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A Bit Off
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Money Can't Buy Love An Unexpected Phone Call
RaineyI decided to start Tanner on his journey to becoming a chef by letting him stir the sauce for our pasta. He took the job seriously and didn’t move from his perch on the counter top. Normally I wouldn’t let him sit there but I wasn’t going to turn down his offer to help. Maybe when he was older, he would become a chef and cook something for me for a change. A woman could dream…While the water for the pasta was warming up to a boil, I called Tessa to tell her about my day.“Do you need me to come over with some wine?” my best friend asked. “You’re not that far away.”Tessa lived up the road from me for my entire life. She bought her childhood home when her parents retired to Florida. She was my rock in many situations even though at times we fought like sisters. I never missed out on having a sibling she was practically family.“That’s not even the worst of it,” I said, grabbing a box of angel hair pasta from the cabinet. I was only up to the part in the story where I was late f
Money Can't Buy Love Business at the Green
MichaelEven though the sun was beating down on the green, there was a chill in the air that only the start of winter could bring. My curiosity about Sal Rossi got me out of bed that morning to meet with the possible new client. Even seeing him in person didn’t jog my memory. He was a normal looking forty-something-year-old guy with a spare tire around his waist. I rarely got involved on this level anymore, but this was a special circumstance. I had to get a feel for this guy and what plans he had cooking. Fredrick’s warning about speaking with Demetri made the meeting that much more important.We were on the fourth hole when Sal brought up his business. We’d talked the day before on the phone about the possibility of working together but he was very vague on the details. He seemed like a face-to-face business man and that was fine with me. Overall he seemed a bit old-school, I wasn’t a winter golfer so I assumed he wanted a place we’d be alone for this conversation. Though that made
Money Can't Buy Love Lunch With Her
MichaelThe eighteenth hole couldn’t come fast enough. I had to make an excuse about a meeting at the office to Sal so I could be back in time to see Rainey. I’d told Sandra that Rainey said she was available at a moment’s notice so when she called this morning about filling in her paperwork, I made sure Sandra had her in the office for eleven. Making the appointment with Sal early in the morning had been perfect. The course had been devoid of other golfers so we could be in and out of the meeting. And after discussing specifics about the deal, Sal didn’t delay in completing the round of golf.It was close to eleven-thirty when Constantine dropped me off in front of my building.I strode through the lobby and onto the elevator. I hoped I wasn’t too late. There wasn’t much paperwork to be done, only an application and a few contracts.The elevator doors opened on my floor and I blinked in surprise when I saw Rainey standing there.She moved aside, to let me off. “Good morning, Mr. Carr
Money Can't Buy Love Assumptions
RaineyAfter lunch with Michael, we headed back to the office for a few hours where he showed me to my own desk right outside his office which would give me quick access to him. He let me go early since he had a late afternoon meeting. His arrogance seemed on par with the other rich corporate types in the City. I didn’t know why I expected anything less. By the end of the meal, I quickly added the cost of everything and the lunch was well over my household budget for the month. I tried to hide my surprise. What it must be like to not worry about money. I had a job now, but I would never be that wealthy.And when I told my mom all of that, she simply nodded. “Maybe you need to get to know him a little better before judging him.”My mouth popped open but I had nothing to say. She was right. I didn’t know much about him.“Give him at least a week before making assumptions,” she said with a wink.A text chirped from my cell from Tessa, wanting to go out and celebrate my new job.“Who’s th
Money Can't Buy Love At The Club
RaineyTessa had been right, the food was amazing. We were given several plates of small tapas but each piece packed a huge flavor. The mix of spices and sweetness of the morsels were to die for as Tessa had said.Two more drinks in, Tessa got the check for the table.“Are we going home?” I asked, now comfortable in our surroundings. I didn’t want to leave yet.“No way, we’re going to the club.”I really didn’t want to go anywhere else and ruin my buzz. “We can’t stay here?”Tessa rolled her eyes. “The dance floor is through there, sweetie.” She pointed to a door in the back of the room.We settled the check and Tessa lead me through the crowd. “Normally the entrance is through the front but since it’s not that busy tonight, they closed that part.”Since she said it wasn’t busy I expected me and Tessa to be the only people going into the dancing part of the club. Through a short hallway, we entered the space. I couldn’t help but gawk at a number of people. The music from the restauran
Money Can't Buy Love She's Here
MichaelIt took a lot of willpower to leave Rainey. She looked sexy as hell tonight and I’d been right about her figure underneath her pantsuit which had been on my mind since meeting her. I wanted to know if she had a boyfriend, but I supposed it was good that I didn’t know. All thoughts of her had been more than professional. And not for the first time did I wonder if hiring Rainey or any woman was a good idea. I had no choice now. I wanted to see her succeed and I just as badly needed a good assistant who was professional while my thoughts were anything but.On the way upstairs, someone’s hand pressed against my back and I turned, expecting Rainey to be there. If she were, I’d have no choice but to follow her onto the dance floor and make myself more acquainted with her body.I was somewhat disappointed where instead of Rainey was a blonde. She winked at me and crooked her finger for me to follow her down the hallway to the bathrooms. She had a killer rack and it wasn’t hard to ima
Money Can't Buy Love Family Ties
Michael“That’s what I thought.” Demetri placed his glass on the table in front of us then sat up straighter. “Mr. Rossi has been treading dangerously close for years. With this development, he has a plan in place. One that I don’t want to see happen at all.”The formality of Sal’s name wasn’t a good sign. It was as if Demetri wasn’t dealing with a person, but an item. One to be disposed of.“I agree,” Fredrick said.Demetri turned to me, ignoring my brother. Fredrick was a loud-mouth on a daily basis but when he was drinking it was worse. And his memory tended to fade. I knew I’d have to remind him about this conversation tomorrow.When it came to these deals, Demetri dealt exclusively with me. He loved my brother but even I tired of his lackadaisical attitude.“What I don’t understand is why he came to me,” I said. “Even if he didn’t know my relationship with you, Demetri, if he did any research he’d know that Fredrick was my brother.” Demetri had put the club in Fredrick’s name fro
Money Can't Buy Love Now, Who is Late?
RaineyFor the rest of the night, I couldn’t get Michael out of my head. I spotted him once in the VIP rooms. It made sense since his brother owned the place. I wondered what it was like up there. The only experience with VIP rooms was living vicariously through movie and television characters. When I asked Tessa if she’d ever been up there, she’d laughed in my face.“I’d have to pay out two months’ worth of my mortgage to even book one of those rooms. Then you have to get a minimum thousand dollars’ worth of drinks.”“Holy shit!”She nodded. “I’ve been trying to get invited up there to see what it’s like but I’d rather not have to sleep with some skeeze to do it. Not worth it! Besides I love to dance.” Then she proceeded to twirl me until I was dizzy.I couldn’t help but think of Michael and the blonde who followed him upstairs. I’d tried to get that out of my mind the entire night but I couldn’t. Admittedly, I thought there was some glimpse of a friendship between us but I chose to
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Money Can't Buy Love Epilogue
MichaelA year ago, I never thought I’d return to Bar Harbor with a woman. Sure, I wanted my new assistant to handle the charity event up there, but not as my partner. Tanner took off ahead of us, dodging the cold Maine water as it slid up against the shore. He collected the shells under the muddy surface. Those were the best ones he’d said. The hidden ones.That little guy had something right. You needed to work for the things that were worth it in life. And I worked hard to get Rainey and Tanner into my life. While it didn’t take much convincing after we got everything out in the open, I thanked whoever was watching over us that I found what I needed in life to be happy.If anyone had asked me if my happiness involved a single mother and her child, I would have laughed in their face. But Rainey and Tanner were what I was looking for since Cynthia died. And I couldn’t be happier. Sometimes I thought about my life before them, and a sick feeling accompanied the thoughts. So I tried no
Money Can't Buy Love Let's Take a Trip
RaineyThat was so soon. “I’m not sure,” I said, glancing over at Tanner. He was pointing to the polar bear and saying something that I couldn’t make out from that distance. “As I’ve said, I’ve already been away from Tanner too long since we just got back.”Michael chuckled, and I narrowed my eyes.“What’s so funny?” I asked.Michael pecked me on the lips. “I want to take Tanner with us.”“Oh!” I said.Michael shrugged. “I could take you both skiing, or we can hang out at the lodge. There are some places in town I’m sure he would like.”“That’s so gracious,” I said. Tanner would love to come, especially since Michael had his own plane. Tanner would be so excited. I wonder if that would ruin him for commercial flights, but to be honest, it ruined me for them already. I didn’t say it aloud, but this reminded me of having a family vacation. A real one. And I could count on Michael to follow through, unlike Killian with his grand plans and no follow through.“We should go tell him then?”
Money Can't Buy Love At The Zoo
RaineyIt took me almost a week to get used to the weather back home. The vacation with Michael was the perfect escape, and I never wanted to go back. Michael remained professional in the office. At least during office hours. It took him until Tuesday at six, when Sandra had left, to christen our relationship over his desk. While I did prefer the comfort of bed, making love with Michael in more public spaces really turned me on.There was no more hiding, and I could finally be completely honest with him about every aspect of my life. I never did that with Killian. Maybe I thought I did, but after being with him for a while, I started to keep secrets from him. Secrets about how I felt and what I did when he wasn’t around. I opened up to Michael like never before, and that led to a comfort in our relationship that rivaled my feelings toward my flesh and blood family. Michael integrated himself into our family in such a short amount of time. Mom and Tanner loved him. And while Dad tried
Money Can't Buy Love Back Home
MichaelAfter spending the entire day on the beach, I was wiped by the time dinner came around. Rainey and I packed our things after making love one more time that morning, so we were ready to leave after the last glass of wine was poured. There wasn’t a moment during the car ride, boat ride, and flight that we weren’t touching each other. I held her hand as if it were my life vest in a vast choppy ocean. Even though we declared that we wanted to be together, I still felt a little unsteady. I wanted to test our capability as a couple when our lives were back to normal at home, but at the same time, I didn’t want to jinx anything.Rainey brought out a lot of first-time emotions from me. I actually felt nervous when we departed the plane and headed for my car. Constantine waited for us with the back door open.“Hope you had a nice trip,” he said to me. Then he smiled at Rainey.“We did,” Rainey said and took my hand.Immediately, my fears were squashed. She had a way of anchoring me and
Money Can't Buy Love Waking Up Together
MichaelI woke the next morning with the best feeling inside of me. A ball of hope and happiness filled my insides. I couldn’t remember the time I felt this much at peace with someone other than Cynthia. Her memory was still strong within me, but Rainey was a new chapter of my life, and I had to allow her to take precedence over my previous wife. I had to. It was the only way I could commit to her completely. I said a silent final farewell to Cynthia, knowing that we were both in a better place. Me, here with a perfect woman, and Cynthia in a place without pain and suffering.I slowly turned over, careful not to wake Rainey. She looked peaceful. Her thick blonde eyelashes fanned over her eyes, and her mouth was open slightly as she breathed deeply. She was still sound asleep. I doubted she would wake if I touched her, but I didn’t dare test that theory. She deserved to rest. After everything we put each other through and the heavy fucking session we participated in last night, I wante
Money Can't Buy Love Testing Out the Bed
RaineyMichael lifted one of my legs and scooted closer. His tip pressed against my lower lips and I sucked in a breath as he entered me. He filled me quickly, and I gritted my teeth as my body adjusted to his length. He slowly moved inside of me, pressing deeper with each thrust.He trailed a finger over my face, moving my hair away, tucking it behind my ear.His eyes locked on mine and I couldn’t help drawing my lip into my mouth, sucking on it as he continued to move inside of me.His gaze fell to my mouth, and he leaned forward, sucking on my bottom lip.I wrapped my arms around him, feeling the tensing of his back muscles under my fingertips.He kissed my neck, slowly pressing his lips against my skin. The movement of his tongue on me made me shiver.I pulled back, wanting to see his face. I felt his pleasure when I sucked him off earlier, but I loved seeing him turned on. The usual blaze his in eyes was like an inferno, burning me from the inside out.“Touch yourself,” he said.
Money Can't Buy Love The Taste of Him
RaineyMichael’s kiss seared me inside and out. I was happy he removed the covers, I was already on fire from his touch. I came into his room to tell him how I felt, and for once, he was the one to speak first about his feelings. He wanted more than just sex. We were on the same page with everything. That’s all I needed to hear from him to make my choice.The weight of his body on me squeezed the air out of my lungs, but I didn’t want him to move. Every part of him was hard. He was the strong man that I’ve always wanted, inside and out. We had our differences, but they were petty compared to the passion we had for each other.Michael’s hands roamed my body as if he painted every part of using his hand as a brush. Heat licked over my body at each place he touched, creating a pool of molten lava in my center.He tugged at the thin straps of my night gown, one at a time, exposing each of my breasts. The cool air in the room touched the peak of each one, tightening and hardening them.My
Money Can't Buy Love Room For One More?
MichaelI debated pushing the envelope. What did I have to lose? We already kissed so I knew she felt something for me. She might not be ready to commit, but with Rainey, it seemed she needed a small shove in any direction to go anywhere beyond her comfort zone. And then the words tumbled out anyway. “Is there any more of your heart to spread around?”Her eyebrows drew together. “Why do you ask?”“You, Rainey,” I started, locking eyes with her. “You’re the first thing I think about each morning.”Her eyes widened.“I think about you all day. And you’re the last thought I have before bed.”“You do?”“Yes,” I said. Why did she think so little of herself? How many times did I have to remind her of my affection for her? “I wanted you back at work so I could be close to you even if that meant we weren’t together. I want to be with you. So badly. You have no idea what you do to me. I had to work extra hard just to be your boss, but I want so much more. And I have a feeling you do too. I wan
Money Can't Buy Love Something Special
MichaelAfter our kiss and discussion about Rainey’s past, while we were on the private beach, the gap in our relationship had lessened. Though afterward, we shared a relaxing dinner by the pool and didn’t mention any progression for ourselves within that relationship. After putting myself out there, I felt a little exposed, but I didn’t push her. Sure, she had told me her ex was a dick and that her son was the light of her life, but she had to work on her issues before we made ourselves official. She knew my feelings. I had to trust that she would come back to me when she was ready.When dinner was over, Rainey stood up and excused herself.She kissed me on the cheek, an apparent rejection after the kiss we had in town, and went into the house.I sat by the pool, finishing my whiskey and contemplating life. I hadn’t remembered feeling this way since I first dated Cynthia. The anticipation of what the other was thinking drove me insane. I could have drunk the rest of the night, but I
