by London Hale
“Bailey.”
“Yeah?” I looked up to find my date staring at me as if I’d missed something, which apparently, I had. “Sorry, I was thinking of…ferry schedules. What did you ask?”
“I was wondering if you wanted to head back to your place for a while. Maybe rent a movie or something?”
Oh, hell no. Nope. Not happening. One, I would never invite a virtual stranger back to my place. He could be an ax murderer, and I had the safety of a little boy to think about even though he wasn’t there at the moment. Two, Josh might just shit a brick if I came strolling in with some guy.
Josh…he’d seemed a little pissed earlier when I’d said I was going on a date, and I could only assume he didn’t want me bringing strange men into his home. I mean, I hadn’t really dated since moving to the island because I spent most of my time with Max, but what else could it be? Josh definitely wasn’t jealous—the man hadn’t even come close to making a move in the eighteen months I’d been in his home. I would have remembered that. Remembered, surrendered, and enjoyed every damn second of it. He might not have crossed the line of professionalism in reality, but I had in my mind many times. Which reminded me, I’d need to make a stop on the way home. Time to lose the non-date.
“My employer doesn’t allow me to have guests this late,” I lied easily, cocking my head and scrunching my brow in a way I’d picked up from Max. “Besides, the last ferry of the night leaves in twenty minutes. The bridge would take you out of your way by almost an hour.”
“Shit, yeah. I forgot about the ferry.” He frowned and glanced out the window at the quickly darkening sky. “See? Island living again. I tried to tell my cousin a chick living on Temperance Falls was geographically undesirable, but she was sure we’d get along and it’d be worth it.”
I gritted my teeth, holding back how much this date wasn’t worth it. “Yeah, I can understand that. How about we just get the bill and head out? Wouldn’t want you to miss the ferry.”
“Cool. You don’t mind going dutch, right?”
Ten minutes and the most uncomfortable hug in the history of my life later, I was free. Let Darren/Darien/Damon head back to the mainland—I would rather spend my time on the island I’d grown to love.
As I headed to my favorite store just off the main business strip, I let my mind circle back around to Josh and his attitude earlier. Had I not known him better, I would have sworn he’d been jealous. But that wasn’t a possibility, no matter how much I would have liked it. Hot Josh all angry and jealous because I was going out with another guy? Total fantasy material right there. I bet he’d get a little rough with me if that were the case, maybe pick me up and press me against the wall as he demanded I be his and his alone. He’d press that huge cock of his against me and rock his hips until I was a writhing, needy mess. Maybe he’d even be able to make me come. No other partner ever had, but they’d all been boys. Josh was a man and a doctor. I bet he knew stuff. Sex stuff. The kinds of tricks that could make a girl lose her damn mind.
Yeah, that sounded about right.
I nearly jogged the last block to my destination, desperate to get my hands on something new and exciting before heading home. This part of town wasn’t exactly a nighttime hot spot save for one place. The garish red lighting in the window set it apart from the dark and shuttered businesses around it, bright enough to reach the church right across the street. Funny, really. A church lit by the lights of the local sex shop.
I yanked the door open and stepped inside, already calmer. Harper, the owner, and her staff never judged me on my quest for the perfect toy. Hell, they kept catalogs and industry mailings for me so I could check out all the latest and greatest toys on the market. Most failed miserably, but every now and again, I managed to get my hands on a winner. I could only hope the latest one I’d ordered was part of the latter.
“Nanny Bailey, you’re looking a little flushed already.” Harper leaned over the counter, her long hair trailing over her bare shoulders in a way that probably caught the attention of most of the men on the island, her cleavage practically begging to be looked at. If Josh was the favorite masturbation fodder for half the island, Harper was the same for the other half. The woman practically screamed sex with every breath. “What’s got you so worked up?”
I shrugged, bouncing on my toes in excitement. “Genesis called earlier and said my new one was in.”
Harper laughed, the husky sound nearly sending shivers down my spine. “It did. I’ve got it right here.”
She pulled a box out from behind the counter and handed it over. The cardboard was smooth to the touch, and the box heavier than you’d expect. I ran a finger over the picture on the cover, tracing the curve of the pink vibrator she’d ordered special from Sweden. This was supposed to be the absolute best new model. Long, but not too long, curved to give you that G-spot stimulation. It had little vibrating nubs at the base to keep your clit happy and a rocking motor with fifteen settings for the ultimate in personal pleasure. In a word, it was…
“Pretty.”
Harper chuckled again. “I swear, Bailey. You look at vibrators the way I look at chocolate.”
“I just want one that works in a reasonable amount of time. Is that too much to ask?”
“No, though maybe something of the human variety would flip your switch a little better.”
“Yeah, sure.” I huffed and grabbed my wallet. “You find me a man willing to perform an hour of foreplay, and I’ll test out your theory.”
She raised an eyebrow, pinning me with a serious look. “Honey, if they aren’t willing to work to give you yours, they don’t deserve to get theirs.”
“Exactly. Hence, the need for a good toy.”
As Harper rang up my sale—and holy hell would I need to get a second job soon if I kept spending so much on chasing my own orgasm—I flipped the box to read the back. Medical-grade silicone, stronger motor than battery-operated models, and discreet charging station that I could tuck back on the top shelf in my closet so little boys didn’t stumble upon it and ask questions. It looked perfect…but looks could be deceiving.
This was the eighteenth time I’d thought I’d found perfection in a sex toy. Only two had even come close. Still, playing with toys, even ones that didn’t get me off, had been far better experiences than actual sex. I wasn’t kidding Harper when I’d said I needed a man who’d give me an hour of foreplay—my vagina was a hard one to win over, and my clit tended to be awfully particular. I’d never even come close to orgasm from actual penetration, and most guys didn’t have the patience to help me out for as long as it took.
They weren’t all assholes—I mean, some would even use a toy on me to try to help—they just never understood how hard it was for me to climax. They’d get frustrated, and I’d get to the point where I just didn’t want to deal with it anymore, which was why not dating for over a year wasn’t a big deal in my mind. I’d been tired of disappointing sexual encounters by the time I was nineteen. At twenty-two, my personal mantra was thank God for silicone.
“This one’s a lot more than your past purchases,” Harper said, frowning as she took the credit card from me.
“I know, but if it works, it’ll be worth every penny.” I could only hope. Being a nanny wasn’t exactly the sort of job where you got rich.
“How about we make a deal?” she said. “You try it out and give me a full rundown—I’m talking play-by-play details so I know how to sell the thing—and I’ll give you an employee discount.”
I did love a sale. “Would anyone know it was me recommending it?”
“No. I’d keep your name out of it.”
“Then sure, why not?”
“Great.” She pressed a button on the register, and the total dropped by close to a third. “I can’t tell you how many other ladies on the island have similar problems to yours.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Though some of it is needing an attentive partner, I have to admit. Still, unable to reach climax?
That’s just unhealthy. Everyone needs a release now and again.”
“Don’t I know it.” My mind immediately shot back to Josh. How did he find his release? He hadn’t dated in all the time I’d lived in his house, at least not that I knew of. Maybe he was getting it on at the hospital or something, a thought that made my stomach hurt. Truth be told, if he brought home another woman, I’d be heartbroken. Not that I had any right to be, but still. That would hurt. It was one thing to think maybe someday, and another to know there wasn’t a chance.
“All set.” Harper handed me back my card and pulled a bag from under the counter. The bell over the door rang just as I was tucking my card back into my wallet. I didn’t think much of it or the box in my other hand. The box with the large, hot pink vibrator on the cover. The box I held almost at shoulder height as I delved into my purse with my other hand. Nope, didn’t think about it at all.
Until I looked up to find Josh standing five feet away from me, staring at the box in my hand as if he’d just seen a ghost.
Turned out my right hand wasn’t going to cut it. Not when Bailey was out with some twenty-two-year-old dipshit who probably didn’t even know how to find a clit. Being surrounded by a house that emitted her scent everywhere I turned wasn’t working—not tonight. I needed a distraction, and I knew exactly where to find one.
Living the life of a single dad meant I didn’t get to Sin, the local adult toy store, very often—or ever. I’d driven by, of course. Had even walked past a time or two, but I’d never ventured inside. The heavily tinted windows afforded the patrons privacy—or as much privacy as one could expect while visiting a sex shop in Temperance Falls.
But, really, no one would have to know I went. It probably wasn’t even busy. I could go in, grab a college coed movie, and be on my way. If the woman in the video resembled a certain raven-haired nanny being fucked within an inch of her life by a sexually frustrated doctor? Well, all the better.
As I stepped inside, the bell on the door announcing my arrival, I was surprised at how welcoming the space was. While it wasn’t brightly lit, it also wasn’t dark and seedy. The lighting was random but deliberate, creating a mood in and of itself. I was so busy cataloging everything around me at a single glance—the racks of upscale lingerie, the well-maintained display cases of varying toys—I didn’t notice anyone else right away.
Until I heard her voice.
My head snapped in the direction of the cash register, where Harper Davis, the owner of Sin, stood behind the counter ringing someone up. And, fuck me running, but that someone was Bailey. I’d recognize that ass anywhere. There she was—my hot as fuck nanny who’d invaded my every wet dream—standing in the middle of Sin. She held a box in her hand—the vibrant picture on the front proclaiming the contents to be a giant pink cock—raised in the air like she didn’t care who saw what kind of naughty things she got up to in the bedroom.
Jesus. She was the last person I’d expected to see here, and yet now that I had? I couldn’t stop the questions from coming fast and furious. Did she come here often? Was this her first toy? Or was she well-versed in this area? Did she have more at home? Had she used them while I was right next door, seeking release with only my hand?
A dozen images flipped through my mind at that thought. Bailey on her bed, legs spread, pink cock in hand as she teased her clit. Bailey on her knees, face pressed against a pillow and ass up in the air as she slowly fucked herself with the toy. Bailey—
Was looking right at me.
Wide, embarrassed eyes met mine before darting over to the box she still held in the air. “Josh.” Her voice was soft and breathless. “I…we…this isn’t what it looks li—”
“Welcome to Sin,” Harper called to me as she plucked the box from Bailey’s hand and dropped it into a bag. “Let me know if you need any help or have any questions.”
I flicked my eyes behind Bailey to give Harper a brief nod, but all I could focus on was Bailey’s words. This wasn’t what it looked like? It looked like she was in a sex shop on her first date. And if that wasn’t what it was, that was completely fucking fine with me.
“Either your date is going extremely well, or extremely shitty.” With a quick glance, I surveyed the rest of the shop, noticing another woman in the back corner, but otherwise, the store was clear. Please let her be here by herself.
“Went. Past tense.” She sighed and shifted on her feet, smoothing her hair away from her face. “As in, my date has left the island.”
I tried not to let my relief show in my body language, but there was no denying the way the knot in my stomach released—nor was there any hiding the way everything below my belt tightened. No date meant Bailey had no intention of using that toy with anyone but herself. And, fuck me, but those images were going to be the only thing I needed to get some release tonight. A movie with a college coed had nothing on Bailey, even if she was only in my mind.
“I’m sorry you didn’t have a good time.” I tried to put the right amount of sincerity in my voice, though I was anything but sorry.
She let out a soft huff. “Don’t be. I never thought I’d be so relieved to be geographically undesirable.”
What kind of jackasses was she going out with? Blind idiots, obviously. “Anyone who thinks you’re undesirable in any way, shape, or form isn’t worth your time, Bailey.”
“That’s what I keep telling her,” Harper said. “Bailey’s a catch.” She lifted a brow at me. “But something tells me you already know that.”
I hoped she didn’t expect a response to that, because what could I say? Yeah, I did know that. I also knew I was a shit for knowing it. That it was inappropriate as fuck, lusting after not only my nanny, but my seventeen years my junior nanny.
“Here you go, hon,” she said to Bailey, handing over the bag containing my spank bank material for the next three years.
“Thanks, Harper.”
Harper’s voice softened, but not so much that I couldn’t hear it from where I stood. “Hey, what you said earlier? About patience? I think what you need might be right under your nose, if you’d just take the leap.”
Bailey glanced back over her shoulder at me, then turned back to Harper. “I’m not that lucky.”
“Oh, I think you just might be. Trust me.” Harper walked around the counter and hooked an arm around Bailey’s, guiding her closer to me. “I know you haven’t had a chance to look around,” she said to me, “but since you two seem to know each other, I hope you don’t mind my asking. Bailey walked tonight, and I have a thing about letting my friends leave from here once it’s dark. Be a doll and give her a ride?”
I had to be fabricating the lilt in her voice, right? Because that sure as hell sounded a lot like a double entendre to me, especially when combined with the sassy smirk she shot my way.
Without waiting for an answer from either of us, Harper pressed hands to our backs and guided us toward the door. Honestly, the last thing I needed right now was Bailey in the enclosed space of my car, but there was no fucking way I was letting her walk home by herself. That asshole she’d been out with hadn’t even made sure she got home safely? He was lucky he was on the fucking ferry or we’d be having words.
With a nod in Harper’s direction, I directed Bailey out the door with a hand at the small of her back, trying like hell to ignore the sexy little gasp she gave at the touch. My Land Rover was right out front, and I stepped ahead of her to open the door for her. As I walked around the back to my side, I tried to talk my dick down, but it was no use. I was in a permanent state of granite cock around Bailey.
It was only a five-minute car ride home, but it might as well have been an hour. I white-knuckled the steering wheel the entire drive, the tension in the car nearly enough to choke on.
“So…” I said into the uncomfortable silence of the car. “We don’t have to mention—”
“I just need you to know that I’ve never taken Max anywhere near that place, and I don’t…do anything when I’m on work time. Ever.
I keep everything well-hidden so he doesn’t—”
I held up a hand to stop her. “I didn’t even consider that, Bailey. I never worry about your judgment where Max is concerned.”
She blew out a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing with the exhale. “Okay. Good. That was just so very awkward, and I wanted to be sure.”
“You don’t need to say anything more. Whatever you do on your time is your business.” Business my cock was very interested in, but there wasn’t anything either of us could do about that. I shifted in my seat, hoping to God the interior was dark enough to conceal the way my cock was trying to bust through my zipper.
“You didn’t get to buy anything.”
I let out a pained laugh. “Oh, believe me, it was a productive trip even if I didn’t buy anything.”
She cocked her head to the side as she stared at me. “And how’s that?”
“I—” I shook my head, my fingers tightening even further on the steering wheel. “I don’t think it’d be appropriate for me to say, Bailey.”
“You just watched me buy a fluorescent pink, dick-shaped vibrator, Josh. Pretty sure we left appropriate a few blocks back.”
“It was awkward, not inappropriate. Those are very different. Believe me.”
“I guess, though no matter the word, it was pretty awful.” She turned her head away from me, glancing out the window as the neighborhood flew by. “It’s not every day your boss finds out you have to get your orgasms from a battery-operated boyfriend.”
Oh Jesus, why was she still talking about this? I was going to come in my goddamn jeans like a fourteen-year-old. “Yeah, well, I get mine in hurried shower sessions with my right hand, so I think we’re even.”