Lieutenant Commander Stud

by Chance Carter

  I grinned. “Girl, you have no idea. My toes curled so hard I nearly broke them off.”

  “Charming imagery,” she said dryly. “But what a great way to kick off your New York experience!”

  “Yeah, only problem is that now I can’t stop thinking about him.” I pulled the blanket up to my nose and held it there, reveling in his scent. “It’s like I got a hit of some fantastic new drug and then the dealer up and disappeared.”

  “If it’s meant to be, it will be. That’s the only advice I can give, I’m afraid.”

  That reminded me.

  “I wanted to thank you for your advice, too,” I said. “It was a little hard to adjust to for the first few hours, but I’m certain now that New York is where I want to be. I’ll probably miss home from time to time, but I think I’ve found something here, or at least I’m on the cusp of finding something.”

  I could hear here smiling as she spoke, and her tone was softer. “You’re welcome, babe. I’m glad it worked out. And I’m so excited to get home and see you! We’re going to have such wonderful stories to share.”

  “Totally.”

  The line beeped and I looked at the phone, brow furrowed. There was someone calling me on the other line.

  “I gotta go,” I said hastily. “I think Nolan might be trying to call me or something. I’m in a pretty good mood to tell him to fuck off.”

  “That a girl. Talk to you later.”

  I switched the lines and answered, and I was glad I chose to answer with a cordial “hello” instead of an irritated “what do you want”.

  “Hello, I’m looking to speak to Aurora Frayser?” a female voice said.

  “That’s me.”

  “Hi, Aurora. This is Jessie, the floor manager over at Lock Knock’s Children’s Boutique on Fifth Avenue. I received your application and it looks like you’d make a great fit for the team. Can I get you in for an interview sometime this week?”

  We arranged a time for the following morning, and ended the call. I collapsed back onto the bed, my smile brimming with hope and happiness.

  Chapter 8

  Brendon

  The phone would not stop fucking ringing. Ring, ring, ring. Every damn minute of every hour.

  Or, at least, that was what it felt like. It had probably only really rung a few times in the past hour or so, but I was highly irritable today and the fact that everyone and their dog seemed intent on crawling up my ass looking for the answers to inane questions didn’t help things.

  I answered the phone, trying not to let my temper leach into the receiver. I hung up a few minutes later, after passing the call back to my secretary to make arrangements for a meeting. Then I looked at the clock. I didn’t clock out at the same time as everyone else, since I was the CEO and as such didn’t run on anybody’s schedule but my own. I usually stayed until the work was done, but today I felt like ducking out a little early. It was three, anyway. Nobody would miss me this late in the day.

  I grabbed my things and left the office, making sure to let my secretary know to hold my calls until morning. I would not be available on my cell phone, nor would I be checking email. I was heading home for the day and officially cutting ties with the office until eight am.

  Leaving for the day didn’t provide much relief. The thoughts I had swirling through my head would antagonize me wherever I was. Office, home, out and about, it didn’t matter. Everywhere I went I saw her face and my anxiety levels skyrocketed.

  I couldn’t stop thinking about Aurora, the beautiful girl whose pleasure-filled screams I now realized were completely genuine. They seemed genuine at the time too, but I thought she was a professional and that was how she operated. Now I knew better, and it made the whole encounter even hotter.

  I hailed a cab outside the front doors of the building and gave the driver directions to my Brooklyn apartment building. He merged into the ever-present New York traffic, limping along with the rest of the growing rush hour crowd.

  I was humiliated by what happened at the Fox, and far too proud to go back, but I thought about doing so every time I pictured Aurora’s puffy red lips and verdant green eyes. She enjoyed the sex, but that didn’t mean she enjoyed being mistaken for a hooker. She probably hated me. She probably regretted what happened.

  I couldn’t. Couldn’t forget, couldn’t regret. It was the best sex I’d had in years and the only way I could go back for more was in my own head. I’d been going there a lot recently, another reason to go home early. My agitation was in part because every time I thought of her—which was often—I got hard. I couldn’t help it, and it was getting out of control. I needed to go home and release some tension the best way I knew how.

  Why did the traffic have to be so goddamn slow?

  When the cab finally slid up to the curb of my building, I handed the driver some cash and stepped out onto the blistering sidewalk. It was another hot one in the city. I couldn’t wait to get into the luxurious air conditioning of my penthouse.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Ralston,” said Bernie, my doorman. He held the door open for me and I nodded politely as I passed through.

  “Same to you, Bernie.”

  The elevator took a long time, and my dick was getting restless. Since I knew I was close to being home, the need to stroke myself was snowballing. I kept envisioning Aurora’s hair splayed across the pillow like a silk curtain, her plump tits and the way they felt like velvet in my mouth. I gritted my teeth through the discomfort and strode out of the elevator with purpose when it opened to my living room.

  Finally. Home.

  I sighed and slid out of my suit jacket, hanging it over the back of one of the dining room chairs as I passed. My tie went next. I was in my bedroom by the time I wrestled that off, so I let it drop to the floor. Pants, shoes, boxers—all gone a second later.

  I laid out atop the sheets of my bed, my meat hot and heavy in my hand. I was so sensitive that it felt good just to be free from my pants. I was so horny that I couldn’t help the excited shiver that ran down my spine.

  Fuck. What I wouldn’t do to have Aurora there with me now. In retrospect, she’d obviously been less experienced than I gave her credit for. The way her voice had wavered when she told me what she wanted, the way every move seemed to surprise and delight her… I wish I’d known at the time. But I knew now, and that was almost as good, except she wasn’t here.

  I pictured her on her hands and knees, that beautiful pussy of hers high in the air. She’d beg me to fuck her, and it would sound so sinful coming from her innocent little lips that I’d have no choice but to do just that.

  I stroked my hand down my shaft, imagining thrusting into her hot, tight core. She’d purr like a cat as I filled her, telling me just how good my dick felt. Or maybe she’d just moan, using that rasping, sexy voice of hers to make me quiver with lust. I stroked harder, slamming in and out of Aurora with force. I could almost see her tits swinging with each jerk of my hips, her hair falling over her face as she lowered her head.

  The pleasure was intense. Using Aurora as my fantasy was having a profound effect on me, each stroke of my hand feeling better and better. In my head, she began thrusting back against my hips, and the room filled with the sounds of skin smacking against skin.

  “Fuuck,” I moaned, sweat prickling my brow. I was getting close. She was getting close too, and her backward thrusts became almost feverish.

  My balls tightened against my body. My legs shook. And with a final strangled cry, I hit my climax like a brick wall. I lay there, panting, still thinking about Aurora’s beautiful face. Still wishing I didn’t have to fantasize at all, that I could just have her. If only life were that simple.

  I cleaned myself up, then lay back against the pillows with a great sigh.

  A couple hours later, just as I was finishing the pasta I made for dinner, Peter called. I hadn’t talked to him since “the incident”, but I couldn’t tell whether I was more pissed off at him or myself. After all, shouldn’t I know better than to ta
ke Peter’s advice?

  I answered the phone with a curt, “Hey.”

  “Hey sailor,” Peter drawled, obviously a little drunk. “I’m heading out to a new place tonight and since you’ve finally given up being the world’s most boring man, I thought I’d invite you too. It should be fun.”

  “If the only requirement for not being the world’s most boring man is occasionally attending brothels, then I’m afraid that epithet stays.”

  “What? Didn’t you go to the Fox?”

  My jaw tensed and I leaned back in my chair, gazing over the table to the cityscape beyond. “I went, alright.”

  I proceeded to explain to him the events of that night, making sure to berate him as much as I could during the process. He was surprised to hear that such a royal mix-up had occurred, especially since the Fox was an old favorite of his.

  “I know the Madame there,” he said. “I can likely get you your money back.”

  “I don’t want my money back,” I said. “You’re missing the point. It was humiliating.”

  “But did you have a nice time?”

  My eyelid twitched. “Until I found out that the poor girl I slept with had no idea that she’d just become a prostitute, yes.”

  Peter laughed. It bothered me how he was never fazed by anything. Peter lived fast and hard, never making excuses or apologies.

  “The place I’m going to tonight is not a hybrid brothel-hotel. No chance for a mix up.”

  “Not gonna happen,” I replied. “From now on I’m going to stick to doing things the old-fashioned way.”

  “You’re kidding me,” Peter intoned. “You’ve got all the money in the world, and you won’t spend a little on the pleasures of the flesh? The girls love it when they get clients like us because we’re just as hot as we are horny. It’ll be a real party, come on.”

  “I said no.” My tone left no room for argument. Peter drove everyone to their end eventually, but at least he knew when to back off.

  “Fine, fine. Suit yourself.” He chuckled. “More for me.”

  “Knock yourself out. I’ll talk to you later.”

  I hung up the phone, irritation surging through my veins like quicksilver. At least I didn’t tell Peter that it wasn’t just the idea of the brothel that put me off, but the idea of sex with any woman who wasn’t Aurora in general. One taste and I was now an addict, with no way to get my fix.

  It would pass. These kinds of things always did. Or, at least, that’s what I assumed to be true, having never experienced something like this before.

  Only time would tell.

  Chapter 9

  Aurora

  I stepped back to admire the sign, rubbing my hands together to rid them of excess chalk. The squat chalkboard, standing only four feet high and with bright orange plastic legs, was now a masterpiece. I thought so, anyway.

  A hand on my back startled me and I jumped, swirling to find Jessie at my elbow. She was looking at the sign, which announced a flash sale on hats, approvingly.

  “I gotta say, had I known you could draw like that, I would’ve hired you right off the bat.”

  I laughed. “Thanks, Jessie. I would have told you if I realized it would come in handy.”

  The sweeping lines of text were interspersed with tiny drawings of different hat styles, ranging from beanies to top hats. It was a pretty basic job, and the lettering had taken far longer than any of the hats themselves.

  “What can I do next?” I asked.

  Jessie looked down at the clipboard in her hands. There was always something to do at Lock Knocks’ flagship store, and her preferred way of keeping on top of it was a clipboard, a pen, and the determination of a drill sergeant. She was a good boss though, and I enjoyed her enthusiasm for making the store the best it could be. I wanted to do well at this, even if it was temporary. I would move on in a few months to something a little more career-oriented.

  “Maybe go give some of the aisles a spruce up again,” Jessie said, underlining an item on her list. “Everyone’s been giving it their all, so we’re all ready for Mr. Ralston’s visit. Now we should just focus on keeping the place as clean as possible.” She looked up. “You could tidy up your displays, actually. I think he’s really going to like them.”

  “I hope so.”

  Jessie left me with a curt wave and headed off in the direction of the back room. I took one last look at my sign and turned toward the toys.

  I’d been working at Lock Knocks for two weeks now, and so far things had been going well. Jessie was happy with the fun displays I erected around the store and the chalkboard signs. I was just happy to have a job, especially since it had allowed me to put a deposit down on an apartment in the Bronx. I’d be moving in at the end of the month.

  As much as I’d been enjoying spending time with Calypso at the Fox Regent, and as nice as my room and the food there was, I was getting tired of picking up butt plugs off the floor, and working two jobs was exhausting. It was time for me to go out on my own, and moving out would be the last thing I needed to get me on my feet. Then there would be no going back. Not that I wanted to in the first place.

  I was still tidying a beach display I made when Jessie found me again. This time she wasn’t alone.

  When I turned to speak to her, I saw Jessie first and smiled. My gaze then swung to the man I presumed to be the visiting store owner and my smile slipped off my face like jelly.

  Apparently, Brendon’s last name was Ralston. Good to know, since he was now my boss.

  “Aurora, this is Mr. Ralston. And this—” She gestured down to the little boy holding Brendon’s giant hand in his own tiny one. “This is Julian.”

  I swallowed hard. So not only had I slept with my boss, but I’d slept with my likely married boss, and now I was getting to meet his son. Oh dear.

  “It’s nice to meet you.” I tried to keep the tremor from my voice, but I was no professional at holding it together. I didn’t stick out my hand for him to shake because I didn’t want to remember how nice it felt to touch him. Plus, I didn’t think I’d be able to manage it if I did.

  “Look at all these toys!” Julian interrupted before Brendon could reply. He pulled out of his father’s grip and rushed up to the display, eyes wide with amazement.

  “Aurora has been revolutionizing our displays,” Jessie chirped proudly. She clearly wasn’t picking up on the mood. “We’ve had loads of compliments from customers, and though there hasn’t been enough time to properly track the impact they’ve had one sales, I’ve definitely noticed an increase in the purchase of items featured.”

  I had the grim realization that I was Jessie’s crowning jewel right now, and I wondered how the poor girl would react when Brendon inevitably fired me. I was within my probation period. It wouldn’t be difficult to do, and it was the smart thing to do. If he didn’t, who was to say I wouldn’t tell someone that worked there about what happened? He couldn’t afford that kind of risk.

  Brendon looked over the display and nodded. “It looks good. Should we head up to the office?”

  He didn’t even look at me. I kept waiting for him to glance over, for our eyes to meet. I thought maybe if I could look pathetic enough, he’d think twice before firing me because of our tryst. I needed this job. Bad. I couldn’t afford to move into my new place if I lose it. While staying at the Fox for longer wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, it certainly wasn’t something I would look forward to. Not to mention the fact that I’d lose my deposit.

  Jessie gave a bewildered nod and gestured for him to follow her. Brendon grabbed Julian’s hand again and they walked off toward the upstairs offices.

  As soon as they were out of earshot, I let out a great sigh. That had to be one, if not the most, awkward situations in the history of awkward situations. It might not have been so bad if Brendon weren’t so cold. It was a stark contrast to the affectionate, almost loving way he’d held me that night we spent together. It made what happened feel cheaper than I already knew it was, suck
ing away the only solace I had about the whole thing.

  I was an idiot. I should never have let myself romanticize him so much.

  Another thought struck me. What if Brendon just didn’t recognize me? He’d shown no signs of recognition, and he might just be that rude to all his employees. I found myself wishing for that to be the reason, instead of what I already knew to be true. Brendon was embarrassed that he’d slept with me and would send me out of sight and out of mind as soon as he possibly could.

  The day dragged on. Only an hour had passed between my car-crash meeting with Brendon, and my nerves couldn’t handle the thought that he was in the building and might come around the corner at any minute. Worse, Jessie could come around the corner at any minute and fire me at his behest.

  I was working on a new arts and crafts display to help promote a new brand of mess-free pens and markers that we’d just gotten in. Technically I’d been hired as a stock associate, but as soon as Jessie saw what I could do with the displays and how much people liked them, she basically gave me free rein to do as I wanted when I wasn’t busy restocking the shelves. It was a quiet day, and the shelves were full to the brim. I wished they weren’t though, as I would give anything to go hide in the back room for the next four hours and pretend that I was looking for a case of teddy bears.

  I put all my focus into the project at hand, determined to absorb myself in it to the point of not worrying about Brendon or what he was doing. Or about whether he was going to fire me.

  The store was empty enough that I could hear the footsteps approaching me from behind and I turned, thinking it was a customer who needed help finding something.

  Brendon stood behind me, hands thrust casually in the pocket of his tailored charcoal suit. His hair was a little messier than when I’d seen him earlier, but those eyes were every bit as dark and smoky as they had been when he’d been pointedly avoiding looking at me. He seemed to have no problem meeting my eye now. His gaze made my stomach flutter with anticipation and anxiety. Was he going to fire me himself?