Forever Branded (Billionaire Love Series #1) (16 page)

Great, not what I wanted to hear.

“Good to know. They’ve got me by the balls and I need those plans approved ASAP.”

“Good luck. Let me know if I can help.”

“Sure will. Looks like the ladies are missing you,” I said, pointing at the couch of women waving at him.

He waved back, almost giddy with adoration as he walked back across the VIP section to his groupies.

It takes all kinds.

His info hadn’t helped much, but I knew one person who would give me the inside scoop. My father. He would know how to get those permits. I would have to visit him soon.

But I was done talking business. It was time to get my dick sucked.

I could almost feel Shannon’s mouth around my cock as I pushed open the door to the deserted men’s room. The steady beat of the music thumped through the walls as I headed toward the back stall.

Opening the door, I stepped into it and saw Shannon planted on her knees. Her gaze lit up in hunger. Voracious hunger. I was in for a treat.

“Good girl,” I said as I arrived in front of her.

Moving quickly, she whipped open my belt like I was her last meal.

“Oh no,” I said, grabbing her hand. “Do it slowly.”

She rubbed her palm against the bulge in my pants as she undid the button at the top of my slacks.

“Better. Now the zipper,” I instructed.

Once my pants were open, she sucked my cock through my black boxer briefs. My dick swelled under her mouth’s attention as she rubbed her face against my junk, letting me know she wanted it.

Loved a girl who was eager for dick.

She popped my briefs down as I moved my shirt out of the way.

My cock sprang up, ready for action.

“Oh, Beau,” she cooed breathlessly. “I’m gonna make your big cock feel so good.”

“Let’s get to it, honey,” I said, bringing her mouth to my hard-on.

Her lips wrapped around the head of my cock, while her tongue danced along the underside of my shaft. I shut my mind off, just letting my dick do all the thinking for me as I disappeared into the pleasure of having my cock sucked.

I moaned as she took me deep, her tongue swirling in circles as her throat muscles worked me over. Coming up for air, she stared up at me, her glance one of worship as she twirled her tongue around the head of my cock.

Jesus, fuck.

I just wanted to get off, not make this some kind of dirty Hallmark moment where we connected unexpectedly. I put my hand on her head, gently directing her to go all the way down. She took the hint and sucked me down like a pro.

She was a fantastic cocksucker as she varied between long, slow strokes and fast, dirty ones. She slurped along, her throat muscles constricting around my dick, as she worked overtime to gobble me down.

I could always count on her to deliver the goods.

I was getting close, but I wanted to last.

I leaned against the wall of the stall. “Suck it slow for a second. Let me feel your tongue wrap around the tip. Get that head nice and wet.”

“Mm-hmm,” she muttered as she popped my dick from her mouth. Her tongue came out, circling the sensitive head. “Ooh, you have the best tasting cock.”

“Oh, yeah,” I moaned as she flicked the piss slit and found the pleasurable V on the underside of the tip.

Yeah, that’s what I wanted.

Flick, flick went her magical tongue before she moved on. She licked my balls for a second, letting her tongue wrap around each egg. I liked my balls getting some love, but my dick was greedy for more.

“I want to feel your mouth on me again. Swallow, honey,” I told her as a stream of pre-cum oozed from the head of my shaft.

She obeyed quickly, my cock finding the back of her throat as a groan shot out of my throat. Her mouth slobbered up and down my meat like the porn star she wanted to be, as I pumped my hips against her face, pushing for release.

I fucked her face as I neared my climax. “Oh, honey, keep going. Oh yeah, oh yeah...I’m almost there. Fuck...I’m comin’...I’m comin’!”

She took me deep and held there as her tongue hit the magic spot and I let loose, spraying her throat with my seed. She drained me dry as my dick spewed its load.

Oh, fuck, that was good.

I slumped against the brick wall as she suckled my sensitive head.

“Do you want more, baby?” she asked, softly petting my dick with her hand.

I pushed her away, done with the deed. “No, I’m good.”

She wiped her mouth. “You know I’m up for anything.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, zipping up my pants.

I left shortly after that, done with the underbelly of club life. I’d done shit like that for years, but it was starting to lose its appeal. A bathroom blowjob just wasn’t what it used to be.

The next day, I stopped by my dad’s to check up on him. He rattled around in that old mansion by himself with just a couple of servants after Pops went into assisted living. Those two had always been like oil and water, anyway.

I tried to stop in every week and see Pops, but I only saw Dad on occasion.

He’d gotten more unpleasant as the years had rolled along. I could hardly stand him. But he was still my father and I needed to check on him once in a while.

“Afternoon, Bubba,” he called from the front porch as he smoked his pipe. “Want a Mint Julep?” he asked, still wearing a blue suit.

Just as formal as ever.

“No, thanks. I just stopped by to see how you were doing.”

He took a sip of his drink. “I’m doing good. How’s the Arsenal deal going?”

I was taking on my biggest project. A dilapidated pre-Civil War hotel that had fallen into ruin. I had bought it and was renovating it into a luxury hotel with modern amenities.

No easy task.

However, I took one look at the spacious lobby with its ornate corbels and knew I needed to bring it back to life. I hadn’t done a remodel project like this hotel in a long time, but I was ready for it.

What I wasn’t ready for was the red tape and nightmare logistics to consider. This hotel had ninety-seven rooms, which meant ninety-seven bathrooms. There was a large lobby, along with elevators to put in and outside work to be restored.

Everything had to be approved by the Historical Society, from structural changes to decor. Modern sensibilities did not always jive with the past. It was a damn big headache, but I had a soft spot for old places that needed to be brought back to life.

It was a tough project, but I loved it.

“It’s slowly coming along. We’re in the midst of getting our plans approved by the Historical Society,” I said.

“This deal could seal the Shepard legacy,” he pointed out as he rocked in his chair. “I talked to Senator Blackwood the other day. He inquired about your Arsenal project on the waterfront. He’s willing to make the process easier on you.”

My father meddled; even at sixty-two, he still had his finger on the pulse of the city. He lived off the millions my grandfather made in oil while dabbling in different deals around Baltimore.

“What does that mean?” I asked, knowing it wasn’t good.

He shot me an annoyed glance. “You know what it means.”

“I don’t know, Dad. This isn’t the way I like to do business.”

“He’s just looking for a kickback, Bubba. Pad into the budget. It’s the cost of doing business. You should know that by now.”

“Yeah, if I’m willing to bend the rules and commit a little fraud along the way.”

Our ethics varied greatly. My dad was always of the opinion that the end always justified the means. No matter what.

I wasn’t so sure. I liked to play things straight, but I would bend once in a while, like playing dirty to get even with Marla.

“You just need to grease his palm a little and he in turn, will make sure you get all those permits you need from the pesky Historical Society,” he offered, as if it wasn’t illegal.

“It doesn’t seem right.”

“You want to get your hotel restored?”

“Yeah, I do. But I don’t want to have to sacrifice my soul to get it.”

“Oh, fiddlesticks. Stop being so goddamn dramatic. Pay Senator Blackwood and be done with it,” he snapped at me like I was five years old. “Oh, and I’ll need a consultant fee for this little meeting.”

This is why I didn’t see my dad very often. He was an asshole of the third degree and didn’t give a damn about anyone else, but himself.

I learned a long time ago to hide my true emotion from my father. “So I gotta grease your palm, too?” I asked acting like his curtness didn’t bother me.

“Like I said, the cost of doing business, Bubba,” he said coldly, taking another sip of his Mint Julep.

*****

Marla:

I have always been a sensual creature, a woman of primal and wild sensibilities. It was partly the reason I was so connected to the earth.

I liked to dig in the dirt, get sweaty, and dive head first into a project. Even as a kid, when we lived out in the country, I would run barefoot down to the creek and look for frogs.

Wading into the creek bed, I would feel the mud squish between my toes, savoring the lovely way the soft silt pillowed under my feet as I searched for life beneath the water. Every time I caught a frog, I would whisper, “Be well,” and throw it back in the stream.

I have always been concerned about the welfare of all God’s creatures and I wasn’t afraid to walk in the gritty intimacies of life. A sad face, a look of worry, an overburdened heart all caught my attention. I found it unbearable to pass someone in pain, let alone inflict it on others. It was my calling to help, to provide comfort to those in need.

I knew I inherited that legacy from my mother. She taught me so much before I lost her. She constantly had me exploring and learning about the world around me.

She was the one who introduced me to the world of plants and herbs. I was about seven when she took me on my first foraging trip in a nearby forest close to our house. She held my hand as we walked the trail, exploring Mother Nature. I constantly asked her questions and she patiently answered each one of them.

“What’s this one, Mama?” I asked, pointing to a pink, fluffy stalk.

“Oh, that’s just some grass, doodlebug.”

“It’s a fun color.”

“It is. Check out this one,” she directed as she got down on her haunches in front of a plant with spiky, yet delicate leaves.

I studied the plant carefully. “What is it?”

“This is lavender. It has beautiful purple flowers when it blooms, but more importantly, it’s great for healing just about any infection.”

“Really?”

She gave me an affectionate smile, her brown eyes warm with love. “Yes, doodlebug. Mother Nature takes cares of us. We just have to know what she is offering.”

“What is Mother Nature offering?” I asked my curiosity piqued.

She’d closed her eyes, savoring the gentle breeze that had kicked up. “Oh, so many wonderful, amazing gifts.”

I shut my eyes too, trying to figure out what other mysteries she was privy to as we sat there, listening to the birds and stalks of grass whispering to each other.

I remember her glancing down, smiling at me as the sun glinted off her honey blonde hair.

She was so beautiful.

Every chance my mom got, she taught me something new. I learned to harvest at sunrise, to thank a plant before cutting it and to appreciate the incredible healing power of Mother Nature.

I dried herbs and made oils, perfected my lotions, and dabbled in beauty treatments. That training lasted until I was fifteen, when my mom was too sick to do much of anything.

I watched her wither and suffer, but somehow she remained brave and dignified as she battled for her life. We’d only moved to the city when my mom went into John Hopkins Hospital for treatment. However, even the best in the country couldn’t save my mom from the ravages of brain cancer.

After she died, I thought I would never enjoy life again, let alone be excited for the future. But when Beau came around, I started seeing the world in color again.

It was as if he brought me back to life as buds of hope bubbled up inside me whenever I was around him. I couldn’t help myself as things really started to heat up with him.

A couple of nights after going to his house for dinner, we met at the public library. I shouldn’t have been excited to see him or to spend time with him, but I was.

“Hey, Sunshine,” he said, grabbing a seat next to me.

My curiosity got the best of me. “Why do you call me that?”

He didn’t even hesitate. “Cuz the first time I saw you, I thought you were a ray of sunshine.”

“You are so full of crap.” I laughed, knowing he had pulled the explanation out of his ass.

He gave me a thoughtful stare as he grinned. “Yeah...you’re right. I don’t know...the name just fits you.”

“Oh,” I said, surprised by his simple honesty.