.

“Hey Lauren, how are you doing?”

“Um, I just saw Emily go home, so I’m feeling a little like a turd about to be flushed.”

Drake and Robert both broke out in laughter at her comment. Laughter and humor were certainly something that Lauren had plenty of, there was no doubt about that. Drake was very happy with his choice to have Lauren stay and to send Emily home. He wasn’t sure if Lauren was going to be his final pick, but so far so good.

“Would you mind going for a walk so we can talk a bit?” Drake asked.

“Of course, I like moving around when I’m nervous, it keeps me busy.”

Drake reached for Lauren’s hand and held onto it as they left the house. Her hand was shaking horribly, and he felt the nervousness from her as it brushed off on him. Lauren was dressed in a cute pink sundress with her hair pulled up in a ponytail. Out of all the women, she was probably the closest style to Drake.

He liked to be as casual as possible as much as possible. Sure, Drake would get dressed up for work and even when he went out to clubs, but his heart belonged to T-shirts and shorts whenever he could wear them. He felt comfortable with Lauren, and Drake knew he wasn’t ready to send her home yet.

“I just sent Emily home,” Drake said softly as they walked down the sidewalk through his neighborhood.

“Am I next?”

“Not right now; I still don’t really know who I’m choosing, though. I know that probably sounds horrible. But it’s much harder than I thought it would be.”

“Like choosing between chocolate and vanilla ice cream. They are both delicious, and you’ll probably not regret either choice you make, but there is one that you really love the most.”

Drake laughed again. He wasn’t sure if choosing one of the women should really be compared to ice cream, but he did like the analogy. Lauren seemed really nervous as she continued to crack jokes. But that was how Drake got when he was nervous, he talked way more than he should.

“Yeah, sort of like that.”

“So, I guess you need to decide the kind of life you want with the woman you choose.”

Lauren’s words sat heavily on him. It was such a true statement. As Drake had been out on each of the dates with the women, he couldn’t help thinking about what his life would be like if he were with them. Victoria was certainly going to enjoy very different things than Lauren would, as would each of the women. And although Drake would still like the same things he did, he would want to make his woman happy and enjoy live events with her. So what kind of life did he really want to have? He had no idea.

“Very true. What kind of life would I have with you?”

Lauren flashed a huge smile before answering Drake’s question. Drake loved her smile. Lauren’s smile was genuine and came from such an honest place that it was impossible to ignore. It was impossible not to smile right back at her when she flashed you a smile.

“Fun. We would have a lot of fun. Traveling to my events all over the world when you had the time. Spending amazing vacations in tropical locations. Camping, hiking, all that outdoor stuff. Pretty much like our date on steroids.”

Drake shook his head as Lauren talked. That was the kind of life he wanted to lead as he got older. Drake wanted to be the guy who was always doing fun and interesting outdoor things, and up until that point, he had forced Samantha to go with him most of the time.

He hadn’t wanted to commit to events and then have to take a woman he didn’t really like, so he made Samantha go with him. Luckily, she also liked the outdoor stuff and didn’t mind him having her tag along. But it would be nice to have a woman in his life who also liked to do the same things he did.

The one area Drake knew would be difficult for Lauren was the amount of time he really needed to work. Sure, he could travel when he wanted, and he had a lot of control over that. But Drake did have to work often while he was traveling and had to be back at the office a lot too. He wouldn’t be able to go with her to every surfing event she had, and he didn’t know if Lauren was mature enough to be alright with that much time apart.

“How many events do you go to each year?” Drake asked.

“Between twenty and thirty usually.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of events. You know I have a big company to run and wouldn’t be able to get to all of those with you.”

Lauren stopped walking and pulled Drake closer to her. She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him gently. Drake flashed back to his memory of their date and when he found her in the storage shed. It had been pretty intense from the very beginning. There was no doubt that the sexual chemistry was there between him and Lauren.

“That’s what video chat is for. We could talk whenever we wanted to, and we wouldn’t be apart all that much. My events are usually only one or two days long.”

Drake liked the way Lauren put a positive spin on things.

“Hmmm, a little sexting and video chat to keep us close. That’s a fun idea.”

“It’s how I keep in touch with all my family and friends. Not very many people can actually travel as much as I do.”

“You sext your family and friend?” Drake teased.

“No, ewww. Drake!”

Lauren hit Drake on the arm, but he grabbed hold of her and started to kiss her, right there in the street. Drake wasn’t sure it was appropriate since he might have to send Lauren home later in the day, but he felt compelled to grab her, so he did. The whole week, all he could do was what he thought was best. He had been guessing all along the way.

Her lips were sweet with the taste of whatever she had been drinking out by the pool. Drake felt chemistry between them, but more than he had felt between Emily and him. So far, he was making the right decisions. Now if only he could continue to make good decisions for the rest of the day.

“I’m not very good at all this. Thank you for hanging in with me today. It’s going to be a rough day, but I really do appreciate your humor and ability to lighten the mood.”

“At your service,” Lauren said between gentle kisses to Drake.

She wasn’t prepared to let him go just yet. If that moment was going to be the last one she had with Drake, Lauren didn’t want it to end yet. Her hands stayed wrapped around his neck, and she continued to look up at Drake and offer additional kisses. He was the man of her dreams, and she didn’t want to have to let him go. Of course, it wasn’t up to her, but Lauren didn’t want to have to let him go.

“Well, we better get back in there,” Drake said as he practically pulled Lauren off of him.

Her arms were seriously stuck on him, and he knew she wanted him to pick her. Hell, all the women wanted him to pick them, or they wouldn’t be there. Drake wasn’t sure he was ready to announce that Lauren was the one he was choosing, but he did know that he wasn’t ready to send her home just yet.

“One more kiss,” Lauren said as she pulled Drake toward him.

He couldn’t resist. They leaned up against a tree, and Drake let his hand rest on the rough bark as his lips played with her. If only he could have spent the whole day right there kissing her, Drake was pretty sure he would have been happy.

But the truth was, he had other women who were waiting for him. They were inside, just as nervous as Lauren was, and Drake was very aware of that. He had to keep moving forward and try to find some sort of solution for their day of worries.

Lauren’s hands moved to Drake’s pants and started to rub up and down on his body. There was no stopping the reaction he had, but Drake wasn’t about to let things get any further. It was the last day, and if he slept with any of the women, it wouldn’t look good for him at all. Of course, unless it was Scarlett since he hadn’t had a chance to sleep with her yet.

Scarlett had been the woman Drake thought he would choose for sure. But as his lips kissed Lauren, Drake was no longer sure of himself or who he wanted to pick. Things weren’t going to be as easy as he had once thought they were going to be.

Drake chuckled to himself at the thought of things being easy. He couldn’t even understand why he had thought such a thing. Of course, it wasn’t going to be easy to manage the hearts of seven women. What made him think that it would be?

Drake sometimes wondered how Samantha and Robert even dealt with him. They must have thought he was crazy for the things he came up with at times. Certainly, they couldn’t have thought it was normal for him to want to have seven women in his home.

“Why are you laughing?” Lauren asked.

“Because this whole week has been so crazy. I was thinking about Robert and Samantha and how they looked at me when I first suggested it.”

“Did they think you were out of your mind?”

“I’m pretty sure they must have,” Drake remarked as they got closer to the house. “They are really good to me and try and tell me when I come up with stupid ideas, so I’m surprised they let this idea get so far.”

“You think it was a stupid idea?”

Drake paused before opening the front door. He didn’t exactly think the idea was stupid anymore, but that was because he had so many women that seemed to match up to him almost perfectly. Certainly, things could have turned out much worse.

“No, I just think it must have sounded so odd to Robert and Samantha.”

“Yeah, I’m sure this isn’t the weirdest thing they’ve seen you do.” She winked at him.

“Ha, no way. I don’t normally do crazy things, and this one was pretty out of the ordinary for me. Sam and Robert are pretty used to me asking for difficult things, but not really things that are this crazy.”

“Well, I’m glad we got another moment to talk to each other. I’ll look forward to seeing you at the end of all this when you pick me.”

Lauren flashed her beautiful teeth at Drake, shrugging her shoulders as she made her way inside the house with Drake following her. He wasn’t ready to go back out to the pool area just yet, though.

Instead, Drake needed to call Samantha. Her voice was all he needed, just to hear it and to be able to think through things with her. Samantha was his sounding board and his voice of reason; he wanted to know what she was thinking, even if she was mad at him.

Chapter 4

“I know you’re angry with me, but I need you, so I’m calling you,” Drake said on Samantha’s voicemail. “If you could come back to the house sooner rather than later, I would really appreciate it.”

Drake knew emotions were running high between him and Sam, but he wasn’t going to let things fester. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable and leave after all they had been through. That would be the absolutely worst outcome if he didn’t get to date her and she left his company.

“Robert, I need to talk to you,” Drake hollered out to the pool area.

Robert had been left in charge of keeping the ladies company. As much fun as that must have been, he didn’t look like he was enjoying it at all. Drake couldn’t help laughing at the facial expressions Robert made as he walked toward the house. First, he rolled his eyes like a teenage girl, and then he scrunched up his face like he was in horrible pain.

“After this day, you’re going to owe me big time. Hell, after this whole week, you are going to owe me.”

“I know. I think you and Cindy should take an all-inclusive vacation on me.”

“Yes, I think that is exactly what we should do,” Robert answered without arguing with Drake at all.

“I’m having a problem and would have asked Samantha, but I guess you’re up instead.”

“Oh shit, I’m horrible at women problems. What’s going on?”

“Who should I pair up next? I put Emily and Lauren against each other because they were both funny. I decided I liked Lauren better in the humor department. So, who should I look at next.”

“Are you doing a bracket with your girlfriends?” Robert started to laugh.

“Hey, don’t knock it. Do you have a better idea?”

“Absolutely not.” Robert laughed. “I think you should pair up Victoria and Cynthia.”

“Really?” Drake looked surprised. “They seem so much different than each other.

Drake was trying to pair the women up based on similar qualities, and Cynthia was a wild woman with a huge personality. She was sexually wild and confident and didn’t seem all that much like Victoria. Victoria was quiet and sweet and very petite.

“Intelligence. I think they are both very intelligent women, and their wit would give you a run for your money. I don’t know about anything else that they really have similar. But when I think of the smartest women in the house, those two are the first that come to mind. You said at the beginning of all this that you wanted to find a smart woman.”

“You don’t think Lauren or Scarlett are smart?”

“Oh, I’m not saying that. I’m just saying book smarts; intellectual personality types are much more Victoria and Cynthia.”

“Well, it’s good enough reason for me. Can you go grab Victoria for me, please?” Drake asked as he made his way into the kitchen.

All the emotions of the day were wearing him out and making him hungry. It had only been a couple of hours since they ate breakfast, but Drake needed a sandwich or something.

As he stood in the kitchen, it dawned on him that the house was going to be really quiet the next morning. He had grown accustomed to the chatter of the women in the morning. It was nice to come downstairs and see a couple of the girls making themselves breakfast or sitting on the couch. He hadn’t shared his house much with people over the years, except for elaborate parties, but he had enjoyed having them there with him.

“Is it my turn,” Victoria said as she slid her arms around Drake’s waist.

Her tiny frame could barely wrap its arms around him. Drake turned around and held her close to him. Victoria was a nice girl, very down to earth and extremely easy to talk to. Plus, Robert was right about Drake wanting a woman who had intelligence. He knew he would get bored if he were with a woman who couldn’t hold decent conversations about the world.

“I believe you bought a certain toy while we were on our date, and I never got the chance to see it,” Drake said as he leaned in and kissed Victoria.

She thought he had forgotten all about it but was really excited to show him. Her smile flashed from one side of her mouth to the other as she looked up at him.

“Let’s go up to my room; I’ll show you.”

Drake swallowed hard at the seduction in her voice. He had intended not to sleep with any of the women until he had made his final decision, but Victoria was making that decision very hard. He suddenly wished that he hadn’t asked her about the sex toy she had bought on their date. It was a bad idea if he wasn’t planning on actually playing with it and her.

They moved quickly up to Victoria’s bedroom and locked the door behind them as Victoria went through her things to find the bag that she had packed the toy into. She looked really eager to show Drake, and he couldn’t help feeling excited to see what she had chosen. For her first time in an adult toy shop, Victoria had held her own very well.

That was one of the things Drake really enjoyed about Victoria, she was willing to go outside of her comfort zone. Sure, she didn’t have as much experience sexually as some of the other women, but she had more than some of them too. What really made Victoria stand out for Drake was her willingness to keep moving forward and trying things. He knew that she would be willing to try anything that Drake asked her to, both in and out of the bedroom. That was a pretty powerful positive trait, at least, in Drake’s mind.”

“Close your eyes,” Victoria said, jumping up and down with excitement.

She could hardly contain herself as she unwrapped the package and turned it on. Drake could hear the buzzing noise as he reached his hands out to try and feel it, but he kept his eyes closed as requested.

“Is it a banana?” Drake joked.

“You keep your hands at your side, mister. This is a surprise for you. No cheating.”

Drake did as he was told and put his hands at his side while Victoria approached him with the buzzing toy. He couldn’t help smiling at how excited she was; there weren’t many women who would get that excited over a sex toy, especially women who weren’t familiar with them. Just another thing that made Drake like Victoria.

Her hands started at Drake’s pants button and then she unzipped him. He probably should have told her to stop, but Drake couldn’t help himself. He was a hot-blooded American man. Was he really supposed to turn a woman down if she wanted to have him? Obviously, Victoria had to know that sleeping with her wouldn’t guarantee that he would pick her.

As the thoughts ran through Drake’s mind, he knew it was wrong. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to sleep with Victoria, no matter what the toy was that she had there to play with.

“Victoria, we probably shouldn’t go much further,” Drake said softly.

“Oh, I’m not going to fuck you, don’t worry. But I do need to play with your cock.”

Drake’s eyes shot open at her words, and he looked down at Victoria, who was just about to slip her buzzing device around his penis.

“Wait a second. I need to see what that is you have there,” Drake exclaimed as he used his hands to cover himself.

“Nope,” Victoria put the device behind her and clicked it off so the buzzing stopped.

“You expect me to trust you with my manhood?” He laughed.

“Yes, I do. Now close your eyes and move your hands, already. We don’t have all day.”

Victoria pushed Drake’s hands out of the way and looked up at him while she waited for him to close his eyes again. He reluctantly did as he was told. But the trepidation was high as he grimaced at the thought of whatever she was about to put on him. The last thing he wanted was some hurtful device wrapped around his cock. It could pinch him, or shock him, or any number of other things. He was not comfortable at all with how things were going.

“I’m trusting you, here. Please remember I want to have children someday,” Drake said reluctantly.

“Oh, be quiet. I’m not going to hurt you. It’s going to feel great.”

“Says the woman without a penis.”

Victoria couldn’t help laughing at how nervous Drake was. He looked like he was about to turn and run out of the room as she wrapped her hands around his cock and slid the silicone ring onto the base of his shaft. When she flipped the button to turn the device on, Victoria also took Drake’s body into her mouth.

Her eyes looked up at him as he let out a delicious moan, and she knew he was happy with the choice she had made. Slowly she moved her mouth around him, and Drake leaned back and held onto the dresser for support.

“Shit, that’s crazy. It feels amazing,” Drake softly said through deep breaths.

“It’s got a little buzzer up top for me to slide onto you; are you sure you don’t want to test it out?”

“Um … I think we better not … it’s a long day … I don’t want … I don’t think … um. No, we better not,” Drake finally managed to get his words out.

Victoria had her mouth wrapped around him and moved up and down his shaft firmly as the buzzing device played with him. Drake knew there was going to be no turning back if she didn’t get that thing off of him. His body was throbbing and ready to explode already. He desperately wanted her to slide on top of him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to fuck her. Drake just didn’t know who he was going to pick, and he didn’t want to be a jerk to her.

“Do you like it?” Victoria said between filling her mouth with Drake’s body.

“Fuck yeah, you should turn it off before I explode, though.”

“That’s exactly why I’m not turning it off. You need a good release for today.”

Drake’s mind spun with his own morals. Was it still sleeping with her if she gave him oral sex on the day he was choosing someone? What if he picked someone else? Was that woman going to be really angry at him for what he was about to do with Victoria?

With all the questions whirling around in his mind, Drake couldn’t think straight, and his body took over. There would be no stopping what was about to happen as Drake closed his eyes and let his hands grab onto Victoria’s hair.

Her mouth moved up and down his shaft one last time before he released all the stress he had pent up for the day. It felt like exactly what he needed, yet he couldn’t help feeling like he probably shouldn’t have done that with Victoria. Suddenly, as all was said and done, Drake didn’t think Victoria was the one at all.

All he could think about was how Scarlett would think he was disrespectful if he chose her. Certainly, Drake didn’t know if he was going to pick Scarlett, but he didn’t think she would approve of what had just gone down, and that made him worry.

Drake wanted Scarlett’s approval. He wanted her to be so head over heels for him that she fought and wouldn’t let any of the other women have him. As Victoria was down on her knees in front of Drake, he knew she wasn’t the right one.

Even though Drake knew that Victoria wasn’t the right one, he absolutely wasn’t going to tell her it was time to go after she had just given him a blowjob. Instead, they cleaned up and walked back out to the patio to sit and talk with everyone else. Drake still wanted to talk with Cynthia, but he needed to take a break.

Being alone with Cynthia scared Drake a little bit. She was a wild one, and he knew Cynthia was going to try something with him on their last one on one time together. But then again, he hadn’t thought Victoria would have tried anything at all, but she very much had. Maybe Drake didn’t know the women as well as he thought he did.

Chapter 5

“Finally, my turn to have you alone,” Cynthia said with a bit of a growl in her voice.

Drake liked the zest that Cynthia had for everything she did, but he was pretty sure he was going to let her go. Of course, he wanted to give her a chance to talk so she didn’t feel like he had made his decision lightly. But Drake was on a roll, and he felt like he was getting closer and closer to his final woman.

“I’m glad we get a few minutes alone. It feels like the tension is getting pretty intense out there.”

“Yeah, I think poor Robert needs a raise. Every time one of the women makes a snarky comment, he’s coming to the rescue and trying to calm things down.”

“Robert’s a good man indeed.”

There was an awkward silence as Drake and Cynthia sat in the living room. Cynthia was quieter than usual, and Drake felt like he didn’t have much he wanted to say. He knew he had to give her some of his time, though, so he turned to the business world. Drake knew he could always talk about business.

“I bet your employees are eager to have you back. Do you think they managed alright without you?”

“Yeah, I’m sure everything went fine.”

“Do you have assistants or vice presidents that take over when you’re gone?”

“I’ve got department heads, and they manage very well. My partner is there, and he’s excellent at running things. I could take a month off if I wanted to.”

“Wow, I don’t think I could take a month off every year,” Drake said as he admired her business set-up. “I need to do a better job of preparing everyone to run things when I want time off. This week has shown me that for sure.”

Cynthia started to move closer to Drake, and he knew exactly what she was up to. Drake couldn’t let her take things there, though. The spark between them wasn’t nearly as strong as it was between him and a couple of the other women. Drake needed to let Cynthia go.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you,” Cynthia said as she stood up, straddled Drake and sat back down.

“I’ve enjoyed getting to know you, too.”

“I’ll always remember our day together.”

Cynthia leaned in and kissed Drake. He couldn’t exactly pull away without being rude, but his heart wasn’t in it at all. Drake didn’t want to lead Cynthia on, and he finally pulled his lips away from hers. The look in her eyes said she knew exactly what was going on.

“Will you grab my things with me?” Cynthia said softly.

There were no tears in her eyes. She was much tougher than that. Cynthia didn’t need a man. Sure, she wanted one, but she wouldn’t lose sleep over losing Drake. It had been a wonderful experience, and she felt like her hard shell had cracked just a little bit. Perhaps when she finally met the man of her dreams, she wouldn’t be so tough around him and would be more willing to give in and show her softer side.

“I’ll always remember our day together. Getting to know you was very special to me.”

“Thanks, Drake. Whoever you choose is a really lucky girl. Who is it?”

Drake had to smile at the inquisitive nature of Cynthia. She was already wondering who had beaten her out in the contest for Drake. The problem was, even Drake didn’t know who he was going to choose.

“I’m narrowing it down in my mind. It’s difficult. I care about you all. There isn’t a right or wrong thing that anyone has done, I just want to find the woman that will fit best in with my life.”

“Best of luck to you, Drake. I think your wife is probably among these women, and I hope I get an invite to the wedding.”

“Well, I don’t know about a wedding. But I do think there’s a woman here for me.”

Drake grabbed Cynthia’s bags for her and walked with her back downstairs, where they were met by Scarlett. As he looked at her standing at the bottom of the stairs, his head flipped around like there was a frog jumping around in it.

Scarlett was wearing a beautiful white sundress with her hair left down. The brown curls wrapped around her ample breasts and Scarlett looked like she was right out of a magazine or something.

“Hey, Samantha is back, and we are going for a walk. Just didn’t want you to worry that I had taken off again.”

“Is everything alright?” Drake asked.

“Yep, just bored and thought it would be something to keep my mind busy.”

“Okay, I’ll come out and talk with Allison in a minute; could you let her know before you guys leave?”

“Sure.”

Scarlett made her way back to the backyard and Drake followed Cynthia out to the front of the house. Cynthia didn’t want a hug, or a kiss good-bye. She climbed into the car and waved at Drake as it quickly pulled away. There didn’t seem to be any love lost between Cynthia and Drake, she looked ready to move on without a worry in the world.

“See you later,” Scarlett said as she and Samantha walked right past Drake and out to the sidewalk in front of the house.

“Enjoy your walk,” Drake hollered after them.

He half expected some sort of snide comment from Samantha, but she didn’t even turn to look at him. There was some serious girl talk about to happen, and Drake suspected some of it was going to be about him. Then he chuckled to himself thinking maybe they were just going to make out.

After everything that had gone on throughout the week, Drake was surprised Allison hadn’t been more on his mind. She lived right there in Los Angeles, had a kick-ass body, and was sweet as could be to him. She worked with children who had disabilities, even! On paper, Allison was the perfect woman. Drake just wasn’t sure if she was the perfect woman for him.

His next pairing was going to be Allison against Scarlett. Things were starting to get real for him now. With only four women left in the house, Drake was making progress on his goal of picking one of the women. He knew that there would be such tremendous relief after he finally finished out the day. It was practically the main purpose he kept moving forward. The tension he was feeling was very uncomfortable, and he needed it to go away.

Allison, Lauren, and Victoria sat out by the pool and looked like they were in the midst of a very deep conversation. Instead of walking straight out to them, Drake watched them through the glass window. He felt proud that he had been given the chance to get to know the three women sitting out there. If he hadn’t come up with the strange idea of having seven women come stay at his home, he never would have met the women that he did.

It made him think about life and chances and how people actually connected with each other. What would have happened to him if he had never actually met these women? Would he have wondered around single for years and years to come?

Drake assumed he was going to find the woman he would stay with out of the group he had, but there was still the possibility that whomever Drake picked wouldn’t be the right match for him either. Then what would he do?

Drake had to laugh at the philosophical dilemma that was playing out in his mind. He had never worried so much about his love life in all of his adult years. Maybe it was the concentrated effort of having all the women in his house at once? Or perhaps Drake was just feeling like he was getting old and needed to start making some changes, but he did want a woman in his life and hoped that whomever he picked would be the one that matched with him in the long term.

It would be nice not to have to date any more. Sure, Drake knew that even once he found his match, he would still go out on dates with them. But he wouldn’t miss the dating scene at all. There was a constant feeling of what might be around the next corner. No one ever wanted to be happy with the person that was in front of them; instead, they pushed good people off to the side while they felt out the market to see who else might be single and looking.

Drake would be more than happy to be out of the dating scene for good. Well, that was assuming he ever actually picked his final date out of the women in the house. He took a deep breath and walked out to the patio so he could pull Allison aside and talk with her.

He really had no idea if she was going to be the one he picked or not. Their date had been a hilarious comedy of events with paparazzi, gay lovers, and a charity event. It wasn’t possible that Drake would soon forget that evening with Allison.

The day was certainly starting to wear on Drake, though; he caught himself yawning as he thought about the rest of the afternoon. Certainly, things would get better when he was able to finally make his decision, but Drake couldn’t see that far ahead. For the moment, he needed to just sit down with Allison and see if things were still clicking.

Chapter 6

“What are you girls up to out here?” Drake said when he finally made his way out to the pool where the women were sitting.

It was late afternoon, and the sun had moved behind some of the taller buildings in the area. Drake normally loved that time of day, but it was just a reminder that he needed to make some decisions before dinner time came around. It was going to be a very awkward dinner if Drake hadn’t made the decision about who he wanted to date by then.

“Just girl talk,” Victoria said with a smile.

“You know, you girls don’t have to stay out here. It’s alright if you want to go inside or go into the pool house. Whatever you would like. Samantha and Scarlett are out for a walk if you want to join them as well.”

“Thanks, Drake,” Lauren said.

“Well, I think I should pull Allison away from you two, if that’s alright?”

“Of course,” Victoria said.

“Should we call the paparazzi?” Allison joked. “I think they are probably just dying to know where we have been all week.”

“I think you are right. How about you and I get some dinner started. I let the chef go home for the night. Just too much going on for one evening.”

“Sure, I’m game.”

Drake led Allison into the kitchen where he started to pull out ingredients for the dinner he had in mind. Drake certainly wasn’t the greatest of cooks, but he was able to whip together a dinner when he had to.

“Pasta sound good?” Drake asked.

“Sounds delicious to me.”

“Have you kept up on the paparazzi story about us? Anything interesting?”

“Well, last I heard, you were involved in a gay orgy, and I was forced to come watch.”

They both laughed at the preposterous nature of the paparazzi and the stories they came up with. It was very funny how the media liked to make stories up when they couldn’t find a story that was interesting enough. Drake had been the subject of a few stories over the years but not nearly as many as Allison had. It was nice to see that she took things in her stride and didn’t stress out too much about them.

“Well, that’s an interesting one, at least. I’m sure they sold lots of newspapers.”

“Yes, I’m sure they did.”

Allison grabbed her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail as they got ready to start cooking. She was such a down-to-earth girl; it was hard to remember that she was actually a celebrity.

Drake watched her as she expertly started to work with the meat they needed to cut up and brown for the pasta. Her hands managed the knife like she knew exactly what she was doing. It was obvious that she didn’t let others cook for her all the time; Allison was very familiar with working in the kitchen.

“Are you just going to stare at me or are you going to help,” she teased Drake.

“Sorry, I was distracted.”

“With my ass.”

“Yes,” Drake said as he came up behind Allison and slapped her ass playfully.

Allison had one of those bodies that only celebrity women could have. She was thin but also had muscle tone that defined her curves perfectly. Drake couldn’t help leaving his hand on her ass as he looked over her shoulder and watched her cutting the meet.

“You’re an expert with that knife.”

“Oh, I’m very good at playing with meat,” Allison said seductively.

There was a comfort level between Allison and Drake, but Drake realized that he didn’t want to know much more about Allison. He didn’t have a deep-seated need to ask her about her childhood, or what her favorite kind of coffee was. There was something missing in the energy between them. That small missing piece was enough for Drake to know that he was going to let Allison leave.

As they continued to prepare the meal, Drake went through the decisions he had made so far. He knew that both Victoria and Allison were going to leave, so that only left Lauren and Scarlett. He drew in a deep breath at that realization because he had no idea which woman he wanted more. They were so different, yet he enjoyed his time with both of them very much.

When dinner was ready, Drake rounded up Victoria and Lauren from the pool area. They would just have to start without Scarlett and Samantha since they weren’t back from their walk yet.

The table already seemed so empty with just three women and Drake sitting around it. The level of energy in the house had already calmed substantially throughout the day, and it was now a much more somber feel. The girls ate their dinner without much discussion, and Drake couldn’t find anything reasonable to say.

All Drake could think about was how he was going to tell Victoria and Allison that it was time for them to go. He didn’t want to be rude, but it needed to happen. Once Drake made up his mind, he didn’t change it.

“I really want you all to know that this week has been so much fun for me. And I don’t mean the intimate stuff; I have enjoyed getting to know you all. Just think about it, if we hadn’t had this experience, none of us would have ever met each other. I think that’s pretty amazing.”

“For God’s sake, just tell us to go home already,” Allison blurted out.

The anger in her voice seemed so far from her normal self, and what Drake had known of her, it shocked him at first. She looked at Victoria and Lauren before looking back to Drake with an angry expression.

“I thought we could enjoy a nice dinner before I made any more decisions.”

“Considering Scarlett is out with Samantha, I assume that means you chose her. Why even keep us here and drag it out like this? Obviously, it’s Scarlett.”

“No. I had no control over Scarlett and Samantha going for their walk. That has nothing to do with what’s going on here. But now that you bring it up, you could go grab your things, and I’ll walk you out.”

Drake was not happy at all with how Allison had just blown up. That wasn’t the kind of woman he wanted in his life, he was sure of that. He understood that tempers were high and a little agitation was normal, but Allison had just switched from a nice sweet girl to a total diva. Drake didn’t need any divas in his life.

Allison stormed off upstairs, and Drake looked at both Victoria and Lauren—there was no use dragging things out for them, either.

“Victoria, I’ll walk with you to get your things as well,” Drake said without making eye contact with her.

“Sure thing,” Victoria said sweetly.

Victoria wasn’t throwing a tantrum about things, Drake could be happy about that at the very least.

Allison could be heard loudly talking to herself as Drake and Victoria made their way upstairs. Both of them looked at each other with wide eyes as they heard the things Allison was saying.

“He’s an asshole, there’s no reason I should have come here. I seriously can’t even believe I wasted a week of my life.”

“She seems a little angry,” Drake joked with Victoria.

“She’ll get over it. I’m happy for you. Do you know if you’re picking Lauren or Scarlett?”

“I really am not sure. Please know that there’s nothing wrong with you or anything like that. I just felt a little stronger connection with the other two women.”

The awkwardness between Victoria and Drake was thick enough to cut with a knife. Drake couldn’t wait to get both Victoria and Allison out of the house. It was going to be a difficult few minutes, but he was excited about the choices he had made so far.

“I’ll be alright. I didn’t want to have to think about leaving my job at Harvard, anyway. Who knows, it might not have worked out at all. I did really enjoy this week with you, though. It helped me a lot to understand what I was looking for and not to settle for anything less than perfection.”

Victoria hugged Drake and then grabbed her things. She had packed very light compared to the other women, so when Drake took her bag for her, she only had one other small bag to carry. Allison was still talking loudly in her room, and they both looked in there as they walked past.

“Do you think I should go in there?” Drake wondered.

“No, just give her a minute. Let’s wait together. I can knock.” Victoria handed her second bag to Drake and knocked on Allison’s door. “Do you need any help with your things?” Victoria asked Allison.

“I need a whole crew of people,” Allison hollered toward the door.

Drake felt the tension of the moment building, and he wanted to say something but decided it wasn’t a good idea. One thing he knew about women was that they didn’t like to be spoken to when they were angry. And Allison was definitely angry. Drake waited patiently in the hallway as Victoria went into Allison’s room.

“No need to help us or anything,” Allison said angrily as she saw Drake standing outside her door.

He stood there with both of Victoria’s bags and then decided to make his way downstairs to drop them off so he could come back up and help with Allison’s.

“How are things going?” Robert asked.

“Don’t ask. Let’s just get these two on their way. Can you get two cars outside and ready, please.”

“Sure.”

Drake already had one car on standby to take each woman as they left, and it wouldn’t take more than a phone call to get a second black sedan there for Allison. Drake felt the tension building as he climbed the stairs again and waited for Victoria to hand him a couple of the bags. He certainly wasn’t lazy and had no problem carrying everything if that made the women happy.

Drake hated the feeling he was having as he walked each woman out of his house. It felt like he was forgetting all about them, moving on with someone else and not appreciating that they had come and spent the week with him. He didn’t want them to feel like that, but he couldn’t figure out a way to spin things so they weren’t so damn tense. All of the women wanted to be there. They had left their life to come and be at his house and give him a chance, and he really did appreciate that they had put in that effort.

“So, he’s kicking you out too?” Allison said to Victoria as the group made their way down the stairs and out to the front drive.

“Allison, you had a good week. Don’t ruin it now. He’s a powerful man, and you don’t want to burn that bridge.”

“Ugh, I’m just not politically correct. I can’t be. I knew this whole thing was going to end in disaster. I just knew it.”

“Well, take a few deep breaths and try to end things nicely. You don’t need another person in the world not liking you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Allison said defensively.

“Just go say goodbye to Drake,” Victoria said calmly.

Reluctantly, Allison walked over to Drake with her eyes fixed on the ground. Allison seemed like a child as she stood in front of Drake and refused to look up at him. He couldn’t help feeling sad for her. Whatever the results of the week were, Drake had really enjoyed his time with Allison.

He grabbed her chin gently and lifted it up to force her to look at him.

“I enjoyed meeting you. Someday, you’ll find your prince; it’s just not me.”

“Thank you; I’m sorry for the tantrum. I just really thought you were going to pick me.”

Drake felt the guilt of the moment build up again. Of course, she thought he was going to pick her, they all thought that. He was crushing their dreams to find his own dreams. It wasn’t a great feeling, and Drake hated that these women were going to leave feeling that their week had been wasted on him. It hadn’t been wasted, Drake knew it and wished they could see it as well.

“Allison and Victoria ...” Drake looked at Victoria, beckoning her to come over and talk with them. “You two women are amazing. I hope we can remain friends, and I’d love to hear updates about your lives when you feel like it.”

“Thank you, Drake, it was great getting to know you. We wish you all the best,” Victoria said as she grabbed Allison and walked her to the car containing her things.

As Allison’s car pulled away, Victoria gave Drake one last hug and then went to her car. Drake finally breathed a sigh of relief as both cars drove away, and he was left with just Lauren and Scarlett, who was still out for a walk with Samantha.

“I’m going to head out for the night,” Robert said from behind Drake. “I think you and Sam can handle the final touches. Right?”

“Yes, thanks for everything, Robert. I’ll see you Monday.”

“I’ll get started on planning my all expenses paid vacation,” Robert said as he shook hands with Drake.

Chapter 7

“So, it’s almost over,” Lauren said with a bright smile as Drake made his way back into the house.

It was nice to be alone with her, for a few minutes at least. before Samantha and Scarlett came back from their walk. Lauren was fun and light-hearted to be with. It felt natural when they were together, and Drake wanted to see if there were any clues that would give him an idea if he should pick Lauren or Scarlett.

The truth was that Drake hadn’t even slept with Scarlett yet, but he felt chemistry with her that was stronger than with Lauren. But Drake had slept with Lauren, and the sexual chemistry had been pretty damn good between them. He drew in a deep breath as the decision weighed heavy on him.

“Yes, it’s been a long day for sure. I’m glad you and I get a moment to talk before the ladies get back.”

“You know, this whole exercise was pretty amazing. Like something out of a television show. I’m glad I got to be a part of it. Even if you don’t pick me, this was a great week and a really fun opportunity.”

It was as if Lauren was giving Drake the out he needed if he wasn’t going to choose her, but the thing about it was … Drake might choose Lauren. He could see what his life would be like with Lauren, and Drake really liked it.

Lauren was relaxed and spent a lot of her time outdoors. She was certainly one of the happiest women he had ever met. She was successful in her industry and got to have fun surfing as part of her job. Drake admired Lauren’s life, and he really thought that he could make his life and hers blend well together.

“I know some of the ladies don’t get it, but I really did need to meet you all. I needed to grow these intimate relationships as I searched for a little more meaning in my life. I’m so glad you came here and glad the other women came as well.”

Drake plopped himself onto the couch and closed his eyes out of utter exhaustion. He wanted to just sleep for hours and hours as soon as the final decision was made. But he knew that wasn’t going to happen either. After the final girl was left there with him, Drake was going to want her in his bed for fun all night long.

His thoughts drifted to Scarlett. He hadn’t actually made love to her on their date, but Drake had tasted her, he had touched her, he wanted to feel Scarlett’s naked body under him as he thrust inside of her. Even as Lauren sat down next to him on the couch, Drake felt himself being drawn to thinking about Scarlett.

He wasn’t sure if it was enough of a draw to choose Scarlett over Lauren, though. As soon as Scarlett got back from her walk, Drake was going to pull her aside and talk to her. He needed to talk to her before he made his decision. Maybe during their conversation, he would feel something that told him which woman he should pick.

“I’m exhausted too,” Lauren said as she cuddled up next to Drake. “I guess we need to wait for Scarlett to get back for you to make your final decision.”

“Yeah, let’s just close our eyes and rest,” Drake joked, although he was totally serious.

“I’m game if you are.”

Lauren and Drake both closed their eyes as they waited for Scarlett and Samantha to get back. The level of exhaustion that Drake felt from his week was beyond overwhelming. He couldn’t imagine even being able to stay awake past ten o’clock, but he imagined there would be a surge of energy after he made his final decision.

What had started as a quick closing of their eyes, turned into Lauren and Drake being totally asleep when Scarlett and Samantha arrived back at the house about twenty minutes later. The two women came in loudly, unaware that it was apparently naptime.

“I’m starving, we should make some smoothies,” Samantha said when she flung the door open.

Drake and Lauren quickly woke up and tried to pretend like they hadn’t been sleeping, but it was no use. They had sleepy eyes and messy hair from their short nap.

“Well, at least you got a nap.” Scarlett laughed as she followed Samantha into the kitchen.

“How was your walk?” Drake asked.

“It was good. It’s a beautiful day out.”

“Could I steal you away for a little bit?” Drake asked Scarlett.

The look on her face surprised him, and he felt like she didn’t really want to talk with him at all. His gut spun with sickness as he looked from Scarlett to Samantha. He didn’t want to be that jealous jerk who always thought something was going on, but there definitely seemed to be something going on between Samantha and Scarlett.

“Of course,” Scarlett said as her sweet facial expression reappeared.

The two of them went out to the pool and grabbed a couple of lounge chairs near the water. Drake felt nervous as he sat there with Scarlett. She was beautiful and sexy and made him want to be the best man he could be. Hell, being around Scarlett made him want to be a better man than he was.

“I had a great time with you yesterday,” Drake said as he let his hand slide up and down her bare legs.

“Yes, I did too. I’m so glad we got a chance to have time for just the two of us. I’m also glad I got that building.”

Drake saw Scarlett light up as she talked about her new office in Los Angeles. It was absolutely perfect to think that she would be opening up a firm right there in his town. She didn’t travel as much as Lauren, and Scarlett was a business professional like he was.

“When do you think you’ll start the new firm out here?”

“I’m not sure, probably in a few months. I’m not in a big hurry; now that I own the building, I’ll take my time with the scheduling. Can I ask you something?” Scarlett said somberly.

“Of course, anything.”

“Did you and Samantha kiss?”

Drake felt his worse fear getting close to coming true. Scarlett and Samantha had talked about him, he just knew it. But there was no use in arguing. He didn’t want to start anything off as a lie.

“Yes, we have been working together for a long time. It wasn’t meant to be, though. We are better as co-workers. Nothing more.”

Scarlett looked at Drake with her big brown eyes, and he melted into her. She was beautiful and sexy in her white sundress. He wanted to kiss her and moved close as he got ready to, but Scarlett moved away from him just as he leaned in.

“Let’s just talk for a little bit, is that alright with you?”

“Sure,” Drake said in a disappointed tone. “What would you like to talk about?”

“How did your week go? Was it everything you had hoped for?”

Drake had to think about her question for a moment. The week had been very good, he had enjoyed almost every aspect of it. But as he sat there with Scarlett, he could think of at least one thing that hadn’t gone very well. He hadn’t gotten to have his way with her. He certainly couldn’t tell Scarlett what he really thought, though.

“It was a good week. I think everything went better than I had thought it was going to. I certainly thought everyone was going to be fighting all week long. So it was nice that you girls were able to get along at least a little bit. It was also sad that Sofia had her appendix rupture, of course, I couldn’t have expected that.”

Scarlett just nodded her head in agreement as Drake talked. There seemed to be something on her mind, something that she was trying to say but didn’t get out at all.

“I really enjoyed meeting all the women; it was a good week. And I enjoyed our date yesterday too.”

“Do you think you’ll end up living out here while you set up your new office?”

“Yeah, I really like it out here, and I think Sam and I will be friends, so it will be nice to have her around.”

“I’m sorry for everything that went down earlier. I really do want you guys to be friends. Samantha had just put some weird ideas in my head, and I ran with them.”

“It’s okay; I know how men are,” Scarlett said slyly as she glanced at Drake out of the corner of her eyes.

Scarlett moved a little closer to Drake, and he felt that familiar chemistry light up between them. Her leg gently touched his, and he wanted to slide her on top of him and fuck her right there. His desire to be with her was so strong that he didn’t even care that Lauren and Samantha were right inside the house.

“There was one thing you and I didn’t quite get to.” Drake winked.

“Oh, yeah, what’s that?”

“You know; don’t play totally innocent with me.”

Scarlett just laughed off Drake’s comment and moved a little closer to him. She looked at him with wide eyes and seemed to be waiting for him to say or do something. He wasn’t exactly sure what she was waiting for, but he decided to lean in and kiss her.

His lips pressed gently to Scarlett’s, and he moved on and off her skin in the smallest of movements. Drake wanted to feel that amazing spark like he had felt on his date, but something seemed to be missing. Or maybe Scarlett was mad at him because of the kiss with Samantha? He wasn’t sure, but something wasn’t quite right.

Drake wasn’t ready to give up on Scarlett, though. He continued kissing her and placed his hand gently on her cheek as he stroked it in motion with their kisses. Scarlett was kissing him; she certainly wasn’t pulling away, and Drake started to think that everything was really in his head, and she was absolutely fine.

Their tender kisses continued for several minutes. Sometimes they let their tongues slide into each other and other times they sweetly pecked at each other’s lips. Drake wanted to talk more to Scarlett, but he wasn’t about to give up the kissing that was going on.

Finally, when both of their lips were chapped, Scarlett pulled away from him and sweetly suggested they go back inside. It was getting cold out, and Drake was fine with the idea, but he knew it meant that he would have to make his decision soon.

Scarlett was the whole package, though; he didn’t care if things seemed a little awkward between them at that moment. He knew they had passion for each other. He knew that Scarlett would make him happy. As they walked through the doors and saw Samantha and Lauren sitting on the couch together, Drake was resolute in his plan. He was going to announce that Scarlett was the woman he picked.

Drake just had to figure out his wording so Lauren wouldn’t feel horrible. But then as he looked at Lauren, Drake started to second guess his decision. Lauren didn’t have any awkwardness at all. The two of them got along great and had sexual chemistry.

Chapter 8

“Okay ladies, I have an announcement,” Drake said boldly as he stood up in front of Scarlett, Samantha, and Lauren.

The three women all looked up at him and waited to see what he had to say. Drake felt the pressure of the moment as their eyes stared at him. But he had made his mind up; Scarlett was the one he was picking, and that was the end of it. He just had to get through the part where he announced it without hurting Lauren too much.

“I’m going to head into the kitchen,” Samantha said.

“Oh, no you’re not. You stay in here with us,” Drake said as he grabbed her arm and prevented her from walking into the kitchen.

Samantha looked back at Drake, and he saw what looked like tears forming in her eyes. She was definitely misty-eyed, and he couldn’t stop staring at her. The two of them stood there with Drake holding onto Samantha’s arm in silence.

Drake knew Samantha well enough to know that she didn’t have tears in her eyes on a normal basis. In fact, the Sam he knew hardly ever cried. Instead of crying, Sam just plowed through what had to get done until she wasn’t around people anymore. But at that moment, he saw sadness in her eyes, and all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and comfort her.

“Get a room you two,” Lauren joked, and her voice broke up their locked gaze.

Samantha went and sat in a chair behind Drake and let him continue with what he was saying. Drake turned back to Scarlett and Lauren, but he had lost his train of thought and wasn’t sure where to start. His mind was on Samantha, and he wanted to go to her. Drake wanted to know what was going on and why she was sad.

There wasn’t really anything sad about that day for Drake or for Samantha. Unless she was particularly attached to one of the women. Then he figured it out. Sam must have been sad that her friend might be going away. She and Scarlett were close, and Drake knew how emotional women could get when their friends were going away. He chalked it up to the emotions of a friend possibly losing contact with another friend.

“Okay, so where was I?”

“You were about to put one of us out of our misery and break the other one’s heart,” Lauren answered.

“Well, if you put it that way, I should get on with this. First, like I told the other women, I’m really glad you came here this week, both of you. There are no other circumstances in which I would have gotten to meet you so I’m happy that this worked out, and we were able to step into each other’s world for a short period of time.”

Drake made eye contact with Lauren, who was smiling and looking up at him, eager to hear what he had to say. Then he looked at Scarlett, who was now looking past Drake over to Samantha.

“I know this feels like some sort of reality show, but it is real life, and I’ve been agonizing over my decision. I think you are really wonderful women, and I hope you don’t think of this as a winner and loser thing.”

“Drake, before you continue on, I have something I need to say,” Scarlett said as she stood up.

Drake looked at Scarlett and then turned to look at Samantha. Even Samantha seemed surprised by what was going on, and she was certainly paying attention. Samantha looked at Scarlett and shook her head slightly when she started to realize whatever it was that Scarlett had to say.

“I was just about to announce my choice, can it wait?”

“No, I better go first. Lauren, I think you are a vibrant, smart, and amazing woman. Please don’t be offended,” Scarlett started as she looked at Lauren and then back toward Drake. “Drake, I’m going to pull myself out of the running.”

Drake looked at Scarlett and then over at Samantha; he had no idea what was going on, but there certainly was something up between the two of them. Maybe they had been talking about something, and it was upsetting Samantha? Drake really had no idea what was going on.

“What’s going on, why do you keep looking at Sam?”

“Here’s the deal. I was told by both of you that there is nothing between you two but a friendship, and I wanted to believe it. But whether you two decide to act on this now or three years down the road, there is something between you. We all see it, don’t we, Lauren?”

Lauren nodded her head yes as she looked at Scarlett then over to Drake and Sam.

“We’ve already talked about this, Scarlett. Drake and I are just friends,” Samantha said as she stood up and came over to join the other three.

“I hear you, but I plan on being your friend when I move out here, and I couldn’t do that if I knew I had stolen the man you love. So now I’m stepping back and being extremely clear that I will not be continuing on with Drake. He’s yours or Lauren’s, I couldn’t live with myself if I got between true love.”

“I’m with Scarlett,” Lauren said. “Let’s go get our things.”

Lauren had been thinking exactly the same thing Scarlett had just said. She knew there was something strong between Drake and Samantha, but she never wanted to be that kind of girl who was jealous already on a first date. Lauren didn’t wait for Scarlett before she turned and went upstairs. What Scarlett had said must have rang really true with Lauren since she willingly left before Drake had the chance to announce the winner.

Drake and Samantha stood in the living room watching the other two women as they went up the stairs, neither of them knew what to say. Their mouths were literally open in shock at the fact that both Scarlett and Lauren had just dropped out of the running and left Drake with no one. Well, no one except Samantha.

“See even they think we should give this a go,” Drake said sweetly as he took Samantha’s hands into his.

“Drake, I don’t know. I feel like my emotions have gone off the rails this week, and they are out of control. I don’t want to make a decision that I’ll regret.”

Samantha knew she wanted to be with Drake just as bad as he wanted her. But Sam wasn’t good at sharing her emotions and couldn’t bring herself to admit she cared for Drake. But the truth was, she had cared for Drake for the last five years. They had fought and made up, and they were dedicated to each other. It didn’t matter if they were in a relationship or not, Drake and Samantha cared for each other.

“Oh, just shut up already, Sam, and kiss him,” Scarlett said from the top of the stairs.

“Yeah, kiss him,” Lauren added.

“See even they agree.” Drake smiled.

He grabbed her and pulled her close to him. This time, he wasn’t going to let her go. He was holding onto her and showing her that he cared more for her than she could ever know. She had spent so long pushing him away that he pushed his own feelings down deep, but it was Samantha that he wanted; it had always been Samantha.

Throughout the years, they’d both had thoughts of letting things get closer between them. Both Sam and Drake had felt them. But they had tucked their feelings away and went on with things like they were supposed to. Samantha knew she wasn’t the only one who had thought being co-workers was a better idea than dating, Drake had thought the same thing. But there they were, both ready to explore the possibilities at the same time.

“You promise you won’t break my heart?”

“I can’t promise you that. But I can promise that I’ll do everything in my power to prevent it. I’ll cherish you like I have for the past five years. You don’t have to be afraid of this. We can make it work. You know me better than any human being on this planet. You know I’m going to make mistakes, but hopefully, you know that I’ll always try to right any wrongs I do.”

“Kiss him,” Scarlett and Lauren said simultaneously.

And just like that, Samantha gave in to her desires and kissed Drake. This time, she didn’t pull away, and she didn’t stop herself. Instead, Samantha was falling head first for her boss. The man she had always secretly loved but just never gave herself permission to be with. Drake was the man of her dreams, and she was jumping off the cliff and hoping that he would catch her.

Drake didn’t have the best reputation with women, and Samantha knew that better than most women. But she also knew that he was honest to a fault and wouldn’t cheat on her. He spent years avoiding relationships because he knew he wasn’t ready. The fact that he was ready to give one a try with her made Sam pretty confident that he knew he was ready to give it a go.

“And they lived happily ever after,” Scarlett said as she and Lauren walked down the stairs. “Okay, okay, you two lovebirds. Come over here and give me a hug.”

Drake held Samantha’s hand as they walked over to her and both hugged her. Then as Lauren came down, they all hugged her as well. It was surreal to be standing there with two of the women Drake thought he might have picked to date and possibly spend the rest of his life with. But he was happy, Samantha was happy, and both Scarlett and Lauren looked like they were genuinely happy for Drake and Sam. Drake really couldn’t have asked for a better ending to his week.

“I expect a wedding invite,” Lauren said as she giggled and looked at the group.

“Me too, plus I’ll be out here soon. Maybe we can all go to lunch.”

Scarlett, Lauren, Drake and Sam all stood in the middle of Drake’s living room, and as Lauren laughed, they all started to laugh. Never in a million years could any of them have predicted that their week would end up like it had. It had been an amazing time they would never forget – and when Drake noticed the genuinely happy look on Samantha’s face, he knew for sure what his heart had known for years: this woman was the right choice, and he and Samantha had a bright future ahead of them.

The Billionaire’s Hunt

THE EPILOGUE

The Billionaire Bachelor Series 10

Chapter 1

“I can’t believe we finally got Robert to take his darn family vacation,” Sam said as she and Drake sat in his office going over the details for the week.

“For a man who complained about never getting to take his vacation time, he sure did take long enough to go on the free vacation I gave him for his family.”

Drake and Samantha had worked for months to convince Robert that the time was right for him to finally enjoy his time off. The excitement over Drake’s week with seven women had died down, and Samantha and Drake had settled into their working style again. It was the perfect time.

Not only had Samantha and Drake declared their feelings for each other, but they had also built up Sam’s visibility in the company. It didn’t seem right to have her continue as his assistant, and Drake knew that Sam was much more to him than any assistant had been. They talked about giving Sam a new title in the company but were waiting until after Robert’s vacation to finalize the details.

Drake had absolutely no problem with giving Sam a title in the company. In fact, he had wanted to do it right after the week with all the women; when he had declared his feelings for her. But Sam didn’t want it to seem like he was giving her the position just because they were dating.

Nepotism had never been a thing for Drake, though, and he never would have suggested a new title for Sam if she hadn’t deserved it. She didn’t just run Drake’s life, she was an intricate part of the whole company running smoothly and deserved a position title that reflected the amount of work she was putting in on a daily basis.

“What if we gave you the title of vice president of my Johnson’s happiness?” Drake teased as he brought up the new title discussion again.

“Oh, yes, that would show you were taking me seriously,” Sam responded in defense. “Drake, I don’t want some made-up title just so you don’t feel bad for sleeping with your assistant.”

She smiled as she climbed onto Drake’s desk and spread her legs either side of him. She liked to play with him and liked to distract him, but only when they were done with their work for the day. Normally, Sam didn’t want to flirt with him first thing in the morning.

“Don’t tease me like that unless you’re ready for me,” Drake said, looking at her seductively.

“Oh, are you going to pounce on me right here on your smooth, hard desk?”

Samantha leaned back and seductively slid her hands up and down the grain of Drake’s desk as she opened and closed her thighs to tease Drake. That moment was clearly why two people who were in a relationship shouldn’t work together, but Drake didn’t see it like that.

In Drake’s eyes, his company was run much better than it ever had been before, and it was all because of his relationship with Samantha. Not only were they working while they were at the office, but they often had philosophical work conversations while they were at home. He was getting more work done than ever before, and the business was thriving.

Sure, he got a little distracted at work by his beautiful girlfriend, but he was the damn owner of the company, so it didn’t matter at all. If he wanted to have his woman right there on his desk, he was damn well going to have her right there on his desk.

“I am going to slide my smooth, hard cock right into your body if you don’t stop teasing me like that,” Drake said as his hands grabbed Sam’s thighs and pressed them further apart.

“Mmm, is that a promise?” she taunted him.

“Fuck you are so perfect,” Drake said as his mouth moved to her inner thighs, and he started to kiss her.

Everything about Sam was perfectly suited to Drake. She was smart, funny, and full of spunk. She didn’t let Drake boss her around because she knew just as much about his company as he did. Sam had been around long enough to run his company without him, and he knew it.

“Drake, the door isn’t locked,” Sam whispered as his lips moved up her legs.

“I don’t care. You’re mine, and I’ll have you if I want you. No one would dare interrupt my breakfast.”

Drake dove deep into Sam’s thighs and pressed her panties out of the way as he licked her delicious center. She moaned out in pleasure at the touch of his tongue and leaned back onto the desk. As her body pressed onto the cold hard desk, she moaned again in delight. Her arms flayed about on the desk and knocked items off all over the place, but neither Drake nor Samantha cared at all.

“Let’s go to dinner tonight,” Drake said as he paused eating his delicious girlfriend’s center. “I want to go somewhere special like Romani’s.”

“But you’re eating such a delicious breakfast, will you even be hungry by dinner?” Sam teased him.

“I could eat you all day long and still eat my dinner. Let’s go at eight. Does that work?”

Sam tried to respond, but Drake had gone back to letting his tongue play with her, and she was distracted by the pleasure he was delivering to her. Her moans got louder and her back arched as he slid his tongue around her body and then pulled her clit tight into his mouth.

He loved to hear her moans. It was as if she was telling him that their life was perfect. When Sam moaned, Drake knew that he wanted to hear her moaning over and over again for the rest of his life. He couldn’t imagine having any other woman in his bed, or on his desk for that matter. It was the first time in his life that he actually felt like he wanted only one woman. There weren’t any nagging feelings that he was giving up something to be with Samantha.

Instead of feeling like he was giving up something, Drake felt like he had been given such an amazing gift because Sam was in his life. Their new relationship had only solidified his feelings for her, and he knew there wasn’t any other woman in the world that he wanted.

“We should probably get some work done,” Sam said, trying to calm the growing orgasm that Drake was going to deliver her.

“I’m working really hard.”

“Seriously, we have to finalize the schedules for the week,” she insisted.

“Oh, it’s final already. I’m doing what you tell me to. Now let me finalize this orgasm for you.”

Drake pushed her back onto the table and continued to play with her body while he slid two fingers into her. His stroking motion quickly had her body tightening with pleasure as he moved his fingers and sucked on her clit.

Damn, Drake loved watching his girl orgasm at his hands. It was delightful to know that he could make her feel so much total pleasure that she released and screamed out in delight. Giving a woman an orgasm hadn’t always been big on his list in the bedroom, but with Samantha, it brought him so much pleasure to watch her give in to his power and release her body to him.

Sure, they had work to do, but Drake didn’t care at all anymore. His only focus was bringing Sam to her ultimate explosion. His fingers moved quicker, and his mouth sucked harder on her clit until her thighs tightened around his head and her back arched in a huge explosion. She thrust her hips up into the air as she released her body, and Drake held onto her.

Sam twitched with her orgasm, but Drake wasn’t done with her yet. He stood up and slid his pants to the ground as his rock-hard body teased her wetness and prepared to enter her. He loved making love to Sam. Their bodies were made for each other, and every time they were together, he felt the perfection growing.

They both loved the idea of experimenting and having fun in the bedroom, and that had been a bit of a surprise for Drake. Up until they decided to start dating, Samantha had been pretty quiet about her sexual preferences. But on the last day in the house when he was trying to decide which woman to choose, Sam had started kissing the women in a display that wowed Drake to all ends of the earth.

He would learn in the following weeks that Samantha was a daring woman in the bedroom and open to whatever the two of them decided was fun. They had decided it was best not to include any third party in their relationship, but Drake still got rock hard when he remembered his view when watching Sam and Scarlett kissing. It was beyond any man’s fantasy, and Drake would always keep that picture in his mind.

“We really should work,” Sam said breathlessly as Drake hovered over her.

“Oh, I’m working,” he teased again as he slid into her wetness.

His body thrust deep into Sam, and she let out a low primal moan as her body felt the pleasure of his so close to her. Drake moved deeply into her and watched as her body reacted to his. It brought him so much pleasure to watch her that he distracted himself with her moans and movements.

The more he stroked her body, the louder she got, and soon Drake could see that she was getting ready to release again. His strokes came quicker and deeper as his body thrust into Sam, and he waited for her body to signal to him that he could release himself.

Harder and harder their bodies moved together, and Drake grabbed onto her nipples and pulled them tightly as he thrust. She loved to have her nipples played with, and Drake had learned that over the last few weeks. He wanted to do everything in his power to make Sam happy both in and out of the bedroom. If something turned her on, then it turned him on as well. Her orgasm made his more powerful. Everything about her happiness made him happier.

As he waited to release his orgasm, Drake came up with an epiphany about Sam that he couldn’t let go of. He had never felt so selfless in the bedroom or around another person his entire life, and as she released her body with a loud exploding orgasm, Drake knew she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

He finally released his body, and his mind ran through what he imagined would be the perfect surprise for Sam. It was a risky idea, but Drake wasn’t the kind of guy who had become successful without risk. He knew people, he knew himself, and when the moment struck him, and his ideas came together, Drake followed his gut and went after things.

Drake wasn’t wishy-washy about the things in his life that were important to him, and Sam was important to him. He didn’t have the need to date her for years before he made a real commitment to her. No, Drake knew himself well enough to know that Samantha was the woman for him. The one and only woman that could make him happy, and he was going to tell her.

Sure, Sam would balk at his declaration of love, but that was only because she hated to be vulnerable. But Drake knew she felt the same way about him. It had taken them more than five years to fall in love and start making their life together, and Drake wasn’t about to waste another five years as they decided what would be next for them.

Chapter 2

The decision to ask Samantha to marry him had come while he made love to her on his desk. It wasn’t the most romantic of situations for him to realize he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but he was going to make sure that his proposal would always be remembered.

Arranging a surprise proposal in less than 12 hours wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to do. Luckily, Drake knew the restaurant owner and was able to get their cooperation. But he still had to manage his surprise and get the ring of Sam’s dreams within just a few hours.

For a man who often let his assistant, Sam, do all the planning for parties and events, it was a huge task for him to try and pull everything off at such short notice. But once Drake made his mind up about something, that was all there was to it. He acted quickly and made sure his vision was followed. For his proposal to Sam, it would be no different. He had a goal, a vision, and he was going to ensure that she was totally surprised by his proposal.

“Dinner at eight o’clock,” Drake said as he called Sam’s cell phone. “Be ready, okay? Not the normal ready, with another hour of actually getting ready to do,” he teased her.

Drake had taken off from work and told Sam that he was meeting some friends for golf. It wasn’t on his schedule, and she seemed annoyed that he hadn’t told her sooner, but Sam was busy with her own things around the office so she didn’t mind too much. Drake was a hard CEO to work with, and she had always been willing to do her best with his schedule; Drake knew he was difficult and appreciated everything she did for him.

“I’ll be ready with bells on,” Sam said smiling.

“I’m serious. Really ready. Like I’ll swing by the house, and you can come out to the car right at eight.”

“You’re not going to ring the bell like a normal date?”

“It’s my house goofball. Just be ready.”

“You’re so demanding,” she teased. “I’ll be ready.”

“Okay, darling, I’ll see you at eight,” Drake said as he hung up the phone.

He sat in front of Harry Winston jewelers thinking about what it would be like to be married to Samantha. Throughout his life, the idea of getting married had always scared the hell out of him, but the idea of being married to Sam made Drake happy. He wasn’t nervous about proposing, he wasn’t worried at all; instead, all he could think about was how his life would be better because she was in it.

He walked into Harry Winston Jewelers and went right up to the clerk to explain what he needed. Drake wasn’t sure they would be able to accomplish what he wanted all in one afternoon, but he hoped they could figure out some sort of compromise so he could give Sam the ring of her dreams when he proposed to her.

“Can I help you?” the sales clerk asked.

She was a middle-aged woman who was dressed in a finely tailored suit. Her blonde hair was cut short, above her ears, and she clearly took good care of her skin and her body. It was normal to see women like her in stores throughout Los Angeles, though. They might not have high paying jobs, but the demands of living in an image-conscious town still weighed heavily on these women.

“I need a ten-karat engagement ring; I have ideas for the design, but I need the ring today, so I’d like to talk with the designer right away.”

The woman looked at Drake skeptically at first but then went to the back room without replying to his request. Drake waited in the lobby and looked at some of the beautiful pieces that were displayed in the cases around him.

“You need a ring today, young man?” Harry Winston himself said as he came out from the back of the store.

“Yes, sir. I’m not the kind of man who can keep his feelings to himself once I’ve decided. I’m happy to work with you on a design that is already completed.”

“It is very expensive to take up my whole day on one item,” Mr. Winston said.

“I am ready to pay whatever you request. She is the love of my life, and I want her ring to be perfection. That is why I’m here.”

Mr. Winston seemed to enjoy the flattery that Drake was giving him, and he pulled out a sketch pad so he could start writing down what it was that Drake wanted in his ring for Samantha.

“I have an Emerald cut diamond that is near perfect quality and nine karats. It’s very expensive, though.”

“Can I see it?”

“You can, but let’s discuss the rest of the ring. Tell me what your dream ring for this love of yours looks like.”

Drake went into details as he described wanting one large diamond in the middle and smaller diamonds and sapphires around the edges. He had a picture in his mind of exactly what he wanted the ring to look like and even grabbed the pad of paper away from Mr. Winston as he drew out the design. When he had finished explaining what he wanted, Mr. Winston nodded in agreement.

“I’ve got a base ring in white gold I can use; I’ll bring it out with the diamond for you to see.”

Drake stood still in awe as Mr. Winston brought out a quick mock-up of the ring he would design for Drake. He had loosely placed a couple of sapphires and diamonds around the most sparkling of diamonds that Drake had ever seen. It was perfection, and he didn’t care at all what the ring cost; it was the ring he wanted to give to Sam. It was the ring that he knew she wanted to wear for the rest of her life with him.

As he left the jewelry store, Drake couldn’t help imagining what the rest of his life with Sam might look like. He hadn’t spent much of his adult life thinking of the future, typically he just lived in the present and didn’t worry about the future at all. But thinking of a future with Sam was exciting, and he couldn’t help smiling at all the possibilities their life held.

Being a good husband, maybe even becoming a father, had been such foreign ideas to him that he would have thought someone crazy if they had told him he would be thinking about those ideas. Drake even told his friends they were crazy when they talked about wanting to have children with their girlfriends or wives. But as Drake sat in the parking lot of the best jeweler in all of California, he knew his life was about to be turned upside down by his feelings and love for one woman.

He stayed away from work and finished the planning of his surprise throughout the rest of the day. He was a perfectionist in all that he did and planning his proposal was no different. To Drake, anything that he felt worth doing was worth doing better than anyone else in the world. He hadn’t become so successful because of cutting corners or doing things halfway. Drake was successful because he went all out in everything that he did.

With Robert on vacation, though, Drake had to call in a few favors to ensure his plan went off seamlessly. As hard as he liked to work, there were still things that he wasn’t sure of and normally would ask Sam or Robert about them. But Drake didn’t have the luxury of going to Sam or Robert to discuss his plans. Instead, he was planning everything himself.

He smiled at the thought of how surprised Sam was going to be when he proposed. After taking five years to come to terms with their feelings for each other, it would surprise her a lot that he was so quick in wanting to marry her. But it didn’t surprise Drake at all.

Every successful decision he had made in his life had happened quickly. When a vision struck him for new technology, there was no time to wait and re-think things. A newer, cooler version of his design would be on the market before him if he waited or played it safe.

Playing it safe really wasn’t Drake’s thing at all. Not in business, and not in love. He didn’t need another five years with Sam to realize he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Drake knew Sam deeply. He knew about her likes and dislikes; he knew how she took her coffee and where she liked to hang out when she was sad. Drake knew everything he needed to know about her.

Life had finally brought them together, and Drake wasn’t going to waste any more time before he declared his love for her. Samantha was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and he didn’t need more time to think about it.

He gathered up the last few things he needed for his surprise and got himself ready for their date. Sam had returned to the house to get ready, so Drake got ready at the office where he had spare clothes and everything else he needed.

Right at 7:30 p.m., a courier from Harry Winston brought him Sam’s ring with a security guard attached to the case. Drake signed the required paperwork and looked at the ring in total admiration. It was absolutely everything he could have possibly imagined for Sam’s ring.

The middle diamond sparkled in the light, and the blue sapphires were radiant in the reflection as well. Drake wouldn’t have changed a single thing in the ring, and he couldn’t wait to see Sam’s face when he dropped to one knee and asked her to marry him.

The one knee aspect of the proposal was the only thing that Drake was thinking about. Sam was a progressive woman, and Drake didn’t know if she would see his proposal as genuine if he used a cliché technique like getting down on one knee. But he finally came to the conclusion that he had to be true to himself during the proposal, and he wanted to get down on one knee.

The other thing Drake really wanted to do before he picked Sam up was talk to her father and get his blessing. Her family knew him well, and they were excited about the relationship between the two of them. Drake didn’t expect any concerns when he dialed the phone and her father answered.

“Mr. Holt, I’d like to ask your permission to ask your daughter to marry me tonight. I know it’s fast, and we have only been dating for a few months, but it’s right, and I know it.”

The silence on the other end of the phone was deafening as Drake looked at his cell phone to make sure it was still on. He didn’t know what he was going to do if her father denied him.

“You love my girl?” Mr. Holt asked.

“Yes, of course. I love her more than any woman I have ever known.”

“You’re going to treat her right and be good to her?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then you have our blessing. Her mother and I would love to have you as our son-in-law. Call us tomorrow to tell us how it all went. Congratulations.”

The call was short and sweet, but exactly what Drake needed before he asked Sam to marry him. He knew how important her father was to her, and Drake felt even better about his proposal knowing that her father gave his permission.

Chapter 3

Sam still took his breath away when she walked into the room in a sexy dress, and on that evening, nothing was different. Samantha walked out the front door in a light blue flowing dress that made her look like an angel as she made her way across the driveway.

“Damn,” Drake said as he waited for her by the car. “On time and dressed like the woman of my dreams.”

“I couldn’t disappoint you since this is the first time you’ve ever wanted me ready on time,” she said with a smile.

Drake loved Samantha’s smile. The joy that she exuded when she was happy was palpable, and he wished he could bottle it up and carry it with him all the time. Sam wasn’t just pretending to be a great woman—she truly was one of the greatest women he had ever known.

Because of Sam’s involvement in LeBlanc Enterprises, they were more active in charitable groups than they ever had been before. One of the newest charities they had contributed to was Allison’s pageant program for girls with disabilities. When Samantha heard about everything that Allison was doing for those girls, she instantly offered to contribute money, not just money from the business, but her own money.

The side effect of being involved in a pageant charity was that Sam also loved to buy fancy dresses so she had a reason to donate them to Allison’s group. Before they started dating, Drake could probably count on one hand the number of times he had seen Sam in a long gown, but once Sam got involved in Allison’s charity, she was always wanting to get dressed up; then she would wear her dress once and give it to the charity. Drake loved that about her.

“You are stunning,” he said as he opened the door and helped her into the vehicle.

“Thank you, darling,” Samantha said. “Now why is tonight so important? I’m sure the people at Romani’s would have held our table if we weren’t on time.”

Sam was right. The owners of Romani’s would have held a table for Drake without question. They loved him just as much as he loved going to their restaurant. But Drake had a lot planned for the evening and didn’t want to throw the timing off for any of it. His proposal was going to go off without a hitch, and he couldn’t risk the timing being the cause for something not working out the way it was supposed to.

“Well, thank you for being ready; I really appreciate it,” Drake said, leaning in and gently kissing Sam.

He knew that she didn’t like her lipstick messed up after she had gotten ready, so he left his kiss gentle. Drake knew a lot about what Sam liked and didn’t like, and that was going to make the night’s festivities even more exciting.

Sam reached over and held onto Drake’s hand as they pulled out of the driveway. She didn’t feel the need to talk constantly as they drove, just another reason Drake and Sam got along so well. On that night especially, Drake didn’t want to risk giving any clues to the night he had planned, so he didn’t want to talk too much before they got to the restaurant.

For five years, Sam had been one of his best friends. She was the one he went to when he had great ideas, and he could hardly keep a secret around her at all. Drake knew if he talked too much, Sam was going to know something was up purely because he was so horrible at keeping secrets from her.

They pulled up in front of Romani’s, and the valet opened Drake’s door, then Drake went around and opened Samantha’s door. He held his hand out to help her out of the vehicle, and she wrapped her arm around his as they walked into the restaurant. He knew how much she enjoyed going to dinner. It had been one of their favorite things to do together since they started to date.

“There’s just something so magical about a dinner out in L.A.,” Sam said as they walked toward their seat.

She had said something very similar on previous nights when they had gone to dinner. It was exciting to be out in L.A. in the evening mostly because the energy of the town seemed to come to life. But Sam had also loved to see celebrities out and about, eating and having normal lives. She wasn’t a celebrity stalker or anything like that, but Sam just enjoyed seeing how real celebrities were. So many people put celebrities up on pedestals, but they were just like everyone else.

“Yes, tonight does feel pretty magical,” Drake said with a smile.

His secret was bursting at the seams, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold it in for very much longer. He wanted to see Sam’s face when she realized what was going on. He couldn’t wait to see how she would react when everything started to unfold right there in the restaurant.

The waiter came over to the table, and Drake ordered them some wine and an appetizer while they looked through the menu. Despite coming to the restaurant several times before, Sam always wanted to try something new when she was there. She liked the excitement of not knowing exactly what she was going to get.

“Oh, my God,” Samantha said as she looked over Drake’s shoulder. “It’s Julia Roberts. She’s right there with her husband and kids. Right there, Drake,” Sam said as she nodded in the direction of the celebrity.

“You should go ask her for an autograph,” he teased.

Drake knew that Sam didn’t like autographs, and that wasn’t why she liked celebrities so much. She liked them because they followed their dreams and went after what they wanted. Celebrities were the ultimate in dream followers and that inspired Sam more than anything else about them.

“Oh, she’s walking over here. Oh, my God, Drake, she’s coming over here.”

Drake just sat looking forward as Julia Roberts joined them at their table. This was all part of the plan, and he tried his best not to let himself give in and smile.

“Drake LeBlanc, thank you so much for your generous donation at the Playboy Mansion charity event. I’m looking forward to lunch with your friend.”

“It was my pleasure and my friend Emily is looking forward to her time with you as well. This is my girlfriend, Samantha,” Drake said as he introduced the two of them.

“Oh, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Julia said shaking Sam’s hand. “I better get back to my family. Enjoy your night.”

Just as quickly as she had come over to the table, she was gone and back sitting with her family. Sam was left holding four small wooden letters that looked like they had come from a scrabble game.

“She handed me these,” Sam said with a puzzled expression.

She held out her hand and in it were two ‘L’ letters, one ‘I’, and one ‘W’. Drake just smiled at her as he watched the inquisitive nature of her expression. Sam looked at the letters and then back up at Drake.

Scrabble was the first game she and Drake had ever played together. He could still remember the night he was waiting for a big client to commit to a project, and they had set the game up in the conference room. Sam had kicked his ass with words that he was convinced weren’t actually words at all, but he didn’t care because it was so fun to watch her excitement as she beat him.

“Maybe she knows how much you love Scrabble,” Drake said with a smile.

But before Sam could say another word, she looked up and saw another of her favorite celebrities standing right next to her table. Harrison Ford was holding the hand of his long-time girlfriend and didn’t say a word to either of them; he just handed Sam three more letters.

“What is going on?” Samantha said with a grin that shone across her face.

She placed the new letters in a pile and moved them around to form the only word that would work. ‘Y’, ‘O’, ‘U’ were the letters that she laid out on the table. Then she reorganized the first set of letters to form the word ‘W’, ‘I’, ‘L’, ‘L’. Suddenly Sam knew exactly what was going on, and her face turned bright red as she looked up at Drake with tears in her eyes.

He couldn’t have wished for a better response from Sam as she realized he was going to ask her to marry him. But it wasn’t over yet, and the next celebrity that walked up to their table was one that Drake knew Sam had loved for many years. She wasn’t the biggest named celebrity in the world, but Demi Lovato was one of Sam’s favorite celebrities. She had fought against a lot of odds and made music that Sam loved.

“Hey, dear,” Demi said as she handed Sam some more letters. “I think you are about to have one hell of an amazing night. Come see my show tomorrow, and we can talk backstage.”

Demi reached down and hugged Sam, who was in total tears by that point. Sam couldn’t even talk as she wrapped her arms around Demi and nodded her head yes to the offer to come to her concert.

Drake felt his own eyes tearing up as he watched Samantha. He couldn’t have hoped for the day to be any better as he grabbed the letters out of Sam’s hand and placed them on the table to spell ‘M’, ‘A’, ‘R’, ‘R’, ‘Y’. Everyone was watching them as Drake pulled the last two letters out of his pocket and slid the ‘M’ and ‘E’ across the table to Sam.

He then got down on one knee and pulled out the diamond engagement ring that he had Harry Winston rush for him that day. Sam could hardly keep her eyes open, they were so full of tears. She nodded her head yes before Drake had even asked the big question.

“Samantha Marie Holt, you are the love of my life, and nothing would make me happier than if you would agree to be my wife,” Drake said as he pulled the ring out of the box and presented it to her.

The whole restaurant erupted into applause as Drake held the ring up to Sam’s finger and slid it on. She was shaking and in tears as she bobbed her head up and down to say yes, but then finally found the words to actually talk.

“Yes, yes, yes!” she screamed as she pulled Drake up off the ground and he wrapped her in his arms.

She could hardly see straight from the tears, but she was happy, and Drake saw that in her eyes. He had made her happy, and he hoped to be able to continue to do that for the rest of her life. He couldn’t wait to get started on planning their wedding because he wanted it to happen as soon as possible.

Drake had spent almost forty years of his life working on his business and putting his personal life second. Now that he found Sam, and she had agreed to be his, he wasn’t about to waste another moment before they started their life together.

He hugged her and spun her around as the restaurant continued to cheer. Drake couldn’t have been happier than he was at that moment, and he expected his life would only get better and better now that Sam would permanently part of it.

“Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford, and Demi Lovato just proposed to me,” Sam said through her tears as she laughed. “Thank you, Drake. I love you so much.”

Chapter 4

“Did she say yes?” Sam’s father said when he called him later that evening.

“Yes, I think she is planning to call you soon. It went off without a hitch. Thank you for giving me your blessing.”

“Of course, Drake. She has been happier these last few months than I had ever hoped she would be. Her mother and I will be coming into town in a couple of weeks, and we would love to take you two out to dinner to celebrate.”

Drake loved Sam’s father very much. He had hoped her family would be happy with the news, but hearing just how happy they were was music to his ears.

“Yes, we would love that.”

“When will the wedding be? I hope you won’t be waiting five years?” her father joked.

“Oh, heck no. I’d get married tomorrow if I could convince Sam to do it.”

“Why not plan it for when we are there in two weeks?” Mr. Holt said nonchalantly.

“I’m not sure Sam would appreciate that very much; you know women—they always want to plan everything and throw a huge event.”

Mr. Holt was quiet for a minute, and Drake thought he might have said something wrong. He didn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize his relationship with his future in-laws. Drake knew them well enough that he felt comfortable with Samantha’s family, but he didn’t know them well enough to know if something he said was offensive to them. He didn’t think it was, but as the silence dragged on, his nerves got the best of him.

“Is that what Sam wants?” Mr. Holt asked.

Drake didn’t really know at all what Sam wanted for her wedding day. They had never even brought up the conversation before, that was probably why she had been so blown away by the proposal.

“You know, I’m not sure. I guess we should talk about it.”

“Talk to her and see. We’ll be there no matter when you decide to have it.”

As Drake got off the phone with Samantha’s father, he couldn’t help thinking about the idea of throwing the wedding in two weeks. But he didn’t think Sam would like it. Not because it was so fast, but because she was in the middle of a big project at work and would say she was too busy to arrange everything. Drake made a note to talk with some women in Sam’s life and get their opinion on if he should even bring up the option.

“Who was that?” Sam asked as she came out of the bathroom.

“Oh, just a friend. I had to share the good news. Have you called your parents yet?” Drake asked.

“I’m just about to call my mother now. I was thinking about telling them when they came out in two weeks, but I can’t keep a secret that long at all. Speaking of secrets, how the hell did you keep that proposal a secret from me? You’re horrible at keeping secrets.”

“Hey, how do you know if I’m horrible or not? Maybe I’m so good at keeping secrets that I just never tell you. Therefore, you think I’m bad at keeping secrets when I’m really the best secret keeper in the world.”

Sam started to laugh hysterically at Drake, and he pulled her onto the bed with him. They both knew that Drake was horrible at keeping secrets, and that was the truth. Drake held Sam on his lap while they sat in bed. She was wrapped in her pink silk robe with her hair wet from the shower.

“I just took my shower mister, you behave yourself.”

“Oh, I’m about to behave myself all over you,” Drake said as he untied her robe and exposed Sam’s naked body.

“Drake, I’m going to have to shower again,” she pretended to plead with him. “You’re going to wash me. I’m not doing all that work again.”

“Mmm, that’s a promise I can keep.”

He quickly grabbed her and threw her down on their soft bed before standing up and starting to take off all of his clothes. Everything about Sam made his body rock hard. He literally couldn’t think about any part of her body that he didn’t love.

As she lay there naked on the bed, Drake’s cock throbbed for her. He wanted to feel her softness around him and couldn’t wait to climb into bed with her so he could feel her body.

“Happy engagement day,” Drake said sweetly as his body pressed against hers.

“We should get married soon,” Sam said softly. “I just want something small with my family. How quickly could we make it happen? Maybe if I hired a planner, we could get it done in a couple of months?”

Drake couldn’t believe his ears. Sam had unwillingly just given him the go ahead to throw a surprise wedding. Sure, it was risky to surprise the bride with her own wedding, but then again, Drake’s entire life had been filled with risk; why should he change now that he was getting married?

“Sounds good. How about we look up some planners and see who we like tomorrow? I don’t have much going on at work.”

“We?” Sam asked.

“Hell, yeah, I’m only getting married once, and I’m going to be involved in planning the damn thing.”

“That’s a deal,” Sam said as she pulled Drake’s body into her.

Her hips thrust upward as she urged him to move deeper inside of her. His mind was filled with thoughts of how he could possibly plan a wedding in two weeks. There was no doubt he’d have to hire a party planner, and they were going to do it the next day. Whether Sam knew it or not, he was going to get her input on the wedding.

Their bodies moved together gently as they kissed each other and let their hands move over each other’s bodies. Drake loved the feeling of her soft skin against him and knew he would never get tired of having Sam naked in his bed.

He had fantasized about having her for so many years that it still felt unreal when they made love sometimes. His mind would flash back to a fantasy he had about Sam, and he would have to wonder if it was real life or one of his fantasies remembered.

Drake moved his body with Sam’s as they built up the excitement between them. Her chest heaved as she took in deep breaths and rocked her body in perfect timing with Drake’s. Nothing about their lovemaking was boring. Not way Drake moved his hips, nor the way Sam grabbed his back; it all worked together perfectly to form a cosmic explosion as they both finally erupted together.

When Drake fell onto the bed in exhaustion, he couldn’t help smiling at the realization he was lying next to his soon-to-be wife. Samantha had agreed to marry him, and he wasn’t going to waste a single moment. He was going to do everything in his power to throw a surprise wedding that still met all Sam’s requirements for being the wedding of her dreams.

“Um, don’t you fall asleep, fiancé of mine,” Sam said as she tugged on Drake’s arms. “You promised to wash me down in the shower.”

“Oh, no, I didn’t think you were serious. I’m too tired. I can’t move. My legs are cramping up,” Drake teased as he pretended to have leg cramps.

But all Sam had to do was smile at him, and Drake started to crawl out of the bed and go with her to the shower. Sam had that power over Drake for most of the time they had known each other. Even when she first started to work for him, Drake could remember how she would flash her smile at him and ask for something; he would always give in.

“I’m going to need every inch of me washed off,” Sam teased Drake.

“Yes ma’am,” he answered.

As they climbed into the large walk-in shower, Drake turned the wall of shower heads on and warmed up the water before Sam climbed in. The shower was big enough to fit several people and had a stone bench on one side of the area.

There were six shower heads that shot out from the wall and two from overhead. Drake had a remote control that he could use and make the shower heads work in different patterns and with different water strengths for a hydro massage while he showered. But he knew that Sam wanted a more personal touch while she showered, and that was perfectly fine with him.

One of the reasons he knew he wanted to marry Sam was the pure fact that he would do anything she wanted. He knew it in his heart. There wasn’t much she could ask him that he thought he would deny her. That hadn’t been the case with other women in his life, and he was certain Sam was the one because of this.

“Where should I start, Madame Holt?” Drake said in a thick British accent.

“I need my backside washed down. Please start there,” Sam teased in her own version of a British accent.

Sam was happier than Drake could remember seeing her, and he loved watching her smile and be carefree. For a while he would have sworn that Sam didn’t know how to have fun at all, but he saw her happy after his proposal and really since they had started dating, so he knew he was doing something right.

He finished washing her off, and they both enjoyed the warm shower as it beat down on their bodies. Drake was exhausted, though, and he felt himself starting to fall asleep after only a few minutes. All the excitement over the proposal and the dinner had him totally done for the day, and he needed to climb into bed and get some sleep.

Drake suspected that the next few weeks were going to be pretty tiresome, but if he played his cards right, he could make all of Sam’s dreams come true. As they both climbed out of the shower and dried off, Drake’s mind swarmed with thoughts of how to plan a wedding at such short notice. He felt the anxiety as it welled up in his body. He really had no idea what was needed to plan a wedding and didn’t know what Sam wanted either. They had to hire a wedding planner the next day, and then Drake would have to secretly tell her when the wedding really was.

He suspected that any wedding planner who was willing to accept a wedding that would happen in two months might be a little shocked if he wanted it to really happen in two weeks. But Drake knew that most people could be motivated greatly by money, and if he paid them enough, time wouldn’t be an issue at all.

Money would be no problem for Drake, and he was willing to pay anything that it took to make the wedding absolutely perfect. But he still needed some help. Drake needed someone who could help him in the planning and who knew Sam enough that they could make some of the decisions when Drake didn’t know what to do.

Drake was going to have to contact Scarlett in the morning and talk to her. Samantha and Scarlett had been best friends since the week with all the women in the house. It was an odd friendship since Drake had technically dated Scarlett, but since they hadn’t slept together, both of the women seemed to move forward without any issues.

Sam knew that Scarlett had her best interests at heart, and Sam had been looking out for Scarlett as well. Drake hoped that Scarlett would agree to help with the wedding planning and that she would want to be part of the whole thing.

Chapter 5

“So, let me get this straight,” Scarlett started to say as she sat at breakfast with Drake. “You proposed without even giving me the slightest of hints, and now you want to get married in less than a month.”

“Actually, in two weeks, but yes,” Drake said as he calmly drank his coffee.

“You are batshit crazy!”

“Is that a yes?” Drake laughed.

Scarlett was one of the best public relations people in the country, and her new Los Angeles firm had already been buzzing in the newspapers. She was busier than both Drake and Sam combined, but that was how she liked it, and Drake knew that. He wouldn’t have asked anyone else for help; Scarlett was the one who knew Sam best, and she would be the one who could talk with Sam and get details out of her when they needed them.

“Is she going to be alright with this?” Scarlett asked, getting serious for a moment.

“She said she wanted to do it fast. I think she’s going to love it. Of course, what do I know, though; I’m just a guy. That’s why I’m asking you for help. We are going to meet with a couple wedding planners this afternoon, and hopefully will find one willing to work at short notice.”

Scarlett made a stressed face at Drake as she started to rummage through her purse. Something he had said wasn’t making her happy at all, and he sat there waiting to see what she would pull out of her purse.

“Call him,” Scarlett said as she handed over a business card. “He owes me a favor; tell him I sent you.”

“Colin Firm?” Drake said with a chuckle. “He sounds like a porn star.”

“I think he used to be,” Scarlett said with a serious face. “But he can plan a party quickly, and Samantha will love him.”

Drake looked at the card and then back at Scarlett. He wasn’t sure he wanted a former porn star planning his wedding, but if Scarlett trusted him, then Drake was going to trust him as well.

“Can you call him and fill him in on our little secret? When I come to visit him with Sam, I’ll say it’s two months away, but it’s really two weekends away.”

“I’ll tell him.”

“Oh, and I need a reason to have a party that night. I don’t want anyone accidently telling Sam it’s a wedding, so I was thinking we could call it an engagement party. That way we could ask Sam more questions about what she might like without throwing her off too much.”

“Yeah, we can tell the guests it’s an engagement party. Is there anyone else you want to tell the truth to?”

Drake had to think about it for a moment. He didn’t want too many people to know what was going on, or the secret would get out. Instead, he thought almost everyone should be kept in the dark, including Robert and Sam’s family. Even though they had suggested the early wedding, Drake thought it would be great to surprise them with the wedding when they weren’t expecting it.

“Nope. Just you, me and the wedding planner,” Drake answered with a huge smile.

“Wow, this takes a lot of balls. She’s either going to love you forever or leave you,” Scarlett said with a shrug of the shoulders.

Drake obviously hoped Sam would love him forever, and that was why they were getting married. Sam had all but agreed to the early wedding when they were in bed the night before. Drake felt confident if he pulled off the wedding details, that Sam was going to love the idea.

“We do have one major problem, though,” Drake suddenly thought out loud. “The dress. We can’t just have one there for her. What if she doesn’t like it? What if it doesn’t fit?”

Scarlett thought for a moment and then decided that she would have to handle the dress part of the plan herself. There was no way she was going to leave that in the hands of Drake or the wedding planner. Scarlett knew clothes, and she knew her friend, Samantha, very well. She thought she would be able to find the perfect dress for her, but the problem was going to be getting a dress tailored to fit her.

“I’ll handle the dress situation; you and the wedding planner deal with the rest of things.”

Drake instantly felt relieved when Scarlett offered to be in charge of the dress. It had been his biggest worry, and with Scarlett in charge of it, he didn’t feel like he would have to worry about it at all.

“What else am I forgetting?” Drake asked as he flipped through some notes he had written down in his phone.

“I think we have enough for now; let’s get started, and we will keep in touch throughout the week,” Scarlett said. “I’ve got to get back to work.”

Drake knew Scarlett had been busy since she opened her L.A. office. Every time he and Sam had stopped by to see her at work, the office was packed with people. Scarlett had successfully remodeled the building, hired staff, and acquired a full load of clients in only a few short months. She was certainly an amazing woman; Drake couldn’t deny that.

“Alright, I’ll let you get back to building your empire. Thank you so much for helping me.”

“Oh, I’m doing it for Sam, not you,” Scarlett said with a wink.

The mischievous look on Scarlett’s face brought Drake back to the night he made his final decision after the women had spent the whole week at his home. Sam was angry with him and had gone right up to Scarlett and kissed her. He could still feel the gut-wrenching pain of jealousy when the two women looked like they were enjoying each other’s company more than Drake’s.

That whole week had been a series of events that Drake knew he would never forget. Not only had it given him the clarity to choose Samantha, it convinced Sam that she wanted to give a relationship with Drake a try. No matter what else happened, the week was worth it purely because of the outcome that he had obtained.

Out of all the women who had been at the house, Scarlett was the only one that Sam and Drake kept in close contact with. But they had talked with a couple of the other women since they left as well. Lauren and Scarlett were friends, and Scarlett had started to work with Lauren as a client. Lauren was one of her first L.A. clients.

Emily moved to Los Angeles and was working from a small apartment on the beach; she and Allison were very close friends and hung out often. Drake had even seen a tabloid story that said the two women were a couple, but he didn’t believe it at all.

Sometimes Drake forgot that he had slept with the women and just looked at them as friends. He had talked with Sam about the women and wanted to know if it made her uncomfortable to continue to be friends with them, but she insisted that it didn’t bother her. Sam was an amazing woman, and Drake was lucky to have her.

“Thank you so much for your help, Scarlett. I don’t care who you’re doing it for. I really appreciate you.”

Drake gave Scarlett a hug and sent her on her way so he could go through his notes and continue the planning process. He had pulled a list of things to do off a wedding planning site and was checking them off on his phone as he got started on each necessary item.

He really had no idea if he was going to be able to pull off a surprise wedding, but there was a part of him that knew he wouldn’t fail. Drake had spent his life mastering the art of completing impossible tasks; he certainly wasn’t going to let a wedding deadline be the one thing that he didn’t master.

After getting himself organized, he called the wedding planner that Scarlett had suggested. Luckily, she had already called him, and he was prepared to talk with Drake about the short deadline.

“I’m going to have to charge you extra for the rush deadline. It means I’ll have to stop all work on my other clients’ events,” Colin Firm said to Drake.

Drake had a seriously difficult time keeping a straight face every time he thought of the man’s name. He couldn’t help wondering if it was his real name or if he was using his porn name in the hopes of getting more clients from the novelty of it all.

“My soon-to-be wife is going to want to meet you. Can you come to the Starbucks on Twelfth Street around two this afternoon to meet her?”

“Yes, I can make that happen. I’ll have a ton of questions for her.”

“Remember, she thinks the wedding isn’t happening for two months. We will tell her the event in two weeks is our engagement party,” Drake said, starting to get a little nervous.

“No worries; I can plan an engagement party and a wedding,” Colin said.

Drake rolled his eyes as he took a deep breath and prepared to explain everything again to the wedding planner. He really didn’t have time for this.

“No, just a wedding,” Drake said curtly.

“Yes, but she is going to want to plan an engagement party and a wedding. I’ll need to work with her on both, even though they will be the same thing.”

Drake understood what Colin was getting at but wasn’t sure Colin really understood that there wasn’t going to be an actual engagement party. But Drake was exhausted and couldn’t stand the idea of trying to go through the whole thing again. He decided he would send Colin an email later in the evening after he and Sam had officially hired the wedding planner.

“Okay, I’ll see you at two this afternoon. Please be on time; it’s one of Samantha’s pet peeves, and I won’t be able to convince her to hire you if you’re late.”

“I’ll be there,” Colin said and then hung up the phone.

Drake didn’t feel super confident in Colin, but if Scarlett recommended him, he had to be good at his job. Plus, Drake didn’t think many other planners would be willing to give up their other clients for two whole weeks while they worked on his wedding; so he didn’t have many choices besides Colin.

The wedding was going to be there before he knew it, and Drake couldn’t imagine he would get much sleep between then and the big day. His mind was already swirling with information on what he needed to get done and what order everything had to take.

For a man who had never planned a wedding, Drake was getting nervous about everything he had to do. He was involved more than any man he knew and wasn’t all that sure it was a good thing. He desperately hoped he didn’t mess something up in the process of the planning. His worst nightmare was that he would forget some essential item that Sam couldn’t get married without.

He took a few deep breaths as he prepared for the next couple of weeks ahead. Drake was in for a marathon of wedding planning that was going to be utterly exhausting. But in the end, it would mean a wife for him and the happily ever after fairy tale ending to his love affair with Samantha.

Chapter 6

The meeting with Colin went off without a hitch, and for a good ten days or so, Samantha and Drake had done nothing except plan for their wedding. Sam wasn’t in nearly as much of a hurry to make decisions about things as Drake, but that was obviously because she thought the wedding was still weeks away.

Drake, on the other hand, knew that the wedding was right around the corner, and he couldn’t stop worrying about every little detail. One night, he stayed up all night long looking up different kinds of white flowers and which ones would be best for their wedding. Sam had only decided on white flowers and hadn’t decided on the type, so Drake and Colin had to make the decision themselves.

Colin had turned out to be everything that Scarlett had indicated he would be. He was on time, courteous, and knew what he was doing. Drake knew that he would do the best he possibly could, given the existing circumstances. The problem was, Drake needed to constantly provide more information and make so many choices that he had started to second guess everything that came out of his mouth.

He even started to second guess the idea of actually having the wedding as a surprise. Drake knew that Sam was confident she wanted to get married and knew that she was alright with doing it quickly, but he wasn’t sure she was going to be alright with not having a say in all the details of the wedding.

Samantha liked to be in charge, and Drake knew it. Even though she had been his assistant for many years, she still was in charge of almost every aspect of Drake’s work schedule. Any time he would add an event or forget to tell her about something, he could tell that it really bothered Sam.

So how was she going to handle Drake planning their entire wedding without her? He didn’t know, he could only hope that she appreciated all the work that had gone into it and loved him enough to still walk down the aisle with him.

Drake’s phone started to ring, and he fumbled with getting it out of his pocket while he was in his office. He didn’t want Sam to hear him talking on the phone and making arrangements but couldn’t risk missing calls, so he had his ringer turned on for the last few days.

“Are we invited?” Drake heard a chipper female voice ask.

“Who are we?” Drake teased, although he knew that it was Emily on the phone.

“It’s Emily and Allison.”

“Oh, no, you’re not invited, but Allison is,” Drake said as he tried to hold back a laugh.

The phone went silent, and Drake instantly felt bad. He was just joking with Emily; of course, she and Allison could come to the wedding. Drake was also inviting all the other women, although he only expected Scarlett and Lauren to agree to come.

“I’m kidding, Emily. Of course you can come.”

“Oh, Jesus, stop scaring me like that,” Emily said. “I’m really excited for you guys; I know Allison is too. We are so excited to come to your engagement party.”

Suddenly Drake realized that he was talking about the wedding, and Emily was talking about coming to an engagement party. He had almost said something about the wedding and ruined the whole surprise. It would have been horrible if after getting worried someone else would spill the beans; Drake ended up doing it himself.

“Okay, I’ve got to run. I’ll see you at the party this weekend,” Drake said as he got off the phone.

Drake was thrown off by his near slip and had to regroup his thoughts. But he still had so much planning to finish off. The biggest issue was still the dress. Scarlett was being hush-hush about the whole thing, and it was making Drake really nervous. He just wanted to know that the dress had been purchased and needed to know how they would be sure it fit Samantha. He needed to talk to Scarlett.

“How’s the dress hunt?” Drake said to Scarlett as soon as she answered her phone.

“It’s going fine; don’t worry about it,” Scarlett said.

She sounded carefree and unworried, and Drake couldn’t stand it at all. He had to know the details or he was going to go mad with worry. Samantha had to have the perfect dress; Drake wasn’t going to settle for anything else than perfection for her.

“You need to tell me more; I’m going mad worrying about this.”

“Okay, well you know all those dresses that Sam gives to Allison’s pageant charity?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I had Allison bring me a couple of them, and I gave them to the tailor who is working on Sam’s dress. She was able to get all of her exact measurements, so we shouldn’t have to worry about the fit of the dress at all.”

Drake breathed a sigh of relief that at least the dress was going to fit. But he still didn’t know if Samantha was going to like the style of the dress at all. But there wasn’t really a good way of ensuring she was going to like the dress style without actually showing her the dress.

“That’s fantastic,” Drake said. “But what about the design of the dress. What are you doing for that? Is it going to be an A-line? Sam doesn’t like those kinds of dresses.”

Scarlett started to laugh into the phone as Drake talked about the cut of dress that he didn’t want Sam to have. It wasn’t every day that you got to talk to a man about wedding dresses, and he seemed to know what he was talking about. Whether Drake actually understood what he was talking about or not, Scarlett was impressed by his dedication and understanding of how important Sam’s dress would be to her.

“I’ve tried to convince her to go try on dresses, but she’s not interested. We did spend an afternoon looking through a designer dress magazine, and I made note of the ones she liked and contacted the designers. There were only three who had a sample dress in Sam’s size, so I just chose one of those.”

Drake breathed another sigh of relief. Scarlett’s plan sounded better than any he could have thought up. He would be forever grateful to Scarlett for all the efforts she had put in to make the wedding perfect.

“Okay, thank you so much. I know you’re busy. I’ll talk to you later,” Drake said.

Drake and Scarlett had been talking almost every day over the last week as they made wedding plans. Drake didn’t want to keep Scarlett on the phone for too long because he knew how busy she was, but he did feel much better after getting some answers to the questions he had about Sam’s dress.

Drake couldn’t concentrate on work at all as he flipped through the list on his phone. He was pretty impressed with himself and all that had been accomplished over the last few days. Drake wasn’t a party planner, but he certainly could appreciate everything that went into that job.

There was one item on his list that Drake hadn’t even started yet, and he didn’t know what to do about it. The food at the party was one of the biggest details, yet he had agonized over what to have catered for so long that now he only had a few days. It was unlikely he would find a decent company to cater the wedding and even less likely that he would find the staff needed to serve everyone. Drake had to think outside of the box, but the problem was he couldn’t stop thinking about how he might ruin everything with his decision.

Ruining the wedding seemed to be a common theme in Drake’s thoughts over the previous days, and he just couldn’t get the idea out of his head. He thought about Samantha getting angry with him, her parents, his parents, the guests and even the pastor he hired to perform the wedding. No one was off-limits in Drake’s imagination, and he just knew someone was going to be upset at the wedding.

Then it came to Drake; he had a great idea for the wedding food and knew just how to make it extra special for Sam. A few years before, they had a young woman working in reception who left LeBlanc Enterprises to go to culinary school. Sam and she had been great friends, and Drake hoped that he would be able to reach her in time to plan for the wedding.

Rebecca Martinez was the woman’s name, but Drake didn’t have any of her contact information. The one person who did have the contact information was Sam, but Drake certainly couldn’t go and ask her for the woman’s phone number. He would have to figure out another way of getting the number, and quickly.

He dialed Colin to enlist him for a little help with securing Rebecca for the event.

“Colin, I know a young caterer that I would like to invite to cater the wedding, but Sam is the only one who has her contact information. Do you think you could talk to her and get the necessary info so we could use this woman?”

“Sure, what is her name?”

“Rebecca Martinez, but I don’t have her phone number. That’s what you’ll need to get from Sam.”

“You know, I’m going to charge you triple just for all the trouble you’re giving me,” Colin said lightheartedly, but Drake thought he was probably serious.

“You do what you have to do; I’ll pay you whatever you want if this wedding goes off without a hitch.”

Colin whistled loudly as he contemplated how much he could charge Drake and have Drake still pay it. What Colin didn’t know was that Drake would have paid almost anything to ensure his woman was happy.

“I’ll get in contact with Rebecca and convince her to cater the event,” Colin said optimistically.

“Thank you, Colin. I really appreciate you.”

“I know, I know; I keep hearing that. But show me the money,” he joked again.

Drake had started to like Colin, and even enjoyed his sense of humor. It wasn’t every day that Drake made friends with a porn star, and Colin was actually a really nice guy who knew a lot about event planning. Scarlett had been right about Colin, and Drake appreciated that very much. He hadn’t had the foggiest idea about who he would have hired.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow Colin,” Drake said.

“Yes, yes, we can talk tomorrow. Only a couple more days until the big day. I can’t wait to see Sam’s surprised face.”

Drake was eager to see Sam’s face when she realized what was going on as well. He wasn’t sure she was going to be happy about it all but knew she would be gracious, no matter what happened.

But Drake knew he would feel so much better once everything was over and the event had gone off without a hitch. Only a couple more days, and it would all be over, good or bad; it would be over.

Samantha had been talking a lot about their wedding and the engagement party. Drake knew she was excited to get married, and he kept that thought in his mind whenever he felt self-doubt about the planning of the event. Samantha loved him, and he loved her. That was all that truly mattered, and Drake knew it; so would Sam.

His gut kept telling him that their day was going to go off without a hitch, and by the beginning of the next week, Drake would be married. He couldn’t imagine what his life was going to be like as a married man, but he also couldn’t wait to call Sam his wife.

Chapter 7

“Is the dress ready?” Drake nervously asked Scarlett over the phone.

“Yes, don’t worry. Everything is ready on my end.”

Drake couldn’t help worrying. The wedding was less than twenty-four hours away, and Drake felt like there were still a million things to do. Everyone was starting to arrive for what they thought was an engagement party, and Drake was sure that he was going to accidently spill that it was a wedding. Every moment was consumed with trying to remember who he was talking to and what version of the story that person knew.

Their friends and family had all started to arrive, and everyone was eager to visit and talk with Drake and Samantha. They had family in from all over the country and even a few people from overseas. Drake had put Samantha in charge of visiting with most of them though, because she was the one who thought it was an engagement party. Samantha was laid back and not worried at all about the event because to her it was just another fun party they were throwing at the house.

“Have you been in touch with the other ladies? Are they all riding with you to the wedding?”

“Well …” Scarlett started to say and then trailed off.

Drake felt a lump in his throat at her hesitation and instantly worried about what it was that she was trying to tell him. His nerves were shot, and he couldn’t take anything going wrong on their wedding day.

“What is it?”

“All of the ladies have decided to come,” Scarlett said quickly.

“All of them?” Drake asked as he held one hand over his eyes.

He was at his office, so he could have some peace and quiet while he finalized the wedding plans. It was going to be a long day, and Scarlett wasn’t helping with the news she had just given.

“But don’t worry. I’ll keep the ladies with me, and we will all ride in a limo together to the event. They are genuinely excited to be part of the wedding and are happy for you.”

Drake still felt dread in knowing that Victoria, Sophia, and Cynthia had also decided to accept their invitation to attend the engagement party. Drake had not spoken to those three women since they left the house after their week with him, and he didn’t know where their minds were at after everything that had happened. At least, he had talked with Lauren, Allison, and Emily since then and knew they were all moving on and happy for Sam and Drake.

“I don’t even have time to worry about them, just promise you’ll try to keep them under control.”

“You don’t have anything to worry about. We aren’t all friends or anything, but we can all behave ourselves for a little bit of a party. They are probably just here to see one of your amazing parties. You know, everyone talks about them in the papers like they are better than even the Playboy Mansion parties.”

Drake couldn’t help laughing. He used to throw some pretty wild and crazy parties but wasn’t really into all that anymore. This wedding was going to be sophisticated and stylish. He hoped it would still be something everyone talked about, but more than that, he hoped that Samantha would be excited about it.

“I’ve got to run,” Drake said shortly as another call was coming in. “I’ll see you early tomorrow at the house. Thanks for your help.”

Drake switched over to a call from Colin. His heart rate was still up as he tried to calm himself and focus on the tasks that still needed to be handled.

“The flowers aren’t going to be ready,” Colin said without even saying hello to Drake.

They were long past pleasantries as both men had been working their asses off for the past two weeks. Neither of them had the energy to even be nice to each other anymore.

“What do you mean? Why?”

“Apparently, the truck they were on for delivery is stuck in the mountains, and they are waiting on a new one to arrive. They could possibly be here tomorrow, but the florist couldn’t guarantee it.”

“Goddamn it!” Drake yelled out.

This was not acceptable. He didn’t have time to find another florist, and he certainly didn’t have the energy to go over which flowers he wanted and all the arrangements that had to happen for the tables and wedding area.

“What do you want to do?” Colin said.

“Send a damn helicopter to the goddamn florist’s house and take her to the damn truck for all I care. Just get those damn flowers here.”

“No problem; I’ll make it happen.”

Colin had just needed the blank check okay from Drake to do what was necessary to get the flowers to the house. Not all of his clients were willing to spend money like Drake was, but it did make things easier. Almost anything could be accomplished if you had enough money to motivate people to get it done.

“Thanks, Colin. I know things are stressful, but I promise after tomorrow I’ll show you the appreciation you deserve.”

“It’s all good, Drake. This event is going to be fabulous.”

Drake sat quietly in his office as he tried to think about all the other details that could go wrong. So far, there hadn’t been any big disasters, and he knocked on wood, hoping that it continued that way. His nerves were totally shot, and he couldn’t imagine being able to do what Colin did for a living. It actually seemed much harder than running a company.

Everyone’s emotions were on high alert when a wedding was being planned. Drake suspected that Colin got yelled at almost daily. But he also suspected that Colin did a lot of yelling at vendors daily.

As Drake’s phone rang again, he dreaded who it was going to be and what sort of problem they were going to have. He didn’t even look at the caller ID as he answered.

“Hello.”

“I think you should come home and give me a full body massage,” Sam said.

“Oh, you think I should. Why is that?”

“I’ve just finished talking to no less than a dozen of our family members and getting them settled into their rooms in the house. I need a break. Where are you; I’ll come to you.”

Drake loved that Sam had spent the morning talking to family because he certainly didn’t have the time or patience to deal with anyone. He could barely keep himself together to deal with the items that he had to.

“I’m at the office, just finishing up a few things. I submitted the paperwork to make you the new VP of marketing position.”

“What? Already? Are you sure?”

Sam was quiet and seemed in no hurry for the new title or the new salary, but it was a long time coming. Almost every marketing idea they had implemented in the last few years had come from her. The only downside of making her a vice president was that Drake was going to have to hire a new assistant. He had gone through dozens of them before Sam took the position, but he suspected by avoiding sleeping with them, he would be able to find a much better staff, that might actually stick around.

“You will be great. I think it’s about time you had something else to do besides keep me busy.”

“I’m so excited!”

“We should go grab a drink and celebrate. Just get away from everyone for a few hours.”

“Yes. I’ll be ready at two, just swing by the gate, and I’ll come out.”

“Deal.”

Drake couldn’t wait to get a few minutes alone with Samantha before their big wedding day. There was one problem, more like a superstition, that he still had to figure out how to deal with. He needed to figure out how he and Sam could not sleep in the same bed the night before their wedding. It was an easy task if Sam knew the next day was the wedding, but since she saw it as their engagement party, it was going to be much trickier to find a reason not to be home that night. Drake hoped he would come up with something before the end of the day.

After finishing a few things at the office, Drake drove up to the street outside his house. He didn’t want to dare go into the parking lot as he knew one of his family members would be there and would want to congratulate him on everything that was going on.

“I feel like I just sneaked out of my parents’ house,” Sam said as she climbed into Drake’s car.

“It’s kind of exciting, isn’t it?” Drake leaned in and kissed Sam before driving away.

“This engagement party is turning into one huge event. Are you sure you don’t want to just elope?” Sam joked.

“Sure, let’s fly to Vegas tonight.”

Sam and Drake laughed, but it did make Drake feel much better about the whole wedding surprise. The anticipation was killing him, though, and it took every inch of willpower that he had not to tell Sam about the wedding. But he had come so far and wasn’t about to ruin his own surprise.

“Let’s eat; I’m starving,” Sam said, grabbing Drake’s hand and holding onto it.

The touch of her skin on his always got him excited. Drake could only hope that twenty years down the road, his body would still stand at attention when his beautiful wife touched his hand. It was a life goal that he would be eager to accomplish.

Drake drove them to a little chicken shack that was down by the water. It was one of their favorite places to visit on sunny weekend days, and he loved how quiet it was. They grabbed some chicken sandwiches and found a spot on the beach where they sat and watched all the beachgoers enjoying the sunny afternoon.

“Did you know that I love you?” Drake asked, looking over at his beautiful wife to be.

“Actually, I did know that.”

“I can’t wait to be your husband.”

“Drake, I can’t wait to be your wife. Nothing has ever felt so perfect, and I’m only sorry that I waited so long to say yes to moving things forward with us.”

“I’m not sorry you waited,” Drake started to say. “I don’t think I would have been a good enough man before, and I’m happy we waited.”

Drake had spent the previous five years screwing any decent looking woman that he wanted to. He hadn’t cared about their feelings or worried that he would be emotionally damaging them. Drake hadn’t cared about anyone but himself for most of the years that Samantha had known him. He didn’t blame her at all for not wanting to date him, she had made a very wise choice not to get involved with him.

“It’s weird that a sex-filled week with seven women is what finally changed our minds and got us together.”

They both laughed, but it was strange how things worked out. Samantha had been part of helping to cast the women who stayed with Drake. She had been the deciding factor on several of the women and had found him some amazing and kind women to date. But in the end, Drake wanted the one woman who had denied him for years and years.

He was happy that the week with all seven women had happened, but not because he slept with them or had crazy sexual happenings with them. Drake was happy that the week had happened because he grew as a man, and he knew what he wanted when the week was over. The week had also convinced Sam to give him a chance, and that was all they needed to build their happily ever after.

“I’m happy that everything in our past has brought us to this point. Whatever it was, good or bad. We are here and together, so that’s all that matters.”

Drake and Sam stayed at the beach for the rest of the afternoon. They cuddled and enjoyed the warm air and then watched the sunset before finally deciding to leave. For Drake, it was the last moments with his fiancé before seeing her in her wedding dress. He cherished that time and couldn’t wait for the morning when he would get to surprise her with the ultimate wedding day.

Suddenly, he had the perfect idea of how to get himself out of the house for the evening so he and Sam didn’t see each other at all on the night of the wedding.

As they climbed back into the car, Drake text Robert a cryptic message that told him to call Sam and frantically look for Drake.

There weren’t’ many people in Drake’s life that he could trust no matter what was going on, but Robert was one of those people. Robert didn’t know that the wedding was happening that weekend, but Robert made the call to Sam only moments later. He was a true friend, and Drake loved that he could count on him at all times.

“Robert’s calling,” Sam said as she answered the phone call.

Drake couldn’t exactly hear what was being said, but he heard Robert’s voice frantically talking to Sam. He tried not to smile at the urgency with which Robert was talking, but it was quite funny.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know. Robert is babbling on about something with that overseas client. I think he wants you to go into the office for a conference call with him or something.”

Drake grabbed the phone away from Sam so he could talk to Robert.

“The China client is angry?” Drake asked.

“If that’s what you need me to say,” Robert replied.

“Okay, yeah, I’ll meet you at the office. We might have to be there most the evening to straighten all of this out.”

“Christ, Drake, do I have to actually come to the office now?”

“Yes, I’ll meet you there in a few minutes. I just need to drop Samantha off at the house.”

As Drake hung up the phone, Sam just rolled her eyes. It wasn’t the first time that Drake got called away for work. Luckily, she knew the business well and didn’t get worked up at all when Drake had to make work a priority. Sam knew that he only went into work when things were absolutely necessary, and she didn’t mind it.

“I’ll hold down the fort, just wake me up when you climb into bed,” Sam said as they drove back to the house.

“I might just crash at the office if it gets late. But I’ll text you and let you know.”

“Alright, darling.”

Drake dropped Sam off at the house and then drove straight to work. He was going to have to explain everything to Robert, but that was alright. It wouldn’t hurt to let him in on the plans a little bit early.

Chapter 8

Samantha woke up to one of the most unusual scenes she had ever witnessed. Scarlett was standing in her bedroom with a garment bag in her hand and smiling broadly.

“This is one of the weirdest dreams I have ever had,” Sam said as she looked at Scarlett and then rolled over in bed.

“I’ve got your dress for you,” Scarlett said as she climbed into the bed and sat next to Sam. “The party is only three hours away, we need to get you up and ready.

Sam started to laugh. It hadn’t taken her three hours to get ready for anything in her entire life. She certainly wasn’t going to take three hours to get ready for her engagement party. Plus, she had a dress already picked out that she wanted to wear and didn’t know why Scarlett had brought over a different one.

“I don’t need help getting ready, and I’ve already got a dress.”

“Well, I think this one is better, and we need to get your hair and makeup done. I hired some people. They will be here shortly. Can you just let me do this for you? It’s my engagement party present.”

Sam rolled her eyes. She wasn’t the type of person to make anyone feel bad if they had gone out of their way to do something special for her. So, she reluctantly crawled out of bed and got herself ready for the hair and makeup people that were going to be arriving shortly.

“When will they be here?” Sam asked. “I’m starving.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Scarlett opened it to a crew of people. There were two ladies there to do Samantha’s makeup and one guy for her hair. There was also a woman there to do her nails. Scarlett didn’t know what shape Sam would be in with her hair and nails, and she wanted to be ready for everything that needed to get done. A bride had to look perfect on her wedding day.

“Thank you all for coming,” Scarlett said as she showed them to an area of the bathroom where they could set up.

Luckily, Samantha and Drake’s master bathroom was bigger than most apartments, so it was plenty large enough for them to set up and start working on Sam. One of the women pulled Samantha into the room and placed her into a chair so they could start their work.

“Food, I need food,” Samantha said as she turned back and looked desperately at Scarlett.

“I’ll go find some right now. Have fun!”

“I feel like a movie star, or a pig about to be slaughtered,” Samantha yelled after Scarlett as she left the room.

Now that Scarlett had Samantha started on her getting ready ritual, she let Drake back into the house so he could get ready. He still had a lot to do, and there were a few people that they needed to bring in on the secret before everything started.

Drake went right to his in-laws’ room and knocked on the door. His father-in-law answered, still in his pajamas. They had expected to have three more hours to get ready for the party, but Drake was about to give them a huge surprise.

“I have this tuxedo for you if you’d like. I took your advice, and we are going to have a wedding today,” Drake said to Mr. Holt.

In the background, Drake heard Samantha’s mother as she yelled and got out of bed to come to the door.

“What? Oh, my God. What? Today? I’m so excited!” she yelled.

“Shhh, Sam still doesn’t know. She thinks it’s the engagement party. Please let Robert know if you need anything. I’ll have the wedding planner bring you out to be seated before everything starts. Mrs. Holt and Mr. Holt, I’ll have you wait at the bottom of the stairs when it’s time so you can walk her out to the wedding in the backyard.”

“Oh, Drake, I’m so excited. Thank you for making this happen today,” Mrs. Holt said as she hugged Drake.

“Thank your husband. It was his idea.”

Mr. Holt beamed with pride that he had come up with the idea to hold the wedding early. Drake was excited that it was working out as well as it was, but he couldn’t wait to see Sam and know that she was alright with it all.

“I’m going to get back to work. I’ll see you guys in three hours.”

Drake went back to the front door where Colin was waiting for him. The two men had barely made it through the weeks of planning, but there they were, standing and ready on the big day.

“The flowers are here,” Colin said as he pointed to the front drive.

“Thank God. What else are we waiting on?” Drake asked with anticipation.

“Nothing. The caterer is here with all her staff. The clergy member. Everyone is ready to go. The guests will start arriving in a couple of hours.”

“Thanks, Colin; I’m going to grab a bite to eat.”

In the kitchen, Drake ran into Scarlett, who was getting some food for Samantha to eat while she got ready.

“She still has no idea what is going on. She thinks I hired a team of hair and makeup people just to get her ready for the engagement party. She humored me and let them into the room to work on her.”

Drake had to laugh; Samantha wasn’t the kind of woman who spent hours getting ready for anything. She must really care about Scarlett if she was willing to have herself tortured by hair and makeup for hours before any event.

“How about the other ladies? Is everything going well with them?” Drake reluctantly asked.

“Yes, I was going to ride with them here, but I think its better that they stayed at my house to wait. I’ve got a car picking them up an hour before the wedding, so they will be here and ready to go.”

“I still remember some of the fights that went down in the house during out dating week. Are you sure everyone is going to be able to behave themselves if they are all together again?” Drake asked nervously.

The last thing he wanted was a big scene at his wedding. He wouldn’t have even invited the ladies except that he and Sam had promised them a wedding invite when they had first started dating.

“They are excited for you. The only reason there was drama in the house was because everyone was fighting over the same man. There won’t be drama here. They are just excited to see you two again.”

“Alright, if you say so. I trust you.”

Drake really did trust Scarlett, and he knew Samantha did as well. She had been a good friend to them, and he was excited to watch her new company grow. Scarlett had thought about hiring someone else to manage her L.A. office, and she would return to Atlanta, but Drake really hoped she decided to stay. She and Samantha got along so well, and it was nice for Sam to have someone she really trusted around.

“I better get this food up to the bride-to-be before she bites everyone’s heads off. We both know how she can get when she’s hungry.”

Drake had to laugh. Scarlett was right; she knew Sam very well. Sam wouldn’t be a pleasant person to be around if there wasn’t food in her stomach soon.

Scarlett made her way back to the bedroom and had to laugh at the scene that was going on in the bathroom. There were two women working on Samantha’s makeup, one man doing her hair and another woman working on her toes. It certainly looked like a scene out of a movie star’s life.

“How’s it going?” Scarlett asked as she brought the breakfast sandwich she had made for Sam.

Samantha glared at her with a horribly intense stare and then eyeballed all the people around her.

“It’s going great,” Sam reluctantly said.

“You look beautiful,” Scarlett added.

Samantha was a natural beauty and really didn’t need all the people to work on her to make her any more beautiful. But Scarlett wanted Sam to have the full wedding experience, even if she didn’t know it was her wedding yet.

“I’ll have to thank you later for going to all this trouble for me. I’m really grateful,” Sam said, smiling.

Scarlett just laughed. Samantha looked like she was being tortured at the hands of a beauty group. It was quite funny to watch. Sam was being a great sport, though, and Scarlett knew she was lucky that Sam hadn’t refused the help. It would have made for a much more difficult wedding day if Sam hadn’t agreed to have her hair and makeup done.

After over two hours of primping and pampering, Samantha was all done up and looking amazing. Her hair was shiny and glowing in a beautiful updo, and her makeup looked fresh and youthful. Nothing had been done over the top or crazy. Scarlett had talked to the hair and makeup people ahead of time and told them what they should be doing for Sam’s look for the day.

Luckily, everything turned out beautiful, and as the team finally left the room, Sam looked in the mirror, and Scarlett could tell she was really happy.

“Are you ready for the dress?” Scarlett asked.

“I have one picked out, but I’ll take a look at what you’ve got.”

Scarlett knew that Samantha would wear the dress she had brought for her. Sam wasn’t the kind of woman who turned down a gift from someone. All Scarlett had to do was convince Sam to put the dress on; once it was on, Scarlett knew that Sam would know what was going on. Or at the very least she would suspect something was up, even if she didn’t quite know what it was.

“I had this one made especially for today. I’d be so appreciative if you’d give it a try,” Scarlett said.

Samantha walked with Scarlett to where the dress bag was hanging, and Scarlett slowly unzipped the dress from the bag. The beautiful lace of the dress flowed out of the bag, and Scarlett watched Sam’s face as she pulled the whole dress out of the bag.

“Wow, that’s amazing,” Sam said as she reached for the dress and touched it.

“I hope it fits.”

Scarlett knew that Sam was thinking the dress was not appropriate for an engagement party. The off-white lace looked much more like a wedding dress, but it was so beautiful, and Sam knew that Scarlett had it made just for her; she couldn’t resist at least sliding the dress on.

“It’s so beautiful.”

Sam took the dress and slid it down to the ground before she stepped into the middle of it. Scarlett helped by holding the dress as she pulled it up gently over Sam’s hips and then helped her get her arms into the right area.

“Well, at least it fits good,” Scarlett said as she zipped up the dress.

The dress was skin tight all the way down to the ground where it flared out slightly and had a small train. The intricate beading and lace work looked like it took hours to complete, and from what Scarlett had learned about the dress, it had taken months to hand stitch every bead and lace section onto the dress. They had been very lucky to have found a dress in Sam’s size that didn’t require many alterations to fit her body.

Boy, oh boy, did the dress fit her body. Every curve was covered perfectly. Scarlett couldn’t have seen the dress fitting anyone as well as it fit Sam. It was absolutely stunning on Sam.

“What do you think?” Scarlett asked as she spread out the small train at the bottom of the dress.

Samantha was silent, and Scarlett could see that she was pondering what to say next. The dress obviously looked like a wedding dress, and Sam would have been honored to wear it at her wedding, but she didn’t think it was at all appropriate to wear to an engagement party. On top of that, she’d had her hair and makeup done for hours to attend.

“It’s like my dream wedding dress. Would you mind if I kept it and wore it on my wedding day?” Sam asked as she started to unzip the dress.

“Actually, I think it’s perfect for today,” Scarlett said simply as she stopped Sam from taking off the dress.

Samantha looked at Scarlett and was totally confused about what was going on. She couldn’t wear the dress to her engagement party if she were going to wear it on her wedding day. It wasn’t right, but Sam wasn’t prepared to fight with her friend over the dress either.

“Is there something you’re not telling me, Scarlett?” Sam asked as she turned around in her beautiful wedding dress.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, this dress is exactly everything I have ever wanted in a wedding dress. Down to the single light blue bead right here. I told you about that idea a couple weeks ago and said it was my dream wedding dress idea.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s funny. Well, it looks good for an engagement party dress too,” Scarlett said, trying not to let the secret slip just yet.

“Where’s Drake? I need to talk to him,” Sam said as she went toward the door.

But Scarlett jumped in front of her and slammed the door shut.

“No, you can’t see Drake!”

Scarlett wasn’t about to let Sam jinx her own wedding by seeing her soon to be husband while wearing her wedding dress. She wasn’t big on superstitions, but that was one that she believed in. Scarlett wasn’t letting Sam out of that room until it was time to walk down the aisle.

“Scarlett, you tell me what’s going on right now, or I’m taking this dress off and putting my sweat pants on for the party,” Sam threatened as she stood near the door.

Scarlett didn’t know what to do. Sam looked so amazing with her hair and makeup done specially to match the beautiful dress. They only had a few more minutes until the music started, and it was time for Sam to walk down the aisle. Scarlett had to stall Sam for just a few more minutes and then everything would be ready.

“Sam, I know you want answers, but I need you to trust me. Remember how I asked you to trust me that last day when I was in the house. Remember when we went on that long walk, and you confessed to loving Drake but wanting to give him the opportunity to love someone better. I told you to trust me, and it all worked out just perfectly, didn’t it?”

“Yes, but …”

“But, nothing. You look beautiful, and that’s all there is to it. We aren’t going to talk about it anymore, and you are going to trust me. We have ten minutes to wait. Can you just put your trust in me for ten minutes?”

Scarlett wasn’t about to ruin the secret, and although she thought Sam was going to start figuring it all out very shortly, Scarlett wasn’t going to be the one to come out and tell her exactly what was going on. Part of the fun of the surprise was going to be Samantha realizing that it was actually her wedding day.

“Okay, I’ll give you ten minutes. But that’s it,” Samantha said as she hugged her friend. “But only because I love you.”

“Thanks, Sam. I promise it’s going to be well worth it.”

Chapter 9

“Is she ready?” Colin asked quietly as he peeked his head into Sam’s bedroom.

Colin had worked harder in the last two weeks than he was used to working on a whole wedding. But Drake’s promise to pay him whatever he asked for was a huge driving force and motivator for Colin to keep trucking along. It was also a great opportunity to show off his skills for the large and wealthy group of friends that Drake had who would also be attending the wedding.

“Yes, is her father at the bottom of the stairs?”

“Yep, and all the guests are seated in the backyard. They are starting to figure out what is going on so keep her away from her cell phone.”

Scarlett went and grabbed Sam’s phone off the nightstand and tucked it under the pillows on the bed. Samantha was in the restroom, and they had taken her dress all the way off to make sure she didn’t snag it or anything else. But it would only take them a moment to get it back on.

Samantha had thought about trying to slip on her other dress but decided against it. Scarlett was set on her wearing the dress she had made for her, and Sam didn’t want to make her feel bad at all.

“Let’s get your dress back on and head downstairs,” Scarlett said.

Samantha diligently stepped back into the dress and let Scarlett zip it up. She stood and examined herself in the full-length mirror, and she looked like an absolute angel. Every aspect of her hair, makeup and outfit was perfection.

Scarlett waited by the door for Sam and then opened it for her when she got there. It only took a minute for Sam to walk around the corner and to the top of the stairs where she looked down and saw her father waiting for her.

“No,” Sam said as the tears started to roll down her face. “Oh, my God, Daddy.”

“Hi, baby girl,” Mr. Holt said as he held his hand out for his daughter to come down the stairs.

Samantha was in full blown tears, and Scarlett instantly started to blot them dry and try to save her makeup from being ruined. But Scarlett herself was in tears from the excitement and the two women ended up standing at the top of the stairs as they tried to gather themselves back up.

They had worked so hard on her makeup, and Scarlett couldn’t let anything get out of place before the big moment. Luckily, the makeup artists were experts in wedding makeup and had used waterproof mascara. There was hardly a smudge on her face as the tears rolled.

“Scarlett, you seriously kept this all from me? I’m going to kill you,” Samantha said as she started to gather herself back up.

Scarlett knew that Samantha wasn’t serious. They had grown to be good friends over the last few months, and Scarlett wouldn’t have agreed to help Drake if she didn’t think the wedding was a good idea. But Scarlett knew Samantha and knew it might take her a few minutes to come to grips with the wedding happening that day.

“It was all Drake, he organized everything. I was only in charge of the dress.”

“It’s amazing. It’s so beautiful. I couldn’t have asked for anything else.”

Samantha started down the stairs and was in tears again as she looked at her father’s face. He was crying tears of joy as his daughter was about to get married to the man of her dreams. Mr. Holt and his wife had hoped their daughter would find a loving and caring man who she could marry, but over the years, Samantha had turned into a businesswoman and didn’t seem to have time for love. It melted their hearts that Sam and Drake had finally found love together.

“Daddy, I’m getting married,” Samantha said as she hugged her father.

She was so excited that her father was there to share her day with her. For years, Samantha hadn’t thought she would ever find the man that she wanted to marry. But as things developed with Drake, she knew he was the one and only man for her.

“I know. I’m so happy for you.”

“I wanted Grandma and Aunt Jenny to be at my wedding, though,” Sam started to say.

“Everyone is here; they are all out back just waiting for you to make your grand entrance,” Mr. Holt said as he held his daughter’s hand.

Samantha was shaking. Everything had been done without her knowing, and she felt like she needed to talk with Drake before she walked down the aisle. She wasn’t used to having him make all the decisions and felt like she was on a loose pile of rocks that could collapse at any moment.

When Scarlett reached the bottom of the stairs, Colin had just come inside from getting everyone ready on the back lawn. He was dressed in a black tuxedo and looked like he was ready to throw the wedding of the century.

“Colin, I need to talk to Drake,” Samantha said as she walked past her father toward the doors going out back.

“NO!” Everyone yelled at the same time.

Samantha stopped and turned around. She could see all the guests in the backyard and even saw Drake standing up by the flower-covered altar. Her hands started to shake, and she had to sit down. Everything was happening so quickly. She needed to talk with Drake before she walked down the aisle.

They had planned her entire wedding without telling her a single thing; Samantha wasn’t getting married without talking to Drake first, and that was all there was to it. Someone was going to go out there and get Drake for her or she was going to walk right past all those people and get him herself.

Scarlett could tell that Samantha was serious about wanting to talk with Drake so she quickly came up with a solution that would work for everyone. Samantha was the kind of woman who did what she wanted when she wanted to do it. Scarlett had to figure something out so that the wedding could continue on as planned, and Samantha would feel satisfied that she got to talk to Drake.

“Let’s bring you into the kitchen, then Colin can bring Drake into the living room. You two can talk through the door without him seeing you. I don’t want any bad luck on your wedding day.”

Samantha just nodded her head yes as Scarlett grabbed her hands and helped her up and into the kitchen. Everything was happening so quickly, and it was all out of Sam’s control. Yes, she wanted to marry Drake, but she had planned on making all the plans herself. She hadn’t planned on being left in the dark when it came to her own wedding.

Sam stood near the swinging door and waited for Colin to bring Drake to her. She just had to talk to him. She wasn’t even sure of what she wanted to say, she just knew she had to hear his voice before walking down the aisle.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Drake said from the other side of the kitchen door. “Is everything alright?”

Drake was terrified when Colin had come to get him and said Sam wanted to talk to him. All he could think about was that Sam had decided she didn’t really want to marry him, or that she was angry with him for pulling the wedding off as a surprise. His gut was in knots as he waited to hear Samantha’s voice.

He looked down as the door opened slightly and Sam reached her hand out for Drake’s. He grabbed onto her and kissed the back of her hand, then held onto her as they continued to talk.

“So, we are getting married today?” Sam asked.

She couldn’t believe what was going on. Samantha had expected to have her wedding quickly, but not that quickly. She was in shock and couldn’t imagine how Drake had managed to organize everything and pull it off without her knowing at all what was going on.

“I was thinking we should. I mean all our family and friends are out there and excited to be here for our big day.”

“You did all of this in secret. I should beat you,” Sam joked.

“Well, after we say our vows, I’m all yours for the rest of our lives to do whatever you’d like with. I’d prefer not to be beaten, though.” Drake laughed.

“You can’t even schedule your own work lunches. How on earth did you make all of this happen?”

It was true; Drake had relied on Sam to schedule most of his life for the past five years. But he hadn’t planned the whole wedding alone. Colin and Scarlett had been huge helps in the process. Even Samantha herself had helped with the process, although she thought she was planning a wedding that wouldn’t happen for a few months.

“You know I’m pretty damn determined when something is important to me. And you are important to me. I knew that I wanted to marry you, and I knew I didn’t need months to plan a wedding. As soon as you told me you were ready to get married, I went right to work. I hope you are happy with the plan.”

Samantha squeezed his hand and tried her hardest not to cry. This was exactly why she needed to talk to Drake before the wedding. She had to hear his words, his love, his heart behind planning the event so quickly. She was ready now to walk down the aisle and marry the man of her dreams.

“Thank you, Drake. Now get back out there; I’ll be down to meet you in a minute,” Samantha said as she squeezed his hand one last time and then let it go again.

Colin and Scarlett were standing behind Drake, and they both had tears in their eyes as they had been listening in on the conversation. It was a true love story, and everyone involved couldn’t wait to see Drake and Samantha say their vows to one another.

Scarlett went with Drake back out to the yard as Colin waited for Samantha so he could bring her back over to her father. Scarlett took her seat near the other six women, who had spent the week with Drake. They were all excited to have been invited to the wedding and were genuinely happy for Drake and Sam.

Scarlett knew that Drake was worried about the ladies being at his wedding, but Samantha wasn’t. Scarlett and Samantha had talked about that week many times, and Sam was happy it had happened. She often said it was one of the biggest turning points in her life.

“Are you ready?” Colin said, opening the kitchen door.

“I’m ready,” Samantha said as she ran her fingers under her eyes. “How’s my makeup?”

Despite not wanting to spend two hours getting her hair and makeup done, Samantha was happy she had agreed to Scarlett’s demand. Sam’s hair was perfectly styled for the wedding she had always dreamed of, and she hoped she hadn’t ruined her makeup too badly with all the crying over the last few minutes.

“It’s perfect,” Colin said as they walked back to where her father was sitting. “Wait for the music, and then I’ll open the double doors for you to come in. Walk slowly and take your time. This is your moment, and everyone is going to want to see you.”

“Thank you, Colin,” Sam said as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“You’re welcome. Now let’s make a beautiful wedding.”

Samantha stood with her father as they waited for the music to start. She had dreamed about her wedding day all of her life. Even when she had tried not to think about finding a man or love, Sam had sometimes still thought of her wedding day and what it might be like. She had never imagined a huge event and had never wanted a large wedding.

Everything was absolutely as she had dreamed it would be, and she couldn’t have imagined anything different. She was happy and excited to be marrying her best friend. Sam was overjoyed at the care and effort he had put into planning everything too.

He had really stepped up and shown her that he wasn’t going to sit back and let her do everything all the time. For the first time in her life, Sam saw a future for herself that included a husband and hopefully children. She felt like she was in the middle of a dream and hoped she could live the rest of her life right there in that perfection.

The music started, and her father held out his arm for her to grab onto. They walked slowly to the double doors and waited for Colin to open them.

“Congratulations on the rest of your life,” her father said.

“Daddy, I’m so happy.”

“It only gets better from here, darling. You are going to have one amazing life.”

Colin swung the doors open, and everyone stood up to watch as Samantha and her father walked down the aisle. The music played softly in the background, and Sam took the time to look everyone in the eyes and smile at them as she made her way toward Drake at the front of the aisle.

They were all happy for her. It wasn’t something Sam had experienced much in her life, but everyone was looking at her and smiling from ear to ear. Sam felt more blessed than she ever thought possible.

As she made her way down the aisle, she saw family members and close business associates. She saw friends of Drake’s and friends of hers; she even saw the ladies that had stayed with Drake for the week when he was trying to find love.

Many people wouldn’t understand why Samantha was so fond of that group of seven women, but she loved them all dearly. Each of them had something special that Sam admired, and that was why they had been chosen to come and spend the week with Drake.

Their intelligence, humor, and other personality traits were pieces of what Samantha knew Drake wanted in a partner. It had opened Sam’s eyes to see those women and learn that although Drake wanted each of those personality traits, he wanted something much more from a partner in life. Drake wanted something that you couldn’t always see when filling out a questionnaire. He wanted a partner.

It was something Drake had talked about over and over throughout the search process. He had looked for a woman that could be his partner in life, and Sam would always be grateful to the women who took a week out of their busy lives to help both Drake and Sam realize that they were the perfect partners for each other.

Sam didn’t hold any jealousy toward those women and would always welcome them into her home. It was their day-long dates with Drake that had changed everything and allowed him to see what he really wanted in his life.

Samantha stood in front of Drake with her hands in his as the pastor started the wedding ceremony. She couldn’t have thought of any other moment in her life that she would be as happy as she was at that very second.

Drake looked into his new bride’s eyes and couldn’t help thinking that he was the luckiest man in the world. The woman that he loved and cherished had agreed to be his wife. She was standing there with him in front of all their friends and family, and they were about to pronounce their love for each other.

It was a happy day.

As the pastor said the vows and Samantha and Drake repeated them, they both had tears welling up in their eyes. Not only had they found the love of their lives, but they had found it in each other. It was their own fairy tale wedding, and they couldn’t wait to spend the rest of their lives together.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the pastor said. “You may kiss the bride.”

Drake grabbed his new wife and dipped her down toward the ground as he kissed her gently. The group of their friends and family erupted into applause as they cheered the joining of Drake Leblanc and Samantha Holt in wedded bliss.

THE END

About The Author

Sarah has been writing since she was 16 years old and has published multiple Amazon bestselling books. No matter if her heroes are Billionaires, Bad Boys or both - she loves to write about hot and sexy alpha males, who are protective and sometimes bossy, as well as the women they crave. Her exciting stories are always steamy, with a lot of twists and turns and a guaranteed HEA that leaves you satisfied after a wild ride - just like it should be in the bedroom, you know?

Sarah loves to travel the world, because new places always inspire her. Right now she enjoys time in Europe while writing new books.

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