Unconventional (The Manhattanites #4)

by Avery Aster

  Unconventional (The Manhattanites)

  Avery Aster

  For fans of such films as Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Wild Things comes a ménage romance posing the question; can two men share the same woman forever?

  They are the best of friends and the greatest of lovers. Two men and one woman, searching for fortune and fame, bound together by an eroticism their money and power can’t buy them. Luigi, the romantic alpha hunk. Rocco, the exotic bisexual. Jemma, the insatiable beauty who possesses them both.

  From their first rendezvous in Milan, the three set out on a wicked course, jet-setting from the kinky underground sex clubs of Berlin, to the lavish palaces of Moscow, to New York’s high society in pursuit of pleasure. They have only each other to care for. That is…until a baby comes along and changes their destiny. But which of them is the father? And will they continue their poly relationship or give in to convention?

  Often while reading Avery Aster’s books, readers have been known to experience hot flashes, orgasms, and laughter to the point of peeing in their pants.

  It’s suggested that you have a bucket of ice nearby, along with a chilled glass of champagne and your favorite sex toy—fully charged—before reading this story.

  Please note that Avery’s writing is not suitable for prudes, slut-shamers, or uptight readers who don’t have a sense of humor about money, sex, or fame. Avery’s books are not intended for anyone under the age of 18.

  Have fun!

  Swag and reader contests can be found on Avery’s blog at: AveryAster.com

  Interact with Avery while reading The Manhattanites on Instagram and Twitter @AveryAster using the hashtags #TheManhattanites #EroticRomance

  The Manhattanites

  by Avery Aster

  “If you enjoy witty erotic romances by such authors as Alice Clayton and Tara Sivec then you’ll most likely devour Avery Aster!”

  —The Kindle Reader

  “Never did I think I could love an author as much as Avery Aster. The Manhattanites are obscenely fabulous.”

  —Book Boyfriend

  “The most original series I've ever read. The Manhattanites is expertly crafted like diving into a soap opera.”

  —Miss Construed

  “A throwback to Judith Krantz, Avery’s writing is salacious glitz, drama and glamour.”

  —Talk Supe

  “I took a cold shower after reading Unscrupulous.”

  —Books Are Love

  “Avery's voice is fresh and witty. Something not found in the market.”

  —Same Book, Different Review

  “Plotted like Jackie Collins, the bitches are super-bitches but underneath their tough exterior is a good heart.”

  —I Love Romantic Fiction

  “Sex and the City on steroids but younger and sexier, Avery Aster equates to fun erotic romance.”

  —Ever After Romance

  “The Manhattanites live an extravagant lifestyle. I want to be a part of it.”

  —Blissful Books

  “The shock value is high and hot flash-inducing. Trust me, I've suffered a few.”

  —Ripe For Reader

  Your brave journey with breast cancer is most inspiring. I’m honored that you beta-read Unconventional. Thank you! If you’re ever in the Big Apple, I owe you cocktails.

  Your new friend, Avery

  To my tenth-grade galpal Sara K. There are no words to describe our twenty-five year friendship other than freakin’ fabulous! There are, however, three songs which have stayed top of mind.

  For all the dance clubs, raves, and boys we kissed, Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode. For the night you protected me from being beat up, I’ll Stand by You by The Pretenders. And for those quiet times when we just laid on the plush carpeting, staring up at the ceiling-fan, and discussed what our lives would be like when we were grown, Somewhere by Barbara Streisand.

  Every time I hear them, I pause, grin, and thank the heavenly stars for having you in my life. I love you, Greg, Dylan, and Cole more than New York City, chocolate, and red wine combined. Come visit me soon.

  Unconventional

  Copyright 2015 Avery Aster

  Cover Design by Croco Designs

  Formatted by Mark's Ebook Formatting

  Email Mark@MarksEbookFormatting.com for more info

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite e-book retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  New York, New York 10021

  www.AveryAster.com

  Author's Note

  Cast of Characters

  LET'S – A Love Poem

  Part One: A Girl Just Wants To Have Fun!

  Chapter One: Jemma, Will You Marry Us?

  Chapter Two: Damn Vive Farnworth! My career is O-V-E-R

  Chapter Three: Luigi, Amore, You’re Making Me Fuckin’ High

  Part Two: A Pretty Mess

  Chapter Four: Dim All the Lights, Rocco

  Chapter Five: Into The Labyrinth We Play

  Chapter Six: Apologies from Rehab

  Part Three: The Scars on My Back

  Chapter Seven: Baring it All

  Chapter Eight: A Celebration of Life

  Chapter Nine: Frickin’ A! I can’t be preggers.

  Special Acknowledgments

  About Avery Aster

  Connect With Avery

  Also By Avery Aster

  A Smexy Excerpt

  Hello, Gorgeous Reader!

  OMFG! I have a free ebook for you when you join my newsletter http://www.eepurl.com/CQ665

  Each erotic romance in The Manhattanites series may be enjoyed as a standalone, features an HEA for every couple, and is cliffhanger free! *smile* Luigi, Rocco, and Jemma were introduced as part of the supporting cast in my novel, Undressed (Massimo & Lex). They’re back with more drama, Italian style and getting their own story. This time, Jemma gets pregnant. Unsure which boyfriend is the father, will this be the end of their poly relationship or just the beginning? Find out in Unconventional. Be sure to read my other novels in the series, Unscrupulous (Warner & Taddy) and Unsaid (Miguel & Blake), and add my upcoming releases of Unique (Dejon, Kiki, & Dash) and Uncensored (Vive & Rod) to your TBR list: http://averyaster.com/books

  Want more of The Manhattanites? Grab my naughty new adult prequel companion series, The Undergrad Years http://averyaster.com/undergrad-series

  Love,

  Avery

  Luigi Bova (39): Jemma and Rocco’s rich and powerful lover who operates the Girasoli Garment Company. He’ll do anything to have Jemma’s hand in marriage and give her the stability she’s always yearned for.
But will it be at Rocco’s expense or his own?

  Rocco Cazzo (29): Hunk du jour and making no apologies about it, he’s the House of Tittoni’s estate manager. Enjoying being with his first and only girlfriend, Jemma, he desperately wants to have children and start a family.

  Jemma Fereti (37): A former supermodel turned fashion designer at Girasoli Garments. As a breast cancer survivor, she lives life to the fullest, especially when it comes to loving two men at the same time.

  Lex Easton (30): Owner of Easton Essentials, she’s a fashionista who’s married to Prince Massimo Tittoni and doing her best to keep the fashion empire she co-created relevant.

  Prince Massimo (36): Husband to Lex, CEO of Girasoli Garments, royal heir to the House of Tittoni and ruler of Isola di Girasoli. He’s Luigi, Rocco, and Jemma’s boss.

  Taddy Brill (30): A diva millionaire who dates billionaire Warner Truman. She is the owner of Brill, Inc., the PR firm which promotes Jemma Couture. Whatever Taddy says, goes!

  Blake Morgan III (29): Engaged to his boyfriend, Miguel Santana, he graduated from Columbia University and works as Managing Partner at Brill, Inc. He’s doing his best to keep Jemma calm.

  Vive Farnworth (30): A former party girl and heiress to Farnworth Firewater liquors. She’s the Editor-in-Chief of Debauchery Magazine who writes the nasty review which could ruin Jemma’s career.

  Jemma Couture: Europe’s most exclusive high-end fashion line for women. It retails to all the luxury boutiques in the world.

  Girasoli Garment Company: A one-hundred-year-old textile manufacturer and owner of Jemma Couture. They also own Easton Essentials.

  Brill, Inc.: A Fortune 500 company and New York’s eminent fashion and beauty public relations and branding firm, which is retained by Girasoli Garments.

  Debauchery Magazine: Read by four million people weekly, covering all things salacious in the fashion, beauty and celebrity arena.

  Isola di Girasoli: A Mediterranean island south of Sicily and east of Tunisia. Formerly the Republic of Girasoli, today it is united with Italy. It is one-hundred-twenty-five square miles accessible via boat or air. In the eighteenth century, it was founded as a sunflower plantation, and today it is a resort and casino vacation destination.

  Milan: Home to such fashion super-brands as Prada, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, Milan remains the world’s fashion capital. Its elite fashion district is the “quadrilatero della moda” and the city’s common area has a population of about 1.3 million. It is the headquarters for Girasoli Garment Company and the location for the House of Tittoni’s estate.

  Manhattan: Its population is about 1.5 million (excluding all areas off the island). It is the launch pad for such iconic fashion designers as Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Betsey Johnson, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs and countless others. It is the headquarters for Easton Essentials, Brill Inc, Debauchery Magazine and the US offices of Jemma Couture.

  LET’S

  a love poem

  I’LL…unease you, totally tease you

  MEN…look at me, want to make love to me

  WOMEN…want to be me, hate me

  Let’s not dance around the subject

  YOU…may lust after me, maybe even marry me, I’ll carry your baby

  HOW DID WE…veer this far left, get so fucked up

  WE…started the relationship out so right, ended so wrong

  Let’s try again

  MAKE.....your dreams come true, alleviate your worst fears

  PLEASE…warm my heart, try not to smash it, too

  Let’s mend our broken hearts

  FLASHBACKS…to our passionate nights, to when you found me

  AS LOVERS…we know no shame, we don’t place blame, we have this secret place in time

  NEVER…hesitate to be the one, take my soul apart

  Let’s set our secrets free

  FEELS LIKE…something so right, total submission and satisfaction

  THESE DREAMS…like perfume on my wrist, are closer than this

  YOU SAY…I’m crazy, that I’m in the danger zone

  Let’s open the door

  I KNOW…I’m loving like never before, we belong together

  MANY TIMES…I feel alone without you at my side, I speak of aberrant behavior

  ARE YOU…hot tonight, feeling naughty

  I…want you, gotta have you

  YOU ARE MY…devotion, lover

  LET’S…be forever

  A Girl Just Wants To Have Fun!

  “Since Jemma’s cancer diagnosis, we often compare her to silent screen goddess Jean Harlow or late heartthrob River Phoenix. She lives life in the fast lane, enjoying each day as it comes. I know she fears that one day it’ll end. Maybe that’s why getting tied down with two husbands and a baby wasn’t on her short list of things to do. But as any fabulous Manhattanite will tell you, life is a challenge—meet it head-on. Life is a dream—own your desires. Life is a gift—keep giving to others. Life is love—open your heart.” —Taddy Brill, CEO of Brill, Inc., girlfriend to Big Daddy, and overall bestie to Lex, Blake, and Vive.

  Jemma, Will You Marry Us?

  Luigi

  Three Months Ago

  Isola di Girasoli, Mediterranean Sea

  On top of the cliff, overlooking the blue sea, I grabbed my boyfriend’s hand, pulled him to my side and asked, “Ready, bello?”

  Rocco’s short nails grazed my skin. He’d been biting them all week. He always did when he was nervous.

  “Jemma is going to say yes…” he whispered in my ear.

  “Sì, of course she is.”

  A few days before, we’d selected the spot.

  He’d suggested, “This is where we’ll ask her to marry us,”

  I’d agreed.

  The view, the place… so magical and perfetto.

  Inhaling deeply, I smelled the briny air filled with the faint sticky aroma of sunflowers. The ground was covered in them, and Isola di Girasoli had even been named after them. Growing on vivid green stalks, their bright yellow faces open, reaching up to the white sky for warmth and light. They were gleefully rooted about, almost as if cheering us on.

  In a way, Rocco and I were similar to those flowers reaching for something—nourishment and love.

  We got down on our knees, and the warm soil pressed under my legs. Glancing up at the woman we loved, we each took her hand.

  Jemma Fereti. Tall. Striking. Ours. We called her dolce because she always tasted like tiramisu when we kissed.

  As I studied her finger, the one I’d put the ring on, I thought about us…

  For me, taking Jemma as my bride, and Rocco as my groom, meant forever. My life spent searching for intention would soon be complete. Together they made up my everything.

  For Rocco, our union symbolized something he’d yearned for: a family.

  Hopefully for Jemma it would mean peace after her year-long battle with breast cancer.

  “Amore, go on. Ask her.” Patience wasn’t Rocco’s virtue.

  “Give me a minute—”

  In private, we’d talked about the day for the past few months. We’d picked out the perfect engagement ring: a Tittoni Gems of Distinction twelve-carat pink diamond, a custom-made work of art from Manhattan for Jemma. And two simple gold bands for Rocco and myself. We’d planned the vacation: a week alone on the island, getting time away. Only the three of us. This was one of Jemma’s favorite Mediterranean locals. She’d grown up there with her royal friend, Prince Massimo Tittoni, who ruled over the small country.

  Having Jemma’s hand in marriage was all Rocco and I ever desired. Over the past few years, we’d loved each other as a thruple. Our special togetherness had been all her doing.

  Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined an open poly relationship with one woman and another man working out. Certain jealousy and games would poison the affair, but it hadn’t tarnished our lovemaking in the least.

  That is till now. Rocco yearned for more, and frankly, so did I. Especially when Prince Massimo granted the Poly Ma
rriage Act, legalizing the rights for those who loved openly to wed.

  “Dolce…we’d like to ask you something…” I got the words out. I wasn’t one to talk much. Regardless, Rocco had insisted it come from me. After all, I’d been with Jemma for almost a year before we’d met him.

  My boyfriend was the well-spoken one. The one in touch with his feelings. The man who’d glued the three of us together in ways which went beyond the boundaries of sex. He was the first and only man I’d ever had sex with, and I liked it. Oh, God, I fucking loved it! I loved him.

  “My amore—” Uncertainty quivered in Jemma’s voice.

  My left hand reached deep inside my pocket. I pulled out the diamond and held it up to her, sparkling in the sunshine, and asked, “Will you marry us?”

  With a smile, Rocco’s face beamed.

  Her mouth dropped open, asking, “Huh?” Deep grooves etched her high forehead. Her eyes, usually varying shades of amber, dilated to black. The lips I loved kissing—full and sensual—had evaporated into her mouth as she chewed on them, clearly unsure how to respond.

  Hearing the quick intake of Rocco’s breath, he bit on his nails for a second before blurting out, “Luigi and I love you. We want to spend the rest of our lives with you. Let’s share every day together. Start a family. Grow old with each other. Dolce, what do you say?”

  My girlfriend cupped his face in her hands, her darkly painted nails gliding over his olive skin. She stared at him as if searching for what to say before reaching down, pressing her lips against his, and replying with a kiss.

  One could get lost in Rocco’s face: a square jawline, thick eyebrows which framed his intense eyes, and a dimple on each cheek. He was the sexiest man I’d ever laid eyes on.

  Kind and loving.

  “My darling, you know since my chemo I cannot conceive a child.”

  “We can adopt. Get a surrogate,” he defended, enthusiasm bubbling in his voice about all of the options we had before us. “We can afford to do whatever you want.”