Rookery Cove: Seducing Serena Read online

  One thing Serena hadn’t counted on was liking it so much. Through her creations she felt as though she could express herself. The best part of her job was testing them out. When she was alone with one of her creations her secret self was revealed -- her sexy side. It was the part of her that longed for sexual excitement and fulfillment. The thing was, after her last humiliating experience when her ex-boyfriend had called her a frigid bitch, she was reluctant to completely let go.

  Maybe she was frigid. Why else was she not able to orgasm for anyone but herself?

  Malinda looked her over with an assessing gaze. “Serena, if you did more with yourself you would have guys flocking all around you. You’d be gorgeous if you took better care of yourself. Your hair, for instance. If I’d had that gorgeous sable color instead of the mousey brown, I wouldn’t bother dyeing my hair. You have a tight little body, and your eyes are gorgeous. Hell, if you really wanted, I bet I could get you in a few films no problem. Guys really dig the girl next door look you have going for you.”

  “Oh, please. I’m no exhibitionist. Besides, I tried to dress sexy for Joe, but it did no good.”

  “Joe was an asshole. I’m surprised you kept him around as long as you did.”

  “Probably because I didn’t want to admit what a failure I was in the relationship department yet again. Let’s face it, there are some people who have it, and some people like me, who don’t. I’m destined to lead a lonely existence with my battery operated boyfriend.”

  “You’re being over dramatic. There are a lot of guys who check you out, but you never give them the time of day. Remember when you tagged along with me to my appearance? There were all kinds of men hitting on you.”

  Serena snorted. “They were hitting on me to get close to you. You’re Kitten Rae, the top selling female in your industry right now. I’m just your sexless sister.”

  Malinda rolled her eyes. “That’s so not true. I know you enjoy testing those toys you make.”

  “True, but I think something is seriously wrong with me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Serena leaned over the table to whisper when she realized there were a few curious diners looking their way. They were probably people who recognized her sister. “I… the only time I’ve ever had orgasms was while masturbating. Now can you understand why all my exes think I’m a dud in bed? Can you imagine how embarrassing that is for me?”

  “Shut… up!” Malinda gasped with incredulity. “Are you serious?”

  “As a heart attack. Now do you understand why I think something is wrong with me? I know I haven’t had a lot of partners, only three, but you’d think one of them would have done something for me.”

  “You don’t even get a little tingly between your legs?”

  “Don’t get me wrong. While I’m participating in the act, it’s pleasant and I do feel a little aroused, but nothing really major. No fireworks. Nothing. I’d be worried about frigidity, but I can get myself off.”

  “Hmm.” Malinda rubbed a red manicured nail against her cheek as though in deep thought. “Well, you do have the Thomas blood coursing through your veins. Maybe vanilla sex isn’t your thing. Seriously, I could get you in a couple movies if you want to give it a try.”

  Serena held up her hand. “Like I said, thanks but no thanks. When I have sex, I would rather it not be done in front of a camera crew.”

  Malinda shrugged. “Well, it certainly works for me, but I still think my theory is a good one. Is there any kind of kink you find fascinating?”

  Did Serena dare tell her sister the dirty little secret she’d harbored for a while now? She and Malinda were only a year apart, Serena twenty-eight and Malinda twenty-nine, and unlike most sisters close in age, there’d never been any strong sibling rivalry. There was no one she was closer to in the world than her sister. Malinda had even supported her through her Young Republican days when the rest of her family thought she was nuts. She gazed into Malinda’s warm blue eyes and knew she could trust her.

  “Remember the Double Trouble I designed a couple years ago?” She referred to a double dildo with vibrating and squirting action.

  Malinda nodded. “How could I not? It’s been a best seller for the business, and it’s appeared in quite a few movies. I must say it’s one of your kinkier ideas to date. What about it?”

  “Well, ever since I’ve experimented with it, I’ve been wondering what it would be like to be with two men at once. Toys are fine, but I’m more interested in the real thing.”

  “Ooooh, you’re a sly one. Who’d have thought my prudish little sister was into DP,” Malinda teased, her eyes twinkling with merriment.

  “Ha ha. Very funny, but could you please be serious? Does that make me weird?” she asked in a whisper.

  “Need you even ask when you were born into our family? I think if it’s something you’re curious about you should go for it, but be safe about it.”

  “But that’s the thing. How in the world would I be able to initiate something like that? I can’t go up to two random guys and say hey, do you guys want to double team me? They would think I’m such a perv.”

  “You’re being silly. Of course you can’t go up to random people. There are lots of websites out there for that kind of thing.”

  “I’ll pass on that option. I don’t feel comfortable surfing the net for a couple potential lays. Look, to be honest I just told you to get it off my chest. I doubt it’s something that will ever happen. In the meantime, I have my creations. I suppose they’ll keep me satisfied until I’m a little old lady living with her fifty cats,” she said with a sigh.

  “With that defeatist attitude that’s exactly what will happen to you. You have the power to shape your own destiny. Don’t let your fears ruin your life.”

  As profound as that statement was, Serena figured she had as much chance of her fantasy coming true as mythical creatures existing.

  Chapter Two

  Serena was deep in concentration over some new sketches. It was tough constantly having to top the last big idea, but it was her job. She was trying to figure out a way to create a toy which would expand in a woman’s vagina and ass according to the owner’s needs. She’d toyed around with temperature control, but that would come later after she’d figured the expansion part. She needed to use a material that was durable as well as comfortable.

  She eyed the paper she’d been working on for the last couple hours. With a frustrated sigh, she crumpled and tossed it into the trash. That had been the fifth time. What was wrong with her? Usually she had a knack for this, but ever since she’d made her confession to Malinda, Serena couldn’t get images of being with two men out of her mind.

  She’d even gone as far as looking on the Internet to look at pictures of two men with one woman. The images had been so hot, she’d fogged up her computer. Perusing through the pictures with one hand on the keyboard and the other inside her panties, she’d imagined the women to be her. Once she’d come, Serena had felt depraved. What was wrong with her? She had to stop.

  Maybe Malinda was right, she just hadn’t found the right man to knock her socks off.

  Jack walked into the workshop, a slight smile on his handsome face. “Hey, sis, whatcha working on now?”

  “Another prototype. I’m trying to figure out the practicalities of it and I can’t quite get it.”

  “You need to take a break. You’ve created enough toys this year alone to keep the business running quite well. It would be okay if you took some time off. Mom and Dad were saying the other day you should.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, I like what I do, but today I have a lot on my mind.”

  “Do you want to tell me about it?” he asked kindly.

  Though she was close to her brother, he wasn’t the best at keeping secrets. “It’s nothing really. What are you doing in here?”

  “There’s some man who wants to see you. He says he’ll only talk to you.”

  Serena frowned. “A man? Are you sure it wasn’t som
e traveling salesman?”

  “No. He looked a little more official than that. He’s dressed expensively. I bet his tie alone cost a few hundred dollars.” Jack whistled.

  “I wonder what he could want with me.”

  “Well, you won’t find out until you go downstairs and see.”

  Serena tugged the kerchief off her head. “But I look a mess.”

  “What else is new? It hasn’t stopped you from going out into public before.” Jack stuck his tongue out at her. She slapped his arm playfully.

  “Fine. I’ll go, but I certainly didn’t expect anyone to come by the office looking for me today.”

  She looked down at herself and sighed. She wore a pair of overalls with a tank top underneath. Wearing not a hint of makeup, Serena knew she probably looked all of fifteen years old if that. Because of her slight figure and short stature, she was often thought to be younger than what she actually was.

  The family business was run in an old brewery, which still had the faint smell of beer. Trudging down the stairs, she passed her dad’s office. “Hey, Daddy.” She waved at him.

  He looked up from his computer absently. “Hello, sweetheart. It’s about time you came out of the workshop. Why don’t you go out and smell the flowers? It’s a nice day.”

  “I will as soon as I see to my visitor.”

  “You have a visitor? Wait a minute, it wouldn’t happen to be a man from… damn. I think he said his name was Mr. Maddox or Matlock from Rocky Cave or something like that?”

  “I’m not sure. Why?”

  “Someone called for you a couple days ago, but you weren’t here. I’m sorry I forgot to pass the message on to you.”

  Serena smiled at her absentminded father. He was a shrewd man when it came to the business, but at times he had a memory like a colander. “It’s okay, Daddy. I’ll let you know when I’m finished with him.” She continued down the hall and stopped short when she spotted a tall dark-haired man looking casually out the window. Jack hadn’t been kidding when he’d said this man was money. She was no fashion guru, but it was obvious to her his suit was tailored. Even his feet were expensively shod.

  “Uh umm.” She cleared her throat to make her presence known. When the man turned around she found herself staring into a pair of dark eyes. Her breath caught in her throat. He had to be one of the most devastatingly gorgeous men she’d ever seen.

  She couldn’t tell what his exact height was but it had to be at least a few inches over six feet. His dark wavy hair was in a ponytail, pulled back to cover the tips of his ears. The hair style almost reminded her of a proud Native American male’s. His swarthy face looked as if it had been carved from granite. Her eyes strayed to his lips, a contrast to the rest of his face. They were plump and red, almost too big for his features, but they seemed to fit.

  There was something hypnotic in the way his dark eyes raked her from head to toe. “Are you Mr. Maddox?” she asked, holding out her hand.

  A grin split his mouth as he took her hand in his. “Serena Thomas?” he asked in accented English. She couldn’t quite place the part of the world he was actually from, but judging by his coloring, she guessed Eastern Europe.

  Dear God, he was hot. Her pulse began to race. What felt like a shiver of electricity raced along the nerves in her arms and slammed right into her heart. Easy, Serena. A hunk like this couldn’t possibly be interested in insignificant little me. “That’s me,” she said, silently congratulating herself for projecting a calm she certainly didn’t feel.

  “I’m glad to finally meet you face to face. It’s certainly my honor.” He nodded his dark head.

  She laughed uneasily. “I’m a little baffled about why you wanted to see me. Oh, where are my manners. Would you like something to drink?”

  “No, thank you.” Again he smiled, and her heart did somersaults. It should have been illegal for a man to be so darned good-looking.

  “Follow me to my office. It’s just down the hall, Mr. Maddox.”

  “It’s simply Maddox.”

  “Then you must call me Serena.” Why did she feel like a giddy schoolgirl? The last time she’d reacted this way to a man was… never. Not even Joe had made her feel quite this way. Her body grew tight with awareness as he followed her to her small office. She didn’t even have to look at him to have goose bumps run along her body. This man oozed masculinity from every pore of his being. She only hoped she could get through this meeting without saying something stupid.

  When they were inside her tiny office, she gestured to the seat in front of her desk as she sat down. “Are you sure I can’t get you something to drink?”

  “No, thank you. What I have to say will be brief.”

  She shrugged, picking up the bottled water she’d left on her desk earlier. “Okay, shoot.”

  “I want you.”

  In the process of taking a sip from the bottle, she spit it out, spewing liquid all over the desk. “Pardon me?” Had she heard him correctly? She had to be hearing things because there was no way he’d said what she thought. Her imagination was working overtime today.

  He chuckled, lightly. A sexy sound. “My apologies. It wasn’t my intention to surprise you. I probably should have chosen my words more carefully. I’m a representative of a company called Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs. We’ve been the leaders in our field for years now, but lately, our sex toy division has taken a bit of a hit. We need to infuse new life into our division and we believe you’re the person who can help us with it.”

  Disappointment rose within her breast. She knew it was silly to imagine he’d want her for any other reason, but for that brief second she had. “So basically, you’re a headhunter.”

  “Yes. I would like for you to come work for my company. Whatever you’re making here, we’ll triple it. We offer a competitive benefits package with free medical and dental insurance as well as two months’ paid vacation and use of the company jet when needed so you can visit the States whenever you’d like. You’ll also be allotted a monthly clothing allowance, and a quarterly cost of living bonus.”

  She shook her head trying to comprehend. “Hold on. Are you saying this place isn’t even in the United States? Where exactly is it?”

  “The actual plant is in Nova Scotia, Canada, but the manufacturing plant where you’d be located is off the coast on an island incidentally named Rookery Cove.”

  She rubbed her chin. Why did this company sound so familiar? “I think I may have heard of you. I think my sister uses Rookery Cove’s Joy Jellies, or something like that.”

  “Yes, we do have a product by that name. We manufacture many things of the adult nature. Now getting back to what I’ve come here for, we feel with your talent and our name, we can make this endeavor financially lucrative for you. Did I mention, though we would retain the patents of any product you make under our name, you would get a percentage of the profits?”

  Part of her wanted to take him up on his offer just for the mere chance to spend time with him. Although she had been issued a passport, she’d only used it once when her family had gone to an erotic fair in Germany to promote their products. She often dreamed of living outside of the country.

  Wait, what was she thinking? She couldn’t do it. “That’s an extremely attractive package you’re offering, but I can hardly accept your proposal. This is a family business and I couldn’t leave them in a lurch. I’m sorry you’ve come all this way just to hear me say no, but that’s my answer.”

  “We’re willing to quadruple your salary if that’s what it takes.”

  “Money isn’t the issue. I have to admit, your offer is very attractive and the benefits sound outstanding, but like I said I can’t leave my family like this. Why me? There are a lot of people out there who do what I do, and just as well if not better.”

  “We seek out the best in their fields and you’re the best.” A slow smile crossed his face and she nearly swooned with lust. This man would be the death of her.

  “I handle the specialty items
for our company.”

  “It’s my understanding your father does as well. He taught you everything you know, correct?”

  She gasped. “How did you know that?”

  “It’s my business to know about the people I recruit.”

  “You make it sound like you’ve already recruited me. I’ve already told you no.”

  He leaned forward, dark eyes blazing. “Let me share a little bit about myself. I didn’t get to where I am by taking no for an answer. You’ll soon learn, Serena, I usually get what I want.”

  Chapter Three

  Dalos tossed and turned trying to get to sleep, but as always with Maddox away, he found it difficult to fall into slumber. Just having a warm body beside his was comforting. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand. Maddox hadn’t called as he’d promised.

  His mind drifted back to the last conversation they’d had before his lover went off on another headhunting jaunt. “This isn’t going to work,” he’d said.

  Maddox had closed his eyes, a look of regret on his face. “No, not the way things stand. I’ve run this over in my mind several times and have thought of one way we can both satisfy our needs and still be together.”

  Dalos looked down at Maddox, rolling off, his semi-erect cock gliding out of Maddox’s tight ass. He took a deep breath before he spoke again. “Tell me.”

  “We can bring a third into this relationship, someone who will let us take the lead.”

  Dalos had toyed with the idea before, but hadn’t mentioned it out of fear he’d offend Maddox. As much as he loved the Wood Elf, there were times when he didn’t want to fight to get what he wanted. “I don’t think that’s a bad idea at all.”

  Maddox lifted a dark brow. “You don’t mind?”