The air went from stifling to frigid as I passed from the country club’s shaded balcony into the air-conditioned dining room. While Ridgeville’s youngest club members spent their time at the golf course throwing back cocktails in the summer heat, the wealthier and more refined patrons lunched at white-linen-covered tables overlooking the expansive greens. As a server working both areas, I had the benefit of both views, which I may have enjoyed more if I hadn’t been working nonstop for the past few weeks since graduation. I was determined to earn back the money I’d spent on my upcoming trip with Megan. Plus, I had to save plenty for my first year at college. As a result, I’d been taking every shift I could get.

“Get the lead out of your ass, Clare,” my boss barked.

Late thirties, prematurely balding, and shockingly single, Greg had suggested last week that I wear lower-cut tops to help with tips. He was a sexist jerk, but he’d been right. I traded in the standard white cotton logo T-shirts for a scoop-neck version. With that adjustment and the right bra, my tips had nearly doubled that week.

I ignored his berating and hustled to the bar to fulfill another drink order. I caught my breath while the bartender worked on my list of elaborate cocktails. I swept my hair off my neck, enjoying the brief reprieve from the heat. I’d been wearing my hair down, since the big tippers seemed to like that too. Never mind that my curly hair was an epic frizz. They were probably too busy looking at my tits to care.

I’d never paid much attention to my looks, but in the months since I’d lost my virginity to Eric and his best friend, Travis, my awareness of my body had completely transformed. I was no longer the same quiet and introverted Clare Winston whose only claim to fame was beating out the GPAs of my fellow classmates at Ridgeville High. Now, I was Clare Winston, the girl who’d had the two hottest guys on the football team—at once.

My heart melted every time I thought about Eric Hayward, but the butterflies quickly dissipated when I remembered Mandy’s lips on him and the way I’d thrown myself on his best friend to ease the pain afterward.

I hadn’t decided yet if I regretted hooking up with Travis. The whole graduation day had been rotten, disappointing from start to finish, with the exception of the incredible orgasm Travis had given me in the storage closet. But the look on Eric’s face when he caught me afterward was tattooed on my memory, unwilling to fade. I couldn’t believe that he might care about my little infidelity. It wasn’t like we were dating. I was shocked he even knew my name before we’d hooked up.

I closed my eyes, reliving a sliver of our time together. Eric’s tenderness. The fire in his touch. The way he looked at me made me feel like what we’d shared could have been special despite my inexperience and his popularity. I shook my head and tried to focus on the task at hand. I had a few tables that still needed orders taken. I couldn’t let my thoughts keep wandering to an impossible dream, a fantasy with no future.

As I forced that thought from my mind, I heard a familiar voice.

“Clare. Is that you?”

I spun, and my heart nearly exploded. Was it possible that Eric Hayward had grown even more attractive over the past three weeks? He pushed back the sandy brown hair that feathered down onto his forehead and worked his gaze over me. As much as I relished the hunger in his eyes, I hated the hard look that came next. Disappointment, and maybe a shred of anger. He tensed his jaw as he approached. His presence felt imposing, from his broad shoulders all the way down to his toned legs. The muscles under his polo shirt twitched as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts.

My mouth fell agape as I searched for words. “Eric…I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“My parents have been members here since before I was born.” His tone was hard, cutting through me.

I stared down at my canvas shoes. The formerly white fabric was stained now from weeks of hustling drinks and food to my wealthy clientele. Never mind not being in Eric’s league at school. I had no business lusting after him outside of that fucked-up social world. Of course his parents were wealthy too. The only thing my dad was loaded with was vodka.

“This is my first season here. I had no idea. Sorry.”

He reached out and touched my chin, lifting my gaze to his. “We need to talk.” His brown eyes looked more serious than I’d ever seen them.

“I’m working, and we’re slammed. My boss will flip his lid if I step away right now.”

“What time do you get off?”

“I’ll be here until close, around nine o’clock.”

He nodded and brushed his thumb over my lower lip before his touch fell away. “Is anyone expecting you at home?”

I shook my head, keeping the truth sealed tight inside. My father was a waste of a human being now and wouldn’t know if I was home or not. I could move out of state and it might take him months to notice.

“Good. I’ll meet you by the swimming pool at nine thirty.”

I nodded quickly, conflicting emotions whirling through me. I had no idea what Eric wanted to talk about, but I was about to find out.

---

I spent the next hour ignoring my parents and younger brother. My focus was riveted on Clare’s sexy little body wearing out the distance between the outside of the clubhouse and the bar inside. The older men at the bar were taking in eyefuls of her curvy ass whenever she walked away, and I wanted to slam their sloppy grins into their drinks.

Clare looked different. I couldn’t figure it out. I’d shared the halls of Ridgeville High with her for four years. She’d been invisible to me, and now she was the only girl I could see. And I couldn’t scrub out the memory of seeing her after her hookup with Travis.

If I’d had any doubts about what had gone on, they were swiftly removed when I talked to Travis about it. He had to go into all the details too. Her mouth was silk, and her tight pussy put Mandy’s to shame. I cared less about him fucking my ex of several months than I did about him horning in on Clare. She was mine, and she was about to learn that lesson once and for all.

After the sun set, I made my way to the swimming pool to not-so-patiently wait for Clare. The air was cool and fragrant with summer. The course was quiet, save for a few stragglers heading to their cars after shifts at the restaurant. I shrouded myself in the darkness, a short distance from the edge of the illuminated pool. Several minutes later, she appeared. She looked around but didn’t see me. With a heavy sigh, she dropped into a lounge chair, her head in her hands. I didn’t envy her. My only job this summer was to stay in shape to start a new season in the fall.

After a moment she rose and looked around again. Not seeing me, she kicked off her shoes and set her apron, work shirt, and shorts on the lounge chair. In her bra and underwear, she dove into the pool. I tapped my foot, anxious to touch her. But I had to let her know I was serious before we got to the fun stuff. Then an idea hit me.

While she swam, I claimed her clothes and tucked them in a place she’d never find them. When I returned, she was swimming to the edge. She gasped when she saw me towering above her.

“Time to talk,” I said.

She lifted herself from the pool and searched for her clothes to no avail. I tossed her a robe that I’d grabbed from the locker rooms.

“Come with me. I’ll give you your clothes back after you’ve learned your lesson.”

“What? I need those for work.” Her voice was shrill with panic.

“Good. Then you’ll be motivated to do as I say. Come with me.”

Without waiting for her to answer, I walked toward the golf carts. Silently, she followed. I drove us far out onto the course, where no one would see us or hear us. I turned off the engine and sat silently a moment, revisiting my anger and all the things I wanted to say to Clare. The perfectly manicured greens were bathed in moonlight. When I glanced over at Clare, she was holding her robe tight to her chest.

“Tell me why you fucked Travis.”

Her lips trembled. “I…I was having a bad day.”

My teeth ground together. “Yeah, I was too after that. Believe it or not.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t plan for you to see us.”

“Is this the kind of girl you are now? Were you even a virgin when I fucked you?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

Her eyes became glassy, and I immediately regretted my words. I was making her feel cheap. I knew she was a virgin. The feeling of breaking through her hymen was permanently etched in my mind, one of my all-time favorite memories actually. I had to take a different approach. I had to make her understand.

I stepped out of the cart and reached for her hand. She took it and stood before me.

“I know you were a virgin, Clare. And I understand you chose to share that part of yourself with me. I’ll never, ever fucking forget it. The thing is, it’s making me a little possessive knowing I was the first one to have you. And I don’t feel like sharing you with every guy who gets a hard-on around you—which judging by the bar at the club, is a lot.”

She shook her head vigorously. “I threw myself at Travis. I was desperate…for something. I don’t know. But it wasn’t his fault. I don’t want you to blame him and ruin your friendship.”

“Travis and I are fine. But if you want to spread your legs for another guy, you better make damn sure I never hear about it. Because if I do, I might kill him. Your pussy is mine, remember?”

Always will be. I heard the words in my head but caught them before they left my lips. This possessiveness I felt over her body was irrational.

She was breathing heavily, her eyes shifting over my expression like she was trying to read me. I unfastened her robe, slid the belt from it, and pushed the garment from her shoulders. I caught her hands in mine, kissed her palms, and sucked her fingertips. Then I wound the belt around her wrists, binding her tightly.

“What are you doing?” Her voice was shaky, from fear or desire, I couldn’t know for sure.

“I’m teaching you a lesson, Clare. You do everything I tell you, and you’ll get your things back. If we disagree, chances are high that I’ll leave you out here to find your way back, and you’ll never see your work clothes again. Understand?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

I wanted her to show me, not tell me.

“Travis tells me great things about your mouth. I want to see if we can do things with it that he hasn’t. Get on your knees, Clare.”

---

I was shaking from head to toe, but the second he wound the robe belt around my wrists, my pussy became incredibly wet. I wasn’t sure what Eric was capable of, but I also desperately wanted to find out. I’d never seen this dominant side of him. He’d seemed so fun-loving at school, a picture-perfect guy with an easy demeanor. He was intense on the field, of course. But I couldn’t quite fathom seeing that passion directed at me…of all people.

I dropped to my knees and worked his fly open as best I could. His cock was so hard it nearly hit me in the face when I freed him from his boxer shorts. I wasted no time in latching my mouth around him. I breathed him in, moaning when his flavor settled over my tongue. God help me, I loved Eric Hayward, and I loved his cock.

I rubbed my thighs together, trying to ease the ache between them, all the while working his length into my mouth, taking as much of him as I could. Eric gazed down at me, like he was taking a video with his mind. I had no idea how I was measuring up to the other girls who’d given him blowjobs.

“That’s a good girl. You suck my cock so good. Here…”

When he took his cock out of my mouth and lifted it, presenting his balls to me, I wasted no time in giving them a tongue bath. I sucked each one into my mouth, releasing it with a pop when I let go. He groaned and sighed, and I had a feeling I was doing a pretty good job. Already I’d done a lot more than I had with Travis. As much as I enjoyed Eric’s pleasure though, I really wanted some of my own. The ache in my pussy was almost painful at this point.

Before I could beg him for a release, he put his cock back in my mouth, and after a few deep strokes, a shot of warm liquid coated my throat. He’d come. Goddamn him. I swallowed down his release, taking note of his unique flavor as I wrestled with my emotions.

I felt like an angry toddler in a store. I wanted to come too.

He sighed again, zipped up his pants, and walked a lazy circle around the twelfth hole. He stretched his arms into the air and contemplated the full moon for a moment before returning to me.

“I’ll be back in a bit. I need to take care of something.”

“What? You can’t leave me out here.”

He leaned down and grasped my jaw. “I can and I will. And you’re not going to argue with me about it, are you, Clare?”

“Eric, please.”

“Head down and ass in the air. You better be that way for me when I get back, or you’ll regret it.”

But before I could argue with his preposterous request, he jumped onto the cart and drove out of sight.

I was alone and naked. Horny beyond hope and completely at the mercy of the only boy I’d ever really loved. I groaned and pounded my bound fists on the cushioned turf. I rested my head on the robe under me and sighed. Did I love Eric? Did he deserve my love? I tried to remember his sweetness over this new angry side of him. As I did, I melted into the ground and took my pose, praying that no one could see me in this compromising position.

Many minutes passed before I heard the sound of a cart engine again. My heart raced, and I resisted the urge to look up. It had to be Eric. No one else would be here, right here, at this hour. Still, if it were anyone else, I’d be fired—not to mention completely humiliated.

The engine cut, and I heard quiet footfalls on the grass.

“You are a good girl, aren’t you? Have you always been that way?”

I nodded slightly, relieved at the sound of Eric’s voice.

“Talk to me.”

I swallowed over the emotion thick in my throat. “I’ve always tried to be good. To follow the rules and hope that people will like me and that one day, I’ll find myself in a better place.”

“Has it worked?”

“Sometimes. Sometimes not being good is better. Depends on the day.”

He knelt behind me and slid his fingers through my wet folds. “You can be bad with me, Clare. But only with me. I need to know this cunt is mine.”

He shoved his fingers deep into me. A sound—part gasp, part feral cry—left my lips. I needed that. Oh, I needed that. Then he withdrew, and I groaned in frustration.

“Promise me,” he said softly.

“I promise, Eric. I’ll be good, unless I can be bad with you. But you have to make me a promise too.”

“You’re not in a position to be making demands.”

“If you ruin me like this, out here, I’ll lose my job. I may not be able to support myself next year at school. My family isn’t like yours. I’m not making demands. I’m asking you to give me something in return for what I’ll give to you.”

He was silent and brought his touch back to my aching sex, a gentle teasing stroke that I hoped meant he would at least hear me out.

“Eric, promise me that if I give myself to you, and only you, that you’ll take care of my needs. You can’t give girls like Mandy the piece of you that I want and ignore me for weeks or months on end. You showed me what sex could be like, and now I want it. I crave it. And I crave it with you more than anyone else, I swear it.”

He began rubbing me steadily, and a fiery heat licked over my skin.

“So you want attention, sweet Clare? Okay, I can give you attention. In exchange for exclusive access to your pussy.”

“Thank you.” I pushed my hips back into his touch, desperate for the release that was just under the surface.

God, I wish he hadn’t come already. I wanted his cock in me, pounding me savagely. But this sensation was different. I had been able to bring myself to orgasm this way a few times but always felt kind of ridiculous. Being bent over in the middle of a golf course with Eric’s fingers defiling me felt far less ridiculous. It felt delicious and decadent and bad.

And I had told him the truth. Being bad didn’t just feel good—it felt amazing when I was with him.

Mercifully, he slipped back into my pussy, two fingers and then three, and used his other hand to pinch and stimulate my swollen clit. I rocked into him and moaned against the robe. I was climbing, closer…so fucking close.

“Scream for me. Every time you come for me, I don’t want you holding anything back. I don’t care where we are or who hears. Fucking come for me now, Clare. Now!”

I twisted my fingers into the terry cloth and let the orgasm rip through me with a scream, not caring who heard me or how vulnerable I was in front of him. The sensation piqued and then slowly melted away. With it, I sank to the ground, exhausted from my release. Moisture collected at the edges of my eyes, and I struggled to catch my breath.

In that moment, nothing could have been more achingly clear. My body belonged to Eric Hayward.