College: the last pit stop before being thrust into a world of forced responsibility. A world where senseless partying is frowned upon and getting up early is mandatory. College life is easier, more exciting, and less stressful. “We need to get you ready to take over the company, Trace,” my father likes to say, hell-bent on training me to become president of Weston Enterprises. I resist and want to stay in college forever, partying.

Speaking of parties, that’s where I am right now. A college party filled with alcohol and smoking-hot girls. Craig’s house is in the exquisite Palm Beach; it overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, nestled in the heart of South Florida, where kids grow up with trust funds folded inside their designer wallets. Women with fake tans, fake noses, and other fake body parts walk dogs in strollers and kids on leashes.

The music pumps and people crowd the table as I enjoy a friendly game of poker. Well, it started out friendly, but now has turned into something different. Tony, my roommate, and I are in on this hand, as everyone has folded. Losers. All night, the same shit: I get a good hand and everyone folds.

I glance at the cards one more time: pocket tens. The flop shows the other two tens and a jack of spades. Four of a kind is a great hand to hold in poker. I’m a confident guy, so I’ll take my chances and continue. Across the room, I spot Hailey. She has long brown hair and sex in her eyes. She and I hook up occasionally. She’s dancing with friends in a short black dress and killer high-heels. I smile and return my attention to the game.

Turning to Tony, who has a big shit-eating grin, I move a few chips onto the pile. Craig laughs. “Come on, Trace, you ain’t got shit.”

“Shut the hell up, Craig,” I say, chugging my beer.

I’ve known Craig for a few months, but he irritates me. Maybe because he’s an asshole. But it’s his house, so I play nice.

Tony grins. Hell, he may have something. Still, confidence won’t let me back down. Or maybe it’s pride? Tony runs a hand through his wavy blond hair as the crease in his forehead deepens. His light-brown eyes peruse the cards in his sweaty hands. With a new stroke of assurance, I throw more chips onto the pile. Tony follows suit: he’s unable to back down from a challenge, either.

Darren, my other roommate, shrugs. “Perhaps he has a full house?”

I stare past Darren to Hailey on the dance floor. She smiles, then ducks her head to her friend’s ear as they giggle. I focus, waiting for the last card to flip.

Right before Craig flips it over, Tony looks me up and down. He asks, “Hey, wanna make this interesting? How about a side bet?”

I watch as Hailey grinds her body on the dance floor—could she be any sexier? My hand brushes through my thick dark hair, and I smile. “Sure, what do you got in mind?”

“If I win, then you have to, umm…” He glances around the party as his smile spreads. “See that girl over there?” He points to a girl on the other side of the house who’s leaning against a wall with her arms crossed over her chest. She is wearing a tight red mini-skirt and white shirt with sparkles across the front, highlighting her big blue eyes. She’s in a deep discussion with some lanky blond guy.

“No, never seen her.” I glance back at Tony.

He itches at his ear for a moment. “Well, if I win, you and her have to have a vanilla relationship.”

“Vanilla relationship? What’s that?” I ask.

Craig pipes in, laughing as he says, “It’s a real, normal relationship. You know, the opposite of your usual kinky one-night stands.”

The sweat thickens on my upper brow. Can he be serious?

“You’re kidding, right? Besides it looks like she’s taken.” I jab a finger toward the guy with her.

“No, she’s not. Trust me,” Tony says.

“Trust you? Yeah, right. How do you know she isn’t dating that jerk-off?” I shift in the chair and glance at my cards one more time.

“Because she’s in a class of mine. They’re friends. Only for a month. A month-long vanilla relationship. That’s easy,” Tony says.

“And if I win?” I ask.

“Well, what do you think?” He shrugs his shoulders.

“How about a P.A.?” I laugh, knowing he will never agree to it.

“P.A. What is that?” he asks, chuckling.

“Prince Albert.”

Craig spits out his beer, throwing his head back in laughter. “It’s a freaking piercing in your dick.”

Tony bites back in anger, “I know what a Prince Albert is. Why are the stakes so high?”

“Hey, man, the bet was your idea,” I remind him. I’m positive that, by this time tomorrow, Tony will be in the worst pain ever.

“Okay, and what if you don’t follow through with the bet?”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“If you fail to have your relationship, then you sign over the title to your Shelby Cobra.”

My Shelby Cobra? Fuck that. That car is my pride and glory. Everything about my baby is priceless. Besides, my father would kill me if I lost the car. Zero to sixty in six seconds, black paint, hot rims. No way. Glancing around the party once more, I become distracted by all the pretty girls. I chance a quick peek at the blonde again, and my mood sours.

“My fucking car. Yeah, right.”

“Look man, we need to know you’ll take this bet seriously,” Tony says.

“What about you? What if you don’t go through with your end of the deal?”

“I will, but you need some sort of collateral. Something I know you don’t want to lose.”

I’m confident I won’t lose this hand, so I nod my head.

“Fine.”

He picks up a few chips and mulls over the bets. A sly smile spreads across his chiseled face.

Both Darren and Craig sit statue-like, while Tony and I never break eye contact.

I have four of a kind; there is no way I’m losing. With a glance across the room at the girl leaning against the wall, I sigh. I turn sideways in the chair to gain better access; studying her features, even I can tell she isn’t pleased. She seems to be fighting with the tall kid, who grabs her by the shoulders. I’m half-tempted to walk over there and hit him. Then I jerk back in the chair as the need to defend her shocks me. Who is she?

Tony reiterates the challenge. “So, let me get this straight. I win, you date her. I lose, I have to get a Prince Albert, right?”

“Yep.”

Then, it’s as if the music stops and everyone in the room ceases to exist. Tony and I don’t break the bond with our eyes, knowing the stakes are huge. I never back down from a bet; I’m more than confident I won’t lose. Grabbing my beer, I lean over to Tony. “We doing this?”

He looks worried, and for a moment, my confidence grows. The best he may have is a full house, but that doesn’t beat a four of a kind. He looks back over to blondie then glances down to his crotch and grins, “Okay. Turn the last card.”

Craig flips over a queen of spades. Now I’m sitting with four of a kind, queen high. I got this. Darren and Craig are afraid to breathe, glancing at Tony, who looks as though he just won the lottery. Fuck, what does he have? The air thickens as I try to swallow the last of my now-warm beer. The cards show my four of a kind. Tony releases a deep breath and flips the cards over to show his ace and king of spades. Kill me, I just lost.

I just fucking lost.

My anger builds like a volcano threatening to erupt. I take a deep breath and with one hand sling the cards towards Tony. His grin is killing me, and I want so badly to punch something. A fucking royal flush! That never happens. How could that happen? I bolt up, knocking the chair to the ground, and push the chips across the table. Craig and Darren sit frozen, watching my rage unfold.

Tony smirks. “Hey, calm down. Your new girlfriend is Vanessa.” He points to the girl against the back wall. “You’d better get started. Don’t want to lose that sweet-ass ride of yours.” He erupts into laughter and shakes his head.

All I see is red. I take a quick glance back at this girl, Vanessa. She is staring at me—well, everyone is staring after the spectacle I’ve made. Our eyes meet, and in this moment, I spot something in hers. Curiosity?

With a half-smile, I walk over to Hailey, still dancing in her short black dress, and snake an arm around her waist. “Want to get out of here?”

Her eyes light up with fire, and she smiles.

“Let’s go. Now,” I say, motioning towards the door. With a glimpse toward the blonde in the red-hot mini-skirt, I leave with Hailey, in her killer black dress, the woman who’s been eye-fucking me all night.

On the way to her apartment, she runs a hand along my thigh. The smell of flowers and cheap perfume works its way through my Cobra, giving me a headache. She asks me why I was so angry earlier, and I mumble about losing on a great hand of poker. This answer seems to suffice, and her mouth remains shut for the rest of the way.

We enter the apartment, a typical college girl’s hideout. Pink frilly things and books are everywhere, and a nice flowery couch sits in the living room. She offers me a drink, but I shake my head and grab ahold of her as we enter the room. We make our way over to the wooden-framed bed, kicking off our shoes.

She leans in to kiss me, whispering, “I have wanted you all night.”

I know.

Long brown hair tangles around my fist as I claim her lips. My other hand runs down her sweet body, and she rushes to get her panties off. Good: fast and quick—so I can get out of here.

I crash my lips back to Hailey, and we fall to the bed. She sits up and lifts her arms as I grab the hem of her dress. I lift it in one swift motion as she claws at my shirt. She looks at my chest, panting and breathy, and says, “Oh, I’ve always loved your muscles.” She runs a hand across my abs then down towards my jeans.

With kinky thoughts alive in my mind, I bend Hailey over the bed. I want to tie her up, fuck her senseless. This is what I do: rough hard sex, so I’m in control. The thought of this stupid vanilla bet I’m going to have to endure pisses me off more, and I plan to take it out on Hailey. I need this. Need to feel something.

“Where’s the toys?” I ask. I’ve fucked Hailey a few times, and she knows my tastes.

She lifts an eyebrow, moves across the bed to her dresser, and opens a drawer. Her drawer is filled to the top with whips, handcuffs, and anything you can imagine to give us both pleasure.

She grabs a scarf and hands it to me. With a wink, I tie her hands to the bed posts before grabbing the flogger. This is going to be just what I fucking need.

Hailey moans loudly as I saddle up behind her. She is face down on the bed with her ass in the air. I grab the flogger and, with a whack, slap her ass. Fuck, that felt good.

My cock hardens instantly as I remove my jeans and boxers. Hailey’s ass is tinged pink from the slap, and it turns me the fuck on. I grab my dick with my free hand and slam her a few more times with the flogger.

She yelps each time I make contact with her skin, and I smile at her pain. With my cock still in my hand, I rub it up and down her ass.

Discarding the flogger, I grab a condom from the nightstand and pound myself deep inside her. She cries out in ecstasy.

Her hair fisted in my hand and my cock screwing her brains out, I moan on top of her. She wiggles against the restraint, and I yank on her hair tighter.

“You fucking like this, don’t you?”

She moans her answer as I continue hammering into her. Within seconds, she is screaming my name. I love when the bitches scream for me. A moment is lost when Vanessa’s blonde hair and sexy body enters my mind, but I rapidly push it away. My cock is hard and needs release. Hailey is the one to get me there. I grunt as I fuck her, seeing only her ass. Feeling my orgasm on the brink, I hold tight to her hair. She screams with pleasure or pain, I don’t really care. Pissed off, I grab her ass with my free hand as my orgasm pulses through my entire body. Fuck.

I pull out, untying her in the process, and head straight off to the bathroom. When I walk back into her room, I swipe my clothes off the floor and proceed to get dressed.

“Why don’t you stay the night?” she asks.

“I’ve gotta get up early,” I say.

“But it’s Saturday.”

But it’s Saturday, I repeat mockingly in my mind.

“So? I’ve got things to do,” I say, retreating.

“You’re kidding, right?” She reaches her arms around my neck and purrs against my skin.

The vibration makes me uneasy, and I move her hands off me. “No, I really have to go.”

My patience is wearing thin, and I need to leave now before she pulls the clingy act girls love to do.

Finding the right words, I head towards the door. “Maybe another night,” I yell, rushing out of the apartment.