by Violet Haze
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Blurb
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
About The Author
Hungry
Heart
Part One
An Erotic Romance
By
Violet Haze
Stoked Publishing House
Hungry Heart: Part One ©2014 by Violet Haze
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Original Cover Photo by Melissa Angelski
Cover Design by Violet Haze
Stoked Publishing House
Kindle Edition
First Edition: October 2014
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Dedication
~*~
To my dad,
thanks for being a good man who demonstrates what real love is every single day.
Blurb
~*~
My name is Caroline Lowther. I’m in a relationship with Nathan MacMillan. We’ve been together almost four years. We share a home and a bed.
Nathan’s also in love with Rissa, his other girlfriend for the past six months. And I couldn’t be happier for him.
You see, we have an open relationship and while this story shows how much Nathan and I love each other, it’s not about us as a couple.
It’s about how Benedict and I met and started a love story of our own.
Note: this serial romance is for mature audiences only and involves characters who have multiple partners.
1
There’s something wrong with me.
Not maybe.
Definitely.
There’s no other explanation for what I’m thinking right now. What I’m feeling.
What exactly is the feeling bothering me so much?
The fact I’m extremely turned on by the strange man staring at me from across the cafe. I caught him out of the corner of my eye. I refuse to look at him and give him the satisfaction of knowing how he’s affecting me. I’ve an inkling he knows precisely what his intense stare is doing to me; he probably does it to lots of women.
He just has that look about him. You know, the one where his ruffled wavy black hair that touches the nape of his neck just so is perfect, his face is slight scruffy but not enough to count as anything less than sexy, and his lowered eyes make you think he’s not been out of bed long. Yes, he looks like he wants to go back to bed and take someone with him.
And I think the person he wants right now is me.
But, that’s too bad, because I don’t know him.
I’m also not single.
Not that me having a boyfriend is a deterrent. My boyfriend and I have a special arrangement. However, it doesn’t mean I can do whatever I want, or fuck whomever I want.
There are rules.
And this man is making me want to break every single one of them.
Hence, why there’s something really fucking wrong with me in this instant.
When my friend, Ethan, takes a seat across from me and blocks the view of the other man, I’m beyond grateful. I grin, which Ethan mirrors back at me, and nods at the latte he’s placed in front of me.
“Drink up and tell me, what’s up with Professor Ryan? He seemed to have a bug up his ass about something this morning,” he says. “I wanted to bitch slap him.”
Snickering at his scrunched up nose, which makes him look silly but amuses me like nothing else, I take a sip of my latte and shrug. “I think he was pissed so many people were behind on their projects. He wanted to see what people had done, but nobody really did anything yet.”
“Except you. You’re always prepared. A teacher’s pet.”
“You don’t get a perfect GPA by being lazy and leaving things until the last second,” I tease him, knowing he’s got a nearly perfect GPA even though he's a procrastinator. “Well, except you. You’re almost there.”
“We both know that teacher gave me an A-minus because she heard me bragging about how I never do my work ’til the last second and had a perfect GPA because I’m a genius.” He gives me a mock scowl, then winks at me.
“You probably went too far with the genius comment.”
He laughs and sits back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head as he turns to stare out the window. I swear, Ethan has the most flawless profile. He might be one of the few people I’ve ever met who has a near symmetrical face in all aspects like myself. We've been friends since we were babies. Our mothers had us in the same hospital on the same day and shared a room, and we’ve been pretty much inseparable every single day since. People often mistake us as relatives, since we share light brown hair and blue eyes, which is perfectly okay with both of us since we are completely platonic.
For the record, my life isn’t like a romance novel. Ethan and I suddenly aren’t going to say, “oh my god, I’m in love with you!” because no, it’s just not like that. We are literally like brother and sister — I’m the sister he never had and he’s the brother I never had. He has two older brothers, but me, I’m an only child and my parents pride and joy. And Ethan looks out for me in a way nobody else ever has and our relationship is sacred. Not even my boyfriend would dare to speak against how close we are if he were inclined to say something, which he isn’t.
Ethan and I are solid. My boyfriend and I are solid.
And when Ethan leans over toward the window to squint at something, I find my eyes locked on the strange man across the cafe who looks up at that exact moment. He smiles at me, and I swear, I’m blown away.
Shit, shit, shit.
I’m in trouble.
Especially since I’m about to blatantly invite the trouble into my life.
“You know what,” I say suddenly, standing up. “I want a chocolate chip muffin. I’ll be right back.”
Ethan nods, not really hearing me, focused on whatever it is he’s gazing at out the window and I head to the counter to order. There is one person in front of me so I have to wait, and because people are predictable, it’s only a moment or two before I feel the man stand behind me. I don’t even have to look to know.
“I’m Benedict,” he murmurs, leaning in close to my ear so his breath brushes me in an intimate manner. His deep voice is sexy just as I imagined it would be from simply looking at him.
I ignore the way it makes me feel and am direct as possible so he knows everything he needs to. “I’m taken.”
“Are you?” He chuckles, still close to me even though he isn’t touching me in any way. “So am I. Now, what’s your name?”
Interesting. Well, he gets points for being honest, and I’ve no idea what his situation is, so I give him an
honest answer. “I’m Caroline.”
“Is that your boyfriend sitting with you?”
“No.”
“A friend? A relative? Someone I have to worry about beating me up for speaking with you?”
I can’t help it. I laugh at the question and turn to face him as the person in front of me continues to waffle about what they want to order. Our bodies are inches apart as he straightens, and I have to look up into his face because he’s got a good six inches on my five-foot-five frame. And the first thing I notice is he’s even more attractive up close. His face might have a five o’clock shadow, but it’s blemish free, and his hazel eyes shine bright as he gazes down at me, his multi-colored tie emphasizing the various flicks of color in them.
“He’s my friend,” I say with a smile. “Since we were kids. He’s like a brother, and no, he won’t beat you up.”
Benedict’s eyes are even more vibrant, if that’s even possible, as he lifts a hand to my hair and pushes it behind my ear. It’s forward, has my stomach dropping and my heart careening, but I can’t seem to find the heart to object to this simplest of touches. He seems as fascinated by me as I am by him and I need to see what he wants.
“How old are you, Caroline?”
“I’ll be twenty-one tomorrow. You?”
“Nice.” He drops his hand, stepping back as the cashier behind us announces the total to the person ordering, and smiles at me. “I’m thirty. But it doesn’t matter. I just wanted to make sure you were legal.”
Legal for what?
“May I help you?” The cashier asks from behind me, and I turn around without saying anything in response to his comment, stepping up to the counter.
“Yes, I’d like a chocolate chip muffin please.” I wait until she holds her hand out for the money, then give it to her and step aside with a glance back at Benedict. “Your turn.”
“Oh,” he replies with a naughty grin, removing himself from the line to stand next to me. “I don’t want anything to eat. At least, not from this cafe.”
I ignore the butterflies in my stomach at his suggestive words and roll my eyes at him instead. “I’m sure your girlfriend would love to know you’re hitting on a girl that isn’t her in this cafe.”
He leans in at the same moment I feel his hand slide into my pocket, tugging me until my side is against his, and whispers in my ear, “We have an open relationship.” He says that as if he knows I’ll know what it means as my eyes collide with his. Which I do, but he can’t know that having just met me. Then, he steps back while removing his hand from my pocket and sliding it into his own. “My card is in your pocket, Caroline. Call me.”
I don’t get a chance to reply as he turns around and walks away, out the door in the blink of an eye. The other person working holds out my muffin and I take it from her, then head back to my seat where Ethan is waiting for me with a smirk on his face.
“Who was the guy all up in your space?”
“His name is Benedict.” I take a bite of my muffin, scowling as his grin grows wide, and I lift a brow as if to say, ‘what?’
“Ah, nothing. It’s obvious he wants to fuck you.”
A piece of muffin gets caught in my throat and I start coughing like mad. Ethan jumps up and pounds on my back, chuckling as I take a deep breath and lean forward to take a drink of my latte.
“Asshole,” I say once I can breathe again.
“You say the same to me all the time about the girls who hit on me, Caro.” He shrugs. “I wonder what Nathan will think.”
Nathan is my boyfriend, and Ethan knows all about our arrangement. He doesn’t necessarily approve, but the great thing is he loves me and trusts me enough to know I’m the only one who gets any say about how I live my life — in general and in the romance department.
“Nathan has someone else, as you know. I’m the one between us who hasn’t had any interest in anyone besides him.” I reach into my pocket and pull out the card, which is bare except for his name and number, and hold it up. “Benedict put this in my pocket and told me to call him. Said he’s in an open relationship. The fact I have a boyfriend didn’t seem to stop him from assuming I’d be interested.”
“Because you are and he knew it.” When my mouth drops open, Ethan rolls his eyes. “Come on now. You were seconds away from jumping into his arms. Your interest in him was written all over your face.”
It's dumb to deny the obvious, although jumping into his arms is a bit of an exaggeration. “Well, he’s gorgeous. Can you blame me?”
“Nope. Go for it.” Ethan stands up and swipes his backpack from the chair beside him, tossing it over his shoulder as he winks at me. “We still meeting at the club?”
“Uh huh. Wouldn’t miss having my first legal drink at the stroke of midnight for nothing.”
He comes around the table and kisses my cheek. “Invite the soon-to-be boy toy.” At my scoff, he laughs. “See ya there at eleven-thirty, Caro.”
I finish eating my muffin and drinking my latte, then ten minutes later, I head home to prepare for my evening out.
2
Nathan and Rissa, his other girlfriend, are having sex when I arrive home.
I know this because I can hear her moans all the way at the front door, which I slam in a deliberate fashion to make them aware of my presence. Perfect, since this results in a sudden drop in her verbal announcements of pleasure.
Up until a year ago, I lived with Ethan. But once Nathan bought a house of his own, he insisted living together was the best for both of us. He made it clear staying close and connected with me was the most important thing to him, and I loved that he didn’t want to live apart.
The rules of our relationship made it so the rules must be made clear to anyone we have interest in. This house is Nathan’s and I’m the only other person who lives here. People we’re with may sleep over, hang out, spend a day with us, but they can’t live here. They aren’t allowed to leave things here ‘just in case’ and that’s the way we want it.
Other rules include always introducing the other people in our lives to each other first before we sleep with them, always use protection, and spending two nights with each other a week alone is mandatory. Respect is key as well, and nobody's allowed to disrespect either of us, or our relationship. If they do, it is to end immediately.
Of course, as I told Ethan, Nathan is the only one between us to have someone else, but even his relationship with Rissa developed slowly. It wasn’t so much that she wasn’t cool with it, but it’s always a little awkward making it clear to someone they are welcome to hit on your boyfriend, and yes, even sleep with him as long as she doesn’t try to come between us.
Nathan had been into Rissa the moment he met her, and pursuing her had been half the fun. I had even helped him. She thought we were joking when we sat her down and told her it was totally okay for her to like him. We told her our belief is that monogamy isn’t necessary for a successful relationship; trust and honesty are. It’s natural to want to sleep with others, and sleeping with or even dating additional people doesn’t lessen your love for your other partner or partners.
I wasn’t sure she really understood the concept of polyamory — that’s many (poly) and love (amory), or more than one love in plain speak — thanks to the way society leads people to believe romantic love is only between two people and it’s not possible for any other way to exist. But, she took us at our word that it was cool, and I’d even chuckled when she apologized and said she wasn’t into girls, asking if threesomes were part of the rules to date him.
Her relief when I told her I was only into men had both Nathan and I cracking up.
After that, they’d began dating, and although it took a few weeks for her to relax around me, all was well now for the last six months.
And finally, it’s my turn, because I’ve found someone who is into me.
That is, if he’s telling the truth about being in an open relationship. Unfortunately, I’m all too aware of how many men will lie to sleep with yo
u, and people in a true open relationship are more than happy to assure you it is true. Those who aren’t willing to introduce you to their significant other to make sure are flat out lying.
But first, I need to talk to Nathan about Benedict and make sure inviting him out this evening is a good idea.
Putting my stuff in my room and walking toward the kitchen to get a drink, I take out my phone and the card Benedict gave me. Setting him up as a contact first, I open up a message after taking a glass down from the cupboard and decide it will amuse me to see how long it takes for him to realize who is texting him.
“Hey.”
Opening up the fridge, I pour myself a glass of water from the Brita pitcher before putting it back in the fridge. My phone buzzes as I’m taking a drink and carrying them both to the living room, I sit down before opening it to see what he said.
“Hay is for horses.”
“You sound like my mother,” I reply with a grin, lifting my legs and crossing them, using the table as a foot rest. “She always says that.”
“I bet she’s hoping you’ll quit saying it and say hello instead.”
“Hello,” is my smartass reply. “Is this Benedict?”
“Depends on who’s asking.”
“Hmm. I don’t know…”
“Not a lot of people have my personal mobile, so you’re either the really beautiful girl from the cafe, or an older lady I helped cross the street earlier today.”
“Which would you prefer I be?”
“The older lady for sure. She’s definitely more my type.”
I laugh out loud, his teasing reply making it clear he knows it’s me, as the bedroom door opens. I lift my head to look at the same time Nathan catches sight of me and smiles, pulling Rissa close and kissing her on the cheek before heading toward me.
“Bye Rissa,” I say with a lift of my hand, leaning forward to put my phone on the table after removing my feet from their perch.
