His eyebrows arched, and a smile tipped up one side of his mouth. He pulled out, tore off the condom, and jerked himself with the same force he'd offered me. It was a blur of movement and guttural moans, and he huffed out a long, filthy string of curses as his release hit. He spilled—and spilled and spilled—all over my belly.
"Look at you," he breathed as the last spasms spiraled through him. "Just look at you."
Owen swirled two fingers through the mess on my tummy. He brought those fingers to my lips, and purred with approval while I licked.
I lived a pretty big life. I'd traveled the world and met celebrities, heads of state, and more billionaires than I could count. Even though there were moments when I wanted to kick it all to the curb, I had it good. But none of that life compared to Owen's head on my shoulder or his bare skin warming mine.
There was never a question of where I was sleeping after that, and as the weeks wore on, there wasn't much of a question as to what was going on with us either. I was falling in love with Owen, and it wasn't one-sided.
Chapter 6
Owen
It was September, and I was in Portland for the monthly meeting of the Maine Lobster Conservancy's board of directors. It was true what they said about the squeaky wheels getting the grease, except this squeaky wheel had been nominated for a board seat after complaining about the issues enough. I still preferred the ocean to the office but it was rewarding to know that I was making some small difference.
But this meeting couldn't adjourn quickly enough. Tomorrow marked the eight-week anniversary of Cole's arrival in Talbott's Cove, and we were starting the celebration with a special dinner tonight.
These weeks had been nothing short of magical, and I wasn't the kind of guy who threw words like those around. With Cole, I felt things I'd never before experienced. I wanted things, too. Things I'd never thought available to me.
Love. Marriage. Forever. And I really fucking wanted it all with him.
So I was laying it all out there tonight. I was loading him up with the best steaks and wine I could find, and I was telling him that I wanted to make this official. It was time for him to move in, all the way. We could convert one of the extra bedrooms to an office. He could get rid of his place in San Francisco. And maybe…maybe we could plan a trip down to Cape Cod next summer to exchange vows.
That maybe had my heart plotting an escape from my chest because maybe had to be yes. Had to be.
Cole was in charge of dessert tonight. I was hoping that consisted of nothing more than a dollop of whipped cream on his dick while I pleasured my fiancé.
Instead of staying to talk shop after the meeting, I hustled out and headed to downtown Portland. My grocery list was long, and I had exactly seven minutes to find everything I needed and get on the road if we were going to eat before Thursday Night Football kicked off. It was situations like these that made me reconsider Cole's desire to install one of those DVR things.
He was gentle like that, always nudging me to try new things but never pushing. He didn't care that I hated bourbon and reading my books on electronic screens, or that I preferred the butt plug in his ass. I wasn't as gentle. The solitary life I'd once considered adequate was now filled with affection and laughter, but that hadn't beaten the cranky bastard out of me.
Perhaps that was why I was sighing like a moody teenager and drumming my fingers on the grocery cart while the woman ahead of me handed the cashier a wad of coupons thicker than the Bible. Food, our future, football, fucking. That was the plan for tonight, and Coupon Cathy was screwing up my schedule with her thriftiness.
Craning my neck to find a quicker line, I found myself staring at the last person I expected to find in Portland: Cole. Except it wasn't him, not the Cole I knew. It was a polished-up, suit-and-tie version of him with "Where in the world is Cole McClish?" printed across his chest.
Why is my man on the cover of a magazine and why the fuck are people wondering where he is?
I snatched the magazine from the rack and flipped to the article about Cole while I steered my cart to the short order line. I didn't care whether I had many more than ten items. If the cashier noticed, she didn't care. Maybe I was the one who didn't notice as the only thought in my head was an infinite loop of I thought I knew him, I thought he was the one while I read.
Paying, leaving the store, getting into my truck, driving home—I remembered none of it. I did, however, remember every word of that cover story about Cole.
I was a tough guy, a strong guy. Being a lobsterman did that to me, and being alone for all these years did it, too. I didn't consider myself sensitive or delicate, but everything about this fucking hurt. Throughout the ride back to Talbott's Cove, I kept a fist pressed to my chest to hold back the rising ache.
He was on the couch when I arrived, his long legs stretched out, computer on his lap, glasses perched on his head. I was all out of words, and couldn't offer more than a slammed door in greeting.
"Hey, what's…" His voice trailed off when I turned the magazine toward him. "Oh, shit."
"That's it?" I barked. "All you've got for me is oh, shit? You're a fucking billionaire and you've invented, like, the entire internet, and you never thought any of that was worth mentioning? You didn't think I deserved that?"
Cole closed his computer and stared at the floor. Seconds that felt a whole fuckton like hours passed without a word.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean for it to happen like this. But I'm not"—he glanced at the magazine that hung from my hand like an old-timey wanted poster—"that guy."
"The fuck you aren't," I cried. "The article said you were in search of a 'creative lightning rod' and a 'spiritual, strategic reawakening,' whatever the fuck that means. What was this to you, Cole? Some kind of experiment? Head up to Maine, fuck a lobsterman, and find your next great idea?"
"Of course not," he said. He stood, wincing at the magazine as he approached me. "I was wrong. I wanted to tell you so many times, but—"
"But you decided to keep right on hiding instead," I roared. "You're good at that, aren't you?"
I couldn't handle this. I'd given this man everything, all of me, and I'd thought I was getting all of him in return. It turned out I wasn't even getting a true fraction of Cole.
He brought his fingertips to his forehead and rubbed his temples. I was wrong, Owen. I was totally wrong. I was lost and lonely, and everything was wrong, so when you found me—"
He used to be able to say exactly what I needed, when I needed it. He used to be real, and he used to be mine. Not anymore. "I think you should go."
Cole's eyes drifted shut, his head fell forward, and his shoulders slumped. For an instant, my heart ached to comfort him. And goddamn him for that. Even at my most gutted and betrayed, I still wanted to care for him.
These four walls were soaked with memories of these past eight weeks—of us—and I couldn't drown in them, not now. I dropped the magazine and marched to the porch. The sea would soothe me tonight.
"Don't be here when I get back."
Chapter 7
Cole
There were benefits to being a billionaire. I didn't worry about having a roof over my head or food on the table. The health and well-being of my parents, sisters, and nieces and nephews was secure.
And whenever I needed to make a call without the benefit of cell service, I had a satellite at the ready.
With a secure connection in place, I explained my issues with that TechToday click-bait bullshit to my acting CEO and PR team. There was none of my usual Scream, Fire, or Throw. Not when I was fighting to keep the tears out of my voice.
Apparently, the newer, calmer Cole was absolutely terrifying because they were snapping to attention and suggesting every countermeasure imaginable, short of putting a hit on the journalist. The acting CEO was even amenable to my proposals, and that right there was progress.
For all that I could solve with money, there were a few things I couldn't buy, and he was somewhere in Jericho
Bay by now. Knowing Owen, he'd sooner tuck his big body into the Sweet Carolyne's cramped quarters and spend an uncomfortable night at sea than risk seeing me again.
He wasn't wrong. I hadn't shown myself worthy of his presence, not when I let months pass without telling him everything. There were opportunities to put it all on the table. Of course there were. But I usually seized those opportunities to suck his dick or get bent over the kitchen table. I always wanted him wrapped around me, and I knew talk of my other life wouldn't give me that. I knew it would come between us because it came between everything.
But that didn't mean I was accepting it, not this time. Not with Owen.
I sat on the dock for hours, long after the sun had slipped past the horizon. My ass was sore and my heart was heavy, but I was staying right there until Owen returned.
When the boat's light cut through the darkness, I found him staring at me, his gaze hard and hurt.
"I told you to leave," he yelled from the deck. He turned away, busying himself with lines and buoys.
"That's tough shit, Owen," I called as he stepped onto the dock. "We need to talk."
He froze, his fists on his hips and his head hanging low. "Please," he said, his voice strained. "I can't do this."
I wrapped my hand around his bicep and pulled him close. "I fucked up and I was wrong but I love you, and you can't just toss me back into the sea."
Sighing, Owen looked out at the dark waters of the cove. "Your life…it's not here."
"It is now," I said.
That caught his attention, but holy Jesus, I wanted to hold him tight when he gave me that sad, pouty bear face.
"I'm not going back to the Valley. I kinda hate it there." I shrugged, and he continued watching me with what are you talking about? eyes. "There's also the issue of my boyfriend living in Maine, and long distance just won't work for us."
"Then…what are you going to do?" he asked.
I brought my palm to the back of his neck. "Being here helped me realize that I didn't like managing the business. I'd always known, but…it was the only thing I had, you know? Now I know I'd rather mess around with crazy ideas and fix wonky code issues, and none of that requires me to spend any time in the office. I can do it anywhere, as long as I'm with you."
Owen didn't say anything for a long, painful minute where I was more interested in drowning myself than having him turn me away again. But finally—fucking finally—he wrapped his arm around my waist and dropped his head to my shoulder. "This probably means you're going to want that wi-fi stuff in the house now, huh?"
I laughed and rubbed my hand down his back. "I installed it in July," I said.
He lifted a shoulder but didn't respond immediately. "I let myself think this would work out, you know, with us. Then I saw that magazine, and…" He sighed, and that warm puff sent off a ripple of goosebumps over my neck. "And I felt like a fool. That's why I wanted you to leave. Not because I didn't want you."
His words were the sharpest arrows.
"I mean it, Owen. I'm so sorry. Tell me how I can make it up to you."
"No more secrets," he murmured. "And you could say yes when I ask you to marry me."
"Yes," I said. "Yes now, and yes always."
Bethany Lopez
Chapter 1
My eyes were closed and I was currently in the middle of an internal pep talk: You can do this… It’s just one night… You don’t even have to touch anyone… Think of the money… It’s just one night…
I took one deep breath, then another, and finally pushed the door that led into the back of the club.
My heart pounded painfully in my chest as I looked around the back halls of Club Deviant, the sex club where my best friend, Kyrie, worked, and the last place I ever thought I’d be.
“Look, Scar, it’s just one night,” Kyrie had assured me when she’d suggested I sign on to work with her at the Club for their Harem Nights themed event.
Club Deviant was an underground club that was very exclusive and almost impossible to find. Unless you worked there, or were invited to become a client, you’d have no idea the place even existed.
The first time Kyrie had told me where she’d been working and what she’d been doing, I’d thought she was full of shit. I mean, I knew Kyrie loved sex… lots of it, and she didn’t discriminate. Black or white, man or woman, large or small, it didn’t matter to Kyrie. If there was an attraction, chemistry, or the right kind of equipment, she was game. She just loved getting off.
I, on the other hand, was much more selective. Kyrie often called me a prude, and I had to admit, she was kind of right. I’d only been with two men in my twenty-four years, and neither of them had made me want to bust out the whips and chains and get really dirty. I’d waited until I was twenty and in college before I’d even lost my virginity.
That’s why, when Kyrie asked me to come work at the club for a night, I’d laughed until my sides hurt.
“I’m being serious,” Kyrie said with a huff as she hit me upside the head with a pillow. “We don’t have enough girls for the Harem scene, and my boss said they’d be willing to pay double to anyone we found to fill in for the night. As in, both of us would be paid double… as long as you pass their exam and sign the non-disclosure. That’s cash money in your pocket when you leave.”
“How much?” I asked when I finally caught my breath. Not that I’d actually been considering it, but Kyrie knew I needed money.
I was behind on my rent, phone, cable, and car insurance. Being a secretary at a law firm didn’t pay enough to cover my bills and my shopping habit. I knew I needed to grow up and start prioritizing, but I’d dug myself into such a deep hole, that I was having a hard time getting back on my feet.
“Ten grand for the night,” she answered, and I nearly choked.
“For one night?” I asked, with disbelief.
“Yup.”
“What would I have to do?”
I couldn’t believe I was even asking, but ten grand would be enough for my bills, and then some.
“I’ll take you in to get tested and sign the NDA. Once you’re cleared, we’ll get you fitted for your costume. Then, you show up Saturday night, meet up with everyone else in the dressing room and get ready. We’ll all head to the room together and get set up. Once we’re set, they’ll let in the client and it’ll be showtime.”
“Showtime?” I asked, my stomach clenching as my mind raced.
Could I really do this?
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” Kyrie assured me. “A few of the girls will be playing part of the harem and just watching those of us who want to participate. You can be one of the girls watching.”
Kyrie put her hand on my arm, causing me to lift my eyes from the pillowcase I was squeezing to look into her brilliant blue ones.
“The clients are screened as well, and you have nothing to fear. They cannot touch you without permission. You’ll be in lingerie, but will be wearing a traditional headdress with a face veil, so no one ever needs to know who you are.”
I thought about what I might see, or be asked to do, and then I thought about what it would feel like to be caught up on my bills and rent.
I could start being smarter with my money, actually use a budget, and not have this stress every month when everything came due again.
“No one can touch me without permission?” I clarified.
“Not even a handshake,” Kyrie promised.
“Okay, I’ll do it.”
“Yes!” Kyrie exclaimed as she bounced on my bed. “You won’t regret this, I promise. You might even have fun and want to join me there full time.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I said with a laugh. “Let’s get through this night first.”
That had been five days ago. I’d passed the medical exam, and signed the NDA. Now all I had to do was go to the dressing room, put on my costume, and watch people have sex.
That shouldn’t be too difficult, right?
Chapter 2
“You look amazing,” Kyrie gushed as she circled me.
She looked sexy as hell in her sapphire blue babydoll lingerie with matching headdress. She didn’t have her face covered yet, so her wide grin told me just how happy she was that I was there.
“Thanks,” I said, pulling on the hem of my outfit. It was the exact same as Kyrie’s, except it was in a pretty emerald green. All of the harem girls were wearing the same lingerie in different jewel tones. Although I could admit they were beautiful, I wished they covered a little more skin.
“Aren’t actual women in harems covered from head to toe, with only their eyes showing?” I asked as Kyrie ushered me down the hall.
“Yeah, sure, but we are providing a fantasy here, so although our faces will be mostly covered, the client still wants to see our bodies.”
“Do you know who the client is?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t some man old enough to remind me of my grandfather.
“Not his name or anything,” she replied. “But, word is he’s young and hot. Ex military, who went on to contract for the government. He’s only been to the club a couple of times before, but this is his first private fantasy.”
I nodded, glad that it would be some normal guy, and not some scary old guy with a fetish.
Still, how normal could the guy be if he was hiring a bunch of women to fulfill a harem fantasy? I shook the negative thought out of my head. Who was I to judge? After all, I was getting paid handsomely just to watch.
This guy was actually my financial savior…
We walked into a room at the end of a long, dark corridor. It was bigger than I was expecting. More elaborate. There were big, soft chairs, colorful fabrics adorning the walls, and the largest bed I’d ever seen. The bed was surrounded by see-through netting.
“Wow,” I breathed in awe as I took in the space.
“Pretty awesome, huh?” Kyrie said, giving me a shoulder bump. “They really do it up right for these fantasies.”
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