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  “Oh my god, perfect for sexy times!” squealed Katrina, bouncing up and down. “You really are a member of the mile high club now.”

  I rolled my eyes. Because she sounded a little like Austin Powers, it was so ridiculous. But it was fun giving my friend a tour of the plane, going over every little detail.

  “Open that closet,” she directed over the screen. “What’s in there? There are so many nooks and crannies.”

  I slid the door open obligingly. Nothing interesting. Just a coat rack, with some empty hangers, a black suitcase on the floor.

  “Oooh, what’s that?” squealed Katrina, eyes wide. “What’s in that suitcase?”

  I frowned.

  “It probably belongs to Mr. Evans,” was my slow reply. “He’s only gone for two hours, so it’s probably his luggage.”

  “Take it out!” she squealed. “Let’s find out all his secrets.”

  No. That wasn’t right. I was his employee and didn’t want to be fired.

  “You know I can’t do that, Katrina,” was my patient reply. “It’s not right. That suitcase is private, and I can’t just go opening it.”

  She mock frowned, pouting.

  “But what if he has Viagra inside?” she wheedled. “This is your chance to find out!”

  I rolled my eyes, exasperated once again.

  “There’s no Viagra,” I said firmly, shutting the door. “And we’re moving on.”

  Just then low voices sounded outside, with footfalls clanging on the gangplank. Oh no! Thorn was back! I glanced at a clock. It had been almost two hours, and Mr. Evans had returned. And yet, here I was giving my buddy a tour of his plane.

  "I’m sorry, I have to go. Thorn’s going to board again soon."

  Katrina waggled her tongue. "Oooh, ‘Thorn.’ Already calling him by his first name, huh? Okay, bye. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!"

  I clicked off, hastily shoving the laptop into my bag. And right in time too, because Mr. Evans stepped into the small cabin then, his blue eyes roving over my form sensuously.

  “Hey,” he drawled. “How’s it going?”

  Things were great. Except that I was still dressed in my cat pajamas, hair rumpled.

  “Comfy, aren’t we?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.

  And at that moment, the engine kicked on. Oh god, oh god, kill me now.

  But Thorn was unfazed.

  “Come on, take a seat,” he invited, gesturing to one of the white leather chairs. This was weird. I should have been wearing my uniform, sitting in the staff quarters. But instead, the billionaire was inviting me to make myself comfortable in the main cabin. And completely unperturbed, acting like nothing was wrong, the alpha buckled himself in, turning to me with an expectant look.

  As the plane took off, I studied that handsome mien. There was no need to talk just yet with all the noise, but I wasn’t sure what to do going forwards.

  Because do I ask him how the meeting went? Do I ask him about his day? But that seemed too girlfriend-like. I was just a paid companion, here to help him relax. So what next?

  Calm down, the voice in my head spoke. You’re gonna be okay. You’ve already gone so far with him. Things are gonna be okay.

  Thorn[MJBB20] continued to remain silent as the plane leveled into cruising altitude. And then those sapphire eyes turned my way again.

  “So tell me about yourself,” he said smoothly.

  I gaped a little. There wasn’t much to tell what with the Burger Bistro position already out in the open.

  “I’m not sure,” were my soft words. “What would you like to know?”

  Those blue eyes looked at my quizzically.

  “Well, you said you’re from LeBar City. How’d your family end up there?”

  I paused for a moment. The story’s not great, but again, this man already about my humble past. There was no sense in holding back now.

  “My mom is disabled,” I said slowly. “And my dad hasn’t been in the picture for ages. Way back when I was two, we used to live with my grandma. It was real cramped, so my mom entered the lottery for public housing.”

  Thorn nodded.

  “Yeah, I know those lotteries. My conglomerate has built a couple of the affordable housing complexes, like Evergreen Lake and Forest Hills over in Queens.”

  I nodded.

  “Well, usually it takes years to get off the list. Except that because my mom is disabled, we got the call within a few months. And soon Kathy and I were able to move into LeBar City. It’s just a one-bedroom for the two of us, but we’re grateful.”

  Thorn nodded thoughtfully again.

  “So you go to school in the City?”

  “Yes,” was my slow reply. “I graduated from our local school. It was hard because I was working a couple jobs in addition to going school, but I’m proud of my degree.” Suddenly, tears filled my eyes even as my chin flew up. Because Thorn could never understand. He was a billionaire businessman for whom forty thousand dollars was nothing, just a rounding error. How could he know empathize with my plight?

  But the dark man nodded again.

  “Affordable housing can be expensive if you don’t have means,” he said smoothly. “But tell me sweetheart. What are you doing after this? You’re not going to be a flight attendant forever, are you?”

  I took a deep breath.

  “I’ll be one for as long as you’ll let me,” were my slow words. “Because we have medical debt. My mom has bills, they’ve been piling up for years now. And if you’ll have me,” I said, voice choking. “I’ll work long and hard to pay them off. It’s either that or bankruptcy.”

  Thorn sat back in his chair then, perplexed.

  “I thought you said your mother was on disability? Isn’t there medical care that goes along with that?”

  I took a deep breath even as my eyes filled with tears again.

  “Yes, but it’s just not enough,” was my slow reply. “My mom’s back has gotten worse. It’s one of those things where things look okay in x-rays, but the pain is excruciating. So we opted with an experimental treatment.”

  Thorn said nothing then, although those arched black eyebrows flew up.

  “Yes, experimental,” I confided, staring at my hands. “It’s the only way,” were my rushed words. “Kathy’s in such pain every day, and we were desperate. So when the doctor said he’d prescribe something off-label, we agreed.”

  “Has it worked?” the dark man growled, eyes intense.

  And to my shame, tears really began to roll down my cheeks then.

  “Yes, it helps with her pain,” I said softly. “But the thing is that we can’t afford it. We’ve been taking out credit cards to pay for her treatment. Insurance won’t cover off-label stuff, so maxing out cards was the only way. But we’re in a bad place,” I confided softly. “Our bill is well into the six figures now,” I said sadly. “Bankruptcy is probably the only option.”

  Thorn’s eyes grew faraway for a moment as he looked out the window.

  “I’m sorry to hear that, sweetheart,” was that low rumble. “Bankrtupcy is harsh, for sure,” he added. “But sometimes it’s the best option. It can clear your debts in one fell swoop, courtesy of the judge, leaving you with a clean record. You don’t have any student debt, do you?”

  I almost choked with laughter.

  “No, high school was free, and college isn’t in the works,” I said, just slightly bitter. “No student loans, thank goodness.”

  Mr. Evans nodded approvingly.

  “Good, because the bankrutpcy court won’t discharge those. Those never go away. But sweetheart, don’t be afraid of bankrutpcy if that’s what it comes to. It’s just a way of restructuring your personal finances.”

  My cheeks flamed. Because how could he understand? The prospect of turning to the courts for help made my cheeks flame. We’re poor, but bankruptcy was just so embarrassing. We had nothing anymore, paupers at the end of our tether.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, looking down as the cat pajamas aga
in. At least they were clean. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  But Mr. Evans could tell that my heart wasn’t in it. And a big hand seized mine then, that warmth enveloping my small palm.

  “Sweetheart, like I said, bankruptcy’s not the end of the world,” he growled. “Trust me, I know. I’ve taken companies through multiple restructurings. It’s just a way of giving yourself a fresh start.”

  But shame clogged my throat.

  “It just sounds bad,” I managed in a choked voice. “I can’t believe things got so bad.”

  Mr. Evans gave my hand another encouraging squeeze.

  “You’re gonna be fine, sweetheart. Trust me. I’ve been through bankruptcy before myself,” he tossed off.

  My gaze jerked up.

  “You have?”

  He nodded.

  “Sweetheart, like I said, it wasn’t personal bankruptcy. It wasn’t me, Thorn Evans, asking the court for relief. But it was bankruptcy all the same, just taking a bunch of Fortune 500 companies through the process. Trust me, honey, it’s not that bad. It’s just a bunch of paperwork and lawyers, and hopefully at the end, you get some relief.”

  I nodded tearfully.

  “We just have so much medical debt,” were my broken words. “I can’t pay it off anytime soon, not even with this new salary.”

  And with that, Thorn hauled me into his lap, crooning into my hair.

  “Shush, sweetheart. I know this is hard for you. It’s not easy, but nothing worth having ever comes easy. It sounds like you’ve been real brave, taking care of your mom while she’s on disability. It’s all gonna work out, I promise.”

  And with that, I let loose. Huge, honking cries came from my throat, tears drenching his business shirt. But Thorn never let go. The billionaire held me tight in his lap, cradling me close, and it felt good. Because I’ve never had someone there for me before. My family is poor, everyone caught up in their own problems. And Katrina’s too flighty, my best buddy always coasting on Cloud Nine.

  So to finally have someone listen and empathize felt good, even if he was my employer. Sure, it wasn’t appropriate, but you know what? It felt good to have someone listen for the first time in my life, to stand in my shoes and nod their head in agreement. And even if the billionaire couldn’t truly feel my pain … it felt good to know that he’d tried.

  ***

  I woke with a start.

  “Wha- where am I?” was my startled cry, jerking upright. Suddenly it all came rushing back. I’d confessed more of my impoverished past to Thorn Evans, the entire sad story coming out in a torrent, pathetic and small.

  But he hadn’t laughed. Instead, the billionaire had pulled me close, offering that big form as comfort. He’d talked to me about bankruptcy, framing it as a strategic alternative to endless debt, instead of the shameful, embarrassing event I’d made it out to be.

  And suddenly, my face flamed. Because oh god. I was still in his lap, that massive form cuddling my curves close.

  “Mr. Evans,” I whispered, cheeks flaming red. “I’m so sorry I fell asleep. I’ll get right up and get to it, I’m so sorry,” was my aghast cry, trying to get up from his oh-so-comfortable legs.

  But Thorn wouldn’t let me, instead tightening that warm circle around my waist.

  “Naw, no worries, sweetheart. You were pretty wrung out from the emotion,” he growled, blue eyes intense from two inches away. “Relax. No need to rush. We still have an hour before landing.”

  And that azure gaze was so mesmerizing from inches away. Oh god, how did I look? Like a silly girl for sure, my hair a mess, cheeks blotchy, and still dressed in these cheesy cat pajamas.

  But Thorn didn’t seem to care. He pulled me close again, resting that chin on my head.

  “You okay sweetheart?” he growled. “What you’ve been through is a lot for an eighteen year-old girl.”

  I took a shuddering breath, trying to summon some strength.

  “It is,” came my soft voice, caught between his neck and shoulder. “But it’s okay. I’ll survive. Mom and I have survived worse before,” I said in a small voice. “It’ll be fine.”

  He held me close, letting the heat from his big frame permeate my limbs. Oh god, it felt so good, like this man was a source of strength and power, supporting my trembling, weak self. It must be amazing to have a man like this on your side, a constant ally.

  But that was the stuff of dreams. I was a nobody who’d broken down on the job, no less. Seems that being on payroll couldn’t keep my emotions from tumbling forwards and spoiling the professional atmosphere.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered again, burying my face in the crook of that bronzed neck. “I’m sorry.”

  He trailed a kiss over my forehead, deep voice intimate.

  “No need to be sorry. But I’d like to play now, if you’re up for it.”

  Oh god, of course. That ravenous male hunger, unquenchable and unstoppable. But I was ready because Thorn had been so kind. The billionaire had no reason to sympathize with me. I was an employee after all, just a girl he paid for access to my body.

  But somehow, it’d turned into so much more. I’d cried into his shoulder, revealing my humble roots, the disaster that was my mom’s health, and our impossible financial situation. I’d made clear how this job was our salvation, and our only hope at digging ourselves out of a deep hole.

  And Thorn had listened. Kind and caring, the man hadn’t uttered a word of judgment. Instead, the alpha had nodded, speaking soothing words. Bankruptcy wasn’t so terrible, he intoned. It was a strategy to get yourself out of a financial pickle, just like anything else. There was no reason to be ashamed.

  So I was grateful to the alpha for his considerate ways and kind words. Who knew? I’d expect immediate dismissal after all that had happened, and yet clearly, Mr. Evans had other things on his mind.

  Because the male was looking at me ravenously now, devouring my heaving tits, the lush Double Ds curvy and full even under the flannel pajamas. One big hand had made its way to my thigh, resting there, warm and confident.

  And yes, I wanted it. So tipping my chin up, I looked into that blue gaze and brushed my lips against his.

  “Thank you,” was my soft mewl. “Thank you, I appreciate it so much.”

  To my surprise, the billionaire didn’t pounce immediately. Instead, he gripped my chin in strong fingers, that blue gaze fierce.

  “It’s no trouble, pretty thing,” he rasped hoarsely. “I’m from humble beginnings myself, and sweetheart, you have to remember, this is just life. You’ve done an amazing job making it this far, you’re gonna do great in the future.”

  And with a half-choked cry, this time I threw myself at him. Because somehow our positions had become reversed. Instead of the ravenous alpha devouring a sweet virgin, I’d become the virgin who desperately wanted to give myself to him. I wanted to show this man how much I adored his words, even after just a short while together.

  And this time, our kiss was pure fire. Heat sparked from our lips, tingles running to my fingers and toes, a low warmth burning in the pit of my belly.

  “Yes,” I cried against those sculpted lips, murmuring my assent. “Yes, yes.”

  And with that the fireworks exploded into an uncontrollable bonfire. His mouth descended on mine, all-consuming, hungry and male, devouring my lips as that hot breath grazed my cheek.

  “Yes, sweetheart,” he rasped. “Yes, my Holly.”

  And with that, we were in the back bedroom in a flash, the door latched shut leaving us in silence.

  “Sweetheart, are you sure you’re ready for round two?” he rasped, that big body male and dominating, huge in the small room. “This is so new to you.”

  But there was only one answer as emotions swirled in my chest, big brown eyes lifting to meet his with genuine sincereity.

  “Yes, Mr. Evans, I want this. I’m ready. Yes, please.”

  Thorn remained unmoving for a moment. The billionaire still had his suit on, and was making no move to take i
t off. His gaze burned into me, making my skin feel hot.

  “You look beautiful perched there,” he growled smoothly. “Lie down.”

  The duvet shifted as I relaxed my body onto the bed. The cool fabric made me shiver, and Thorn broke out in a grin.

  “Delicious,” he murmured. “Now, show me.”

  I lifted my head. “Show you?”

  He nodded, leaning against the wall. “I know you were thinking naughty thoughts while I was gone. It’s natural sweetheart, it was your first time with a man. So show me what you were thinking about.”

  My face burned as I realized what he meant. I was suddenly very aware that I was curled up on a bed, naked before him. Goosebumps raced down my arms, and I felt my body betray me as wetness leaked between my legs.

  He can’t really expect me to touch myself! And he’s going to watch? What if I look stupid?

  Oh god, I was in over my head already. Within two seconds, this play had already pushed my boundaries, stretching and expanding into new territory.

  But the air was different between us now. There was a meeting of a minds, and deep understanding that wasn’t there before. And I wanted this man, desperately. Not just because of the money, but because of who he was and what we could become together.

  I slid my hand down my stomach, toward my slit. Electricity flew through my nerves. A moan escaped my lips when I touched the sticky wetness, now trailing from my sex to my inner thighs. I spread my legs a little wider. Did this look alright? God, it was a little embarrassing, but I didn’t want to let that show when it felt so good.

  My body took over as I shut my eyes. I pretended Thorn wasn’t watching. Instead, I pretended that I was alone, dreaming of the big man. I pretended that his hard dick rammed into me, nearly splitting me open. I shuddered as my fingers recreated the moment for me, pushing into myself, my inner core, as it coated my hand in juices. I had never felt this aroused, home alone with my thoughts. This was incredible, though still not as good as him really inside me. I burned for him.

  Please touch me. This is torture.

  Slowly, my eyes drifted open and I saw him watching me. His pants revealed that he was hard, straining against the fabric.