Gray, Beth - Cougar Hunting [Modern Cougar] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Gray, Beth

  “Thanks, I just really wanted to make sure she is okay and not mad at me or anything.”

  “I think it is safe for me to say she is not mad at you. She sounded confused.”

  “Okay. Just tell her I called.”

  “I will.”

  Chad reflected on his past and how many times he had left early in the morning when he went home with other women. He knew how much easier it was to break off a relationship if he did. Hangers—a term he and his buddies invented to describe some women they had a hard time in ditching—crossed his mind. The word “ditching” sounded gross now. The simple truth was he or his buddies did not want long term relationships.

  Older women were more secure and undemanding. They had their own lives to live, but were often lonely and wanted a one-night stand much like he wanted. Leaving generally was never a problem. His lifestyle was very active, and he loved the late nights out. Older women couldn’t keep up with him, and a long-term relationship with one would never work. Younger women were the hangers most of the time. Because they could keep up with him and stay out all night, they imposed a threat. Once he ever made love to one of them, they would think they owned him for good.

  Yes, talking to Jessica when he returned sounded like a good idea. But now he needed to hit the other gyms and spas in South Beach while he was here. He grabbed his gym bag and rushed out of the condo.

  The first gym he entered a few blocks from the condo had been one of his favorites for years. The owner lived and breathed his gym. In fact, he had an apartment directly above. He walked in and immediately saw many familiar faces. Many of the guys and girls worked out on and off all day. If they had a free minute, they usually spent it here. Their friends, their real family, lived in the gym.

  “Hey, guys. Okay if I work out for a few minutes?”

  “Hey, man, I hoped you would stop by sometime soon. We’re developing a new yoga room I think you might find interesting.” An older man with obvious steroid use waved at a side door.

  “Thanks, I would like to see what you’ve been up to.” Chad walked around the gym, shaking hands and eyeing every piece of equipment in the place. Equipment companies could spring up at any time, creating innovative new designs. These could lead to further development or sometimes a direct patent when they forgot to have their idea patented.

  At twenty-two, Chad had been at this since his first patent he obtained at the ripe old age of thirteen. His dad being an attorney had helped him get his idea patented. While it was the first, this work bench designed to be flexible to meet many different needs still remained a major source of his income. Over the years, the design had been improved and many new patents added. Almost every gym in America and, to some extent, around the world used it.

  The older man, one of the day managers, opened the door to the yoga room. An Oriental mural covered the walls. A cool blue ceiling had been constructed with small pin lights representing stars, giving the room a pleasant outdoor feeling. A small control system attached to a wall by a small desk. “This room is totally controlled from here, giving us the ability to set almost any mood we want.”

  For the next fifteen minutes, Chad witnessed the various changes in heat, color, and light combinations, and a music system second to none. “This is very impressive.”

  “We think so. We are hoping to have the first classes next week.”

  “Good. Have you lined up some good instructors?”

  “The best. And as you can imagine, we can go from a nice cool room for older ladies to a hot steam room for the gay guys around.”

  “Do you have many older ladies in the gym?”

  “We have two groups. One is the over-forty group, which is surprisingly large. Many women going through a divorce and wanting to start over will pay good money to have their bodies back in shape. The other group is the over-sixty group, which is small, but wealthy.”

  “Now, how would you know they are wealthy if they all show up in gym clothes?”

  “The wealthy women want to make a statement. They want everything perfect and only use designer clothes, et cetera.”

  “I understand.” Chad thought of his newest project and how Terri had mentioned using designer bags to carry the crazy exercise ball in. She also talked about making the bag itself part of the equipment. These ladies might be the perfect testing ground for this product. It would mean another trip after the classes began.

  Making his way around the gym, he studied the various duffel bags, gym bags, and anything else used to carry workout clothes, etc, back and forth from the gym. Some looked old and ragged, but dedicated to use by the owner as if a badge of honor in the journey of maintaining a healthy body.

  Seeing everything he needed to see, he walked out and hurried to the next place. The warm weather encouraged many guys to leave their shirts unbuttoned or off. The girls in turn wore as little as possible. A great body in South Beach was a must. Sporting designer labels ran a close second.

  Chad studied the bags carried by those rushing by him. Backpacks worked great, but were not cool for those wanting to portray a great sophistication. A common sight of guys flexing a muscle or girls swinging hips as they walked indicated they all wanted to be seen. The parks along Beach provided great spots for them to show off. A portable exercise “bag” just might be the ticket. He had to see about raising the money to buy half of the project. He needed to talk to his dad.

  * * * *

  Terri heard the flight attendant telling everyone to board. She wrestled with the decision to call Chad or not. She listened to his messages several times. She would have loved to stay another day, but knew it would be with Chad. He wasn’t demanding to know where she was. He only acted concerned. While her head hurt today, last night was a lot of fun.

  She stood and found her place in line. Now would not be a good time to talk to him. She pretended to be asleep when he woke up. When Chad went to the bathroom, she seized her chance to get away. Instead of falling asleep earlier, she could have—should have—left then.

  The embarrassment began last night when she couldn’t remember the name of the hotel she was staying at. Chad had received VIP treatment all night and never had to pay for a single drink. Muscle-bound guys patted him on his back and young girls trailed him all night. A large number of models followed him from place to place. The owners seemed happy to have the beautiful people making their club. It was what kept bringing back their customers.

  She remembered Chad helping her to the bed where she flopped on her back. He disappeared for a while and later flopped beside her, waking her for a brief moment. He leaned over and kissed her. Not a rough, sexy kiss, but a gentle, caring kiss. She remembered melting into his shoulder to snuggle, telling herself she would leave soon.

  She had placed her hand on his stomach. It just felt the natural place for it to rest. As she started to drift off to sleep, she felt his hand on top of her hand, pushing it lower. He slipped them under his pants and underwear. His hard cock filled her hand. While awake, she pretended not to be. He removed his hand but left hers in place. It throbbed for a long time until she slowly tightened her grip to massage him. She passed out again, thinking of how great it felt. Raising her head inches off the pillow, she felt a dizzy sensation overtake her again. She was too drunk to resist anything he wanted to do, but also too drunk to actively participate. Her world floated around her.

  A light filtered in from the outside as she attempted to open her eyes. Her head was clearing the fog, but hurt like hell. She managed to glance down and saw her dress hiked all of the way up, revealing a skimpy pair of black panties. His hand resting on her stomach, and his gentle breath on her shoulder made her realized this was real, even if he appeared as an angel with perfect skin and soft beautiful shiny hair. She had no idea of what all they did during the night. Would they make love when he woke up? She wanted to—she didn’t want to. She simply didn’t know what she wanted. With her hand on his stomach again, she agonized over slipping it under his pants agai
n.

  That is when he moved. He woke by yawning and rubbing his eyes. She froze, prepared to make love or run. When he left the bed and entered the shower, she grabbed her clothes and dressed. She hurried outside and hailed the first cab she found. She told herself she needed time to think of a response to questions Chad would definitely be asking.

  Most of the guys she had over the last several years always left after they had sex, and that was the one reason she selected such young studs. She knew they wanted sex but not a relationship with an older woman. However, this was perfect for her as well. She could not see herself in a long-term relationship with a guy offering no security. She worked hard for her money and didn’t need some kid spending it.

  Her appearance didn’t sparkle like she was accustomed. Her hat and dark glasses hopefully would hide her from anyone noticing her. She needed to rest, perhaps grab some more sleep on the plane. She looked for her seat number. Being a last minute booking, she had to settle for an aisle seat in the coach section. She inhaled deeply as she read the seat number ahead of her. No one was next to her. She lowered the overhead bin and placed her purse above her.

  Before she could fasten her seat belt, a couple appeared next to her, pointing to the seats beside her. She stood and blinked. “Hello, Alan, what are you doing on this plane?”

  “I’m actually coming to see you.”

  “Me?”

  “Well, I guess, actually Jessica. She called me this morning. She had some issues with a photographer in Atlanta and apparently loved my work and wants me to do a fast reshoot for the guy that screwed up on her.”

  “I haven’t talked to anyone today. Jessica is handling the agency until I get back. It is going to be interesting to see what screw-up she is referring to. Anyway, I’m glad to see she is working hard. Also, thank you for responding so quickly.”

  “Not a problem. I love Atlanta.” He turned to the girl next to him, a beautiful young girl with long silky blonde hair and the perfect signs of a professional model. “This is Christiana, the model I will be using.

  Terri reached over and extended her hand to Christiana. “Hi, my name is Terri. It is good to meet you.”

  “Thanks.” Christiana batted her eyes and increased her smile. “I think I saw you last night.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, out dancing at one of the clubs. You were with a real cute guy.”

  Terri blushed as she faced Alan. “Chad and I hit the clubs last night after we discussed a new project.” Christiana leaned forward. “You went out with Chad Edwards!”

  “How do you know Chad?”

  “Every model, every bodybuilder, and almost everyone into exercising in Miami knows him. He’s the guy who invents many of the exercise machines we all use. When he is in town, everyone parties.”

  “Well, I can definitely say he loves to party.”

  Alan inserted himself back into the conversation. “I heard Bobby, Chad’s friend, went to Las Vegas to celebrate.”

  “Oh yes. I need to check on them. He went with Penny, an associate of mine.”

  Christiana continued to nod. “Congratulations. You have the ultimate bragging rights this week.”

  Mixed emotions settled in. She usually considered herself the catch, not the guy she hoped to score with. He definitely had a reputation. This was good and bad. As head of a major agency, she had to avoid bad publicity, and wondered how this would be circulated back in Atlanta.

  Alan shifted toward Terri. “When do you think you will know something on the new project?”

  “It is hard to say.” She leaned closer to him. “I hope we can rely on the old saying ‘what happens in South Beach, stays in South Beach’.”

  He smiled. “My lips are sealed.”

  “Good.” Terri leaned her head back against the headrest. What was she getting herself into?

  Chapter 11

  His dad looked up at him. “Are you sure this is what you want to do? This is a little risky, and we are doing great with the way we are growing.”

  “Everyone says this looks great. Once it takes off, we can sell it. If it does not, we will be stuck with it for a while. Even then, I think it can lead into discovering some other product we might be able to obtain patents on. This keeps us a main player.”

  “I agree. All of the reports and surveys indicate there is a market for this.”

  “I think on many occasions I wish I had produced some of the products we invented and obtained patents on. We made a lot of people very rich.”

  “Yes, we did. But we didn’t do too badly on them, either. They absorbed all of the risk. It’s amazing how all of this started with you wanting me to build you a better workbench. I knew after your mother died you needed something to occupy your mind and time. Working out with weights seemed to be a great idea.”

  “It made sense to me to have a bench that could do more than just lay there. Having the Edwards name forever attached to it has given us exposure I never dreamed of.”

  Chad had considered all options for the last several weeks. His dad had worked on it for hours. The project could make a lot of money. All reports and studies indicated the exercise bag idea to be great. He owned a lot of patents and also sold license to use them. This would be the first time he ventured into actually producing anything. He knew there would be a time when this would present itself. His dad agreed this represented about as good as it would get.

  He walked around the conference room at MJJ’s corporate office. To strike the deal he needed to invest four million dollars. He had access to two million dollars and needed another investor. MJJ had purchased several licenses from him and had the extra money. Their request for additional information had been met.

  While his dad buried his head in the paperwork, he allowed his mind to drift back to Terri and their conversations in South Beach. She acted competent and energetic enough to make this project work. He checked her out fully after returning and learned much more about her, which included the good, the bad, and the…interesting.

  Chad paced the floor. “How much longer do you think they will make us wait?”

  “They want us to wait. It’s a game they want to play to make us think they might not go for it. I expect a few surprises, so not to worry. Have a seat and relax.”

  “The advertising will be critical. You met with Terri. What do you think?”

  “I liked her. She asked many questions about you.”

  “I’m sure she did. We went out in South Beach.”

  “She told me you hit a few bars while you were there. I did check her out, and her agency. They have a solid reputation.”

  “Good.” Chad quit pacing and found a seat where he constantly squirmed while he waited.

  “Chad, I know you have a habit of not dating and spending all of your time working. She’s much older than you and—”

  “Dad, don’t worry. I’m not ready to have any kind of relationship with anyone.”

  “Son, I know much more than you think. All I’m saying is to be careful.”

  Chad decided to allow it to pass. His dad may have heard about his wild nights out. He had not spoken to Terri since he returned to Atlanta, allowing his dad to do the research and taking any feeling he had out of the equation. His mind drifted back to their times together, and he wished he could come up with a solution to his problem, but knew it was impossible. However, he knew they would be working together in the future, and he had to face the music at some time. He had fantasized so much about her lately and wondered what could have happened if he had only not drank so much.

  A knock on the door startled Chad as he turned to see several men entering the room. The all-suits group smiled and extended handshakes. A tall, lean man in his upper sixties appeared to be the leader, as he motioned to the chairs. “I think we had you waiting long enough.”

  “I’m glad you decided to see us and consider our proposal.” Chad’s dad opened the files in front of him.

  The leader glanced at the other
three men with him. “We have enjoyed our relationship in the past and find this one a little different. Why can we not buy the patent license up front and produce it like we have before?”

  Chad spoke before his father could answer. “I only have an option on fifty percent of the patent. My partner only wants to sell a fifty percent interest, and this is only if we handle all the licensing of the product. The total cost is four million dollars. For this amount I will need a partner.”

  “I understand the offer. You are offering us forty percent of your half for two million dollars. If I do the math correctly, we are behind two hundred thousand dollars from the start.”

  “What you are being offered is an interest in a project worth much more as soon the product starts selling. If you didn’t understand this, we would not be having this meeting.”

  “I think we have decided to think about this for a while. It is a lot of money.”

  Chad stood. “In that case, we will have to shop the offer to some other players that want to do business with us in the future. I’m sure they will be interested in the future patents this will spin off.”

  A smaller man to the far left shifted in his chair before speaking. “We have made money with your inventions and patents in the past. We really want to continue the relationship. But tell me, what I can tell my board of directors about security of their investment?”

  “My reputation is well known to build name recognition. I plan on fully promoting this product and have already retained a top advertising agency who is working on it as we speak.”

  “So, are you extending your personal guarantee to safeguard our money?”

  Chad’s dad sent a harsh nonverbal signal. “What I’m offering is the same money you are extending—$2 million.”

  “I think we can agree in principal on this, but I’m sure you will understand we have to have some understanding and you have to live up to your part of the deal.”

  “Agreed.”

  “I’m sure Mr. Edwards and our lawyers can work out the legal details. It is going to be paramount for you to get your end moving.”