by Alexa Davis
“Oh, well, I just came to tell you two that Marcus is moving over here. He’s coming tomorrow. I know we had dinner plans, but I won’t be able to make it because I’ll be making him feel welcome.”
“Your best friend Marcus? The lord or whatever he is?” I was stunned – the guy was British royalty. Why the hell is he coming over here? That didn’t make any sense. I’d never met the guy myself, but I’d heard enough stories to feel like I knew him, and he wasn’t someone I wanted to entertain.
Unfortunately, Maddie wasn’t as smart. “Ooh, a lord?” Just like that, her gaze was taken off my brother. “For real?”
“Yes, he’s got some very English title,” he said as he waved his hand dismissively. “But I wouldn’t think of going after him. He’s bad news.”
“In what way?”
I turned away, pretending I didn’t care, but intrigue made me listen in to my brother’s answer. Much as I didn’t have time for a playboy in my life, I did want to know what was bringing him away from his royal duties to America.
“He’s just a player, the sort of guy who will never settle down.”
“A bit like you, then?” I bit out, unable to resist the dig. I meant it for both of them, but Maddie was off in some dream world, imagining herself as some lady. Ugh, it’s sickening. I love my best friend, but why does she have to go after men who are bad for her? “So, I guess you’ll be out on the town more, putting it about more regularly.”
“I don’t know, we’ll see. I’m picking him up from the airport tomorrow.”
“We should come with you,” Maddie insisted excitedly. “To help and meet your friend. He’ll be wanting to meet new people while he’s here, won’t he?”
“Did you not hear what I said?” Cameron chuckled and shook his head. “I’m serious, you two want to keep the hell away from him. He won’t ever be after a long-term thing. He’s a typical ‘hit it and quit it’ type of guy.”
But Maddie wasn’t about to be put off that easily. “Well, someone has to change him.” She glanced at me and smiled brightly, but I wasn’t going to give her any validation. “Eventually, he’ll meet ‘the one’ and settle down. You will, too.”
“Okay, whatever.” If there was a hint in there, Cameron wasn’t getting it. “I’ll pick you up on the way. Now, I have plans that involve being out of this dirty area, so I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Later!”
As he slammed the door shut behind him, Maddie squealed like an excitable schoolgirl. “Oh, my God, did you hear that? A lord is coming to live here – do you know what that means?”
“It means another asshole playboy hanging out with my brother and generally being a douchebag.” This was nothing to be excited about, and the sooner she understood that, the better. “I’ve never actually met Marcus, but I’ve heard a lot about him. I’ve read about him in the press, too. He’s worse than Cam even suggested. I wouldn’t go anywhere near him.”
“Oh, forget Cameron, what does he know?”
I wanted to comment, to ask her how she could just drop her longstanding crush after one remark about some lord, but I couldn’t because we’d never actually talked about her feelings before. This didn’t feel like the right place to start that awkward topic.
“Oh, my God, I might have to go shopping tomorrow. What am I going to wear? What sort of clothes do you wear to meet an English lord?”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed the plates to wash them up in the kitchen. Maddie was on a roll now; there was no stopping her. She didn’t even need me to answer her; she’d talk until there were no words left in the world.
What does it matter if there’s some new guy in town? Who cares? It wouldn’t make any difference to me, except for the fact that I’d be dragged along to the airport to pick him up. At least once I’d seen a little awkward flirting, I could get back on with my life. I would just have to try and protect Maddie from getting royally screwed over... pun not intended.
“What are you going to wear? Look nice, but not better than me. I want the hot, rich English guy to only have eyes for me.”
“I really couldn’t care less,” I insisted loudly. “I’ll wear whatever you want me to; it honestly doesn’t matter.”
Chapter 3 – Marcus – Tuesday
“Okay, sir, right through here.” The flight attendant smiled brightly at me as she sent me through to first class. I followed closely behind her, unsure of what I really should be doing.
I didn’t like to admit it aloud, but this was the first time I’d ever flown in a commercial jet. Usually, I went on my family’s private plane, but of course, since this was a running away trip, this was the only choice I had. There was no way my dad would’ve let that happen. “I hope you enjoy your flight, Your Highness.”
“Oh, right, thanks.” I’d been trying to keep my identity a secret, today more than ever, but it seemed like I wasn’t about to get so lucky. I’d probably be all over the papers in a heartbeat. At least, I wouldn’t have to be around to witness the fallout for that. I was going to be on the other side of the world.
As I took my seat, I heard my phone blasting in my pocket, which caused one of the flight attendants to send me a warning look. I tugged it out and saw Paul’s name on the screen, which made it much easier for me. He wasn’t someone I wanted to talk to today of all days, so I flicked the off switch with no guilt whatsoever.
He wanted me to stay but that wasn’t going to happen. I couldn’t tell him that anymore. He knew why I wanted to go. If he was choosing not to acknowledge that, then that was his own problem.
“Sorry,” I mouthed at the hostess, showing her the black screen of my phone. “It’s off now.”
As I slid my butt farther back in the seat, I couldn’t help but notice how uncomfortable it was compared to my usual plane ride. Still, I couldn’t complain; it was taking me away from my crappy life.
I stared out the window and watched the grayness of the awful London weather, wondering what life would be like without it. I was more than ready to make this move, but there was no denying I felt a twinge of terror. I was giving up everything I knew, and as much as that wasn’t a good life, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was better to know what each day held.
“Well, it looks like you’re my only passenger today.”
I shifted my gaze to see a long-legged beauty standing right in front of me. She had that tight, sexy flight attendant uniform on and a pair of breasts that were begging to be freed from their material prison.
“Oh, right.” I realized that I was the only one in the first-class area of the plane. “Well, I’ll do my best not to cause you any issues, then.”
“Oh, no, I didn’t mean it like that.” She leaned forward and lightly brushed her hands against my arm. “I just meant... Well, lucky me.”
Is she flirting with me? I stared up at her, trying to figure out her emotions, and it seemed like she was struggling to manage her professional image while being seductive with me; it was obviously very confusing for her and sparked all kinds of feelings inside of me. “And possibly lucky you, too.”
For some reason, I couldn’t answer that. The words got stuck right in the back of my throat. All my usual cool when it came to flirting flew right out of the window. What the hell is wrong with me?
“So, is there anything I can get you? A drink, something to eat...” Her words were loaded, but still my lips remained sealed shut. “Or something to destress you?”
Luckily, as it turned out, I didn’t need to say anything. She glanced around to check that no one was looking and slid her body over by my seat. With a seductive glint in her eye, she moved slowly downward to the ground before she fiddled with the zipper on my pants. She was giving me a look, daring me to stop her from what she was about to do, but there was no way I would do that.
If this woman wanted to take me, then who was I to stop her? It was risky as hell, and probably put her job on the line, but that made it all the sexier.
If there was one thing I loved, it was a little bit
of taboo fun.
She unzipped me and freed a thick, pulsating erection, one that was keen for her to get her lips around me. My words might’ve been stuck in my throat, but my body certainly knew what it wanted. It was reacting to the stewardess’ advances, thank God. I would’ve died if it’d let me down now.
Her fingers slid up and down me, which caused a load groan to burst free. Finally, some noise! My eyes fell shut and my head lolled to one side as I felt the hot wetness of her mouth devouring me. Her head bobbed, her lips trailed up and down, her tongue was flickering all over, sending me to Heaven.
As the plane took off, pleasure exploded from me, and I knew in that moment that moving to America was going to be the best thing in the world for me.
***
“Hey!” I heard Cameron yelling excitedly before I even saw him. “Hey, Marcus, how was your flight?”
I felt a little jetlagged from so many hours in the air, but it’d been such a wild and fun ride that I couldn’t complain. “Yeah, it was good,” I smirked, probably a little too obviously since my friend seemed to get my point right away.
“Oh, God, you joined the Mile-High Club.” He rolled his eyes and chuckled at me. “Or maybe added another notch to your Mile-High Club belt. But wait, you weren’t on your private jet, so how did you pull that one off?”
“I was the only one in first class, so it was good.” I couldn’t stop myself from showing off, however childish it was. “I took off with her mouth wrapped around my cock, about three hours in we were humping in the toilets, and one more at about six hours in. She wanted to go again on landing, but I didn’t want to throw up in her hair; you know how sick I get on descent. She was the randiest stewardess I’ve ever encountered, so it made the trip over seriously awesome.”
“Oh, my God, I’ve missed you.” Cam patted my back in a jovial manner. “You never change; I love that about you. It’s good to have you here. I’m also glad that I managed to put my sister off from coming to the airport with me, I don’t think she would’ve appreciated that story!”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot that you have a sister. God, it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. Thank God for Skype, keeping the magic alive,” I teased playfully. “Our little relationship might’ve fallen apart without the Internet.”
“Aren’t you hilarious?” He shook his head and smirked. “Anyway, I did agree to dinner with her and her friend tomorrow night, instead. I hope that’s cool with you? If not, I can always tell them that you’re too tired from the flight?”
“Pfft, are you insane? I do have a reputation, you know? I’m not tired. I’m more than up for a night out. Once dinner is done, maybe we can go and find some hot, wild American chicks for some fun?”
I was buzzing, so excited for my new start. I couldn’t wait to dip my toes into American life. On the odd occasion I’d been here, it’d only been for boring, wealthy people events... which was how I met Cameron in the first place. He was the only cool person in the rich people circle. Now I could fully embrace the whole American experience.
“Yeah, sounds cool. My car’s outside, so let’s get you to your brand-new apartment!”
As we walked outside, and I inhaled the fresh American air, I was pleased to feel the warmth on my back. I had left the cold, gray misery of England behind, and I was here where everything was brighter, shinier, and bigger. It felt much more me here. I felt like I could be more myself. America was big enough for me; England was not.
“God, it’s awesome to be here. I’m so glad I came.”
“You are?” There was that anxiousness in Cameron’s voice again. He was concerned for me, but I wasn’t concerned. He would see soon enough that I’d made the right choice; it would be obvious. “You sure?”
“Yes, I’m positive. This is going to be awesome; I’m so excited.” I slid into the passenger’s seat of Cameron’s car, positivity flowing through me. “You know better than anyone how long I’ve been miserable. This is exactly where I need to be.”
“I know, I know... it’s just a big change. I don’t want you to make your family stuff worse, that’s all.”
I turned from him and stared out the window, refusing to get into that topic. That was my problem, and I was dealing with it in the only way I could. I couldn’t live near my father anymore, so there was no point in trying. If twenty-seven years hadn’t improved things, there was no way anything would. I didn’t even want to think about him anymore, I just wanted to gaze out at Manhattan: my new home, my new life.
“I went to check out the place this morning when I picked up the keys for you,” Cameron said, drawing me back into conversation. “It’s awesome; you have the best view of the city I’ve seen. I might have to come and stay when we’re out partying. My house is awesome, but it’s a little too far out.”
“So, what do you normally do?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking.
“Get hotel suites or stay at hers.” He winked at me, which sent me into peals of laughter. I’d missed Cameron – most of my friends back in England were so uptight. This was going to be so much fun, and I could do it in private here, too. The media wouldn’t have any interest in me here. There were too many people in New York with much more fascinating lives than mine. “You know how it is.”
“So, what’s your sister like?” Ugh, I didn’t quite mean that how it sounded. “And her friend. I mean, are they cool girls?” Oh, God, I’m making it worse. “I mean... Oh, you know what I mean.”
“Dude, I know you won’t go there. It’s like an unwritten rule. But, yeah. Blair’s great. She’s a bit prissy at times, but she’s good for a laugh. She’s a photographer. And Maddie... Well, she’s something else.”
Is that a smile on his lips? Does he like this girl? “So, what’s her story?”
“Oh, she’s a little crazy. She has the hots for me, obviously, but I can’t go there because she’s friends with my sister. It’s weird, you know. Plus, she’s nowhere near as hot as the supermodels I usually pick up.” He shrugged, trying to act blasé, but I wasn’t totally convinced.
“Oh, right.” I wanted to push him further, to see what was going on there but for some reason I got the sense that I shouldn’t. I turned my gaze back toward the window. If Cameron had something else going on in his life, then he’d spill the beans soon enough. One drink and his tongue always loosened. “Okay, cool. Well, you’ll have to introduce me to some of these girls. I can’t wait.”
Chapter 4 – Blair – Tuesday
“Right.” I glanced through the lens and envisioned the shot that I wanted. “I want you three over there, and you that way.”
As the models scattered, doing exactly what I commanded, I felt the familiar rush that could only come with getting a job done right. I had a real passion for photography, and that showed through the professionalism of my work. I didn’t care that I didn’t really need a job – I loved it and that’s all there was to it. “That looks great, thank you.”
“Ah, I see what you’re going for here,” the pretentious girl from the magazine drawled into my ear. She had no idea – she wasn’t the creative vision type – but I didn’t bother to correct her. She thought she was far too important, which suggested to me that she was sleeping with someone high up. There was no point in pissing her off because I really wanted this job. “It looks good.”
“Yeah, thanks.” I didn’t have time for people like her, but I had to put up with it more often than not. That was the one downside to this career choice. “Right, I’m going to start shooting now.” I clicked away, which thankfully shut her up. I needed to focus, to get this done.
It felt like hours passed before I was finished, but I knew it was a job well done. Maybe I did become a little bit of a perfectionist with my photographs, but it was how I earned my solid reputation. I never put anything out there that I wasn’t one hundred percent proud of. “Okay, guys,” I sighed wearily. “I think we’re done here. Thanks a lot.”
I started to dismantle my tripod, planning for
my night with Maddie. I’d spoken to Cameron and managed to get out of going with him to the airport to pick up his friend. I wasn’t interested and had absolutely no desire to spend any time with him, especially not with Maddie acting like he was going to be the best thing ever. Unfortunately, as a replacement for that, we were all going out to dinner tomorrow night instead, but that was a whole day away.
I wanted the girls-only night that tonight promised to be. It was exactly what I needed.
“Hey, Blair, is it?” I glanced up to see one of the male models smiling down at me. As my eyes traveled slowly up his body, I felt my face heat up at the sight of the incredible abs before me. I was fine through the camera, but up close, anyone so hot got me wired. I became acutely aware that I was smaller, curvier, and never did anything nice with my hair. “Good work today. I’m Frank.”
He extended out his hand to me, and I shook it awkwardly. “Oh, right. But you haven’t even seen the photos yet.” Why the hell am I saying that? Why can’t I just take the compliment in the way that it is intended?
“Well, I don’t think that I need to. Blair Murphy has a reputation that precedes her.”
“Oh, right.” I got the giggles, which made me even more uncomfortable. I felt like I was making a huge idiot of myself, yet I still couldn’t seem to stop. What the hell is wrong with me? I didn’t even know what was going on here. “Well, thank you.”
“So...” As he slid a t-shirt over his body, I felt my heart pound faster in my chest. He was hot on another level. “What would you say if I asked you out for a drink sometime?”
Oh... my... God. My whole body froze up in sheer shock. Is he serious? Is he actually asking me out? Unfortunately, it was never going to happen – male models were renowned for being the worst in arrogance and also for “forgetting” their partners while at parties and stuff. That was not the sort of drama I needed in my life.