“Our time would be better spent if we were both naked.”
“But once I sleep with you…will that be the end?” She held on to the stem of her glass and waited for me to answer, the hesitation on her face. Now she wasn’t as playful as she’d been before. Now she was nervous, afraid of my answer.
“You know that’s what I do. When I’m finished, we’re finished.” I took a shower then left the hotel room. I didn’t even stay long enough to say goodbye. Just like a drive-thru fast-food joint, I got what I paid for then left.
She couldn’t hide the sadness that crept into her expression. “And that’s it? We would never speak to each other again?”
I shrugged. “I guess. I mean, if I ran into you somewhere, I wouldn’t ignore you.”
“But once you get what you want, you’ll lose interest.” She said it with finality, swirling her glass slightly as she looked into the contents.
The sadness on her face was impossible to ignore. It actually made me feel guilty, as if I’d misled her in some way. “My ambitions were perfectly clear, sweetheart.” I made a few exceptions, like spending time with her until she was truly comfortable, but she wasn’t more special than anyone else.
“I know…but I guess I’ll miss you. I like spending time with you.”
“I do too,” I said automatically, not thinking twice about it.
“Then why don’t we keep spending time together?” she asked, her voice growing quiet.
I held her gaze and tried to think of the right thing to say. Since I was her first lover, it wasn’t surprising she’d developed an attachment to me. “I don’t do relationships. You know that.”
“You did one with Simone.”
“And that was a mistake.” Simone was the only relationship I’d ever had, and it wasn’t real. It was just lies masked with sex. She humiliated me in front of the entire world. On top of that, she was the one who’d made me a man when I was fifteen. She’d been a leach for several decades.
“Not all women are like that, Slate.”
“I’m sure they aren’t.” But I wasn’t interested in finding out.
She stared at me with her chin still propped on her hand, looking at me with the same disappointment. “You know what? When someone hurts us, it sticks with us for a while. But we have to get over it. If we don’t, then they continue to have this power over us. I know Simone hurt you, but the longer you keep this up, the longer she’ll have you under her thumb. Don’t let her do that to you.”
Simone had no power over me now, nor had she ever. I was never heartbroken at her betrayal. I moved on like it never happened in the first place. “It’s not because of her.”
“It is because of her,” she countered. “As soon as you broke up, you became the Cherry Popper, and you’ve been doing that ever since.”
“Because I enjoy it—and stop analyzing me.” I didn’t appreciate a woman sitting across from me at dinner judging my decisions. “I’m a man with needs, and I will fulfill them however I want. It has nothing to do with that cunt.”
“But it does,” she said firmly. “You refuse to have a relationship because the only relationship you had ended badly.”
“No.” I kept my voice down even though I felt my anger rise. “It’s not because of her. It’s because of him.”
She held on to her glass as her eyes changed, turning from serious to confused.
“People are greedy, selfish, and evil. My own brother stabbed me in the back while looking me in the eye. Simone was just an opportunistic parasite that found a better host. I don’t have a lot of faith in people in general. So that’s why I prefer things this way. I’ve been much happier ever since.”
She let those words sink in before she opened her mouth to speak.
I cut her off before she had the chance. “Don’t try to change who I am. Don’t try to tell me I’m wrong. This is my life—and I will live it as I wish.”
Monroe said nothing else. She stared me for a long time before she pulled the glass to her lips and took a drink. She licked the drops away and then turned her gaze out the window.
Now it was quiet. Tense. Uncomfortable.
I felt responsible for ruining the evening, but she shouldn’t have pressed me so hard. She was asking me to be a different man when I didn’t owe her anything.
She turned back to me and leaned forward, getting closer to me. “I wasn’t trying to change who you are. I wasn’t trying to say your way of life was wrong. But I was trying to say that you have options. You’re a handsome, compassionate, and charming man…it would be easy for you to have the undying devotion of a woman. It would be easy for you to find a woman who would be loyal to you always. If that’s what you wanted…”
Even if I wanted it, that didn’t exist. I didn’t trust anyone because no one was trustworthy. It was hard to believe a woman would want me for me, considering the nickname I’d earned. Any self-respecting woman would be disgusted by my actions, but my wallet somehow eradicated my crimes. “Simone came to my office and threatened me.”
Her head tilted slightly as her eyes narrowed.
“Said she would make my life miserable if I didn’t stay out of her way.”
“So she basically admitted she’s using your brother?”
I shrugged. “Why not? She already knows that I know what she’s doing.”
“That’s still pretty ballsy…did you tell your brother?”
I nodded. “I did. But he didn’t believe me…just as I expected.”
She shook her head slightly. “What an idiot.”
“When it comes to that woman, he can’t see straight. She’s brainwashed him. I tried to warn him for his own sake, but he doesn’t want to listen to reason. So, I guess I’ll stand by and watch his life fall apart.”
“That woman is evil.”
Never heard anything truer. “Yes.” I shouldn’t base my view of all people on Simone and Coen, but they were a sharp representation of reality. Once a beautiful woman seduced him, my brother turned into a back-bending bitch. And once Simone had the chance to be extremely rich, she stopped at nothing to get what she wanted. It was like an episode of Game of Thrones, but in modern times. For a man like me, I would never have the opportunity to meet a woman without my reputation accompanying me. She would always know I was rich. She would always know Simone humiliated me to the public. There was no possibility of meeting a woman on a blank canvas. I wasn’t a regular man with a regular job. People knew exactly who I was before they even got the chance to know me.
“I hope your brother realizes the truth before it’s too late.”
“He won’t.” I’d watch Simone rip his life apart before she tried to commandeer the company. She was a pain in the ass, the biggest pain in the ass. She would rip my family apart until there was no possibility of reconciliation.
That was the worst aspect of all.
Monroe watched me with pity in her eyes, the sincerity obvious. I said she wasn’t a friend, but the truth was, she was the only person I confided in. I told her about my life, even brought her to that charity dinner. And she seemed real with me, like she enjoyed my company because I was pleasant, not because of my money or the money I paid her. “You’re a good man, Slate. Even after what Coen did to you, you tried to help him…again.”
“No. I just don’t want Simone to get her hands on my company.”
“That’s what you say…but I know that’s not the main reason. I know you want to protect your brother even after he betrayed you. That’s the sign of a real man, to put aside his own pain to help someone…even if they don’t deserve it.”
16
Monroe
AFTER WE FINISHED DINNER, we got into the back seat of the car. Our evening hadn’t been as fun as I’d hoped it would be. Lately, it seemed like we were fighting rather than having a good time. Slate was in a bad mood, stressed about his brother and his future bride. When he told me he would never change, I felt the sadness in my heart.
I never considered
a real relationship with him. It was something that didn’t cross my mind. But the idea of never seeing him again after our night together…made me sad. He’d become an important person in my life, someone I spoke to on a daily basis. We had lunch together, dinner, and even went to special events together.
He was my friend…even if he didn’t consider himself to be one.
I knew I didn’t love him. How could I love someone who called himself a Cherry Popper? But I knew I didn’t want this to end.
“My place or yours?” he asked, looking out the window.
Our night had started off strong, but when I questioned his character, he quickly turned bitter. It cast a shadow over the evening that blocked out all the light. So I was surprised he asked the question, assuming he would just want to drop me off. “Your place.”
He told his driver where to go.
I looked out the window and felt my heart start to palpitate. We’d been doing this for three weeks, and I still hadn’t opened my legs. I was more comfortable with the idea, but now that I knew it would be our last night together, I didn’t want to go through with it. I wanted to drag it out as long as possible. That wasn’t fair to him because that was not what he paid for. He paid for a service—and I was supposed to provide that service. Now that I didn’t want to lose him, that could only mean I was ready…and I should finally fulfill my end of the deal.
We arrived at his penthouse and stepped inside. I slipped off my heels right away and left them by the door. I’d worn my favorite dress because I wanted to impress him, and judging by the intense way he looked at me now, he was definitely impressed.
His hand moved over my bare shoulder, and his fingers squeezed me gently as he admired my bare skin. The backs of his fingers glided gently over my shoulder and to my neck, where he could feel the pulse in my vein. His eyes followed his fingertips, worshiping me in silence.
I turned my head toward his fingers and watched them caress me. I watched them move closer to me until the backs of his fingers met my mouth. They rested there, feeling my softness with his warmth.
I kissed his fingers, my eyes moving to his.
He watched me kiss him, watched me taste him in a way I’d never tasted a man before. “These lips are so perfect. So full. So soft. So sexy.” He rubbed his thumb across my bottom lip as he looked me in the eye.
Whenever he touched me like that, I felt like nothing else mattered. There was no one else outside these walls. It was just the two of us in a deserted city. A man had never looked at me the way he did, with that possessive intensity. Did he look at all women that way? Until he got what he wanted? Would he only find me this desirable until he took my virginity? Then I would be damaged goods?
His hand moved into the back of my hair, and he gave it a gentle tug, making my chin angle toward the ceiling and exposing my neck.
He leaned in and kissed me, his strong mouth giving me the sexiest pleasure. He kissed me hard, his lips devouring me. His fingers tightened in my hair as he continued, as if he were eating me for dessert.
His hand released my hair and moved to the zipper at the back of my dress. He slowly pulled it down until the single strap over my shoulder fell to my arm. The rest of the dress came with it, slowly sliding until it fell to the floor.
He ended the kiss so he could look at my tits, see how hard my nipples were. He palmed one of them and gave it a good squeeze before he looked me in the eye again. His fingers moved to my nude thong, and he gently pushed it over my ass until it fell to my ankles. Fully clothed, he lifted me into the air and carried me to his bedroom down the hallway.
Maybe he expected tonight to be the night he would finally have me. He knew I was comfortable with him, that I still wanted him to be in my life once he popped my cherry. Maybe he knew if he pressured me, he would get what he wanted.
He laid me on the bed then stripped away his clothes. He got rid of his collared shirt, his slacks, and his belt. Piece by piece, he revealed himself until he was stripped down to nothing. His cock greeted me with the same enthusiasm as always, twitching in anticipation.
His heavy frame moved over the bed, and he approached me slowly, the mattress sinking every time his hand pressed into it.
My legs automatically opened for him, and I locked my ankles around his waist. Once I felt that strong body on top of mine, my reservations slipped away. My pussy ached because it was ready for the experience that would turn me into a woman. My thighs squeezed his hips, and I looked him in the eye as I felt his cock rub against my clit, stimulating me in the sexiest way possible.
He watched my expression as he gently ground against me, watched me feel him.
My hands gripped his arms, and I felt my nipples harden to diamonds. My breathing became deep and heavy because I was nervous. I was about to give myself to this man, and I knew I wanted it. Even if I hadn’t been paid, I wanted this man to be my first.
I brought his face close to mine, and I kissed him, my fingers moving into his short hair as I ground against his length. My thighs continued to squeeze him, and I moaned into his mouth the second our mouths were combined.
My clit was on fire from the pressure of his big dick. It wouldn’t take much to make me come, not that it ever did.
He continued his purposeful embraces, his kisses turning more aggressive and passionate. He sucked my bottom lip then gave me his tongue, his cock throbbing against my clit.
My head was in the clouds, and all I could think about was sex, having that big dick inside me to take away my innocence. The other times he tried were met with resistance, but this time, I didn’t feel any hesitation. “Slate…take my virginity.”
His lips went immobile against mine, and I actually felt his cock twitch against me. He breathed hard through the pleasure, probably feeling a flush of heat down his spine. I’d just told him what he wanted to hear, and he was probably so hard it hurt.
I pulled away so I could look into his gaze, see the desire burning in his eyes. My fingers were still deep in his hair, and my pussy was wet from the way he rubbed against my clit. I didn’t know how he would fit, but I was probably so wet that he could make it happen. When I looked back on this night, it wouldn’t be with regret or shame. I wouldn’t think about the money that had already eliminated my student loans. I would just think about him…the man who earned my trust.
He rubbed his nose against mine. “Sweetheart…”
I ground against him and felt my heart skip a beat. I could feel the audible arousal in his voice, hear the desire that tightened his spine.
“Not tonight.” He moved off me and lay on his side beside me. His cock was still rock-hard like he wanted nothing more than to fuck me. But he turned me down, rejecting the one thing he wanted from me.
“Why?”
He separated my thighs with his hand then slipped two fingers inside me. “You deserve a perfect night. And tonight was far from perfect.” He moved past my entrance and felt the moisture that pooled down my channel. “Besides, I need to break you in first.” He leaned over me and kissed me, his mouth aggressive like it’d been before. His thumb moved to my clit, and he circled it as he fingered me.
The sting of rejection quickly faded away as he made my legs shake. I felt his large fingers press deep inside me, hitting my walls and making me loosen. His kisses drowned out my self-doubt and brought me to the edge of an orgasm. He moaned against my mouth as his fingers continued to explore me, to feel the virgin places that hadn’t been explored before. He was a conqueror claiming a new land under his reign.
My nails sliced his skin as I felt the explosion between my legs. An orgasm as good as the last one he gave me rocked me from head to toe. My moans turned to pants, and I watched him look me in the eye as he enjoyed my performance. I felt my pussy slicken even more, more moisture dumping between my legs.
Instead of removing his fingers and expecting me to do something for him, he continued to finger me, just moving more slowly. His face hovered above mine, his chiseled jawline
tight as he looked into my gaze. “I can’t wait to fuck this pussy. So wet. So tight.” He dug his fingers deeper inside, exploring me with throbbing digits.
“You could fuck it now…” He’d just satisfied me with his fingers, but I still wanted more.
He rubbed his nose against mine. “Don’t tempt me, baby.”
17
Slate
I COULD HAVE TAKEN HER.
I could have fucked her.
I could have finally had what I wanted.
But it didn’t seem right. Our dinner had been tense and awkward. I snapped at her, and she got under my skin. She was different from the other women I bedded because this actually meant something to her. I wanted her to look back on the memory fondly, not with regret. I wanted her to look forward to sex, not be disturbed by her first time.
She was disappointed that our relationship would be over once I got what I wanted, but it was her mistake for assuming otherwise. She might be getting special treatment, but that was only because I wanted her so much. Once I finally popped her cherry, my obsession would die. I would be interested in the next virgin, hoping she would come and cry. Monroe would be a good memory but nothing more than that.
She wanted to stay friends—but I didn’t have any friends.
I worked the next few days like everything was normal. As if my future sister-in-law wasn’t trying to steal my company, and my brother wasn’t the biggest idiot on the planet. When I was in my office working on my own projects, it was easy to pretend that I was alone—that I didn’t have to share this company with anyone else.
I went home to my penthouse every night, worked out, and then drank booze while I watched TV. Sometimes my mind would turn to Monroe and I would fantasize about fucking her for the first time, but that didn’t make me reach for the phone. I didn’t want to pressure her into something she wasn’t ready for. I wanted her to fuck me when she was absolutely certain.
That way, I could really enjoy it.
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