Love Unbound: A Valentine's Day Romance Anthology

by Dee, Cassandra

  “Yeah, I’m on the plane,” came my satisfied crunch. “It’s easier if I stay here until the client comes back. It’s just for a few hours.”

  Katrina nodded, her face alight with glee.

  “So aren’t you gonna tell me? What’s going on? This has to be juicy, ooh, I’m so jealous.”

  I bit my lip, rolling my eyes a bit. And since we have a mind-meld, Katrina immediately squealed, almost bouncing up and down in her chair.

  “Oh my god! You really did it. You boinked a guy. Congratulations, girl, welcome to the dark side.”

  I sighed, cheeks hot again. But then came a smirk. Why not? Everyone has sex. It’s not like it was dirty or criminal or anything.

  Except maybe what Mr. Evans and I did was dirty and criminal, with the chains and all.

  Oh my god. But it felt so good.

  But I decided to skip that part for now.

  “Yeah. It was… it was really amazing.”

  Katrina’s eyebrows flew up into her wispy blonde hair. “Oooh! Tell me about it. Did you, you know, do the uh uh uh?”

  Katrina was so ridiculous that I had to giggle. Besides, what was she talking about?

  “I don’t know. We had sex. What do I say?”

  She pouted. “You know! You know what I’m talking about. I've always dated older men and this client was up there age-wise, right? So was he big? Did he have trouble?"

  I thought back, trying to remember if anything had seemed difficult for Mr. Evans.

  "He was big,” came my slow voice. “But what do you mean, trouble? Everything seemed okay,” my voice trailed off uncertainly.

  Katrina remained unfazed.

  "You know, trouble. Getting it up. Older guys often struggle, I’ve seen it a million times,” she confided in a low voice. “There are lots of tips and tricks, no worries,” my friend almost whispered. “I can help if needed."

  Oh my god, this was hysterical. Mr. Evans had no problems like that at all. I guffawed rudely, potato chips almost spurting from my nose.

  “Naw, we’re good Kat. My guy was hard the whole time.”

  Because Thorn had been so ready, rigid and pulsing. His pants had tented, barely restraining the powerful length. It was comical thinking that some guys couldn’t get it up compared to my recent experience. We’d done it … three or four times in two hours?

  "Then you don't have anything to worry about,” pronounced Kat with a sigh. “You’re lucky,” she confided. “Almost all my boyfriends have been on Viagra and the like. It helps sometimes, but not always,” she said sadly.

  This conversation was out of this world.

  “Kat, that’s why you have to stop dating seventy year-olds,” I said patiently. “They’re too old for you.”

  But I knew my friend wouldn’t listen. It’s in one ear and out the other with this girl. She likes them old, and that’s that. Not even a lightning bolt to the head was gonna change her preferences.

  But there was one thing my buddy could help me with.

  “But he was really big.” I confided, cheeks flushing hot again. “Like really, really big.”

  The blonde rolled her eyes, sighing.

  “It was your first time, of course he felt big. You’ve never been used before, so you’re small. But show me with your hands, how big?” she demanded.

  Hmm, how to do this?

  I formed my thumb and finger into a circle. No, that wasn’t even close. So using both hands, I cupped them together, miming an iron pipe. Yeah, that was more like it.

  And Katrina gasped, eyes going wide with shock and awe.

  “No way! There was no way he was that big! It’s impossible! Does that even exist?” In a lower voice she continued, “Is your pussy destroyed? I mean, seriously Holly, you must be hurting.”

  I giggled a little.

  “Yeah, I mean, it hurt, but I’m okay.” My body heated thinking about how full he had made me feel. “Mr. Evans went slow at first, and it hurt when he put it in. But after a while, it felt really, really good. He said I’d stretch,” I confided. “Because I’m young.”

  Katrina burst into laughter.

  “Man, this guy is a player,” she said skeptically. “Stretching because you’re young? Because you’re so “elastic”?” she asked, miming air quotes.

  I frowned. In fact, Mr. Evans did say that. He used the word “elastic” when describing my pussy, saying that it could bend in ways older women couldn’t.

  But I put it out of my head. This was just a coincidence. And Katrina seemed to forget it too.

  “Come on, show me the plane!” she demanded with a bright smile. “I want to see what it’s like to fly private.”

  I giggled, her excitement contagious.

  “Okay,” I said, lifting the laptop so that the camera faced away. “Here’s the main cabin area, and as we walk back here, you can see there’s a private room in back.”

  “Oh my god, perfect for sexy times!” squealed Katrina, bouncing up and down. “You really are a member of the mile high club now.”

  I rolled my eyes. Because she sounded a little like Austin Powers, it was so ridiculous. But it was fun giving my friend a tour of the plane, going over every little detail.

  “Open that closet,” she directed over the screen. “What’s in there? There are so many nooks and crannies.”

  I slid the door open obligingly. Nothing interesting. Just a coat rack, with some empty hangers, a black suitcase on the floor.

  “Oooh, what’s that?” squealed Katrina, eyes wide. “What’s in that suitcase?”

  I frowned.

  “It probably belongs to Mr. Evans,” was my slow reply. “He’s only gone for two hours, so it’s probably his luggage.”

  “Take it out!” she squealed. “Let’s find out all his secrets.”

  No. That wasn’t right. I was his employee and didn’t want to be fired.

  “You know I can’t do that, Katrina,” was my patient reply. “It’s not right. That suitcase is private, and I can’t just go opening it.”

  She mock frowned, pouting.

  “But what if he has Viagra inside?” she wheedled. “This is your chance to find out!”

  I rolled my eyes, exasperated once again.

  “There’s no Viagra,” I said firmly, shutting the door. “And we’re moving on.”

  Just then low voices sounded outside, with footfalls clanging on the gangplank. Oh no! Thorn was back! I glanced at a clock. It had been almost two hours, and Mr. Evans had returned. And yet, here I was giving my buddy a tour of his plane.

  "I’m sorry, I have to go. Thorn’s going to board again soon."

  Katrina waggled her tongue. "Oooh, ‘Thorn.’ Already calling him by his first name, huh? Okay, bye. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!"

  I clicked off, hastily shoving the laptop into my bag. And right in time too, because Mr. Evans stepped into the small cabin then, his blue eyes roving over my form sensuously.

  “Hey,” he drawled. “How’s it going?”

  Things were great. Except that I was still dressed in my cat pajamas, hair rumpled.

  “Comfy, aren’t we?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.

  And at that moment, the engine kicked on. Oh god, oh god, kill me now.

  But Thorn was unfazed.

  “Come on, take a seat,” he invited, gesturing to one of the white leather chairs. This was weird. I should have been wearing my uniform, sitting in the staff quarters. But instead, the billionaire was inviting me to make myself comfortable in the main cabin. And completely unperturbed, acting like nothing was wrong, the alpha buckled himself in, turning to me with an expectant look.

  As the plane took off, I studied that handsome mien. There was no need to talk just yet with all the noise, but I wasn’t sure what to do going forwards.

  Because do I ask him how the meeting went? Do I ask him about his day? But that seemed too girlfriend-like. I was just a paid companion, here to help him relax. So what next?

  Calm down, the voice in my
head spoke. You’re gonna be okay. You’ve already gone so far with him. Things are gonna be okay.

  Thorn continued to remain silent as the plane leveled into cruising altitude. And then those sapphire eyes turned my way again.

  “So tell me about yourself,” he said smoothly.

  I gaped a little. There wasn’t much to tell what with the Burger Bistro position already out in the open.

  “I’m not sure,” were my soft words. “What would you like to know?”

  Those blue eyes looked at my quizzically.

  “Well, you said you’re from LeBar City. How’d your family end up there?”

  I paused for a moment. The story’s not great, but again, this man already about my humble past. There was no sense in holding back now.

  “My mom is disabled,” I said slowly. “And my dad hasn’t been in the picture for ages. Way back when I was two, we used to live with my grandma. It was real cramped, so my mom entered the lottery for public housing.”

  Thorn nodded.

  “Yeah, I know those lotteries. My conglomerate has built a couple of the affordable housing complexes, like Evergreen Lake and Forest Hills over in Queens.”

  I nodded.

  “Well, usually it takes years to get off the list. Except that because my mom is disabled, we got the call within a few months. And soon Kathy and I were able to move into LeBar City. It’s just a one-bedroom for the two of us, but we’re grateful.”

  Thorn nodded thoughtfully again.

  “So you go to school in the City?”

  “Yes,” was my slow reply. “I graduated from our local school. It was hard because I was working a couple jobs in addition to going school, but I’m proud of my degree.” Suddenly, tears filled my eyes even as my chin flew up. Because Thorn could never understand. He was a billionaire businessman for whom forty thousand dollars was nothing, just a rounding error. How could he know empathize with my plight?

  But the dark man nodded again.

  “Affordable housing can be expensive if you don’t have means,” he said smoothly. “But tell me sweetheart. What are you doing after this? You’re not going to be a flight attendant forever, are you?”

  I took a deep breath.

  “I’ll be one for as long as you’ll let me,” were my slow words. “Because we have medical debt. My mom has bills, they’ve been piling up for years now. And if you’ll have me,” I said, voice choking. “I’ll work long and hard to pay them off. It’s either that or bankruptcy.”

  Thorn sat back in his chair then, perplexed.

  “I thought you said your mother was on disability? Isn’t there medical care that goes along with that?”

  I took a deep breath even as my eyes filled with tears again.

  “Yes, but it’s just not enough,” was my slow reply. “My mom’s back has gotten worse. It’s one of those things where things look okay in x-rays, but the pain is excruciating. So we opted with an experimental treatment.”

  Thorn said nothing then, although those arched black eyebrows flew up.

  “Yes, experimental,” I confided, staring at my hands. “It’s the only way,” were my rushed words. “Kathy’s in such pain every day, and we were desperate. So when the doctor said he’d prescribe something off-label, we agreed.”

  “Has it worked?” the dark man growled, eyes intense.

  And to my shame, tears really began to roll down my cheeks then.

  “Yes, it helps with her pain,” I said softly. “But the thing is that we can’t afford it. We’ve been taking out credit cards to pay for her treatment. Insurance won’t cover off-label stuff, so maxing out cards was the only way. But we’re in a bad place,” I confided softly. “Our bill is well into the six figures now,” I said sadly. “Bankruptcy is probably the only option.”

  Thorn’s eyes grew faraway for a moment as he looked out the window.

  “I’m sorry to hear that, sweetheart,” was that low rumble. “Bankrtupcy is harsh, for sure,” he added. “But sometimes it’s the best option. It can clear your debts in one fell swoop, courtesy of the judge, leaving you with a clean record. You don’t have any student debt, do you?”

  I almost choked with laughter.

  “No, high school was free, and college isn’t in the works,” I said, just slightly bitter. “No student loans, thank goodness.”

  Mr. Evans nodded approvingly.

  “Good, because the bankrutpcy court won’t discharge those. Those never go away. But sweetheart, don’t be afraid of bankrutpcy if that’s what it comes to. It’s just a way of restructuring your personal finances.”

  My cheeks flamed. Because how could he understand? The prospect of turning to the courts for help made my cheeks flame. We’re poor, but bankruptcy was just so embarrassing. We had nothing anymore, paupers at the end of our tether.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, looking down as the cat pajamas again. At least they were clean. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  But Mr. Evans could tell that my heart wasn’t in it. And a big hand seized mine then, that warmth enveloping my small palm.

  “Sweetheart, like I said, bankruptcy’s not the end of the world,” he growled. “Trust me, I know. I’ve taken companies through multiple restructurings. It’s just a way of giving yourself a fresh start.”

  But shame clogged my throat.

  “It just sounds bad,” I managed in a choked voice. “I can’t believe things got so bad.”

  Mr. Evans gave my hand another encouraging squeeze.

  “You’re gonna be fine, sweetheart. Trust me. I’ve been through bankruptcy before myself,” he tossed off.

  My gaze jerked up.

  “You have?”

  He nodded.

  “Sweetheart, like I said, it wasn’t personal bankruptcy. It wasn’t me, Thorn Evans, asking the court for relief. But it was bankruptcy all the same, just taking a bunch of Fortune 500 companies through the process. Trust me, honey, it’s not that bad. It’s just a bunch of paperwork and lawyers, and hopefully at the end, you get some relief.”

  I nodded tearfully.

  “We just have so much medical debt,” were my broken words. “I can’t pay it off anytime soon, not even with this new salary.”

  And with that, Thorn hauled me into his lap, crooning into my hair.

  “Shush, sweetheart. I know this is hard for you. It’s not easy, but nothing worth having ever comes easy. It sounds like you’ve been real brave, taking care of your mom while she’s on disability. It’s all gonna work out, I promise.”

  And with that, I let loose. Huge, honking cries came from my throat, tears drenching his business shirt. But Thorn never let go. The billionaire held me tight in his lap, cradling me close, and it felt good. Because I’ve never had someone there for me before. My family is poor, everyone caught up in their own problems. And Katrina’s too flighty, my best buddy always coasting on Cloud Nine.

  So to finally have someone listen and empathize felt good, even if he was my employer. Sure, it wasn’t appropriate, but you know what? It felt good to have someone listen for the first time in my life, to stand in my shoes and nod their head in agreement. And even if the billionaire couldn’t truly feel my pain … it felt good to know that he’d tried.

  ***

  I woke with a start.

  “Wha- where am I?” was my startled cry, jerking upright. Suddenly it all came rushing back. I’d confessed more of my impoverished past to Thorn Evans, the entire sad story coming out in a torrent, pathetic and small.

  But he hadn’t laughed. Instead, the billionaire had pulled me close, offering that big form as comfort. He’d talked to me about bankruptcy, framing it as a strategic alternative to endless debt, instead of the shameful, embarrassing event I’d made it out to be.

  And suddenly, my face flamed. Because oh god. I was still in his lap, that massive form cuddling my curves close.

  “Mr. Evans,” I whispered, cheeks flaming red. “I’m so sorry I fell asleep. I’ll get right up and get to it, I’m so sorry,” w
as my aghast cry, trying to get up from his oh-so-comfortable legs.

  But Thorn wouldn’t let me, instead tightening that warm circle around my waist.

  “Naw, no worries, sweetheart. You were pretty wrung out from the emotion,” he growled, blue eyes intense from two inches away. “Relax. No need to rush. We still have an hour before landing.”

  And that azure gaze was so mesmerizing from inches away. Oh god, how did I look? Like a silly girl for sure, my hair a mess, cheeks blotchy, and still dressed in these cheesy cat pajamas.

  But Thorn didn’t seem to care. He pulled me close again, resting that chin on my head.

  “You okay sweetheart?” he growled. “What you’ve been through is a lot for an eighteen year-old girl.”

  I took a shuddering breath, trying to summon some strength.

  “It is,” came my soft voice, caught between his neck and shoulder. “But it’s okay. I’ll survive. Mom and I have survived worse before,” I said in a small voice. “It’ll be fine.”

  He held me close, letting the heat from his big frame permeate my limbs. Oh god, it felt so good, like this man was a source of strength and power, supporting my trembling, weak self. It must be amazing to have a man like this on your side, a constant ally.

  But that was the stuff of dreams. I was a nobody who’d broken down on the job, no less. Seems that being on payroll couldn’t keep my emotions from tumbling forwards and spoiling the professional atmosphere.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered again, burying my face in the crook of that bronzed neck. “I’m sorry.”

  He trailed a kiss over my forehead, deep voice intimate.

  “No need to be sorry. But I’d like to play now, if you’re up for it.”

  Oh god, of course. That ravenous male hunger, unquenchable and unstoppable. But I was ready because Thorn had been so kind. The billionaire had no reason to sympathize with me. I was an employee after all, just a girl he paid for access to my body.

  But somehow, it’d turned into so much more. I’d cried into his shoulder, revealing my humble roots, the disaster that was my mom’s health, and our impossible financial situation. I’d made clear how this job was our salvation, and our only hope at digging ourselves out of a deep hole.