No place, that’s where.
So yeah, I’ve got to count my blessings.
Because not only was the job perfect for a bookworm like me but as a part-time gig, I was able to keep going to the community college not far from my apartment. One day, if things went the way I planned, I’d go to a regular college and major in English. My dream is to graduate with a mortar board on my head, and a treasured piece of paper in my hand.
Besides, there was something about going to work every day in that big and beautiful library that made my dreams feel even closer. Maybe it was because the CEO of Carlton Corp. was a self-made billionaire who’d started from nothing and climbed his way all the way to the top. Maybe some of that would rub off on me.
Maybe.
I laughed aloud at the thought of someone as big league as Mason Carlton being an inspiration for my tiny dream.
Yeah, right.
He was a king, riding in a chariot in the clouds.
By contrast, I was a mouse, tucked in between the aisles, swept beneath the rug.
So with a sigh, I turned back to my dinner. After making myself some ramen—doctored up with sliced carrots and a shredded chicken breast—I sat at my rickety kitchen table and like every day after work, dissected my hours at the library.
First, I couldn’t believe I didn’t hear the stranger when he walked in. Barely anybody ever came into the library, so any sound should have set off my alarms. But I didn’t hear anything until HE was standing in front of me.
The man looked like a romance novel hero come to life with his broad shoulders and gorgeous mien. Those cool, blue eyes were like ice cutting straight into my soul, butterflies hovering in my stomach. Okay, not just hovering, full on flapping their wings, making me go hot and cold at once.
“How can I help you?” came my awkward squawk. My eyes probably looked googly and big behind the horn-rimmed glasses, white-knuckled fingers clutching my book.
Thank god the cover only had a picture of a flower on the front and not of the hot and sexy things inside. Because I read romance. A lot of it. A lot of books with pictures of Fabio on the front, blonde hair blowing in the wind. So thank goodness, this wasn’t one of those novels.
But the man knew all the same.
It was like he had x-ray vision and could see right through the flower on the cover to the words on the page, where the hero and heroine exchanged kisses, and then … you know. X-rated stuff. Triple X-rated in fact, NC-17 stuff that would make your mother blush.
Because the corner of his lip quirked slightly, oh so attractive.
And from that slight move of his sculpted lips, my mind went crazy. In the book, the naive young heiress was finally about to make love with the corporate raider who’d taken her parents’ company and now threatened her own wealth. And I’d just gotten to a juicy scene. A super juicy scene if you know what I mean, involving steely manhoods and his lips on her ….
Just like this man’s lips before me now!
What would it feel like on my …?
OMG, what was I thinking?
Even with the flower on the cover, why couldn’t I be reading something else? Something important like Money Magazine or Fortune. That would make me look serious and studious, instead of a blushing, sweaty girl.
So embarrassing.
And to make things worse, I’d practically fallen all over myself trying to help him then. Yes, sir. Anything you need sir. Ugh! Did he think I was a complete idiot, or just a typical eighteen year-old virgin who’d never seen a man before? He probably just thought I was an idiot.
And why did he want to research the Virgin Mary? What would a man want with religious texts and long, boring tomes written by scholars? He looked more of a corporate raider than a guy holed up in a carrel all day.
But the dark alpha was calm, assessing me coolly.
Did he know I was untouched? Could he tell?
No. Couldn’t be.
And of course, I had to make myself look like even more of a moron when I’d mumbled my name and scurried off into the aisles afterwards.
Why oh why had I done that? Why couldn’t I have acted normal? Why did I have to stammer like a pimply adolescent?
Oh well. It was too late now. I was probably never going to see him again. No one ever came down to the library. At least not on purpose.
Still, as I nibbled on my ramen noodles and swallowed the warm salty broth, I couldn’t help wanting the thing I couldn’t have. To see the handsome stranger again … as soon as possible.
CHAPTER FOUR
Mason
The day felt like more of the same. The same as yesterday, the same as the one before that. Twirling a pen between my fingers, I idly shot another glance at the reports on my desk. They were from my second-in-command, Gordon. Good ole Gordy. He was my trusted lieutenant, handling everything that I didn’t want to do. Everyone at Carlton Corp. knew by now not to bother me with the easy things anymore. It just wasn’t worth my time. Gordon could do it.
My chair swiveled to the floor to ceiling windows, an expansive view of downtown below. Man, the view should have filled my heart, made my head swim with the beauty of the cityscape melding into a skyline.
But no. I was just bored.
I tossed the pen onto my desk and picked up a fidget spinner.
These things are addictive, aren’t they? The metal triangle whirled between my fingers, my brain glazing over.
Because the truth is, I’m not that interested in Carlton Corp. anymore. Hell, even the financial reports on my desk were boring. Before, I used to be all about the money. Making it. Making more. Finding more. Amassing wealth until I was the King of New York.
But it gets old. I’ve been the king for a while now. And let’s face it. I’m a single guy, and there aren’t that many places to spend the moolah. How many five star dinners can you have? How many closets full of expensive suits? How many penthouse apartments? So yeah, my bank account was full to the brim, my brain like lead most days.
But there was a light on the horizon. That sweet little librarian downstairs. What was her name again?
Beth. A pretty name for a pretty girl.
It had nothing to do with her clothes because God knew those frumpy, brown polyester blends didn’t make the best of her assets. If she put on something with more color, something tighter and short, there’d be a stampede down to the library to check out books. And other things. I clenched my teeth. Maybe she shouldn’t change the frumpy clothes then. Nobody should see her but me.
Wait.
What was I thinking?
I just met this chick.
Snorting, my eyes rolled towards the ceiling.
But still. The thought of some other guy looking at her made me feel a little psycho. She was so sexy with her thick body and shy looks that I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I’ve always liked bigger girls, but never the shy ones. Usually, I like a girl who knows she’s hot with a bug up her ass.
But this librarian. She was as sweet as a piece of peppermint candy ready to melt all over your tongue.
What was her name again?
That’s right.
Beth.
The question is, was she a virgin piece of candy?
God, I wanted to find out.
The fidget spinner spun aimlessly in my hand again, its edges blurring.
Beth would be perfect for my fuck book if she still had her cherry. A sweet, whole cherry, ready to be popped.
But the voice in my head spoke unbidden. Don’t do this, it said. She doesn’t deserve it. No female does. Ignoring it, I levered myself to my feet. I wasn’t going to win the fuck book contest by sitting on my ass and dreaming about virgins. I needed to go find one. Or at least talk to this gorgeous girl downstairs.
Because she had to be untouched. Right?
Her shyness, that vulnerability indicated she was innocent.
I had to find out.
Whistling tunelessly, my feet carried me to the elevator.
The doors hissed shut, re-opening in the luxe quarters of the library.
But this time, Beth wasn’t at her desk. My head spun. Where was she? In front of her chair, a book sat, a wet, glistening orchid on its cover. Was she into gardening? Not a question I really wanted answered. What I wanted was the girl herself, not some flower.
I went to hunt my Beth down. The space was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. I should appreciate it more. My day-to-day life was all about speed and noise and having it all. The Players Club. The tricked out Tesla in the garage. The high dollar sound system that blasted music as loud as it would go to distract me from the nothingness of my life.
God, maybe this silence was getting to me already. It was giving me too much of a chance to think. And maybe I should. But the thoughts screeched to a halt then because ah, there she was.
Beth.
Bent over, looking at something on a lower shelf with her ass tilted up in the air. What a picture she made. That big butt and tiny waist, thick thighs just peeking out from the bottom of her dress. It was another boring skirt and blouse combination, navy blue this time. But even that didn’t distract from her luscious body.
Damn, she looked tempting and absolutely good enough to eat. She probably wouldn’t like it if I lifted that ugly skirt of hers and touched her thick ass, yanked her panties to the side and rubbed my needy dick against her cunt.
No, probably not.
But my cock sure wouldn’t mind. It twitched in my pants, ready for lift-off. Okay, priorities. Daytime fantasies were not the reason I was down here. I needed to stay on task.
After taking another moment to appreciate Beth’s assets, I cleared my throat. The girl jumped up and turned around with a startled squeak. My eyebrows raised, amused.
“Hi. It’s you again.”
Her voice trailed off into silence. But female interest rang loud and clear in the room. Oh yeah, you could read the signals from a million miles away. The bright eyes. The heaving breasts, and the way that pink tongue flickered out to swipe at her lips quickly.
Oh yeah, she wanted me.
Again, thank God for three-piece suits and how the jacket covered my growing stiffness. Still, I stuck my hands in my pockets and smiled casually.
“Glad I found you,” came my low growl. “My research on virgins still has a long way to go. That’s why I’m here again.”
No, not to see you.
Not to see that wide shelf of your ass.
Not to find out if you’re a virgin.
Not at all.
Beth looked instantly eager to help with her wide brown eyes and pretty pink mouth.
“Did the books I showed you yesterday make a difference?”
Slowly, I shook my head, as if regretful.
“Naw, sorry honey. I need information about a different kind of virgin. Not in a religious sense, if you get what I mean.”
Beth bit her bottom lip, puzzled.
“What sense did you mean?”
I couldn’t help but grin at her innocence. It was so damn cute.
“The biological sense,” came my lazy drawl. “You know, anatomy and all.”
On cue, she blushed wildly, but never underestimate your local librarian. Because Beth surprised me then. Smiling, she said, “I think I know what you’re looking for.”
I doubted she did. Because let’s face it. If she did, she’d be running as fast as possible in the other direction, screaming and pulling her hair out. Naw, she had no idea.
But with another of those shy smiles, Beth put away the books she’d been shelving on a nearby library cart and led me over to a section with “Health and Science” stenciled at the beginning of the row. Big biology books, probably antiques, lay open on glass stands to display detailed but tasteful watercolors of the human body.
Blushing again, Beth gestured to an anatomy book.
“Maybe this would help?”
Why was this gorgeous treasure buried all the way down here? I grinned at her, and made a mental note never to neglect the library again.
“Yes, thank you,” came my growl.
Even more color rushed into those plump cheeks then.
“You’re welcome. If you need anything else, I’ll be at my desk.”
This time, I didn’t watch her walk away because it was just too obvious. I’m a caveman, but even a caveman has to stalk his prey. You can’t just throw it all out there and hope something sticks to the wall.
But still. Just her shy looks and hot blushes made me want to kiss her all over. And that ass made me sweat. If I ever got my hands on it, I’d worship it for hours. Not just with my hands, but with every part of my body.
Fuck.
So much for not getting any more turned on in the library.
My dick twitched in my trousers again, hardening uncomfortably.
Double fuck.
Determined to stay on task, I pulled out a book and thumbed through it. Yep, this was anatomy alright. The female section was detailed, with pink and purple pictures of everything you might want to see. Uteruses. Ovaries. Even fallopian tubes, long and thin, with thin white flowery petals at the end. What were those? My eyes squinted, staring at the page. Ah, never mind, this wasn’t what I was really after.
Because I wanted to see the real thing. Not paintings, not pictures. But the real thing, preferably wet and open and begging to be touched.
I imagined Beth at her desk, her orchid open and dripping. That was it. The anatomy book closed with a resounding snap, carelessly tossed onto the table. No pictures were gonna do when there was the real thing so close. With long strides, I was at her desk in seconds.
She was reading intently again, but the second my shadow crossed the room, Beth’s chin snapped up, eyes wide. The familiar blush on her face was even more intense, taking in my big frame.
“Thanks for the books,” I told her, “but I need something a bit more personal.”
“What do you mean?” She stammered the words, pressing the orchid book into her lap, almost squeezing the pages. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Actually, there is.” I grinned. “I’d like to have a study session after work with you. Is that something you offer? Do you mind?”
For a second or two, the female didn’t say anything. She just looked at me with her pink mouth in a sweet little O of surprise, eyes flabbergasted.
“I’m just a librarian, not a tutor,” came her stammer.
But that didn’t matter.
I leaned close and braced my arms across the top of the high desk. It was a power move, used ruthlessly in the boardroom.
“You’re a librarian, that’s true, but you’ve also been very helpful to me. Very useful.”
It worked as usual. Too well. Normal guys tremble and cower, and this little filly was the same. She barely breathed, staring at me like a little white rabbit motionless in the field.
So I pulled out the big guns then.
“Actually, you might know me already. My name is Mason Carlton, of Carlton Corp.? I think you could help me a lot around here.”
Yep, the bomb always works.
“You’re…?” Her big brown eyes got wider. Then she nodded feverishly. “Um … yes. Okay, yes.”
Smart girl. Clearly, Beth knew how the land lay.
“I’ll pay you extra for your work, don’t worry,” came my reassuring rumble. “Just say you’ll help.”
“I... Of course, I’ll help you. Whatever you need, sir.” Her face glowed a bright red but something about her glance told me the female was excited too.
A lazy smile crossed my lips.
“How about tomorrow then?” came my drawl. “Five o’ clock alright?”
She stammered out something incomprehensible before quickly recovering with a “Yes, of course,” repeated at least three times. Then that sweet mouth clamped shut, and there was silence. Good girl. Beth’s eyes were damn near as big as headlamps now, those plush lips trembling.
But I’d show her a good time.
For sure. Tomorrow at five o’ clock it was.
And throwing one more smile over my shoulder, I drawled.
“Don’t be late, sweetheart. See you tomorrow.”
With that, my big figure was gone, disappeared into the elevator. But I wasn’t done. Not by a long shot. Because something about this sweet and sassy librarian had me going … and I was going to unveil her secrets.
CHAPTER FIVE
Beth
Even though it happened almost twenty-four hours ago, my mind’s still reeling.
Because yesterday’s events were crazy. The man who walked into the library was the CEO of Carlton Corp. Mason Carlton, billionaire extraordinaire, known for his playboy habits, always with a gorgeous woman or two on his arm. And I was supposed to do a study session with him after work today?
Unreal.
What was going on?
Why would he want me?
But none of that stuff mattered because Mr. Carlton didn’t see me as anything more than another member of his staff. An employee. A drone who drew a paycheck, just like everyone else. I took a huge breath and finished shelving the last of the books on my cart.
Stay calm, my inner voice reprimanded sternly. Stay calm.
Because what Mr. Carlton and I had later on today wasn’t a date. Not by a long shot. We weren’t going out to dinner or anything like that. It was a simple study session. We were going to hit the books and read up about virgins.
Virgins?
Why?
And why me? What could I possibly teach him? I knew nothing.
But good habits die hard. Because after Mr. Carlton left yesterday, I’d pulled every book possible on anatomy, studying everything the library had on virginity, and then some information online too. It was actually interesting and I learned a ton of stuff I had no idea about.
Labia majora.
Labia minora.
Arousal.
Hymen.
Learning it was easy. School has always come easy to me, and good grades aren’t that hard. It’s just that tuition money is scarce, so it was taking me longer to graduate.
But still. This had nothing to do with school. This was all about Mr. Carlton, and what he was looking for.
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