Free Homecoming by Autumn Dawn

audience. For one aching moment, it was just the two of them, alone.
    When Wiley finally slid off of Jayems’ lap, she was clumsy with more than alcohol. She knocked her chair sideways as she sat down.
    Jasmine laughed as she helped set it to rights.
    Then she lost.
    “Huh,” she said. She reached for her drink, in no hurry to pay up.
    Before her fingers could close around it, Keilor grabbed it. With a glint in his eye, he toasted her. “I’d hate for your senses to be dulled for this, Dragonfly.”
    Wiley was too embarrassed to look. They took their time about it.
    Maybe Jayems felt the same thing, or maybe he took pity on her, for he finally said, “Do you think we should leave him to her mercy or have pity and toss water on them?”
     
    She heard Keilor groan, then the sound of Jasmine fumbling for her chair.
    The men stole several more kisses before the game was over, and Wiley couldn’t even hide behind a liquor haze. Jayems and Keilor kept stealing her and Jasmine’s drinks, claiming chivalry. Unfortunately, they didn’t fall into a stupor, either. In fact, the liquor had little noticeable effect on them.
    “You must be cheating,” Jasmine muttered, eyeing the pile of shells in front of their opponents. Keilor raised the bet and Jayems folded. Wiley was already out, and Jasmine couldn’t cover the bet.
    Wiley had never been so glad to finish a game in her life. The moment Jasmine left, she slunk off and hid in her room. Unfortunately, she knew that Jayems wouldn’t leave her alone for long. He was determined to see her change every night--doctor’s orders!--and he wouldn’t believe she’d do it if left in the privacy of her room. Determined to save face, she acted like she was in need of some reading material and went to check out Jayems’ extensive book shelves.
    She’d been strictly a cable girl herself and had rarely picked up a book back home. She’d seen Jayems reading in his library from time to time, settled in one of the two leather chairs. Ottomans were positioned in front of each chair, and end tables on each side held lamps for when the daylight faded. The shelves were behind the chair and lined three walls. A handsome rug warmed that corner of the wooden floor.
    She hadn’t had an interest in exploring that section of the room before. Now she looked at the polished red bookshelves in some surprise. Every book was handsomely bound, and many of them had gilt lettering. Normally that was a turnoff for her, because she always figured those kind of books were boring old classics. Deprived of her TV, however, she was willing to investigate closer.
    A book on the side table caught her eye, and she picked it up. It was titled, “Her First Time.” Her jaw went slack. Glancing to make certain Jayems wasn’t in the room, she hastily set it down and moved to the shelves, blankly studied the spines.
    It was a few moments before she actually read the titles. He’d been thinking about her first time? Their first time? Flames licked her cheeks. Her first experience with the opposite sex had happened years ago, and she’d had her fair share since. Was he thinking of her first time graduating to full-blown sex?
    With a shiver, she tried to put it out of her mind, but she kept flashing back to it.
    Curiosity was eating at her. What was in that book?
    With an effort, she made herself focus on the other titles in front of her. He had books on negotiating, battle tactics, history, agriculture … boring. Didn’t the man read any fiction? There was a book on stained glass working that looked mildly interesting, but she kept scanning the shelves, hoping for something more enticing. Her search was rewarded. There, right in the middle of his shelves at eye level, was an entire shelf of books devoted to lovemaking.
    Wiley’s eyes boggled as she read the titles. An Illustrated Guide to the Sensual Arts. A Woman’s Climax. Emotional Need and the Sensual Virgin. There were dozens of titles.
    Holy Hannah! What