by Skylar Hill
“Yes, our social media presence needs a serious update,” Renee nodded. “I’m excited to hear your ideas.”
“Well, I was just thinking, if you’d be interested, how about doing a sex advice column on YouTube? We don’t even have a channel now, and that could go a big way to tap into a new market for us. With your skills and credentials, plus how telegenic you are? I bet you’d be a hit.”
“Oh, you’re so sweet,” Renee said, looking skeptical. “I’m not sure how I’d be on camera, honestly. I’ve never thought of it before.”
“Well, let’s not stress about it. Why don’t you and I set up a few brainstorming sessions?” Maddy suggested. “We’ll come up with some ideas for where we want to take it, direction and setting… maybe put a rough pilot script, and we’ll do a few test runs. See if it’s something that you’d like to do.”
“It’s a deal,” Renee said, handing Maddy a cup of punch, raising her own, and laughing as they clinked their them together. “I’m so glad you’ve joined the team,” she said. “You’re bringing a fresh energy to the company. And frankly, I haven’t seen Carter this happy in a long time.”
There was a knowing look in the doctor’s eyes, and Maddy could feel her cheeks getting pink. She respected Renee’s intelligence—the woman was a psychologist, after all—enough not to deny it or lie or confirm the unspoken question there. So instead, she just said, “Carter’s a really great guy. He deserves to be happy.”
“Very true,” Renee said.
“Hey, Dr. Kemp, come settle this for us,” Zoe called. “The clitoris has how many nerve endings?”
Renee turned toward the women. “Around eight thousand,” she said, as she and Maddy rejoined the women. “But it doesn’t stop there. Technically, that little bundle spreads feeling to fifteen thousand other nerve endings.”
“And it’s the only part of the body purely designed for pleasure,” Nat said, laughing at her corny joke.
Maddy lost herself in the ebb and flow of the conversation among the women, loving the female energy and spirit that emanated from the group. They were honest and funny, and it had been a long time since she’d felt so accepted. Like she could say anything and she wouldn’t be judged.
She was safe here, she realized, among these women, these friends and coworkers. And with each anecdote, each joke, each bit of truth they shared with her, she felt the wound that David had left in her confidence heal a bit more.
It was like being given a gift, this female friendship.
And she was so grateful for it.
Chapter Nineteen
Maddy
Maddy hadn’t been expecting the knock on her door, but when she peered through the peephole and saw Carter standing there, she felt a little thrill. Though she’d texted him to let him know she was back in the city after the retreat, she hadn’t expected him to come over… but here he was.
Her stomach full of butterflies, she opened the door, her face breaking into a wide smile when she realized he had a cake in one hand, a pie in the other. A call-back to a debate they’d had on the drive to River Run, about if cake was better than pie.
She leaned against the doorjamb, feeling more like her old self than ever when she said, “You here to revisit our debate?”
He grinned. “Among other things,” he said.
Her stomach clenched at the promise in his voice, and she stepped aside to let him in. He set the cake and pie on the kitchen counter, out of the way of Peaches’ inquisitiveness.
“I like your place,” he said, sitting down on her couch, looking huge in comparison. “I didn’t tell you last time I was here.”
“Peaches was monopolizing your time. He does that,” Maddy said.
She didn’t sit next to him on the couch even though she wanted to. She took the chair facing it, and tucked her legs underneath her.
“So, we should probably talk,” she said.
“Yeah,” he agreed, and then they both fell silent, as if both them didn’t know where to start. The weight of what they’d done, the beautiful cliff she’d thrown herself off of, knowing the consequences and not caring, began to settle over them.
“I don’t want you to feel obligated—” he started.
“Okay, stop right there,” she said. “You didn’t use your power as the CEO to lure me into your bed. Or, rather, I guess, against the wall,” she said… and was that a flash of amusement in his eyes? That was good. Encouraged, she continued. “I wanted to sleep with you. I wasn’t obligated or coerced. I was just really satisfied.”
A smile crept across his face. “Really satisfied, huh?” he asked, pleased.
She rolled her eyes, trying not to laugh… or launch herself into his lap.
“Look, this isn’t ideal,” she said. “But if we have rules…”
“We could keep doing this?” he finished. “We could date, see where it goes?”
She bit her lip, looking away, unsure. “I’d like that,” she said.
He was up off the couch and closing the space between them, drawing her up and cupping her face with his hands. “Me, too,” he said.
“But we need to make some rules,” she said, right before he kissed her. He stopped, pulling back.
“Right now?” he asked, one of his hands skimming down her waist.
Her eyes closed at the touch, relishing the warmth spreading through her. “Maybe later,” she said. “You haven’t seen my bedroom, after all.”
“I’d love to see your design choices in there,” he said very seriously, making her laugh and take his hand, pulling him towards the tiny room.
When he kissed her, everything else faded away until it was just all him and sensation. He tumbled her onto her bed, pushing back her pillows, and in the process, his hand closed around the slim silver case she had pulled out the other day and forgotten to put back in the drawer.
Maddy reared up, snatching the box away from him, but it was too late.
A wicked smile was spreading across his face and lighting his eyes. “Oh, now, what could that be?’
She turned red, clutching the box of Purely Pleasure toys to her chest. “Nothing!” she said, knowing she was being utterly ridiculous. The man made sex toys. He wasn’t going to be mad at her for using them.
In fact, if the way he was looking at her was any indication, the thought was hot as hell to him.
He flipped open the box, revealing her three favorite toys, making a noise of approval in his throat as he shot her a look.
“Is this your whole collection?” he asked.
She pressed her lips together, shaking her head, and his smile spread wider as he leaned forward, kissing her fast and hard, before uttering the words that but thrilled and scared her a little: “That is so fucking hot.”
She bit her lip, unable to tear her eyes away from his fingers, resting against the edge of the box, just inches away from the Hourglass line’s clit sucker. That particular toy had given her hours of pleasure. It had been her first Purely Pleasure toy—she’d saved up and everything—and it had been so worth it. There really was nothing to compare to a quality sex toy—except the real thing, of course.
“Will you show me?”
Maddy shivered, arousal and fear rising in her. The last time a man saw her masturbating, it had led to the worst, most humiliating fight of her life. But when she met Carter’s eyes, the warmth in them, the safety, the fucking heat sent sensation and desire ricocheting through her
She was safe with him.
Her eyes never leaving his, she plucked the toy from the box, leaning back against her pillows.
“Fuck,” he said hoarsely, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as she slowly tugged up the satin cami she had on, the material scraping softly over the hardness of her nipples as she pulled it over her head. She trailed her fingers down the hollow between her breasts, circling her nipples, her head tilting back as her fingers sent sparks through her.
“God, I want to touch you,” he groaned, but he didn’t reach out t
o rectify that. Instead, he sprawled out at the end of her bed, the thick line of his cock evident in his jeans as his heated gaze stayed on hers. He clearly wanted to watch her more.
“You’re kind of dirty, aren’t you?” she asked, her voice sounding breathless as her hand flirted with the waist of her tiny shorts. His eyes were drawn to the spot like a magnet, and she felt a warm glow in her stomach that wasn’t all lust—it was also pride. Power.
She felt powerful here, in her bed, half naked and touching herself, not just for him, but for herself.
“If this is dirty, I never want to be clean,” he said, his voice a gravelly husk. He pressed his palm against the bulge in his pants, swearing when she tilted her ass up, pushing the shorts off her legs and down her ankles, throwing them at him playfully. “I want to watch you come, Maddy. I haven’t been able to think about anything else since the cabin.”
She palmed the clit sucker, pressing the button on the side. The little toy whirred to life, and then he was finally touching her, his hand sliding up her leg, fingers brushing along her sensitive inner thigh. Her legs flowered open at his touch, her pussy clenching at the idea of those long fingers sliding into her.
God, she wanted that. She wanted everything. Anything.
“Show me, Maddy,” he said, his voice like silk. “I want to watch you fall apart.”
She wanted to fall apart, just for him.
She closed her eyes, situating the clit sucker between her legs, so the little hole was centered on its target. Immediately, the toy grabbed on, massaging her clit gently, and her legs tensed, the pleasure surging through her like a crackling fire. Her hips tilted up, hitching against the pressure, her lower lip caught between her teeth as she tapped the button on the side, increasing the intensity.
Carter’s hand closed around her hip, and suddenly he was next to her, his body a long line of heat. God, when had he gotten naked? She wondered vaguely as her hips moved in little circles, the sucking sensation of the toy driving her wild.
“God, look at you,” he groaned, his forehead pressing against the side of her forehead, his hand coming up to cup her breast. She gasped, the easy touch heightened by every nerve in her body being on fire. “You’re the hottest thing I’ve ever seen, riding my toy like that. Does it feel good, baby?”
She nodded, her lip still caught between her teeth as she felt the sparks gather hot in her stomach. She was already starting to climb toward orgasm, her pussy was so wet, painting the inside of her thighs with her desire as his lips pressed against her throat.
And then she broke, her body arching, the toy falling from her numb hand as the orgasm—an intense, almost healing thing—fell over her like a tsunami wave.
“Oh, God, oh Maddy…” She was vaguely aware of the way he was kissing her, and her wrapping her legs around him, eager and wanting, as he thrust into her. But the aftershocks were so intense, the feeling—not just the orgasm, but the feeling—of being free floating as he thrust into her, shuddering against her within minutes, almost as undone as she was by her little show.
As they basked in the afterglow, Maddy thought maybe she should feel a little embarrassed. She just splayed herself out on her bed and used a toy to get herself off for a man she’d literally just agreed to start dating. Talk about jumping into the comfortable part of a relationship immediately.
But that’s how she felt with Carter. Like she’d known him for a long time. Like she was safe with him. Respected. Valued. Protected.
Like he saw the real her and actually liked her, quirky shoes, loud jokes, clumsiness and all—yes, even that “high libido” of hers.
It was a wondrous thing, to be seen and accepted. She cuddled close to him, thinking about how he’d just replaced a terrible memory—the one of David shaming her after finding her in this very bed—with an amazing one.
“I should get up and grab that cake,” he murmured, stroking a hand down her arm, making no move to get up.
“Pie’s still going to win,” she insisted, making him laugh. She didn’t want to move either. She just wanted to stay here in his bed forever, talking in between making love… and maybe fueling up with pie later.
“We do have to get up eventually. We have work,” he reminded her.
“Not yet,” she said, moving closer to him, throwing her leg around his. He ran his hand up her thigh, ending with an ass squeeze that made her smile.
“So you really like my toys, huh?” he asked.
She laughed, pushing at him. “Stop,” she said, burying her red face in his chest.
“Oh, I’m never gonna let you hear the end of it,” he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “That one’s gonna go down in the history books as our top five hottest moments, I guarantee.”
She loved his silly sense of humor, and they broke up into a play fight that ended up in a makeout session. A few minutes later, she finally ventured out of the bed long enough to retrieve the cake and pie, and brought it back to bed. Even with the food, she found herself unwilling to be parted from him, so they ended up eating in bed, cuddled close and naked, and with more than a little frosting smeared on each other, which led to another bout of breathless sex.
“Tell me about science,” she said, after they’d recovered from second round of orgasms.
“What about it?” he asked, amused. “That’s kind of a broad category.”
She giggled, nudging him playfully. “I mean, how did you get interested in it? Were you always into it?”
“Well, I was always a math guy, for a long time,” Carter said. “You know how my dad’s technically my step-dad? Well my mom never dated much, but from the beginning, he was different than the other guys. They went on dates together, but he also took me with them a lot. To the movies, to concerts, to museums. It was like being part of a family. I mean, I always felt like a family with my mom; I don’t want to come off like it wasn’t like that when it was just me and her,” he said, looking so sincerely at Maddy it made her heart twinge. “My mom is incredible. And she raised me all by herself for so long. But my dad…he loved both of us. He made an effort with both of us. He understood we were a team. And that he’d be joining that team.”
“He sounds like an amazing man,” Maddy said.
“He really is,” Carter said. “But anyway, he wanted to do something with me. Kind of like a father/son bonding activity, but I wasn’t a very sporty kid back then. I didn’t hit my growth spurt for another few years. So he brought home a book on Rube Goldberg machines from the library.”
“And you two made them together?”
Carter nodded. “That’s how I discovered engineering. I owe it all to my dad, in a way.”
“What did they think when you started the company?”
He laughed. “They were a little taken aback,” he said. “I believe they figured I’d end up owning a tech company or something. But my mom’s kind of a hippie, all into sex positivity and stuff. So they just went with it. I think they’re surprised it took off the way they did, and my mom keeps a big scrapbook of all the articles about me, which is incredibly embarrassing.”
“Oh my God, really?” Maddy asked, delighted. “I must ask her to look at it if we ever meet.”
“When you meet,” he corrected her softly, sending a little thrill through her at the fact that he wanted her to meet his family. “And don’t you dare,” he warned, shaking his finger at her.
“Okay, so the Rube Goldberg machines got you into science. But how did you get into inventing sex toys, of all things?” she asked.
“You wanna know the real story?” he asked, tracing the outline of her fingers with his own. His hands dwarfed hers, and she wasn’t exactly a woman with dainty hands and feet.
“Of course.”
“I never tell anyone this one, out of respect for the lady in the story,” he admitted with a grin. “Nat came up with a PR-appropriate tale when we launched, and that’s the story I give out. But I actually owe it all to my high school sweetheart.”
&nbs
p; “Oh really? How so?” She thought she would feel jealous, him mentioning another girl, but high school was so far away, and there was a fondness that crinkled his eyes that spoke of innocent love that was rewarding, but not long-lasting.
First loves that didn’t last should be like that, she thought. She was glad he had that.
“Well, you know how it is when you’re just figuring stuff out. You’re exploring your sexuality, learning about your body, about her body. And my high school girlfriend had trouble orgasming.”
A smile crept across Maddy’s face. “So you invented a toy for her?”
The idea of a geeky, young Carter, earnest and eager to please, taking the time to do such a thing for his first girlfriend was so sweet and just so him. It made her smile even bigger.
“I did,” Carter said. “And I just… I didn’t expect it to open up this whole new world for her. I was a guy; orgasms were just, you know, a thing that happened easily.”
Maddy snorted with laughter and he squeezed her hip teasingly, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder. “Guys can be lucky like that,” she said dryly.
“Anyway, it kind of blew my teenage mind. And I fell in love with the idea of putting out products that maybe helped open up that world for someone else. So I started the company.”
“What about your girlfriend?” Maddy asked.
“Incredibly sweet person. We had a very amicable break-up when we both went off to college, and last time I heard, she’d married a fireman and had triplets. She definitely got her happy ending.”
Maddy looked at him, taking him in, loving that she was here with them, that they could talk like this—about their pasts and their inspirations and even their first loves—without any jealousy. There was sharing of personal history, the story of what made them the person in this bed.
“What?” he asked, because she must have had a silly expression on her face.