“You know what you need, Todd? With everything so hectic at The Sausage Shack, you need to get out for a night and blow off some steam. Hold on.” My brother Scott’s voice was muted a bit as if he were holding the phone aside while he fussed at my niece. “Heather, honey, please don’t pull the kitty’s tail. Hear her hissing? She doesn’t like that. Where is your father?”

Justin’s voice was clear in the background. “I’m right here, Scotty. Go ahead and talk to your brother, I’ve got our little stinker.” He raised his voice to call out in case I couldn’t hear. “Hey, Todd! Sorry we haven’t been down to visit lately.” I heard Heather’s giggles while Scott came back on the line with a sigh.

“Would you believe that’s the third sorry so far this morning?” Scott asked in a stage whisper, always quick to tease my Canadian brother-in-law about his compulsive use of the word sorry.

“Only the third? Wow, he’s slipping,” I laughed. “Seriously though, if you need to get off the phone…”

“No!” Scott responded quickly. “Are you kidding me? I haven’t talked to you in forever. What’s it been, two days?”

“Holy crap!” I pretended to be horrified. “Two whole days? How have we ever survived?”

“Hush, Mr. I’m-too-busy-handling-sausages-and-overseeing-the-renovations-of-old-outbuildings-on-my-property-to-have-a-life. From looking at you, you’d never know that the rest of the family were a bunch of rootless vagabonds.” Scott’s familiar laugh made me smile.

“Shut up, Mr. I-own-an-exclusive-B-and-B. Face it, we’ve both managed to grow up and put down roots.” I smiled sadly, wishing yet again that I’d put down the complete roots that my brother had—the kind that came with a family of my own.

“Don’t get maudlin on me, I can hear that wistful note in your voice. If you want a man, that’s not going to happen if you don’t actually leave your property and, I don’t know, maybe go meet people?” Scott chided gently.

“It’s not that easy. Things have been getting busier and busier around here. Oh, did I tell you? I hired that guy—the cicerone that I told you about.” I snuck a peek through the window in the kitchen door, trying to gauge how many patrons were left before I could close up for the night. Closing time wasn’t officially for another twenty-five minutes, but at this point I probably wouldn’t be getting anyone else.

“Remind me again, what the heck is a cicerone and why do you need one? Oh, and more importantly—is he hot?” Yeah, my brother with the important questions.

“Like I told you the first time, it’s a certification for brewmasters. Think of it like this—a cicerone is to beer what a sommelier is to wine. And yes, I fully realize how much that sounds like the answer to an SAT question. Basically, it just means that he’s overqualified to come work in my little beer garden and I’m beyond lucky to get my hands on someone like him.”

Scott huffed a breath in my ear. “And yet, you still didn’t answer the important question. Although I’m interested in hearing more about you getting your hands on him. You need more of that in your life, Todd.”

“How the hell would I know if he’s hot?” I moved around the kitchen, setting things down and wiping down surfaces, using my earpiece to talk. “It’s not like I made the guy submit a photograph with his resume. That would have been inappropriate, as would putting my hands on him, which is something that you should know if you’re ever planning to hire staff.”

“Gee, I don’t know—maybe you could have looked him up on Facebook or something? Forget getting handsy for the moment and go Google that man, honey. That’s what I would’ve done in the first damn place.”

Picking up the kitchen spray, I started spritzing the metal surfaces where we prepared the food. “It doesn’t matter what he looks like, Scotty. I’m not going to date my staff. Trust me, I had a hard enough time finding someone with his skills who’d be willing to take the small salary I had to offer. There’s no way I’m risking losing him by shitting where I eat.”

“Hey, don’t underestimate yourself, bro. You’re giving him a decent salary for Hollydale standards, and a free apartment. Of course you can’t compete with big city money, and why would you? If he wanted to move to a small town, I’m sure he was already expecting the smaller salary that came with it. Come to think of it, why is he willing to come to Hollydale if he’s some fancy brewmaster?”

“He’s a single father and wanted to have a slower pace to raise his son. I’m just lucky the renovations got done in time to offer him the apartment. That was a good idea you had for me to redo those old buildings.”

Scott snorted. “Of course, I have all the best ideas. And like Justin said, it was sad to see those buildings just sitting there. This way, you’ll have some extra income from the rental apartments, too. It’s a win-win. Now, what are your plans for the brewmaster? Are you going to let him handle your sausage or what?”

“The only sausage getting handled around here is in this kitchen.” I laughed as I began sweeping the floor.

“I wish you knew how sad that sounded…” My brother tsked in my ear.

“Anyway…” I was still chuckling as I expertly dodged his innuendo and answered his previous question. “Now that I have the restaurant running smoothly, it’s time to expand the beer garden. People love the outdoor dining area, but now I want to offer artisanal beers, and that’s where Hugo comes in. I figure by the time Oktoberfest rolls around, we’ll have something special going on here.”

“And when does this Hugo arrive? I’m only asking because there’s still time to Google if you’re so inclined.”

“Stop, Scotty,” I laughed. “He arrived this weekend and starts tomorrow. I haven’t had a chance to greet him because the weekend is so busy.”

“Which brings us back full circle to you needing to get out and blow off some steam. Hey, aren’t Sundays omega nights at the Big O now? I think Tom was rambling about that the last time we talked when he was filling me in on all the local gossip. You need to go and get yourself some stress release. Find some hunky alpha and take him upstairs.”

“Upstairs? I’ve heard rumors of that area but I’ve never left the lower level to investigate the few times I’ve ventured in there. Seriously, Scotty. That’s more your speed than mine—or it used to be, anyway, before you met Justin. I mean, they have cage dancers in those big birdcage things around the dance floor. I can’t even imagine what they have going on upstairs.” While I couldn’t imagine it, I was more than a little intrigued after some of the rumors I’d heard, not that I would ever admit that to my brother.

Scott laughed in my ear as if reading my mind. “You and I both know that you’re dying to find out. Now come on, close the restaurant down for the night and put on your dancing shoes. I’m going to call and nag you tomorrow for details, so don’t you dare disappoint me. I’m an old married man living in the frozen Canadian wilderness, I need to live vicariously through you—so like I said, don’t you dare disappoint me.”

I tried my best, really I did. I’d even danced with a few alphas, but nobody was checking my boxes tonight. Honestly, I really should’ve just stayed home and cuddled up to Rafe’s new book that was waiting on my Kindle. I settled onto a barstool and raised a hand to get the bartender’s attention. “Can I get a beer?”

“House draft okay?” The man stifled a yawn as if he had better things to do than wait on me.

Just as I started to agree, the scent of crisp apples filled the air as an alpha slid on the stool beside me. He shot me a friendly smile. “If I might be so bold? I see they have Sierra Nevada Brewing Company’s Hazy Little Thing on the menu. It’s bold and juicy, and just the thing for a hot summer night.”

I wasn’t sure if it was the way he seemed so excited to share his knowledge, his clean, sweet scent, or that charming smile—but I found myself smiling back at him and answering boldly. “Sure, I’ll try it. But only if I can buy one for you.”

He held up two fingers to the bartender without ever taking his eyes off me as he stretched out a hand. “I’m new here in town. My name is…” Whatever he said was lost when the DJ chose that moment to crank up the bass and someone bumped into my other side, sending me sprawling halfway onto his lap.

As he helped me back onto my stool, I couldn’t pull my gaze away from his striking gray eyes. I stammered out my own introduction as the bartender slid our drinks in front of us. I grabbed my bottle with relief, practically draining it with one swallow before he held up a hand.

“Easy, you’ll want to slow down a little bit so you can savor it.” He paused when he noticed the low amount of liquid left in my bottle, then grinned toward the bartender and held up another two fingers. “Or not, in this case. But that’s okay, there’s more where that came from.”

Whether it was from the liquid courage or his easy smile, I couldn’t say, but I quickly decided that this was much more fun than I would’ve had at home reading tonight. After my third beer, I pulled him out onto the dance floor. We started out getting a feel for each other’s rhythm, but before long he was snugged up behind me with his hands resting on my hips as his own ground against my ass.

Reaching back with one hand to pull him closer while stretching my other one up to tug at his sweat-dampened hair, I was pretty much down for anything. His voice was low and seductive as he murmured in my ear, “I’m not usually this forward, but would you like to get out of here?”

I thought about that for a moment. There was no way I was taking him home and risk having my employees see a one-night stand slinking out of my apartment tomorrow morning, and I also wasn’t going to a motel. My brother’s words floated through my head and I channeled my inner Scott as I looked back at him over my shoulder. “Why don’t we wander upstairs? I’ve never been, but I’ve heard that it’s an adult wonderland.”

He hesitated briefly as though thinking it over before nodding decisively and nipping at my ear. “Lead the way, hot stuff.”

Taking a deep breath, I caught his hand in mine and tugged him toward the second-floor entrance. Hank the Tank, a huge guy who had worked here for years and was pretty good friends with my buddy Greg, was manning the entrance.

Hank quirked a brow. “Todd? Are you aware of what’s all up there? I’ll let you by, but I just want to make sure you know what you’re in for.” He smiled easily but casually took stock of my companion as if committing his face to memory.

I waved a hand. “No, I’ve never been up there but my brother says it’s just the thing I need to get out of my rut.”

Hank barked out a laugh. “If you’re in a rut, this will definitely jar you out of it. You guys have fun and take it easy up there. There’s a little bit of something for everyone so make sure you look around before you pick a play area.”

Play area? I was both scared and intrigued to find out what that might mean as we headed up. An omega wearing nothing more than a silver jockstrap and enough body glitter to double as a disco ball held the door for us at the top of the stairs. He looked me over with bored eyes before flashing a wink at the alpha. “Good evening, gentlemen. Feel free to watch any of the scenes on display or find yourselves a room of your own. Group and private areas are available. If that’s not your style, I recommend the jungle room all the way at the end—just don’t get lost, you never know who might be hiding in the trees.”

His shrill giggle rang out behind us as we passed. Jungle room? Trees? Before I could question that, I realized that we were in a long hallway. Rooms were lined up on either side with large plate-glass windows for easy viewing. I walked a little faster past the first few rooms where various BDSM scenes were happening.

I didn’t even want to know why there was a guy strapped to some device that resembled a big X while a man in a leather mask took a whip to his back. The next room wasn’t any easier for me to understand.

It looked like a big nursery with several adult-sized babies at play or curled up in a pair of large cribs, sucking on bottles. Yet another room we passed had a couple of naked guys with dog ears and tails sticking out of their butts as they crawled around on all fours and chased a ball.

“Yikes. I’m not one to judge anyone else’s kink, but I hope you’ll understand if I say that this isn’t quite my thing,” the alpha chuckled as he slid an arm around my shoulders.

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Yeah, it’s not mine either. I’ve always heard that interesting things happened up here, but I’ve never had a reason to explore.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you. How about we check out that jungle room the shiny twink at the door was telling us about?” He grinned easily and I realized how much I liked the fact that we were fairly close in height. Really, he only had me by a couple of inches.

“I’d like to say that sounds promising, except for his remark about not getting lost and things hiding in the trees.”

“Only one way to find out,” he said as we reached the end of the hall and were left facing a door plainly marked Jungle Room—Enter At Your Own Risk.

Yeah, that didn’t look sketchy at all.

A puff of humid air greeted us as he swung the door open. The vast open space was dimly lit by black lights while a variety of jungle sounds blasted from unseen speakers. Chittering monkeys, roaring jungle cats, and even what sounded like a waterfall surrounded us and helped set the scene.

I reached out to touch a tree in passing, amazed to find the lifelike foliage was nothing more than cleverly designed plastic. The heat of the room started to get to me and I pulled my shirt over my head and hung it from my waistband. I could hear moans and smell the sex happening around us, but thankfully couldn’t see anybody. It was as if the two of us were in a world of our own.

“Good idea, it’s hot as hell in here,” he said as he shucked his own shirt and did the same waistband trick. I almost swallowed my tongue at the sight of his chiseled abs, made even sexier in this mysterious lighting. “Come on, hot stuff. Let’s go see if we can’t get lost in this jungle together.”

Getting lost wasn’t really a danger, despite the thick “foliage” and dim lighting. Each of the paths we encountered led through a different area of the faux jungle and had recessed lights discreetly tucked along the edges of the walkways—and each one was a different color.

We followed a row of purple lights until we ended up in a small, picturesque grotto. I ran a hand along the walls of the would-be cave as we entered, amazed by the lifelike texture of the plastic rock. I didn’t have long to wonder at it before I found myself being spun around and pushed against the wall as a hungry pair of lips closed over mine. Bold hands gripped my hips and pulled me closer as he deepened the kiss while my own hands roamed over his back and sides.

He kissed my neck and along my jawline, briefly gasping out words between each kiss. “I have a condom and lube in my back pocket; how far do you want this to go?”

I didn’t hesitate. If I was going to be adventurous, I was going to go all the way with it. “I want you to fuck me,” I groaned as he nipped my neck.

Our hands fumbled with each other’s pants, trying and failing to get them open. Finally he stepped away with a laugh. “How about we each take care of our own? That might help move things along in the right direction.”

“Good plan,” I said quickly as I unfastened my jeans and unceremoniously shoved them to my ankles while he opened his fly and pulled out a large, fully erect cock. I gulped at the size of it, wondering how I would ever take it in. I didn’t realize I’d spoken my thought aloud until he started laughing.

“Don’t worry, hot stuff—it’ll fit just fine. Why don’t you bend over and brace yourself on that big boulder there?” He jerked his chin toward a large, flat-topped rock that stood beside us. It was indeed the perfect height for our needs.

Spreading my legs as far as I could with my pants around my ankles, I bent forward and gripped the rock while he knelt behind me and spread my cheeks apart with both hands. I gasped as the wet heat of his tongue began licking my rim.

His neatly trimmed beard and mustache tickled in all the best ways. I tried to wiggle and squirm, but he held me firmly against the rock, licking steadily as if taking his time to get me ready. A loud moan escaped me as a hand reached up between my legs and began to stroke my dick while he pulled away and used his other hand to tease lubed fingers inside my hole.

“Please,” I whimpered, not really sure what I was asking for but needing more. “Please, I need…”

“Shh, hot stuff. I’ve got what you need; I just want to make sure that you’re good and ready for it.”

“I’m ready”.” My voice came out in a high, reedy tone as thick fingers stroked against that magical spot.

A low, throaty chuckle was my only answer as his hands disappeared. I heard a condom wrapper ripping open and smelled the prophylactic as he sheathed his cock. He stood to brace himself over me with one hand while he nudged his cock against my opening with the other.

“Yessss,” I hissed as I felt the oddly pleasant burn of him pushing inside. His hand came back around to stroke me once he’d begun to move. I was powerless to do anything more than clutch the plastic edges of the fake rock and hold on for dear life as he thrust into me with short, deep strokes, jerking my dick in rhythm with every thrust.

He planted openmouthed kisses on the back of my neck along my shoulders as he increased his speed and rocked his hips at an almost punishing pace. I heard footsteps behind us and murmured voices before whoever had happened upon us turned and went the other way, but I couldn’t be bothered to care. In this moment, it was just me and my mystery man.

My vision turned white as a galaxy of stars flashed before my eyes and hot lava flooded my veins. My balls pulled tight as I gasped. “I’m… I’m… ngghh!” Before I could say another word of warning, my entire body shuddered and I shot my load onto the faux rock. My ass clenched tight around his pulsing cock as he bit into my shoulder and groaned out his own release. After a few moments, his forehead rested against the center of my back as he gave that little chuckle again before pushing up and rising to his feet, carefully pulling out.

“Sorry if that was a little fast and lacked finesse; I may have gotten a little carried away.” I heard his pants rustle and a zipper coming up as he spoke. I felt like an idiot all of sudden, still sprawled there with my ass sticking out while he was already dressing.

As I pushed up from the rock, I remembered my cum and glanced at the surface, wondering how I could clean it—or if I was even supposed to. Maybe they had a cleaning crew for that? My nose wrinkled when I saw the marbled remnants of other people’s dried cum marring the surface and shining under the black lights.

How had I been in such a lust-driven state that I missed that? I quickly jerked my pants up and searched around the ground to see where my shirt had fallen when I’d pushed them down. I couldn’t take my eyes off the rock as I dressed.

“Don’t worry, there will be a cleaning crew later, I guarantee it.” I glanced up in shock as he spoke, wondering how he’d read my mind. He shrugged with an easy wink. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but notice you staring at the rock. That is what you are concerned about, right?”

“Yeah,” I laughed lightly. “As you can probably guess, I don’t really have experience in places like this. I will say though, it was fun to try at least once.”

“Oh yeah,” he said, reaching for my hips and pulling me close for a quick hug and kiss before leading me out of the grotto. As we made our way back out of the jungle room and down the hall, his arm slipped around my shoulders to hold me almost protectively to his side as we made our exit. “This was definitely fun, hot stuff. Hey, I don’t have a lot of free time but I’d like to get your number. I wouldn’t mind meeting up again sometime, if you’re up for it.”

“Yeah, that would be great. I mean, I’m pretty busy myself, but I wouldn’t mind seeing you again.” After we’d made it back downstairs, we exchanged numbers and one more quick hug before going our separate ways.

As I weaved my way through the crowded club, suddenly eager to get home and shower, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d ever try to contact the guy or if maybe tonight’s adventure had been enough.

Hell, I hadn’t even gotten his name.

I was pretty sure that Scott would be the first to tell me that one-night stands were not what relationships were built from. I mean, what would be the point? It wasn’t like I would probably ever see the guy again, or he’d remember me if we did run into each other.