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“Are you going to chop me up into little pieces?” I ask. He laughs again.
“Not that anyone would admit to planning that, but I can promise you I have no desire to cut any part of you. Do I want to make you burn? Well, that’s another question entirely. Do I have to force that on anyone? Absolutely not. Let’s take an adventure together and see where it leads.” I can’t turn away from the intensity in his eyes. I want this badly. I make my first impulsive decision of my life.
“Okay. I have one more class tonight, then I’m free for the weekend, not that we need an entire weekend. It says a nightora weekend.” I’m blabbering, and I force myself to stop and take a deep breath. “I can be ready in the morning,” I tell him.
His smile widens as he jumps from his seat. He leans over the desk, getting far too close, making my breath hitch. I’m insane to do this. I’m going to get revenge on my siblings, and I’ll think of creative ways to do it. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s research.
“Write your address down. I’ll be to your place at six in the morning,” he demands. I find myself agreeing and reluctantly hand over the paper. “See you in the morning, professor.” Withthis, he turns and walks from the room. I can change my mind, I assure myself.
I leave a minute after him to rush to my next class. I don’t see the man who comes to my office ten minutes later. I don’t go back inside to find the note he slipped into my mail slot. If I had, I could’ve saved myself a hell of a lot of heartache and embarrassment.
Chapter Five
Blaze
I left my childhood home, went to my next job, and came back three days ago. I’ve had a month to process Gramps dying and the package left on his desk. I thought of little else while I was gone.
I figured out quickly that Courtney Blaire is a professor at the university in Seattle. I didn’t waste much time hunting her down. The shock of seeing that Courtney is actually Cori, the woman I spent the most memorable summer of my life with, is still sitting within me.
How? I’m a little spooked that her name, of all names, was inside a fifteen-year-old box. There’s no possible way some woman from my past could know that in five years I’d spend a summer with Cori. I brought her to the ranch that summer ten years ago, but Gramps only knew her as Cori, so he couldn’t have had anything to do with this. What in the hell is going on? It’s driving me crazy not having any answers.
I grow more suspicious as the pieces of this puzzle start forming a picture. What in the hell is this? I should run far and fast, but I won’t. For one, I never run, unless it’s my choice, andfor two, by the reaction I felt from seeing Cori again, I know I have to see this through.
She’s the one woman I’ve never forgotten. She’s also the longest relationship I ever had. I wouldn’t call it anactualrelationship. We were friends and lovers for an entire summer, and what an adventure the two of us shared. It was incredible. I won’t go so far as to call it magical, but I knew then that Cori was a one-of-a-kind woman. It scared the living hell out of me.
I’ve always been lucky, and today enforces that. I don’t know if fate is real, but for me to step into her office after her siblings purchased a male escort for her couldn’t be better timing. I haven’t had a chance to tell her about my so-calledgiftyet. I hope the real escort doesn’t show up and ruin all of this.
I laugh as I jump into my car. I’ve never been mistaken for an escort before. My brothers would find this highly amusing which is why there’s no way I’m going to tell them. I’m not a man to waste valuable opportunities and this is the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m smiling as I drive away from the college campus, several girls looking my way.
There was a time I’d have flirted. Now I realize how young they are. Maybe I am growing up. I’m not so sure that’s a good thing. I like being young and free. I just don’t like being a pervert, I assure myself.
I have no idea why I was led back to Cori, but I feel more in this moment than I’ve felt in a long time. That’s saying something with the places I’ve traveled in the past ten years. My summer with Cori, though, was the best summer of my life. Again, that’s saying something with some of the places I’ve spent my summers since then.
I wonder if the woman can still make me burn the way she did ten years ago. I know I brought her a lot of pleasure back then. What was so odd to me then — and still odd to me now — is thefact that bringing her pleasure increased my own tenfold. The more I made her scream, the higher I felt.
I was barely a man when I first knew Cori. That can’t be said now. I’ve lived fully since then, and I plan on continuing to live my life to the fullest. I’m just taking a little pause right now. I’ll complete this game, or whatever the hell it is, then get back on with my life. In the meantime, I might as well have as much fun as possible. And I can’t imagine anything more fun than getting the professor out of her unflattering clothes.
I pull up to the ranch with a skip within me as I make my way inside one of the cabins I’ve claimed. I could stay in the main house, but I’ve lived alone for a long time. I like the privacy of the cabins. The ranch is large enough to be a resort if we wanted to make it one. There are multiple housing units scattered through the hundred-thousand acres. A person could get lost on the land. I have gotten lost here. I’ve always managed to find my way back eventually though.
We’re unsure what we want to do with the property. We all agree we don’t want to sell it. None of us are sentimental, but the thought of letting it go is abhorrent to the three of us. Maybe making it a destination resort is the right path. We’ll figure it out. We have plenty of time.
For now the three of us are busy. This might be the slowest night of my life, though. I can’t wait for morning to come and to see what will happen with Cori. I figured out the adventure I’m taking her on while driving home. A few phone calls and it’s all set. She’s going to have the escort weekend of a lifetime.
I smile even as I lie down and stare at the ceiling. I’m taking myself back in time, ready to live at least for a few days the way I did ten years ago. I don’t believe in magic, but I’m not hating the start to this mystery box. I can’t admit this out loud though. If there really is a heaven then it would please Gramps too dang much. The man always told my brothers and me that he knew usbetter than we knew ourselves. Maybe he did. But to admit this would admit I don’t have all of my crap together. I can’t admit to weakness. I smile and count down the minutes until I get Cori back in my bed. Bring it on, professor, we’re going to have some fun and maybe, just maybe, make some magic happen.
Chapter Six
Courtney
I throw the last of my clothes into a bag and marvel at the pounding of my heart. I’m anxious about going on an adventure with Blaze. This man led to many nights of tears ten years ago. I let go with him in a way I never let go with another man before or after. It scares me that I’m setting myself up for failure again.
Right at six on the dot there’s a knock on my door. My body shakes as I slowly walk to answer. This is crazy. I can still change my mind... but I won’t. I say nothing as I open my front door to Blaze, looking alert and eager.
“Are you ready to go?”
The man absolutely takes my breath away. It was the same ten years before... and yesterday in my office. I wish I could be harder, but maybe it’s time to give that up. It isn’t how I’m built.
“I’m almost ready,” I tell him. He steps inside my tiny apartment. It’s strange to have Blaze in a place I’ve always felt safe. The apartment’s tiny, but it’s been home for years. With him here, I realize how empty it is. I don’t have the usual knickknacks most people accumulate through the years. I have books and more books covering my shelves, and that’s about all.
