Lover's Secrets Book 3: What Is Mine

“You poor girl. They really left you high and dry, didn’t they?”

I sat at the bar and released an exhausted sigh. Stirring my drink, I looked at the bartender. Her name was Angela, and though we’d met just an hour before, the two of us had struck up a long, friendly conversation.

The neon lights of the club cast many colors on her bleached-blonde hair. Her pretty face looked as concerned as she sounded. Not that I blamed her.

Anyone with a little bit of compassion in them would’ve been concerned after hearing my story. “It’s not like I wasn’t expecting it. Once you rat on one of them, none will hire you,” I complained.

Angela shook her head. “Wow, these Manhattan businessmen are more cutthroat than I thought; and I thought Brooklyn’s gangs were bad.”

“Bigwigs are a hundred times worse.” I finished the last bit of my drink, then slid it over to her with the money I owed. “I think I’m good. I can’t afford anymore anyway.”

Angela reluctantly took my glass. “Are you sure you’re gonna be okay? I could help find you a place to crash for a while. It would be a lot safer than sleeping on a bench.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like a few nights out there will hurt me. Besides, my dad might bug the people I’m staying with if he finds out, so I’m gonna lay low for a while until I figure things out.”

“I guess.”

It was obvious that she wasn’t convinced, but she let it go. She knew that I’d already made up my mind about this. Besides, she might’ve had the best intentions, but if she paired me up with the wrong person, that could spell even more trouble for me.

I was only twenty years old and could end up a prime target for a pervert if I wasn’t careful. I did my best to push all of this to the back of my mind as I headed to the bathroom. Damn it.

I just had to talk about all of my problems when all I wanted was to forget for a few hours. Like many young professionals, I’d come to Manhattan ready to start a successful career. It wasn’t like I didn’t have the background to do it too.

My father was a successful financial consultant and investor, and my mother ran a big real estate firm. From the time I was a little girl, they’d been working hard to set me up to follow in their footsteps. And by working hard, I mean pushing me to excel in everything I did.

I can’t say that I was that happy growing up, even if my life was filled with all of the comforts anybody could ever want. My parents gave me plenty, but they also demanded perfection in return.

Nothing I did was ever good enough, and it made me pretty cynical by the time I graduated high school. I didn’t have friends, and though I hated it, I always felt like it was best to give in to my parents’ demands and be the best.

That was what led me to this point in my life. My father helped me get a job as a bookkeeper at one of the big financial firms in Manhattan right after graduation. It was a great job, and I was good at what I did.

But that also led to my downfall. After spotting a lot of inconsistencies in the numbers, I saw that a lot of money was being embezzled by my bosses. My conscience wouldn’t allow me to let it go, and I ended up blowing the whistle to the authorities.

It wasn’t long before they were in jail and the firm was closed. I quickly realized that my actions had consequences after that. Despite my credentials, none of the other firms wanted me, always finding petty reasons to overlook me.

It wasn’t long before I understood that I’d been blacklisted for what I’d done, even if it had been the right thing. That was what brought me here, standing in front of a mirror in a nightclub’s bathroom and wondering what to do.

My green eyes echoed the turmoil within me as I brushed my long dark brown hair. I couldn’t manage a smile as I put my brush back in my purse and straightened my black shirt.

What the hell was I doing? I should’ve been panicking now that I’d lost my apartment. Yet here I was, in a nightclub spending what little money I had left in a vain effort to ignore all of my problems.

Damn, how pathetic. I did my best to suck it up, drawing in a calming breath before leaving the bathroom. The loud music and chatter greeted me as I did, and I weaved through the crowd, looking for a place to hang out for a while longer.

I ended up wandering into one of the smaller side rooms, where there was a second bar along with couches and tables set up. There weren’t as many people in there, making it much more inviting.

I ended up going to one of the dark couches near the other side of the room away from everyone else, where I sat down and rested my back against the cushion. My frustration was growing as I sat there.

“Is this seat taken?”

I stiffened when I heard the sudden voice. I’d been so focused on my thoughts that I hadn’t even realized that someone had come over to me.

My eyes widened as I looked up. The guy standing in front of me was the definition of gorgeous. He was very tall, with dark hair sweeping around his handsome face and a matching short beard.

His eyes were the most vibrant shade of blue I’d ever seen. He was dressed nicely yet casually in black pants and a dark shirt that perfectly defined his strong chest and broad shoulders.

He flashed me a breathtaking smile as he patiently waited for my answer. “Um, no! Please, go ahead,” I managed to answer, patting the cushion.

The guy chuckled as he sat beside me. “Sorry if I caught you off guard. You looked like your mind was a million miles away.”

“You could say that. I’ve had a lot to think about lately,” I admitted.

“I get it. I’ve been there myself.” The guy sat back with me. “I’m Max, by the way.”

“I’m Christa. Nice to meet you,” I responded, managing to return his smile. This wasn’t so bad. At least he seemed like someone nice to talk to.

“Christa, huh? Haven’t heard that name in a while,” Max commented. “Are you new around here? I don’t recall seeing you before, and I’m sure I’d remember a beautiful face like yours.”

“I don’t usually come to clubs, but I thought it would help me escape for a while. I’m a little down on my luck, and I’m not sure what my next move is going to be,” I admitted.

“There’s nothing wrong with that. I know how rough life can be, especially here. This city’s like a vulture at times. It’ll eat you alive if you’re not careful.”

“No kidding.” I decided to change the subject. “So, what about you? You look like you’re pretty well off, or are you just dressed up for the night?”

Max laughed. “Not at all. I’m particular about how I look, and to answer your other question, yes, I’ve found plenty of success in this city. But I’m also not the type who likes to brag about those things. I’m much more interested in you.”

It was my turn to flirt. “Glad to hear that I interest you.”

“You very much do.” Max sat back. “So, how long have you lived in this city? Did you grow up here?”

“No. I grew up in East Hampton.”

“East Hampton, huh? You must come from quite a rich family.”

“My parents are, but we don’t get along that well. They can be pushy about a lot of stuff.”

“Really?” Max looked even more interested. “If you don’t mind me asking, who are your parents? I may know them from the upscale social circles.”

“Matthew and Elaine Spencer,” I answered.

“Ah, yes, the Spencers. I know them quite well. I worked with Matt on a few investments, and Elaine showed me several penthouses about four years ago,” Max told me.

This guy must’ve been loaded if he was looking at the penthouses my mother was showing. Not that I was that surprised. He may have been born into money too and made good use of it.

“I remember going with her to a few of those. They were beautiful.”

“Yes, they certainly are,” Max agreed. “But they get lonely too. I’ve always lived by myself, so I feel it at times, especially at night. That’s part of why I like going out and seeing what I can get into, although I’m not usually the kind of guy who comes to clubs like this.”

“Me neither, but this one’s not too bad,” I agreed, turning to my side to lean against the couch and face him.

He did the same, that friendly smile still on his face.

“No, not at all, and I did find good company here. You don’t mind hanging out with me for a while, do you?”

“Nope. Trust me, I have all the time in the world.”

We ended up spending the next two hours talking and having a few drinks, which Max offered to pay for. Of course, things can’t last forever, and at about one in the morning, the two of us stood up and walked out together.

The air outside was colder than when I’d gone in, every breath we took coming out like smoke. I stopped to face him after we got a few feet away from the club doors.

“It’s been nice hanging out with you. I wish we could do it longer.”

“Why not? You could always come over to my penthouse with me,” he suggested.

While it might not have been a good idea to go home with a guy I’d only known two hours, I didn’t really care. What more did I have to lose? My pride was in shambles, and I had nothing to my name except for a few pieces of clothing, a hairbrush, and some makeup in my purse. Losing my dignity would just put that last nail in the coffin.

“Sure. Why not? I’m game for some fun too if you want,” I answered.

“Hmm, I guess we’ll see where things go then,” Max responded, giving me a flirtatious wink.

Our walk to Max’s place was only a few blocks, ending at one of the new high-rises near the river. I looked up at the building as we approached it, feeling a bit of awe. These places were beyond exclusive. Even my mother rarely had the opportunity to go into them.

We stepped in through revolving glass doors, entering a big, beautiful lobby that was decorated in a modern style, with dark-colored furniture and intricate rugs, lamps, and plants. I was discreetly taking all of this in as we headed to the elevators, which were across the lobby.

Max pressed the button, and the doors dinged as the elevator opened, allowing us to step inside. He then hit the button for the twentieth floor.

“This building is beautiful,” I stated as we stood there.

“I agree, though it sounds like you’ve never been in one like this before. That surprises me, considering who your parents are,” Max responded.

“I never came into any of these new buildings. I was already on my own.”

“Makes sense.” Max leaned back against the rail. “Your mother seemed a bit stuck up when I met her, so I’d imagine she was a pain to follow with one of her tours anyway.”

That made me giggle. “I won’t deny it.”

The elevator finally stopped, and I followed Max into the hallway once the doors slid open. We finally arrived at one of the last doors that dotted the hallway, and he took his phone out of his pocket, holding it over the lock. The red light over it turned green as it clicked open.

“Oh my God. This is where you live?” I said in disbelief as I looked around.

Max chuckled. “You act like you’ve never lived in such a nice home before.”

“Well, yeah, but not like this!” I hurried over to the windows to look out at the city. The night sky was dark, making the lights from the other high-rise building twinkle, and I could see the darkened harbor from there. “I mean, wow! This is incredible! What a view!”

“That is the biggest reason I decided to buy this one. I do love the views of the city and harbor, and the space is nice. It gives me plenty of room to decorate and still move around as I please.”

Max stepped beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Would you like anything to eat or drink? I have plenty, and I doubt either of us is that tired yet.”

“I’m good. I’m just amazed. With everything going on right now, I didn’t think I’d get to even see a place like this,” I confessed.

“You spoke like that at the club too. I’m taking it things have been rougher for you than you wanted to talk about there,” Max guessed as the two of us sat together on the nearby couch.

I looked at my lap, not sure of how to respond, though I guessed some honesty wouldn’t hurt anything.

“Yeah, things have sucked lately. That’s the only word that fits it.”

“Really?” Max leaned back in his chair. “Would you like to talk about it? It seems like it’s weighing on you.”

“You have no idea,” I sighed.

“I came to the city two years ago because my dad had set me up with a job at one of the financial firms. I was working as a bookkeeper, and long story short, I found out that the owners were embezzling funds. That’s when I made the mistake of turning them in. I lost my job because the firm closed, and no one else wants to hire me because they know what I did.”

“Hold on. Are you talking about Eastern Financial?” Max asked me.

“Yes. That was the one.”

Max raised a suspicious eyebrow. “What do you mean when you say that none of them want to hire you?”

“Exactly what I said. They know what I did, and they always find some bullshit excuse not to hire me. Now I’m stuck in this city with no home and nothing to call my own but what I have on me.”

“Honestly now. Are they so afraid of what could happen that they’ll punish the ones that keep them honest? It makes me seriously consider which ones I’ll do business with from now on. I’m sure they’d shit their pants if I pulled all of my funds from a few of them, and I am very tempted to do that now just to watch it happen.”

“Sounds like you have a lot of money invested in them,” I noted.

“I like to think that I’ve earned the title of being a big shot in this world, though I have worked hard for what I have,” Max boasted.

He turned a bit more serious as he faced me. “However, I can’t say that I’m comfortable hearing that you’re out on the street because of them. Have you tried to speak to your parents about getting you home so that you can regroup?”

I shook my head. “No way. They’d never take me back if they found out about all of this. I’m sure my dad’s pissed at me if he’s heard about what I did. He was the one who got me hired there in the first place, and me ending up like this means that I’ve failed, which he hates.”

“One of those, huh?” Max muttered.

I slowly stood up. “Anyway, maybe I should go now. It is the middle of the night, and I shouldn’t keep you up if you have things to do tomorrow.”

Max quickly got up, holding my arm to keep me from walking away.

“Hold on. I was the one who invited you here, so you don’t need to leave so quickly,” he insisted.

“I know, but I’m not sure I belong in a place like this.” I struggled to find the right words, not able to face him. “I mean, you really are a nice guy, and I like talking to you. I’m just… I don’t know…”

Max placed a hand under my chin, forcing my face up to look into my eyes.

“It doesn’t matter what you think you are. You’re still strong…and beautiful.”

I couldn’t move as I stared into his eyes. A strange anticipation was welling up within me, causing my heart to beat harder in my chest.

Such beautiful eyes. Such a handsome, incredible man. How could I resist him?

My eyes closed, and my lips pressed against his. Our kiss was soft, slightly hesitant at first. We pulled back a little before he pressed his mouth to mine again, this time a bit surer.

His tongue gently caressed my lips, and I slowly opened my mouth, allowing him in. It was incredibly arousing to feel his tongue caressing my own, and I couldn’t hold back my moan.

It felt like forever before we finally stopped these kisses, and my entire body was pulsing with delight as I remained pressed against him. All I could think about was how much I wanted this to continue, to feel every part of him.

Max’s voice was low with desire as he whispered to me. “Why don’t we continue this in my room? It’s much better in a bed.”

“Yeah,” I whispered back.

It didn’t take us any time at all to get upstairs to his bedroom. I was pulled into another kiss as we stood beside his bed, and I rested my hands against his chest, feeling the firm contours of his muscles through his shirt.

I couldn’t wait to see more of him, to feel his skin, and began undoing the buttons one by one.

Max held the bottom of my shirt, and I stopped for a moment to let him pull it off of me. Finally undoing the last button, I slipped his shirt off of him, hungrily taking in the sight of his strong chest and toned abs.

Damn, I’d never seen a guy with such a sculpted body. I couldn’t wait to see the rest of him.

I was distracted as he held my waist, kissing and licking the side of my neck. My head went back, a soft breath escaping me as my body tingled like delightful electricity was running through my veins with each touch of his lips.

“So beautiful,” I heard him whisper.

My breath caught in my throat as Max cupped my right breast, massaging it through my dark lace bra. It took a lot for me to concentrate on undoing the button of his pants, and I could feel a large bulge in them as I did.

Max kissed the top of my breasts. It took me a few seconds to register that he had already undone my pants, and I somehow managed to slip them off so that I was now in my bra and underwear.

I kissed him again before kneeling in front of him and pulling his pants down. His cock was huge and erect as I freed it from the confines of his underwear.

I slowly pumped him before licking around the head.

Max made a soft sound as I did, and I took him into my mouth. His cock had a distinct taste, one that turned me on even more, and I began moving back and forth to work him while I massaged his balls.

Max’s soft moans increased as I continued, his hips beginning to move with my ministrations. I let out a soft sound as he thrust into my mouth, my excitement building.

Was he going to cum like this? I hoped so. I wanted to taste that.

To my dismay, his thrusts slowed down, and he eased me away from his cock.

“Not yet,” he whispered, his voice filled with lust. “I still want to taste you too.”

I flashed Max a seductive smile, standing up to slowly remove my bra and underwear. I then lay on the bed, savoring the soft feel of the comforter against my bare back. I couldn’t remember ever feeling so free and bold before, and I loved how his eyes hungrily scanned my naked body.

Max lay over me, and I opened my mouth to allow his tongue to spar with mine. My hands roamed over his chest and back. His skin was so smooth and soft, and his body was so strong.

I could feel his cock pressing against my inner left thigh, the liquid leaking out of it, wetting my skin. His lips moved down my body, and he massaged my right breast while he sucked my left nipple. I moaned and arched my back, gasping sharply when he twisted my right nipple.

“Max…”

“I love how sensitive you are,” he seductively whispered.

He ran his tongue over and around my right nipple while squeezing my left, bringing more small sounds out of me. I could feel my pussy getting wetter as he did.

“Oh God, yes! Keep doing that!” I begged.

Max smiled as he stood up, pulling me to sit on the edge of the bed. I moaned louder as he pinched my right nipple and used his other hand to caress between my legs. My hips began grinding against his fingers, my pussy practically weeping.

My nipples were hard and a little sore as he finally stopped pinching and twisting them. Max looked more than ready to keep going, his breathing a bit more labored as we shared a few more passionate kisses.

“Lay down for me,” he instructed.

I agreed, lying back and spreading my legs for him. A slight shiver of excitement went through me as I felt the head of his cock rub against my pussy. I was so wet that he slid it in easily, and I felt my walls close around him as his big cock filled me.

“Oh…!” I moaned in ecstasy.

“You’re so tight. I love it,” Max whispered huskily as he began thrusting into me.

His thrusts quickly increased, building up the incredible pleasure in my body. I loved how his cock slid in and out of me, caressing my walls and hitting the deepest core of pleasure within me over and over. It was like any self-control I had went out of the window, and I needed more.

“Oh yeah! Fuck me, Max!”

I mewled as he pulled out of me, though he immediately got onto the bed, lying on his back for me. I took his cue, straddling him and lowering myself onto his cock, moaning as it slid deep inside of me again. Max ran his hands over my hips as I began working his cock inside of me.

His hands eventually moved up to hold my breasts as he began thrusting with my movements, squeezing my nipples between his fingers. We continued like this for a while longer before he moved me to my hands and knees. His thrusts were fast and strong now, pounding in and out of my pussy so hard that I could hear the slick sounds of the wetness that had begun running down my inner thighs.

I could feel the tightness starting deep within my pelvis, and knew I was getting close.

“Max…! Oh, God! I’m gonna cum!” I managed to cry out.

“Do it! Cum for me, baby!” Max breathed.

His thrusts continued hard and fast, and I felt that knot finally explode inside of me. My pussy quivered violently as I cried out in ecstasy, squeezing his cock over and over. Max’s thrusts slowed down as he groaned, rolling his hips and working himself deep inside of me.

Then his cock began to spasm, and I felt his cum fill my insides. I closed my eyes and leaned myself back against him to take it all in, a satisfied moan coming from my throat. It felt like forever that we stayed like that, with Max pumping himself into me and me leaning into it.

But finally, reality began coming back, and I collapsed on the bed as he pulled out of me.

“Oh, yes. I never thought fucking a woman could feel this good,” he mumbled.

While I didn’t exactly like hearing him say something like that, I let it go. It wasn’t like I was expecting any more than this hot experience. Besides, that sex had been pretty damned incredible.

“That was amazing,” I managed to say as I turned onto my back to look at him. His skin looked as flushed as mine, and both of us had a sheen of sweat on us.

“You’re really incredible.”

“And you are one gorgeous woman. You turned me on with just your eyes,” Max responded with a cocky smile.

I lay there in silence for a few minutes, trying to catch my breath with him. The nearby digital clock read that it was three in the morning now.

I let out a soft sigh as I pushed myself up to sit.

“Well, I guess I should think about going now,” I reluctantly stated.

“Why? There’s no reason for you to leave.”

“You want me to stay?”

“Why not? I doubt either of us likes sleeping alone.”

“No, I don’t, but I… Well, that is…”

Max moved closer to me, a gentle smile on his face as he brushed my messy hair back.

“Come on, Christa. I don’t mind you staying with me, and I hate the thought of you being alone out on those streets. Just stay with me tonight, and we’ll see what we can figure out to help you in the morning,” he reasoned.

That shocked me. “You want to help me?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I did tell you that you helped me when you were honest about what happened. Besides, I meant it when I said that I like you.” Max placed a gentle kiss on my lips.

“Stay with me, Christa. At least give me this night.”

While I did worry about what might come with this, I didn’t feel like there were any good excuses for me not to stay. I’d trusted Max enough to come home and have sex with him. Staying the rest of the night should’ve been the least of my worries.

“All right,” I agreed. “I guess I can stay.”