Chapter 1

Calvin

Loud music pumps from deep within the dark, narrow hallways of Club Addiction. The sounds are familiar. Their rhythm moves faster and faster, along with the pounding of my heart. The low lights help set the mood throughout the club. It’s in these moments, with my hand pressed into the small of a sexy girl’s back, guiding her through the club, that I feel the most alive.

“Where are you taking me?” the girl asks.

She flashes me an eager smile. We’ve known each other for less than an hour and yet she’s not nervous or hesitant to let me lead her wherever I want.

“You’ll see,” I say.

I give her one of my charming smiles. I can almost feel her wanting to melt into me with each crooked step she takes. Girls have never been able to resist that smile. Especially not after they’ve had a few drinks—when it’s obvious they’re looking for a good time.

“I hope we get there soon.”

“Patience is a virtue.”

“You know, I’m not used to guys making me wait.”

“I’m not like most guys.”

She gives me that smile, again, this time there’s a hazy look behind her beautiful blue eyes.

“I can tell.”

The fabric of her dress is soft beneath my touch. I can feel the gentle slope in the small of her back as I lead her down the hall, closer and closer to where we’re going—my own private little place. It’s the place I like to bring girls—one of the few places in my club that you can get any real privacy. And there’s only one other person with a key to this particular room.

Her dress hugs tight to her body, outlining every one of her curves, down to her thighs. It’s cut into a low at the top, revealing the bulges of her large breasts. They’re probably fake. But that’s not really important. Neither one of us is really looking to start something serious.

Tonight is all about having fun.

I lick my lips before they peel back in another smile as I admire the way her legs disappear beneath the short dress. They’re long and toned, and my mind has been racing with visions of them wrapped around me ever since I first saw her walk into my club.

“Like what you see?” she asks.

“Not as much as what I’m about to see…”

“Oh really? What makes you think you’re going to get so lucky?”

In one quick movement I wrap my arm around her, turning her to face me as I press her up against the wall. She lets out a gasp of surprise, and then delight when she sees the heated look in my eyes. The music beat is so hard that it sends trembles through the wall and into our bodies.

“I don’t think I’m going to get lucky,” I say, my voice low and intense.

Her blue eyes shift quickly between my own.

“You don’t?” she squeaks out.

I shake my head.

“I think you are.”

A long, intense moment passes between us. She licks her lips, still unable to break away from my stare. Her chest rises and falls with heavy breaths, drawing my attention down to her breasts. My cock shifts and bulges to life in my pants, and for a moment I consider taking her right there in the hallway.

She’s a hot, little thing, and it might be fun to have my way with her right then and there. The eagerness is plain in her eyes. I know I can do whatever I want with her—she won’t refuse me. In that moment I know I can have anything that I want. Her lips tremble and her head tilts back, as though she’s expecting me to kiss her or something.

It’s almost too easy.

I draw in a deep breath, composing myself. This isn’t the time or place. I’m not ready to have her—not quite yet. There’s still some more fun I can have before I’m done with her.

When I pull away from her she exhales, sharply, as though she hadn’t been able to breathe with me so close to her. The desperate look is still in her eyes. I hold my hand out to her and she gives it a hesitant look before taking it. Her touch is softer and more delicate than it had been just moments earlier. Just the thought of her giving in to my charms so easily sends my heart racing, even though it’s exactly what I knew she would do.

I lead her further down the winding hallway until we come to a final closed door. Anticipation builds inside of me as I slide a card through the magnetic reader on the door and punch a four-digit code into the keypad. Her eyes are on me the whole time, watching me, intently. I can almost imagine what she’s thinking, what she’s fantasizing about.

But whatever tantalizing thoughts are going through her head in that moment are quickly washed away when I open the door and reveal the luxurious room, beyond. Her eyes widen and her mouth drops open as she steps past me and into the room. I stay close behind her, allowing the door to shut when we’re both inside.

“Wow…” she exhales, excitedly. She makes her way around the room, touching and admiring everything she passes.

“You like it?” I ask.

“Everything looks so expensive.”

If she only knew…

“Money can’t buy class.”

“But it can buy a lot…”

She smiles up at me with a devious little look in her eye. The subtext is obvious, but it doesn’t come as any surprise to me. She’s the kind of girl that would be open to a quid-pro-quo type of arrangement. And if she’d met me a few months earlier, I might have even entertained the idea of one.

“How about we start with another drink,” I suggest, not giving her the satisfaction of responding directly to her suggestion. “Another vodka martini?”

She gives a quick look at the ground, as though embarrassed, then gives me a quick smile and nod as she brushes strands of her blonde hair back behind one ear. I set out two martini glasses on the minibar while she continues looking around my private sanctuary—the place where I do all of my dark deeds.

Well… most of them.

Chapter 2

Calvin

She takes one of the martinis from me as I settle onto the black, leather couch next to her. Our eyes remain locked on each other as we take our first drinks. The vodka is expensive, and goes down like water. It’s almost a shame that she’s so distracted by me that she probably doesn’t even notice.

“So, is this where you bring all of the girls?” she asks, after lowering her glass.

“Only the special ones.”

A smile spreads across her face—now that we’re alone, she’s not even trying to play it cool, anymore.

“I’m special?”

“You’re hot.”

She rolls her eyes, but in a playful way.

“That’s all you got?”

I lean in closer to her, until there’s less than six inches between us.

“That’s why you’re here,” I say, flatly.

“I’m here because I’m hot?”

I let my gaze fall down over her body, taking all of her in. Her large tits expand as she sucks in a breath. I fight back an urge to take them in my hands, and then into my mouth.

“You’re here because I knew the moment I saw you walk into my club that I had to have you.” My eyes return to hers and I give her an intense look. “And I’m a man who gets what he wants.”

She chews on her lips, the rest of her body fixed in place. I hold my intense stare for another long moment before pulling away to take another drink of my martini. The doughy look in her eye lets me know that I’ve got her right where I want her. I could take her right here and now, if I wanted. But I’m not in any rush—where’s the fun in that?

She takes another long drink of her vodka before saying anything.

“So, you really do own the club?” she asks, sounding genuinely surprised.

“Does it matter?”

She shrugs.

“I just thought that was some kind of line or something. Rich guys don’t usually go for a girl like me—my friends are way hotter.”

For a moment, I can almost believe her. But I know that’s exactly what she wants.

“Are you going to tell all of your friends about me?”

“They’ll just think you’re lying. Guys will say anything to get in a girl’s pants.”

I give her a cocky smile and give a quick glance down at her exposed legs.

“But, you’re not wearing any pants…”

She swats at me, playfully.

“You know what I mean. Guys just tell girls what they think they want to hear.”

I drop the playful smile and give her a serious look, shifting ever so slightly closer to her, again.

“Do I look like a guy that has to lie to get what he wants?”

Her eyes widen. She’s caught off guard by the sudden intensity of my stare.

“No,” she says. It comes out weak and uncertain.

I lean in even closer. We’re only a breath apart, now. Her breathing intensifies, as though she was expecting me to kiss her right then and there. But I don’t. I stop short, keeping my composure.

“What kind of guy do I look like?” I ask in a low whisper.

She licks her lips. I can almost feel her pulse quickening with each little breath she takes.

“Like a guy who gets what he wants.”

The corners of my lips tug into a smirk. I nod, slowly, letting my eyes fall to her lips. They glisten with what’s left of her gloss. I’m going to enjoy tasting her.

“And do you know what it is that I want right now?”

She shakes her head back and forth. Strands of her blonde hair fall in front of her eyes as she looks at me, expectantly.

“What do you want?” she asks, innocently.

The moment is intense. My tongue edges over my bottom lip, slowly. I let her question linger, unanswered. The world fades away around us. In this moment, we’re the only two people that exist.

My pants are already tightening as my cock begins expanding, but I’m not quite ready to take her, yet. The answer I give her is probably not the one she’s expecting. What would be the fun in that?

“I want you…” I pause for a beat, enjoying making her writhe with anticipation, “…to dance for me.”

Chapter 3

Calvin

The girl lets out a loud moan as I pump myself further and further into her. My hands wrap around her tiny waist, pulling her down onto me, forcing her ass deeper and deeper into my crotch as I thrust into her as strongly as I can.

Her ass looks perfect from this angle, bent over the sidearm of the couch. Her back arches and she waggles her hips back and forth in tiny circles. She knows exactly what she’s doing. When she looks back at me I can still see the lust raging in her eyes. She presses her weight back into me, pulling my cock farther inside of her. The look in her eye makes me wonder if she’s ever wanted someone as much as she wants me right now.

She’d been eager to dance for me, earlier. But she’d barely made it a whole minute before she’d begun undoing my belt buckle. Her panties had been soaked through before I’d even touched her for the first time. And as I fuck her deeper and deeper, her pussy is still gushing for me.

“Fuck me like that, baby. Just like that!” she cries out.

I clench my jaw, fighting down annoyance. I’ll fuck her the way I want—I don’t need instructions.

My hands squeeze even tighter and I press all of my weight into her. I slam her so hard that her arms wobble from the force. I do it, again.

And then again.

Her arms finally give way and she cries out in pleasure as I bend her even farther over the side of the couch. Her feet aren’t even touching the ground anymore as I plunge myself into her. My cock drills into her, like it’s trying to pin her down to the couch.

Between thrusts, I stare down at her ass, admiringly. It’s so round and perfect—one of the nicest asses I’ve ever seen. My hand flies back and then comes down hard against it, letting out a loud crack as I enjoy the way her ass cheeks shake from the slap.

She cries out in delight, again. She’s the freaky kind of girl that will enjoy anything I do to her.

“Spank me, Daddy, I’ve been a bad girl.”

I spank her, again. Harder this time. A red palm print surfaces on her ass cheek. She squeals in delight and writhes her hips back and forth. Another girl with daddy issues. How original. Well, if she wants someone to treat her like a child and tell her what to do, then it might as well be me.

“You have been a bad little girl, haven’t you?”

Her head bobs up and down, quickly.

“Yes, so bad.”

“And what do you think we should do about that?”

“I don’t know, Daddy. Punish me however you want.”

My fingers dig into her ass cheeks and I slam myself into her, again. She moans delightfully.

“Little girls who get in trouble have to pay the price,” I say, staring down at her ass.

“I’ll pay it—whatever it is!”

If she knew what I was intending to do, she might not be so quick to agree.

Slowly, I pull myself out of her. I grab my cock and swirl it in little circles around her entrance, once it’s completely out of her. She whimpers as my tip teases her swollen clit. Then I slide it higher, grazing past her soaked entrance to her tight, beautiful, ass.

“Naughty girls have to pay the price,” I say.

The muscles in her legs tense as I press my cock into her ass. The condom I’m wearing is so wet from her pussy that I don’t even need to use lube. Her fingers dig into the leather couch and she sucks in a sharp breath as my cock sinks fully inside of her.

I begin pumping myself into her ass, making sure I take it very slowly, at first. Her whines catch in her chest every time I press myself deeper inside of her. Her ass clenches my cock so tightly that I know she’s never been fucked like that before.

“This is what happens when you’re a bad girl,” I say.

“Punish me,” she barely manages to cry out.

I slap her ass, again, this time on the other side. Red handprints appear there, too. I slap it again, harder, enjoying her cries of pain mixed with pleasure.

Her ass is so tight that it doesn’t take long for me to feel that building sensation inside of me. After a minute or two, I begin pumping her harder and harder—not as hard as I was working her pussy, but enough that she probably won’t be walking straight when she leaves. My abs tighten more and more with every thrust I give her, until I’m nearly at the point of bursting.

She must be able to sense it, because she begins whimpering through the moans. She tries to wriggle her hips back and forth again, but I’m holding on to them too tightly to let her move.

I let out a gasp, and then I come. My back goes rigid as I slam her a few more times, each one weaker than the one before it. When the orgasm finishes, I can feel the weight of my cum pulling at the tip of the condom. I take it off and discard it in the trash next to the minibar.

The girl settles herself tenderly onto the couch. Maybe I had gone too hard on her, after all. No, she would have told me to stop if it were too much.

She watches me as I begin pulling on my clothes. I don’t really pay her much attention.

I’m done.

“Take all of the time you need, the room is yours until last call,” I say, matter-of-factly.

“You’re leaving?”

“We’re done here, right? I’ve got work to do.”

“You don’t have to just run off, I thought we were going to spend some time together.”

I give her a placating smile.

“We just did. We had fun, didn’t we?” She nods her head, uncertainly. “Good. Then that’s that.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me for my number?”

I give her a playful wince.

“Sorry, I’m not really into repeat performances, anymore. But you’re still welcome back at Club Addiction anytime.”

I pull up my zipper and give one more of my charming smiles before I turn and leave. For a moment, I’m not sure if the pained look on her face is from the rough sex or because she’s not used to guys walking out on her like that. But my concern is gone before I even make it through the door.

She got exactly what she wanted, didn’t she? She didn’t come with me looking for a quiet place so we could have a conversation and get to know each other. No, she tagged along because she wanted to make a memory, to have a good time, or maybe just to have something to brag to all of her friends about.

Well, she got what she wanted—fucked in the ass by a millionaire.

She can check that off her bucket list.

Chapter 4

Calvin

Club Addiction is one of the hottest new clubs in all of New York City. It’s only been open a few months, but already it’s had more than its fair share of wealthy and famous clientele frequenting its dark lounges and private rooms. They come to my club for discretion and privacy—two things I never fail to deliver.

Club Addiction is the place where you can lose yourself, even if only for a single night. You can forget who you are, where you come from, all of the things that trouble you. None of those things matter when you’re here. The only thing that matters is that you check your inhibitions at the door and plan on having a good time.

My private VIP rooms make it so that anyone can do whatever they want without fear of it ever getting out… for the right price.

Every night I make my rounds through the club. I make it a point to personally greet as many of the guests as possible—especially the high rollers. I never forget a face, and I can tell whether or not someone’s been to my club before, just by looking at them. Being so personable is time consuming, but it’s part of the job.

I have an image to maintain.

Making my way out through the club, I let the music overtake me. On weeknights, things are usually slow enough for me to have a little time to myself. That’s when I like to make new… friends… like the blonde from earlier this week. But on a Friday night, like tonight, the place will be packed.

My first round through the club happens before eight. This is when the guests are still sober enough to remember me. It’s not uncommon for a girl or two to slip me her number, especially if I’ve seen them here, before. It’s also not uncommon for their guys to get extra loud and macho when I’m around. My natural charm threatens them, even while it makes them want to be my best friend. That charm is a double-edged sword—it’s something I’ve had to get used to over the years.

My first round this Friday night is uneventful. It’s still too early for the VIPs—who require most of my attention—to be here, which allows me the opportunity to sneak back to my office to get some of the necessary administrative work done before the weekend really begins. It seems like there’s never a shortage of busy work which needs doing. It’s probably the single biggest reason I need to fuck some young thing’s brains out every time I leave work.

When I get to my desk, there are seven new messages waiting for me from my answering service. Most of them are junk, but two of them are from a girl I had recently been… seeing. I don’t give either of the messages much thought before deleting them. She’d been a sweet girl—and quite a freak in the sack—but I don’t do attachments. I’d made that clear to her from the beginning and don’t see the point in repeating myself.

Before long, I’m lost in the minutia of all the emails and paperwork that go along with being a business owner. Aside from the club, I have a few other business ventures that I handle from the same office. It seems there is always something going on that needs my attention. You might think that, the more successful and powerful you become, the less you have to worry about all of the little things. I’ve found that to be categorically false.

More money, more problems. Isn’t that how the saying goes?

I get so sucked into my work that I completely lose all track of time. I’m in the middle of composing an email to one of my political connections when a banging on the door startles me, shattering my focus.

I jerk my head up just in time to see the slender frame of Charlotte Stern as she comes barging into my office without even waiting for an invitation. There’s a serious look on her face that sends a nervous chill down my back.

Whatever this is, it can’t be good.

Chapter 5

Calvin

“Excuse you,” I say, giving Charlotte a hard look as she closes the distance from the door to my desk. There’s a determined purpose in each of her steps—she’s probably the most Type A woman I’ve ever met. No one else that works for me would have the balls to barge into my office, unannounced, like she just did.

She comes to a stop in front of my desk, placing her hands on her hips and leaning her weight to one side. The no-nonsense look on her face tells me that she’s upset about something, but I can’t help but notice the way the dress she’s wearing clings to her hips when she stands that way. I’ve always liked the way her body curves—and the fact that she knows exactly how to use those curves makes her all the more delicious.

“Is it true?” she says, accusation dripping from every word.

“Is what true?” I respond, keeping my voice cool and even.

I already know what she’s talking about. The response is intended to let her know that I’m not thrown off by her display of insubordination. Only one of us is the boss, here. And I’ll make damn well sure she acknowledges it.

She leans forward over the desk, glowering down at me. The dress is pulled even tighter around her curves as she does. The front of it strains open as she rounds her back, exposing a more than generous amount of her cleavage. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before. Charlotte enjoys using her sexuality to keep men off balance.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Calvin. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

I flash her one of my charming smiles.

“Yes, but what would be the fun in that? You’re sexy when you squirm…”

Her eyes glass over for just an instant before she recovers herself. I can almost picture exactly what was going through her mind, right then.

“I thought we agreed that you weren’t going to keep using the private room as your own brothel. You told me you were done taking girls back there.”

There it is. The reason she is so pissed off. I had known when I took the girl to my private room that it would get back to Charlotte. And I had known that she wouldn’t like it. The simple fact of the matter was that I didn’t care. This is my kingdom, and I’ll do what I want in it.

“I said no such thing.” The charming smile on my face spreads even wider, knowing full well just how much it will get to her. “Besides, what does it matter? You were the one that said we needed to keep things professional between us. And part of my job is to make sure that my guests are satisfied… in every way.”

The stony expression on Charlotte’s face is unmoving. I can all but imagine the frustration going through her head in that moment. But what can she do about it? She’d been the one that had said she didn’t think it was a good idea for us to continue the fun we’d been having. I was just respecting her wishes.

A few strands of black hair fall down into her face as she lets out a sharp breath. She scoops them behind her ear, managing to look even more annoyed by the slight inconvenience.

“It’s not smart for you to hook up with all of these girls at the club. It sends the wrong message.”

I want to ask about who might be getting the wrong message, but I don’t. I’m not a petty man and I’m not going to rub it in. But there is something that I do want, right now…

I slide out of my big, leather chair and make my way around the desk. Charlotte straightens and turns to face me as I draw close to her.

Really close.

The smell of her perfume is different. There’s a sharper scent to it, as though it’s fancier than the stuff she normally wears. It must be a recent change. Did she do that for me?

I close my eyes and duck my head closer to her, breathing her in, slowly and deeply. She doesn’t back away from me as I do, and when my blue eyes open, again, I can see her trembling. Desire lingers in her eyes. If she’s trying to hide it, she’s not doing a good job.

“Do you not want me taking those girls back to my private room for professional reasons? Or personal?”

There’s a long, tense hesitation before she responds.

“Professional.”

She stutters when she says it, making me wonder if her answer had changed after she’d started speaking.

“Of course. There’s no reason for it to be personal, since we agreed that we should keep our distance from each other…”

She swallows before bobbing her head in agreement. Knowing how hard she’s struggling to resist me only turns me on even more. My cock lurches in my slacks. If I were standing any closer to Charlotte she’d be able to feel it pressing into her. The businessman inside of me knows it’s smart to keep things professional with my employees, but right now I want nothing more than to slide my hand beneath her dress. I need to know just how wet I’m making her.

“There needs to be boundaries,” she manages, though it doesn’t sound even a little bit convincing.

“What kinds of boundaries?” I ask, innocently.

“We’ve been over this, already…”

I lean in a little closer, inhaling more of her new smell. She trembles, again, but she doesn’t pull away.

“Remind me,” I say, making sure the breath of each word washes over that delicate part of her neck, just below her ear.

Whatever defenses she’d had in place when she came marching into my office just moments earlier are now gone. She tips her head back, revealing her neck to me. It’s an almost subconscious sign of submission, as though she’s begging me to take her right then and there, to have my way with her, to fuck her the way I know she likes to be fucked. And that’s exactly what I want to do. But I don’t. I fight back the nearly overwhelming urge to bend her over my desk and take her from behind.

I let out another long, slow breath. My cock is fully erect, now, and there’s no way she can’t feel it against her leg.

“I’m waiting for an answer,” I say.

When she responds, her voice is distant. It’s as though her entire being is somewhere else, somewhere fantastical.

“What was the question, again?” she manages. Barely.

A victorious smirk settles itself onto the corner of my lip.

“Did you wear your black panties? Or the red ones I like so much?”

She shakes her head once, slowly.

“Neither.”

I lift my eyebrows in an unspoken question. Her answer is enough to make me abandon every last restraint I have on myself.

“I didn’t wear any panties, at all…”

Chapter 6

Calvin

Before I even realize what I’m doing, my hands are sliding beneath the bottom of Charlotte’s dress. Her inner thigh gets hotter and hotter as my hand glides its way up her leg. Her flesh is silky smooth, and there’s no mistaking when my curious fingers find what they’re looking for.

She wasn’t lying. There are no panties blocking my way. And the bare softness of her pussy is already soaking wet.

Charlotte sucks in a breath, her face opening in pleasured surprise when I find her swollen clit. She shifts her body and leans back onto my desk, her legs separating ever so slightly as she sucks in a hard breath. Her arms wrap around me, pulling me closer. She runs her fingers through the back of my hair and mashes her cheek against mine. There’s one more gasp before her tongue darts out and licks my earlobe. She nips and nibbles at it while I swirl my finger in a tiny circle, just the way I know she likes it.

“Calvin…” she moans, breathily.

Something in the tone of her voice spurs me on. It drives me to take even more of her than I would, normally. My finger plunges even deeper into her soaking pussy. I pull it out before jamming it in, again. Her wetness covers me and I make sure to spread it around every time my finger blasts its way into and out of her.

“Calvin, I need you,” she whimpers. “Take me. Take me, right now.”

I don’t need any more encouragement than that.

In one fluid motion, I reach behind her and clear space on the desk with a single swipe of my hand. Paper and plastic clatter to the ground. I don’t even care what anyone outside of my office might hear. No one but Charlotte would have the balls to enter, unannounced.

I grab her by the asscheeks and lift her onto the cleared desk. She whimpers in delight, her legs spreading wide as she settles herself backwards. The bulge in my slacks is desperately trying to free itself. I pull the zipper down and my cock bursts free from its confines. Days have passed since its last feeding, and it’s hungry for something fresh.

I wrap my fingers around the base of my cock and begin stroking it, slowly, while keeping my lustful gaze on Charlotte. She’s eyeing the thing as though she hasn’t been fucked in years.

“Is this what you came in here for?” I ask, leaning forward just a bit, to rub the tip around her soaking entrance.

She jerks her head in a quick nod.

“Yes. Give it to me.”

I hold out for a while longer, knowing that I can only hold out for so long. I rub the tip of my cock all around her entrance, mixing it with her juices, preparing it for the plunge it’s about to take. When the tip is slick and glistening with her wetness, I know it’s ready.

But that’s when I make her wait. Just a little while longer.

With one hand still stroking my cock, rubbing it against her clit, I reach into my back pocket and retrieve the condom I keep there. I use my teeth to rip it open, spitting the wrapper after it’s torn off. Charlotte’s lustful gaze doesn’t break as I roll the condom down to the base of my fully hardened dick. She nibbles on the edge of her lip, expectant and waiting for what I’m about to give her.

I flash one of my wolfish grins at her, using my fingers to tease her just a little while longer. But the more I tease her, the more I’m teasing myself. She’s not the only one that needs to get fucked tonight.

Charlotte’s fingers curl around the edge of the desk and she lets out a loud moan of ecstasy as I bury the full length of myself inside of her. She’s warm and tight, just the way I remember. Her warmth closes around me, constricting, tightening, holding me in place. I can feel the far wall of her vagina against the tip of my cock, and I press myself even harder into her, enjoying the look on her face as my cock does its best to rearrange her insides.

“You never wanted to keep it professional, did you?” I say, fucking her harder and harder. “You just want my cock all for yourself, don’t you?”

“Yes,” is the only response she can manage between her enlivened cries of pleasure.

“And I already know that pussy is all mine, isn’t it?” I continue.

“Yes, it’s just for you, Calvin. It’s all yours.”

Tightening my grip around her tiny hips, I slam myself even harder into her depths. She cries out, again, barely able to finish her response. But she’s not saying anything that I don’t already know. I’ve known since the first time I fucked her that Charlotte was all mine. Just like all of the other women that I fuck. Once they have a part of me, they’re addicted. They want more. They need more.

Every woman I’ve fucked… except one.

The one that got away. The one that escaped me. The only one I’ve ever actually cared about…

I let out a growl, angry and furious at myself for letting thoughts of her invade my head. Charlotte must have noticed that I spaced out for a moment because her face droops into a concerned frown. But I don’t let the frown last for long. I slam myself into her, even harder, and her eyes fill with ecstasy before rolling into the back of her head.

It doesn’t take long for me to make her climax. Her orgasm sends violent waves throughout her body. She twitches and shakes in ways that I’m all too familiar with. Her pussy tightens its hold on me, as though it’s trying to strangle the life out of my shaft, as though that will somehow stop the vigorous assault I’m giving it.

But other thoughts have already taken hold in the deep recesses of my mind. It’s the familiar, nagging thought of a girl that I’d long ago resigned myself to never seeing again, to never feeling again, to never experiencing again. The thought of her burns and aches in parts of me that I try desperately to keep locked away. And it’s because of that burning and aching that I know I need to finish with Charlotte as quickly as possible.

When her throws of ecstasy begin to recede, and her eyes regain some of their focus, I decide that I’ve had enough. I pull her hips even closer to me while I lift a knee and rest it next to her on the desk. Her legs bend even farther back, until they’re almost mashed into her breasts. My cock reaches all new depths as I mount her on the desk, using my full weight to sink even farther into her.

Charlotte’s eyes bulge and her moans of pleasure hitch in the back of her throat. Her jaw drops open, but there’s no sound coming out. I only need to pump her a few times like this before I feel the unmistakable sensation of an orgasm forming inside of me.

The feeling begins with a tightening of my abs, as though it is somehow sucking my core inward, trying to turn me inside out. Then the feeling begins to flow through me, snaking its way from the pit of my belly all the way down the length of my cock. It doesn’t stop until it reaches the very tip. This is the point of no return where, no matter what happens, nothing can stop the orgasm from coming.

For a long, intense moment the entire world stills around me. My mouth opens in an attempt to gasp for air before what is about to happen. But there’s no time. The flood rushes throughout me, and bursts forth, emptying itself into the condom. My hands squeeze Charlotte’s waist hard for a moment before the euphoric haze releases me and the world returns to normal. I gasp in heavy breaths, finally able to function once again.

After taking a few moments to catch my breath and collect myself, I say, “That was fun.” I withdraw from Charlotte and carefully pull the condom off, making sure not to spill any of it in the process.

A satisfied smile spreads itself across her face. She watches me tie off the condom and drop it into the waste bin next to my desk.

“I need to go make my rounds,” I say, tucking myself back into my pants and zipping up. “Take whatever time you need, I’ll be out for at least an hour.”

Before I can turn away from her, the smile on her face is already fading.

“Really? That’s it?” she says, sitting up on the edge of the desk. “You’re just going to use me and then treat me like another one of your conquests?”

“You know my arrangements,” I say. “This is just sex, nothing more.”

“That’s just what you say. I know it means more than that, Calvin. And I know you know it!”

She’s wrong, but trying to explain that to her is a lost cause. Women don’t understand when I say that I’m not looking for anything more than sex. I’m not looking for an emotional attachment. That ship has already sailed, and I have no interest in trying to duplicate the feelings I once had for that girl, long ago. I have no interest in opening myself up like that for anyone else.

In my younger days I had never quite understood why so many of the girls I bedded were so guarded against me. I never understood why they couldn’t just let themselves open up and have some fun. It’s not like I ever lied to any of them, or was unclear about my intentions, so why couldn’t they just go with the flow and do what we both knew they wanted to do?

But when Sofie came into my life, I began to understand what it was those girls had been guarding themselves against. The difference is, after living with the pain of losing her, I have no interest in ever going through something like that again.

Not ever.

And if that means all the other girls that come through my life are going to get hurt in the process, then so be it. Besides, I still never lie to them. I can’t be blamed for them reading something more into the sex than they should.

It’s no different with Charlotte. I’ve always been very clear with her that what we have is nothing more than something physical. Take it or leave it.

And she always seems more than happy to take everything I’m willing to give.

I make my way out of the office without looking back. My mind has already returned to business mode, and back to the real world. I shut the door to my office before leaving, giving Charlotte whatever privacy she needs before she gets back to her own life, too.

Chapter 7

Sofie

A familiar ding sounds from my computer as a million new emails appear on my screen. My jaw drops open in confused horror. How is it humanly possible for one person to receive so many emails overnight? I literally just checked them before leaving work the night before—I can’t be seeing what I’m seeing, right?

I take another drink of my Starbucks latte. Clearly the morning’s caffeine hasn’t kicked in, yet, because what I’m seeing in front of me just isn’t making any sense. My sleepy eyes must be playing a cruel trick on me. There’s just no other explanation.

But the caffeine doesn’t seem to have the effect I’m wanting. I stare at the screen a while longer, convincing myself that something will change and all of the little red dots next to all of the unread emails will magically disappear.

But they don’t.

I heave a sigh, dreading this ominous start to my day. Well, there’s no time like the present. I might as well start clearing through the long list of work that’s piling up in front of me.

I settle in and start clicking through them. Thankfully, most of the emails are just junk that I don’t need to pay attention to. Within a few minutes I’ve already cleared through most of them and am finally settling into a nice groove. Maybe the caffeine really did take a little longer to kick in than I was expecting. Now that I’m making progress, this really isn’t so bad.

And that’s when a familiar voice interrupts me.

“Didn’t expect to find you here,” the voice says.

It’s my work-wife and best friend, Aimee. She also doubles as my roommate. Or maybe she’s my roommate who doubles as my work-wife?

We met about a year ago when I first moved to New York City. I was searching through Craigslist, in desperate need of a place to stay, when I found her ad listing a good deal on a fifth floor walkup. Miraculously, I’d found the ad immediately after she posted it, and hadn’t wasted any time in racing over to meet her and check the place out.

I thought I’d been pretty quick, but apparently I hadn’t been quick enough. A creepy, middle-aged man with balding hair and a scraggly beard had beaten me there. He’d been wearing a suit that was a little too loose and looked like he might be featured on the next episode of To Catch a Predator.

Even though we didn’t yet know each other, Aimee had clung to me and told him that I was already her roommate and that there was no more room for anyone else. He’d gotten pretty mouthy and vulgar with us after that, but Aimee, somehow, managed to put him in his place. She’d told me that learning how to deal with men was one of the benefits of having three brothers.

After going through that ordeal together, she said she didn’t even care that I had basically no credit to my name and couldn’t afford to pay her first and last month’s rent up front. She let me move in my few possessions later that very same day, and we’ve been best friends ever since.

“Where else would I be?” I ask, only giving her a half-glance from the corner of my eye. Her sudden appearance caught me off guard. I’d been so focused on clearing through my emails that I hadn’t expected to be interrupted so soon.

She leans against the edge of my cubicle, her long, blonde hair falling against the side of her face. There’s a playful sparkle in her bright blue eyes. I swear she’s one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever met—I never understand what she means when she says that she’s cursed because guys never approach her. I’ve been out with her a few times, and between her flirty smile and her endless hair tossing, it seems like she has every guy around her practically wrapped around her finger.

Me, on the other hand…

Well, let’s just say that it’s been a long time since I’ve been the object of anyone’s affection. And it’s been even longer since anyone has been the object of mine.

“It’s Friday,” she says, giving me a look. “Didn’t you tell me that you have some big meeting today?”

I give her a confused stare for a brief moment before everything clicks into place. In an instant, my eyes bulge and my heart begins pounding hard in my chest.

“Oh shit!” I exclaim, nearly shouting it out loud for the entire office to hear. “The Accounting Regulations Update Seminar!”

How could I be so stupid? The seminar is the one big thing that I have going on this week, and somehow I managed to even mess that up, too. I know people say it all the time, but I’m pretty convinced that I would forget my head if it wasn’t screwed on. Maybe I’m just not cut out for this corporate life?

My mind races, thinking frantically about what all I need to do. I grab a notepad and stuff it into my purse. It’s a quarter after eight and the seminar doesn’t start until nine. If I hurry, it’s possible that I won’t be too embarrassingly late.

Aimee doesn’t make any move to help me. She just watches me with an amused smile on her face.

“Are you just going to stand there all morning?” I ask, the question coming out more annoyed than I’d intended.

She doesn’t answer, though. She extends her fingers and inspects her new nail polish, as though she doesn’t have a care in the world. Under normal circumstances I might take the opportunity to tell her how the mauve color she chose looks beautiful with her skin tone, but I don’t have time for small talk. I’m running late enough as it is.

“Relax,” she says, calmly, over her nails. “What’s this meeting for, anyway?”

I let out a frustrated sigh.

“It’s just some technical accounting stuff,” I say. “Mostly a bunch of stuff that I’ll never need to know about.”

She switches hands, inspecting the polish on the other.

“Then why do you even have to go? It sounds like a waste of time, maybe we should go get massages, instead?”

God, I wish. A massage sounds wonderful right now. But I’d probably figure out a way to make a mess out of that, too.

“It’s for CPE,” I say. Then quickly clarify, “Continuing Professional Education. I need a certain number of hours every year for my license.”

She gives me a flat look over her beautiful, perfect nails. I wish my nails looked that good. Maybe I’ll treat myself to a mani-pedi this weekend?

“I’m not that blonde, I know what CPE means.” Her brow pulls together. “Besides, you don’t even have your license, yet. So what’s the big deal?”

The reproach makes me wince. Sometimes Aimee’s sorority-girl good looks can catch me off guard, making me forget that she graduated from NYU’s business school and has a very well paying job for a reason.

“I don’t have it, yet, but I do plan on sitting for my exams this year. I’m going to need the CPE either way, so I might as well get it while the company is picking up the tab…”

The corner of her lip hooks backward in a sideways leer.

“You think there will be any hot guys there?”

“Probably not, it’s going to be a room full of accountants, after all.” The disgusted look on her face makes me smile. “And besides, it’s a work function, not a social gathering…”

Aimee’s hand drops to her side, forgotten, as she fixes me with a familiar look.

“Sofe! You’re never going to meet anyone if you don’t put yourself out there.”

It’s not the first time she’s said something like that to me—we’ve had this conversation before. It usually ends with both of us getting stubborn and agreeing to disagree.

“Aimee, you know I’m not in the mood to get into a relationship. Between work and studying for my exams there just isn’t any time for stuff like that.”

She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, fixing me with a hard look.

“Sofie, I’ve known you for a full year, and in that time I’ve never seen you go out on a single date. Honestly, I’m starting to get worried about you… You have had a boyfriend before, right?”

My stomach gives a lurch as my mind instantly flashes to a particular time in my past. My mouth suddenly feels drier than the Sahara Desert.

“Yes, I’ve had a boyfriend before,” I say, quickly. “But I don’t want to talk about it.”

Aimee is usually feisty about the subject of men, so it must be something in my tone that lets her know not to push this particular topic of conversation. She hesitates, looking away in a brief moment of awkwardness before her eyes come back to me.

“Well, even if you don’t want a serious relationship, there’s no harm in having some fun. It’s good for the body, and I’m willing to bet that your body is seriously deprived.”

I let out an awkward laugh, swatting at her in disbelief. She laughs along with me. It isn’t the first time Aimee has suggested having some no-strings-attached fun. And, if I’m honest, the idea sounds more and more appealing each time she brings it up. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to have a little fling? Maybe that’s exactly what I need to spice up my rather boring life?

“Perhaps…” I pause, considering, then let out an exasperated sigh. “Anyway, I really need to get going. I’m running really late for this seminar.”

Aimee gives me a fine, have it your way look and shifts to the side to let me out of my cubicle. But just as I go to step around her, her eyes widen and she lets out a gasp.

“What is it?” I ask.

Her eyes are locked on a spot out over the rows of cubicles. I follow her gaze to see what caught her by surprise, and immediately know what she’s looking at. Or, rather, who she’s looking at.

Standing on the far end of my row of cubicles is a tall man in an expensive suit with light brown hair, styled in that messy way that makes it look like he’s just rolled out of bed when he’s actually probably spent a lot of time on it. I’ve never seen him before, but he’s engaged in what looks like an important conversation with Tim Matthews, my boss. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s what Aimee is staring at. He’s definitely her type.

If I’m being honest he might even be a little bit of my type, too. But I try not to let myself get caught up in such things.

“Who is that?” I ask, my brow furrowing in curiosity.

“You can’t be serious,” Aimee says, giving me an incredulous look. “That’s Wade Foster, the new Vice President of North American Operations. You know… your boss’s boss’s boss…

The furrow in my brow deepens, and I shake my head.

“I’ve never heard of him.”

Her eyes widen even more and she looks at me like I’ve just said the stupidest thing she’s ever heard.

“How could you not know about him? What do you girls gossip about down here in accounting? He’s the only thing the ladies in marketing have been talking about for the last two weeks…” She leans in a little closer and lowers her voice while her eyes track back over to him, again. “Rumor has it that he’s some kind of serial bachelor. You know, a new girl on his arm every week, that kind of thing. Look at him—he even looks like he knows how to please a girl. I’d kill to have him all to myself for a night.”

I roll my eyes and give her a bemused half-smile.

“Well, he’s standing right there. Go talk to him. I’ve got to get to this seminar.”

I try to step around her again when Aimee grabs my arm and holds me in place.

“Wait,” she says, her voice sounding urgent.

“What is it now?” I say, annoyed. “I have to get going…”

“You can’t go…”

“What do you mean? I have to!”

She shakes her head, quickly. The almost panicked look on her face is unsettling.

“I mean you can’t go, because he’s coming over here!”

She points down the row of cubicles and I whip my head around to see what she’s talking about. And sure enough, she’s right. Wade Foster is walking right towards us.

And his eyes are locked on me.

Chapter 8

Sofie

I freeze in place. I’m not sure why, but having Wade’s eyes on me makes my heart pound even harder in my chest. It’s like the whole world is moving in slow motion as his long legs bring him closer to us. There’s a charming smile pulled across his face, and he has a way of tilting his head down when he walks that makes it look like he’s looking at me through his messy brown hair. It reminds me of George Clooney from when he was on ER.

I have to admit, with him looking at me that way, and getting closer, he really is an attractive man.

He slows and comes to a stop in front of us. Aimee has an excited look on her face, and I think she actually lets out a little squeak when he glances at her. The three of us stand there in a tiny circle, an awkward silence looming over us for a moment.

Wade darts a glance between us, but it’s clear that most of his attention is resting on me. I know I should say something to end this horrible first impression I’m giving him, but no words seem to want to form themselves on my lips.

Speaking of lips, Wade’s are rather appealing.

“Hi, I’m Wade Foster,” he says, cutting through the moment with an air of confidence. Another long second passes before he inclines his head toward me, his eyebrows rising as he does. “And you are?”

I give myself a quick shake, finally finding the sensibility to shrug off whatever tension has been holding my tongue still.

“Sofie,” I say. Then quickly add, “Bennett. Sofie Bennett. Accounts Payable.”

“I can see that,” he says, giving a quick glance back at my cubicle.

Heat blossoms on my cheeks when I realize the stupidity of my response. Of course he knows I work in Accounts Payable—he’s standing in my department, after all.

“Oh, right,” I say, shaking my head and feeling like an idiot.

“I’m Aimee Watson,” Aimee says. She takes a tiny half-step forward, as though trying to remind us that she’s standing there, too.

Wade flashes her another quick smile. Aimee is so naturally beautiful that I’m surprised when his attention comes quickly back to me. I’m not used to guys completely disregarding her like that. And, despite the fact that she claims guys never approach her, I don’t think she’s used to it either.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” he says. His voice is steady and calm. It’s obvious that he’s very assured of himself. “I’m still a bit new around here, so I’m still trying to get a feel for things. So, what kinds of exciting things happen in Accounts Payable on a Friday morning?”

An even bigger smile spreads across my face despite myself. But Aimee responds to the question before I can say anything.

“Oh, I work in Marketing, not Accounting,” she says. “Trust me, you don’t want me trying to handle the books. Let’s just say that God invented calculators because of people like me…”

She lets out a tiny giggle, afterward. She’s trying to flirt with him but, judging by his reaction, he doesn’t even seem to notice it. Wade flashes her another brief smile before his gaze returns to me. He remains silent while watching me, waiting for an answer to the question he asked.

“Well, today, nothing exciting is happening in Accounts Payable,” I say, barely biting back a cringe. “I actually have to get going—I’m running late for a seminar.”

His eyes perk up.

“A seminar? It’s not the accounting update one, is it?”

I frown at him, surprised by his response.

“Um, yeah, actually it is. How do you know about it?”

The smile on his face broadens.

“Well, it must be my lucky day,” he says. “I’m going to that seminar, too.”

“You’re lying,” I say, without even thinking about it.

My lips purse, tightly. Did I really just call my boss’s boss’s boss a liar? I guess getting fired might be one way of getting out of having to go to this seminar. I doubt the company would want to pay for the seminar if I’m not working here anymore.

Wade’s eyes narrow and he gives me a bemused, suspicious look. I can only imagine what he must be thinking about the frazzled girl in front of him.

“So, do you think all men are liars, or is it just me?” he asks.

My stomach squeezes into a tight knot. Yep, that’s it. I’m done. Time to start throwing my personal belongings into a brown box.

But the nervous tension is released when he winks at me and stretches another wide smile across his face.

“No, it’s not that… I mean… I’m sorry, it’s been a long morning already.”

Aimee lets out a groan and shakes her head. I can imagine what she’s thinking without her even saying anything. She should be used to my awkwardness by now. No one’s ever accused me of being well put together.

“Come on…” Wade begins, apparently not noticing the exchange between Aimee and myself, “Let’s share a cab. You can tell me all about your long morning on the way to the seminar.”

“Oh, no… I don’t want to be an inconvenience,” I say, quickly.

“It’s no inconvenience. I insist—it’s my treat.”

He flashes me another of those cool smiles as he tilts his head in a gesture toward the exit. I shoot Aimee a nervous look. Her brow furrows and she nods her head, as though wondering why I even have to think twice about accepting his offer.

“Okay, maybe that will work,” I say, still not certain that it’s the best idea.

I follow Wade down the hallway to the exit while a tiny pit of dread forms in my stomach. I risk a quick, nervous look at Aimee over my shoulder before we round the corner. The last image I’m left with is the mischievous, little smile on her face. I can’t help but wonder if I’ve made some huge mistake.

Maybe I should have taken her up on her offer to go get massages, instead?

Chapter 9

Sofie

Wade makes hailing a cab look easy. It must be some kind of trick they teach guys, because it usually takes me at least ten minutes to get a cabbie’s attention outside of our building. Wade manages to make one appear in front of him nearly before his hand is even fully extended to flag one down.

Thankfully, the seminar is being held at a nearby hotel. I don’t think I could trust myself to be in the cab with Wade for too long. Stupid thoughts come tumbling out of my mouth pretty frequently, and I’d rather not have him thinking I’m a complete idiot.

We’re silent for a time as the cab pulls away from the curb. I face forward, trying to ignore the dank, musty smell of the cab's interior, but can feel Wade's eyes on me, the whole time. Is he studying me or something? Knowing my luck, there's probably a snag in my pants, or I probably spilled coffee on myself and didn’t even realize it.

"How long have you worked for Emerson Global?” he asks, finally, breaking the silence.

I risk a tiny glance at him from the corner of my eye and say, “Almost a year, now.”

"And are you happy?” he continues.

I shrug, taking a moment to consider the question.

"It's alright. The pay is good, the hours are decent."

He studies me for a second longer, as though judging my response.

"Yes, but are you happy?”

I frown, caught off guard by his emphasis on the last word.

"I guess so. I've never really stopped to think about it all that much."

"Why not? Isn't being happy what life is all about?"

"I suppose it is..."

He studies me for another few seconds. Suddenly, I’m feeling apprehensive under his heavy stare. What is this guy looking for, anyway? I barely know him and he’s expecting me to completely open up to him?

“Maybe there’s something else in your life that you’re not happy about…”

I frown.

“What do you mean?”

The corner of his mouth pinches into a smirk.

“I just mean, maybe it’s something at home that you’re not happy with… Perhaps your boyfriend?”

My mouth drops open in shocked surprise. The nerve of this guy!

“That’s not the issue at all,” I say, a little too forcefully.

“So your boyfriend does make you happy?” he presses.

“No, that’s not what I said.”

“And we’re back to him not making you happy.”

The amused smile on Wade’s face is becoming rather irritating. I’m getting too flustered with it to keep up with the accusations he keeps throwing my way.

“You’re twisting my words.”

His blue eyes hold me in their gaze for a short time before he speaks.

“Then why don’t you explain it to me?” he says.

I take a deep breath, trying to collect myself before I continue sticking my foot in my mouth.

“What I was meaning to say is that I don’t have a boyfriend to make me unhappy.”

Maybe it’s just me, but it looks like his smile actually widens a bit after I make my confession.

“Oh, that is what you’re trying to tell me…”

His voice is softer this time, and he lets it trail off as though he might add something to the statement. But he never does. He just sits there and watches me for a while longer.

For some reason, letting Wade know that I’m single makes me even more nervous around him. Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like he’s seeing me with different eyes. What Aimee told me earlier about him being a serial bachelor comes to mind—he’s got another thing coming if he thinks I’m going to be one of his conquests!

"So this seminar is supposed to last all day, eh?" I joke, desperately hoping to change the subject away from myself. "I hope it's not a snooze fest. Usually the only thing more boring than the material we’re supposed to be learning is the person that’s presenting it. It’s almost always impossible to stay awake through it all.”

Wade’s grin broadens and he lets out a low chuckle. Hearing it makes me feel a little easier. Hopefully the joke is enough of a distraction to get him to stop talking about my love life—or lack thereof.

He tilts his head forward, nodding in agreement.

“Seriously, who wants to sit and hear about boring accounting stuff all day? There should be some kind of law against it.”

I let out a tiny laugh, then a thought occurs to me.

“Say, you’re not working in finance… why do you need to go to this thing?”

The smile on his face fades and he gives me a grim look.

“Well, actually, there were some scheduling conflicts, and a friend of mine asked me to fill in for one of those boring speakers, today.”

The blood drains from my face. I’m such an idiot. Here I am, trying to change the subject away from myself and blathering on about how boring these types of things usually are, not knowing the whole time that Wade is going to be one of the people presenting. I mean—really—could I stick my foot any farther into my mouth?

“I’m so sorry,” I stammer, quickly. “I didn’t realize… I didn’t mean what I said. I’m sure your presentation is going to be really interesting. Yours will probably be the most interesting one I’ve ever seen!”

I’m not usually the kind of girl that likes to flatter a guy, but sometimes it’s justifiable.

Wade holds a hand up and says, “Don’t worry about it, I know what you meant.”

His words don’t do much to assure me. I still feel like a complete idiot. The smart move would be to keep my mouth shut for the rest of the morning—no good can come out of anything I have to say, anyway.

Thankfully, the cabbie saves me from myself when he pulls up to the curb outside of the hotel. Wade pays the fare before I can even reach inside my purse for some cash.

“You don’t have to do that,” I say, eyeing him.

“Don’t worry, I’m just going to expense it back to the company, anyway.”

He gives me a devious wink that catches me off guard. I raise a hand to my mouth, stifling the little giggle that comes out.

I tease him, “You remember I work in Accounts Payable, right? I’m the one that has to review all of those expense reports that get turned in.”

His eyebrows rise in what I’m sure is mock surprise.

“Well, it will be good to have a friend on the inside then.”

We both share a quick laugh before climbing out of the car and making our way into the hotel. The lobby is crowded and busy, but there are signs posted, directing us toward one of the large conference rooms in the back. We follow the signs down a long hallway before finding ourselves in front of a registration table setup just outside the conference room. Thankfully, sign-in sheets are still laid out.

“I’m so late, I hope I still get credit for being here,” I say, unable to hide the concern in my tone.

“If anyone gives you trouble about it, just let me know. I’m friends with the President of the New York State AICPA and I’m sure we can get the situation taken care of.”

My eyebrows rise in genuine surprise.

“You would do that for me?” I ask.

“Of course, I take care of my people. Besides, I’m sure there’s something you could do to pay me back…”

His eyes fall down along the length of my body, causing butterflies to erupt in my stomach. Thoughts and visions that shouldn’t be there go rushing through my head. Tiny prickles of heat blossom on my cheeks. Hopefully Wade doesn’t realize that he’s making me blush.

“Like what?” I ask, innocently, as though the suddenly lustful look in his eye isn’t enough to tell me exactly what he’s thinking. It may have been a while since I’ve dated anyone, but I can still tell when a man wants me.

Aimee’s earlier words echo a warning in my head, but all I think about his how I might be starting to see what she sees in him, too. There’s definitely something about Wade Foster that makes him… interesting.

Wade’s lip pulls back into a little smirk. It’s the sexiest look he’s given me all morning, and it doesn’t do anything to get rid of the thoughts and visions still cascading through my mind.

“Like…” He lets the word linger in the air for a moment. “Like handling some of those expense reimbursement forms for me… Those things are always a pain to get approved.”

What he says catches me off guard and I let out a loud laugh—much louder than is appropriate.

“We might be able to work something out,” I say, after getting a hold of myself.

He gives me an even bigger smile and we stand there for a moment, looking at each other, before he continues.

“Well, you’d better get in there,” he says. “I wouldn’t want you to miss out on your nap time.”

I let out another little giggle and nod my head in agreement.

“Good luck on your presentation,” I offer.

He waves a hand, dismissively.

“There’s no pressure anymore, now that I know everyone will be asleep by the time I start, anyways.”

I can’t help but beam at him.

“Well, I, for one, will be looking forward to what you have to say.”

His eyebrows rise.

“Is that so?” he asks. I nod my head in confirmation. “Then I’ll be sure to find you afterward and you can let me know what you think. Deal?”

“Deal,” I agree without even considering it.

Chapter 10

Sofie

The conference room is nearly full by the time I make my way inside. Thankfully I spot an empty seat near the back almost immediately. I’ve already missed the better part of an hour—hopefully there won’t be some kind of quiz at the end to make sure we were paying attention.

There's a tiny stage at the front of the room and a guy is standing off to the side with a microphone in his hand. On a large screen in the middle of the stage is a slideshow with a bunch of accounting stuff on it. I should be paying attention, but it isn't long before I'm already mentally checked out.

Throughout the day, my thoughts roam around many topics, but they always seem to come back to Wade Foster. I can't help but recall what Aimee had told me about him, earlier—about the fact that he's known for being some kind of playboy. Aimee is a lot of things, but overly dramatic is not one of them. But, still, I just can't seem to line up her description of him with the man that I'd spent at least an hour with, this morning. Maybe she’d been wrong about him? Or maybe he just had a bad reputation for some reason?

Either way, he hadn't been disrespectful at all while I was with him. More than that, having his attention on me had felt kind of nice. It's been a while since I've received that kind of attention and have been able to appreciate it. Usually I’m just not interested in the guy that’s giving it to me, and their unwelcome advances have the opposite of the intended affect.

It’s not that I don’t want to be with someone, it’s just that I’m not willing to give myself to just anyone. Not after what happened the last time. Not after what had been done to me…

But that was years ago, and I know that eventually I’ll have to move on. One day I will have to let another man into my life, back into all of those intimate places that I’ve kept so guarded the last few years. I don’t know that Wade Foster is the man that will be able to break through all of my defenses, but I do know that he intrigues me.

So far, anyway.

We only just met, and we don’t even know each other. Chances are that, once he gets to know me better, he’ll lose whatever little bit of interest he seems to have right now. That’s how it usually goes, anyway. Guys are always interested at first. It’s getting them to stick around that’s the hard part. And getting them to stick around without letting their interests wander seems to be even harder, still.

Around noon we break for a quick lunch. It’s served in the reception area just outside of the conference room. I'm ashamed to admit that I spend the better part of the lunch break looking through the crowds of people, hoping that I’ll catch sight of Wade. But he never shows. Perhaps he is in a meeting or something? Or maybe he’s lunching with others that he met? Or maybe he just isn't hungry and he’s getting work done?

Regardless of the reason, I can't help the melancholy feeling that surrounds me. It follows me back into the conference room when the afternoon session begins. I don't know why it's there, it’s not like Wade and I had made plans to have lunch together. But the thought had occurred to me once or twice during the morning session, and I'd actually begun to look forward to talking to him. I know I am just being silly and unreasonable. Like usual.

The afternoon session gets under way, and the MC begins with a brief welcome and encouraging words about the seminar being ahead of schedule. He makes loose promises about the possibility of us getting out early, which seems to go over well with the entire room. Maybe the remaining hours aren’t going to be as bad as I thought?

I’m only just beginning to get myself settled and forget my misplaced disappointment from lunch when he welcomes the next presenter to the stage. My heart skips a beat when I see Wade's tall, lean figure appear, seemingly out of nowhere.

In an instant, I'm captivated by his presence, by the charming way he addresses the room, by everything. He cracks a joke about everyone being sleepy after eating lunch, which elicits genuine laughter from the room. But my amazement doesn't end with his charm or his wit. When Wade begins his presentation, I'm blown away by his intelligence. Throughout the discussion, he takes questions from the audience—questions that I can only barely even understand, in the first place, let alone know the answers to, myself. He responds to them with the ease and assuredness of a man who's more than competent at what he does. He’s an unexpected sight to behold, and I’m certain that I’m not the only girl in the room that takes an instant liking to him.

Somewhere in the middle of his presentation, my thoughts stray from his brains to… Well, to other assets he seems to possess.

I hadn't noticed it before—or maybe I had ignored it—but now I can't take my eyes off the way his body fills out the expensive suit he's wearing. From here, his physique looks impeccable. There are tight bulges and firm lines in all the right places.

He raises an arm to point at something on one of the slides, causing his shirt to pull tightly across his chest. More thoughts go cascading through my head. I only barely notice that I’m biting my lower lip, but I can’t bring myself to stop. He’s probably one of those few guys that looks even better with his shirt off than with it on.

I shake myself, trying desperately to fight off whatever has come over me. What am I thinking? Sure, it’s been ages since I’ve been with a man, but I barely know this guy.

But getting a handle on things is much easier said than done. By the time Wade finishes his lecture, I know that any hope of not having an irresistible crush on him is completely lost. I know the feeling is probably fleeting, that I’m probably just overwhelmed by a man who is both interesting and extremely hot—which seems to be quite the rare combination, these days—but the feeling is nice, all the same.

Why shouldn’t I let myself have a little flame for him? I mean, I’m only human. It’s natural. It’s not like I’m planning on letting him strip me down and have his way with me or anything.

Chapter 11

Sofie

A sigh of relief rolls through the conference room when the MC stands at the front and announces that the seminar has come to a close. The seminar has run late into the afternoon, despite his earlier suggestions to the contrary. He thanks us for sticking with him and hopes that everyone has gotten a lot out of their day.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but the only thing I got out of the whole day is a strong desire to get to know a lot more about one Wade Foster.

Wade disappeared after his lecture, though, and I haven’t seen him, since. He probably went off to wherever he’d been during the morning session. If he’s important and connected enough to be asked to speak at the seminar in the first place, then I’m sure he’s also pretty busy.

Making my way out of the congested room, I decide to linger in the reception area for a while. Perhaps if I wait here for a few minutes I’ll get to see him. He’d mentioned wanting to talk after the seminar, so maybe he’ll come looking for me. It’s not like I have any place urgent to be. And if he doesn’t show, well, no harm no foul. We didn’t make any actual plans.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel the smallest amount of hope that he really would show up. Sure, I would probably see him around the office every now and then, but that felt wrong, somehow. It felt as though, after tonight, whatever magical spell had come over me to get me interested in the first place will be broken. It’s a similar feeling to what I experienced when I was barely a teenager and met a cute boy at summer camp.

Bobby Thompson. I still remember his name, even after all these years.

We met on the first day of camp and there had been an immediate attraction. Looking back, I now know it was a much stronger connection than I ever gave it credit for. It’s easy to be attracted to someone, it’s a different thing entirely when their simple presence is so strong that it warps the space and time around you.

The romance started as just a shared interest in one another, but it didn’t take long for it to blossom into something else. In only a few days we went from hanging out every chance we got, to holding hands when we thought no one else was looking. A few days later, Bobby snuck me down a path through the forest he’d found. It led us to a part of the lake forbidden to us. That was where he first kissed me.

After that, we couldn’t get enough of each other. We started sneaking out of our bunks in the middle of the night just so we could spend more time together. It was all innocent enough—we were only kids—but the experience shaped me, all the same.

The romance wasn’t destined to last, and we knew it. That was part of what made everything about it so exciting. We knew that we were on a shortened timeline, and that every moment with each other counted. We knew that when summer camp ended and we went back to our real lives, the connection we had would fade into the background. We knew the magical enchantment of the hot, sticky nights in the North Carolina woods would melt and mix with all of our other childhood memories, but we were determined to make those memories meaningful.

I never told Bobby, but he was my first kiss. And it had been the best first kiss a girl could ask for. I wish I could say the same about some of my other firsts…

Maybe the problem isn’t the romances I’ve had. Maybe the problem is me. What had been so magical about that summer with Bobby was that we had always known it was going to end. It was a relationship with a defined expiration date.

Maybe it was because of that expiration date that we were able to just be ourselves. We weren’t trying to act a certain way for one another. We weren’t critical of each other’s shortcomings. There was just acceptance. I took him for who he was, and he took me the same way.

Maybe the problem with adult relationships is that there’s too much expectation. Maybe I’d wanted too much from the man I’d thought was the love of my life. Maybe it wasn’t his fault that my heart had been crushed. Maybe it was mine.

A soft smile spreads across my face as I have a realization.

I’d always thought that man was my first love, my only love, my one true love. But standing here in the reception hall, waiting for something new and thinking about something long gone, I realize that I’ve been wrong all these years.

Bobby Thompson was my first love. In a way, he may always be my one love. Our relationship had been flawless. Maybe I should treat every other man that comes into my life as a temporary placeholder, because whatever I have with them will never measure up to what I’ve already had before.

Feeling renewed confidence, my thoughts drift back to the way Wade Foster had looked on that stage—his presence, his confidence, his muscular physique. If he’s a temporary thing, then I’m sure as hell going to have some fun with him.

I feel the wetness as soon as it appears between my legs and my smile grows wider. Wade had better show up quick, before I come to my senses, or he’s going to miss out on one hell of a good time.

Chapter 12

Sofie

I linger in the reception area for what feels like an hour, but is actually closer to ten minutes. At first it’s easy to blend in with the crowd of people as they spill out of the conference room. Many of them seem to know each other, and they stand around to chat for a few minutes before parting to head off in their separate directions.

The minutes on my watch tick by, slowly. After another five minutes there’s still no sign of Wade, and by now I’m one of the only remaining people in the reception area. How long am I going to wait on him? If he’s not here by now, then he’s probably not going to show up. He probably had something to do and left before the seminar even ended. By now, I’m probably just a distant memory to him.

Feeling a little bit foolish, I make my way out of the reception area and back toward the lobby of the hotel. It’s going to take forever to find a cab at this hour, but there’s no rush. The only thing waiting for me back home is some leftover Chinese food from last night and the next episode of Parenthood—the latest victim of my Netflix bingeing habit.

Suddenly, a couple spills out of a hallway bisecting my way to the lobby. I hop to the side, narrowly missing a full on collision with a model-thin blonde who doesn’t even seem to notice me. I shake my head in frustration and keep my eyes locked straight ahead of me. People can be so rude, that’s why I’d rather be at home having an excited three-way with my friends Ben & Jerry.

But I don’t make it more than a couple steps before someone calls me out by name.

“Sofie! There you are!”

I slow and give a confused glance over my shoulder. When I see who it is, I come to a stop. The couple I nearly collided with is actually Wade and… some blonde. I’d been so focused on dodging out of the way and getting out of there that I hadn’t even realized he was the guy with her.

Wade beams a smile at me while a similar smile on the blonde’s face wavers and then vanishes. He looks impeccable, just as he had during his presentation, earlier. She’s wearing a less-than-professional—according to my standards, anyway—business dress. I get the distinct feeling that she’s nonplussed for him to be talking to me.

Aimee’s words from earlier echo in my ears one more time. But this time they’re more a warning than just a fun fact about the new guy around the office.

“I didn’t think you’d still be here,” Wade says. If he notices the death glares his girlfriend is giving me, he doesn’t give any indication of it.

“I ran into a couple colleagues,” I say, quickly, surprised by how convincing the off-the-cuff lie sounds.

His smile broadens and he says, “New York seems to be a pretty small city tonight. The same thing happened to me.” He glances at the blonde and then back to me. “Sofie this is Rebecca. Rebecca, Sofie.” Following the quick introduction, to me, he says, “Rebecca is an old business associate from my days on Wall Street. We bumped into each other just a bit ago.”

I give her a thin-lipped smile and a whispered, “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” she says, tightly. She has a distinctly European accent that makes her natural beauty even more intimidating.

“You weren’t leaving, were you?” Wade asks, his tone sounding genuinely concerned.

“I was,” I say. “It’s getting late…”

The wavering in my voice makes the excuse sound even lamer than it already is. Lines appear in Wade’s forehead as he gives me an incredulous look.

“Late? It’s not even six yet. What’s the rush, you got a hot date?”

“No!” I say, defensively. Then I quickly stammer, “I mean… I just remembered some stuff I need to take care of.”

His eyes narrow and I can tell he sees straight through the lie.

“I’m sure it can wait. It’s Friday and we’ve been cooped up in a seminar all day—if that isn’t reason for a few drinks then nothing is.”

My eyes dart to Rebecca and then back to him. She hasn’t said anything, but the scowl on her face is a message received loud and clear.

“I wouldn’t want to impose…”

Wade looks at Rebecca as though he’s forgotten she’s standing there, trying to rub herself all over him.

“Actually, Rebecca was just leaving, she’s got an early flight to catch in the morning.” He turns and gives her a questioning look. “Isn’t that what you said?”

A long moment passes before she responds to the question. She gives me more than a couple suspicious looks, but finally she tilts her head forward in a nod.

“Yes, I should be on my way,” she says, finally.

Wade looks pleased with the response, but I get the feeling that Rebecca is anything but happy to give it.

Wade turns toward her and gives her a hug, saying, “Have a good trip. Let’s get together and catch up when you’re back in town.”

As he goes to withdraw from the hug, Rebecca stretches up on the tips of her toes and kisses him on the cheek. Afterward she fixes him with the same cheery smile she’d had when she’d nearly ran me over just a few minutes ago.

“I will call you,” she says. When she finally pulls away and looks to me, the scowl has already made its return. “It was nice meeting you.”

Her words are cold and emotionless and she steps past me without waiting for a response. I pinch my lips together and stare at a spot on the ground until the clacking of her heels on the tile floor fade into the background. Wade spends the same time watching me. If he even glances her direction as she walks away, I don’t catch it.

After she’s gone, he breaks the silence.

“So, how about that drink?” he asks.

The offer is tempting, but all the warning bells inside me are going off, telling me to stay far away from him.

“Are you asking as my boss, or as something else?”

I feel like the clarification is an important one. In fact, it’s probably the smartest thing I’ve said all day, even if I already know the answer. It would be just my luck to think he’s asking me on a date when he’s simply intending to get to know one of his coworkers a little better.

“It’s Friday night,” he says, taking a step closer. “And we’re not in the office. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just a guy hoping a pretty girl will grace him with a little more of her time.”

I turn my head to the side as a huge smile spreads across my face. It would have been impossible to stop it after hearing him say such a sweet thing. But still, it doesn’t remain for long.

“I don’t know, I wouldn’t want to get in the middle of something…”

My meaning is obvious, and to his credit, he doesn’t play dumb. I would know he’s a lying piece of shit if he did.

“You mean Rebecca?” I nod. “There’s nothing there for you to get in the middle of.”

“That’s not the way it looked when she kissed you on the cheek.”

He lets out a little laugh and gives me a reassuring look.

“She’s Parisian, it’s just something she does. It doesn’t have any more meaning than if it were a handshake or a wave goodbye.”

The explanation fits. It sounds reasonable. But there’s still a seed of doubt that lingers inside of me. He must sense the doubt, because he tries to reassure me even more.

“I’m not sure what it is you have waiting at home for you, but it’s Friday night and I’m certain that getting a drink with me will be more fun than whatever you’re so hesitant to return to. There’s no pressure, one drink, and if you’re not having a good time after that you can still be home before your carriage turns back into a pumpkin.”

The Cinderella reference causes me to laugh, again. At first I just think it’s a cute thing to say, but then it turns into something more. Wasn’t I just telling myself earlier to expect my romances to have an expiration date? Isn’t that the exact same thing Cinderella was facing when she went to the ball? Maybe her night would have been even more magical if she’d gotten away in time?

Like he said, it’s just one drink. Two if we’re having fun. And then I can return home, to my boring, comfortable life where Aimee will surely act like I’ve officially lost my mind. And I’ll be okay with it.

“Okay,” I say, bobbing my head in consent. “One drink.”

The smile on Wade’s face stretches from ear to ear.

“Great,” he says. “I know just the place.”

Chapter 13

Calvin

The Parlor is the name of the room that houses Club Addiction’s VIP lounge and is restricted to only the most elite of club members. It’s a place where they can go to have more quiet and intimate discussions while still being in a public setting. Members will often treat their business clients, or possibly even their mistresses, to some of the most exclusive parts of the hottest club in town. It’s a way of demonstrating their importance, of indulging their narcissism.

The Parlor is a status symbol more than anything else. And my presence there is like a painter’s mark on his masterpiece.

It’s mid-evening when I make my second round through the club. My heart is still beating hard after having just fucked Charlotte on my desk, and a tingling sensation is making its way up and down my legs. But, mostly, the encounter with Charlotte is already a distant memory. It wasn’t the first time I’d fucked her, and it probably won’t be the last. She enjoys our random hookups as much as I do—probably even more than I do—and that means that, no matter what she says, they’ll likely continue. For now, my focus is on greeting my guests, and checking to see if there are any VIPs that deserve, or expect, even more special attention.

The lounges with their varying styles of music and ambiances are all beginning to fill up. I stop by a few of the tables and shake hands with both those I recognize as returning guests along with new faces that I’ve never seen before. As is typical, there are more than a couple hot twenty-somethings that make it obvious they’re willing to do whatever it takes to spend a little more time with me, and if I hadn’t just emptied myself with Charlotte, I’d be tempted to take one or two of them up on those unspoken offers.

It takes the better part of twenty minutes to clear my way through the club before I end up outside of the Parlor. Darren, one of the more senior members of my security team, is standing just outside of the room. The visible security so near-at-hand gives my special guests a sense of comfort. These are powerful men of privilege, and they like to know that they’re being taken care of—and that they’re properly segregated from the “commoners” that avail themselves to some of Club Addictions other amenities.

Having a trusted man nearby at all times also makes it easier for me to know what is going on in my club. And whether or not there are any matters of which I should be aware.

“Good evening, Darren. How’s the night coming along?”

“Mr. Black,” he says, nodding his head in acknowledgement. “Pretty quiet night so far. Only a few guests have been through here.”

“Anyone I should be aware of?”

He nods his head once.

“Mr. Cross is here right now. With a date.”

He adds the last part almost as an afterthought. Its meaning and significance doesn’t need further clarification.

“Glad to hear it. Then I shouldn’t be here long.”

Darren nods his head in understanding and then pulls back the purple privacy curtain that separates the Parlor from the hallway outside. Stepping beyond the curtains transports me into a much quieter and much more elegant world. The lighting in the Parlor is kept low, and the tables are spread far enough apart that the VIPs don’t have to worry about anyone eavesdropping.

Giving a cursory glance around the room, I note that a few of the tables in the Parlor are occupied. I disregard all of the others when I see the man I’m looking for sitting in his usual spot. He’s displaying that level of charm that seems to work on most of the women in his life. Across from him is a girl with curly auburn hair. She doesn’t look like the usual type of girl I see him here with—but I’m not one to judge.

Declan Cross was one of the first investors in Club Addiction, and he was also one of the first VIP members—a perk of his contributions to our ongoing success. I’ve known him for a few years, and he’s quickly become one of my most trusted confidantes in the city.

A smile brightens his face when he sees me drawing near. He rises out of his seat just as I come to a stop at their table.

“Calvin Black, the one and only,” he says, thrusting his hand out to me.

I grasp it and give it a strong shake.

“Declan, it’s good to see you.” I turn my smile to the girl—she’s even more attractive up close. “I see you’ve brought a friend…”

“Calvin this is Annabelle.” To her he adds, “Annabelle, Calvin is the owner of this fine place, and a dear friend.”

“It’s good to meet you… Mr. Black, was it?”

She holds her hand out to me and I cup it in mine, ever so gently.

“To you, it’s Calvin,” I say, lifting the back of her palm to my lips and pressing a soft kiss into it. “And believe me, the pleasure is all mine.”

She’s quick to mask it, but I catch the beginnings of an embarrassed blush showing on her cheeks.

“Easy there, cowboy. This one is staying with me tonight,” Declan says, only half jokingly.

She cocks an eyebrow at him.

“So much confidence…” she teases. “What if I like Calvin, here, better?”

For a split second Declan actually looks concerned, but it disappears just as fast, replaced by one of his cocky, smug looks.

“Then it would be your loss,” he promises.

The trickiest part about glad-handing with the VIPs is knowing when to excuse yourself. This playful flirting between the two of them, at my expense, is the perfect opportunity.

I grin and clap Declan on the back, keeping my eyes locked on his beautiful date.

“I can promise that what he says is true,” I tell her. “Unfortunately, I’m too busy to be much fun to anybody, tonight.”

Her head tilts in a mildly dissatisfied way and she diverts her attention back to Declan.

“Looks like you’ll get more time to impress me, after all.”

“I can assure you he won’t disappoint,” I say, confidently, then turn to face my friend. “You’ll let me know if there’s anything you need, yes?”

We grip hands one more time and he jerks his head in agreement.

“Your people know just how to take care of me.”

“Good. Let’s get together soon and catch up, it’s been too long.”

He agrees that we will, and I take my leave. It won’t be long before the club really starts filling up, and I need to put in some more face time out in the primary rooms. It’s my job to make sure that my guests have a memorable experience at Club Addiction, and I’ve found that one of the easiest ways to make that happen is for the owner to be present and willing to impress.

Call me a kiss-ass if you want, but business is good.

But I’m not even able to make it out of the Parlor before I hear something that stops me dead in my tracks.

My heart is suddenly pounding furiously in my chest. It feels like I just finished sprinting a marathon. That laugh, coming from the corner of the room…

I take a couple slow, deep breaths before turning my head toward the table at the far end of the room. Sitting there is a couple that I’d first noted when I came in, but I hadn’t thought anything special of them, at the time. Now, I think differently.

The rest of the world seems to melt away as I focus on that one, single table.

I recognize the VIP sitting there, facing the center of the room. His name is Wade Foster and he’s one of my newest VIPs. He’s got a smug, little smile on his face, not completely unlike Declan’s. I know that kind of smile. I’ve used that kind of smile.

The smile is directed at the girl sitting across from him with her back to me. But I don’t need to see her face to know who she is.

It’s the laugh that gave her away.

She’s the girl from all those years ago that still dances through my dreams every night. The only girl I’ve ever really loved. And the reason I’ll never love anyone else again.

Sofie Bennett… What the fuck are you doing in my club?