Page 42

Lauren

“ That was nice,” I said.

I was two glasses of wine deep, warm from spending the day outdoors, and tired from all the talk and laughter.

Junior and I were on the way back to my place, and the sun was setting over the cityscape in the distance, painting the sky orange and pink.

I yawned and leaned back in my seat. A nap sounded so nice.

“I’m glad you had a good time,” Junior said, forearm flexing as he downshifted.

Or maybe some slow, lazy sex , I thought, eyeing him. His hair was mussed from the wind rushing through his open window, and the short-sleeved shirt he wore was pulled tight across his chest and stomach.

I’d never been so attracted to him before.

And not just in a sexual way. Earlier, when Aly asked what I do for a living, I faltered, not knowing how to respond.

In any other situation, I would have told her with pride, but I hadn’t known if that was the right call.

It was one thing for Junior to say he accepted what I did, but I knew firsthand how complicated family dynamics could be.

Even though Aly seemed equally accepting—especially given who she was engaged to—I didn’t know how she’d feel about her cousin dating a camgirl.

Junior had surprised me by placing his hand on my low back and nodding, telling me without words that I should be honest.

I knew right then that he was serious about not being ashamed of me.

In the past, I’d had to skirt around my work on more than one occasion because of a partner’s discomfort.

That I could be open now filled me with a euphoric feeling of relief, one that fizzed through my body like champagne bubbles, leaving me energized and excited.

And when Aly and the other nurses we’d been talking to didn’t bat an eye?

A weight lifted off my shoulders I wasn’t even aware of.

Things were changing. People were kinder and more accepting than ever before.

At least in our generation. It gave me hope that someday in the future, sex workers would be able to speak openly about their lives without any fear of judgment or reprisal.

And maybe that made me na?ve, or overly optimistic, but so much had changed for the better just in the years I’d been camgirling that it didn’t seem like a fantasy; it felt not only possible, but inevitable.

Junior shifted gears, picking up speed as we raced down the highway. Had I been too quick to judge him? Too quick to discount what this was between us? We’d agreed to keep it casual, a way to finally explore the spark between us, but this afternoon had me questioning myself, had me questioning him.

The man had spent ten years looking out for me.

That didn’t speak of a passing attraction or idle interest. It spoke of determination.

Commitment. And sure, maybe he could have been protecting me out of guilt for not being there when I’d needed him most, but if it was only guilt, wouldn’t he have stopped when he realized I was okay?

That what happened hadn’t actually ruined my life?

This clearly wasn’t casual. Not for Junior, and I was beginning to realize not for me either.

I cared what happened to him, wanted to see him succeed in going legit, was even willing to help in whatever capacity I could, though I doubted he would let me.

And I liked the way he made me feel when we were together: cherished, special.

I liked the little glimpses of his humor that were starting to peek through more and more.

I liked that he shared my voyeurism kink.

I was excited to explore more with him. God help me, part of me even liked the darker aspects of his personality.

My line of work didn’t come without risks, and knowing there was a scary motherfucker with a skewed moral compass looking out for me made me feel safe and protected.

I had no doubt that if a sub ever crossed the line and tried to find me, Junior would take care of it before I was even aware of the danger.

And who knew, maybe we weren’t compatible in the long run and our time together was only fleeting, but after today the thought of something more with him didn’t seem as frightening as before. So, when he pulled onto my street, I turned toward him. “Do you want to come in?”

He sent me a sideways look. “Not if you’re planning to feed me to your big scary dog.”

“Walter can make up his own mind. It’s not for me to say who he should or shouldn’t eat.”

Junior grinned. “You seem worth the risk.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I’ll come in.”

He dropped me off in front of the brownstone and went to find a parking space while I went to let my roommates know we were about to have company.

Ryan met me at the door. Behind them, Walter was whining his head off.

They stuck their leg out to keep him from escaping. “How’d it go?”

“I asked Junior to come in,” I told them.

Surprise flashed across their face. “I take it that means it went well?”

I nodded. “I’ll catch you up on everything later. Where’s Taylor?”

“Out with Jackson,” Ryan said, swinging the door wide and grabbing the leash off the rack just inside. “And I need to go get dinner, because it’s her turn to cook, of course. I’ll bring Walter with me so you and Junior can have some alone time.”

Walter rushed me as soon as he had clearance, wiggle-butting so fast that his rear end was a blur.

I dropped down to pet him. I loved my roommates, but nothing made my heart sing like this animal and how happy he always was to see me when I came home, or woke up, or walked into whichever room he happened to be in.

“Hi,” I said, trying to pet him as he squirmed. “Oh, goodness. Yes, that’s your nose.” He turned, his tail slapping my arm, my back, my shoulder, and came around for a second pass.

Ryan managed to clip his leash on in the middle of the frenzy, and I thanked them as they led him down the stairs and then in the opposite direction from Junior as he strode up the sidewalk, waving hi before they turned.

“Change your mind about me and Walter meeting?” Junior asked as he took the stairs up.

I shook my head. “Ryan offered to give us some alone time.”

The grin that bloomed over his face was wicked. “Oh, really?”

Need crashed through me, my earlier sleepiness forgotten.

I’d been holding my desire back all day, trying not to look at him too much, spending time with Aly while he was with Josh so I could put some space between us.

Every whiff of his cologne, every touch, reminded me of our past interactions, him getting me off in the stairwell at Velvet, then the photo booth, the way I rode him in the voyeur room, the way he’d managed to hold so still when he was inside me at church.

Every time we’d hooked up, we’d either been in cramped quarters or a heartbeat away from getting caught, and while that had been exciting, I couldn’t wait to get him alone in my room, where there was a large, comfortable mattress waiting for us and every toy under the sun.

“Come on,” I said, grabbing his hand and leading him inside.

His fingers tightened on mine as we took the stairs up to the third floor.

I swung open my bedroom door, and he stopped short, tugging me to a halt.

My eyes went to his face, a question on the tip of my tongue, but then I saw his expression, the way his gaze danced from one spot to the next: my bed, the oversized armchair, the blank corner opposite the door—all the places I regularly filmed.

“Fuck, Lauren,” he said, his eyes smoldering as they finally slid back to mine.

I released his hand and stepped into my room, loving the way he stalked after me, loving the feeling of being pursued, even over such a short distance.

He paused just long enough to shut the door and take one last lingering look at our surroundings, and then he was on me, reaching me in a final stride, bracing his hands against the wall on either side of my head.

“I can’t believe I’m in your room,” he said, his voice gaining a rough edge. “You have no idea the things I’ve fantasized about doing to you in here.”

“Tell me,” I said, heat gathering in my core. How many times had I gotten him off without even knowing?

He shook his head. “I don’t know how long we have alone, and I’m not wasting another minute of it talking. Now turn around. As much as I like you in this dress, I’d like you out of it even more.”

I spun, tugging my hair over my shoulder so he had easier access to my zipper. Instead of undoing it, his hand snaked around my neck, and the memory of the last time we’d been alone together like this surged into my mind.

“That fucking confessional booth,” he growled.

I released a breathy exhale. “I know.”

His fingers tightened on me. “I will remember the feel of you coming on the head of my dick until the day I die.” I nearly moaned as he dragged me backward.

“And your pulse,” he whispered into my ear.

“I’ll never forget the way it fluttered against my fingers.

Just.” He tapped my neck. “Like.” Another tap. “This.”

My knees trembled at the memory, warmth coiling in my belly. I gripped his wrist. “Junior.”

His hold on me eased. “I need to fuck you. No holding back, no being quiet.” The fingers of his free hand fell to my side, bunching the hem of my dress up. “You never did tell me what you have on under here.”

I widened my legs and grinned, waiting for it.

His fingers kept on going, all the way up, finding me completely bare because I’d liked his reaction so much that first night at Velvet that I’d wanted to see if it drove him just as wild a second time.

I knew right when he figured it out, because his progress froze, forehead dropping to my shoulder, hand falling away from my neck.

“All day?” he croaked.

I giggled. He sounded like he was in pain. “Yup.”