A Controlling Interest

"I had no idea." She felt her cheeks warming. And then they burned when she looked over at Patrick and saw his big shit-eating grin. What an asshole. The more she saw of him, the more she disliked him. He was way too fake. Why hadn't she seen that earlier?

"Anyhow, maybe you can meet me for lunch and pick up the papers. I'd come by there, but I'm going to be slammed tomorrow, so I thought maybe you could drop them off for me. What do you think?"

She hadn't even thought about tomorrow, or how things would be from now on. She would be keeping her blinds tightly drawn, that's all she knew for certain. Even still, she'd eventually run into Steve, and had no idea how that encounter would play out. "Sure," she finally agreed, opting to just get it over with tomorrow and diffuse any ideas about repeating her mistake. Because it was a mistake! No matter how good she felt inside, she couldn't make that mistake again.

But even as Brandon's hand roamed her shoulders, her attention drifted to Steve. His thick, black hair tumbled lightly in the wind, and she imagined he was on a sailboat, taking her on a day trip up the coastline.

Patrick then shouted, "I'm not all that busy tomorrow afternoon. Bring it by my office." He then patted the pocket holding her panties and winked. "I expect to be slammed the rest of the day, though."

Steve caught all this, and his meaty hand flew up behind Patrick and he firmly nudged the back of his head.

"Bro, what the fuck?"

"You're being rude, asshole." He stepped out from the other side of Patrick. "I'll be free. I can even come by your office." He was staring at her now, and it was the first time she'd looked into his wet-chocolaty eyes since their kiss. They were so sweet. Maybe earlier she'd mistaken all his anger with his jealousy. God damn it, her resolve was already weakening. But she'd limit him to friendly chatting tomorrow. No funny business. Oh god, that was such a lie.

The four of them left rather quickly after that, while she and Brandon spent their last few minutes with the magnificent view.

"Kind of a fun bunch of guys, don't you think?"

She took Brandon's hand, and stroked the top. "They were alright."

"I don't know about Steve."

"Really? I thought he was the nicest of the bunch."

"Are you serious? He's a complete hard-ass."

"He is, but he's not just a hard ass." She drew curly paths between his wrist and knuckles.

"You should've heard Patrick's impersonation. Spot on. Apparently his nick name is Big Blade." He laughed. "What a piece of work, huh?"

"I didn't really find Patrick to be all that funny."

"No? Weird, out of all of them I thought he'd be your type."

"My type?" Her eyes widened. "As in, my type?"

"Isn't he?"

"Oh Honey-bear, you are so stoned." She kissed him gently on the lips. "You're my type."

"Hmmm... We're you flirting with those guys? Because that's a guilt induced line if I've ever heard one." He stared intently at her. "Jesus, I just noticed how green your eyes are. They're practically glowing."

"Tonight wore me out. My eyes are just telling you how exhausted I am. In fact, we should probably get going before I collapse." Lacing her fingers into his, she broke eye contact to spin around, until her hands were across her tits and his draped over her shoulders as her back pressed against his chest. She began to walk back up the path that way, wearing him like a coat.

"If it's any consolation, you don't look tired. You actually look really good. Your cheeks are flushed. You seem healthy----sexy. But I'm guessing you didn't save anything for getting up to no good back at the house?"

Reagan just had the most incredible sex she'd ever experienced, and now a loving man to hug and go home with. She pulled his arms tighter around her, allowing the moment to be as exciting and satisfying as it felt.

She hummed pleasantly. "That sounds really nice, Honey-bear, but I can't remember ever being so worn out. And I think I'm going to need a long night's sleep before tomorrow." She mused on the moon as it floated in a lonely corner of the sky. "Thanks to you I now have a very busy day ahead of me."

"That you do."

"Yeppers, busy, busy, busy."

"I love you, Reggie."

"I love you too." Her heart drummed in her breasts. "And I mean forever, Honey-bear----for always and forever."

And she did mean forever.

Brandon was in her head, she could feel him in there. It was the wonderful connection of being in love. A night of sex with another man hadn't changed that at all. And as Brandon walked her back to the hotel she wondered if the two men could coexist within her. What a life she'd live if Brandon's humor, thoughtfulness and similar tastes could live alongside Steve's domineering masculinity and amazing sexual prowess. She giggled softly and lowered her and Brandon's hand down to just below her stomach, inches from Steve's fresh, potent semen. She thought back on Steve's earlier gibe, about her personal motto being------what Sweetie-pie doesn't know won't hurt him. Maybe the big jerk knew her better than she knew herself. She giggled again when Brandon lowered their hands even further, coming dangerously close to discovering her lack of panties, and oh what a buzz she got from that.