I learned to be protective of my heart at a young age. My father wasn’t in the picture and my mother went through an endless cycle of true love trying to find the one. Her bedroom might as well have been a revolving door. All of the men she dated were the same. They would whisper promises in her ear, buy me a present to show that they’d be a good stepdad, and then she would fall for them. She always fell hard, too. When the relationship eventually ended, she was a broken mess that I had to put back together again. Instead of learning about love from her, I learned my lesson from the men she brought home. It was easy for them. They got what they wanted and then they were gone. That was the life I decided to pursue—I didn’t want to feel the pain of loss. I felt it enough vicariously through my mother’s tears to last a lifetime.
Since I didn’t have the distraction of most men my age who were focused on settling down and starting a family, I dove headfirst into my career. I put in long hours at the office, got promoted, and when the company needed someone to lead them through the tough times, they named me CEO. I rarely slept alone unless I was just too tired from working all day to pursue companionship for the evening. My friends had all moved on to start their own lives, and I didn’t harbor any resentment. My goals just didn’t align with theirs. While they were planning family vacations, I was sailing my yacht down the coast to load it up with every hot girl I could find. There were all the distraction I needed and after a week of making them my personal harem of sin, I always returned refreshed.
The one thing money couldn’t buy was loyalty. If there was ever a man that was truly loyal to me, it was my college roommate, Harlan. We got each other out of more jams than we ever should have been able to. We drank to excess, partied like rock stars, and woke up with a new tattoo on more than one occasion. There was one morning when we woke up with a girl between us and no memories of the night before. We could only assume we shared her since all three of us were naked. Our interest was piqued, and the next night, we decided to actually remember the experience. We liked it so much that we started looking for girls that were open to being shared. It practically became a requirement. I could have lived in that moment forever, but eventually we graduated and life took us in different directions.
Harlan got married to an annoying bitch named Maria. She was hot as fuck, but she was a tyrant. I watched a man who was once as alpha as me lose his dignity. She seemed to take pleasure in emasculating him, but he was in love. He was completely blind to the fool she turned him into. The shit was poisonous from the start, but it wasn’t my place to tell him how to live his life. We grew distant as the years went on, but I wasn’t surprised when he told me she cheated on him. I had my suspicions before they were even married, but I never had any way to prove it. When his darkest hour came, I opened my home to him without even thinking about it. There was nothing in the world that would have made me turn my back on him when he needed me most, especially if it meant we got to revisit a few of the college experiences I had been missing since the old days.
“Gabe, this is Kacey.” Harlan motioned towards the gorgeous woman in front of me with his hand. “Kacey—Gabe.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Kacey extended her hand.
“Likewise.” I took her hand and lifted it to my lips for a kiss instead of shaking it. “Let’s get your stuff.”
“I really appreciate it.” She motioned for us to follow her onto the porch. “My mom is at work, so we should be able to get everything without running into her.”
“You don’t want us to meet your mom?” I caught up with her as we ascended the steps.
“Things are a little difficult between us right now.” She sighed and pushed her key into the door.
Harlan had described Kacy to me, but he didn’t tell me she was literally a work of art. Her curves were enough to make my jaw hang open. When she bent over to get something from the bottom drawer of her dresser, I thought I was going to ejaculate in my pants. I hadn’t felt that kind of lust since I was a teenager. There was no way I was going to be able to keep my hands off that delicious body. If Harlan had claimed her for himself and said she was off limits, I would have been ready to renegotiate with him on the spot. She was too hot for either of us—she needed to be shared. She might have been younger than me, but I didn’t give a fuck. I didn’t have the same hesitation that seemed to be holding Harlan back. I didn’t know the little girl she used to be—I just knew the woman in front of me, and I had to have a taste.
“Okay, make yourself at home.” I opened the front door and motioned for Kacey to enter. “Feel free to head upstairs and pick a bedroom.”
“I have a choice?” She looked back at me in surprise.
“Yeah, there are a few options.” I chuckled and when she was out of earshot, I lowered my voice. “Unless you just want to stay in my room.”
“Hey.” Harlan hushed me with an quick elbow in my ribs.
“Come on man, you’re telling me you don’t want to fuck her?” I grabbed his arm and watched as she walked up the stairs. “Look at that ass—oh my god.”
“Do you really want to complicate things that much? None of the girls you hook up with stay for breakfast. She’s going to be here for a while.” Harlan looked at me and exhaled sharply.
“Yeah, I don’t give a shit, I’ll serve her breakfast in bed and my dick for dessert.” I bit down on my lip and felt my shoulders slump forward when she was out of sight.
“Wow, you’d let her stay for dessert? You might be in trouble here, brother.” Harlan chuckled and motioned for me to follow him. “Let’s unload her stuff.”
No, I’m not in trouble. I don’t do love, but I certainly do lust. God, do I ever do lust.
One week later
I laid it on thick from the moment Kacey walked in the door and I saw interest in her eyes, but her lips always echoed hesitation when I tried to flirt. I wanted her in the worst kind of way.
I tried to go out a few times to find a distraction, but none of the girls at the bars compared to the one at home. It was infuriating to watch her walk down the stairs in clothes so tight I could see every detail of her curves except the ones I wanted to see most. She was interested in Harlan—that much was clear. He just didn’t seem to reciprocate. I would have stepped in his shoes and traded places with him in an instant. I would have done anything to have her. It wasn’t just a want—it was a need. I had never felt anything like it in my entire life, and I had no idea how to get her out of my head.
Okay, now I really am in trouble. A lot of fucking trouble.
Chapter Seven
Kacey
One month later
There was finally something in my life that I wanted more than a drink—Harlan. I couldn’t pour him in a glass and satisfy the urge like I could with alcohol. It was like holding the bottle with no way to open it. His gaze was enough to make me buzz. A conversation was enough to leave me intoxicated. The problem, however, was that it appeared to be one sided. There were times when I thought I caught him staring, but his eyes didn’t remain long enough for me to verify what I saw. I even tried to entice him with tighter clothes and more revealing attire, but I might as well have been parading around in front of a statue. He was the one man I had dared to trust since my breakup with Chad, and he seemed to be totally uninterested.
On the other hand, there was Gabe. Gabe didn’t even attempt to hide his interest. He looked at me with eyes that clearly said he wanted to fuck me. I couldn’t even walk through a room without drawing his attention. As I faced down the realization of Harlan’s disinterest, I found myself wondering if I should allow temptation to take over. Gabe was rich, hot-as-hell, and clearly wanted me to be more than the roommate at the end of the hall. He was everything I wanted to avoid—yet I found myself thinking about him more as the days went by. He would hurt me if I fell for him. He made it clear that his interest was purely sexual. The things he said he wanted to do to me were vulgar—and I had no idea why they made me quiver.
Hmm, where is everyone? Gabe is usually home by now and Harlan’s car is in the driveway.