Woods

I paced back and forth in front of my desk. Every now and then I glanced down at the diamond ring sitting in the center of it. I knew what it meant. I also knew I wanted to throw it as far out into the d.a.m.n ocean as I could. This was my dad’s not so subtle hint.

I’d gone to him yesterday to ask him when I would get to move on from management to take my place as a vice president of Kerrington Country Clubs. This was his answer. I had to marry Angelina.

f.u.c.k! f.u.c.k! f.u.c.k!

I didn’t want to marry her. She would make me miserable. I’d finally given in last month and had s.e.x with her again. She’d shown up at my house in nothing but a tiny red nightie, dropped to her knees, and sucked my d.i.c.k. Between getting my c.o.c.k sucked and the whiskey I’d been chugging I’d f.u.c.ked her several times that night. Problem was the only way I’d managed to get off was by picturing the pretty blue eyes of Della Sloane’s looking up at me. Angelina’s practiced cries of pleasure turned me off. She was practiced in faking it. She didn’t like s.e.x. She used it.

I knew her type well. I wasn’t interested.

I wasn’t my father. I couldn’t marry for money and connections and then have a woman on the side. It always made me angry that my parents screwed up marriage didn’t seem to affect them. It completely messed with my head.

If I was going to tie myself down to one woman and be faithful to her the rest of my life for the sake of my rightful place in the family business, I wasn’t sure I wanted in. f.u.c.k all this s.h.i.t. My dad was always controlling me.

A knock on my door stopped my endless pacing and silent ranting. I grabbed the ring and shoved it into my pocket. I didn’t need this getting out. And G.o.d help me if that was Angelina.

“Come in,” I called out and took a seat behind my desk.

Jace, my best friend since boarding school, opened the door and stepped into the room. “Hey, I thought you’d join us on the course for a round this morning but you never showed.”

I needed to talk to someone about this but I wasn’t sure I was ready. Jace would tell me to leave town and let them figure this s.h.i.t out on their own. He’d been rebelling against his father’s wishes for years now. “I got busy,” was my only response.

Jace nodded. “Yeah, I figured.” He walked over and took a seat across from me. “I need to ask you for a favor.”

That got my attention. Jace didn’t ask me for favors often. I leaned back in my seat and waited. This had better not be about getting his girlfriend, Bethy who was also one of my beer cart girls, off work early. We had a rush in the evenings and I needed her.

“I got a call from Tripp,” he started. Tripp was his older cousin. He’d graduated a couple years before us but we’d had one awesome year in boarding school together before he left. I hadn’t seen him since he packed up and left town five years ago.

“Really? How is he?” I asked curiously. I’d always liked Tripp. He hadn’t wanted to bend to his parents’ demands either so he’d just left. Never looked back.

Jace shrugged. “Good, I guess. He sounded happy. He’s in Dallas now. I need to make it out there and see him. He didn’t come to Boston this Christmas with the rest of the family. I don’t expect he’ll be coming around anytime soon. Uncle Robert isn’t happy with him.”

I didn’t imagine Robert Newark was happy with his only son. He was supposed to inherit the prestigious Newark and Newark law firm located in the heart of Manhattan one day. His grandfather had built the firm from the ground up. But Tripp hadn’t wanted to be a lawyer. He’d wanted to travel the world.

“Anyway, there’s this friend of his. She got mixed up with their boss at the bar and come to find out he was married. She didn’t know and she needs to get out of town and heal and s.h.i.t. He asked if he could send her here. He said she was an excellent waitress. She was a hard worker and she was never late. He also said she was gorgeous and the men here would tip her well. He’s letting her stay at his place since it sits empty all the time but she needs a job.”

I could always use good waitresses. “Of course. Just send her to me when she gets in town. We’ll get her a uniform and put her to work.”

Jace looked relieved. “Thanks. I hated to ask but he sounded worried about her. He’s already called me twice today to talk about her and make sure I get everything ready for her arrival. I didn’t want to let him down.”

“I understand. I don’t mind. And tell Tripp I said the next time he wants a favor to call me. I’d love to hear from him.”

Jace hadn’t been gone long when the door to my office opened and in walked Angelina. She tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder and smiled at me. It was that practiced seductive smile. It bored me. Her tongue darted out and she licked her lips while sauntering over to my desk.

“I’ve missed you. I haven’t seen or heard from you since last week. I thought we’d had fun on the sixteenth hole.”

I had agreed to take the last round of the day last week with Angelina. I knew it would get my dad off my case and satisfy her. What I hadn’t expected was for her to rub against me and grope my d.i.c.k the entire time. The last time she’d slid her hands down the front of my shorts and said she wanted to be f.u.c.ked I’d bent her over and placed both her hands against a tree then screwed her from behind. That way I didn’t have to see her fake expressions of pleasure. She was doing this to get me to marry her. Her daddy wanted this and she was doing what he wanted. Nothing more.

After I’d gotten my release I’d ended the game and dodged her ever since.

“I’ve been busy,” I replied coldly.

She didn’t take a hint. Instead, she stepped between my legs and leaned over me giving me a direct view down her shirt. She didn’t have much in the way of t.i.ts. I wasn’t sure what she was flashing me. If I married her I was getting her a b.o.o.b job.

“Too much work and not enough play,” she cooed, dropping to her knees and rubbing her hand over my uninterested c.o.c.k.

“I can take the edge off,” she promised and went to unfasten my pants. I had felt bad the last time I’d let this go too far. I was using her. Sure, she was using me too but it didn’t mean I had to stoop that low. It was wrong. I didn’t want her. If I did marry her it would be because I was being forced to. There was no reason for me to keep this up. I needed some time to think about all this.

“Stop, Angelina. I have work to do. Not now.” I resisted the urge to shove her away. That would be too cold.

“You can work and I can make it feel good. Show you what you can have the rest of your life.”

We both knew that the moment I said “I Do” s.e.x between us would become a ch.o.r.e. She’d make up reasons why she couldn’t and office break b.l.o.w.j.o.bs would be a thing of the past.

“Don’t take me for a fool, Angelina. I’m a smart man. I know what you’re doing and I know why. The minute we’re married this facade you’re putting on will disappear.”

Her eyes flashed with resentment. I was just being honest. It was time she was too.

“Just because my daddy wants me to marry you doesn’t mean that is the only reason I want to. I’m attracted to you. What woman isn’t? The difference between other women and me is that I’m good enough for you. We complement each other. You can fight this and try like h.e.l.l to hold onto your playboy ways but I won’t go anywhere. I want that ring I know your daddy bought on my finger and I want your last name. The s.e.x could be incredible for us both if you’d just let it. I won’t always be the wh.o.r.e you fantasize about. You should enjoy that part of it while you can.”

She stood up and straightened her skirt. “You know where to find me when you’re ready to admit this is perfect. You and me.”