Chapter 1

Cole

“I want you to come all over my face.”

Jaedyn gawks at me. “Are you sure?”

I stare at the acronyms again. “Yeah. Pretty sure.”

He looks at his cell, mouth twitching. “Damn.” His thumbs rapid tap a reply to whoever just sent him that message. “I hope you’re right, man.”

I punch the floor number on the elevator and stand back against the wall.

His cell dings again and he laughs. “You were right.” He smacks my shoulder, excitement lighting his face. “How the hell do you solve these things so fast?”

“One of my many talents, I guess.” Jaedyn’s been hooking up with some mystery woman for a couple months now, and she always texts him shit like TMTSTFUATYDLAGG, which he has to decode before they meet up again. I have no clue what he gets as a prize for guessing the right answer, but I’m not about to ask.

TMI.

“You ever use an electroshock toy on a woman’s clit before?”

Jesus, it’s too early for this convo. “Yes.”

“You’re my hero.”

I’ve dated women who were adventurous in the bedroom. Masks, paddles, floggers, and stimulators are always in my arsenal. I like my woman begging for my cock, because I’ll damn sure return the favor and worship her pussy. Wanna be praised, degraded, rewarded, and punished? I got you. Most women suck my dick harder when I call them a good girl, but filthy bitch, cum slut, and pretty little whore also do the trick. And if I hear a woman moan my name, I’ll work overtime to make sure she can’t walk once I’m done giving her as many Os as she can stand.

I’m a giver like that.

Of all the women I’ve had the honor of pleasuring though, one stays permanently embedded in my brain.

Haley Davis.

We met in college and had a wild motherfucking senior year together. To say she left an impression on me is an understatement. I compare every woman to her, which isn’t fair to anyone. But how could I not? I thought Haley and I were endgame, but I was wrong.

She set the bar high. Probably too high, considering no one else has reached it.

My brother Trey once told me I put her on a pedestal because she was my first and my memory of her is probably no longer accurate.

He’s wrong. I remember every second of our time together with perfect clarity.

The ropes. The chains. The beautiful degradation. The scent of her shampoo and the feel of her soft thighs on my cheeks when I’d bury my face in her sweet pussy.

Fuuuuck. I’m getting hard just thinking about it.

Rounding the bend, I walk straight towards the receptionist who smiles at both of us. “Good morning, gentlemen.” Tamara swivels in her chair and shoves two coffees at us. “There are donuts in the breakroom too.”

“Marry me,” I say, just as Jaedyn goes, “I love you.”

Laughing, she snags two files from her desk and holds them up to me. “These need to be signed and couriered by noon, Cole.”

“No problem.”

“Noah’s in a mood,” she warns. “He’s already pissing and moaning about the holiday party.”

“Why does he insist on having it every year when he hates doing it?” Jaedyn shakes his head. “No one’s forcing him to throw anything.”

“It’s good for morale and business,” Tamara says in her best boss voice. “But yeah, I agree. It’s such a pain in the ass and we’re the ones who have to suffer Noah’s shitty mood while he plans it.”

“He should just delegate it out.” Jaedyn tips his head at Tamara. “You should plan it.”

“Oh hell no.” She shakes her head. “I learned my lesson three years ago when I organized a baby shower for my sister. It was so much work I was ready to quit by the time she cut the cake. Besides…” Tamara lowers her voice. “Can you imagine the micromanaging Noah would do?” She shivers dramatically. “I’d die of frustration.”

Noah’s a brilliant businessman, but he’s also a control freak with a temper. He’s made more than one employee cry around here. I can’t stand the man, but I’ve put up with him for the past three years because I’m a little stuck with which direction I want to take my career next. In the meantime, the pay and benefits are nice.

Tamara glances at her watch and tips her head towards my office. “You better hurry in there, Cole. Your nine o’clock has been waiting since eight fifteen.”

My brow furrows. “I don’t have an appointment until eleven.”

“I emailed you yesterday saying you had a new client add-on.”

Shit. “I didn’t see it.” Because I didn’t look.

I’ve been on a mission to leave work at the office lately and part of that practice includes not opening my emails once I step foot inside my house.

Tamara scrambles to apologize. “I’m so sorry. I should have—”

“It’s not your fault. This is on me.” I’m not like Noah, so there’s no chance of me blowing up over something this small. Waving the files in the air as I turn to head to my office, I get my head in the game. “I’ll sign these for you in a couple of hours, so you can schedule the courier.”

“Thanks!” she calls out.

Walking down the hall, checking my cell, I refresh my emails so I can at least find out the client’s name before I step into this meeting. It’s moments like this when I wish we had a lobby for clients to wait in. But we’re not a doctor’s office, we’re architects. I usually meet them at their house or business.

Christ. Seventy-six new emails fill my inbox. Half of them are from Tamara. There’s no way I can find the one I need fast enough.

Fuck it.

Pushing my glass door open, I stare at the back of a woman’s head and immediately think of Haley. It’s the curly auburn hair that does it. And the slope of her shoulders. She’s about the same height too. An ache forms in my chest because I miss that woman so much that some days it actually hurts.

Okay, I need to pull my head out of memory lane and get down to business. “Good morning. Sorry to have kept you waiting.”

The woman turns in her seat, and our gazes collide. “Hi, Cole.”

Hot liquid splashes all over my shoes and legs. I think I just dropped my coffee.

I know I dropped my files.

I’ve also dropped my motherfucking jaw.

Haley.

“Let me get that.” She kneels on the floor, gathering my things while I still can’t move.

I should do something. Say something. Pull her back to her feet at the very least, because having her on her knees like this makes my dick hard. Especially when she looks up at me with those big, blue eyes, and her pretty little pink mouth curves in a sexy grin.

Like she’s doing now.

My manners and common sense vanish.

My brain fritzes.

I think steam is billowing out of my ears.

How is she here? How is this real?

“Here you go,” she says, lifting my files that are now dripping coffee.

I can’t fucking move. Memories override my ability to speak as I’m thrown back to the good times…

“Get on your knees for Daddy.” I press my hand against her head and push down. “That’s a good girl.”

“I need your cum.” Haley grips my dick with both hands and sucks on the head like it’s a fucking popsicle. “Give it to me.”

“Good girls use their manners.” Threading my fingers through her hair, I pull it. “Try again.”

“Please, Daddy, can I have your cum?” She bats her lashes and my knees almost buckle. I could totally get used to being called Daddy. Her brow furrows as she stares up at me, waiting for me to give her permission to suck my dick. Her sweet pouty voice drops to normal when she asks, “Is the Daddy thing not working for you?”

“Huh?”

“Do you like it or not? I can switch to Sir. Master? Ummm.” She pumps my length while pondering what honorific to go with.

“Daddy’s good.” Really damn good. “Sorry, I fritzed for minute. You just…” I close my eyes and groan when she massages my balls with her free hand. “Shit, that’s good.”

“You like that, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“How about this?” She sucks one of my balls into her mouth and pulls it tight.

My eyes roll so hard they nearly disconnect from my skull. “Oh yeah, that’s a winner.”

Shit, what am I doing? Shaking my head, I snap out of the memory and help Haley rise to her feet. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

Confusion makes her brows furrow. “I made an appointment.” When I don’t respond, her cheeks redden, and she grows flustered. “Maybe I should go. I’m sorry, I—”

The thought of her bolting out of my life again spurs me into action.

“How have you been?” I want to touch her, but don’t trust myself. Every move, noise, or look she makes will likely drop me back into a memory. Five years after going our separate ways, it only took one second back in her presence to make me feel like it’s only been a minute since we’ve last seen each other.

Why is she here? My heart immediately fills with hope that she’s come back for me. That we’ll get a second chance. It’s crazy, I know, but I can’t help it.

She’s so beautiful. How is it possible that she’s even prettier now than before? “You look…” Words fail me. I’m in so much trouble. “Busy.”

Yup. Big trouble. I sound like a douche.

Haley smooths her skirt, as if there’s any possibility it would be out of place. The damned thing looks painted on her, displaying the flare of her hips and the delicious curve of her ass and thighs.

“You look busy, too.” She bites her lip. “Umm. Look, I thought you knew I was coming here this morning, but clearly, I’ve made some kind of mistake. I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable. I’ll leave.”

My body and brain finally catch up with each other and just as she heads for the door, I beat her to it. “No.”

Pressing my hand on the door, keeping it closed, I look down at her. She’s five-foot four barefooted, but her heels give her a few inches more. It puts our mouths closer to together.

She smells the same. Sounds the same.

Fuuuuck.

I don’t know how to do this. I can’t separate past and present. I can’t separate business from pleasure.

I can’t let her leave.

“Stay,” I say in a gruff, unprofessional tone.

Her pupils dilate. Her mouth parts a little.

Yes, Daddy,my mind says in her voice. My dick twitches in my slacks.

I’m going to get fired for sexually harassing a client if I can’t find my control. And my office is made of glass.

Much like my heart.

“Let’s start over,” she suggests, and I refuse to recall how she used to say those exact words whenever we’d explore some new kink or role play scene and one of us fucked up. “Hi, Cole.” Haley holds her hand out for me to shake. “Long time no see.”

I stare at her, ready to play along, but when she tucks her hair behind her ear with her free hand, something glittery catches my attention.

There’s a massive diamond ring on her finger.

My stomach plummets. Every fantasy, every memory, every dream, every hope that this meeting is the universe’s way of bringing us back together like some kind of fated second chance romance bursts into flames.

My professionalism slides back into place as my mind goes white with numbness.

I shake her hand like a professional, feeling my heart lay bricks around itself. “How have you been, Haley?”

“Good,” she half laughs. It’s her nervous giggle. I remember it well. “Really good, actually, which is why I’m here.”

While my throat tightens up, I point at a chair. “Have a seat.” She obeys while I gather my composure and sit across from her. “Now, what do you need from me?”