by Ever Wood
The Gentlemen’s Ranch
(Erotica Series, Book 1)
Ever Wood
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2013 Ever Wood
All rights reserved.
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Table of Contents
The Invitation
Meet & Greet
Doug
Nate (& Nick)
Jase
Beau
It’s All About the Fireworks
The Exam
The Blindfold Test
The Selection
Revenge
Revelations
Afterword
By all formal accounts, The Gentlemen's Ranch is one of the most successful, upscale dating clubs in the country. In whispered rumors, however, people speak provocatively of a delicious den of dark delights.
I know the truth.
Any woman lucky enough to get an invitation is guaranteed to walk away with the man of her dreams.
But, only if she is willing to pay the price of admission.
- Anonymous Participant (The Gentlemen’s Ranch, 8/15/04)
The Invitation
“You really got us an invitation?” I ask Camryn. “To The Gentlemen’s Ranch?”
My best friend smiles as she stretches a thick, velvet-covered square toward me. I can barely see her teeth past all the canary feathers.
I shrink back from the offending missive. “I don’t know, Cam, I’ve heard some pretty wild stories about that place.”
“Exactly,” she purrs and folds her long legs underneath her as she sits on my sofa. Oh, sure, what does she have to worry about? Almost six-foot-tall, blonde, articulate, socially savvy. Oh, and an attorney. Every man in the place will be fighting over her. All of which begs the question, why the hell am I even friends with her to begin with? I glance down at my yoga pants and t-shirt and shrug. I may look like a slug now, but I can clean up quite nicely when I have to. I’m only five-five, but I have a pretty rocking body and long black hair. Neither one of which come easy. Or cheap.
“Do you realize how many women would die for this?” she asks.
“How many?”
“Rhetorical question, Tesh.”
“Sarcasm, Camryn.”
She throws a pillow at me and I swat it away.
I can tell by the look in her eye, she’s gearing up for her closing arguments. “Come on, Tesh, aren’t you tired of trying to find the right man on your own? I know I am. I’m tired of going to clubs. I’m tired of meeting men only to find out that they still live in their mother’s basements. And, think about it. Let’s say we do meet someone we find interesting. How do we know he’s the one? We could waste years trying to figure it out. That’s why we need The Gentlemen’s Ranch. I refuse to settle for a lame husband who thinks romance is screwing like the Energizer Bunny for three minutes and then passing out. Trust me, there are a lot of them out there. I want someone that I’m compatible with on all levels. For the rest of my life.”
I feel like I should throw a gavel down.
She sits forward and hands me the invitation once again with a wicked glint in her eye.
With a petulant sigh, I take the invitation out of her hand and open it up.
The Gentlemen’s Ranch
Invites You
Check your inhibitions at the door and find out which one of our eligible bachelors is your perfect match. Success guaranteed.
Day One: Meet & Greet
Day Two: Blindfold Test
Day Three: The Selection
*Medical Exam Required
“Pretty cryptic, isn’t it?” I snort. “And, what’s this about an exam? I don’t want some random doctor poking around inside me.”
Camryn rolls her eyes. “Oh, grow up. This is a millionaire’s club, Tesh. I’m sure they want to make sure all participants are disease free. In fact, I would insist upon it myself. Shit, Tesh, look at the men on that invitation!”
I do and I see what she’s means. Drop-dead gorgeous. All of them. I don’t tell her that the chances that the men at The Ranch look anything like the models that grace this invitation are slim to none. “Like I said, I’ve heard stuff. Orgies, kinky parties, sex toys. I’ve even heard that the women have to surrender their clothes at the door.”
Even Camryn has the decency to blush at that statement.
“I know, but if it helps me find my husband, I’ll do whatever it takes.” She stands up and grabs my hands. “Come on! What do we have to lose? We’re both close to thirty and our eggs are shriveling faster than a pair of Siberian balls.”
I laugh, but inside my stomach clenches at the thought of stepping that far out of my comfort zone. Can I really do this? I suppose I could ask for a few days off at the Accounting firm, and you never know, my “Mr. Right” just might be there. I look at the photos again. I actually hope the men at The Ranch don’t look like these guys. My passions have always been more cerebral in nature, preferring brains over brawn any day.
I take a deep breath. “All right, I’ll go.”
Meet & Greet
Our limo turns onto a wide tree-lined private road and the glass window fogs in front of my face.
“Stop gawking!” Camryn snaps at me. “You look like some country bumpkin.”
I try, but I can’t help myself. The Gentlemen’s Ranch is not a ranch at all, but a palace. From the 13th century if I’m not mistaken. Tall turrets frame a grey cobblestone castle with wide front steps. The impressive structure sits on its own island in the middle of northern California’s Lake Champlin against a picturesque mountain backdrop. Immaculate gardens and spreading lawns dip down from the palace’s high vantage point overlooking the lake. An old stone bridge supported by three sweeping arches beneath the roadway provides the only access to the island.
It is absolutely stunning. Fairytale stunning. I can’t believe a place like this exists in the United States. It belongs in England or France. Anywhere, but here.
I turn and see Camryn frantically brushing at the non-existent wrinkles in her skirt and realize what’s wrong with her. She’s a nervous wreck! My confident little attorney has more hives than a bee colony. Of course, I won’t tell her this. I’m still smarting over the time she let me trail a five foot piece of toilet paper on my heel for over an hour at my birthday party last year. Karma, baby.
“Stop fussing!” I yell at her just to get even. I guess we’re both a little nervous.
A flush creeps over my face when I think about the profile and contract I had to fill out. The Gentlemen’s Ranch is quite thorough in ferreting out the most intimate details of its guests. The men I meet are going to know more about me than I know myself.
The limo rambles over the bridge and I take Cam’s hand. “Relax. This is going to be fun.” Now, I’m reassuring her? That was some damn argument.
She simply nods, her neck getting redder by the minute.
The limo finally comes to a stop in front of the palace, and a gentleman in some sort of medieval livery opens the door. He sweeps him arm out in a formal bow. “Good evening, my ladies. Allow me to welcome you to The Gentlemen’s Ranch. Please follow me.”
Still holding onto Camryn’s hand, I step out and follow the butler or groom or royal servant
or whoever he is up the stairs. The inside décor is as remarkably authentic inside as outside with long medieval tables, tapestries on the walls, and fireplaces big enough to stand upright in. Servants in all manner of dress rush throughout the palace with trays of food or linens.
I realize I’m gawking again and snap my mouth shut before Camryn has a chance to chastise me.
“Welcome, ladies.” I turn to see a woman approach. Her blonde hair is piled atop her head in artful ringlets, and she’s dressed in a heavy gown with a tight corset that barely contains her ample breasts. If the woman so much as blinks, I’m going to get an eyeful. “My name is Sophia, and I am the Steward of The Gentlemen’s Ranch and will be your attendant through much of your stay.”
I nod to her. “Nice to meet you. I’m Tesh Morgan and this is Camryn Kennedy.”
Sophia smiles warmly. “Now, if you will come with me, we can get started.”
“Started?” I blurt out. “What about our bags? Is it possible to settle in our rooms first?” I’m thinking I need a little more time and maybe a glass of champagne or three before I’m anywhere near ready to get started.
“I’m afraid there is no time for that,” Sophia says, starting away and expecting us to follow. “You’re the last women to arrive. The party has already begun and introductions must be made.”
Camryn gives me a what the hell? look and I swallow back my nerves.
Sophia stops at a door marked Parlor and leads us inside. Velvet couches, mirrors, and make-up tables are scattered throughout the room. I see an area marked with my name and I wander over to inspect the perfumes and creams. “No time for dawdling now. Robes are hanging up at each station. Please disrobe and put them on.”
I fucking knew it.
***
“Okay, this is degrading,” I mumble.
Sophia waves a dismissive hand in the air. “It is certainly not meant to be degrading at all, Ms. Morgan,” she scoffs. “The men at The Ranch are searching for a lifelong partner that will excite them both physically and intellectually. Don’t let your inhibitions limit you. To them, the female form is to be celebrated and worshiped, not degraded.”
Camryn spies a tray with champagne flutes. “Oh, my, Cristal. May I?”
“Of course, help yourself.”
She picks up a glass, downs the drink in one swallow, and then picks up another.
“Hand one over, sister,” I tell her and we both laugh at the absurdity we’ve gotten ourselves into. “These guys better be hot, Cam, that’s all I can say.”
Sophia clears her throat demurely. “You will have no problem finding a handsome, well-educated and wealthy man here at The Ranch.”
The champagne must have worked. Camryn starts peeling out of her clothes. “What happens next?” she asks as she lifts her shirt over her head.
“You will go into the Great Room and be announced to the men. Based on the results of your profile, you have already been matched with four suitors. They will seek you out to engage in pursuits of mutual interest. The Ranch offers many activities including dancing, swimming, horseback riding, tennis.”
Naked?
I suck down the contents of my glass and reach for another. Camryn, bless her heart, is already swaddled in a big, white robe and a rosy glow on her cheeks has replaced the hives on her neck. “Party time, Tesh!” she sings to me in a high-pitched voice I recognize as Cam’s buzz voice. “You heard the lady, no time for dawdling.” She giggles and I can’t help but laugh with her.
“This is definitely one of those What Happens At The Ranch, Stays At The Ranch kind of experiences. Okay, Cam?”
She makes a twisty motion at her lips and then throws away an imaginary key. “My lips are sealed.”
“Mmm hmm, just like our last Christmas party? When you announced to everyone in the room that I slept with my boss?”
“I did that for you! It helped your reputation, didn’t it?”
“For the worse!”
“Well, you needed something to jump start your love life. Your bed has cobwebs for Christ’s sake.”
The self-proclaimed Steward, although seeming to get a kick out of our banter, motions with her hand for me to get moving.
I pick up my second glass of champagne and start to undress. “Everything?” I ask Sophia. “Can I just leave—?”
“Every stitch, Ms. Morgan.”
I knock back the champagne, strip and tie a pink robe tight around my body.
“Very good,” Sophia praises with a curt nod of her chin. She turns, petticoats swishing and gestures us out of the Parlor. “Now, remember, these men want to get to know you better. To that end, some of their requests may be physical in nature. Per your contract, you must submit to all requests.”
Camryn giggles again and I feel an unexpected twinge of heat pool in my lower region. Panties would be nice at this moment. Even a thong. I’d settle for a band-aid.
“However,” Sophia interrupts, “please note that sexual intercourse is not permitted on Day One, and only on the subsequent days should you consent.” She stops at a pair of enormous wooden doors and turns back to us. “Above all, enjoy yourselves,” she says with a wide smile. “Be opened minded. Get to know the men and let them get to know you. Your perfect match is behind these doors. I promise you that.”
The doors open wide, and the Steward hands a card to a white-gloved man standing just inside.
He reads the card and turns to the gathered guests. “Gentlemen, may I have your attention. I would like to introduce the Lady Tesh Morgan and the Lady Camryn Kennedy.” The man ushers the two of us forward.
I glance back nervously for Sophia, but she is already gone and the doors are closing.
My head is swimming dizzily as I turn back, and I can see immediately that I was wrong. Very wrong. Every man in the room looks exactly like the pictures on that velvet invitation.
And, Holy Moses, what the fuck is everyone doing?
Doug
My eyes sweep the high-ceilinged, cavernous room, but I find it hard to settle on any one scene because it is all so…unbelievable. Soft candlelight illuminates a bizarre spectacle of shameless exhibitionism. Blatant sex acts play out in several darkened corners of the room. Right next to me, a man and woman lie together on a velvet chaise. He kisses her throat while his hand is quite thoroughly exploring under the hem of her blue robe.
“Are you close?” he asks in a breathless pant.
“Yes,” she rasps. “Oh, yes.”
Next to the couple, another woman with a collar around her neck kneels naked at the feet of one of the bachelors. He holds a leash firmly in one hand and one of her breasts in the other.
Several men and women—some clothed, some not—dance in seductive rhythms to the music of a trio of musicians playing on a raised dais against one wall.
Beyond the room, open doors show a torch-lit courtyard where people are participating in tamer recreation either swimming in a grotto pool or quietly sipping drinks.
It feels like I should turn away, but I stand riveted. Despite my ripe old age of twenty-eight, I don’t have a lot of experience with these things and witnessing the sexually charged atmosphere stirs my blood, and I have to cross my legs to relieve the pressure building there. I suppose one would have to be frigid not to feel something in the face of such ribald voyeurism.
I need another drink. Now.
A tall man with dark hair, wearing an expensive suit approaches. Camryn, of course. Not me.
“Hi,” he says and offers a long-fingered hand to Camryn. “I’m Adam Steele.”
Courtesy of the Cristal, she is back to her confident self. “Camryn Kennedy,” she says smoothly.
He leans in close. “Since neither one of us is into public displays, walk with me. The gardens here are spectacular.”
She threads a hand through his proffered elbow and leaves me behind with a wink.
No! Cam! I want to pull her back. She can’t leave me here like this! But, she can and does. I pull the belt on m
y pink robe tight and I’m about to walk out to the more sedate courtyard when I catch sight of a man standing alone at a bar that runs the length of wall opposite the musicians. He is leaning casually back against the bar on one elbow and his eyes are directly on me. There is something compelling in that gaze. Since I’ve never met him, I don’t know what he’s thinking, but…I want to. He face is unlined, but he has slight premature graying at the temples and wears glasses. From the distance, I would put him in his late thirties. Even though he is as handsome as any man in the room, he seems out of place for some reason. What are you hiding behind those glasses? His phone rings and he puts it to his ear and turns to the bar to take the call.
“Tesh, right?”
I turn. A man stands before me with a deep natural tan and a row of perfect white teeth. He has the most adorable blond curls and is wearing shorts and a polo shirt. Not my usual style, but I remember Sophia’s admonition to keep an open mind. “Yes, Tesh Morgan.”
“I’m Doug.”
“Hi, Doug, nice to meet you.”
He leans down and whispers in my ear, “Loved your profile. We’re a 72% match.”
Okay, now I’m mortified. I knew the men would read it, but I didn’t think they’d talk about it!
“Come on, doll. Let’s get a drink,” he suggests with a mischievous twinkle and I’m trying to figure out just what part he loved the most about it.
“Sure.”
He directs me toward the bar where the man that caught my attention is just finishing his call. Doug orders the drinks and Glasses turns toward me. He is probably not the first person the women here would look at, concealed as he is behind those large glasses, but he is definitely my type. I can see intelligence and confidence in his eyes and a hint of humor. Our eyes meet and it does crazy shit to my insides.
