Friday, September 13th, 5:45 pm
Soft, pillowy lips touched mine in a velvet kiss that made my knees go weak.
A hand pressed against my chest.
My eyes fluttered open, and there was Natalie, lying over me.
She was stretched out next to me, her body completely nude. Her skin was molten next to mine, and her silky-smooth thigh lay across my thighs. Her plush lips left mine, and I felt the ache of their absence in my very core.
“There you are,” she whispered.
She smiled, warmth radiating from her gaze.
“Natalie? What are you—”
“Shhh,” she said. “Just enjoy it.”
I felt pressure on the cock. Gentle fingers wrapping around its girth.
Natalie’s fingers ran up and down my chest, and their gentle fingers slid through my hair, sending chills down my spine. I moaned to her lips as she kissed me again.
Wait…
How could she be holding my dick?
My eyes flew open for real this time, only… it wasn’t a pair of deep, dark, warm eyes I was looking into. I stared up into a sea of hazel.
Clear skin. Almost translucent. Strands of red hair, their roots fading into brown.
Jessica.
Her mouth was unlike dream-Natalie’s. It was more insistent—feverish.
I felt the whisper of fabric on my skin. She wasn’t naked either.
I did feel her soft hand on my cock, though. Her fingers gently worked up and down my shaft.
The first feeling that shot through me was annoyance. I had just spent the day with three gorgeous women I wanted severely and had just been dreaming about one of them—one I had longed for for a year.
Imagine my disappointment to find it was my ex-girlfriend jerking me off. It was her lips on mine instead of the one I really wanted.
As my waking consciousness began to claw its way back into existence, the annoyance melted away. The simple fact was that I was horny. And while Jessica was no Erin, Helen, or Natalie—she was a beautiful girl.
I slid my hands to the back of her head, pulled her firmly against me, deepening the kiss. My tongue immediately demanded access, and she granted it without hesitation.
Jessica whimpered—low, throaty, full of desire for something like this to happen. I returned it with a low growl—less desire for the woman, and more for what she could do for me.
I tore my lips from her and pulled hard on her hair, forcing her to look away so I could have clear access to the gorgeous expanse of flawless ivory that was her neck.
Diving in, my teeth found her soft skin, and it gave way as I sank in. A small grunt poured from her lips—pain mixed with pleasure. I ignored it and did it again, lower. I sucked and bit and chewed my way down her pale throat, leaving a trail of destruction and saliva in my wake. My fingers fumbled at the window of her dress, immediately falling into the expanse of cleavage between her bountiful breasts. I slid my fingers inside her dress, clamped my hands around the soft flesh of her tit, and firmly released it from its confines. The strain was too much for the dress, and the single button that held the dress’s photo collar in place snapped, causing the front to spill open, releasing both tits.
My hands were busy with her tits as I continued to leave marks all over her fair skin, working my way down her collarbone into the hollow of her throat. My hands kneaded breasts too big for them, soft flesh spilling between my fingers as I ground her pale pink nipple against my palm. I clamped my fingers around that nipple and twisted, sinking my teeth into her neck just below her left ear.
She hissed in pain but didn’t say anything. She gripped the back of my head more firmly, her fingernails scraping across my scalp.
Still holding her hair firmly in my hand, I unceremoniously pushed her toward my crotch. Her fingers had been busy but erratic, and it just wasn’t enough.
She complied, stopping only briefly to press her lips against my chest, then my stomach, and then the sensitive side of my dick.
She was being too slow. Too gentle. I wasn’t having any of it.
I tightened my grip on her hair, placed my other hand on the back of her neck, and directed her mouth to the head of my cock.
The pressure of my tip against her cherry red lips was enough of a message—get on with it.
Jessica’s warm mouth surrounded the head of my cock as she swallowed it all. Half of my length was inside her in seconds. I groaned as my head fell back and hit the pillow. The feel of her tongue dragging along the sensitive underside was fucking incredible. I had a lot of feelings about Jessica that were hard to put into words, but one thing that was beyond certainty was that she knew how to blow me. Those weeklong visitations had paid off. We both lived on a budget, and after a few days of activities, we always found sex to be more affordable—and more fun. Jessica had learned a lot about what made me tick.
It quickly escalated from oral sex to skull fucking as the head of my cock penetrated her throat. My hands on the back of her head prevented her from having control, and the sound of her gagging around my length only drove me crazier with lust. Within a few minutes, I had almost my entire member down her throat, fucking it with the ferocity that left tears in her eyes as she tried to keep them on me. One hand worked the base of my shaft. Saliva ran down the corners of her mouth.
“Oh fuck,” I groaned, feeling my climax quickly approaching.
I pulled her head off my cock, and she gasped as she drank in blessed oxygen. Her hand immediately began to fly up and down my length, knowing the stakes.
“Here it comes,” I growled. “On your face.”
She obeyed, and a heartbeat later, my first load let loose across her pretty, flawless cheeks. The next one came moments later across the bridge of her nose. The third one shot across her forehead, some of it landing in her hair. The remainder painted her lips, cheeks, and chin until my dick finally calmed down.
I groaned and released the back of her neck.
Jessica immediately set to work kissing and licking my member, cleaning it of any residual seed. I tugged on her hair, forcing her to back off my dick, and ran my fingers along her face, gathering my warm spend and pressing it to her mouth. Jessica devoured all of it without me having to order. She was no Bobbi. Jess wanted me back, and she was starting to make it clear that she would do whatever it took to make that happen.
We stared at each other as she continued to lick and suck the cum off my fingers. Her movements became more languid, and her gaze, more heated. She stared at me with an expectant look in her eyes.
I knew what she wanted, but I wasn’t going to give her anything to work with.
When her unspoken request went unanswered, Jessica tried to slip her hand between her legs.
“No,” I growled. “Not until I say you can.”
She stared at me as if I’d asked her to bring me the moon.
“I’m dead serious.”
She bit her lip, looking at me imploringly. She could turn on the Bambi eyes so easily, and that would’ve worked on old Marcus.
But she had nothing on some of the other sirens in my life, and I was starting to wise up a little more.
I rolled both of us over so that I lay on top of her, my grip still firmly on her hair.
I noticed that I’d been too attentive to one side of her neck. The result was that half her neck looked like a patchwork of pink and purple teeth marks, while the other half looked completely unscathed.
That wouldn’t do.
I leaned down and sucked hard on a large swath of her pale skin, running my teeth across it and sinking them in until she groaned and whispered, “Marcus…”
I finally released her and brought my lips near her ear.
“Get yourself cleaned up. Then get back to work.”
“That’s it?” she asked as I walked across the bed on my knees and slid off the mattress.
“For now,” I said, taking a moment to look back at her, sprawled across my bed with her tits hanging out, covered in love bites.
“We’ll pick this up later.”
***
Friday, September 13th, 6:06 pm
The sun was positioned low in the sky as I emerged from the rooftop garden—a blazing golden disk that hung low in the western sky. It cast long shadows across my roof so that the shortest objects seemed a little larger. The cottonball clouds floating in the air were blushing colors from peach to soft amber, looking absolutely breathtaking on a backdrop of deep cerulean blue.
Everything was bathed in warmth. Skin glowed. Fabrics shimmered. My friends sat in a loose circle, talking and laughing as chill beats drifted from a small setup in the far corner. A table stood half-laden with food, and Camille was adjusting platters. Her lush lips moved silently as she counted.
The pool erupted as Natashya broke the surface, her hair snapping overhead and slapping her back in a wet arc—every ripple and droplet catching golden light.
Emily and Charity leaned against the railing across the water, chatting softly. Charity’s honeyed complexion and my sister’s pale ivory practically glowed in the last gasps of sunlight.
It was like stepping into a painting.
“Eeeeyyy!” Dillon raised a glass in the air as I walked over to them.
He was sitting sideways in one of the loungers with Erin on one side and Helen on the other. I immediately felt a twinge of something that could only be described as territorial, which I immediately pushed aside. Charity and I had spoken of trust issues, but I didn’t need to worry about Erin or Helen. If I could be sure of anything, it was that those two weren’t going anywhere.
“There’s the man of the hour!” Dillon said and tossed back the rest of his drink.
A few more cheers rose from the small circle—Kwan, Jonah, and Honey.
Helen immediately rose from her spot next to my best friend with a drink in each hand and approached me, a sultry smile on her face. She looked resplendent in a bright red bikini that left very little to the imagination. Her hair hung in soft, golden curls and layers around her shoulders, partially covering the only other article of clothing she wore—the collar I’d given her.
The look on Dillon’s face as he watched Helen’s ass away from him telegraphed his thoughts perfectly.
Then I remembered…
Last time, Helen had been largely removed from my house party shennanigans. Roger had still been an obstacle between us.
I was glad that was over.
Reaching me, Helen offered one of the drinks. I took it, but the way she gazed at me with those ice blue eyes… I couldn’t resist a taste of her first. I grabbed her chin and brought our lips together, enjoying the feel of her tongue brushing against mine as they briefly danced together, and by the time the kiss was ended, we were inundated with whistles and catcalls.
“Thank you,” I said, taking a sip of Helen’s offering as I took another glance around.
Someone was missing.
“Where’s Bobbi?”
“In her room,” Helen sighed, as she looked around the rooftop. “At first glance, you would think she was a partier, but looks can be deceiving.”
“That won’t do,” I said.
Bobbi had been antisocial long enough. Part of her job was to sit around and be pretty, and she couldn’t do that if she stayed hidden away in her room. The look Helen gave me suggested that she knew what I was thinking.
“You want me to retrieve her,” she said. It wasn’t a question as much as a conclusion.
“I just want her outside for a while. At least an hour. If she still looks completely miserable, then I’ll let her go, but considering how little responsibility she has, I’m sure she can manage at least that much.”
“I’ll be back, then,” Helen said, giving me a vulpine smile that suggested she would enjoy toying with her pet while at the party.
She gave me one more kiss. Her fingers caressed my face as she walked by, her eyes holding my gaze a moment longer before breaking away to fulfill my request. I watched her firm ass sway as she left me.
I wasn’t the only one.
“Bro!” Dillon slapped me on the shoulder, having gotten up while I’d been distracted. “That’s your fucking lawyer!”
“Yeah,” I said distractedly, still watching her retreat.
“I had to hire a lawyer once,” Dillon went on as if he had my undivided attention. “She looked like my grandma.”
“Is your grandma fine like Helen?” Erin asked, finally pulling my attention away from the blonde.
“Nah!” Dillon said. “She looks like dried leather! Love her though! She can bake—”
He grabbed my arm, his eyes alight with what he thought was a brilliant idea. “Dude! You should hire my grandma to just bake for you all the time!”
“Fuck no!” I said, walking back to the rest of the group. “I’d be so fat…”
I’d had some of her baked goods before; they weren’t meant to be ignored.
I slid into Dillon’s vacant seat beside Erin. She looked up at me with the slow-blooming satisfaction of someone who’d just won a private bet. Her shoulder brushed me, and her face hovered inches from mine, dark eyes gleaming.
“Glad you could make it,” she said, voice low and warm.
“Thanks,” I murmured. “Did you send Jess to wake me up?”
“No. That was Emiko,” Erin replied, nodding toward the table where the elegant woman was mid-conversation with a young man holding a camera. Her hair was piled on top of her head, showing off a pale neck. She was laughing at something and lightly touching the man’s hand—the definition of charm.
“Why?” Erin asked, watching me watch them.
“Because, she gave me one hell of a wake-up…”
“Aww,” Erin purred. “Was she good?”
I turned back to her slowly, letting the silence stretch. “She wasn’t you.”
That did it. A flush rose in her cheeks, and her grin took on something more genuine and proud. “Charmer,” she said under her breath.
I took a moment to run my fingers through her hair as I pressed my forehead to hers, letting us settle into that sweet moment for a beat longer. Then I turned my attention back to Emiko. “We have a photographer?”
“Charity’s call,” Erin said, resting her hands on my shoulder so she could prop her chin on it. “She said you wanted this well-documented.”
“Hey!” Jonah interrupted, leaning closer to me. “We all want to know what happened in Norway.”
“Yeah,” Honey said, leaning forward along with her boyfriend. Her massive breasts threatened to spill out of her tiny, sky blue bikini top—they looked more like undersized hammocks precariously holding watermelons. “Erin and Helen were telling us you were in a gunfight?”
Dillon settled back down to listen as I began recounting to them the events that transpired in the forest. I told them about being shoved out of a helicopter after it had been hit with a rocket… how I’d parachuted to the ground, fought some mercenary, found Chloe being held by other mercs, and how we’d spent days there trying to stay dry and warm.
Halfway through my retelling, Vikram was led onto the roof by one of my security along with Venus. They were another couple who were quickly becoming a serious item thanks to attending an event at my house. Both seemed really interested in my story, so I started it over. Obviously, I left out certain details like having sex with Chloe, flirting with Astrid, or confronting her after we were rescued. Most of it was safe, though, and I enjoyed their reactions.
As I settled back in the seat and regaled them with the tale of my near miss with death, more people showed up. Helen had returned with Bobbi, who looked less than pleased to be there. However, I watched as she flounced over to the pool where Emily and Natashya sat talking, wearing a skimpy but tasteful red-and-white two-piece. Chandler showed up and was immediately intercepted by Helen, who had him charmed and laughing in moments. Even Jessica made an appearance, looking like she’d freshened up before taking on the classic role of the maid. She walked around with a tray and asked guests if they needed anything.
Eventually, Erin got up from her position and left, saying she had some things to take care of. Honey, Jonah, and Dillon decided to freshen their drinks.. That left me, Vikram, Venus, and Kwan.
My Korean American friend had just been asking me about the castle, and since this was one area where Vikram could contribute, I let him take the reins.
“You wouldn’t believe it,” Vikram said. “There are so many rooms on the top two floors alone!” He looked at me and shook his head. “I honestly don’t know what you’re going to do with all that space.”
“I can’t believe you got to stay in a Scottish castle!” Venus said. “You guys get to live such a glamorous life.”
“Weren’t you doing a shoot in Spain six months ago?” Vikram asked.
Venus waved him off. “That was for work! I barely saw anything while I was there! It’s not the same.”
Her English was good, but I picked up a hint of an accent. Greek, maybe?
Before I could ask, a body dropped into the space Erin had vacated—Rose. She gave me a brilliant smile as she leaned in so close that I thought she was about to kiss me.
“Well, hello, world traveler,” she teased.
I couldn’t help but grin. I liked Rose. She was always so easygoing—never a hint of drama from this one. She was slender with subtle curves… breasts that were barely a handful, hips with a gentle slope, and a small, shapely ass. Her skin was the color of dark chocolate, with eyes even darker.
“Hey there,” I said back.
Vikram was still going on about the castle. “Seriously, you should see it at sunset.”
“Vikram,” I cut in, “why don’t you show her instead of just telling her about it?”
Vikram just stared at me blankly.
“There’s probably some more work that needs to be done on the finalization of the purchase,” I shrugged. “Why don’t you take Venus and go out there next week? Show her around.”
“I don’t think the partners would appreciate me leaving the country so suddenly.”
I leveled my gaze at him and said, “Vikram, I own your bosses.”
Well, I owned one of them anyway…
Vikram stared at me blankly for a moment, then shot a look at Venus, who appeared to be on the verge of coming out of her skin.
“Seriously?” he asked.
“Seriously,” I replied.
Venus literally squealed, stood up, and dragged Vikram off as she said something about celebratory drinks while they planned their trip. My lawyer friend gave me a dopey grin as his girlfriend hauled him off.
I felt Rose slip an arm through mine. Her long nails drew light patterns over my wrist as she batted her eyelashes up at me.
“Did you really buy a castle?”
“I did,” I said. She was only a few inches shorter than me, so our gazes were nearly level with each other. Our noses were inches apart as she leaned back in, conspiratorially.
“I should be mad at you,” she purred.
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
“I didn’t get an invite,” Rose said. “Natashya got one.” She shrugged one shoulder, one corner of her mouth quirking in mock disappointment. “Guess I just don’t feel the love.”
I could tell she was messing with me, but I still felt bad. Natashya and Rose were relatively close, and inviting the former while ignoring the latter must’ve felt like a little bit of a slight.
On the other hand, I couldn’t take my sister without taking her girlfriend. Maybe Rose should’ve just gotten to my Emily first.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. It was a last-minute thing. Some stuff happened at a vacation home I own, and I just needed to get the hell out. You’re not the only one mad at me. So is my mom.”
Rose twisted her body, facing me a little more as she slipped her arm out from under mine so she could wrap both of them around my neck. She pulled me closer so that our noses brushed each other. I felt pulled into those sultry, dark pools staring up at me.
“Well,” she said softly, “I guess you’re just going to have to make it up to me somehow.”
“I’ve got a couple of ideas for my mom,” I said, unable to keep the amused smile off my face. “Think they’ll work on you?”
Rose gave a subtle shake of her head, returning my grin as she snorted, her warm breath on my face. “No… I’ve got something else in mind.”
A throat cleared, interrupting any chance I had of responding, and I turned to see who was trying to get my attention. Rose’s arms slowly slid from my shoulders as she straightened.
Chandler Greyson stood in that range that suggested he wasn’t sure if he was intruding or not.
“Ah,” he said, clearing his throat uncomfortably. “Hello, my dear boy!”
“Chandler!” I said, getting up to offer the older gentleman my hand. We shook, and his discomfort melted away. I used the handshake to pull him into a hug.
“It’s good to see you!”
“Oh!” He said, taken aback by the sudden shift in formality. “Why… thank you! It’s good to see you’re whole!”
Parting, I gestured to one of the several empty seats. “Care to sit?”
“Ah… no, sir. While I thank you for the invitation, I can hardly sit anymore without the risk of falling asleep. The dangers of getting old, you see…”
“I’ll see if I can get some scientists to fix that,” I said, eyeing Jessica, who seemed to be hovering nearby. She took my attention as a sign that she could approach.
“Excuse me,” she said to Chandler, holding a small tray with drinks. “Would you like a fresh one?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Chandler said, switching out his drink. I noticed how hard he tried not to be obvious as he stared at Jessica’s generous cleavage.
“I must say, I’m so relieved that you weren’t harmed by your time in Norway.”
Jessica glanced at me, tray extended. I took one of the flutes. “Thanks.”
She offered a pleased smile, a slow blush creeping across her cheeks, revealing just how desperate she was for my approval. A simple thank you for doing her job was taken as some sort of flirtation.
I paused a beat to consider the harsh attitude I had toward Jessica. It felt more… sinister than before I’d left for Europe, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what had me so on edge around her. Honestly, it made sense that such a small gesture would mean so much to her. She clearly still felt guilty about how she’d left me for that other guy. Part of her probably felt like she deserved the way I’d treated her earlier when she woke me up… especially if she was hoping to work her way back into my good graces. Compared to what happened in my room, a simple thank you probably did look like flirtation.
When it became clear that I didn’t have any other words for her, Jessica started to reluctantly turn away.
“I’ll take one,” Rose said, stepping up beside me and giving Jessica what looked like a warm smile, except for the slight brittleness at the corners.
Rose had instigated a game of Truth or Dare on this very rooftop just over a month ago. Jessica had been there simply as another party guest, but she’d gotten swept up in the hedonistic machinations of Rose’s game. Thanks mainly to Erin and Rose, Jess had ended up watching me fuck almost every girl in that hot tub while she was passed between the guys. It had been a defining moment in our relationship—a clear message that things could never go back to the way they were.
Jessica’s behavior since my return suggested that my month-long absence had dulled the impact of that message. For her, hope sprang eternal.
My ex hesitated, glanced at me as if looking for guidance, then turned back to offer the tray to Rose.
I took a sip from my own drink while Rose ***********ed hers.
She raised her glass to Chandler. “To keeping Marcus out of the bad kind of trouble.”
I swallowed my drink. “There’s a good kind?”
“Oh,” she said, giving me a knowing look, “you certainly know there is.”
She got me there. If a weekend in bed with five women wasn’t a good kind of trouble, then I didn’t know what was.
“Now that is something I can drink to,” Chandler said, clinking his glass against Rose’s. “Keeping our boy here out of danger would certainly do wonders for my stress… and probably keep me around for another few years as well.” He tossed back the rest of his drink.
Rose grinned at him. “Stress isn’t good. Maybe we need to find you some trouble of your own!”
Chandler raised a hand, as if fending off the very suggestion. “Oh, no! I’m afraid I’m a little too old for that. The old constitution isn’t quite what it used to be.”
“You never know until take it off the shelf and blow the dust off it,” she said with a wicked gleam.
Rose’s gaze flicked to Jessica, and the smile she gave my ex was slightly brittle. Then she looked back at me, pressed her thumb to my bottom lip, and swept it across—gathering the remnants of alcohol. She brought the thumb to her mouth and pressed. I watched in fascination as her finger slowly sank between her lips as she sucked off the alcohol, all the while giving me a smoldering stare that should have set me on fire.
Then she cut her eyes back to Jess. I did the same.
My ex looked like she was about to turn the tray she was holding into a weapon. There was some kind of power game going on here, that I couldn’t even begin to fully understand, but it was easy to see who was winning.
Rose extracted her thumb and trailed her hand across my chest as she passed between me and Jessica, her eyes and smile lingering. “I think I’m going to mingle a little bit more. Make sure to find me later.” Her eyes twinkled. “Bye, Chandler.”
Chandler and I both watched her walk away, the way her small black dress clung to her toned dancer’s ass was impossible to ignore.
“Um…” Jessica cleared her throat awkwardly. “Is there anything else I can get either of you?”
I turned back to her. Her cloudy gray eyes, flecked with green and blue, flashed with rage and shame.
“No,” I said, my tone much softer than it had been before. “You can go. Thanks, Jess.”
She stared at me a moment longer, then performed an awkward, shallow curtsy and then left without another glance my way.
I looked back at Chandler to find him still watching Rose as she sauntered over to Jonah and Honey.
“Changed your mind?” I asked.
“Hm?” He looked back at me.
“About looking for trouble.”
“Oh, no,” he said with a wave. “As I said—those days are long behind me.”
“Well, if that’s the case, better to leave her alone. She’s almost too much trouble for me.”
“Is she a prospective girlfriend?”
“Rose?” I shook my head. “No. She’s just a friend. I’m not dating anyone. At least… nothing serious.”
Chandler sighed. “I remember what it was like to be young and tempted by all manner of flesh.” His tone shifted, his usual levity vanishing. “Just don’t let your genitals do all the thinking for you, my boy. It’s all well and fun for a season, but in the end, most of us have to face the consequences of our actions.”
I looked across the rooftop and spotted Natashya, Emily, and Bobbi sitting along the edge of the pool, talking. “Yeah,” I said. “I’m starting to figure that out.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Really? And so young?”
He sighed. “Though if that’s true… I wish clarity had reached you sooner.”
My eyes narrowed slightly as I stared at him. “What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about Carla,” Chandler said, bitterness in his words.
“Oh.” It was my turn to sigh. In terms of consequences, she might’ve been my biggest sin. “Helen mentioned you’re having trouble with her. Is it bad?”
“No,” he said quickly, sensing my concern. “Nothing as serious as all that. She’s just driving me mad.”
Relieved that it wasn’t as serious as literally everything else to do with the Tanakas, I chuckled.
“Yes! Go ahead and laugh at my expense!” he retorted. “Give the girl a six-figure salary and little more to do than man a phone that barely rings, and you’d think I threw her into a pit of adders.”
“What does she want?”
“She’s nearly beating down my door every day, begging for a position of importance. Says she wants to make a difference… not be stuck as an executive assistant to the Vice President of Finance at PrimeX Logistics.”
“That’s one of our subsidiaries, right?”
“It is,” he groused.
“I’ll talk to her.”
“Talk?” Chandler quirked an eyebrow at me. “Is that all you’ll do?”
Instead of answering, I leveled my best glare at him.
“No bloody use denying it,” he said. “I’ve known Hiro Tanaka a long time, and while he’s a stubborn old bastard, you sleeping with his wife was the proverbial needle.”
I sighed. Maybe Chandler was right. Maybe if I hadn’t slept with Carla, we might’ve been able to make peace.
But to do that, I would’ve had to give up a hell of a lot, and I just wasn’t willing to do that.
Should I have slept with his wife? No.
If I hadn’t, maybe I would have spent the last week in a Scottish castle snuggled up to a freckled redhead instead of fighting for my life in a Scandanavian wilderness.
Before that night at the restaurant, Hiro had only suspected infidelity between me and his wife. However, I had to go and give him proof—kissing and fucking Carla in a very public restaurant inside a very public hotel. How much more did Hiro want me dead after learning about that night?
Still… as much as I could admit fault, part of me wanted to dig my heels in. Everyone seemed to think he should have had his shit together on day one, and if I’d had learned anything, it wasn’t that easy.
“Can you blame me?” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I bloody well can. Carla Tanaka is a harpy.”
“Well… she’s a hot harpy.”
“Please tell me there’s more to it than that. You’re already surrounded by lovely women—including Roger VanCamp’s wife!”
“You’re right,” I said quietly. “There was more to it than that. I was scared. And mad.”
Chandler didn’t reply.
“You were there,” I continued. “You saw how pissed he was. Hell, you even said it!”
I made air quotes with my fingers. “‘You’ve made a powerful enemy. Hiro Tanaka holds grudges.’ Those were your words.”
He looked like he was about to say something, but I continued before he had the chance.
“Chandler, he wanted a huge chunk of my company after stabbing me in the back. I had less than a month to prepare for all of it, and I spent about half the time either kidnapped or in recovery.”
I shook my head. “I was an idiot. Still am, in most ways. People think I can just step into my grandpa’s shoes and pick up where he left off.”
“I understand your—”
I pointed at Jessica. “You see that girl?”
“The waitress?” Chandler asked.
“Yeah. That used to be my girlfriend. She lived in Kansas. I saw her maybe once every two or three months. She’s smart, beautiful… but come on. She’s nowhere in the same league as someone like Erin or Rose.”
I leaned in slightly. “Chandler, I was one of those ‘nice guys’ with zero confidence. I kept my head down, minded my own business, did my work, and got cheated on the entire time. I dated long distance because I was too scared to go after the girl I really wanted who worked a few feet away from me. I was a fucking loser, man.”
“Suddenly, all this money lands in my lap. People come out of the woodwork… Cameras in my face. Sharks with fifty years of experience start circling me. I’m giving press conferences that affect global markets.”
I tossed my empty glass onto a chair. “Everyone thinks they know how they’d act in my position. Hell, even I had a plan for if I ever won the lottery, but nothing prepares you for the insanity that comes with the that kind of wealth.”
I looked him dead in the eyes. “Now remember all that—and imagine someone like Hiro Tanaka, who controls the Yakuza, threatening you to your face.”
“I’m not asking for pity. I know I’ve made mistakes. I will make more. I’m just asking you to cut me some slack.”
“Easy, there,” Chandler said, his tone soft as he placed a steady hand on my shoulder. “I understand more than you know.”
His mouth quirked into a half-smile beneath his iron-gray mustache. “I’m just glad you had the sense to put some faith in me to help guide you through these early days.”
I gave him a half-hearted smile as I glanced away.
“I know it’s been an adjustment,” he said, an edge of sharpness to his words. “But time is short, and I’m afraid you’re simply going to have to adjust faster.”
His words shocked me a little. I hadn’t expected tough love from the jovial old Brit, and I eyed him thoughtfully.
I knew he was right.
Norway had taught me that. Astrid had taught me that.
I only hoped I hadn’t finally learned the lesson too late.
As Chandler’s words settled into me, I spotted movement near the rooftop garden—and did a double-take. My little brother had just stepped onto the roof. I hadn’t even known he was in town.
What the hell was Richie doing here?
“Thanks, Chandler,” I said, clapping him lightly on the arm. “I think I needed to hear that.”
“Whew.” Chandler huffed and mimed wiping sweat from his brow. “Thank God. I was starting to worry a little tough love might get me fired!”
I laughed, squeezing his shoulder. “Not a chance. I’d be lost without you.”
“Well…” he trailed off, lifting an empty glass to his lips and blinking when nothing came out. Compliments clearly made him uncomfortable.
I gestured toward Richie, who was standing nearby, looking just a little lost. “If you don’t mind—”
“Go,” Chandler said, waving me off. “Enjoy your triumph.”
I turned and started to walk away—then paused, glancing back over my shoulder.
“Does that mean I can go looking for trouble?”
“Only the good kind,” Chandler said with a grin. “And stay away from billionaires’ wives!”
“No promises!” I called out as I turned and made my way to my brother.
“Bro! What the hell are you doing here?” I said as I approached him.
My little brother, recently eighteen, brightened as he saw me approach.
“Hey! Yeah, your assistant invited me! I hope that’s okay?”
“Of course it is!” I said, throwing my arms around him. “I just didn’t know you were in town!”
“Yeah, school started just after Labor Day. I’m in the dorms and have started classes!”
“Aw, man! I completely forgot! I’m sorry I missed your move-in!”
“No problem! I’m just thrilled I got an invite for tonight!”
“You’re telling me it’s Friday night, and you had nothing better to do than hang out with your brother?”
Richie laughed and pointed at some of the girls gathered around the pool.
“I’m not exactly playing Smash Brothers, am I?”
“True,” I said with a grin. I turned to look at the guy standing with him. He looked about the same age—dirty blond hair, an easy tan, dressed in neatly pressed khakis and a color-coordinated polo. The shoes matched, too. His hair was perfect—darker near the roots. Definitely not a T-shirt and jeans kind of guy, like Richie.
“Hey,” I said, offering a hand. “I’m Marcus.”
He grabbed it with a firm shake, his teeth flashing brilliant white. “Hi, Mr. Upton. Eli Sturgis.”
“Eli’s my roommate,” Richie added. “Hope you don’t mind that I brought him along.”
“Not at all,” I said. “The more the merrier.” I looked back at Richie. “Where’s the girlfriend? Megan, right?”
“She’s back home. She’s got another year in high school.”
Something in his tone told me that wasn’t the whole story, but I’d already had enough heavy conversation for one evening—especially at a party.
“If we try to get a drink,” Richie went on, “is anyone going to stop us?”
I eyed him for a moment. “No,” I said, “But if you’re doing that, then you have to stay the night. Both of you.”
They both nodded—my stipulation seemed more of an incentive to drink than anything.
“Go ahead,” I said. “We’ll catch up in a bit.”
The boys headed to the bar, and I took a moment to soak in the scene.
Unlike the last party, this one carried a calmer pulse—less charged, more… collected.
The sun hung low over the New York skyline, gilding the rooftop in warm light and stretching every shadow. A few days ago, I wasn’t sure I’d get to see this sunset. Now, I was standing here, surrounded by men who wielded incredible power and women whose beauty could’ve been lifted straight out of magazines. The alcohol flowed. The music thumped gently beneath it all.
I caught sight of Chloe—one of the only women on the rooftop not dressed in minimal fabrics. She wore her customary blazer and pants set, talking to Jon as her eyes scanned the crowd. He said something back to her and she nodded.
Then her gaze met mine, and I smiled at her.
Three heartbeats passed, and then she smiled back—little more than a gentle upturn of the lips, but even that tiny gesture meant so much.
I made my way to the bar and asked for a drink, telling him to make me something he thought I’d like. As I waited, I watched.
Vikram and Venus were dangling their feet in the water. Natashya and Emily were dancing to a lively beat.
And then I spotted Erin emerging from the garden and looking around the rooftop. I could literally feel it as she spotted me. She pointed me out, turning to look at someone just behind her.
It was Natalie.
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