by Blake Camden
“Because you’re the only one who comes over this early…or at all.”
Eli shoves his way inside my cottage, patting my shoulder as he passes. “Aww, is somebody sad that her best friend has a new best friend to play with?”
“No, I’m very happy for Emily. I’m just wondering what brings you over so early in the morning.” I give a pointed look at my watch. I’m not late, yet. But I can only chat for a few minutes before I need to get on the road. My first appointment is in an hour, but I’m hoping to get a few minutes with Mark before that.
I’ve only officially worked at Fate Advisors for a week, but I’m curious to find out if he’s gotten any feedback about me. So far, my tips have been amazing, so I think that’s all the feedback I really care about. But hearing it from him would be nice.
Eli rests his ass against the back of my couch and crosses his ankles. “Well, Oscar mentioned that some of his friends are in Cub Scouts, and I wanted to know what you thought about that.”
“Um, I haven’t given it much thought. I’m not sure I’m the outdoorsy type. Unless they do glamping in Cub Scouts, I’m probably not interested.”
Eli shakes his head to stop me. “I’m talking about me, you dork. I could take him. I was a scout when I was his age, and it was fun. We hiked and swam and threw tomahawks. It’ll be good for him.”
“Really?” I stop short, genuinely surprised by the offer. “You would be willing to do that?”
Eli flashes that sexy smirk of his. “Yeah, sure. Especially if it earns me brownie points with a certain someone.”
I cock my head and give him an incredulous look. “You’re like my brother. It ain’t gonna happen. But if you’d like to do Cub Scouts with Oscar, I think that’d be awesome. He totally adores you.”
“Well, that makes one of you,” Eli scoffs and then playfully nudges my shoulder as he walks toward my front door. “But, cool. I’ll get us all signed up for some manly fun.”
“Sounds great.” Now I have to pee before I get on the road, so instead of leaving with him, I walk him to the door to say goodbye. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.” Eli takes a few steps toward the cottage he used to share with his sister then turns back with his finger in the air. “Does Oscar have a BB gun?”
“Goodbye, Eli.” He’s gonna be a good dad someday. And I’m glad he’s willing to get some practice in with Oscar. If Eli wasn’t my best friend’s brother, I might consider taking him up on all his flirtatious offers. But he is Emily’s brother, which practically makes him my brother, so it could never work. And more importantly, I could never make him the father he was meant to be.
Besides, I need to focus on filling my bank account with enough money to provide for Oscar and myself. If I can save up a decent nest egg, I can go back to school and become a CPA. Then I can really make a dent in the debt my pack owes to the Wolfe pack. We would have lost our land last year if they didn’t bail us out. Until we’re square with the Wolfes, I won’t be able to truly improve the quality of life for my people.
Besides, I’ve always found comfort in the elegance and stability of numbers. They don’t lie and there are no shades of gray.
They just are.
And that’s what I need to be.
“Okay, darling. Can we get on with it already?” Mr. Montgomery has been bouncing his leg since the second he sat down. If he doesn’t stop soon, I’m afraid it’s gonna vibrate right off.
I force a patient smile for this jerk that I’ve already heard stories about. Apparently, he just wants a fast fuck and to move on.
And that’s fine by me.
I certainly don’t want to spend any extra time with him than necessary. “Yes, of course. If you’re done with your session, that’s fine.”
“Well, all righty then.” He waves his hand toward the Murphy bed. “Let’s get this show on the road. I’ve got places to be.”
After hitting the button on the remote control to drop the bed, I begin to untie the belt at the front of my wrap dress.
“Don’t bother with that. Just hike up your skirt and climb on.”
I can see why this charmer doesn’t have a woman in his life. As soon as he drops his pants and sits on the edge of the bed, he pats the mattress next to his thighs to indicate I should climb on.
Okay, this should be quick.
I hand him a condom while I step out of my panties then pull the bottom of my dress up around my waist so I can straddle his lap.
The good thing about clients like Mr. Montgomery is that they don’t take much effort. Literally. All I have to do to get him off is to slide him inside me and roll my hips a little then moan his name. I’m not sure sixty seconds have passed before he’s thrusting into me like his life depends on it.
Trying to help move things along, I slip my hand into the opening of my dress then push the fabric aside so one breast is hanging out. The demi bra I’m wearing holds my tit up nice and perky while still leaving the top half of my nipple exposed.
It looks like his eyes might pop out of his head when I reach for my nipple and give it a little pinch. Mr. Montgomery whimpers as he comes inside me with a grunt and a shudder.
It’s even less attractive than it sounds, if you can believe that.
I give the man a few words of praise while I carefully extract myself from his body, taking the condom with me to dispose of it. I usually let my clients take care of their own clean up, but someone like him would probably tie it off and keep it in his underwear drawer for future smelling.
No thank you.
He moves surprisingly quick once he’s satisfied, tucking back into his slacks and finger-combing his thinning hair. “That was good, Angel. I’ll probably request you again.”
“Thank you, Mr. Montgomery.” I walk my fingers down his arm and then gently tug his hand toward the door. “I’m looking forward to it.”
As soon as he’s gone, I lock the door behind him, grateful I didn’t puke on him.
My last appointment is running late, so I quickly get cleaned up then go find Mark. I don’t have to look far because as soon as I step outside, I see him walking a new guy to the parking lot, joking about something I can’t hear.
This guy is hot as hell and will be starting as a relationship advisor in a few days. Unfortunately for me, he doesn’t like vaginas as much as he likes dicks. Oh, well, they can’t all be straight.
Mark sees me approaching and breaks away from the new guy, heading my way.
“Angel, how’s it going?”
“Pretty good.” I squint against the sun and look up into Mark’s handsome face. “I just wanted to check in and see how things are going on your end. Have you gotten any feedback? Are my clients happy?”
Mark laughs as he wraps his arm around my shoulder and walks with me back to my office. “Of course, they’re happy. I’ve even gotten some special requests for you.” He winks when I look up at him but doesn’t elaborate.
I give him a minute to explain, and when he doesn’t, I put my hand on my hip and stop walking. “What are you talking about? What kind of special requests?”
“Let’s go inside.”
Reluctantly, I walk into my office with Mark hot on my heels. He immediately takes a seat in the guest chair and waits for me to sit too. But I’m too wound up to sit still, so I pace the length of the room.
“Well, Garrett seems to be pretty impressed by you. He came asking about exclusivity.”
“No way.” I don’t know if I should be pissed off or flattered. I think I’m pissed. Why would he ask Mark instead of coming directly to me? Even though this is ultimately a prostitution situation, Mark is not my pimp. If I want to go work for Garrett, I will. And when I told him I didn’t, I meant it.
Mark has zero input in the matter.
And Garrett had no right to go above my head and ask my boss.
“What an ass.”
Mark chuckles. “I take it he didn’t run this past you first?”
“Not exactly. He wanted me t
o work on the weekends for him, but I told him that’s out of the question. I need a day job.”
Mark smiles as he crosses his ankle over his knee and leans back. “I don’t want to see you go anywhere, so I’m happy to hear that you plan to stay. I think you can become very wealthy if you stick this out for a while.”
“Yeah, that’s my plan.” I sigh heavily at what my life has become. Is prostitution really my life plan? I guess it is. It might not be the most respectable plan ever, but it’s certainly the most lucrative for a barren omega without any skills beyond sucking dick.
“Glad we talked.” Mark stands up and stretches his long arms over his head. “Damn, I need to get into shape. I spent an hour on my bike yesterday, and everything hurts.” He shakes his head as he reaches for the door. “Let me know if you need anything, Angel. Anything at all.”
Yeah, what I need is to not have men trying to control me, regardless of how sweet and sexy and disgustingly rich they might be.
Seven
Garrett
I hold off a week, but that’s all I can do. I want to see Angel again.
Today.
Okay, fine, I want to fuck her more than anything. Seeing is a bonus, but I’ll do it in a blindfold if necessary. I just like the way my hard cock fits inside her as if she is a lock and I’m the key made just for her.
When I open the door to her office, Angel is sitting at the desk with a book in her hand. She immediately snaps it shut and sets it aside. “Hello, Garrett. Come on in.”
I kiss each of her cheeks despite her insistence that she doesn’t like to be kissed. Her heartbeat races and her body temperature rises whenever my lips touch her, so I know she’s just being stubborn. “You look beautiful today.”
“Thank you.” She pulls away from me quickly and reaches for her notepad before sitting back down at the desk.
I guess we’re not using the couch today. “So, how are you doing?”
“Fine.” Her tone is clipped, and I can sense her annoyance. “What would you like to talk about today?”
“What has you so upset.” It’s not a question, it’s a response. I hold her gaze, not allowing her to ignore me by looking away.
“I’m not upset, Garrett. And we’re here to talk about what you want.”
“We are.” I blow out a frustrated breath. I hope we’re not going to talk in circles for the next hour. “What I want is to hear about why you’re acting so cold. Are you mad at me?”
Angel’s shoulders relax, and her eyes soften. “A little.”
“Why?” I whisper, thinking back to my last visit. I don’t remember being rough or doing anything that could have hurt her, but maybe I did. “What did I do?”
“You talked to Mark behind my back.” She stands up and marches to the back of the room before coming back. “You might think of me as just a whore, but he’s not my pimp.”
Shit. That’s not at all what I was expecting. “Angel, please.” I stand up and pull her into my arms. She resists but doesn’t completely pull away. And after a second of me holding her against my chest, she sighs and relaxes in my arms. “I didn’t mean to insult you. I was just telling him how much I enjoy your company and that I’d love a more exclusive arrangement with you.”
Angel inhales deeply before shoving out of my arms. “I appreciate that, Garrett. I really do. But I already told you. I need this job right now. I need the benefits and the hours and the tips. I’m sorry, but please, let it go.”
“If this is about money, I—” She cuts me off before I can continue.
“It’s not.” She holds up her hand to stop me. “At least, not completely.”
“Then why?” I reach for her hand and am grateful when she places it in mine. “Is it me? I thought you enjoyed our time together, but if you don’t, I won’t continue to bother you.”
“It’s not you.” She closes her eyes and tilts her head back against the sofa cushion. “You’re my favorite client. But I have other responsibilities to consider, and I can’t let this opportunity pass. It’s not exactly the kind of job you can come back to when you’re fifty.”
“Well, you probably could…” I give her hand a squeeze.
Angel smiles but doesn’t look at me. “You know what I mean. If I do this now, I can set up my family—my whole pack—for the future. That’s what I need to do.”
I don’t understand what she’s talking about. She’s not making any sense. “How is that any different from what I’m offering, other than the fact that you’d only be with me? You wouldn’t have to deal with several different clients all day. Everything else would be the same. You can choose your hours, and I’ll provide full benefits under one of my other companies. Whatever you need is yours.”
“Because being exclusive would be too close to being real,” Angel whispers and finally meets my gaze. “It’s easy to stay disconnected from my clients because they come and go and there are no real feelings involved. But if it’s just you…”
“What?” I really thought she was attracted to me, but it seems less and less likely with every word she says. “You just said I’m your favorite. I don’t understand.”
“Don’t make me say it, Garrett.” She covers her hands with her palms and turns away. “Let’s just get your session started.”
“Not a chance.” I reach for her wrists and gently pull them away from her face. “Say it.”
Angel’s cheeks are pink as she looks at me with devastated eyes. “If it’s just you, I’ll probably do something stupid like fall in love. And that’ll just hurt too much when it’s all over. I’m not strong enough for that right now. I need to just go to work and collect a paycheck. No emotions attached.” She smiles sadly. “And I don’t think I can do that with you.”
Again, not at all what I was expecting to hear. But her insight is just further proof that she’s smarter than the average woman. She knows herself well enough to not trust that she can stay detached…and she knows me well enough to know I’m not mate material.
I might like the idea of a boyfriend experience with her. It would be short term and distant, but it wouldn’t be a real relationship at all. I have no interest in that. My life is too hectic, and my businesses are too important. This development project with Finn will take all my time for the next eight months. Other than a quick fuck now and then and a lot of compensation, I don’t have anything more to offer a woman like Angel.
“Fair enough.” I scoot back to put some space between us. “I respect your decision, and I’ll drop it.”
“Thank you.” Angel looks genuinely relieved that we’re moving on from the topic. “Can we get to the good stuff now?”
I smirk and loosen the tie around my neck. “That’s what I’m here for.”
Despite starting off somewhat awkwardly, Angel is a consummate professional and fucks me like there’s nowhere else in the world she’d rather be. And despite my reluctance to ever be in a real relationship, I have to admit that there’s nowhere I’d rather be either.
Over the next several weeks, I try to stay busy on my own projects and avoid going back to visit Angel. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable and I don’t want to torture myself with the knowledge that I can only have a small part of her…after several other men have had her first.
In fact, I wouldn’t have any reason to see her at all, if not for running into her at a fundraising auction for the children’s center for performing arts. I’ve been a supporting member for over ten years, and I’ve never seen Angel at an event in the past. But when I step away from some of my partners from a startup I’m invested in, there she is.
Sitting at a table next to a young boy and a beautiful woman.
“The brunette is taken, so don’t get any ideas.”
I turn and see Syrus James at my side. He’s a friend who I met through Mark. Syrus represented me when I broke away from my pack down in Southern California. My wolf needed power that he couldn’t get in a pack full of other strong alphas so I needed to go on my own f
or a while. “Hey, Syrus. How are you?”
Syrus shakes my outstretched hand and pats my opposite shoulder. “I’m well, Garrett. How are you?”
“Good. It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, and for good reason.” He laughs, resting his thumb on his jaw and covering his mouth with his forefinger. “I don’t think I’ve seen you since CES last year.”
I groan quietly at the unwelcomed memory. “I thought we agreed to never mention CES.”
Syrus holds in a smile as he slides his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, that was a fun night.”
I don’t remember much of what happened on the last night of the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas, but I was there with my venture capital team. Syrus came with a group of friends as a guest to our hospitality suite after the show. There were drugs and strippers and so much alcohol I couldn’t remember where I was when I woke up the next day. Or why there was a Wrangler’s patch tattooed on my ass. I still never got the story on that, but I had the tattoo removed as soon as I got home from my trip.
“So, the brunette?” My eyes are still glued to Angel, but now I’m curious about the people she’s sitting with.”
“Yes, my fiancée, Emily. You should come meet her.”
“I’d like that.” I follow Syrus to his table and wink when Angel recognizes me.
Her eyes move from me to Syrus, silently questioning us about how we know each other.
“Garrett Madison, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Emily White.”
I reach for Emily’s hand and brush a soft kiss over her knuckles. “It’s a pleasure.”
Emily’s blue eyes sparkle and I can see why Syrus is so smitten with her. “The pleasure’s mine, Mr. Madison.”
“Please, call me Garrett. Syrus and I go way back. No need for formalities among friends.”
Syrus pulls Emily to his side then gestures to Angel. “And this is her best friend, Angie Pavel. Angie, this is Garrett Madison.”
“Angie.” I reach for her shoulders and pull her in for a kiss on the cheek. “It’s lovely to see you again.”
