by Sandi Lynn
“Rule number 2: Sex is non-negotiable and when we’re together, we will have it.
“Rule number 3: No seeing other people.
“Rule number 4: No romance. Don’t expect flowers, fancy gifts, nothing. Just me.” I smirked.
“No chocolates?” She frowned.
I picked up my pen from the table and made a correction to rule number 4.
“No romance. Don’t expect flowers, fancy gifts, nothing. Just me and the occasional chocolates.”
“Perfect.” She grinned.
“Rule number 5: No blowing up each other’s phone with calls and text messages. An occasional text or call is fine if warranted.
“Rule number 6: No more condoms. I will provide you with a clean report from my doctor and I expect you to do the same.
“Rule number 7: We will alternate the things we do together. One day, you’ll pick what we do, and the next time, I pick what we do.
“Rule number 8: We must have open communication and honesty. Lying will not be tolerated.
“The last rule is the most important one. Rule number 9: No falling in love.”
A smile crossed her beautiful face as she spoke, “Love is highly overrated. You don’t need to worry about that, Mr. Caine.”
“Excellent. Your turn.” I grinned.
“Well, I have pretty much the same rules. Instead of four times a week, I have down three. But, if you want four, I won’t object.”
“Why three?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Friday, Saturday, Sunday. The week gets busy for both us with work and stuff.”
“True, but I think we can squeeze in one more day.” I winked.
“Four it is.” She wrote on her paper. “As for sex, you are right. It is non-negotiable. But what if I’m on my period?” Her brow arched.
“Hmm. How many days does it last?”
“Usually three.”
“Then when it’s that time of the month, we can either say fuck it and do it or we can switch up days.”
“Deal.” She smiled. “Agree to not seeing other people. We covered the chocolates already. Absolutely correct about not blowing up each other’s phones. As for condoms, I’m fine with that since we will only be having sex with each other. I will get that report to you ASAP. I like taking turns on what we’re going to do. But,” she pointed at me, “if I want to take a painting class together, you can’t say no.”
I shrugged. “I like to paint.”
“Absolutely no lying, just truth and open communication. And finally, you will not be allowed to fall in love with me, Mr. Caine.”
“I promise you I won’t.”
“Okay then. I think we’ve covered just about everything. You said six months?”
“Yes. We can try it for six months.” I took a bite of my sandwich. “If anyone breaks any of the above-mentioned rules, we cut ties immediately and never see each other again.”
“Deal. But what happens after six months comes to an end?” she asked.
“If things are good with us and we want to continue on as is, then we will,” I replied.
“Oh wait. I do have a rule to add.”
“And what rule is that, Miss Wade?”
“No calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend. When we introduce each other, we will be introduced as friends.”
“Damn it. I can’t believe I didn’t include that one. I agree.” I wrote it down as rule number 10. “Okay, I’ll have Audrey get this over to my attorney and as soon as it’s ready to be signed, I’ll let you know.” I smiled.
“Thanks for lunch.” A sly smile crossed her face as she got up from her chair.
“You’re not leaving yet, are you? We still have to have dessert.”
She glanced down at the table. “I don’t see dessert.”
“It’s right here.” I grabbed my crotch.
She bit down on her bottom lip and then looked at her watch.
“I have about fifteen more minutes to spare.”
“That’s all we’ll need.”
Chapter 20
Emily
I walked into the shop with a smile on my face. I’d just had hot sex in the office of one Mr. Jackson Caine, negotiated a companionship deal, and left feeling like I was on top of the world. Katie was helping a customer pick out some clothes, Noelle was busy ringing, and Evelyn walked in behind me with a couple of dresses in her hand.
“Hey. Are you just coming in?” she asked.
“I just got back from lunch.”
“Oh. Where did you go?”
“Jackson’s office.”
“You had a lunch date with him at his office?” Her face twisted.
“We had a meeting to discuss a few things.”
“I see the meeting went well, judging by how your blouse is buttoned wrong.” She smiled.
Looking down, I discovered that my buttons were off by one.
“Shit.” I headed to the back room and Evelyn followed.
“What type of meeting could you possibly have with Jackson? Is he investing in your business or something?”
I sighed as I re-buttoned my blouse and looked at her with a twisted face. I had to tell her about our arrangement because she was going to find out sooner or later.
“We had a meeting to negotiate some companionship rules.”
She set down the dresses on the large table as a look of confusion swept over her.
“What?”
“Jackson and I like spending time together and we set down some rules for what is not to happen while we date.”
“What kind of rules? Are the two of you in a relationship?”
“No. We’re companions who enjoy each other’s company. We agreed not to see other people. There will be no falling in love with each other. No romance. We will be seeing each other four times a week, have open communication, and what he does on his time he’s not with me is his business, not mine, and so forth. We’ve agreed to do this for six months, and in those six months, if either one of us breaks one of the rules, we cut ties immediately and never see or speak to each other again.”
She stood there with her mouth open. “Who does that?”
“That’s what I said, if I know what you two are talking about,” Katie spoke as she strolled into the back.
“We do. End of discussion.” I put up my hand and headed towards the front of the store.
“Wait a minute,” Evelyn shouted as she caught up with me. “So then the two of you are in an official relationship. That’s what it is, Emily. YOU ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YOUR LIFE!”
“No. We are not in a relationship. I am not his girlfriend and he is not my boyfriend. That was rule number ten. We are friends who enjoy each other’s company and want to have fun.”
“Okay, then the correct term is ‘friends with benefits.’”
“If you want to call it that, then fine. We have a friends-with-benefits companionship.”
“So what four days of the week are you seeing him?” Katie asked.
“One night a week, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.”
“So does that mean we can never hang out on the weekends? I mean, it’s pretty much the only time we have since we work all week.”
Shit. That was something I didn’t think about. If I was spending my weekends with Jackson, I wouldn’t be able to see my friends and that was a problem for me.
“Good point, Katie. I need to call Jackson and amend our contract.”
Walking over to the counter, I grabbed my phone from my purse and called Jackson.
“Hello, gorgeous,” he answered.
“Hey. I need to make an amendment to our agreement.”
“Okay. What do you need to amend?”
“Three of our four days a week can’t always be Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I need to spend time with my friends and so do you.”
“Hmm. I didn’t think about that. Then we’ll just stick to whatever four days we can.”
“Thanks, Jackson.”
“You’re welcome, Emily. I’ll call my attorney now.”
After ending the call, I dialed my OB/GYN’s office.
“East Gynecology, this is Mary.”
“Hi, Mary, it’s Emily Wade. Can you have Dr. Williams give me a call?”
“He’s in with a patient right now, but as soon as he’s finished, I’ll give him the message.”
“Thanks.”
Setting my phone down on the counter, I grabbed a piece of chocolate. Shit. I forgot to tell him that I met his sister. I picked my phone back up and sent him a text message.
“I totally forgot to tell you. I met your sister. She came into the shop on Saturday. She seems very nice.”
“Oh good. I’m glad the two of you met before her party this upcoming Saturday.”
“Her party?”
“The birthday party I planned for her. It’s this Saturday and I was hoping you’d come.”
“I would love to. Thanks for the invite.”
“You’re welcome. I have to get back to work. We’ll talk soon.”
“Bye, Jackson.”
Over the next couple of days, I had been busy with the shop and had given great thought to not going through with my online boutique. The store next to mine had closed its doors and was up for lease, and since my shop was growing in merchandise and not space, I wanted to explore the possibility of expanding. As I was sitting in the back at my desk, going over some orders, Jackson walked in with a large manila envelope in his hands.
“Hi there.” I smiled. “What are you doing here?”
“I was in the neighborhood and I thought I’d drop by. Our contract is ready to be signed.”
“Great.” I got up from my seat. “Let’s have a look.”
Taking the papers out of the envelope, he handed them to me with a smile on his face.
“I already signed, so that means I’m in.” He winked.
The corners of my mouth curved upwards at his sexy wink. When I looked over the papers, everything seemed in order, so I grabbed a pen and signed my name underneath his.
“Done! Now I’m in.”
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a white piece of paper.
“Here is my clean report. I went to the doctor’s yesterday.”
Reaching into my purse, I pulled out mine.
“And here is mine.” I grinned.
“Then it’s settled. Let the fun begin.” He placed his hands on my hips and softly brushed his lips against mine. “I want to see you tonight.”
“I’d like that. How about my place around seven?” I asked.
“Sounds good. Should I pack a bag?” He nipped my bottom lip.
“Of course.” I smiled. “I want to discuss something with you and get your opinion.”
“Personal?”
“Business.”
“Okay. Looking forward to it.” His lips kissed mine. “I have to go. I have a meeting to get to.”
I walked him to the front of the store where Noelle and Katie couldn’t keep their eyes off of him. As soon as he exited the shop, I turned to them and their eyes quickly diverted to something else.
“You two need to stop,” I spoke.
“Stop what?” Katie asked.
“Eye raping Jackson every time you see him.”
“We can’t help it,” Noelle spoke. “He is the best eye candy we’ve ever seen.”
“I’m not too sure either one of your boyfriends would like you saying or thinking that.”
“Then maybe they need to look like him and we wouldn’t have to say or think it.” Katie smirked.
Rolling my eyes, I sighed and went into the back to finish up some work before heading home and preparing for Jackson’s visit tonight.
Chapter 21
Jackson
“Hey, man. I need you to look at and sign this contract for the Delsey property,” Samuel spoke as he followed me into my office.
Taking the contract from him, I sat down at my desk, glanced over it, and gave it my signature.
“All set.” I handed him back the contract.
“Thanks. How did it go earlier with Emily?”
“Good. Papers are signed, the drama in my life is now gone, and I don’t have to worry about it from other women anymore. I can have my cake and eat it too.” I grinned.
“And you think that your companionship is just going to always be bright and shiny and perfect?”
“Yep. That’s why we signed a contract. If either one of us breaks any of the ten rules, we cut ties and never see each other again. Life is great, Sam.”
Leaning back in his chair, he sighed. “So, if you end up cutting ties because of a broken rule, do you think it’s going to be that easy just to walk away from her?”
“I sure do. That’s the beauty of it. No strings, no commitment, no talk of marriage, no kids, no worries and, most importantly, all the sex I want, any time I want.”
“What if she’s not in the mood?”
“Are you kidding? She’s just as horny as I am.” I chuckled.
“Well,” he got up from his seat, “good luck, my friend. I’m going to be curious to see how this goes.”
“It’ll go just fine. I’m not worried and I know she’s not either. We have rules.”
“And rules are made to be broken.” He pointed at me.
“Not these rules.” I smirked as he left my office.
Her skin trembled underneath my fingers as they slid down her torso, grazing her clit and then dipping inside her. Our lips tangled together for a brief moment until she tilted her head back and moaned with excitement as her body gave way to an orgasm. The sensual sounds that escaped her turned me on as I hovered over her and thrust my condom-free cock inside her, inch by inch as her pussy enveloped around me, causing a sensation that was overwhelming. To be inside her, skin to skin, went way beyond my expectations.
“God, you feel so good,” I moaned as I slowly thrust in and out of her.
“So do you,” she whispered as her hands were planted firmly on my chest.
Bringing her leg up to my shoulder, I increased my speed as we stared into each other’s eyes. After a few more thrusts, I pulled out and brought my mouth down to her breasts, giving them the attention they desired. I lay on my side as did she, wrapping one leg around my waist as I pushed inside her again, feeling the warmth that sent me to another world as she came. I wanted to hold back as long as I could because the feeling was too great, but the buildup was there as I pushed deep inside and held myself, letting out a long continuous moan while I exploded inside her. We lay there for a moment, our lips softly brushing against one another’s and my hand manipulating her supple breast.
I pulled out, rolled on my back, and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close to me.
“You were amazing,” she spoke as her lips pressed against my bare chest.
“So were you, darling. So were you.” I kissed the top of her head. “We haven’t had a chance to discuss whatever it was you wanted to talk to me about.”
She lifted her head, sat up, and then climbed out of bed and slipped on her satin robe.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“To get the wine and chocolates.” She smiled.
I sat up and placed my hands behind my head as I rested my back against the headboard of her queen-sized bed. Walking back into the room, she handed me my glass and set the box of chocolates in between us.
“I want to expand my shop.”
“I thought you were, with your online boutique.”
“I’ve decided to put that on the back burner for now. The resale shop that was next to me just closed its doors and I was thinking of renting that space and expanding. The shop is doing so well and I’m running out of room. Plus, I want to add an espresso bar.” She smirked.
“An espresso bar?” I smiled. “That would be pretty cool. I’d definitely shop in your store if I could carry around an espresso.”
She narrowed her eye at me. “Sarcasm is not b
ecoming of you.”
The corners of my mouth curved upwards as I took a drink of my wine.
“I’m going to have to call Leon and see if he’ll lease me the other shop and then knock down the wall in between.”
“Leon Holmes?” I asked.
“Yes. Do you know him?”
“He’s a good friend of my father’s. I guess I didn’t realize he owned those two buildings. Let me know what he says.”
“I will.” She grinned.
“Let me ask you. How long have you been in business?”
“I opened the shop six months ago.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little too soon to think about expanding? Maybe you should wait a year and see what the bottom line is with the numbers.”
“No. Like I said, the shop is doing way better than I expected and I know with more space and more merchandise, it can do even better.”
“And if it backfires?” I raised my brow at her.
“It won’t. I know I can do this. It’s in my genes, compliments of my mother.”
I raised my wine glass. “Then here’s to a successful expansion.”
She tipped her glass against mine and, with a smile, she spoke, “Thank you, Mr. Caine.”
That smile was enough for me to throw back the rest of my wine, untie her robe, and push her on her back while I climbed on top of her and we fucked for the second time.
“Leon, it’s Jackson Caine. Do you have time to meet today? Maybe we can do lunch.”
“Sure, Jackson. How about one o’clock? But we’ll have to meet over by my office. I have a two thirty appointment.”
“Name the place and I’ll be there.”
“Let’s meet at Resette’s. I could go for one of their pizzas.”
“Resette’s it is. I’ll see you at one.”
Setting down my phone, I sighed. There was no way Leon was going to let Emily expand her shop. If he did, he would charge her up the ass in rent and double what she’d normally pay. I knew him and I knew how he operated. He was nothing short of a shrewd businessman.
Chapter 22