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Executive Decisions: Research Only Marteeka Karland

Aimee has a promising career ahead of her as a science fiction author. Her editor thinks she’d make an even bigger sensation if she sexed her work up a bit. There’s only one small problem. Aimee’s a virgin.

Darius, owner of Executive Decisions, is completely out of his element when trying to match Aimee with an escort. Not just any man will do, and he wants to make sure he gets it right. The only person he truly trusts with the delicate flower is his best friend and business partner Yusuf Abudallah. Yusuf agrees, but he has reservations. Not about Aimee, but about Darius.

It seems the untouchable Darius Faeman has met his match. But will he realize it before it’s too late?

Chapter One

“What’s the matter with you, Darius? You’re wearing out a path in the lovely carpet.”
Darius merely growled. He had never been this agitated in Executive Decisions’ long history. “Nothing.”
His long-time friend and partner, Yusuf Abudallah, pressed on, like he always did when Darius refused to tell him something. “Oh, really? Is that why you look like a cornered jungle cat? You’re ready to string someone up, and I just want to make sure I don’t need to find another line of work.”
“Don’t be absurd.” Darius knew he sounded harsher than necessary, but he had a problem he couldn’t figure out. He’d never been in this position before.
Yusuf placed both palms on Darius’s hand-carved mahogany desk. “Then tell me what’s wrong.”
Darius stopped his pacing and turned to Yusuf. For possibly the first time since they’d met, the Middle Eastern man looked supremely annoyed with him.
“Sorry, I guess I am a bit out of sorts.”
“A bit?” Yusuf snorted and pushed away from the desk. He sat in a nearby chair and crossed his legs, his expression one of annoyance. “You’re not acting like yourself at all. You’re acting like a man in danger of losing something important to him.”
“It’s not that.” Darius waved him off. “I have a client I can’t match.”
Yusuf narrowed his eyes. “This wouldn’t happen to be the writer you mentioned last month, would it?”
“Of course it’s the damned writer,” Darius snapped. “Who the hell else would it be? I’ve been obsessing about what to do with her for a fucking month now!” Yusuf raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. Immediately, Darius was sorry he’d let his irritation get the better of him. In all these years he’d been matching people with their true mates, he’d never come across someone he couldn’t find another person for.
Until Aimee McAllister.
“I’m sorry, Yusuf.” Darius collapsed in the chair behind his desk and thumped his head twice on the pristine top. This was infuriating. “She’s expecting to arrive in two days on an island paradise to meet with -- and I quote -- ‘one, possibly two, attractive, open-minded men who would be willing to help me research my latest novel.’”
“That doesn’t sound too hard.” Yusuf narrowed his eyes. “I can think of at least six men I’d consider for that job.”
“And you’d be dead wrong. There’s a wealth of information she doesn’t list on her information sheet that could ruin any chance she has for happiness. All she’s thinking about is researching a book. I’m trying to see the bigger picture.”
“I’ve never understood your secret formula, Darius. If another woman came to you with the same info sheet, you’d give her a man -- or couple of men or eight -- to sex her up, put a smile on her face, and send her on her way with exactly what she asked for. Same with the men. What is it about this woman that makes you want to save her soul and help her live her ultimate fantasy?”
“I just know, Yusuf.” He sat back and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “There are times when a man or a woman just needs more than a one-night stand. This is one of those times. I can feel it in my very being as surely as I can feel the changing weather of Mother Nature. This girl needs more than a research partner. She needs a life partner.”
“OK. So what are we going to do? We’ve got two days to figure it out.”
“I’ll be damned if I know, Yusuf. I simply can’t find even one man I’d trust with her. There’s no one I trust not to break her heart, or her spirit.”
“You make her sound like she’s fragile. What is it she didn’t tell you that’s got you so worked up, Darius?”
“She’s a virgin. And I don’t mean simply she’s never had sex with a man. I mean she’s a virgin virgin. Even to the point of she’s never been kissed. I don’t think she’s ever even held hands with a man before.”
“Wait a minute. Back up.” Yusuf leaned forward, hands on his knees, obviously interested in the problem at hand, but confused. “What kind of book is she researching?”
“Apparently --” Darius crossed his hands over his chest. Even he couldn’t believe the situation. “-- she’s a science fiction writer trying to turn to something a little more… explicit. She’s planning on using Executive Decisions to teach her the physical sensations associated with sex while keeping an emotional detachment.”
Yusuf snorted. “Good plan. If she wants to write for a men’s magazine. Is she wanting to write pure erotica?”
“I think it’s more like erotic romance.”
“Without the romance? I guess she doesn’t realize the emotional attachment that goes with sex and all things physical.”
“I’m guessing not. You see my predicament.”
“Absolutely. Tell me something. Is she a good writer?” It was Yusuf’s turn to pace now. This was why Darius loved working with the Middle Eastern man. He took this job as seriously as Darius himself.
“I’d say better than average. She has brilliant ideas and her stories and characters are all wonderfully written, but her agent thinks she needs to add some ‘spice’ to the plot. She thinks a little sex is just what Aimee needs for her books to make the leap from good to fan-fucking-tastic.”
“You sound like you agree, but I’m sensing you don’t really give a damn.”
“I don’t.”
“So, what else am I missing?”
Darius considered not telling his friend. It just seemed too personal to share. From what he’d leaned during his interview with Aimee, the girl was painfully shy. The absolute only thing that made him talk was the fact that he was totally lost this time. Yusuf might be the only man in the world that could help him figure out what to do.
“She’s thirty-five and a single mom. She’s raising her brother’s three children. Now, she’s looking back at her life and wishing she could have had at least one child of her own. The reason she’s thirty-five and still a virgin is because she’s been caring for the sick and dying since she was sixteen. She’s never had time for dating or any of the normal stuff teenagers and young adults do.”
“How did that happen?” Yusuf stopped his pacing and narrowed his eyes at Darius, no doubt expecting foul play.
“Her mother had a lingering breast cancer diagnosed when Aimee was only ten, but didn’t get really sick for several more years. Her father died of a massive heart attack when she was sixteen. Her brother, sister-in-law, and their four children were in a serious automobile accident about ten years ago. The sister-in-law and second to youngest child died. Aimee’s brother had a severe brain injury, leaving him so damaged he has no awareness of his surroundings. The other three children were barely harmed, and Aimee has cared for them ever since. Her mother passed after her painful illness two months ago, and Aimee’s sinking into a bit of a depression.” Darius took a breath. His heart ached for the woman.
“She’s holding it together for the children, but she can’t keep going alone forever. She has a couple of girlfriends, but that’s not the same as a mate. Someone to help with the household and family load. Everyone in her life has relied on her to some extent, and she hasn’t had the luxury of someone watching out for her since she was a very young teen.” Darius couldn’t breathe. He’d relived her life through their conversation every moment of every night since that interview. He had barely slept for his worry over his new client. She needed -
“You’re thinking she needs someone to protect her. Someone not to take away her burden, because she’d never allow that, but to help her shoulder it. She needs a mate.” As always, Yusuf could almost read his thoughts.
“Yes, but not just any mate. I know several men who’d easily fall in love with her, but I can only think of one I know who can treat her as delicately as a desert flower, yet push her to the sexual limit without breaking her.”
Darius and Yusuf stared at each other a very long time. They both knew who would be accompanying Aimee to her research retreat.
“I’ll pack my bags,” Yusuf said without even pretending Darius might mean someone else, “though I’m not sure I agree with you on this one.”
That surprised Darius. Few things did that. “What do you mean?”
“I think you’ve picked the wrong man,” Yusuf continued when Darius would have argued with him. “Or at least, I think there is someone better suited for her than I.” The younger man stood and left the room before Darius could question him.
Having set his best friend to meet the woman who had haunted his dreams since he’d met her, Darius expected relief from his burden of care. Instead, his stomach gnawed at him. This still wasn’t right. He was missing something. Something important.
Something that could very well change someone’s life forever.
But whose?

Chapter Two

“Hurry up, or you’ll be late for school,” Aimee McAllister called from the kitchen. She meticulously packed lunches for the sixteen-year-old, Nicholas, and the fourteen-year-old, Alexander. As much as she wanted them to be independent, Aimee hated the thought that her children might not need her anymore. They might not be children of her womb, but they were definitely children of her heart. Besides, she liked spoiling them. Miranda, the eleven-year-old, packed her own. She was the resourceful child. Miranda was more like her father than the boys, though she could see both parents in all three children in just about everything they did.

Alex was the first down the stairs, followed closely by Nick.
“You know, Mom, today’s National Lay-Out day. I’m supposed to lay out of school today.” Nick wagged his eyebrows at her when he picked up the paper sack she’d filled with his lunch.
“And if you’re absent on a known lay-out day, you’ll be suspended for three more,” Aimee said as sternly as she could. She’d been absent her share of lay-out days when she was in school, and it was hard to encourage the eldest child to do something she hadn’t.
“Not if I have a doctor’s note. I’ll pretend to be sick. You take me to the doctor this morning, and I get to goof off the rest of the day.” The smile Nick gave her was the cockiest grin she’d ever seen.
“You think you’ve got it all figured out, don’t you?” She laughed. “Get your butt to school. And if you’re late, you’re grounded for a month.”
Miranda snickered. “Told you she wouldn’t go for it. Even your legendary charm can’t touch Mom. She’s immune to the male species.”
The three continued to banter with each other, but that comment struck Aimee like a bolt of lightning. She wasn’t immune to men. Not in the least.
Well, her lack of a romantic relationship was about to change. At least for the weekend.
“Come on. Give me a hug and kiss.” She pulled Alexander and Miranda into a short embrace, followed by pecks on the cheek from both of them. “Be good for Pamela, or she’ll never let you over anymore, and her Wii will sit forever undisturbed on the entertainment center by the big screen TV.”
“Don’t worry about us, Mom.” Nick gave her a long, fierce hug. “We’ll be fine.”
Aimee held in her emotion by sheer force of will. If she cried in front of the young man, Nick would never leave. While Miranda was too young to remember the terrible accident they’d endured ten years earlier, the boys remembered bits and pieces of it. Especially Nick. He’d always been a bit clingy, but as he’d matured, he’d become very protective of her. Aimee didn’t mind, but she hated the thought of him becoming like her. He needed to be free to be a teenager without worrying about her or his siblings.
“I know you will.” She pulled back and caressed his cheek, smiling. “You’re a good boy, Nick.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, sweetheart.” She leaned into him and kissed his cheek.
“Love you, Mom!” Alex and Miranda both shouted on the way out the door. No doubt they were racing each other to see who’d sit in the front seat of the car. Nick rolled his eyes and headed out the door after his brother and sister.
And Aimee was alone. The house was almost eerily quiet. This would be life without her children. Lonely. Empty. It was her sacrifice for those she loved and she’d do it again gladly. But it didn’t make it any easier to bear.
She shook herself. This was no time for melancholy. She had a vacation to pack for. Immediately, a smile split her face and butterflies tickled her stomach. She was both excited and nervous about this, but she was definitely looking forward to it more than anything in a very long while.
It had taken every dime of her savings and the maxing out of two credit cards to pay for this, but if her agent and editor were right, it would be worth it in the long run. She’d make back every cent plus a ton extra. This was her ticket to the big time. It could mean financial security for the kids for the rest of their lives. All she had to do was learn about sex.
Aimee had tried really hard to be offended when her agent had suggested Executive Decisions as an option, but she couldn’t be. She wanted to do this. What kind of woman made it to her thirty-fifth birthday still a virgin unless she was a nun? Maybe her kids had it backwards. Maybe men were immune to her.
It didn’t matter. She was actually paying to learn everything about sex one or two men could teach her in one weekend. It would have to sustain her for a very long time because she doubted she would ever be able to afford it again, and she didn’t have time to establish a more permanent relationship.
Aimee went over her checklist. Everything was packed, including her laptop and notebook complete with several blue gel ink pens. All she was waiting on now was a call from Mr. Faeman confirming her flight and giving her a time the company driver would pick her up. Funny. She’d expected to hear from him before now. She should be leaving this afternoon, but so far, she’d heard nothing. Could it be that she couldn’t even pay for a date?
Picking up her suitcase from the bed and setting it on the floor, she caught sight of herself in the mirror above her dresser. Lord, had she really gone that far downhill?
She was no longer the slim, athletic girl she’d been in high school. In fact, she’d gotten rather plump. The nice B cups she’d sported had been traded in for Ds, and her hips had grown in proportion. In fact, she had extra flesh pretty much all over. Her hair, though still very long and curly without even a hint of gray to mar the lovely mahogany color, was now more frizzy than curly on most days. Even with the strongest of conditioners and hair gels, it still fuzzed and sprung out in all directions if not tightly contained in the bun she normally wore. She’d long ago given up contacts in favor of glasses, as she didn’t have time to devote to contact maintenance. Besides, she always forgot to get rid of them in two weeks, let alone clean them every Saturday and always ended up with funk in her eyes. It was gross.
She looked exactly like what she was: a virgin stay-at-home-bookworm-mom. Pitiful.
Scowling at the frizzy hair she’d worked so hard to hot roll, Aimee snatched a hair band from her dresser and hastily pulled the thick mass to the back of her head and lashed it there. She applied some make-up to cover imperfections on her face, but little for actual decoration.
Turning around slowly, she examined as much of herself in the mirror as she could. Denim Capris and a sleeveless peach blouse looked good on her, she thought. She was comfortable, casual, and ready to start her vacation.
Why the hell didn’t Mr. Faeman just call her?
As if on cue, the phone trilled. Aimee took a deep breath before answering it with a trembling voice. “H-hello?”
“Miss McAllister.” She’d recognize Darius Faeman’s voice anywhere. It was like satin over gravel. He had a voice made for sex. In fact, all of him seemed made for sex. The interview she’d had with him had proven to be a disaster because of her seemingly uncontrollable attraction to him. She’d spilled her deepest, darkest secrets to him, including the embarrassing fact that she was a virgin. That had seemed to take him aback. It was the only piece of information she’d given him that he’d reacted to. His eyes had gotten wide, then he’d frowned and almost growled at her. He’d apologized almost immediately, but Aimee got the feeling she hadn’t scored any points by revealing that little fact.
“I was beginning to think you’d forgotten me.” She tried to sound nonchalant, but she knew it was likely she’d failed miserably. Darius seemed to know exactly what she was thinking at any given moment.
“Hardly, my lovely. I’ve given you a lot of thought since our meeting.” He sounded almost bitter when he made that statement, but it might have been her imagination. “You have been the hardest person I’ve ever picked an escort for. Not any man would do for you, and I wanted to make sure I got it right.”
“I’m sorry to put you to so much trouble, Mr. Faeman.” She really hoped this wasn’t a ploy to get more money from her. She honestly didn’t have another dime to invest in this vacation.
“Oh, it’s no trouble, Miss McAllister, I assure you. I do, however, apologize for the lateness of this call. I’d planned to have you on your way to your weekend getaway long before now. Also, regrettably, I was unable to find more than one man for you. The man I chose, however, is a personal friend of mine, and I guarantee he’ll more than fulfill your needs.”
“That’s quite all right, Mr. Faeman. I’m just anxious to get going. I figure the rest will work itself out.” Aimee was surprised to find she was slightly disappointed. Having two men worship her body in every way imaginable had seemed like the ultimate sexual fantasy. Still, she couldn’t be disappointed for long. This was it. Her trip of a lifetime was about to begin.
“Having said that, since there is no way I can meet all of your expectations as you stated them in the contract, this trip and the services of your escort will be paid for by Executive Decisions. I have no doubt all your needs will be met, if slightly differently than you’d envisioned them, but I failed to meet that part of the bargain.”
“Oh, my goodness,” she breathed. “I -- I can’t accept something like that. You’re doing what you can with what you have to work with, Mr. Faeman. I can’t hold that against you. I’m sure finding one man willing to go on a weekend with a thirty-fiveyear-old spinster was hard enough --”
“No!” Aimee jumped at the sharpness in his tone. She’d meant her remark to be a joke at her own expense, but apparently, her benefactor didn’t see it that way. Even in his displeasure, she could almost feel his voice resonate through her entire body. He cleared his throat. When he continued, his voice was calmer, but no less adamant. Or potent. “No, Aimee. It’s not you, and don’t let me ever hear you even joke about yourself in a negative way. Do you think I’d be so careless as to trust your sexual wellbeing to just any cad working for me?”
She couldn’t help but smile, and her throat tightened up. She’d never had anyone try to look out for her before. “Somehow, I seriously doubt you have any sort of ‘cad’ working for you, Mr. Faeman.”
“It’s a relative term. All the men working for me are excellent at what they’re hired to do, but none of them are the kind of men I’d trust to someone not… how do I say it… very worldly. My friend, Yusuf, on the other hand, will treat you like the princess you are. He’ll be delicate and gentle when you need it, and teach you about the darker side of love if you so desire.”
“You mean ‘sex.’”
“No, my dear. I mean love.”
“I don’t understand, Mr. Faeman. I don’t need to know what love is like. I know. My parents, my children, my brother and sister-in-law. I love all of them. I’ve never known sex. Love has been, and always will be, all around me.” Aimee was suddenly uncomfortable, and she couldn’t say why. Whatever happened this weekend, she had the feeling her life was about to change forever.
“Love among family is priceless. You’ve had loving parents, loving siblings, even loving children. This is all wonderful and necessary to sustain us. Love in any form is a necessary part of life. I want to show you something else. Love between two people who share not only their bodies, but their lives, with each other is something completely different than any love you’ve experienced.” Listening to his voice put her in some kind of trance. She could almost feel his hands caress her face as he took her mouth in a gentle kiss. A kiss meant not to stimulate her sexually, but to express affection.
Aimee closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath. She was in deep, way over her head. This might turn out to be the biggest mistake of her life.
“Don’t doubt me, Aimee.” Darius’s voice was a mere whisper. “You’ve entrusted me with your body, your well-being. I’ll take care of you. This I swear.”
“You’re scaring me.” She knew she sounded like a small child. At the moment, she felt like one. This was something she’d dreamed of since she was a teenager. A man to help her with three children. Maybe a man who’d be willing to give her children of her own. It was too painful to contemplate. When this fantasy was over, she’d go back to her life with nothing to show for it except a broken heart. If it was even possible for her to fall in love in three nights. “I refuse to go into this looking at it like I’m in love with whoever you send with me. I have everything in life I need. I’ve managed this long by myself. I’ll take the sex and remember it for the rest of my life as the best vacation I ever had.”
“And you think this will help you write the stories you love? You think you can simulate love in your characters when you’ve never experienced it for yourself? The same with heartache. Can you write about pain or pleasure you’ve never experienced?”
“I’ll make do, Darius. I’m too old to live the life of a teenager. I’ll be convincing enough.”
There was a long pause in which Aimee got the sense he wanted to say more, but warred with himself as to whether or not he should. Finally, he chuckled lightly. “I apologize. I suppose some days I take my job too seriously. Your car will be there in five minutes. Have a wonderful time, Aimee. I’ll be in touch. You have my card with my personal number?”
“Yes.”
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call. No matter the time. I’ll always be available for you.”
Aimee was still pondering the deeper meaning of his last sentence when he hung up the phone. The butterflies in her stomach intensified. If she was going to back out, now was the time. She knew Darius was setting her up for more than she’d bargained for.
She was still standing there when her doorbell rang. Shaking herself, trying to snap out of the depression that had washed over her, Aimee carried her bags to the living room and opened the front door. The woman who met her smiled warmly.
“Hello, Aimee. I’m Aurora, and I’ll be taking you to Executive Decisions’ private jet.” She bent to pick up one of the bags Aimee had set just inside the door. “I’ll help you with your luggage. Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Aimee sighed.
Aurora looked at her, still smiling, but questioningly. “Is there a problem?”
“No,” Aimee responded quickly. “No problem. I just --”
“Having second thoughts?” The slender blonde gave her a knowing look.
“Kind of. I’m afraid I’m in over my head.”
“Have you spoken to Mr. Faeman about your concerns?”
“Actually, he’s the one who’s made me uncomfortable. I’m here to research sex for a new book I’m writing. Sex only. Now, Mr. Faeman is talking about me needing to know love. He’s saying I need to fall in love to truly appreciate the relationship between two people who share their lives as well as their bodies in order to be able to do an effective job writing about it.”
Aurora shrugged. “He’s right. Trust me when I say, the man is always right. He
-” She broke off and waved one hand in the air like she was trying to find the right word. “-- knows things. Trust him. He won’t do anything to hurt you.”
“You think making me fall in love over a little research only have to it all end at the stroke of midnight wouldn’t hurt me? All I want is -- what do they call it? -- a little harmless sex.”
Aurora led the way to the limo and stowed Aimee’s baggage in the trunk before responding to her. Aimee thought she was measuring her response carefully.
“Darius is a complicated man, Miss McAllister, capable of many things. But never doubt he always has the best interest of his clients and employees at heart. He’s a very loving, giving man. If he thinks this is the best course of action, I guarantee you it is.” She closed the trunk and turned back to Aimee, looking her straight in the eyes, making sure she had Aimee’s full attention. “I’m speaking from experience. When I say ‘trust him,’ I’m not saying it lightly. I’ve put my heart in his hands, and I wasn’t disappointed.”
The fierce look in Aurora’s eyes, more than her words, was the only thing that convinced Aimee to get in that limo. It might be the biggest mistake of her life, but she’d do this. She’d get the research she needed to write the best story ever. It would make her tons of money and set her on the path of financial security for the rest of her life. Her children would be protected, and she’d make memories to sustain her for a lifetime.
She only hoped she could survive it with her heart intact.

Chapter Three

Yusuf stared out the window of his private jet. This was insane. Darius was insane. This girl didn’t need him any more than he needed her. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

For a very long time, Yusuf had surrounded himself with women who cared only for his wealth and what he could give them in the short term. He paid generously for what he received from them, and in return they didn’t pester him afterward. It was only a matter of time before Darius paired him up with a woman he couldn’t leave. If he had given him to the writer, then he knew he’d fall in love with her so hard and fast, he’d never see it coming.

He considered simply leaving Darius on this one and not coming back. They had been friends for the better part of twenty years, but Yusuf wasn’t sure he was ready for this. He’d given his heart once in life -- he wasn’t ready to repeat the experience. Which was probably why Darius had decided it was time he did.

The only problem was, Yusuf had a bad feeling there was more at stake. He couldn’t say exactly what, but there was more going on here than just Darius setting him up to lose his heart to a woman who might throw it back in his face. He’d said himself he was having trouble placing her with someone. Yusuf got the feeling this was the only time Darius might be wrong, though exactly what he was wrong about remained to be seen.

No matter. Darius was his friend. Much as he wanted to run, he wouldn’t. He might kick Darius’s ass when it was done, but he wouldn’t run.
The little island in the South Pacific had always been one of Yusuf’s favorite places in the world. It was secluded, yet had all the comforts anyone could want. He wished he had decided to get there at the beginning of the week instead of the end so he could have settled in and relaxed his mind. At the moment, he was so off balance, he doubted he could project the calm this woman needed. He was going into this probably as nervous as she was.
At least, he hoped she was nervous. He chuckled at his own state of being. He, Yusuf Abudallah, playboy of Dubai, was nervous about meeting a woman. It would be painfully embarrassing if she, the virgin, was calm, cool, and collected while he was jittery as a, well, as a virgin.
Yusuf felt the plane start its descent long before it dipped into the fluffy white clouds. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to center himself and get prepared for whoever awaited him. He had known better than to ask for more of a profile on his contact, Aimee McAllister, than Darius had given him. Darius had already offered him more information than expected. He liked for his employees to go in with no preconceived notions. Yusuf counted himself very lucky to know what he did. He could do this. If things worked out between Aimee and him, so much the better. If they didn’t, he’d cope.
By the time the plane landed, Yusuf was feeling more anxious than ever. He couldn’t shake the feeling there was more going on. Normally, he’d call Darius and they’d discuss his misgivings, but Yusuf had a feeling the problem centered around the nature sprite himself.
God help him if it did.

* * *

The first thing Aimee did when she arrived at the intimate beach house was throw up. She wasn’t starting things out very well. Aurora had been such a sweetheart about the whole mess. She’d brought her luggage inside, then held Aimee’s hair out of her face while she finished ralphing into the toilet. She’d wet her a washcloth and fetched Aimee’s mouthwash, toothbrush, and toothpaste and refused to leave until she was sure Aimee would be OK.

“Don’t worry so much, Miss McAllister. I swear to you, Mr. Faeman absolutely will not give you something you can’t handle. When this is over, you’ll look back and laugh at yourself for getting so worked up.”

“Aurora. You just helped me through a violent puking session. You can call me Aimee.”
The other woman smiled and pulled Aimee into a fierce hug. “Go on. Change into your bathing suit, sit by the pool, and listen to the waves crashing over the shore. It will relax you and maybe take some of your nerves away.”
“I’d rather have a Valium.”
Aurora laughed. Her attitude was infectious and Aimee found herself smiling back. “You’ll be fine, Aimee. Now, go. Sit in the sun. Have a strawberry daiquiri or something. You’ll find a fully stocked bar by the pool and a bartender to get you anything you need.”
“So, we won’t be alone. There’s a staff here.” Aimee knew she was grasping at straws, but she almost hoped she could find an excuse not to be alone with whoever Mr. Faeman saw fit to send her.
“There’s a staff here until your escort arrives. Then, everyone leaves. Executive Decisions policy.”
Aimee groaned. “You’re enjoying this just a bit too much, Aurora.”
“Lets just say I’ve been in your shoes. Only I didn’t know I was the client. I know, I know. Long story, anyway. The short version is, I got the men of my dreams, and we lived happily ever after. All thanks to Darius Faeman and Executive Decisions. Now, have a great weekend.”
“I hope so.”
“You will.” Aurora squeezed Aimee’s hand before leaving.
Deciding a Captain and Coke would do her good, Aimee took Aurora’s advice, changed, and headed to the pool. As promised, a bartender was indeed at the poolside bar. She gave him her order, which he made quickly while chatting lightly with her about the weather, and, yes the water temperature was wonderful, and if she needed anything else all she had to do was wave. He’d be waiting for her.
She chose a spot next to the sand of the beach. There were no barriers, so the concrete of the pool just meshed into the sand. The ocean wasn’t too far away, and when Aimee closed her eyes, it was like entering another world. Immediately, she relaxed. Now, this she could get used to.
Her drink died a quick death, followed closely by another one. When that one was gone, she was definitely feeling much better. She was still nervous, but not so much she was in danger of losing the contents of her stomach a second time.
She was just about to doze off when a large shadow blocked her sun. “I think I’m good, Philippe. Any more and I won’t be able to walk straight.”
“I certainly hope you’re talking about your drink and nothing else. If the good bartender has claimed your virginity for himself, I might have to have a few harsh words with him.”

* * *

It hit him out of nowhere. This fierce urge to claim what was his. Her remark was innocent enough, but he heard something entirely different. Normally, Yusuf would have made a joke, or pointed out how naughty that sounded, but this time, he wanted to turn his drink over Philippe’s head. Right before he punched him out. Or shot him. Something violent, to be sure.

Aimee sat up so fast, she knocked over her drink and broke the glass. “Ohmigod! I’m so sorry! How stupid of me!”
Yusuf stilled her when she would have tried to clean it up herself. She swung her feet over the side of her lounger and almost stepped right in the broken glass. He guided her away from the dangerous mess and motioned to Philippe, all the while moving her in the opposite direction, his hand at the small of her back. Moving her away from the handsome bartender.
“Don’t be silly. It was entirely my fault for sneaking up on you and not announcing myself.” Once on the other side of the pool, Yusuf extended his hand to her, which she took almost immediately. “I am Yusuf Abudallah, at your service, Miss.” He started to kiss the back of her hand, but at the last moment decided against it. Instead, he turned her hand over and kissed the palm. It seemed more intimate, more personal.
Once again, Darius had hit the mark dead on. The second Yusuf laid eyes on Aimee, he was lost. She was everything he loved to look at in a woman. Everything he avoided like the plague for fear of losing his heart again.
She wasn’t a beauty queen, but rather had a delicate loveliness that most men simply couldn’t understand or appreciate. She was full of breast and round of hips and belly. The extra flesh she carried was placed so that a man could enjoy her to the fullest. She’d be soft to cuddle, and easy to grip during a rough ride, but elegant in movement. Long legs were plump, but firm. Just right for holding on to him when he mounted her from on top. Her hair was a long, lustrous mass of curly chestnut hair that hinted of auburn in the sunlight. She was, in a word, perfect.
“I, uh, didn’t expect you until later this evening, or I’d have been dressed.” She looked back over her shoulder at the younger man cleaning up the broken glass.
“Don’t worry about him, my lovely. He’ll be leaving soon.” Yusuf couldn’t keep all the bitterness from his voice. Here she was supposed to be the perfect woman for him, and she was lusting after another man already.
Aimee turned back to him and blinked several times. Her face flushed almost immediately. “I was looking at my cover-up lying on my chair. You might be comfortable half-dressed, but I assure you I’m not.”
Never in his adult life had Yusuf been so glad for his Middle Eastern heritage. While fair-skinned compared to most of his people, he was still dark enough to hide a blush. He was definitely not getting started on the right foot. This was a disaster in the making.
He sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. “Forgive me. He is a handsome young man and you’d been here with him for a while before I got here. I assumed you’d rather spend your time with his youth this weekend instead of someone with a little age on him. In truth, your form so pleases me that I never thought about you being uncomfortable. Again, I beg your forgiveness.”
She just looked at him, her mouth hanging open. After a couple of seconds, she said, “You’re joking, right?”
“About what, my lovely?”
“All that you just said.”
“My dear, I may be here to please you, but I do not tell untruths. For any reason.”
They stared at each other for a while. Yusuf got the feeling she was sizing him up, trying to figure him out. Then her eyes started to wander down his body, and it was his turn to be uncomfortable.
When he’d seen her sitting by the pool, he had changed into a swimsuit as well. Having worked hard over the years to keep a muscled physique, he usually found it satisfying to show it off in a pair of Speedos. Today, he wasn’t sure it had been the right choice. Especially when his cock responded to her candid observation.
It was hard to keep from flexing his muscles like an uncouth boy trying to impress a girl. What did she see when she looked at him? He imagined how he looked in the mirror, and wondered if she liked what she saw.
He had a chiseled torso that included impressive pecs and washboard abs covered with a liberal dusting of fine, dark hair. Shoulders and arms sported hard muscle and veins that roped around them in an intricate dance. His thighs were also layered with hard muscle and sprinkled with hair. Yusuf wondered if Aimee found him appealing, or if she found his body imperfect. Trying to stand still, he found it difficult not to raise his chin defiantly. Especially when her gaze fixed squarely on his rapidly engorging cock.
When she again met his gaze, her eyes were wide and filled with tears. What had he done wrong?
“I-I can’t do this,” she breathed out before brushing past him and rushing into the house. Stunned, Yusuf shook his head and followed her inside. He’d never been in this position before. Women had always come to him, not the other way around. He had to follow her, but what then?
He heard a door close somewhere in the back of the house and made his way there. Had to be the back bedroom. That’s where he’d found her things, and where he’d placed his own things earlier. Surely she hadn’t barricaded herself in her room. That was just too juvenile. Before he could reach the door, Aimee opened it, fully dressed and bags in hand.
Yusuf blocked her escape. “Are you leaving, then?”
“Yes. I was mistaken. This isn’t for me.” She looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Damn. What was he supposed to do now? He wasn’t used to having to coax women into his bed. They usually came willingly. Aggressively, even.
“What’s changed your mind, my lovely? You came all this way. And you have to know that what we do or don’t do on this trip is entirely up to you. Don’t leave because you fear the unknown. Is it something I said or did that’s put you ill at ease?”
She blew a stray spring of curly hair out of her face with an exasperated sigh and cocked her hip as she tried to balance her bags. “Just look at you, for crying out loud! You ooze sex appeal. You’re all hard muscle and sinew and the stuff wet dreams are made of! And don’t think I didn’t notice the boner in that poor excuse for a bathing suit.” Her face was getting redder and redder with each word. “Unless I’m paying for you, there’s no way a man like you picks a woman like me to spend a weekend with. I’m just thinking about what Mr. Faeman said to me before I left, and I’m sure I’m in serious danger being here with you.”
Yusuf chuckled and went to her. This was easily fixable if he could talk her into trusting him. And Darius.
“My lovely.” He caressed her cheek. Her skin was so soft it was like touching a rose petal. Yusuf found himself inhaling her clean scent and could have just stood there touching her face the rest of the afternoon. Her beauty was undeniable. No makeup, and very fine laugh and care lines showed her years, but to him it was all part of the appeal she held for him. Somehow, all the little imperfections gave her beauty and character none of the women he’d known over the years could even come close to.
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped and batted his hand away. “It’s insulting coming from a man like you.”
Yusuf was shocked. He shook his head and backed up a step. “I meant no disrespect, Miss McAllister. I only meant to ease your mind. I’m absolutely no danger to you at all. In any way.” When she opened her mouth to deliver what he was sure would be a scathing reply, he pressed a finger against her lips. “I know what you’re thinking, Aimee.” His voice was barely above a whisper. He had to have her complete attention, and he was sure yelling and asserting his considerable maleness wasn’t the answer. “You’re worried about the damage I’ll do to your heart. To be honest, I’m worried about the same thing, the damage you’ll do to my heart. I swear to you, I will never say anything I don’t truly mean. When I call you ‘my lovely,’ I mean it. You are lovely in a way most men can’t appreciate.”
“And would you be here with me this weekend if your boss hadn’t ordered you?”
“No. But not for the reasons you suggested.” Yusuf raised his eyebrows and extended a hand for her bag, silently asking permission to take her things. She hesitated, then sighed, a resigned look on her face.
“I’m already here. Might as well ride it out.”
“Look at me, Aimee.” She gave him a defiant, angry look but met his gaze. “Darius Faeman has been my friend for more years than I care to think about. He knows more about you than you think. Just as he knows more about me than I want to contemplate. He would not have paired us together if he thought it would end in heartbreak for either of us. Do you trust him?”
“I don’t know him, Yusuf.” She was trembling now. It was obvious she was out of her element, and Yusuf couldn’t blame her. Darius made him feel that way sometimes.
“I didn’t ask you if you knew him, I asked if you trusted him.” Yusuf kept his voice deliberately calm. If he was going to get anywhere with her, he had to be the calm one in such a bizarre situation.
She sighed and actually took a step toward him and placed a hand on the center of his chest. She looked mesmerized. Like she couldn’t help herself. “I told him I did. I suppose I do, but when it comes to actually being here, with you, it’s a little different.”
He wanted to enfold her in his arms. Kiss her until she swooned. Make love to her until neither of them could move. Instead he placed his hand on hers, holding it close to his heart. “It’s always scary at first. You expose yourself to someone else and pray the whole time he or she doesn’t ridicule you or, worse, take what he or she wants and leave you with nothing but shame. Eventually, if you play the field enough, you’re thankful when you never hear from them again. That emotional void is a place I hope you never have to experience. Sometimes --” He took a breath. “-- sometimes I think I’m not capable of loving someone anymore and, if I do, I’m afraid she’ll look into my soul and find me unworthy of her love.”
Yusuf hadn’t meant to say that much, but her insecurity seemed to magnify his own. They weren’t so different after all, it would seem. He’d just bet Darius had anticipated this all along. He was infuriating like that. At this point, he had no doubt he and Aimee would work this out together. They’d have a wonderful time, fall in love and live happily ever after. The only question was, what was missing? That nagging feeling Yusuf had come to rely on over the years was screaming at him, and he just knew this couldn’t all be as simple as it seemed.

Chapter Four

It took little convincing after that. Yusuf’s baring his soul to Aimee seemed to be enough for her to give the weekend a chance. He could see she wasn’t certain she wasn’t going to her emotional doom, but she was willing to ride it out with him.

That’s how he found himself sitting on the front porch swing with Aimee, watching a breathtaking sunset and talking about their lives. He had one arm around her, holding her close to him, and it felt… odd. He had never been one for idle conversation with anyone, even Darius. Sitting and talking about memories painful, nostalgic, and humorous, was surreal. This wasn’t him at all, but he couldn’t seem to stop.

For her part, Aimee spoke of her family, especially her children. They might not be children of her flesh, but they were definitely children of her heart, and she missed them terribly.

“Didn’t you want to have children of your own?” A couple of hours before, Yusuf would have cringed at his insensitivity, but they seemed to have found some kind of common ground, and the question didn’t seem to bother her.

“Of course. Though caring for three young children, a sick mother, and my brother, I never seemed to find the time to date. The children alone would have been bad enough -- the rest just seemed too personal to bring a stranger into it. After a while, I guess I turned to my writing for an emotional outlet.”

“Yet, here we sit discussing it like a couple of old married people.” Yusuf looked down into her face, and anything else he might have said left his mind. She was like one of the fae folk in the innocence he saw shining in her eyes. She had absolutely no idea how she affected him, and he had no idea how to tell her without scaring her off. Before he realized what he was doing, he was falling toward her and finding her lips with his.

Yusuf wanted to devour her. Her taste was intoxicating, sweetly feminine but tempered with determination. He’d never kissed a woman quite like her before. Her taste alone held him back. She was like an exquisite dessert dish he wanted to make last as long as possible.

Aimee couldn’t believe this was happening. She was actually kissing a man. Not just any man, either. Yusuf Abudallah was the best-looking man she’d ever seen, even in her dreams. The only man she could think of who could compare with him was possibly Darius Faeman, and she wasn’t even sure about that now. Yusuf was real in a way Darius simply wasn’t. Besides, she could never imagine kissing Darius the way Yusuf was letting her kiss him.

At first, it was simply a pressing of mouths together. Dry, exploratory kisses. After a moment or two, Aimee got brave and opened her mouth slightly, allowing more of Yusuf’s lips to cover hers. He tasted wild and masculine, like a spicy cinnamon drink. There seemed to be a swarm of butterflies in her stomach just itching to get out. She knew she squirmed in her seat, but she couldn’t seem to be still. Her whole body seemed to be alive with sensation, and her private places tingled and throbbed.

When Yusuf slowly licked her bottom lip, Aimee let loose a tiny squeal and flinched at the contact. She couldn’t help herself. It was all so intimate, her first instinct was to get her personal space back. Yusuf must have sensed her discomfort because he pulled back to look at her questioningly.

“No!” Aimee thought she’d die if he stopped kissing her now. She closed the distance between them to find his mouth again.
His arms closed around her then, caressing her back and flank. For her part, Aimee twined her fingers in his short hair and held him to her. No way he was pulling away from her again. This was her fantasy. If she wanted to go on kissing him the rest of the night, by God and Sunny Jesus, she would.
The little minx might be a virgin, Yusuf thought, but she was a woman who went after what she wanted. He fully expected her to close herself off from him when he’d heard her sound of distress, but instead she’d taken the lead in their sensual game. Even now, she had a death grip on his hair. It was almost painful, but he endured it, even knowing the pain wouldn’t necessarily lead to the kind of sex he associated with pain. Somehow, though, it was all right with him. He’d do whatever his little flower wanted.
Deciding they’d be more comfortable inside, Yusuf scooped her up and headed to the bedroom. Aimee didn’t protest, only kept kissing him with inexperienced lips. Yusuf was surprised to find how much of a turn on it was for him. She’d never made love to a man, never kissed a man, yet she was here. With him. He vowed then and there he’d make this the most pleasurable experience he could for her.
Instead of laying her down on the bed and then following her, Yusuf sat on the bed, Aimee in his lap, then rolled them over to lay on the bed together. He simply didn’t want to break the tenuous connection they’d found by separating her body from his. Carefully, delicately, he touched his tongue to her bottom lip again. This time, she met his tongue with her own, which shocked Yusuf. Aimee was definitely a fast learner. There was a sensual creature inside her trying desperately to crawl its way out, and Yusuf was determined to do everything he could to bring that side of her out of its cocoon.
Both of them still fully clothed, Yusuf maneuvered himself on top of her, spreading her legs with his so he could settle himself between them. He rubbed his steely erection against her unapologetically, trying to gauge her response. Instead of flinching like before, she whimpered and thrust herself at him, trying to get closer, needing something only he could give her.
He was about to take their kiss a step farther when Aimee opened her mouth wide. When he followed suit, she plunged her tongue inside his mouth and tangled it with his own. She pulled and sucked at him over and over. He continued to rub himself on her, mimicking the act of fucking her until finally she wrapped her legs around him tightly.
“Sweet God, Yusuf! What’s happening?”
“Just keep doing what you’re doing, my lovely, don’t stop. Let it happen.”
“Oh, my. Oh, my God!”
With a shuddering scream, Aimee gripped Yusuf so hard, he thought she might squeeze the life right out of him. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck and her legs around his waist. He could barely breathe, but he wouldn’t have stopped her orgasm merely for his own comfort. If he died, so be it. This woman’s pleasure was worth it.
It took a few moments, but gradually the spasms of her body stilled. Her hold on him relaxed somewhat, but she didn’t completely let him go. When she didn’t say anything and didn’t move, Yusuf asked, “Are you OK, Aimee?”
“I don’t know. Am I still alive?”
He chuckled. “So it would seem, my lovely.”
“That was…” Her voice trailed off, and Yusuf knew exactly what she meant, even if she couldn’t express it right away.
“I know.”
He rolled them to their sides and simply held her. She dozed lightly, but clung to him as if afraid he’d run away from her. As if! Yusuf knew she was stuck with him. He’d known it from the second he’d seen her at the pool. Darius had certainly been right about at least this part of things.
He was about to suggest they undress and try it again when the door burst open. Aimee sat straight up, but not faster then Yusuf. In a flash, he put himself between her and the wild man with black hair shot through with green and purple who’d burst into their bedroom.
“Have you touched her?”
“Darius?” Was this his long time friend?
“Have you touched her?” Darius looked like a wildling from the Magical Forest where he hailed. The nature sprite looked like he’d gone insane, and finally, finally, the pieces all clicked together.
“Not in the way you’re referring to, Darius. She remains a virgin.” Yusuf tried to remain calm, but he felt like his life was about to come to a screeching halt. Darius was about to claim Aimee for his own, and Yusuf wasn’t sure he was strong enough to stop him.

* * *

Aimee’s heart pounded so hard she thought it would break through her chest. This was the man she’d thought so genteel? He looked like a wild animal, and he was focused on her.

“She’s mine, Yusuf. You cannot have her!”
“You sent me here, Darius. I’m not sure I’m not already in love with her. You don’t expect me to just back off and let you have her, do you? You sent me here to find love, and I have.”
“Not with my woman!” Darius shouted, ripping off his shirt in a show of strength. Indeed, the man had a perfect body. Aimee would have been less than human not to be impressed. She had been attracted to Darius the first moment she’d met him. This only made things worse. Yusuf had proclaimed himself to be falling in love with her, and she was ready to admit she had some strong feelings for him, as well. It was hard to separate the physical feelings from the deeper emotional ones, but she’d told him things she’d never told any other living person.
Except Darius.
“Wait a minute, both of you.” Aimee’s voice sounded high-pitched and squeaky to her ears. She was in way over her head, but she could handle this. If she could handle a house full of teenage and close to teenage kids, she could handle two territorial males. “I have a solution to all of our problems.”
As one, both of them looked at her. Darius looked more like the man she’d first met, while Yusuf beamed at her with pride. It was the latter that encouraged her to go on.
“When I came to Executive Decisions, it was with the expectation of having two men teach me about erotic pleasures. Mr. Faeman -- Darius -- you told me you were unable to find two men you trusted to give me what I needed? Why not yourself? You obviously trust Yusuf, as do I. If you can’t trust yourself, how could you possibly trust anyone else?”

Chapter Five

There was no way Aimee was ready for this. Darius tried to get himself under control, but something inside him had snapped the moment she’d orgasmed. He had felt it across the vast distance between them as surely as if he’d been with her.

And then he was with her.
It was the only time in living memory Darius could remember transporting without conscious thought. He didn’t transport often because it tended to freak people out, and it was hard to do it undetected in this day and age. This time, however, one second he was gripping his desk so hard it splintered, the next he was in Aimee and Yusuf’s bedroom ready to pull Yusuf off her and rip his head off.
“A few hours ago, you were ready to leave. You were near tears, afraid of getting hurt.” Darius couldn’t seem to stem the flow of horrible taunts. He felt like a knife was slicing through his heart because of the affection growing so quickly between his best friend and the woman he was too stubborn to claim for his own. “Do you honestly think you can take on the two of us now?”
Aimee narrowed her eyes and slid from the bed. She walked to him and reached out a shaky hand to touch his chest. Her hands were sweaty, but her touch was still like an electrical current running through him. He wanted to scoop her up and vanish, let Yusuf fend for himself, but something held him back. He was relying purely on instinct now. None of his intellect or higher reasoning seemed to be working. Nature consumed the nature sprite with the only thing it could combat him with: the woman who should be his mate.
“I can handle more than you give me credit for. I can handle more than I’ve given myself credit for.” She looked up at him, and unashamed desire shone brightly in her eyes. “Look. I know I’m not experienced. Hell, I’m the one who practically sobbed into her dinner plate at our meeting because of my lack of experience, and I know I’m not exactly wise as to what’s about to happen. I know there will be a lot of changes my body will have to adjust to, but if you think you can make me feel even half of what I just experienced with Yusuf, then I’m willing to give it a try.” She dropped her hand from his chest and propped it on her hip. “You can do what he did, can’t you?”
“You’re playing with fire, girl. Take care you don’t get burned.” Darius hadn’t meant to growl his response, but it came out that way just the same. He truly didn’t want to hurt or shock her or do anything that might make her regret her decision now. But -- Great Mother damn him to the seventh pit of hell -- he couldn’t make himself care all that much.
“You’ve asked me more than once to trust you, Darius.” She took one step closer to him and snaked her arms around his neck. Darius couldn’t help but wrap his arms around her, too. “I do. Now why won’t you trust yourself?”
That was it. A man could only take so much. Darius lifted her and stepped back to the bed. Yusuf shed his bathing suit, and Darius helped Aimee do the same before finally taking the rest of his clothes off.
“Just remember, my beauty.” Darius spread her legs with his hands and kissed her stomach, dipping his tongue into her navel. “You asked for this.”
“So I did,” she breathed a second before Darius dove toward her pussy.
She was like nectar from the gods! Sweet musk and honey was what she reminded him of. Her skin was so silky soft, it was like wet velvet. Darius heard himself groan, and winced at the sound. He sounded too needy. Would she be able to tell how hard he’d fallen for her? They’d only had one interview. One! But the second he’d met her, he knew she was meant for him. He just hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself.
“That’s it,” Yusuf murmured. “It’s about time, too, Darius.” Darius raised his head, but didn’t break his contact with Aimee’s cunt. Yusuf only smiled at him. “But don’t think for a second I’m giving her up. She’s as much for me as she is for you.”
Darius merely grunted and concentrated on what he was doing. He was trying to prove himself, and worrying about Yusuf’s claim on his woman wasn’t going to help. Even his uncertain future couldn’t distract him from the treasure that lay before him.
Ecstasy shone on Aimee’s face as she looked down into his eyes. Darius had to look away from her trusting gaze. He wasn’t ready for this. What they were sharing was more than sex. This was love in its purest form, and Darius marveled at something he’d always known. It was hard to separate sex and love between two people who already had an attraction for each other.
Then Yusuf lay down next to Aimee on the bed. He drew lazy circles around her right nipple, but his eyes were on Darius.
For several minutes, the only sounds were Aimee’s sighs and whimpers and Darius’s grunts and growls. Darius found he couldn’t look away from Yusuf for long. They had been friends for more years than Darius cared to remember, but now, in this situation, he knew there was more to their friendship than what was on the surface.
The men looked at each other for a long moment. There were too many things they needed to discuss. Too damned many things left unsaid between them for too damned long.
But not now. Now was Aimee’s time. She seemed not to notice their silent exchange, and Darius wanted to keep it that way for a while. There would be time enough for that later. This time had to focus on her. She was special, and her first time had to be something she’d remember with fondness and gratefulness for as long as she lived.

* * *

Aimee noticed the exchange between the two men, but wasn’t sure what to do about it or even if she was expected to do anything. When Darius returned his attention back to her cunt, she wanted to push him away. She wanted to gather what was left of her dignity and, not run away, but step back for a moment. Find out what was going on, and if they even still wanted her to be here with them. It looked like an intensely private moment, and she felt like an intruder.

“Focus on me, Aimee.” Darius’s command was sharp, and he punctuated it by nipping her inner thigh. “Yusuf and I have some issues to work out, but they have nothing to do with how we both feel about you.” Darius held her gaze as he took one long swipe from her pussy to her clit. She needed to think, but it was so much easier to just feel.

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and turned her head, needing to gather what she had left of her sanity before she regretted everything she was about to do. When she opened her eyes, Yusuf’s face was only inches from her own. Darius continued his sensual assault, but it was Yusuf who had her attention.

“Relax, Aimee. Let us show you how wonderful sex can be.” Yusuf’s whisper was as much an attack on her senses as Darius’s tongue, but she had to be strong.
“You two love each other.” She spoke so softly, she wasn’t sure Yusuf could hear her. Actually, she hoped he wouldn’t hear. It felt like she was being whiny.
“Yes.” It was the last thing Yusuf said before he kissed her again.
Aimee’s world was turning upside down. Two of the most devastatingly handsome men she’d ever seen were worshiping her body, intent on taking her virginity in the most exquisite way possible.
Unable to resist any longer, Aimee let the pleasure consume her. Two sets of hands caressed her body from head to toe. Two tongues kissed and licked, and nipped their way around every erogenous zone she’d ever read about and a few she hadn’t. She combed her fingers through their hair and gripped one or the other of them when they did something she particularly loved.
The sounds of her sighs mingled with their groans and murmured encouragement. All the while, they stroked her body, they kissed every square inch of her flesh until she begged them to end it. They kept her hovering just on the precipice of another orgasm, but wouldn’t let her plunge over the edge.
“Enough! Please don’t leave me like this!” Aimee hated how needy she sounded, but she couldn’t help it. The sensations coursing through her were more than she had been prepared for. She felt like, if they left her without giving her relief, she’d surely die. She never knew the human body was capable of such pleasure. It didn’t surprise her at all that these two men knew exactly what to do to cause such sensations, though. As a woman, she wanted the culmination of their efforts. As an author doing research, she wanted to know if what they were doing to her could be accomplished by any other man, and if what they were doing to her would have the same results for any other woman.
Before she could contemplate it further, Darius settled himself on top of her as he spread her legs. Yusuf growled, but made no move toward Darius.
“This time, Darius.” Aimee hardly recognized the voice as Yusuf’s. His normally silky-smooth voice was gruff and harsh. “Next time, she’s mine.”
Darius didn’t respond -- he only swooped down to kiss her again. Aimee opened her mouth willingly to accept him. His mouth was enough to distract her, but she didn’t miss the blunt tip of his cock probing her slick entrance.
When she stiffened, awaiting his welcomed invasion, he broke their kiss long enough to whisper to her. “Relax, my beauty. I’ll take care of you.” As he finished speaking, he nipped her lower lip sharply and plunged into her at the same time.
Aimee cried out, but she was hard-pressed to say if she was startled or hurt, or if the cause was his love bite, or the loss of her hymen. Both stung slightly, but neither was really that uncomfortable. Besides, the new sensations blossoming between her legs were enough to make her forget any discomfort.
Darius laved her lower lip to ease the ache and pulled back to look into her face. “OK?” She nodded her head. And he began to move.

Chapter Six

Yusuf was as hard as a fucking rock. He wanted like anything to be in Darius’s place, but the nature sprite seemed to have a need for the first encounter. Had Aimee not been a virgin, it might not have been such a big deal, but Yusuf knew Darius needed to mark her first if at all possible. As his friend, Yusuf didn’t ask why. He simply accepted it.

Also, Aimee was right. Yusuf did love Darius. He had for a long time. Whether or not the feelings were reciprocated was another matter entirely, and now wasn’t the time to ask.

The pair moved slowly together. Aimee didn’t have trouble picking up the movement or the rhythm Darius led her through. Sex was a natural thing, after all, and she took to it like a woman thoroughly enjoying herself. Sweat dampened both of them, though Darius seemed to be having a tougher time of it than Aimee. The big man seemed to be fighting to hold himself in check, but Yusuf knew he’d do what ever he had to to please the woman he held so tightly. So protectively.

Not content to be merely a bystander, Yusuf tunneled his fingers through Aimee’s hair and urged her to turn her head toward him. She had a glazed look in her eye. Whatever pleasure she was feeling was beginning to consume her. Yusuf smiled warmly at her.

“That’s it, my lovely. Is it starting?”

Aimee didn’t say anything, only nodded. Her face was covered in a becoming blush and her eyes were wide in wonder.
“Then reach for it,” Yusuf whispered. “Take your pleasure like you have a right to it. Don’t wait for him to give it to you. It’s yours. Seize it while you can.”
She nodded again and answered with a shaky, “OK.” Her breathing became ragged and quick, then she thrashed her head, a pained look on her face, and screamed. Her muscles bunched underneath her skin as she lost control. Darius seemed to be in a similar situation, and it was obvious he would follow her soon.
Yusuf gripped Aimee’s hair to hold her head still and swooped down to claim her lips during her orgasm. She welcomed him, plunging her tongue inside his mouth. Darius’s movements were frenzied now and Yusuf knew he wouldn’t last much longer. The sounds of their sighs and grunts filled the air like sweet music, and Yusuf found that, though he wished to be part of their intimate moment, it was enough to know they enjoyed each other. He was with them, and it was enough.
The second Aimee began to calm down, Darius pulled out of her and rolled off her onto the bed. With a hoarse shout, he grabbed his cock and pumped it twice. Spurt after spurt of his seed sprayed her chest and belly.
For several moments, Yusuf was the only one of the three who moved. He still kissed Aimee, though tenderly now and not as though he wanted to fuck her silly.
“You OK?” Yusuf stroked her hair and face. He wanted to touch and caress her until she was in a lust-filled frenzy again, but her eyelids drooped. She needed a rest and probably time to assess what all this meant to her. She needed time to process everything and recharge.
“Sleepy.” She smiled at him and pressed her mouth to his again. She reached beside her to Darius’s sprawled form and found his hand. “Will you both stay with me?”
“Absolutely.” Darius sounded more like himself, and Yusuf met his gaze as the other man sat up on the bed. Before he did anything else, Darius waved his hand over the table, and a basin of water appeared. Aimee gasped softly. Even Yusuf was a little surprised. Darius didn’t often show his talents as a nature sprite. He dipped his shirt in the water, wrung it out, and wiped the semen off Aimee’s torso. He dipped it again and cleansed her tender, private places before placing a kiss where he’d wiped.
“Just let me clean up, and we’ll be back. Yusuf.” Darius jerked his head sharply in the direction of the bathroom. “I need your help a moment.”
“I’ll be right there.” Yusuf’s heart pounded. So did his dick. What in God’s name was he doing?
“Wait.” Aimee’s voice was weak, but she sat up and reached for Yusuf. “You didn’t get to… you know.” She gingerly dropped her hand to his cock and gave it an experimental squeeze. “I don’t want you left out, Yusuf. You did so much for me. It’s just not right.”
“Aimee, you’re wilting. You can barely hold your eyes open,” Darius smiled. He came around to Yusuf’s side of the bed. He bent down to kiss Aimee on the forehead. “Rest. You can take care of Yusuf later.”
“No. I --”
“Shhh.” Yusuf laid a finger on her lips, but their petal-soft skin beckoned his own lips. He couldn’t stop himself from pressing his mouth to hers for a quick, soft kiss. “Rest. I’m fine.”
“Don’t you dare leave.” She looked from him to Darius. “Either of you.”
Darius grunted and pulled Yusuf away from Aimee. Yusuf looked at him questioningly, but followed without another word.
When they were alone in the bathroom, Yusuf turned to Darius. “OK. What was that all about?”
Instead of answering, Darius shut the bathroom door and launched himself at Yusuf. He fisted his hand in Yusuf’s hair and kissed him roughly. Unlike kissing Aimee, this was raw and unashamedly needy. Darius knew what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to take it. Yusuf could do little else but let him have what he wanted. It wasn’t like he didn’t want it, too.
Darius shoved Yusuf against the sink and pushed him back so he had no choice but to sit on the vanity. He had little time to think about the turn of events before Darius shoved his legs apart and ground his cock into Yusuf’s.
“It’s time,” Darius growled. “You need. So do I.”
“Yes, but without Aimee?” Yusuf wasn’t sure what the rules were of this new relationship. Darius would surely have a certain set of standards that had to be met, but what about Aimee? What would she expect? “She might take exception to her lovers getting it on right after leaving her bed.”
“She might, indeed, but she can’t do any more without a rest and you have yet to enjoy the relief the two of us experienced.” Darius ducked slightly to place one of Yusuf’s legs over his shoulder and sucked one of Yusuf’s balls into his mouth, sucking lightly before straightening again and leaning into Yusuf.
Yusuf hissed and ground his teeth together to keep from crying out. It was true he was damned near in misery from the need to come, but he’d gladly wait until Aimee was able to join them.
“I can wait, Darius. Really.”
“But you shouldn’t have to. I take care of those I join my life with. Don’t worry. She’ll be included. As will I. As you will be. You don’t seriously think all three of us will always be available at the same time, do you?”
Yusuf hadn’t thought of it that way. Still it seemed wrong now, when it was all still so new.
“Available for what?” Aimee’s soft, musical voice came from the doorway. She looked confused and a little hurt, but very interested in what was going on.
Darius looked straight at her and commanded, “Watch. See what we’ll do when you can’t be with us.”
Yusuf heard Aimee suck in a breath when Darius lunged for him and captured his mouth with his. Then he forgot everything but the man kissing him. They dueled for supremacy, but this wasn’t a battle Yusuf was capable of winning while he needed relief so much.
While he kissed Yusuf, Darius also gripped Yusuf’s cock and pumped it steadily with one hand and ringed his anus with one finger of the other. This was Yusuf’s longtime friend, the man he always leaned on and supported no matter what. It was only natural for their relationship to progress to the next level, but he had this overwhelming feeling of, I-can’t-believe-this-is-happening.
Darius broke their torrid kiss. He grabbed a bottle of baby oil sitting on the vanity and dribbled a generous amount over one finger. A jolt shot through Yusuf when Darius stuck the digit into his ass. He’d known it was coming -- had been looking forward to it, actually -- but it still shocked him. He pulled Darius back to kiss him once again in long wet, tongue-filled licks, but his eyes were on Aimee. She looked like she was in a trance. Darius finally pulled away from Yusuf and knelt between his legs.
Darius sucked Yusuf’s cock into his mouth once before continuing his journey downward. “I was just explaining to Yusuf that two of us making love without the third wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.” Yusuf saw the wicked grin Darius flashed Aimee. “You need rest, but perhaps you’d like to help me first. Yusuf deserves the same pleasure we both received, wouldn’t you think?”
“Absolutely.” Aimee’s response was quiet and breathless. “That’s what I said before the two of you put me to bed. Err, so to speak.”
Darius’s deep chuckle vibrated through Yusuf, making his cock twitch. Funny how, all these years, though he’d admired Darius both for his physical appeal and his intellect, he’d never had these feelings. Now, even the tiniest gesture or word put him in a sexual frenzy. Actually, looking back, he was amazed he hadn’t been affected before now. The man was a total sex god. Everything about him screamed hot and steamy sex, yet Yusuf had never seen him with either man or woman in any kind of physical situation until today.
Aimee approached them gingerly, but with open interest. Darius guided her hand over Yusuf’s cock, and Yusuf let his head fall back against the wall. This was going to be good. Well, good and frustrating until Darius thought Aimee had played enough, but good nonetheless.
While Aimee explored his genitals to her heart’s content, Darius moved around to stand beside him. He gently turned Yusuf’s head to face him and covered his mouth in a tender kiss full of promise.
“I’m a nature sprite, Yusuf. It’s in my nature to embrace the sensual, but after spending so many of my younger years exploring my passions, I realized it wasn’t all about sex and instant gratification. That’s why I started Executive Decisions. Yes, there are those who need those short and sweet physical relationships, but everyone needs the opportunity for something more permanent.”
He continued to kiss and suck at Yusuf’s lips and chin, occasionally moving across his cheek to his ear. It was a sensual caress filled with something more than attraction and lust.
Darius spoke again. “I became jaded, Yusuf. When a long time friend pointed out the lengths I was going to just to get a little enjoyment out of sex, I took a really hard look at myself. The options were simple. I could continue as I was, or abstain until I found the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. In this case, being a nature sprite has advantages even I didn’t know about. When you and I met, I knew you had to be a part of my life, but I knew there was more. Confused, I bided my time. You were at the same point in your life I’d rejected in my own, and you needed to work through it yourself. I knew we had time, and when I met Aimee, something just snapped.
“It took me a while to admit this was it. I think because I know she was meant for you, I couldn’t see it was more like both of us were meant for her.”
Aimee looked up at them, but didn’t say anything. Two spots of color highlighted her cheeks, though. Yusuf would have given his right pinky toe to know what she was thinking. Then Darius turned Yusuf’s face back to him, kissed his mouth again, and Yusuf figured it could wait. What these two were doing to him was curling his toes.
Just when he thought Aimee would go on caressing him without really knowing what she was doing, her tongue licked the tip of his cock. “Ahhh! What the hell are you doing to me, Aimee?” It was only a lick, but it zinged straight to his balls, and his cock responded eagerly.
“Don’t listen to him, Aimee,” Darius chuckled. “Play to your heart’s content. He’s enjoying the fuck out of it.”
She looked from one to the other, then shrugged and took the head of Yusuf’s cock in her mouth. Her movements were experimental, and it was obvious she was trying not to hurt him with her teeth, but it felt so damned good!
“Oh, fuck!” Yusuf thrust his hips at Aimee’s mouth and put his hand on her head. It took all of his self-control not to grip her hair and force her to take more of his cock in her mouth. She kept trying to take more, but her mouth was hardly big enough to take much without scraping his flesh. It felt so good! He needed to come. Now.
With one last lick to his lips, Darius moved from his side and next to Aimee. He licked and nipped around Yusuf’s legs, moving down to his balls where he sucked the sac into his mouth. Yusuf was sure his eyes rolled back into his head, and the groan that slipped out sounded needy even to his own ears. But he didn’t care. If he couldn’t be honest with these two about what he felt and what he needed, then none of it was real, and Yusuf refused to believe that.
Aimee moved over to give Darius some room, but she didn’t relinquish her hold on his cock. She kept sucking it over and over, though keeping an eye on Darius. It was obvious she was soaking up everything the man was doing. Darius let Yusuf’s balls slip from his mouth and gave Aimee a wink before sticking out his tongue and delving between Yusuf’s ass cheeks.
“Fucking hell!” Yusuf jumped at the unaccustomed contact. “What the fuck are you doing? Don’t stop!” Shocked, turned on beyond belief, Yusuf did fist his hand in Darius’s hair where he wouldn’t Aimee’s before. He pulled his friend closer, needing more of his magic tongue. Darius circled his sphincter with his tongue, lubricating Yusuf with his saliva. He thrust his pelvis, unable to control himself. He was getting close.
Darius growled and pulled away. He urged Aimee back, too, and stuck two fingers in her mouth. The lovely woman groaned, but seemed to know exactly what he had in mind. When Darius pulled them out, his fingers were coated liberally with Aimee’s saliva. Carefully, looking Yusuf straight in the eyes, Darius inched his two fingers into Yusuf’s ass.
Aimee continued to fondle and pump Yusuf’s cock while Darius finger-fucked him. The combination was dizzying, and Yusuf was getting close to the point of no return.
“Aimee.” Darius used his free hand to pull her to him and kiss her. Yusuf watched in fascination as their tongues danced with each other. Aimee whimpered and tried to capture his lips and tongue even as Darius played and retreated before allowing her what she wanted. “Will you suck me like you have Yusuf? Will you make me wet for him like you did with my fingers?”
She didn’t say anything, only nodded eagerly and dropped to her knees. Yusuf couldn’t see what she did to Darius, but the look on his face said it all. Dariusgroaned and let his head fall back on his shoulder. Eyes closed, mouth open, the look of bliss was unmistakable.
“Oh, yeah, my beauty. That’s it. Do that with your tongue again. Swirl it around the head again.” Yusuf was almost jealous of the loving Darius was getting, except he knew it was all for his benefit. The moaning sounds coming from Aimee told of her enthusiasm, and Yusuf was very glad she’d followed them to the bathroom. He could tell by the dark circles under her eyes she needed rest, but this was the best sex he’d had in years. He couldn’t regret they’d disturbed her rest even after insisting she needed it.
After a few minutes, Darius urged Aimee to her feet. He stepped between Yusuf’s legs, and he and Darius made eye contact. Darius raised an eyebrow.
“Are you kidding?” Yusuf knew he sounded too eager considering there had been no formal declaration of love or anything similar, but he didn’t care. Given what he’d said earlier, this wasn’t a one-night stand for Darius. He intended to be with Yusuf and Aimee for a very long time indeed, assuming they’d let him. “Fuck me.”
“It occurs to me,” Darius grinned, obviously teasing, “this is supposed to be research for Aimee’s book. Perhaps man love isn’t what she had in mind.”
Yusuf groaned. “Fuck. You’ve got to be kidding.”
Aimee giggled. “Hey, I’m open to suggestions. I couldn’t get a plot bunny hopping before, but I’m getting some ideas now.”
Chuckling, Darius slid himself into Yusuf’s ass one slow inch at a time, retreating and advancing until his pubic hair mingled with Yusuf’s. Neither of them was laughing now.
“Aimee, climb on top of Yusuf. Face me and sit on his cock.”
Aimee looked a little startled, but nodded. “OK.”
She carefully climbed on top of the bathroom vanity counter and straddled Yusuf. He steadied her with trembling hands until she got herself settled. She placed her feet on either side of Yusuf’s thighs and squatted down on his cock. She hissed as his length disappeared inside her.
“Does it hurt?”
“Are you OK?”
Apparently, Darius was as acutely aware of Aimee’s comfort as Yusuf was. Yusuf didn’t want her hurting while she gave him pleasure.
“I’m fine. It’s just better than I thought it would be. Different than before.”
“If you hurt in any way -- and I mean any way -- you tell me, and we’ll fix it.” Darius held her gaze until she nodded her assent. “Good. You don’t have to hurt yourself to give us pleasure or to get your own.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m too old to sacrifice myself in the name of sex. That’s what they make toys for.”
Yusuf barked a laugh. He’d have probably done more, except Darius’s body movement during his chuckles was doing tremendous things to his ass. He felt his cock swell within Aimee, and he almost forgot what he’d found so funny.
With one slow, steady thrust and equally slow pull out of Yusuf’s ass, Darius turned their attention back to the matter at hand. Aimee leaned back against Yusuf’s chest, and he immediately snaked his arms around her. Naturally, he grabbed her breasts. He had no defense on that one except they were handy. And he loved the way she whimpered when he tweaked her nipples. Darius increased his speed slightly, just enough to help Yusuf move inside Aimee. Darius wasn’t sure about Aimee or Yusuf, but he was having the best sex of his life, and he was loath for it to end.
Darius never expected things to go this far this fast. Clearly, he had underestimated Aimee. Yusuf, he knew, could handle this, but Aimee had been a virgin before their journey into the sensually depraved. Combine that with her unwillingness to get emotionally attached, and he’d expected her to welcome the rest they’d offered her. He’d never been so glad to be wrong in his life. Looking at the two of them now, he couldn’t imagine how he could have been so wrong.
He’d think about it later, though. Yusuf’s ass was contracting around his cock. Darius licked his thumb and found Aimee’s clit, working it in small circles. Three strokes later, both Yusuf and Aimee screamed. Aimee thrashed until Yusuf’s cock slipped out of her, and Yusuf came almost as soon as she did. Darius grabbed his cock and worked it until every drop of his seed was gone, and the organ lay limp and spent. Aimee sat wrapped securely in Yusuf’s arms. She looked him squarely in the eyes, then closed hers.
“God,” Yusuf breathed and adjusted his hold on Aimee. “I’ve never…”
“Me, neither.” The whole situation weighed heavily on Darius. He was used to dealing with other people’s happiness, but it had never been this important. Was he doing the right thing, forcing two lovers on Aimee? Was he doing right by Yusuf when he’d known for years the other man was meant to be with him? By waiting until Yusuf found someone else, had he forfeited any right he might have had to be with either him or Aimee?
He needed to think. Alone.
“Can you get her to bed? You both could probably use a bath, but I’m guessing sleep is more important.” Darius was feeling trapped. Scared and trapped.
“I’ll wash both of us off and get her to bed.” Yusuf gave him a strange look. “Are you OK?”
“I’m fine. I just have a couple of things to take care of while you two rest. I left in a bit of a hurry.”
Yusuf nodded slowly, as if he wasn’t buying it. “Do what you have to do, Darius.”
“Just something,” Darius mumbled.
He scooped Aimee up until Yusuf could get off the vanity and firmly on his feet. Yusuf took her without another word, turned, and walked back to the bedroom. Fixing his office in Mount Bell firmly in his mind, Darius transported himself out of the beach house. He’d deal with this in the morning. Right now, he needed to have a talk with an old friend.

Chapter Seven

Waves crashed on the beach, trying to lull Aimee back to sleep. She was tired, but her mind raced, making it impossible for her to rest. After Yusuf had sponged her off, they had lain in bed, cuddling. It seemed it complemented the mind-blowing sex perfectly, and it all fascinated her. This is why women love romance novels.

Yusuf had been asleep for some time but Aimee knew it was a lost cause for her. Carefully, she moved his arm from around her waist and slid out of bed. After pulling the covers securely around him, Aimee hastily donned a T-shirt and slipped from the bedroom.

She picked up her computer case, and headed to the back porch overlooking the pool. It had seemed so peaceful there earlier. She was painfully aware that Darius hadn’t returned, and it disturbed her more than she thought it could, but there was more than that. She was restless.

At first, she wasn’t sure why she’d brought her computer. Force of habit was the first explanation -- she took it everywhere she went -- but when she sat in a chair overlooking the ocean she couldn’t get the laptop out of her bag fast enough.

It took a few seconds to power up, but it seemed like an eternity. She had to get the words out of her head and in a file. Her hands tingled. In those few moments, Aimee remembered what it was like to have a story inside her that needed out so badly, it burst from her fingertips like a bolt of lightning.

She didn’t even give her story a name, she just typed. Auto correct got what it could, but otherwise, Aimee didn’t stop to fix anything. Words flowed easier than she could ever remember in her career. It wasn’t until she got the low battery alert that she stopped, and then only to go in a frantic search of an extension cord.

“How long have you been up?” Yusuf leaned against the bedroom doorway as naked as when they’d made love earlier.
Aimee jumped, startled. She had been so absorbed in her quest, she hadn’t heard him. “Since about a half hour after we went to bed. Can you help me?”
Yusuf approached her lazily. “What do you need, my lovely?”
“I need an extension cord. My computer battery is toast.”
“You have to work outside.” It wasn’t a question, but he raised an eyebrow just the same.
“I’ve got momentum out there. I don’t want to disrupt myself any more than I already have.”
“Go on back out. I’ll find what you need.” Yusuf bent and kissed her softly. When he would have pulled back, Aimee threw her arms around him and really kissed him. She licked the seam of his lips and, when he opened for her, plunged her tongue into his mouth.
Yusuf groaned and lifted her, urging her to wrap her legs around him. He supported her with an arm under her ass and one around her back. Aimee gripped his hair and kissed him for all she was worth, taking what she wanted. In one swift motion, she whipped off her T-shirt and thrust her breast at his mouth, an offering for him to take. One nipple disappeared inside his mouth, and he pulled hard, the small amount of pain mingling with the wonderful sensations building within her once again.
“Mine!” Yusuf growled his expletive and swiped his fingers through her pussy lips.
“Just get inside me, Yusuf. I’m more than ready.” Aimee wiggled around until she felt the blunt tip of his cock probing her entrance, and she impaled herself in one swift, downward thrust.
Like a madwoman, Aimee fucked Yusuf, rising and falling as quickly and forcefully as she could in their current position. Yusuf supported her, and she held on to him for dear life. She could feel the pleasure riding the crest about to wash over her, but it remained stubbornly just out of her reach.
Shifting their position, Yusuf moved one hand to her clit and pressed firmly. He rubbed the sensitive nub in fast, firm circles until her orgasm washed over her. Aimee managed to grind herself onto Yusuf’s pubic area to sustain her pleasure for several moments, screaming all the while.
When she calmed down, Aimee slid to the floor and to her knees before Yusuf. Without another word, she took his dick in her mouth. Yusuf shouted in surprise and lust, and fisted his hands in Aimee’s hair. He didn’t force her into a rhythm, but simply held on to her while she did her thing.
Aimee was surprised she was turned on by the taste of herself on Yusuf’s cock. It was like an erotic, naughty adventure, and she found herself wondering what it would taste like when he came. It didn’t take long for that question to be answered. Fluid leaked from the hole in the tip and she sucked and pulled at it relentlessly. She wanted more.
Yusuf growled and tried to push her away, and Aimee knew he was about to come. His cock had swelled inside her mouth, and his moans and shouts were much louder and needy.
“I’m coming, Aimee. Let me out before --”
“Mmm!” Aimee squealed and gripped his thighs, holding herself to him. She wasn’t sure why she had the sudden urge to do this, but she’d made her decision and wasn’t about to change her mind.
“Great Mother!” Yusuf shot stream after stream of sperm into her mouth. Aimee swallowed it greedily, not wanting to miss a drop. It seemed important to her. She was only guaranteed a limited amount of time in this fantasy world, and she was determined to live every second she could doing things she’d only dreamt about until now.
When Yusuf’s cock stopped twitching, Aimee looked up at him. She still had about half his cock in her mouth.
“Little minx.” His breathing was hard and ragged. “I didn’t expect that.”
She let his limp member slip from between her lips. “Did you like it?”
Yusuf barked a laugh. “What man wouldn’t? You’re an extraordinary woman, Aimee.” He chuckled. “And you do something no other woman has ever managed to do.”
She raised an eyebrow. “And that would be?”
“You’ve worn me out. How the hell do you keep going?”
Laughter bubbled inside her. She stood and hugged Yusuf fiercely. “You’ve inspired me. You and Darius.” Her good spirits dipped slightly. “Why did he leave?” She had begun to think of the three of them as a trio. A group of people bound by an invisible thread. Darius’s disappearance hurt more than it should have considering the length of their “relationship.”
Yusuf sighed. “I don’t know, Aimee. He’s got something on his mind he has to rectify. He’ll be back. I just don’t know when.” He caressed her cheek before kissing her softly. “He’ll be back.”
She smiled. “Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?”
“A little of both, probably. He’s as much a part of my heart as you’ve become. You coming back to bed?”
“No. I have to write.” Her eyes widened. “The extension cord. Is there one?”
“I think so. You go back outside and get comfortable. I’ll get your power.”
She did as he suggested. It didn’t take Yusuf long to run a power cord to her place by the pool overlooking the ocean. The sky had darkened substantially and the only light left was a sliver of sunlight that was but a few seconds from disappearing on the oceanic horizon.
“I’ll be inside if you need --” he winked at her seductively, “-- anything.”
Aimee laughed. “I’m sure I’ll have something I need help with soon. In the meantime, see if you can find Darius. I wanted two men. Since two were found, I expect them both to be at my beck and call.” Yusuf didn’t miss the slight frown, or the hurt she tried to mask with that frown. He couldn’t blame her. He was a bit put out with Darius for that little disappearance as well.
Yusuf went back inside and Aimee powered on her laptop. While she waited for it to load up, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had precious little time to do this, but if all went well, she’d have the start of something to make her editor proud. If Darius didn’t come back, though, she wondered if it would mean anything at all to her.

Chapter Eight

“Why are you here and not with your mates?” Vivian, his long-time confidant and adopted grandmother of one of his most treasured employees, Aurora Snow, asked Darius with a raised eyebrow.

“Beats the fuck out of me.” Darius had never been in this position in his life. “Every cell in my body is screaming at me to go back, but I can’t help but think both of them would be better off without me.”

“Rubbish!” Vivian’s expletive was vehement. She struggled to her feet, and Darius rushed to her side, lending his arm for her to pull herself up with. “You are a good man, Darius. You help people find true happiness they couldn’t find if you didn’t intervene.” She unsteadily shuffled away from him, batting away his attempts to help her. “How could you possibly deny yourself that which you so freely give to others?”

“For one thing, I’ve kept Yusuf close to me for a very long time knowing he was my mate by nature and did nothing because I just knew there was someone else who was supposed to be a part of our lives. Then the first thing I do is put Aimee to bed by herself and spirit Yusuf off to the bathroom for a little escapade.” Darius was afraid to get too far away from the aged woman lest she fall, but he needed to pace. It was his one nervous habit. “How could I possibly do that to either of them? He’s waited all this time because I insisted on finding the third person, only for me to exclude her the first chance I got?”

“Is this your only misgiving?” Vivian still sounded exasperated, but at least now she didn’t look like she was about to turn him into a toad anymore.
“Isn’t that enough? Hell, I’m not even sure what I feel for Aimee isn’t infatuation, pure and simple. Besides, how would she explain a relationship like this to her children? It’s not exactly mainstream.”
This time, Vivian smacked the back of Darius’s head with more force than he thought possible for one who was supposed to be a feeble old woman. “You’re not stupid, young man. Stop acting like you are.”
“Ouch! What was that for? I’m just telling you how I feel.”
Vivian raised a hand to his cheek and smiled warmly at him. “My dear, sweet boy. You know the difference between infatuation and something deeper. What does your inner instinct tell you?”
Darius sighed. “That she’s meant to be with both Yusuf and I. I can’t say for sure that she’s a mate by nature to either of us, but I know she’s supposed to be with us. At least for now.”
“And what did you tell Yusuf when he questioned the need for Aimee to be there?”
“That it was only natural for two partners to seek pleasure with each other when the third was absent.”
“Do you truly believe that?”
“Absolutely.” There was no hesitation in his response. It was only logical to his way of thinking. Matings of multiple partners were always tricky, and each group had to work it out for themselves, but logic dictated that everyone would not always be present when the mood struck.
“And is Aimee capable of taking care of her children?”
“What kind of question is that?”
Vivian smacked the back of his head again, harder this time.
“Jesus, Vivian!”
“Answer me, young man!”
“Of course she is. She’s a wonderful mother.”
“Then get your cute little butt back to your mates. Trust them as they trust you. Aimee will take care of explaining things to her kids, and you might be surprised what they’ll accept. They might even be glad to have the two of you around. The boys especially.” Vivian smiled and smacked his face lightly, a mild reprimand. “Besides, Aimee and Yusuf are waiting for you, and your little author girl isn’t taking your absence well.”
Darius sighed and hugged the older woman. “I love you, Vivian. I hope you know that. You’re the mother I never had.”
“You’re a good boy, Darius. Now, go be happy. And take care of that girl. If anyone deserves happiness, she does.”
He smiled, a small appreciative laugh escaping him. “They both do, Vivian.”
“Yes. They do,” she agreed. “Now get out of my house.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Darius hugged her and beat a hasty retreat. He’d spent too much time apart from Yusuf and Aimee. Claiming stupidity only allowed for so much forgiveness.

* * *

Yusuf watched Aimee rub her eyes. He wondered if she was accomplishing all she’d set out to in this adventure. The sky lightened and the stars faded, yet her fingers still clicked away on her keyboard.

He couldn’t bring himself to leave her side. He tried to stay out of her way, but he wanted to make it so she could work as much as she felt she needed to. Her drink of choice while writing seemed to be Captain and Coke. She drank the contents and ate the ice before getting another. Once he’d established that pattern, he had one ready to replace the empty glass as soon as she popped the last piece of ice in her mouth. Any time she needed anything, he had tried to anticipate it, and if she wanted something specific, all she had to do was ask and he had it for her. Other than that, he tried to stay in the background. Ever present, yet not intruding.

He had a lot of time to sit and think, and Darius weighed heavily on his mind. It wasn’t like the nature sprite to simply vanish, especially when there were people who needed him. Enough was enough.

Yusuf stood just inside the house, the doors and windows open, the ocean breeze wafting in and kissing his skin. He picked up his cell and stabbed Darius’s number into the little device. It rang several times before their lover finally picked up.

“Where the hell are you?” Yusuf didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but it felt like he’d deserted them on their wedding night.
There was a long pause before a weary sigh followed. “I’m in Mount Bell on my way back to you.”
“Mount Bell?” Yusuf could feel fury building within him, not so much on his own behalf, but Aimee’s. She was only slightly shy of devastated. He’d seen it in her eyes when she’d asked where Darius had gone. Yusuf didn’t think he was far behind her in that regard.
“I’m sorry, Yusuf. I had to get my head smacked around a couple of times, but I’m better now.”
That made him feel a little better, but only because he knew the nature sprite. “I take it you needed Vivian’s advice.”
“You know me too well, Yusuf.” There was genuine affection in Darius’s voice.
“Maybe so, but you’re really in the dog house this time, Darius. I’m more than a little pissed, but you’ve really hurt Aimee’s feelings. I tried to cover for you, but I can’t tell how well I’ve done.”
There was a pause. “What do you mean, you can’t tell? Haven’t you talked to her about it?”
“Only after we made love. After you left.” That was hitting below the belt, but Yusuf had a point to prove. He didn’t agree entirely with Darius’s assessment that having sex with one partner while the other one was away was OK. At least not during important times. Like their first night together.
“Vivian said you two didn’t wait on me.”
“Well, she was right. Aimee had a flash of inspiration, and I helped her along.”
“So why haven’t you talked about it if you’re so sure my leaving so abruptly is bothering her?” Darius wasn’t accusing, merely curious. Yusuf had heard the tone many times over the years.
“Because she’s been at her computer all night. Her fingers have barely stopped moving. She’s wilting, and her eyes are bloodshot, but she has this wild, determined look, and I’m kind of afraid to make her stop and rest.”
“Hum. Maybe she’s accomplished what she set out to do.”
“I’m thinking she’s gotten really good momentum going. What worries me is where we stand now. She came at this with the intention of it being a one-weekend thing. Do you think she’ll still feel that way?” It was mean, but Yusuf couldn’t resist adding, “Especially with you flitting off right after taking her virginity.”
There was silence for a few moments, and Yusuf had time to feel some remorse. He’d known Darius had to find his own way, but the man had been so insistent about Yusuf coming here, and how Aimee deserved someone special. Yusuf agreed. He also happened to think she deserved someone as strong and capable as Darius. Darius himself was the missing piece to the puzzle. Yusuf could fulfill Aimee’s needs, but he wasn’t the strong, dominant personality Yusuf sensed she needed. Darius was. The way he had taken control of things during their lovemaking had been proof of that. Everyone had willingly followed his lead.
“You’re right. I have no defense.”
“Look, man. We need you. I need you. Aimee doesn’t know exactly what she needs, but she misses you. She instinctively feels you need to be with us.”
“I’m on my way back now, Yusuf.”
“How long?”
There was a burst of wind, and a voice brushed against his ear in a breathy whisper. “Not long.”
Yusuf whipped around and literally fell into Darius’s arms. There was not even a hint of humor in Darius’s eyes. He looked as serious as Yusuf had ever seen him.
“Is she still working?” Darius looked over Yusuf’s shoulder, certainly at the huddled form of Aimee sitting in the chair overlooking the beach.
Yusuf frowned. “I haven’t heard the keys clicking in a while. Maybe she’s taking a break. Her hands have got to be hurting. She’s been at it all night.”
“And you?” Darius raised an eyebrow.
“I’ve been up with her, trying to make sure she had what she needed so she could continue uninterrupted. The only time she’s been out of that chair is to go to the bathroom.”
“So, you’re just as tired as she is.” It wasn’t a question. Yusuf only shrugged.
He and Darius made their way quietly to Aimee’s side. She had her head leaned back against the plush poolside chair. Her fingers rested lightly on the keyboard of her laptop, but she was sound asleep.
Yusuf gently moved her hands and saved her work. Thankfully, she had already named it and saved it to the file location she wanted, and all he had to do was close out the program before powering down her computer. When he moved the lap desk from her legs, Darius picked her up and headed into the house. Yusuf slid the device into its case and followed.
Several moments later, he climbed into bed on the other side of Aimee. Darius had her spooned against him, his arm around her protectively. When Yusuf moved next to her, she snuggled into him as well, wrapping her arms round him.
It was pure heaven.
Without another thought, Yusuf closed his eyes, gave one last sigh, and fell asleep.

Chapter Nine

Aimee awoke wrapped in solid male bodies. She was cuddled into Yusuf’s chest, but Darius was behind her. He held her tighter than Yusuf, but there was tension in his body where Yusuf was relaxed and comfortable. It was a great symbolism. Aimee might not be a very experienced lover, but she knew people pretty well. Darius wasn’t comfortable with what was happening with the three of them at all.

But why?
It was time to find out.
She turned over and wiggled a little until Darius opened his eyes lazily. Yusuf

stirred, and Aimee glanced over at his sleeping form. He’d been up with her all night, so she knew he had to be exhausted. There was no way she was disturbing him. She mouthed “shhhhh,” but urged Dariusto get up. He did so, without a word, in one fluid motion.

It wasn’t as easy for Aimee. She was stiff from the hours at the keyboard, but she followed him up and led the way out of the bedroom. She led him outside to the pool before turning, throwing her arms around his neck, and fusing her mouth to his. For several moments, she threw every ounce of need and lust into that kiss. It was important to her for Darius to know exactly how much she wanted him. That way, if his problem was that he didn’t want her, she’d know.

Then he started kissing her back.
He growled and snarled before finally throwing his head back and screaming, “Mine!” at the top of his lungs. Gone was the refined businessman she’d first met, and in his place was a man who took what he wanted. There was no room for negotiation.
Darius scooped her up and laid her down on a nearby poolside chair. There was a wild look in his eyes that took Aimee’s breath. He was always the leader in their union, but this was a dominant male out of control claiming what he saw as rightfully his.
The wind picked up and caressed their skin with a warm breeze filled with the scents of the ocean and nearby flora. It was as if the very air itself wanted to be a part of their pleasure. Darius shoved her legs apart and dove between them, latching onto her clit with his mouth. He flicked the tiny nub several times with his tongue before letting it go and making a long swipe from her pussy opening back to her clit. He laved all around her lips, sucking each one until she was swollen and wet. Her own hot fluid seemed to burn her in her need. All she could think about at that moment was getting Darius inside her and easing the ache he created so effortlessly within her.
Aimee grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled him away. His wild eyes hadn’t tamed a bit. If anything, he was even hungrier for her. It took only a few seconds for him to guide his cock to her slick entrance, and with one hard thrust, Darius was inside her.
Darius was rapidly losing any semblance of control. When Aimee had thrown herself at him and kissed him so wantonly, he’d fought it. Fought the almost overwhelming need to simply shove her to the ground and fuck her until they were both sated. That had lasted all of about two seconds. After that, he’d known it was a lost cause. He would fuck her. Was fucking her before he truly realized how it had happened. Now, all he could think about was how wonderful she felt and how right it was that they should be doing this.
He’d just seated himself fully within Aimee’s exquisite cunt when he saw Yusuf just outside the house on the patio, naked and watching them with a little smile on his face. Aimee clawed at Darius’s back and pulled him back down for a kiss, but Darius didn’t take his eyes from Yusuf. He watched the other man. Would he join them? Would he condemn them for expressing their need of each other without him? Darius knew all the logical reasons, had spouted many of them to Yusuf about how all three of them wouldn’t always be available when one was in need. But did he really believe that?
Just when the pain and heartache that came from feeling like he was doing something wrong was about to overwhelm Darius, Yusuf slowly dropped his hand to his own cock. The other man pulled and squeezed it until it stood proudly out from the nest of dark curls between Yusuf’s legs. Yusuf slowly approached them and stood beside the chair where Darius thrust over and over into Aimee.
Yusuf didn’t say anything, but knelt down and offered his cock to Aimee, never taking his eyes off Darius. When he was finally able to pull his gaze away from Yusuf, Darius watched in fascination as Aimee opened her mouth and took the head of Yusuf’s cock inside.
Aimee seemed to be watching him now. Darius was almost self-conscious, but the feelings were too good for him to think much about it. Watching her suck another man’s cock while he fucked her was a major turn-on. Then Yusuf reached for Darius and laid his hand lightly on Darius’s lower arm. Yusuf stroked Darius’s arm much like he had his own penis minutes earlier.
Soon, Yusuf moved up Darius’s arm to his chest and tweaked a nipple. Darius couldn’t help the moan that escaped his lips. Aimee was watching him while she sucked Yusuf’s cock, and Yusuf was touching him in the most erotic way. It was all too much.
Darius couldn’t seem to catch his breath, and before he knew it, his release was imminent. He pulled out of Aimee and made a move to stroke himself off, but Yusuf beat him to it. Yusuf took hold of his cock and pumped it. Jet after jet of hot, sticky come splashed on Aimee’s chest and belly. She squealed a little when the first stream hit her, but she looked positively elated, like she’d been waiting for exactly this moment.
No one said a word. Darius finally collapsed, his body between Aimee’s legs. She smiled and reached for him. In a sexual daze, Darius lay on top of Aimee, and her warm embrace wrapped him in what he hoped was love. It sure felt like it from his end.
“Now.” Yusuf pulled a chair next to Aimee and Darius and sat bracing his arms on his knees. “Are you going to tell me what’s bugging you?”
“Give me a minute.”
Darius was still breathing hard, but Yusuf expected his delay was less about catching his breath than gathering his thoughts. That was OK. Yusuf was content to wait as long as he had to. His friend would tell them both in due time.
Finally, Darius kissed Aimee tenderly once before getting up and helping her to her feet. “Let’s go inside,” he said. “We’ll be more comfortable.”
Yet another delay, but he was right. They would be more comfortable. Aimee looked over her shoulder at Yusuf and raised an eyebrow, but kept silent. Once inside, Darius took a deep breath.
“I’ve been acting like a total jerk.” He winced like he expected them to voice their agreement, but neither Yusuf nor Aimee said a word. “Yusuf, I pushed you into this with seemingly little regard to your wishes. I knew you and Aimee would hit it off, but I could see your misgivings and brushed them aside.” He turned to Aimee then. “The reason I pushed Yusuf so hard was because I knew he could make you happy. What I didn’t count on was my own reaction. To both of you.”
Darius ran a hand through his hair, and Yusuf thought he looked wearier than he’d ever seen the other man. “I thought the two of you would be better off without me to muck things up, but as certain people have pointed out to me, if nature isn’t allowed to take her course, she’ll kick you in the ass every time.”
Aimee looked at Yusuf. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes. Yusuf nodded, encouraging her to say what ever she needed to say.
“I thought I’d disappointed you. I thought you were only here to fulfill a contract, and that being here was cramping your style or something.” She tried to make that last sound like a joke, but Yusuf could tell by looking at her expressive face it wasn’t. Aimee wasn’t used to all the head games most adults played after a sexual romp gone wrong, and the hurt was plain for all to see across her face.
Darius looked startled. “Oh, no, Aimee. No. I told you the day you left I had no intention of making you pay for this trip. No matter what. Not being able to find a second man for you was only my excuse. My stupidity came when I was too stupid to acknowledge I was the second man. Then I burst in here, uninvited, and took over everything. Then I felt guilty and left.” Darius scrubbed his hands over his face, agitation radiating from him in waves.
“In other words,” Yusuf laughed, “you royally fucked things up, and it just went downhill from there.” Aimee giggled, then Darius finally gave in and chuckled.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question. Darius stood there still splendidly nude, his hands on his hips, trying to look stern, but the smile on his face ruined the effect. Well, that, and the rapidly hardening cock jutting between his legs.
“Absolutely.” Yusuf grinned. “Aimee, I suppose it’s up to you. I, at least, understood he had issues. He hurt you more than me because you had no idea what the hell he was up to.” Yusuf raised an eyebrow at Aimee. “Do we forgive him?”
She scratched her chin in mock contemplation. “Well, I guess we could give him another try. I mean, he did bring you and I together. And I’ve gotten a really good story out of all this.” She looked Darius up and down as if sizing him up. “Yes. I suppose we could give him a second chance to -- eek!” She broke off when Darius lunged for her, pulling her into his arms. Yusuf took his cue from Darius and eased in behind her, making an Aimee sandwich.
“You’re both extraordinary people,” Darius said seriously. He held Aimee close with one arm while gripping Yusuf’s forearm with the other.
“As are you,” Aimee said, kissing his chin.
“You said you got a great story out of this, yes?” Darius looked just a little too innocent. Yusuf kissed her neck and rested his chin on her shoulder, looking at both Aimee and Darius.
Aimee’s face lit up, and a huge smile spread across her mouth. “Oh, yes! I hated it when you left, but it helped me fill in emotions I never could have put into that story if I hadn’t experienced them. And the sex! Ohmigod! My editor is going to spontaneously combust when she reads it.” Her whole body trembled when she spoke about her writing. It endeared him to her all the more. Aimee was doing something she loved with a passion, and he and Darius were able to be a part of it. It was a humbling notion.
“I see.” Darius dipped his head slowly until his mouth was barely brushing Aimee’s. “You don’t think you might need a little more research?”
Aimee’s heart pounded so hard, Yusuf could feel it where his chest contacted her back. She stood there all of two seconds before closing the miniscule distance and claiming Darius’s mouth.
They kissed for several moments, retreating slightly only to better position themselves for the next kiss. Yusuf smiled to himself and kissed Aimee’s shoulder before nipping it slightly.
“Ouch!” She laughed when she broke contact with Darius, but only long enough to kiss Yusuf, turning in their arms so that her belly now pressed into Yusuf’s engorged cock. “What was that for?”
“Punishment,” Yusuf said. “Homework first. Play later.”
Aimee giggled. “Well, I can honestly say, research has never been more fun.”

Marteeka Karland

Marteeka Karland is an ordinary woman with an overactive imagination. Thank God for a computer, or tape recorder, or pen and paper… whatever she can create a story with! Her husband sometimes thinks she’s nuts and asks her every time she gets frustrated with her latest deadline, “Is it really worth all this?” And every time, she answers, “HELL YES!”

Apart from writing, Marteeka’s alter ego has worked in the Emergency Room for more years than she’ll admit. She has a loving husband, who still chuckles when he tells a buddy exactly what that Goddess of Water T-shirt is all about, and a son who is blissfully ignorant to anything other than he’s not allowed to “push buttons” on Mommy’s computer.

Marteeka welcomes mail at mkarland@net-power.net, and you can visit her website at http://www.marteekakarland.com.