“I’m coming. Fuck, Crew. Gonna fill you up. Fuck, fuck, fuck, Crew.” My name was a blessing on his lips. His hips stuttered into short,deep thrusts. The last one was harder than he’d ever given me before, forcing my body to move when there was nowhere else to go.
Warmth from the inside out. I was so full, I was sure I was going to burst. When his cock began to soften, I could still feel his heat inside of me. Price had claimed me without a single mark on my skin, and I knew with him, I’d never see another bruise again.
I’d been punished for long enough.
Two and a Half Years Later
Icy blue andperfect white mixed into a horizon of Arctic Ocean. The color and intensity of his eyes still made me stop short sometimes. Ice dwelled atop the water, spreading its way to my fire, dwindling it down to a simmer.
Evaporated steam swirled around me as his eyes began to sparkle, and a large, toothy grin curled around his lips. Crew fought hard over the years. His smile wasn’t rare like it used to be, and every time he graced me with one, it was pure. He was truly happy.
Crew waved at me, ushering me forward. Chairs were still stacked atop the dining tables, waiting to be set for service. We weren’t open yet; my hard-working staff were still doing prep. The doors shut behind me, locking automatically as I walked through the dining room. A single table was set up with what looked to be papers sitting on top of it. Crew stood behind it, Jesse looking at the papers next to him.
Even with my longer stride, it took me a second to catch up to where they stood. When we bought the building, we decided to break down a few walls to create a larger-than-life area that could seat up to one hundred and twenty guests. With how often we worked at capacity, it was one of our best ideas to date.
Jesse looked up just as I made it to the table. “Hey, boss man.” He gave me a playful nudge on the arm. One of his boyfriends stood off to the side, looking more like a bodyguard. Both of their aprons were wrinkled to all hell, leaving little to the imagination of why.
“What’s up, Golden?” I nudged him back.
“Oh, you know, the usual. Listening to your man obsess about shit he knows we’re more than capable of handling.” He bent slightly tograb up the papers spread across the table. “I told him he needs to get a move on, but he wouldn’t listen to me.”
Crew gasped, his mouth gaping. “I just want to make sure the place won’t burn down while we’re gone, thank you very much.”
I pulled him into my arms, nearly suffocating him as I pressed his head into my chest. “Baby, you know Isaac can handle anything important. And Callum and Tobi have the kitchen under control. They’ll call us the moment anything happens, if it does at all.”
Crew struggled against my hold, looking up at me with a pout. “I know, but it’s our first time away since we opened. What if something awful happens, or someone gets super mean, and we aren’t here?”
Sometimes, it felt like the better my anxiety got, the more intense Crew’s became. I rubbed my hands up and down his arms soothingly. “Everything will be okay,” I promised him, staring into his eyes, knowing he’d see the truth in them.
I felt him relax against me. “Fine. Let me just say bye to Tobi and Callum, and then we can go. The rest of the morning shift should be coming in soon.”
The doors behind us opened just as Crew began to pull away. Looking over my shoulder, I smiled when I saw Jesse rush towards them.
“’Sup, Liam.” I nodded to him, ignoring the way he hoisted Jesse up into a hug that took him off his feet. The only reply I got was a nod of acknowledgement.
When I turned my attention back in front of me, Tobi and Callum were standing with an overstressed Crew. After the snowstorm and a bit of therapy, Tobi and Crew started to talk again. They talked, and talked, and kept talking until they formed a close friendship. It took Crew a long time and a shit ton of reassurance until some of the guilt he felt began to melt from his shoulders.
There were still days when he felt overwhelmed by their past. He got in his head about what happened and needed some extra time with Tobi or his therapist to talk things through. Those days were fewer and fewer now, though.
“Do you have Cassandra’s number? Just in case.” Crew pointed his question to Tobi.
He nodded, nearing exasperated. “Yes, I have her number. Just go,C. We’ll be fine.” Tobi was a lot more confident now, finding his voice and personality easier.
Cassandra had been a godsend. Our first potential investor backed out, worried that someone without professional training would fail too easily.
Not Cassandra. She adored the idea so much that we agreed the majority of our staff would be underqualified, most of the training being done on-site. We hired passionate cooks, overlooked servers, and opened our doors to anyone and everyone, no matter their expertise or lack thereof.
My staff and our supporters were what made Fire and Ice the restaurant it was. Without them, Crew and I would be lost.
Willow continued to earn promotions, venturing her work further, making her knowledge more and more valuable as time went on.
Jesse was a brilliant floor manager. His people skills were perfection, he was plenty likable, and he could be stern when it was necessary.
Isaac was amazing at back-of-house operations. He understood computer systems, how to negotiate with suppliers, and helped me with anything I couldn’t handle myself.
Callum and Tobi took care of our kitchen staff. I preferred to be involved in the cooking, so even though I was their boss, I let them take the reins and got to immerse myself in what I loved.
Crew handled the numbers. He was our lifeline for understanding what we needed, what we didn’t, and how much money we were making versus spending. The math whiz I never knew I needed.
