Neil, Louisa - She's in Charge (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)
She’s in Charge
Having sold his business, Alan is wealthy but bored. He’s always assumed he’d enjoy his quasi-retirement, but unfortunately, nothing seems to hold his interest. Alan takes a short trip south to a rustic island retreat, where he seems to find his niche. There is only one problem—he’s already alienated the resort’s owner, Rae.
Rae is beautiful with a body any man would kill to make love to, but she likes being in charge of all things, including her island and her men. When Alan finds a secret stash of sexy photos, Rae’s penchant for being satisfied by two men becomes apparent. When Rae’s ex-husband Eric enters the picture, all Alan’s preconceived notions are challenged.
Rae is the woman of Alan’s dreams—what’s harder is getting those dreams to become a reality when a woman is in charge.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre
Length: 61,649 words
SHE’S IN CHARGE
Louisa Neil
MENAGE AND MORE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage and More
SHE’S IN CHARGE
Copyright © 2012 by Louisa Neil
E-book ISBN: 1-61926-246-0
First E-book Publication: January 2012
Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
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Regarding E-book Piracy
This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.
The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.
This is Louisa Neil’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Neil’s right to earn a living from her work.
Amanda Hilton, Publisher
www.SirenPublishing.com
www.BookStrand.com
SHE’S IN CHARGE
LOUISA NEIL
Copyright © 2012
Chapter One
The early morning flight from Chicago was fuller than Alan would have thought for a Saturday. Settled in his seat, he waited while the other passengers around him put away their belongings. He watched as an overwrought woman carrying a small child glanced at the number by his seat. With a silent prayer, he watched her continue toward the rear of the plane. Continuing to give his thanks for them not being seated near to him, he relaxed his long legs as best he could under the seat in front of him. Closing his eyes, he listened to the noise around him, heard the doors being shut, and felt the plane start to taxi from the gate. With half attention, he listened to the attendant advise them on emergency procedures, then shut out the remaining noise as the large craft thundered down the runway, his heart missing a beat as he felt the air lift them from the ground.
He accepted a breakfast tray from the young woman who attended to the needs of those in the first class section, his gaze coming to rest on the woman seated to his right across the aisle. She was one seat ahead of him, only a glimpse of leg showing occasionally. Her dark business suit and high-heeled pumps seemed suspicious to him. Wondering why anyone would choose to travel in a suit, especially on a Saturday, intrigued him. Thankful he was in comfortable chinos and a worn denim shirt, he wondered how women managed to get to their destinations in high heels.
None of my concern, he thought as he half watched her. She’s probably going to a meeting directly from the flight, he rationalized. Or she never got home from the last one. The newspaper he had brought on board with him didn’t hold his attention. This was the first time in almost twenty years that he wasn’t the one rushing to a meeting or trying to get home from one. With a half laugh, he watched her work intently on the laptop computer she had snapped open as soon as the pilot gave the word. Then she used the plane’s phone to make a call.
He couldn’t hear her conversation on the phone she held cradled against her shoulder, only an occasional laugh. It was a soft laugh, and he liked the tone of it. When was the last time anyone had laughed with him? It had been a long time, he knew. He tried to doze in his seat, but each time he opened his eyes, she was there, just out of his reach. Though he had never seen her face, he could attest to the long, shapely legs that were encased in silk and Italian leather pumps. Laughing at himself, he decided she probably had a face that would make a clock stop, and not in a good way.
Yet he couldn’t help but feel like a voyeur. He continued to listen to her side of the phone conversation. She continued clicking away on her laptop.
“I told you, the numbers just don’t work.” Then she said, “It’s your choice, your money, but that’s what you pay me the big bucks for. Don’t do it, Eric. It’s not a sound investment, especially in this market.”
Alan decided she was some sort of accountant or investment advisor. Her next words left him feeling hollow.
“Of course I enjoyed our time together. You always make certain I’m sated. But next time, I get to spank you. Especially if you’re the one traveling. It’s taking all my concentration not to squirm in my seat.” Alan was stunned and realized his mouth had dropped open. He shut it quickly when he heard, “But that’s what you had in mind. Every move would remind me of how we fucked. I’ll get even the next time we’re together.”
That ended that, Alan decided. She was definitely in a relationship. Now he couldn’t even fantasize about her, which was probably better than wondering about a woman he’d never see again. He was glad the seat next to him was empty as he shifted his erection. The second she mentioned being spanked, his cock had swelled.
Alan shifted in his seat and tried to get some sleep. All he managed to do was listen to the rest of her conversations. Her second call was different, her tone much more relaxed and animated. “All right, Charlie. As soon as I get back.” Then he heard her laugh, a soft, meaningful tone. He didn’t imagine her as a woman who laughed easily without special meaning. “Yes, I’ll bring back your interloper, but remember you were the one who promised me a vacation that I’m apparently not going to get.” She laughed again, and he was deeply disappointed when he heard her tell Charlie that she loved him and would be home later.
His mood darkened, even though he had no real right to feel any emotion for this faceless woman. The one glance he’d gotten at her left hand gave no indication of a wedding ring, but he himself knew that didn’t mean anything. For the three years he was married, he only wore his when he and Laura went out socially. Anyone who worked with their hands the way he did rarely wore jewelry. Rings afforded too much chance for injury if he got careless.
That the flight to Jacksonville, Florida landed on time was a miracle. He’d tried to wait out the woman to catch a glimpse of her as she left the plane but only accomplished to get a brief glimpse of her blonde hair as she skirted past another passenger.
The timing allowed him a semileisurely walk to the second gate where he would catch his private connecting flight to Breakwater Island. With a few minutes to spare, he stopped to buy several magazines for the second half of his trip.
Managing to find the private terminal on his first try, he was told his flight to Breakwater Island would take off in half an hour. He waited in the small office, the oppressive outdoor heat driving him back inside.
“Mr. Lexton, your flight is almost ready. Rae is just filing the flight plan,” the older woman told him from behind the counter. “Enjoy your vacation.” He nodded as he gathered up his two bags and the case holding his golf clubs. Outside, the heat taunted him. In a passing thought, he hoped the island off the lower coast of Georgia would have cool breezes to combat the heat.
Tim, as his lettered shirt told him, stowed Alan’s gear on the small seaplane that was the last leg of his journey. With a smile, he was told the pilot would be right out, their takeoff just minutes away. Alan tugged the safety belt into place as instructed and was thanking Tim for his help as the other door opened.
“Thanks, Tim. See you in a few weeks.” The voice stilled him. In slow motion, he turned his head in time to see her hike her skirt up enough so she could climb into the cockpit of the small plane. She tossed her high-heeled shoes behind her and settled in her seat. Her head was down, and he took the opportunity to look directly at her. He saw blonde hair, pulled back in a severe knot at the back of her head, the same severe business suit, minus the jacket. She was setting switches as she pulled on a set of heavy earphones. When the plane was up and running, she finally turned to him.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Lexton. I’m…”
“Where’s Ray, the pilot? My instructions were that Ray was the pilot to take me to the island?” Finally, he got the first look at her soft, baby-blue eyes. If he hadn’t been seated, Alan might have thought he had fallen. She was beautiful. No clocks freezing here, he knew as he watched her openly. His heart forgot to beat. He gazed over her seated length and saw the white of the short-sleeved, silk shirt she wore, tucked into the slim waist of the skirt.
Alan held his breath as they taxied and finally took off. He had remained still in his seat, staring ahead at the runway as they raced toward the end. It wasn’t that he minded the small plane. It was just the stark difference from the 747 he had just left. With his hands firmly holding the seat, his knuckles turning white, he finally let out a long breath as they became airborne.
“Don’t worry, I’m trained and licensed, and the plane is quite safe,” she told him, before going back to the business of flying the plane. Alan didn’t answer, couldn’t find his voice. He wasn’t frozen with fear anymore, rather more confused at his earlier judgments of the woman who held his life in her hands. He managed to nod his head, acknowledging her comment. They were over the ocean quickly, and he allowed himself to gaze down. He could see land in the distance, a fading reality he was leaving behind. He kept sneaking glances to see if she shifted in her seat and willed his cock not to harden again. Every time he thought of her buttocks sore from being spanked, his body overrode his brain.
Obviously, it was something she sanctioned, or her tone would have been different. Alan decided it was part of a sex game, one he never experienced. There were a lot of things he’d never experienced, some he hoped to change. Now sex games were another item on his list.
“I’m Rae Woolard, your pilot.” She let the words sink in, enjoying his obvious discomfort as he realized he was stuck with her. Muttering to herself, she decided he was another of the high-powered executives who came to her family’s island for a retreat from the real world. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, she remembered he was a paying client, therefore entitled to a little courtesy. Laughing openly at him, she went on. “Don’t worry, I’m completely certified. I’ve been flying since I was a child. All set?” Not bothering to wait for his answer, she radioed ahead, receiving clearance for takeoff. At first she thought to give him a bumpy ride but decided her ego wouldn’t let her evade the smooth takeoff she knew how to achieve.
Lost in her own thoughts, Rae flew over the ocean, enjoying the control she had to relinquish on the longer flight from Chicago to Florida. Hopefully, that would be the last time she made the journey for a long time. As the island that was her home came into sight, she tapped her only passenger’s arm, alerting him to the sight. He straightened in his seat, watching her take a wide circle around the island instead of looking at the island. She approached from the northern side to land. As the water rushed up to meet them, he again held on to the base of his seat. Apparently he was surprised when she glided the craft lightly onto the surface of the water.
Rae’s first thought was that she could give Mr. Lexton the ride of his life. A dip here, a circle there, she could have a good time at his expense. The word stilled her. It was his expense, she knew, so she quelled the desire to show him she could really fly the plane. Instead, she retreated into the job at hand, trying not to notice his large hands glued to the base of the seat. In a flash, she wondered what it would feel like to be held by his hands. She let it go, knowing better than to become involved with any of the tourists who chose to spend their vacation on her family’s island. This was business, she reminded herself, and she had spent too many hours to count making it into the success it had become. Remembering that her job was to make his vacation memorable, she let a vision flash through her mind of what it might be like to really make his time enjoyable.
She thought about her years growing up on Breakwater Island, homeschooled by her mother until she went off to college. She’d always seen it as a small plot of forest land that had been in her mother’s family for generations. Back then, it was no more than a glorified hunter’s paradise. The accommodations were of the barest minimum, though no one seemed to mind back then. It wasn’t until the mid-eighties that their clients decided they wanted a more upscale retreat. That was when Charlie had decided to turn the small hunting lodge into a private island retreat. In those days, money flowed easily and the progress came quickly, as did the bills.
She remembered her mother’s sighs every time he talked about adding on another wing or turning the pasture into a golf course. By the time Rae had graduated from college, she was engaged to Eric, ready to start their lives together. She had spent several years living in Chicago, refusing to let her father’s spending bother her. After all, she had rationalized, he had run the island before she was born and would continue to do so for a long time to come. It wasn’t until her mother got sick and she returned home to spend some time with her that she realized the severity of the situation.
At her mother’s urging, she had delved into the accounts, only to realize that Charlie was spending as
fast as the money came in. Her childish, delusional view of everything being all right was shattered. Medical bills added to the list, and she knew there would be no island if something wasn’t done fast.
Eric had been understanding at first. Her prolonged absence and the worries she had taken on about the financial end of the island had ultimately been the beginning of the end of their marriage. After commuting from Chicago to Georgia and back each week, she realized she wanted to be home on the island, not living in a fancy condominium with a view of the lake. She had given up her high-profile job with an accounting firm after realizing that her mother wasn’t going to recover. Spending whatever time they had left together became her priority.
The second time Eric had made the trip to see her, they had both known it wouldn’t work out. He was a city boy, lost without the whirl of lights and traffic. Rae was a country girl, the island renewing her soul each time she made contact with it. It wasn’t surprising to either of them that at the end of the year, he asked for a legal separation. While she chose not to ask, Rae knew he had found someone else. It hurt at the time, but by not being defensive, they had managed to work out a settlement that they were both comfortable with. They had actually managed to remain friends. Better friends than spouses. Then she was free.
Free to come back and take over the island. She viewed it as a business, not just their home that strangers came to stay at occasionally, as she did growing up. With three years of hard work and major number crunching, she had managed to put them back into the black. It was her finest day, noting that the numbers were finally all in black ink. Relief washed over her. Her mother hadn’t survived long enough to know she had turned it around, but inside she chose to believe that she did.
Turning the island around had taken all her time. Charlie had signed it over to her just before her mother, Regan, passed away. He was to stay on as a figurehead, doing what he did best. Make the guests welcome and just be himself. Rae would oversee the financial side of the business, her decisions final. Together they had worked out a pleasant system. The island was usually booked to capacity year-round, allowing them a sense of financial security they hadn’t known in years. If only her mother had lived long enough to see all of their dreams realized.