Rockstar Untamed: A Single Dad Virgin Romance by Michelle Love (13)

I took her upstairs to the other bedroom, to show her how much bigger it was. I wanted her to stay in this room, because it seemed safer up here, even with the security system that I was going to have installed. Elisa walked around the spacious room, peeking into the attached master bathroom and the balcony that would offer an excellent view of the city. “It’s lovely. I can imagine studying up here so peacefully, with the slider open when the weather is nice.”

“I have other plans for this room,” I told her, as she giggled and sat on the king-sized bed.

I could tell that she was tired from the emotions of the evening, as well as the sex we’d shared, and let her fall asleep beside me, with nothing more than a soft kiss. Regarding my lifestyle, the sex would be considered vanilla on many levels. In my soul, I knew that it was different, and that it had been so much more than a physical connection. I thought back to Sharon earlier that night and compared the experiences. Sharon was done with Elisa in my mind, and I knew that. Now that I’d felt what it was like to be inside of Elisa, I didn’t want anyone else.

This was a problem. Elisa was my employee, and this was going against the rules set by me when I took over. I never planned on getting involved with anyone in my company, since I had plenty of women for that in my personal life. I was always strong at separating the two until I saw Elisa’s face and felt the connection between us. It was something that I couldn’t ignore, and I asked myself if I was willing to risk everything for her.

I finally slept beside her, something that was not normally part of my life. I always sent the woman away when I was finished and slept alone.

Everything was different now.

Elisa woke up late, since we’d left her purse with her phone in it downstairs. She panicked, since she was already late for classes. I calmed her down and made some coffee, assuring her that she was at the top of her class, and that one day wouldn’t destroy that. It was disconcerting for me to see how obsessed Elisa was with doing what was expected of her, day in and day out. Elisa had been pressured from an early age, through no fault of her own, and I noted the slight circles under her eyes as she sipped coffee on the balcony. I wondered how Elisa viewed this offer of mine; as relief or just more pressure on her shoulders? Elisa was not used to people helping her, apart from her mother, and that was something that ultimately made her work twice as hard for anything that she wanted.

I could see that she was ready to jump out of her own skin, and I was willing to do anything to soothe her at this moment. I worked hard in a different way, without the pressure of finances. I understood that was a heavy load for someone that didn’t have enough to make their life work.

I talked her into some late breakfast, sending Mark for some of the best bagels in the city and some more coffee. I loved Elisa’s curvy little body, and I wanted to keep it that way. I didn’t appreciate small women who worked out too much at a gym. I was all for being healthy, but I liked a little meat on women, as well, to add to the excitement in the bedroom. A bony ass was not fun to spank, but Elisa’s was just full enough to grab and mark as I wanted to.

I watched her eat a muffin and drink more coffee, seemingly calmer and ready to tackle the rest of her day. She looked at me, and I saw the hesitation in her face. “I work with you today. Will that be awkward?”

“No, it will be better. You’re an excellent employee, with or without this arrangement. Never think otherwise,” I assured Elisa, as I checked the microwave and noted the time. I had blown off a lot of my own routine this morning, something that bothered me as I took my last sip of coffee. I’d make an excuse to everyone, even though I didn’t need to be at work as early as I usually arrived. “I am going to head to my place to get ready for work. Are you okay here, or do you need Mark to get you home to change?”

“I brought clothes and things here for today, but thank you.” Her smile was soft and beautiful, and I stepped forward to kiss her, my hands cupped around her face. “I don’t think that thank you is enough to say, Damon. There’s so much more, and I don’t understand any of this, but thank you.”

I kissed her again before heading home, showering quickly, and dressing for the office. I couldn’t help but think back to the night and the incredible way that it made me feel. I was smiling when I stepped back into the car at my place, and Mark looked at me. “Is this serious?”

“Possibly,” I replied, as he started the car. “I don’t know what to make of it, Mark. That was never my style.”

“Some things happen when they’re meant to, Damon. This might be one of those times.” I nodded at his words, as I leaned back against the seat and imagined Elisa in here with me.

Elisa

 

I took a shower in the huge marble space with three shower heads. Three! I’d never heard of such a thing before, but it felt so good. Somehow, there were products in there already, and I wondered if Damon had planned this ahead of time, wanting me to say yes. I loved the idea, but at the same time, it was too much. It wasn’t something that I’d earned for myself, and I didn’t take help easily, apart from my college scholarship.

Though I had worked for that, hadn’t I? I sacrificed everything for that, things that normal high school students enjoy. Maybe this was when I would start to reap my rewards, though sleeping with my boss and taking an apartment from him was not one of my goals back then. I stepped out of the shower and dried myself off with the soft towels, looking over the counter and into mirror as I dried my hair. It was beautiful in here, and my bathroom at the other apartment would fit inside of this room. I wouldn’t have to share it with anyone.

It just didn’t feel right. Though this was just a two-bedroom apartment, it was so spacious. It was too big for just me, and I thought about having Mom move in with me, despite Damon’s protests. Were we going to keep seeing one another outside of work, and that was why he protested? It would be awkward to be with him the way that I was last night with someone else home at night, since we clearly had incredible sexual chemistry.

What else was there, though?

I put on a little makeup to cover the circles under my eyes, then dressed in the black skirt and silk t-shirt that I’d brought along with me, frowning at the wrinkles that were in the red shirt, despite my careful packing of it. They weren’t terrible, and it was Friday, a day that everyone dressed casually, unless they had a meeting. This would be considered dressy, but I liked wearing feminine clothes to work, and I loved that Damon wore suits every day. I blushed at the idea of seeing him again today when I went to his office. Last night was my first time enjoying sex without inhibitions, and I had shocked myself the second time, when I took control. I could tell that he preferred to have control, and my mind wandered to how hard he liked to go. I read books and heard girls talk at school, and it seemed to be a thing. I didn’t understand it all completely, but I could ask him. I blushed. How embarrassing.

I left the apartment with my backpack slung over my shoulders and looked around carefully at my surroundings during the day. It was quiet and safe to assume that most of these people worked days here. I went to the main street and started to walk towards the office. It was only a couple of blocks away, and I could see this being very convenient for someone who worked for Elkus Manfredi and had just moved or who didn’t have a car, like me. The walk was pleasant, and, at night, it wouldn’t be too terrible. I wanted to keep the apartment, badly. It would help me so much with school, and I could study productively from home instead going to a noisy coffee shop and spending money I didn’t have. That was my option when I didn’t want to take a car back to school to use the library if I’d already been home, but neither option was pleasant. I thought of what else I could do alone and blushed as I walked through the glass doors.

I joined my team for the first part of the day, feeling inspired and adding a lot to the current project as Autumn smiled at me. She was the most supportive, besides Vince, and seemed to have dropped the subject of Damon. I’d never let her find out about us. I smiled back, thankful for her notice of my enthusiasm.

We headed out to lunch as a group, all excited about what was coming together as we headed to the deli down the street. Devin was just walking inside, and I looked forward in concern, as I wondered if there would be any confrontation once we interacted. Autumn called his name as she opened the door to go inside and he glanced up, letting his gaze pass over the group of us. There was no change in expression when he saw me, and I let out a sigh of relief. “Join us?” He called out, and Autumn nodded as I forced a small smile on my face.

We grabbed a big table in the back, and I sat across the table from Devin as he asked Autumn how our project was going. Everyone went back and forth, discussing things as I ate slowly and paid attention. I noticed that Devin looked at me a few times, but not in the way I’d expected after I turned him down at his apartment that night.

It wasn’t anger that he showed me, but more disappointment. We’d kissed for a while on his couch, and, once I knew that it was headed further, I had pulled away. Damon was too much on my mind to do anything else with Devin, especially seeing him on the street just hours before. I explained that I wasn’t ready for anything serious yet, since I was busy with school and the internship. Devin was disappointed, but he claimed that he understood before kissing me softly and taking me home. I wasn’t in the position to tell anyone no very often, and it was uncomfortable.

I noticed that he didn’t try to contact me after that, especially as I’d lied about seeing someone at school. I was young, and that’s how other people my age seemed to behave,, so I didn’t think it should seem odd. He was a great looking guy who could date anyone he wanted to, but I could still see feelings in Devin’s eyes as they met mine when we were finishing lunch. He joined me on the sidewalk as we left, and I clutched my purse to my side and tried to act natural. “How are you doing?” His voice was casual, and I smiled in his direction.

“I love the job. The team is fantastic,” I replied, as I glanced up in their direction.

“Yeah. Autumn has nice things to say about you.” Devin let his eyes rest on her for a moment, and I wondered if there was something between them. She had a long-term boyfriend, from what I’d heard, but we weren’t close friends. “I heard you’re seeing a guy at school.”

“I’m sorry. The timing was just wrong. It was unexpected, and it’s so casual, since the circumstances are still the same,” I told Devin, as I looked forward. The circumstances were nothing like before now, and it was a new game.

“Is he good to you?” Devin asked in a gruff voice, as I looked at him.

“I guess so, sure. It’s new.” He nodded and looked forward.

“You deserve that.”

I thanked him as we walked into the building and made our way to the elevators. I looked over to see Damon speaking with a beautiful woman by the main desk, an older one who seemed charmed by whatever he was telling her. I forced my eyes away, remembering who I was with, and led the way into the spacious elevator car as my body ached for him. It was painful, and I told the others that I’d see them in a bit as they got off on floor five.

“Where are you going?” Devin asked, as he looked curiously at me before glancing at the buttons.

“She’s helping the big boss a few days a week,” Autumn said, as the door closed too quickly to see anyone’s reaction. I dropped against the wall and took a deep breath as the elevator kept going up, praying that my face had been neutral during the last few minutes. I couldn’t blow this. My body heated up, and I let myself wonder who the woman talking to Damon was. I knew that sleeping with Damon would increase my feelings for him, and perhaps a small part of me wished that I’d stopped it, but it was minute if I looked at the big picture. I was just scared, and that was normal.

I managed to regain my composure as I reached my floor, raising my head high as I made my way to his office and saw the closed door. I tapped on it and unlocked the door when there was no reply, letting myself in and looking around as I set my purse down on the couch. My eyes lingered on the new shoes that matched my outfit for a long moment.

I pulled my iPad out of the bag and walked over to the desk to let it warm up. My work phone was always on, but it was silent today, making me wonder if Damon regretted the night before. I felt torn between being a girl and a woman with these crazy thoughts, and I tried to reason with myself. He was generous with me and concerned for my well-being. That was a good sign. Leave it at that and stop obsessing.

The door opened, and I jumped before I glanced up and saw Damon coming through with a cold look in his eyes. “Damon?” I asked, as I frowned and tried to think of what I’d done. He hadn’t even see me earlier in the lobby, or had he? Devin.

“What was that, earlier in the lobby?” He asked point blank, as he stalked across the room towards me.

“I think I could ask the same thing. Who was the woman, Damon?” I shot back, as my jealousy poured out of me and onto the floor in a pile of shame. I felt my cheeks flush, and he raised an eyebrow at me.

“Jesus fucking Christ. You sound like a jealous teenager,” he told me, as I stared at him.

“I practically am. I’m still in college, Damon.” He stopped in front of me, eyes flashing as he gripped my face, looking into my eyes.

“Don’t remind me. You didn’t seem like one last night when you were riding me,” he said, as I struggled in his grip. “I like that confident, wanting side of you. Where is it right now, Elisa?” His voice was demanding, as I felt my knees trembling as I sat on the desk.

“You overwhelm me, Damon. You confuse me,” I told him, as he slipped a hand behind my neck and kissed me. I moaned against him, not finished arguing as my body gave in to my need for him. My skirt was pushed up, and he ripped my panties down, plunging his fingers inside of me as his tongue circled mine. I whimpered as he pressed in deeper and harder, ready to burst before he told me to wait.

“Hold it. I’ll tell you when,” Damon said to me, as my eyes widened and I tried to shut off the sensations flowing through my body. How was I supposed to not come when he was dragging his fingers against the walls of my pussy, finding every sensitive spot that I had?

“How?” I groaned, as I stayed still and tried to ignore everything that was happening to me.

“Willpower,” Damon told me, as he manipulated my body and pressed his lips against my neck. It seemed like hours, but was probably more like minutes before he started thumbing my clit and whispered for me to let go.

“Fuck,” I cried out, as my body exploded and I jerked against him. “What was that?”

“That was control,” Damon told me, as he pulled away to kiss my lips. “I’ll get you some water from the fridge.”

I dropped back onto the desk as I sucked my breath in and let my body recover. That was so intense that I had almost forgotten about being jealous, at least until I saw Damon walk back into the room with water. My eyes were dazed as I stared at him, and he looked back at me. I took the water from him and downed half of it as I closed my eyes.

“The woman was a friend of my mother’s. I hadn’t seen her in a couple of years, and she wanted to take me to lunch.”

“Oh,” I felt stupid and slid down from the desk to sit in a seat as I looked around the floor for my underwear, if they had even survived. They were near my feet, and I blinked at them for a moment. “I’m sorry.”

“Explain why you were with Devin,” he suggested, as I let out a sigh.

“It was nothing. I was with my group, and Devin was with his at the deli. Autumn knows him, so we shared a table. I barely spoke to him on my own, and, when we did, I assured him that I was with someone,” I told him, as he looked at me carefully. “I swear. Do you think I could want anyone else after last night?”

“I’d hope not. I know that I don’t,” Damon said, as if it surprised him. Confusion flooded me again. “Maybe we’ll have to work on your control from now on.”

I had no idea how I was supposed to work after that. Somehow, I made it through the day and went to dinner with Damon. I couldn’t help but glance around the lobby as we left together. It was empty, and I followed him to his car as I kept my eyes forward and my hands at my side. We’d touched behind his closed door and we would again, later, but not here. Not in public. Mark opened the car door for me with a smile as I nodded at him and slipped into the car with Damon following me. “Where are we going?” I asked, as he smiled mysteriously.

“You’ll see,” Damon told me as he pulled me to his side to kiss me. I allowed him his moment as we drove through the streets, wrapped up together. It felt good in his arms, and I noticed that the car stopped before I looked out of the windows. We were at L’ESPALIER, one of the finest restaurants in the area, and I smiled at him.

We got out, and he led me inside as he told the beautiful hostess that he had a reservation. The woman nodded as she gazed at him with wide eyes before glancing at me with a small smile. The woman led us to a table located in the kitchen, where the chefs were in action, and I laughed as we sat down. “This is different.”

Damon

 

In between watching the preparation and tasting the variety of dishes that we sampled, Elisa accepted my offer of the apartment and told me that she’d tell her roommates in the next day or two. She was going to do the right thing and pay them for the next month in rent, so it wouldn’t put the other students in a bind, which I admired. Elisa was kind and thoughtful. She was someone who I knew would care for me the way I wanted a woman to, if I was serious about anyone. I asked her how much she needed to move, and she laughed when she explained that the apartment was fully furnished as well, just with a much lower-grade selection than I was giving her.

“I was thinking, though, and I feel guilty that you’re holding a whole other unit for Mom. She can stay with me, since it’s so big. I don’t think that she’ll quit both jobs after the move, but I’m hoping to convince her to drop one and go part-time at the other one,” Elisa said, as she looked shyly at me. “We’ll have privacy, if that’s what you want. I mean, if you’ll be staying there with me sometimes.”

“You’ve assumed correctly, Elisa. I don’t just offer this to any woman,” I reminded her, as another dish was brought around. This was a chicken dish, consisting of tender meat and crispy skin, and I watched as Elisa moaned as she tasted it.

We left after a lot of good food and some wine, and Mark opened the door to the car for us as Elisa giggled. “Does he have a life apart from this?” She asked, once inside the car, with a wave if her hand.

“He’ll be taking the car home, once he drops us off at my place,” I replied, as she looked at me.

“Not the apartment?”

“I thought I’d show you my home,” I told her, as she smiled and sat back against the leather.

“Thank you for dinner. That was a great night,” she said, as she kissed my neck.

Mark took my private entrance, pulling into the garage and dipping low to drive us to the elevator. He let us out and bid us both good night, as he gave us a warm smile. I led Elisa to door by the hand, and she waved to Mark before wrapping an arm around my waist.

I heard heels clicking in the garage and turned my head to see Natalie looking back at me as she walked towards her car. She didn’t have a penthouse like I did, so I was surprised and concerned that it blew my anonymity. “Do you know her?” Elisa asked in a loud whisper, as Natalie narrowed her eyes at me.

“Just another resident in the building,” I assured Elisa, before turning towards the open door.

We went up to my place and walked inside as I locked the door and she stopped walking just to look around. “This is…”

“I call it home,” I said, as I slipped her jacket off to hang by the door.

“Incredible,” she breathed, as she stepped forward and walked over to the windows to look over the city. I knew that I had an elegant apartment, since I had custom ordered everything in it, but it was nice to see the childlike joy on her face. “I never lived anywhere close to this. I guess you probably did.”

“We were always comfortable, Elisa. This is more my own, though,” I walked over and started a fire, while she looked outside for a few more moments.

“How many bedrooms does this have?” I heard her ask as I stoked the fire with the tools that I kept nearby, frowning at the ash collecting at the end of the shiny brass.

“Four. Most of the space is this room and the kitchen, though the master bedroom is large,” I replied, as she sat down behind me. “I use the other rooms for an office, a spare room, and then another, more personalized extra room.”

“Personalized?” She asked, with another one of her goddamn giggles, as I stood and ran my hands down my pants. I had slipped the coat and suit jacket off upon arriving home, and I turned to stare at her as I loosened my tie. Her eyes were dark and hungry as she leaned forward on the couch and licked her lips.

“Did you like holding it earlier today?” I watched her face flush as she thought about my question, making me hard as I left my tie loose around my neck. I remembered the look in her eyes the previous time that I did that, and I had plans with it.

“I did,” she told me, as a naughty look crossed her face. I wanted to see a lot more of it, and I walked over to her before dropping on the couch beside her. “Why? Do you want to do that again?”

“Yes,” she whispered, as her green eyes caught mine with an intense look. I wondered how far to take it tonight as I leaned in to kiss her, first slowly and then with a heat that filled the room as we both deepened it.

There was my bedroom or the other room. Was it too much yet? I knew that Elisa had expressed a previous concern about my past, and she might not feel that way once she saw what it held. I didn’t use my home often for sex, but there were the precious few women who had become more to me. That was when I designed the other room.

Nobody meant what Elisa did to me, and had never even come close. I kissed her harder, testing her desire as she slipped her hand down between my legs and squeezed. “I want to show you something, Elisa.”

“What?” She asked breathlessly, before she kissed me again. The kiss lasted a few minutes as she moved onto my lap and distracted me from my plan, my hands moving to cup her ass. I wanted to rip off all her clothes and fuck her right here, but I focused and pulled away.

“Come with me,” I told her, as I pushed her off of me gently and went to get some water. We were going to need it. I held the bottles of water as I led Elisa down the long hallway and unlocked the door with the key that I pulled from the drawer in the kitchen. I paused before I took her hand and brought her inside, watching as her mouth dropped open and her eyes widen.

 

Part 5

 

Elisa

 

He took me into another room that was lit by a large glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It was another bedroom, but more. It looked like sin, with the prominent iron headboard that offered several areas to be tied to, with a little something at the foot of the bed as well. I could see all the shelving and cabinets and I felt my thighs heat up as I wondered what was in there. I felt Damon slide his hands over my hips, making me jump at the heat that I felt from his hands. “I can do incredible things to your body in here,” he promised me, as I licked my lips.

“So I see,” I replied, as I let the jealousy in my heart wind around my body. I reminded myself that he had arranged an apartment for me, as well as my mother. I knew that he cared for me, no matter what his past might include. I had to let that go. I had to see where this would go. “What do you want me to do in here?”

“I’d like to start slowly. First, I want to tie you up and work on the control we previously discussed. I’d have complete control of the situation, and I’d like to feel out your limits,” Damon told me, as I shivered. “The bed is custom made for various kinds of restraint.”

“I guessed as much. It’s beautiful,” I told him, as Damon chuckled darkly.

“I don’t know if I’d refer to it like that,” he said, as I turned slowly in his arms. “This isn’t vanilla in here, Elisa. This can get rough.”

“You wouldn’t hurt me. You wouldn’t push me if I asked you to stop,” I told Damon, as his eyes burned brightly in the light.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Damon told me, as I smiled and stood on my toes to kiss him.

“Why do I think this is more than that?” I whispered, before his lips caught mine in a heated kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he lifted me, carrying me across the large room to the bed as our tongues danced together. I felt the heat thick in my veins as I pulled him closer, inviting him to do what he wanted. I knew what this room was, at least in part, and I felt ready for it.

I wanted to hold onto Damon, and taking a step into his world was going to be necessary for that to happen. It might excite my otherwise dull life as well.

I stripped off my clothes when Damon ordered me to in a soft voice with a firm tone. I was shaking as I dropped them onto the floor and turned my gaze to him, seeing his eyes hungry as they took me in. He strode to one of the cabinets, removing some rope from it and turning it in his hand.

“Get on your back and spread your arms and legs,” Damon told me, as I complied, blushing at the way I was exposed. Damon focused on the knots, keeping them comfortable and allowing me enough room to move around. I knew that I couldn’t touch him, though, and the idea bothered me and excited me all at once. I saw him slide his eyes up my legs to take in my glistening pussy as he secured my feet, taking away any control from me as I trembled.

I was quiet as he stripped, proudly displaying his muscled planes and stunning body before he sat down on the bed between my legs. “We’ll start slow, Elisa. I want to make you enjoy this, but if you don’t, just tell me to slow down. I don’t want to scare you, and doing it this way is testing my control.”

“Okay,” I said, as he nodded and looked over my body slowly. My nipples were hard and achy while I felt my core growing wetter with the intensity of his eyes. It was almost too much, and I struggled against the binds as he rested a hand on my calf. The slight touch made me jump, and he stroked my skin as he told me to calm down and that I was safe. Damon took something in his hand and dimmed the lights a bit, creating a calm sensation in me as he stroked my leg, his hand rising higher and higher. The combination of desire and contentment was overwhelming to me, and I jerked as he slipped his fingers over my pussy.

“So wet for me,” he murmured, as he stroked my clit, smiling at my low moan. “This is your spot, Elisa. This is your center.” I nodded, as he moved his hand slowly over me, just teasing my swollen nub. One finger slid inside of me, stroking my inner walls firmly as I squirmed and bit my lip. I never knew my own sensitivity before Damon, and it was killing me that I wasn’t going to be able to come soon. I wanted that. I wanted to coat his fingers and scream his name in this room, followed by begging him to fuck me hard. I was ready, but I suspected that he knew that.

“Damon,” I cried out, as he found a place that made me nearly explode before moving away from it with a smile on his face. “That’s not fair. It felt so good.”

“I know,” he teased me, as I lowered my gaze to meet his eyes as he stroked my slick inner thighs that I knew had to be pooling onto the bed by now. We stared at one another for a long moment as he seemed to consider his next move, looking dangerous and sexy as sin.

He moved to sit beside me, his eyes circling my nipples as they seemed to reach to him. “Fuck, they ache,” I said, as he reached out and smoothed his hand over the skin just underneath my breasts. His finger slid up, stroking the right one as I closed my eyes and memorized the feeling. I could come from this in my unsettled state, but I was aware that he knew that and would prevent it. “How can you stand this?”

“I am hard as a rock right now, Elisa. It’s not easy, but we need this step,” his voice was low, and I could hear him controlling it as he plucked at me, causing me to jerk again. “When I do fuck you, you are going to be wet with all the orgasms that I allowed you, tight for my cock.”

“Oh, God,” I moaned, as he lowered his mouth to kiss my stomach, moving slowly up to take one of my nipples into his mouth. Damon used his mouth on me, drawing me close to an orgasm before he pulled away. Slowly, he added light clips to my nipples and teased my clit with a dildo with the vibration on low, pulling away every time I got close. I was hoarse when he finally slipped two fingers inside of me, stroking me hard as I rocked with him.

“Come, Elisa,” he whispered in my ear, as I screamed. My body rocked forward, every nerve ending in my body feeling this orgasm. It was worth the torture in that moment, even though it felt like hours’ worth of it. I whimpered at the end as he stroked me slowly, prolonging the pleasure. “How did that feel?”

“Amazing,” I panted, as I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. Every muscle ached with it, and I felt him move from the bed, returning quickly. Something was placed against my mouth, and I cracked one eye to see a bottle of water in Damon’s hand. I sucked and found it to be the kind of lid that I could control. I drank gratefully from it.

When I was rested, he moved between my legs and teased my pussy with his mouth. Damon cleaned me from the previous orgasm, drawing me closer to another before he’d pull away and nibble on the soft skin of my inner thigh. I played back the previous one in my head, telling myself that it was worth it as he dragged my clit between his teeth and made me moan. I was closer to having him inside of me, fucking me raw as I begged him for more.

Damon was taking away all of my will power as he pleasured me to the edge, pulling away too many times. I cried out with it, begging him, then telling him that I hated him. When he finally told me to let go and took me between his teeth again, I screamed and flooded his lips. Damon drank me in, stroking my clit with his thumb as I felt my body go through the intense process all over again.

I opened my eyes as he released my feet and told me to get on my knees. “I love how tight a woman is after I’ve tasted her,” he said, as I tried to find the strength to move. It was too much, and I groaned as I flipped over, moving to my knees. I suddenly found something inside of me as I heard the tearing of a wrapper, then felt Damon drive himself inside of me. I knew how much everything had gotten to him as he moved rough and fast, and I rocked with him. I was soaked with need and needed this. He slapped my ass as he pulled back, making me cry out.

Damon came with a roar, gripping my hips as he filled the condom, and I came for the third time that night. I didn’t know how long we’d been in here, but it felt like days at that point. He moved away from me on shaking legs and grabbed the water, offering it to me before he took a long sip. “It was so hard not to just shove you on your stomach and do that in the beginning. Was it worth the wait?” Damon asked me, as I considered my answer for a few moments, in part because I was having trouble breathing.

“Yes,” I replied in a hoarse whisper, as I felt him kiss my shoulder before untying the ropes.

He rested for a few moments before lifting me into his arms and carrying me to another room. It was a bedroom, as big as the other, but more like a master bedroom. It had a huge bed, a fireplace that took up the entire wall, and a big screen television on the wall that we were facing. I felt him set me on that bed, naked and probably a hot mess, and looked into his eyes by the light of the lamp in the corner of the room. “I prefer to sleep in here.”

“I’m staying?” I asked, as he nodded.

“You might never leave at this point,” Damon assured me, as he pulled down the comforter and sheets before lifting me and setting me near the pillows.

“I’m a mess, Damon,” I told him as he licked his lips. “I can wash the sheets tonight if you want.”

No, I want your scent on them and in my room. I want to be reminded of everything that just happened,” Damon told me, before he kissed me. “I want to feel you around me again in here, slower. More intimately.”

“I’d like that,” I told him, as he moved beside me to kiss me slowly. It was passionate, but didn’t feel rushed. It felt perfect. I wanted to please him to show him my gratitude for the events in the other room, and Damon allowed me to push him to the mattress and crawl down his body to his cock. I wanted to taste him now.

He held my hair as I bobbed over him, my mouth tight and greedy. Damon gave me control now, groaning as I increased the pace and beginning to rock with me. He came with a grunt, filling my mouth and throat, as if he knew that’s what I wanted.

It was.

He had to pull me from him as I tried to swallow every last bit of his essence. “What have I done to you?” Damon mused, as he took in the wild look in my eyes with a soft gaze. “I am turning you into a monster.”

It wasn’t long before he was hard again and we were pressed together, him above me as he slid in and out of me. It was slow and bordering on sweet as I held him close and wrapped my legs around him. Damon’s mouth drifted down to my nipples, my neck, and my lips, even though I was previously filled with him. He didn’t seem to care, making me wonder about him.

I came a moment before he did, feeling his lips in my hair as he jerked above me. I was overwhelmed, wondering what I’d ever go back to when this ended.

 

Damon

 

Elisa fell asleep before I did, curled up in a heap after everything I’d put her through. I watched her as I allowed myself to relax, covering her with the blankets and stroking her hair back. She was innocent before me, but so open to my ideas, and I craved her again as I took in her beautiful face. I knew that she was perfect. The unpleasant idea of my preparing her for another man crossed my mind, and I slipped under the covers with a frown.

We had a lot stacked against us, Elisa and me. There was the fact that I was her boss and this was against company policy, to begin with. There was the chance of gossip, which could be cruel and heartless, hurting her in the end. There was my past, which could threaten us at any time and possibly frighten her off.

I could give her the world if she wanted it. I had already given her an apartment for her and her mother, but I sensed that Elisa wouldn’t want to stay home while I covered the rent and every other expense in her life. She had too much pride and had worked hard to rise above her life for so long now that it was in her blood.

I could count the women who begged me for just that on two hands. Why was I falling for the stubborn one?

I settled close to her body, sliding my arm around her as I drifted off to sleep. It was Friday night, and we could sleep in tomorrow, maybe even leave the city and spend the day together. I could stay in bed with her and be happy, but Elisa deserved to live after all her hard work. I wanted to show her the other side of life.’

When I woke up in the morning, I could see the fog thick in the air through my wall of windows. Elisa was pressed against me, hot and bare, and I felt my body react to her skin. I wanted to take her quietly, slipping inside of her as she opened her eyes, but I moved slowly between her legs and spread them as she moaned in her sleep. I slid down to her pussy, still covered in her juices from the night before. I liked a dirty girl in the morning, and I pressed my mouth over her and licked slowly with my tongue.

“What?” Elisa moaned, as she moved against me and I raised my eyes to see her staring at me. “I was afraid that it was all a dream.” I continued to lick her, separating her to find her clit hard for me as I stroked it firmly. “Damon, you feel so good.” I licked and sucked, even using my teeth as she just watched me.

Without my urging, Elisa held onto her release with her eyes wide and bright before she cried out and jerked against me. “The student learns,” I noted, as she looked at me with a big smile. Elisa looked beautiful with her cheeks flushed and glowing as she reached down to pull me up towards her.

“She does. Get up here and reward me,” she mumbled, before claiming my lips in a kiss, tasting herself on them as she kissed me slowly and hungrily. I reached for one of the condoms on the night stand beside the bed and managed to get it on one-handed as she held me close. I heard her giggling as I dropped between her legs and eased the head of my cock inside of her, causing the giggles to turn to moans. We moved together, slow and hard, both of us needing the other to give us the release that we craved.

I knew that I was addicted to this woman as I came crying out her name, and I fought the nagging thoughts telling me that it wouldn’t work out. It was difficult, but I’d make it work somehow. “How would you feel about going to the coast today?” I asked her, as she looked across the room through the windows.

“It looks pretty cold to me,” Elisa replied warily, as I smiled. “I don’t have any clothes, except the ones I brought here.”

“We’ll get you something, hit a diner on the way for breakfast and just drive. I want to get out of the city.” I looked at her, as she smiled and nodded. “Shower with me?”

That took some time, since things heated up under the water and I was soon inside of her, pressing her against the blue tiled wall as she wrapped her body around mine. Elisa dried her hair with a towel and pulled something out of her purse before she ran a comb through her hair.

“Frizz,” she said simply, as I watched her, not used to a woman being around in this way. They were usually gone after the condom was off. Not too many women saw this side of my life, or even my bedroom. She pulled her hair up on the top of her head and asked me if I had a toothbrush, tilting her head as I produced a new one in the package. “I hope that you don’t have a lot of those.”

“I buy a few at a time, so I don’t run out. They don’t get used by anybody but myself, and now you, unless a friend or family visits.” I stepped out of the bathroom to dry off, sensing that she was uncomfortable. Everything this morning had been extremely intimate, which was something that Elisa wasn’t accustomed to. I needed to allow her space, as well as myself, and I strode to the closet to find clothes for the day. I selected some jeans and a dark grey Henley that I planned to cover with a thick jacket. This trip was not about a walk on the beach, but more about the drive and just getting away. There were some fabulous restaurants to eat at, as well, and shops that I thought Elisa might love.

I finished with boots as Elisa stepped out of the bathroom, wearing the clothes from the day before. The best part was that I knew her underwear were ruined from the night before, but I pushed that thought away and pulled an extra jacket from the closet for her.

I took her to my Range Rover and opened the door before starting the engine and pulling out onto the main road. We stopped at a department store, and she balked at the name before grudgingly allowing me to buy her some jeans, a thermal, a Henley to wear over that, and some sturdy boots that would keep her feet warm. “You do too much for me,” Elisa told me, as we stopped by a bathroom so she could change into her new clothes.

“I like that, Elisa. I like that I’m able to,” I reminded her, as we went back to the car together. We got out of town, and I found a hole-in-the-wall diner on the freeway when we both felt hungry. We sipped strong coffee and ate greasy bacon and eggs as I watched her carefully. I asked her what she liked to do on a road trip, making her giggle as she admitted to not having been on too many in her life. That led to her asking about the places I had been, and I felt guilty when I responded that I’d traveled the world. I hoped to someday show her the best places.

We hit the road again, driving towards Cape Cod. I knew that there was enough there to keep us busy there, bad weather or not, and I watched as she seemed to let go of the chip on her shoulder from breakfast. Elisa was beautiful when she smiled. She needed to relax more. We got closer, and she stared out of the windows at the ocean and sandy beaches, hopeful since the sun was coming out through the fog. “Maybe we can walk a little bit?” She asked, as I grinned and nodded.

I parked, and we got out and strolled along the sand. The waves were strong and the wind was cold as she pulled my jacket closer around her body. “What do you think?” I asked, stopping her so I could zip her up and looked her over. “I should have bought us hats. I didn’t even think of it.”

“You don’t date, right? Typically, I mean?” Her question came from nowhere, and I looked at her for a moment before nodding. “Why not? You’re great at this…all of this.”

“I don’t know. I’ve avoided it for so long and focused on work, but…this is comfortable. I think it’s you more than it is the situation.” I turned to stare at the sea for a moment as confusion swirled through my brain. I knew that this was moving at the speed of light with the apartment and spending the night together, and I tried to make sense of it. I’d been all over the world, never wanting the company of a woman, unless it was just for a night for a quick fuck. I had party girls over the years, as well, but I never let my walls down with them like I was with Elisa. There was just something about her.

“I think you’re great. I have no idea why you’re with me, but I’ll take it,” She said, as I looked in her face. “I don’t know what I’m doing either, but we can figure it out together.”

I took her hand and led her down the beach after we shared a long kiss, talking about some of the other beaches in the area and further away that I loved. I pointed towards the shops and restaurants in the distance, and she smiled as she looked all around, reminding me of a child on Christmas morning.

That thought sat in my stomach in a knot. I’d never considered marriage or kids before. I was all about work, but things were shifting now, and I was unable to stop that. The problem was that, to keep Elisa, I’d have to rip her dreams of a good job and future for herself away to do so. I didn’t want to take away her fierce independence, but I also knew that she wouldn’t want to be taken care of. There had to be a compromise, and I had no idea what it was, other than hiding this during the week. I didn’t think I could do that for too long after being here with Elisa in the open air, holding hands and laughing.

We spent hours on the beach, collecting a few shells, until we were both freezing. I opened the car door for her and got everything warmed up as we headed somewhere for some hot coffee, listening to Elisa’s teeth chattering as she sat beside me. “Isn’t it warming up enough?” I asked impatiently, knowing how many bells and whistles this vehicle offered.

“I think it’s the difference in temperature, Damon. I’ll be okay.”

I smiled at her as I found a drive through coffee shop, ordering two coffees and parking with the car running to keep us warm. We sipped the drinks and looked at the late afternoon sky as the clouds began to roll in again.

“Want to look at some of the shops?” I asked, as she finished her coffee and nodded. We’d been sitting for a while and didn’t have a lot of time left. I drove to park in the middle of everything and let her lead the way, learning about her love for art, even though she didn’t think that she could paint. I learned that she had collected moons since she was little girl, and that her grandmother had taught her to wish on the one in the sky at night, instead of the stars. Elise was a very animated girl when she let her walls down, and she led me from shop to shop as I tried to remember what she liked the best in each one.

She insisted on buying a few things with her own money, holding onto the small bags with a big smile before she hugged me. “I couldn’t do this without you, Damon. You’ve helped me so much.” Elisa looked around slowly before she kissed me, and I heard the whispers across the room of the wealthy women who had been eying me for most of the afternoon. “Thank you. I’ll be eternally grateful.”

I looked like I belonged with the other women in my clothes, some of the most expensive items that money could buy. That had been a part of my entire life, but in this moment, I thought that I could give it all up for an average life like this. Even Elisa was dressed in fine clothes right now, thanks to our stop, but she looked young and beautiful with her clean face and smile. She would never fit into that world. “It’s a pleasure to see you smile, Elisa,” I assured her, as she blushed and looked away. We left that shop and I didn’t even acknowledge the women with a look as I led her out of the door.

They’d never hold a candle to her.

Elisa

 

The day was magical. I finally admitted to being hungry and watched as Damon led me to a beautiful restaurant that probably had a beautiful view of the water during the day. It was a seafood place that was very classy and elegant. I felt underdressed as we walked to the table, following the hostess, but Damon walked with his head high and confidence oozing from his pores. The table was round and intimate, set by the window and a beautiful fireplace, and Damon ordered wine immediately as someone arrived to take our drink order.

I didn’t eat in places like this. For Mom and me, Red Robin was a treat, and this was beyond my wildest dreams. When I thought about the night as a whole; the room and being here, it seemed surreal. I never thought I’d be the kind of woman to enjoy that with a man. I never thought I’d be the kind of woman to sit here and enjoy a fine meal with a man that looked like Damon, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever be confident in that role.

I didn’t think I was the kind of woman to keep him.

The wine arrived, and there was a process to the drinking it. I sipped it once Damon seemed to have approved the selection, gazing at him across the table while I searched the menu. I loved seafood, but wasn’t too familiar with it, and I asked Damon what was good. He suggested shrimp or crab, since it had a few options of how it was cooked, and I blushed as I selected a platter that offered both. There was no price on the menu, and I assumed that meant it was expensive as I tried to fight the urge to add everything up in my mind. Damon had money that he was willing to spend, and I needed to feel comfortable with that fact.

The food was amazing, even as I struggled with cracking the crab legs. It was well worth it as I pulled the meat out and enjoyed the light, sweet taste. “This is delicious,” I told Damon, as he smiled calmly at me. He offered me a bite of his steak and it melted in my mouth, leaving me moaning while his eyes darkened. The shrimp was cooked in butter and garlic and quite strong, but good as well. They offered bread in a tray, and I ate it eagerly in between sips of wine.

I leaned back as I set my fork down, full and sleepy. The sky was bright with stars and a sliver of a moon as I looked over the ocean. I wanted to stay the night and wake up here with Damon, and I nibbled on my lip as I considered asking him about the idea. I could wear the same clothes tomorrow since they were so new.

Tomorrow.

What would we do tomorrow? Would he drop me home, and that would be it? I knew that I had to tell my roommates that I was moving out, since I’d accepted the apartment, but I didn’t want it without Damon. I felt so selfish as we walked to the car and he opened the door.

“Have you ever stayed here?” I asked softly, as he started to close the door.

“A few times. It’s a great place to spend the weekend,” Damon replied, as he leaned into the car. “Did you want to?”

“We don’t have clothes, or anything at all. We don’t have to,” I said, counting the money in my bank account as I decided what I could afford.

“We’ll sleep naked, so clothes aren’t an issue. We can wear these on the way home tomorrow and stop at the store for anything you need for the bathroom. There’s a great bed and breakfast with an amazing view of the sunrise in the morning. We can see if they have any free rooms. It won’t be a long stay, but we can make the best of it.” Damon walked around and got in the car before he finished his thoughts and reached for his phone in his jacket. He dialed and greeted the person at the other end, securing us a room and starting the engine.

We did stop and get some products, so I could look human in the morning, before we drove to the inn, called the Lamb and Lion. Damon explained that it was a mix of bed and breakfast and hotel. He wished that we could stay longer to enjoy all the perks that they offered.

He checked in and led us to a room around the building. I gasped when I saw it. There was a fireplace, a claw tooth tub, a big bathroom, and a gorgeous bed. It was beautiful. I walked to the window, even though it was dark, and could make out the waves in the dim light as I smiled. It was going to be amazing tomorrow. “How much is it to split the room?” I asked, as I turned back to smile at Damon.

“Split the room?” He asked, as he walked towards me. “You have an extra month of rent to pay, Elisa. I’ve got this.”

“Will you always?” I asked, as I stared at him.

“Let’s take a bath and relax. I’ll start a fire,” Damon suggested, as pain crossed his face. He went to get some logs from the balcony and lit a crackling fire while I ran the hot water for the bath, adding a little of the lavender bubbles from the counter. I didn’t know how much he’d want, so I kept it light, enjoying the scent in the air. “I wish they made that in the scent that you wear. I’m addicted to it.” I turned to look at Damon as he smiled at me. “This isn’t a competition, Elisa. I like spoiling you.”

“I just want to help, I think. I am not used to being taken care of.”

“Let’s get you settled in your new apartment, and we’ll go from there,” Damon said gently, as he pulled the jacket from my shoulders. “For now, let’s relax in style.” He stripped me of my clothing, folding it, and placing it somewhere in the room before he walked back in naked. I blushed as he slid into the hot water, sighing happily. “Get in.”

I stepped in and moved into the water, feeling his eyes rake over me. Once settled, I leaned back against him as Damon kissed my neck, telling me how beautiful I was. “Thank you,” I replied, as I closed my eyes and let my body relax. “What are we going to do Monday?” I asked him in the dim light of the candles that I’d lit before turning off the lights.

“We are going to work and keep this between us. I can’t say that it will be easy, but for now, it’s the only choice. I want to keep seeing you, Elisa.” I smiled as the steam and scents filled my nose. “I want you to let me spoil you.”

“I know. I’m trying,” I admitted as his hands slid down my body. “I have been on my own for so long, Damon. I’m scared to get too comfortable, and the fact that we work together…it scares me.”

“I’ll keep this between us so nobody will know in the building. I prefer to keep my private life under wraps to begin with. We can stay at my apartment at night and just stay in. Perhaps I can get you a job at another location, or with a colleague, where we can be together out in the open. I know a lot of people.”

A tear slid down my cheek. I had my dream job right now, earning it with my hard work. Damon had told me how he had tried to talk everyone out of hiring me, but they’d insisted. I didn’t want a job as a favor to Damon, and, at this moment, I didn’t even want the apartment. Love had never been an option for me, and, as much as I thought I was falling for Damon, I didn’t want to give up my dream for him. Not yet. “Maybe I can just work with my team from now on and keep my distance. We can say that you didn’t need me anymore, or something.”

“Are you pulling away from me?” Damon asked.

I shook my head slowly. “It’s a thought, Damon. It would draw less attention to us.”

“I don’t want to not see you at the office. It’s the best part of my day,” Damon told me, as I smiled weakly.

“We’ll have time to see each other after work. I just feel like I need some space from everyone’s prying eyes. I don’t know,” I babbled, as he pulled me close to him.

“Stop this, Elisa. Relax,” I heard pain in his voice as he stroked my arms and tried to calm me down.

I shut up and tried to let the hot water and lavender soak in and do what it was supposed to do. I knew that there was a fire in the other room with a big bed, and I wanted to use it. I wanted to feel Damon over me, inside of me, and every way possible, even as I felt myself trying to find a way to sabotage everything.

I felt a little better when the bath was over, rising to dry myself off and drape the robe hanging on the hook on the door over my body. Damon was doing the same, and I walked into the main room to hear the crackle of firewood and see a big, cozy bed. Maybe I was being stupid with my thoughts. This was a wonderful life.

Damon took my hand and led me to the bed slowly. “I don’t have a lot of experience in trying to keep a woman around, but I want you to know how much I want to make you happy. I want you to relax, smile, and give yourself to me.” He pushed me gently down on the bed and stared into my eyes before he kissed me. Damon pulled my hair down carefully, even as I cringed with the knowledge that it was salty from the ocean air and probably looked awful.

I forgot all of that as he skillfully deepened the kiss, draping himself over me. We moved onto the pillows and made out slowly and sweetly for a long time, and I felt all my doubts slipping away as he pulled the robe away from my body. Damon worshiped me, kissing every inch of my skin as my body heated up for him. His robe was untied and I felt him hard against me as he sucked a nipple into his mouth. “Damon, I need you.” His hands slipped down between my legs, finally touching me where I needed it most as I cried out.

Once he was naked and sheathed, Damon plunged inside of me as I gasped. “Let yourself go, Elisa. Don’t hold back…not tonight.” He drove his cock in deep and slow, and I got lost with the movement. I rocked against him, desperate to come around him as I reached around his body with my hands and legs to pull him closer. “Baby, you feel so good. I don’t want to lose you,” he murmured, as I felt him harden further inside of me, close to coming.

We both cried out as we came seconds away from one another, and he dropped beside me as I stared into the fire. Nothing would ever feel this good. No man could ever make me feel so complete. I yawned, tired from the day, as he pushed the covers down and we settled under the blankets. “I feel like we should stay up or something,” I murmured, fighting the urge to close my eyes.

“Nonsense. We had a big day, and we’re both tired. All I need is you here beside me to make me happy.” The fire crackled again, and I snuggled close to Damon, feeling his warmth envelop me as I took a slow breath.

I woke up, frightened at first, not knowing where I was. I looked around and felt Damon pressed against me as I stroked his hair and remembered the night before. I looked toward the closed curtain and got out of bed, walking softly across the carpeted floor to pull open the fabric. The ocean was choppy, and I looked at the horizon where the sun was just starting to come up, in colors of pink and orange. My breath caught in my throat as I heard my name across the room.

“Come look. It’s beautiful.” Damon yawned and walked over to join me, pulling me into his arms as we watched the sky brighten together. “This is amazing.”

Damon pulled me back to bed once the sun had risen completely and we kissed under the covers as he ran his hands over my body. “I loved that with you. I want to taste you and feel you again, doze off, and check out at the last possible minute.”

“I like that idea,” I murmured as he slipped down over my breasts and stomach before ending up between my legs. I learned how incredible an orgasm was first thing in the morning when the room was dim with the morning light. I learned what it felt like to have someone inside of me when I was newly awake and cried out his name both times that Damon made love to me.

We fell asleep, tangled together, for another couple of hours before we made love again. I never wanted to leave this room, since everything was frozen in time here. We didn’t have to go to work, or even go back to Boston if we stayed here. I reluctantly showered in the huge tiled space as he joined me, washing my hair carefully so I could do something with it today. I left it down in curls and kept a band around my wrist as I smoothed some moisturizer on my face. I took the clothes from the dresser, pulling them on as I watched Damon dress. He seemed quiet and we looked around the room before we made our way down to the lobby. I helped myself to some coffee while he dealt with the bill before joining me. “Want to eat in the restaurant or find something in town?”

“What’s better?” I asked, as I looked out of the windows and let my eyes rest on the ocean waves.

“There’s a nice place on the corner. Good food and an amazing view of the water. Sound good?” I nodded as he took my hand and led me to the car, opening the door so I could settle in.

Damon was right. The cafe was small but offered everything he promised, and I added some cream to my coffee as I looked out of the windows. We were both on the quiet side today, eating and wandering around for a bit in town afterward. Damon started back towards the city just after noon, and I leaned back on the comfortable leather seat. I fell asleep as we drove, with the radio playing softly in the background.

We arrived in Boston too soon, and I felt his eyes on me. “Home or my place?”

“I should deal with the roomies,” I said slowly, as he beamed at me.

“You’re taking the apartment?”

“I am, but we’re going to be discussing a rent payment,” I warned him, as he headed to my side of town.

“When do you think that you’ll be moving in?” Damon asked, as I shrugged. I thought my roommates might be eager to fill the space once I broke the news, though I wasn’t sure. He drove to the curb as I looked at the run-down building, already missing everything about the weekend.

“Thank you for everything,” I told him, as I turned to look at him. I had paid for our breakfast today, after gave up the fight, but compared to everything he had done, it seemed like nothing to me. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“It’s your day with me. I’ll try to keep my hands off you,” he promised me, before leaning in for a kiss. Just being in his car was risky, but the brush of his lips against mine could start a lot of rumors.

“See you tomorrow. Thank you,” I told him again, as I slipped out of the car with my small bag of belongings. I walked through the complex as I imagined the new place, clean and beautiful.

Mine.

I walked through the door to see the front room empty. I walked back to the tiny shoebox of a bedroom and found Melody studying. “Hi,” I greeted her softly as she glanced up with tired eyes. “Where is everyone?”

“You know that I hide in here all of the time. I have no idea. Why?” Melody asked, with curious green eyes.

“I found another apartment. I’ll have it all to myself. I wanted to tell everyone together.” Melody looked jealous as she pushed a hand through her hair. I could write a check and leave with the few things that I had tonight, running to Damon. I settled for putting my things down and sitting on the bed as I looked around.

“I’m jealous. I’d love to live alone. How did you find it?” Melody asked.

“A friend from work,” I told her, as I slipped off the Henley, leaving the thermal on. We talked about school for a bit before I put on my headphones to sleep, covering my eyes. I slipped the jeans off but left the shirt, wishing that it smelled like Damon.

I had an early class, and I got up and put the jeans on with a smile, changing into a sweater from my closet before I headed to the campus. I got coffee and sipped it as I took my seat. I had three classes today before I needed to change for work. I was hoping that I could talk to everyone in the apartment tonight at dinner.

When I came out of my apartment that night, I noticed a familiar car on the curb. Mark smiled at me. “He wanted me to bring you to the office.”

“Oh. Thanks.” I let him open the door, blushing as I slipped inside and licked my lips. “Is he like this with a lot of people?”

“Damon is selective on who he chooses to help, so I’d say no. I haven’t seen him the way that he is with you before, to be honest. I worry that…someone will end up hurt.” Mark spoke carefully, as I stared into the front of the car, where he’d left the window down.

“Him or me?”

“Both,” Mark replied, as he kept driving towards the office, letting me out at the curb as I told him I’d get out on my own. The car was enough, without the grandiose display of a driver. I smiled at him and walked up the curb in my favorite heels and a simple black skirt and white shirt as I heard someone call my name. I turned my head to see Autumn as she ran over to me with a bag in her hand.

“Nice ride. Do you have a driver or something?” She asked, as I blushed and forced a laugh.

“No, of course not. That’s just a friend who saw me leaving and offered a ride. It beats the bus,” I laughed, as she nodded and we walked in together.

“How was your weekend?” She asked in a friendly tone, and I realized I could say nothing about it.

“Nothing special. Just hung out around the city,” I replied, as she told me about how she had seen a band at a club and loved them. I nodded and smiled at all the right places as we took the elevator upstairs. I decided to hang out with the team for a bit, since I was too nervous to see Damon just yet. We walked in together and Autumn handed out some sandwiches to everybody, offering to split hers with me. “I ate at school, but thank you.”

Damon

 

I glanced at the clock, knowing that Elisa would be arriving soon. I had missed her last night, and I sighed as I heard my cell ring. Glancing at the screen, I saw that it was my attorney, and I answered with a frown. “James. Is everything okay?”

“There are some pictures of you with a woman popping up on some of the gossip sites. Do you want me to prepare something?” He asked as heat flooded my face.

“Fuck. How close are they?” I asked, as I pulled up my computer to do a search. I found them quickly, relieved to see that they were taken at the beach and quite grainy. That was the point when Elisa was all bundled up and wearing her hood as well, so nobody could clearly see her. Of course, the story talked about the inn and my romantic weekend with the mystery woman. I groaned. I didn’t understand how we escaped further photos, but I thought I was in the clear. “If anyone asks, it’s nothing serious.”

“Of course,” James agreed, as we ended the call. There had been bits and pieces about me in the gossip columns before and even pictures with women along, with a lot of speculation. That didn’t matter before now, since it was never an employee. I didn’t want Elisa to suffer the backlash that would come with the publicity. There was a good chance that I’d escape without any damage, but she was just starting her career.

It was a couple of hours later that she tapped on the door and walked inside when I told her it was open. “Good afternoon,” Elisa greeted me as she sat down and licked her plum stained lips. She looked stunning in a simple outfit that showed her curves, parts of her that I was very familiar with after this weekend. “How are you?”

“I need to talk to you,” I started to say, as her face paled. “There were some pictures this weekend that showed up online. You’re not recognizable in them at all, but I wanted you to know in case anyone said anything.” All the color drained from her face as I reached out to take her hands.

“Mark drove me in today. You sent him.” I nodded, not realizing then what it could do to this situation. “Autumn saw me, and I passed it off as him just being a friend. What if she sees the pictures and someone knows who he is? This wasn’t supposed to happen like this, Damon. It has been so brief.”

“I have a plan. I will get someone to pose with me in a few convenient places. A friend. That will make everyone think it was her with me at the inn and the beach, and all of this will go away,” I told her, as Elisa narrowed her eyes.

“Who?” Her voice was small, and I stroked her hands with my thumb.

“Nobody that I’m involved with, Elisa. She’ll only be a prop,” I promised her, knowing that I’d slept with Brooke a few times during some drunken nights. She was a friend of the family, and it was never meaningful in the least, but it would get people talking. She just made the most sense in the moment for me. “That is the quickest way to deal with this, before people start digging.”

“Fine. Do what you need to.” I saw something cross her face before she took a deep breath. “What can I help you with today, assuming we’re done with that?”

“I haven’t gotten any work done at all today. I’ve been thinking of you,” I told her, as I looked at the door. “Go lock that.”

“No. There’s enough chance for chatter as it is, Damon. We need to work.” I saw her pulling away again as I turned to my computer. I emailed James and told him to make a reservation at a trendy place in town and get Brooke there so we could get that started.

“How did it go last night? Did you tell them?” I asked her. She shook her head. “Why not?”

“We’re rarely home at the same time. That’s going to be hard, but I was going to try tonight. Should I?” She asked me, as I stared at her silently.

“Of course. The apartment is yours.” I cleared my throat. “I can meet you at my place later tonight. I’ll send Mark to get you.”

“Bad idea. I think that we should just keep our distance for now, so you can…do what it is you’re going to do with your prop,” Elisa said, as she ran a hand through her hair. “I am going back to the team. We’re not going to get anything done today.” Elisa stood and walked out, leaving me alone and in shock as I watched her close the door. A part of me wanted to tell her to get back here, and to do everything I could to get her to comply with my wishes as my cock hardened. I couldn’t believe that she walked out on me.

I let the urge to demand her return go and focused on the details of tonight. Brooke and I suited each other, at least to the public. She was the wealthy daughter of a CEO and right for me, by society’s standards. She was beautiful, but to be honest, the sex was never great and the attraction mild at best. When I got involved with her, I was younger and willing to sleep with anyone who wanted it, and Brooke was convenient. I didn’t know how that would affect my plan, but I needed to do something fast.

I stayed in my office, even though I was desperate to talk to Elisa and fix this. I hadn’t been in this situation before, but a prop had always calmed down a rumor before. I needed this one fixed immediately.

I made myself go to lunch, just to get some fresh air.

My phone chimed in my pocket, and I found a text from Brooke telling me that she’d meet me, ready to look stunning for the cameras. I rolled my eyes and set the phone down, knowing how much she loved the attention. I kept looking out to the street, and that was when I saw Elisa walking with her team, looking a bit lost. A man was close to her, seeming to guide her, and I narrowed my eyes as he reached for her arm. Elisa looked at him with a slight smile, as if he had caught her off guard, and moved back into the group as they made their way to an Italian restaurant.

I threw the rest of my lunch away and stalked toward the door and back to the office. I was desperate to touch Elisa, and my body raged at me to turn around and claim her, while my remaining logic told me to give her some space. It was useless to try and work, so I just sat at my desk and sipped coffee, only making myself more jittery.

I sent a text to Elisa toward the end of the day, telling her that I missed her. I promised her that everything would be okay, and that we could resume everything, but she only told me to do what I needed to do. I didn’t know if she was still moving, working for me, or even what she was doing tonight.

I went home to dress for dinner, since it was one of the best places in the city. Mark picked Brooke up along the way and opened the door, so she could slide into the car. I gave her a glance, seeing that she was dressed in something skimpy before I looked away. “Someone is in a bad mood. What the hell is wrong?” She asked, as she moved closer to me, filling the car with an acrid scent of her floral perfume.

“Nothing. I just need the paps off my ass. You know the drill,” I said, as I felt her hands slide over my shoulders and tensed.

“I do, but I also know where this has led us before. I haven’t been with a man like you since last time, Damon. Let’s have some fun with this.” She slipped her hand around my arm and moved closer as I looked outside to see how close we were to the restaurant. This was going to be miserable.

I put on my best smile for the cameras as we left the car, taking Brooke’s arm as she beamed. I knew that there was a part of her that got off on this, a part that I was all too familiar with. I was still horny from earlier, and my emotions were all over the place as we walked up the steps and inside, looking every bit the couple that we weren’t. People called out, asking if she was the woman from the beach as Brooke winked coyly at them. With her curly hair recently done in a lighter, caramel shade I figured that someone could easily assume that it was. I kept my head high and my smile charming as I worked the room, feeling Brooke inch closer and closer to me with every step.

We took our seats in a cozy little booth, where she moved close to me yet again and I fought the urge to grit my teeth. “Who is beach girl?” She asked in a whisper, as someone approached to take our drink orders. Brooke ordered a glass of wine and I asked for Hennessey on the rocks as her eyes twinkled. “Did the man with no feelings suddenly develop them? Poor Damon.” Her hand slid over my thigh, making me jump.

“You are a prop tonight. Nothing more,” I told her in a low voice as the drinks were delivered. I smiled as I thanked the waiter. I assured him that we’d be ready soon as I grabbed the menu, hating my body for reacting to a woman’s touch after the day that I had. “Enjoy your free dinner and the spotlight, Brooke. That’s all you’ll be getting.” I gave her a cold look. “You must be lonely after Ben dumped you.”

I knew that her engagement had ended recently, one to a good guy who I knew through family connections. I didn’t think it would ever happen when I’d heard the news, but Brooke got caught with another man and ended things badly. “That was a bad move. This might boost you up, if you stop acting like a desperate whore.”

“Fuck you. You called me, Damon, or had your attorney do it. I think that this night is on your shoulders,” she shot back, as the blood in my veins turned to ice. I reminded myself that it was just a few hours. I smiled and faked a toast with her as we read the same menu together. There would be a lot of pictures from this night, and I needed them to be convincing. We stayed at dinner for two hours, and I forced the meal down my throat, smiling and laughing as I flirted with her. We left in the same rush of camera flashes and questions, but I told Mark to pull into my private entrance and let me out before he took Brooke home. She stared at me as I slid toward the door, almost in disbelief. “That’s it?”

“I’ll see how this works out over the week, and James will contact you if we need a repeat.” I got out and closed the door. This was something that we all did from time-to-time, and it wasn’t her first rodeo. I didn’t understand why she was acting this way, unless she really wanted me to fuck her. I was aching with need, but it was all for Elisa. I watched the car pull back out into the street.

I walked into my empty apartment, feeling the silence heavy in the air. I reached for my phone and saw that there were some Google alerts, but I pulled up the phone screen to call Elisa. The phone that I’d given her was powered off, and I fought the urge to throw my iPhone across the room. I dropped it on the couch and went to take a shower, jerking off like an animal as I played back the times I’d made love to her. I came all over the tile, despondent at the fact that it had been solo, since I’d fucked Elisa in here. I used up all the hot water and dried off, tugging some shorts up my legs before I went back to the living room to do some damage control.

The pictures were surfacing one by one, and I felt sick at how convincing they looked. In an alternate universe, Brooke and I would be a great looking couple, but it wasn’t going to be this one. I just hoped that it worked and everything calmed down so I could get Elisa back. I walked into my kitchen for the bottle of whiskey.

The alarm woke me up on the couch as I blinked and looked slowly around. Shit, it was only Tuesday. I needed to be at the office, but I felt like complete shit. In truth, what would I get accomplished? I sent a text to my managers, telling them that I had a bug and was staying home. I could sleep this off and not fight the urge to go find Elisa and beg to talk to her. I stumbled to bed, ignoring the return texts as I left my phone on the couch.

I passed out for a few hours, tossing and turning as I kept waking up from scrambled dreams. I hated the fact that I could still smell Elisa in here, making myself curse the fact that I’d brought her to begin with. I also wondered if I’d ever wash the sheets again as I pulled her pillow to my face and inhaled deeply.

Eventually, I stumbled back to the living room to order some food for delivery and check the gossip sites. Everything was where it should be, and the comical speculation was running rampant. There were murmurs of Brooke and I being back together after her heartbreak from earlier this year and speculation that she was the woman on the beach, off for a romantic weekend with me. I was glad that it seemed to be working, but knew that none of that was true.

There was also a single text from Elisa, asking me if I was okay. She’d heard some mention of my being sick, and I shook my head as I read it. I told her that I missed her, and that I was hungover from that, knowing or hoping that she’d keep these communications to herself. I told her that the previous night was awful. I knew that I was babbling, but I had the sense to stop when there was nothing in return. I didn’t want to lose all sense of dignity in this process, so I ate and went back to bed.

The next day, I started the morning with a jog, like I usually did. I was going to make life as normal as possible until this storm settled, hoping that I’d get my prize.

Elisa

 

This whole world was a parody in my eyes. I was in shock when Damon mentioned using a prop to get the rumors deflected. A prop? He was going to dinner with a woman, fake or not. Worse yet, they’d have to act like a couple even more than if they were actually together, for show. I’d heard about these things in Hollywood, never realizing that it applied to business celebrities as well. I got through the work day, assuring my team that I was free to assist them as I laughed along to their jokes and accepted their dinner invitation.

I felt like a fool when I got home and searched for the pictures online. Not only did I find convincing ones from tonight’s dinner, but a few other occasions where Damon had dated this woman. Her name was Brooke, and she was tall and gorgeous, exuding sexuality with every movement. There was no way that they’d never slept together.

I also found the pictures that he’d mentioned to me, and they were grainy and distant. I didn’t even recognize myself in those, but there was one in town with my back to the camera that seemed like it looked more like me. Apparently, the paparazzi in smaller cities were less aggressive than Boston.

Conveniently, Brooke had a hair texture like mine and a hair color that could be easily mistaken for me. Did this woman do that this day for her role? I didn’t understand any of it as I pored over the pictures of them at dinner. Damon was laughing, holding her hand as they walked in and out of the restaurant, toasting her with a warm smile on his face, and, the worst one of all, the kiss outside, before they got into the car. Fake or not, it was long and intense, and it made all the food in my stomach want to rise right back up.

Still, when I heard that he was out sick, I couldn’t help but send him a text. No matter how I was feeling, I wanted him to be happy. I hated myself for offering the olive branch and shut the effort down when he responded to me later.

I still hadn’t mentioned the apartment to my roommates, despite thinking about it every moment. It wasn’t just for my perks, but for my mother. She’d have a better place to live, and, at this point, I’d live with her and find a way to pay some rent. That was what mattered to me the most, and I’d suffer through the job, internship, and a hundred other ones to take care of my mom.

When Melody asked what was going on, I told her that things might have changed and went back to studying in my small bed. “That’s good. I like sharing this space with you, even if it is the size of a closet.” I smiled at her and told her the same, wondering if there might be a friendship forming there.

Wednesday was my day to work with Damon, but I had weighed that heavily in my mind during my sleepless night. I could intern, go to school, and work a part time job to afford the apartment. It would be crazy, but tons of college students did that every day. It wasn’t permanent, and I would graduate sooner rather than later and get a great job. I did get some financial aid, but it wasn’t a great deal, and not enough to support my mother and me.

I decided to talk to Brent and tell him that I was just going to be sticking with the internship. I’d blame school and family issues, which usually worked and were the truth. I would compose an email to Damon and send it off, feeling motivated by the offer of a weekend job at the coffee shop in my favorite bookstore. I could keep my financial aid with the few hours and hopefully budget enough in for something for Mom and me.

I did the email from my laptop, surprised that the weak Wi-Fi was working so well. It sounded professional, and I thought that I sounded upset as I explained a phantom college issue, asking to be replaced. I offered all the items that he gave me for the new person, as well as any passwords that he’d given me. I didn’t want anything to do with the job anymore, and I hit send before leaving for my classes that day.

I changed into a dress at the apartment and took a bus to work. I had the phone, along with everything else, in my bag, powered down. I intended to work with my team today. I’d made myself clear in the email. I stepped onto the elevator, finding it empty for a change as I glanced around and pushed the button for my floor. Surprisingly, the elevator stopped on Damon’s floor, and I stared forward into his icy blue eyes before he told me to meet him in his office and walked away.

It was obvious that he’d received the email, that he was, at the very least, angry, and that I’d be in for it once I reached his office. I licked my glossed lips and walked out calmly, as if I was just going in for my shift. Nobody seemed to notice me as I approached his door and tapped softly, my stomach in knots. Damon was standing at his desk, staring at me as emotions crossed his face, one after the other.

“What the fuck was that email about?” He asked, as I stood in a stunned silence, not knowing what to say. “Do you want to pretend that you never knew me, when I’ve been thinking about you every fucking second of every single day, Elisa? Do you want to pretend that we mean nothing to each other?”

“Damon, I…” He walked over to me, his hands capturing my face as I started to talk again. “No, don’t do this.” Even saying that, I made no effort to pull away. I was intoxicated by his heat and his scent, feeling dizzy in his presence. I reached forward, clutching his shirt as I closed my eyes and dropped my head forward. “I want to be over you.”

“No, you don’t.” His lips captured mine as he lifted my face to his, claiming me. I felt my lips part as his tongue met mine, dancing in my mouth. I felt my arms slide around his neck as he lifted me and carried me somewhere. I didn’t care where, since I was consumed with my want for him.

Damon made quick work of lifting my dress when I was on the couch, opening my bra as he sucked a nipple into his mouth. “Oh, God,” I murmured, as his teeth dragged against me.

“I want to take you home and tie you up, Elisa. I want to fuck you for hours after you put me through this.” He pulled away and stared at me. “I did all of that this week to protect you from the media. It worked. They think that I’m with Brooke now, after one dinner, and everyone has all but forgotten the pictures over the weekend. My ploy worked, but I know that it hurt you and I feel horrible inside.”

“I know what you did, Damon. I am just so confused about your world.” He pressed his lips to mine softly before pulling away again.

“I am sometimes too.” He slipped my panties down, spreading my legs as he took on my glistening pussy. I was turned on and needy for him as he slipped a finger through my folds. “Nothing happened that night. We went, and I came home alone right after. Everything in those pictures was staged, Elisa.” I jerked as he found my clit and stroked it.

“You kissed her,” I murmured, as he continued his slow torture. “She wanted you, Damon. I could see it in her eyes.”

“She wants her fifteen minutes of fame, any way that she can get it. I’m just a pawn in her game,” he responded as a finger slid inside of me. I arched my back and reached my hands over my head to grip the cushions as I closed my eyes. “That was the most pre-meditated fake kiss that I’ve ever given, and it made me sick. It made me want you.”

He added a finger, and I rocked against him, weak and greedy for my release. I was torn between control or just letting go when I felt his mouth over me, sucking me between his teeth. “So close,” I whispered, sliding one hand into his hair as I continued to hold tight with the other. Damon licked and sucked at me, bringing me close before I exploded before him. Oh, fuck…it felt like it had been months since I’d been with him, when it was only days, and the orgasm pulsed through my body as he kept tasting me. “I need you to fuck me,” I told him, as I stared into his eyes.

I climbed onto my knees willingly as he dropped his pants, spreading my legs for him as I heard a wrapper being torn. “I want nothing more,” Damon promised me, as he took me with a hard, deep thrust. He gripped my ass tightly with his hand, making me cry out as he kept thrusting. I was wet and tight around him, just where I needed to be, as our bodies slapped together. “So fucking tight. So meant for me.” I rocked with him, my dress off and somewhere on the couch. “Come for me, Elisa. I need to feel you again.” I pushed back as my legs trembled, weak as I orgasmed with him.

We collapsed together on the leather and I closed my eyes. All my progress was gone now and I wondered what to do.

“Why the email?” Damon asked.

“I wanted to avoid you and keep the internship. I can get a part time job, and, along with my financial aid, I think that I can take care of Mom and me,” I replied, as he shook his head at me.

“You text me out of concern when you’re probably pissed off at me, and you worry about your mother. What did I do to deserve a woman like you?” Damon asked, as I honestly shrugged. “I was talking to a colleague earlier today after I got that email.”

“Not this again. I want to do this on my own,” I groaned, as he placed a finger over my lips, one that tasted like me.

“It isn’t what you think. It is the sister company to this one, equal in success. He is looking for an assistant to help with the growing industry. He asked about my new staff, and I told him about you, as my employee. I forwarded your resume to him, and he looked it over, saying he was quite impressed. He is ready to offer you a full-time job, at the same wage that I was paying you, Elisa. It’s still in the city and close by, and you could do everything you want to with it.”

“He doesn’t know that I’m involved with you?” I asked, and Damon shook his head. “He really liked what he read?” Damon nodded.

“He even contacted Brent and asked him a few questions, getting stellar feedback. This is real,” Damon told me.

“I need to think about it,” I told him. He frowned. “This is huge, and I appreciate all of it, but I need time. Can I have his info, and I’ll call him tomorrow?” Damon told nodded, and I leaned in for a kiss. “Does anyone else know about the email I sent you?”

“No,” he said softly, sadness crossing his face. “It’s hard to believe that you won’t be in here with me, no matter what happens in your career. It’s worth it to have a chance with you, though. That’s all I want,” Damon said, as he pulled me down for another kiss.

“Do you still want to tie me up and fuck me for hours in your house?” I asked, as he slipped his tongue between my lips.

“More than anything.”

“Good,” I replied, as I moved over him, needing his warmth. “I’ll come over tonight, and we can discuss every detail of this offer over dinner before you show me how much you care about me.” I smiled. “I need the opinion of a professional after I make a call later today.”

Damon looked down between us where my slick folds were sliding over his hard cock. “You say that sitting like this on me.”

“Are you clean?” I asked, as a bold thought crossed my mind.

“I get checked regularly and always use condoms,” Damon confirmed, as I looked down. I had been on the birth control shot for years now, just out of habit, and just in case I met the right guy in college. His eyes were dark and hungry as I dragged my lip between my teeth and raised myself, letting him stand tall. “Elisa…fuck, I want you bare.”

I leaned down to kiss him as my body wrapped around him, nothing between us. The sensations were incredible, and I moaned against his mouth as he reached forward to hold my hips. Damon guided me slowly, telling me that I felt so good that he wanted to explode, in between long kisses.

We made love there, slow and sweet. I felt his heat deep inside as he came for me, sliding my panties back on to hold it before I dropped down beside him again.

Damon

 

Elisa cleaned up and went to join her team, promising me that she’d be over at six to spend the evening with me. I returned to my desk, shaking my head as I played back the hours I’d just spent with her. I thought she was quitting and leaving me when I got that email full of excuses as to why she could no longer work for me. I thought that she was denying everything that I offered to her. The pain was incredible, and I stared at the security screens until I saw her walk in, intending to demand her to stay.

Burt had called in that time, inquiring about my interns. He was a good man and ran the same company as I did, a branch of this one that was just a tad smaller. Kenneth needed another building to handle his overflowing client list and Mark and James became his new baby, though he handed it off to a different staff of people. I spoke to them frequently when I took over, but not on this level. I was looking for a way to compromise with Elisa’s standards, while staying with her and I brought her up, offering to forward her resume.

Burt was impressed and told me that he wanted to speak to a few others that worked closely with Elisa, since I claimed I didn’t know her too well. I agreed, giving him a couple of numbers before I hung up.

That had calmed me down, and I stood when I saw Elisa approaching the bank of elevators. Somehow, she stepped into an empty one and I went to meet it, pushing the button to make it stop. I knew where all the elevators went in the building, having learned those details when I updated the security in the building after we fired a troublesome intern. It was after that when I considered ditching the intern program altogether, but I was talked out of it.

Now, I was relieved that I’d kept it going, since it brought me Elisa.

I thought about the possibilities as I left a bit early, wanting to get some errands done before she arrived. I bought something to make for dinner, while I had Mark go get some roses at the best florist in the city. Together, we brought everything into my house, as he told me how much Brooke had sulked on the way to her condo. I laughed when he said that she met up with a guy outside and left with him a few minutes later.

I explained that, with any luck, I wouldn’t have to pull a stunt like that again. I wanted Elisa and nobody else. I felt the need to shrink back from the public eye so much and just settle into as normal of a life as I could find. Even if it wasn’t with Elisa, I needed to go in that direction. This was exhausting.

I set the roses up on the counter and loaded the food into my fridge. I was planning to make some salmon, fresh vegetables, and salad, as well as serve eclairs from a great bakery beside the grocery store for dessert. I felt good about the job offer and hoped that Elisa would as well, given that it was everything that she’d been working towards. She needed to see past the way that she got it and focus on the fact that she’d earned it.

I glanced at the clock and realized that I had an hour before Elisa would arrive and went to take a shower. I gripped myself under the hot water, unable to get the memory of her riding me today out of my head. I hadn’t felt the heat of a girl against me since I was teenager, before I’d gotten smart about protection. Jerking off, I cried out her name as I shot against the tile again, breathing deeply.

I dressed in jeans and a blue Henley, leaving my feet bare. I headed down into the kitchen and read some of my favorite salmon recipes, deciding on a simple dish, with some butter drizzled over the fish. .

I wandered the apartment, even though my maid had been there that morning. I had her pop in every couple of weeks to make sure things were clean, even with my regular picking up. Growing up with a mother who depended on help had ruined me for life, and I’d never go back. I lit some candles and made a fire before I heard the knock at the door. Wetting my lips, I walked over to the front door.

“Hi,” Elisa said, with a beautiful smile, as I looked her up and down. She was wearing the jeans I had bought her, which clung to her curves perfectly, and she’d paired it with a long-sleeved cashmere sweater that highlighted her full breasts. “Is casual okay?”

“You look downright edible,” I told her, as I held the door open and reached for her hand. Elisa laughed as she came inside and looked around with an impressed gaze. “Like it?”

“Are you trying to woo me, Damon?” Elisa asked, as I kissed her softly while closing the door.

“Is it working?” I asked, before I claimed her lips again, reaching down to cup her ass as I drew her closer to me. “I’m going to make some dinner, too. I have good wine. I might even let you get to second base, if you’re lucky.”

“Mmmm, that has promise,” she remarked, as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I laughed and led her to the kitchen where she watched me prepare the fish for the oven. Elisa offered to chop the vegetables for me and sauté them in olive oil with some seasonings and garlic. She was a natural in a kitchen, and we chatted about light subjects as we got the food ready, finishing the salad together. I poured some wine, and we sat at the small table together to drink it and talk. “I called Burt today.”

“How did that go?”

“He’s very genuine, and I think he sounds professional. He admitted that he’s taking a chance with an intern, but with my schooling and resume, he’s willing to take that chance,” Elisa replied, as I nodded. All of that was legitimate, and I’d considered it all before deciding to hire her for myself. “I would start at a slightly lower wage, until I passed probation, but Burt assured me that you’d be willing to take me back, should anything happen. I seem to be well liked at Elkus Manfredi.”

“You are, and I would, apart from the fact that we’ll be dating if you take that job. That might pose a problem.”

“I even asked Brent about it, and he said to go for it,” she said, as I smiled. “I am going to. I am going to try and not be stubborn about it because of your involvement.”

I pulled her close to me for a hug as I stood up, and she held me tightly. “Does that mean that you’ll forgive me?” I asked.

“I know why you did that now,” Elisa admitted, as she smiled ruefully. “It drew attention away from the weekend, even though I was jealous and must have looked at those pictures a hundred time the following morning. I analyzed them, but when I see you look at me, I know that you don’t have feelings for her. There was no sincerity in your eyes. I also found it funny when she had pictures the same night at a club, drunk with another guy, while the headlines speculated that you’d had a horrible fight. You need to choose a better prop, Damon. She’s amateur.”

“I don’t want a prop. I want a girlfriend,” I told her. “I want a woman to spoil and make love to all over my house. I want a woman to cook for and pamper. I want a woman to support as she moves up the ladder in my industry.”

“Taking any applications?” Elisa teased, as she pressed closer to me, kissing me hungrily.

“There’s only one woman for me,” I assured her, kissing her eagerly as we made our way to the couch. I had her shirt off, and I was sucking on her sweet nipple when the oven beeped and we both groaned. “Damn it.”

We both stumbled in, and I pulled out the fish just in time, while she turned on the stove to give the veggies a quick reheat. Elisa had already cooked them, but had left them covered to soak in their flavors and stay warm. I plated the fish, and she heaped her side dish on the plates before we both finished with some fresh salad. We took them back to the table, eating as she asked me what to expect across the street.

“What about the apartment?” I asked, as we washed the dishes together.

“Well, it’s for employees of Elkus Manfredi, so I want to save it for them. I have been doing some looking of my own and found a cute place near here that my mom and I could share. I’ll be able to afford it with the new salary, even losing the financial aid. I just hope that I don’t get fired.”

“You won’t. You’ll be a graduate before you know it and have the world at your fingertips,” I teased her, as Elisa laughed and kissed me again. Her eyes grew dark as she gazed at me and I felt the heat in the room. Elisa took my hand and led me across the room to the door that hadn’t been opened since last time she was over. I grabbed a key from my pocket, unlocking it, and pushing it open as she walked boldly inside.

“I loved the dinner. I loved the roses. I loved everything about tonight, but right now…I want you to fuck me.” I hardened at her request, so direct and bold, as I closed the door and dropped the key on a counter. “I want what we couldn’t do in the office, Damon.” I told her to take my pants down before she dropped to her knees, searching my face. I nodded, and she leaned in to take my cock in her mouth. I held onto her hair, loose and wild around her shoulders, as I rocked my hips with her movements. Her hand gripped my ass, digging into my skin, and pulling me forward as I buried myself down her throat. Her moans joined my cries as we moved harder and rougher, her name passing through my lips as I filled her. She felt so good and drank me down as I stared down at her. “Elisa,” I said, with wonder in my eyes as I pulled back and offered her my hand.

I handcuffed her to the headboard with metal covered by soft cloth, after I stripped her. I left the black lace thong on for the time being, obsessed with the scrap of material that separated me from what I wanted more than anything right now. I left her legs free as I moved down her body, biting and nipping my way over her neck and nipples as she arched her back for me.

I knew she wanted it rough as she begged me for more as I moved down her stomach. I found a small but powerful dildo and slipped it inside of her, securing it with the lace as I kept her legs open for access to her clit. I ravaged her as the device vibrated, giving me more and more sweet honey as she came closer to a release.

“Damon!” Elisa cried out, her face flushed with desire as she clenched her fists. “Oh, fuck. I’m coming.” I dragged her clit between my lips as she screamed through her peak before I pulled the panties off and slid the dildo out of her body.

“So intense.” I moved her to her stomach, careful with the restraints as she moaned. I knew that she was already tired, but I was nowhere near finished. I spread her legs and smacked her ass, watching her jerk in front of me as she begged for more.

Elisa screamed for me to fuck her after a few smacks, and I slid inside, once again bare. I gripped her ass and squeezed as I took her repeatedly, knowing that her moans were of pleasure, not pain. I pulled back and drove myself inside one more time before I filled her, feeling her tight, wet pussy wrap around me. I cried out her name as I held her hips tightly and memorized the feeling of her body.

Elisa surprised me by asking about what other toys I had. I showed them to her, describing what they would do to her as her eyes heated up. There were several dildos, some plugs, and a variety of things to use for spanking.

Elisa asked if I could use them in my bedroom, and I picked up her favorites and brought them with us. “I love that room, and the possibilities that come with it, but I want to make this our place as well. I want to experiment in here and then fall asleep in your arms,” she confessed as she blushed. I lit a few candles in there, and we dropped on the mattress, still bare.

“You are the first woman that I’ve been with here, in this room.” I waved my hand around as I spoke, and she looked at me with bright eyes. “This is the last place I see at night and the first thing in the morning. I don’t want to invite anything in to the one place I find peace. I want you here, though.”

“I want to be here. I want to try, but it’s going to have its hard moments. There will be tough times.” She looked at me. “I know about your past, and I’ve read the rumors. It’s difficult to think about, but I do see the way that you look at me, so I’m willing to give it a chance.”

“Good,” I said, as I kissed her and watched her move onto the mattress, lying on her back. “So, what do you want to try first?”

Elisa

 

I had always thought that sex was boring. I thought that it was never like it was in movies or books, but with Damon it was better than any of that. I read a lot of romance books, thanks to having a million roommates, and they got pretty hot. It was unbelievable. This somehow seemed like it could be real and work out, though I didn’t have a lot to base that on. I hadn’t spent a lot of time with Damon, but what little time we had spent together had been memorable. I fell asleep that night knowing a lot more about sex toys than I’d ever imagined, but happy in Damon’s arms as I held onto the hope that I had for us.

The following day at work, Brent made the announcement that I was moving across the street for a full-time position. The team was happy for me, though I sensed a bit of confused jealousy. Still, they took me to lunch to celebrate, and we clinked our soda glasses together as Autumn asked how it came to be.

“Burt called asking about the interns, and Brent recommended me. He sent over my resume and it impressed Burt, so he asked me if I’d like to work for him. I guess it’s not totally out of the ordinary for someone graduating in a year, right?” I asked, as I dipped a fry into some of the ranch dressing on my plate.

“That’s when I got hired,” Vince admitted with a grin.

“Me, too,” Autumn said, as she smiled. “They’re willing to give us a chance when they see that we’ve worked hard. A lot of the time, they don’t want to pull long-time staff, since we work in teams. It’s nice.” She sipped her soda. “Is the big boss upset that he’s losing your help?”

“No, I was told he gave me a good referral. He told me good luck,” I responded, with a bright smile on my face. I could never reveal the truth, and what might end up out there would be decided after I left the building. It would be something that developed later, and I hoped that’s how it would be perceived.

“He seems busy with that floozy these days. I don’t know what Damon sees in Brooke, apart from their family ties. I mean, I know they hooked up a few times, but to keep going back? She was caught with another guy at the club the same night the pictures were taken.” Autumn shook her head and I frowned. He had said they weren’t involved like that. “Whatever. He’s gorgeous, but seems a bit dumb to me.”

“I don’t know him well,” I lied, as the conversation moved to something else. Gossip about Damon seemed like it got boring fast, and I wondered about the truth about us. Would I be the floozy then? We finished our lunch, and I thanked everyone before we headed back to the office.

Damon was walking with Brent to the elevators ahead of us. He looked good in fitted black slacks and a blue shirt, hidden under his black winter coat. I stared at him as everyone chatted around me, losing myself in the memories of last night.

Someone called his name across the lobby and Damon turned around, his brows furrowed together. He said something to Brent and waited as a woman with familiar hair walked up to him.

Brooke.

Damon looked annoyed as he talked to her, but I managed to sneak by unseen. She was pretty in person, and she was busy grabbing his arms and shoulders as they talked. I wasn’t lying when I told him that this was going to be difficult. He had a lot of past, whereas I had next to nothing. I made my way back to our room, looking around wistfully for a moment. “What’s up?” Vince asked, as he set his cup down on the floor.

“I think I’m going to miss this place. I was barely here, but you are such a good team to work with,” I replied, as he smiled.

“You’re going to be the assistant to the big boss. That’s something to look forward to.” Vince assured me.

“It’s scary,” I whispered, as we gathered around the table. “I’ll be full time and going to school. The hours will be crazy, and I might drop dead from exhaustion.”

“I hope your guy won’t mind that,” Vince said.

“I am building an empire. He needs to understand that.” I smiled, and he nodded as Autumn smirked at me. I knew from talking to her that Autumn grounded herself with the company before she had said yes to her fiancé’s proposal, and they were now planning the wedding. She was a go-getter like I was, coming from a poor family that had struggled as well.

I was going to be with the team for another two weeks before I started across the street. I jotted down advice that everyone gave me, since the job would be a little different. I knew that Burt wanted me to learn various duties, and I hoped that some of it was hands-on design. That’s what I loved, after all.

I saw Damon every night that I could, but didn’t have the guts to ask him what Brooke wanted that day. I felt uncertain all over again, and, when we were in one of the beds in his house, he noticed it. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just nervous,” I replied, with a smile on my face. I hadn’t gotten high fives from everyone in the building, and found that Devin was a little jealous of my job offer. That made me worry that Damon had influenced the process more than he was telling me, making me wonder how much of this life was earned. I wanted it all to be mine.

“You have this in the bag, Elisa. Just go shine.” He dropped the toy he’d been using on the night stand and looked me over, seeing that I was flushed and tired from the torment that he’d just put me through. “Is someone bugging you at the office?”

“No. They’re just not all thrilled for me,” I admitted, as he gave me a dark look. “I’m sure it’s normal, and I just have a few days left, right?” I wouldn’t see Damon daily, then, and would have so much more to wonder about.

“Sure. You’ll settle in before you know it and be telling me all kinds of stories.” Damon teased, his eyes warm on me as my heart jumped into my throat. “We’ll be rivals.”

“Hardly,” I choked, as I dropped onto the pillow and took a deep breath. “I have years to go for that.”

“You doubt yourself too much,” Damon reminded me, as he moved beside me and traced my stomach with his finger. “You’ll get this job, and we’ll only get better and better.”

“I hope so.” I closed my eyes and let my body relax as sleep took me over. As uncertain as I might be about Damon at times, my body craved him, and I knew that I’d never get enough. This made me tired. “We’re exclusive, right?” The idea that we were having unprotected sex a lot lingered in my mind every time we were finished. Not that I had any worry about pregnancy, because the shot was virtually a sure thing, but I worried that he was sleeping with other women.

“Did you ever think that we weren’t?” He asked, as I felt him kiss my hair.

“Just curious.” He turned the light off and pulled me against him as he kissed my cheek.

“You know you’re it for me.”

The holidays were coming, and my new office was decorated in style as I walked through the doors to meet with Burt and fill out paperwork. The staff had thrown me a party on Friday, and I had lingered with the friends I’d made, while Damon stood on the other side of the room with his managers. We shared a few glances, but kept it to a minimum with so many people around. The food was excellent and the cake beautiful, with a champagne toast in my honor. A few of the people were going to a bar afterward, and they invited me. I glanced over at Damon. “Come on. There’s cause to celebrate.”

“Okay. Sounds great,” I agreed as she smiled and pulled out her phone to send a text. Within an hour, things were wrapping up, and I thanked everyone for making it great there as I held my glass up high again. I left with my former team and a few others, walking to a group of bars on the corner. They were getting busy with the after-work crowd, and we blended into the crowd at the bar at the first one.

I had a feeling to look at the door, and I saw Damon walking in with the other guys. I frowned for a moment as I turned back and accepted the round of drinks that Vince bought everybody and thanked him as we clinked our glasses together. I knew that I would keep in touch with Vince and Autumn, and I stood closest to them as she waved across the bar.

“This is Tim, my fiancé!” I looked at the tall, dark-haired man and shook his hand as she introduced all of us. They looked good together, matching one another’s style, and he introduced a couple of friends who had come along with him.

Dave was one and Glen the other, and they had the same alternative look that Tim did. Glen congratulated me on the promotion once he heard about it, and drew me aside to start talking about my new job. I felt eyes on me and glanced over to see Damon staring at me angrily before someone walked up to him. Brooke again. Ploy, my ass. I smiled at Glen and focused on his words, pretending that I wasn’t crazy about the man across the bar with another woman.

The drinks were flowing, and I kept downing them as they were offered, laughing a little too hard at Glenn’s jokes. I even danced with him, crazy and free as reality left my mind, and I lived in a different world. It wasn’t until I had to pee that it hit me like a sound punch in the stomach. I did my business and walked out to feel someone grab my arm and pull me down to the end of the dark hallway.

“What the hell?” I asked, as I looked up to see Damon dragging me. “What are you doing? Isn’t your date missing you?”

“Date?” He asked, as he reached the end and stared down at me.

“Brooke. I’ve seen you with her a few times, and I give up,” I yelled, as he grasped my shoulders to stop me from flailing my arms.

“A few times?” He asked, and I nodded as I took a deep breath.

“At work, here…and there’s all those pictures of you with her. I know that you hooked up in the past, too.” His face fell as he stared at me, and all my happy buzz turned into hard, painful emotions. “I’ve been with you all this time, wondering who else you’re with, as I’m taking chance after chance. I must be stupid.”

“Who the fuck told you that?” Damon asked, as I stared sadly at him.

“Is it true?” His silence told me everything. “I wish it was you. Now it looks like you were hiding something from me, and I keep seeing her. I don’t even know what I want anymore.”

“I was a mess that day. Everything happened with the pictures from the weekend, and I knew I had to hide who you were. She was the first thought, and I didn’t want you to be worried about things, because nothing has happened between Brooke and I for years.” Damon insisted. “She is here by chance tonight, and she wanted to tell me something about my parents in the building that day. That’s it, Elisa.” His eyes darkened. “How do you explain the new guy? You look like you’re having a great time with him. Who is he?”

“I don’t know!” I told him, as I tugged my arm away from him. I hurried through the bar and out into the streets, crying as I searched my purse for my phone to get a ride home. I had the job that I always dreamed of, but at a cost I never expected. I was in love with Damon, but too insecure and jealous to trust in him. I saw a cab and held my hand up as I ran towards it. The last thing I saw before we drove away was Damon staring at me, and I turned forward and told the driver where I lived.

I was alone that night, and I huddled under my covers, crying. I had given him back all the devices, and my phone was shut off. I wouldn’t be hearing from him, and I hoped that he didn’t come over. I needed some space.

Damon

 

I watched Elisa drive away in the cab in shock. She was drunk, but hadn’t made any sense in there. I took a breath of the fresh, cold air before I turned and walked back into the bar. Brooke had been here by chance, and she was with her friends now. For that matter, she was dating a new guy, and didn’t even seem concerned with what I was doing. The other time had been a business call, though I’d had no idea that Elisa saw us. I wish that she would’ve brought it up, so we could talk about it before it blew up like this.

I cast a dark look at the man that she had been dancing with, before I sat down at the table with my friends, sipping my fresh beer. He seemed to be looking around for her, and I couldn’t blame him.

I knew that she was gone if she didn’t try to reach out to me. I knew where her apartment was, but I was going to try to resist being a caveman and dragging her out of it and back to my place where she belonged. Fuck, I wanted to ask her to move in with me, and we’d set her mom up somewhere close by, tonight of all times. I didn’t see any reason to hide our relationship, now that she had her new job.

I drank myself into oblivion before calling Mark for a ride home. I called Elisa several times in the car, getting her voice mail every time. “Damn it.”

“What’s wrong?” Mark asked, as he glanced at me in the mirror.

“The past is coming back to haunt me, Mark. I didn’t tell her everything that I should have, and it’s the one thing I got in trouble with.”

“Can you fix it?” Mark asked, as I frowned.

“Maybe. I can get roses again and have them delivered. I could try to get her to talk to me.” I wasn’t sure what to do. This was all new to me. I was supposed to be going home with her after the celebration over her promotion. It was nice to see her smiling and so happy about the catered work party, looking beautiful in a paisley wrap dress and black heels. I was going to ask her to move in in front of the fire in my room, when I told her how much I loved her.

Now, that was gone.

“I tried to save my marriage before things went south. I took her to the coast, got a great hotel, and took her to dinner. It worked for a while, but we were too far gone. Arrange a weekend away.”

That reminded me of our trip before, and I considered the idea. We could stay a couple of nights and make a longer trip of it.

“I don’t think you’re that bad off, since you’ve been seeing so much of her. I just think you fucked up a bit. I learned that communication was everything when I got divorced, and I’d advise you to learn from it.”

“Yeah. I see your point,” I told him, as he pulled up to the curb. I got out and went upstairs, feeling drunk and empty as I took off my clothes and fell into bed.

I called Mom and Kenneth the following morning, arranging to meet them for dinner that night since they were home. We met at a steakhouse and I sat across from them as Kenneth watched Mom get her jacket off with a warm gaze. “How are things at the office?” Kenneth asked, once we had our drinks in front of us and orders were placed.

“Going well. There are a few new clients, and the earnings are coming in.” Kenneth still got a good chunk of that, and he nodded with a pleased expression.

“Did you get any good interns this round?” Mom asked, as my face fell. “Damon?”

“Yeah, we did. One of them just got hired full-time by Burt.” Damon sipped his whiskey and nodded. “She’s great.”

“She’s moving up fast. What is her position there?” Kenneth asked, as mom searched my face with a knowing gaze.

“His assistant. She was with Brent’s team and helped me a bit here and there as well,” I replied, as I took a long sip of my own whiskey. “She’s graduating from MIT in a year.”

“I think she sounds like the perfect addition for Burt. You guys always get the cream of the crop with the annual internship program.” We ate as our entrees came, and mom pressed the napkin to her lips as Kenneth excused himself to use the bathroom.

“When did you realize that you’d fallen for her?” Her eyes sparkled at me, exact copies of mine.

“Recently, when I messed up. I was trying to fight it, but, Mom, she’s addicting. Compassionate, beautiful, intelligent, and she’s stubborn as a damn mule. She wants the world.” I shrugged and looked at her.

“Isn’t that better than the empty women who only wanted you for your money?” Mom asked. “Speaking of which, I’d be thrilled if you stopped doing photo ops with Brooke. I adore her parents, but she’s not the woman I want as a daughter-in-law.”

“Not even close. I was dodging some rumors,” I told her, as she giggled.

“The woman on the beach? I saw those. That was the intern?”

“It was.”

Kenneth returned, and sat down, glancing between us.

“What’s your mother worried about now?”

“Damon found a woman,” she said, as I scowled. “He fell for one of the interns.”

“I dated her while she worked there. I didn’t intend for that to happen, but it did. I thought when she moved across the street, we could start fresh. She just…I think she thinks my past is too much.”

They both laughed. “It is,” Mom said, as Kenneth kissed her hair. “If I got over all the trouble this man got into, there’s hope for you. Woo her. Show her what a great man you are.”

I went home that night thinking about what she said. I knew that I was in love with Elisa, and that there was nobody else for me. I needed to tell her that. I asked Mark for some advice as we drove, smiling at his romantic ideas.

I did some work on my plan over the weekend, setting up reservations for the following weekend at the same place we had stayed in Cape Cod. I asked for the most romantic room they had and a lot of additions to get my plan in motion. I made a couple of reservations at good places, leaving time to do what we wanted on a whim.

The rest could wait until I was going to surprise Elisa, and I dropped into bed, staring at the ceiling as I hoped that it worked.

Work wasn’t the same without Elisa there. I missed her being in my office with her beautiful smile and laugh, and I stared at her number on my phone. I wasn’t going to call her yet.

Elisa

 

The new office was merely a smaller version of Elkus Manfredi, but it was still new to me. I reported to duty with Burt, wearing a new black pencil skirt, a white shirt, and the shoes that would always remind me of Damon.

I missed him more than I wanted to admit, but I was drunk and foolish at the bar that night. I’d made an excuse that I drank too much to Vince and Autumn and left because I felt sick, since only Damon saw me run out and jump into the cab like the chicken that I was.

Burt was kind and gave me the same devices as Damon, showing me the way he did things with patience and kindness. He remarked at how quickly I picked things up a few times, and I always credited Damon and Brent. Burt was surprised that I’d worked so closely with Damon, since it wasn’t mentioned over the phone. “Really?” I asked, as I looked at him.

“All Damon did was say that you seemed to be doing well and sent me your resume. It was Brent’s recommendation that got me, and your school record. That’s impressive, with your grades and skills,” Burt assured me.

I felt a little bad as I left that night, tired and emotionally drained. I went and showered, pulling on my pajamas, and going right to bed. Damon didn’t set me up with my job, like I’d thought. He threw my name out there, but I earned it with my hard work, and I sighed. I picked up my phone, making sure that my alarms were set, and found his number. I considered calling him, but my mind was mush. I needed to figure out what to say.

It was suddenly Thursday, and I was ready for the weekend. I sat at my desk at lunch and stared at my phone again, then looked across the street to Damon’s building. The more time that passed, the sillier it seemed to make the call. I put my phone down and tore my sandwich into pieces as I berated myself for getting so drunk that night. I’d had lunch with Vince and Autumn yesterday, and they went on about their new project, making me miss that part of my internship. I knew that I’d be doing it soon, but for now, Burt was training me on assistant duties. I went back to my office with a forced smile and confidence for my future, staring blankly at my phone as I thought about Damon. I didn’t dare ask them about him, because I didn’t want to blow his cover.

I left the office on Thursday, glum, and looking forward to the weekend. I glanced up as someone handed me a rose, confused. Another person did the same thing, a stranger that I didn’t know. What was going on? I stepped forward, receiving a few more until I saw Damon holding a big bouquet in his arms. “What are you doing?”

“I am trying to woo you,” he replied, as I smiled. “Is it working?”

“It’s creative. I liked getting these,” I told him, holding up the loose roses. “I’ve been wanting to call you. I didn’t. I felt like an idiot for that night.”

“I know what I did wrong. It made sense to hide that at the time, but looking back, I know it was a mistake.” He looked in my face, searching for something. “I missed you. I was hoping that we could have dinner tonight and discuss something.”

I looked around. It didn’t matter if we were seen, because we didn’t work together. There would be rumors, but they didn’t matter. I just wanted to know Damon and everything that scared me about him. I wanted to make an informed decision about love, now that I was laying the groundwork for the rest of my life. “Yes, I’d like that. Where would you like to go?”

He took my hand, still holding my flowers in his arm. A few people looked at us with smiles as we walked to an Italian place a few blocks away. Once we were seated, we stared at each other until the waitress brought our wine.

He held his glass up once it was there. “To us.” I clinked it and smiled as he looked into my eyes.

“I am sorry that I flew off the handle, Damon. I should have just asked about her, like I should have asked about a lot of things.”

Over dinner, we talked about the women in his past. He explained that he’d had wild times and made some mistakes, but that was over now. He knew that he wanted to be with me. I told him that I felt the same, and we fell silent for a moment.

“I want to take you back to the coast tomorrow night. I have a reservation for two nights, and we can really explore the area” He told me when we left the restaurant. “I need to get out of the city.”

“I think that I do as well.” He asked me to come over and I agreed. We walked together, and he asked me about the job. I told him that it was confusing and that I still felt lost, even though Burt told me that I was doing well. Damon assured me that I was. All new jobs started out that way, but I’d settle in and feel like I was home. That was another reason that he planned the trip for me, and I smiled as he unlocked his door.

I walked into more roses and gasped as I looked around. “I figured you didn’t have a new place yet, so I thought that we’d keep them here.” Damon looked at me. “How is that going?”

“I stayed when things fell through. I knew that you would let me have that apartment, but I figured I’d find something of my own after the new year.” I smiled. “My roomie, Melody, might go in on something with me. She hates it there as well.” His face seemed to fall, and I stared at him. “What? She’s nice. I promise.”

“I just want some alone time with you. That’s all.” He pouted, and I stepped closer to him, taking a deep breath. Words couldn’t describe how much I had missed Damon, but I hoped my eyes did as I gazed into his face. I cupped his face and smiled as I pushed up on my toes.

“You’ll have a lot, no matter what.” I brushed my lips against his slowly as he inhaled, sliding his hands over my waist. “You consume me.” I kissed him in between sentences. “I can’t stop thinking about you.” Another kiss. “I don’t want to be without you.” I gave him a last gentle kiss. “I don’t want to worry about stupid shit.” The next kiss was hungry, and he pulled me closer as he deepened the kiss eagerly.

“Is it bad to have sex before we go away?” He asked, as I giggled and wrapped my legs around him.

“No, it’s perfect. I can’t wait,” I told him, as he carried me up the stairs to his bedroom. I didn’t ask why we weren’t in the other room. He stripped me roughly and kissed me hard. He kissed every inch of my body slowly, edging me closer to a release before he’d pull away. I begged him to take me in a hoarse voice, as frustration filled me, finally weeping when he settled between my legs and sucked on my pussy.

“This pussy is mine. Do you hear that?” He asked me, before drawing my clit between his lips.

“Yes, it’s yours.” I agreed, gripping the sheets as he ravaged me. I came hard when he had spent enough time on my clit, crying out his name as I rocked against him.

“I haven’t thought about another woman since we met. I’ve been obsessed with you.” He told me, as he rose and settled between my thighs. “I want you, Elisa.”

“I want you,” I replied, as he lifted his hips and positioned himself before driving himself inside of me. I moaned as he filled me, sliding against my walls. I pulled him closer as he kissed my neck, sucking the skin between his teeth, as he moved just a little harder and faster.

We came together, and I arched my back, feeling him bite down on my nipple. “Oh, oh, oh.” I gave in to my feelings for him, holding them in until sometime this weekend when it felt right to say.

I stayed the night, waking up early so that Mark could take me home to change. I threw on a dress after a quick shower, making myself look decent. I didn’t have time to pack, because Damon had distracted me all night in bed, but I’d figure it out tonight. It was only two nights.

I drifted through the day with a smile, a little dazed as I tried to focus on my work. I was picking it up fine, but I had a lot on my mind and stole several looks across the street. Damon had been perfect last night, making me feel like the only woman in the world from the moment that I saw him. We met for lunch, enjoying a sandwich together as we discussed the trip and held hands. I kissed him on the street, not caring who saw. I had my life falling right into place before my eyes.

I hurried home to pack, taking just a few minutes before I called Damon to tell him that I was ready. He promised me that he’d see me in a few minutes, and I zipped up my bag and glanced around the tiny room.

“Have fun.” Melody smiled at me from her bed. She’d started seeing someone from school, and it seemed to be getting serious. They were going to a concert the following day and getting a hotel.

“You too. Check out Jared for me!” I winked as I grabbed my stuff and walked out of the apartment to meet Damon. The drive was great, and we laughed the entire way, stopping for a quick dinner at one of the diners near the inn, before we checked in for the night.

The room was better than last time. It was bigger, with a spa in the bathroom instead of the ,and a generous balcony overlooking the ocean. However, it was also colder. “We’ll come back when we can actually wear shorts one time,” Damon promised me, as I smiled at the view.

“It’s fine. This is lovely,” I assured him, as I looked into his eyes. We went back into the room and got into the spa for a bit before finding a movie in bed. I snuggled against him and looked around with a happy sigh. “Thank you. I needed this, and I needed you with it.”

Damon

 

I watched her sleep after we made love, with a beautiful, peaceful look on her face. She was wild tonight, initiating everything as she rolled me over to my back. I was going to pop the surprise on her after that, but we were both tired. We had two days here, with nowhere to be but a couple of restaurants. It was going to be perfect.

I woke up to see the sky dimly lit through the balcony doors, and shook Elisa gently awake, so we could watch the sunrise. She photographed every step of it with her camera, trying different angles as I watched her. “We’ll be sure to watch it go down from a beach as well.” I told her, as she nodded.

When the sun was up, and we were cold, Elisa dragged me back to bed and kissed me as she pressed her body against me, knowing that her hard nipples would be hard for me to resist.

We made love carelessly before dozing off again in the beautiful room, waking up hungry, and in need of coffee. We both showered quickly and headed down to the in-house bistro, ordering their special with coffee as we stared over the expansive ocean. It was warm enough to walk around, and we took advantage of that, finding new beaches and more shops. I could tell the Elisa was in love with the town, making me fall more in love with her.

We went to a nice place for dinner and watched the sunset before going back to our room. She wanted to use the spa again, resting her body against me as she sighed. “Thank you. Today was perfect.”

“I wanted to ask you something, Elisa.” I said, as she tensed before me. “I did a lot of thinking in this crazy time since we’ve been seeing each other. I’ve changed, and it was confusing, but a learning experience.”

“Agreed,” she giggled, as her hands slid up my legs.

“I knew something in the beginning, but I had to mull it over. I think I needed space to say this, but … I love you.” I felt her freeze as her nails dug into my skin.

“Love?”

“Yes. I love you completely, and I want to make things right with us. There’s something else.”

“Oh, God.” Her voice was almost a whisper, and I kissed her hair.

“Not that fast,” I promised her as I took a deep breath. “I am going to be buying an apartment complex as an investment very soon to spread some money around. It’s nice, close to work, and safer than that POS you live in now.” Elisa opened her mouth to speak, and I covered her mouth gently. “I can offer you something in there, as well as your mom, but I’d like you to move in with me.”

I heard her start to cry. “I love you, too. I hated being without you.” She wiped at her eyes, and I pulled her close. “I want to live with you, because we’ve spent too much time apart.”

“Give notice when we get back, and get your ass in my place, then.” I teased her, as I kissed her neck. “Let’s do this, Elisa.”

We stayed in the hot water as long as we could stand it, before drying off and going to bed. I left only one light on by the bed as I kissed her, happier than I’ve ever been. “There’s one more thing. I want you and your mother to have Thanksgiving with my family. Will you?”

“I’m meeting your parents?” Elisa squealed, as I kissed her again.

We made love, her on her stomach, her ass in the air as I took her hard. I’d given her one orgasm with my mouth already, and she was tight and wet for me. We woke up to do that several times before watching the sunrise again, wrapped in robes. Elisa suggested an early morning walk on the beach to look for shells, and I agreed.

She found a lot of shells and rocks, dropping them into a bag that she’d brought along. Everything was quiet, and it felt like we were the only people on Earth. “This is great, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s such a change from the city, which I love too…but I’ll miss this.”

“Maybe we’ll get a house here, down the line. Come up every weekend and just chill. It can be big enough for family.” She pressed against me for long kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you.” We held hands as we wandered back to the car, looking over the scenery as we glanced down for more shells.

We headed home that afternoon, and Elisa moved in with her few things by the middle of the week. She paid the roommates a month ahead of rent, so they wouldn’t get in a bind, and I took her to dinner the first night that she was officially living with me.

Someone heard about us at work, but I assured them that we had held off on dating until she left the company. Once a couple of weeks passed, it seemed to die down and many people liked me being settled down. They said I was less grumpy and a nicer boss, particularly Brent and the other managers.

 

EPILOGUE

Damon

 

I waited until the following spring to propose to Elisa, and we got married at the inn in the very beginning of the fall. It was small and intimate, with just family and close friends—perfect in my eyes. Elisa looked beautiful, with her hair in a low bun on her neck and flowers by her ears. Her dress was flowing and cream colored, but not too fancy, since the wedding was on the beach.

The reception was in the large room at the inn, where dinner was served, and we offered an open bar. I had a friend come up to play music for the guests, and perform the traditional dances. It was a beautiful night, and we headed to our room after it was over, where I had some surprises for Elisa. She had become an animal since living with me, learning all about her favorite room in the house. I wanted our wedding night to be special, because we were going to try for a baby very soon.

That was when I would calm down, but, first, the wedding night would be epic,.

Elisa

 

It took ten hours to deliver our daughter, a year after we were married. I sobbed as I felt her coming into the world, since my epidural had worn off by then. I didn’t care, because we were meeting our baby after nine long and somewhat uncomfortable months. She was beautiful, with a sprinkling of dark hair, and the sweetest heart-shaped mouth. I hoped that she’d have Damon’s eyes. I cried, and he kissed my damp hair.

I knew going home from the hospital that my life was complete. I had the job, the husband, and now the baby. My mom lived close by and watched the baby while I pursued my career, often coming to the beach house, as well, in the Cod. Damon’s family joined us too, as well as Melody and her husband.

That was an anniversary present.

Damon never seemed to miss his former ways, or even think twice about them. He doted on me and Avery, as well as Declan, when he came along when his big sister was two.

I told him that I loved him every night before we went to sleep, and we spent a lot of time just being us. We still used our room, locking it when we were both away. I wasn’t ready to explain that to the kids yet, if ever.

I would never regret giving Damon a second chance.

 

The End

Quartet

 

An Alpha Billionaire Romance

 

 

The note hung in the air, pure and clear. As it faded out, the singer drew in a deep breath, then brought her hand down. The crowd leaped as one, moving with the swell of the beat, arms in the air, the sweltering heat of the auditorium pulsating through their limbs.

He moved through the crowd, never taking his eyes from the beautiful brunette at the front of the stage. Despite her small size, her command over the audience and her presence were palpable. Their eyes met and held. A shock passed through him, his breath caught, and his groin tightened. Time stopped.

As quickly as it happened, she looked away and he realized that in this melee, in this beautiful old building—Seattle’s Paramount on the corner of Ninth and Pine, she could have been looking at anyone. He watched the band, the brunette, the blond guitarist who looked faintly familiar, and the huge, bearded drummer who was grinning madly as he pounded the drums. They were all so different he thought, his gaze returning to the singer. Her dark hair tumbled down her back, strands sticking to the sheen of sweat on her lovely face, her smile joyous and infectious. There was a woman, he thought, who was doing the thing she loved the most, her reason for being, her passion.

That was the moment Tomas Meir fell in love with Bay Tambe.

Quartet #1

Fire for You

 

 

 

It had been his idea, his dream, and his vision. Nearing forty and bored as hell at his own successful law firm, Tomas Meir had woken night after night with the crushing feeling of disappointment in his own life and the sense that somehow it was all slipping away with nothing to show for it. It was a typical mid-life crisis, he’d tried to reason. After all, he was Harvard-educated and only in his twenties when he’d started the entertainment law firm that had made him a billionaire before thirty. He knew where it had stemmed from, this feeling of dissatisfaction.

It had been his thirty-fourth birthday and he’d gone to Boston. He’d gotten together with his three best friends—his buddies from Harvard: Sam Hamilton, marketing guru to the fashion industry, and Otis and Roman Ford, twin geniuses from old money, superstar surgeon and businessman, respectively.

It had been a riot, a night of busting each other’s chops, catching up, and reminiscing.

It had only been later when they’d settled into Tom’s hotel lounge with heavy glasses of sour mash in their hands that Sam had told them.

Cancer. Six months. Their hearts were broken.

In the end, it was only four months, the cancer spreading through Sam’s previously athletic body like wildfire. At the funeral, Sam’s only living relative, his younger brother Dash, had pleaded with them to stay in touch. They were his only link to his family.

They’d done more than that. Tomas had had the idea to start the record company, a seed that had been planted in their Harvard days when they would commandeer one of the music rooms and jam for hours when they should have been studying. They were obsessed with music—ate, slept, and drank it every minute in which they weren’t being primed for a life of law and medicine by their ambitious fathers.

After Sam’s funeral, Tom stayed in Boston to talk to Dash. He told him that he and the Ford Brothers were starting a new venture together—a record company—and they wanted Dash to join them. He’d barely gotten the words out before Dash had said yes.

Now the fledgling company was competing with the big boys. Tom’s unerring eye for talent had secured him some of the best new acts around and for the last two years, he’d been so busy with them that he’d pushed his scouting to the backburner. It itched at him, though, the thrill of discovery. When his assistant, Meg, had mentioned a weekend in Seattle and seeing, as she had put it, “the most rocking covers band I’ve ever seen,” he hadn’t been able to resist.

Now as he filed out with rest of the audience into the cold Seattle night, his heart was pounding, his senses in overdrive. He knew without a doubt that they were the ones—the band he would personally champion to superstardom. He had found them.

He had found her …

 

Bay stood under the shower in the dressing room, letting the hot water soothe and cleanse her tired body. She massaged shampoo into her long, dark hair, feeling the water glide through the wet strands. Friday nights at the Ninth & Pine club were never boring. The band’s reputation in Seattle now was such that people booked well in advance to see them. Bay shook her head, smiling. She couldn’t get over it—they were just a local covers band, for Christ sakes, but their gigs, every second Friday after midnight, were always packed.

Bay stepped out of the shower and quickly dried and dressed. A loud rapping sounded and her best friend, Kym, the band’s guitarist, stuck her head around the door.

“Stu says the guy’s waiting for us in the bar.”

“I’ll be two minutes.”

“Cool.” Kym’s head disappeared. Bay sighed. She hated anything to do with Stu Lawson, Kym’s long-term English boyfriend. Oily, smarmy creep. Bay grinned to herself. Whoever this latest guy was that Stu wanted them to meet—to further the band’s success, he’d put it—was bound to be another low-rent shyster looking to exploit them. Bay dried her hair quickly, pulling it into a messy bun at the nape of her neck, then smoothed her tea dress down over her curves. She glanced at the clock. It was after two a.m. now and she would meet this guy, then head home. The store would have to be opened at eight. She calculated she would have about four hours of sleep, maximum, and the thought made her faintly nauseous.

She pulled the dressing room door shut behind her and made her way slowly to the bar. Pete, the big bear-heart of their band, met her halfway, throwing a huge arm across her shoulders. He had about the same regard for Stu as she did and they exchanged a loaded grin now as they walked into the bar. Stu was standing at the bar, his back turned as he chatted to the record company guy. Bay felt a little flip in her stomach as she realized who it was. The guy from the crowd. She’d seen him before, at their last two gigs. She could hardly miss him, he was so tall he towered over the rest of the crowd. Tonight, as she’d sung the final notes of the song, their eyes had met and she’d felt it …everywhere. A sledgehammer to her chest and a frantic pulse between her legs. She took a deep breath in now as they approached the men who turned to greet them. Stu made the introductions, but she barely heard him except for the guy’s name—Tomas. Tom smiled down at her, his green eyes intense and focused entirely on hers. He didn’t rake his eyes up and down her body in that sleazy way Stu always did, but kept his eyes locked on hers. It was incredibly sensual and Bay could imagine him leaning in, pressing those cool lips to hers, and …

“Hey, space cadet,” Kym nudged her and Bay blinked. “Let’s grab a table.”

As they made their way to one of the booths, she heard Stu remark, “Sorry about that …it’s her artistic temperament.”

Turning to shoot him a death stare, Bay flushed at Stu’s rudeness. Tomas’s eyes narrowed at Stu before he smiled down at Bay. ““Nothing to apologize for. I’m always daydreaming—best way to filter out the crap some people talk.”

Bay snorted with laughter and Tomas grinned at her. They all sat down in one of the booths and Bay couldn’t help the little thrill passing through her as Tomas deliberately put himself between her and Stu. Sitting so closely together, she could feel the heat of his body and his big thigh against hers in the cramped table. God, she wanted to touch it—wanted him to touch her. She’d been exhausted after the gig, but now every cell in her body was alive, sparking with excitement and arousal.

Tomas began to talk about his project and suddenly she was interested. He wanted to champion the band into a major recording deal.

“The fact that your gigs are always packed has gotten a lot of buzz in the industry,” he told them. “Nowadays when the recording industry is flooded with manufactured, plasticized bands or whiny, little mean girls …”

Bay had to laugh at that one. Pete grinned too.

““What we’re looking for is to develop a band that’s innate talent is …well, I’m not going to say wasted, not after that incredible gig …but whose talent could be developed into something quite extraordinary and lucrative. I don’t see why there can’t be both music of real quality and genuine talent to go along with record sales.”

Bay was impressed and she looked over to Kym and Pete, who both looked excited.

“And you think we’re the band to do that with?” Pete asked Tomas, who nodded.

“Absolutely. If one gig can have that effect on me …” He looked back at Bay now and a smile creased his handsome face. She felt her stomach do that flippy thing again and pressed her hand against it to quell the sensation.

“What label are you with?” She felt like she was gibbering, so distracting was this man. Before he could answer, Stu cursed loudly.

“For fuck’s sake, Bay, do you have to be so clueless? Tom is Quartet Records.”

Tom narrowed his eyes at Stu. “Watch your mouth, Lawson. Remind me again what it is you do?” As he came to her defense, a squirming Bay felt his hand close over hers, hidden by the table. He held it for a brief second—I got your back—then let it go. Her skin burned where he touched her and she smiled at him gratefully.

“I’m the band’s manager,” Stu said in a mock-patient voice. “I brought you in, remember?”

Tom’s answering smile was cool. “Vividly.”

Bay choked on her drink and Pete snorted with laughter. Kym grinned, then shot a look at her boyfriend’s tight face and smoothed it out, but not before shooting an apologetic look at Bay. She was used to refereeing Bay and Stu’s antagonistic relationship. Not for the first time, Bay wondered what she saw in the idiot. She turned back to Tom.

“So, when you say development …?”

“I mean you writing original songs for the band—have you considered that before? I understood from Stuart that you’ve discussed it.”

Bay smiled at Kym, who nodded. “Life got in the way.”

“You all have full-time jobs then?”

For the next few minutes, as Kym and Pete talked about their jobs—record store clerk and kindergarten teacher respectively—Bay had a chance to study Tomas Meir. He had dark, close-cropped curls, a finely angled face with an aquiline nose, and a full, sensual mouth. Thick, dark lashes framed those intensely green eyes and it was all she could do not brush her fingers across them. God, he was …she was casting around for the right word when he turned that gaze back to her and the word came to her. Glorious.

“And what about you, Bay?”

The way he said her name made her toes curl with desire and she had to take a beat before she answered him.

“I run my uncle’s motorcycle franchise.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Well, that was unexpected.”

She laughed then. “I say run it …I’m having to sell the business.”

“I’m sorry.”

She shook her head, picking up her beer. “Don’t be. It’s kind of a relief if I’m honest. I know nothing about bikes or anything to do with the motor industry, period. I just helped out when my uncle got too sick to run it.”

“I’m sorry. Is he still with you?”

She shook her head, surprised with herself. She never talked about her family. Never. What was it about this man that made her want to tell him everything? “No, he died last year.”

“Any other family here in Seattle?”

She swallowed the overwhelming sadness within her. “No. Not anymore.” The others were talking amongst themselves and suddenly she was aware that the conversation between her and Tomas had taken on an intimate atmosphere. He smiled at her, his gaze dropping to her mouth.

“So,” he said gently. “Maybe we can work out something to fill your days. Kym tells me you’re the songwriting genius in the band. I’d like to take you in the studio and see what happens.”

Bay’s mouth jerked up in a smile. Why did that sound so dirty in her mind? Tomas must have realized what he’d said because two spots of pink appeared at the top of his cheekbones. The effect was strange on such a confident man, yet it made Bay warm to him even more.

“Well,” she said, sticking her tongue in her cheek. “Wouldn’t that be …interesting?”

There was a short silence, then they both burst out laughing. It broke the tension and Bay felt herself relaxing in his company.

“What are you two talking about? If it’s something to do with the band …” Stu’s voice was whiny and Bay felt a flash of annoyance. Tomas shot Stu a withering look.

“Don’t worry, Lawson, nothing to do with money. We were just discussing writing some songs.”

Kym leaned over, looking excited. “So you’ll do it?” She beamed and Bay couldn’t help nodding and smiling at her best friend.

“For you, anything,” she said and Kym squealed in delight. Pete, who hadn’t missed the chemistry between Bay and Tomas, squeezed Bay’s hand.

“About damn time,” he said in his deep booming voice as he nodded to Tomas, satisfied. Bay could tell he approved and she was glad. Pete Espinoza was rarely wrong about people and if he could see that Tomas was the real deal, then she knew it wasn’t just her hormones working. The thought made her grin.

 

Later, at almost four a.m., Tomas walked Bay to her battered, much-loved Mustang. Tomas whistled through his teeth as he saw the car.

“Boss 302, very nice. Thought you said you knew nothing about cars.”

Bay grinned shyly. “It was my brother’s. He sold it to me when he ‘upgraded’ to a Merc. I told him he had no taste.”

“Excuse me, I have a Mercedes.” He pretended to be affronted and she grinned.

“Then you both have no taste.”

“Your brother’s gone?”

She nodded and looked away from his gaze. Tomas nodded, studying her reaction. There was a story there, he was sure, but he didn’t want to intrude on her privacy. Who are you kidding, Meir? Ever since she’d walked into the bar, there had been an almost unbearable tension between them and now, in the soft light of early morning, she looked so beautiful that he just wanted to kiss her and feel her arms around him. Her café-au-lait skin, that soft tumble of dark waves over her shoulders, the dark burgundy of her full lips, and those eyes—they had been the biggest surprise. He’d expected dark brown, but when he’d finally seen her close up, he saw they were the deepest violet he had ever seen, rimmed by thick, black lashes. He’d been lost the moment he looked into them. God, let’s be real man—you want to fuck her senseless. He pushed the thought aside. If they were going to be working together …

“If we’re going to be working together,” she said suddenly, echoing his thoughts so much he started, surprised. “Then …we should probably …” She was blushing madly and he couldn’t stop himself. He took her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him back, her little fingers tangling in his short hair and her tongue caressing his. He pushed up her skirt as she reached for his fly, freeing his diamond-hard cock from his pants. He tore the panties from her and lifted her up, pressing her back against the car as he thrust deeply into her, his cock huge and pulsing with his desire for her. His hands molded around her beautiful breasts as he slid his hands into her dress, under her bra. God, the feel of her as he moved in and out of her was …

“Tom?”

He blinked. Bay stood in front of him, an amused frown on her face. Fully dressed, and not, unfortunately, being thoroughly and comprehensively fucked by him. Dammit. His cock strained painfully against his underwear.

Bay put her head to one side. “Where’d you go? I was saying we’ll have to postpone our studio time until I get the business stuff sorted. Then I’ll be unemployed and all yours.”

If only. But he nodded, smiling.

“No problem. You have my number and I’ll check in on you and the others periodically.” I’ll try and stop myself from calling you as soon as you’re out of my sight.

She smiled, gratefully. “Thanks. Listen, I have to go grab some sleep before the bike shop opens. It’s really good to meet you.”

She held out her hand and he took it, her skin silky under his. They gazed at each for a long moment. What was a handshake had turned into just holding her hand, he realized, and, reluctantly, he let go.

“I’m really excited about this, Bay. I think the band—and you-- could really go a long way.”

“You do?”

“I do.”

She grinned, and although he knew she was fatigued from the late night, he thought he also saw in her a deep tiredness, an ache, and a sadness. He knew that if he could, he would try to erase whatever made this beautiful young woman so sad.

For now, he kissed her cheek and watched as she drove off in the direction of the waterfront. He walked around the old red building that had evolved from a silent movie theater to one of Seattle’s foremost venues. Under the Paramount’s sign, now in darkness, the board read “Seattle’s Most Popular Covers Band—The 9th & Pine! Every Second and Fourth Friday of the Month! Book Early to Avoid Disappointment!”

Tomas Meir smiled to himself as he began to walk back to his hotel. Before he was finished, the 9th& Pine would be more than just a local covers band—they’d be the biggest band in the country. Tom told himself that this was what he had been looking for his whole career—an opportunity to nurture raw talent and build a songwriting partnership that would bring quality and resonance back into the music world.

And it had nothing to do with the warm, violet eyes, the pink rosebud mouth, and the soft curves that would haunt his dreams from that night onward.

Nope, nothing at all …

 

Bay told herself she was only a little disappointed when the text wasn’t from Tom. Just a little. She hissed in frustration when she read the message. Stu was hounding her. Again.

We need to exploit the momentum, Bay. We need to sign NOW.

It was his fourth text of the morning. Bay moaned and turned over in bed, burying her face in the pillow. She was already late opening the shop, but she figured …what was the point anyway? She was closing the doors at the end of the week. Her loyal but sorrowful customer base simply couldn’t drum up enough business for her. She was losing money by keeping it open more or less as a meeting place for her customers who would come in, take advantage of her mini fridge and coffee machine, and reminisce about the time they rode from Tacoma to Tennessee. Bay didn’t mind; in fact, she loved them all—the huge dudes who loved their Harleys and who had loved her uncle. Uncle Prakash had come to this country from his native India in the seventies, along with his sister, Bay’s mother. When she had died when Bay was five, he’d taken her two kids in—Bay and her elder brother Ravi—and loved and cared for them as if they were his own. Their American-born biological father was long gone, and so the three of them lived and worked together. When Bay had shown true musical talent, Prakash had insisted on paying her college tuition.

Bay forced herself to roll out of bed and into the shower. If only Uncle Prakash hadn’t gotten sick. She’d been at the top of her class, her career as a classical pianist set. Now as she dressed, she couldn’t imagine leading that life, with recitals and performances in huge quiet halls. She loved the roar of the crowd, the way they would sing along with her, and the way they moved as one, like a seething sea of limbs and bodies to the rhythm of whatever song they were doing—a rocked out version of a pop song or vice versa. God, she loved it.

And now she was getting the chance to write songs of her own …with Tomas, she thought with a thrill. Ha, she told herself. Yeah right. Like you’ll ever let anyone that close again. The thought depressed her, and as she soaped her body, she allowed her hand to drift between her legs and stroke, thinking of Tom and how that his mouth would feel against hers, his big hands on her body, and his cock thrusting into her. She shivered through an orgasm before finally shutting the water off and drying herself. How long had it been since she’d slept with someone? She thought about it, then shook her head.

“If you’re obsessing over it, Tambe,” she said out loud to herself, “It’s officially too long. You are Seattle’s answer to Miss Havisham.”

The thought made her grin and she was still grinning when she opened the shop later than usual. Three of her regulars were sitting outside waiting for her, gently teasing her for being late.

“Hey, now, leave her alone. Maybe the little missy finally saw some action last night.” Jed, a massive biker with a beard as long as he was, winked at her.

Bay giggled, flushing furiously. “Now, you know you’re the only man for me, Jed.”

“Damn straight.” He patted on her the back as she let them in. Bay listened to him talking to the other guys, Goober and Stevo, while she put the coffee pot on and raised the shades. There were only a couple of Harley’s left now; if she didn’t sell them, she’d have to part with them to a buyer who’d offer her way under market value for them. She was tempted to keep one of them, a beautiful vintage Harley that had been her uncle’s back in the day, but she’d never even sat on a bike, so what would be the point?

The rest of the store was looking decidedly barren. She’d slashed the prices to half-price on spares, tools, and other kit, and it had been swept up by bike enthusiasts. Where had they been when she needed to keep the business open? She sighed now. If she was honest, this was a relief. She needed to move on and get out. Her thoughts drifted back to the previous evening. She was excited in a way she hadn’t been for years. A real chance at a musical career …she could barely believe it. She had thought that life lost to her, but now …

“Hey, missy, you want some coffee?”

Bay smiled at Stevo, who was brandishing the coffee pot. “Sure thing, thanks. Now,” she went to sit with her friends, “How’re we going to celebrate our last week?”

 

Kym Clayton tugged her long, blonde hair up into a ponytail as she waited for Stu. They were meeting her parents for lunch and so, as always, Stu was prevaricating. Kym sighed. She knew her parents and her friends—everybody, really—couldn’t stand Stu, and she understood why. He was vain, deceitful, and manipulative—a man who couldn’t quite understand that his faded pretty boy looks couldn’t get him whatever he wanted anymore.

Yeah, she got it. Trouble was, at night, when they were alone, he was totally different. Vulnerable and loving …and he knew exactly what to say to make her feel like the most wonderful person who’d ever lived. Kym told herself that was the real Stu and that the other was just bluster and hyperbole …except for one thing.

He frightened her. When he went off—and that was often—his aggression was always aimed at her, even if she’d done nothing. His apologies were lavish and over-the-top, begging her for forgiveness.

What the hell are you doing with him? Kym asked herself that question often, but she knew the answer. She loved him. When he came to her, crumbling with guilt for his behavior, she would cradle his head against her chest and soothe him. His arms would go around her, then, and they would invariably end up in bed.

“Hey, we going, or what?”

She started as Stu stood in the doorway. He looked nervous—he always did when he met her parents. Kym nodded and picked up her bag.

At the restaurant, her mom stood and waved maniacally as they came through the door. Kym grinned as the other diners at first looked up in annoyance, then awe as they realized who they were looking at. Charlie “Muse” Clayton, a rock star for the better part of forty years, hugged her daughter tightly. Kym’s dad, Mac, tall and silent with his dark blonde hair pulled back into a long ponytail, shook Stu’s hand, dropping it quickly. Charlie’s dark gold eyes sparkled as she looked over her daughter, who was dressed in regulation jeans and an AC/DC t-shirt.

“You look gorgeous, honey. Gosh, I missed you. When are you going to bring my daughter back to Nashville, Stuart?”

Kym watched as Stu reddened under her mother’s gaze. Very few men—or women—were immune to Charlie’s innate magnetism. Certainly not Stu, who took a sip of his soda before answering.

“Anytime she wants, Charlie. We’ve just been busy with the band.”

Mac snorted slightly and Charlie flashed him a look. “I bet. Hey, we drove past the Paramount on the way here. My little girl’s band is up on the marquee there. I was a proud mama.”

Kym knew her mother meant well. It was just …she always managed to make it sound as if they were just “playing” at being a band. Kym kicked Stu under the table.

“Actually, we have some news. A record company is interested in developing us.”

Stu nodded. “A big one, too. Quartet Records.”

“Wow.” Charlie looked impressed, but Mac Clayton harrumphed.

“What the hell is development’? You write a song, you record it, it gets on the radio, and people buy it. The fuck does ‘they’re developing us’ mean?”

Kym felt the choking numbness creep into her chest; the familiar humiliation that being the lesser-talented daughter of two rock gods had always engendered in her. She drew in a breath, hoping Stu would defend her, but he sat there, flushed with anger himself. He wouldn’t stand up to her dad. He never had.

“It means exactly that, Dad. We’re going to be writing our own songs--“

“We? “You mean Bay is.”

This time, tears did spring up in her eyes, and she looked away and was silent. Every fucking time.

“Yeah, dad,” she said, anger rippling in her voice, “You don’t have to remind me. Bay is the talented one.”

Mac drained his scotch. “Did I say that? Hey, Charlie, did I say that?”

Her mother sighed and Kym realized how tired she looked. “Let’s change the subject anyway.”

Kym’s shoulders slumped. For once, choose me. Defend me, mom. She shifted in her seat and felt Stu’s hand curl around hers.

“It’s a pretty big deal,” he said to her parents. “Once they all get done writing an album’s worth of songs, there’ll be a showcase for the record company. Then a single, a video …”

Kym, surprised, smiled gratefully at her boyfriend. This. This was why she kept trying with him—these small moments when he was selfless, when he protected her. He knew it bugged her that Bay’s talent was inherent, whereas she, Kym, had to work to be as good. Not that she blamed Bay—she loved Bay more than anyone in the world and Bay would be horrified if she knew what Kym felt about her own ability.

After lunch, she kissed her parents goodbye and almost laughed with relief as they waved them off. Stu kissed her temple.

“You know what? I know they’re your parents but …”

“They’re kind of assholes,” she finished and sighed. “Yep.” Stu’s arms tightened around her.

“Let’s go home.”

As Stu drove, she texted Bay. Just had lunch with the Olds.

A second later. God, I’m sorry. Did you wear your Hazmat suit?

Kym grinned. Bay knew what her parents were like—she was the only one who could get away with calling them out to their faces when they put Kym down. Her phone buzzed again.

Can you ask Stu to stop harassing me? He keeps on about the record deal. It’s annoying.

Kym frowned and looked at her boyfriend. “Why are you texting Bay?”

Stu shrugged. “She seems to be the one holding up this deal. As always, it’s all about her.”

Kym sighed. Stu always rubbed Bay up the wrong way and Kym suspected that it was because, secretly, Stu had a thing for her gorgeous best friend. Bay, on the other hand, thought Stu was a douche bag. She’s not wrong. Kym pushed the thought away. Stu enjoyed messing with Bay’s head as a punishment for not wanting him back, but lately their antagonism had been reaching mythic levels. More than once she’d had to step between them before Stu got physical with Bay. As fiery as Bay could be, she was tiny, and Stu could hurt her if they got into it.

She must have sighed because Stu looked over at her. “She bugging you about me?”

“No, it’s okay. Just …ease up on Bay. For me?”

His lips were a thin line. “Tell her that. I got her a fucking Quartet meeting.”

That she never asked for, Kym wanted to say, but didn’t. Stu hated it when she was “ungrateful”.

She stared out of the window of the car and wondered if Bay was really excited about the deal. She could tell last night that her friend had been left flustered by Tomas Meir’s obvious attraction to her. Kym smiled to herself. She could see—she really could see—Bay and Tom together. God, they would have seriously cute kids. Grinning, she texted Bay.

I don’t think you need to be worried about Stu. You seemed to be doing just fine last night with your new champion. Tom’s gorgeous. You should go for that.

She waited, knowing the reply she’d get before she read it. Sure enough, a moment later …

No idea what you’re talking about.

Ha. Kym snickered to herself. Maybe it was time her hermit-like best friend knew what it was to be in love. Kym glanced over at Stu and her good mood left her. Bay wasn’t the only one who desperately needed some real love in her life.

 

A roar of greeting went up as Pete, the 9th and Pine’s gigantic drummer, sauntered into Bay’s showroom. Pete was the one who had spread the word about Bay’s bike shop to his friends in both the bike community and the gay community and was the reason she’d been able to keep the shop open as long as she had. Bay hugged him, his larger-than-life, merry presence lifting her mood as always.

It was closing down day and she’d been affected by it more than she thought she would have been. The showroom had had a revolving door of visitors all day and now she was getting ready to close for good. Pete gave her a hug, then studied her.

“You okay, Bubba?”

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Her throat was tightly closed and tears constantly threatened to spill over. Pete slung a sympathetic arm around her shoulders. “Come on, honey. New horizons. You get to be a rock star now.”

She rolled her eyes. “Can you believe it? It doesn’t seem real yet.”

Pete shrugged, helping himself to coffee. “Real is real, bub. Tom been in touch?”

Bay grinned then. “We’ve talked.” And how, she thought. It had begun the night after she met him, with just a simple text message.

Hey, how’s things? Made up your mind yet? T x

She’d felt a teenager getting a text from her high school crush. She’d replied All good, and yes, let’s do it. She sniggered to herself at the double meaning and flushed scarlet when the reply came back.

Sounds …promising.

The flirtation had continued over text until last night, when suddenly Tom’s name flashed up on her call screen. Her heart went into overdrive and her breath quickened as she pressed accept.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he’d said lightly, “I thought, seeing as I’m an old man and can only type one word an hour, I’d save us the trouble and call instead. How are you?”

His voice, so rich and warm, sent thrills through her body. “Hey yourself. I’m great. Just building myself up for my last day tomorrow.”

He chuckled. “You’ll do great. It must feel strange, though.”

“It does. Kind of like my last link to my family.”

“You really on your own?”

“Really. I’ve got Kym and Pete, of course. They’re like family. And the guys at the shop.” She told him about her showroom’s de facto residents.

“They sound like good guys.”

She smiled down the phone, “The best. Hey, where are you? I never thought to ask.”

Tom laughed softly. “L.A.”

She felt a pang of regret at him being so far away. “Hotshot,” she teased, wanting to hear his laugh again, so deep and melodic.

“It’s just good for business. I kind of loathe having to be here. I’m a Seattle native, did you know that?”

She was surprised. “I had no idea.”