1
London
“Do you have any idea how much I want you?”
The sound of his voice lingers in my mind. I can still feel the way he touched me and the way he kissed me. When I close my eyes, the vivid memories of our night together flash through my mind. I’ve never had a one night stand before, and I should’ve known better than to give in to him. Max Richmond. I don’t know how or why he noticed me, but he did. Someone like Max is only after one thing, but he sure does have a way with words…and he knows how to treat a woman in bed. He has a way of making you feel like you’re the only thing he could ever want. Never have I ever been with a man who thought about my needs. Not even my ex-husband knew how to make love right. It was usually a wham bam, thank you ma’am kind of deal. If I happened to get an orgasm, then great, but if not, it wasn’t his problem. That might be why our marriage lasted only two years. We dated in high school and got married right after. The biggest mistake of my life. The asshole took all my savings and there was nothing I could do about it. Hence, why I’m now living with two women and have been working as a waitress at the Wesleyan Yacht Club for the past three years. My goal is to become manager one day, but I have to work up the ranks for that.
Dressed in only my bra and underwear, I open my closet door and pull out the crisp, white button-down shirt with the Wesleyan Yacht Club logo printed on the front pocket. I’m supposed to wear it to work along with a pair of black pants or a black skirt. Most of the young women I work with wear the skirts and flaunt themselves around the elite men who waltz into the club. I could care less about impressing anyone. That’s why it was a shock when Max started flirting with me, and even more of a shock when he was waiting out in the parking lot for me after my shift, asking if he could take me out, which ended up being a night sail on his boat, followed by hours of pure bliss. It felt amazing, but then morning came, and I made sure to leave before he woke up. He probably doesn’t even remember my name. What really makes me nervous is being at the club. With the regatta coming up, I know he’ll be around with his yuppie friends. I hate this time of the year. I’m constantly reminded how I’m beneath people like him.
My bedroom door flies open and Kim saunters in. Her light brown hair is sleek and pulled back in a low ponytail and she has on the same clothes I’m about to put on. We work together at the yacht club and it’s how we met. I was in a hard place financially, so she took me in as one of her roommates. I live with her and her sister, Holly, who is currently in school to be a dental assistant. Splitting the rent three ways makes it affordable, and it’s helping me to save more money so I can buy my own place one day.
Kim walks over to my dresser and picks up a pair of my silver earrings. “Do you mind if I borrow these tonight?” She holds them up and stares at me through the reflection in my dresser mirror.
Closing my closet door, I turn to her, grinning slyly. “Only if I can borrow your black sandals tonight.”
She nods once. “Deal.” Her mouth gapes and she jerks around, her eyes trained on my chest. “What is that?” She points at the spot on my breast.
I look down and sigh. There’s a giant hickey on my skin. Great, just what I need. “It’s nothing,” I say, sliding my arms into the sleeves of my shirt. I button it up quick.
“That is not nothing,” Kim teases. “Who were you with last night? I heard you come in early this morning.”
She knows who Max Richmond is. Everyone at the yacht club does. I know what she’ll say if I tell her it was him I was with. The words crazy and careless come to mind. “It was nobody,” I try to tell her.
She bursts out laughing. “Well, nobody left a huge ass hickey on your boob. You must’ve had a good night.”
More visions play through my mind. Max and I in the cabin of his boat, him taking my clothes off, and laying me gently on his bed. It was seriously something you’d read about in a romance novel; it was that perfect.
Once I have my pants on, I hurry out of my room and head straight to Kim’s to grab her black sandals. She follows close on my heels. “Why are you making this difficult? I want to know what guy put that glow on your face.”
Rolling my eyes, I find her sandals in her closet and slip them on. “I can’t tell you. You’ll think I’m insane.” We’re running out of time and I want to get to the club early. To be a manager, I have to be on my game with no penalties. I definitely don’t want my boss knowing I slept with one of the members. Kim follows me into the hall and starts naming off men she knows. When she calls out Max’s name, I freeze. She grabs my arm and jerks me around, her eyes wide with mischief. “Seriously? Max Richmond? How the hell did that happen?”
I never thought she’d name him. Now that she has, I can’t hide it. “I’ll tell you on the way to work. We have to go.”
She bolts past me to the kitchen to grab her purse and keys. “Let’s go. I want to hear all the juicy details.” Once I have my purse and the house is locked up, we get in her little Toyota Camry and head toward the club which is only ten minutes away. “Spill,” she commands.
Groaning, I look out the window. “Okay, fine. Max came into the club last night. I was busy working my own tables, but there were a few moments where we made eye contact. That went on the entire night. Then, after my shift, I walked out to the parking lot and he was waiting on me.”
Kim squeals. “And? What happened?”
I slap a hand to my forehead. “You’re killing me. It was a one-time deal. I’m sure he’ll be busy with some other girl tonight.”
She smacks my arm. “Don’t say that. Max has always been super nice and a huge tipper. Maybe a little arrogant at times, but he’s never come onto me. I’ve wanted him too though.”
Secretly, so have I. It’s hard not to when you have someone like Max stroll into the club. He’s twenty-eight years old, just three years older than me, with dark, dirty blond hair, green eyes, and a clean-shaven face. A playboy is what he is. He’s been a member of the yacht club for as long as I’ve worked there. Never once has he spoken to me in those three years until last night. I don’t know what changed in him. Maybe it was a bet amongst his friends. If so, that’ll piss me off. It’s best I don’t think about it. I may not be worth millions like him, but I’m a human being.
“Tell me, London. I have to know what it was like.” I peer over at her and she waggles her brows. “Was he good in bed? Romantic? Does he have a small dick?”
Of course she had to ask that. “Yes. Yes. And no,” I answer.
She fans herself. “Wow. So I guess you had a good time then.”
“It was amazing,” I breathe. “I walked out of the club and there he was. He asked if I’d like to go for a night sail with him, and for some reason, I couldn’t tell him no.”
Kim giggles. “I can see why. He’s hot and one of the richest members of the club.”
“That doesn’t matter to me,” I say. “I don’t care how much money a man has. As long as he’s a decent human being, that’s good enough for me.”
We pull into the parking lot and she turns off the car. “Tell me the rest. How did you two end up sleeping together?”