24
else had seen it before. It only mattered that he saw it then. That 25
this Mary was his delicious secret.
26
And she began to ride.
27
Slowly, she rose to her knees, nearly coming all the way off,
28S
and then she reversed course, sliding back down to take him in
29N
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Over and over until beads of sweat popped out on his brow.
01
He knew he had a thin sliver of control left.
02
“You’re killing me.”
03
Again her smile. “Nuh-uh.”
04
She felt so good. Her body right around his cock. The heat
05
of her burning against his skin, even through the latex. Her hair
06
had begun to dry and curl up again. It fl owed around her face
07
and down her shoulders like a wild river.
08
Her skin gleamed with the sweat of a good, hard fuck. Her
09
breasts swayed just so. Her expression was open, candid. A
10
woman who liked to come. Who liked sex and wasn’t afraid for
11
him to know it.
12
For some reason this got to him in ways no other woman had.
13
She swiveled when she came back down on him and the last
14
threads of his control wisped away. He was so close he could
15
already feel climax sliding through his system.
16
His fi ngers dug into the muscle at her hips, holding her in
17
place as he rolled his hips to thrust up as he came.
18
She fell to the bed beside him as he managed to roll out. “Be
19
right back. Don’t go anywhere.”
20
When he returned she snorted. “Where would I go? I’m
21
naked, pretty boneless and I have an equally naked man in my
22
room. I have everything I need right here.”
23
“Want a beer? I didn’t order one at dinner, but after the day
24
with my brothers looking at houses, my god.”
25
“I haven’t even looked in the mini fridge but you’re welcome
26
to whatever is in there. Or we can order some. Was it awful,
27
then? I thought you got on with your brothers.”
S28
He laughed as he padded from the room to poke around in
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
the mini fridge. As he suspected, Adrian had taken care to stock
02
it well.
03
“Adrian is a good host,” he called out, but she moved out to
04
join him, now wearing a bright yellow short robe thing that
05
showcased her tits.
06
“Wow, that’s my favorite robe ever.”
07
“Daisy gave it to me. She does that.”
08
He cracked open the beers, handed her one and clinked his
09
to it. “Cheers. Welcome to New York City, Mary Whaley. I’m
10
sure glad you’re here.”
11
They settled on the couch. He pulled her legs up over his. “I
12
am close with my brothers. But the process of looking for a
13
house is stressful enough. Paddy kept getting calls and Vaughan
14
chatted up the real estate agent and I just wanted to look at the
15
one house and come back. But of course Vaughan wants to nail
16
her so we had to look at other houses and really, a few we saw
17
were also pretty awesome and great options, so that meant calls
18
back to Ezra. Herding cats. That’s what our mom says we’re
19
like. She’s right.”
20
“I can’t even imagine being a real estate agent and having
21
you three show up. My lord. All that charm in one place. It’s
22
lucky she didn’t pass out. Did you choose one?”
23
“I think so. I sent pictures to Ezra. He’s going to look them
24
over and get back to me in the morning.”
25
“Ezra is the oldest, right? He runs the ranch with your dad,
26
you said?”
27
He nodded, wondering if she knew the story.
28S
“He’s the stable one? Ryan is the stable one in our family.
29N
Cal is a hothead, though not at work. I’m the artsy one. My
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dad— who is a retired ironworker, by the way— says I’m fl ighty.
01
But he smiles so it’s not an insult. Ryan is a schoolteacher. Math
02
and biology. At a middle school. I don’t know how he does it.
03
But the kids love him. He never loses it with them. He’s the one
04
I talk to about my business stuff. Cal sets up my business paper-
05
work, but Ryan gives the best advice.”
06
Being with her was . . . surprisingly normal. He didn’t sit
07
around after sex, drinking beer and talking real estate with
08
other women. He couldn’t have told anyone about their back-
09
grounds or what their families were like.
10
“Ezra used to be in the band. He started it actually. But it was
11
not easy for him. He decided to leave and focus on the ranch.
12
It was his idea to start the hay crop. He and my dad are a lot
13
alike. He’s a hell- raiser. Or he was, he’s mellowed.” Since he got 14
out of rehab and worked all day long on horseback or in a truck.
15
The physical nature of the job seemed to fi ll a need in him.
16
“It’s nice you guys can do this for your parents.”
17
“It’s one of my favorite things about fame. Having the money
18
to do things for my parents like this. They’ve done so much for
19
us. It’s a good thing to take care of them.”
20
Later that night, as she fell asleep against him, he realized
21
he’d gotten used to her awfully fast.
22
23
24
25
26
27
S28
N29
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01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
7
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
C
16
an I just tell you you clean up well?” Damien looked
17
her up and down. She wore a smart navy- blue dress
18
with towering heels. Truly she was absolutely gorgeous
19
and elegant and he was very glad he was with her that evening.
20
“As many times as you like.”
21
Her smile was saucy. She was saucy. He liked it. Liked her.
22
“I’ve got a cab ordered for us downstairs. We have some time
23
fi rst. Would you like a drink?”
24
“That’s nice of you. Yes. I’d love one. Here or . . . ?”
25
They were set to head off to some swank and ridiculously
26
hard to get a table at restaurant. Adrian had buttered some
27
people up and scored a reservation for two and she’d chosen
S28
him as her plus one.
N29
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01
“They have a bar at the restaurant. I looked it up. Not that
02
I needed the bar. I mean I wanted to see what I was getting into.”
03
God, he was fucking this up. She made him nervous. Not
04
because she was judgy or snooty. But he wanted her to like him.
05
Wanted to be sure he could handle himself at this place. He liked
06
to know things. Being prepared was his measure of control.
07
Her laugh calmed him a little. “It’s fi ne. Yes, let’s go there.
08
I like to check out bar food too. I haven’t eaten all day just to
09
be ready.”
10
She took his arm. “Also, you really do look amazing in a
11
suit. It works on you.”
12
He’d dressed up for her and he was glad he had.
13
“Come then, lady. Let’s get our grub on.”
14
When they arrived at the restaurant, her eyes glittered. He
15
squeezed her to his side, loving that she was so happy and that
16
he could share that with her. In the bar, she ordered a very dry
17
vodka martini with an olive and a few items from the menu.
18
Plenty of people recognized him, but none approached, which
19
he was thankful for. Maybe they forgot when they got a load
20
of Mary’s legs in those damned heels. He knew he’d nearly
21
stumbled twice because he’d been staring as they walked.
22
By the time their reservation came up, he was ready to have
23
her to himself in a more intimate situation. Bars were fun and
24
all, but at their table it was intimate. He sat close enough to speak 25
quietly with her, close enough that he could smell her perfume.
26
She chatted with the server, asking a million questions. So
27
much so that the chef- owner came out and her eyes widened,
28S
though she managed to keep it together. He asked about her
29N
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catering, her food and invited her to come back again the next
01
time she was in the city.
02
“If you’ll permit me, I have a menu in mind.”
03
Jean Louis Valpar was her idol. And he stood right there,
04
gray- haired, French and impeccable. Oh and charming. And he
05
had a menu planned? As if she’d say no?
06
“We would be most appreciative. I’ve been an admirer of
07
your food for some time. I can’t wait to taste what you’ve got
08
in store for us.”
09
He took her hand, kissing her knuckles. “It will be my
10
pleasure.”
11
He spoke to the server in rapid- fi re French and the server
12
disappeared to procure whatever he’d told her to.
13
“She’ll be back momentarily.” Jean Louis bowed. “It was
14
wonderful to meet you, Mary and Damien.”
15
Once he’d gone, Mary turned to Damien. “Oh. My. God.”
16
Damien smiled, taking her hand. “I sensed you might admire
17
him a little.”
18
“He’s like . . . my idol. The fi rst real cookbook I ever had
19
was
Jean Louis’s Kitchen
. When people say they wanted to go 20
to Disneyworld or whatever, I always said I wanted to come
21
here.”
22
“That’s awesome.”
23
The server returned with several appetizers, and the som-
24
melier came by with wine.
25
“Chef Valpar suggests these wines to go with each course.”
26
She looked over the list and handed it Damien’s way.
27
“That’s a lot of courses.”
S28
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01
Mary grinned at him. “I know. I’m so glad I have an empty
02
stomach. Though the martini has hit.”
03
Wine was poured and she dug in, sharing with Damien.
04
“I wish you were with me every time I went out to eat. I’d
05
never have chosen any of this stuff. And yet, each forkful you
06
create is perfect.”
07
She blushed. “Thank you.”
08
“So what ignited this love of food?”
09
“I don’t know. I just have always loved it. My grandmother
10
took me to a swanky restaurant in Portland for my eighth birth-
11
day. It doesn’t exist anymore. But it was old- school French. I was 12
astounded by all the silverware, by the menu, which had been
13
in French as well. My grandmother told me, after I had made a
14
very safe choice, that I’d never ever look back at my life when I
15
was her age and say I wished I’d made safe menu choices. She
16
said life was about taking chances and trying new things. So I