"So, I was right after all?" Eric beamed.
"Maybe half right," I corrected. All we did was kiss, but it was intense and intoxicating."
"I was still right about it," he argued, "You wouldn't have given it a try if I hadn't planted the thought in your head."
"You know it passes right when you state you're right?" I retorted.
He turned and narrowed in at me before shaking his head from side to side, "Bring me my drink and stop with that sassiness."
I walked around the bar and handed him his Jack and Coke before slinking on the couch beside him, "How about you stop acting like a constant know-it-all?"
"When I'm wrong ever comes around, I will," he boasted.
"I am frustrated with you, though," I confessed before drinking my water.
He sipped his drink, "Why? What did I do?"
"Took away my toy!" my voice grew louder, "Or did you forget?"
He giggled, almost choking on his drink, "Someone finally knows what it feels like to be horny and frustrated."
It was so annoying, and he was right to top it off. When I got home that night, I felt a frustration I'd never experienced and couldn't find the will to sleep. When my hand searched for my vibrator, I remembered it was no longer in my possession. Being drunk on top of this realization didn't help; it only added to my burning frustration that night.
"That doesn't help your case right now, asshole," I shoved him on his massive left bicep, which he barely moved an inch.
"Now you know how other people feel when they get horny and don't go out and get laid," he smirked, "So an older woman caught your attention?"
"Yes," I felt my cheeks flush, "She was very- I don't know how to word it correctly."
"Look at you!" he pushed my right knee, sending my crouched legs to the side, "I've never seen you act this way before!"
"Well, I'm not used to this feeling," I giggled.
"What was she like?" he asked and finished his drink.
"Older," I started. She maturely carried herself. Her poise and elegance made her look like a painting in amber lighting, and her voice was so deep and sensual that it could take my breath away. She looked at me hungry like a lioness about to devour her prey, making me weak."
My eyes shifted to Eric's, and I could see some intensity glimmering behind his strong facade. He was very handsome; too bad he was gay.
"What was her name?" he asked while placing the empty glass.
What was her name? Did I even ask for it? He will have a field day when he realizes I don't know her name.
"Ashley," I lied.
He narrowed in on me and looked, "You're lying."
"How would you know?"
"I know your tell, that's why."
"My tell? What's my tell?"
"You can never look me in the eyes. You can lie to everyone else, but I've known you since we were younger, and you can't lie to me."
He was right again. It's so annoying sometimes.
"I don't know," I confessed.
The silence was deafening. How could I have forgotten to ask? I kissed her and maybe even went home with her, not knowing her name. What's wrong with me? What was he going to say? I can only imagine what he's thinking right now. His face didn't show much amusement, more of understanding.
"It happens," he spoke, "Not the first person you usually feel passion with, but I've done it too. I didn't just kiss him, though."
"I'm confused. I thought you would laugh and joke at me for being such a rookie or something," I replied.
He took a deep breath as his chest expanded and retracted. His gaze turned to mine, and nothing but kindness looked back at me. I remember seeing them every time I needed someone after my parents died. His left hand touched my right thigh with a gentle, comforting rub.
"I'm the one who encouraged you to do something out of your comfort zone. What type of friend would I be if I embarrassed you? You'll make plenty more mistakes. You'll hear me telling you I was right again when you start repeating them."
I didn't respond and curved my lips, "Thank you."
His hand rubbed my thigh slightly, and my eyes shifted downwards. His hands were so massive compared to my thighs that they covered almost the entire surface. The roughness from his callused hands caused friction, warming me to his touch.
"What are you doing tonight?" he asked before leaning back on the couch.
"Tanya wanted to go out dancing and drinking," I groaned, "We work in a bar."
"It's different when you're enjoying yourself rather than working and dealing with the drunk people."
"True. I am trying to remember when I drank with some friends. You guys usually just come here."
"You always have alcohol, and this place is nicer than any bar. Why pay for it when you don't mind making drinks for us?"
"Aren't you so nice?"
"I have to go home and get ready," he stood and stretched out his entire body.
"Where are you off to?" I asked.
"My client," he reminded.
"Is this the same one you've seen for nearly a year?" I teased.
His body tensed as he turned to glower at me. His narrow eyes and angled eyebrows amplified his intensity as he rotated, ultimately facing me.
"You know?" he asked in a softened tone.
"I mean, it's not rocket science," I smiled, "You leave around the same time whenever we see each other because of your friend."
"I wanted to be sure how I felt first," he blushed. For the first time in my life, I haven't seen him blush since I've known him.
"Is he more than a friend?" I pressed.
There was a brief silence. His eyes moved back and forth as if weighing the pros and cons.
"I mean, I've never seen you in a relationship before," I continued, "I've never seen you go quiet over someone either, and usually, you have a lot to say. Maybe he could potentially be someone you could care about?"
"You've never been in a relationship either," he diverted.
"We aren't talking about my messed-up love life. We're talking about yours," I laughed. Why don't you tell me about him?"
He remained standing like a statue. I raised my right hand, grasped his left, and tugged him back onto the sofa. His expression looked like a scared child afraid of telling the truth and making someone mad or hurting them.
"I don't know yet," he confessed, "The sex is amazing. He's the first guy who didn't need me to do everything, and what he did know made my mind spin."
"That's how good it can get?" I asked, "Sex, I mean."
He turned and locked onto my eyes. There was a deep, burning intensity of yearning and desire behind them, "Sex can be so intense that sometimes your body won't respond. To the point where you're gasping for air like you just ran a marathon. The intensity thrumming throughout your body is intoxicating and addicting all simultaneously."
My cheeks flushed uncontrollably, and my body reacted, "Okay, now I need a drink."
"I have to go," he reminded.
His footsteps approaching me grew louder and louder before I found his embrace. He was nearly a foot taller than me, and his massive arms caged me into him. His body was warm against mine, and his hold on me was firm but not too demanding, and it was comforting.
"I hope one day you find it," he whispered in my ear.
His breath trickled down my neck as a shiver ran down my spine. My eyes flew open as his warm embrace left me and my front door unlocked. I looked over my left shoulder to see him looking back at me. I smiled.
"Bye, beautiful," he said before leaving my home.
"Try it on," Tanya insisted while nudging a little black dress. It's perfect for tonight."My eyes scanned the dress, "There's nothing to it.""Exactly," she smirked and pressed it into my chest.My head shook before I took the dress in my hand. "Why not a tank top and some jeans?""No! We always wear that when we work," she shook her head and drank champagne from the opened bottle."Still failing to see the fault," I said before drinking some myself. I have slightly frozen the champagne from being in the fridge too long.I removed my red tank top and pulled off my jeans before tossing them onto my couch. We always got ready because she didn't want her son to see me undressed. She was protective of him, but I can't blame her. He was a stunning spitting image of her when she was around his age, and she had a reason to worry if he was anything like her.I stepped into the black dress and pulled it up over my hips. Tanya and I were nearly the exact sizes, so she always brought over her o
"Why aren't you happy to see me?" Eric beamed. "The only reason you visit me at work is to drink for free," I responded. He looked at me quizzically, "No, that's not it." I turned around to avoid eye contact. He always knew when I kept a secret or lied to him. "What happened?" he asked. "I don't know what you're talking about," I evaded. "Something happened," he pressed, "Have a shot, then tell me." My body responded to his statement with acceptance as I drank. I downed the contents of the glass and felt the chilling burn rush throughout me. It was so good; just one more to do the trick. "Must be something good if you need more than one," he said. My hand grabbed a giant glass before pouring more, "It's not easy for me to be open and talk about things," I replied before downing a double shot of Jack Daniels, "You know I went out with Tanya last night. She found herself a man, like always, and I ended up across the street at a bar." "Why a bar when you were alre
"Tall Draft, please." "$5," I replied while handing the brew. This routine continued for hours into the night. "Ivy! Last call, five minutes!" Tanya hollered at me. As I placed the empty glasses in the dishwasher, I saw a shadow, "What can I get for you?" "Cabernet," a familiar sensual voice echoed in the empty bar. My head rotated to discover the woman. The woman I had encountered nearly a week ago was before me, looking even more breathtaking than ever. My mouth went dry, and there were no words to come. What's wrong with me? "Hi," I finally gathered, "Same as last time?" Her crimson lips curled at the corners to form a soft smirk. She gave an approving nod before I made my way into the back. Bottles upon bottles were before me, and I could not remember what she had the previous night. My mind was still blank. "Hey! Is that the woman you were telling me about earlier?" Tanya asked from behind me. My mouth opened, "Yes..." Her excitement for me turned to in
The following two days flew by in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, Friday morning came. I sat there with my mimosa, looking down at my phone. I knew that Callista would be here soon. Last night, she called me asking for my address so she could pick me up this morning. She told me she would be here in half an hour, and time was running thin. I intended to drink every bit of alcohol I had to help with my nerves. Ring. Ring. "Hello?" "I'm here." "I'll be down." "The black car." "You're kidding?" The line went dead. I downed the remaining contents of my glass before making my way downstairs. Usually, these stairs bother me daily, and I walk up and down them, but I wish there were more today. There isn't much I know about her, and my small talk is minimal at best. My hand reached out, pushing the double doors open into the unknown. It was like a vibration, almost like a pull. My eyes locked onto the black Cadillac. The window rolled down in the backseat, reveal
"You look beautiful," Callista remarked. "Thank you," I blushed, "You're stunning." She was wearing a crimson-red tight-fitted corset gown. Her black, smokey eyes and deep red blips looked mysterious and dangerous. Her blown-out hair, delicately falling over her shoulder, made her elegance timeless. I took the glass of champagne she offered to me and inhaled its contents. "What type of restaurant is this?" I asked. "The one my husband always takes me to after returning from a business trip," she smirked. "Is he as handsome as you are beautiful?" I coerced. A devious smile overtook her as she said, "Well done." "I'll be meeting him tonight?" I asked. "Maybe," she replied, "He always makes it home." What had she meant by that remark? "We're here," she announced as the car stopped. I went after her and froze—Tan building with blue valences for every window decorated with a white HW. At the top were bold letters, HARRY WINSTON. "What are we doing here?" I c
When we arrived at their home, I could feel my body shake with nerves. What was I doing? Nerves of excitement or fear? Unthinkingly, I followed them here to test myself, to see if I could do it. Drank to silence the many voices in my head to the point where logic wasn't present. I've never been with a man or woman, and now both want me simultaneously. How do you know who you can have until you have them? How do you know what you can do until you do it? Losing my virginity while having a threesome? "Ivy?" Callista broke my train of thought. "Sorry," I apologized. "Are you alright?" she asked, touching my thigh. "Was lost in thought," I reassured with a sigh. Her worrying eyes turned into narrow hungry slits, "Do you want to leave?" "No," I exhaled. Callista took my hand, pulling me up the stairs to a bedroom. It was very dark with the blackout curtains pulled over the French doors, so seeing what it looked like was nearly impossible. The light from the hallway revealed
The light of dawn awakened me from my sleep. I blinked, looking around the room, which was now mine. While running my fingers through my hair, I wiped away my drowsiness. My hands simultaneously removed the necklace and earrings as I went to the closet. I seized the emerald satin robe and threw it on my naked body before heading downstairs. Callista and Dimitri were standing there drinking coffee. Dimitri was shirtless, wearing only trousers, but Callista wore a tight-fitted crimson dress with matching heels. "You're awake," Callista smiled before offering coffee. "Do you have anything stronger?" I asked. Dimitri smirked before Callista turned around and took a bottle of champagne from the fridge. She poured both of us a glass. A devious yet grateful look flashed across her face. "Thank you," I graciously accepted before drinking. "I will return the jewelry, then I have a few errands to run," Callista remarked, "Dimitri will drive you home." I accidentally gulped down t
My eyes locked onto the partially empty glass on the bartop, lost in a daydream. The memory of Callista's tenderness, of Dimitri's dominance, repeatedly played in my head. The way they both needed me. How they made me cum. Unaware, while lost in thought, I placed the tip of my nails between my teeth. My body recollected the intense, hot, burning, and pleasurable sting of pain. I crossed my right ankle around my left calf and caressed myself, lost in the daydream. "Earth to, Ivy!" I felt a towel slap me in the face, Tanya. "My bad!" I was startled before picking the empty glasses off the bar. "Where's your head?" she continued, "You've been in a daze all day." "I-I'm fine," I stammered. "Look at me and say that," she pressed. Uncontrollably, my cheeks flushed, and I fidgeted, "I'm fine." Her small hair seized my bony wrist, forcing me to face her. My eyes diverted and dodged looking at her. No matter how bad the truth was, she was one of the few people I couldn't lie t
"Mom! It's Aodhan!" Rowan cried. I looked over and fell to my knees; tears began falling in pools from my eyes; Aodhan had been shot, too. My son, lying there lifeless. "Ahh!" I screamed. Panic settled in; blood was pouring from my baby, and I couldn't plug the hole. What can I do? I tried applying pressure with my hands, unable to stop sobbing. "Go! Pilot! Go!" Dimitri hollered while latching the stairs/door closed. The Pilot took off, knocking everyone over, but continued to press on Aodhan's wounds, his warm blood slick on my fingers as I tried applying pressure to his chest. I saw Dimitri protect Rowan from falling over, scooping him up. "Dimitri! Help me!" I begged. A look of shock overtook Dimitri briefly before he rushed, overmoved my hands, and began applying pressure to the wound, "Pilot! Closest hospital!" "What happened to Reign!? Oh my god, Ariel was shot, too!" I whined. "I don't fucking know, someone was shooting, but I couldn't see who it was. They
Standing perplexed, I aimed for Zeus, but he dodged and missed both bullets. "Are you crazy?!" Zeus hollered. "No, I'm twisted!" I corrected myself. "Just like how you made me!" I shot once more, Zeus running and diving behind the desk. "Ivy, stop!-" "Don't!" I hissed, pointing the gun at Reign. I'm tired of both of you Castles telling me what to do!" Before I knew what was happening, I felt heaviness tackle me to the floor, accidentally firing another shot. "Get off of me!" I screamed. I fought beneath him, but I was no match. Zeus took the gun and backed away from me. "Fuck! Ivy! You shot Reign!" Dimitri hollered. Panic briefly flooded over me but was replaced with a barrel now pointed at me. "What do you want?!" I shouted. "You! I want you! But that's never enough! Everything I do is never enough for you!" Zeus complained. "Your son is dying-" "I can have more!" Zeus winced. Dimitri tackled Zeus to the ground, and the two began exchanging blows. I
"Okay, knock it off, you two," I groaned, "Leave Zeus." "No," Zeus declined. "Then you're going to watch me fuck her-" "Mom!" Rowan came running in alongside Aodhan with a big smile. I blinked in confusion. One of his front teeth was missing, but he wasn't crying or sad about it. The dried blood on his teeth indicated it happened a while ago. "I fell off my bike and lost my tooth!" Rowan excitedly jumped up and down. "Are you okay?" I worried. "Yeah! Aodhan said if I were a big boy and didn't cry, the tooth fairy would come and give me money for my tooth!" he said, shining. Aodhan knew the tooth fairy wasn't real. I glanced at him, and he gave me a 'Mom shut up' look. "Of course!" I fibbed. "Come on. I'll get you cleaned up, and we'll put that tooth under the pillow as soon as we're done," Ariel said, lifting Rowan in her arms and taking him to the bathroom. "Do you enjoy making my sex life miserable?" I snapped. "Miserable?" he retorted, "How is it misera
How could such a man be so naive? I never gave him an answer. Instead, I left the room and went back to my own. I knew it bothered him, me not answering. From the looks of it the following morning, it drove him crazy. Zeus made me a luxurious breakfast, eagerly awaiting an answer, which I still refuse to give. "Why not, Ivy?" Zeus pressed. I bit into the juicy strawberry. The hint of sweetness followed by the rush of jaw-clenching sour made everything much more enjoyable. "I like you son more than I like you," I admitted, "And Dimitri." "What if I told you they aren't who you thought they were," Zeus reasoned. Narrow-eyed, I annoyedly glared at him, "What do you mean?" "What if I told you they knew I was alive all along, and we made a bet," Zeus added. "What type of bet?" I pressed. "Now that takes the fun out of the bet," he taunted. "Fuck you," I scoffed while hastily rushing back to my room. Zeus always knew how to lift me and get under my skin. "Asshole,"
Everything was such a blur. I don't remember what happened. Zeus was pinning me down, then nothing. I blinked; it was dark, and only the roaring fire lit up the dark far corners of the room. This was Zeus's room. My throat was dry. I could barely breathe. I tried rolling over when something caught on my wrist. "What the fuck?" I yanked again, this time hearing metal clanking. Both my wrists and ankles were shackled to the four-poster bed frame. "You're awake," Zeus commented. Looking at him furiously, I could prop myself on my elbows and say, "Let me go, now!" "No," he denied. "Now-" "No one is here, so there's no point to scream," he interrupted. "Why the Hell did you shackle me to your bed frame!" I shouted, "I would have fucked you if that's what you wanted, but instead, you knock me out. I began coughing uncontrollably, and Zeus rushed to my aid, raising the water glass to my mouth to quench my thirst. "You knew you would be punished," he reminded. "How do y
"Do you like frustrating me? Making me angry? Toying with my emotions?" Zeus growled upon approaching me. "Yes," I teased, "You look like a hurt little puppy." "What about these past five years? Does that not matter? Have the nights we spent together meant nothing?" Zeus questioned. "I do love that the boys have father figures in their lives, but I already spoke to them about it, and they want to move back as well," I sighed, "As for the nights, a woman needs sex too." "Their children!" Zeus's anger grew, his eyes turning dark. "If you're doing this to get back at me, I'm sorry. I've been apologizing to you for the past five years. Can you not see that?" While sauntering over to Zeus, my eyes locked onto his. The fury beckoning behind them made me want to do conniving things. I took his glass of whiskey and downed its contents. "I do see it, and I don't care if it hurts you," I lied. Zeus gripped my wrist; this time, it was painful, not in a fun way. "Ah!" I winced.
My bar was engulfed in roaring flames. Tears streamed down my cheek as Veronica tried to deviate when the fire department arrived and finally extinguished the fire. I stood there, listening to people speak about property insurance and the time it would take to rebuild everything that had burned. "Ivy!" Zeus hollered, running up to me. "What are you doing here?!" I panicked, "Aodhan-" "Ariel called your phone, and she told me what happened. She's watching him," he reassured. His eyes widened in shock, and he looked at the catastrophe the fire left behind in its wake. Zeus was about to speak when he pulled aside the man trying to talk to me about the building. My blank expression spoke volumes. Hours passed in a blur, and Zeus returned home with me. "So it seems, perhaps three years, the bar can be rebuilt. They have to tear everything down and start from scratch," Zeus explained. "So, I lost everything?" I whispered. "No, Ivy," Zeus looked at me, trying his
"What?!" Zeus snapped. "You heard me. If I let you be a part of my boys' lives, then there would be no need for a DNA test, right?" I repeated. The rage building behind his eyes gave me the satisfaction I needed in this situation. "Why is it such a big deal about knowing who their father is?" he diverted. "Why do you care if I allow you to be in their lives without issue?" I debated. "She's not wrong," Ariel giggled while pecking me on the cheek. "Hey, now, she's not all yours, you know," Zeus reminded, I began to kiss Ariel passionately. "All right, fine, I concede," Zeus surrendered. Ariel and I began to laugh hysterically like candy from a baby. "I suppose me offering you to stay in Ireland with me is out of the question?" he asked. "Not necessarily; we could always use it to escape the city," I smirked, "Keep it." Ariel scurried off to work, and success reared its corner when I could see the jealousy in Zeus's eyes. "It doesn't bother you that I fuck Di
I could not sit at the dinner table and keep my thoughts to myself. I hadn't drunk since giving birth, but today, I was having a liquid dinner, whiskey. "You sure you don't want any lasagna?" Zeus offered. "It's delicious, Mom," Aodhan agreed while placing his dish near the sink. However, he was still too short to reach past the countertop. "Yes, baby, why don't you go with Ariel and get ready for bed?" I ordered. "but mom-" "No, but baby," I groaned. "Come on, I know a great movie we can watch before bed tonight," Ariel beamed while tickling Aodhan to the bathroom. "Come on, Ivy," Zeus grumbled while filling the dishwasher, "Do you need to be so dismissive? He was having a good time, and you shut him down." "Who the Hell do you think you are?!" I spat while grabbing the crystal pitcher full of whiskey. I stumbled up the stairs to a separate bedroom that wasn't my own. I knew what would happen tonight; I knew what Zeus wanted. I might enjoy it myself. I giggle whil