Money Man (King Maker) Read online

  Money Man

  King Maker series

  Terri E. Laine

  First Edition

  Copyright 2019 Terri E. Laine

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used factiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. The scanning, uploading and distribution of the book via the Internet or via any other means without permission is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchased only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support for the author’s rights is appreciated. For information address to SDTEL Books.

  Michele @ Michele Catalano Creative - cover design

  Sara Eirew - cover picture

  Author’s Note

  Many years ago, I wrote a story about Kalen and Bailey under a pen name I’d primarily used for young adult works. Though I’d hoped to be a crossover author as many at that time were, as a mother, I didn’t think it right to promote such a romance with explicit themes that could be seen by younger reads. Thus the story failed in getting traction. I eventually took it off sale and it sat on my computer for years.

  Present day. Now that I’d successfully written many novels under this new adult to adult author name, I thought why not dust Kalen and Bailey’s story off and give it new life.

  This started off as a project with light editing. I’d grown as a writer and I knew I would need to make minor changes.

  However, as I got a few chapters in, my mind spun with ideas. And suddenly the story I’d written many years ago was no more. New and adjusted background stories for the main characters. A totally new spin on the plot and new twists. New dialogue and new chapters. As well as deleted dialogue, scenes and chapters. It just wasn’t the same story.

  If you were one of the few that read the original story, you may recognize the opening chapter, though even there have been several changes. But from there, things change drastically. Since it’s no longer the same story and has a new trajectory, I won’t mention the name of the old story.

  Trust me when I say, it’s different with vague similarities like the names of characters. Other than that, it’s basically brand new.

  Enjoy and Happy Reading!

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Thank You

  2nd Author’s Note

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Terri E. Laine

  One

  Pressed against the wall of a bathroom stall wasn’t how I expected to spend New Year’s Eve, especially with a stranger in front of me. Then again, he was the kind of gorgeous that would make any woman pant... like I was doing that very moment. But after all I’d been through in the past few weeks, I should have known better.

  His husky groan brought me out of my head as he found the unnecessary garters under my skirt. The sound I made told a different story than my drunken brain was fooling me into believing. It was because of, not despite, recent events how I found myself here. I was one hundred percent smashed and on the verge of screwing a man I barely knew in the posh and seemingly clean bathroom in the exclusive club attached to the Eventi Hotel.

  My body, a live wire, lit up as his electric fingers stroked purposefully between my inner thighs. What the hell was I doing? I wasn’t this girl. Only two other people had ever known me this intimately. All the reasons why I shouldn’t have dissolved as his lips trailed down my neck, nipping and making me squirm like a giggling teenager.

  “Spread your legs,” he commanded.

  The deep timbre of his voice sported an accent my intoxicated brain couldn’t make out. Though a picture of a sexy highlander from one of my historical romance novels popped in my head. What would it sound like if he called me lass?

  A rumbling chuckle vibrated through him. “Lass, eh?”

  Shit, had I said that out loud? And damn, it was as sexy as all get out to hear him call me that.

  There was no time to think, as the tips of his fingers were about to make contact with my center in T-minus one. My body ignited like a rocket as he created pressure against my core. My thong provided no barrier as I grew wetter by the second. I should have been embarrassed, but his moves made me want to beg to be taken in ways I never had been before.

  “You’re dripping for me,” he murmured a second before his lips were as soft as petals against my collarbone as he hungrily nibbled to the corner of my mouth, leaving behind the taste of expensive wine. The kind that had been passed around to all the guests of this evening’s event. Including those on the dance floor in anticipation of the countdown. For the briefest of moments, I wondered where those crystal flutes had gone. We’d brought them with us when he led me here.

  Those thoughts dissipated when he proficiently slid his hand up my shirt. Just as rapidly, he popped my right breast from the confines of my lacy bra in tandem with pushing a finger, or possibly two, deep inside my slick depths. My eyes popped open. When had I closed them?

  My need grew a thousand times higher as he sucked on one nipple. My gaze dropped and I noticed the two half-filled Waterford flutes at our feet before I slammed my head back into the tiled wall out of sheer pleasure. A gasp escaped my lips, and not from any head trauma. Pleasure won out over any stunned feelings from an incidental collision with the solid wall. Any reservations that hadn’t been drowned by the alcohol flew out of my mind.

  “Yes,” I pleaded, needing more.

  “Yes, what?” He growled like I was the honey to his hungry inner bear as his lips tasted my flesh.

  My breast filled his mouth and his fingers continued to stroke in and out of me with precision. Then, as if he read my desire, his thumb skillfully brushed over my clit.

  Overcome by the lightning building in my body, I said, “Fuck me.”

  Begging was the least of my concerns—my ego was no longer in play. A cry sailed out of my mouth as the first orgasm hit. He didn’t stop and continued to stroke and rub, stroke and rub, prolonging my pleasure. As I crested the wave, my knees weakened. He responded by removing his fingers and cupping my ass one handed to steady me.

  Damn, he was strong too. Total turn-on if I wasn’t already. Then his free hand snapped the string of my thong, leaving it hanging but out of the way as I looked on.

  “Now I’m going to fuck you,” he stated as fact.

  Still, that free hand wasn’t done. He freed himself, tore open a condom with his teeth and slid the damn thing on with fluid movements. It happened so fast in the shadowy stall, I’d only heard the ripping of the foil.
r />   It wouldn’t be until later that I would consider how often he must have done this with other women, based on his skill level.

  He pushed a big thigh between my legs to spread me wide, urging me to wrap them around his waist. Desire made me compliant and he lifted me off the ground and onto him. I didn’t have time to think before he sheathed himself to the hilt deep inside me. I sucked in a breath, partly from pleasure and partly from pain, my eyes widening as he stretched me. I chastised myself for not looking at him first. He was clearly larger than anyone who’d been inside me before.

  He froze in place and groaned. “Spread your legs wider. You’re too fucking tight and I’m going to hurt you.” I did as he asked, feeling him slide deeper as I did. “There, lass.”

  I sputtered, “I, I—” as he began to move in and out. The experience was like no other. All my nerve endings were on red alert as every stroke hit that magic button deep inside me. So much so I’d lost any ability to speak.

  As the sensations grew, I tightened my legs around his waist, digging my heels in his back. I was shoved into a wall that wouldn’t give, but it didn’t matter. Especially not after I hit orgasms two and three before the faint Muzak in the background changed to the unmistakable midnight countdown.

  Ten, his rhythm became erratic. Nine, he plunged in and out of me faster. Eight, he sucked hard on my pulse point, still pounding into me. There would be bruises. Seven, another orgasm quickly built inside of me with no words to explain the how of it. Six, “fuck,” he gritted out near my ear. Five, my fingers fisted in his hair, guiding his face to mine. Four, I bit him on the mouth, crazed by lust and desperation. Three, he pumped into me hard, my back taking a beating. Two, he sucked in my lower lip then took it between his teeth. One, he came, sending me into the wall with a final shove, pushing me over the edge one more time. A guttural sound so primitive left his mouth I had to see if he was still human.

  Happy fucking New Year.

  For the longest time, we remained molded like that. The heat we’d created cooled far too quickly as we remained locked together, my stilettos pinned to his back. Unfortunately for both of us, he eased out of me and I relaxed my leg lock, allowing him to slowly set me on my feet. My back slid down the wall before my four-inch heels hit the ground. Still, at my height of five feet five inches, I was much shorter than he.

  “Aye, lass,” he said, smirking, reminding me it had been my request for him to call me that. “Happy New Year,” he finished, holding my gaze. His eyes were as green as the forest of Scottish lands, a place I’d longed to go. Staring into them, I could imagine myself there riding astride a horse with him chasing after me. I squeezed my thighs, sure I would combust by the sheer fantasy.

  Only my brain chose that moment to come back online. Immediately, I was overcome by mortification at what I’d done. Good girls didn’t have one-night stands with strangers. What would my mother think of me, not to mention my father who hadn’t totally accepted that I’d left our community?

  Unable to look at the stranger any longer, I closed my eyes, still caged by his massive arms, and smoothed down my skirt in the process.

  “You like to scream, don’t you, lass? Or was that just for me?”

  I popped my eyes open as mortification stained my cheeks and caught sight of his smirk. Without a second thought, he picked up something from the ground—probably his wine glass—and left, not giving me a backwards glance.

  Alone, I wondered ashamedly what I’d just done as a memory of my father’s reprimanding glare formed in my head.

  “Put your clothes on,” he’d commanded after he’d sent Turner away.

  Boys would be boys. I was the sinful Eve that had dangled the forbidden fruit.

  He’d averted his eyes as I’d donned the neck-to-toe dress the women in our community were forced to wear.

  “If I hadn’t been the one to catch you, you’d be branded, or worse, excommunicated.” Disgust filled my father’s voice.

  I felt one foot tall. I might not have liked the rules where women were considered little more than breeding stock, but I didn’t want him looking at me like I was one of those worldly women we were warned about.

  “The shame you’ve caused our family and put on your sisters if he tells his father.”

  I hadn’t thought about my sisters. They would be branded for my sins and would be lucky to be chosen as sister wives if the truth came out.

  “He won’t. He loves me,” I pleaded.

  “You better hope they will consider a wedding.”

  Then my father had turned, dismissing me much like the stranger had. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t married or that my mother had gotten me out. I still felt that scarlet S burning in my chest and I ran out of the bathroom. I wanted to put as much distance between me and my sins as I could.

  How could I have let him have me after only knowing him—how long? Minutes, an hour tops, maybe?

  I was desperate to leave and needed to find the friend I’d come with—rather my best friend—the one who hadn’t stopped me from making this colossal fuck-up.

  Two

  Shoving open the restroom door, I realized just how soundproof the bathroom had been. With it open, the noise from the party hit me like I’d face-planted into a wall. I nearly stumbled back, but my determination to get away pushed me forward. Unsteady on my feet due to the alcohol—or because I had been thoroughly fucked, I kept going.

  One thing I was grateful for was that we’d been the only occupants of the place as far as I could tell in my hasty retreat. That was probably because it had been so close to midnight.

  Winding my way through the masses of people on the dance floor, I eventually found my way back to Lizzy. She was exactly where I had left her, glued to the guy who had found her the same time my stranger had found me.

  Briefly, I’d wondered if the two guys were friends, because they’d approached us from behind at the same time. Lizzy and I had been drunk dancing together, giving anyone close a show.

  I’d only gotten a passing glance at the guy who’d occupied her time before I tuned into my own sex-on-two-legs. Now getting a better look, her guy was very attractive and just a bit taller than her with a crown of dark blond hair and sexy scruff.

  Apparently, during my time away, the pair was heading down the same path I’d been on. Lip-locked like long-lost lovers, they were grinding into each other like they needed a room. But, who was I to judge? I’d found a room in the form of a bathroom stall.

  I hated to interrupt, but this was an emergency because on top of feeling like a whore, I also had to deal with the stranger’s rejection. I was probably his worst fuck ever. Exactly what Scott had told me as his reason he’d cheated on me. I could barely hold back the sickness in my gut. I had to leave before I completely lost it.

  I tapped frantically on Lizzy’s back and she slowly disengaged herself from her man who had to be a supermodel. Who knew there were so many hot single guys in New York? He was gorgeous. And what was I thinking? Like a whore apparently.

  Lizzy’s eyes narrowed on me. I knew that stare. She wasn’t pleased I’d cut in.

  “Look, I have to get out of here. Either you’re coming with or I’ll see you later,” I said, standing on my toes to reach her ear.

  Lizzy was taller than me by several inches, even in the heels I wore.

  “What?” she said, holding out her hands in surrender, searching my eyes for an explanation.

  “Later,” I said, turning away, suddenly feeling like I had seconds before I became violently ill from all the alcohol as memories of the past and of my present situation collided in my head. I needed to get away. I needed air. I heard her call out my name as I ran.

  Outside, the crisp air hit me like the frost that escaped my mouth, instant and telling. Light puffy flakes flurried in the air as I hurried to the curb with my arm outstretched, hoping against hope for a cab at this hour on this night in New York City. I berated myself for not getting the Uber app like Lizzy had suggested.
Thankfully, we weren’t in Times Square. Tears spilled from my eyes as I stared at the dirty curb, wanting to fall to my knees but thinking better of it. This night might just go down in history as one of my biggest regrets.

  An arm came over my shoulder and I snapped around to see who it was. I sighed in relief when I spotted Lizzy. She held out my coat for me to shrug into. Damn, that was why I was so cold.

  I could see the questions in her eyes. Why was I acting like a lunatic? And her answer if she’d known what I’d done. It wasn’t like I was the first girl to have a one-night stand, right? She’d say before adding who would blame me for it after all that had happened?

  “What the hell, Bails?” Lizzy said as I slipped into the wool.

  That’s when it hit me. Bile like a geyser ready to erupt. That fifth fruity drink had been too much. A yellow cab just pulled up from my earlier hail when I tossed my cookies onto the very curb I’d contemplated sitting on. It splashed as it left my mouth and landed on the ground. God knew what else besides vomit spattered onto Lizzy’s and my shoes. My friend’s Jimmy Choos might be ruined, but she held my hair like only a good bestie would.

  “Yous two getting in or what?” came a voice from the open window of the cab.

  The cabbie didn’t seem bothered that I was choking out the entire contents of my stomach. After a final retch, Lizzy opened the door and helped me inside. As our ride pulled away, I made the mistake of looking back.