Calling the Shots
Calling the Shots
By Christine d’Abo
He’s had a wild ride, and now sex club owner Josh Scott is
looking for a change of scene. But first, he’s determined to bring two friends
together, and he’s willing to be a third wheel to move things along…
Beth Norris is eager to be set up with hot bartender Oliver
Stephenson, but she’s equally attracted to matchmaker Josh. Soon she’s
fantasizing about both men at once—and about being the one to call the shots in
the encounter…
Ready to move on with his life post-divorce, Oliver is
conflicted by the realization that he’s attracted to women
and
men. Or more specifically, to Beth and Josh. He
tries to keep his distance, but it’s not long before the chemistry between the
trio combusts in a night of mind-blowing sex.
In the light of day, it’s clear something deeper than desire
is growing between Josh, Beth and Oliver. But though Josh has helped others find
love in unconventional relationships, is he willing to take a chance on one
himself?
68,000 words
Dear Reader,
I love October because it’s the perfect month for my favorite season: fall. I adore the sights, sounds, smells and feel of the fall season. Pumpkins and straw bales, colorful mums and burning woodsmoke. And the crisp, cool weather that’s perfect for sitting on the porch and reading a book while sipping hot apple cider.
This month, we have an excellent variety of books perfectly suited to this very thing, starting with
All He Ever Desired,
Shannon Stacey’s latest Kowalski family contemporary romance. As always, Shannon delivers a captivating romance with just the right touch of light humor. Joining her in the contemporary romance category is HelenKay Dimon with
Lean on Me,
the second book in her trilogy. Make sure to check out her first Carina Press title,
It’s Not Christmas Without You,
and look for
We’ll Be Home for Christmas,
coming in December 2012.
If you’re gearing up for Halloween and are in the paranormal mood, check out Regan Summers’s newest novel,
Running in the Dark.
Debut author Bryn Donovan offers a wonderful paranormal romance in
Sole Possession,
while Diana Copland’s male/male paranormal romance
A Reason to Believe
will haunt you long after you’ve read the last page. And joining Diana with a male/male release is L.B. Gregg and her rerelease
Men of Smithfield: Seth and David.
Fans of steampunk romance will be thrilled to see new releases from two of our favorite steampunk authors: Cindy Spencer Pape and Jenny Schwartz. Look for
Moonlight & Mechanicals
and
Courting Trouble
to release in mid-October. And as an aside, can I tell you how much I love Jenny’s series name of The Bustlepunk Chronicles? It’s a perfect fit for this series about a spunky young woman in steampunk Australia.
I’m thrilled to welcome Val Roberts to Carina Press with her newest science-fiction romance novel,
The Valmont Contingency.
Val and I worked together in the past and I love her voice! And returning to us with another release in the fantasy romance genre is Karalynn Lee. If you’ve never had the pleasure of immersing yourself in one of Karalynn’s worlds, now’s the time to check out
Heart of the Dragon’s Realm.
My team is especially excited about this next book from Julie Rowe. As fans of
Downton Abbey,
they fell in love with the first book in her new historical romance series set during World War I,
Saving the Rifleman.
If you’re wondering where the romantic suspense is, not to worry, Kate Sherwood offers up a spine-tingling suspense,
Shadow Valley.
And mystery author Janis Patterson returns with her newest novel,
Beaded to Death.
To round out the month of October, we have two spicy erotic romances to tempt you. With
No Reservations,
Lilly Cain kicks off her new erotic series, Bad Girls Know. Last, but definitely not least, the book from Christine d’Abo’s Long Shots series I’ve been waiting for. Mouthwatering sex club owner Josh is finally going to get his own happily ever after and you don’t want to miss the mind-blowing chemistry Christine has written to get him there in
Calling the Shots.
We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to
[email protected]
. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.
Happy reading!
~Angela James
Executive Editor, Carina Press
www.carinapress.com
www.twitter.com/carinapress
www.facebook.com/carinapress
Dedication
For Mark.
Acknowledgements
There are always special people who help poke an author to keep her going when a story gets hard. Thank you so much to my buddy J. K. Coi who is always there to lend an ear and bounce ideas off of. To my editor, Deb, who wouldn’t let me settle and made sure I gave Josh the best possible story. And finally, to all the readers of the Long Shots series who asked for this one. Thank you!
Contents
Chapter One
Josh stood back and admired his handiwork. The tables and chairs that normally ringed the dance floor of Mavericks had been removed, opening up the large space. Mountains of pillows were piled up around, creating islands of comfort where his members would be able to roll around together. Last year the biggest complaint had been about the low number of spots where people could get horizontal and play. He’d made double sure to fix the issue this year by quadrupling their pillow order and covering the entire dance area with a gigantic velour rug.
No one wanted to get naked on cold marble after all.
He and the staff had spent the better part of a week getting his club ready for their latest theme night. Josh had worked out every detail and spared no expense when it came to the little details that would make the party memorable. He’d even brought the cleaning service in for an extra extended session, washing down every surface and replacing any silicon toy that looked even a little used.
Nothing was more entertaining than receiving a sex toy shipment and handing them over to the cleaning company for setup. Especially if there was a new employee who’d never worked at Mavericks before.
The annual X-rated pajama party had fast become a club favorite, and one he personally enjoyed participating in. He’d even go so far as to slip into a pair of pajama bottoms, sans T-shirt, foregoing his normal leather attire. The staff would tease him about his dressed-down appearance, telling him he needed to relax like that more often. Not that he ever listened.
This year held a bit more pressure for him as he fully intended to show off for some investors he’d been wooing for well over two months now. Snagging their support would get him one step closer to opening the new club in Montreal. It was an opportunity he’d been trying to secure for a few years now, but the timing or the money had never worked out. Not until recently. With a hold on the perfect location only requiring the rest of his deposit, and the balance of funding now only a contract signature away, Josh was humming with anticipation. It was like his arrival in Toronto—the excitement of a fresh start.
“Josh, do you think we should put the rubber sheets down in the Black Room or keep them in the Gold?”
Beth Norris, his assistant manager and close friend, stood at the top of the stairs, hands on her hips and a smirk on her face. She’d piled up her long blond hair into something that would have resembled a bun at one point during the day. Now, tendrils escaped to kiss the tops of her shoulders and neck. It was a sexy look for her. Not that he’d ever dare tell her that.
“We ran out of room last year, didn’t we?” He knew it was terrible to be staring at her breasts, but from this angle and the way she was thrusting her hip out to the side, Beth was positively edible.
“Oil too. I think if we move it to the Black Room, it will give people more room to slide around. But it might upset some of the voyeurs as there isn’t a two-way in that one.”
Ah, another day at the office.
“We can’t upset the voyeurs now, can we?” It was these small challenges that kept him going, driving forward while he continued to foster a safe haven for his members. “Let’s take the door off the room for the night. That will at least make it easier to see in, even if it’s not a perfect solution.”
Beth let out a huff, blowing one of the errant strands of hair near her mouth. “Can you come up here to talk so I don’t have to yell?”
A soft chuckle drifted over from the direction of the bar, where Oliver was busy stocking beer and soft drinks in preparation for the big night. He wasn’t looking at Josh, but it was obvious his attention was fixed on the conversation as he lifted cases of glasses and alcohol.
“But if I do that, Oliver can’t hear us as well.”
“Hard
not
to hear you, the way the two of you yammer on. Loudly.”
“Are you talking back to your boss?”
“Who, me?” Oliver batted his eyes at Josh. “I’d never dream of it, sir.”
“I will come down there and smack both of you if you don’t behave.” Beth’s growl was only half-playful. Josh had been on the receiving end of one of her hits before, and she damn well packed a wallop. “I’m up here working my ass off and what are the two of you doing? I bet neither of you have finished the jobs on your list yet. Right?”
“I was just about to put some pillows under the cross.” Josh picked up a pillow by his feet and waved it around. “That should be it for me. The cleaners finished up already.”
The St. Andrew’s Cross was his pride and joy, along with being the club’s centerpiece. He’d always been able to pick out newcomers by their reaction to seeing it for the first time. It was large and imposing, taking up a huge section of the room. Thick black leather cuffs dangled from brushed metal chains in front of the dark wood.
He’d situated it high on a stage so those who wished to put on a show could do so. It was a turn-on for many of the club members to watch a Dom take their sub to task. But for him it also symbolized everything that Mavericks stood for—the power of choice.
Someday he might choose to use it himself.
Josh climbed up onto the stage. “What do you think, should we arrange them on the stage, or make a pile at the base and let people do their own thing?”
“God, they’ll be whacking their heads on the wood.” Oliver slid the box he’d been unpacking to the side with his foot and sauntered over to the stage. “Might need more than the few you have here to be comfortable.”
Oliver was younger by six years and not normally the type of man Josh would gravitate toward. But there was something dark about him that immediately attracted Josh. Oliver was a wounded soul, as his friend Paul would say, and that had always been a draw.
It was easy for him to recognize a kindred spirit.
“You can always come up here and try it out for me.” Josh winked at him, taking a perverse pleasure in the way Oliver’s face flushed. Teasing Oliver had quickly become one of his favorite things to do, pushing his buttons to see the reaction. Childish, perhaps, but Josh found he didn’t care about that when he was able to pull a surprised smile or laugh from the other man.
“Oh, leave him alone.” Beth marched down the stairs. “He just cleared his probation period and I don’t want to hire a new bartender so soon.”
It was fascinating to watch the two of them together. Beth and Oliver had clicked from the moment they’d started working together four months previous. There was more to it than simple workplace synergy. Beth had started smiling more, laughing easier since she’d begun working longer hours with him. And Oliver had quickly broken out of his quiet, polite shell to reveal a dry-humored and sarcastic man beneath.
It would be so easy to push them together.
“Well, if the boss-man wants me to nap on the job, I’m more than happy to oblige.” Oliver hopped up and crowded into Josh’s space. He smelled of beer and faintly of cologne, the combination of which had Josh’s cock taking an interest. Oliver dropped to his knees like a pro, only to lean back and stretch out, half reclining on the few pillows Josh had placed.
Oliver’s T-shirt had pulled tight across his chest, giving Josh a teasing glimpse at the firm muscles beneath. His arms were covered with tattoos, the black ink covering most of his left forearm, disappearing up beneath his shirt sleeves. His right biceps was also inked, though Josh had never been able to fully make out the design. The jeans Oliver wore did nothing to hide the outline of his cock, which appeared half-hard, if Josh were a betting man.
Shit, he really needed to get laid.
“We need more if people will be fucking on this.” Oliver’s voice sounded husky and his eyes were only half-open now. Oliver pillowed his hand behind his head and bucked his hips up as he adjusted his position, giving the appearance that he’d just had amazing sex.
Beth gasped, though Josh agreed with the sentiment. He had to admit, the man made a beautiful picture spread before them at the base of a cross they could tie him to. Josh had to wonder if Oliver realized exactly what kind of image he was painting for them.
Probably not.
Beth cleared her throat. “I don’t think we pay you to laze about.” She was teasing, but there was also the unmistakable note of desire.
God, he wished she’d find herself a man, someone worthy of the brightness of her spirit. She’d been alone since over a year ago when she caught her boyfriend having phone sex with another woman. She said she needed time and didn’t want to jump into another relationship. Josh thought she was scared.
Josh gave Oliver’s shoe a tap with his foot. “I’m not so sure. It looks comfy down there. Maybe I’ll join him.” He could tell from Oliver’s reaction that he didn’t believe Josh would follow through with the quip.
Josh got as far as his knees, making a half lunge for him before Oliver rolled away. “Save me, Beth!” He pretended to hide behind her, unsuccessfully so given their disparate sizes.
“No way.” She spun around, removing herself as a barrier.
“That’s my cue to get back to work. Those bottles won’t set themselves up.” Oliver strode back to the bar, giving Josh a perfect view of his ass.
“Chicken!” Beth chuckled again before jumping up to sit on the edge of the stage. “Seriously, I think we’re ready upstairs once we take the door off the Black Room and I pick up some more oil. The cleaners actually followed the instructions this time and put everything where they were supposed to.”
Josh shifted over and sat down beside her. Shoulder to shoulder, he let himself relax for a few moments and enjoy the peace. “Good. I want everything to be perfect.”
“It will be, Josh. How many investors did you say were coming?”
“Two, but they’re both interested in making major contributions. It will be enough for me to secure the location and get the permits sorted out now for the new club.”
Beth nodded and the beautiful smile on her face slipped into a frown. “So you’re still considering leaving us here and taking over Montreal yourself?”
She’d been stunned when he’d told her of his plans. Beth had come to him via a recommendation from a friend and had worked with him for nearly two years. She’d gone from bartender to assistant manager in that time, but more important, she’d become one of his closest friends.
While Mavericks was a dream come true, he’d been growing restless in recent years. The chance to open a new club, to create another safe haven where people could explore their sexual desires, would give him renewed purpose. It would be a challenge to make the club stand out in Montreal. A new adventure to reignite his spirit.
It would take him out of temptation’s path. Away from Beth and Oliver.
“Yeah.” He leaned in and bumped her shoulder. So far, Beth and the board of directors were the only ones who knew of his plans. “Don’t worry. I won’t go until I know for certain things are where they need to be.”
“Hmm?” Beth was watching Oliver, who’d started unloading glasses from the dishwasher. He wasn’t sure if she was looking at Oliver’s arms and the way his muscles stretched and pulled as he worked, or if, like him, she was fascinated by the flashes of pale belly whenever Oliver reached above the bar to place something on the rack.
Maybe there was something else Josh needed to take care of before he strutted off to Montreal. Perhaps he could find a way to give his friends some happiness before he went. There was an obvious attraction between Beth and Oliver. He really needed to nudge them together to see what could happen.
Beth let out a sigh and patted Josh’s thigh. “I guess we better get back to work if we want to be ready.”
As she shifted away, Josh ignored the pang of regret that echoed in his chest. “You don’t think I’m doing the right thing?”
“Josh—”
“Don’t.” He cleared his throat and smiled. “Don’t give me platitudes. Not you. Do you think I’m making a mistake? Stretching the club’s resources too thin?”
“No.” There was such utter trust shinning back from her big brown eyes, Josh had to believe her. But when Beth began to bounce her feet against the stage, Josh knew there was something more. “I do think you’re running away from something. Though for the life of me I don’t know from what.”
“I’m not.”
“Okay.” Jumping to the floor, she fixed her hair back into a neater bun. “I better finish up.”
Josh sat there for several minutes after she’d gone back upstairs, his mind turning over her words. He wasn’t running away again. Running away implied he was a coward, and he’d long ago learned how to fight to win. No, he wasn’t packing up and heading to Montreal solely for his own benefit.
Opening a new club would help people who didn’t know where else to go. He was doing this for them. And God help anyone who got in his way.