by Piper Rayne
Mr. M: I’m leaving for Seattle, and I won’t come back until Diego is ready to go home.
Well, they say to be careful what you wish for. I breathe a little easier knowing that I’m not losing my job for now. However, I don’t see any promise that they won’t fire me after I teach them my procedures.
Siobhan: Should I be searching for a new job?
Mr. M: Girl, you need to stop doubting yourself. I told you once and I’ll tell you again, this job is yours for as long as you want it.
Siobhan: Thank you.
Mr. M: Make sure to keep those boys in line. Nydia knows how to handle them. They can be rowdy.
Siobhan: I’ll keep an eye on them.
Nydia and I decide to take a break from everything, even cooking. Against her wishes, I place our food order at the sports bar. She offers to come and pick it up with me. As we walk through Luna Lane, I ask, “How is it possible that Iskander is Mr. Matthew's nephew?”
“Who knows? Their father calls him Uncle Gary. They’ve always called him Uncle Gary. I did until I became an adult and realized we aren’t related,” she explains.
Every day I’m more and more confused about his relationship with Diego Cantú. Are they friends, brothers…maybe they are lovers, and they don’t want anyone to find out? It’s possible.
“What are you thinking?”
I shrug. “They live next to each other. They are partners in everything. It’s weird, don’t you think?”
“You’re looking too much into it,” she says, almost laughing. “Is that a way to deflect the fact that you’re highly attracted to his nephew? You had your fun. Move on and be happy.”
“It was a one-time thing,” I say with conviction.
I hope I’m convincing her because my body doesn’t want to stick with the new program.
No sex with Iskander.
Never again.
“You could’ve ordered food from the diner and avoided him,” Nydia warns me. “He is going to be there.”
She is correct, but on the other hand, “It’s not like I can avoid him for long.”
“There’s that.”
When we arrive, there’s a guy at the hostess desk. “Table for two?” he asks, then looks at Nydia and says, “I heard you had grown. I couldn’t believe it, but look at you.”
“Efren,” she mumbles, looking around the restaurant like she got caught stealing an art piece at the museum and there’s no escape. “You guys are here.”
“He’s not here,” he states. “Myka and Mane won’t be here for a few weeks.”
She nods a couple of times, but her eyes are glued to the bar. I can’t drag her there to grab our bag, but just like her, I don’t want to be here longer than necessary.
“We’re here to pick up an order for—”
“Siobhan,” Iskander interrupts me, handing me a takeout bag. “Can we talk?”
“No, you have work to do, and I am off,” I say with conviction.
My treacherous body is saying, you can go to the office and have just a little bit of fun.
“Efren and Fernando can handle everything while we’re in your office,” he states. “I need just a few minutes.”
“Go,” Nydia says, taking the bag with the food away from me. “If you don’t fix this mess today, you’re going to give yourself an ulcer.”
I make my way through the sports bar with my chin up and a smile in place. Some of the patrons greet me. I wave at them and clean some of the empty dishes and glasses as I spot them. Iskander takes some from me. “Do you ever rest?”
“Not often, but I try,” I say, placing everything I have in my arms in the gray tubs before we enter the office. Once the door is closed, I ask, “How can I help you?”
“I’m sorry,” he says, leaning against the door. “I’m not sorry about what happened between us. In my experience, that kind of chemistry is like Halley’s Comet. It happens once, maybe twice in a lifetime.”
“If I had known who you were, I wouldn’t have done it.”
“You had a rule, no names.”
“Still, maybe a heads up that you might be my boss would’ve been nice. I feel betrayed.”
“Listen, you’re an important employee. Abuelo always has good things to say about you. We don’t want to lose you, but I also want to pursue what’s happening between us.”
I cross my arms, zeroing my gaze on those whiskey-colored eyes. “You want a summer fling?”
“Is that it?” he shrugs. “I don’t know. We can make it anything we want. No promises, no expectations, just live by the moment. Isn’t that what life is? A collection of moments, breaths, and milestones. I can’t promise you anything but honesty.”
Honesty is something I don’t receive often. Especially from a man. Ronald promised a lot, but he was never honest with me. With Iskander, at least I know that it’ll end, but I can enjoy it. What can go wrong?
A lot. Your job is in jeopardy for once.
“It was a one-time thing,” I say.
He smiles at me. “You don’t have this kind of chemistry with just anyone. We should explore what’s happening between us.”
“I’m not a fan of flings, and I don’t believe in off-the-charts chemistry. It’s just a lie to have good sex with someone,” I say, pretending that I believe my bull shit.
He is right. Sex has never felt so good before.
“So maybe it’s you,” he suggests.
I touch the base of my neck. “It’s me?” I ask. “What did I do?”
“Listen, I’m thirty-four, and it’s never been this good for me,” he explains. “Either it’s the chemistry between us, or it was so fucking good because you’re…I have no idea how to describe it without sounding corny or creepy.”
“Why creepy?” I chuckle.
“What would you think if a guy says something like, ‘You’re the sunlight in a tunnel full of darkness,’ after knowing him for a few hours?”
He gives me a look that says, it doesn’t-make-sense.
“You’d be running far away from me or having me committed,” he explains. “I’d like to imagine that something special may develop as we get to know each other. That at some point, I can tell you that maybe you’re my destiny. Right now, it might be the endorphins talking.”
“Oh my heart,” I set my hands on my chest. “Did you learn to be such a great poet from Neruda?”
He grins. “No need to be sarcastic. Just let things happen. I’m not asking you to marry me or run away with me. It’s a sequence of dates.”
“Hotel and janitor closet dates?”
“No.” He extends his hand. “I’m Iskander Cantú. I own a consulting company, but at the moment, I’m tending to the family business. I don’t know what tomorrow will look like, but I can promise that I’ll be a good boss in the office. Outside the office, I want to be with you.”
“Are you married?” I know he’s not. His grandfather always complains that none of his grandchildren like to date, plan on getting married, or have children.
He shakes his head. “I wouldn’t have done what we did today if I were married.”
“Can I think about it?”
“But please, don’t quit.”
“Or sue you for sexual harassment?” I joke.
“I didn’t…” He holds his breath. “It wasn’t my intention.”
“I know. I was upset when I said I could do it.”
Something flashes in his eyes. “So, it wasn’t Nydia’s idea?”
I shake my head. “Nah, she wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“Do you think you can convince her to rent us the guest house?” he asks hopefully.
I shake my head. Why would I want him living next door to me? “See you later, Iskander.”
“How about a date tomorrow?”
I wave my hand and walk toward the exit. Can I be okay with just a summer fling?
Chapter Eight
Iskander
I don’t know one person that likes meetings.
I loathe them.
Yet, I’m the one that calls for a meeting every single fucking time. It’s self-torture. When it comes to my company, they are easy to handle. Having a meeting with my siblings is not ideal. I want to strangle them, even sweet little Myka.
“It’s too fucking early,” Fernando complains as he takes a seat in the conference room of the brewery. “What do you want from me? I have a call in two hours.”
“To convince another poor woman that she can get the guy?” Myka says, staring at the camera. Well, I’m guessing trying to stare at him. “You’re such a loser.”
“This loser makes more money than your little head can count,” Fernando retorts. “What do you want? Other than to gloat because you scored with the cute manager?”
“Shut the fuck up,” I warn him.
“Oh my gosh, Iskander!” Myka complains. “This is why I’m not coming. Every woman in Luna Harbor hates me because I’m related to you four. I could’ve made friends with Siobhan, but even if we get along, she’s going to stop talking to me when you dump her ass because you will.”
“It’s not what you think,” I defend myself.
“I’ve heard that before,” she groans. “Why are we here? I have work to do.”
“We need someone to take over the tattoo parlor. Uncle Gary said you and San could be in charge,” I state.
“Sanford?” Her high pitch voice almost breaks the glass of water in front of me. “Why are you mentioning him?”
“I’m bringing the guys,” Mane explains. “Beacon should be fine by then, and he can leave Baker’s Creek in a few months. We can use a change of scenery. You guys need free labor.”
“I’ll take the tattoo parlor. We don’t need San,” Myka, who is pretty territorial, states.
“He was an apprentice for Hawk Anderson, one of the best tattoo artists in Seattle,” Mane says. “You are scared of needles.”
“You know what, do whatever you want,” she states. “I’ll be ready in a month to take over the parlor. By myself. If one of you sleeps with another girl, I’ll cut your balls off.”
She closes her eyes and asks, “Is Nydia still in town?”
I nod. “She doesn’t want to see any of us.”
When she opens them, she says, “God, I don’t hate you four because we’re related, but I swear I’m going to make your life miserable if become the outcast of the town—again.”
She logs out. Mane doesn’t say a word. We all stare at him.
“Do we want to split responsibilities now or wait until everyone is here?” I ask, breaking the silence.
“Sure, let’s wait,” he says, hanging up.
“I’m in charge of the car shop,” Fernando says, tapping the table twice before standing up. “Today, I’m searching for a place to rent. I’m not going to live with you two idiots.”
“How about Mane?”
He shrugs. “I bet his band is already searching for a house. You know his hot manager likes to plan ahead. I wouldn’t worry about him.”
“Maybe he can get us a place. Talk to them,” I order. “Meeting adjourned and all that shit.”
I search for Siobhan. She’s in her office. “I’m picking you up tonight at five,” I say.
“Hello to you too,” she mumbles.
“I don’t want to interrupt you,” I say.
“What’s happening at five?”
I march close to her and say, “A date.” Then I kiss her on the cheek before I leave.
Siobhan
Iskander doesn’t just take me on a date to the sports bar. He takes me on a date to Seattle. He called in a few favors and got us in to Norin, one of the most exclusive restaurants in the area. We’re in the patio area under the blanket of stars illuminated by candle lights, drinking a bottle of Moët & Chandon.
“Thank you for”—I’m not sure what to call it—“dinner.”
“Date,” he says. “We’re on a date.”
“I haven’t agreed to this summer fling.”
“You can’t blame me for trying,” he states.
“Does everybody say yes to you?”
A smile plays on his lips. The mischievous glint in his eyes makes my heart skip a few beats. “Not really. I’m pretty persuasive. I learned at a young age that if you work hard for what you want, you obtain it. Here I am, wanting to spend more time with you. And hopeful that someday in the near future you’ll say yes to my proposal.”
“Dating my boss?” I laugh, “Such a cliché.”
He extends his hand, grabbing mine and squeezing it. “I could tell you more about myself. Like I have four siblings. I’m the oldest. We were born in Luna Harbor but left when I was almost nine. Dad wanted us to see the world.”
I laugh.
“What’s funny?”
“Some people leave Luna Harbor thinking there’s something better while others come to live here knowing this place is paradise,” I say.
“Is that why you moved to Luna Harbor?”
“In a way,” I confess. “I wanted to get off the hamster wheel. Having a farm where I could raise goats and make products from their milk sounded good at the time.”
He gives me a look.
“It sounds crazy, but it was a dream. Things worked out differently, and it’s okay. I like what I do and where I live,” I say, taking another sip of the champagne. “You know what they say, shoot for the moon, and you might land on a star.”
We eat and drink for the rest of the evening. When we arrive in Luna Harbor, he says, “What’s it going to take to get you to say yes?”
“I like to know what to expect,” I answer. “What do you think will happen if I say yes?”
He shakes his head. “I can’t guarantee anything. In my experience, life never goes the way you expect. My grandmother died when Dad was twenty. She had promised to be with Abuelo forever, but she didn’t know she was sick. Mom promised forever too, but she left us when I was eight.”
I cup his face. This is what’s under that arrogant smirk. A hurt boy who doesn’t think forever happens. Because it’s true.
People leave.
They move on.
Nothing is static, not even love.
You have to move on before you’re the one left behind.
I push myself on my tiptoes and press my lips against his. No one has ever been so honest with me. With Iskander, I know he’s not forever, but I can enjoy it before we both have to move away and continue with our lives.
“If I say yes?”
“I promise to be faithful until one of us decides it’s over,” he says. “We’re not looking for more than company, good sex, and getting to know each other, right?”
Chapter Nine
Siobhan
“Shall we go to the inn?” His voice is so close to my ear it sends shivers down the side of my neck.
God, I want his mouth against my throat.
Kissing me. Licking me. Fucking me.
“Yes,” I say with a raspy, needy tone I don’t recognize.
Once we’re in his room, he kisses me.
This time it’s with an intensity so beyond my wildest dreams. My nipples ache so bad with need. The need for his mouth and his hands. When his tongue traces my upper lip, I moan and slide my arms around his back to pull him even closer.
This heat between us is hotter than Saturday? I’m almost sure we’re about to set Luna Harbor on fire. Maybe not, but this man is an arsonist that’s about to burn every cell of my body.
His fingers slide across my cheek and into my hair. My heart kicks into a faster beat as he kisses me harder, deepening the kiss and drawing me closer to him. His taste, the feel of his hard muscles beneath my fingertips, and the scent of his body burn me from the inside out and sideways.
This kiss makes my knees weak. I’m thankful he’s holding me. He pushes me flat against the door, and I moan. He dusts kisses on my neck and my collarbone. My stomach flips as his lips travel across my body, from shoulder to shoulder.
I moan as he pres
ses his body closer to me, and I feel his hard length against my belly. I groan, wishing he was inside me. His lips crush against mine, and I rub myself against his leg, trying to get some relief. Wetness gathers between my legs. I’m dying to have him inside me.
His hand goes down my jeans, he kisses me hard, and I groan when his thumb finds my bud and his long finger enters my channel.
“You’re soaked,” he mumbles, pulling down the spaghetti straps of my top with his other hand as he keeps pumping inside me.
I shake.
The tension in my belly increases, need flooding me as he sends me closer to the edge. The tension escalates. I grind faster against his hand, wishing it was his cock I was riding. A climax explodes inside my body as the fast strokes suddenly release everything. I feel free, and I cry with pleasure.
This is mind-blowing but not enough. Even as I float, I begin to rip his clothes off. I can’t wait any longer. Once he’s naked, I take a moment to look at his body and take him all in, including his long, thick, wide, and delicious length. I lick my lips.
“You’re gorgeous,” he says, then reaches for my waist and carries me to the bed.
I’m the one who opens the condom this time and rolls it along his length. He shivers as I cup his balls. Iskander pushes me lightly before he positions himself between my legs, his length right in my entrance, his gaze capturing mine.
“Thank you for trusting me,” he declares as he pushes himself in slowly, inch by inch, filling not only my body but maybe my lonely soul.
Once he’s all the way in, he slants his mouth against mine and stops. We move slowly, gently, softly. Our bodies dance at the rhythm of our own music. I inhale his scent, letting it roll over my skin.
As his thrusts become faster and deeper, I grasp his shoulders, holding on tight. I’m on fire. We burn. The room becomes an inferno of pleasure. Moans, groans, the sound of skin against skin. Being filled by him is completely and utterly glorious.
The intensity escalates. He’s lifting me high, higher and back every time he pulls out and pumps back inside me. Filling me, opening my body and my soul. The wave of ecstasy hits us both hard. He freezes for one moment, groaning my name. His eyes flash with thunder. It feels like the warning that there’s a storm coming or maybe that it’s over.