The second I walked through the door, pain crashed down on my body.

She wasn’t there.

I missed having her at my house every day, smelling dinner the second I walked inside. I usually spotted her before she noticed me, standing at the counter with her back turned to me. Her ass was firmer than a nectarine, and it looked amazing in the denim jeans she always wore. Sometimes, she hummed under her breath, not even aware she was doing it.

But now I walked into an empty house.

I set my satchel on the entry table then flicked on a couple lights. My body collapsed on the couch, and I stared at the blank TV screen, listening to the silence. Traffic and people were completely blocked out. With my small backyard, it didn’t feel like I was living in the city at all.

I pulled out my phone and texted her, my fingers hitting the screen harder than I meant to. My desperation was getting the best of me, and my hands ached to touch her. My sleeping pattern had been completely thrown off because she wasn’t beside me every night. When I arranged for her to move in with Christopher, I thought it was the best idea. But now, I regretted the decision. I want you. It was the first thing that came to mind. Despite how intense the statement was, it was exactly how I felt—in as few words as possible.

Then come and get me. Her sassy voice could be heard when I read the sentence. Her green eyes would be lit up in flames, beautiful and hypnotizing. I pictured her standing in just a black thong, ready to crawl on the bed with her ass in the air.

Careful, Vanilla. You know I’ll do it.

I’m making dinner with Christopher. I can come by later, unless you want to join us.

If I went over there now, I wouldn’t get any sex. Christopher would want to talk about sports and women, and I’d barely get a few words in with Rome. But the idea of sitting around and waiting for her seemed terrible.

I’d miss her the whole time.

I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.

See you then, Sexy.

* * *

Christopher opened the door. “Hey, man.” He shook my hand firmly before he invited me inside. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. What’s new with you?”

“Just work and your sister.” Rome was my favorite hobby, one that I never got tired of. I turned to see her standing in the kitchen, her face lit up with a smile just for me. I wanted to go to her immediately, but Christopher continued talking.

“So, you’re rich, but you run a nonprofit,” he said. “Where does your money come from?”

It was a nosy question, but I knew he was only asking because he was a financial advisor. He was merely curious. “I own a lot of real estate in prime locations in the city. Mostly commercial buildings and condominiums. My personal salary is an accumulation of all those things.”

“What about depreciation?”

The last thing I wanted to do was talk about business. “I’m gonna say hello to my lady. But we can continue this conversation when I’m finished.” I patted him on the shoulder so my brush-off wouldn’t seem too rude.

He nodded his head slowly then winked. “I understand you, man.”

I closed the gap between us, slowly getting closer to Rome until I could finally smell her. The smile she gave me was enough to make me soften. My exterior didn’t feel quite as hard. Normally, I felt like solid metal. But her flames were so scorching, she made me melt. “There’s my woman.” My arms circled her waist, and I kissed her softly on the mouth, not giving a damn if Christopher was looking. The second her lips were pressed to mine, I felt euphoric. She tasted like heaven, so sweet and ethereal. My hands tightened on her waist, and I continued the kiss longer than I should have—but I couldn’t help it.

She was the one to break away first, biting her bottom lip like she wished the kiss could continue. She averted her gaze immediately, like she was embarrassed by the affection she’d just displayed in front of her brother. “Hope you’re hungry.”

My eyes were glued to her mouth. “Starving.”

Rome picked up on my double meaning, her cheeks flushing slightly. I pictured her ass looking the same way, red from my palm. “Want a beer?” She retrieved a bottle from the fridge without waiting for my response.

“Sure.” I twisted off the cap and took a drink.

“You can have a seat. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”

I didn’t go over there to spend time with Christopher in front of the TV, but whatever. “Need help with anything?”

“Nope.” She turned back to the counter and continued slicing the vegetables.

I walked into the living room and sat on the couch, Christopher perched on the other one. “So, what were we saying?”

“All your thoughts fell out of your head when you looked at her, huh?”

I smiled before I took a drink. “Something like that.”

* * *

After dinner, Rome entered the kitchen and washed the dishes.

Christopher talked to me about IRAs and other financial bullshit before he nodded toward the hallway. “There’s something I want to show you.”

“Where?”

“In my bedroom.” He left his beer on the dining table.

I raised an eyebrow, not interested in entering another man’s bedroom.

“Just come.” He walked down the hallway with me behind him. Once we entered his bedroom, he shut the door behind us.

And that made things weirder.

He crossed his arms over his chest and faced me, keeping his voice down. “Alright, I wanted to talk to you about something without that pain in the ass overhearing.”

Now I was interested. “What’s up?”

“She’s having some problems at work right now, and she needs to walk away from the business. She’s been losing money for a long time, and keeping For All is doing more harm than good. I know she mentioned she applied to your company a few times but never heard back. I was wondering if you would give her a job.”

I would give her anything she wanted. But why was I hearing this from him instead of her? “Why is this a secret?” Rome should trust me by now. There was nothing she could say to me that would upset me.

“Because she refuses to ask you for anything.” Christopher rolled his eyes. “She doesn’t want you to think she’s interested in you for your money, wealth, and connections. So, she’s stuck in this shitty situation until something better comes along. But nonprofit work that actually pays is slim pickings. She’s gonna be in that shithole forever unless you give her a helping hand.”

I processed everything he said, feeling moved about her priorities. She could ask me for help, but she refused to because I was too important to her. She valued our relationship more than making her life easier. Most women didn’t care about me beyond my fucking skills, wallet, and empire. Her gesture meant more to me than I could ever put into words. With Christopher watching me, I kept my emotions below the surface, wearing my stoic expression like always. My thoughts were always a mystery to everyone around me—except Rome. “I’ll take care of it.”

“How?” he asked. “I don’t want her to know I had anything to do with this.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it.”

He smiled and shook my hand. “You’re the man. If you ever want to marry my sister, you have my blessing.” He winked then opened the bedroom door and raised his voice so Rome could hear our conversation. “Yeah, the Dow is doing terrible right now. Might have something to do with the election. There are so many variables when it comes to the stock market that nothing is certain, you know?”

We entered the kitchen area, and I nodded along. “I agree.”

Rome had just shut the dishwasher. “Do you guys ever talk about anything else besides finances? Like sports?”

“Actually, yeah,” Christopher said. “We were just talking about how you could benefit from some cooking lessons.”

Rome crossed her arms over her chest, giving a hateful look that was scary but borderline cute. “I’m not cooking you dinner again.”

“Good.” Christopher walked into the living room and snatched his beer off the dining table. “I’ll have beer for dinner.”

She rolled her eyes when he wasn’t looking.

Now that dinner was finished and we were face-to-face, I wanted to get out of there. Every moment my dick wasn’t deep inside her was wasted time. “Let’s go to my place.” I didn’t ask her because it wasn’t a request. Christopher was cool, but I wasn’t interested in spending time with him. My interest in Rome was very specific. All these dates and dinners were only part of the plan to get what I wanted.

“Now?” she asked.

“Right. This. Second.” I stared her down without blinking, amazed by the beauty of her green eyes. I couldn’t wait until they sparkled for me while she came as she dug her nails into my arms.

When she bit her bottom lip slightly, just a mere instant that was nearly impossible to catch, heat soared up my throat and into my mouth. I wanted to breathe hard into her mouth and for her to listen to how much I wanted her. “Let me get my purse.”

I smacked her ass gently as she walked past me. “Hurry.”

* * *

The instant we entered the house, our lips were locked and our arms were tangled together. Clothes fell to the floor as we maneuvered up two flights of stairs, our mouths still moving together with desperation. Before we entered the bedroom, I managed to make her moan twice.

When her naked body hit the mattress, I climbed on top of her and separated her thighs with my knees. She was finally ready for me to take her. It was just her and me, and her naked body was ready for me to enjoy.

I wrapped her gorgeous legs around my waist and tilted her hips as my cock inched inside her. This was my favorite part, the beginning and not the end. Her eyes always lit up when I sank into her, and her pussy stretched noticeably, resisting the thick intrusion. Her tightness always reminded me of her innocence, that I was the only man ever to fuck her. Her slickness always greeted me with open arms, and the groan that escaped her voice was mixed with pleasure as well as pain.

Her hair cascaded around her and across the mattress, the brown locks in slight curls. She wore very little makeup, but I could see dark mascara around her eyes. Her eyelashes were thick and long, making her already beautiful eyes look majestic. Her nipples were hard and her chest was red, obvious signs of arousal. Her lips were slightly parted, the tip of her tongue sitting behind her teeth.

“You have no idea how fucking beautiful you are.”

She ran her hands up my chest, feeling the solid slab of concrete. “Yes, I do. Because I see the way you look at me.”

Naturally, my eyes softened. Her words were sweet and unexpected, and they somehow made me feel warm inside. For the first time, I didn’t want to hurt her. Treasuring her, adoring her, and feeling her was enough.

Vanilla sex wasn’t so bad—not bad at all.

I slid deep inside her until my balls hit her entrance, resting against her ass. My arms were locked on either side of her head, and I slowly began to thrust, rolling my hips as I slid in and out of her. Like a hand squeezing my length, she was tight. If she weren’t so wet for me, this might not have worked.

Her hands snaked to my biceps, her fingertips curling around the muscle and her nails digging in. Slowly, she moved with me, using her legs as an anchor to reposition her lower body. When I slid inside her, she moved to take more of me. The possibility of pain never deterred her from having me. It didn’t matter how big my dick was—she still wanted me.

This was what I’d wanted all day. When I was at work, I couldn’t stop picturing her underneath me like this. There were no whips or chains, but it was still unbelievable. Only a woman like Rome could entertain me through sex as slow and gentle as this. One day, I would get bored of it. But for now, I was fully entranced.

“You make me come so fast…” Redness spread to her cheeks, her eyes darkening in pleasure.

“The feeling is mutual, sweetheart.” My hands pinned hers to the mattress above her, dominating her as best I could. I thrust into her harder, giving her more of my length than she’d ever taken before.

Her fingers interlocked with mine, and her moans turned to screams. Her pussy clenched around me as she flew over the edge. Writhing and moaning, she came all over me, her pussy soaked and sheathing my dick in her juice. “Calloway…fuck.” She rode the high for nearly a minute then bit her lip, looking into my eyes with pure satisfaction.

When she gave those amazing performances, I wanted to ride the same high, to give in to the most natural feeling in the world. But I wanted to see her eyes roll into the back of her head again, to hear those screams get louder.

I dug one hand into her hair and pressed my mouth against hers, my eyes still focused on hers. There was so much moisture between us that my cock moved with less resistance. My sheets would be covered with the lubrication that leaked down her ass and underneath her. But I loved feeling her arousal caked over my length. I loved pleasing my woman as much as she pleased me.

“Calloway…I want your come.”

For being vanilla, she said the dirtiest things. “You want it, sweetheart?”

“Yes,” she said through her heavy breathing. Her nails dug into mine, and she looked straight into my eyes, watching my expression just as I was watching hers. “I like watching you come…”

“How ironic. I love watching you.” I thrust into her harder, crashing my headboard into the wall and nearly snapping it in two. My body pressed her into the mattress, rumpling the sheets with our movements. Sweat covered us both, but the sensation was worth every minute of the exertion.

I kissed her hard, bruising her lips with mine. Together, we breathed as one, taking as much of each other as we could. My mouth treasured her everywhere, moving to her neck and her succulent nipples. When my mouth touched hers again, she came once more.

The second I felt her tighten around me, I let myself go.

I locked my eyes with hers and came with a groan, releasing with her at the exact same time. I shoved my length deep inside her, wanting to make sure she got every single drop. There was nothing sexier than sleeping next to the woman I just pumped full of my seed.

She slowly came down from her high, her fingertips moving through my damp hair. Her ankles locked together, and it didn’t seem like she wanted me to pull away anytime soon. Her nipples slowly softened, and the sweat on her chest looked lickable. “I wish we could do this all day, every day.”

Those words lit me on fire once again. Instead of pulling out and hopping into the shower, I wanted to stay right there. “We can do this all night.” I licked her sweat away, tasting the salt on my lips, and once again, I was hard.

She dragged her nails down my back, nearly slicing me open as I thrust into her again. “God, Calloway… Where have you been all my life?”

I kissed the corner of her mouth as I rocked into her. “Waiting for you.”

* * *

I met Rome for lunch.

Looking sexy as hell in a tight pencil skirt and a skintight pink blouse, she nearly made my jaw drop. Somehow, she looked just as sexy with clothes on as she did when they were on my bedroom floor. Her slender legs looked toned in the stilettos she wore. Absolutely breathtaking, she walked into that restaurant without any clue how many men were staring at her.

When she spotted me at the table, she walked over to join me.

I nearly forgot to rise to my feet to greet her. I was hoping she would sit in my lap instead. “Hey, sweetheart.” I wrapped my arm around her waist and gave her a kiss that was considered PG.

“Hey, Sexy.” That’s how she always addressed me, and it was my favorite nickname I’d ever been given.

I pulled out her chair and sat across from her, all logic and reasoning going out the window. All I could think about was how perky her tits looked today. Her sexy bra made her rack look incredible. The hollow of her throat looked like it needed my tongue’s attention. Actually, her entire body looked like it needed my attention.

“You always look at me like that.” She grabbed the menu and lowered her gaze to read it.

I didn’t pretend I didn’t know what she was talking about. I owned up to it like a man. “Because I’m obsessed with you.” What was the point in sugarcoating it at this point? Ever since she slapped me in that bar, I’d been hard up. It didn’t matter how many times we fucked, or how much furniture we fucked on, I still wanted more of her.

“Every time you look at me?” She looked up at me again, her eyes flirtatious.

“And every time I’m not looking at you.”

The corner of her lips rose in a smile.

“I’d fuck you right now if it weren’t illegal.”

“Too bad,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to do it in a public place.”

My eyes narrowed as she teased me. It was arousing, but that was dangerous for her. I could take her in the bathroom right now, not giving a damn who was in the next stall. “Careful, sweetheart. I’ll make that happen right now if you keep this up.”

The tension rose between us, palpable and scorching. Her leg moved to mine under the table, and she brushed up against me seductively, wanting my enormous cock inside her right then and there.

I did my best to ignore my raging hard-on in my slacks.

Fortunately, the waitress came to our table and dimmed the mood. Once the food and drinks were ordered, she left us alone.

I watched Rome’s beautiful face, wanting to wrap her brown hair around my fist until I had a good hold on her. Fantasies came into my mind, each one of them involving rope, chains, and my palm. She was obedient, doing as I asked without hesitation. She didn’t meet my gaze until I commanded her to. She only referred to me as Sir.

She could read my emotions, but thankfully, not my thoughts. “You’re doing it again.”

She didn’t know the half of it. “There’s something I need help with. And you’re the perfect person to turn to.”

“I’m not giving you a blow job in the bathroom. I’ll admit I’m a little slutty with you, but I have some class.”

I smiled, something so rare I nearly forgot how to do it. This woman made me feel things I hadn’t felt in decades. “What little class you have left is about to disappear. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about.”

“I’m listening.” She adopted her professional composure, staring at me intently with open ears.

“The head of the Homeless and Working Class Department just resigned a few weeks ago.” Actually, I just promoted her to a higher salary position two days ago. “I haven’t found a suitable person to replace her and wanted to see if you were interested. The primary duties of this role are to orchestrate food and clothing drives for the homeless, as well as work to find them suitable jobs. The working-class aspect focuses on programs to aid underprivileged communities, single-parent families, etc. If you’re interested, I’ll write you a formal offer letter with your salary listed. With your experience and education, I truly believe you’re the best person for the job.” Rome was smart, compassionate, and no one would do a better job than her. There was no doubt her heart was in the right place, and frankly, she could help a lot more people with a bigger budget and team members.

First, she was shocked. Her mouth opened slightly at the incredible offer I just gave her. Her eyes lit up the same way they did when we were in bed together. But instantly, that delight changed to suspicion. “Did Christopher ask you to do this?”

I played dumb. “To get you to move out? He may have mentioned you were a little annoying, but no, he didn’t ask me to offer you a job.” I didn’t have a problem lying when it came to someone else’s privacy. “If you don’t want it, you don’t have to take it. I just thought I would talk to you about it because the position is open. I understand you’re passionate about your company, so if you want to stay there, that’s perfectly fine.” The more aloof I appeared, the more likely it was she would consider the offer.

Her suspicion died once she heard everything I said. “I don’t know what to say… I’m flattered.”

“I’m not trying to flatter you, sweetheart.” Although, I loved it when her cheeks turned red like that; it made my palm twitch under the table. “Does that mean you’re interested?”

“Of course, I am.” She chuckled as if the question were humorous. “I’ve been having some problems with For All lately, and I’m not sure if I can solve them.”

I knew she had a scary amount of debt from student loans and running a nonprofit all on her own. Honestly, I was surprised she’d lasted this long. “I think you’ll be able to help people just as much, if not more, with Humanitarians United. If you walk away from your company, you aren’t abandoning the people you serve. You aren’t abandoning this city or the community. I really think you’d be a great asset to the team.”

She smiled in that beautiful way that went straight to my heart. “You’re so sweet, Calloway.”

I wasn’t trying to be sweet. I was working to make her my submissive—the best submissive I would ever have. “Does that mean you accept my offer?”

She fingered her water glass without taking a drink. The glass was full of ice cubes, water, and a single lemon wedge. Condensation collected on her fingertips, reflecting the sunlight that came through the window. “I don’t know…”

I hid my irritation deep in my gut, forcing myself to remain patient. “What’s your hesitance?”

“You don’t think it could be a problem? Us working together?”

If I had it my way, she would be bent over my desk every time I called her to my office. Her skirt would be bunched around her waist, and her panties would be around her ankles. Looking across the city, I would thrust into her and fill her with my seed, feeling like a king. “Why would it be a problem?” I fingered the black ring on my right hand, eager to slip the black diamond onto hers.

“Because we’re seeing each other, Calloway. Won’t that make people uncomfortable?”

“No one needs to know, sweetheart. And if it does make them uncomfortable, they can find another job.”

She was warming up to the idea but still hesitant. “Are you sure about this? Maybe you need to take some time to think it over.”

Nothing annoyed me more than someone doubting me. “I’ve been running this company for a long time. I believe I have the experience and capability to make important decisions on a daily basis.” I didn’t hide the anger in my voice. I didn’t stop unclenching my jaw either. “No, I don’t need to think it over.”

She knew she’d crossed an invisible line. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Then don’t,” I said coldly. “You want the job or not?”

Instead of answering right away, she sighed. “What if we have a fight? What if we break up?”

“Even if we have a disagreement, I’m sure both of us can remain professional at the office. And secondly, we aren’t going to break up.” The certainty didn’t come from any belief in our relationship. It derived from obsession. There was no way in hell I was letting her walk away from me unless I was ready to let her go.

And I knew I wouldn’t be ready for a long time.

“We aren’t?” she asked quietly, her eyes soft.

I crossed my legs under the table, my hands resting together on my knee. She was a fiery opponent, someone who didn’t settle for less than what she deserved. If she didn’t agree with something, she had no problem voicing her opinion. “If you think I’d ever let you go, you’re sadly mistaken.”