STORY EXCERPT

She saw Xavier put his cup in the sink and grab his gray short-sleeve button-down shirt and start to put it on. As always, they left quickly as they could, not spending any extra time with her. Maybe she should have listened to Lila’s warnings after all. They were making it too obvious all they wanted was a few hours of sex.

“I see,” she finally said after some of the sting faded, and she could breathe normally.

“We’ll call you when we can, Ivy,” Xavier said as if it was a practiced line, and it probably was. She felt his eyes on her, but she refused to meet them. She let out a frustrated sigh and walked over to her small window by the table. She peeked out and sighed at the colorful autumn leaves that made the trees go from deep green to glorious colors like red and gold. Her apartment was on the third floor. The view didn’t bring her the peace it normally did. She felt other emotions instead. Anger. Confusion. Hurt. She was no one’s booty call. Any willing body would satisfy them. She didn’t need a marriage proposal, but she thought they truly liked her and wanted to get to know her. She was wrong, and just now seeing it. She didn’t want to be any man’s dirty secret.

“Maybe that’s not a good idea. I think we see things differently,” she responded softly. She would not yell. She could make her position known without letting go of the anger that was rising up inside her. That could wait until she was alone.

“What do you mean?” Zane asked in the middle of the tense, awkward silence.

Xavier just stood still as if not sure how to respond. She was sure no other woman ever called them out on it. They were handsome and good in bed. Some women might be satisfied with crumbs, but she wanted more.

“I get it. When you’re horny you call me, we have sex, and then you leave. You never call me otherwise. You never take me to public places or to your house. I don’t even know where you live,” she said sadly. “I thought I had boyfriends, not secret lovers.”

“We do like you, Ivy, or we would never have come home with you that first night,” Xavier said, but it had no emotion, no real feeling behind it. She liked plenty of things, but what did that mean? Absolutely nothing. Like was such a bland word. We want to know everything about you, Ivy would have been better.

“That’s nice,” she answered just as blandly as his opinion sounded. Is that how they felt about her? They got horny, and she was just available? Easy? That stung her pride immensely. She thought they had more than that together. She thought she saw sincerity in their eyes, or did she just see what she wanted to see?

“Well, since you have a busy day planned, you’d better go.” Before she let her tears loose and really scared them. Her mother had drummed into her head at a young age to never trust any man. Her mother had been married three times, and all had ended in disasters. Now she kept lovers, but Ivy wanted something genuine.

“Ivy, you know we have busy schedules. We thought you understood.” Xavier’s voice was hard now, impatient. She finally met his eyes, setting her cup down on the small round table by the window. She met his gaze bravely. He was probably used to using his tough voice with his officers, but she would not be intimidated by him. “Why are you being difficult now?” he asked, searching her face for answers.

“I do understand, Xavier. I’m an ER nurse. My schedule gets long at times. Emergencies pop up.” She did her best to keep her voice even, but she felt the anger rising. He was talking down to her like a child. “I do, however, expect some respect, some kindness. I don’t need to spend every waking moment in your company, but neither will I be some random booty call every now and again. Do you have a list? Am I one of several bodies being used for sex? Is that why I get a call randomly, and you show up in the dark, fuck me, then slither away like snakes?”

Why did men panic at the thought of real feelings? She had no desire to buy into the white picket fence fantasy, but she wanted to know the men she was spending all her time with at least had real emotions for her. She wanted to look into their eyes and see a little more than lust. A curiosity to get to know who she was as a person. Her wants outside the bedroom. Was that too much to ask for? “I just want to know you feel something for me besides lust. That I am more than just a body in the dark,” she explained to them. She blinked back a few tears. She refused to cry in front of them.

Zane looked shell-shocked and stayed silent. None of their other women had said anything to them before. Ivy was sure they accepted the small crumbs. Well, not this girl. She had her pride too. Inside she could tell her tears were bubbling and ready to pour out. That would get them to run out her door so fast. She almost smiled at the picture of that in her head.

“We should leave,” Xavier said, ignoring her outburst with a loud impatient sigh.

Zane opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He ran his fingers through his hair as if he was frustrated.

“Yes, you should. Take me off of your list, please. I don’t expect another booty call.” She folded her arms across her chest and kept her expression stoic. They would not see how her heart was breaking. The sex was amazing, but she wanted more. She thought their connection was special. Obviously, it was just on her side.

ADULT EXCERPT

Xavier placed Ivy’s bare body on the edge of his bed. She looked good as he observed her in the dim glow of the small lamp on his nightstand. Ivy was a beautiful sight, and he had to stare, absorb this vision looking up at him with need and desire. He leaned in, spread her thighs, and ran his hands upward, close to her shaved pussy. She was a temptress and didn’t even know it. Her pussy was waiting for him to explore, and he would.

 “I missed you, Ivy. It’s not just about your body, sexy as it is. I missed seeing your smile and that sparkle in your pretty green eyes.” He had never felt so needy, so possessive over a woman. He felt the connection from the beginning, but it had been so intense that he didn’t want to analyze it, so he ignored it. That had been a mistake. He wouldn’t this time. He would show her he was genuine about what he was feeling. “You belong to us, Ivy. I never meant to make you feel like an unimportant object.”

He saw her eyes mist up, but he was glad she didn’t cry. He wanted to see her happy and aroused.

“Thank you for that,” she whispered, giving him a smile. Her arms looped around his neck, bringing him closer to her body. He couldn’t handle not touching her for a second longer. It had been much too long. He dove down in between her thighs and let his tongue swipe over her clit. She was as sweet as he remembered. His tongue dove in, and he loved the sounds she made, knowing he was pleasing her.

“You taste as sweet as I remembered,” he swore.

Zane was suckling on her large breast, making her moan and move around the comforter on the bed messing up the smoothness of it. Her small sounds of excitement added to Xavier’s excitement. His cock was letting him know he was ready to be inside her. It had been too long just dreaming of her. He put a condom on with his shaky hands.

He pulled her lower, aligned his cock to her entrance. His cock was as hard as steel, and ready to feel her warmth once again. He slid his palms up her arms to her wrist and slowly pushed his cock into her. Her vaginal muscles gripped him like a vise. He entered slowly, wanting to feel every second. Their gazes were locked, and he saw her large breasts move with his every movement and it aroused him even more. “Holy fuck, I missed you, Ivy,” he groaned.

“I missed you too. So much,” she said in between moans. Her teeth bit her bottom lip, and beads of perspiration trickled down her forehead. The bed moved and creaked as he thrust in and out of her, feeling her legs wrap around his waist, pulling him in deeper.