UNPLUGGED: a standalone novel

by LK Collins

  “Oh yeah, I forgot you’ve been used to those sub-zero temperatures.”

  It feels so good that I take my coat off. Walking up to his car he unlocks the doors and opens mine. Sitting on the passenger seat is a huge bouquet of flowers. “Why, thank you,” I tell him as I get comfy in his sleek Mercedes, smelling the gorgeous flowers.

  “My pleasure.” He tosses my bag in the trunk and then opens his door, unbuttoning his coat before he gets in. “I was gonna bring them in, but I wanted to have my hands free.”

  “So what’s the plan?” I ask and he backs out of the parking place.

  “Sex, food, sex, food, sex, food. That work with you?”

  “Of course, but I’m hungry now.” Reaching over, I rub my hand over his shaft; his dick is already hard, and he says, “By all means, eat away, baby.”

  ***

  “You said you didn’t cook.” I glare at Merritt as he pulls some food out of the fridge.

  “No, I told you, I order in more often than not. But I love to cook when I have someone to cook for.”

  I smile, sipping on a glass of wine as he prepares our dinner. “So no meat at all for you?”

  “Nope.”

  “Have you always been a vegetarian?”

  “I have. My parents are, it’s how I was raised.”

  “Have you ever tried meat?”

  “Yeah, and I really don’t like how it tastes.”

  “Except for mine?” He cocks his eyebrows at me and grabs his dick through his pants.

  “Yes, except for yours.” I kiss his neck and refill my glass, looking around his house. “Have you lived here for long?”

  “A few years.”

  “Always alone?”

  “Yes,” he answers, and I hate to have asked, but I can’t imagine him being all alone in this huge glass house on the water. I’d figured he shared it with an ex or something.

  Getting lost in the view, he wipes his hands dry and asks me, “What are you thinking?”

  “Nothing. It’s gorgeous here.”

  “It is. The view is even better with you in it.”

  I smirk over my shoulder at him, and he says, “Just speaking the truth. Dinner should be done in a bit. Do you want to go sit out back?”

  “Sure.” He takes my hand and guides me onto the deck. The air is still surprisingly warm, and I love it. I can’t seem to get enough. We sit together on the outdoor sofa, and I ask him, “Did you ever confront the intern?”

  “Hell no!”

  I laugh and almost spit my sip of wine out. “Why not? I thought you were going to.”

  “I was, but then her boyfriend came and picked her up for lunch, and I don’t know. Maybe it wasn’t her in there. I didn’t see her face.”

  “We could spy on them?” I joke, and he laughs. “No way, I don’t think we’ll leave at all this weekend, plus, he’s back home in California.”

  “Why does he live there?”

  “It’s where our main hub is. He’s always traveling so he’s all over.”

  “Why do you really put up with him? Even though he’s going to one day give you the company, is it really worth it?”

  He finishes his wine and says to me, “What other choice do I have? I’m too old to play basketball, and if I tried to go anywhere else like Ari did, he’d make my life hell. So I play along and do what I can to prove I’m ready to take on the company.”

  “You really want it that bad, huh?”

  “I do, more than anything…except you.” His words bring a part of me to life. I know how much running the company means to him, so for him to want me more than that is something special.

  “Yeah?” I ask.

  “Yup, and I think because I turned down my dreams of basketball, I have to make this work. I can’t fail.”

  I see his point—he’s following a dream that one day will pay off because he let go of his real passion when he didn’t pursue basketball. But I also hate to see the shit he has to go through to get there. It’s like when his dad says “jump,” Merritt will bitch, but then he’ll say, “how high?” and do whatever his dad wants and that is not the man that Merritt is.

  Chapter 32

  Merritt

  Dragging my tongue over her sensitive skin, she writhes beneath me, trying to see around the room, but the blindfold keeps everything dark.

  “I didn’t say you could move.” My voice is laced with passion. I have each of her hands bound to her ankles spreading her wide and helpless on my bed.

  I love playing with her and controlling her. I also love how willing and accepting Quinn is, too. She doesn’t judge me and is not scared, which I need in life.

  In most of my relationships, the moment I’ve tried to show this side, women freak; they are not accepting in the slightest. But not Quinn. From the moment I blindfolded her or tied her to the bed, she was willing and compliant, and now here she is again, powerless, letting me have all of the control.

  Flicking my tongue over her clit, I tease her again, and this time, I tell her, stopping for a brief moment. “You can come now.”

  It’s not but another few seconds, and she’s screaming my name, coming hard.

  Her pussy now so wet that I can’t wait to fuck her. Pulling away, I take the blindfold off, her sexy eyes find mine, and I grip each of her ass cheeks as I nudge myself inside her.

  “Fuck, you’re tight,” I murmur, her pussy so constricting that it lights my insides up.

  Looking down at my dick, the veins are bulging as I move in and out of her. God, this is intense. Maybe it’s this angle. I watch our bodies and the point where they connect, her pussy lips spread wide, eating me up. I’d planned on fucking her ass tonight, and I still could ‘cause she has my shaft so wet that I’d have no problem going in, but this is too good. Taking my thumb, I stick it in her mouth. She sucks and bites it, crying out in pleasure as she takes all of me. And then I pull it away, rubbing around the rim of her ass, “Yes,” she begs me, and I finger her while I blast a heavy load deep inside her tight slit.

  She comes again, her entire body fighting the restraints, and I love to see her so hot and horny, giving over to the pleasure of what we are together. Our connection is explosive, and I hope this is just the beginning of more times like this.

  Pulling my cock from her, she is exhausted, but I could go again. I remove the straps from her wrists and can tell she’s gonna bruise. “You can’t fight that hard, baby,” I tell her and kiss the tender skin on her arm.

  “It feels so good, though; it makes everything so much more intense.”

  “You like it then, being tied up and helpless?”

  “Yes, more than I could’ve ever imagined.”

  “Have you ever done anything like this with a guy before?”

  “Hell, no. I’d be scared and running for the hills.”

  “You didn’t run tonight.”

  “‘Cause there’s nothing you could do that could make me run.”

  “Thank God, ‘cause I would’ve chased you naked.”

  She rolls over in my arms, looking me in the eye and says, “Who knew when we met and I thought all men were dicks, that this is where we’d be?”

  “You didn’t ever think I was a dick, though. You just wanted mine and didn’t know how to handle it. Miss Unplugged-From-The-World, guarding your heart and all.”

  “Hey,” her eyebrows scrunch as she pouts a little, “I was hurt, and you…you know if I think about it, you took advantage of me. You knew it and still pursued me. I haven’t quite given in to you, Merritt. ”

  “Yes, you have, and you know it. Underneath it all, I could smell the freak inside of you wanting out.”

  We laugh at our little banter, and I hold her tightly against my chest. Her face squished against me, and I close my eyes, owning this moment, this solitude because in just a couple of quick days…she’ll be gone, and we’ll both be miserable being away from each other…again.

  Chapter 33

  Quinn

  Waking up
in Merritt’s bed, he’s lying next to me, watching me sleep and has the sexiest grin on his face. “Morning,” he says through a smile and kisses me.

  “Morning. What time is it?”

  He grabs his phone and says, “Nine thirty.”

  “You been up long?”

  “Yeah, for a little while. I handled some fires at work and thought we could get out.”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “You ever been horseback riding?”

  “No, why?”

  “Wanna give it a try today?”

  “Merritt, are you a cowboy deep down?” I tease him. “Hidden beneath all those sexy layers is there a man that craves the open range?”

  “No, ma’am,” he shakes his head and hops out of bed, completely naked. His ass cheeks flex with every step.

  “I’m calling your bluff!” I holler out, and he walks out of his closet only wearing a cowboy hat as he struts to the shower.

  “I knew it!”

  He smirks over his shoulder at me, getting in the shower, and I step over his hat that he tossed on the floor to follow him.

  After a very thorough washing and fucking, I think I might have to skip horseback riding. My pussy is sore from so much sex. He’s an animal; there really are no limits.

  On the drive, I ask him, “So, are these horses yours?”

  “Kinda. They were my mom’s. They were her pride and joy before she passed.”

  “I’m sorry, Merritt, I had no idea she was gone.”

  “It’s okay; she passed when I was a teenager. Sometimes, I feel like I know the horses better than I knew her.”

  “How did she pass?” I hate to ask but have to know.

  “Cancer, it came fast and took her quickly. That’s when my dad changed. Without her, he became a prick. So cold and closed off to the rest of the world. I thought it was his way of grieving and that as time went on it would get better, but it didn’t.”

  “Is that also why you didn’t pursue your basketball dreams?”

  “It is; I was hoping if we worked together that things would get back to how they used to be…but that never happened. We grew further apart and honestly seeing him with our intern the other night disgusted me. My mom would’ve been appalled had she caught him with someone so young.”

  “Well, I’m sure she’d be proud of the man that you’ve become.”

  “I hope so, Quinn.”

  He pulls down a dirt road. The dust morphs around us, and I can feel the sun heating me through the windshield. We have the air on low, and in Colorado, you wouldn’t imagine running your AC this time of year.

  Up ahead is a large barn surrounded by acres and acres of open land. There are quite a few horses all over, and as he parks his car in front of a barn, he says to me, “There they are.”

  Looking inside, I see two white horses peering out at us. “The white ones?” I ask and point.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He hops out of the car and places his hat on his head. I laugh at his polite Texas boy “ma’am” and follow behind him, loving the way his ass looks in his jeans.

  “Merritt!” an older man exclaims, riding up on a horse himself.

  “John, how are you, sir?” he asks, and they shake hands.

  “Very well, son.”

  “Good. This is Quinn, my…” he trails off, introducing me and I jump in, the words spilling from my lips. “Girlfriend, I’m his girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you, John.” The man tips his hat, leaning down to kiss my knuckles as I extend my hand up to him.

  “Likewise.” His lips are dry, but I can see there is no harm in the interaction.

  Merritt’s eyes are all over me, and I’m sure it’s because of what I just said. We haven’t really spoken much more about what the future looks like, but when I think about it, I want to be his and I want him to be mine. “The girls are all suited up and ready for ya,” John says.

  “Great, thank you.”

  Then he turns on his horse, and Merritt and I walk into the barn.

  “Girlfriend?” he asks me.

  “Yeah, is that a problem?”

  “No,” he blurts out, “No problem at all.”

  The horses are so curious to see us, like two children meeting new friends.

  “This is Bell, and this is Tink.”

  “Like the Disney characters?”

  “Yup, my mom was a huge fan.”

  Merritt opens the half door to their stall, and I follow him in. He pets both of their noses, and you can see right away they know him very well, and I stand not sure what to do. He takes my hand and places it on Bell’s nose, her eyes look deep into mine, so trusting and loving. Gently I begin to pet her the way he is.

  “Here, touch Tink, too. We’ve gotta see which one you connect with.”

  As I stand with both of my hands planted firmly on the horses’ noses, I rub between their eyes and Merritt moves behind me, holding my body close to his.

  “What do you think, girls?” he asks talking to the horses. “Really, you sure?”

  “What did they say?” I ask, acting concerned as I play along with him.

  “They both agreed…that you’re gonna need to ride me.”

  Chapter 34

  Merritt

  “Is there anything I could do to convince you to stay?” I ask Quinn.

  “You’d have to take me hostage at this point. I have a big client at work next week that I’m taking the lead on.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. Your parents won’t come looking for you for at least a week.”

  “Stop it. Remember what you said last time—it’s only four days.”

  Holding on to the sides of her gorgeous face, I hear her words, but making myself believe them is a whole other story. I’ve grown to depend on our time together. Every interaction is so amazing.

  “After what you said at the barn, I want you to know now you’re mine, no more bullshit, no more wavering back and forth scared you’re gonna end up hurt. If I want to fly to Denver to fuck you and leave, then I will, or if I want you at my house for the weekend, it’s gotta happen. I need to know you’re all right with that, okay?

  She nods and gives me a huge smile. “Tell me,” I order her.

  “Okay.”

  Pulling me closer to her, she kisses my neck, hugging me hard. Then they make a last boarding call for her flight, and I hate that she has to go. Yes, it’s a little overboard, but I bought a ticket too, so I could be with her for as long as possible. I don’t know what it is about her, but the woman is driving me crazy.

  “I should go.”

  “Thank you for everything, Quinn.” I kiss her again, her indulgent lips so smooth against mine. “Call me as soon as you land?”

  She stands and I pull her down to me, kissing her once more, then I watch her walk to the attendant, her ass staring back at me, reminding me of how amazing it was to fuck. And then…she’s gone.

  Standing up, I look out the window at her plane and know I need to go, or hell, I might just get on it. Walking towards the exit, I spot a bar and decide to stop and have a drink.

  “I’ll have a whiskey on the rocks, please.”

  The bartender pours my drink and asks me, “You coming or going?”

  “Huh?” I respond, in a daze, already missing Quinn.

  “You flying in or out of here?”

  “Oh, I live here, just dropped my girlfriend off.”

  He nods and helps another customer. Drowning my sorrows in the alcohol, I pull out my phone as it vibrates. Gonna power down, thank you for everything this weekend, babe.

  Fly safe, baby. I hit send and set my empty glass down; the bartender refills it, and I exhale heavily. She’s mine, and it’s only four days…I can do this.

  Chapter 35

  Quinn

  Hugging Kami as I meet her for a cup of coffee, she looks so cute all dressed up for her interview. “Are you nervous?” I ask her.

  “Yeah, a little…I guess.”

  “Don’t be, you know
you got this.”

  “I hope so.”

  “So how are things with Jacob?”

  She smiles, sipping on her coffee and says, “Really good. We’re trying to have a baby.”

  “Shut up. How exciting! When did you decide this?”

  “In Steamboat. I forgot my pills when we went up there, and we talked about things, and we’re both ready.”

  Leaning over, I give my friend a big hug, so happy for her. “So you’re like trying-trying?”

  “Uh huh.”

  “Wow, that is so awesome. You’ve gotta keep me updated, girl.”

  “I will; so…how are things with Merritt?”

  “Good.” I sound like a schoolgirl—my voice changes a pitch as butterflies take over my stomach. “It’s just so hard to be away from him every week.”

  “But you see him on the weekends, right?”

  “I do, and even though it’s all so new, there’s something about him, and us…the relationship is like nothing I’ve ever had. For the first time in my life, it feels real—genuine.”

  “Oh Quinn, I’m so happy for you, and what a great snag, he’s super hot.”

  “You have no idea. I was at his house this weekend—”

  “He lives in Texas, right?”

  “Yeah. And he has this cowboy hat, which is totally not my thing, but when he calls me ‘ma’am’ and wears it, I swear I lose all control. We even did anal,” I whisper and look around making sure no one heard me.

  “Really? How was it?”

  “So good. I was scared it was gonna hurt, but it was the total opposite.”

  “Damn, girl. I’m getting hot just thinking about it.”

  We laugh like a couple of giggly teenagers and then she checks the time, “Oh God, I’ve gotta go.”

  “Good luck, sweetie.” I hug her tightly as she walks to the elevator banks and I head back over to my building. On the way, I call Merritt.

  “I was just thinking about you,” he answers in such a sexy tone.

  “Yeah, what about?”

  “Hmmm, let me close my door.” I hear the door latch, and then he says, “I was thinking about your ass. Fuck, I loved it.”