NYC summers are bad, but this desert heat trumps them hands down. I haven't slept for more than a couple of hours since I flew in, and I'd expected to be flying back by now.

I can only hope it's not stuffy inside this rundown cottage, which I'm afraid will topple down into a heap of dry wood and dust if I knock too hard. Jose Carvallas, the sorry ass owner of the cottage and adjacent land opens the door before I get a chance to find out if I’m right. He's the reason I'm not enjoying a Martini on my nicely air-conditioned jet right now, since he insisted I need to speak with him. Man to man.

But Jose Carvallas isn't much of a man anymore, though he still shows faint traces of being quite a formidable one in his day, with his wide shoulders, strong jaw, and a steady look in his eyes. But those are just wisps of a former glory long gone.

"Come in," he grumbles and retreats, leaving the door open for me.

I'm not a monster. I'm just the guy who now owns all the land Jose had spent his life working on. And his father before him, and his before him. But all things end. Jose will be taken care of. In time he might even accept it. Or drink himself to death. As soon as he vacates this land, he's no longer my problem. So I can entertain one last request.

"Want me to come in with you, Boss?" my driver asks as I step across the threshold.

"No, I'll make this quick." I'm sure I don't need him inside, I can handle Jose on my own if I have to. "Keep the AC running in the car."

"Want something to drink?" Jose asks as I enter the living room, not meeting my eye.

"No, I'm not staying long," I shoot back. "Why did you want me to come?"

A woman in a tight, shimmering dress is standing by the window of the living room. Her shoulder-length hair is dyed a platinum blonde, the ends all frizzy and dried up.

"I have a proposal for you," Jose says, and points to the armchair. "Please sit."

"I'll stand. What's your proposal?"

The woman is eyeing me with what I think is supposed to be an invitation, but she's not doing a great job of it.

Jose walks over to her and places his arm across her shoulders. It’s not a hug though. "I'll just get to the point then. Wendy here is yours for a month to do with as you please, if you let me keep my land."

Whoa. I've been made some crazy offers in my day, but never the use of another person. And the twitch in my cock is telling me to say yes, because I'm likely not getting an offer like this ever again.

"To do with as I please?" I ask slowly, taking a better look at Wendy. "And I suppose you also know what pleases me?"

How they found out about that is a mystery to me, but then again, I haven’t been making much of a secret of my baser needs.

"Yes, I know," Wendy answers, smiling coyly. She has good teeth, at least.

Her legs go on for miles, and the tight dress she's wearing leaves so little to the imagination I have no trouble picturing her tied to the ceiling, writhing and whimpering, screaming maybe, under the lashes of my whip. And I’m sure she'd take every one of those lashes willingly, even beg for more. That's what her eyes are telling me. But they're also telling me she's been around the block and would rather not make another trip. She can't be any older than me, but she's used goods. I like them fresh. And fresh slaves are a dime a dozen if you know where to look and have the money. Which I do.

"What is she to you?" I ask Jose.

"My niece," he stammers, probably already sensing my negative reply.

"You'd offer your blood to me as payment?" I ask, chuckling even though the whole scene is making me nauseous.

Wendy moves closer, runs her hand down my chest. Her nails are freshly painted a bright red, but the skin of her hands is chapped, dark brown dirt stuck in the grooves. "I would make you feel good."

I grab her hand and twist it off my chest. "No."

Jose grimaces, his bottom lip shaking. "Please accept. This house, this land, it’s all I have. I cannot lose it. Please, Sir."

Tears are streaming down his face now, both his hands shaking as he holds them up to me in a prayer-like gesture.

I should've refused this meeting. I see that now. Wish I realized that last night when he called. Nothing will stop me from building the solar power plant out here in the desert. Least of all this old man and his sick proposal.

A door flies open somewhere to my left, glass jangling.

"No, Dad. I won't let you do this!" a woman's voice yells. And it sounds like a song, even though she's clearly angry.

I turn to her, stunned that her appearance matches her whimsical voice exactly. Her bronze colored, heart shaped face is enveloped by long wavy sun kissed hair. Her lips open in a surprised O, and having them wrapped around my cock would feel like something straight out of heaven, I’m sure. But I'd take my time with her, enjoy every inch of her supple, light brown skin for as long as I could. Her large breasts are heaving like she'd been running to get here, and her tiny waist opens out into hips begging to be mounted. I have no trouble picturing her naked either. But with her, just imagining it can never be enough.

She also looks exactly like Sophia—the one woman I can never have.

"I'll take her, and we have a deal." The words are out of my mouth before I even think them. I must've gone insane. Nothing will stand between me and this project. But I also mean what I said completely. Because I can't take my eyes off this woman.

"That's…that's my daughter," Jose stammers.

And in this moment I hate him worse than I ever hated anyone. Because he didn't say no right off. Because he's considering giving me this girl to save his property. This precious girl that he should do everything he can to protect…that I would do anything to protect. What the fuck am I thinking?

No woman except Sophia has ever woken this protective side in me. This desire to possess, yet nurture too. To keep safe. I'm projecting what I felt for Sophia onto her, I fully realize that, but it changes nothing. I still can't take my eyes off Jose's daughter.

She seems to be caught in my gaze too, like a doe in the headlights. But that's not exactly fear in her eyes. It’s courage too, and strength, interest maybe.

"You’ll let my father keep his lands if I go with you?" she asks in her melodic voice.

"Yes." And it's not a lie, not really, even though it is.

"Fine," she says.

"No, Joy!" Jose says, but it's a very faint sound.

Joy? I've never met anyone with a more fitting name.

"Yes," she counters. "I'll be ready in a second."

She runs to the back of the house, her bare feet tapping against the wood, and all I really want to do is follow her. In fact, I'm not sure how I'm managing not to.

Jose's shoulders are shaking, his breaths raspy. Wendy is looking at me with her eyes wide open like she just witnessed a horrific car crash that killed her entire family.

This would be a good time to just leave. Drive away. Pretend none of this ever happened. But I'll never be able to pretend I haven't met Joy. It's like the universe, or the heavens, or whatever the fuck is out there, has given be another chance with Sophia. And how can I say no to that?

"I'm ready," Joy says breathlessly as she returns, holding a small travelling bag. I reach out and take it from her.

"You can't take her," Wendy says, finally snapping out of her daze. "I'll come with you. I'll make you feel good, you'll see. You don't want her, she has no experience. I do."

All I hear is, Joy is a virgin. And my cock is harder than it's ever been right now.

But protecting her means keeping her away from me too.

I set the bag down. "You should stay with your family."

She pouts at me and picks up the bag. "I am doing this for my family. Let's go."

She hugs Wendy and then her father, but quickly, and her bottom lip is shaking like she's about to burst into tears.

"I'm ready," she finally says and walks over to the front door.

"We have a deal then?" Jose says extending his hand to me. I'm so repulsed by this man I want to punch him, but I shake on it anyway.

I'll figure it out. I'm sure I can figure anything out as long as I have Joy all to myself.