by Katie Ford
“If Bobby goes to New York, I’ll be coming with him,” she pronounced snappily. “After all, we are married now, right my love?”
My bros and I swiveled to face the poor guy. So she’s in charge now huh? Man, freedom is precious, and Bobby no longer had it. Because without looking in our direction he looked down and mumbled.
“Yes, dear,” came the words, docile like a pet dog.
Satisfied, Elaine flashed a triumphant smile and turned back to issuing orders. Not a moment too soon, my lady. Not a moment too soon.
Because I’ve heard of the Stepford Wives, but had Bobby become a Stepford Husband? Was he now a robot without any self-will? Existing on this Earth only to make Elaine happy? Man, what a turnaround from our carefree spirited days, roaming around town like a pack of wolves.
So yeah, it looked like marriage was a life sentence. A bad one, for my bud especially. Sorry bro, that’s a raw deal. This is a tough one with no easy way out.
And glancing at his tired profile, I pitied the poor guy for the millionth time. At least there was always divorce if the shit got too bad. Please tell me he had her sign a pre-nup.
But now, the post-wedding brunch. The fancy restaurant had nice décor, but the food was terrible. It was being served in bite size portions fit for a dwarf. Plus, it was some low-carb, no calorie, tasteless mush that Elaine and her brigade of skinny minnies preferred, if they ate at all. Another sigh escaped me. Hopefully, there was a good steakhouse nearby where we could grab a real meal later.
But fuck, there was just no peace in this place. Because Stacy and the other bridesmaids started throwing themselves at us in about five minutes flat. It was shameless, I tell you. Crazy out of whack shameless. Clearly, they weren’t up with body language and cold stares.
“Where did you guys go last night? You missed dancing with us,” Stacy whined as she tried to get our attention. If there was a paper bag nearby, I might have forced it over her head just to muffle the noise.
No reply from any of us.
“I wanted to show you something,” she cooed, winking our way and carelessly flipping that blonde hair over her shoulder.
Really?
What could it be?
None of us were interested.
But to be polite, Mason spoke up.
“We had to go back to the hotel to get a little work done last night,” the big man said smoothly, more to fill the silence than anything.
Linda, the hyena, seemed to think this was hilarious because she let out a high pitched half-shriek / half-giggle then.
“What? Work on a Saturday night? Who does that?”
Tyler, Mason and I looked at each other incredulously. Was this really happening? I realize we’re not from Knox, but yes, people do work on Saturdays sometimes.
After all, we got to be billionaires by putting in the hours. That means evenings and weekends, blood, sweat and tears all the way. These two chicks were so out of touch, going googly-eyed and giggling like nincompoops. God. Just kill me now.
But it was better to be nice. This was my bud’s wedding, after all.
“My company’s busy right now, we’re in the middle of acquiring Little Mortie’s Cupcakes. It’s not a done deal yet, but almost. So yeah, there was some work on the table.”
That got a reaction then. Linda and Stacy squealed in unison, the sound shrill and piercing.
“Oh my god! We love Little Mortie’s!”
“Those cupcakes, are like, so good. We eat them all the time!”
Yeah, right. Did these crazy girls expect us to believe they’d eat cupcakes? More like anything with sugar and cream was toxic, going into the trash immediately. But I smiled politely, hemming and hawing, trying to keep the ladies at bay.
“Sure,” was my noncommittal reply. “I’ll get you some samples.”
The girls screamed in unison then, hands going up to cover their mouths.
“Yes!” breathed Stacy, eyes wide.
“More!” screamed Linda, practically orgasming.
It was hard not to roll our eyes. After all, this was all fake, not to mention over-the-top dramatic.
But finally, the girl we were waiting for walked in the door. Yes, Katie. Yesterday, she’d been gorgeous despite that ugly green dress, but today, there was no more dress. And as a result, the female was absolutely ravishing, a goddess to behold. The modest, floral outfit she wore spoke of innocence, showcasing those curves to perfection. Her brown hair was down and curly, floating above her shoulders.
But I’m no angel. My eyes roamed all over that body. The memory of those Double D’s spilling out as we undressed her caused my dick to jerk involuntarily. I wanted to motorboat those luscious tits and then use them to jerk off before splashing my cum all over her chest. Damn! She had me wrapped around her finger from “Hello.”
But there’s a time for everything, and that time wasn’t now. So instead, we went easy.
“Hey you,” I drawled lazily.
A beautiful smile wreathed the female’s face before she snapped to. Oh yeah, it was like there were birds tweeting, baby deer coming to lie at our feet as violins played. But there were people around, so the girl quickly took her seat.
“Hi, everyone. Sorry I’m late,” came that sweet voice.
And the woman reached for an ice cold glass of water then. Like a parched desert traveler, she gulped the liquid, throat visibly moving with each swallow. That’s right baby, put out that fire starting inside of you. You know you want some more of what we gave you.
But enough is enough. There was no need for a show. We were about to launch into normal conversation when Stacy’s screech cut through the air.
“Kane is a CEO, did you know? A real, live CEO!” she tittered. But it didn’t stop then. “His company is buying Little Mortie’s Cupcakes, we love that stuff, don’t we girls?”
The woman’s voice literally made me nauseous, difficult to stay upright in my seat. But none of the other ladies noticed.
Linda on my left chimed in, “He must be worth millions!”
And then Elaine waltzed over from nowhere, determined to have the last word.
“Actually, they’re billionaires,” she said smugly, crossing her arms over her chest. “Count ‘em girls. That’s nine zeros, in case you need help.”
I frowned at the blonde. Bride or no bride, this was bad manners. Never talk about money or religion, got it? But Elaine is unstoppable, nodding proudly as if we were her sons.
Collectively, more ooh’s and ahh’s rose around the table. Damn, these skinny chicks were getting wet just thinking about our money. They were all so turned on by our huge bank accounts and nothing more. Shit. Women are the same everywhere huh? Up in New York and down here in the middle of nowhere as well.
But Katie seemed unaffected by the news. She merely nodded her head slightly in acknowledgment before turning to address us.
“I love Little Mortie’s Cupcakes,” she said with a genuine smile. “The caramel swirl fudgies are my favorite.”
The other girls looked quizzically at each other. What were fudgies? Some kind of fudge slash brownie mix? Clearly, Little Mortie’s wasn’t a win for them.
But Mason and Tyler nodded their heads approvingly. Of course, Katie was the type of girl that loved Little Mortie’s. Further, I’m sure she enjoyed eating a juicy, rare hamburger, loaded with everything and washing it down with a milkshake made with whole milk too. Our female loves food and isn’t afraid to hide it.
Smiling brilliantly, she turned to me next.
“How was your night?” came the soft question.
Was she being serious? The girl knew how my night had been because I’d spent it with her. Or more accurately, we’d spent it with her.
But the crowd didn’t have to know, so discretion was key.
“It was real good,” Tyler said smoothly.
“Best night ever,” Mason growled, before lifting a drink to his lips.
“People should get married more often,” I added, n
ot to be outdone. “Weddings seem to bring something out in people, don’t you agree?”
The suggestive question had those cheeks going pink again, the girl gasping quietly in her seat. But she didn’t give in either. Instead, the woman turned our way.
“I’m glad you’re all enjoying your stay in our little town. I know coming from a big city, Knox must be real small in comparison.”
Small was an understatement. More like a smudge on the map, a squashed bug leaving its trace.
But that wasn’t the point. Taking a deep breath, Katie looked us straight in the eye then.
“And how long before you return to New York?”
Ah ha, the million dollar question. The three of us shared a look. We’d discussed this last night after arriving back at the hotel. If we hadn’t met Katie last night, it would have been sayanora, peace out immediately. I’d probably be sitting in my home office this very moment catching up on some work, the weekend already forgotten.
But after last night, everything was different. This girl was special. She wasn’t just any piece of female flesh. Katie was sweet, innocent, and pure, in a way that you don’t find anymore. You could look all the way down to South American, or all the way up to the North Pole, and there’d be no one like her.
So yeah, we wanted more.
Soon.
Fast.
Bad.
Tyler shot her a long, searching look.
“Actually, our plans have changed. We’re going to be in Knox for a while. You got a recommendation for some tour companies? Someone to show us around?”
And sure enough, the female’s face lit up. It was like a bulb going off inside, a smile wreathing her lips, internal joy projected outwards. Was she just as excited as we were about the possibility of more time together?
But before anyone could say anything, that nosy hyena Stacy jumped in again.
“I’ll do it! I’d love to show you around town,” she said grinning like a hungry wolf. Fuck that. I’d rather endure blue balls for a week before putting myself in Stacy’s hands with their long, red nails.
“Or me!” chimed in Piper, a freckly redhead. “I was born here, I know this place real well.”
That made Stacy grow red in the face, turning on her competition.
“We were all born here, Piper, that’s nothing,” she said dismissively before smiling at us sweetly once again. “I’m available anytime,” she cooed. “Just let me know what you want to see.”
Wow, the devil has two faces huh? There was definitely a Dr. Jekyll- Mr. Hyde thing going on right now. So Mason made some noncommittal noises.
“Naw, we’re looking for something else. Thanks so much though.”
Stacy looked downright offended.
“You know, I don’t work, so it’s fine. I can be your tour guide. Free of charge.”
A giggle escaped Katie then.
“What?” asked Stacy, whirling on the brunette. “You think I don’t know Knox?”
But the brunette just laughed easily again.
“Oh no, you know Knox. It’s just that I recently wrote an article on our tiny little town for the paper last week. You know, budding reporter and all that,” she said, turning our way, cheeks blushing once more. “So I’m up to date on the sights. You boys want a tour guide? I can do it.”
And immediately, the three of us fell all over one another, leaping at the opportunity.
“Yes absolutely,” I growled, looking her in the eye.
“When are you available?” grunted Tyler.
“How soon?” asked Mason.
And Katie laughed lightly then, the sound tinkling in the air.
“Soon enough,” she said easily. “Let me check my schedule and I’ll let you know.”
And suddenly, this post-wedding brunch improved a thousand fold. Because we were gonna get a tour from the smartest, sweetest female for miles. Who knew she was a budding reporter? What kind of job did Katie have now? All these mysteries … and it was time to solve them.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Katie
Much of last night had been spent tossing and turning in anticipation of today. When I woke up I’d planned to wear one outfit, but then spent the morning agonizing over what to put on. There were five outfit changes before leaving the house. Yep, count ‘em, five. Embarrassing right? Usually, I’m so straightforward, but this morning, “mess” was the right word to describe me.
Eventually though, I settled on a blue, button-up blouse and a black pencil skirt. The skirt was a little snug, but at least it wasn’t obscenely tight. And the outfit made me feel a bit more sophisticated than some of my other clothes that screamed small-town country girl, what with the plaid shirts and cut-off jean shorts.
But now, sitting in my car outside the hotel, nerves were getting the better of me once again. Agreeing to be their tour guide yesterday sounded wonderful, but let’s be real. Knox is a tiny town, population one thousand. By contrast, these men were rich and powerful citizens of New York City, population sixteen million. They were gonna be disappointed, I could feel it in my bones.
But it was too late to back-out. Besides, I’m not a quitter. I won’t be, not now. So maybe a stroll in a nearby park would be nice. It was nothing special, but it did have a fancy fountain in the middle that commemorated Korean War veterans. It wasn’t New York’s Central Park for sure, but hey, what’s a girl to do? Hopefully, the greenery wouldn’t bore them out of their minds.
Sitting in my car, I made myself take a deep breath. Why were my nerves so shaky? Mason, Tyler and Kane had already seen everything about me, doing all sorts of dirty things. It was a little late to act the shy, virginal girl.
So turning to the mirror in the sun visor, I scolded myself.
“You wanted this, so stop acting scared!” came my stern voice, brows drawn. And taking a quick inventory, I stared at myself fiercely once more. Curls reasonably neat. Make-up not smeared. Good, we were good to go.
Exhaling a deep breath, I got out of the car and walked into the hotel. It was all going to be fine.
A concierge behind the desk in the lobby greeted me.
“Hello, may I help you?” said the kindly old man.
I smiled weakly before forcing myself to act confident.
“No, I know where I’m going, thank you,” came my authoritative voice. Man, that was impressive! Clearly, I was getting good at this.
After all, the boys were staying in the swankiest hotel in town, and there was no reason to let on that I’d never been here before. Yes, I’m a small town girl, but small town girls can make their way up in the world, right? So taking a deep breath, I got into the elevator, the gold reflective doors sliding shut with a hiss.
Kane asked me to meet them at his room. Stay calm, the voice in my head said, trying to make my heart stop fluttering. Stay real calm. They’re men, just like all other men.
But my nerves wouldn’t stop because they weren’t like other men. They were alpha billionaires, and three of them at that. I’d done three men at a time, and who does that really? This is real life, not a movie, and I couldn’t afford to get caught up in thinking I had a movie-star existence.
So heart pumping fast, I stared at my reflection in the gold walls. The elevator seemed to ascend in slow motion before finally coming to a smooth halt. The doors opened, and I stepped out hesitantly onto cream colored carpet covered with gold scrolls. Man, my leather shoes looked scuffed next to this opulence, like they didn’t belong.
But I did belong.
I was invited here.
Me, Katie Evans, not someone else.
So taking a deep breath, I forced my feet forwards. A quick perusal of the hallway revealed there was only one room on the whole floor, and the nerves came screaming back then, my stomach churning. Holy cow! Who’s able to rent out the entire floor of a hotel? Again, I was over my head, into the deep waters with these guys.
But there was no way but forwards. So step by step, I made my way to the huge marble door. Bi
ting my lip, it took a minute before I found the courage to knock.
Was this the right thing to do?
Should I turn around and go back, before things got even more complicated?
But before I could act on the second thoughts, the door swung open and Kane stood there with a smile. God, the alpha was devastatingly handsome. He looked every bit the billionaire in an expensive suit and perfectly styled hair, flashing those pearly whites.
“Hey! Come inside,” the big man said warmly, moving his massive body so that I could see beyond.
I took one tentative step into the room before coming to a full stop. Because it wasn’t a room at all. This place was a massive suite that had several entryways leading off from the living room. And the living room was utterly magnificent, done with cream-colored low-slung furniture, modern with sky blue accent pillows. Was that a Monet in the hallway? I squinted my eyes, looking at the swirling colors and came to a conclusion. Yes, it was a Monet. The water lilies were unmistakable. Kane was living in a suite that came with artwork worth more than my entire apartment building put together.
“I thought this was your room,” came my voice on a stammer.
But the billionaire wasn’t perturbed at all. Flashing that smile again, he jerked his head.
“Yeah, the hotel only had the one suite, so Tyler, Mason and I had to share,” he growled, rolling his eyes. “Can you believe it? We’re forty year-old guys sharing a place. I haven’t done this since I was in the Cub Scouts.”
A laugh escaped me then, a big breath of oxygen entering my lungs. Cub Scouts? I couldn’t imagine this handsome, dominating man dressed in khaki shorts with a red bandanna, holding up his fingers in the “Scout’s Honor” pledge. It was too hilarious.
But Kane shook his head again, grinning all the while.
“That’s right, I was a Cub Scout,” he said. “Made it all the way to Eagle, as a matter of fact,” he said, voice going serious. “I believe in giving back to the world, and the Boy Scouts helped me hone my philanthropic urges. It makes a big difference you know. Back then, I was happy to give ten dollars to a worthy cause, and now it’s a lot more,” he said with an easy grin.
