by Claire Adams
“I don’t have the same appointments listed on my schedule,” I said. “And, I think you need me for all of them.”
Tristan was about to say something when I leaned in and kissed him slowly. As I kissed him, letting my tongue trace the curve of his lower lip, I slipped my hand down and into his boxers. He groaned as I encircled his cock with my hand and started massaging gently. His hands started exploring my body, and I allowed him to remove my panties without a fuss. The moment they were down, however, I pushed him away and walked back into the suite.
“Hey,” Tristan said. “Where are you going?”
“I had an appointment with Ben,” I told him, with a smile.
He followed me into the suite. His hard-on was glaringly prominent through his boxers and I felt a little thrill of satisfaction. “Ben?” he repeated.
“Yes.”
“Fuck Ben,” he said forcefully. “I want you now.”
“I’m afraid I’m busy today,” I said, heading into the room. “I need to get dressed and head out.”
He groaned as he followed me into the bedroom. “What are you doing?”
“I’m getting ready to head out,” I said.
Then I started undressing slowly, moving my body seductively and with increasing slowness. Tristan watched me carefully, and I saw him cringe a little. “You are cruel,” he said. “How come I’ve never noticed that before?”
I laughed and threw my camisole on the floor. He stared hungrily at my naked body, and I gave him a smile. “Can you pass me my clothes?”
“I most certainly will not,” he said decidedly as he came forward and grabbed me.
I wanted to resist him a little longer before finally succumbing, but the heat of his lips, coupled with his hands on my ass, was a little too much for me to turn from. He pushed me down onto the bed, but instead of climbing on top of me, he settled between my thighs and pushed my legs open. The moment I felt his tongue inside me, I let out a bracing moan and clung to either side of the giant bed.
I writhed, while he went to town on me until I was wet and moaning and weak with desire. When he lifted his head up, I reached for him. He pulled himself up and pushed inside me in one smooth move. His cock was so large and hard that every time he entered me, I felt this whooshing feeling in the pit of my stomach that always traveled up to my heart. It was this glorious feeling of satisfaction that I had never felt before.
He fucked me furiously, pumping into me with a force so that my body shook violently beneath him. I pulled up my legs and wrapped them around his waist. I felt his body shake as he slipped deeper inside me. We rocked back and forth together, clinging to each other and rolling around on the bed like animals locked in a mortal embrace.
It was one of those days when one position was just not enough. First Tristan was on top, then he pulled me on top of him, and I rode him while he massaged my breasts and pinched my nipples gently. Then we changed positions again, and Tristan fucked me from behind until my whole body was writhing in ecstasy.
He didn’t give me time to recover from my first orgasm. He turned changed position again, and I fucked him in the reverse cowgirl position. Then the position changed again. It seemed like he fucked me in every position a man can take a woman. I was weak and shaking afterward and despite the fact that it was a cool and comfortable day, there was a visible layer of perspiration lining my body.
Tristan was sweating, too, and once I had calmed down, and my breathing returned to normal, I rolled back on top of him and licked the sweat off his neck and chest. He just lay there, with his hands on my back, moving up and down in concentric circles.
“So,” I said. “How did the first appointment go?”
Tristan’s laugh was weak too. “It was…orgasmic,” he replied. “There were moments that I didn’t think I was going to survive.”
I smiled. “Poor boy. I think you need breakfast.”
“I think it’s the only way I’m going to have the energy to get out of bed.”
I was kissing his neck when I heard him give a thoughtful sigh. “What is it?” I asked, sensing that something was on his mind.
“I don’t deserve you,” he said. He was smiling, but I could see the veil of seriousness underneath it.
“Don’t say that,” I said.
“It’s true.”
“You’ve given me a lot,” I reminded him. “You’ve introduced me to my sexuality, and you’ve given me a job I’m passionate about. That means a lot to me.”
“Is it enough?”
I knew what he was really asking. Did I mind the hours he worked and the limbo relationship we found ourselves in most of the time? He wanted to know if I was satisfied with our relationship the way it was.
“It’s enough for now,” I replied back honestly.
Chapter 29
Tristan
It was hard to feel like you were living a normal life when your home was actually a five-star resort in Hawaii, but there were moments when normal was exactly what I felt like. It was usually quiet moments in the morning when I woke up next to Molly. There were times when we could almost pass as the picture of domestic bliss. Except that Molly and I never had to cook or clean.
I was staring at Molly sleeping as I contemplated the future we might have one day. I had never before thought about marriage. I had never thought about children. I had been so consumed with working and keeping my father’s hard work going that I had never considered the alternate to career, which was family. Did I want the wife? Did I want the children? Did I want the minivan? Did I want the white picket fence?
They were never questions that had even occurred to me before. I had finished my degree and then jumped straight into a ready-made business that required my full attention. Whenever I had a moment to resurface for air, I only ever had time for a last-minute hookup or short-lived relationship.
But when I had committed to Molly, at least for the foreseeable future, it had opened up my mind to the possibilities. It had made me realize that I had never slowed down long enough to ask myself what I wanted outside of my career. And now that I thought about it, I realized that I could do without the white picket fence and the minivan, but the idea of having a wife and kids… Well, it didn’t sound so horrible.
I imagined myself standing at the end of an aisle, with a veiled woman in a white dress walking down towards me. It was a strange image, but I realized that I found it almost poetic in a way.
I was scared, in fact, I had never been so scared in my life. This life was not something I had ever considered. Did this happen because I was getting older? Or was this happening because of Molly?
The fact that she was my first serious relationship was not lost on me. Perhaps I was just romanticizing our situation. What if Molly was not as happy as she seemed? Even if she was happy now, there was no guarantee she would stay that way. I knew from past experience that women only put up with neglect for a certain period of time. After that, they get angry and moody and indignant. Then either they break up with me, or they force me to break up with them. It had been the story of my life for the last ten years, and I wondered if I was naïve to believe that could change.
I slipped out of bed and headed to the living room. It was early, but I got dressed anyway and headed to my office. The sunrise was magnificent, and I sat with my chair facing the windows with a cup of strong coffee, watching as world erupted in light. Half an hour later, I still hadn’t been able to stop my mind from racing long enough to get any work done.
I glanced at my watch and wondered if I should give Jason a call. I still hadn’t plucked up the courage to tell him about Molly and me. I had told Molly that I was scared to piss him off, but by now I knew that wasn’t the real reason. I was just scared that telling him would make this commitment real. It was nothing but a mental block on my part, but I was having a tough time wrapping my head around the reality of Molly and me.
I picked up the phone on my desk and dialed Jason’s number. Then I put in on speaker and
waited for him to pick up. A few seconds later, Jason answered the phone.
“Hi, man,” I said. “Am I disturbing you?”
“Actually, no,” he said enthusiastically. “Perfect timing… I’m with the folks this weekend.”
“How are they?” I asked, even though I knew exactly how they were because of Molly.
“Doing really good,” Jason said. “Mom’s roped me into this charity fundraiser she’s doing tomorrow. She’s auctioning me off; can you believe it?”
I smiled. Molly had told me about it a few days ago. She and I had laughed at the idea of Jason parading around a room full of screaming women, determined to let loose for the night. Somehow, we had both felt that Jason would be in his element.
“Uh…that sounds fun.”
“Fun,” Jason repeated. “That’s one way of describing it. It’s for ALS, so it wasn’t as though I could say no.”
“What does this auction entail?” I asked, stalling for time.
“There’s this catwalk set up in the clubhouse,” he explained. “And there are thirty men on auction. The women have to place their bids, and the highest bidder gets the man she wants for a night of romance.”
I laughed. “What if some eighty-year-old bids on you?”
“Let’s hope she’s outbid by a twenty-year-old.”
“I hope she’s not.”
“Asshole,” he said, laughing. “If you had been around, you could have volunteered, too.”
“Uh yeah,” I said lamely. “Sure.”
“Try and sound a little more enthusiastic, why don’t you,” Jason teased. “Especially considering you don’t have to do it.”
“Hey, I actually happen to admire you for agreeing to take part,” I said. “Who knows, you could be bought by the love of your life tomorrow.”
“Is that sarcasm?” he demanded.
“Hey, stranger things have happened.”
Jason laughed. “Please, you know me,” he said. “I can’t settle. That’s the main reason we bonded in college, remember?”
I bit my lip. “Was that the main reason?”
“Don’t you remember the night we met?” he asked. “We were both trying to avoid crazy ex-girlfriends. I believe mine Claudia and yours was Yvonne.”
“Fuck,” I groaned. “Yvonne.”
“Remember her?”
I snorted. “Of course, I fucking remember her,” I said. “She practically stalked me for three weeks after I ended things with her. I think she thought her persistence would be attractive.”
“How’d you finally get her to stop following you around?” Jason asked.
“She saw me making out with Reese Tanner.”
Jason laughed. “That’s right… I remember Reese.”
“You should,” I said. “You hooked up with her a few weeks later.”
He laughed. “Ah, the good old days.”
“Quite frankly, I’m glad the good old days are behind us. Girlfriends are not something you and I should have in common.”
“Speaking of ex-girlfriends, I ran into someone from your past recently,” Jason said.
I suppressed a groan. “Who was it?”
“Faith.”
“Faith,” I repeated. “How’d you run into her?”
“I was at this club with a few work colleagues, and she stepped up to the bar beside me. She recognized me immediately.”
“How is she?”
“Seems to be doing well,” Jason replied. “She’s practicing law now… And, she asked about you.”
By the tone of Jason’s voice, I knew there was more to the story. “What did she say about me?”
His tone was amused. “She might still be a little sore at you.”
“For the breakup?” I asked incredulously. “That was years ago.”
“But apparently, it still stings,” Jason said. “She certainly didn’t seem to be thrilled by your success.”
“She’s certainly not the only one,” I sighed.
“Well you can’t really blame her, can you?” Jason said. “You did cheat on her.”
I closed my eyes for a second. “I… There may have been a small overlap…” Jason burst out laughing at my pathetic justification. “I thought we both knew that things were not going well.”
“Except that you forgot to break up with her before moving on.”
“I was a shmuck back then,” I said. “But I’ve changed now.”
There was a second of silence on the other line. “Have you?”
“Well… I mean… Sure… Of course.”
“Because last I heard you were just jumping from woman to woman in a string of one-night stands.”
This was the worst possible direction the conversation could have gone in. This was not the lead up I wanted before I told Jason that I was sleeping with his sister.
“That’s all in the past,” I said, trying to save myself just a little bit. “I think… I mean… I’ve turned over a new leaf.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” he demanded.
“Why?” I repeated.
“I don’t understand what brought this change on?”
“I got sick of all the meaningless sex.”
There was another second of silence. “Are you pulling my leg here?”
“No,” I said indignantly. “I’m being serious. I’m trying to be a standup guy here. I’m trying to see if I can hold a relationship for more than a few months.”
“Wow… Does this have something to do with a woman?” Jason asked pointedly.
I should have expected the question, but I still balked when he asked. It was the perfect opening, the perfect opportunity to come clean and tell him the truth about Molly and me. And yet, I found the words lodged in the back of my throat, unwilling to slip out.
“No,” I heard myself say. “Just a change of heart.”
“A change of heart?” he repeated.
“Yes.”
“Bud, I think you’ve been in Hawaii too long. The sun and surf may have addled your brains a little bit.”
“Are you telling me you never want to settle down?” I asked curiously. “Ever?”
“By settle down, do you mean sleep with only one woman for the rest of my life?”
“I’m being serious here,” I said.
“Well… I’ve never thought about it before,” he replied, and I could tell that he was thinking about it now, much like I had. “I suppose the idea of not ending up with someone is…”
“Depressing?” I offered.
“A little,” Jason agreed. “But I can’t help thinking that if I did settle down, it would be years and years from now. Like when I was in my forties.”
“And I’m assuming the woman you settle down with would be—”
“In her twenties,” Jason finished for me. “Of course, that goes without saying.”
I laughed. “You were always an ambitious horndog.”
“Takes one to know one,” he shot back.
I laughed, knowing that I had missed my opportunity to come clean. I tried not to feel very happy about that.
“Have you seen Molly recently?” Jason asked.
My smile faltered guiltily, and I was glad that Jason wasn’t here to see that. “Uh… Yeah, I see her a lot actually, since we’re working together now.”
“She loves working at the resort,” he told me. “This job is so much better for her than the last one.”
“I agree,” I nodded.
“I’m glad she has you over there,” he said. “I feel better knowing she has someone to look out for her.”
I raised my eyebrows, knowing he would probably kick himself over that comment later when he did eventually find out about Molly and me.
“Listen, Jason,” I said, hearing a knock at my office door. “I’ve got to start my day. Talk later?”
“Of course,” he replied. “Thanks for calling, bro; it was nice catching up.”
I cut the line and sighed at my ow
n cowardice. “Come in,” I called, after a moment.
Ben walked in with his clipboard in hand. “The helicopter just landed,” he informed me. “Why aren’t you up there?”
“What?” I asked, in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
Ben raised his eyebrows at me. “Emma’s here.”
Chapter 30
Molly
“How are you?” I asked.
Alani was looking much happier since the incident with the Beaumonts had been dealt with, and her name had been cleared. She had reverted back to the old Alani that I was familiar with—cheerful, playful, and easy-going.
“I’m doing great,” she told me. “But for a second there, I was terrified.”
“I can imagine.”
“You don’t know how grateful I am to you,” she said, looking at me earnestly.
“Hey, you don’t have to thank me—”
“No, I do,” she insisted. “Any other superior in your position would have taken the guests’ side over mine. They wouldn’t have bothered to check tapes and speak to the boss on my behalf. They would have just assumed they understood the situation and acted accordingly.”
“I don’t know about that,” I said, feeling slightly embarrassed by Alani’s obvious gratitude towards me.
“No, it’s true. I’ve worked in two other hotels before this one, and in both places, I watched how the superiors always yelled at the staff, whether it was their fault or not. If a guest makes a complaint, their word is taken as gospel, and no one cares about the other side of the story.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“We’re expendable, Molly,” Alani said. “But a guest must always be kept happy.”
“That’s not how I see it at all,” I said firmly. “We’re in the hospitality trade, and of course a guest must be kept happy…but within reason. If they do something wrong, they should be held accountable. Tristan feels that way, too.”
Alani smiled. “I heard what he did for Simon,” she said.
“He’s suspended without pay for three months and won’t be eligible for any raises during the course of this year while his behavior and performance is being evaluated,” I nodded. “But considering the story he told Tristan about his mother was true, Tristan paid for her operation himself.”
