Pursuit: A Bad Boy Romance

by Cristal Pierre

  The sight of fiery red hair catches his attention and a click to enlarge the picture reveals striking emerald eyes. The thing about the rankings page is that one has to pay an additional fee to be able to message the top placers. The company has deemed them the ‘most eligible’ through a serious of factors, face and body quality, intelligence, personality, and sexual experience to name a few. They’re the crème of the crop, and of course, they have to come at a price. Nate bookmarks the woman’s profile. Maybe, after he has a drink with Alex, he’ll be drunk enough to actually pay to message a woman.

  “Let’s have a drink after this?” Nate then asks when he arrives in the marina. He’s standing in front of his yacht with Alex already in it.

  “You know it.”

  When they’re both onboard, Nate revs the engine to life and speeds away. They’re headed towards the small island a half-hour ride away. The island has got to be the most extravagant in Nate’s long list of real estate properties. He has a cabin in the Alps, a beach house, and condominiums in San Francisco, New York, London, and Hong Kong. He has his eyes set on an entire building right here in Black Creek; maybe, that he can buy after he develops the island and it starts generating income. For now, he’s happy with what the island can presently offer – the thicket of forest and a bungalow right by the beach.

  “I’ve been waiting all day for this,” Alex then says, starting to shed off his clothes.

  “You do know if someone else heard that, you’d come off as a creep?” Nate tries his best not to bark out a laugh. “See, I knew this island was a great investment.”

  “Personal investment, yes…financial investment, not so much yet.” When he’s stark naked on the beach, Alex walks towards the perimeter of the forest and squints his eyes. “I think I want deer or salmon tonight.”

  This time, Nate elicits a full-on laugh. “How fancy. Sashimi style?”

  “If only…”

  Nate trails behind Alex and follows him deeper into the forest. Under a canopy of century-old trees, they revel in the quiet of the night under the gleam of the crescent moon. When they close their eyes, they suddenly feel the metamorphosis, their bodies shifting into different forms. They feel the cool air brush against their fur, much thicker now and in a palette of jet-black. Their head swipes against branches of trees as they shoot up in height. When, Alex opens his mouth, he elicits a grunt. Then, he turns his head to the side to get a glimpse of Nate behind him. In his friend’s place is a majestic ebony-coated bear standing on its hind legs, and when Alex tips his head downwards, he sees he’s sporting the same jet-black fur. Then, his claws rake the brittle dirt beneath them.

  He has been waiting all day for this. It’s been a few days since they shifted into their bear forms and went on a midnight escape. Not to mention, he still has salmon to catch.

  Chapter 3

  Laura’s in a rush when she enters Love in the Net’s headquarters. Truthfully, it’s her first time here, and she’s been called in because of an emergency. About what though, she doesn’t know. She’s not considered an employee in the company; the proper term for her role is ‘Premium Lover’. Barf. As a Premium Lover in the dating company, customers pay her to speak to them. Numerous times in the past, people paid hefty fees to tie her down with marriage, but not one of those times ever ended with a walk down the aisle. Laura doesn’t need money, so she doesn’t need a rich man. All she’s looking for really is love. How cliché.

  Ivy League educated and part of a family of business owners, Laura Harmon knows she shouldn’t be working in Love in the Net. When her parents suggested she dabble into the tech sector, they didn’t mean for her to work as an online prostitute, but they always told her to use her strengths to her advantage. And her looks has always been her strongest characteristic. She can turn on the charm with a flick of her fingers. Match that with her fiery auburn hair and startling emerald eyes and any man’s a goner. After having tried both blind and speed dating and failing to meet a compatible partner, she thought maybe the online version would provide better success for her. So far, she hasn’t met anyone that piqued her interest. Aside from being on the receiving end of the wealthy’s attention, she has to admit she’s earning more in Love in the Net than she ever can in a different job.

  At the ‘ding’ of the elevator, its doors open up to the tenth floor and Laura steps out and takes a sharp right towards the reception area. A few feet away, she sees Madison Conrad, CEO of Love in the Net, talking, or rather arguing, with a couple of men. Laura has to admit they’re one of the most attractive men she’s even seen in her life, and she knows attractive. One of them has white blonde hair and translucent ice blue eyes, and as Laura trails her eyes down the expanse of the man’s body, she can just assume that what she’ll see underneath the button down and dark jeans won’t disappoint her. The material fits nicely against the man’s chiseled exterior.

  As for the other one, he’s the polar opposite of the blond in the looks department. With a dark mop of chocolate hair, its strands flying in random directions, the man’s more disheveled, a very sexy kind though as opposed to the blond’s more clean-cut exterior. With every move of the brunette’s full lips, his jaw, sharp as a knife, clenches, and Laura can see the hard, angular lines of his face from where she’s standing.

  To her surprise, both men’s eyes widen into saucers when they see her, and when Madison turns around and motions for her to come forward, Laura hesitantly walks up towards the CEO and the two Adonis.

  “Laura, thanks for coming in today,” Madison starts, her voice sounding infuriated, and just like that, Laura’s panicking on the inside. As far as she knows, she hasn’t gotten herself into trouble lately. “As I said in our call, we have an emergency.”

  Then she turns to look at the two men. When she speaks again, the hardness in her tone is still there, but the creases on her forehead relax and her lips are in a sly smile. She also has that come-hither look in her eyes, and Laura tries her best not to roll her eyes. It’s very obvious Madison’s trying to flirt with the two men.

  “What’s the emergency?” she asks a-matter-of-factly, but deep inside, she’s a ball of nerves.

  “It’s more of a mishap from the dev team, really,” Madison says. “Our system booked you for both of them even though they each paid a premium…” Of course Madison stresses the word ‘premium’. “To book you exclusively.”

  “Oh.” Laura almost breathes a sigh of relief. That sounds like she still has her job. “I see.” When she looks into the brunette’s misty gray eyes, she almost melts into a puddle of goo on the floor. “Can we offer any of you a refund?”

  Thirty minutes into the conversation and Laura fails to get one of them to concede. And so, she takes the argument outside. Madison walks back to her office while the three of them head towards the café on the ground floor of the same building and occupy one of the tables outdoors. She sits across the brunette, who she learns has a name of course – Nate – while the blond, Alex, sits to her left.

  “By the looks of it, you two are friends,” Laura then says after noticing the two men seem to be working together against her. “If one of you concedes, I promise to find the other a suitable partner, more suitable than I can ever be.”

  Alex and Nate give each other look. Silence passes for a couple of seconds until they nod their heads and turn their attention back to Laura.

  “Are you asking one of us to admit defeat?” Alex lifts a corner of his lips into a sexy smirk, and for a quick second, Laura thinks what it would feel like to have sex with a man so confident in his looks and personality. She’s slept with a number of her clients before, not all of them though, but with Alex and Nate, she honestly wouldn’t mind. “Of course, we’re not going to do that.”

  “We have a new proposal,” then speaks Nate, hair still tousled in various directions. It adds to his appeal.

  “Both of us will have you.” There’s no missing the look of mischief in both men’s faces. “We did pay for you, not for a
ny other woman.”

  “B-but…you ordered me…exclusively.” Confusion sweeps across Laura’s face, and with the way she bites her bottom lip, the two men are struggling to keep the restless feeling at bay. They’ve always been possessive of their women. This time’s no different even if Laura isn’t really theirs. “Last time I checked, three people cannot be in an exclusive relationship together. You can’t even marry three people…or can you?”

  That reply gets a bark of laughter from each of the men, and the more they’re hooked. Now, they really won’t be letting go of her.

  “We’re good friends,” says Alex, never missing a beat. “We don’t mind sharing.” When she opens her mouth in protest, the blond continues. “We’ve done it before, and we did both pay for your service.”

  Just like that, Laura’s left speechless. She’s gotten herself into difficult situations, but she has no idea how she’s going to come out of this unscathed.

  Chapter 4

  When it comes to relationships, dating, and sex, Laura believes she’s experienced everything. Crazy, possessive boyfriends, both sensitive and emotionless men, public sex, BDSM, and threesomes – name it, and she’s probably experienced it, everything except for going on a date with two men in the same table.

  Laura is seated in between Alex and Nate in a semi-circle booth under a miniature wrought-iron chandelier. Their glasses are filled with the restaurant’s best Bordeaux wine, and there’s also a cart of bread and butter before them. Laura’s been wined and dined before, but to be seated in between two gorgeous men who are more than willing to share her is quite hard to compare to all her other experiences. She’s had threesomes before, yes, but she never had to date both people at the same time.

  “So how did you two meet?” Laura asks nonchalantly, trying to start a conversation. She notices how Nate is the quieter one of the two.

  “Around twenty-two years ago when we were twenty…we met in the Army.” Laura widens her eyes at Alex’s reply. It’s not because of the fifteen-year age difference. As she said, she’s been there, done that. She’s shocked at the length of their friendship. Not many people can brag about a friendship that genuine and lasting so long. “The rest, as they says, is history…”

  “Oh, that’s amazing, twenty-two years…” she then says. “I’ve known people, such as acquaintances and childhood friends, for that long, but never a close friend really. So do you two really share everything, your women especially?”

  “We’re actually in a secret relationship…” With the way Alex’s expressive azure eyes are looking at her, it’s very much obvious he’s playing around, so Laura decides to join in the fun. “And Nate here expressed his interest in experimenting in the bedroom…”

  Nate gives his friend a hard punch and shakes his head. “Don’t listen to him.”

  But Laura can’t really help but laugh. “And you had to go through an online dating website?” she says, feigning disbelief. “Come on! I’m sure if you just made a sign and stood on the road, women will flock to both of you…” Now, there’s a sparkle in her eyes. “You didn’t have to pay such an exorbitant amount, but I have to say I’m honored…to have been paid for my company…”

  The conversation carries on as if Laura has been dating Alex and Nate for a long time. Their guards are down, and there isn’t a moment of silence in the table, not even for just a second. Even Nate, the quietest one, is talking more frequently. Laura learns about Nate’s business and Alex’s work as the Chief Information Officer of a multinational corporation. They learn about her privilege upbringing and her Ivy League days. It doesn’t come as a surprise when Alex and Nate mention a few alumni they’ve done business with whom Laura personally knows. Then, the conversation moves to online dating, and how Laura got started in Love in the Net.

  By the end of the seven-course meal, none of them want to go home yet. They’re having too much fun getting to know one another. After having finished a couple bottles of wine, the alcohol sets in, and they all know what to expect next. The tension among the three of them is at an all-time high, and there’s no denying that what they’re feeling right now is sexual tension.

  Chapter 5

  Laura hasn’t done this before – bring clients into her apartment. She never even lets them drop her off in front of her building. Period. But somehow, when the limousine stopped in front of the brick-clad structure and all three of them took the elevator up to her unit, she found herself inviting Alex and Nate into her apartment. As she takes her coat and then her cardigan off her lithe body, she sees the way the two men’s eyes glaze with desire. There’s a click of a tongue and then a low, quick groan as she saunters off to the kitchen.

  “Wine, anyone? Or beer?” she asks, her back turned to them.

  “No, thanks,” Alex says.

  Laura feels one of them closing in on her until there’s a figure towering over her from behind. When she closes her refrigerator door and disregards getting a drink, she’s turned around and comes face to face with Alex. Suddenly, his hands are on her waist, and there’s a look of mischief in his cloudy blue orbs. He pushes her deeper into the kitchen until her back hits the edge of the countertop. Then, he traps her in his arms and with Laura having no escape route, Alex bends his head down and finally closes the distance between them.

  Laura sucks in air when she gasps at the kiss. His lips are soft and full, but the pressure he’s putting into the kiss is hard and wanting. Then, his hands move from the marble countertop and onto her, as Alex cups her face in his hands. Laura then feels her arms move on their own accord, one hand rests on his neck while the other stays on his back. He dips her forward, her back arching against the edge, and Laura tightens her hold around him for support. Then, he pulls away from her before he settles his sights on the curve of her neck – his next point of attack.

  Laura elicits a series of moans as he sucks on the skin of her neck. She has to admit the neck is her favorite part to be kissed. There’s no describing the tingling sensations when lips and teeth meet the sensitive part. Alex’s hands then go over her sheath dress as his fingers close around the neckline. Riiiip. With the dress rips open in the middle, Laura’s let standing half-naked in matching lace black lingerie and her pointed toe heels. Not to mention Nate is still standing in the living room, and when his eyes land on her semi-naked body, there’s no way he’s missing out on the action.

  With long, powerful legs, it doesn’t take Nate long to get to where Laura and Alex are. With a nod and a silent understanding, Alex steps to the side while Nate takes over. Where Alex is hungry and wanting, Nate is more deliberate in his movements. His hands wander along the expanse of her body, moving from her abdomen to her neck, as his eyes take in the sight of her almost bare body. When he finally kisses her, she melts into him as their lips move in a slow, technical dance. He nips at her bottom lip before he gives her a peck and then another. He takes her by surprise when his hands sneakily move across her back and unclasp her bra. Then, his eyes move towards the door at the opposite end of the room, and before Laura knows what his plans are, Nate carries her, bridal-style, in his arm and makes the walk to her bedroom. Alex follows closely behind.

  “Yes…” she moans out as lips tug over a taut nipple.

  She’s splayed across the bed and writhing under Nate’s toned and powerful figure. Unfair. She thinks for a quick second when she realizes both men still have all their clothes on, but then the thought goes away. She doesn’t care. She loves the feeling, even. It’s usually her servicing her clients and not the other way around. She can actually get used to this.

  Then Nate’s lips take the short trip from her left breast to her right. As he pulls and sucks, Laura can’t help the build-up of desire pooling in her most intimate region. And so, she takes it upon herself to tug her lace panties off her. With herself on full display for the two men, there’s no missing the way they eye her hungrily. Nate moves his lips from her breasts to her lips, while Alex climbs over the bed. He’s not going to
be a bystander anymore.

  Laura moans against Nate’s lips when she feels Alex’s finger pushing in and out of her. It doesn’t take long before he makes it two fingers and then three, and Laura feels helpless with two powerful men hovering over her. She loves it. She’s had threesomes before, but it’s mostly been with another woman and a man. In the times it’s been two men and her, the males never pleasured her together. One was always watching while the other she pleasured. This, both Alex and Nate working their talents on her, is something new and one she wouldn’t mind doing again.

  When Nate pulls away from her lips, he moves his mouth towards the swell of her breasts. He swipes his tongue over a taut nipple before doing the same thing to the other. As for Alex, he’s having too much fun getting a reaction out of Laura as his fingers push in and out of her pussy at the same time his mouth pleasures the same spot. When Laura feels the build-up inside her at an all-time high, she tries to push Nate off her, and when he does, she sits up from the bed and makes a move to remove his pants. She does the same thing to Alex soon after. As both men remain kneeling beside her on the bed, she takes their erection in each of her hands. Now, it’s time give back.