Summer Shifter Days

by V. Vaughn

  “Sorry,” says Alexander as he seats himself across from me. “I couldn’t resist.” He has a twinkle in his eye.

  I look at the cover to see there’s an image of a girl sandwiched between two men, and when I realize it’s probably a story about ménage à trois, heat rises to my cheeks. I stammer, “You-You mean the title, right?”

  “Of course he does,” says Sebastian in a firm voice. “You’ll read it tonight, and I expect to hear your thoughts in the morning.”

  Bertha has come into the room, and when she removes my dinner plate, I clutch the book to my chest to keep her from seeing the cover. Sebastian says, “You can retire to your chambers to read now, Margaret. Would you like me to have Bertha bring you some tea later?”

  Grateful I’ve been dismissed before the conversation gets more uncomfortable, I say, “Yes. Thank you.” My mind is reeling over the fact that my first assignment is to read a sexy romance novel. I had the silly notion I would be flirting with two men over dinner, but I’m beginning to feel as if I’m in way over my head with these guys.

  Alexander says, “I bet you like cookies. I’ll make sure she brings some of those too.”

  “That would be great.” The men stand, so I do too. We all walk toward the front of the house, where I begin to climb the stairs.

  Sebastian calls my name, and I turn to him. “Pleasant dreams..”

  His voice is soft, and maybe the sex I’m about to read is clouding my judgment, but the deep timbre of his words makes my skin tingle, and suddenly my given name doesn’t seem so awful. “You too.”

  When I get to my room, the book thuds on my bed where I toss it. As I remove my dress, I think about the tub and decide to draw a bath. If I’m going to spend my night reading in my room, I may as well enjoy my new amenities.

  The old taps squeak as I turn them on, and water rushes with powerful pressure. Candles are on a shelf next to the bathtub, and I find matches in a small box near one to light them. I lift a towel so thick it’s heavy and set it on the bench seat, and I grab the robe I saw hanging in my closet.

  Before I slither out of my lingerie, I grab the book. It’s not a thick novel, and I expect I won’t have much trouble finishing it in a night. I stare at the image as I wander back to my closet. I imagine what it would be like to have two men attending to my sexual needs and can’t quite fathom how it would all work. I smile when I think about how Alexander picked it for the title and what this book might teach me.

  The candles I lit fill the bathroom with the same lilac scent of my sachets, and I wonder if it might be Bertha’s favorite. It’s pleasant, and I sigh when I step into the heat of my bath. I grab a hand towel and fold it to cushion my neck as I lean back and open up the book.

  Within the first page, I’m hooked. The pace is quick, and I’m sucked into the love triangle of a girl and two best friends. At the end of each chapter, I’m left wanting to turn the page for more. So I don’t notice how long I’ve soaked until my water is cold. I get out and quickly apply lotion to my skin and wrap up in my robe so I can get back to the story.

  I take a break when a soft knock at my door reveals Bertha. She enters with a tray that has a small pot, a delicate-looking teacup and saucer, sugar cubes, and a plate of butter cookies. The tray’s contents clatter as she sets it down. The woman refuses to look at me, so I ask, “Did you get this room ready for me?” She doesn’t answer, and as she walks to the door, I say, “Thank you. Everything is wonderful, and the lilac scent in here is lovely.”

  Bertha turns and glares at me as she says, “That was Sebastian’s doing. Leave the tray out in the hall when you’re done.” The door snicks shut behind her as she closes it.

  My heart hurts with the emotion of sadness, and I wonder about the significance of lilac for my donor. I’d like to ask Sebastian about it, but something tells me I need to tread carefully around him. Hot liquid trickles into my teacup, and I curl up on the love seat in my room to finish my book.

  The author is a master storyteller, because I get teary-eyed when the heroine thinks she’s lost both men, and the sex scenes make me blush. I finish the book with a sigh and am amazed I’ll probably lie in bed tonight with the characters on my mind as if they’re real people.

  After I brush my teeth and change into pajamas, I do lie in bed and think about the book. But my mind turns to sexy thoughts as I begin to fantasize about Alexander Hart touching me. The image in my mind assists my self-gratification, and I lie in a drowsy state from it as I stare out my bedroom window. The moon is almost full and glimmers on the water as stars twinkle in the sky. When I begin to think about Alexander again, my heart interrupts me to flood me with warmth for Sebastian, and my fantasy becomes about him instead. I fall asleep with the vision of being in Sebastian’s arms.

  4

  The next morning, I pull on my yoga pants and a T-shirt to wander downstairs and find breakfast. Alexander is in the kitchen drinking from a mug, and the aroma of coffee fills the air. There are windows in the room, but the heavy shades are drawn, blocking out the daylight. And even though the lights are bright enough, I long to let in the sun that filled my room earlier. He hops up when he sees me. “Good morning, Margaret.”

  “Good morning.” I smile at him as he steps behind the kitchen island. He’s wearing dress slacks and a tailored dress shirt that emphasizes his developed muscles. I’m comfortable enough with Alexander that I take a chance. “I hate being called Margaret. Please call me Maggie?”

  He scrunches up his face as he dons a large white apron that is so white and crisp looking it has to be new. “No can do. Sebastian wouldn’t like it.”

  How odd. I wouldn’t have expected Alexander to care about his brother’s wishes. I say, “Oh. Okay.”

  He asks, “Coffee? It’s decaf.”

  I smile at the thoughtfulness since I avoid caffeine, and I wonder where he discovered that information. “Yes, please. But I can get it.”

  “No.” He waves his arm at the stools for the island. “Sit. What do you like in it?”

  The seat is hard under my bottom when I climb on it and say, “Cream would be nice.”

  He prepares my drink and sets it before me as he asks, “Did you like the book?”

  A spoon clinks against my coffee mug as I stir. “I did. The writer pulled me in from page one. I was impressed.”

  Alexander’s face lights up with pleasure. “Oh good.” A pan clatters on the stovetop after he grabs it from a cabinet, and he announces, “I’m making you an omelet. What do you like in them?”

  “Just cheese.”

  He glances over his shoulder at me and says, “What did you think about the back-door action scene?”

  I frown for a second before I realize he’s talking about a racy sex scene. My cheeks heat up, and I stammer. “Ah... um... reading it was a first for me.”

  Alexander leans across the island toward me and waggles his eyebrows at me. “They’re deliciously naughty, though, aren’t they? Anal is the new blow job.”

  His tone isn’t lecherous. It’s as if he wants to giggle with me. But coffee spews from my mouth as I choke. Alexander rushes to my side to thump my back. “Are you okay?”

  I manage to gulp in air and say, “Fine. I have no desire to critique the sex scenes.” I glance down at my hands as I hold my mug, and I clear my throat to ask, “Where is Sebastian?”

  “Working.” Alexander wipes up the coffee I spit on the counter before he turns to the pan on the stove.

  I still don’t know what Sebastian does and am about to ask when Alexander mutters as he scrapes at the pan. “Damn it. Why is this sticking?”

  I don’t think he cooks often. “Did you forget to put butter in first?”

  He turns to me. “Of course!”

  I chuckle as I get up. “Let me.”

  “I’m sorry.” He flips on the water to wash out the pan. “I wanted to make you the first breakfast you have here.”

  He’s so sweet. I wonder if he’s got a crush on me too, and
it makes me smile. “It’s fine,” I say as I open the fridge to look for butter. The contents are neatly organized, and eggs are cool in my hand as I grab two more. “I’m used to cooking for myself, and with Bertha, I bet I’m not going to do it much now.”

  “You’ll get to make breakfast. She comes in later.” I find it curious that I live here but she doesn’t and decide that maybe she has a family.

  As butter sizzles in the pan, I ask, “So what am I doing today?”

  “We get you ready,” says Alexander. Metal clinks on a bowl as he whisks the eggs for me. He grins at me as if he has an exciting secret.

  “What does that mean?”

  Alexander says, “You’ll see.”

  “You aren’t going to tell me?”

  “Nope.” He hops up on the counter next to the stove and sprinkles the cheese over the egg in the pan. “Want to talk more about the book with me?”

  “I—” I glance at him to see he’s grinning, so I shake my head. “I think I’ll save my thoughts for Sebastian. That is, unless you want to trade secrets.”

  “Nice try.” His feet thud on the floor when he gets off the counter, and he glances at his watch as he walks toward the door. “You better eat up. You need to be in the study in forty-five minutes.”

  I chuckle to myself after he leaves. Once I finish my meal and get changed into the only straight skirt and blouse in my closet, I make my way to the study. The doors are open, and when I get inside, Sebastian offers me a hint of a smile. “Good morning, Margaret. I trust you slept well.” He’s standing with Alexander and an older man that’s dressed in a suit tailored to perfection.

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  The older man walks toward me, and Alexander winks before Sebastian says, “Not bad, Roland, for using a photograph, but I think the skirt needs to be a bit tighter in the hips.”

  Roland says, “Yes. The legs are nice. What do you think about shorter?”

  They continue to talk about my body as if I’m not there. I glance at Alexander, and he rolls his eyes at me as if this is normal behavior one has to tolerate. When Roland whips out a measuring tape and his pencil scratches as he jots down numbers, I tolerate it just fine, because this has to be for my new wardrobe, and I wonder if I’m being fitted for important meetings or perhaps fundraising events Sebastian needs to attend. Not knowing what the man does is feeding my curiosity.

  I’d ask Sebastian, but considering the level of secrecy I’m sworn to, I’m not sure if Roland knows, so I keep my questions to myself. Once Roland leaves, Sebastian notices I’m more than a body as he asks me to come sit on a sofa. He and Alexander place themselves across from me, and Sebastian asks, “What did you think about the book, Margaret?”

  I glance at Alexander to see he’s keeping a straight face, but I don’t miss the laughter in his eyes. “It was good. I was drawn in by the story and had no trouble finishing it. I was surprised at the emotions the writer made me feel.”

  “Can you imagine reading more?”

  I have no idea where Sebastian’s going with this, but I answer honestly, “Yes.”

  “What do you suppose the author is like?”

  I frown, because that isn’t something I’d considered, and it seems like an odd question. “Ah. I’m sorry, I haven’t got any idea.”

  “Margaret.” His tone reminds me of a teacher that’s annoyed with a student for not trying. “Imagine him for me.”

  “Okay.” I glance up as I envision the man. “Based on the name, I picture a stocky guy who’s a bit of a hick.” Alexander snorts, and I glance at him to see he’s covering his mouth, but not well enough for me to miss his smirk. I say, “Probably older, because Brock sounds like an eighties name to me. He fancies himself a ladies’ man. But...” I pause as I dig deeper. “He’s got a good handle on what makes people tick. I found the characters’ motivations believable.”

  Sebastian leans forward a bit as he asks, “And the sex scenes, did they titillate you?”

  I flash to Alexander’s question about anal sex and fight the surge of heat rising up my neck. I’m uncomfortable with the topic considering he’s my boss, so I say, “I’m not sure that’s an appropriate question for you to ask an employee.”

  “I suppose not. But it’s an important part of your job, so I’d appreciate it if you’d humor me.”

  I cross my legs at my ankles as I recall how I slid my fingers inside myself last night while I fantasized about Alexander, and how for a little while my heart brought Sebastian into it for a ménage scene like the one I read. I speak in a quiet voice as I gaze at the floor. “Yes.”

  “Thank you for your honesty.” He pauses before he asks, “Margaret?”

  I look up at Sebastian, and he says, “Sexual pleasure is nothing to be ashamed of.”

  My ears burn, and it’s most likely my shame that makes me angry as I steel my voice and say, “I’m not ashamed of it.”

  He raises his eyebrows at me but doesn’t call me on my lie. “Very well. Because we will be discussing it again.” He says to Alexander, “How’s the list coming?”

  “Well.” Alexander gets up and walks over to the desk. He retrieves a laptop that shimmers, and it should, because it was just unveiled last week for a pretty penny according to the manufacturer’s site. He returns to his position on the couch as he says, “Now that I’ve had a chance to see Margaret in person, I have a much better idea of what could work.” Keys click on his laptop, and he leans back a bit to let Sebastian see his screen.

  Sebastian studies the list, and his brow knits, then he tilts his head. He raises his eyebrows and finishes with a smile.

  My curiosity is intense, and I ask, “What?”

  Sebastian points at the screen, and Alexander says, “That was my first choice too.”

  “What do you think about the pen name Kitten Kane?” asks Sebastian.

  “Kitten?” I ask. “Sounds like a porn star.”

  Alexander asks, “What about Kitty? That has a hip vibe to it, right?”

  Hip vibe? My lips twitch with the urge to smile since that’s something my mother might have said when she was a teen, but I say, “That is much better.”

  Alexander sits a little taller, and Sebastian says, “Your new name, Margaret, is Kitty Kane.”

  “What?” I blink as the two men smile at me. “You’re giving me a new name?” A chill races down my spine as I imagine they’re going to keep me trapped here and hide me with a new identity. The shaded-up windows, the—

  Alexander says, “Well, you certainly can’t go by Brock McGillis. A wifebeater doesn’t suit you.” He lifts a finger as he squints at me. “On second thought—”

  Sebastian cuts him off as he clears his throat with force. I say, “Hold up here. Did one of you write Teach Me?”

  Alexander grins like a kid who can finally share his secret as he says, “We both did.”

  I guess he’s the one that wrote the anal sex scene, and I’d ask, but then I recall how I caught him checking out my bottom. A tingle of desire runs through me, and since I don’t want to consider the implications of that, I ask, “And now you want me to write them with you?”

  “No,” says Sebastian. “But you’re going to pretend you do.”

  Pieces of the puzzle of Sebastian Hart and my new job click into place. I ask, “You hired me to pretend to be the woman who writes your books?” I think I’m going to learn more about romance and sex than I ever wanted to.

  “We did,” says Alexander. “How fun is that?”

  My gaze darts back and forth between the two brothers, who wear suits like most guys wear jeans. Sebastian is serious, while Alexander is playful. Nobody would ever guess these two men write erotic romance. I shake my head, because you can’t make this stuff up.

  “So that’s what all the secrecy was about. You want people to think I’m the author and don’t want to take a chance of the truth coming out. Is this my job?”

  “Yes,” says Sebastian.

  I imagine book signings
and fancy dinners with publishers and agents. I think about the fancy clothes I’m going to wear and wonder if I’ll drive a nice car or perhaps be driven to events. I picture interviews where I spout off made-up facts about my life. When I begin to fantasize about a fancy cocktail party on a yacht, I realize this is certainly one way to live large. I grin and ask, “So what happens next?”

  5

  Alexander says, “See, Sebastian? I thought she’d be excited.”

  Sebastian studies me for a moment before he says, “You’re going to need to become familiar with our work. We’re killing off Brock and starting fresh with Kitty.”

  I nod, because reading books isn’t exactly a hardship for me.

  When neither adds more, I ask, “That’s it? All I have to do right now is read?”

  Sebastian glances at Alexander, who says, “We have you scheduled for a head shot tomorrow, but I don’t have anything else.”

  The two men stand, and Sebastian says, “Alexander, I trust you can help Margaret get the books to her room?”

  “They’re ready to go.” He walks over to a corner of the room where shelves of books reach the tall ceiling, and I notice three cardboard boxes on the floor. I follow him and bend down to take a box. Alexander scowls at me as if I shouldn’t have. It’s heavy and digs into my stomach as I brace it with my body, and I decide he might be right. But when I see him pick up the other two to carry in each arm as though they’re feather pillows, I don’t complain.

  As we climb the stairs, I say, “You two are prolific. How many books are in here?”

  “One hundred or so. I’m not sure.”

  One hundred? “Should I take notes?”

  He chuckles. “Only if you have questions.”

  I roll my eyes because he can’t see me. If I have a question, I’m looking it up online before I ask either of the Hart brothers what a sexual term means. At the landing between the second and third floor, I have to stop to catch my breath. Alexander notices I’m not behind him and sets his boxes down on the next floor to return to me to take mine. His face is concerned, and he asks, “Is it your heart?”