Would I be able to take him?
Would it hurt?
Did I want it to?
I imagined there would be pleasure mixed with pain. The most delicious kind, the type that I craved. My sexual encounters had been subpar at best. I needed someone with dominant energy. Someone who would take control and use my body, getting me out of my head so I could let go and enjoy myself. I was willing to bet money on the fact that Atlas was that type.
With a buzz, I started up my vibrator and worked it inside of me as I centered the suctioning head over my clit.
“Yes, Atlas, yes,” I moaned as I looked over the photo, taking in every crease and shadow created by his muscles.
I rocked my hips, fucking my vibe and wishing it was him. Wishing the big bad wolf would huff and puff and give me the best orgasm of my life.
My belly started to feel tight, the tension building until it finally snapped, sending waves of pleasure coursing through me.
“Ahh! Fuck!” I screamed as warm liquid gushed out of my body and onto the bed, my legs shaking with the force of my orgasm.
I threw my head back against the pillow, my eyes focused on the ceiling as I panted to try to catch my breath.
Apparently, all it took to give me an earth-shattering orgasm was just a picture of Atlas. The mere image of him doing devious things to me had pushed me over the edge.
But what would it be like to have the real thing?
Six
Tegan
It was a beautiful early-fallday. Clear blue skies, a light breeze, the last rays of the summer sun warming my skin.
Perfect for a wedding.
My wedding.
I was standing on the church steps, wearing the dress of my dreams. A vintage cream-colored gown that hugged my body in all the right places.
Clenched between my sweaty palms was a bouquet of all my favorite flowers. They were fresh and fragrant, like I’d plucked them from my own garden for this very special day.
Behind the heavy church doors, the organ groaned and the bridal march began to play. I stared down at my feet, taking a steadying breath before walking inside.
The church was packed to the eaves with rows and rows of Briar Glenn residents. Everyone lining the pews whipped their heads around to watch me stroll down the aisle, but their faces were a blur—I only had eyes for him.
At the end of the aisle, dressed in a perfectly tailored gray suit—
A round of applause erupted around me, and my mother nudged my shoulder, urging me to join in.
“Oh my gods,” I murmured, shaking off the fantasy that had so easily slipped into my mind. I hadn’t realized I was so desperate to get married that I’d fantasize about it at someone else’s wedding.
Mr. and Mrs. Costas had just cut the cake—a two-layered one, not the massive three-layered one we planned—and I had spaced out for the entire thing. As the baker of such an important cake, I should have been proud. Invested. But I was too preoccupied to care.
“The cake looks lovely,” my mom said sincerely. “Great job, honey.”
I took a sip of my mocktail, recalling the interesting string of events leading up to this moment. “I’m just glad we have the sheet cake. It wouldn’t have been enough to feed all these guests if we didn’t.”
Scanning the reception hall, I took stock of who was in attendance, because I’d have to make my rounds at some point.
There was Brian, the owner of the Busy Bean, the only coffee shop in Briar Glenn. Spencer and her mom Daria, the owner of the Briar Glenn Bookshop. My centaur neighbors stood at one of the high-top tables, happily chatting while they ate their cake, and I laughed to myself, remembering Declan’s suggestion of becoming their third.
That’s when someone tucked into a table at the very back of the hall caught my eye.
