Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
“That’s true. I hadn’t thought about that,” he says in a low tone. “Actually, I hadn’t thought much about the issue at all because I figured everyone wanted Harvard. But if Fairlawn makes you happy, then Fairlawn Community College it is. The Ivy League has nothing on the Falcons.” We smile at each other and continue enjoying our meal. But then my handsome lover looks up again.
“By the way, how’s your mom?” he asks with a one-sided smile. I roll my eyes
“It’s our special evening and you want to talk about Lily?” I laugh. He shrugs.
“I just want to make sure she’s happy and comfortable,” he replies with a shrug. “She’s your mother, and I want whatever makes you happy, honey.”
I’m touched by his concern.
“Lily’s doing well,” I reply thoughtfully. “Though I haven’t seen much of her lately. She seems to be keeping busy with enjoying her life here. You know that she’s active, right? She reads a lot, and she’s always immersed in at least three reality TV shows. I think the girls even have a card game going, although don’t tell anyone I told you.”
My man merely throws his head back and laughs.
“For real?”
I nod, biting my lip.
“For money, and all that. The buy-in’s something like ten bucks.”
He chuckles heartily again.
“Well, I think I can live with that. It’s not exactly casino-level, after all. We’ll hardly be putting Atlantic City out of business.”
I smile, but in truth I’m a little disappointed in my relationship with Lily because I actually don’t see much of her. I tried to meet up with my mom a few times at the beginning of my relationship with Logan, but she seemed a little dismissive, so I stopped trying. Part of me thinks she might be a little jealous, but I could be imagining things. Mostly, I’m slightly disappointed, because she and I had just started getting close again after so many years of her not being in my life. But perhaps that kind of mother-daughter relationship just isn’t in the cards for us.
“I’m not sure whether to continue letting them live here, actually,” muses Logan.
“Them?” I ask, my brow furrowing with confusion. “Who’s them?”
“The harem,” he clarifies. Suddenly, I’m all ears.
“What do you mean? You’re thinking of asking the other girls to leave?” He nods. “How come?”
Logan sighs, his expression going faraway for a moment.
“I think I’m outgrowing it,” he explains. “When I started the harem, I had too much time and money on my hands. My buddy, Jake, gave me the idea. He’s been keeping a harem for years, out in Closter. He likes his women under twenty-five, but I didn’t have a particular age preference. I just thought it would be cool to fill such a huge mansion with beautiful women having fun.”
“You succeeded at that,” I nod. “Everyone seems very happy here. How did you even find the women though?”
Logan nods.
“It started with a couple of women who were working as escorts at the time, and it kind of went from there. I invited them to stay with me, and they jumped at the opportunity. From there, word spread, I guess, and it’s not that surprising. A lot of women like living in leisure and not having to work.”
I nod slowly.
“Especially if they were working as escorts before.”
Logan nods.
“Yeah. It’s a hard life, even if some of the girls enjoyed it. They just like being here more. Besides, I have a ton of money, and I liked the idea of being able to provide a comfortable lifestyle for a bevy of women. The problem is that it’s gotten boring of late.” Boring? This surprises me. I suspected he wasn’t into that kind of lifestyle anymore, but to hear him refer to it so openly as “boring” is new.
“What changed? Was it something I did?” I ask innocently, but I think I know the answer. At least, I hope I know the answer.
“I think you know what changed,” winks Logan, inciting a warmth that spreads throughout my chest. “It was you, but that wasn’t the only factor because the boredom started before I met you, actually. I knew I needed a change, but I didn’t know what. I’d be surrounded by beautiful women, and I didn’t really care.”
“Wow,” I murmur. “This is eye opening.”
Logan nods.
“I know, right? But I was floating along with the status quo, and then you come along,” he continues, his eyes flashing with the memory of our first sexual encounter. “And it became crystal clear. I’ve enjoyed myself more with you in these last six months, Jasmine, than I have in years of living this playboy life.”
“You have?” I breathe, my heart racing. Logan nods.
“Our connection is nothing like I’ve ever felt before, honey,” he growls, his eyes locking onto mine with a burning intensity. “I didn’t know it was possible to be satisfied by just one woman, never wanting anyone else. Trust me, sweetheart – it surprises me too. But it is what it is, and I’ve given up trying to figure it out.”