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  Immediately, I slid out of her mouth. She gasped for air for a few seconds and I waited to see what she had to say. I didn't think she was completely calling off, but I wasn't going to do anything else until I knew for certain.

  “Crop.” Her voice was rough, but the word was clear. As clear as the desire in her eyes.

  I nodded and got off the bed. I waited until she was breathing normally and her eyes had stopped watering, then picked up the crop. I had no doubt she'd known she couldn't take it, but had wanted to try just so she could get both the cock and the crop.

  “Five hits,” I said. “On each tit.”

  She shivered, her smile communicating her anticipation.

  “And five on your pussy.”

  Her eyes widened, and her hips lifted, but she didn't protest. If anything, the desire in her eyes increased.

  “Am I allowed to come, Sir?” she asked.

  I considered telling her no, but I'd never really been into orgasm denial with my one-time flings. I'd done a bit of that with Lara, but it wasn't anything I wanted to get into with someone I didn't know well enough to read their body. It was a fine art, knowing when a woman was going to come and being able to stop at the right time.

  “Whenever you want,” I said. “And as many times as you can.” I held up the crop. “But after I'm done, I'm going to fuck you until I come.”

  “Thank you, Sir.” She curled her fingers into fists and I knew she was preparing herself for what was to come.

  I didn't use a crop very often, and rarely on the more sensitive parts of the anatomy, but there were some who enjoyed it, and Sarah's smile said she was definitely one of them. I flicked my wrist and heard the crack against her breast, followed immediately by the soft pained sound she made. A small red patch appeared on her skin.

  I alternated between her breasts for the first six blows, then landed the first one on her nipple. She cried out, body twisting instinctively. The first one on the other nipple received a similar response. I made the last one on each harder than the others and she wailed. I was suddenly very glad I hadn't taken her to a hotel. I doubted neighboring rooms would've appreciated this as fully as I did.

  Sarah took great gulping breaths, each one making her breasts jiggle. Her eyes were wide as she watched me pull her skirt up around her waist, completely exposing her bare pussy. Her skin glistened and I could see the tip of her clit peeking out, just a hint of the silver bar with it. Perfect. I hadn't wanted to spread her folds and hit her clit directly, but there was enough of it visible for me to know it'd get some punishment.

  I kept the first two blows low enough that her pink lips caught all of it. Still a shock, I was sure, but not as much as what was coming. The third was higher, but not as hard, giving her a few seconds to prepare herself for what was happening next. The fourth hit her directly and her entire body jerked hard enough that I was glad I'd chosen soft restraints rather than handcuffs. Her body tensed and her face contorted into the beautiful mask of orgasm. She screamed and her body twisted again. I made the last one count, landing perfectly, even as she continued to ride out her climax.

  While her overwhelmed body twitched and shook, half-sobs coming out with every shuddering breath, I got a condom from the bedside table and rolled it on. By the time I was on the bed again, kneeling between her spread legs, I was nearly painfully hard and she was coherent enough to consent.

  I'd stretched her well with my fingers before and knew she could take all of me without any damage, so I gripped her hips and buried myself with one thrust. My pelvic bone hit against her swollen clit and she swore. My strokes were deep and hard, my fingers digging into her small hips, and she begged for it to be harder and faster. She came again after only a couple minutes, and I kept going, drawing out her orgasm until the pressure inside me was too much and I exploded. My eyes closed and I let the pleasure give me what I sought. A few precious moments of peace.

  Chapter 2

  Autumn in Fort Collins was my favorite time of year. The mountains were covered with trees, some that would stay the deep green of pine while others would burst into reds and oranges and yellows. The weather had started to cool at the end of August and now, halfway through September, the temperature was perfect.

  The last couple years, however, I'd found less and less time to appreciate the beauty of the city and the season. Now, as I drove from my house in to the office, I barely noticed anything around me. I had too much on my mind. That had been what fucking Sarah had been for, to clear my head so that I could figure out what to do about the newest problem my company was having. Unfortunately, enjoyable as it had been, sex with Sarah hadn't done much in the way of getting me out of my head for more than a few seconds. Things had still been there, nagging at the back of my mind.

  It was times like these that I really missed Curt. He'd been with me since the beginning, the public face of Archer Enterprises. He'd taken care of meet and greets with clients, public relations, interviews, leaving me to do what I did best: not deal with people. I'd been happy sitting in my office, working on code and systems. Then, about a year and a half ago, he'd had an accident, spent some time in a coma, and then moved to the Bahamas with his wife. I didn't begrudge him the early retirement, especially after everything he'd been through. It didn't make me miss him any less.

  “Rylan!”

  I turned as I heard my name and put on a fake smile. “Emmaline.” The twenty-three year-old was bubbly, high energy, both things that were positive, but not something I was fond of first thing in the morning. I'd never been much of a morning person.

  “I have your coffee ready.” She beamed at me, her turquoise eyes shining.

  I accepted the cup. “Thank you.” A bit of an awkward silence followed. “Well, work to do.”

  I headed towards the elevator, hoping she wouldn't follow. She wasn't my assistant, but she still brought me coffee almost every morning. I'd gotten the impression she wanted something romantic from me, but I wasn't about to go there. Even if Emmaline was the kind of person I'd want to date, the fact that I was her boss would've immediately negated it. As it was, she wasn't the sort of woman I would want to be with. She'd never done anything specific, but I'd always had the feeling she wasn't quite as genuine and nice as she tried to make me think.

  “Rylan!”

  I sighed. It was a man's voice this time and one that I recognized. Dark hair and eyes, slouched shoulders. Christophe Constantine was a good employee. Hard-working, on time, never complained. I just wasn't in the mood for conversation.

  “Package for you.” He held out a small square box.

  “Thanks, Christophe.”

  He smiled, gave me a nod and hurried off. He was my assistant, but he also did odd errands for other people at the company. I was all about work efficiency and keeping busy. I didn't care quite so much about job titles.

  I breathed a sigh of relief when I walked out of the elevator and into my office. I had an open door policy with my employees, but no one abused it. Unless something came up, I had at least a couple hours to myself. I put the package down on the desk and walked around to my chair. I knew what was in it. New business cards that only had my name on them instead of Curt's as well. I hadn't wanted to order them, but I'd known that I had to do it. Somehow, seeing just my name felt more final than it had when I'd accepted his resignation.

  If I hadn't already needed to talk to him, this would've made me want to call him. Curt wasn't my best friend, but he had been the closest person to me here. I sat down and picked up my phone. He answered on the third ring.

  “Rylan, how're things in the States?”

  I smiled despite myself. Curt had always had that effect on me. He'd been the guy who'd kept me from taking myself too seriously. That’s why he'd been such a great public face. He was personable, likable, at ease with the press and with anyone else he happened to talk to.

  “They're fine, Curt. How're you doing?”

  “Shirley and I are great. Having drinks on the be
ach every night.”

  I laughed. “You sound bored out of your mind.”

  He laughed along with me. “I have to admit, there are times when I do miss a good old nine to five.”

  “Well, your nine to five misses you too.”

  “Ah.” His voice had a knowing note to it. “What is it?”

  “I've been informed that Archer Enterprises has an image problem.” I jumped right in. Another thing that had made Curt and I such great partners. Our transition from small talk to business had always been quick.

  “Really? Who told you that?” Judging by the lack of surprise in his voice, this wasn't news to him. Curt always kept up on things.

  “Only half the blogs and papers on the West Coast,” I said wryly. “An issue with one of our games.”

  “Bridger's Doom,” Curt said. “An obscene easter egg on the fourth level.”

  “I fired the programmer who did it,” I said. “And I recalled the product, offered a full refund as well as a replacement once the glitch is fixed.”

  “But you didn't have a press conference. You didn't apologize,” Curt said. “You should've been making the rounds. Interviews, talk shows, the whole nine yards.”

  I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. “You know I'm no good at this, Curt. I'm not the guy who charms crowds. I'm fine one-on-one, with people who speak my language, but I suck when some reporter asks me a bunch of shit that has nothing to do with work.”

  “It's been eighteen months, Rylan,” he said. “Maybe it's time for you to hire someone for public relations.”

  “And what are they going to do?” I asked. “Tell me the right things to say; which programs to go on. They won't let me work in peace.”

  He was silent for a moment, his voice soft when he spoke again, “When was the last time you went out? Spent time with friends?”

  “I saw Zeke a couple weeks ago,” I said, my voice lifted in defense. “And I had a date last night.”

  “A date?” Curt sounded amused. “Rylan, I know you. That wasn't a date.”

  “What does it matter?” I asked, annoyed for a reason I couldn't quite explain. “My social life is my own business.”

  “You take things far too seriously,” Curt said. “What happened to the guy who used to hack into the school's mainframe and play with the Christmas lights?”

  “He started his own company,” I said as if my answer explained everything. My annoyance faded as quickly as it had come. I had been that guy once. Now, responsibility took over. Even when I was with my friends, I was thinking about work. I doubted any of them noticed, but Curt knew the truth. Work was all I had.

  “Rylan, you need to take it easy. What's the point of all this if you can't enjoy it with someone?”

  “I enjoy it just fine,” I said. “You should've seen the woman I was with last night.”

  Even as I said it, I felt the lie. I didn't let myself acknowledge it though. Fucking someone wasn't the same as sharing my life, but it was what I had. I'd opened my heart to someone once. Unless I was certain she was worth it, I wouldn't do it again.

  Chapter 3

  “I'm glad you called. I was beginning to think you’d thrown me over for code.”

  Zeke Wesson had been my best friend since childhood and I knew him almost as well as I knew myself. Light brown hair, moss green eyes. We were about the same size, but he'd always been bulkier than me. People usually described him more as the ruggedly handsome type. Whatever he was, the two of us never had any issues picking up women.

  Which was what we were doing now.

  If an intense bdsm session with Sarah hadn't been enough to make me relax, maybe what I actually needed was something a bit tamer. Something that took me back to a time when things were simpler. Just me and Zeke at a bar, having a drink, trying to pick up a couple of women.

  “It's been a busy year,” I said. “What with Curt quitting and everything.”

  “I'm just glad the holidays are coming up,” he said. “I'm thinking, big Christmas Eve party this year at your place and then an even bigger New Year's Eve party. Maybe see if CSU will let us rent out Moby Arena. I'm talking a live band, hundreds of people.” He grinned and lifted his eyebrows. “CSU co-eds?”

  I shook my head and took a swig of my beer. “You do realize that you're going to be thirty next June, right?”

  Zeke flipped me off and grinned. “Just means I need to pack in twice as much fun before I become an old man.”

  I scanned the bar. “And you're not even considering settling down any time soon?”

  He laughed. “You're kidding, right?” His expression changed slightly and, for a moment, I couldn't figure out what he was thinking. Then his smile was back. “Come on, Rylan, why would I want to give up all this? I mean, I've never met a woman I could stand for more than a couple weeks. You think I could find one I'd want to be with forever?” He leaned across the table and clinked his beer bottle against mine. “You're pretty much the only person I could imagine being around that long.”

  I shrugged. I had to admit, in a way, he was right. When I thought about plans for the future, if I ever had anyone with me, it was either Zeke or Suzette, my younger sister. Since Lara and I had broken up, I hadn't let myself imagine a future with anyone else.

  “What about them?” Zeke gestured with his bottle.

  I followed the direction. At the end of the bar were two women, one with auburn hair, the other light brown. Both were watching us with open admiration. They were both cute. Not in a drop-dead gorgeous kind of way, but enough to get attention from the other men in the bar.

  I shrugged. “Why not?” I was looking for sex, not companionship. Personality really didn't matter much and the pair were attractive enough. Plus, Zeke tended to be picky when it came to women, so if he liked them, I wasn't going to argue.

  “Flip to see who goes in first?” Zeke grinned as he pulled a quarter from his pocket.

  “Heads,” I called as he flipped it in the air.

  He caught it, looked down and grinned. “Tails. Guess you're up.”

  “You have a preference for the red-head or the brunette?” I asked as I stood.

  He looked at them again. “The brunette.”

  The brunette, it turned out, was Robin. The red-head was Janette. They'd come from Kansas State to visit their boyfriends at CSU only to find said boyfriends in bed...with each other. I could definitely sympathize, though I didn't plan on sharing my similar story. Zeke, however, had absolutely no compunctions about entertaining the ladies with my unfortunate dating history.

  “You poor thing.” Janette put her hand over mind and leaned against me. She was about average in build, and if the breasts pressing against my arm were any indication, she was wearing a padded bra in an attempt to make that part of her anatomy more than average. I never minded the size of a woman's breasts, but wearing something padded always felt a bit like I was being lied to.

  “And he hasn't had a serious girlfriend since,” Zeke finished up. He gave me a half-drunken grin.

  “Zeke forgot to mention that he's never had a serious girlfriend.” I glared at him. I was a bit buzzed, but he was working his way towards serious intoxication.

  “So you're both the love 'em and leave 'em type?” Robin asked, inching closer to Zeke.

  “You could say that,” I said dryly. “We like to have fun without any strings attached.”

  “You know,” Janette said. “Robin and I were just saying that we needed to find two hot guys and have a seriously sexy fling with them. To get our minds off our boyfriends. Ex-boyfriends.”

  “Well, you don't want to do anything you'd regret,” Zeke said. His words weren't slurred, but they were blunted. “You sure you guys won't get back together?”

  I raised an eyebrow at him. Was he seriously trying to talk these two out of sex?

  “Considering what they were doing when we walked in the room,” Robin said. “I very much doubt it.”

  “They could've just been experimenting,�
� Zeke pointed out. “Or they were drunk and horny. It happens.”

  Robin gave him a look and then glanced at me. “Has it ever happened with the two of you?”

  “No,” I said. “I have no problem with people loving who they love, but I'm straight.”

  “Me too,” Zeke added quickly. “Just wanted you to be sure that's what you want.”

  “I know what I want.” Janette put her hand on my thigh and squeezed.

  “Me too,” Robin practically purred.

  Judging by the way Zeke jumped, Robin had grabbed something of his too. I was certain it hadn't been his leg.

  “We're sharing a hotel room,” Janette said. “Unless it bothers you guys to be in the same room.”

  I looked at Zeke and he shrugged before draining the last of his beer. “We're game if you are.”

  Less than fifteen minutes later, we were in a semi-dark room, Janette and me on one bed, Zeke and Robin on the other. My shirt was somewhere on the floor and I was working on getting Janette's over her head. Her mouth, however, had other ideas. Her tongue was in my mouth, as demanding as her hands were on my body. Finally, I grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head. She gasped in surprise, then moaned as I nipped at her bottom lip.

  “Don't move,” I said quietly. I couldn't see much of her face, but her head nodded and she didn't move her hands when I released them.

  I quickly pulled off her shirt, then moved to her jeans. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Zeke stripping an eager Robin. Her hands were all over him and I could feel the tension radiating off of him in waves. I turned my attention back to Janette, pulled down her panties and tossed them aside. Her creamy skin gleamed white in the dim light.

  “Take off your bra,” I said as I pulled off my own pants and underwear. Before dropping them, I pulled a condom out of my pocket and set it on the bed. I considered tossing one over to Zeke, but I decided against it. If he needed one, he'd ask. Besides, the chances of him not having one were slim. From the way he talked, he had sex almost every night.