by Ever Wood
“Wha…what?”
“Oral sex?”
“Oh, both!”
Dr. Rand carefully pulls his hand free. No! Don’t stop! Don’t you dare stop! I hear him peel the glove away, and then he gently places the pink robe over my shoulders. “You did remarkable, Tesh.”
It takes me a minute to figure out what he said. The exam is over? No, it can’t be! My legs are wobbling, and a painful knot of frustration settles into my stomach like a lead weight.
I turn and glare at him. “That was very cruel, Dr. Rand.”
The grin is back. “Call me Brett. And, your exam was not meant to be cruel, Ms. Morgan, I can assure you of that.”
“Then, what exactly were you trying to accomplish, Brett?”
“This is about evaluating your sexual appetites so we can be sure you’ve been paired with the correct men. Firsthand experience is so much more telling than any written word.”
“Really?”
“Why? Are you aroused, Tesh?”
“You know I am.”
His eyes pin me to the table. It looks like he’s about to take a step closer to me, but then checks himself.
Oh, no, he’s not getting away with this. “Do all of the doctors here administer the same exam you just performed?”
He hesitates for a long moment. “No.”
“Is this the normal test you usually perform on other woman?”
This time he does not hesitate. “No.”
Then, why are you intentionally playing with my mind and body? There is something you’re not telling me, Brett.
He pushes his glasses up on his nose and changes the subject. “Have you been thinking about your final two?”
“Jase is the front runner. I’m not sure where the others fall yet.”
“Jase?” he spits out with venom. “I would have thought you were smarter than that, Tesh.”
I was right. There is some kind of rivalry going on between the two men. “How could you possibly know how smart I am?”
His eyes narrow. “Because we are a 100% match.”
My eyes widen in disbelief. “Me and you?”
“Yes.”
“Is that even possible?”
“Apparently,” he says in a tone that implies he is as shocked as I am.
“But, how?”
He spears a hand through his hair. “Honestly, Tesh, from the very first word I read on your profile, I was captivated by you. On paper, we enjoy all of the same things. Biking, snowboarding, reading and writing. I love your intelligence and wit. I love that you’re passionate about politics and donate time to volunteerism because I do the same. I know that you have a fighting spirit and a kind heart. And, right now, after this exam, it’s all I can do to stop myself from throwing you down on that table and making love to you until you scream.”
Whoa. Wasn’t expecting that answer. “Then, why didn’t you pick me?” I ask him softly.
“I told you. I’m not one of the men.”
“Yet you filled out a profile?”
He shrugs. “I did it for fun, that’s all. I really wasn’t expecting to find someone like you.”
I move away from the table and touch his sleeve. “Make yourself one of the men, Brett. You work here. Surely, you have some pull.”
“I can’t. It’s complicated.”
“I see,” I say and an image of Sophia’s beautiful face rears in my mind. I swallow past the sudden lump in my throat. “Well, I guess this is goodbye then.”
“Yes, it is. Goodbye, Tesh.”
The Blindfold Test
“Are you nervous?” Camryn asks me as she twists and turns in front of a full-length mirror. Her critical gaze inspects every inch of her bikini-clad body.
Of course, I’m nervous. I’m about to enter into a Blindfold Test with two men I’m not really into. One of whom will most likely become my husband. I have to keep reminding myself that Brett Rand is simply not available. “Yeah.”
Camryn holds out a shot glass. “Come on, let’s take the edge off.”
I shake my head. “Not tonight.”
Her perfectly manicured eyebrow arches high into her hairline. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I just want to make sure I’m making the right choice and not the one that feels the best.”
My one-on-one dates went as well as can be expected today, but the pink robe stayed firmly in place. I wanted to get to know the men on a deeper, intellectual level. In the end, I finally decided on Jase and Doug as my top two. Doug is a lot smarter than his surfer dude persona, and Jase just seems to always know the perfect things to say. But, I have to remind myself, that doesn’t mean that they will be the two men who show up tonight. They have to pick me, too.
Camryn takes a sip of the shot. “I’m telling you right now, Adam Steele better have agreed to my final two or I will hunt him down and kill him. I mean it. That man is the father of my children and that’s all there is to it.”
“He’ll be there. I don’t think there’s a man alive immune to the charms of Camryn Kennedy,” I tell her with a wink.
“I knew I was friends with you for a reason.”
I smile at her. “How do I look?” The white bikini I’m wearing is plain, but I’m just thrilled to be out of that stupid robe.
She reaches out and jiggles my boobs in her hands. “With these tits and that black hair? Dear God, Tesh, you’ll have them drooling.”
The Parlor door opens and Sophia sticks her head in. “Tesh, it’s time.”
I give Cam a quick kiss and follow Sophia out of the room.
The Steward doesn’t say anything until we arrive at the assigned grotto. The sky is starless and dark. The only light a single burning torch that throws flickering shadows over the gleaming, glass like surface of the pool. Wide steps lead down into the mist-filled water surrounded by rough caves.
I rub my hands over my arms to dispel my anxiety. The night is eerily beautiful. Erotic portents tantalize the air and send a thrilling chill down my spine. But, something feels off to me.
“Turn around, please.”
I turn and Sophia fastens a blindfold across my eyes. “I know I told you there were no rules to tonight, but there is actually one. No talking. Your test tonight will be all about a physical connection, nothing else.” She places my hand on a railing at the steps. “You may enter the pool. One of your suitors will be joining you in just a few moments.”
I hear the rustling of her voluminous dress as she moves away. I dip my toes into the water. It’s warm. Very warm, but I don’t feel any jets which is nice. I like the quiet and the heat and the mystery the blindfold provides. It feels like I’m alone in the world as I step further into the pool. When the water is at chest level, I lie on my back and float. With my eyes covered, my other senses are heightened. The smell of jasmine fills my nose, the feel of the heated liquid caresses my skin, and the taste of anticipation dances in my mouth.
Someone steps into the pool with me and I glide to my feet. The unidentified man doesn’t say anything as he moves closer. Which one is it? Jase or Doug? Maybe even Beau. Please don’t be Nate or Nick.
I stand and wait.
Soon, a pair of hands encircles my waist and I hiss through my teeth. A hard mouth crashes down on mine and plunges a tongue roughly into my mouth. Oh! Definitely, not Doug. He is gentler, more playful.
Jase? He gave me a brief kiss after our second one-on-one, but it was nothing like this. I’m shocked that I don’t know who it is! I thought I would be able to tell easily despite the blindfold.
The nameless man lifts me into strong arms and walks me to the edge of the pool. With my back pinned against the rim, he nestles his face in my neck and bites my skin. Ow! These are not gentle nips. This man feels…angry for some reason. My bikini top is suddenly wrenched aside and a rough hand mauls my breast. He suddenly hits me with two sharp slaps across my breasts.
“Stop it,” I snarl in anger and lift my hand to rip off the blindfold. The man pins my arms
to my sides and spins me around. He wraps my long hair around his fist and yanks my head back. His other hand reaches over my shoulder, grabs a hold of a nipple and twists harshly.
I grunt in pain and suddenly realize the danger I’m in. With very little effort, this man could easily hold my head under the water and kill me if he chose to. Why is he doing this? Who is doing this?
“Please stop.”
In response, my assailant lifts me out of the water and bends me over the edge. I try to elbow him in the face, but he captures both of my wrists in a strong hand. He rips my bikini bottoms down around my hips.
I struggle, but he holds me firmly in his grip.
A stinging smack lands across my bottom. Then, another.
“Ah!”
A third is delivered so hard, I’m sure it leaves a reddened handprint behind.
“Out!” The voice above us is soft but firm. Deadly firm.
The man in the water stiffens and I can feel the fury rolling off him. “Why should I? I’m in her top two!”
Jase!
“I told you not to come. Now, out!”
Glasses?
It sounds like him, but I’m not sure. I’m so disoriented because of this blindfold that I can’t figure anything out. I want to ask what the hell is going on, but I instinctively know it has nothing to do with me.
Jase pushes away from me and leaves the pool without another word.
I slide back in and readjust my bathing suit with trembling hands. Whoever just stopped Jase, saved me from an assault, that much I’m sure of. It’s hard to reconcile the sweet Jase who sent me flowers and played chess with me to the aggressive brute that just left.
Someone else enters the pool and I’m suddenly afraid.
But, it doesn’t last.
Strong, gentle arms pull me close. A masculine soap scent washes over me and I feel safe again.
Yes, Glasses. There is no doubt now.
Brett tenderly strokes the side of my hair.
“I’m afraid neither Jase nor Doug will be able to join you this evening.”
I jump up and wrap my arms and legs around him, snuggling my face into his neck. “Thank you.”
“Are you all right?”
“Just hold me for a minute.”
He sways in the water with me in his arms, rubbing firm caresses down my back. He plants a sweet kiss on my shoulder. We stay this way for several minutes and I realize his presence has soothed all my anxiety. His hands move lower down my back and I feel a stirring ache. I want his hands on me.
“Tesh, if you want—”
I place a finger on his mouth. “Shh. You’re breaking the rules by talking, Dr. Rand.”
“Oh, I’m breaking several rules tonight, but I can assure you that I don’t plan to do any more talking, Ms. Morgan.” I inhale a quick breath. “I just wanted you to be absolutely certain who is holding you at this moment.” He leans in and nibbles my earlobe. “And, kissing you.” Feather light touches trail seductively down my body and cup my bottom. “And, about to fuck you.”
My heart hammers against my ribcage.
His hands dip lower, underneath my behind. He pushes aside the small strip of bikini and sinks two fingers into me.
My body clenches and I moan loudly.
He growls low in his throat and kisses my throat as he thrusts in and out. I cling to him, reveling in the feel of his lips on my skin and the muscle beneath my hands. Toned arms bulge with strength, and I wonder where the hell he was hiding all this muscle.
Abruptly, he pulls his fingers out and I want to beg him not to. He twists me around in his arms and presses me up against the edge of the pool. I feel his arousal at my back as his hands knead my shoulders. My breathing sounds unnaturally loud in the silence of the pool, but all I care about is what Brett is doing to my body.
He unclasps my bikini top and pushes the straps slowly down my arms. Yes, Brett. Oh, yes. His hands snake around and pull down the fabric in front. My breasts tumble free.
“Oh, fuck,” Brett growls, cupping both breasts in his hands. He spins me back to face him, catches a nipple in his mouth and sucks greedily. His tongue works over the rosy bud sending waves of heat straight to my core. He flicks and pulls with his fingers, stretching them away from my body. “Follow me,” he whispers huskily.
He steps back and begins to move away from the wall, pulling me by both nipples.
Oh, fuck, is right, Dr. Rand.
I try to keep up with him, but he keeps far enough away to send ripples of pleasure pain shooting through my breasts.
“Ah!”
He drags me faster through the water and I stumble blindly along. Just when I think I’m going to climax from the exquisite torture, he lets go. A yelp tears from my throat when Brett swings me up onto the top level of the wide steps.
“If I remember correctly, Ms. Morgan, you do enjoy oral sex. Yes?”
I want to tell him that it is not anatomically possible for a woman not to enjoy oral sex. Every woman loves oral sex. Every woman loves a man who loves oral sex even more. But, I don’t say anything as I feel him come out of the water and press me back onto the rim of the pool, my legs still in the water.
Gentle hands strip my bikini bottom down the length of me. I hear it land somewhere in the darkness behind me. I’m completely naked now, but Brett has seen me this way before and I can feel his hot gaze burning into me. I swallow nervously, anticipating his next touch.
He bends my legs and forces my knees apart. He peels apart my labia with his fingers and his mouth latches onto my clitoris, nipping softly at the ultrasensitive nub. I moan loudly as he licks me from top to bottom. He sucks my sex like it’s the last thing he ever wants to do in this world and I’m just grateful to be the beneficiary.
He thrusts a finger inside me as far as it will go and moves it in circles, matching the tempo of his tongue.
My eyes roll back in my head and I can’t think straight.
Brett groans and presses a forearm against my legs to roll me back even more. His finger searches for and finds the tiny opening at my bottom.
Oh!
He uses my own juices to lubricate the area and then slowly inserts his finger, allowing my body to conform to the size. His mouth once again reclaims my sex as his finger pushes in and out of my buttocks. Not deep, but shallow and it’s all the more erotic because of it. The position I’m in, with my behind lifted in the air, intensifies the mind-blowing magic of his hands and mouth. I cry out as the pressure builds inside me. My body convulses as I ride the downward crest toward orgasmic relief.
Brett lets go and crawls up my body to lay over me. For some reason, he hesitates. “Do you want this, Tesh?” he asks in a ragged breath.
“Yes, Brett! Yes!”
With a feral snarl, he drives inside me and I scream. His hips move slowly at first and then with more intensity as he slams into me over and over again with sharp, heavenly thrusts. His merciless assault sends me over the edge and I shatter into a million pieces of sweet release. He explodes inside me a second later, “Oh, shit, Tesh!”
Brett collapses on top of me and we stay that way until our senses return. Finally, he rolls off and pulls me on top of him, close against his chest. Neither of us say anything at first, content to bask in the aftermath of the connection we just shared. He presses his lips to my temple. “That was amazing, Tesh Morgan. You are amazing.”
I’ve never felt this level of intimacy with another man, and his words wash over me and envelop me in a cozy layer. It feels good, so good. I snuggle blissfully into his hard body.
I wonder how many other couples at The Ranch are doing the same thing at this moment. How many will walk away with the partner of their dreams? Maybe Sophia’s success claims are to be believed after all. This brings up a good point.
I lift off him and sit up, bringing my knees into my chest. “What about Sophia?” I ask him softly.
He props himself up on an elbow and his eyes immediately trail downward. “Wha
t about her?” he asks and casually fingers me.
My eyelids flutter. “She…she’s going to be very upset about…us.” I’m afraid to say it out loud, as though doing so will ruin the dream and I’ll wake up alone in my bed in Chicago.
He shrugs, pressing quickly in and out of my well-lubricated tunnel. “She’ll get over it.”
What? Is he really this heartless? “And, when you’re through with me, will I get the same treatment, Dr. Rand?”
His finger turns and crooks inside me as he scratches my g-spot. I want to scream.
“What are you talking about, Tesh?”
“Sophia!”
He pulls his finger out and I want to curse my bad timing with these stupid questions! Ah!
“If my sister has a problem with me breaking the rules, that’s her problem. I found you and I’m not about to let you go.”
My eyes widen. “Sophia is your sister?”
“Yes. I…I thought you knew. I thought everyone knew.”
I shake my head and stare at him. “No, I didn’t.” This bit of news sends relief flooding through me. Dr. Brett Rand really can be all mine. He looks so gorgeous lying there in the moonlight like a sculptured Greek God. The slight gray in his hair shines at his temples. I reach out and cup his cheek suddenly realizing what is different about him. “Where are your glasses?”
“I don’t need them.” He chuckles at the look on my face. “I use them as a prop, that’s all. Since I’m not one of the men, I don’t want women really seeing me when I’m out and about The Ranch. They work wonders.”
“I saw you,” I tell him quietly.
His look softens. “Yes, you did.”
How strange. Because of this incredible rapport we have both physically and on paper, I feel like I’ve known him forever when the reality is that I know very little about him. “What happens next?”
He reaches for my hand. “If you pick me at The Selection ceremony tomorrow night, that means we’ll officially be dating. Do you want to be my girlfriend, Tesh Morgan?”
I toss my long hair over my shoulder. “Hmm…I haven’t quite decided what I’m going to do yet.”
He wears a confident smirk. “Oh, I think you have.”