[Insider] Window to Temptation Ch. 7 (Patreon)

Hey Friends! The next chapter of Window to Temptation is here and this one picks up right where the last one left off. Worlds start to collide and Cory's worldview starts to alter.

Hannah and I are pretty excited about where this one is heading. Thanks for sticking around for the ride.

In other news, I'm working on a couple of mystery projects I may share soon.

As always, this is the alpha. Can't wait to hear what everyone thinks.

Cory stood at the foot of the bed, her arms wrapped around herself. She could still smell him on her skin. The cinnamon lingered at the base of her throat every time she breathed, tying her stomach in knots. She could still taste the coffee and the scotch. She walked across the room in a daze, no different from the drive back to the hotel.

Everything happened so fast. One minute she was giving him a chakras reading and the next... She was in the bathroom now. She turned on the water, making it as hot as it could go. She didn't dare look at the mirror next to her as she undressed, grateful that steam was already beginning to fog it up.

When she did get in, the water was too hot, but she didn't bother to turn it down. She scrubbed her thighs. The inside of her wrist where his hand had been. Her chest.

Even better than I imagined.

Lawrence voice echoed in her ear and her nipples hardened. He liked her chest. He wouldn't stop staring at it... touching it.

She scrubbed harder, gritting her teeth. "You stupid, stupid, girl," she mumbled to herself, as her body turned red from the heat. The water did little to burn the ghost of his fingers away, but she was determined to try. Next, she pumped the cheap hotel bodywash onto her hand lathering her body with it in hopes that it would take away the scent of him, of her betrayal. It wasn't until the water turned cold that she reluctantly shut it off.

She stepped out and wrapped herself in the hotel robe. That's when it hit her. She hadn't checked her phone.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

She hurried back into her room and dug through her bag.

Three missed calls.

Her stomach rolled. He's been calling because he changed his mind. Because he didn't want me to go. She called him back, on the verge of tears.

He picked up on the first ring.

"Cory."

"Hi." Her voice cracked. "Hi, I'm um, I'm back at the hotel. I just, hi."

"Hey."

He didn't call her babe. He always called her babe, or baby. It sounded so distant, so void of emotion. This was it. He hated her. He hated her and he was going to tell her to not come home. Tears rolled down her cheek before she realized it was happening. She sucked in a breath.

"I... I went," she said, and then it was just out of her, all of it at once. "I expected him to be cocky, to hate him, but then he asked for a chakras reading, and my hand was on him." She sniffled. "He kissed me, Hunter. I mean... I... kissed him. And then his hands were on me, and mine were on him and—"

"Did you... did you sleep with him."

Cory didn't even hear the question through her sobs. "I'm sorry, Hunter. I'm so fucking sorry."

"Cory. Stop. Breathe. We'll get through this. I mean I... Part of me I guess wanted it to happen. For you to fuck him. I just didn't—"

"What?" Cory wiped her eyes. "I... I didn't fuck him."

There was silence on the other end. Cory held her breath. She wanted to see him, to touch him.

"You didn't?"

"No. I mean... He... he fingered me and I almost but... I didn't."

"I... I want to know. I... I need to know exactly what happened."

Cory's breath started to even out. He didn't sound mad, like he hated her. That was good, but she still needed to touch him, to smell him.

"I know but... Can it wait until I get home tomorrow? I... I just I want to be with you, like to see that you're not like mad."

"I'm not mad."

"Okay."

"I love you, Cory."

"You don't have to say that yet, you haven't even, like, you don't even know what I—"

"I love you. Did you hear me?"

"Yeah." Tears welled in her eyes again. How could he love her? How could she be so lucky. "I love you, too."

The silence stretched. She listened to him breathe and she prayed he wasn't going to hang up. They didn't have to talk. She just wanted to listen to him breathing.

"There's, um." He cleared his throat. "There's something I gotta tell you, too. The reason I called."

She pulled her lip between her teeth, her heart rate picking back up.

"Okay."

"I had beers with Zach last night."

She sat up a little straighter on the bed.

"He was going on about Morgan. About, like, how things have been with them. How things are better and Morgan can't keep her hands off of him."

"That makes sense. Like, Morgan said—"

"I don't think he knows, Cor."

She heard herself gasp.

"How? How can you be sure?"

Hunter laughed. "Because it's Zach. I mean like he didn't come out and say it, and I didn't either." He took a breath. "But he doesn't know. I'm sure of it."

"But... That means Morgan's..." She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Yeah."

They were silent after that. Morgan was cheating on Zach, and she hadn't told Cory. Worse than that, she'd led Cory to believe that her and Zach were happier than ever because of the affair with Luther. Cory had used that as rationalization to go see Lawrence. Or maybe she was just telling herself that. Maybe somewhere deep down she knew Zach didn't know and Cory was so focused on her own insecurities she jumped to that conclusion herself because deep down she wanted what Morgan had.

"It's late," Hunter whispered. "You should get some sleep. You have an early flight."

"I... I can't wait to see you."

"I know, baby. Get some sleep."

Baby. He'd called her baby. They were going to be okay.

"I love you, Hunter."

"I love you too, Cory."

She let the phone sit against her ear long after he'd hung up. The last twelve hours of her life playing on a loop in her head. She eventually set the phone on the nightstand and laid back. The ceiling fan turned. She welcomed the cool air, her body still felt hot. The pulse between her legs having never really died down after her encounter with Lawrence. She lied to herself and said it was anticipation for her homecoming with Hunter. Her fingers rested on her thigh. The robe had fallen open, but despite the growing heat she didn't dare touch herself.

Hunter had barely slept. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Cory. Except, it wasn't just Cory. It was her and Lawrence. He saw the stripper from his trip to Cleveland. He saw Cory bent over Lawrence’s desk, just like Lawrence had promised. It wasn’t only the images that kept him awake, but the painfully hard erection that followed them.

By the time the sun came up, so was Hunter. He headed straight to the garage, where he started an intense workout. The heavy bag swayed beneath the force of his punches, chains rattling with every hit. Sweat poured down his back within minutes. From there, he moved onto the bench, racking the bar with forty-five pound plates as he tried to focus on the burn of the workout and nothing else.

His phone buzzed on the floor and he paused to drink water.

Landed. Grabbing an Uber now. I'll be home soon. I love you.

He stared at it. She'd told him not to pick her up from the airport. She didn't want to face him in public, unsure of how emotional it would be. He turned up the volume of his headphones and let 'Those Once Loyal' fuel him as he laid back for another set.

I didn't fuck him. That part he believed. He'd believed it on the phone and he believed it now and it wasn't the part doing this to him.

It was the rest. He fingered me and I almost... The almost. What did almost mean? His arms burned as he threw up 225 like it weight nothing. Had she taken him in her mouth? His grip tightened around the bar as he imagined Cory on her knees in front of Lawrence, his fingers tangled in her hair. Or maybe she was sprawled out on his desk, her toned legs wrapped around his waist as he teased her clit. Did he start to push into her before she stopped him?

He knew Lawrence enough to know that he wouldn't stop trying. Once he knew what he wanted he would stop at nothing until he got it. The analysis Hunter did proved that much. Despite his cost savings, Lawrence wanted to cut head count, so he did it. He didn't care who was affected by his decisions. And what he wanted now was Cory.

He racked the bar with a grunt, sweat pouring off his body. His cock was throbbing, and he wasn't sure he was ready to admit why. He grabbed his towel, wiping his face. She would be home in twenty minutes, he needed a shower.

Fifteen minutes later, he stepped out of the shower smelling fresher, but not much else. He pulled on jeans and a t-shirt and headed downstairs. His morning coffee was still on the table. He'd barely touched it. He picked it up and carried it to the sink, rinsing the cup. Birds were chirping outside as the neighborhood started to come to life.

She'd be home any minute.

He poured a glass of water, drinking it in a single gulp. His pulse hadn't slowed down since the workout. He kept telling himself it would, once she was actually in front of him, once he could hold her and ensure she was still his.

A car turned onto the street and his stomach knotted.

The Uber rolled past the front of the house and stopped at the curb. He watched her thank the driver, and pull her bag from the back seat. She looked the same as when she left, except everything had changed.

The front door opened and everything seemed to slow down. Cory stood in the door, her hair pulled into a messy bun. She wore a pair of black leggings and one of Hunter's oversized Northwestern t-shirts. For a moment they just stared at each other, then her lips curved into a nervous smile.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey." He took a step forward from the kitchen sink.

She dropped her bag by the door and rushed into the kitchen without stopping. Her face buried into his chest, her arms around his back.

He smothered her with his body. She was warm from the car. She smelled like herself, that was the first thing he noticed. He wasn't sure what he expected really. That she would smell like Lawrence, like sex? He pulled her tighter, his jaw sitting at the top of her head.

She wasn't crying. That surprised him slightly, not because he wanted her to cry or feel bad, but after last night's phone call, he'd expected tears. Instead she was taking deep breaths, like he was her oxygen. He felt her fingers tighten in the fabric of his shirt.

"I missed you so fucking much," she mumbled into the cloth.

She pulled back slightly, her eyes searching his. "Hunter—" Her hand came up. "I wanted to, like, do this in person. I had this whole, y'know, I had stuff I wanted to say to you, and I—"

He tilted her chin and kissed her. She was too beautiful to resist, and the moment was too perfect. Her body tensed then relaxed and she melted into his arms. Her lips parted and she deepened the kiss, throwing her arms over his shoulders.

All the questions he had about last night evaporated. He craved this woman. The more he kissed her, the more he needed her. His hands found her ass and gripped, pulling her up into him, and he wasn't going to be able to stop now even if she asked him to.

She moaned into his mouth as he lifted her shirt over her head. His quickly followed. He backed them up slowly until his hips hit the counter. Then, he was tugging at the waistband of her leggings, pulling them down her toned ass.

"Hunter, shouldn't we talk about—"

"No." He spun her around, causing her to crash into the counter with a yelp. He ignored it, tossing her leggings aside. His fingers dug into the soft flesh of her backside, lifting her and setting her onto the cool tile.

Her fingers went to his jeans, pulling them down as his body crashed against her. He stepped out of them and her legs locked around his hips, pulling him in tight enough that she could feel him through his boxers. She moaned, her forehead pressed against his.

He pulled back. Just enough to look at her.

She was on the counter, bare. The realization hit him like a truck. She'd flown home with no bra or panties on. Was it because she knew this was going to happen? Or was it something darker? Had she seen Lawrence again this morning? Did he take what he couldn't have last night?

Despite knowing how absurd it sounded, jealousy burned through Hunter like lava. His eyes traveled over her body. Her chest was flushed pink down to her collarbone, her hair half out of the bun and falling around her shoulders. Her nipples were hard. There was a faint mark on the inside of her thigh. He couldn't remember if it had always been there or not, and the thought made him throb with both jealousy and desire.

Was this how Lawrence saw her?

The thought made him dizzy. Did Lawrence get to look at her on a desk in Cleveland. Were her nipples this hard for him? His gaze traveled between her legs. Her pussy glistened in the low light. She had the stubble of a couple of days of growth, but was otherwise bare. Was she wet for Hunter or Lawrence?

He pushed his boxers down his legs, freeing his cock, and stepped between her waiting thighs. She grabbed it, positioned it against her slit, and winced as she thrust her hips forward. Her moan seethed out through gritted teeth.

"You're soaked."

She wrapped her arms around him, for intimacy, he thought at first, or maybe for leverage. She threw her hips into his, nearly knocking him backward.

"Fuck me," she hissed.

Not needing to be told again, his hand found her neck, holding her firm against the countertop as he pushed into her with a force that shocked them both.

"Uh, uh, uh. Ohhh fuck." Her nails dug into his shoulders as he continued his rapid pace. "Just like that, baby."

He drove into her harder and she gasped and her free hand went to her breast, pinching her own nipple. Her mouth sought his, their tongues glancing off each other as their teeth clashed. Her heels hooked around his ass, pulling him flush against her.

"Uggggh fuck. You feel so deep. So... fucking... deep."

Her hands tangled in his hair and she pulled his mouth to her breast. His tongue circled her nipple. His teeth gripping the hard nub. She gasped and her hand flew to the back of his head, holding him there, and he kept fucking her through it. The counter rattled. The pepper wobbled off, shattering onto the floor.

He wasn't actually angry with her. She didn't do anything wrong. He'd told her to go. She'd called and said she was angry about what he said. She was looking to vent and he said it was okay. That he trusted her, that he fantasied about...

"Oh God. Ohhhh fuck, Hunter. I'm gonna cum."

Sweat dripped off his forehead as he leaned into her. Her nails racked his back, drawing blood. He didn't slow down. If anything, the realization made him drive harder, faster. He gripped her waist with one hand and the back of her neck with the other and drove into her.

Her head fell back against the cabinet. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out as her eyes rolled back. Her thighs were shaking against his hips. Her pussy clenched around him.

"Fuuuck... Oh.. Mmmph..."

Her hand went to his forearm, drawing fresh blood, as the other gripped the edge of the counter. Her legs locked around his waist, her hips tilting up as her pussy clenched and spasmed around him. Her pussy gripped him so hard he had to grit his teeth to keep from going with her. He kept moving, slower now, working her through the aftershocks, her body trembling around him and her chest heaving against his.

"Mmmm fuck. Hunter I—"

His hands slid under her ass, feeling her unclench and he lifted her into his arms, his cock still sheathed deep inside her. Her arms wrapped around his neck on instinct.

"Uhhhhh," she whined, as her juices flooded his shaft.

Beauty should be shared.

Luther's voice, flooded his brain as he backed Cory into the wall, knocking the picture of her and Morgan to the floor shattering it.

Cory's hips matched his pace. If she was sore or tired, she wasn't showing it. She was riding him on the way down, every drop of her weight driving her onto him.

Was that what he was doing? Sharing her? The thought didn't disgust him in the way he thought it would. After all, Hunter had always thought Cory was sexy. It was her who didn't believe it. Was that why he pushed her toward Lawrence? Did she believe him now?

"Harder." She said it so softly, he thought he imagined it. Then her teeth sank into his neck. "Fuck me harder, baby. Like I deserve."

She wanted him to make it hurt. She wanted to be punished for what she'd done and she wanted him to be the one to do it.

He drove into her with everything he had. His hand drifting to her throat.

"Yes— uggh, yes—" She pressed her neck into his grip. He could already feel her body climbing again. The wet sound of their bodies slapping together filled the air. His breathing had grown ragged, his hips pushing deeper into her velvet grip. Her slickness seeped out around him, running down their bodies.

He drove forward one final time, his vision turning white. "UUUGHHH," Hunter threw his head back, his cock swelling inside of Cory. The sensation triggered her orgasm as her body clenched around him. Her face contorted, her mouth hung open as jet after jet erupted from him. His grip on her neck loosened as he slumped forward, a final pulse passing through him as he used the wall to support himself.

"Fuck." She slid down his body, her arms staying wrapped around his neck for support. "Hunter that was—"

"I love you, Cory." He pressed his forehead to hers. "I love you, so fucking much."

Morgan closed the door to Luther and Dafni's home. The click of the latch, the rasp of the rusty bottom hinge of the screen door, she'd memorized both. Her hair was a mess. She was still sweating, still flushed, her skin alight with the afterglow of another seismic orgasm. Her thighs were slick. Luther's load was nestled in her freshly fucked pussy and she could feel it shift as she stepped onto the porch.

She'd always been a profoundly sexual person. It was part of her, part of her love language, part of how she moved through the world. Luther just knew it. Saw it in her before she'd even admitted it to herself. Being with him wasn't submission, she was elevated with each of their encounters, in a way she didn't know existed. For the first time in years, she felt free.

She started down the sidewalk toward her home, a mere five houses away.

The first time she'd fucked Luther, she felt guilty, awful. She'd cried for ten minutes after, convinced that she had done something profoundly wrong and ruined anything she had with Zach. It was actually Dafni who comforted her and told her that 'her joy was Zach's joy'.

She didn't believe it at first, but now, it was clear. Zach was happier than ever. It was like he was suddenly the version of himself she'd been asking him to be for years. He'd make her coffee in the mornings, ask how her day was. He even suddenly developed the ability to find his own clothes for work. Despite the contradictions, the hypocrisy that lingered in her mind, she knew she'd made the right choice. For both of them.

Zach didn't have to know, and even if he did, she knew that he would come to terms with it. He loved her, truly, and love as she had learned wasn't about letting go, but offering "more".

She walked up and threw open the door to their home, hard enough that it slammed against the wall.

Zach jumped out of his chair. "Holy shit, you scared the fuck out of me!"

"Sorry." She shut it behind her, just as hard. "Get up."

He blinked at her. ESPN was on behind him, the volume low. That used to annoy her, the way he'd always have sports on in the background. She used to try to compete with it, like she needed to prove to herself that he loved her more than the stupid TV.

Now, when she looked at him, she saw the man underneath. The way he filled out his jeans. The one who slow danced with her in the kitchen when they were drunk. He was still that same person. He'd just gotten comfortable. His shirt was stained with coffee. His hair stuck to the side of his head from leaning against the chair. She used to expect him to be a mind reader, to know what she wanted without her saying it. She was past that now.

"I want you to fuck me. Right now."

"Damn." His face shifted into the cocky smirk he used to give when they first started dating. "I mean, you don't have to tell me twice."

She bit her lip and giggled, still finding his enthusiasm to be charming, reminding her of why she fell in love with him to begin with. She kissed him before he got the shirt all the way over his head. Her hand went to the front of his pants, stroking him.

"Allow me to help," she teased.

He moaned in delight, tossing his shirt aside. She wasn't a bad person. She was a good wife. The proof was right here, in her hand.

Cory's back was sore when she woke up. She could barely contain the grin when she thought about why. Hunter was like an animal when she got back. Their kitchen looked like a tornado rolled through the house. Then, when she tried to leave to talk to Morgan he took her again, right there in the living room. It was hot and primal and a million other things she couldn't describe. But now, after a night of sleep, her body was screaming.

The only thing that worried Cory about yesterday was the lack of actual conversation her and Hunter had. Every time she brought it up, he was on her again. They hadn't had sex that much since their honeymoon. Even then, it was that aggressive.

She made a cup of coffee, and set it on the table. Her eyes drifted to a broken photo frame on the floor. She stepped over the glass and bent down. It was a picture of her and Morgan on spring break. They'd rented a cheap hotel on the beach in Cancun. She smiled, running her finger of the splintered glass. Despite having no money, they spent every night at the bar, never without a drink.

She needed her friend.

She walked over without texting first. Halfway there she almost turned around twice. By the time she reached Morgan's porch she was already rehearsing how to bring it up casually, the way Morgan would, like it was nothing.

She knocked.

Morgan opened the door and Cory nearly toppled them both over lunging into the hug.

"Jesus, Cor—"

"I missed you." Cory's voice broke a little. "I just figured I'd drop by. We could catch up." She didn't even notice Dafni sitting on the couch that faced the window that overlooked the street. By the time Cory noticed Dafni, she had already risen and quickly hugged her. Dafni's skin was cool, and Cory could have sworn she whispered something in her ear.

Dafni stepped back and put her arm around Morgan's shoulder. "So nice to see you once more. It has been too long." She tilted her head. "You look different, no?"

Cory's mouth went dry. "Thanks. I hope you mean like... I look good. Right?"

"Of course. Yes. What I mean, is no lie. You have brighter eyes."

Morgan smirked. "You do, Cor. All natural. I love it."

Dafni was already turning back toward the couch. Morgan followed her without seeming to decide to, and the next hour was the two of them and a chair Cory was sitting in. They talked about the weather, not the way neighbors did, but like each shift in temperature was a small revelation. They talked in low voices about books they'd been reading, tomes they'd shared, only casually hinting that one was waiting for Cory if she wanted it. Cory kept catching her own reflection in the dark screen of Morgan's TV. Maybe coming here was a mistake.

When Dafni finally stood to leave, the room exhaled. Cory hadn't realized she'd been holding her shoulders against her ears.

The front door clicked shut.

Morgan dropped onto the couch beside her and pulled her legs up against her chest. "Alright, you little slut. Spill it. I want deets about Cleveland."

Cory laughed for real this time. It was Morgan. The Morgan she remembered. The Morgan who used to grill her about every bad decision Cory ever made and then talk her into making one more.

"Ok. Wow. That was forward."

"You knew what this was."

"Lawrence and I met up."

"After hours or during the day? Ooooh I hope it was during the day, so, so much nastier."

"It was at night. Discretion and all that."

"Boring." Morgan grinned. "Keep going."

"It started off slow. But it escalated fast. Like, really fast."

Morgan's eyes were getting wider. Her legs had recrossed once already and she was raking her nails along the outside of her thigh. "Was he big? Longer than Hunter?"

"Umm..." Cory paused. "No, not longer. He was thick. Like...really, really thick. Like muscular I guess?"

Morgan giggled. "Muscular? What the fuck!? God I wish I could have seen it."

Cory's cheeks blushed. "You would have been impressed. I...I was."

"What did he feel like? God I bet you needed a wheelchair to get out of there."

"No. We didn't go that far."

Morgan's mouth opened. "What. Cory. Are you kidding? What the fuck?"

"I wasn't ready! He fingered me and I came. Like, hard. My vision actually fucking blurred."

"And you left him hanging?" Morgan smacked her on the arm. "You selfish bitch."

"Stop, I'm serious. I got scared."

"Why? Did it feel too good?"

Cory paused. It was better than good, it was explosive, she had never felt like that in her entire life. However the singular reason why she didn't go further, why she couldn't, despite her body yearning for more was Hunter. The path they were on together was not only terrifying, it had no assurance, and if anything went wrong, she couldn't stand the thought of losing Hunter, of losing each other.

"I just wasn't ready. But it did feel amazing."

Morgan smirked. "How does it feel? Now that you're starting to experience more of what the world has to offer? Being free. Sharing."

Cory studied her friend. It was an odd thing to say. Morgan had moved closer to her, leaning forward until her head nearly touched Cory's arm. She seemed different, but Cory couldn't quite pinpoint why.

"I don't know," Cory said. "Good. But scary. It's hard to say."

Morgan nodded, like that was the answer she'd expected. Then she was Morgan again, sitting straighter. The color seemed to come back to her cheeks.

"Okay, my turn. I love a little game of kiss and tell. So... you know how we used to think Luther and Dafni were swingers?"

Cory nodded, trying her best to act surprised by what Morgan was about to say to her.

"Well, let's just say Luther and I have had a lot of fun. Cory, that man can fuck."

Cory's jaw dropped. Despite already knowing the details, hearing Morgan say it in such a matter-of-fact tone caught her off-guard.

"You're kidding?"

"Best sex of my life. Like, holy fuck, Cory, you have no idea. It's like an addiction. Like, I've had some cocks in my time, but Luther... god."

"So... you and Zach are swingers?"

Morgan laughed, shaking her head. "Not exactly. He um... he doesn't know. But I don't think he would care. Our sex life has been insane ever since."

"And Dafni?" Cory shifted in her seat. Part of her was glad Morgan was confiding in her, but she couldn't shake how wrong it was. Morgan wasn't this person.

"Dafni is..." Morgan smirked. "She's happy to share. It was actually her idea."

"Does Zach know?" Despite asking, Cory knew the truth. Even if Zach didn't.

"Listen... I think you should tell Zach."

Morgan's eyes narrowed. "Maybe. If he's ever ready. I will. But for now, it's not a problem. He loves me. He loves us."

There were a hundred things she wanted to say. That Zach not knowing wasn't the same as Zach being okay. That Morgan was making a decision for him he hadn't gotten to make for himself. That 'He loves us' was a sentence Cory had never heard Morgan say before. But none of those words came.

"Well, umm I have to get going. Like there's a ton to do for work and yeah... I need a head start."

"No problem!" Morgan stood with her and pulled her into another hug. "I'm so glad I got to share this with you. It has been like nothing I've ever experienced."

They hugged briefly and it was Cory who pulled back first.

The walk home was slower. At first the confession was fun, it felt like when they had first bonded, as it had progressed Cory felt off again, something was deeply wrong about what was occurring between them all, and yet something was animating, connecting all of their twisted desires.

She headed home. The world was still.

No matter what Cory did, what music she played or mindless entertainment she put on, the house still felt silent, sterile, and empty without Hunter there. Taken away for work again, she was already wondering if he was worried about what she could do while he was away. If he was thinking about her the same way she was thinking about him. About what had happened, what they shared, and what could emerge from it all.

She texted him. "I love you. And I miss you." Sending it made her feel more comfortable, more connected, a safe reminder of what they had together. With her anxiety eased, she went to meal prep for the week, which had always made her life easier, despite being split between two places and seemingly two separate lives, she still had to eat.

Finding the focus to do so however, felt impossible to her. At first it manifested as something simple, not remembering where the olive oil was.

Nervously she checked her email.

Two unread emails from Lawrence. One from his Nexus account clearly regarding business prospects, the other from his private address the lack of a subject saying all it needed to. Another unread email below from "Leandra Ramos, Cerberus Security". It's subject as direct as she imagined it to be: "Digital Signature Requested. Return ASAP." Another layer of complexity that Cory didn't have the stamina or headspace to even consider.

The further she orbited the world of Nexus and Lawrence, the tenser things were becoming. The harder it was to separate fantasy from what had happened and what could still happen in the future. She had left him unfulfilled, and he wasn't going to forget that, working relationship or not, through what she now considered to be a horribly foolish decision, she had given Lawrence even more power.

She set her phone down, sighing loudly as she walked over to the window on the side of the house, peeling back the gossamer thin blinds, and glimpsing out to the yard next door, Luther was using a shovel, digging deep down into the earth. He had just started from what she could surmise, the tilled soil and dirt slowly forming into a small mound.

Morgan's words had embedded themselves in Cory's thoughts. About the prowess and sheer pleasure Luther was capable of delivering. He had awakened something in Morgan that Cory didn't even know existed. The purity in Morgan's eyes, the devotion she held regarding Luther's cock and talents was severe, no lies or embellishment. Cory had known Morgan long enough to tell the difference between willful exaggeration and biting truth.

As she watched Luther continue digging, she saw the layer of sweat on his brow and rotund body, t-shirt fully damp and highlighting every unpleasant contour of his frame. But despite his exertion, he was near tireless, while Cory was thinking about how exhausted she was observing him, he didn't seem to even notice.

It was just like when she saw him fucking Morgan through the window. It was carnal, brutal, and from the expression on Morgan's face, pure ecstasy. Her thoughts fractured, trying to reconcile what she was thinking, what she was already picturing.

Luther over her, the bulk of him, the weight pressing her into the mattress. The smell of him, sweat and earth from a morning in the yard. His hand finding the back of her neck and pinning her down. She could almost hear him in her head. Sure was sweet of you to finally let me get a taste, Darlin'.

He was thick, Morgan had said so herself. Really, really thick. Cory's mind went to Lawrence, to the way his fingers had stretched her in the office, the way her vision had blurred. Is that what Morgan had felt with Luther? Was it better?

She stepped back from the window and collapsed on the couch. "What the fuck is wrong with me? No. Absolutely not. This is insane."

She knew that Luther was with Morgan and Dafni for a reason. They were stunning. Dafni's presence alone was completely arresting, of course she was intelligent, kind, and approachable, despite her appearance. Yet, at the same time she seemed unreachable, like a beautiful vision of what perfection would look like.

Morgan also, was a wish made true, she could have had near anyone, and she chose Zach out of love and fondness. But there was always more to her. Luther was what she was missing.

Cory's mind wandered again, Morgan and Dafni slavishly working together to please him, their tongues wrapping around his shaft as their eyes locked together. Cory knew that would never be her.

She had something else. After what had happened with Lawrence and the way Hunter had fucked her after, was unreal. It was nearly the same as what Morgan was experiencing. Except Cory and Hunter were honest, about everything. Despite their fears, their anxieties, something new was taking shape, while something familiar between Morgan and Zach was being erased.

At least that was what she told herself. She thought about Luther again, that moment where she saw past that pane of glass and felt like she was standing in the room with them both. "No. No this is insane. Hunter wouldn't be ok with this. I mean, how would I even bring it up?"

She sighed, ignoring the texts coming in and pushing away her tasks for the day. She needed to talk to Hunter. Like really talk to him, about what happened in Cleveland and her homecoming and everything else. Her gaze went back to the window. Luther was still out there, his shirt covered in sweat. What the fuck was wrong with her?