The Candidate

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The Candidate Page 53

by Alice Ward


  Mason and I looked at one another, united in our discomfort.

  I felt the pressure mounting as my chest tightened and my breathing constricted. What the hell was I getting myself into? I wanted to run his empire, but not be “all his” in any scenario. I had shit I wanted and needed to do, and I didn’t want those things regulated by anyone.

  “You’ve done a great job, Uncle Harv, letting us know what we can’t do, but can you give us an idea of what we will be doing?” Damn, my voice was shaking. I clenched my fists. I wouldn’t let Uncle’s shit unravel me.

  There was a twinkle in Uncle Harv’s eye. He was actually getting off on seeing me squirm, crazy ol’ bastard. He’d put a lot of time and thought into this, which I soon discovered, as he took great pains to explain what our next few days would look like.

  “The game will consist of twelve tasks, six I have devised and six the two of you will come up with individually. You must create these tasks by thinking of ways you can challenge yourself, each other and the women who’ll be playing with you. Each team will have to complete all of the tasks together in order to stay in the game and move on.”

  Mason interrupted with another resounding note of confidence. “Now you’re talking, Uncle Harv.”

  I rolled my eyes. These two were from Mars. Who did this shit in real life? Unless you were on “Survivor” playing for a million dollars with a camera crew and a nearly scripted experience… And then it dawned on me. The filming, the CEO position — this was “Survivor,” just of a different variety. Would Uncle Harv be turning this into a reality show? The question bothered me.

  “What kind of tasks are you thinking of exactly? And this won’t, by any chance, be made public, will it?” I asked for clarity.

  “Well, as far as creating tasks go, just choose anything that isn’t criminal, won’t cause any lasting bodily injury, and won’t make the women you’re playing with want to pack up and go home. The sky’s the limit outside of the rules already mentioned. The challenges should include sexual play, fantasy, and alternative lifestyle choices. They may even veer into the darker realms of sexual exploration, but again, don’t scare off the ladies. And yes, why wouldn’t some pieces of this game be made public? Everything within reason in that sphere of taste I think would be appropriate.”

  “Does it have to be whips and chains?” Mason asked.

  What’s wrong with whips and chains?

  “Certainly not, son. Whatever you deem worthy of a challenge… could be knitting, I don’t care. It just has to fit within the guidelines.” He gave a lecherous grin.

  “What parts of this are going to be broadcast?” I had to ask, my heart was palpitating so fiercely. I’d been so careful to keep my sexual appetite under wraps. Would my reputation suffer from my Uncle’s twisted sense of humor?

  “The appropriate parts, none of the naked bits, I assure you,” Uncle said, nodding as if he knew exactly what was bothering me.

  Excitement built in me even as trepidation rose higher. I could tell by Mason’s questioning he was not comfortable with BDSM, or the dominant, subservient sexual lifestyle, but I thrived on it.

  I knew the good looks and powerful persuasion I possessed was enough to convince any woman to try whatever I wanted and push her to the very limits my expertise would allow. Mason, on the other hand, would be challenged beyond his ability and would most likely fail — after I wrote challenges that he couldn’t win.

  I had the upper hand. Excitement shot through me at what was to come.

  As I glanced over at Mason, he looked as if he felt the same way. He even had the audacity to smirk at me. He had no idea what I was going to hit him with.

  “Bottom line is, I need one of you to win this and both of you to come on board as soon as possible. The more family I have in this thing, the better.”

  I was ready to move on, but the idea of handing over the reins of my investment business to a manager was a shock. I liked having control over everything in my life. Even thinking about giving up the lead in business I’d started was hard.

  “Surely you don’t want us to give up our own enterprises?” I asked incredulously, knowing my cousin had nothing he had to worry about.

  My uncle’s voice took on compassion. “I understand your concern, Lucas. You have built a commendable business of your own. I’d suggest you find a way to marry them. Find a trustworthy successor as I am doing with the two of you and lock it in with some cross trading. I’m sure there’s a thing or two my company has to offer that is of interest to your investors.” He winked at me in his signature style.

  Uncle Harv was an interesting man. One moment he seemed button-downed and by the books, then the next his devilish side and his sexual interests popped out. It was hard to believe a man of his age still had them, and even veered toward the deviant.

  “I’m all on board. I’ll create my share of the challenges tonight.” As I said it, I held Mason’s gaze, making sure I communicated that they would be challenges he would not win.

  “Very good. My secretary will be staying here at the chalet to ensure the challenges are met. A host of other staff will be arriving shortly. Trust me, your needs will be well met.” Our uncle gave us verbal reassurance, but his expression was surly and conniving. “Have you any last questions?” I could tell by the look on his face, we weren’t going to get any straight answers.

  Mason raised his hand. What was this, kindergarten?

  “What if we don’t like who you choose? I mean, there’s a lot riding on this competition, don’t you think we should choose our own partners?” He was being his typical cocky self, and I loved it. Go ahead, Mason, piss Uncle Harv off.

  “No. You can’t be trusted. I’ve spent my whole life creating the most successful publishing empire in the world, I’m not letting a cocky little shithead and a control freak fuck it up. I’ve got my reasons for doing things this way. I don’t care if you dislike who I choose for you because I’ve chosen a woman I think both of you need.” I watched as Uncle Harv smirked and wondered if there was more to his concocted competition than met the eye. “Hey, what did one boob say to the other boob?”

  Mason slid his eyes sideways to me then back to Uncle. “You’re my breast friend?”

  “Impressive,” said Unc, gesturing toward me, “but say it to him. You boobs need to be each other’s best friends before this is over.”

  Mason blanched, his face turning a light shade of gray.

  We’d both been dressed down well enough that when my uncle excused himself to meet the incoming women, Mason and I were left speechless.

  “What the hell is he thinking?” Mason finally asked, so incensed his face was now turning red.

  “Like he said, it’s his business, his rules. You don’t have to compete if you don’t want to.” How great would it be if he just ditched now before we even started?

  Before I could continue on that subject, the door my uncle exited from opened again, and a long-legged beauty stepped in. Then another.

  I stood, barely breathing, forgetting the hope that Mason’d throw a tantrum or storm out. Instead, my interest and his both focused on the women.

  I barely registered the first, only to note that she was centerfold worthy. My senses homed in on the second, the one with long chestnut hair and hesitant blue eyes. Despite the fact that the blonde was more my usual type, I felt drawn to the other. She was beautiful and had a timidness about her that I liked. She didn’t seem to be the take-charge girl the blonde presented herself as being.

  The brunette looked artistic, quirky — softer, more vulnerable. Out of her element. My mouth watered. And entirely not my type. She was a little too bohemian for my tastes but had beautiful natural tits and a tight stomach. Something about her made my pulse speed up, made me want to get to the challenges my uncle had dreamed up in hopes that I could taste her.

  God, I wanted to put my mouth on that long, graceful body and feast.

  TO BE CONTINUED...

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Alice Ward is a USA Today bestselling author whose books consistently break into the Top 100 on Amazon. Three of her books were Top 10 Amazon bestsellers, one of which - The Surprise - reached an all-time high of #4.

  She writes hot and steamy contemporary romance novels and is prolific, releasing at least one new book every month. Her books are widely read, especially by women and any other lovers of the romance genre. My Stepbrother, My Lover, was her first smash hit.

  Alice has been in love with love since she was a little girl. She had quite the collection of Barbie dolls growing up and spent much of her playtime crafting the perfect Barbie wedding day (and when she wasn’t doing that, she was working on attempting the perfect cartwheel).

  When Alice outgrew Barbie dolls, she began to write her thoughts down in her diary. This was how she discovered that she had a knack for telling romantic stories. Her first fans were her close girlfriends, and her stories were a hit among them. They, along with her family, enthusiastically encouraged her love for writing.

  Alice now lives in Miami with her wonderful, hunky husband. The beach is her all-time favorite place to relax with her laptop and write. When she needs a break from writing (and when no one’s looking) she loves thumbing through celebrity gossip magazines. It’s her guilty pleasure.

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  COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2018 Alice Ward

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of the trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

 

 

 


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