Free The Gentlemen's Ranch (Erotica Series, Book 1) by Ever Wood Page B

put them on.”
    I fucking knew it.
     
    ***
     
    “ Okay, this is degrading,”
I mumble.
    Sophia waves a dismissive
hand in the air. “It is certainly not meant to be degrading at all,
Ms. Morgan,” she scoffs. “The men at The Ranch are searching for a
lifelong partner that will excite them both physically and
intellectually. Don’t let your inhibitions limit you. To them, the
female form is to be celebrated and worshiped, not
degraded.”
    Camryn spies a tray with
champagne flutes. “Oh, my, Cristal. May I?”
    “ Of course, help
yourself.”
    She picks up a glass,
downs the drink in one swallow, and then picks up
another.
    “ Hand one over, sister,” I
tell her and we both laugh at the absurdity we’ve gotten ourselves
into. “These guys better be hot, Cam, that’s all I can
say.”
    Sophia clears her throat
demurely. “You will have no problem finding a handsome,
well-educated and wealthy man here at The Ranch.”
    The champagne must have
worked. Camryn starts peeling out of her clothes. “What happens
next?” she asks as she lifts her shirt over her head.
    “ You will go into the
Great Room and be announced to the men. Based on the results of
your profile, you have already been matched with four suitors. They
will seek you out to engage in pursuits of mutual interest. The
Ranch offers many activities including dancing, swimming, horseback
riding, tennis.”
    Naked?
    I suck down the contents
of my glass and reach for another. Camryn, bless her heart, is
already swaddled in a big, white robe and a rosy glow on her cheeks
has replaced the hives on her neck. “Party time, Tesh!” she sings
to me in a high-pitched voice I recognize as Cam’s buzz voice. “You
heard the lady, no time for dawdling.” She giggles and I can’t help
but laugh with her.
    “ This is definitely one of
those What Happens At The Ranch, Stays At The Ranch kind of
experiences. Okay, Cam?”
    She makes a twisty motion
at her lips and then throws away an imaginary key. “My lips are
sealed.”
    “ Mmm hmm, just like our
last Christmas party? When you announced to everyone in the room
that I slept with my boss?”
    “ I did that for you! It
helped your reputation, didn’t it?”
    “ For the
worse!”
    “ Well, you needed
something to jump start your love life. Your bed has cobwebs for
Christ’s sake.”
    The self-proclaimed
Steward, although seeming to get a kick out of our banter, motions
with her hand for me to get moving.
    I pick up my second glass
of champagne and start to undress. “Everything?” I ask Sophia. “Can
I just leave—?”
    “ Every stitch, Ms.
Morgan.”
    I knock back the
champagne, strip and tie a pink robe tight around my
body.
    “ Very good,” Sophia
praises with a curt nod of her chin. She turns, petticoats swishing
and gestures us out of the Parlor. “Now, remember, these men want
to get to know you better. To that end, some of their requests may
be physical in nature. Per your contract, you must submit to all
requests.”
    Camryn giggles again and I
feel an unexpected twinge of heat pool in my lower region. Panties would be nice at this moment. Even a
thong. I’d settle for a band-aid.
    “ However,” Sophia interrupts, “please note that sexual
intercourse is not permitted on Day One, and only on the subsequent days should
you consent.” She stops at a pair of enormous wooden doors and
turns back to us. “Above all, enjoy yourselves,” she says with a
wide smile. “Be opened minded. Get to know the men and let them get
to know you. Your perfect match is behind these doors. I promise
you that.”
    The doors open wide, and
the Steward hands a card to a white-gloved man standing just
inside.
    He reads the card and
turns to the gathered guests. “Gentlemen, may I have your
attention. I would like to introduce the Lady Tesh Morgan and the
Lady Camryn Kennedy.” The man ushers the two of us
forward.
    I glance back nervously
for Sophia, but she is already gone and the doors are
closing.
    My