All or Nothing (Beyond Fairytales)

by T. L. Reeve

  “It’s time, Master Joaquin.”

  “Perfect, thank you.” The sub nodded and walked away, leaving Quin staring at him. “The scene’s about to start.” A screen behind the little stage came down and soon the images of Charlie and Harley filled the area. “I’ll be right back.” Quin stared at him in confusion, her mouth agape. “Good evening Charlie…Harley.”

  “Evening,” they said in unison.

  “I would have done this at midnight, but I think I’ll be out like a light by then. Quin, will you join me on stage?” She stood and meandered over to where he waited, her expression never changing. He found it endearing and cute.

  “What’s going on?” she hissed, leaning close to him when she got onstage.

  “It’s a surprise.” He held his hand out to her and, when she stood in front of him, he helped her to her knees. “We had a contract when we first got together, didn’t we, Quin?”

  “Yes, Master,” she answered.

  “And the aforementioned contract is up at midnight?”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a square black velvet box. “Well, we can’t have that now, can we?” Joaquin opened the box and tilted it so Quin could see the gold-and-leather collar inside. “You kneel before me giving of your sweet submission. Trusting me to guide you and protect you. To honor you and respect you from the moment you first went to your knees and agreed to become my sub. We may not agree all the time, but we will always remember this moment here and now, and know we are one half of a whole. You are my treasure, Quin. My diamond in the rough,” he crooned, caressing her cheek.

  “I have watched you come out of your self-imposed hell and become a confident, thriving woman, who needed a bit of encouragement. You humble me every day with your surrender, with the unfailing belief I will not let you down. I promise I will protect and care for you. Provide for you and love you till my dying breath, so help me God.” Joaquin lifted the collar out of the box and held it out to Quin. “Will you wear my collar? Stand beside me through thick and thin, no matter what may come?”

  Tears streaked down her cheeks, and her bottom lip quivered. “I….” Her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat. “Yes,” she answered, giving a watery grin. “I will wear your collar with honor and know you will protect me and guide me. I will communicate with you and be open and honest with you. I will keep an open mind, even if means trying out a bullwhip,” she grumbled. Joaquin’s and Charlie laughter made her giggle as well. “I will also remember and remind you I am not a doormat. I am special and worthy of being treated with the utmost respect at all times. I will never hide from you. I know if we want this to work between us, I must give you all of my worries and fears, so we can find solutions to any problem that may arise. I will wear your collar. Love you forever and a day, through thick and thin, no matter what comes our way.”

  The club erupted in a cacophony of cheers and applause as Joaquin stepped behind her and locked the collar around her neck. Then he placed a kiss to the sensitive flesh behind her ear. Her sigh shot straight through him and settled in his groin. When he stood in front of her once more, he held his hand out and waited for her to take it. With graceful ease she stood up and wrapped her arms around Joaquin, hugging him tight.

  “I have other things planned for you sweetheart, but not here, at home.”

  “Then what are we doing standing around then? Let’s go home, Master.” She pressed her lips to his in a tender kiss filled with love and devotion.

  “Indeed. Let’s go home.”

  A Note from T.L.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for picking up a copy of Good For Nothing. If you would like to leave a review after reading the story, please do. As always I love hearing from my fans and readers. You can find me on FB, Twitter and now TSU. If you would like to contact me personally, my email is: authortlreeve@hotmail.com

  Enjoy the book.

  TL

  Also from Decadent Publishing

  www.decadentpublishing.com

  Their Secretary

  Chapter One

  “So, what are you going to do if this date doesn’t work out? Are you going to move away?” Malerie asked from her perch on the bed.

  “I wish it were different, Mal. I do. I wish I could turn these feelings I have for Colton and Tyce off, but I can’t,” Piper muttered. “My hope is Madame Evangeline will help me forget about them and move on. After the date is over, we’ll see. But I know for sure I cannot spend another day in their office. It’s too…personal in there. There are too many emotions coursing through the place.”

  “You can’t say running away will make this better for you, can you?” Her best friend’s hazel eyes pleaded with her. “Don’t you think Colt and Tyce will miss you?” God love her, ever the optimist, but Piper knew better.

  “I doubt it.” Thick waves of jealousy, along with a healthy dose of lust and longing, washed over her as memories from the day she caught Colton kissing Tyce filtered through her mind.

  It didn’t seem unusual for the pair to share an office. They were, after all, partners in the small accounting firm. So, saving space seemed natural. However, when she walked in with the Douglas case and caught them in such an intimate moment, all the dots connected.

  After seeing such a moving embrace, she often wondered what else they did while she wasn’t looking or was away. Or when she came into the office to hand over some information Colton required, and Tyce, who she had seen enter, had disappeared. Could he have been under the desk, sucking Colt’s cock? All her musings accomplished was tearing her heart out a bit more and twisting the knife in her chest even deeper. She admonished herself for her unhealthy habit of imagining her bosses in compromising positions. But, no matter how many times she told herself it was wrong to pine away, she wanted to be the one under their desks, sucking their dicks and drinking them down. She wanted them to make her scream, even though it would never happen.

  It was easier to walk away and start over than to sit at her desk imagining all sorts of salacious things about her bosses. She didn’t even know if they liked her. For all she knew, they were concerned only about her work product and not her personality. It wouldn’t be the first time. She didn’t fit the “perfect” mold by any means. At a healthy size fourteen, she had enough cushion for the pushin’. Or whatever the vernacular for her size was. They were gay anyway. Which meant off limits.

  “Well, I think you’re making a big mistake. You should stick around, Piper.” Mal sat up on her bed and stretched. “What time does your flight leave in the morning?”

  “I wish I could stay, Mal. I do. But, it’s not healthy for me to be there. I’m an emotional wreck while I’m at work.” Piper zipped her bag and placed it by the door. “As for my flight, I leave at nine.”

  “Do you need a ride to the airport?”

  “No. I’ve already ordered a cab for the morning. Thanks for the offer.” She hugged her best friend. “This is the answer to all of my problems. I know it. Please don’t look at me like that.” Her best friend had perfected the wounded animal look over the years.

  “Like what?” she asked, quirking a brow.

  “The look on your face says you feel sorry for me. Put the sad puppy eyes away. I’ll be fine,” Piper said, reassuring herself as much as Malerie.

  “You should be able to count on someone to take care of you.”

  “I don’t need anyone. I’m fine on my own. Do I wish for something more? Yes. I do. But, I’m okay.” Tell yourself that lie one more time. Maybe you’ll believe it. She wouldn’t dwell on any of it, not with a date to plan for. As soon as Mal left, she needed to go to bed and sleep off her self-pity. By the time she got up in the morning, she’d feel better.

  “Fine. You don’t need anyone.” Mal kissed Piper’s cheek. “Have fun and call me when you come home. If you have a good time, I might take this 1Night Stand thing out for a spin.”

  As the door closed behind
her friend, Piper let out a breath. Sleep, she needed sleep. Instead, her phone chimed. She slid her finger across the screen.

  Tomorrow is the day. Remember to go into it with an open mind and open heart. You are worth so much more than you give yourself credit. Enjoy your flight and your adventure.

  Only Madame Eve could put her trip into perspective. She typed a quick thank-you text and went to bed. Tomorrow was a new day and a new beginning. Got to stay optimistic, girl. Don’t let the past ruin your future.

  She never intended to use Madame Eve’s site, nor had she ever considered a one-night stand to be something that would appeal to her. But, after seeing Colt and Tyce in a loving embrace, she’d cried her eyes out then gotten drunk. After a shot of liquid courage, she’d yelled at her pitiful reflection in her bathroom mirror then stormed out and sat down at her computer. With bleary eyes, she’d pulled up the 1Night Stand website and filled out the information. When it came time to answer the questions about what she wanted, she gave the most honest, if rambling, answer she could give.

  What do I want? I want the two men whom I can never have. I’m not allowed, Madame Eve, to ever consider the idea of seeing them in my bed. They are taken by each other.

  My wish is for one night with two men who could love me as much as these two love each other. My heart squeezes at the thought I could end up alone because I have spent my time yearning for two people who never saw me. I still crave one night with them. I may not be able to do more than take care of myself—which I’m well versed in—and witness the pleasure both men can give each other. That, Madame Eve, would be a perfect night for me. I want to see what true love means.

  Never in a million years would she have believed she’d get a response in less than twenty-four hours. Her date would take place in two weeks at a place called The Carnivore Club. The place was also a resort. Maybe she’d also get to relax. Enjoy some me, time. Perfect.

  ***

  The next morning, Piper got up early and got ready to leave. She shouldn’t have refused Malerie’s offer to take her to the airport. Nervous butterflies tickled her stomach and made it hard to eat a bite of her breakfast. Maybe she should text Madame Eve she’d had a change of mind. The fee she’d sent in with the questionnaire, though pricey, didn’t mean a thing if she couldn’t force one foot in front of the other. But, before she opened her laptop, the cab honked outside.

  Shit. I can’t do this. What if my date doesn’t like me? What if I don’t like him? I didn’t even get a picture. I didn’t get anything. I’m screwed.

  The horn honked in an annoying pattern, and she had to get going. She took a deep breath, let it out, and picked up her luggage. Stepping out of the apartment building, she apologized to the cabbie for making him wait and placed her stuff in the trunk. If she was committed to going on this date, she might as well make the most of it. Of course, she could open her laptop and cancel everything at any point before she went through security—or even after—but some part of her told her she needed to go through with the date. Who knows, you might find your Prince Charming. Or at least have a bit of fun.

  Fun. A three-letter word she knew little about. Her existence consisted more of working and proving herself than any actual fun. Piper’s father and mother demanded perfection her whole life. They lived in the richest part of Manhattan, had drivers, more money than they knew what to do with, and had raised her to be a socialite, but she’d never fit their mold. She wasn’t perfect.

  She needed to lose weight. Stand taller. Go to a better school. Get a better degree. Her mother’s words rang out in her mind. A proper lady should fit into her clothes as though they are a second skin. Her job, if she has one, must be in a respectable profession such as law, medicine, or perhaps finance, and her home always kept in pristine condition. Instead of following the path laid out for her, she’d used her time in college to plan her own future.

  By her sophomore year, she’d given up reliance on her parents’ money, using scholarships and work-study to pay her tuition and expenses. She studied day and night, and, though she had no social life to speak of, she gained her independence. Piper took pride in the ability to provide for herself and to make her own decisions without worrying about what society would think.

  But at the same time, her pride kept her from what she craved. If she wanted something meaningful from Colton and Tyce, she needed to swallow her insecurities and tell them exactly what she wanted…them. But her sense of self-preservation kept her from opening up. Memories of the day she witnessed their embrace filled her mind once more. In her fantasy, she placed herself between them. They turned, eyes filled with adoration, heat, and lust upon her.

  She couldn’t make out their murmured words, but the pure emotion of what they said filled her with warmth. From her toes to the top of her head, she vibrated with such need she could scarcely hold herself still. Her panties damp from the intense throb of anticipation flowing through her, Piper shifted from foot to foot, trying to ease the ache. What held her back from asking Colton to pleasure her? What stopped her from placing Tyce’s hand between her thighs and showing him what she wanted? In her mind, they stood frozen in time, waiting for her to make the next move.

  You can do this, Piper. Take the final leap and lay it out there for them.

  “First, I’ll see how my date goes. Who knows? I might find who I’m looking for,” she muttered. And, if not, once she proved to herself she could take her life by the horns she could go after what she wanted—them.

  The speaker crackled announcing the arrival of her plane.

  “Here goes nothing. Don’t disappoint me when I get home.”

  Table of Contents

  Also by T.L. Reeve

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  A Note from T.L.