UNPLUGGED The story of Quinn & Merritt Copyright © 2016 LK Collins Cover Design by Prezident Collins Edited by Lisa Christman, Adept Edits Photography by Copyright: Volodymyr Tverdokhlib All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author ’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owner.
Table of Contents Dedication Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33
Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Epilogue Acknowledgements
Dedication Crystal, thank you for all that you do. This one’s for you, babe.
Chapter 1 Quinn
Slowly, I creep up the snow-packed driveway, thankful that I have my new Jeep to navigate the slippery terrain. As I put the SUV in park, Ted opens my door, his adorable green eyes sparkling in the last of the evening sunlight. “Fancy new car you got here,” he says. Ted is my best friend, Willow’s, husband. “Why, thank you. I did sign the biggest client my office had this year.” He takes my hand as I steady myself, planting two feet firmly on the icy ground. A chill runs through me, and I zip my coat. “God, it’s cold.” “But beautiful,” he says, and we both look up at the shimmering white flakes coming down hard. “Come on, let’s get inside.” I nod and open my rear door, handing him my bag. Then we walk up to the gorgeous winter retreat that Willow’s brother, Ari, rented for the week. Every year he puts together one of these trips, and it’s what I look forward to most in the wintertime. It’s the same group of people every year, and we’ve all become like family. Most of us went to college together and now meet to spend time catching up, skiing, and snowboarding somewhere in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. It’s not far from where I live in Denver, and with how crazy my job and life can be at times, especially as the holiday’s approach, I can always use the time away…this year in particular. Ted and I kick the snow from our boots as Willow and Kami greet us at the door. “Oh my God!” both girls exclaim. “You look so adorable,” Kami tells me and gives me a tight hug, followed by Willow. “This place is stunning,” I say to them. “Isn’t it? Ari did awesome this year. Come on, let us show you to your room.” Kami’s boyfriend, Jacob, and Ari are zoned out on the TV, watching some sports game. “Hey guys,” I say as I walk by and they both nod their heads followed by a simultaneous, “What’s up?” “Awesome place, Ari. Thank you.” “No problem,” he says, still focusing on the TV, and the girls show me around and then take me upstairs. As we head down the hall, it’s clear Ari has the master; he’s paying after all. “So, here you are,” Willow says opening the door to the rustic-inspired bedroom, with two twin beds made out of real trees. My room is right across from her and Ted, and next to Kami and Jacob’s room, so we’re all sandwiched in together.
“Wow, I’m totally gonna feel like a little kid sleeping in here,” I tell Willow and Kami, as I plop down on the couch in the room to take my boots off. My bag is already by the door. Ted is such a sweetie. “So, how are you holding up?” Willow asks me. “I’m okay,” I tell her, the tears already pricking the back of my throat, and even though I try and push them away, it’s hard. Kami gives me a huge hug, and through an exasperated sigh, I say, “I’m not even sure why I’m upset.” “Breakups are always painful, babe.” And they are, even though my ex and I were only together for a handful of months, it was a fast and furious romance. He’s that big client I signed through my work, and he literally swept me off my feet. Flying me around every weekend to be with him as we traveled all over, and I just went with it. I completely let my guard down and in the process made myself vulnerable. It really was an awesome few months of my life. Until the day he broke up with me for really no reason that I could see. The pain of thinking about it is still so hard to handle. My relationships always seem to end badly, this one included, which makes me feel like there is something wrong with me. I’m really hoping with this trip I can let it go, even if only for this week. “Have you heard from him at all?” Kami asks. “No, thank God. I’m sure he’s moved on,” I tell the girls, and I’m sure he has. “Well, I say you forget all about that douchebag,” Willow says, and I smile, changing into a pair of sweats. “I’d love nothing more than to forget about him.” “What do you ladies say, let’s make this the best week ever? We are going to be completely relaxed, calm, and unplugged from the world, okay?” She looks at me with that look, and I know what she means. I take my cell phone from inside my purse. I’m reluctant to hand it to her…but I’m aware of the rules on these trips…so I do. Kami and Willow hug me. Willow looks into my eyes, reading me, knowing me so damn well. “Let it all go, babe. This is a fresh start!” “I will. Thank you both for picking my ass up.” “Of course. Meet ya downstairs?” “Yeah, I’m just gonna use the bathroom real quick.” After I finish, I stare back at my reflection in the mirror. My dark blue eyes are tired and my straggly caramel colored hair is a mess. Christ, work really kicked my ass this week. I never knew managing other people’s money could be so much work. Now that I’ve been promoted to Investment Advisor within a huge financial firm, I realize how easy I had it before. The snow made my hair such an unmanageable snarl that all I can do is use the hair band from my wrist to hold it in a messy ponytail.
My wool sweater looks ridiculous with my gray sweats, so I take it off, then go and dig through my bag for something more comfortable and less itchy to wear. One of the things I love about these trips is just being able to chill and relax and not care how I look. Ari is like a big brother to me, and the other guys are taken, so I have no one to look good for. Suddenly the door opens. “Here you are, man,” Ari says, walking in with an unfamiliar guy, and I scramble to cover my breasts. “What the fuck, Ari?” I yell, and both he and the new guy gawk at me. Looking back at his sexy face, I’m not sure what to do, so I storm into the bathroom and pull whatever t-shirt I’m holding over my head. Then I stand there trying to decide if I should walk out. Or maybe I should wait for someone to knock. Ari said, “Here you are?” What does he mean? This is my room! Who is that guy? “Quinn?” Willow calls out and lightly raps on the door. I open it, and she says, “You okay?” “I’m fine. What the fuck is going on, though?” “I’m sorry, Ari invited a friend of his. They used to work together. He didn’t think he was coming…but he’s here.” “And he’s staying in my room?” “Well, if you’re okay with that. But if not, I can see if he can sleep on the couch or something?” “No, don’t do that. I don’t want to cause any drama.” Ari puts this all together and is so cool about paying for everything. “He’s his friend; I’ll be fine.” “Are you sure?” she asks with a frown on her face. “I’m sure.” We walk out into the bedroom. On the floor at the door is the guy’s bag. I follow Willow downstairs, and as I look around at everyone, I spot him bullshitting with the guys. He’s got messy brown hair and muscles for days. He senses me coming down and looks at me, making my heart thud. I glance away like I didn’t notice, but I can feel his eyes still on me. He keeps talking to the guys but watching me. “I need a drink,” I tell Willow. My nerves are shot, having the two of them walk in on me like that. Thankfully Kami is making some sort of concoction in the kitchen. She’s our resident mixologist —literally—she worked at a high-end cocktail bar when we were all in college, and you can always count on her to make the best drinks. “Here you ladies go,” she says, passing us some foofy pink drinks. “Hey, Merritt, you want a beer, man?” Ari asks him. “Sure,” he says and walks into the kitchen, stopping right next to me. I swallow, sipping on my drink, gazing off, not sure why I’m so nervous. Minus the fact that he saw my tits, I don’t even know him. “Hey, I’m Merritt, sorry about earlier.” “It’s all good.” I sip on my drink again as he extends his hand to me. I look down at it for a moment and completely clam up. “You’re supposed to shake it,” he whispers, leaning into my ear. He
smells good, and his warm breath on my skin makes me tighten my pussy. I chuckle a little to myself, then take his hand in mine. “I’m Quinn,” I tell him. “It’s nice to meet you,” he says, his brown eyes dancing in the low light of the kitchen. “Here you go, man,” Ari says and hands him a beer. “You two get a chance to meet yet?” he asks us. “Yeah,” I respond, watching Merritt’s lips and the way they mold around the end of the beer bottle, eyes still watching me. God, I don’t know what it is, but he’s so hot and alluring to me, which is the last thing I need right now. I can’t help but think by the way he’s looking at me that as much as I wanted this week to be about myself and relaxing, he’s going to make that very hard—if not impossible—to accomplish.
Chapter 2 Merritt
“What are you doing?” Willow asks me, in a stern warden-like tone. Glancing up at her from my phone, a little confused by her question, “Jussssst workin’ a little.” “Ari, did you not tell him about the rule?” Rule? “Oh, I told him,” he says, grabbing another beer from the fridge, but he definitely didn’t tell me about any rules. “So, what, since he’s your friend, you’re gonna let him keep it?” Keep what? Ari rolls his eyes at his sister, and I really have no clue what they are talking about. Ted leans over and says, “I’d give her your phone now, if it was me.” What the fuck? Willow outstretches one hand to me, with her other placed on her hip, and I’m in shock. Is she for real? I’m working on a three hundred-million-dollar deal, and she wants my phone? “I’ll stay off it,” I tell her and place it in my pocket. The room erupts into chaos, everyone yelling and arguing. Well, everyone, except for Quinn. She’s sitting in her chair smirking, sipping on her third pink girly drink. So unbelievably gorgeous that I could fuck her, right here and right now, in front of everyone. She shrugs her shoulders at me, and I ask her, “Did you have to give yours up?” She nods and I look at the ceiling contemplating my options. I’ve never been without my phone —it’s my lifeline to my job, and my job is my life, so they go hand in hand. “Can I just send this last email?” I ask Willow and reach into my pocket, but she snatches it out of my grip like it’s a stack of cash, and I get up feeling like I’m stuck in a house with a bunch of crazy people. Why can’t we have phones? As I grab another beer, Ari hollers over to me, “You’ll be fine, man, trust me.” I flip him off. Out of everyone, he should know how important my phone is to me. The girls all begin to clean up from dinner, and without my phone, I find myself watching Quinn. And it’s not because she’s the only single girl here, it’s because I’ve never seen a chick so confident. Wearing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, with her hair pulled up. “You know you got that deal in the bag,” Ari says, bringing me back to the moment. “How do you know?”
“I’ve heard through the grapevine, man,” he says, and what Ari knows is typically the truth in our business. “Well, nothing’s done until it’s done. Plus, you know my dad will freak if I don’t close it. He didn’t even want to let me take this week off.” “Fuck your old man. You gotta keep him outta your head when you’re working.” I nod, hearing Ari’s words, but actually listening to them is an entirely different thing. My dad owns the company I work for, which is a very prominent oil and gas business with offices all over the US. Ari used to work for him too and left to join a corporate venue. Now I run the western US, and the deal I’m working on is to expand into Canada, which would make us one of the top three largest US producers of oil in North America. Quinn’s laugh echoes through the house, pulling me out of my mind fuck and back to her. “So, what’s the deal with that chick, Quinn?” I ask the guys. “She’s Willow’s best friend, has been for years. She’s like family,” Ari says as Jacob is shuffling a deck of cards. “You pussies bring your wallets?” Although Ari inadvertently left out the whole “no cell phone” thing, he did tell me about this. Every night is game night, most of which involves an actual cash pool for the winner. “Yeah, let me go grab some cash,” I call, walking upstairs to get my wallet out of my bag. I go into the room I’m staying in and chuckle at the small beds. I didn’t notice them before. Probably ‘cause all I noticed were Quinn’s tits, but I’m not sure if I’ll even fit. Digging through my bag, I find my iPad. Fuck yeah! The temptation is too great to resist, and I take it into the bathroom. I power it up and hope it gets service up here. I’m sure it will if my phone did. Sure enough, it does, and as I scroll through my emails, I’ve already received six new ones, on a Friday night no less. As I begin to read them, I’m startled by Quinn as she barges into the bathroom, and I freeze, looking at her in the reflection of the mirror. “Shit, I’m sorry,” she says, but smirks when she sees my iPad. “It’s all good. I…I…” I stall, not sure how to explain myself. She and Willow are tight, so I’m sure she’s on her side when it comes to this whole no phone thing. She looks down at my iPad and says, “You better not let Willow catch you on that thing.” Standing next to me, she sets a small bag on the counter and unzips it. “I can leave,” I tell her. “No, you’re fine. I mean, we are going to be sleeping together.” She takes out a contact lens case, and I can’t focus on anything else, except for her words. “Not like that,” she says. I nod, going back to focusing on my email. Being this close to her, alone, has my mind on other things. Goddamn, she smells so good; she’s very distracting. “What’s so important on there anyway?”
“Fucking work,” I tell her, and when I think about it, I realize that I hate that it runs my life, but it does, and I’m not sure how to change that. “What do you do for a living?” she asks me. “I’m in oil and gas. You?” “Investment advisor.” Nice, she’s got her priorities in check, that’s for sure. “So, no wife or girlfriend?” she asks me. “No, you?” “Wife or girlfriend?” she gapes back at me, holding one of her contacts on her finger. “You know what I mean.” “No, thank God.” “What’s that mean?” I ask her, a little offended by her remark. “Nothing, it’s just…I was with this guy for a bit, and he turned out to be a total ass. Let’s just say it didn’t end well and left a sour taste in my mouth when it comes to men.” “I’m sorry,” I tell her as she slides on a pair of glasses. “It’s all good, it’s not your fault. This vacation is not about the past, Merritt, it’s about unwinding and letting go…” She trails off as her eyes get wide thinking about something, and I wonder what happened to her. What did her ex do that made her so anti-men? She recovers and looks down at my iPad, so I lock it. “I’m sure the whole no electronics thing seems crazy, but you really should try it. Once you’re unplugged from the world, it’s refreshing.” She goes to leave the bathroom, passing me close enough that I smell fresh rain and something else, the combination coming from her skin makes my cock twitch. Then she licks her lips—such a tease—and breezes past me. Her scent and her mouth, God, I fucking love it, I want it. Grabbing my wallet, I drop my iPad in my bag and head back downstairs for something else to drink, something stronger, something that will tame the animal inside of me that Quinn is tempting. Because right now, for some reason, this chick has my head spinning, and I have no clue why. Not that I’m complaining, ‘cause she’s hot as hell, and I’d love to fuck her. But she’s fresh off a breakup and doesn’t want anything to do with men. So for once I’ll spare myself.
Chapter 3 Quinn
“Are you guys ready?” Kami asks as she holds up the box for some new game that she’s brought. The guys all gripe, not liking to be taught something new, but she quiets their complaints by saying, “Stop it…you’ve all played UNO, right?” “Yeah, when I was in kindergarten,” Ari grumbles. She ignores him and empties the contents of the box onto the table. In the center of the coffee table is all of our contributions to the pot, which I really hope I win. Last trip, I won five out of the six pots. Merritt comes into the living room with a glass of what looks like Scotch on ice in his hand. He must really hate not having his phone. “You mind if I sit here?” he asks me, and I shake my head, tucking my feet further underneath me. As I lean on the arm of the couch, Kami is rambling away, and I find my eyes wandering, taking in glimpses of Merritt. He’s muscular, but not too big, clean-shaven and his hair looks like he just ran his fingers through it. The sleeves of his black dress shirt are rolled up, and his thighs are straining the fabric of his jeans. Biting my bottom lip, I look at his cock, and Jesus, it’s... “Any questions?” Kami asks us. I blink wildly, like a kid on the first day of school that hasn’t a clue what to do. Merritt passes me a blank card and a tiny marker, and I look at it, perplexed. Peeking around the room, everyone is writing on their cards, and I whisper to Merritt, “What do I do?” “Write a rule or something.” “A rule?” “Yeah, like something the person has to do that picks the card.” “Can it be anything?” “I think so.” “What did you put?” I ask him. “I’m not telling; she said not to.” He covers his card, and I sigh in frustration. I have no clue what to write. The only things that come to mind are just dirty. What is wrong with me? As everyone hands her back their cards, I go with it; no one will know I wrote it, right? Remove one piece of clothing, jewelry excluded. Kami collects the cards and then passes out our hands. “God, I feel like a kid,” Ari complains. “Trust me, man, this one is fun,” Jacob chimes in. “I had Kami sucking my cock the other night on every other hand.” She hits him on the back of the head, and we all laugh as she blushes, obviously
still thinking about their game. Oh God, did someone put a card like that in there? As we work around the room, playing a traditional game of UNO, I begin to think this isn’t so bad, but my eyes are on the little machine that sits in the middle of the table which has our cards all inside of it, and I wonder what’ll happen when we have to use it. Then Willow lays down a card that has a picture of the machine and grabs the lever. The entire room silences, telling me that no one wrote anything nice on their cards. As she spins the tiny slot machine-like device, we wait for it to stop and when it does, she asks, “What does that mean?” It’s got a picture of a blank black card on it with a question mark. “Oh, that one means you pull a card and do whatever it says,” Kami tells her. “But I thought you said that we could choose who had to do it.” “If it gives you that option, then yeah. But it didn’t.” “Just pull the card, babe,” Ted tells her, and reluctantly she does, rolling her eyes and being all dramatic. With the card in her hand, she’s just looking at it, not saying a word. “What does it say?” I finally ask, hating the suspense. “Make out with anyone in the room for one minute.” “Who put that one in there?” I ask, and Kami says, “Were you listening to anything I said at all? I told you, you’re not allowed to say.” Willow drops the card on the table and grabs ahold of the sides of Ted’s shirt as she whips her hair around. I giggle, what is she a 1980’s porn star? Then she climbs on top of his lap and begins to kiss him. As I finish my drink, Merritt asks me, “You want another one?” “Sure.” He gets up, and I follow him into the kitchen. “Did you write that?” I ask him. “No, I thought you did.” I smirk and awkwardly look at Willow who is still going at it with Ted. His hands are on her hips, then Kami yells, “Time.” And they slowly stop. “Who would you kiss, if you pulled that card?” Merritt asks me, refilling my glass. Sipping on my drink, I look around the room, filled with all of my closest friends and know my options are limited. Really it’s Ari or Merritt, and Ari is like a brother to me, and I bet Merritt knows that, so he’s expecting me to say him. I look up at him, and he winks at me. That is his card. Sonofabitch! “It’s a hard choice between Willow or Kami, maybe both!” His mouth drops open, and I strut off to the couch. When I sit down, he’s still standing in the exact spot I left him, watching me. He shakes his head with a smirk on his face. “So what do I lay down?” I ask as Willow’s blue card with the machine is on the top of the deck. “You’ve got to either match the picture or color.” Looking at my hand, I have one card with a machine on it, but I’m not about to make that move, not until I see what else these crazy fuckers have
written down. Merritt sits back down next to me, and I lay a blue six, then Ari lays down the dreaded card with the fucking wheel on it again, and he spins the machine. This time it’s got the same blank black card with a question mark, but it’s surrounded by tiny arrows. “That one means you can choose anyone to pull a card, or you can yourself,” Jacob tells him and Ari looks at Merritt. “For real, man?” “Yeah, why not?” Merritt grabs the machine and takes the top card out. I look over at it as he reads it. “Take a tequila body shot off anyone in the room…except yourself.” He holds his breath, and I do the same, knowing he’s gonna pick me. He won’t pick one of the other girls. He might pick Ari to be funny, although I sure as hell hope he doesn’t. As I wait, the anticipation has me questioning things. “Quinn?” he asks me and everyone cheers. I roll my eyes at their response and take his hand as he leads me into the kitchen. On the center of the huge island is so much liquor you’d think we were hosting a frat party. My heart is beating profusely, and my stomach is in my throat. I glance at the girls, and they get up, following us for a better look. “Oh, come on, you guys,” I complain as they all crowd around us. Merritt pours the shot, then grabs a lime and the salt. Now that he has everything he needs, he turns and zones in on me, his eyes carnal, like he’s about to eat me alive… or tear my pants off and fuck me. I swallow nervously, and he looks at my throat, gently placing the lime backwards in my mouth before I can say anything. I guess I don’t have a choice on where he places the salt. His eyes scan my body, and I swear he can hear my heart pounding, it’s so loud. With no warning, he leans into my neck and licks it slowly. I keep looking off, nervous as shit; like not making eye contact with him is going to make me any less turned on than I already am. He’s not giving me room to breathe and grabs the salt, pouring it on me like a pro. Once it’s added, he braces his weight on either side of me on the counter top, then says, “Look at me.” I pull my eyes away from the ceiling and zone in on him. Helpless under his control, with the lime keeping me silent, he smirks, smashing his body against mine, the bulge of his cock pressing into me, and I about gasp. Then his lips are on me again as he sucks hard, pulling up on the skin of my neck. The girls squeal, and I want to whimper, it feels so good, but I resist. He knocks back the shot, and I about drop the lime as he comes in on me, giving me a little nudge before his lips brush up against mine. Everyone hollers and I blush a shade I haven’t in a long time. Redder than I think Kami did earlier remembering her UNO game with Jacob. Men don’t typically do this to me. No, wait, they never do. I’m always in control; it’s how I get them to like me, but with Merritt, the control I normally have is stripped away as he owns it, suddenly making me question everything.
Chapter 4 Merritt
Taking the lime wedge out of my mouth, I whisper into Quinn’s ear, “Would you still kiss one of the girls, now?” She shakes her head, and everyone shuffles back to the living room, not hearing what I said to her. I still have her pressed up against the counter with my body, completely motionless. The sexual tension between us is heavy. I’m not sure what it is about her, but she makes me want her like I’ve never wanted a woman before. I didn’t like how she told me that she’d kiss a girl over me. And to most guys it would probably be a turn-on, but not me, not when I want someone. I don’t share. Our eyes still locked on each other ’s, she knocks back a swig of the tequila straight from the bottle and grabs another lime, biting into it. The juices squirt, landing on my cheek, and I chuckle at her outburst, backing off, releasing her. Immediately, she darts back to the couch, and I have to give my cock a moment to go down. Her tight ass is so hot jiggling beneath her sweat pants. Feeling satisfied, I refill my glass and sit back down next to her so we can continue our game. As turn by turn goes on, the cards keep getting worse. These people wrote some fucked up shit down. One of the cards says to remove a piece of clothing, and as I look at Quinn, with both of her feet bare, I can’t wait ‘til she picks that card again, ‘cause she’s gonna have to take off either her pants or shirt. “UNO,” Willow calls out, the game close to coming to an end. But not before Quinn lays down a card that activates the wheel. As we all wait for it to stop, the six cards have been reshuffled and added back in, so it’s anyone’s guess what will be picked. It lands on her, and she rolls her eyes, reading the card out loud to us, “Do twenty jumping jacks.” Both Ari and Jacob had to do it earlier, and it was pretty funny to watch them. But there’ll be nothing funny about watching Quinn’s hot ass do it. She gets up a little wobbly from so many drinks and begins. Coolly, I drink my Scotch, trying not to stare at her, but it’s hard with her tits all over the place. Is she even wearing a bra? As she jumps and we all count for her, she’s back to looking in the corner of the room. I lean back in my seat, placing my hand on my thigh. Her eyes move to me, and I have to battle with my cock to stay down. I can’t tell you how many hard-ons I’ve gotten tonight.
“Twenty!” The room erupts, and she plops down smelling even better than she has all night. As we work back around, Willow ends the game, cheering as she lays the final card down and collects her winnings. The guys all toss their hands on the table, pissed that they lost and I couldn’t care less. Getting up, I decide to sneak away to check my email, hoping I’ve received the final confirmation that the Canadian deal is closed. Heading into the bathroom, so I don’t get caught, I haven’t missed anything new. I mean, other than the normal bullshit that always goes along with these deals. So I respond to a few emails from earlier, and when I walk back into the bedroom, Quinn is lying on the couch, her head resting on the arm and her eyes are closed. Was I in there for that long? Looking downstairs, the house is dark and quiet. Everyone went to bed already? Turning back, I feel bad for Quinn sleeping on the couch like that; she looks uncomfortable. “Quinn?” I shake her a little, and she groggily looks up me. “Yeah?” she asks me. “Come on, get in bed.” She nods and sets her glasses on the arm of the sofa. “I didn’t know which bed you wanted,” she says to me. “I don’t think I’ll fit in either,” I tell her and pull the covers back for one, and she crawls in, yawning so adorably. My eyes are on her lips, and as I cover her up, she’s already out. Grabbing my iPad, I sit down on the couch so thankful that I brought it with me and see an email from Ari. That motherfucker! To: Merritt Smith From: Ari Andersal November 02, 2016 12:23am Told ya, you’d get the deal. Attached is an email from the landowners in Canada thanking Ari for his and his company’s time, but saying that they are taking our bid on the deal. The news is fuckin’ awesome. Typing up an email to Ari, I thank him for sending me the message, then quickly email my dad to share the good news that will make his night. After I hit “send,” I rest my head back and look over at Quinn. My heart starts to pound, watching her. I don’t get what it is about her. Maybe it’s the fact that she doesn’t seem to be into me. You know that saying, you want what you can’t have? And clearly, I can’t have her. She’s anti-men and all. Leaving the room before she catches me watching her like a weirdo, I leave my iPad on the couch and go raid the fridge for a midnight snack and another drink. With a fresh beer in my hand, I eat a cold piece of pizza and gaze out the windows at the vast snowy view.
It’s gorgeous here compared to the heat of Texas that I’m used to. Finishing my beer, I contemplate another, but I’m spent, I really am. I’ve been up since five this morning and need to sleep, so I trudge my ass back upstairs and quietly open the door. Quinn is still out as I grab something to change into. Going into the bathroom, I turn the shower on. Steam quickly fills the room as I brush my teeth and lose the reflection of myself in the mirror. Stripping naked, my cock is half hard, like it’s been all night, and I get in the shower, hoping some hot water will keep it at bay. It scalds my skin, and I let it. I need something else to focus on, my mind drifting back to earlier tonight. To the way Quinn’s skin tasted beneath my lips and how her tits bounced under her t-shirt. Running my hands through my hair, I pop open my shampoo…the smell of mint always makes me feel good. Then washing my body with a bar of soap, I admit it’s a lost cause—there is no taming my dick tonight; it’s not going to go down unless I get my cum out. Looking down at it standing straight up, I grip the base, stroking it tightly. Holding it firmly in the palm of my hand, the tip pulsates, and my balls tighten. Sitting down on the ledge in the shower, I rest my weight back on the cool tile wall and stroke myself. As I close my eyes, Quinn’s ass comes into my mind, and I’d love nothing more than to fuck it, to see her naked and have my way with her. She might act like she doesn’t want me, ‘cause she’s been hurt and all, but if she’d let me, I’d have her begging for more. And the second that I imagine her on her knees sucking me off, I let go, cum flying in the air as my body tenses and all the pent us sexual tension that is inside of me flows out.
Chapter 5 Quinn
My mind is fuzzy as I take in the bedroom and try to unscramble the events of last night. How did I get in this bed? Heck, how did I get upstairs? Focusing on the clock to read the time, it hits me, and I remember how sweet Merritt was when he put me to bed. Getting up to use the restroom, I spot my glasses on the arm of the couch. As I place them on my face, I glance around and notice Merritt isn’t in here. I can tell he slept in his bed, though, with the sheets all twisted up and pillows half off the bed. Opening the bathroom door half asleep, there he is, on his iPad as he brushes his teeth at the same time. “Morning,” I tell him, and he winks at me. I close the door to the tiny room with the toilet. After I’m finished, I walk out, and he asks me, “Did you sleep well?” “Yeah, really hard. You?” “Not so good.” “I’m sorry.” “It’s okay.” Splashing some water on my face, I notice he is glaring at his iPad like something is really bothering him, and I have to ask, “What’s the matter?” “Just work shit.” “See? That’s why you need to stay off that thing. For all I know, my work could’ve burnt to the ground, but I’m not stressing about a thing.” He thinks about my comment like he is actually considering it, and I outstretch my hand, wondering if he’ll really give up his iPad. “Can I at least check it once a day?” he asks. “No!” I shake my head and place my other hand on my hip, so he knows I’m dead serious. “Okay, let me just email my assistant.” I smile, loving that he is actually going to unplug. I get that it might sound dumb, but until you try it, you don’t realize the power electronics have over you. As I wait for him to finish his email, I brush my teeth and comb my hair. I’m pretty sure we are skiing today, so I’m not gonna bother putting on any makeup. Then I hear him hit send as I put my last contact lens in. I figure he’ll leave his iPad on the counter, but he walks off with it. “What are you doing?” I stop him from leaving. My hand hits his rock hard chest, the
connection between us instantly so strong. My insides ignite the same way they did last night when he pinned me against the countertop and took a body shot off me. Losing myself in him, I forget all about his iPad as he trails his fingers up my arm and cups my neck. My eyes close, feeling the moment to the fullest. I’m not sure why I’m letting him touch me like this when I don’t even know him, but something inside me wants to. As I open my eyes, he’s even closer to me, his hot breath on mine, and I figure he’ll kiss me. Bracing my weight on the countertop, I wait… He slips around me and walks off with his iPad. Jesus, I wanna yell at him for leaving me panting, but I don’t. My neck is still warm where his hand held it, and I touch it myself, feeling the warmth beneath my fingertips. It was as if he was claiming and possessing me, in a way I’ve never experienced, but I liked it, and I’m not sure why, seeing as men have always hurt me in the end. So why would Merritt be any different than the rest? A knock on the door startles me. “Come in.” Willow is ready for the day; her long red hair pulled up, and makeup perfectly applied. “I brought you coffee.” I take the cup from her, wrapping my hands around it. The warmth settles the sexual tension that is rifling inside of me. “You sleep okay?” I hear her words, but my neck can still feel his damn fingers on me. “Quinn?” “Yeah, I…I, uh, passed out and slept super hard.” “No issues with Merritt?” “Nope,” I respond and take a sip of my coffee. “Okay, well…I was just talking to Ted about the driving situation today, and with everyone’s gear, we’re gonna have to take two cars. Are you okay driving?” “Sure.” “Awesome, thanks, babe.” She leaves the bathroom, and I don’t have long until we have to leave. So I have to pull my shit together. Digging through my suitcase, I pull out my thermals and ski pants. Getting dressed, I spot Merritt’s bag on the floor and am tempted to look through it for his iPad. Walking up to it, I look down and right as I bend down, Kami barges into the room and scares the shit out of me. “Do you have a hair tie I can borrow?” I pop up like I wasn’t doing anything wrong, and thankfully, she’s oblivious. “Yeah, in my makeup bag in the bathroom.” She rushes in and just as fast, charges out, tying her hair up on top of her head. “You ready?” “I think so; I need food.” As we walk out, I look down at Merritt’s bag and wonder why it even matters to me if he has his iPad or not. He’s the one that’s not getting the full experience of the trip, not me.
“You want sausage or bacon in your breakfast burrito?” Ted asks me, cooking in the kitchen. “Neither.” “She’s a vegetarian,” Willow reminds him. “Really? Why?” Merritt asks like it offends him, chowing down on a burrito himself, the tips of his hair sticking out from beneath his beanie. “For a few reasons.” “Which are?” I’m not sure why the question peeves me so bad, but it does. It’s none of his damn business. “Are you a vegetarian or vegan?” he persists. “What’s it matter to you?” “I’m just asking, what’s your problem all of a sudden?” Everyone in the room looks at me, and I realize how ridiculous I’m being. Just because he’s driving me sexually mad doesn’t mean that I have to be such a bitch to him. Two can play at his game, and that is what I fully intend to do. “Vegetarian and for health reasons.” “That’s cool.” Ted passes me my burrito, and I peek inside, just to be sure there is no meat. As I begin to eat, we decide the driving arrangements for the day. Ari and Merritt will be with me, and Kami and Jacob will ride with Ted and Willow. Watching Merritt joke with the guys, I remind myself why I’m truly here—for a week of relaxation, unplugged from the drama of my life and definitely no guys. Time and time again, I’ve fallen into the same trap that always leaves me heartbroken in the end, and I won’t lead myself down that road again…no matter what.
Chapter 6 Merritt
Sitting in the back seat of Quinn’s Jeep as she drives us to the ski resort, Ari is on his phone, which I have no clue why he was able to keep it with the fit that Willow threw when she saw I had mine. But that’s not what’s really on my mind. It’s Quinn. My eyes are on her in the rearview mirror as she drives, controlling the car effortlessly as we trek up the side of the mountain. Every so often, she keeps glancing at me, making me wonder if she wants me just as much as I want her. “Would you turn the radio up?” She smiles at my request as Ari gripes under his breath at his phone, emailing or messaging only God knows who, and I have to admit, even though I didn’t give her my iPad, being unplugged from the world right now feels really good. “You like Stateless?” she asks me. “Yeah, they’re one of my favorite bands.” “Me too.” “You ever seen them live?” “I really wanted to when they came to Denver and played at Red Rocks, but the tickets sold out in minutes.” “I’ve seen them a few times; they’re pretty incredible.” “Really?” Her eyes beam, and I love to see the excitement in her expression. Quietly, she sings along to the song; her voice is beautiful, and then Ari blurts out, killing the moment, “You know what, man? Your father is a fucking prick.” “Ha, and you think I don’t know that?” “I swear, he’ll throw money away, just to make my life hard.” My father was pissed when Ari made the decision to leave his company and join forces with one of the big timers in oil and gas. I couldn’t care less—I just wanted to see my friend happy, and working under my father, Ari wasn’t. “What did he do?” “He got word of our bid on the Matrix land in North Dakota and offered the seller a million dollars more than us when he wasn’t even part of the bidding.” “A million dollars?” Quinn chimes in, obviously she thinks she didn’t hear the amount correctly. “Yeah, a million.”
“You don’t know his father; he’s ruthless,” Ari says, and I couldn’t agree more. When it comes to business, he doesn’t let anyone or anything get in his way. I don’t agree with half of the stuff he does, but at the end of the day…he’s my boss, and if I want to inherit his company one day, then it means I’ve gotta put up with his shit…all of it. Ari is glaring out the window, deep in thought, and I wish I could fix what my dad did. “I’m really sorry, man.” He nods, brushing me off as Quinn parks her SUV. We all get out of the car; my balls are already freezing. Ari’s phone rings and he answers it, walking away from us and towards the lodge. “It’s gorgeous here,” Quinn says, taking in the view. The sun is peeking through the clouds, trying to warm the day, but it’s not helping. “It might be pretty, but what’s it, like, ten below?” I complain. “Don’t be such a baby,” she tells me as we get our gear out of the back of her vehicle. “So, you ski a lot?” I ask her. “When I’m not working I try to, you?” “Not as often as I’d like. Work seems to run my life these days, and when I get a moment away, I end up catching up on sleep.” God, that sounds lame, but it must not be because she agrees with me. “I totally get what you’re saying. I took a long weekend last month and had all these plans, but got nothing done. All I did was sleep.” Jesus, not only is she hot as hell, but her work seems just as important to her as mine is to me. She is a one-eighty from the chicks I’m normally interested in—the first issue is always that I work too much. “You guys ready to get smoked down the hill?” Ted asks with his head out the window as he pulls up next to us. “You wish,” Quinn says, and the other guys gather their gear before we all walk inside the mountain lodge to get suited up. The girls are in front of us, and I find my eyes on Quinn’s body… again. Even beneath her ski outfit, every curve is calling for me. “You hit that shit last night?” Jacob asks me. “Nah, she passed out.” He nods and says, “You gonna?” “Fuck, I’d like to.” “Did you bring extra hand warmers, baby?” Kami asks him, and I hope the girls didn’t hear us. He passes them to her, then offers me a pair. Gladly, I accept, really wishing they made a pair you could tie around your ball sack. After we are all suited up, I spot Ari at the bar. He’s still on his phone and waves us to go ahead. “He’ll find his way,” Willow says, not caring that we leave him, and I kinda feel bad for leaving him.
“What about his gear?” “I left my car unlocked,” Quinn says. Getting in the line for the chair lift, it’s apparent that Quinn and I will be riding up together. The other couples are lost in conversation, and I’m not sure where to begin. It’s a long ride up and being so close to her has my mind on other things. We take a seat, our thighs touching as we make our incline up the mountain. Quinn looks out at the vast Rocky Mountains, taking in the view once again and I swallow, wishing I could find some damn words to say. Thankfully, she makes it easy and pulls out a small flask from the pocket of her light blue coat. She takes a swig then passes it to me and says, “Let it all go, Merritt. There’s nothing you can do about anything from up here.” She reads me well, and I knock back a drink, her words resounding inside me. I hate that my father has upset Ari, and I want to undo what he’s done, but with my dad, no one tells him how to do things, and out of anyone, I know that best. The sting of the tequila warms my throat, reminding me of the body shot I took off Quinn last night. “You gonna let it go?” she asks me. “I’m trying.” “You don’t want to be like Ari, stressing over work when you could be enjoying all of this, do you?” She opens her arms wide, making me take in the sights of the ski resort. “I don’t, but he’s pissed at what my dad did, and I feel bad, like I’m partly to blame.” “You didn’t do it, did you?” I shake my head, and she says, “You’re not your father. Let it go and Ari will too.” She’s right, I need to, and he will as well. We each take another sip, the chair lift smoothly taking us up the mountain, and she asks me, “So, are you going to give me your iPad or what?” “No way!” “Come on.” She bites her bottom lip, and I’d love to feel her mouth around my cock. “Let’s say I do. What do I get in return?” “Nothing!” she exclaims, like thinking of repaying me is a cruel punishment. “Come on; I can think of a lot of things I’d do in exchange for handing my iPad over to you.” “Okay, then name some.” I’m still holding the flask and take another swig before giving it back to her. “I’d like to kiss you, for starters.” “But I wouldn’t kiss you back,” she says, and I lean into her, smelling her sweetness, knowing she can’t resist the sexual tension. She’d kiss me, and she knows it, and right as I go to connect our lips, the chair lift reaches the top of the hill. “Welcome to the top,” someone says, and she panics, tossing me the flask as she wraps her hands around her ski poles. I screw the top on it as I position my
board on the ground. She pushes herself forward, and we get off the lift just in time, making our way over to the group. I stick the flask into my pocket. “You guys all cool if we start on this blue slope?” Ted asks everyone, and I buckle my left foot into my board, stoked to head down. We all agree, and Quinn asks me, “You have the flask?” “Yup, and you still owe me that kiss.” I take off, following everyone, leaving her behind. Looking back at her, she’s right behind me as she digs her poles into the thick snow and pushes right on past me. “Fine…if you can catch me.” She breezes on by, and I cut the edges of my board, working to get traction as I try and catch up to her, but damn, she’s fast. “She always that quick?” I holler over to Willow. “No, she must be showing off.” I smirk and make my way down to the bottom, loving the feeling of the alcohol coursing through my system and not focusing on anything else but my next move. I lose sight of Quinn, and once I reach the bottom, I don’t see her. Then I look to my left, and she’s in line for the chair lift. I throw my arms up at her, and she gets on a chair, riding up to the top… alone. “Man, she dogged you,” Ted says, and I get in line with the group riding up by myself. With the flask in hand, I take advantage and finish it. The alcohol is flooding my veins, and I realize how it makes me feel warmer. When I get off the lift, Quinn is waiting for us. “Why’d you dog me?” I ask her, using Ted’s word. “I told you to catch me, but I guess you were too slow. So now it’s your loss.” I laugh at her remark as she reaches into my pocket and takes the flask out. She’s gonna be pissed that I drank it all, so I strap up my left foot into my board and get a head start, laughing as I hear her coming after me. Up ahead I spot a grove of trees and bank left, turning into them. I have to slow my speed, and when I glance back, Quinn is still following me. Once my board comes to a complete stop, I unstrap both of my feet and look at her, desire running through me as I step to her. “You drank my entire flask?” she huffs, and I don’t answer her, just stalking towards her, wrapping my arms around her body, zoning in on those sexy fuckin’ lips. She doesn’t protest or say another word; she just stands there all bundled up and naturally beautiful. The only sounds are her ragged breathing and the tall pine trees as they sway in the wind above us. “I’m gonna kiss you,” I tell her and then my lips are on hers. Our cold noses seem warm against the bitter chill, and I relish in the feeling. Her lips so full and soft, I love how she tastes. Her tongue strokes in sync with mine, and I don’t want to stop. Holding her body close to mine, she whimpers, and my cock begins to grow— even in the frigid winter temperature, she can still turn me on. God, she tastes so amazing. I want more with Quinn. I need to have more. I will have more. I’ll have every single bit of her if it’s
the last thing I do.
Chapter 7 Quinn
Walking back into the lodge after a day full of skiing, my legs are so sore and tired. I don’t feel like I can take another step, and as I sit down, relief heats my limbs in the most delicious way. “Hey, did you see Ari at all today?” Willow asks me. “No, I thought he was just in here drinking.” I glance over at Merritt who is bullshitting with Ted and Jacob, the three of them oblivious to Ari’s absence. “Do you guys know where Ari is?” Willow asks them, and they all three give her a blank expression and shake their heads. She walks away from us and over to the bar, asking the bartender a question. “What did he say?” I ask her as she comes back to us. “He doesn’t know shit.” “Should we go back to the house?” I offer. “I think so; it’s not like him to just disappear. You know he loves skiing.” Loading up in my car, Merritt sits in the front seat. Since our kiss in the trees, nothing has changed, and I like that. “Where do you think he is?” I ask him “You wanna know my honest opinion?” “Of course I do.” “He’s probably banging some chick he met today.” “Really? You think so?” “I do. I bet he met her at the bar and after getting pissed about work…” he trails off and I couldn’t imagine Ari doing that. He’s such a nice guy on these trips. “You look shocked.” “I am.” “Why? We all fuck.” “I know, I just think of Ari like a brother, so I can’t imagine him doing that.” “Well, you don’t know the guy I do.” “Is that the way you are?” I ask him, wondering if he’s only coming on to me so we can fuck. “No way,” he’s quick to answer like he’s the total opposite. With my hands wrapped tightly around the steering wheel, I put my car in park back at the house, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s lying. “What, you don’t believe me?” he asks, sensing my doubt. “Not really.” And I’m not sure if it’s that I don’t believe him, or I’m just trying to push him
away. Men have me so twisted up lately, I don’t know what to believe anymore. “Whatever, Quinn, you don’t know me.” He gets out of my car, pissed, and I follow behind him, heading inside and straight for the liquor, needing a fuckin’ drink. “Ari?” Willow calls out, and before he can answer her, Ari is in Merritt’s face, shoving him backwards. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?” “What the fuck are you talking about, man?” he challenges back, looking down at him. “My stocks, man. You fucked me.” Ari shoves him again. “I didn’t do shit, man!” “Fuck you!” “You don’t know the whole story.” And this time Merritt pushes him back, obviously agitated, so hard Ari falls to his ass. He flies to his feet and swings, catching Merritt with a hard right hook in the face. The sound of Ari’s fist against Merritt’s skin echoes in the room, and I close my eyes clenching the bottle of tequila. The noise somehow pierces from my gut to my head. I open my eyes and thankfully Ted and Jacob have jumped in and are pulling the guys apart. “That’s enough,” Willow shouts, and Merritt has his hand over his face, blood streaming down his arm as he walks away from all of us and towards our room. Running after him to make sure he’s okay, I realize I’m still holding a bottle of liquor as I enter looking for him. I find Merritt in the bathroom, leaning on the counter with a towel pressed to his face where Ari’s fist hit him, and I pass him the bottle. “You okay?” I ask and he nods. “What’s he talking about?” He takes a swig and looks right at me. “After he left, he’s been waiting for the money from the stock he had in the company. My father has been stalling on signing off on them, dicking him around and shit. So I had them transferred into my name and was going to pay him what they were worth. I hate seeing him get screwed over by my dad, you know?” “And now he thinks you bought them behind his back?” “Yeah, and what pisses me off the most is that he’d even think I’d do something malicious to him. He’s my best friend.” “Then talk to him.” “No, fuck him, he swung first.” Obviously, Merritt is letting his feelings get the best of him, so I figure I can’t push him. “How did he even find out?” I ask. “Probably my dad. He’s been trying to drive a wedge between us since he left the company.” “Why would your dad do that?” “You don’t know my father. He needs to control everything; he was pissed at me when he found out I bought them.” Merritt takes another swig, and I place my hand over his, wanting to look at his face. Holding
on to the towel, he lets go, but looks down at me and even in this crazy ass moment, it seems I’m all that matters. Gently, I lift the towel, but his face is still bleeding, split wide open. “How’s it look?” “Not too bad,” I lie and press the towel back against his face. As I hold a little pressure, he winces. Staring into my eyes, he reaches up and runs his thumb over my bottom lip. My insides heat from the touch, the effect he has over me is unreal. I’m not sure what to do. My mind is telling me one thing, but my heart, my poor damaged heart, is telling me another. However, before I can battle with the decision any longer, we are interrupted by Kami as she brings in ice and a first aid kit. “How’s it look?” she asks, and I stupidly respond, still in a daze, “Good.” I pull the towel away. The bleeding has slowed, and Merritt looks in the mirror at his face. “You think this looks good?” he complains. “I meant it looks better.” I open the first aid kit and find a few butterflies to place over the cut. “It might need stitches,” Kami adds, and he brushes her off, taking another swig of liquor. I’m tempted to take the bottle from him, he’s been drinking all day, and now with this, he might end up fighting with Ari again. “Or not…let me know if you guys need anything else. We’re ordering pizza for dinner. Any requests?” “A veggie one, please.” “Merritt?” “Nah, I’ll probably be leaving soon.” Kami leaves, and Merritt is giving me that look again, making my heart race a million miles a minute. “Leaving, why?” “I don’t know anyone here, and I’m not about to deal with Ari and his shit when I was just trying to help.” “But, you know me.” “That doesn’t help right now. I shouldn’t have come. I have a ton of work to do.” “Merritt, I get that you want to go, but Ari is your best friend, right?” “Yeah.” “Then talk to him before you leave. Trust me—you don’t want to run from your problems.” Hearing the words myself makes me feel like that is what I’m doing, pushing aside the pain of my breakup this week. But maybe that is what I need to be doing, in order to get past what I’ve been through. I’ve gotta let it go, the same way Merritt needs to let the drama with Ari go too. He studies me as I look at the cut on his face. “Are you sure you don’t want to have a doctor look at this?” I ask him. “Yeah, it’ll be fine.”
“Okay. But, before you make your mind up and leave, I want you to know, I’m sorry about accusing you of not being a good guy,” I tell him, feeling bad for insinuating such a thing earlier. Cleary he is a nice guy—look what he did for Ari. “It’s all good. You just went through a breakup, so your heart is guarded, I get that.” “Thank you.” “Of course. So I guess I’ll go and see if I can hash this shit out with Ari.” “Yeah? You want me to come?” “No, Mom, we’ll be good, I promise.” “Mom?” I respond back to him, my mouth gaping open. He winks and kisses my cheek—his lips on me again are a surprise but have me wanting more. I don’t know what it is about him that makes my insides a flustered mess. I’ve never had a man make me feel like this, ever.
Chapter 8 Merritt
“So we good, man?” I ask Ari after I explain everything and we finally get to the bottom of the shit my dad tried to pull. “Yeah, sorry I jumped to conclusions.” “It’s all right. You know I’m always gonna look out for you.” “And I appreciate that.” “Of course, brother.” “You know your old man is fucked up, though, right?” “You don’t have to tell me. I deal with it on the daily and only because soon the company will be mine.” “Damn straight it will.” We exchange a hand slap and then go downstairs. The group is all seated around the dining room table, and Quinn smiles when she sees us together. The doorbell rings, and Ari and I grab the abundance of pizzas that were ordered. “Jesus, how many pizzas did you think we needed?” Ari asks Willow. “What?” she replies, acting like it’s no big deal. As we set the pizza down in the kitchen, Quinn comes over to us and says, “So, are you guys good?” “Of course, thanks for pushing me to talk to him,” I tell her. “Anytime.” “So in order to keep the peace going, I’m declaring tonight pizza and water night,” Willow announces. “What?” The room erupts in chaos at her crazy ass remark. But I’ve learned that when it comes to Willow, she’s a bit controlling, and you just don’t argue. “I’m serious, Ari, you had way too much to drink today, and the rest of you were hitting the flasks all day.” “Come on, Willow,” Kami pleads. “Nope! It’s gonna be an early night. We have ice fishing in the morning, and after skiing all day, we could use a chill night and some rest.” Ari walks over to the fridge and grabs a beer, twisting the top off and dropping the cap to the
floor. Willow is stunned as he slams half the beer and says. “How about pizza and beer night, nothing hard?” She rolls her eyes as everyone cheers like a bunch of kids who just got their way with their parents. I glance at Quinn, and she smiles back at me, both of us knowing our bottle of tequila is still in our bathroom. I grab a beer from the fridge then take one out for Quinn too. As I pass it to her, she smiles, the most adorable expression on her face. “Did they get your veggie one right?” “Uh huh, it’s kinda hard to mess up, though.” “I wouldn’t know; I don’t eat veggie anything.” I open one of the boxes and pull out a piece of pepperoni. As I eat it, Quinn says to me, “What do you say we go take a few shots?” I wipe my hands clean, loving the idea. The rest of the room is engulfed in conversation making it easy for us to slip away. I lock the bathroom door, so we aren’t interrupted again, and Quinn hops up on the countertop. “So, is Willow always so controlling?” I ask her as she unscrews the bottle. “Yup, but she’s always been that way, and we’ve all learned to accept her because she really does have the best intentions.” She knocks back a swig then passes me the bottle. “It can be annoying though.” She nods and the room is filled with an awkward silence, and I’m not sure what to do. I take a second drink, the alcohol burns, but I love it, and then give her the bottle again. “So ice fishing tomorrow, you ever been?” I ask her, things…still awkward, and she grins. “Every year, you?” “When I was younger. I used to fish all the time, but never ice fishing. Now with work, I don’t do much of anything else.” “So…if your work is so crazy, how come you came on this trip?” “Ari has asked me for the last three years straight, and I turned him down. This time, I was gonna do the same, but the truth is, I needed the break. My dad and I are at each other ’s throats.” “Why do you work with him? He sounds really terrible.” “Oh, he is. He has that dumb old school mentality and thinks everyone has to do what he says ‘cause he’s ‘the boss.’ My opinion doesn’t always matter; it’s just about closing deals and making money.” “Can’t you go elsewhere?” “I could, but he’s set to retire soon, and then the company is mine. I’ve worked so hard, and it’s right at my fingertips.” “Wow, that’ll be awesome.” “It will be. I turned down a full-ride basketball scholarship to Duke, so I could work for my dad. So I’ve gotta make sure this pays off.” “You play basketball?”
“I did. I always wanted to join the NBA, but it was such a gamble and working for my father wasn’t. It was a sure thing, the safe thing, you know? Enough about me, what about you?” “Oh, there’s not much to me,” she gets shy, and I’m not sure why. I snatch the bottle back from her, and she laughs at me. “Don’t be stupid. I told you, now you tell me,” I nudge. “Umm, let’s see, I graduated from CU Boulder in Colorado with a Master ’s degree in finance and got hired at the first firm I applied to. That was three years ago. Now, I’m an investment advisor with them. I was recently promoted after signing the biggest client they had in the Denver office this year.” “No shit, that’s fucking awesome.” “Yup! Not my proudest moment, though, considering the client was my ex. But the job is sweet, and even though things with him ended badly, as least I got something out of the deal.” “That’s kinda funny.” “No, it’s not!” She glares at me and snatches back the bottle, her sexy blue eyes glimmering in the bright light of the bathroom. “What else?” “What do you want to know?” “You have siblings?” I ask her. “No, you?” “No. What about your parents?” I ask. “They live in Denver in the house I grew up in. I go to dinner at their house once a week.” “Lucky! I wish I had that. The last meal I ate with both my parents was when I was a kid.” I’m not even sure why I told her that. It makes me sound like a bitch, but all the alcohol has me spinning. “I’m sorry.” “Not a big deal, my dad was always busy working, so he was gone, now I’ve joined him.” Stepping to her, standing between her dangling legs, I lean in, not even thinking as I brace my weight on the countertop and blurt out, “I want to kiss you again.” “Quinn?” Willow calls out before she can answer, knocking on the bathroom door. Hanging my head down, the moment—yet again—ruined. I look into her eyes and she responds, “I’ll be right out.” “Are you okay?” “Yup.” “Have you seen Merritt?” She looks at me with wide eyes and I holler out to her. “I’m here; Quinn was just checking my face.” Willow rattles the doorknob and I hide the bottle under the sink, then unlock the door and ask
Willow as I open it, “Do you think we should replace the butterflies yet?” The question distracts her. She studies the cut on my face as I stand really close to her and then she says, “No, it looks good.” “Cool, thanks for cleaning it.” I walk off leaving the girls like nothing was going on with Quinn and wink at her, looking back at her still sitting on the counter, in the exact spot where I left her. My cock wants her and is pissed at me for leaving her. But before the night is over…I’ll have her.
Chapter 9 Quinn
“What were you guys really doing up here?” Willow asks me. “Nothing,” I lie and know it doesn’t suit me as all the blood rushes to my cheeks. “Don’t lie to me.” “I’m not, we were just talking.” “In the bathroom?” “What’s that matter?” “Seems a little strange.” “I came to take my contacts out, and he asked me to look at his cheek, then we got to talking.” I start to take my contacts out, my reflection blurring from so much liquor and she says to me, “You like him, don’t you?” “I don’t like him; I don’t even know him.” “Listen, you’re a big girl and can do whatever you want, but Ari has told me stories about shit they get up to, so I’d watch yourself.” “Stories?” I question her. “Yeah, some shady shit went down in Vegas with them one time, like Hangover style.” I laugh out loud at Willow, sliding my glasses on my face, and turn around. “Do you not remember college? You slept with half of the football team, and now you’re giving me advice?” “You bitch! That was forever ago. You weren’t innocent yourself, Miss Cocksucker.” “No, I wasn’t, no one is. Plus, nothing with Merritt has happened or will happen. He’s a sweet guy, end of story.” My best friend hugs me, always trying to look out for me. “Shall we share a beer, Mrs. Controlling?” “Don’t call me that.” “Okay, how about, ‘Mrs. Water And Pizza Night’?” She hits my arm, and we head downstairs. Everyone is putting on their coats and boots, and I’m not sure why. “Where you guys going?” I ask. “Fire pit,” Kami tells me. Ted is already outside, lighting all the heaters that line the deck. The gas fire in the center is blazing, and I grab my coat, sliding my boots on at the same time. We all flood outside and Merritt hands me a cup. “Here’s a fresh beer for ya.” I look in at the liquid and
know right away that it’s not beer. “Thanks.” The air is cold as it whips around us. I take a seat on one of the benches that surround the pit and sip on the strong ass drink I’m holding. “It’s not that bad out here,” Willow says. “Did you bring s’more stuff?” Kami asks. “Dammit, I knew I was forgetting something.” “Damn, Mrs. Perfect forgot something,” Ari teases her. Willow glares at him and I suggest, “We could play Truth or Dare?” “No way,” Ted says, “Last time that happened, I froze my balls off.” “What happened?” Merritt asks him. “I had to do a naked snow angel.” “Oh shit.” “Yeah, not fun.” “I’ll play, if everyone throws in a hundred,” Ari says. “Why does it always have to be about money?” Willow asks him. “Uh, because it makes it so much more fun.” “I’m down,” Merritt adds and then the rest of the group agrees. “Sweet, that’s a seven-hundred-dollar pot,” Jacob exclaims. “What are the rules?” Willow asks. Of course she needs to know the rules. “Rules? We don’t need rules, sis. If you won’t do a dare, then you’re out, last person gets the money.” “Whoa,” Ted chimes in, “What if we don’t agree with something?” “Then don’t do it, Ted,” Ari says to him like he’s a moron, and Merritt and I calmly sit back sipping on our drinks. “Quinn, why don’t you start? It was your idea.” “Okay.” I wrack my brain to think of a question and decide to ask Merritt. “Truth or Dare?” “Truth.” “Oh, come on, man,” Ari gripes, and I ignore him, continuing on with my question. “Have you ever had a threesome?” He smiles and responds, “No.” The play moves to my right, and for some reason, I believe him. Then Merritt asks me, “Truth or Dare?” “Truth.” “Do you spit or swallow?” “Swallow,” I tell him and take a big gulp of liquid. Swallowing it, the sexual tension between us is off the charts.
Ari is next and asks me, “Truth or Dare?” I roll my eyes, and he says, “What? You wanted to play this game. “Fine, Truth.” “Do you like it rough or slow?” “Ari!” I shout at him, and he waits for me to answer. “Come on, seven hundred dollars is on the line,” he challenges me to answer. “Fine…slow.” Merritt is watching me, the same way he did the first time he walked in on me shirtless, eating me up, and I cross my legs to stop my clit from twitching. Willow is next and says, “Quinn, Truth or Dare?” “What the fuck, you guys?” “You wanted to play,” she reminds me, and I blurt out, “Dare.” “Oh…I didn’t expect you to say that.” We all laugh at her dumb remark. “I’ve got a good one. Give a lap dance to anyone for a minute.” “Oh…that’s so original,” I tell her, and she sticks her tongue out to me. I sense Merritt lean back, thinking he’s got this in the bag, and I get up bending down in his ear as I bravely whisper, “Maybe later.” Then walk off and straddle Willow. She is shocked as I hold on to her neck and begin riding her body. Everyone cheers me on, and she just covers her face, completely embarrassed. After my minute is up, I tell her, “Maybe you shouldn’t pick on me.” Ted gives me a break and asks Willow, who is still beet red, “Truth or Dare?” “Truth,” she’s quick to answer. “What’s your favorite type of porn?” “Ted,” she scolds him, and I find it funny how a bunch of adults turn what is usually an innocent child’s game into something so inappropriate. “Anal,” she whispers, and we all bust out laughing. Who knew our innocent controlling Willow was into anal? Next is Jacob and he asks Ari the question. “Dare,” he responds. “Give me a blowjob.” “Baby!” Kami scolds him “What the fuck? No way, man.” “Guess you’re out! Remember the rules?” “Fuck you!” He flips him off, and Kami asks me, “Truth or Dare?” I roll my eyes, finishing my cup of liquor. “Truth,” I respond scared that she will pull what Jacob did. “Does size matter?” “Hell yeah, it does,” I blurt out, and everyone is quiet. I maybe could’ve answered that one a
little differently. It’s my turn, and for some reason, the money isn’t coming into play at all. I just want to ask Merritt. “Truth or Dare?” “Truth,” he responds, and I’m surprised. “What is your best sexual experience?” He licks his lips and then asks me, “You want me to be honest?” “Of course.” “I don’t think I’ve had it yet.” His words and that fucking smirk ignite something inside me. He’s speaking to me; I can feel it. And I’m not even sure why. Why am I intriguing to him? He’s sexy and successful and can have his pick of women, but he wants me, and as much as I don’t want to admit it, I want him to.
Chapter 10 Merritt
“Shhh,” I tell Quinn as she eats a piece of cold cheese pizza in the kitchen. It’s way after midnight. The rest of the house is asleep, but we are still up, drunk off our asses and having fun. “You’re going to wake up Mrs. Controlling.” She laughs loudly, not caring who hears her. We have to be up for fishing in a couple of hours, and I don’t want to go to bed. Looking down at her and her sexy body, her tits are popping through her shirt, and I can’t help myself. Leaning in, I kiss her, tasting her sweetness again. She melts in my arms, moaning against my tongue as she wraps herself around me. Taking my fingers, I knot them into the back of her hair, holding and controlling her. My cock is rock hard, and to my surprise, she reaches down and grabs it, clenching it through my pants. I press myself against her, the alcohol urging me on. I want her. Fuck…I need her. She tilts her head back and looks into my eyes, telling me she wants me too, so I lift her t-shirt, exposing her perky tits. “I wanna fuck you so bad,” I whisper softly into her ear as I squeeze both of her hard nipples in between my fingertips. Moving her hand inside my pants, she grips my shaft and says, “Then do it.” “Right here?” I question her, looking around the kitchen. “Mmhmm.” Reaching over, I turn the light off, hoping if anyone wakes and comes down here, they won’t see us. I pull my pants down as she takes hers off. “Are you on the pill?” I ask quietly, and she nods spreading her pussy lips open for me, telling me that she doesn’t want to use protection as much as I don’t. Her cunt is gorgeous, shaved so beautifully, and before I can do anything else or move her to the couch or our room, she pulls me towards her, her tight, wet slit sliding around me as I sink inside her. “Shit,” she moans, and I nestle myself all the way into her, my arms wrapped around her. She grips my dick firmly, and as much as I want to pound the shit out of her, I remember her saying she likes it slow. Gently I pull back, her cunt holding on to the skin of my shaft. She braces her weight on the countertop and with my free hand, I push her shirt up, holding onto one of her tits as I move my cock, pleasing us both. “Fuck,” I murmur and glance down, loving how I look moving in and out of her. My hard shaft is bulging as her sweet pussy swallows me whole.
She moves with me, and I already want to come. Reaching down, I rub her clit, wanting to push her there too, and her face twists as she whimpers. “Uh huh, like that.” “Are you gonna come on my cock?” I murmur. She cries out loudly, my words turning her on and I cover her mouth to quiet her noises as cum suddenly explodes from my balls, shooting deep inside her. Heat radiates from my head to my toes, the feeling of letting go so intense. As I fuck her and hold her in place, she begins to writhe, giving over to the pleasure. Once our bodies settle, I don’t want to stop, and she looks at me as I continue to move, with a smirk on her sexy face and asks, “Jesus, did that really just happen?” I nod, still hard, and pull my cock from inside her, we both look down at it covered in her wetness, and I ask her, “Wanna do it again?” *** Reaching next to me for Quinn, she’s not there. I liked cuddling all night and fucking her once more. Opening my eyes, I look at the other bed and then roll over, taking in the room. Something moves on the floor and catches my eye. I laugh at Quinn who is sleeping in the most uncomfortable position. Pinching her nipple through her shirt, she looks up at me with a huge grin. “How you feeling down there?” “Did you really let me sleep on the floor?” Her voice is raspy, and I chuckle a little. “I have no clue how you got down there.” She sits up and stretches, her tits straining the fabric of her shirt. “Don’t do that.” “What?” “That!” I point to her hard tits, and she laughs, getting off the floor. I pat the bed next to me, and she climbs back in, our bodies immediately close together. “Can I fuck you again?” “What are we even doing, Merritt?” “What do you mean?” “We went from strangers to overnight lovers and…I’m not looking for a relationship, I just got out of a fucked up one.” “Well, I’m not looking for a relationship either, but I can’t deny that I like your pussy…a lot.” She looks into my eyes. “So just sex, that’s all you want?” “Sure.” “What about next year ’s trip?” “I’m sure I’ll be busy with work. After this week, you’ll never see me again. Let’s have fun. We obviously have an attraction to one another, and then we can go our separate ways.”
She swallows like the decision is hard to make. My cock is throbbing for her like it has been since I laid eyes on her perfect body. I push it against her ass and kiss the top of her shoulder. She exhales, liking the attention. Then I slide my hand down the side of her body and put my hand inside her pants. “Just this week?” she asks. “Uh huh.” I roll her onto her back and begin a trail of kisses along her jaw as I finger her, slow and gentle, like she likes. I’ve never been with a woman who likes it slow. They always want more, harder, faster, but not Quinn, and I think I can get used to it. The smallest, slowest movements push her over the edge. There’s a knock on the door and we both freeze. “Quinn, Merritt? You guys up?” Willow calls out. “Yup, we’re up.” She answers for the both of us, and I add a second finger inside of her, stroking her pussy as I look at her. She has her eyes closed, lying in my arms, under my control. Her breathing is fast as I finger her, adding a third finger, and she turns her face towards my chest, quieting herself by whining into me. “Come for me,” I order her, moving my hand faster, and boy does she. Her body shakes as she lets go, gripping my fingers, making my dick want to explode as she begs me for more. As she settles, I think she might want it hard and fast. The second I picked up speed, she let go. “Can I suck you off?” I nod and slip my pants down. She brushes her hair over to one shoulder as she grips my shaft and then swallows me whole. Her mouth, so warm and tight. I urge my hips towards her, meeting her movements, and begin to fuck her mouth. “You want my cum, don’t you?” I ask her quietly, and she nods, moaning again, eating all of me up. My balls tighten watching her stretched lips—they are so fucking hot—and as we gaze into each other ’s eyes, I can’t fight it, or stop what she is doing to me. Letting go, I barrel myself deep into her throat as my cum drenches her. I hold on to her hair, groaning harshly, giving her mouth a few last pumps. She licks me dry but seems to want to keep going, and the truth is, I don’t want to stop. I could go at it all day with her. I’m not sure what it is, but being with her is easy and fucking good, really good. “You better try to be quieter next time,” she tells me. “Not a chance that’ll happen with that mouth of yours.” She lifts my shirt and begins to kiss my lower stomach. “I’m gonna have to fuck you, Quinn,” I warn her, but she doesn’t stop. “Did you bring—” Willow barges in and I cover myself up as she freezes when she sees us together like we are. Quinn shoots upwards and out of bed.
I sit up and look at Willow who is standing in the doorway shocked. “I’m sorry, guys.” “It’s okay,” I say and wonder why Quinn flew out of bed. You’d think her mom walked in on us or something. “I’m gonna shower,” I tell them and adjust my cock under the covers, before leaving them so they can have a moment together. I’m sure Willow has about a million questions, and I’m not down to be there when she asks them all.
Chapter 11 Quinn
Merritt closes the bathroom door, and Willow looks back at me with wide eyes, like a mom who just caught their kid in bed with their teenage boyfriend. “What’s going on?” “Not much.” “Quinn, don’t lie to me. I’m your best friend.” “We were just talking, and you startled me.” She crosses her arms. My best friend knows me so much better than that. “Did you guys hook up?” “Maybe, and so what if we did?” “Quinn,” she sighs and sits down on the bed. She pats it for me to join her and I’m sure I’m about to get the mom lecture. “Do you really think hooking up with Merritt is a good idea, after what you’ve just been through?” “What does my past have to do with any of this?” “I don’t want to see you end up hurt again is all I’m worried about.” “That’s not going to happen, don’t worry.” “How do you know?” “Merritt and I agreed that whatever happens here, stays here. Plus, we’ll never see each other after this.” “Until next year ’s trip.” “He’s not coming.” “You really thought this all out, didn’t you?” “Yes, I did,” I tell her because I don’t want to end up hurt again either. My heart is guarded, and I’m going to keep it that way. “So was he good?” “Oh…now you want to know.” She bumps me with her shoulder and nods. “Really good and big. I couldn’t deny the attraction between us anymore.” I try and keep my voice down, so he doesn’t hear us. She holds her hands a distance apart, trying to gauge his size, and I look at them mouthing “bigger” to her, and out walks Merritt with a towel around his waist, already fresh from the shower.
My eyes eat him up, and right away, I’m shocked—he’s tattooed. I had no idea. He was inside me— twice—and I never saw his chest. Willow puts her hands down and swallows, she’s looking at what I’m staring at too. “So…you have that thing I needed to borrow?” she asks me still gawking at Merritt. *** “Biggest fish of the day gets three hundred and fifty dollars,” Ari says as we all get situated around the fishing holes the guys drilled. It’s surprisingly sunny and not too cold. I jig my pole off the bottom of the lake, and Ari says to me, “You know you’re only scaring the fish away by doing that.” I stick my tongue out at him. He’s just trying to get under my skin. Every year this is the one thing I consistently win. I grew up fishing with my dad—he’s the best, so I’ve got a trick or two up my sleeve. “Don’t be jealous. You can just hand the money over now, if you’d like.” The guys all bust up laughing, and Merritt asks me, “You’re really that confident?” “I’ve won this every year we’ve fished…so yeah, I am.” Merritt rolls his eyes, and just then I get a nibble. I wait for the second bite before hooking it, and once I do, they all gawk at me. The fish must be big as the tip of my pole is bent like an “n.” It’s fighting coming up, and I keep the slack tight, taking my time. Kami gets one on too, and I see the frustration on Ari’s face as we both battle. Pulling my fish up, it’s massive. Ari throws his pole down and storms off walking in a big circle like a baby. “Oh…come on,” I holler to him as I remove the hook from its mouth. Right away it’s obvious it’s a keeper. The rest of the morning goes by the same. I keep hooking fish after fish. The others do too, all except for Ari and Merritt. Ari keeps glaring at me, and I look outside of our tent for Merritt but don’t see him. He walked out a while ago, I assume to pee or something, but hasn’t returned. Knowing I am in the lead fishing wise, I reel in my line and go in search of him. At the edge of the lake is a small hill and I can see the top of his hat. Walking to him, the ice cracks beneath my feet, but I know it’s safe. They race Jeeps on this ice every year. When I reach Merritt, he has his hands beneath his head and is watching the sky. “Hey.” “Hey,” he responds with a huge grin on his face. “What are you doing out here?” I ask. “You want the truth?” “Always.”
“Trying to keep my dick down.” “Really?” “Yeah, I…I don’t know if you have dry lips or something, but the way you keep licking ‘em has my dick ready to fuck your mouth.” I giggle a little and lie down next to him. “I don’t think I’ve ever been fucked in the mouth.” I look up at the sky, the fluffy clouds slowly rolling by as they morph into all sorts of different things. The sun is warm, the reflection on the snow helping it to warm me. “You should let me do it to you then.” “Okay.” “Really?” “Sure.” “When?” he questions me turning his head and the second I respond, “Now,” he reaches over and pulls my body on top of his. Taking my nose, I brush it against his, looking into his clear brown eyes. “You smell good,” I tell him. He kisses me, our mouths lingering together for a moment. “I love the way you taste.” And with those words, we get lost, kissing one another. With me lying on top of him, his rock hard shaft is grinding against me, and I push back against him, wishing he were inside of me. My gloved fingers dig deep into the snow and a cold breeze whips through the air, covering us in a fresh blanket of whiteness. We stop kissing, but our mouths are still connected. I shiver, and he does the same. “Holy fuck, that was cold,” I speak against his lips as I pull back a tiny bit. “Yeah, it was.” “We should probably stop.” He agrees and even though I said it, I don’t want to, but the truth is, this isn’t the place to be messing around. “Come on. I need to catch a fish; I can’t have you one upping me,” he chides. “You’d need to catch seven to beat my six,” I gloat and hop up, brushing the snow off of me. Walking back to where the group is, he wraps his hand around mine, the gesture catching me off guard. We agreed to fuck, nothing more, so him holding my hand worries me that he’s got other intentions.
Chapter 12 Merritt
“It’s all there,” Ari tells Quinn as she counts her winnings from today. “I’m just making sure; I know how you like to scam people.” “Please, that was one time and not my fault.” “What happened?” I ask. They both look at each other, waiting for the other one to tell me. “The rental car company never charged him the year before last, and he didn’t tell them.” “Would you?” I ask her, and she nods, not giving it a second thought. “No, you wouldn’t.” “Yeah, I would.” “Whatever.” She rolls her eyes at me, and I could spank her right about now. Ted finishes cleaning the fish that we all caught today. Everyone except for Ari caught one, which was kinda funny to see how much of a baby he was about it. Quinn walks off to help the girls, and I ask Ari, “What’s the plan tomorrow?” “I’m not sure, maybe skiing again.” “What if we go snowmobiling or something?” “That’d be fun. You wanna book a place, and I’ll pay?” As we talk, I have my eyes on Quinn’s ass. “No. I’ll pay.” “So did you hit that yet, or what?” I nod, and he gives me a fist bump. “Was it good?” “Fuck yeah, sweet pussy.” “So what’s the plan?” “No plan, we’re just gonna hook up this week and then go our separate ways.” “Wow, look at you. You guys talked this shit through and everything.” “I’m gonna go look at booking something for tomorrow. Jacob, Ted, you guys down to snowmobile? “Hell yeah.” I grab a fresh beer from the fridge and head off to the bedroom. Sitting on the sofa, I grab my iPad and do a Google search. “What are you doing?” Quinn asks me, coming in with a serious expression on her face. “Wow, you just couldn’t stay away, could ya?”
She shakes her head and locks the door, then kneels between my legs. Her bottom lip is tucked tightly into her teeth as she lifts my shirt and then unzips my pants. By the time she wrestles my cock out from inside my underwear, it’s rock hard. All of the blood is rushing to the tip. She licks her lips and then takes me into her mouth. She’s so eager as she sucks me, making my entire body tingle. I can tell by how fast she’s going that she wants more. Pulling her back, I stop her and stand up. Then direct her to sit down on the sofa. Taking my clothes all the way off, she watches me intently, my body wanting her even more. “You know, I didn’t know you had tattoos,” she says. “No? Do you like them?” I ask her as she inspects my covered chest and I direct her to lean back. So trustingly she does, and I hop up, placing one leg on the couch, leaving the other foot on the floor. “Open wide, baby.” She listens like a good girl. It’s one of the things that turns me on so much —she’s so willing. I nudge my dick into her sweet, sweet mouth, bracing my weight on the wall behind us as my hips move in and out of her fucking tight lips. Her tongue swirls around me, and I don’t want to gag her, but I’m so unbelievably horny that I just go farther and farther. And before long, I’m barreling in and out. She has her hands clenched around my ass cheeks, her fingernails digging into my skin. “Yes, that’s it…take all of me.” She moans letting me push and pull in and out of her mouth. Her hands keep pushing me faster, and as my balls tighten, I fight the feeling. Not already. Then there’s that goddamn annoying knock on the door…again. Fuck, it always seems to come at the wrong time. “You guys coming to the hot springs with us?” Willow asks right as my come hits me. I pull out of Quinn’s mouth, gripping my shaft at the base, in hopes I can stop it. “Yup, we’ll be right there,” she says back, and it’s a lost cause. Cum shoots right onto her face. I jerk myself, relishing in the release. Quinn opens her mouth for me and lets me come on her tongue, licking up every bit she can. “God, she has the worst timing,” I tell her, aggravated, as I squeeze out every last drop. “You think?” “Clearly! I’m not done yet, Quinn. I still want to fuck you.” “I guess it’ll have to wait then.” She slides out from underneath me and digs through her suitcase. Her ass is bent over, and my needy cock tempts me. Pulling down her pants, I spread her pussy and slide right into her. “Oh fuck,” she cries out as I fill her, but she doesn’t stop me. I hold her ass cheeks—they both fit so comfortably in the palms of my hands—as I begin to move, in nice, long, slow thrusts. She reaches for the dresser in front of her and holds on to it. Her reflection stares back at me in the mirror; she still has a little cum on her face, and it’s completely hot. Her eyes are so gorgeous and
wanting. “Take your shirt off,” I order her and right away she listens, moaning into the side of her arm to keep quiet. “Can I go faster?” I ask her, needing more. With Quinn, I always need more. She nods and I pick up my pace a little more each time until I reach the point where my balls are slapping her clit. Her tits bounce with every thrust, and she holds on, letting me give it to her harder than I ever have. And at this moment, I don’t want this to end at the end of the week. I don’t want to stop what we’ve started. I just want to have her and be with her and fuck her, whenever I want, with no rules.
Chapter 13 Quinn
As the snowflakes swirl around us, the heat of the hot springs has our bodies blazing. It is amazing how something so natural and from the earth can not be affected by the elements above. The air is freezing, but the water is a consistent one hundred and two degrees year round. I can’t stop looking up at the twinkling stars, so bright at this elevation, and even more illuminated through the sheet of whiteness coming down from the sky. Everyone is blitzed out of their minds, yelling and talking way louder than needed. But thankfully it’s just us here right now, probably because it’s so cold out. I have a good buzz on and am totally content in this moment with Merritt’s arm behind me. I never imagined, being so skittish about men because of my past, that I’d be anywhere near ready to let a man close to me, even for sex, let alone this kind of intimacy. But I have, and with Merritt, I like it. The entire group undoubtedly caught on to us hooking up when he held my hand to help me into the water, but no one said a thing, like it’s normal. “No, Merritt said he was taking us snowmobiling tomorrow,” Ari shouts, and I glance up at him with a smile. What a sweet gesture. “I am,” he tells everyone. “Did you get it booked?” Ari asks. “Absolutely, we need to leave at about ten.” As everyone goes back to their conversations, Merritt whispers into my ear, “I didn’t book it yet. I got a little preoccupied with your mouth and that sweet pussy of yours.” My cheeks blush like a schoolgirl’s, and I look at him, turned on again. He takes his hand and slides it inside my bikini, rubbing my clit with his fingers. My body heats from the friction and the steam of the water. “Not here,” I tell him. He pouts, sticking his bottom lip out, and I kiss it. The group must be watching us ‘cause they all whistle and cheer. I smile and lean my head back a little embarrassed. “Don’t stop!” Ari yells. Merritt lifts my chin, bringing my eyes up to his and kisses me again as he pulls me onto his lap. With my fingers laced behind the back of his head, I stay up to my neck in the water and zone everyone else out focusing only on Merritt. On the movements of his tongue and the way his hands on my body make me want to do things I’ve never dreamed of doing. Like letting a man sit me down on
a couch as he fucked my mouth and then came on my face, the way he did earlier. I’m not saying I’m a prude. But when it comes to sex, my experience has been very vanilla. A little foreplay, then your typical positions. Nothing rough or out of the ordinary. I mean, just the way he bent me over tonight and fucked me so hard until I came was unreal. He slows the kiss, our foreheads resting against one another as he says, “Come on, let’s go, or I’m gonna end up fucking you right here.” *** My heart is throbbing as Merritt kicks the bedroom door closed, a feeling I’m familiar with, and I begin to worry that this won’t stop at the end of the week. But it has to. I’m not ready for another relationship. Merritt is great; he really is, but…it can only be about the sex for both of our sakes, and I’m starting to feel more for him when I shouldn’t be. He sets my wet body down in the bathroom as he turns the shower on, and I blurt out, “Promise me at the end of the week this will end?” He looks back, caught off guard and a little confused, and responds, “Yeah, why would you think it wouldn’t?” I look around the bathroom, searching within myself for the words to say to him, and he cups my face. “What’s the matter, Quinn?” “Nothing, just promise me that at the end of the week, this will end.” “You know it will. We live in two different states and lead crazy busy lives.” I nod registering his words. “We good?” “Yeah.” “Good. Now don’t ruin this moment. Remember what you said when I met you?” I shake my head, only able to remember him walking in on me shirtless and the feeling of sheer shock that a stranger saw me half-naked. “You told me, ‘This vacation is about unwinding and letting go.’ Now that’s what you need to do. Give in to what your body wants and stop worrying about the rest, okay?” I nod as he takes both of his hands and cups my cheeks, studying my lips before he leans into them and kisses me. The gesture is so tender and sweet that I melt into him, letting all my fears of betrayal and hurt wash away. This won’t go past this week; it won’t. Slowly, he takes one of his hands and slides it down my body, untying my swimming suit at every point where it’s knotted. As it falls from my cold skin, I stand naked, and he removes his shorts joining me, his cock bobbing as it springs free. Then he steps into the shower, and I gladly follow. His dark brown eyes glimmer in the low light of the bathroom and I try to listen to his words. Letting go of all the shit that has happened to me, that’s made me so guarded. This is just a week of sex, and that’s it.
The warm water pelts my skin as Merritt takes each of my breasts into his hands and licks the nipple of one and then the other. I knot my fingers into his hair and reach for his cock with my other hand, gripping him hard around the base of his shaft. He groans from my touch and as I begin to jerk my hand, pleasing him, he pulls my body towards his and then slides inside of me. “Oh God,” I cry out. “Let me hear you,” he commands, and I moan into his ear, making sure that I keep my noises under control, so the rest of the house doesn’t hear as they were obviously interested in what we were doing. As we stand fucking, his big cock rubbing me right where I like, I focus only on the pleasure, because that is what this is all about.
Chapter 14 Merritt
With Quinn’s hands wrapped tightly around my waist, we fly through the forest, leading the group back to the lodge from our snowmobiling trip. It’s been such a fun day, lots of laughs and good times. I somehow was able to find a place to book us last minute, and I’m glad I did because it’s been the most fun we’ve had. With the lodge in sight, I pull the throttle all the way back, knowing whoever makes it there first wins. But behind us, I hear some ruckus. Releasing my grip, I glance back and spot Ari flying through the air. Oh, fuck! Immediately, I hit the brakes, and we skid to a stop. He’s lying on his back, heaving for air. I can hear it from fifty feet away, and I panic, not knowing what to do. None of us have cell phones, then Quinn, thinking quickly, says, “I’ll run to the lodge.” As fast as I can, I go to my friend’s side as he lies on the snow, gasping, his face strained…he can’t breathe. “Shit, man, are you all right?” He’s wincing; his eyes tightly closed as he rolls back and forth in pain. Willow runs over to us, followed by the rest of the group and she’s freaking out. “Oh my God! Are you okay?” He doesn’t respond to either of us, and I feel fucking terrible that my dumb idea did this to him. “Just hang on. Quinn went to get help.” His breathing sounds horrific, his face keeps getting redder and redder, and I shake my head wanting to help him, but not knowing how to. “Calm down, Ari,” Willow says to him, and he snaps at her. “It fucking hurts!” Dammit, I’m so fucking pissed that I came up with this stupid ass idea. Quinn comes back over to us with a few guys from the rental shop, and as they kneel around him, we all back away. “Thank you,” I tell her. “Of course, is he okay?” “I’m not sure.” She wraps her hand around mine, squeezing my fingers tightly. Her warmth comforting me in this fucked up moment. As I stand holding her back…we just watch. An ambulance pulls up at the lodge, and a few paramedics rush over to us. One of them is carrying a body board.
I hate seeing my best friend in pain. It makes me sick. This is my fault. The tall trees spin and snow whips through the air as I stand completely frozen. Ari and I might fight like brothers, but that is because we are brothers. Maybe not through blood, but he is my best friend. My gut tightens in fear watching him get strapped up to the board and then get carried away. Willow is close behind, and we all follow them. Finally, I ask before the ambulance doors close, “Is he going to be okay?” “He will be. It looks like he has a collapsed lung from the impact of the crash. We need to get him to the hospital quickly.” Willow looks at me from the back of the ambulance, and I could punch something, so pissed this happened. Then they are gone. “Come on.” Quinn tugs my hand, pulling me towards the car and in a daze, I get inside. “He’s going to be okay,” she tells me. I nod, listening to her words, trying to believe them as Ted drives us away. *** After what seems like hours of waiting for an update, Willow finally walks out. Quinn’s hand is still wrapped around mine, and I don’t dare let it go. The comfort of holding on to her has made me not lose my mind while we’ve been waiting. “How is he?” “He has a couple cracked ribs, one that punctured his lung and was making it hard for him to breathe, but he’s going to be okay.” Thank God. “Can we see him?” I ask. “He’s resting, they have him on a ton of drugs. He said for us all to go home and get drunk, for him.” “That sounds like him,” Ted says, and Quinn kisses my cheek as I let out a breath of air that I feel like I’ve been holding on to all day. “Merritt?” Willow says, as we all stand and prepare to leave. “He said to tell you he’ll pay for the snowmobile.” “No, fuck that. I don’t care about the money. I shouldn’t have booked the trip to begin with.” She smiles and says, “Don’t think like that. We had fun.” “Yeah, but look at Ari.” “He’ll be fine, and you didn’t make him crash, he did. He’s reckless, and we both know it. It’s how he lives.” “Thanks for saying that,” I tell her.
“It’s the truth.” She gives Ted a hug and kiss. “Do you want me to stay?” I ask her, “I don’t mind at all.” “No, you go back to the house and relax.” “No, you go. Let me stay.” “Are you sure?” she asks me. “Yeah, of course.” “Okay, he’d probably rather you be here anyway. He should be released in the morning, so I’ll be back early. Thank you, Merritt.” “Absolutely.” Still holding on to Quinn’s hand, I look down at our fingers and bring them to my lips as her blue eyes look deep into me. “Go get some rest, sexy.” She blinks a few times before offering, “I can stay with you.” I smirk. “Look at you; Miss This-Can-Only-Last-A-Week doesn’t want to be away from me.” She pulls her hand away, and I kiss her cheek, then whisper into her ear, “If you stayed, I’d have to fuck you, and I don’t think Ari would appreciate that. He’d want to join in, and I’m not about to share you.” She nods with a smile, and I breathe her scent in one final time and then realize that everyone is watching us. “Bye.” “Goodbye,” she says back, licking her bottom lip knowing just what that does to me. “He’s in room 110,” Willow gives me a hug and then they are all gone. My eyes are on Quinn for as long as I can see her, and then I shake my head. Just a week, I remind myself…that’s it. Walking to find Ari, I follow the signs to the rooms from 100-119. As I stand in his doorway, he is asleep, and as quietly as I can, I step inside. He looks up at me right away, his eyes glossy and tired. “What’s up, man?” “Not much. How you feeling, Spiderman?” He chuckles. “Sore as fuck, but the medicine is hella good, and my nurse is fuckin’ smoking.” “You gonna hit that shit?” I tease him “I wish. I can barely breathe. Where’s Quinn, she let you off your leash?” I give him the middle finger. “You know me; no woman’s gonna tie me down.” “I don’t know; you seem to like that one.” “She’s cool, sex with her is off the charts, but we already agreed to things being just this week.” “That’s good, man, you gotta focus on work. It’s not long until you own that company.” “I can’t wait, Ari. You have no fucking idea.” His eyes get heavy as I contemplate how those words could never be more true. I can’t wait for the day my dad turns the company over to me. I deserve it, and it can’t come soon enough. I’ve put up with more of his shit than anyone really should, and I’ve sacrificed more than I’d like to admit. But in
the end, I’ll have it all.
Chapter 15 Quinn
“Can’t sleep?” Kami asks me, walking downstairs as I gaze at the last of the embers of the fire. “No. You?” “Me neither. Jacob is tossing and turning and talking and snoring.” I laugh at the image and tell her, “Grab a glass, come join me.” She looks at the bottle of wine on the table in front of me. Bringing an empty glass over, she fills hers up and takes a seat next to me on the floor. “Why are you up?” I hand her Merritt’s iPad which I used to check my email, and unfortunately there was a new message from my ex. As she reads the email, she grimaces and then sets the iPad down. “Why don’t you block his email?” she questions me. “I have, and he just keeps creating other bogus new ones.” “Then change your email. You don’t deserve to be spoken to the way he does.” “I guess a part of me was hoping that he’d see I blocked him and know how hurt I was and apologize for everything.” “Quinn, guys like him don’t say they are sorry. They’re one hundred percent assholes, and you need to stay away.” “I hear ya, Kami.” Her words make sense. But a part of me still misses what we had. It might have been a short-lived romance, but he was really sweet and good to me. Until he wasn’t. “What are you thinking about?” she asks me. Swallowing a large gulp of wine, I tell her, “That I need to pick better guys.” “Like Merritt?” I shake my head, but she can see that just by saying his name, I get lost in thoughts of him too. “You like him, don’t you?” “No, I like sleeping with him, but that’s it.” “Sure, Quinn.” She clearly doesn’t believe me, but she also doesn’t probe further. Regardless, her comment has my head spinning. Do I like him? Is there more to what I am feeling with him than just sex? Is that what all this is about? It’s not that I want my ex to apologize or for anything with him to work, maybe I want things with Merritt to work. Jesus, this is all so frustrating. Even if there was a way, I couldn’t give in to it—we live so far apart and are both basically married to our careers.
Neither of us has time for anything else, especially a relationship; that much is blindingly clear. “Merritt is a good distraction, I’m having fun on this trip, but it’s nothing serious and won’t last past this week.” “But, what if it did?” “It won’t, Kami.” I refill my glass and top hers off. “Enough about me, how are you and Jacob?” “All right. We’re good; he’s been trying really hard.” A few months back Kami and Jacob went through a rough patch, she was feeling a total disconnect from him and finally confronted him about it. He blamed it on the stress of work, and I guess made a change. I think Jacob is a good guy and really loves her, he just needed a reality check. Sometimes we all do. I got it when my ex broke up with me. It was a clear sign to stay away from men. They aren’t good for anything, except their dicks, which in turn reminds me, I could use Merritt’s right about now. *** Dammit, I drank too much. I haven’t even opened my eyes yet, and I can tell it’s going to be brutal. Taking in a deep breath. I stretch and then blink a few times. The image of Merritt startles me. “What the fuck?” “Sorry,” he responds innocently sitting on the edge of the bed next to me. “It’s okay. Were you watching me?” I ask. “No!” He rubs the back of his neck, undoubtedly lying, “I just sat down.” “How’s Ari?” “ He’s good; he’s here.” “Really? That was fast. What time is it?” “Two.” “In the afternoon?” “Yeah, have you been asleep since last night?” “Uhhh, I fell asleep at about three.” “Damn, staying up that late, I could’ve fucked you so many times.” I get up to pee and know later on that’s all we’ll be doing. “Nice shirt.” I look down and realize that I’m wearing one of his t-shirts. I must’ve put it on when I was drunk and stumbling into bed. “Thanks, I’m keeping it. I’m gonna shower and try to wake up.” Turning on the water, I pop a few aspirin from inside of my makeup bag and look back at my pale reflection in the mirror. God, I look like shit.
Getting into the shower, I try to wash away all of my worries and the fucked up thoughts that are still going through my mind.
Chapter 16 Merritt
I go to follow Quinn into the bathroom because I need to fuck her and now, but my iPad stops me dead in my tracks sitting on the couch in the room. I left it in my bag, so why is it out? I grab it and open it up. On the screen is an email: To:
[email protected] From:
[email protected] November 3, 2016, 1:15am Quinn, I can see you blocked my email, why…I’m not sure. Well, let me assure you this will be my last one to you. You’ll never see me again; I’m done with you. I’m not sure why I wasted my time with your stupid, immature, fat ass in the first place. Obviously, I made the right decision when I let you go. Everything I ever told you or promised you was a lie. I hope life screws you over, the way you deserve, we both know you were only with me for my money. Go fuck yourself, Quinn! Reading the hateful email again, I am in shock. What kind of a cruel person would speak to anyone like that, especially a woman? Quinn is amazing and deserves the world. She is not fat, stupid, or any of the things he called her. Clicking “reply” to the message, my blood is so hot as I contemplate a response. To:
[email protected] From:
[email protected] November 5, 2016, 2:18pm When you hit send, you should be more careful of your words. I’m with Quinn now and just read your email. Obviously, I can tell right off the bat that you are a fucking lunatic. What a way to talk to a woman—no wonder she found a real man. Let this be a warning that if you ever try to contact her again, in any way, or upset her, I will personally find you and make you fucking pay for it, the way you deserve! Now go fuck yourself, you prick! Without hesitation, I click “send” and log out of her email. Then I take a deep breath and strip naked, finding her just getting out of the shower. “I was going to join you.”
“Maybe later,” she says, with the most gorgeous expression. Swiftly I kiss her, then get into the shower myself. “So did you miss me last night?” I ask her as I begin to wash myself. “Maybe.” “Damn, why you gotta be so cold? I missed you.” “Really?” “Uh huh. What did you do without me?” “Played spin the bottle and made out with everyone.” I open the shower door and glare at her as she combs her wet hair. “I’m joking,” she says. “Please, don’t fuck with me like that. I don’t share well.” She smiles and nods as I close the door. “I got drunk with Kami, and we just chilled.” “That’s cool.” She doesn’t bring up her ex emailing her, and I’m not sure if she would. I mean, we’re not together, even though I told him we were. But I want her to know that I’m here for her no matter what or how fucked up the situation is. “How’s Ari doing?” she asks me. “He’s good. You know how he is…he’s a funny fucker; there’s not much that can bring him down.” “Not even spending the night in the hospital?” “Nah, he was laughing the whole accident up and digging his nurse, who in my opinion was like a four out of a ten. I think the pain meds had him seeing shit or something; it was funny.” “You can always guarantee that he’ll make you laugh.” “True.” I get out of the shower and right as I open her towel, there is a knock on the door. “Seriously? I feel like I’m living at home again.” She grabs her towel from my grip and winks at my cock as she slips out of the room. Drying my body, I think of those hateful words that make me want to find the guy behind them and smash his face in. But I remind myself of what she wants, and it’s just this week…nothing more. So it’s not my place. *** As I sit back driving Quinn’s car to pick up dinner since Ari can’t go out, I can tell she is watching me. “What?” I ask. “Nothing.” She looks out the other window, and I spot the restaurant up ahead. There is a parking spot on the street, and I snag it, parallel parking her Jeep. “You want to wait in the car?” I ask. “No, I want to come.” We both get out. The chill in the air is pretty rough, and I wrap my arm around her, pulling her body tightly to mine as we walk along the sidewalk. “Thanks for driving,” she tells me.
“Of course, anytime. I’m sorry you have a headache.” “It’s okay; it’ll go away.” I open the door to the lavish restaurant that Willow ordered dinner from and the hostess greets us and then asks, “Just two of you tonight?” As much as I’d love to take her out on a real date, that’s not why we’re here. “Uhh, no. We have a pickup order.” “What’s the name?” “It’s under ‘Willow.’” The girl looks at the computer screen, totally lost, and I glance at Quinn, giving her that look. “Umm, it looks like the kitchen is just starting on your order now, would you mind waiting about ten to fifteen minutes?” “Okay,” I respond, the chatter and commotion so loud, I’m not even sure if she heard me. Quinn and I sit on a bench by the door; she rests her head on my shoulder, and I tell her, “I really hate it when people ask me if I’d mind waiting. What I want to say is, ‘Do I have another choice?’” She laughs a little and then responds, “Me too.” The noise somehow gets louder in here, I can tell it’s hurting her head by the way she’s squinting her eyes, so I direct her to stand, and we head outside. “Why don’t we wait in the car?” I tell her. “Okay,” she says and as we walk back something in the window of one of the stores catches her eye. She does a double take, and I try to see what it is, but there’s so much in there that I can’t tell. “Let’s go inside,” I offer, and she smiles. Walking into the long and narrow store, the atmosphere is calm, and the lighting is bright, showcasing the shelves packed full with so much crap. This has got to be a tourist hotspot for sure. Quinn goes right for the window and touches a thin, elegant silver bracelet with some sort of a charm on it. “That it?” I ask. “Yeah. For my sixteenth birthday, my parents got me a bracelet just like this, and I wore it everywhere.” I can tell by the monotone to her voice, that she no longer has it. “What happened to it?” “I don’t know. I had it one day, then it was gone the next, I have no clue where it went. I’ve searched for years, and it’s never showed up.” I slide it off the jewelry holder and place it on her wrist. She looks down at it with a smile, so genuine and happy. “Get it,” I tell her. “I don’t have my wallet.” “I’ll buy it for you.”
“No, I couldn’t.” “It’s no big deal, please.” She flicks the tiny charm that is shaped like a box and says to me, “Can I pay you back?” “I’d rather you didn’t.” “That looks gorgeous on you,” the store clerk comes up and says. “Thanks,” Quinn tells her, and the clerk asks us, “Can I help you find anything else?” Reaching into my pocket, I grab my credit card and pass it to the woman, “Nope, just this.” The woman walks off to ring the bracelet up and Quinn wraps her arms around my neck, kissing me gently. “Thank you, I’ll repay you.” “You’re welcome, and no, you won’t.”
Chapter 17 Quinn
“You didn’t tell me you found your bracelet,” Willow exclaims as I find myself playing with it the way I always used to. “I didn’t. Merritt bought it for me tonight when we were waiting for dinner.” “Really?” “What? You think I’m not capable of buying her things?” he chimes in. “No, that’s not it. I’m surprised she let you buy it, being Miss Independent and all.” “Oh, she wanted to pay me back. She even got all stupid about it when we got home, but I put her in her place.” I look at him, and he winks at me. I did get a little upset when he refused to take my money once we returned to the house, but I didn’t throw a fit. “Did you put a wish in it yet?” Willow asks me. “No, I’m still thinking on it.” “Wish?” Merritt asks me. “Yeah. You’re supposed to write a wish down, fold it up and place it inside the box.” Merritt nods his head, and as we look at one another, I find myself thinking about my wish and what it’d be. What do I really want in life? Just then Ari emerges and slowly walks downstairs. “You shouldn’t be up,” Willow says, running to his side. “I’m fine,” he brushes her off and tries to make his way to the couch, but she turns him around and walks him right back to bed. “Night, Ari,” we all yell and he flips us off. He’s obviously struggling being stuck in bed. “I’m turning in too,” I tell everyone as my head is still giving me a dull throbbing pain. Walking upstairs, I lie down on the bed, closing my eyes, hoping by morning that my head feels better. As I lie there, I find my mind is on Merritt. He is so sweet and caring, which is the last thing I expected him to be. He’s not like any other man that I’ve been with. I hate that we’ve only got two days left, so I want to make the most of it. Quietly he enters the room. “Night, guys,” Willow says walking by. “Night,” we both respond and I look over at him. He has a bottle of water in his hand and passes it to me as he sits down.
“You feeling any better?” “Not really,” I tell him and take a small sip. He pulls his shirt over his head, and my eyes are drawn to his amazing tattoos. These beds are so small, as he climbs in behind me we barely fit. But I’ve grown to like snuggling together when we sleep. Wrapping his arms tightly around me, I close my eyes. The room is very tranquil; the warmth of his body along mine is so comforting. “What are you going to wish for?” he asks me, touching the small box on my bracelet. “I don’t know yet,” I answer him honestly. My mind is sending me so many mixed signals, making me feel things with Merritt that I never imagined I would. But I push them away to protect myself, the only way I know how, the way I promised myself I would after my last breakup. I stay in this moment because I’ve learned better than anyone that these two days will fly by and as soon as we leave here and go our separate ways, he’ll forget all about me. I remind myself he’s probably no different than the other men I’ve been with. Even if he seems different now. *** Waking up, the sun is barely lighting the morning sky, and I have to pee. Merritt is sound asleep, still holding my body tightly against his. Gently, I kiss his arm, then lift it and slip out of his hold. Looking back at the way he stretches in the tiny bed, it’s obvious his large body is way too big for it. Traipsing into the bathroom, I realize that my head no longer hurts. Thank God, I don’t think I could’ve endured another day of pain. After I’m done peeing, I wash my face and then go back into the bedroom, but Merritt is no longer in bed. I glance around the room and before I can spot him, his arms are around me. He’s standing behind me, his large cock ready and hard for me. “Morning,” he says, his voice rough as he guides me to sit on the couch. I look up at him, stark naked and so fucking hot. He takes the sash off of one of the curtains and places it over my eyes, awakening all my other senses. Forcefully, he tightens it behind my head and asks me, “Do you trust me?” “Should I?” I ask him in return. “I hope so.” Then he directs me to lie back, my eyes fighting to see what he is doing, but everything is dark. Taking his fingers, he slides them beneath the sides of my pants and shimmies them down my legs; then he removes my shirt. My heart is pounding, eager for what he has in store. His hands are on my body, touching and teasing my tense skin before he spreads my legs wide and settles between them, blowing a cool breath of air on my wet pussy. He says, “Mmmm, you smell like heaven.” I urge my hips towards him as I try to look through the sash, but I can’t see a thing. He separates my pussy and wraps his lips down around my clit. Right away, I tense, and he begins to kiss and flick
back and forth with his tongue, pleasing me. I moan loudly, and he covers my mouth, quieting me, but not breaking our contact. As he pleases me, I fight what he is doing not wanting to give over so fast, but an intense orgasm hits me automatically, causing him to push hard against me, pulling it out of my system, like it’s his to control. My muffled noises are quieted by his hand as he cups my mouth a little harder. My body stops pulsating, and he pulls away. I wait for what is next, and he begins kissing me, all over. My fingers are knotted in his hair loving how his lips feel on my body. “You taste so good,” he tells me. “Let me taste you,” I tell him, and he doesn’t answer. Instead he continues kissing me. Even though I just came, my body is horny and eager for him. I allow him to take his time, dousing me with affection, and then he stops and nudges his cock against my lips. I open wide, taking him in, wishing that I could see him, but also liking the way the blindfold has me lost in a world where only Merritt and I exist. I moan against his shaft, gripping the base as I suck him. Every contour of his rigid dick etches itself into my memory. He moves slowly but gives me all of him. I grip harder, and he doesn’t last long before he pulls away. I lie there, breathless and panting, wanting more of him. “Why did you stop?” I ask and before I can answer, he’s inside me. His hands hold my legs open wide, so our bodies blend close together. He moves in and out of me, causing every fiber of who I am to focus only on the pleasure and as I get lost in this moment, he asks me, “Does this have to end?” I contemplate how to answer him, and slowly, lift the blindfold off of my eyes. He looks at me, so wantonly and even though I’m scared, I don’t want it to end either. But deep down, we both know it has to. It’ll never work. And if for some reason we were to force things and give it a try, I’m not ready. I’m damaged and need to fix myself before I can even think I’m emotionally able for a relationship.
Chapter 18 Merritt
After Quinn and I fucked this morning, she’s been quiet…more distant, and I know it’s because of the question that I asked her this morning. I knew I shouldn’t have said anything; it was in the heat of the moment, and I let my mouth speak what I was feeling. She couldn’t even answer me; she just shook her head, and now…everything feels different. She agreed to a week with me, and that’s it. So I’ve gotta let go of any thoughts I’m having about wanting more. Plus, who am I kidding? I don’t have time to date. I barely have time for myself when I’m home. “I’m gonna go for a walk,” she says, grabbing her scarf and gloves. “Can I join you?” I ask, wanting to get things back to normal between us. “Sure.” I get dressed and meet her downstairs. Since Ari got hurt, we haven’t done much as a group, minus hanging out at the house, which is understandable, but at times it’s boring. Willow and Ted are watching a movie on the couch with Ari. Kami and Jacob must be in their room. As we step outside, the cold air sends a chill through my bones, and I zip my coat. We walk down the driveway, and automatically I grab her hand, she blinks a few times, searching for her words and I just want to try and fix things. “I’m sorry for earlier. I shouldn’t have opened my mouth.” “It’s okay. I’m sorry for how I acted too.” “Don’t be,” I tell her. “I shouldn’t have asked you that. We had an agreement, and I got carried away in the heat of the moment and—” “It’s okay, Merritt,” she cuts me off. “You don’t need to explain yourself. It’s not you that’s messed up, it’s me.” “Can I ask you something, Quinn?” “Sure.” “What’s happened to make you so scared to date again?” She laughs awkwardly, “I don’t know what it is, but all of my relationships always end badly.” “Why do you think?” “I don’t know. Ever since high school, every relationship I’ve been in has ended because either the guy has lied to me or cheated on me.”
“You know I’d never do that to you, right?” She rolls her eyes and doesn’t respond, looking over at me. “I mean it, Quinn.” “You and I don’t even live in the same state. Have you ever tried a long-distance relationship?” “No, you?” “Yes, my last one was, and I’m telling you, I won’t do it again. I’m sorry, it has nothing to do with you. I like you, and the time we share together, but once we are apart, I’m sure your feelings will change, and like I said, I’m not ready to date. I need some time to fix myself.” The ground beneath us shifts, the sound of the cracking is so loud that I’m not sure what to do. And before I can react to her wide and scared eyes, I realize how bad of an idea it was to walk on the lake we fished a few days ago with how sunny it’s been. “Don’t move.” “Okay,” she says, visibly scared, but trusting. As I step to my right, the ice cracks. Quinn falls in, her screams echoing off the canyon surrounding us. Instinctively, I reach for her arms and hold on to her as I’m now lying flat on my stomach. Her face is contorted with fear. “I got you. I got you,” I tell her and know I have to get her out of the freezing water quickly. Scooting myself backwards, I slowly pull her out and pray that the ice doesn’t give again. Each shift of our weight causes a thud beneath us. My heart pounds harder than I can ever remember. Quinn is frightened, I can see it in her eyes, and I pray that I can get us out of this. It doesn’t take me long; I’ve won half of the battle. With both of us lying on the ice, her teeth are chattering, and very calmly I tell her, “Spread your legs apart and scoot to the edge of the ice, it’s not too far.” “No, I’m not leaving you here.” “Goddammit, Quinn, go!” I yell at her. Tears fill her eyes, and she scoots away from me. I can feel each time she moves, and the ice makes noises beneath my body. Waiting for what feels like an eternity, I can’t believe this has happened. Then she finally says the words. “I’m off the ice.” Taking in a deep breath, I contemplate getting up and running. Wondering if I could outrun the cracking ice, like in the movies. But I don’t dare risk it, not while Quinn’s shivering body is waiting for me. As I scoot along, the noises have me fearing I won’t make it. But Quinn’s eyes keep me going, and finally, I make it off the ice. She throws herself around me, and I lift her wet, shivering body in my arms, jogging back to the house as fast as I can. “Are you okay?” I ask her. “I think so.” Her lips are blue and teeth still chattering. Rushing inside, everyone looks at us, shocked, as I burst through the door and I head straight towards our bathroom. “Oh my God, what happened?” Willow asks.
“She fell through the ice,” I respond and start the shower. Quinn is standing in the middle of the room, clearly in shock as her body is trembling. “Shouldn’t we call 911?” Willow asks. “She was only in the water for thirty seconds tops; she’s not disoriented. I don’t think she needs to go to the hospital.” “Quinn, do you want me to call an ambulance?” Willow asks her, and she shakes her head as I help her undress and then get her into the shower. The hot water surrounds her body, slowly calming her chattering teeth. “Can I get you something?” Willow asks her. “Dry clothes,” I tell Willow and strip naked myself, getting inside the shower while Willow is gone. Quinn’s body shakes as I rub my hands up and down her arms, trying to help circulate her blood. Slowly, I watch the life come back to her as the color returns to her face. Thank God, she’s okay. I’m not sure what I would’ve done had something happened to her. “Thank you for saving me,” she says, and I kiss the top of her wet hair. With Quinn in my arms, I have a tight hold on her, realizing in this moment as we stand here together, just how precious life is. Today we both could’ve died and then what? What would things be like in a world with no Quinn and no Merritt? The thought is unsettling, and I hold her tighter and harder. Processing the reality that after tomorrow my life will not have Quinn in it, and I don’t know how to deal with that.
Chapter 19 Quinn
Sitting on the edge of the tiny bed that Merritt and I shared for the better part of a week, I’m really going to miss this place. Looking at the door to the room and the spot where we first laid eyes on each other, I never thought I’d feel the way I do about him, but he’s shown me so much and proved to me that maybe not all men are alike. This week has been such a whirlwind. It has flown by; from body shots, to being kissed in the forest, to a game of Truth or Dare like no other, to watching the clouds roll by, and to the most mindblowing sex, it’s all been the best, and I’ll always hold those memories close to me. For Christ’s sake, he saved my life. “You ready?” Merritt asks me, popping into the room. “I am.” I take his hand, and he yanks me off the bed. “I’m gonna miss your lips.” “Just my lips?” I tease him as he kisses me. “Yup…that’s all.” I smile and follow him as we head downstairs to say goodbye to everyone. “Thank you for such an amazing trip,” I tell Ari as I hug him and unfortunately squeeze a little bit too hard. He winces from the pain. “Sorry.” “It’s okay. Anytime, Quinn, you know that.” Smiling back at him, I say my goodbyes to everyone else. “Call me as soon as you’re home,” Willow orders me and hands me back my cell phone. “I will.” Taking it back from her, I realize I really don’t want it. This time away from obsessing over my phone has been so unbelievably refreshing. But this trip is only a week; now it’s back to the real world and real life. “What time is your flight?” I ask Merritt as I hug him and he says, “Two-thirty.” “I’m gonna miss you.” He cups my face looking deep into my eyes. “You still have to drive me to the airport, so you’re not rid of me yet.” I smile, and we look around the house one last time. Then head outside where we all load up and go our separate ways. As the other group leaves, Merritt and I sit in my car, so many emotions running through me. First of all, I hate goodbyes and even though I only wanted a week, the thought of ending things here with him is hard. I plug my phone in and exhale.
He takes his hand and rests it atop my knee reading me well, “Thank you for everything, Quinn. I’m really gonna miss you.” “Of course. I’m sorry,” I apologize as tears fill my eyes. “I just hate goodbyes.” “This doesn’t have to be goodbye,” he says, and a part of me doesn’t want things to end. It’s not fair of me to place him in the same group as all of the other men I’ve been with. He’s different; he’s proved that time and time again. So would it be so bad to give things a shot? Looking into his sexy eyes, I’m reminded of all the things he’s done for me, from saving my life, to my bracelet, to cuddling in the world’s most uncomfortable tiny bed. To the hours on end, we’d just talk…about nothing and everything all at the same time. But before I can answer him, my phone chimes on and the familiar noise draws my eyes to it. Tell your boyfriend he better watch his fucking mouth and man up saying what he emailed me to my face. I blink processing the text as another, and another chime comes through. “What’s the matter?” Merritt asks me. The familiar stomach churning feeling of betrayal that I have grown to know so goddamn well rains down upon me. How is this possible? What does he even mean? “Quinn?” Merritt asks me again and then it hits me. I checked my email from his iPad when he was in the hospital with Ari. “Did you email my fucking ex?” He shifts in his seat, visibly uncomfortable. “Did you?” I ask again, this time more agitated. “I did, I saw the email he sent to you and had to.” Jesus Christ, he’s just like every other man out there. And just when I was beginning to think that he was different, he’s not. I’m not even with him, and he’s already gone behind my back and done something to hurt me. “Why wouldn’t you have told me?” “The things he said to you were so awful.” “They are just words. It wasn’t your place; responding is what he wanted. It’s giving in to him. I even blocked his phone number, and he keeps using other numbers to contact me.” “That’s why I contacted him—he’s a bitch and needs to be put in his place.” “You don’t know him, Merritt; there’s no putting that man in his place…trust me.” “I could with my fist!” “But it’s not your place. Don’t you see that? This is just another reason why I need to be single. I don’t need anyone making choices for me.” Starting my Jeep, I pull away from the house and head towards the airport. I don’t want him to miss his flight. He’s quiet as I drive. I don’t think either of us saw things ending this way, which is funny because there wasn’t supposed to be anything between us to begin with. We knew at the end of the week our time would end and that is exactly what it’s come down to.
Stopping at his terminal, he reaches for the door handle. But doesn’t get out. He leans over the center console and cups my cheek, his warm hands so soothing against my skin, but I fight the feeling. “Just so you know, last week was one of the best of my life, and I was only trying to help you with the email…Goodbye, Quinn.” He kisses me one last time and stupidly, I let him. He ignites so many emotions inside my belly and then just like that…he’s gone. The pain of watching him walk away hurts so much. I’ve grown to like our time together more than I’d realized, and in a way…depend on him. But I remind myself that we can’t be together. He’s got a busy life as do I, neither of us has time for a relationship. Sitting here, I realize just how lonely of a life I lead. Merritt’s words that last week was one of the best of his life is just how I feel. And even though I’m mad as hell at him and as much as he says he was trying to help me and thought what he was doing was right…it wasn’t. The truth is, he didn’t tell me. He just swept it under the rug. I find some peace in reminding myself of that as I drive home. If he could so easily brush that away, he’d do it again and again in a heartbeat. I made a decision to focus on myself after my ex broke up with me and that is exactly what I’m going to keep doing. *** “I’m home,” I tell Willow as she answers her phone on the first ring. “Oh, good, was the drive okay?” “Yeah, not too much traffic.” Opening the door to my quiet condo, everything is as it was when I left it. “You guys make it home yet?” “Almost, maybe another thirty minutes or so.” Willow and Ted live down south in Colorado Springs, which is about an hour from me. “All right, well, I’m gonna unpack and do some laundry before heading to my parents’ for dinner.” “Tell them we said hi.” “I will. I…I might also shut my phone off tonight.” “Why?” “My ex, he keeps calling and texting me, I need a break from it.” “Don’t do that, Quinn. Put a stop to it. Call and have your phone number changed.” “I’ll think about it, I promise. Bye, babe.” I hang up my phone and then power it down. I think it’s come to that point, where I need to just turn it off. And in all honesty, Willow might be right; I might need to change the phone number too. Even if it is a pain in the ass, the comfort of knowing he can’t call me will be worth it in the end. Unzipping my suitcase, I begin to sort through all my clothes so I can run a load of wash and I notice the sash that Merritt used as a blindfold on me is tucked to the side of my bag. Slowly, I pull it
out and written across it in what looks like thick black marker is his phone number. The memories of our time together all come flooding back to me. God, we had fun, so much fun. He was amazing and sexy and fulfilled so many desires inside me…but sadly I push them away…I have to…to protect myself. Tossing the sash on my bed, I let it go and keep my head on straight as I throw a load of laundry in the wash, then make the short trip to my parents’ house. Pulling up to it, my mom is standing in the driveway with her hands on her hips, while my poor dad is on a ladder stringing more holiday lights along the gutters of the house. “Wow, more lights?” “Yeah, I just felt like it needed that little extra oomph,” my mom responds and gives me a hug. “It looks great. Hi, Daddy, be careful.” He curses under his breath, clearly frustrated to be adding more lights to their already outrageous setup. You know those houses your parents would always take you to when you were a kid, the ones with lights that music would play to? Well, that’s my parents’ house. They go all out every year and have nonstop traffic driving by for the entire month of December. As my dad comes down the ladder, he gives me a hug and says to my mom, “Is that all you want added to the roof? Because once I put this ladder up, I’m done until January.” She laughs him off, not answering him, and it’s because she’ll want to add more or make a change like she always does and he’ll gripe and moan, but he’ll do it…for her. We follow my dad in through the garage and the second we enter the house, the smell of her amazing vegetable shepherd’s pie invades my senses. “I made your favorite,” my mom says. “I can smell it.” “So how was your trip this year, dear?” She always loves to hear about all of the things we do and the games we play, like she’s vicariously living through me. My dad is already lounged back in his recliner watching TV in the living room. “It was good. I had to share a room with a guy, so that was unexpected.” “Oh?” “Yeah, he’s one of Ari’s friends. They used to work together.” My dad turns the TV up, still hating to hear me talk about dating or men in any fashion. “How’d that go?” “Good, he was nice and…” I trail off, what am I even trying to say? Am I going to tell her that I like him? Why would I do that when what we had was only for a week? It was a one-time thing, and now we’re done. “And what?” “Oh nothing…he was a real gentleman, he even bought me this.” I show her my bracelet and her
eyes beam touching the locket. “Oh, Quinn, it’s just like your old one.” “It is. We found it in a store in Steamboat.” “That’s where your dad and I got yours.” “Really?” “Yes. How nice of him to buy it for you.” “Well, I didn’t have my wallet, and I tried to pay him back, but he wouldn’t let me.” “It’s lovely, dear…really lovely.” And it is. Looking at how happy my mom is that I’ve got a new bracelet makes me realize that I’ve got Merritt to thank. And maybe, I need her unbiased opinion about everything. She is one of my best friends. I tell her everything, so she knows about my ex and would understand if I told her about my and Merritt’s one-week agreement. She might be able to shine some clarity on things.
Chapter 20 Merritt
It’s been a week since I left Colorado, and I still can’t shake Quinn from my thoughts. I swear I think about her constantly. When I go to bed, she’s the last thing I think about, and as soon as I wake up, she’s the first thing on my mind. I miss her. I miss holding her, fucking her, and just being with her. I’ve never met a woman quite like her; she’s gorgeous and sweet, funny and sexy. She’s everything that I’ve been looking for, and unfortunately, she’s emotionally unavailable. I’d hoped by now that she would’ve called or texted, as I left her my number…but still not a single word. “Mr. Smith,” my receptionist, Suzy, chimes in through my phone. “Yes, ma’am.” “I have your father for you, on line three.” “Thanks.” Looking at the button, I contemplate not even answering it. My dad has been a real piece of work since I got back. “Hey, Dad,” I reluctantly answer. “Dammit, Merritt, why didn’t you tell me that the Serranos weren’t renewing their lease with us?” The Serrano Family is a prominent farming family in the plains of Colorado who lease us over fifty acres of oil-producing land. “I did. I emailed you about it before I went to Colorado.” “No, you didn’t. And now I have to hear about it from that little prick of a friend of yours who betrayed us that he got their lease. You know how I feel about giving Ari any of our business.” “I’ll find the email and forward it to you again, but I told you.” “What’s it matter now? They’re gone.” “Here it is, your exact words were, ‘Fuck, them. We don’t need their piddly fifty acres.’ So I let it go.” “Well, you shouldn’t have. You know how I can overreact sometimes.” Understatement of the fucking year. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I’m so aggravated. I get distracted as a new email comes through. “Did you fucking hear me?” “No, I’m sorry someone came into my office,” I lie. “I want you to get the Serranos back. Understand?” he barks at me and hangs up. Of course he
does. It’s all mind games when it comes to my dad. So I dial Ari’s number to even see if he signed the deal for real or not. “What up, bitch?” he answers, obviously feeling better and back to his old self. “Oh, you know, I’ve just got my father up my ass.” “Tell me about it; he’s fuckin’ nuts.” “If I didn’t know better, I’d think he needed to be committed.” He laughs at my comment, and so do I. My father is always the brunt of our jokes, though I’d never say any of these things to his face. “So what’s up, man? You been talking to Quinn?” “Nah, she hasn’t called me.” “Really? Must be busy. I’ll shoot you her contact info.” “Thanks, brother. So did you really sign the Serranos?” “Hell yeah, I did.” Dammit. “What would it cost me to get them back?” “Are you kidding me?” “No, unfortunately, I’m not. He wants them back.” “Fuck, man! Does he want them back, or does he just not want us to have them?” “What’s the difference?” “There’s a big difference. When are you gonna let him stop making decisions for you?” “Don’t even start, I’ve had it up to my neck with him, but you know my hands are tied.” “You better fucking pay me so well when you own the company.” “You know I will, you’ve already got a running tab.” “Let me see how far along the paperwork is, and I’ll get back to you.” “Thanks, man.” Ari and I hang up and right away his email comes through. Reading Quinn’s contact info, I have to reach out to her. I miss her, and I want to know if she is really done with me. Was it truly a one-week thing and nothing more? Anxiously, I go into my personal email and begin to type her a message, but the words just won’t come out right. As I read the email again, I try to not second-guess myself before hitting send. To:
[email protected] From:
[email protected] November 14, 2016, 6:05pm Quinn, I hope you’re doing good. I miss you. You should call me sometime. 361-555-1789. Merritt
Chapter 21 Quinn
Touching my bracelet, I can’t shake Merritt from my mind. I got his email as I left work, and I don’t know what to do. It’s been a week, and I’ve tried my hardest to push him as far out of my head as possible, but my mind is still consumed with the time we shared together. My mom even agreed that right now, I need to focus on myself…but I just can’t seem to do that. For some reason, he’s got this hold over me that makes me want to be with him so bad. As much fun as we had together, though, it’ll never be more than that week in the mountains. As I play with my bracelet, the box pops open. I still haven’t put a wish inside. I need to—that is the point of these. As I close it, I need to shake him from my mind. He’s all I’ve thought about for the better part of this last week. Even though I’m still pissed at him for emailing my ex. The doorbell rings and I get up to answer the takeout delivery that I ordered. “Thank you,” I tell the guy, passing him a twenty-dollar bill. Sitting back down with my bag of food, Merritt’s email taunts me, still illuminated on the screen of my laptop. I know he loves Chinese, we ordered it one night for dinner, and he ate so much it was really disturbing. Grabbing my phone, I snap a picture of the bag of food and decide to text it to him. What’s the harm in that? There’s nothing wrong with me reaching out to a friend, right? I ordered enough for even you, wanna join me? I hesitate sending the text and decide against it. I’ve just gotta stop this, and as I go to delete the message, I accidently hit send. Shit! It’s not but half a minute later, and my phone is ringing. I glance at the screen, and sure enough, it’s him. I let it ring for what feels like a dozen times, my heart pounding, so many emotions reeling through me. And then…finally, I answer. “Hello?” My voice rattles and I clear my throat. “Hi,” his voice so deep. Reminding me of when he’d whisper into my ear, making my pussy twitch, and I look to the ceiling wondering how he can have this power over me. “You got my email?” “I did.” “What did you order me?” he asks. Opening the bag, I take everything out. “Let’s see…I have egg drop soup.”
“My favorite.” “Fried rice and a spring roll.” “Should I book my flight now?” I giggle at his words. Even though he’s joking, I can’t help but wish he were serious. “I’m glad you reached out, Quinn.” “I’m glad you did too. Did Willow give you my email?” He’s quiet for a second and then says, “Uhhh, no. Ari gave it to me.” “Oh…I see. You just couldn’t wait for me to call you, could you?” “I didn’t have a choice—it’s been a week, and you didn’t call me.” “I wanted to, but you know why I haven’t.” “Why?” he asks me so calmly, making me say the reason out loud. “Because things with us were only for that one week.” “But they don’t need to be.” I find myself contemplating his words, with my feet huddled beneath me, not wanting to eat or do anything else but get lost with him. “They do, and you know why.” “I don’t have to agree with it, though.” “I guess you don’t, but my ex got super crazy after your email, and I have to say I’m done with men right now.” “Then be done with men, all of them. But don’t be done with me.” “Merritt, please.” “I’m sorry, Quinn. I’m trying to respect you and be reasonable here.” “Then don’t push me.” “You texted me, remember that.” And he’s right…I did text him. And I answered when he called. If I’m going to be so anti-men why am I even talking to him? “Can I help at all?” he offers, cutting my mind fuck short. “No! No, thank you, you’ve done enough. It’s over with now. I’ve moved past it, got a new phone number, and that I think really got through to him this time.” “I’m sorry about emailing him and not telling you about it; I shouldn’t have done that to you.” “It’s all right; I get that you were only trying to help…but you don’t know my ex. He’s so crazy.” “Well, thankfully I don’t, and I don’t want to, ‘cause I’d probably send him to the hospital. Could we stop talking about him? It’s really good to hear your voice.” “Sure,” I laugh a little, and he asks me, “So, how’s your dinner?” “I haven’t started eating yet.” “You should. I don’t mind, and you know I love the sound of your mouth.” “Stop it, Merritt.”
“Sorry, I forgot, we’re only friends.” His tone is down, and I change the subject. “How have you been? How’s work and being back in Texas?” “I’ve been okay. Work’s…work. It’s nice to be home right now. The weather is great, really warm.” “Yeah? I wish it were here. It’s cold, and we keep getting tons of snow.” “You like the snow, though,” he tells me which I told him on vacation that I did. He always listens to everything I say. “I do, but it would be nice to have a warm day every so often. You can even go to the beach, can’t you?” “I can. You should come and visit me; you’d love it here.” “You know I can’t, Merritt.” “I’m sorry, I just miss you, Quinn, and I have a hard time thinking you aren’t feeling what I am.” His words bring my world to a halt. I’ve never had a man be so open and talk to me the way he is. I’ve had guys wanna see me, or wanna go out, or hook up. But no one has ever put their feelings out there the way Merritt is, and I don’t know what to say or how to respond… *** “You’re quiet,” Eve, one of my co-workers, says as I blankly gaze out the window and look at all the people bustling by on 16th Street. “Sorry. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.” “Is it work? Can I help with any of your accounts?” “No, I’m finally caught up from my vacation.” “Speaking of, how was it? You’ve barely mentioned a word about it.” “Is your salad okay, ma’am?” the waiter asks me. “Yeah, it’s good. Could I have a box and we’ll take the check?” “Is one check good?” he asks, looking me up and down. He’s cute, but his appraisal does nothing to me, not the way Merritt’s could bring me to my knees with a simple smirk. “That’s fine.” “Ooh, he likes you,” Eve says, “You should get his number.” I roll my eyes, “He’s not my type—he’s scrawny. I need muscles, something to hold on to.” “I get that, girl. So tell me about the trip.” I fill her in on all the details as we pay our check and box up our to-go food. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about him sooner,” she scolds me as we make it back into our building. The warmth is so inviting. “There’s not much to tell, it was just a week, and now it’s over with.” “Quinn, you don’t believe that, do you?”
We wait at the bottom of the elevator banks for a car to arrive and I look her directly in the eye. “Of course I do.” As we shuffle inside, everyone calls out their floors, and this is one of the things that drives me crazy. Why can’t people just push their number when they walk in? Eve snickers at me as I push yet another number. Then right as the doors close, someone calls out, “Hold that, would ya?” I ignore them, but the person on the other side pushes the door open button. Seriously? The stairs would’ve been faster. And as I look up, my heart skips a beat. Dressed in a sexy ass suit with the most gorgeous expression ever is Merritt, and his gaze is eating me alive. He squeezes in, placing his body right along the front of mine as he presses the button for his floor, glancing behind him. “Hey,” he says, leaning down and kissing me on the cheek. I can sense Eve’s eyes all over us, and I swallow searching for my voice. “Hi.” Suddenly I’m shy, but he’s not. Everything about him is consuming me and when he takes my hand in his, holding it tightly, the comfort I felt for the week when we were together comes rushing back to me. I’ve missed him more than I realized. The elevator doors open at its first stop and a few people shuffle out giving us a little more room, but Merritt doesn’t give me any more space. “What are you doing here?” I ask him, knowing we only have a little while longer together. “I have a meeting with a client that Ari is trying to steal from me.” Of course, he is. “Didn’t you get my texts?” he asks. “I haven’t checked my phone all day.” “Check it.” He cups my cheek and touches my lips with this thumb. I lean into his hand, getting so easily lost in him that everything else fades away. It’s as if we are standing alone…just he and I. The elevator dings and Eve calls me to follow her as she waits on our floor. “Room 503,” Merritt says, passing me what looks like a hotel keycard, and I step backwards, not responding, but our eyes stay locked together. He licks his bottom lip as the doors close, and I’m in such a daze. “What the hell was that?” Eve shrieks. “That’s him, the guy from the week I spent in the mountains.” “You said he lived in Texas.” “He does, he’s here on business.” “You also said it was a one-time thing, so what was that?” “I have no clue.” I look down at the key card in my hand. The name across it reads, “The Brown Palace,” which is only like the nicest and oldest hotel in the city. Eve snatches it from me and asks, “What are you gonna do? Looking to her for advice, I respond, “I have no idea.” She gives me back the card and looks like she is about to pee her pants. “Hi, Mr. Johnson,” I say
as we pass one of the senior VP’s. “Oh my God, Quinn. Are you going?” “No!” I tell her as we sit down. She glares at me. “I don’t know, maybe.” Taking out my phone, I check it, and yep, there is one missed call and two missed text messages from him. I might be coming to Colorado for business today, could I see you? Heading to the airport now…dinner? I find it hard to believe that he suddenly has business here. When we talked last night, he didn’t mention a thing about it. He just kept trying to push me to admit to wanting more with him, and when I didn’t, now this morning he might be coming here. Then when I don’t respond, he’s here? He knows I’m not in any place to date or be with him. Taking the key, I toss it into my trashcan. Why should I go, because he said so? I’m done being told what to do, as much as it hurts to push him away, I’ve gotta look out for myself, no one else will. Dialing Willow, her phone goes to voicemail, and I remember that she is in class all day today. Hanging up without leaving her a message, I call Ari. Something seems off about all of this. Merritt could’ve planned this all along, and I have to find out if he’s lying about things or if this is really a coincidence. “What’s up, Quinn?” “Did you tell Merritt where I work?” “No, why?” “Because I just ran into him in my building, and he claims he has business here. Something about getting a client back you’re trying to steal?” “Oh, the Serrano Family. Their attorney’s office is in your building. Remember when I texted you for lunch the other day? I was there to close the deal; now he’s trying to get it back ‘cause his old man is a fucking kook.” “Are you being serious?” “Yeah, why would I lie?” He’s right…why would he lie? “Hey, if it means anything, Quinn, he’s a really good guy.” I hang up with Ari and don’t know what to do. Is this all me just making this shit up in my head? Am I being paranoid because of my past? Do I let my guard down and just wander over to The Brown Palace and strip naked because that’s what Merritt wants and Ari says he’s a good guy? Work gets the best of me, and I’m thankful to keep my mind busy. As the day flies by, I don’t know where the time has gone. Everyone around me is packing up to leave, and I feel like even though I’ve been swamped, I’ve gotten nothing accomplished. Minus making a list of reasons why I need to stay single that is so long I could make a book out of it. “Night,” Eve says, thankfully not asking me if I’m going to see Merritt again or not and I smile, finishing the spreadsheet I’m working on.
My phone buzzes in my desk, and as I glance inside, I see a view of Downtown Denver. The only thing that would make this view better is you. Room 503…I’m waiting. I slam my desk drawer and pinch the bridge of my nose. Why is this happening? How could he be here and expect me to just drop things and run to him? He knows how I feel, we agreed to one week and now he’s pushing me. Looking at the picture again, I begin to dig through my trash can and get startled by my boss. “What’d you lose?” he asks, and I shoot straight up in my chair. “Oh…nothing, just a paper. I don’t want to re-pull the docs and search through them to reprint it.” “Ahh, okay. Well, I need a favor. We just got the signed documents in for the Torrez accounts. They’ll be here Monday morning, and I hate to ask you, but if you could work on everything this weekend, I’d owe you.” “Stan, you already owe me,” I tell him. “I do, and I’m sorry I haven’t paid you back from the last time I asked you to work on the weekend. You can even do this from home if you want. And I’ll give you my tickets to the Nuggets game this weekend too. Will that help?” “If you have them on you now, then maybe.” He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out two tickets. But before he lets go of them he asks, “You’ll get everything, including the accounts, all set up by Monday morning?” “Sure will,” I tell him. “Thank you, Quinn…you’re a life saver.” He walks off, leaving me with a sweet pair of floor seats to the Nuggets game tomorrow night. With my trashcan still between my legs, I look in and spot the card right away. Taking it out, I toss it in my purse and grab my laptop and other things I need to get my weekend work done, taking it all with me as I leave. Walking home, my phone rings; it’s Merritt. I’m reluctant to answer; my brain is so jumbled right now but like usual…I can’t resist him. “Hello?” “Are you coming over here or not?” “No,” I tell him, waiting to cross a street. “Why not?” “I’m spent, it’s been one hell of a week back, and my boss just gave me even more work that I have to do at home this weekend. I think I just wanna go home crash and get a fresh start tomorrow.” “I’ll come to you? I…I just want to hold you.” His offer is so sweet, how can I turn him down? But thinking about it, the truth is, once we are alone, cuddling will be the last thing we’ll be doing. We’ll fuck and probably won’t be able to stop, and what will that open up? I need to think about things for myself, for my future, to make sure I do what’s right…for me.
“Not tonight?” “I’m leaving in the morning.” “Then there will be another time, Merritt.” He doesn’t respond, and I enter my building, keeping my voice down as I ask him, “Okay?” But he’s still quiet. Glancing at the screen to see if he’s even still there, he’s not. He’s hung up on me. What the fuck? Just because I need some time, he hangs up on me? How is that even fair? I didn’t ask him to come here.
Chapter 22 Merritt
Staring at the blank screen of my phone, I’m aggravated at how closed off Quinn is being. I don’t get why last week it was perfectly okay for us to be together and now this week it’s not. At the time that we agreed to one week, I thought a week would be enough to let me get over my feelings for her, but it wasn't. All it did was make them stronger. She’s gotta be feeling what I am; I’m not crazy after all. I’m trying to respect her and not push things, but she won’t even see me to just cuddle, and being this close to her, yet so far away, is driving me fuckin’ mad. Refilling my glass of whiskey, my father calls me again, wanting to know if I closed the Serrano deal. Fuck him! All he cares about is business. He doesn’t care about me or what I’ve had to go through to get the Serranos back. Sitting on the couch that overlooks the view of the city, it occurs to me that I’ve never realized how beautiful of a city Denver is. “What’s up?” I answer Ari’s call on the first ring. “Oh, man, you better close the Serrano deal, or your old man is gonna lose it.” “How much you think it’d cost to hire a hit man?” I ask him jokingly. We both laugh, and I tell him, “In all seriousness, I think I saved the deal. They’re gonna answer me in the morning.” “You mean you stole it from me?” “Fuck you; you stole it from me.” We both laugh and he says, “So I heard you saw Quinn.” “She call you?” “Yup, all worked up and shit.” “You should’ve warned me that she worked in that building.” “I’m busy, man, I don’t have time to worry about who works where and cross-reference it by your oh-so-important schedule.” “Shut up, bitch!” “So did you hit it again, get in a good nooner?” “No, and now she’s being all bitchy about seeing me.” “Who cares? She’s been hurt. You know how women are. Don’t give up on her…that’s what she’s expecting.”
Hanging up with Ari, I never imagined he could make so much sense. I dial Quinn’s number, and she answers, “Did you seriously hang up on me?” “No way,” I lie. “My cell phone died, and I just got it turned back on.” “You really didn’t hang up?” “Nope. So what are you wearing?” “Merritt!” she scolds me. The alcohol urges me on, making me very brave. This is where we first connected—sex. If I can make her see how good we are together, even through the phone, maybe I can convince her to give things with us a shot. “I get that you don’t want to see me.” “It’s not that. I’m…I’m scared to be alone with you. Just being in the elevator today was a lot.” “Do you trust me?” I ask her, the same way I did when I blindfolded her. “Yes, you know I do.” “Good, now go into your bedroom and take your clothes off.” She doesn’t answer me, and I imagine her standing there stark naked, her soft white skin, alluring and tempting. Wanting to be touched. “I’m naked.” I get undressed myself and say to her, “Look in the mirror.” “Why?” “Trust me.” “‘Kay.” “Do you see that freckle on your right side, next to your tit?” “Yes.” “I want you to close your eyes and imagine my lips on it.” She’s breathing hard, and I grab my cock, knowing I could come at any moment, but I’ll wait for her. “Can you feel my lips?” “Uh huh.” “Good, now, touch yourself.” “Oh God, Merritt,” she moans, and I have to let go of my dick. I close my eyes, listening to her ragged breathing and hope she sees how good we are together, how fucking well our bodies react to one another ’s. “Tell me what you’re doing,” I command her. “Touching myself. I just laid down on my bed.” “I bet you wish my cock was inside you, huh?” “God, yes.” “Mmm, keep pleasing yourself, baby.”
“Jesus, I wanna come. Will you come with me?” “No…” I respond, and she gets eerily quiet. “Why not?” “Because I’m saving it for the next time I’m inside your sweet cunt. Good night, Quinn.”
Chapter 23 Quinn
Reading the clock on my nightstand as it changes from 2:16am to 2:17am, I haven’t fallen asleep yet. All I have been doing is tossing and turning all night, my mind fighting with my body, the two wanting completely different things. After Merritt and I messed around earlier and he teased me and then basically left me hanging by a thread, my body is a jumbled mess. I need to see him, even though I shouldn’t. I want him one more time…but it’s such a bad idea. Shutting my eyes, I fight with my brain to be quiet and hope this time I can fall asleep. But all I hear is his voice and the way he coaxed me on. Fuck, it seems hopeless, the clock still reads 2:17am. On my nightstand is the keycard for his hotel. I pick it up, spinning it around and around in my fingers. Then, I drop it and get up, hoping that maybe a bath will tire me out. After soaking for what feels like an eternity, it doesn’t help a thing. If anything, I feel even more awake. As I slip my sweat pants on, my clit is still twitching for him, and I’ve made my mind up. I need to go to him; I need to figure out the reason for this constant pull. Maybe one last time together will stop it. Slipping on my boots and coat, I leave. I decide not to call him, what is the point of that? I have a key after all. Hell, maybe he’s with someone else like a typical traveling man would be and walking in on it would make me be done with him in an instant. Getting into my car, it’s cold and takes a few minutes to warm up. On the drive, there is literally no one out on the roads. The drive is short, and I park my Jeep on the street outside of his hotel, then make a dash inside. The old eclectic décor seems to span from floor to ceiling. I’ve never actually been inside of this place. Looking for the elevators, I spot them, right as the desk clerk looks at me with a curious expression. I guess it could be because I am wearing sweatpants and pretty much look like a cute hobo. I press the call button and instantly the doors open. Taking the car up to the fifth floor, I’m reminded of the interaction that Merritt and I had in the elevator earlier in the day. He was so domineering, the way he kissed me on the cheek, so close to my lips, like I was his, and held my hand while he pressed his body right along mine, ignoring everyone else sharing the space.
The doors open to the fifth floor and my palms are sweaty, not really sure what I’m about to walk in on. Room 503 is at the end of the hall. As I stand in front of it, I listen for any sounds or noises, but there aren’t any. Placing the key into the door, it flashes green, and I remove it. I open the door and look around the dim hotel room. The TV is on some infomercial which is illuminating Merritt’s sexy, naked body. He’s alone, just like I hoped he would be. Quietly, I close the door and latch the lock, then take my coat and boots off, leaving them by the door. Walking to the bed, I sit on the edge of it, taking everything in. There’s a half-drunk bottle of whiskey next to him on the nightstand. He must still be naked from when we messed around earlier on the phone. Maybe this entire time, everything that I’ve been worrying about shouldn’t be a worry. Deep down, I really don’t think he’s like other guys. He could have any girl in the world. Look at him: perfect body, gorgeous face, huge cock, and he wants me. Sitting this close to him and not touching him is driving me crazy. Getting up, I strip naked, all the while my eyes are on his dick. Then I hover over him, pressing his dick against my pussy as I brush my hair to the side and lean down kissing him. “You came,” he says against my mouth and stretches, pushing his cock against me. His eyes are still closed, but he knows it’s me. I kiss him again, and he knots his fingers into my hair and flips us over, his tired eyes finally waking. I relinquish all of my control, giving over to him, forgetting about all of my worries and reservations. “Tell me you want me,” he brushes his nose against mine. “You fucking know I do.” “Tell me, Quinn.” “I want you, Merritt. I want you inside me, I want you to—” “Like this?” I gasp as his hard shaft fills me. He pushes more and more into me, burying himself as deep as he can. With my legs held around him, I hold our bodies close, and neither of us moves. The thudding of his heart pulsating through the tip of his dick makes me want to come. I wiggle my hips, and he begins to pump, both of us getting lost…carried away in the most amazingly intense orgasms ever. That’s all it took was our connection, and we are dangling from a cloud of bliss, falling… together. My throat is tight as I search for air, and for the first time with him, I don’t hold back. My noises aren’t quiet. I whine loudly, his thick shaft coming inside of me as we give over to the pleasure.
“Yes! Get loud, baby.” He slams my pussy, our eyes locked on each other ’s as he now braces his weight above me. Our pleasure ends, but our bodies stay together. Merritt isn’t in a hurry to move. Pulling the messy covers over us, he stays nestled inside of me and asks me, “Please stay with me.” I trail my fingernails up and down the rigid muscles of his back, sleep already invading me and I fight it, not wanting to drift off. Because I’m reminded it won’t be long until our time together has to, yet again, come to an end.
Chapter 24 Merritt
Getting dressed so I can head to the airport, Quinn is fast asleep, I hate to wake her, but I can’t just leave her. Last night was amazing, and I don’t want to go, but if I’ve learned anything when it comes to dealing with Quinn, it’s to give her space. Sitting on the edge of the bed the way I did so often in Steamboat, I watch her. She awakes from the weight of my body and yawns. “Why are you all dressed?” she asks. “I have a flight to catch in about an hour.” “No, already?” “Yes, I told you my flight left early today.” “Don’t go,” she begs me, wrapping her arms around me and resting her face on my thigh. “I have to, plus you have work to do today, remember?” “I can do it tomorrow. Please stay.” “Why?” “Because, it’s Saturday and you don’t have to go into work until Monday and…oh, I have tickets to the Nuggets game tonight. Come with me—you love basketball.” “Are you bribing me?” I ask her, and she nods, then unzips my pants and takes my cock out. The feeling of her hand alone makes me stiff as a rock. “Don’t do that,” I tell her, knowing if she starts with me, I won’t be able to leave her. “Stay,” she says and goes down on me. Leaning back, resting my weight on my forearms, I watch her mouth, her sweet goldmine of a mouth stretched so wide as she puts it to good use. Fire radiates from my head to my toes. I sit still, letting her have all the control and hope if I stay, this could be the beginning of us. My cum is close, and I hold on to it, fighting the feeling, not wanting her to know what she can do to me so quickly. The control she has over me is unreal…but she pulls it out of me. Taking my pleasure as if it were her own. When she pulls her mouth away, the first thing she says to me is, “So you’re staying?” “Maybe, but if I do, what does it mean for us?” I ask her. “What do you want it to mean?” “Quinn, you know I like you, and I get that you’ve been through some shit, so I understand why your heart is guarded, but I want you to realize you don’t have to guard it with me. I’m not going to
hurt you…ever.” “I want to believe you. That’s why I’m here, and I want you to stay longer. I don’t know what the future holds, hell…no one does, but what I do know is, if I keep guarding myself and living like I have, then I might push away the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m sorry, I just feel like my brain is all over the place.” “It’s all right, just be honest with me.” She smiles at me and says, “I’m scared if you stay, but… I’m even more scared if you go.” “Then I’ll stay, and we’ll just spend the weekend together, okay?” I ask her, and she nods, agreeing. “Good, will you hand me my phone, please?” She gives it to me and walks off to the bathroom as I email my assistant, Suzy, asking her to book me a later flight. “So, you’re taking me to the Nuggets game?” I ask her as she uses the restroom. “I am—courtside seats too.” “Wow, how did you score those?” “My boss owed me for working on a deal over the weekend.” “I’ll be sure to send a thank you myself. You hungry?” I ask her as she struts back into the bedroom, stark naked. “I could eat.” “No, fuck that. I’m not taking your sexy ass out. I’m gonna make you my sex slave.” “A hungry sex slave is not a happy sex slave.” “Okay, true. So is there anywhere around here to eat?” “Yeah, there are a few good places, but I only have sweats to wear and you…well, you have that suit.” “I love your sweats. Let’s go. Time is gonna fly by.” I smack her ass, and she scurries to get dressed. When she is finished and looks back at me wearing a thin long-sleeved t-shirt and a red pair of sweatpants, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look more beautiful. *** After breakfast, we stopped back by Quinn’s so she could shower and change. I didn’t think she needed to, but I get that she wanted to. Sitting on her couch, I love her place—it’s so perfectly her. I notice a stack of paperwork that must be for her work, and I ask her, “So what is it that you actually do for a living?” “I manage people’s money. We invest in all sorts of things, from the safest of the safe to the riskiest investments. Do you have your money with a firm?” she asks me. “No, I have it in the bank, with FDIC insurance covering it.” “You should look into your options to even make a little return on what you have sitting there. I
mean, I won’t do it, not after my last experience, but I can refer you to some good companies.” “What happened, like for real?” I ask her, really wanting to know how things went so wrong with her ex. “The story is so complicated; I’m not even sure where to start.” “The beginning.” “Uhhh, God, this is so weird to be telling to you. Um, I met him out one night, having a drink with co-workers. At the end of the night, we hooked up. I left my card on the hotel nightstand, and he contacted me for business purposes. When he came in, I realized who he was and long story short, I signed him to my company. From there it was a whirlwind of a romance, until one day, he was done with me.” “So why did it end? Why was he done with you? He’d have to be crazy in my book to end things.” “He just broke it off, out of the blue, for really no good reason that I could see. It made me feel like there was something wrong with me.” Tears fill her eyes, the pain of going back there evident and I don’t want to see her upset. “I should’ve known meeting him at a bar that it wouldn’t be anything long-term, but I fell for him…like I always do.” Pulling her into my arms, I hold her close. “Well, I’m happy it didn’t work out because it gave us a chance.” She tenses in my hold, and I can tell that I’m pushing things, so I drop it. She doesn’t say another word, and I fear that in the back of her mind, she thinks I will end up feeling the same way. That I’ll hurt her like her ex did…but I wouldn’t. Because for me, there’s nothing that could make me want to leave her in the first place…ever.
Chapter 25 Quinn
“Do you ever wish you’d stuck with basketball?” I ask Merritt as we sit on the side of the court before the game begins. The players are all practicing shooting and doing drills. “Now that’s a loaded question.” “Meaning?” “Have you ever dreamt of doing something, but knew deep down it was too much of a long shot?” “I’ll have to think about that one.” Then he says, “Well, for me, that was basketball. It was my life-long dream. I had scouts visiting me in high school, colleges were lined up, and I was ready to take the leap. Duke had offered me a full ride. But at the end of the day, I had a choice to make, and my father is very persuasive. He made it hard for me to say no to him.” “But you wanted to play basketball more, right?” “I did, but he offered me more money than I was likely to get in the NBA, and I didn’t have the risk of getting a career-ending injury. He also promised me the company when he retires.” “But that wasn’t your dream?” “No, it wasn’t. But, I’ve adapted and grown to love my work.” “Merritt, that’s like marrying the wrong person because your parents want you to. When you know, it’s wrong. How could you be truly happy?” “Now, now, Dr. Phil, let’s not get carried away—no one’s getting married.” He tosses his arm over my shoulder, and I lean into him, hating how terrible of a person his father seems to be. What kind of parent would take away their child’s hopes and dreams for their own benefit? “You want another beer?” he asks me as the beer vendor walks by. “Sure.” He orders us two more, and the game begins. I love how into everything he is. Yelling and screaming, able to call fouls and plays like a coach would. All the while his hand is bracing my thigh, squeezing tighter and tighter, making my pussy wet and my body so horny. It’s just too bad that he’s not one of the players, ‘cause he should be. I can see the pure love for the game that lives inside of him. No matter what his dad does or what career he chose, nothing will
ever take that away. *** “You owe me a hundred bucks,” he tells me as we leave the Nuggets game. “You know…I blame Ari for that; he’s the one who makes us always bet.” “You can blame Jesus for all I care, but you shook on it, so you still owe me.” “Can I pay it off in sexual favors?” “What does one get for a hundred dollars these days?” “I don’t know; we can probably ask that girl.” And I point to a slutty looking woman on the corner of the street that we can see through the windows as we ride the escalator down. She looks like she’s out working. Both of us laugh as we emerge into the chilly winter night. Walking to my car, I can’t seem to get there fast enough, and Merritt is right along with me, holding my hand tightly. “Fuck it’s cold.” “Yeah, it is. You’d love Texas. Right now, it’s mid sixties at night.” “God, I’d love to feel that.” “Come visit me next weekend?” “No, I couldn’t.” “Sure you could.” His offer, as appealing as it is, should be easy to accept. We have fun together, and it seems I’m the happiest when I’m with him. But it also makes me worry about things; I don’t want us to jump too fast, too soon. Starting the engine to my Jeep, I turn on both of our seat warmers, and he asks me, “So are you coming?” “Let me look and see when flights are, and then I’ll decide.” “What’s it matter? Leave Friday and return Sunday. I’ll even pay for it,” he’s pushing me and the offer, as sweet as it is, makes me worry it’ll make him eventually resent me. It happened with my ex. He showered me with gifts, so many of them I couldn’t see straight. In the end, he used it against me, said I was only with him for his money, which is the farthest thing from the truth. “What’s wrong?” he asks me. “Nothing.” “Don’t lie. You can tell me anything; you know that, right?” “I know I can.” Walking inside my place, his hand is around mine, and he’s dropped the subject of me going to see him…for now. I flip on a few lights, and he says to me, “You really have a sick view.” “Thanks, I love my place.” While he observes the sights of downtown Denver, I pour us each a drink and then strip naked,
doing what Merritt and I do best. Walking up to him, I can see his reflection in the glass. He’s lost in his own thoughts, and as I stand next to him, he slowly turns his head, a soft growl escaping from his throat. “Ohhh, you are so bad.” “You make me want to be bad,” I tell him and he finishes his drink in one gulp and then lifts me into his arms and cradles my body against his as he storms into my room, kicking the door all the way open and tossing me on the bed. I laugh falling against the soft fabric and watch him unbutton his tight, navy blue dress shirt. Then he takes his belt off and sets it on the bed, my heart beating faster, wondering if he’s gonna use it to spank me. Taking his pants off, his mouthwatering, huge cock makes me so wet, and he asks me, “Where’s the sash?” I point to my nightstand drawer. He pulls it out, the soft material resting comfortably in the palm of his hand. “How convenient.” Then he scoots my body up on the bed and stretches my arms high above me. Taking the sash, he knots it around one of the slats in my headboard and then secures my wrist to the other end of it. My eyes move from my hand to his eyes and he asks me, “Is this okay?” I nod quickly, never having been tied up before, but never wanting it more than I do with him right now. With my other hand fastened in place with the belt, he then takes me by the hips and pulls me as far down the bed as he can. My upper extremities are stretched to the max; I can’t move a single muscle. Everything inside of me is on overdrive. My heart is beating at Mach speed. And he says to me, “If you come visit me, I’ll tie you to my bed for the entire weekend,” and I have to ask, “What are you going to do to me now?” “What do you want?” “I want you to fuck me and come hard.” He takes his hand and begins to rub it over my clit. I arch off the bed from the mere touch of his fingers on me, and he says, “Like this?” “That’s good, but I really want your cock.” He begins to jerk himself, and I lick my lips. “You want to suck me?” “Please.” He hovers over me, holding on to the headboard and I open wide so he can stick himself all the way into my mouth. He pumps in and out of me, my hands are tied so I can’t move and my lips stretched so wide that I can’t say a word. Our eyes stay connected, the way they always do. “God, I love your mouth,” he tells me and grunts, moving even faster. My pussy is tingling, ready and willing to be played with. But this isn’t about me, it’s about him. As he fucks my mouth, I wait for his cum, but it doesn’t happen. Then he stops and slowly removes himself from me. Kneeling between my legs, I spread them
wide as he connects our bodies. My body tenses from the fullness; his dick is so hard as he shoves into me. Holding his body up on either side of me with his fists balled, he asks me, “Why do you like it slow?” “‘Cause I don’t want it to end, so the slower we go, the longer it can last.” “That’s not true.” “What do you mean?” I ask him, and he pulls me towards him by the hips, pushing into me as deep as he can. I gasp out loud, a sensation unlike any other runs through me as his cock grinds so far into me. “Let me show you. I can make you come again and again,” he promises. A little hesitant, as I’ve never had a man make me come more than once, I nod, and he begins to move. His hands have a strong hold on my body and every time he slams into me, I cry out in pleasure. My tits bounce from the force of him slamming into me, hitting such a sensitive spot inside me, and as he picks up speed, I can’t control myself, letting go and coming hard. He controls my body, still holding on to me as he robs me of my first orgasm. I bow off the bed in his arms, fighting against the restraints, searching for some friction. However, I can’t find any, and now my pussy is so sensitive, I feel like I could lose it, but he keeps moving. “Stop,” I tell him, just needing a minute and he shakes his head, barreling faster. “Give in to it, Quinn, let go again.” Digging my heels into the mattress, I lose all focus on reality as another blissful orgasm runs through me. I scream loudly, shaking under his control and this time I figure he has to stop…but that’s not what he does. His eyes are carnal, his grunts are the loudest I’ve ever heard, and I look at him bewildered, trying to understand what he’s doing to my body. Then he says to me, “It’s okay, baby…let go again.” Closing my eyes, I trust in him. Zoning in on the noises in the room…my and Merritt’s moans along with the sound of his balls slapping my ass…pushes me close and as I feel a blast of warm cum fill me, it tips me over, and another orgasm takes over my body. He groans, digging his fingers into my sides. I don’t fight it or prepare for what is next. I give completely over to the orgasm, and as he pounds me, he comes again, and it won’t be long, soon I will too. Looking into his clear eyes, he’s got one hell of a smirk on his face, and I say to him, “Why didn’t you do that in Steamboat?” “Because you said you liked it slow.” He unties my hands, and I rub my wrists. “I thought I did. But had you done that, I might’ve change my mind about ending things after a week.” “Are you saying you’d stay with me for my cock?” “Maybe,” I smirk, and he begins to tickle me.
“You’re so bad. Does that mean I can book your flight?” I thrash from side to side, fighting him to stop, but he doesn’t. The truth is, I don’t want him to…I never want him to stop. “Answer me,” he orders and the words roll off my tongue as if they aren’t my own, “Okay, I’ll come.”
Chapter 26 Merritt
Lying in bed next to Quinn, she is peacefully asleep. It is barely light out, and I hope I don’t wake her, but my phone has been going off nonstop. My dad seems to be on a new level of craziness, now that I decided to stay in Denver for a few extra days. He doesn’t understand why and for some reason needs to know. He just keeps saying that we have so much work to do and he needs me back at the office. As I respond to his last text, I want to tell him to go fuck himself…but I don’t. I’ll be back later on tonight; there’s nothing that can’t wait until then. He doesn’t respond and looking at Quinn, she is so beautiful. An email comes through from Suzy distracting me from watching her. It contains Quinn’s flight info for Friday, and I couldn’t be happier that she agreed to come and visit me. I respond to her and say thank you, then I forward it to Quinn. I can’t wait to have her in my bed. I’ll make true to my promise and tie her there all weekend if she wants. Just as the sun begins to pop up over the horizon, I set my phone down, wanting to make the most of my last day with Quinn. Holding her body tightly, kissing the soft skin of her neck, she wakes slowly with a grin on her face, and when she looks at me like that, my heart melts. “You sleep okay?” I ask her. “Yeah, the best.” “Good, baby,” I tell her and hold her body close to mine. She holds me back, her hands atop mine as we watch the sun crest the morning sky. “Is this what you get to wake up to every day?” Rolling over in my arms, she says to me, “It is.” and she kisses me. Holding on to the back of her head, I kiss her back. “I don’t want you to go,” she tells me. Hearing her say the words, lets me know that we are headed down the right path, it’s just gonna take baby steps to get there. “I don’t want to leave.” “Skip work next week and stay here with me.” “Ha! I wish I could, beautiful, but my dad is already throwing a tantrum with me staying here longer.” “Screw your dad. He sounds like a real asshole, you know that?” “Oh, he is, but he’s the only father I got, and he holds the key to my future.” “You should call into work, fly home with me, and let me tie you to my bed all week. I’d make
you come so many times, you’d never want to leave.” “If I miss work Monday, I’ll get fired. Remember the bribe I took so we could go to the Nuggets game? I still have work to do, and the client is coming tomorrow morning.” “I guess neither of us can take the time off of work, so we’re just going to have to make the most out of the day.” “That we are. What do you want to do?” “Oh, that’s up to you. This is your city.” She rolls me onto my back and lays her body along mine. “Let’s stay in and fuck.” “Okay,” I agree, knowing that’s all I really want to do anyway. We get lost kissing one another, then a knock on her door stops us. She looks at me wide-eyed, and I have no clue what to do. “Are you expecting someone?” I ask her, and she scurries to get dressed. “No!” She shakes her head and then slams the door, charging out of the room. Curious to see who’s here and a little worried it could be her crazy ex, I get dressed and then reach for the door handle. A man’s voice stops me from proceeding, and I listen to his words. “You look fine, baby, don’t be silly. Do you want this in here?” Rage consumes me, and I yank open the door, red-faced and on a mission to fuck up whoever is calling her “baby.” “You’re up,” she looks at me with a smile, and I ignore her, stalking towards the fridge. The guy is bent over looking inside of it, and before I can get to him, she jumps in front of me and says, “Merritt, this is my dad, Karl. Daddy, this is, Merritt.” Her dad turns around, clearly not expecting her to have company, much less a man. He’s on the defensive right away as he glares at me. After her last breakup, I understand; he doesn’t want to see her hurt again. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” I say, changing my attitude, and extend my hand to him. Reluctantly he shakes it. “Is this the guy you told your mom about?” he asks her. “Yes, Daddy. Merritt is one of the good ones, though, so go easy on him.” “Ha!” he laughs far too loudly, and I’m a little offended. He doesn’t even know me. “We’ll see about that. Have dinner with us tonight, would you, son?” “I wish I could, sir, but I’m flying home to Texas.” “Lunch, then?” I glance at Quinn, and she nods, so I agree. Her father gives her a kiss on the cheek and me a stern look as he leaves her condo. “Wow!” I take a seat on the couch, and she sits next to me. “And I thought my old man was tough.” “Stop it. He’s really very sweet; he’s just looking out for me. After my last breakup, I was a mess, and he and my mom were there for me.”
“I guess if I had a daughter and a guy fucked with her, I’d hate all men too.” “See? So you get it. Now before we have to spend the day with my dad, will you fuck me again?” “You’re a needy little thing, aren’t you?” She nods, the cutest expression across her face, and I lift her t-shirt over her head. “What are you gonna do without me this week?” “We could have phone sex?” I like the idea and that she wants to talk to me during the week. But I don’t focus on it for long as I have her with me, my hands on her body, her eyes locked on mine, and her control relinquished over to me as I slide her panties down her sexy legs, loving her naked. And then I order her to do what I want.
Chapter 27 Quinn
“Would you like more salad, Merritt?” my mom asks as I watch my dad still glaring at him. “No, thank you, ma’am.” “What is it that you do again, son?” “I’m in the oil and gas industry, sir.” “Just like the last one,” he mutters under his breath. “Excuse me?” Merritt says. “Dad, could I talk to you alone, please?” I finally ask him throwing my napkin down, so aggravated with how he’s been treating Merritt. Heading down the hall, I storm into my parents’ office, and he follows, closing the door behind him. “What is your problem with him?” “Nothing, I don’t even know him.” “Well, you’re sure acting like you do. You’d treat a homeless person on the street better than you’re treating him.” “I don’t like the way he stares at you, Quinn.” “What are you talking about, Dad?” “The look in his eye is a bit much. You two just met, right? And it’s as if you’re it for him.” “Then be happy for me, Dad, please? I’ve finally found a good guy. Don’t make this hard on me.” My dad steps closer to me, drawing my eyes to his and says, “Do you have any idea how hard that is for a father to do?” “I understand that, Dad. Just try…for me…please.” He kisses my forehead and then embraces me in a tight hug. As I hold on to him, I hope he can give Merritt a chance. My dad can be cold and closed off, but he is my father after all, and like Merritt said, we only get one. *** “Well, your mom is great, but I officially think your dad hates me.” “No, he doesn’t.” I glance at him as I drive him to the airport, so sad that his time in Denver has already come to an end. I really don’t want him to leave. “Why didn’t you tell me your ex was in oil and gas?” he asks me.
“Because it wasn’t my place to tell and he’s a client…so I have to protect his privacy at all costs.” “Even against me?” “Especially you, silly. If you find out who he is, I’m sure you’ll send a pipe bomb to his doorstep.” “Oohhh, that’s a good idea.” Glaring at him, he leans over and kisses my cheek. He rests his hand on my thigh, and I can feel myself already getting emotional as we near the airport. “Can we not talk about him anymore?” “Of course, babe. I just always want to protect you.” “I appreciate that, Merritt, so much. You’re so good to me.” Looking over at him, I miss him already. “Can I walk you in?” I ask him. “If you want to, sure.” “We could find a bathroom and have a quickie?” I offer with a smirk but can see he is actually considering it. Following the signs to the short-term parking, I take the first spot that I see. When I turn the car off, the tears prick the back of my eyes, and I fight them to stop. Merritt is oblivious as he kisses my neck, sucking and nipping on the skin and groping my breasts. I try and fight back the emotions, but it’s hard, and a sob creeps out of me. Alarmed, he pulls away, looking at me and once he can see that I’m visibly upset, he unlatches my seatbelt and pulls me over and onto his lap. Sitting comfortably in his hold, I stay in this moment for as long as I can. “It’s only four days, and then I’ll see you Friday,” he tells me, trying to reassure me. “It’s not that,” I say to him, choking back a sob. “What is it then?” He brushes the hair out of my face waiting for me to tell him, and I hate to admit what I’m feeling, but he forces me to. “Tell me, please?” “I’m just scared. This has all been so perfect, and I worry it won’t last.” “What do you mean?” “A guy like you can’t possibly be content long-term with a girl like me.” He’s so confused, looking at me with a bewildered expression across his face. “Why would you think that?” I shake my head, not wanting to elaborate any further. “Never mind.” “No, don’t brush this off like that, tell me.” “It’s my own insecurities getting the best of me, and it was stupid of me to let them out to begin with.” “Nothing you ever say or feel is stupid. Don’t you understand? Talk to me.” Gazing into his sexy eyes, he cups my cheek in the palm of his hand, his other arm still holding
me tightly. “You need to understand how perfect you are in my eyes. I’ll never hurt you; that’s a promise you have to remember, okay?” Listening to his words, they resonate deep inside of me. I’m not sure why I believe him, but I do. “Thank you.” “For what?” “For understanding me and reassuring me.” “Of course. I wish I didn’t have to go.” “It’s only for a few days,” I say, trying to believe the words myself. And I’m stunned to realize how quickly I’ve gone from not wanting to see him, to dreading him leaving. Now to just make it through the week.
Chapter 28 Merritt
“Good job getting the Serranos back,” my dad says, popping his head into my office. He’s in town for a few days, and I go to respond, but before I can…he’s gone. Obviously in a big hurry. Checking the clock, I have ten minutes before my next meeting, and I haven’t talked to Quinn all day. We missed each other this morning, and I can’t stop thinking about her. Grabbing my cell phone, I get up and close my office door as I dial her number. Looking out at the water while the phone rings, I wish she were looking at it with me. “Hey, this is Quinn, leave me a message.” “Have I ever told you that you have the sexiest voice I’ve ever heard?” I smile thinking about it. “Anyways, I might have to keep calling your voicemail and jerk off. I miss you. Call me back, sexy.” Hanging up. I look down at my hard shaft. Seriously? Now is not the time! “Mr. Smith,” Suzy chimes in through my phone. “Your four o’clock is in the conference room.” Closing my eyes, I grab my suit coat and slide it on, but as soon as I do my phone rings. Across the screen is Quinn’s name and I answer it, not caring that I have clients waiting for me. “Hi, babe!” “Hey.” She’s quiet, and I worry something is wrong. “Everything good?” “Yeah, I’m just in the bathroom at work.” “Are you now?” My cock stiffens all the way imagining her alone in a bathroom stall. “What are you wearing?” “A tight blue dress.” “Send me a picture,” I ask her and begin to rub my dick through my pants. One comes through; damn, she is absolutely breathtaking. “God, I wish I was there to fuck you.” “Me too.” “Touch yourself,” I tell her and am rewarded with her sweet soft moans. “Mr. Smith, I’m sorry to bother you again, but your father is requesting you begin the meeting,” Suzy chimes in through the phone system. “It’s not even four yet,” I bark at Suzy.
“I’m sorry, sir.” “Tell him I’ll be there at four.” Glancing at my computer, it’s 3:58. Quinn and I won’t have time to mess around now. “You have to go?” she asks me. “I do, I have a meeting. But I’m going to have my assistant give you access to my calendar. She’ll send you the link and tell you how to look at the schedule and see where I am, this way maybe we won’t miss each other so much, okay?” “Okay,” she agrees, and I ask her, “What time will you be home tonight?” “Around six.” “Okay, I’ll call you then; make sure you’re naked.” She giggles and I hate to end our call, but I have to. “Maybe just one more picture?” I ask her, and she says to me, “Bye, Merritt.” And hangs up as I watch the screen turn black. Then I head into the conference room, thankful that my cock isn’t hard anymore. Walking in, my father has already begun the meeting. Fucking prick! Like he really cares about punctuality. He doesn’t make it to half of the meetings he’s scheduled to attend. Shaking the clients’ hands, I sit down, and my dad just keeps yapping away, reading off whatever agenda was emailed to him. I doubt he even knows much about the deal. My phone buzzes and I can’t stop myself from pulling it out. On the screen is another picture of Quinn. In this one she’s blowing me a kiss, her huge tits are straining the tight confines of her dress, and I’m tempted to fly there tonight, surprise her, and fuck her all night. Then leave on the first flight out of Denver in time to return here for another day at the good ol’ job. “If there’s something more pressing, you need to attend to, Merritt, by all means, please do so.” Peeved at my father for calling me out in front of potential clients, I say, “Thanks, we’ve got a hiccup with the Serrano deal. I think I’ll have to fly into Denver to handle it.” Apologizing to the clients, I leave and tell Suzy to book me the first flight out of here into Denver. “Right away, sir.” She’s quick to respond, and I head into my office, making sure I’ve got everything covered for the rest of the day. Sitting at my desk, another picture comes through. Christ, this woman is killing me. Texting her back, I tell her, You better stop with these pictures, or I’m gonna book a flight out there and take you hostage. Another picture comes through, this one is of her cleavage, and Suzy chimes in. “Mr. Smith?” “Yes, ma’am.” “I can get you out on a red-eye tonight leaving here at 12:37am, when would you like to return?” “Is that the soonest that you can find for the departure?”
“It is. With Thanksgiving coming up, it seems like everyone is already making travel plans.” “Shit,” I mutter under my breath and my dad barges in my office. “Let me get back to you,” I tell her. “How come I was not aware that there was a problem with the Serrano deal?” “It just came up, right before the meeting. That’s why I was late.” Even though I wasn’t actually late and there is no problem with the Serrano deal. Giving him a reason for not being there when he wanted me will make him happy. “Can you fix it?” “Of course I can.” “Good.” He walks off; my phone flooded with a ton of pictures from Quinn, and Suzy is looking at me from her desk across the building wanting to know if I want the flight booked or not. Fuck, this is all so much to handle. I’m not sure what to do. Should I go to Denver, when I won’t even get to her house until at least three in the morning? Or should I wait for her to come here this weekend?
Chapter 29 Quinn
It’s 6:15pm and my phone rings again. I hurry to finish up so I can leave and talk to Merritt. I don’t dare answer it now; ‘cause he’ll distract me and make me blush a shade of red I really don’t want anyone here to see. “Night, Quinn,” my boss says walking out. “Night,” I tell him and pack up my bag. Merritt calls me again, and I finally answer it, walking out. “It’s 6:16, my dick is not happy with you right now.” I giggle and tell him, “Hello to you too.” “Don’t be all nice and proper, this isn’t about a friendly exchange of words; this is about sex, baby.” The elevator dings as it arrives on my floor and he says to me in an aggravated tone, “Are you still at work?” “Maybe.” I push the lobby button and begin my ride down. He goes quiet and then my phone buzzes with a text. I look at the screen and see he sent me a picture. Opening it up as I walk out into the bitter, cold night, I gasp at the sight of his rock hard dick, being clenched in the palm of his hand. “Merritt?” I scold him. “What? We had a date, and you’re late. So you better walk home super fucking fast.” “I am.” “But be safe, beautiful.” I smile loving how he’s always looking out for me. “I miss you,” I tell him. “Me too. How was your day?” “Busy, but it flew by and kept my mind off you.” “I wish I could say the same. I couldn’t shake you from my thoughts and then those pictures.” “Sorry, I got a little carried away.” “No, don’t apologize. I love them. You’re so gorgeous, you know that?” Walking into my building, I have the biggest grin on my face. He always says the right things. “Thank you for saying that.” “It’s the truth.” “God, I wish I was there to fuck you.”
“I wish that too.” Opening the door to my condo, I can’t help but feel like maybe he’s lying and he’s here. He did say that if I didn’t stop with the pictures he was gonna fly out here, so it might have spurred me to snap a ton of them and flood his phone all day with them. But looking around, my place is dark and quiet. Closing the door, I press my back to it, tears suddenly pricking the backs of my eyes. “You home yet?” “Yeah, I just walked in.” “Good! Get naked and text me a pic.” Letting my coat and bag fall to the floor, I step out of my shoes and don’t know why I’m suddenly so damn emotional. “Jesus, I’m hard for you.” Keeping my emotions in check because I don’t want him to think I’m crazy, I strip naked. “Where are you?” he asks me. “In the living room. You?” “I’m in my bed, imagining your soft lips around the head of my cock.” Closing my eyes, I imagine that I’m there too. I can feel him inside my mouth; his hardness makes me so wet. Dragging my hand down my body, I spread open my pussy lips and gently rub small circles over my clit. “God, you taste good,” I tell him. “You like me stuffing your mouth full?” “Uh huh.” “Are you touching yourself?” “I am.” “Send me a picture.” I snap one of my body and send it to him. He groans when it comes through. “Finger yourself and imagine I’m inside you.” “Keep talking.” “I’m going to fuck you, okay?” “Yes,” I pant. “Can you feel the head of my dick as I rub it all over your sloppy pussy?” “Uh huh.” “Do you want me inside you?” “Please, I want you inside me now.” “I’m gonna go slow so you can feel every inch of me, okay?” And with those words I sink two fingers inside of myself, moaning from the fullness. “That’s it, take all of me like a good girl.” “Fuck,” I cry out, fingering myself in a way I never have before. “You’re dirty, aren’t you?” he asks me.
“I am.” “You like being fucked?” “Uh huh.” “Good, now slip your pinky into your ass. I’m gonna fuck it hard this weekend.” I stop for a moment, never having had anal sex before, but Merritt has me so horny right now that I listen to him and as I use my pinky, a sensation reverberates from deep within my body. “Oh, God,” I cry out, stroking myself and he says to me, “Are you close?” “Yes.” “Good, now go faster and come hard.” My body is smashed down into my couch; my legs spread wide, and my fingers have me so close to letting go, but I fight it, the sensation of teetering on the edge is so good. Then he grunts fiercely, obviously coming and that’s my undoing. I shake from head to toe, screaming for mercy, for him to stop, to give me a break. “Yes, baby, let go,” he orders me, and once my body settles, I realize it was me all along. His smooth voice coaxed me on, but I was in control and could’ve stopped. Removing my fingers from inside myself, I scoot up and pull a blanket from over the back of the couch and cover up my naked body. “God, that was good. You’re so sexy.” “It was. Thank you.” “Of course. So you gonna let me fuck your ass this weekend?” “Maybe. Will it hurt?” “Well, that’s up to you. If you try hard enough, you can always find pleasure in the pain.” “Would it make you happy?” “It would. I want to have you in every way imaginable.” His statement echoes deep within me. I love the raw honesty that he always shares with me. He’s never tried to hide it, and I admire that.
Chapter 30 Merritt
As the plane makes it descent into Denver, I’m anxious to get to Quinn. It’s dark as hell out, and I can’t wait to surprise her, to sneak into her apartment and slide into her bed. I just want to fuck her all night long. “Flight attendants, please prepare for landing,” the pilot says over the intercom, and I close my eyes, loving how I’m always rewarded with the memories of her. As the plane gets lower and lower to the ground, the pressure changes and I have to keep popping my ears. But something goes wrong; the pressure drops completely, and the oxygen bags fall from the ceiling. The passengers all begin to panic, screaming and trembling to get their masks on. I gasp for air reaching for mine, but it’s too far away. Everything around me silences and I close my eyes falling from the sky… …Sitting up in my bed, I’m out of breath. Fuck, it was just a dream. It was only a dream. It’s 12:37, the time my flight would have departed for Denver, and I can’t deny that I’m a little pissed at myself for not going. Every night I’ve woken up at this same time missing Quinn. My brain sending myself a subliminal “fuck you.” Sitting up, I rub my face and look out at the water; it’s smooth as glass. Thank God it’s Friday. I don’t think I can take another night of sleep like this. Quinn will be here by the end of the day. Grabbing my phone, I’m tempted to text her, but don’t want to wake her. Lying back down, I close my eyes, hoping I can fall asleep…but I can’t. So I decide to go into the office and get a jump on my day. The sooner I’m done, the sooner she’ll be here. After showering and dressing, I make the short commute into the office. It’s pitch dark out. I park and head in, the alarm that typically sounds when I enter through the front door is off. That’s strange. Flipping on a few lights, I look around but don’t spot anyone. Then I hear a woman’s voice and spot my father ’s light on. Shit, is he still here? He was supposed to fly home, or so I thought. Walking down the hall, I keep my feet light and stop, listening to them for a moment. They aren’t talking, and I have to look. Trust me; I don’t want to, but I have to know what’s going on and who he’s with. I don’t think he’s dated anyone since my mom. Glancing in, he’s on the sofa in his office, the
woman is straddling his lap as they are making out. Jesus, this is gross. I try and figure out who she is, and then I notice her sweater next to them and remember it from a meeting today. It’s one of our interns. Ah, fuck! Quietly I back up before either of them spots me and head out of the building. Bile is in the back of my throat, seeing someone so young with my father. She’s half his age! What is she thinking and how did I not have any idea this was going on? Getting in my car, I call Quinn. She answers half asleep, “Is everything okay?” “Shit, I’m sorry. I forgot the time. Call me in the morning, when you’re up.” “No, I want to hear your voice. What are you doing awake?” “You don’t want to know.” She pauses and then says, “Should I be worried?” I chuckle and look out my windshield. “No, nothing to worry about, beautiful.” “Come on; you can’t wake me up in the middle of the night and not tell me.” Starting my car, I drive back home. “I couldn’t sleep, so I went into work and…I caught my dad with…” I trail off, not even able to speak the words. “With?” she probes further. “With one of our interns. She’s like half his age. I’m still trying to process it all. For fuck’s sake…how did I not know?” “Because they didn’t want you to.” “But he’s old enough to be her father; that’s just gross.” “Remember what you told me when we met?” “No.” “You said, ‘Everyone fucks.’” “Okay, that’s enough. This is my dad we’re talking about. Thank God I didn’t walk in on that.” She laughs at me and asks me, “Why are you at work in the middle of the night anyway?” “I couldn’t sleep. I was trying to get a head start since you’re coming tonight.” “Mmmmhhh, I can’t wait,” she tells me. “But I think I might be getting sick.” “What? No, don’t say that.” “Trust me; I wish I wasn’t…but I don’t feel well at all.” “Call in to work and hop an earlier flight. I’ll work from home today and take care of you.” “That sounds really nice.” “Then do it.” “Can I ask you something, Merritt?” “Of course.” Pulling back up to my house, I head around back and sit on the deck, enjoying the view.
“How are we going to make this work long-term? It seems we can’t bear to be apart and we’re not even together. That’s not going to get any easier.” I think about her question, and I’m not sure how to answer her. I don’t know how we got wrapped up the way we did…but here we are. I don’t usually think that far ahead…I’m a live-in-themoment kinda guy. But with Quinn, I feel like I have to think further and prepare for more than just looking forward to what the weekend holds.
Chapter 31 Quinn
Looking through the crowds of people at the airport, I can’t spot Merritt. He said he’d meet me right when I got through security, but I don’t see him. I hope he didn’t get caught up at work. Pulling out my phone to call him, I’m startled as he grabs me from behind. “Gotcha!” “Hiiii!” I cling to him, breathing him in, holding on to his arms. “How are you feeling?” he nuzzles my neck, and I turn around. “Better,” I tell him, and he kisses me hard. We both get lost in the moment, forgetting that we are standing in the middle of the airport. His cock is growing, and I’m aware neither of us has the best self-control when it comes to keeping ourselves appropriate in public. Slowing the kiss, he rests his forehead against mine and says, “I’m so happy you’re here.” “Me too, thank you for having me. You look really fucking hot.” “You like me in a suit, don’t ya?” I nod, and he takes my bag from my shoulder and wraps his hand around mine. He keeps looking down at me like he can’t get enough and my heart flutters. “If I don’t let you go back home, is that a problem?” I roll my eyes at him, and he says, “What? I’m just being honest.” We exit the airport, and the warm air is a refreshing feeling. “Oh my God, it feels amazing.” “Oh yeah, I forgot you’ve been used to those sub-zero temperatures.” It feels so good that I take my coat off. Walking up to his car he unlocks the doors and opens mine. Sitting on the passenger seat is a huge bouquet of flowers. “Why, thank you,” I tell him as I get comfy in his sleek Mercedes, smelling the gorgeous flowers. “My pleasure.” He tosses my bag in the trunk and then opens his door, unbuttoning his coat before he gets in. “I was gonna bring them in, but I wanted to have my hands free.” “So what’s the plan?” I ask and he backs out of the parking place. “Sex, food, sex, food, sex, food. That work with you?” “Of course, but I’m hungry now.” Reaching over, I rub my hand over his shaft; his dick is already hard, and he says, “By all means, eat away, baby.” *** “You said you didn’t cook.” I glare at Merritt as he pulls some food out of the fridge.
“No, I told you, I order in more often than not. But I love to cook when I have someone to cook for.” I smile, sipping on a glass of wine as he prepares our dinner. “So no meat at all for you?” “Nope.” “Have you always been a vegetarian?” “I have. My parents are, it’s how I was raised.” “Have you ever tried meat?” “Yeah, and I really don’t like how it tastes.” “Except for mine?” He cocks his eyebrows at me and grabs his dick through his pants. “Yes, except for yours.” I kiss his neck and refill my glass, looking around his house. “Have you lived here for long?” “A few years.” “Always alone?” “Yes,” he answers, and I hate to have asked, but I can’t imagine him being all alone in this huge glass house on the water. I’d figured he shared it with an ex or something. Getting lost in the view, he wipes his hands dry and asks me, “What are you thinking?” “Nothing. It’s gorgeous here.” “It is. The view is even better with you in it.” I smirk over my shoulder at him, and he says, “Just speaking the truth. Dinner should be done in a bit. Do you want to go sit out back?” “Sure.” He takes my hand and guides me onto the deck. The air is still surprisingly warm, and I love it. I can’t seem to get enough. We sit together on the outdoor sofa, and I ask him, “Did you ever confront the intern?” “Hell no!” I laugh and almost spit my sip of wine out. “Why not? I thought you were going to.” “I was, but then her boyfriend came and picked her up for lunch, and I don’t know. Maybe it wasn’t her in there. I didn’t see her face.” “We could spy on them?” I joke, and he laughs. “No way, I don’t think we’ll leave at all this weekend, plus, he’s back home in California.” “Why does he live there?” “It’s where our main hub is. He’s always traveling so he’s all over.” “Why do you really put up with him? Even though he’s going to one day give you the company, is it really worth it?” He finishes his wine and says to me, “What other choice do I have? I’m too old to play basketball, and if I tried to go anywhere else like Ari did, he’d make my life hell. So I play along and do what I can to prove I’m ready to take on the company.”
“You really want it that bad, huh?” “I do, more than anything…except you.” His words bring a part of me to life. I know how much running the company means to him, so for him to want me more than that is something special. “Yeah?” I ask. “Yup, and I think because I turned down my dreams of basketball, I have to make this work. I can’t fail.” I see his point—he’s following a dream that one day will pay off because he let go of his real passion when he didn’t pursue basketball. But I also hate to see the shit he has to go through to get there. It’s like when his dad says “jump,” Merritt will bitch, but then he’ll say, “how high?” and do whatever his dad wants and that is not the man that Merritt is.
Chapter 32 Merritt
Dragging my tongue over her sensitive skin, she writhes beneath me, trying to see around the room, but the blindfold keeps everything dark. “I didn’t say you could move.” My voice is laced with passion. I have each of her hands bound to her ankles spreading her wide and helpless on my bed. I love playing with her and controlling her. I also love how willing and accepting Quinn is, too. She doesn’t judge me and is not scared, which I need in life. In most of my relationships, the moment I’ve tried to show this side, women freak; they are not accepting in the slightest. But not Quinn. From the moment I blindfolded her or tied her to the bed, she was willing and compliant, and now here she is again, powerless, letting me have all of the control. Flicking my tongue over her clit, I tease her again, and this time, I tell her, stopping for a brief moment. “You can come now.” It’s not but another few seconds, and she’s screaming my name, coming hard. Her pussy now so wet that I can’t wait to fuck her. Pulling away, I take the blindfold off, her sexy eyes find mine, and I grip each of her ass cheeks as I nudge myself inside her. “Fuck, you’re tight,” I murmur, her pussy so constricting that it lights my insides up. Looking down at my dick, the veins are bulging as I move in and out of her. God, this is intense. Maybe it’s this angle. I watch our bodies and the point where they connect, her pussy lips spread wide, eating me up. I’d planned on fucking her ass tonight, and I still could ‘cause she has my shaft so wet that I’d have no problem going in, but this is too good. Taking my thumb, I stick it in her mouth. She sucks and bites it, crying out in pleasure as she takes all of me. And then I pull it away, rubbing around the rim of her ass, “Yes,” she begs me, and I finger her while I blast a heavy load deep inside her tight slit. She comes again, her entire body fighting the restraints, and I love to see her so hot and horny, giving over to the pleasure of what we are together. Our connection is explosive, and I hope this is just the beginning of more times like this. Pulling my cock from her, she is exhausted, but I could go again. I remove the straps from her wrists and can tell she’s gonna bruise. “You can’t fight that hard, baby,” I tell her and kiss the tender skin on her arm. “It feels so good, though; it makes everything so much more intense.”
“You like it then, being tied up and helpless?” “Yes, more than I could’ve ever imagined.” “Have you ever done anything like this with a guy before?” “Hell, no. I’d be scared and running for the hills.” “You didn’t run tonight.” “‘Cause there’s nothing you could do that could make me run.” “Thank God, ‘cause I would’ve chased you naked.” She rolls over in my arms, looking me in the eye and says, “Who knew when we met and I thought all men were dicks, that this is where we’d be?” “You didn’t ever think I was a dick, though. You just wanted mine and didn’t know how to handle it. Miss Unplugged-From-The-World, guarding your heart and all.” “Hey,” her eyebrows scrunch as she pouts a little, “I was hurt, and you…you know if I think about it, you took advantage of me. You knew it and still pursued me. I haven’t quite given in to you, Merritt. ” “Yes, you have, and you know it. Underneath it all, I could smell the freak inside of you wanting out.” We laugh at our little banter, and I hold her tightly against my chest. Her face squished against me, and I close my eyes, owning this moment, this solitude because in just a couple of quick days… she’ll be gone, and we’ll both be miserable being away from each other…again.
Chapter 33 Quinn
Waking up in Merritt’s bed, he’s lying next to me, watching me sleep and has the sexiest grin on his face. “Morning,” he says through a smile and kisses me. “Morning. What time is it?” He grabs his phone and says, “Nine thirty.” “You been up long?” “Yeah, for a little while. I handled some fires at work and thought we could get out.” “What did you have in mind?” “You ever been horseback riding?” “No, why?” “Wanna give it a try today?” “Merritt, are you a cowboy deep down?” I tease him. “Hidden beneath all those sexy layers is there a man that craves the open range?” “No, ma’am,” he shakes his head and hops out of bed, completely naked. His ass cheeks flex with every step. “I’m calling your bluff!” I holler out, and he walks out of his closet only wearing a cowboy hat as he struts to the shower. “I knew it!” He smirks over his shoulder at me, getting in the shower, and I step over his hat that he tossed on the floor to follow him. After a very thorough washing and fucking, I think I might have to skip horseback riding. My pussy is sore from so much sex. He’s an animal; there really are no limits. On the drive, I ask him, “So, are these horses yours?” “Kinda. They were my mom’s. They were her pride and joy before she passed.” “I’m sorry, Merritt, I had no idea she was gone.” “It’s okay; she passed when I was a teenager. Sometimes, I feel like I know the horses better than I knew her.” “How did she pass?” I hate to ask but have to know. “Cancer, it came fast and took her quickly. That’s when my dad changed. Without her, he became a prick. So cold and closed off to the rest of the world. I thought it was his way of grieving
and that as time went on it would get better, but it didn’t.” “Is that also why you didn’t pursue your basketball dreams?” “It is; I was hoping if we worked together that things would get back to how they used to be… but that never happened. We grew further apart and honestly seeing him with our intern the other night disgusted me. My mom would’ve been appalled had she caught him with someone so young.” “Well, I’m sure she’d be proud of the man that you’ve become.” “I hope so, Quinn.” He pulls down a dirt road. The dust morphs around us, and I can feel the sun heating me through the windshield. We have the air on low, and in Colorado, you wouldn’t imagine running your AC this time of year. Up ahead is a large barn surrounded by acres and acres of open land. There are quite a few horses all over, and as he parks his car in front of a barn, he says to me, “There they are.” Looking inside, I see two white horses peering out at us. “The white ones?” I ask and point. “Yes, ma’am.” He hops out of the car and places his hat on his head. I laugh at his polite Texas boy “ma’am” and follow behind him, loving the way his ass looks in his jeans. “Merritt!” an older man exclaims, riding up on a horse himself. “John, how are you, sir?” he asks, and they shake hands. “Very well, son.” “Good. This is Quinn, my…” he trails off, introducing me and I jump in, the words spilling from my lips. “Girlfriend, I’m his girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you, John.” The man tips his hat, leaning down to kiss my knuckles as I extend my hand up to him. “Likewise.” His lips are dry, but I can see there is no harm in the interaction. Merritt’s eyes are all over me, and I’m sure it’s because of what I just said. We haven’t really spoken much more about what the future looks like, but when I think about it, I want to be his and I want him to be mine. “The girls are all suited up and ready for ya,” John says. “Great, thank you.” Then he turns on his horse, and Merritt and I walk into the barn. “Girlfriend?” he asks me. “Yeah, is that a problem?” “No,” he blurts out, “No problem at all.” The horses are so curious to see us, like two children meeting new friends. “This is Bell, and this is Tink.” “Like the Disney characters?” “Yup, my mom was a huge fan.” Merritt opens the half door to their stall, and I follow him in. He pets both of their noses, and you can see right away they know him very well, and I stand not sure what to do. He takes my hand
and places it on Bell’s nose, her eyes look deep into mine, so trusting and loving. Gently I begin to pet her the way he is. “Here, touch Tink, too. We’ve gotta see which one you connect with.” As I stand with both of my hands planted firmly on the horses’ noses, I rub between their eyes and Merritt moves behind me, holding my body close to his. “What do you think, girls?” he asks talking to the horses. “Really, you sure?” “What did they say?” I ask, acting concerned as I play along with him. “They both agreed…that you’re gonna need to ride me.”
Chapter 34 Merritt
“Is there anything I could do to convince you to stay?” I ask Quinn. “You’d have to take me hostage at this point. I have a big client at work next week that I’m taking the lead on.” “That shouldn’t be a problem. Your parents won’t come looking for you for at least a week.” “Stop it. Remember what you said last time—it’s only four days.” Holding on to the sides of her gorgeous face, I hear her words, but making myself believe them is a whole other story. I’ve grown to depend on our time together. Every interaction is so amazing. “After what you said at the barn, I want you to know now you’re mine, no more bullshit, no more wavering back and forth scared you’re gonna end up hurt. If I want to fly to Denver to fuck you and leave, then I will, or if I want you at my house for the weekend, it’s gotta happen. I need to know you’re all right with that, okay? She nods and gives me a huge smile. “Tell me,” I order her. “Okay.” Pulling me closer to her, she kisses my neck, hugging me hard. Then they make a last boarding call for her flight, and I hate that she has to go. Yes, it’s a little overboard, but I bought a ticket too, so I could be with her for as long as possible. I don’t know what it is about her, but the woman is driving me crazy. “I should go.” “Thank you for everything, Quinn.” I kiss her again, her indulgent lips so smooth against mine. “Call me as soon as you land?” She stands and I pull her down to me, kissing her once more, then I watch her walk to the attendant, her ass staring back at me, reminding me of how amazing it was to fuck. And then…she’s gone. Standing up, I look out the window at her plane and know I need to go, or hell, I might just get on it. Walking towards the exit, I spot a bar and decide to stop and have a drink. “I’ll have a whiskey on the rocks, please.” The bartender pours my drink and asks me, “You coming or going?” “Huh?” I respond, in a daze, already missing Quinn. “You flying in or out of here?”
“Oh, I live here, just dropped my girlfriend off.” He nods and helps another customer. Drowning my sorrows in the alcohol, I pull out my phone as it vibrates. Gonna power down, thank you for everything this weekend, babe. Fly safe, baby. I hit send and set my empty glass down; the bartender refills it, and I exhale heavily. She’s mine, and it’s only four days…I can do this.
Chapter 35 Quinn
Hugging Kami as I meet her for a cup of coffee, she looks so cute all dressed up for her interview. “Are you nervous?” I ask her. “Yeah, a little…I guess.” “Don’t be, you know you got this.” “I hope so.” “So how are things with Jacob?” She smiles, sipping on her coffee and says, “Really good. We’re trying to have a baby.” “Shut up. How exciting! When did you decide this?” “In Steamboat. I forgot my pills when we went up there, and we talked about things, and we’re both ready.” Leaning over, I give my friend a big hug, so happy for her. “So you’re like trying-trying?” “Uh huh.” “Wow, that is so awesome. You’ve gotta keep me updated, girl.” “I will; so…how are things with Merritt?” “Good.” I sound like a schoolgirl—my voice changes a pitch as butterflies take over my stomach. “It’s just so hard to be away from him every week.” “But you see him on the weekends, right?” “I do, and even though it’s all so new, there’s something about him, and us…the relationship is like nothing I’ve ever had. For the first time in my life, it feels real—genuine.” “Oh Quinn, I’m so happy for you, and what a great snag, he’s super hot.” “You have no idea. I was at his house this weekend—” “He lives in Texas, right?” “Yeah. And he has this cowboy hat, which is totally not my thing, but when he calls me ‘ma’am’ and wears it, I swear I lose all control. We even did anal,” I whisper and look around making sure no one heard me. “Really? How was it?” “So good. I was scared it was gonna hurt, but it was the total opposite.” “Damn, girl. I’m getting hot just thinking about it.” We laugh like a couple of giggly teenagers and then she checks the time, “Oh God, I’ve gotta
go.” “Good luck, sweetie.” I hug her tightly as she walks to the elevator banks and I head back over to my building. On the way, I call Merritt. “I was just thinking about you,” he answers in such a sexy tone. “Yeah, what about?” “Hmmm, let me close my door.” I hear the door latch, and then he says, “I was thinking about your ass. Fuck, I loved it.” “Me too.” “So listen, we might have a little problem with this weekend’s plans.” “What? No! Why?” “There’s a huge oil company that just came on the market. This would be monumental for our company and me if I can close the deal. Right now, I’m trying to nail down a price and if I can’t, I’ll likely have to fly to California to do it in person.” “Can’t your dad do it? He lives there.” “You know he can’t. I’ve got to prove to him that I’m ready.” My heart keeps sinking further and further down to the bottom of my stomach. As I enter my building, I imagine not seeing him ‘til next weekend, and I say to him, “I don’t think I can make it nine days without seeing you.” “Me neither, babe, that’s why I’m gonna get this deal closed, and it’s not gonna interfere with our plans…but I had to be honest.” “I’m back at work; I should go.” “Don’t be down. I’ll get it done.” I hang up with him and wander to my desk, bummed out. Sitting down, I realize that I’m falling for him and I’m not sure how it happened and so damn quickly. The same patterns I always try and avoid always seem to happen, and this is when things begin to go wrong.
Chapter 36 Merritt
“Should I book it, Mr. Smith?” Suzy asks me as I stare at my computer, waiting for a response from Exlon, the company we’re trying to acquire. “Give me a little longer.” She walks off, and I pick up the phone, calling my contact at the company to see if we’ve gotten a response. There is no answer, and I’m pissed off to be dicked around so badly. I call my dad’s office to see if they’ve heard anything. His receptionist patches me through, and I ask him raking my fingers through my hair, “What if I don’t close the deal?” “Then I don’t think you’re ready to run this company.” I pace across my office, pissed, that again it’s coming down to one deal. “We need this deal, Merritt, more than we’ve ever needed to close a deal before.” “That’s what you always fuckin’ say,” I scoff at him. “It’s like you’re changing your mind and giving me a task that’s unrealistic. You know as well as I do that we aren’t going to come to terms with them. They want way too much money.” “Merritt, you’re not looking at the bigger picture. This is how we’ve gotten to be as big as we are. I don’t have much time left here, and you know it. You’ve gotta prove to me you can steer this company into the future.” “I’m ready, and you know I am. I’ve been working my ass off for you, I got the Serranos back, and this week alone, I’ve acquired ten new sites with prime oil ready for us to begin drilling.” “Closing the Exlon deal will be like acquiring a million new sites, so if you want this company, then close the fucking deal.” Looking at my own reflection in the glass window of my office, I could go off on him for so many reasons. It’s always something else when it comes to him, another reason to stall or another hoop to jump through. He always says, “You know my time is coming…” But when? I just hope in the end it’ll all be worth it. Hanging up on him, I buzz Suzy and tell her, “Book it.” “Yes, sir,” she tells me, and I hang up, hating that I have to call Quinn and tell her that I’m not coming to Denver this weekend. But what other choice do I have? He’s leaving me with none, like always.
Closing my office door, I dial her number, and she answers on the first ring. “The flowers are gorgeous.” “You got them?” I ask, almost forgetting that I had Suzy send them to her. “I did, just now. They are sitting on my desk, and now my office smells like a garden. I can’t wait for you to see them, I’ll bring them home tonight.” “About that…I won’t make it after all. I do have to go to Cali.” “Okay,” she sounds understanding, not the response I’d expected. I guess I don’t really know what I was expecting. “You sure?” “Of course, I know how much your work means to you. I’ll catch up on some TV and see you next weekend.” *** Glaring at my father as he sits next to me during our lunch with the Exlon execs, I’m pissed he showed up. This was supposed to be all me, my chance to prove I was ready to run the company, and now here he is. “Can I get another?” I ask the waiter, pointing to my drink. I haven’t said much of anything this entire time, my dad being the center of attention like always. “Haven’t you had enough?” he asks me, leaning over, and I finish the rest of the drink in front of me not answering him. My phone vibrates, and I pull it out, I’m here, where are you? Quinn texts me. What the fuck? Like here-here? How is that possible? Looking at my phone, the screen becomes blurry. Fuck, I drank a lot. I text her back. Where? Cali, your hotel. Probably shouldn’t have given me access to your calendar. But I brought the sash. Now anxious to leave and take out some of my pent-up frustrations the way I love to most, I ask the question of the hour, “So let’s be honest.” The group of six men, my father included, all look at me. I clear my throat and try not to sound so drunk. “What’s it gonna take to close the deal?” One of the men leans forward, resting his elbows on the table and says to me, “I think about a half million more.” “What about a partnership?” I offer, knowing…I have to close the deal. He didn’t say we had to be the sole owner, just to close it. The men all seem intrigued. My father, on the other hand, is suddenly tense. “What did you have in mind?”
“Let us take over your leases for one year, with the option to buy at the end of the term. It’ll give you the cash you need from going bankrupt, and it’ll give us the oil we need to produce revenue.” The men seem to all be considering it, and my father says, “As CEO, I’m sorry, but I’m only looking to purchase your company, one hundred percent.” “A half million more,” their CEO says, and then they stand, shaking our hands before leaving the table. My father, as usual, ruined the negotiations. “What the hell was that, Merritt?” he scolds me. “You told me to close the deal, so I was closing it.” “I told you I wanted to acquire them.” “Sure, but you didn’t say how. And a lease-to-buy option is a good one. We’d have revenues coming in next month. Which is way faster than the process of purchasing them is going to be. You know with lawyers and paperwork, it’ll at least be a year, and what, are you gonna stay until that’s done too?” He doesn’t answer me, and I walk away from my dad. He’s pissed and hot on my heels. “You don’t have the authority to make those decisions,” he says. “Of course I don’t, ‘cause had I come here alone like I’d planned, I’d have the deal closed, but without the authority to do it.” Walking up to my hotel, my dad walks off not saying anything else. I hope he feels fuckin’ stupid for shooting down my idea, ‘cause he’s gotta know it’s brilliant and the best way to acquire one of the largest commercial oil producing companies. My thoughts are cut short as I spot Quinn, as gorgeous as ever, sitting in one of the chairs in the lobby. She’s really here, and I have no clue how I got so goddamn lucky. But this shit day just turned completely around.
Chapter 37 Quinn
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Merritt says, taking me in his arms and pinning me down on the bed. “I couldn’t help myself.” “Is that why you were so cool when I said I couldn’t come?” “Uh huh,” I tell him, because as we talked on the phone earlier, I was already booking my flight. “Fuck, I’ve missed you,” he tells me, pressing me hard into the mattress and kissing me. Holding on to the back of his head, I kick my shoes off and work my tongue against his. He pulls back for a second; his eyes are glazed over and red. “Are you drunk?” I ask. “Maybe a little,” he confesses and slides off me, pushing my dress up and fingering me. “How was your meeting?” I ask, worried that he’s drunk and handling business. “It sucked. My asshole of a dad showed up, and it really made me wonder why I even came here.” He’s no longer fingering me, just cupping my sex and I can tell that his brain is spinning. “Let it go, baby. Don’t let him into your head. We’re together now, and you can focus on me all night long.” He nods and kisses my neck. Taking him by the shoulders, I roll him onto his back. He lets me straddle him, his hands both resting on my thighs. Lifting my dress over my head, my tits spring free and his eyes get wide. “You flew without a bra and panties on?” “Maybe. Does that turn you on?” “A lot!” Leaning down, I kiss his neck, nibbling and sucking on his skin, and he moves his hands squeezing my ass cheeks, spreading them wide. Our bodies grind together, like a couple of high schoolers dry humping, and I make quick work of removing his pants. His hard cock makes me unbelievably wet, and I don’t waste a second before I settle down on it, my pussy clenching him as he pushes himself up inside me. Knotting my fingers into my hair, I bounce with him, his balls hitting my ass with every thrust, he’s moving so fast, and then he stops. Looking down at him, he’s got that look—the one that says he wants more, needs more. Without a single word, I lift off of him. He spreads my cheeks wide, and I reach back, clenching his sloppy dick as I line it up with my ass. Our bodies connect like a puzzle, he fits right inside of me. The feeling of fullness makes me want to come undone. Still holding my ass he pumps himself in and out of me, giving me every single
inch that he is. My noises arc and my breathing is so quick that I won’t last much longer. I fight to stay in control, but it’s too much. My insides quiver and the instant he really picks up speed, I come hard. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” I chant, having an unbelievably intense orgasm. Each stream of his white is hot inside of me, and as he finishes, he flips me onto my back, ripping his shirt off as he pummels into me. One hand is splayed across my chest while his other holds one of my legs to the side. He’s ruthless, fucking me harder than ever, my body scooting up the bed. I reach above me, pressing my fingers to the headboard to keep myself in place. “You like being fucked hard?” he asks me in a deep, sexy tone. “Yes.” Our eyes are connected, locked on each other ’s in a whirlwind of sex. With Merritt, there are no rules or boundaries, just each other ’s rawest desires, and he brings so many desires out of me. Every single hidden fantasy that I have, I want to experience them all with him. *** “Should we order room service?” I ask Merritt, as I dry off from our shower. “If you want to, but we can also go out.” “Whatever you want to do is fine with me.” He walks up behind me, his large hands roaming my body as he rubs up and down it. “We should go out,” I tell him, knowing if we stay in, all we’ll do is fuck, and as much as I love it, I need to be able to walk normally for my dad’s birthday Monday night. “God, you’re beautiful,” he tells me, kissing my neck and then getting dressed himself. “Thank you. Would you put this on me?” I ask handing him my bracelet he bought for me in Steamboat. “Did you ever put a wish inside?” “I did.” “What’s it say?” he asks me curiously. “I’m not telling you, or it won’t come true.” He rolls his eyes at me and pretends to open the box. I smack his arm, and he acts like I have superhuman strength and actually hurt him. Giving him a hug, I kiss the spot I hit. But he tries to open my bracelet again. “Fine, fine, I’ll tell you.” “You will?” “Yeah, ‘cause it’s already come true.” “Then tell me.” “I’m just joking.” I grin from ear to ear and grab my purse, waiting for Merritt at the door. He
spanks me as he opens the door, and we wander down the hall hand in hand. He presses the down button on the elevator and says to me, “Have you ever fucked in an elevator?” “No, you?” “Nope, wanna try?” I nod and raise my eyebrows to him. As the doors open, we go to step in, but someone exits and when I see the guy standing there, my world halts. “Dad,” Merritt says, and I…What the fuck is going on? I have no clue how this is even fucking possible. Merritt’s dad doesn’t answer. Instead he’s staring at me, the same way he used to, the same look he gave me that made me fall for him in the first place. “I didn’t know you had company, son.” “Oh yeah, this is my girlfriend, Quinn. She flew in and surprised me. Quinn, this is my dad, Charles.” I swallow not sure how to respond, and he stretches out his hand in a friendly gesture as if he doesn’t know me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Quinn.” As I shake his hand back, I’m stunned, sick to my stomach, and not sure what to do.
Chapter 38 Merritt
They shake hands, and he says to me, “Merritt, I was just coming up to see you. I got to thinking about your idea with Exlon, and it might not be such a bad way to go.” “Really?” I ask him shocked. “Yeah, I mean, we do need the revenue, and I’m not gonna stick around for much longer. We should discuss it more.” “Quinn and I were going to grab a bite to eat, do you wanna talk afterwards?” “I have a meeting,” he says, and I look at Quinn, hoping she doesn’t mind if I invite him. She smiles at me, and I squeeze her hand. “Wanna join us?” “Sure, if you don’t mind?” he looks at Quinn, and she says, “Oh, not at all.” He presses the call button on the elevator and says to us, “So how long have you two been together?” “What’s it been, babe?” I ask her, and she shrugs her shoulders, seemingly quiet. “A few months.” “How did you meet?” he asks. “On that trip, Ari invited me to in Colorado.” “Ahhh, so you know Ari?” She nods and he says, “Where should we eat?” “Wherever.” We follow my dad into the restaurant at the hotel and get seated right away. Quinn hasn’t said much, and it’s not like her to be quiet. “Are you okay?” I ask her. “Yeah, I’m just getting a migraine, that’s all.” “This okay?” my dad asks us. “Yeah, it’s great,” I respond and open my menu. I glance over mine and decide on steak and eggs. Then notice my dad hasn’t touched his, he’s studying Quinn in a very peculiar way. “So what made you change your mind on Exlon?” I ask him. “I was going to wait to tell you this on your birthday, but December 31st will be my last day with the company. That’s why I’ve been pushing you so hard. So we don’t have much time. I’ve contacted our legal team, and they are drafting up the paperwork as we speak.”
“Wow, okay.” The news kinda comes as a shock. I mean, I knew or hoped it was eventually coming, but just yesterday he was busting my balls about being ready to run the company, and now he’s having the paperwork drafted for it. “So I think we should move forward with Exlon in the way you proposed. I trust you can close the deal, however you see fit?” “Absolutely.” I’m stunned sitting here. I’ve got the girl of my dreams and what I’ve worked all my life for, is finally coming true. “So, Quinn, what is it that you do for a living?” he asks her. “I’m in the financial industry.” “Oh, what do you do?” “I’m an investment advisor.” “Nice, I should really get one of those. Do you have a card?” “Quinn doesn’t work with people she knows,” I tell him, trying to save her from the awkwardness. She already seems quiet and not herself, so I don’t want her to have to explain to my dad, who she just met, that she can’t help him. “Probably better, I’ve been there myself. Merritt and I have had our fair share of issues.” As I look at my dad, his sudden change in attitude is so bizarre that I begin to wonder if he’s putting on a show for Quinn. And if he is…why? He’s not one to care what others think about him, so why start now? *** “Well, that was weird,” I tell Quinn as we get back to our room from breakfast. “What was?” “Uhhh, my dad, being all nice. I know you don’t know him, but that’s not how he normally is. Do you really think he’s actually drafting up the documents for the business?” “If he says so, I’m sure he is.” Quinn lies down on the bed; her eyes are heavy, and I can tell her head is killing her. “Do you have any medicine here?” I ask. “No, I left it all at home.” “Want me to go and get you something from the pharmacy?” “You don’t have to, just hold me.” Kicking off my shoes, I line my body along hers and wrap her in my arms. Breathing her in. Her scent is so amazing. I’m not sure how everything turned out the way it did, but it has, and soon I’ll be taking the first real step in owning my own company. All of my years of hard work are finally paying off.
Chapter 39 Quinn
Watching Merritt leave so he can go meet with Exlon, I’m still so sick to my stomach, and mentally I…I’m a mess, so fucked up about all of this, and not sure what to do. I’m lying to him, and I hate it. But what do I say to him? How do I tell him? I keep asking myself over and over, and each time, I come up with nothing. My palms are sweaty, and my insides are sick with deceit. I can’t bear to hurt him; he’s been so good to me. Biting my thumbnail, there is a knock on the door. Getting up to answer it, I assume it’s Merritt, and he forgot something, but as I look out the peephole, it’s Charles, and I’m not sure what to do. “Quinn, I know you’re in there.” Placing my hand on the handle, I turn it as my heart races, and he steps inside. I back up and sit down on the bed, barely able to look at him. He’s standing in the middle of the room, glaring down me, and I hate myself so bad. “Why are you doing this?” I can’t answer him; I can’t even look at him. “Are you doing this to get back at me?” I swallow and remind myself to remain in control. I remember how Charles can be—very unreasonable. “I didn’t know he was your son.” “Oh come on, you expect me to believe that? You’re my financial advisor. You know everything about me.” “I don’t. I never managed your accounts from the day they came into our office.” “That’s a lie, and you know it. You gloated about signing me. Bought that shiny new car.” “I didn’t, and that’s the fucking truth.” “So you want me to believe that you being with my son is a mere coincidence?” “Yes, it is. Honest to God.” “Honey, you need to get better at lying. Even you can’t believe that.” “I’m not your ‘honey.’ Merritt told you we met on vacation in Colorado, through Ari. How could I have known he was going to be there? I go on those trips every year.” “I’m not buying what you’re selling. I think this is your way of getting back at me because I ended things.” “It’s not, I love him. What he and I have is real. We have to tell him about us.” “You’re not telling him shit!”
“The hell I’m not. You can’t tell me what to do anymore.” “Come on, Quinn, we both know you’re not good enough for him. You’re just a money-hungry whore. Name your price, and I’ll let you walk, he’ll never know. But I don’t need you in his head.” “I’m not leaving him, and most definitely don’t have a price.” He steps close to me, the smell of his cologne now nauseating to me and he says, “If you won’t leave him, then I’ll show him the things you’ve done with me. I recorded them all.” “You didn’t record shit, you fucking bastard.” “The choice is yours, sweetheart. Do you think my son’s gonna want you after he sees you are my sloppy seconds?” I open the door to the hotel room, anger blazing in my eyes. “Go!” I shout, and he tries to touch me as I push him out. “Keep your fucking hands off me,” I yell and slam it. Sliding down to the floor, huddling my knees to my chest, I sob uncontrollably like a baby. How could he do this? Does he really not care about Merritt’s happiness at all? Thinking of everything makes me so sick. This will crush him. Charles is right—he’ll never look at me the same way again, no matter what. Picking up my phone, I need to have the upper hand. I have to get to Merritt before his dad does if I want any chance of saving this relationship. But looking at the screen of my phone, I can’t bring myself to call him. I’m just in shock—stunned that this is my reality. Deep down, my gut is telling me that Charles doesn’t have a video. I’d know if he recorded us doing anything, so it’s my word against his. I imagine what it’ll do to Merritt finding out, and I can’t do that to him. He means too much to me. But what if somehow, there is a video, then what? I decide to send Merritt a text to get him back here, to talk to him, he needs to hear this from me. But as I type the words, they nauseate me. Running into the restroom, I throw everything up and lie on the cold tile floor. I can’t hurt him. I can’t imagine the way he’d look at me. Completely fucked, I stare up at the ceiling, broken from the inside out. Why is this happening to me…why? *** Waiting for Merritt to return from his meeting, I’m on edge. My mind is constantly battling within itself about what to do. And as I feel like I’m about to lose it…he walks into the room. “You know, I love knowing you’re waiting for me, baby.” I about cry, imagining that soon, he won’t want me waiting for him. “How was your meeting?” I barely choke out the words, trying to settle my belly. “It was good, I closed the deal, babe.” He is so happy, I can see the excitement all over his face, and I can’t bring him down right now.
Inside, I hate myself. This man that I’ve grown to love and depend on so much, who is my everything, doesn’t know what I’ve done. Even though it wasn’t intentional, it’ll eventually come out, and that scares me. Charles is a ticking time bomb. At any minute, he’ll ruin it all, video or not. But looking into his eyes, I just need one more normal day, before I let him go. “I’m so happy for you, babe,” I tell him and hold him close. “It’s the first step in securing our future.” “Yeah?” I ask, hating that it can’t be true. This is the first he’s spoken of a future together, and it won’t happen. “Yeah, what did you think? I’d get the company, and we’d still be traveling every weekend?” “Well, I’d hoped not, I guess.” He kisses me, and I kiss him back, praying to God that somehow, our time doesn’t end, that we can persevere and last forever. “You guess?” His eyebrows rise as he looks deep into my eyes. “You know what I mean.” “I do, I’m just teasing you. I’m so happy right now; we should celebrate.” “What did you have in mind?” “Just this…” he says, “Just this, baby…”
Chapter 40 Merritt
“Does six o’clock work?” Suzy asks me, and I look at my calendar to be sure I don’t have anything pressing so I can pick Quinn up from the airport. “Yeah, that’s good with me. Did you run it by Quinn?” “I did, she’ll be able to leave work early.” My dad pops his head in, working out of our office all week, and to my surprise, he’s been pretty cool. “Quinn coming here?” “She is—Friday.” “All right. Well, I should be getting the draft back of the documents. I wanted to go over them with you when they come in if you have time.” “Of course. I’ll have time.” “Great, I’ll have Suzy add it to your calendar as soon as they come in.” “Thanks, Dad.” My phone rings, and we both glance down at it on my desk. It’s Quinn. “I’ll let you take that,” he says, and as he leaves, I can’t help but think, maybe now he’s becoming the father I lost all those years ago. “Hey, babe,” “Guess what?” “Ummm, I have no idea, just tell me.” “I got us tickets to the Nuggets game next weekend.” “Again?” “Yep, same courtside seats too.” “Man, how did I get so lucky to snag your fine ass?” “I could say the same thing.” My phone vibrates, and I pull it away, noticing a text from my dad. “Hang on, babe.” “‘Kay.” As I open it up, it’s a video. The whole world around me freezes as I click “play.” Betrayal like no other takes over, and I can’t believe my eyes. It’s Quinn and my dad…together. Vomit rises in the back of my throat, and I try to hold it back, but as I watch the woman I’ve grown to love have sex with my own father…I lose it, gagging and throwing up in my trash can. I drop my phone to the floor, her voice as she says his name sounds just like when she says
mine, and I don’t want to believe what I’m seeing. It can’t be true…can it? “Mr. Smith, are you okay?” Suzy asks, and I shake my head holding on to the can. “Close the door,” I shout and right away she does. Pulling myself together enough to speak, I pick my phone back up; Quinn is still there, and I ask her, “When were you going to tell me, or were you?” Very calmly she says to me, “You have to let me explain everything.” “Explain? There’s nothing to explain. You lied to me.” “I didn’t mean to.” “Goddammit, how do you accidently lie to someone, Quinn?” She sobs, and as much as I just want to hang up on her, I have to know more. How? Why? When? “You’ve gotta talk to me, Quinn, or I’m gonna fucking lose my mind. My father just sent me a video of you having sex with him, and it’s all I can think about.” “He was in Denver for a meeting way before I knew you. I met him when I was out having drinks with some co-workers.” “So you slept with him? A man double your age?” “I’m so sorry, baby.” “Am I dreaming?” And I ask, “Is he your ex?” “Yes. He’s the one you emailed, but you have to believe me that I didn’t know you two were related.” What the fuck? Am I hearing her right? “My dad?” I repeat softly; tears are in my eyes and that vile feeling of despair reeks inside of me. Closing my eyes, the usual beautiful vision of her face—that not long ago was my salvation—has been destroyed. All I can see is her and my father. “I’m so sorry, Merritt. I had no—” I cut her off, “We have the same last name and work for the same company. How did you not know?” “I didn’t even think about the last name…Smith is so common. And you know I kept my hands out of the deal when I signed him. You have to believe me, Merritt. I promise, baby.” “But you slept with him, Quinn, and then sat at breakfast in California and acted like everything was normal, like you two were strangers when he…he’s been inside of you and then I was inside of you. How am I supposed to get past that?” Saying the words makes me fucking ill again. “I don’t know,” she says, and I don’t know either…I can’t be with someone who would lie right to my face. A coincidence or not, she wasn’t honest about this, so what else has she lied to me about? “I can’t be with you anymore.” “Please, don’t do this. You have to believe me. I love you, Merritt,” she begs me and her words sicken me, how can she even say that or ask me that? “I fucking loved you too, and you ruined that. Goodbye, Quinn.” Pressing the end button on my phone is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I’ve lost half of myself. What I thought was the good half,
my Quinn, was all a lie, and my dad, how could he? Getting up, I roll up my sleeves and storm towards his office, ready to make him pay. He didn’t need to send me the video; he could’ve told me, man to man. And she had even more chances to tell me. My insides are a mess. A complete fucking mess! Anger fills me, everything that I once thought was my foundation and I could count on has all been a lie. If they could keep this from me…what else are they hiding?
Chapter 41 Quinn
Have you ever felt like you were dead? Like part of you died, and inside of you now there is a huge gaping hole? As I lie on my couch, my arm hanging off it, dangling over the soft carpet, that is exactly how I feel…dead. Part of me died when Charles sent the video to Merritt. I underestimated Charles, which was ultimately my biggest mistake. I should’ve come clean with Merritt in California and been open with him. I should’ve followed my gut, even if it hurt him, and I’ll always regret that most. It was my one chance to save us, and I didn’t do that. There’s a knock on my door, and I get up to let Willow in. She didn’t need to drive all the way up here; I told her I was fine. But she was worried about me, and I guess I’d do the same if she were going through what I am. “How are you doing?” she asks me, as I flop back down flat on my face before she can even give me a hug. “I’m okay,” I grumble, my voice cracking because my throat is so dry and I haven’t talked for days. “You don’t look like it. When was the last time you ate or drank anything?” I shrug my shoulders, and she takes ahold of them sitting me up, “Goddammit, Quinn, snap out of it, you’re scaring me.” “I’m fine. I ate last night!” “Good. Now you need to get your ass up and take a fucking shower. You stink.” “I don’t stink,” I tell her and smell the shirt I’m wearing—Merritt’s shirt. It still holds his scent and instantly brings tears to my eyes. I sob like I’ve been doing for days now, somehow my body still producing the tears. Willow holds me and lets me be, the feeling of her arms around me, anyone’s arms around me, is so reassuring. Giving me hope that I’m going to be okay. “Come on, let’s get you in the bath.” Following Willow, I feel wobbly, but she won’t take no for an answer. As I strip naked, the smell of lavender fills the air, reminding me of the last time I took a bath. It was in here…with Merritt. Tears again consume me, and as she helps me into the bath, my teeth chatter, and she says, “Even though you don’t want to talk about what happened again, I really think it would be good to get it all off your chest.” Sinking as far down into the tub as I can, trying to warm myself, I know she’s right. I don’t want
to talk about what happened. After Merritt broke up with me, I was a mess and could barely make it home from work. Right away, I called Willow, and she talked me through things and has been checking in on me every day. She’s also trying to get me to talk about what happened…but I can’t. “Has Ari said anything to you about him?” I ask her, hoping she’s heard something and that he is okay. “No, he hasn’t.” “Okay.” “Are you not going to talk to me about it?” “What do you want me to say?” I snap at her and her eyes get wide. “I need to know how it was possible.” “How what was possible?” “That you didn’t know Merritt was Charles’ son.” “Do you think I’m lying, Willow?” I question her and sit all the way up, suddenly offended. “No, honey, not at all. But if I know how, then maybe I can help and talk to Merritt for you.” “There is no talking to him. I lied when I found out, and he saw a video of me with his dad.” “Oh shit. But at the time you didn’t know he was his dad?” “Of course not, I told you that. I didn’t even know Merritt existed when I was with Charles. His dad is my ex, Willow, plain and simple. I already told you all of this,” I get agitated easily, feeling like everyone is against me. “Calm down; I just want to understand how you didn’t know they were related.” I shake my head. My best friend evidently doesn’t believe me, and it makes me sick. Out of all people in the world, I thought I could at least depend on her…but I guess not.
Chapter 42 Merritt
Coping with betrayal never gets easier. It seems death is easier to process. You find peace in knowing the ones you’ve lost have gone on to a better place. But with betrayal, the ones you lost and everyone involved seem to consume your mind reminding you of what they’ve done. My father, for starters, is a fucking bitch and set it all up. He knew Quinn was calling me, it was the perfect time to ruin us, and then he skipped out, and I haven’t spoken to him since he sent me the video. I get why my dad did it. Why he wanted to hurt me, even though the rest of the world doesn’t know, and when I went into his office to confront him, he was gone. Of course he was—he’s a fucking coward. I should’ve known he’d ruin my life one way or another. He’s not even my real father, as far as DNA goes. My mother cheated on him and had me, and he acted like I was his, but deep down he always despised me. The loss of my mom was so tremendous that I thought I owed it to not just him, but her, to stick by him. I was making up for her mistake all along when it wasn’t my place. Sitting out on my back deck, my mind keeps spinning the same way it has been for days, and I can’t shake the thought that this was all a setup. I mean, how could it be a coincidence? Hell, maybe Ari is in on it too. He and my father could be trying to push me out of the business. He was always my father ’s favorite, until he left, but maybe it was just a show. The same way everything between Quinn and I was…just a show. Picking up my phone, I dial Ari. I have to know; did he set this all up? Did he know all along that Quinn had been with my father? He doesn’t answer, which is not like him, but come to think about it, I haven’t been able to get ahold of him much lately. Calling Suzy, she answers right away, still at the office. “Hi, Mr. Smith.” “Hey, I’m glad you’re still there. You have Natalie’s calendar access for when she’s gone, right?” Natalie is my father ’s assistant, and if I can’t get a hold of Ari, I can at least confront my dad. “Yes, sir, I do.” “Could you look at my dad’s calendar and tell me if he has any dinner meetings tonight?” “Um, he does from six ‘til eight at Shea Rouge, but I’m not sure who it’s with.” “Awesome, that’s what I needed.” I hang up with her, grateful to have her help. Shea Rouge is in town, which means my dad is still
here. Grabbing my car keys, I make the trip across town and valet. Walking inside the upscale restaurant, the atmosphere in here is calm and relaxed. It’s right on the water, and there are tons of boats docked at the marina. Taking a seat at the bar, the bartender asks me, “What can I get ya?” “I’ll take a water, please.” I need to be clear-headed and on my toes, if my gut is right. Looking around, the sun is setting, but outside, I spot my father and…Ari. They are deep in conversation, laughing and enjoying each other like they are best friends. And immediately I’m aware they are working against me. Pulling out my cell phone, I dial Ari. He looks down at his ringing phone and ignores my call, sending me straight to his voice mail. Leaving the water I ordered on the bar, I head towards them. My father laughs and places his hand on his shoulder, and I pull out a chair, sitting down, shocking both of them with my presence. “Merritt,” my dad smiles a devilish grin, and for the first time ever, I acknowledge him as, “Charles,” and then turn to greet the latest addition to the list of people I no longer trust, “Ari.” “We were just gonna call you,” Ari says, like a fucking pussy. “Really, ‘cause I just watched you ignore my phone call.” They look at each other, and then my dad, or should I say Charles, puts his hands up and says, “Okay, you got us. We were planning a party for you when you take over the company.” “Fuck you both.” Charles smiles, and I ask them, “So was this your plan all along? To fuck me out of the business I’ve worked my entire life for?” “Let’s be honest, Merritt, you were never cut out to run the company, not the way Ari is.” “So why not fire me then, you fucking pussy?” “Because when you leave on your own, I’m done with you and neither of us is paying you a cent more.” “Neither of us? He doesn’t even work for you.” “Oh, but he does. He’s been doing plenty to make this the biggest merger in the history of the American oil and gas industry.” Ari won’t even look at me. The bitch betrayed me and now isn’t man enough to own up to it. It all makes sense now, the drama with the Serranos, the stocks, the deal in Steamboat my dad “offered a million dollars more for.” It was all for his benefit, and they played me. “Ari left so when he takes over the company, he can bring Azures’ business too. I didn’t build this empire to turn it over to some mistake of a child and not have it be the largest oil and gas company in the world.” “Fuck you both. You’re meant for each other, you know that?” “Oh, look at you getting all hurt. Why don’t you run along to that slut I took advantage of. I’m sure she’ll still want you because we’re fucking done with you.” I ignore my father and look at Ari, and he finally brings his eyes to meet mine. “Is it all true?”
He nods, and even though I knew it was, having him confirm it is a terrible blow. “Why Quinn? Why bring her into all of this?” “It was easy, man,” Ari says. “I knew you’d fall for her as soon as I put you two in that bedroom. Just look at her. You both were fucking puppets.” Standing up, I lay a hard right hook into his face. His chair flies backwards with him in it, and Charles sits stunned, looking at me as Ari stumbles to his feet, obviously wobbled. The guests all look in our direction, and I tell my dad, “He’s your fucking problem now. Just feel lucky I don’t do the same to you. I’d probably kill your frail ass.” I walk off, looking back at Ari one last time. He’s half conscious. I really should mop the floor with both of them. The news of what Quinn did is really nothing compared to this betrayal.
Chapter 43 Quinn
Looking at my computer screen, I’m not sure how I’m going to get through the entire day. Willow recommended I come back to work, and at the time, I thought it was a good idea. But sitting here, the faint smell of the flowers Merritt sent me still wafting in the air, looming from my trashcan, and I just can’t stop staring at the picture of us on my computer screen. God, it hurts. It’s the most excruciating pain I’ve ever dealt with, and I want it to go away. Looking down at my bracelet, the one he bought for me, I pop it open and take out the tiny, tattered piece of paper. As I unfold it, the ink has faded, but still faintly visible is his name, Merritt. What was a wish of mine not so long ago, now will never come true. Through a sob, I choke back the tears and drop it into my trash. I’ve got to let him go…I have to. “Quinn,” the receptionist calls through my phone, almost making me jump out of my skin. “Yeah.” I try and sound somewhat normal. “Your nine thirty is in the conference room.” “Okay,” I answer back, caught off guard. I don’t have a clue who my nine thirty is or what to do about it. Going into my calendar, I wait for it to load and it’s taking forever. Goddammit! Grabbing my iPad so I can search the company name if needed and fly by the seat of my pants, I make my way across the office and stop at the door, swallowing and taking in a breath of air before I go in and put on a fake happy persona. But as I open it and step in, the wind is knocked from my lungs and I freeze. Everything around me slows. My senses that weeks ago died suddenly come back alive breathing him in, and I stand unable to move. Merritt is sitting at the head of the conference table, his brown eyes hard to read. Why is he here? He hates me. Then in that commanding voice that I’ll do anything for, he orders me to close the door. Gently I do and take a seat across from him, prepared for the wrath of what is next. In front of him is a folder. I’m sure it’s of more pictures or something that his dad sent him, and I begin to feel as though I could hyperventilate. “How are you?” he asks.
I nod, still not speaking, and he says, “It’s good to see you.” “You too.” My voice trembles; this is harder than I ever imagined it would be. He opens the folder and hands me a piece of paper. “What’s this?” I ask looking down at the blank white sheet. “You tell me, what do you see?” “Nothing,” I’m confused, but lately, that’s all I am. “I see something different.” I flip it over, the back is blank too, and I tell him, “I’m sorry, but my brain is mush lately.” “Please don’t be sorry, Quinn.” Hearing him say those words when that’s all I should be makes me cry. Why is he doing this? “I see a blank page with nothing but possibility on it.” He slides me over a pen and tells me, “If you could have anything in this world, what would it be?” I write the word you, very small, knowing he’s got to just be playing a game with me. It’s payback, I’m sure, but being in his presence, I can’t deny what I want. There is no way he’ll ever forgive me or look at me the same way, how could he? I can barely forgive myself for lying to him. I pass him back the paper, and he opens the folder. Inside is another one, and in his very large handwriting is the word, YOU. Reading it, it is hard to believe. Tears fill my eyes, and he says to me, “I know you had no idea my father and I were related, and…I forgive you for not telling me as soon as you found out. That must’ve been a hard moment for you.” “Why would you forgive me?” I ask, needing to know his reasoning. “Because you were set up, and so was I.” “What do you mean?” “Charles and Ari have been working together to push me out of the business. From the moment you met my dad, it was all part of a plan to get rid of me.” “What the fuck, why?” “I guess because I’m not his son,” he tells me, the revelation is a giant surprise. As he explains further, it all makes sense, but understanding how Ari had a hand in it all doesn’t add up. “But you bought Ari’s stocks and gave him the money for them.” “It’s all such a shame. I’ve lived and breathed for that company since I was eighteen years old, and all along both of them were working against me.” “I get why Charles did it, but why Ari?” “We’ve all got a price, some more than others. Ari was willing to give his soul to the devil in exchange for an overinflated company that likely won’t last a decade being run the way those two do things.” “I don’t know what to say, Merritt.” I’m at a loss for words, completely taken by surprise. I’ve known Ari for years; he’s like a brother to me. “Does Willow know?” “No one knows, baby, but us.”
“Don’t call me that.” “Why?” he scoffs like I’ve completely offended him. “Because I can’t get my hopes up; I’m barely able to function as it is.” “Quinn, did you or didn’t you write this on this paper?” He holds up what I wrote. “You watched me write it.” “Did you or didn’t you know Charles was my father?” “I swear to God, I had no idea.” “Then please, let’s get back to where we were.” “But I lied to you.” “Because you played into them. They put you in the worst spot imaginable. I’ve lost almost everything, Quinn; I will not lose you too. Do you understand me?” I nod, holding back the tears the best that I can, and he stands, “Get up.” I listen right away like I always do. He steps to me, and I wait as if this is all a dream that soon I will wake from. But as he places his palms against my face, I have found my place again. “Quinn Whitmore, I love you, more than anything in this entire world.” His lips find mine before I can speak the words back to him. He tastes like heaven, igniting everything inside of me, bringing me back to life. The gaping hole I’ve lived with slowly closes. I love him, I love him too, more than anything.
Chapter 44 Merritt
“Are they closed?” Quinn asks me with her tiny hand around mine as she walks me down an unsteady surface. “Yes, I promise.” “You better not be lying.” “I’m not.” We stop, and she says, “Step up again.” I listen to her voice, not knowing where we are going, but knowing that I’d follow her into the depths of hell if she wanted. For Christ’s sake, we’ve been there and back and survived, so there’s not much that could bring us down now. “Okay, open ‘em!” “Surprise!” a small intimate group of our closest friends cheers. “Happy birthday, baby,” Quinn says, still holding my hand and I kiss her. It’s my birthday and as much as I wasn’t looking forward to it, seeing as what I’ve gone through lately, she still made it a great celebration. “Whose boat is this?” I ask her, and she says, “My boss,” who comes up and shakes my hand. “Happy birthday, Merritt, it’s great to see you again.” I met him the day Quinn and I got back together. Looking around I notice Kami and Jacob and Willow and Ted. “Happy birthday,” Willow says, hugging me, a glimmer of pain still in her eye because of what Ari did. She feels bad, but it’s not her fault. Hell, it’s no one’s fault, but their own, and they got what was coming to them. After I thought long and hard about devising a plan of payback, I sold my stocks to Exlon, because Charles had weaseled out of the lease deal I made with them. Once I found out he gifted them some stocks as a cop out, I knew it was my only way to get back at him. He had no idea I’d go to them; he was blindsided…a lot like I was. But after what I went through, I was one step ahead of Charles. For the first time in my life, I had one up on him. With my stocks, Ari’s old ones I bought, and the ones he’d given Exlon, they had a fifty-one percent ownership in Charles’ company. When Exlon sent their team in, seemingly to join in as a partnership, it didn’t take them long to uncover the years of deception Charles had skillfully conducted. Immediately they kicked him to the curb, indicting him for embezzlement. I knew Charles had always skewed the books, I just never thought I could use it against him.
For Ari, he made his own bed with Azures. They handled him the same way my father was handled. They really are two peas in a pod. Maybe one day, they’ll be two peas in the same prison cell. “You good?” Quinn asks me, handing me a glass of champagne. Coming back into the moment, I pull out of the dazed and clouded mind fuck I find myself getting easily lost in. “Never better, baby. Never better.” Letting her lead me around the boat as we sail off into the night, we visit with all of our friends and family. All of whom she has arranged to be here in Denver. I haven’t been back to Texas since Quinn and I got back together, and I don’t see myself ever going back. My phone rings and I pull it out of my pocket. “Hello?” I answer. “Merritt, it’s John.” “Oh hey, John. How are the girls doing?” “They’re all right. I’m a little worried about Tink—the vet came for a visit today, and she has desmitis in her front left leg.” “Really? How’d that happen?” “She must’ve been overworking it.” “How can it be fixed?” “She’ll need to take it easy for a while; we won’t be able to bring her to Colorado like we’d planned, not at least until she’s better. But with some time and medicine, she should be good.” “I understand, thank you for letting me know.” I hang up with him, and Quinn is concerned, “What did he say?” I fill her in, and I can see the worry on her face. “We can go back there and look for a place in Texas.” “No, I don’t want to be away from you, and your job is here. She’ll be good.” She’s got an angel in my mom watching out for her. “Thank you for this, baby,” I tell her, looking around at all the people closest to us. She smiles looking up at me with her big dark blue eyes, and I hold the side of her face, leaning down and kissing her. Her lips are so soft, reminding me of the first time we ever kissed, on the ski slope, and still to this day, that same spark lives inside me. Who knew a week unplugged from the world, that was a set up to ruin us both, could turn out to be the greatest thing that’s ever happened?
Epilogue Merritt 1 year later
“Are you done yet in there, my sexy wife?” I yell to Quinn as she is finishing up the last of her work. Since we got married, she likes it when I call her my wife. “I just finished,” she struts outside so gorgeous, all sexy, and sits on my lap. “How’s my husband?” “Better now,” I hold her warm body, close to mine. We are on the front porch of our home in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and this time of year the weather is gorgeous. Bell and Tink graze on the fifty acres of land that we own, and since we moved them here, they are in heaven. Tink’s leg has been great, they both seem in better health. I credit the elevation. “You know, we probably don’t even need to buy hay anymore,” I tell her as we watch them eat, and she says to me, “You are not about to starve my girls.” “They are far from starved, how do you think they live in the wild? You think some sexy little lady hand feeds them carrots and hay every day out there.” “I don’t care about the wild, that’s how I do things here, in our house, and our life, and we are going to keep feeding them hay.” “Jesus, it was just an option.” She grins and cups the side of my face, still looking out at the view as she rubs me and I ask her. “Work good?” “It was.” “You get anything done today?” “Nope.” After we agreed to move up here together, she didn’t want to leave her job, so they are allowing her to work out of the house a few days a week, which keeps her busy. I’d rather her do nothing, but I get that she wants to work. I, however, am done. I will never work another day in my life. I have more than enough money to take care of us forever. “What’s for dinner?” she asks me as the oven dings as we wander inside. I always cook for her, and she loves it. “Spinach lasagna,” I tell her, taking out the hot heaping pan of it.
“Smells good.” I serve us both plates as she pours us wine and then she says to me, “You know, once I’m pregnant, I’m gonna miss wine.” “The doctor said you can have a glass every once in a while.” “Is it safe, though?” “I’m sure it is, or he wouldn’t have said that.” Sitting down to eat, her eyes are on mine, and I can’t believe this is what my life has become. From having a crazy obsessive drive to own my own company, to now being content with the little things in life. It’s a complete one-eighty, and I couldn’t be happier. “Did I tell you that Stan offered to split the season tickets to the Nuggets games next season?” “Really? Wait ‘til I tell Ted.” “No way,” she scoffs at me. “Come on; that was a one-time thing.” The last time Ted and I went to a game together, we got a little drunk and crazy and…you can guess the rest. “It better have been, because next time I’m not bailing your ass out of jail.” “Peeing in public really shouldn’t be illegal, I’m just saying.” She hits me on the arm as I pull her onto my lap. Her face is so happy in the evening light. I love to see her smile; it’s what I work for every day. Reaching down, I cup her sex. Her grin gets bigger, and I can’t wait any longer. Lifting her up, I take her into our bedroom, tossing her down on the plush fabric of our comforter. She giggles, a sound I depend greatly upon. “Get your hat,” she tells me as I pull my shirt off over my head. “Do you have a fetish for cowboys?” I ask her in my best Southern accent. “Yes, tattooed cowboys,” she tells me and strips naked, lying there so willing and ready. “Then I better grab my whip.” Taking it from the closet along with my hat, I find her kneeling, panting for my dick. “You miss me?” I ask her and stroke myself. “Uh huh.” “You wanna suck my cock clean?” “Yes, sir.” “If I let you suck me, are you gonna make me come?” She stops me from playing and dives in. Wrapping those tight, tight lips around me. I grunt, as loud as I want, pummeling her mouth. Taking the whip, I trail it over her skin, loving how it pricks beneath the tip of the leather. Pulling back, I land a hard smack on her ass. She moans and sucks me faster. “Touch yourself,” I tell her, looking to the side as she kneels there and plays with her pussy, letting me fuck her mouth so good.
I hit her again, and she whimpers for more. She rubs her pussy faster, pushing me so close to the edge, but I hold on, not giving over to her yet. Pulling out of her mouth, she kneels panting for me, and I place the handle of my whip in between her teeth. “You know what happens if you drop this, right?” She nods and I spread open her ass and pussy, so tempted to go right where I’ll end up, but waiting because we have a purpose. Sliding inside of her tight wet slit, my balls swell, so horny for her bent over like this. I need to blow. The rule is, she drops the whip and I fuck her ass. Which will happen as soon as I come, because her ass has become both of our favorites. She can come again and again from me fucking it, but we are trying to have a baby, and that means she’s gotta let me come in her pussy first. Fucking her hard, she whimpers from the fullness, and I rub her clit. She arches upwards, her back against my chest as she coaxes me on through gritted teeth. “Yes, fuck me harder.” “Oh, you like it rough.” I barrel faster and faster, knowing this could be it. This could be the moment we create a child, and I hold her close, knowing if it is, I will not make the same mistakes that have happened in my life with our kid. Cum shoots inside of her, and she screams, dropping the whip. I latch onto her neck, loving her and these times we share together more than anything else in my life. I suck hard on the soft skin, teasing and biting her, knowing no one will see us for weeks. Up here we are unplugged from the world, alone, just the two of us in our own oasis. A place we’ve built and cherished, a place where I’ve fallen in love with her all over again, and I hope that in nine months, it will be the three of us.
Acknowledgements This book is only a reality because of so many people that I’m not sure how to properly thank. So, I’m gonna do my best to try. William, your undying encouragement and vision around these stories means the world to me. Thank you for being the greatest, husband, partner, and co-worker a girl could ask for. I love you to the moon and back, baby. To my grammatical team: Lisa, my amazing editor; Letica, Janice, and Denise, my fabulous proofreaders, that saved my ass in the end on this one; and my newfound Beta Team. You all helped to mold and create this story into a work of perfection. Thank you for believing in me. Last, but absolutely not least: the readers, reviewers, bloggers, and my ARC team. I hope you all loved Quinn and Merritt’s story just as much as I adored creating it. What I do is for each and every one of you— thank you so very, very much for your support. If you loved UNPLUGGED, please consider leaving a review on Amazon— www.amazon.com/author/lkcollins, it’s the best way to give back to the author. I read every single review. For more, visit my website www.authorlkcollins.com. And if you just can’t get enough, follow me here too: Amazon – www.amazon.com/author/lkcollins BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lk-collins Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lkcollinsauthor Instagram - @authorlkcollins Twitter - https://twitter.com/authorlkcollins
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