Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
9
TAMARA
“No thanks, I’m good,” I murmur as Chris tries to hand me a glass of wine. I’m once again sitting on the big couch in the penthouse, wedged between Dane and Chris as Jamison takes a seat across from us.
After all, I decided to take Stasia’s advice. I mulled on her words some, but then came to a decision. Filled with fire, I called Dane and said I wanted to talk.
“About what?” he asked in an amused tone. “Does it have something to do with those dolls?”
“No,” I said in a rueful tone. “But you do have to come pick them up sometime. I can’t have the three of them lounging around my living room like they live with me, or else somebody’s going to call the cops!”
Dane chuckled and said he’d take care of it. Soon enough, a truck arrived to cart the dolls off, and to be honest, I have no idea where they are now. They certainly aren’t in the penthouse at the Merovingian, as far as I can see.
But now, I turn to Chris, Dane, and Jamison, my expression serious.
“Thanks for having me here,” I begin.
“Sure,” Chris drawls. “It’s always a pleasure, honey.”
“We miss you,” adds Jamison with a knowing smirk. “Did you miss us?”
I roll my eyes.
“It’s only been twenty-four hours since I saw you last!” I pretend-huff. “You guys are crazy.”
Jamison grins.
“Okay, okay. We get it. No more teasing because you want some “serious conversation.” What is it that you wanted to discuss?” he asks, trying to look somber. “We’re all ears.” I take in a deep breath to calm my nerves and clear my throat before starting.
“Well, yesterday was amazing and I really enjoyed being with you guys. I liked…” I blush and bite my lip as I think back on it. Liked is an understatement. I loved everything that happened between us yesterday. “I loved feeling like I was yours. I loved having you guys using my curves for your own pleasure. And I thought of it as a glimpse into what things could be like if I were to accept your offer…”
Truthfully, I would enjoy belonging to Chris, Dane, and Jamison. I feel safest when I’m with them and happiest when I’m pleasing them, and I know that I’m beyond lucky to have the attention of three gorgeous men focused on me. This is a total one-eighty because before I met my lovers, I wasn’t interested in settling down. But now, I’m contemplating a relationship, even if it’s only temporary.
“Oh?” Chris drawls as he leans closer to me. “So you’re going to accept our offer?”
I hesitate for a few moments before shaking my head. “No, I think that’s out of the question for me. It’s not the offer itself that’s the problem because it’s really generous. But I can’t accept it, and I wasn’t being completely honest when I said that it’s because I’m used to working for a living.”
“Really? What’s the problem then?” Dane questions calmly, his handsome face somber. I sigh as I glance at the three of them. The men counter with patient looks and reassuring smiles, so I continue.
“Well, I guess I have a personal history that makes it tough to accept. You see, my mother was a prostitute,” I finally admit. A weight lifts off my chest, and I feel that I can breathe better. “Yes, it’s true. My mom turned tricks for decades to support us, which was humiliating and demeaning in more ways than one. In fact, my father was an anonymous john, so you could say that I’m a product of her co-dependence on men. It wasn’t just the sex either. It was the emotional and financial toll that working as a call girl demanded.”
“Tamara, we had no idea—” Chris begins.
“Because I didn’t tell you,” I interrupt. “And I’m sorry about that. I probably should have been honest about why the offer didn’t feel right for me from the start, but my personal life isn’t something that I talk about often. Who would? Not a lot of people want the world to know that their mom was a hooker and their dad a john.”
Dane fixes me with a look, his blue gaze penetrating.
“But you know we don’t care about that, Tamara. We don’t care about where you come from or who your parents are. That’s not important to us because you could be from Mars and we would still want you.”
“I know,” I say in a softer voice, “and I appreciate you guys for it. It’s just that after seeing the way that things turned out for my mother, I’m not willing to take the same risks and end up in the same situation that she’s in. I don’t want to rely on men to take care of me, and I hope you can understand why. I’m sorry.”